"This case... I think we should stop here. No further investigation."
The words that drifted faintly from the Empress's carriage left Wei Shufen utterly stunned, momentarily doubting her own hearing. Looking up, she saw Li Yuangui standing in the light snow, equally dumbfounded, staring speechless at the carriage's curtained window.
"I too initially felt that Yi Niang's death was unjust and bizarre. As the mistress of the inner palace, it was my duty to uncover the truth and clear her name," Empress Zhangsun's voice was soft but resolute. "But now that this ring has been found among her belongings—a matter touching upon a maiden's virtue—to investigate further would only disturb her spirit in the underworld. Let us simply conclude it as suicide due to delusion, sparing everyone further trouble."
"But... whether this jade ring is indeed a man's token, whether it truly implicates her virtue, remains undetermined," Li Yuangui objected. "To hastily close the case would only cement suspicions of Yi Niang's illicit affair."
Chai Yingluo, standing by the carriage window, leaned in to advise, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. That day, you and the Son of Heaven expended so much effort to appoint Wei Zheng as the chief investigator precisely because this case concerns Your Majesty's reputation. Your kindness and benevolence in arranging a grand marriage for an orphaned girl from the former palace, only to be met with baseless accusations, pains us deeply. We are sworn to uncover the truth. If the investigation is suddenly halted now, it may only fuel malicious gossip..."
On the night of Yi Niang's wedding, many high-ranking officials and noblewomen were present at the Temple of Common Vocation. News of her death could not be suppressed. Wei Zheng and others had spent a day questioning witnesses at the temple, and Chai Shao's family intended to conduct full funeral rites for Yi Niang, transporting her coffin back to their ancestral home for mourning. The matter would only grow more contentious. To halt the investigation now would be tantamount to the Empress admitting guilt for driving her niece to death. Was she truly willing to bear such a burden?
"Yi Niang's death is not entirely unrelated to me," the Empress said slowly. "It stems from my failure to properly govern the inner palace, leaving it unsettled, and my neglect of the widows and orphans at the Temple of Common Vocation. To accept blame for lacking compassion is not unwarranted. The dead must be honored. Your father, in his generosity, has agreed to bury Yi Niang properly in the Chai family ancestral tomb. This is all I can do for my niece now. As for slander and baseless rumors—have they not existed in every dynasty, in every era? One who occupies this position must have the fortitude to endure them."
Such noble, moving words that might stir the entire Tang Empire... Yet Wei Shufen found herself unable to believe a single syllable.
Gazing at the blurred silhouette of Empress Zhangsun behind the snow-flecked carriage curtain, she reflected on this daughter of the renowned Sui general Zhangsun Sheng. Orphaned young, she and her widowed mother were driven out by her half-brother Zhangsun Anye and forced to live under her uncle's roof until she married the second son of the Tang Duke at thirteen. Perhaps it was precisely because of the hardships she endured in childhood that she became famously proud, determined, and meticulous—never allowing herself to be criticized.
In the first year of Zhenguan, Zhangsun Anye, who had once mistreated her and her mother, had risen to the position of Right Gate Guard General through imperial connections. Yet he conspired in a rebellion, with evidence so clear that he deserved execution. The Empress tearfully pleaded with the Son of Heaven, arguing, "All under heaven know Anye was cruel to me. If he is now sentenced to death, people will say I sought private vengeance, tarnishing the dynasty's purity." Thus, she spared her half-brother's life, reducing his sentence to exile.Yet when it came to her maternal elder brother Zhangsun Wu-ji, who had relied on her since childhood, the Empress restrained herself at every turn to avoid suspicion. In the first year of Zhenguan, when Wu-ji was appointed Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, the Empress fervently pleaded, "A sage ruler's heavy reliance on maternal relatives may invite accusations of favoritism, and my family also fears the dangers of excess." She then urged her brother to firmly decline the post. Though the Son of Heaven was displeased, he ultimately yielded to the siblings, relieving Wu-ji of his ministerial duties and granting him an honorary sinecure instead.
Lenient toward foes yet strict in restraining kin—this was how the world praised Empress Zhangsun for her noble principles and maternal grace befitting the realm. But in private, many whispered that she went to such lengths solely to preserve her own reputation as a virtuous empress. Now, for the sake of a young niece's chastity, would she truly stoop to silently endure accusations of "driving Yi Niang to her death"?
If the Empress genuinely wished to halt the investigation, it certainly wasn't for Yi Niang's sake.
There were few things—or people—in this world for whom she would willingly endure slander and condemnation.
Counting them, it must be someone even more important to her than her own brother, someone worth sacrificing her dignity and reputation to protect at all costs...
Wei Shufen's heart suddenly jolted.
The Empress recognized Yi Niang's jade ring, knew its original owner, and was intimately connected to the man who had given it to Yi Niang.
The ring had remained in the Empress's possession, likely never leaving her grasp, even now inside the carriage. Wei Shufen recalled her last visit to the Hall of Established Governance, where she had seen the Empress keeping Yi Niang's suicide note and the strangling cord used in her death on the table beside her, unbothered by their grim associations. Back then, how earnestly had the Empress pursued the case, how desperate to solve it and apprehend the culprit?
Yet now she adamantly decreed: Close the case as suicide.
"Fourteenth Brother," Empress Zhangsun addressed Li Yuangui through the carriage window, "I see in your bearing and temperament much resemblance to your Second Elder Brother. He—His Majesty is the same, always forthright and intolerant of deceit. Such noble hearts are suited to governance and conquest abroad, but the inner palace is a shadowed place, steeped in grudges and malice, a den of women and petty minds. To demand clarity in every matter is neither possible nor wise. After your mother's tragic passing last year... ah, you should have gleaned some lessons from that."
Li Yuangui remained silent, head bowed. The Empress softened her tone further:
"That your mother suffered injustice, denied even a proper burial to this day, weighs heavily on my conscience. Bear with it a little longer, Fourteenth Brother. Once the Supreme Emperor's health improves, we will see to it—her funeral and posthumous honors shall be lavish. Leave this matter to me; you need not worry."
Li Yuangui knelt and kowtowed in gratitude. Watching from the side, Wei Shufen sensed the Empress was bargaining with his mother's funeral rites to secure his compliance in closing the case. Yet her words were so tender and comforting, even outsiders would find them heartwarming. Moreover, the Empress had just shielded the Seventeenth Princess the night before. From any angle, Li Yuangui could not defy her will.
"This subject obeys the Empress's decree," the young prince replied from his knees. "However, the chief investigator appointed by His Majesty is the Palace Attendant, Duke Wei..."
"Naturally, I will speak to His Majesty and Duke Wei. You needn't trouble yourself further, Fourteenth Brother."
With that, the matter was settled. The Empress ordered the carriage to return to the palace. Chai Yingluo bowed beside it and said:
"Earlier, when I touched Your Majesty's left wrist, the pulse was slippery yet slow, indicating stagnant qi and blood. Acupuncture must be administered promptly to soothe the liver. Yingluo humbly requests to accompany Your Majesty back to the Hall of Established Governance to attend to you.""That would be wonderful, thank you for your trouble," the Empress replied from inside the carriage, adding, "Young Lady Wei, come along as well. There are a few words I'd like to share with you."
Throughout the day, the Empress had not acknowledged Wei Shufen at all, leading her to believe she had blended into the crowd unnoticed... How laughable to think anyone could escape Empress Zhangsun's sharp eyes?
She and Chai Yingluo had ridden over from Purple Void Monastery early that morning, wearing veiled hats. Now, retrieving their horses, they followed the Empress's carriage through Jiayou Gate into the Supreme Palace, winding their way toward the Hall of Established Governance.
The light snow came and went intermittently. In this late winter, early spring season, the ice near the shores of the palace ponds had begun to melt, and willow buds showed hints of green. Yet this spring snowfall cast everything back into a bleak, desolate appearance. The north wind blew fiercely, but couldn't disperse the thick fog of suspicion clouding Wei Shufen's mind.
Recalling the chain of strange events since she had accidentally stumbled into the Temple of Common Vocation while fleeing her wedding, it seemed—just as the Empress had said—that everything was interconnected:
That night, she and the others had discovered the hanged bride Li Wanxi, with Li Yuangui declaring it murder on the spot; her parents had burst into Yi Niang's room to drag her home, only to be stopped by Chai Yingluo and the rest;
The next morning, she and Li Yuangui found what appeared to be a man's keepsake at the crime scene, only for Yi Niang's fiercely loyal nurse to swallow it; the Son of Heaven and Empress summoned them to the palace, ordering her father Wei Zheng to lead the investigation, while the group spent the entire day questioning and searching the Temple of Common Vocation; meanwhile, the Emperor visited the Supreme Emperor at Great Peace Palace, clashing with Consort Yin, which led to revelations about Consort Yin's abuse of the Seventeenth Princess;
On the third morning, she and Chai Yingluo discovered what seemed to be Yi Niang's handwritten copies of sensual Qi-Liang palace poetry in her old quarters at the temple—contradicting the nurse's claims that the young bride was "a chaste maiden with a heart still as water"; Li Yuangui rushed in, begging Chai Yingluo to help rescue his sister; likely around the time they left the temple, Consort Yang, Princess of Hailing, and her daughter quietly departed as well; that evening, Chai Yingluo and Li Yuangui brought the Seventeenth Princess to the Empress's care, while almost simultaneously, someone sneaked into the forbidden garden to set fire outside the temple...
And now it was the fourth morning. The Temple of Common Vocation lay in ruins, Consort Yang and her daughter were missing, the jade ring swallowed by the nurse had resurfaced in the Empress's hands, and the Empress had declared Yi Niang's case closed as suicide.
Wei Shufen shook her head as she rode, sensing the faint, slithering presence of a cunning serpent quietly weaving these events together like a rope—yet she couldn't discern the hidden pattern.
Lost in thought, they arrived at the gates of the Hall of Established Governance, where a maid approached to report: "The Crown Prince and Crown Princess came early to pay their respects and are still waiting inside."
Chai Yingluo immediately reined in her horse, and Wei Shufen followed suit. The thought of seeing her former close friend Su Lingyu in the hall ahead made her heart leap—but she would be there with her husband, Crown Prince Li Chengqian... which made an encounter awkward.
"Hmm," the Empress's voice from the carriage sounded much weaker than it had been in the forbidden garden. "Wait a moment... let me... gather myself..."
The jostling journey seemed to have worsened her condition. Chai Yingluo's expression changed as she dismounted, approaching the carriage door. Calling out "Empress," she pulled it open and stepped inside.At that moment, a man and a woman emerged from the courtyard to greet them. Judging by their purple robes and jade belts, they were clearly the Crown Prince and his consort. Wei Shufen didn't have time to observe them closely. She dismounted, bowed her head, and retreated into the crowd of palace attendants. She heard a young man's voice calling out "A Niang" and inquiring about her health. Amidst the minor commotion, Chai Yingluo's voice rose:
"Her Majesty is exhausted. Have the sedan chair brought over at once. Your Highness, forgive my presumption, but please come here and lend a hand..."
Two sturdy maids carried a palanquin out through the courtyard gate. With Chai Yingluo and the purple-robed young man supporting her on either side, the Empress descended from the carriage and was immediately seated in the palanquin. The Empress seemed too weak to even sit upright, leaning limply against the female Taoist's arm. A large group of palace maids bustled around them, holding up umbrellas to shield them from the snow as they entered the gates of the Hall of Established Governance. Wei Shufen found herself caught in the crowd, able only to fret helplessly.
The small palanquin carried the Empress into the eastern warming chamber of the main hall. Chai Yingluo directed the attendants as they helped the Empress lie down on the bed, removing her outer robe and shoes while tucking her under the blankets. She issued rapid orders: "Light those candles and bring them here... Fetch water for me to wash my hands..."
From her robe, she produced a leather pouch. After washing her hands, she unwrapped layer after layer of cloth to reveal over a dozen slender gold needles. Holding each briefly over the candle flame, the female Taoist took the Empress's left hand and gently inserted the needles into acupoints like "Neiguan" on her wrist, "Shaofu" and "Hegu" on her palm, rotating them softly. The crowd, led by the Crown Prince and his consort, knelt before the bed, watching intently as Chai Yingluo performed the acupuncture. Though the room was crowded, only the Empress's labored breathing could be heard.
Empress Zhangsun's face was as pale as gold paper, her eyes closed, her breathing rapid and strained as if something were choking her chest. After finishing the needles on the Empress's left hand, Chai Yingluo massaged her palm briefly before moving to the right side. But the Empress's right hand remained clenched in a fist, refusing to open.
"Your Majesty... Aunt."
Chai Yingluo called softly. The Empress opened her eyes to look at her, as if just returning to reality, and offered a faint smile before uncurling her right hand.
In her palm still lay the Blood Jade Ring.
Wei Shufen heard the Crown Prince, Li Chengqian, kneeling by the bed, draw a sharp breath. The Empress turned her head to look at her son, her lips twisting into a curve that seemed both angry and sorrowful. She raised her hand and offered him the ring:
"Take your..."
She didn't finish the sentence. Glancing up and seeing the crowd of people kneeling in the room, she paused, then weakly ordered, "All of you, leave... A Su need not stay either. Take... the young lady of the Wei family to... my study to wait for a while..."
Wei Shufen rose with the others, both startled and confused. As she walked toward the door, she couldn't resist turning back for one last look. She saw the Crown Prince had taken the jade ring but remained silent, still kneeling by the bed, his gaze shifting between his mother and Chai Yingluo, who sat beside the bed continuing the acupuncture. She wondered if he was silently pleading with his elder cousin to intercede on his behalf.
A hand lightly touched her forearm.
Wei Shufen turned to see the familiar face of her former close friend, Crown Princess Su Lingyu. Yet the look in her eyes was that of a complete stranger.
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