PC Chapter 43

Xiao Sun still remembered that night when Lord Su took him and a few other officers, determined and unafraid, toward the Xingqing Palace.

He was just a lowly servant in the front office, responsible for serving tea and water, cleaning the courtyard, and relaying messages. His days were often dull, merely watching Lord Xue beat the convicts or Lord Zhang practice Tai Chi. He had never encountered anything significant in his life. If he had to mention an event, it would be the day he was dragged to the Ministry of Rites, a coincidence brought about by this very Lord Su.

However, this time they were heading to the Xingqing Palace, where a person resided whose mere sneeze could shake Chang’an. Moreover, at this hour, not a single soul could be found on the street, not even a wandering ghost. The cold night wind swept through the alleys, sending chills down one’s spine.

But looking at Lord Su, who was leading the way, his complexion was like jade, his brows and eyes clear and bright, exuding a youthful vigor. He was doing something that no one else dared to attempt.

A person of exceptional intelligence and character, this must be the type of person referred to as possessing a “noble essence.”

Outside the Xingqing Palace, the lights were still bright, and waiting for them was the most powerful Imperial Guard in the Great Zhou, each soldier clad in armor and wielding long spears, standing at the ready.

Su Cen knew that forcefully breaking into the Xingqing Palace was tantamount to seeking death, so he stated directly, “I want to see Qi Lin.”

Fortunately, the guards at the Xingqing Palace still remembered Su Cen and did not immediately apprehend him as an assassin. After some hesitation, they sent a lackey inside to announce his arrival.

When Qi Lin saw the visitor, he couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback. The calm and composed person he had seen during the day now had bloodshot eyes and a grim expression, as if he were a different person altogether. After regaining his composure, Qi Lin stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed.

Su Cen didn’t bother with pleasantries and said directly, “I apologize for disturbing you at this late hour, but I need to take Xiao Yuancheng for a case we’re investigating in Dali Temple.”

Qi Lin frowned, “What happened?”

“A murder.”

Qi Lin paused to contemplate for a moment before shaking his head. “The prince has already gone to bed.”

“I assure you, I won’t disturb the prince,” Su Cen insisted.

“The prince has gone to bed,” Qi Lin repeated.

Su Cen quickly understood. If the prince was asleep, then it was likely that the person keeping him company was also asleep. At such an intimate hour, attempting to take someone from the bed of the Prince Ning would be tantamount to suicide, even if he had ten heads to spare.

Looks like finally, he climbed onto the dragon bed and got what he wanted.

Suddenly, Su Cen felt an emptiness in his heart, and with that, he was no longer afraid. He smiled at Qi Lin and said, “Then please ask the prince to wake up. I need to borrow someone close to him.”

Qi Lin looked at Su Cen awkwardly, unsure of how to respond, when he suddenly felt a light pat on his shoulder from behind.

Turning slightly, Qi Lin bowed and stepped back.

This was the first time in months that Su Cen saw this person up close.

He remained lofty and regal, casually draped in a cloak, exuding the demeanor of a ruler. A pair of eyes looked at him, seemingly filled with smile, yet holding an emptiness. A hand reached out, lightly tracing a line along his cheek as it spoke, “You’ve lost weight.”

A casual remark, yet he had to grip his hands tightly, his nails digging into his flesh to stop the trembling.

In that moment, the emotions he had locked away for months burst forth like a dam breaking, crashing violently in his chest, nearly overwhelming him. Each drop of this emotional flood carried a name: grievance.

He had held himself together when he was isolated and helpless in the court, when he witnessed blood and flesh flying in front of him, and when he was drunk and no one was there to help him into bed. But in the end, he crumbled at the sound of just two words.

Su Cen, you have really come a long way.

Su Cen took two steps back, enveloping himself in shadows, bowing his head respectfully as he addressed, “Your Highness.”

Li Shi gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear and asked, “Why aren’t you resting at this late hour?”

“I…”

Before he could respond, he was interrupted by a voice calling sweetly, “Your Highness~.”

With long hair cascading over his shoulders and his chest slightly exposed, the man still bore a hint of sleepiness, his body seeming to lack strength as he tugged gently at Li Shi’s sleeve and rested his head on his shoulder.

In an instant, Su Cen felt awake.

He feared that on the hurried journey here, the two had still been tangled together in bed.

What did he mean in this situation? Was he simply a pathetic figure seeking pity after regretting his earlier choices? What was he to Li Shi? A trivial act of charity toward a former favorite?

Su Cen took another step back, the strand of hair slipping from the man’s grasp. He spoke respectfully, “This official is deeply sorry for disturbing Your Highness. I fear that the Young heir must come with us.”

It was a fitting display of the etiquette between lord and subject, infused with a cold and distant restraint.

Li Shi furrowed his brow slightly and turned to look at Xiao Yuancheng, softly questioning, “What have you done this time?”

There was no hiding the affection in his tone.

It was clear that Li Shi was aware of what Xiao Yuancheng had done, yet he didn’t seem to care.

“I didn’t do anything,” Xiao Yuancheng replied with a playful pout, then turned to Su Cen with a frown. “You want me to pay for it; haven’t I already compensated you? What more do you want?”

Su Cen replied coldly, “I didn’t know that money could buy two lives.”

“What?” Xiao Yuancheng appeared taken aback.

Su Cen continued, “This official respectfully invites the Young heir to return with me to the Dali Temple to assist in the investigation of a murder case.”

“A murder case?” Li Shi glanced at Xiao Yuancheng again.

“I didn’t do anything!” Xiao Yuancheng clearly panicked, gripping Li Shi’s sleeve tightly. “Your Highness, I didn’t…”

He shot a fierce glare at Su Cen, accusing, “You’re framing me! You’re setting me up!”

“Whether it’s framing or not, the court will determine that.”

“I’m not going… I’m not going, my lord…” Xiao Yuancheng stubbornly tugged at Li Shi’s sleeve, nearly pleading, “He’ll torture me; I won’t go…”

Li Shi gently patted the hand on him. Just as Xiao Yuancheng was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he saw that hand decisively pull him away from the sleeve.

“?!”

“Go early, return early,” Li Shi said.

“Your Highness…” Tears immediately welled up in Xiao Yuancheng’s eyes, and his youthful face, now tear-streaked, looked pitiful. Su Cen felt a twitch in his heart as he watched Prince Ning gently wipe the tears from Xiao Yuancheng’s face, saying, “If you didn’t do it, no one will dare to frame you.”

The implication was… if you did do it, no one can save you.

Li Shi withdrew his hand and turned, his robe fluttering as he disappeared into the dim light. The gate of Xingqing Palace closed again, leaving behind a despondent figure.

This Prince Ning truly separated power and pleasure with great clarity.

“Take him away,” Su Cen ordered.

Inside the Dali Temple, the lights were bright, and everyone stood solemnly, holding sticks, a stark contrast to their lazy demeanor during the day.

When Xiao Yuancheng saw the two corpses in the hall, he instantly wilted, kneeling in the hall without the bravado he had shown earlier.

Su Cen said coldly, “The gatekeeper saw you leave the city at the third watch and return at the sixth. The whip marks on the mother and child match the blood on your whip, and the mud on your horseshoe is consistent with the crime scene. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I didn’t do it!” Xiao Yuancheng raised his tear-streaked face, looking pitiful and helpless. “I didn’t kill them! I just… I just wanted to teach them a lesson and whipped them a few times to vent my anger…”

“To vent your anger…” Su Cen suppressed the rage surging in his chest, “They only wanted what they deserved. Who gave you the right to teach them a lesson? Did you ever consider that they were just a weak mother and child? You whipped them all the way into the ditch—did you think about how they might never climb back up from the rocks that littered the bottom of the ditch?”

“I… I…” Xiao Yuancheng started to tremble, “I didn’t mean to kill them…” Then he quickly corrected himself, “They… they weren’t killed by me… They were fine when I left; the child was still crying…”

“So you just left them to fend for themselves, is that it?” Su Cen looked down at the covered bodies of the mother and child, his pupils trembling slightly. “They indeed did not die at your hand but were fatally injured by the rocks. Such a deep ditch, surrounded by mud; you left those two, battered and unable to stand, there. How could they get out? In the dark, one slip would mean disaster; even if you didn’t kill them directly, you can’t escape your responsibility!”

“It wasn’t me!” Xiao Yuancheng glared with his round phoenix eyes, nearly bursting with anger. He suddenly sprang up from the ground, but the guards firmly held him back. Still, he shouted at Su Cen, “You’re framing me! I’ll tell the prince that you’re framing me! I didn’t kill them! I refuse to accept your trial! I want someone else!”

Su Cen lowered his eyes and closed the case file. “The evidence is conclusive; it would be the same no matter who examines it. No one can protect you. You’d better be ready.”

He waved his hand, saying, “Take him to the prison and await further instructions.”

Even after Xiao Yuancheng was dragged far away, his curses could still be heard. Su Cen stared blankly at the two bodies on the ground and signaled for everyone to step back.

Ultimately, he also bore some responsibility for this case. If he hadn’t pushed Xiao Yuancheng so hard, he wouldn’t have sought revenge after the case was closed. Two living lives had been lost under the weight of power; it was an injustice that could not be overlooked.

The child had said he wanted to grow up to be an official like him. Su Cen couldn’t help but bitterly smile. What use was an official like him? He couldn’t save them or restore justice.

Find a good family in next life, preferably one like Li Shi’s, standing at the pinnacle of power, free from worries about the world’s sufferings. How wonderful that would be.

The first crow of a rooster sounded in Chang’an, and the first rays of morning light fell upon the two white clothes. Su Cen rubbed his aching eyes and saw a figure approaching in the morning light. The person stopped in front of him and slightly nodded, saying, “Lord Su, the prince wants to see you.”

Su Cen leaned on the table to stand up, waiting for the dizziness to pass as he nodded, “Perfect; I also want to see him.”

 

---