GD Chapter 21

Under the lamp, the Crown Prince’s face appeared pale, almost cold. Su Xinghe hadn’t seen him like this in a long time, and even though she had prepared herself before entering the hall, seeing him now still made her heart clench involuntarily.

 

She lowered the cotton curtain and stepped forward, calling softly, “Your Highness.” He didn’t even lift his eyes. He waved his hand, and said, “Dismiss everyone standing guard outside.”

 

Su Xinghe acknowledged the order, stepped out of the curtains, and clapped her sleeves. The crisp sound echoed through the thick night air. Suddenly, everyone had withdrawn, leaving the vast palace chambers empty. It felt as if the entire world had become desolate and cold, with only the two of them left, keeping each other company in the chill of the night.

 

The Crown Prince pointed to a stool. “Sit down.”

 

Su Xinghe expressed her thanks and sat down. Since he hadn’t initiated any conversation, she didn’t dare to broach the topic of the Emperor’s intentions behind this visit. She waited for a long time in silence. Finally, she stole a glance at him. His long, slender fingers were pressed painfully against his knees as if bearing the weight of his entire body. The tiger bone thumb ring on his hand was as hard as iron, tightly gripping his knuckles, draining all the color from his fingertips.

 

Perhaps he needed time to adjust as well. Su Xinghe waited quietly, and after what seemed like an eternity, he finally sighed, “You heard the Emperor’s decree earlier, didn’t you?”

 

In ordinary times, she would have surely denied it outright. But this time was different. The situation was clear, and with so much weighing on his heart, she shouldn’t play games with him.

 

Su Xinghe answered, “His Majesty made his intentions clear. Did he mention who will be officially appointed?”

The Crown Prince slowly shook his head. “The Fourth Prince saw a rough draft on the imperial desk. It mentioned the lady from Fengchu Palace.”

 

Su Xinghe was silent for a moment before asking again, “What is Your Highness planning to do?”

 

A dark, calculating expression appeared on his young face. He turned his gaze, casting a light glance at her. “What to do… The path has already been laid out, hasn’t it? You’ve had it prepared for quite some time. Right now, the case of the Imperial Consort’s husband is in your hands. You know exactly what to do.”

 

If it weren’t for their cooperation, how could the position of Deputy Commander of the Ministry of Military Control have fallen to her so easily? Consort Zuo Zhaoyi had wanted her to close this case, and now the time had come. She had no choice but to follow through.

 

Su Xinghe responded, “Tomorrow, I’ll go to the office and arrange for the suspect to be interrogated.”

 

“No need for all that trouble. The murderer will never be found in this lifetime. Without Consort Gao Zhiya’s death, how could we create the capital’s biggest case? And how would it implicate the Consort Zuo Zhaoyi within the palace walls?” His eyes narrowed slightly, and a sharp glint appeared beneath his thick lashes. “Lord Su, it’s time to repay your loyalty to me. Do it well, and make sure no one spots any flaws.”

 

Su Xinghe looked at him in shock. Although the order didn’t go against her initial intentions, the fact that he was the mastermind behind the case completely caught her off guard.

 

He smiled, though there was no warmth in it. “Surprised?”

 

Su Xinghe hurriedly denied it, but after a brief pause, she nodded. “I truly hadn’t expected it…”

He slowly sat up straight and turned his head to look at the row of red candles on the lamp tree. “Nothing is surprising about it. The scheming and plotting under imperial power are just the way things are.” As he spoke, he stood up and leisurely strolled toward the lamp tree.

 

On the desk was a lacquer tray with a small silver pair of scissors, which he picked up. Lifting his sleeve, he began trimming the burnt ends of the candle wicks with delicate and graceful movements, as though it were some intricate, grand task. The small flame, shaped like a lingzhi mushroom, detached from the wick and clung to the sharp tip of the scissors, dimming gradually. With a light tap, its final resting place was the copper cup filled with clear water in the lacquer tray.

 

With a soft hiss, the flame was extinguished, quickly releasing a small puff of smoke that evaporated in an instant. The silver scissors in the Crown Prince’s hand moved toward the next candle.

 

“Don’t blame anyone. In the power struggles of politics, your position has to be clear. He lacked foresight, that’s all. Not just him, but the entire Gao family has overstepped in recent years. We might as well use this opportunity to deal with them thoroughly and cleanly.” The intense golden light illuminated his face as he slightly turned his head, casting deep shadows over his neck.

With minimal effort, he easily removed the thorn in his side. Even without her involvement, the case would have played out exactly as he had planned.

 

Su Xinghe understood that when something seemed too obvious, it often raised suspicions. There had to be a mastermind behind it all, and she hadn’t expected that person to be him. The situation was as intricately woven as a long, concealed thread: the death of the Imperial Consort’s husband implicated the princess, and the concubines in the palace were also entangled. She felt relieved that her plans aligned with his; otherwise, the next thing he would likely cut wouldn’t be a candlewick, but her.

 

Bowing low, she clasped her hands in submission and said, “Rest assured, Your Highness. I will make sure everything is done flawlessly.”

 

He nodded, his face once again clouded with sorrow. “It’s not that I don’t want my father to establish an Empress. The empty throne of the eastern palace is a grave threat to the stability of the empire. But anyone could take the position of Empress, anyone except Consort Zuo Zhaoyi. I still remember when my mother was gravely ill, and the concubines would go to the Hall of Government to visit and offer their well-wishes. Consort Zuo Zhaoyi came dressed in plain mourning clothes, claiming she was fasting and praying for the Empress’s recovery. Was she truly that kind? No. Dressing as if for a funeral was meant to upset my mother. It’s well known that crying or bringing bad news around the sick is ill-advised, yet the more she did, the more she said things to distress my mother. Even Consort Gao Zhiya couldn’t bear it anymore and, half-laughing, half-chiding, sent her away. That very night, she adorned herself in grand attire and entered the Fengchu Palace… I never told my father about this, and he doesn’t understand what’s in my heart. Some things are best left unsaid, as venting them would only sow discord between father and son. I’d rather act decisively while maintaining the appearance of harmony.”

 

He suddenly smiled. “Look at this, how pathetic is it that even within the imperial family, among those closest to me, I must constantly maneuver?”

 

Su Xinghe understood his dilemma. Surrounded by powerful enemies, the Crown Prince’s position was far from secure. A single misstep could lead to him losing it all to someone else.

She shook her head, and he chuckled even more, lowering his voice to say, “As long as I haven’t ascended the throne, I must calculate every step with caution. My father, in his old age, has grown increasingly soft-hearted. Today, he could appoint Consort Zuo Zhaoyi as Empress, and tomorrow, he might replace me as Crown Prince. I can’t afford not to be on guard. That’s why I must strike first, defeat them before they can use me as their pawn. In this imperial family, there’s no real bond of blood or affection, only the rule of the victor. You’ve been in the palace for ten years; surely, you’ve seen through this by now.”

 

Indeed, she had seen through it long ago, but this was the first time hearing it directly from his mouth. In truth, there was no need for him to confide in her. If he was doing so, it was either to draw her closer or because there was some deeper strategy at play, one she couldn’t quite decipher.

 

The row of wicks on the lamp tree had all been trimmed, and the flames no longer flickered but burned steadily and brightly. He set down the silver scissors and turned to instruct her, “Winter Solstice is approaching, and imperial edicts for appointing an Empress are usually issued around that time. You need to act quickly and conclude the case before the Winter Solstice, or else I’ll be forced to go through more trouble, and that would be quite a nuisance.”

 

Whoever would face the next round of “trouble” was yet to be seen. Given his bluntness tonight, it was clear that he was watching for how she would perform. Su Xinghe quickly responded with soothing words, “Your Highness, please don’t hold it against the Emperor. Those ministers in the court submit their memorials every few days, and His Majesty is left with no choice.”

 

The Crown Prince only curled his lips coldly. “I don’t blame my father. The ones I despise are those wolves with ambition. I’ve endured the weakest eight years of my life, and if it had been any earlier, I fear I really would have ended up like meat on the chopping block.”

 

It seemed that Consort Zuo Zhaoyi was not so fortunate. During those eight years when the Emperor’s heart had been cold as iron, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t achieve her goal. Now that the Crown Prince had grown into a man with real power in his hands, attempting to bring him down would require ten times no, a hundred times the effort.

 

After receiving her orders, Su Xinghe stepped out, only to be met by a chilling gust of wind that seemed to freeze her to the core. Returning to her quarters, she found herself unable to sleep. She initially considered heading to the office immediately that night but realized it might raise suspicion. Forcing herself to lie down, she tossed and turned restlessly, her mind spinning like a windmill all night long.

The blame had to be placed squarely on Consort Gao Zhiya, but the methods had to be indirect, to avoid drawing too much attention and making things look ugly.

She ordered Su Xinghe to give the suspects detained at the time of the incident a harsh interrogation. Five men were put on trial together; four of them were beaten so severely that their limbs were broken, while one remained unharmed and was left for further questioning.

“Tell me, who poisoned the Imperial Consort’s husband?”

The kitchen hand was so terrified that he turned pale. No matter how beautiful the chief female officer was, to him, she now looked like a painted deity of death from a temple.

He trembled and cried out in anguish, “My lord… I… I truly don’t know! I’m just… just a water carrier and cook! I’ve never even seen the Imperial Consort’s husband!”

Su Xinghe sneered coldly, raising her hand. The guards stepped forward and pinned him down. Two wine cups were placed on the table before him with a sharp clink.

“One cup is arsenic, the other is poison from a Zhen bird. Pick whichever one you prefer.”

Choosing either cup meant certain death. The kitchen hand was so frightened that he felt like his heart was going to shatter. His face turned red, veins bulging on his forehead, and he kicked and screamed like a slaughtered pig, “No, no, no… I don’t want to die! I have an old mother at home and a newborn child… Please, have mercy on me, my lord! Spare me!”

Nearby, Jinyi stoked the fear further, swiftly drawing a dagger. The blade barely grazed the kitchen hand’s cheek before plunging into the wooden bench in front of him with a loud thud. “If you don’t want to drink, that’s fine. The Ministry of Military Control has plenty of ways to make you suffer. By the end of today, I assure you, you’ll be begging for a quick death.”

That kitchen hand was just an ordinary servant. Since the trouble started in the princess’s manor, he had spent over half a year trapped in this dark and dreary cell, hearing the screams and cries day and night, leaving him as frightened as a startled bird. After witnessing the fate of several of his companions, he felt even more certain that he would not survive. With the poisoned wine and the dagger laid out before him, his mind went blank, and he felt a rush of warmth flow down his legs. The guard nearby laughed and scolded, “Coward! You’re already pissing yourself before the torture even starts!”

 

Every man has his limits, and for him, wetting his pants was a line he hadn’t crossed since childhood. Now, in front of so many witnesses, he felt utterly humiliated. The guard’s gleeful mocking almost drowned him. He flushed with anger, thinking, “It’s just a life…” But he couldn’t bring himself to say, “Take it, then.”

 

Seeing that the time was right, Su Xinghe ordered the guards holding him down to step back and speak to him across the table. “I don’t want your life; it’s not worth much. You’ve seen what happened to the first few men. If you keep your mouth shut, you’ll meet the same fate. I can offer you a way out. If you do it well, I’ll ensure your family stays safe. But if you mess it up, it won’t just be you; your mother, your wife, and your three-month-old son will all end up serving the Imperial Consort’s husband. Think about it.”

 

At this point, what was there left to consider? The kitchen hand gritted his teeth and swore, “I’ll do whatever you say, my lord.”

 

Su Xinghe nodded. “I just need you to say one thing.”

 

The kitchen hand nodded vigorously, “At this point, even if you called my father a bastard, I wouldn’t care.”

 

Su Xinghe frowned, her face cold. “I have no interest in whether your father is a bastard. I just know that the case of the Imperial Consort’s husband needs to be resolved. Even if it means turning the world upside down, I must find the mastermind behind it. If you don’t snitch on others, others will snitch on you. There were six of you who came in together, and one is locked up in the torture chamber next door. That one has recognized you early on. If you don’t speak up, the murder charge will fall on you, and your cries of innocence will be meaningless.”

It’s like when something is not being contested by anyone no one pays it any mind. Then suddenly, someone starts arguing, and even the foulest meat starts to smell good. Su Xinghe understood this well. The person from the adjacent cell wasn’t there, and everything was just a tactic. When the kitchen hand heard that someone was eager to take credit and that the blame was being pointed at him, he knew he absolutely couldn’t accept it. He struggled and crawled forward like a dog, banging his forehead on the ground as he pleaded, “My lord, you are a living bodhisattva; please save me. As long as I get to keep my meal ticket, I will do whatever you say.”

 

Su Xinghe let out a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair. “Tell me, did the Imperial Consort’s husband have dinner right before he died?”

 

The kitchen hand nodded. “Yes, the meals are served every day at a quarter past the hour of the pig, and the schedule never changes, no matter what happens.”

 

“On that day, did Consort Gao Zhiya come to the princess’s manor and quarrel with the Imperial Consort’s husband?”

The kitchen hand replied, “They fought all day long, and everyone in the manor knew about it.”

 

“Why?”

 

The kitchen hand was quite perceptive and understood how to draw inferences from facts. “Isn’t it obvious? Consort Gao Zhiya and Princess Xialing have that kind of relationship. The two of them are vying to serve the princess and are jealous of each other.”

 

The person behind the desk finally showed a satisfied smile. “Let me ask you one last question: Did you personally see Consort Gao Zhiya add red lead to the Imperial Consort’s husband’s food box?”

 

The kitchen hand hesitated for a moment but didn’t have time to think deeply. He nodded without hesitation, “Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. Not a word of it is false.”