Chapter 48#

Ying Fusheng looked down and saw a small bracer—the kind worn by those who regularly handle raptors. This item had nothing to do with him. Even if he went to the drill ground, the military officers there, mindful of his health, would never let a raptor close to him. Naturally, he didn’t keep such things on hand. He furrowed his brow slightly as he watched his Eighth Brother depart, surrounded by a throng of palace attendants.

“Your Highness?” Song’an noticed that his prince seemed distracted. “This servant was remiss. I should have had the Imperial Household Directorate prepare these.”

Ying Fusheng lightly touched his own wrist, where the lingering warmth from the bracer was almost searing.

He said softly, “No need.”

In the Cining Palace, snow-sweeping attendants moved about amid urgent calls. One of them, bending low with head down, cast a sharp glance across the Cining Palace, taking in the scene that had just unfolded until Ying Fusheng disappeared through the entrance of a side hall.

“What are you doing? Finish your work and leave quickly.”

A Cining Palace attendant shouted, “You there—which palace are you from?”

The snow-sweeping attendant hurriedly offered apologies and swiftly cleared the snow in front of him.

The Cining Palace attendants bustled about giving orders. In front of the side hall stood a lamp of unusual design. As the snow-sweeping attendant approached, the steward of the Cining Palace rebuked him, “This was sent here by the Directorate of Astronomy to ward off misfortune for the Cining Palace. Be careful when you sweep the snow—don’t damage it.”

The broom struck heavily against the ground, kicking up residual snow.

…

Inside the Northern Magistrate’s Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital, agonized cries rose and fell.

The prisoners in the Imperial Prison shivered like startled birds at the sound of footsteps.

When Qi Hanzhou emerged from the Imperial Prison, Ye Xuanjiu handed him a handkerchief. Qi Hanzhou wiped the lingering bloodstains from between his fingers, his expression cold and ruthless. “Nothing from the interrogation?”

“No. All the suspicious witnesses have been thoroughly questioned, but they all claim ignorance,” Ye Xuanjiu said. “Minister Hu of the Ministry of War remembered the favor owed to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and handed them over without hesitation. These witnesses were all transferred by Minister Hu.”

Because of the Sixth Prince’s actions at the Court of Judicial Review months ago, the Three Judicial Offices dared not show favoritism, which also made it much easier for them to investigate the Ministry of War. Following the trail, they naturally uncovered some old cases from the Ministry of War, including a secret decree sent to the capital several years ago. At the time, an urgent report dispatched from the northern frontier at full speed had ceased near the capital outskirts.

Ye Xuanjiu knew that the Young General had been investigating the matter of Youzhou City back then. “Minister Hu said that the Ministry of War likely does not contain what the Young General is looking for.”

Meaning, the information the Embroidered Uniform Guard sought was not recorded in the Ministry of War.

“What about the Minister of War?” Qi Hanzhou asked.

Ye Xuanjiu was silent for a moment before replying, “The old minister fell gravely ill before winter. We sent someone to check on him, and now he’s already somewhat unconscious.”

They moved fast. The Ministry of War had been too deeply infiltrated before. Even if Hu Buyu had handled matters, conducting a thorough investigation would still be difficult.

And at this critical juncture, the only potential breakthrough—the Minister of War—had fallen ill.

“What about inside the palace?” Qi Hanzhou asked. “How has he been recently?”

“The Sixth Prince has been sensitive to cold lately. He did leave the palace today, but returned to rest quickly,” Ye Xuanjiu said, then suddenly recalled something. “Oh, by the way, Young General, there is something strange.”

“Earlier, didn’t the Sixth Prince ask that Attendant Song’an to look into the people in the Laundry Bureau? After you learned of this, you had me investigate. Over the past few months, I’ve gone through all the identity cards and contracts in the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Imperial Household Directorate… I checked every suitable-aged palace maid, auntie, and governess in the Laundry Bureau who fit the criteria.”

Some matters were difficult for palace eunuchs to investigate, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s archives still held records. Ye Xuanjiu reported in detail: “At that time, the Sixth Prince’s exact words were that the palace attendant should be in her forties. I conducted a thorough search and found a candidate matching that description in the servitude registers. However…”

Qi Hanzhou frowned and looked at him, noticing Ye Xuanjiu’s unusual expression. “What is it?”

“This person once served in the Kunming Palace, but several years ago, she was dismissed for theft. The Empress, out of old feelings, sent her to the Laundry Bureau but didn’t impose excessive punishment,” Ye Xuanjiu said with some hesitation. “The strange thing is, after she left the Kunming Palace, she vanished without a trace.”

Qi Hanzhou’s expression shifted slightly. He recalled what Ying Fusheng had said earlier—that back then, the intelligence from Youzhou City had been tampered with, and the meddler was from the court.

But if the palace itself was unclean…

He ordered, “On this matter, use the Qi family’s connections. You must get to the bottom of it.”

…

Before they knew it, winter had reached its end. New Year’s Eve was approaching, and lanterns and festoons were everywhere.

“Your Highness, the person you previously asked Deputy Officer Ye to investigate—the results were unusual.” Song’an relayed the findings of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. “Young General Qi said he will continue to look into it and inform Your Highness of the results.”

Ying Fusheng frowned after hearing this. In his previous life, this deaf-mute matron had helped him greatly. He had once thought she was Qi Hanzhou’s person, which was why he had let Song’an pass the information to Qi Hanzhou. In his previous life, through this person, he had learned about the baby-swapping incident. Regardless, she must have known the details of that exchange. Yet now, the Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn’t find her.

Why?

Had the mastermind disposed of her in advance?

That shouldn’t be. This person had no connection to the matter; the mastermind had no trail to follow.

Ying Fusheng sank into thought, feeling that something was off.

Song’an had investigated the Kunming Palace, but the information had vanished like a stone dropped into the sea. The few newly assigned palace attendants in the Kunming Palace had discrepancies in their servitude records, but their behavior within the palace showed nothing unusual.

After learning of this, Ying Fusheng instructed him to keep watch.

On New Year’s Eve, a palace banquet would be held. Civil and military officials, along with their families, would come to celebrate.

Ying Fusheng was called early by the attendants of the Cining Palace. He changed into new clothes and had his measurements taken. Compared to last year, he had grown a bit taller. When the news reached the Empress Dowager, she was in high spirits and even rewarded the attendants.

He couldn’t remember how tall he had been at this time in his previous life, but back then, he had been bedridden for a long time, and no one had measured him.

“Have the things for her been sent?” Ying Fusheng asked.

Song’an knew he meant Consort Ning. “They’ve been sent. The imperial physician said she’s been somewhat disoriented lately, so the items were only placed in the outer room by the attendants.”

Ying Fusheng listened calmly. The attendants of the Cining Palace were already prepared.

The New Year’s Eve banquet was, as usual, held at the Wangyue Pavilion. As a prince, Ying Fusheng arrived early. When he got there, the other imperial princes had already arrived. From a distance, he saw the Eighth Prince waving at him. He nodded discreetly and noticed a gaze directed at him from the side.

Several princes were gathered together. Ying Fusheng paused briefly. As he walked over, the First Prince looked at him. “The Sixth Brother has arrived. He’s quite something now.”

His tone was no different from usual, but the dissatisfaction was evident: “In the future, if I go to the Court of Judicial Review, I’ll have to check with you first.”

Ying Fusheng replied respectfully, “The Court of Judicial Review is under the Three Judicial Offices. I am merely a supervisor.”

At that moment, the Second Prince stepped in to mediate, smiling as he said, “Elder Brother, don’t jest. Sixth Brother has been unwell lately and often stays in the palace. He hasn’t been to the Court of Judicial Review for two months, has he? But Sixth Brother is truly a lucky star. Father often praises you at court.”

The Second Prince had previously served in the Ministry of Works and was close to the Crown Prince. Later, he was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel, where he now handled affairs. His words were cleverly phrased, making it hard to discern his intentions.

Ying Fusheng exchanged a few words with him before ending the conversation. Just as he turned around, he saw someone standing nearby. The Third Prince was relatively quiet compared to the other two. When he saw Ying Fusheng bow to him, he merely nodded, standing a few paces away from the others, as if unwilling to chat.

Third Brother had previously held a sinecure. Two months ago, their father had transferred him to the Ministry of War.

This man had a peculiar temperament. He disliked dealing with people and preferred weapons. After entering the Ministry of War, he hadn’t managed affairs but instead buried himself in training troops on the outskirts of the capital. In Ying Fusheng’s memory, in his previous life, this elder brother had ended up at the border. After a reckless deep incursion into enemy territory, he was left disabled and was never heard from again.

Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes. His transfer to the Ministry of War was exactly the same as in his previous life.

Just as he was pondering this, a soft call came from beside him. He snapped back to attention and saw a figure lingering before him.

Her attire indicated she was a princess.

“Elder Brother, this is for you.” The little princess stood on tiptoe and quietly slipped a candy into Ying Fusheng’s hand before turning and running away.

“That’s the Third Princess. Her mother is Consort Ruan,” Song’an reminded him.

Consort Ruan had frequently visited the Empress Dowager in the past two years. Ying Fusheng had a vague impression of her, but he didn’t remember this younger sister well. She seemed to often be brought by Consort Ruan to the Cining Palace to curry favor with the Empress Dowager. He looked over. The little princess was following Consort Ruan, occasionally glancing back in his direction.

Consort Ruan saw him and offered a gentle smile, as if seeking closeness.

Ying Fusheng averted his gaze. Consort Ruan’s smile faded. This prince’s status was no longer what it used to be.

“I told you to stay by his side and say a few more words. Why did you come back?” Consort Ruan gripped the Third Princess’s wrist. Thinking of this, she looked at her daughter, her tone somewhat dissatisfied. “Forget it. You can’t even handle a small task.”

The Third Princess lowered her head, not daring to speak. She secretly glanced at Ying Fusheng.

Her mother wanted her to curry favor with Sixth Brother, but she didn’t want to. She knew Sixth Brother didn’t care about such things.

Soon, the palace banquet began.

Ying Fusheng took his seat among the princes. Civil and military officials gathered. As the palace attendants called out loudly—his father had arrived. He followed the sound and saw Qi Hanzhou walking beside the Emperor.

They hadn’t seen each other for two months either. Compared to his own slightly increased height, Qi Hanzhou had grown much taller. The youthful greenness between his brows had faded, and his features had become sharper. He walked calmly beside the Emperor, and as he passed the princes’ seats, he glanced briefly at Ying Fusheng.

The look was fleeting. Ying Fusheng noticed the other’s gaze lingering on him for half a breath.

Qi Hanzhou, as a close minister to the Son of Heaven, sat at the head of the military officials’ row.

“At this New Year’s Eve banquet, everyone should feel free to act at ease,” the Emperor said.

The Crown Prince rose from his seat, stepped forward, and offered congratulations. Following his lead, the other officials joined in with their felicitations. The Emperor was in good spirits.

“The Crown Prince has been very steady this year,” the Emperor said, looking at him with some approval.

“This year, during the construction of the southern dikes, His Highness worked with students from the Imperial Academy and several craftsmen to produce several blueprints, greatly reducing the Ministry of Works’ construction costs,” the Minister of Works reported.

Hearing this, the Emperor glanced unexpectedly at Empress Xu beside him. “That was indeed well done.”

“The Crown Prince is also growing up. It is only right that he share Your Majesty’s burdens,” Empress Xu said softly.

Hearing this, the Emperor seemed to recall something. “Yes, the Crown Prince has reached the appropriate age.”

Previously, when the Crown Prince was younger, the Eastern Palace only assisted him in his studies and lessons.

Earlier, the Crown Prince had been somewhat impulsive. But during the Ministry of Works’ construction of the southern dikes this time, the Crown Prince had shown particular concern and frequently visited the site. The Emperor naturally knew that the Crown Prince and his companion Zhou Qingyuan had put a lot of effort into this matter, even introducing several talented individuals to the Ministry of Works, which allowed the project to be completed by the end of the year.

“In that case, at the start of the new year, the Crown Prince may proceed to the Ministry of Works to familiarize himself with affairs,” the Emperor decreed.

The Crown Prince’s expression lit up with joy. “Your son accepts the decree and will not fail to meet Father’s expectations!”

The First Prince snorted coldly. Among the princes, expressions varied. But at this moment, Ying Fusheng looked toward the Xu family’s table opposite. Grand Secretary Xu had not spoken. The Emperor rarely consulted Empress Xu, but her reply just now had been clever, drawing the Emperor’s attention to the Eastern Palace.

After months of “steady conduct,” the Emperor had punished many at court. But the Crown Prince was, after all, the heir he had chosen. Half a year of reprimand was enough; it was time to offer a sweetener.

Consort Yun shot Empress Xu a glare. Her beautiful eyes shifted, and she suddenly spoke up: “The Sixth Prince has also performed quite well these past few months. Come to think of it, he is also about the same age as the Crown Prince.”

Qi Hanzhou heard this and looked toward Ying Fusheng at the princes’ table, curious to see how he would respond.

Everyone knew that this year, the Ministry of Revenue under the First Prince had been heavily investigated. The Yun family didn’t dare openly push the First Prince, but Consort Yun, with this move, was thrusting the Sixth Prince into the spotlight. Over the past six months, the Sixth Prince’s reputation at court had been considerable, and he enjoyed the Emperor’s favor. Now that the Eastern Palace was beginning to handle court affairs, the Yun family naturally didn’t want the Crown Prince to dominate alone.

The Emperor said, “Xiao Liu.”

Ying Fusheng was about to rise, but moved a bit too quickly. The small hand warmer hidden under his seat tipped over and rolled to the side.

The Emperor, seeing this, was not annoyed. “Take your time.”

The court officials dared not comment when they saw this.

The Crown Prince’s expression stiffened briefly but quickly relaxed.

Grand Secretary Xu remained impassive. Xiao Yan, sitting beside him, watched silently as the little round figure bundled in thick clothing walked to the center of the hall.

Ying Fusheng’s gaze flickered past the hand warmer, which had rolled away. He rubbed his hands hastily and bowed. “Father.”

“You’ve done well in your duties at the Court of Judicial Review. What reward would you like?” The Emperor saw that he was dressed warmly, and standing next to the Crown Prince, the contrast was stark. If only he had a bit more flesh on his face. He noticed Ying Fusheng hesitating. “You may not decline.”

Ying Fusheng seemed unsure how to handle the situation. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Your son doesn’t really want anything. If there must be a reward…”

“Could Father allocate some stipend to the Court of Judicial Review? Your son hasn’t done much, but they’ve been busy for months. The Vice Minister hasn’t been home for ages.”

The court officials immediately looked toward the Court of Judicial Review’s position.

The officials of the Court of Judicial Review were sweating. The Vice Minister behind him cleared his throat lightly. Matters of salary had to go through the Ministry of Revenue and layers of paperwork. Yet the Sixth Prince had brought it up right there in front of everyone.

The Court of Judicial Review was about to demur, but the Emperor laughed at the words. “This is my oversight. Indeed, the Three Judicial Offices have been excessively busy these past months. They deserve a reward.” He looked at the First Prince. “What do you think of this?”

The officials of the Ministry of Revenue looked toward the First Prince.

Consort Yun had just pushed Ying Fusheng forward, but ended up being rebutted. The Ministry of Revenue was under the First Prince’s control. Could the First Prince say it wasn’t possible in front of the Emperor? That meant funds had to be allocated from there, and he could only agree.

The First Prince hurriedly stood up. “Your son will arrange it.”

The officials of the Court of Judicial Review were overjoyed. Such a stroke of luck! The officials of the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice were also surprised. The Sixth Prince had mentioned it, and they were all included in the reward. Their superior, Xiao Yan, sat steady, his expression unchanged, as he rose with the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and others to thank the Emperor.

The officials of the Three Judicial Offices looked toward the Sixth Prince. Indeed, as those from the Court of Judicial Review had said, the Sixth Prince was truly a little lucky star.

Since His Majesty had praised the prince, and after the exaggerated propaganda by the great scholars of the Imperial Academy, word had quietly spread that the Sixth Prince was a little lucky star. In the folk, it was even more exaggerated, saying that the Sixth Prince was frail and often ill because he brought good fortune to the Great Yuan.

“The auspicious hour has arrived—” a voice sounded from outside the hall.

Ying Fusheng came to his senses. He saw several figures in peculiar attire enter, carrying a massive lamp device. The lamp was connected to several smaller lamps, and when set up in the center of the Wangyue Pavilion, it resembled an intricate lamp formation.

“This is—”

“It is a ritual specially prepared by the Directorate of Astronomy to pray for blessings for the new year.”

Two months ago, the Great Yuan had just experienced war, and the court had been in turmoil for months. The National Master of the Directorate of Astronomy had observed the astral signs for months and had chosen this day, the old giving way to the new, to pray for the nation’s fortune. To this end, these lamp devices had been gathering qi in various parts of the palace over the past two months, waiting to be lit to dispel misfortune.

“Please, Your Majesty and the princes, come forward to light the lamps.”

The Emperor walked forward. The other princes hurried to follow. There were many lamp devices in the hall.

Ying Fusheng initially wanted to step back, but at that moment, a palace attendant had already handed an incense candle to him. “Sixth Prince, this way, please.”

In previous blessings, only members of the imperial family participated. Ying Fusheng was still young and should not have been included. But since the incense candle was offered to him, refusing would be against protocol. He had no choice but to follow, and he saw that even the Eighth Prince was among them. He was led to a lamp stand. The prayers and dances during the ceremony gradually drew to a close.

Ying Fusheng stirred slightly, frowning as he looked around the hall. The others looked natural.

He lowered his eyes to the candlelight in his hand and heard the attendant beside him say, “Your Highness, please light the lamp when the time comes.”

Qi Hanzhou saw Ying Fusheng walk over. Suddenly, he caught a strange smell.

“Young General, what’s wrong?” Ye Xuanjiu asked.

Qi Hanzhou traced the source of the peculiar smell—it came from the ceremonial palace lamps. “There’s a strange odor.”

“It should be the candles prepared by the Directorate of Astronomy,” Ye Xuanjiu said.

No… The smell was unlike that of ordinary incense candles. It was too fragrant.

“Wait.”

Qi Hanzhou was about to rise when a shout echoed through the hall—

“Light the lamps!”

The Emperor lit his first. The princes followed.

When Ying Fusheng’s incense candle touched the fuse, he suddenly felt something off about the lamp device. It made a noise!?

At that moment, the candle flame ignited. The lamp device soared into the air. As it rose, it suddenly burst into flames, gradually taking the form of a dragon soaring, filling the entire sky. But just then, the celestial lamp above Ying Fusheng’s head, having burned halfway, suddenly went out by more than half. The bright firelight turned into a green flame. The originally designated dragon soared but was missing a corner, as if it had transformed from a dragon into a serpent. The expressions of everyone in the hall abruptly changed—

It was an omen of calamity!!!