Chapter 49#

The celestial lantern burned in the air, and the courtiers in the courtyard gazed at the broken-cornered dragon lantern, their eyes collectively turning toward the lampstand at the center of the courtyard. When the emperor saw the broken-cornered dragon, his gaze darkened.#

The dragon lantern blazed up and vanished in an instant, embers scattering in the air. The lingering traces of the fireworks’ smoke outlined the dragon’s silhouette.

Qi Hanzhou abruptly rose to his feet and waved his hand, and Ye Xuanji immediately sealed off all entrances to Wangyue Court. “Do not let a single palace attendant leave.”

On New Year’s Eve, the celestial lantern was lit to pray for blessings. The state preceptor and the Imperial Observatory had prepared for months, yet the pattern ignited by the lantern was abnormally incomplete. Many eyes turned toward the spot beneath the broken-cornered dragon lantern. The Sixth Prince stood there, seemingly completely oblivious to what was happening.

The well-planned celestial lantern prayer ceremony had never encountered any issues before.

Now, an unexpected incident had suddenly occurred, and the courtiers exchanged glances with varied expressions.

Just then, officials from the Imperial Observatory and the Ministry of Rites rushed toward the lampstand where the anomaly had occurred. The craftsmen responsible for constructing the ceremonial platform began checking for hidden dangers. Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes and stepped back two paces. When he looked up again, he caught sight of his father’s expression in the distance.

The emperor’s tone concealed anger: “Imperial Observatory!”

“Your Majesty, there are no problems with the ceremonial lampstand—the fireworks and fuses are all normal…” A craftsman knelt down and quickly tried to explain.

The Empress Dowager hastily stood up, intending to walk over, but before she could speak, one of the Imperial Observatory officials at the banquet turned pale and murmured, “An omen—this is an omen of disaster!”

The courtyard erupted in uproar. As the emperor’s gaze swept over him, Ying Fusheng bent both knees and knelt directly.

The surroundings were frigid. As he knelt, melted snow soaked through his garments, the chill seeping into the very marrow of his bones. Whether it was from the cold or the sounds, his entire body tensed, and in a daze, he seemed to hear certain voices echoing from the distance—

‘That’s the mad prince!’

‘Tampering with military accounts—that’s an act of treason.’ portal ： leaderboard | Shuangwen’s Revenge Master Shouwen Li Wenjiu Top

The voices of the past faded away. Ying Fusheng lifted his head to meet his father’s gaze and, without any excessive explanation, stated bluntly: “Your son is guilty. I failed to light the lantern properly.”

The emperor said nothing. The Eighth Prince wanted to step forward but was stopped by a palace attendant beside him. The First Prince and Second Prince exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. The Third Prince, who was standing closer to Ying Fusheng, frowned upon seeing this—he could see Ying Fusheng’s body trembling. In such a snowy day, with no sheltered pavilion to block the cold outside the courtyard, kneeling like that with his frail constitution would inevitably lead to trouble.

Qi Hanzhou had sealed off all exits of Wangyue Court, allowing no one to enter or leave. When he returned, this was the sight that greeted him: Ying Fusheng knelt in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by murmurs of discussion. Ying Fusheng knelt upright, the melted snow beneath him already soaking the hem of his robe, the stain clearly visible. He knelt straight, offering no explanation or defense.

Both of them knew in their hearts that this was a blatant attack aimed squarely at Ying Fusheng, and its intent was vicious and deep. Their recent actions had been too conspicuous—first the Ministry of Rites, then the Three Judicial Departments—they had already stepped on many people’s bottom lines. But they had been on guard against the court and the public, never anticipating that the mastermind’s move would come from the Imperial Observatory.

The ceremonial platform and celestial lantern, the fireworks and fuses—none had any issues. Yet when the Sixth Prince ignited the fireworks, something went wrong.

This was an act of heaven—a sign that this lantern brought inauspicious omens! But how could it be the Sixth Prince? The Sixth Prince had served the people and the state, handling numerous affairs. Without his outspoken candor, how could the Great Yuan treasury have become so abundant!?

The official who claimed it was an omen was dragged out of the courtyard. Qi Hanzhou cast a cold glance over the entire hall, preventing the rumors from spreading further.

Ying Fusheng slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the shocked and doubtful faces of the courtiers before finally landing on Qi Hanzhou’s stern profile—there was no suspicion in those eyes, only solemn gravity.

He gave a slight shake of his head, silently warning Qi Hanzhou not to act rashly.

At this moment, he had to kneel to appease the emperor’s wrath. Even if it was an “accident,” he was the one who had handled it.

Qi Hanzhou’s expression was grave. By then, the palace banquet was already drawing to a close.

Suddenly, an urgent report came from outside the court: “An unprecedented snow disaster in Jiangnan has crushed the granaries of three prefectures. An urgent dispatch from the Prince Jin’s residence reports that the canal shipping is frozen, and relief grain is stuck at the Lin’an docks!”

The emperor stood up abruptly in shock, and the courtiers in the courtyard erupted in clamor.

The emperor immediately waved his hand and withdrew. Eunuch Rong announced the end of the banquet.

In the distance, the emperor had already left, and the remaining officials began to disperse.

Eunuch Rong hurried over to help Ying Fusheng to his feet. “Your Highness, His Majesty bids you rise.”

Ying Fusheng nodded slightly. As he stood up, his body swayed.

Qi Hanzhou, standing nearby, quickly reached out to steady him. But Ying Fusheng could no longer remain standing and fainted directly. His expression shifted drastically, and Eunuch Rong cried out loudly, “Summon the imperial physician!”

The dispersing officials witnessed this scene. Hu Buyu’s gaze briefly paused. Xiao Yan turned slightly to look, silently cautioning the Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review beside him not to act impulsively, and said in a low voice, “If you rush up there now, the Court of Judicial Review will be seen by His Majesty as the Sixth Prince’s faction.”

The Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicial Review was taken aback, never expecting that the one stopping him would be Censor Xiao.

Xiao Yan seemed to speak casually, then turned and departed with the other officials, just like everyone else.

The Three Judicial Departments stood independent of the other officials. Once they lost their credibility, they would utterly forfeit the emperor’s trust.

The prince was favored at present, undoubtedly because he had no backing to rely on. If he were to form a faction of his own, the situation would be different.

The Sixth Prince’s wings had not yet fully grown, and this underhanded move… came far too conveniently.

First, an issue arose with the New Year’s Eve prayer ceremony. Then came the urgent report of the snow disaster in Jiangnan. The winters had been cold in recent years, with frequent snow disasters, even reaching Jiangnan. Last year, the snow calamity had caused grain prices in Jiangnan to skyrocket, and heavy snow had even collapsed many houses. This year, after the treasury had been replenished, His Majesty had allocated funds to the region.

Under normal circumstances, none of this would have been a problem. But it clashed all too neatly with the failure of the celestial lantern.

Within just two days, rumors spread that the Sixth Prince bore the appearance of a bringer of calamity. The emperor’s partiality had provoked this omen of disaster, thus angering Heaven and bringing about the catastrophe. When these words were spoken, many scholars at court defended the Sixth Prince, arguing that the treasury was now full precisely because of the Sixth Prince’s efforts—how could one incident of faulty fireworks decide the mandate of Heaven?

Soon, however, dissenting opinions emerged. Some said the Sixth Prince bore the appearance of a star of fortune, but this star of fortune actually heralded disaster. Ever since he had gained favor, first the Consort Ning’s madness had erupted, then the Empress Dowager’s old ailment had flared up… and now the dragon was missing a horn—wasn’t this a veiled allusion to the emperor’s own physical unease?

Even if the emperor doted on the Sixth Prince, as such rumors grew, it was inevitable that some unease remained.

Some whispers even reached the vicinity of Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager ordered the news to be sealed off, but not long after, word spread that the confined Consort Ning had suddenly fallen gravely ill. It was said that she had fallen sick after eating something sent by the Sixth Prince, and imperial physicians had made several trips back and forth. It seemed to confirm, as if by divine prescience, the theory that he brought disaster.

Soon, the Sixth Prince himself fell gravely ill and could not rise from his bed for several days.

When the emperor heard this, his gaze darkened slightly.

Despite the discourse at court, he still said, “His health is poor. Tell the imperial physicians to be thorough.”

“Yes!”

By the time Qi Hanzhou arrived at Cining Palace, ostensibly to conduct a thorough investigation, the palace attendants there relayed the Empress Dowager’s words: “Commander Qi, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager says that the Sixth Prince is unwell. Please do not delay too long.”

When he entered the bedchamber, he saw Ying Fusheng sitting there, taking small sips of his medicine.

The youth appeared exactly as he had at the New Year’s Eve banquet. Even though he had been slandered to this extent, and dissenting voices were rising outside, it seemed to him that nothing mattered more than the bowl of medicine in front of him.

“Your Highness does not seem worried,” Qi Hanzhou remarked once the attendants had withdrawn.

“Your coming here can only be at my father’s order,” Ying Fusheng coughed. “That means my kneeling has served its purpose.”

Qi Hanzhou frowned. “Your Highness should take care of your health.”

“I won’t die from it,” Ying Fusheng said, holding the medicine bowl and not getting out of bed. He sat wrapped in his blanket. “Besides, this is nothing. The words people say now aren’t even as harsh as what they said in my past life. Back then, I was the mad prince—I’ve heard far worse. This is a good chance to rest quietly and recuperate, so I don’t have to face the tutor’s scolding for skipping the Imperial Academy.”

Qi Hanzhou looked at him. It was the start of a new year, and soon the prince would be twelve years old.

His features had changed slightly from when they first met, gradually showing a resemblance to His Majesty—only his chronic frailty remained unrelieved. For a prince, rumors of being an omen of calamity were a matter of grave importance. A single misstep could lead to total rejection by the emperor. Yet here he was, without the slightest emotional fluctuation… That did not seem like indifference. It seemed more like familiarity, as if he had long grown accustomed to it.

Qi Hanzhou had thoroughly investigated the prayer lantern stand over the past two days. The craftsmen had indeed said there were no problems, but the candle and fuse had been tampered with. At the time, the unusual smell he and Ying Fusheng had detected had indeed been real: “The candle and incense wick were both sabotaged. Before Your Highness lit that celestial lantern, it had already been burning from within.”

That was why Qi Hanzhou had noticed the strange odor at the time—because it had already ignited first, and with insufficient fuel afterward, the accident had occurred when the lantern ascended.

“Is there a problem with the Imperial Observatory?” Ying Fusheng asked.

Qi Hanzhou shook his head. “The Imperial Observatory only calculates auspicious timing. The ceremony was handled by the Ministry of Rites. The lampstand and fireworks came from the Ministry of Works.”

The Ministry of Rites had just undergone a major purge, so it could not have been involved. The Imperial Observatory had no authority over that aspect. The only possibility was the Ministry of Works. However, when those items were completed, they had been inspected and approved by the Ministry of Works. The Censorate’s officials had been present throughout the process, and the verification showed that everything had been in perfect order when it left the Ministry.

It was virtually flawless. That was why dissenting voices had arisen at court. In the emperor’s eyes, such a coincidence could only be attributed to accident.

And accidents, precisely, were the will of Heaven.

If this underhanded trick were not unraveled, once word spread among the people, the conflict between the Sixth Prince’s reputation as a “star of fortune” and his “appearance of calamity” would clash. With a string of subsequent coincidences, it would be enough to completely ruin the prince’s popular support.

“But there’s still a place where they could have meddled,” Ying Fusheng looked at him. “What did you find?”

“Before being lit, celestial lanterns are traditionally used within the palace to absorb bad luck,” Qi Hanzhou remarked, impressed by his keenness. “The lantern you ignited was placed outside Cining Palace. On ordinary days, only those inside Cining Palace pass by it… aside from the palace attendants responsible for cleaning before New Year’s Eve.”

The palaces were normally strictly guarded, especially Cining Palace.

But on the few days before New Year’s Eve, other attendants were allowed free access.

When Ying Fusheng heard this, his hand holding the medicine paused slightly, and his thoughts drifted far away.

Kunning Palace… Could it be her?

Bang—a gust of wind and snow struck the window, making an unusual sound.

The noise drew Ying Fusheng’s attention, and his thoughts abruptly solidified.

Qi Hanzhou noticed the silence of the person on the couch after finishing his account.

He looked over and saw Ying Fusheng sitting there, staring at the medicine bowl for a long time. He suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

“Sixth Prince!”

Ying Fusheng snapped back to reality, realizing that his wrist was being firmly held by Qi Hanzhou. The half-bowl of medicine in his hand had nearly spilled. The hand around his wrist was warm but not forceful. As Ying Fusheng looked down, he could see the heavy calluses from years of service on the man’s fingers. Aware of his lapse in composure, he said, “I was briefly distracted. My hand was weak.”

Before he could finish, Qi Hanzhou took the medicine bowl from his hand, looked down at the half-filled bowl of herbal decoction, and recalled how the prince had been sipping it little by little—had been speaking for quite a while yet hardly finished it.

In winter, medicine cools particularly fast.

Qi Hanzhou paused briefly, then stopped beside the couch. “Forgive my impertinence, Your Highness.”

Ying Fusheng froze for a moment before the rim of the bowl was already before him. He instinctively opened his mouth.

The decoction flowed slowly down his throat. The medicine he had been unable to finish for so long was quickly drunk under Qi Hanzhou’s feeding. After he had finished and was about to say something, Qi Hanzhou set down the bowl and turned to close the window that had been left ajar to let in the wind.

When the young man stood up, he was not as tall as in his past life, but as he passed by, he blocked the cold wind entering the chamber. For a fleeting moment, Ying Fusheng seemed to see the Qi Hanzhou of a previous life. A flash of memory caused Ying Fusheng’s consciousness to waver slightly. Which incident was it?

In his memory, wind and snow scattered. It seemed to be the first time he had fallen ill in front of Qi Hanzhou. Disoriented, he had knocked over the medicine that Song’an had prepared with great difficulty, unable to eat for days. That time, Qi Hanzhou had returned from the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s office, his body still reeking of blood, yet he had taken half a bowl of medicine from Song’an, subdued the out-of-control prince, and fed him for the first time.

Footsteps sounded. Ying Fusheng reached out to wipe away the medicinal residue at the corner of his lips and silently averted his gaze.

Qi Hanzhou walked back and saw him turn aside. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Ying Fusheng say, “Kunning Palace.”

In the palace, duty assignments were normally well-established, all previously managed by the Empress Dowager. Moreover, the lantern that caused trouble had come from Cining Palace. Even if the palace duties had been transferred to Empress Xu, whoever wanted to tamper with the lantern would at least need the skill of a craftsman. There was no one in the palace who met that description.

The only exception was that Kunning Palace had recently accepted new recruits—false palace attendants who had entered the palace not long ago under assumed identities.

A craftsman could easily disguise himself in this way to carry out the act.

“Do you think it’s Empress Xu?”

The schemer had covered their tracks perfectly. Even the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s investigation would attribute it to an accident. The only reason Qi Hanzhou had noticed the personnel changes at Kunning Palace was because of the deaf-mute matron Ying Fusheng had asked him to look into. Without that, it would have been difficult for them to notice this possible breakthrough. But why had Ying Fusheng been paying attention to Kunning Palace beforehand?

At the mention of Empress Xu, Ying Fusheng’s expression paused briefly, and he was silent for a long while. “I hope it’s not her.”

Then he shifted direction: “But the one who orchestrated this is definitely in Kunning Palace, no doubt about it.”

The assassination attempt at Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager’s drugging, Consort Ning’s incident with the suihongzi, the fake medical apprentice… those who could accomplish such things in the palace could be counted on one hand. If it wasn’t a consort, the only possibilities were high-ranking eunuchs or female officials.

Either Empress Xu herself, or someone close to her.

“General-in-Chief, you have many capable officers and warriors under your command. I’d like to borrow a few martial experts from you,” Ying Fusheng said, his expression returning to normal, his earlier lapse completely gone. “Men who can travel through snow and ride fast to Jiangnan.”

Qi Hanzhou’s expression sobered. “What do you intend to do?”

“Since the other side has set such a grand trap…”

Ying Fusheng said softly, “It would be a pity not to make use of it.”

…

Inside Kunning Palace, the scent of sandalwood lingered. Empress Xu walked into the Buddhist hall, and the female official beside her had already prepared items for her cleansing. She focused on purifying herself, and as she washed her hands, she asked, “How has the Crown Prince been these past few days?”

The small Buddha hall was quiet. The female official at Empress Xu’s side leaned in, carefully drying the empress’s hands. “His Highness says he wishes to gain experience at the Ministry of Works, so he will not be able to join you for meals for some time.”

Empress Xu paused slightly at this. “That is as it should be.”

Seeing Empress Xu’s expression, the female official reminded her, “You have rarely sent anyone to the Eastern Palace recently.”

She had heard about the matters at court. The messages from the Xu family also reminded her that it was time to pave the way for the Crown Prince.

Her child had barely survived against all odds. Heaven’s gift, she had thought, rearing him with the utmost care. She had little involvement in the affairs of the harem, but concerning this child, she gave her all, believing that keeping him under her protection would ensure his safety. Yet several times, she had nearly caused him to err, fostering in him an unstable temperament. Her father was right—sometimes, doing everything for him was not as good as teaching him to do things for himself.

Empress Xu lowered her eyes. “Did you check into the matter of the palace lantern?”

“I did, Your Majesty. It was an accident,” the female official said carefully. “It seems the lantern was affected by dampness. It so happened that the Sixth Prince’s lantern failed to ignite properly.”

Empress Xu frowned. This answer only disturbed her further.

There had been too many incidents involving that child: the suihongzi, the assassination attempt, the Empress Dowager… When so many things happened to one person, it could not all be coincidence. She suppressed her thoughts, but for some reason, an increasingly heavy sense of unease clung to her.

Seeing Empress Xu’s expression, the female official asked tentatively, “Your Majesty?”

“Keep an eye on things. What happened to the Sixth Prince could also be turned against the Crown Prince,” Empress Xu said, snapping back to attention. “Leave these matters with you for now. I will go to Huguo Temple to pray for blessings for Jiangnan.”

The female official had been by Empress Xu’s side for many years, their bond akin to sisters. Empress Xu trusted her deeply.

A slight relief showed in the female official’s expression. She said softly, “Your servant will ensure it is done well.”