Chapter 55#
After the reporting palace attendant withdrew, Empress Xu stood silently by the window.
“Sixth Prince has been poisoned with the broken crimson seed toxin. This person likely wants to pit us against Cining Palace and reap the benefits while we fight,” Empress Xu said.
Shuangyue bowed and said, “Your Grace, whether or not the person who harmed the Sixth Prince matters not—someone is using this incident to harm the Crown Prince.”
Empress Xu looked toward the Crown Prince’s bedchamber.
Under the cold moonlight, all the palace walls seemed to cast strange shadows, just like the gloom gradually surfacing in her eyes.
The court, the harem… anyone who endangered her son’s position was an enemy.
…
A storm was brewing, and the palace was uneasy. The attack on the Eastern Palace created a sleepless night.
At court, due to the attack on the Eastern Palace, the Imperial Guard conducted a thorough search of the palace. All the consorts began to harbor their own thoughts. After three days of investigation, the Imperial Guard commander discovered that the assassin most likely infiltrated using the carriage of a noble in the palace. The palace was heavily guarded, but only the carriages of palace staff entering were not thoroughly inspected.
That very day, a modified noble’s carriage was found in the palace, with a hiding place just under its seat.
With this news, the problem pointed directly to the Imperial Household Department and the Court of the Imperial Stud.
The nobles’ carriages were always their responsibility, and since they connected with the outside of the palace, the Court of the Imperial Stud bore the heavier burden.
When Qi Hanzhou heard this news, he frowned slightly. He knew that the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace had its own death warriors, and this incident seemed more like a self-directed act. But once evidence appeared, it would be deliberate framing. First the attack, then the trail of clues—Qi Hanzhou realized this point. This person skillfully set it up so that the Eastern Palace appeared as the victim, and the culprits pointed at would increase the Emperor’s suspicion.
Such an obvious move was not the work of Shuangyue alone… it was likely Empress Xu.
After that day at the thatched cottage, no one went to stake it out anymore. Qi Hanzhou knew that the death warriors not returning had alerted the other side.
First the Eastern Palace, then Empress Xu—the depths of the harem were unfathomable.
The two physicians surnamed Chen were under his protection. For those behind the scenes, this was already a step beyond their scheme, so they made a move against Shen Changcun.
“The matter of the palace carriages is now entirely under Minister Shen’s control. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has already gone to Minister Shen’s residence,” Song’an relayed the news. “The Young General sent a message through his adjutant, saying this news must be delivered to you immediately. The evidence suddenly appeared, all pointing to Minister Shen.”
It was deliberate.
In the bedchamber, Xiaoqing was pecking at Ying Fusheng’s hand.
Upon hearing this, Ying Fusheng paused slightly, his gaze shifting toward Song’an.
Song’an looked at the seated Sixth Prince. When he heard about the Shen family’s trouble, his brow moved slightly. The chess pieces before Ying Fusheng were scattered, and the chess basket contained half black and half white stones. The attack on the Crown Prince seemed to have torn through the veil completely, and the movements from Kunming Palace began directly.
The Emperor did not believe it immediately, but the court’s reaction was strong. The Embroidered Uniform Guard still went to the Shen residence for a detailed investigation.
This move changed the previous stance of secret scheming. The civil officials at court submitted memorials accusing the Xu family.
With just one risky move, those behind the scenes directly shook the harem. Now, except for Qianqing Palace, almost everyone in the harem was in a state of unease—some real, some false. Currently, everything seemed to be proceeding in an orderly manner, but the stable order within the palace was quietly changing. Chaos in order meant there was an opportunity to exploit.
In the previous life, the claws were only bared later. In this life, they were drawn early. The Crown Prince’s successive failures had made them anxious.
If the Court of the Imperial Stud was implicated, then the problem lay with the Imperial Household Department.
“Your Highness, it’s bad. People from the palace are here.” A palace attendant reported from outside the door.
Song’an’s expression changed upon hearing this, and he immediately looked at Ying Fusheng.
Ying Fusheng descended from the couch and went out to see several eunuchs and members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard standing outside. The guards were not familiar to him, and even the eunuchs who came were new faces—they had been sent temporarily.
During the thorough search of the palace, objects for witchcraft had been discovered in Ying Fusheng’s former bedchamber in Weiyang Palace. Weiyang Palace had been vacant ever since Consort Ning was moved to the Cold Palace. Before Ying Fusheng established his own residence outside the palace, this place was his domain, and it was usually his people who attended to it.
“Your Highness, forgive the intrusion,” said the leading eunuch. “While searching Weiyang Palace, Your Slave and the lords of the Embroidered Uniform Guard found this object and have come specifically to inquire of Your Highness.”
The men below stepped forward and lifted the tray, revealing a Fushou doll.
Strangely, the Fushou doll was dressed in a talisman robe, with seven silver needles stuck into its body.
Everyone who saw it was immediately shocked—how could such a thing appear in the harem!
Ying Fusheng’s expression changed slightly when he saw the doll. He lowered his eyes slightly and merely said, “What does this mean?”
“Weiyang Palace is, after all, not a permanent residence. But this object was found under Your Highness’s bed. Your Slave must ask clearly,” said the eunuch. “Your Slave had the officials of the Imperial Observatory identify it. The talisman robe is a fortune-transfer talisman.”
First the palace lanterns, now objects of witchcraft. The Sixth Prince had been linked to two unlucky incidents in succession. The people in the palace instinctively disbelieved it. But the newly discovered witchcraft object carried a talisman for borrowing fortune. This immediately made people think of the tasks the Sixth Prince had handled at court. Everyone said the Sixth Prince had extraordinary luck and was a little lucky star.
But how could such luck come out of nowhere?
If the palace lanterns borrowed the dragon’s fortune, wouldn’t that explain it?
Just then, the Empress Dowager’s voice suddenly came from behind.
Ying Fusheng’s expression shifted. He turned around and saw the Empress Dowager.
Before the eunuchs could speak, the Empress Dowager had already walked forward, her expression somber, her gaze fixed straight on the witchcraft object on the tray.
Seeing this, the eunuch said, “Your Slave greets Her Highness the Empress Dowager. This object was found in His Highness the Sixth Prince’s former bedchamber…”
Aunt Yu immediately rebuked, “This is Cining Palace. How dare you be presumptuous here!”
These words abruptly cut off the eunuch’s speech. The other palace attendants, seeing the Empress Dowager’s cold expression, knelt down one after another. Since her illness last year, the Empress Dowager had rarely involved herself in affairs. She did not manage affairs, but her authority remained. Now, standing before people, no one else dared to raise their heads.
The Empress Dowager said coldly, “Since it was his former bedchamber, what does it have to do with the Sixth Prince?”
During his stay in Cining Palace, this was the first time Ying Fusheng had heard her so angry. Matters of witchcraft were a royal taboo. Such an object placed on anyone would deepen suspicion. The Empress Dowager especially believed in these things; she cared most about omens of good or ill fortune.
The Empress Dowager did not even glance at the witchcraft doll again. She stood slightly in front of Ying Fusheng, and without saying much, she had already expressed her stance. Regardless of whether this matter was true or false, the appearance of the fortune-transfer talisman alone was enough to spread the news throughout the harem.
First the lanterns, then witchcraft… such malicious acts were not merely simple framing. They aimed to sow suspicion and doubt, intensifying others’ rumors invisibly.
Her Little Six had done nothing wrong, yet he was repeatedly subjected to baseless malice.
“Coming to Cining Palace in such a grand manner—is this by the Emperor’s or the Empress’s orders?” The Empress Dowager’s voice was harsh. She had practiced martial arts in her youth, and her presence was imposing. With just a few words, she made several palace attendants too afraid to speak. They stammered and could only look toward the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had come.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard were merely investigating the case. They had followed people to inspect the situation, never expecting such circumstances.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard who came with the eunuch hurriedly begged forgiveness: “Your Highness the Empress Dowager, Your Servants are acting according to the law.”
“Since witchcraft objects have appeared in the palace, this is only a routine inquiry.”
“The Embroidered Uniform Guard is investigating the attack on the Crown Prince. Whether this matter is true or not, what should be investigated is who fabricated this to frame the Sixth Prince.” The Empress Dowager looked sternly at the Embroidered Uniform Guard. “Not even a commander came. Based on you alone, you cannot investigate a prince.”
Seeing this, everyone realized that the Empress Dowager’s stance was clear—she was determined to protect the Sixth Prince to the end.
“What are you standing around for?” Aunt Yu swept her gaze over the surrounding palace attendants and said, “Weiyang Palace has been vacant for a long time. With a mere unidentified witchcraft object, you dare to slander the Sixth Prince? By law, this warrants the offense of insolence. Men, drag these two away and punish them with the bamboo!”
Upon hearing this, the palace attendants of Cining Palace immediately acted and dragged the eunuchs away.
“The Empress arrives—”
The Empress Dowager looked coldly and saw Empress Xu arriving at the entrance of Cining Palace.
“Since it’s a doll that was found, then the stitches of the sewn doll, the cinnabar on the fortune-transfer talisman, the silver needles used…” The Empress Dowager looked at the few palace attendants, her gaze sweeping over Empress Xu: “None of these have been investigated. Coming to Cining Palace to accuse—was this your idea?”
Seeing the eunuchs being dragged away for punishment, Empress Xu’s expression shifted slightly at the mention of cinnabar and stitches. She begged forgiveness from the Empress Dowager: “Those subordinates acted rashly. They deserve punishment. I will handle this matter. I have already sent people to investigate the related matters. Please rest assured, Mother Empress.”
Throughout, Ying Fusheng watched her calmly. She was no different from usual, as if she had hurried over just to handle this matter. If not for the Empress Dowager today, the taint would have stuck to him, and the matter of fortune transfer would have become a permanent scar. Even though this framing was so obvious that even the Emperor wouldn’t believe it, the matter of the dragon’s fortune was most deadly when it came to rumors.
First Shen Changcun, then him… it was nothing but deliberate scheming.
When interests were paramount, anyone could be a sacrificial pawn in this game of power.
Ying Fusheng calmly followed the Empress Dowager away.
When people were in a hurry, that was a good thing.
As she withdrew her gaze, Empress Xu noticed his look. A flicker of familiarity passed through her expression. Before she could identify what that feeling was, Shuangyue beside her reminded her: “Your Grace.”
Empress Xu gave orders for subordinates to handle the matter. The palace attendant Shuangyue beside her hurried off to deal with it. As she turned, her gaze lingered briefly on the Empress Dowager, and finally she looked at Ying Fusheng meaningfully.
Suddenly, she noticed the pouch at Ying Fusheng’s waist.
There were some patterns on the pouch that flashed by, as if they were some kind of totem.
This realization made her expression tighten. At that moment, Ying Fusheng walked past Empress Xu, and the pouch fell off. Instinctively, she reached out to catch it. Upon touching it, some loose powder fell from the pouch.
After touching it, Shuangyue saw that the patterns on the pouch were simplified, but a few of them matched the totems she recognized. Just based on this, her heart tensed. She thought of the failed assassination at the thatched cottage. Before she could sort out her thoughts, she heard the sound of fluttering wings.
Not far away, a falcon flew toward them at great speed!
She immediately understood what the thing that fell from Ying Fusheng meant.
It was a test!
An ordinary palace attendant couldn’t have martial arts skills. She immediately pretended to be startled: “Your Grace, be careful!” Taking this opportunity, she shielded the Empress and was scratched by Xiaoqing as it attacked.
The sudden situation caught everyone off guard. Ying Fusheng’s face turned pale with fright. But Shuangyue knew the truth. She hurriedly said, “I saw Your Highness’s thing fall, so I just wanted to pick it up.”
“His Highness was just playing with Xiaoqing a moment ago,” a palace attendant from Cining Palace whispered. The incident was sudden, and no one was watching Xiaoqing.
The Empress Dowager recognized what that was. Ying Fusheng had seen a spice in a miscellaneous book some days ago, asked the imperial physician about it, and made a sachet that he often played with to tease Xiaoqing. Seeing that Shuangyue was injured, she said, “Treat her wound.”
Song’an quickly ran over with a medicine box. “Sister, I need to treat the wound first.”
Ying Fusheng stood at a distance. Shuangyue remembered the totem on the sachet. Even if simplified, she could recognize it.
The people sent earlier to kill Physician Chen had not returned. Was it related to him?
Shuangyue concealed her suspicion, a dark look in her eyes.
A sharp pain came from her arm. Shuangyue turned around and saw Song’an’s clumsy movements, spilling the medicine. Seeing this, she found an opportunity to refuse. She said gently, “It’s not a big wound. I’ll handle the rest myself.”
Outside Cining Palace, Qi Hanzhou had arrived.
He came in a hurry. Upon entering Cining Palace, he looked toward Ying Fusheng’s direction. The latter stood with lowered eyes, quietly behind the Empress Dowager.
Qi Hanzhou’s expression tightened slightly. Looking at the surrounding situation, he said, “Your subordinate has failed in his duty. Please forgive me, Your Highness the Empress Dowager.”
Seeing Qi Hanzhou arrive, the Empress Dowager’s expression softened slightly. His arrival was undoubtedly the Emperor’s intention.
After Qi Hanzhou arrived, the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had come with the palace attendants were taken away by the others. As he swept his gaze, he thoroughly assessed that guard and instructed Ye Xuanjiu: “Take the two eunuchs outside away as well.”
“Since the Embroidered Uniform Guard is here, leave the rest to them,” the Empress Dowager said.
Empress Xu: “Of course.”
Shuangyue, seeing the Embroidered Uniform Guard, could only help the Empress prepare to leave.
As Qi Hanzhou was leaving, Ying Fusheng followed the Empress Dowager into Cining Palace.
His expression was cold, his complexion paler than usual, as if he cared nothing about the witchcraft matter.
Qi Hanzhou withdrew his thoughts. When he looked again, Shuangyue had already left.
…Lanterns and witchcraft—it was no longer just the Eastern Palace being on guard. The Xu family intended to put him to death.
“Young General, about that deaf-mute palace attendant’s identity plaque that you had the Qi family investigate earlier, there are results,” Ye Xuanjiu said. “Not only that, it’s also related to the death warriors we’ve been investigating…”
After the Eastern Palace death warrior incident, the investigations he had set up in advance had yielded results.
Qi Hanzhou looked at him, a sharp edge appearing in his eyes.
“We traced the deaf-mute attendant and found that during her time in Kunming Palace, she frequently went in and out of a certain place,” Ye Xuanjiu said. “That place is a abandoned corner of the Cold Palace.”
Qi Hanzhou looked at the disappearing Shuangyue, seeming to understand something: “Follow her.”
…
News of the witchcraft object found in Weiyang Palace reached Qianqing Palace. The Emperor ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to thoroughly investigate, clearly not believing in such framing. At that time, the matter of Shen Changcun had just come to light, and now witchcraft appeared—things were gradually becoming more serious.
Empress Xu went to the Eastern Palace. Shuangyue attended to her, then turned and walked deep into the palace corridors.
With just a slight change, she disappeared at the edge of the Cold Palace.
“According to Empress Xu’s intent, the next step is to frame the First Prince. We need to make the First Prince’s faction focus their attention on the Sixth Prince, and we’ll watch the tigers fight from a distance,” Shuangyue briefed the person beside her. They had originally wanted to stir up trouble to extend their reach further… Ideally, the Sixth Prince would meet with an accident, but unfortunately, the Empress Dowager had interfered.
“As for the Empress Dowager, we can’t let her live much longer.”
If not for the Empress Dowager’s obstruction today, the witchcraft rumor would have spread, and suspicion would have fallen on Ying Fusheng.
This kind of tactic wouldn’t fool the Emperor, but if the Empress Dowager died at this time…
Deep in the Cold Palace, weeds grew rampant.
Shuangyue walked into a dark corner. Behind a rockery with broken stones, a plant remained.
Since Empress Xu knew about the thatched cottage, she must have learned something from that old woman.
Even if there were no Ying Fusheng, this Changxin plant had to be destroyed as soon as possible.
The Changxin plant was cultivated in a pot, a tiny plant that looked no different from other flowers and grass in the palace.
Shuangyue approached. The best thing about Madness Letter larvae was that they were tiny and invisible, entering the body without a sound.
On the branches of the Western Shu plant Changxin, a mother larvae the size of a knuckle was resting. She reached out to touch the mother larvae. The mother larvae crawled up onto her finger. She gently lifted the skin of the mother larvae, peeling off a layer of skin.
Suddenly, intense pain struck. The mother larvae, which had always been quiet, suddenly bit her.
She frantically shook her hand, and the larvae fell to the ground. Mother larvae didn’t attack people… She steadied herself and stepped back. But after two steps, her vision went dark. She suddenly felt her body go weak and lost control, falling forward. This commotion immediately made a sound.
“Someone!”
Not far away, several secret guards disguised as palace attendants sweeping the Cold Palace heard the noise and were about to enter. At that moment, a blade flashed in the night. Qi Hanzhou dropped down from the palace wall, struck swiftly, and silenced the guards before they could commit suicide, leaving their bodies intact.
There were more than two Embroidered Uniform Guards tonight. The few palace attendants had no time to shout before they were subdued by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
When no one came from the door, Shuangyue’s consciousness grew hazy. When she touched her nose, her hand was covered in blood.
Shuangyue froze. Bleeding from seven orifices…? No, what was happening?! The mother larvae that had fallen to the ground fluttered up and bit into Shuangyue’s neck. As the mother larvae bit and crawled, her chaotic consciousness suddenly realized something.
Child larvae—there was the scent of child larvae in her blood, so the mother larvae had attacked her!
But child larvae couldn’t survive apart from the body, unless it was poisonous blood…
The pain in her arm, the memory of the day at Cining Palace, suddenly came back to her. But how did that person know?!
When Qi Hanzhou finished dealing with the secret guards outside and walked in, what he saw was blood all over the floor. The palace attendant Shuangyue lay on the ground, next to her broken Changxin potted plant. She writhed in pain, a dagger in her hand, having cut open her arm as if she desperately wanted to take something out before fainting.
“Ye Xuanjiu was stunned on the spot: “Young General, this!”
“She’s dead.” Qi Hanzhou checked her breath through the fabric.
Either fainted lightly or killed by the child larvae eroding her from within.
Qi Hanzhou looked at the mother larvae crawling on Shuangyue’s body, a chill running down his spine.
Within the palace, the only child larvae outside was the one on the Empress Dowager—
It was Ying Fusheng!