At the Emperor’s words about deposing the Crown Prince, the entire chamber fell silent.
Xie Yao’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Instinctively, she took two steps forward, wanting to help him up, but Qingyu seized her arm with trembling hands and pulled her back.
Gu Changze slowly straightened himself. His eyes, clear as glazed jade, reflected a faint ash-gray light. “I do not understand what Father means by this.”
“You don’t understand?” Emperor Yan snapped. “You’ve been hiding away in your own residence, thinking you could deceive everyone, yet you never expected the Director of the Imperial Medical Academy to recognize this poison at a glance. He comes from the borderlands, just as your mother did. In all of Great Sheng, besides you, who else would know such things?”
Without mercy, the Emperor hurled the packet of medicinal herbs the imperial physicians had presented.
Gu Changze remained composed. “Father has confined me to my residence. Hundreds of Imperial Guards stand watch outside. How could I possibly leave? The jade-pendant case has remained unresolved for many days. If this poisoning matter is also concluded hastily without proper investigation, then although I trust Father’s judgment, I cannot help but feel wronged. I ask only that Father examine the matter thoroughly.”
Having spoken those earnest words, Gu Changze bent forward and kowtowed.
Seeing how gravely injured he appeared and hearing the sincerity in his words, several officials could not help but step forward to speak on his behalf.
“Your Majesty, although Your Majesty’s concern for the Sixth Prince is understandable, there is still no conclusive evidence regarding the poison. The heir apparent is the foundation of the state. Such a judgment should not be made lightly.”
“His Highness is confined to his residence and is already in poor health. Bribing servants to assassinate a prince would not be an easy task.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. Though the poison originates from the border regions, a determined person could still obtain it.”
“Your Majesty…”
More and more officials began to voice their opinions.
The bloodshot fury in Emperor Yan’s eyes gradually subsided. After a moment, he threw the wooden ruler aside and spoke in a grave voice.
“Men! Search the Crown Prince’s residence from top to bottom. Then interrogate every servant attending both the Crown Prince’s quarters and the Sixth Prince’s palace. I want every one of them questioned.”
“Since we’re going to investigate, then the suspects should not be limited to me alone. Shouldn’t everyone staying in Shanglin Garden be searched as well?” Meeting Emperor Yan’s cold, forbidding gaze, Gu Changze spoke calmly.
The Emperor swept a hand through the air. “Search them.”
With that single command, the entire Shanglin Garden erupted into activity.
By then it was already near the Hour of Xu. Lanterns were lit throughout the grounds. Holding their breath, everyone waited inside the hall for a full hour.
Gu Changze remained kneeling the entire time. The pale blue robes he wore had been soaked through with blood. Beneath the lamplight, his already frail features appeared even paler. Emperor Yan sat before the throne, unmoved.
An hour later, a report finally arrived. “Your Majesty, no trace of this poison was found in the Crown Prince’s residence.”
The Emperor’s expression darkened. “You dared suggest that I search your quarters. Had you already prepared for this outcome?”
The tension Xie Yao had just managed to shake off returned instantly. She had not expected Emperor Yan to pursue the matter so aggressively. Anxiousness flickered across her face. No one knew better than she did that Gu Changze’s fever had only recently broken. After all this turmoil, even an iron body would struggle to endure it.
Gu Changze met the Emperor’s gaze. “Father does not trust me.” A trace of disappointment lingered in his voice.
“Then give me a reason to trust you.” The cold wind swept past outside the hall. The Emperor’s words were equally cold.
“If I am not mistaken, the manufacture of this poison depends upon a particular ingredient, and it requires a full seven days to prepare. At present, only three doses of that medicine remain in all of Great Sheng. They should be stored in Father’s private treasury. If Father wishes to know who accessed them, all he needs to do is investigate the treasury records.”
Emperor Yan’s gaze shifted toward the Chief Imperial Physician.
The Chief Imperial Physician nodded lightly, confirming Gu Changze’s statement. “This medicine has long since disappeared from common use. Only three doses remain in Great Sheng. What the Crown Prince has said is true.”
The guards responsible for the imperial private treasury soon arrived at the palace chambers carrying a thick ledger.
The Secretary, standing at the front, took the ledger and flipped it open. His eyes immediately widened. “Your Majesty, this…”
“If you have something to say, then say it.”
Emperor Yan had already risen and was standing before the imperial desk, drafting an edict with vermilion ink. Just as his brush touched the paper, he heard the Secretary speak in a trembling voice. “Over the past three months, this medicine was requisitioned by only one person. It was…”
“The Crown Prince?”
“The Third Prince!”
Squeezing his eyes shut, the Secretary hurriedly handed over the ledger.
Emperor Yan froze for a moment before striding down from the dais. “What nonsense are you talking about?”
Snatching the ledger from his hands, the Emperor glanced at the record. There it was in unmistakable black ink on white paper: Only Gu Xiufu had requisitioned the medicine, and he had done so ten days earlier.
“Where is Xiufu?” Emperor Yan’s expression darkened.
Before the affairs involving the two princes had been untangled, a third prince had suddenly been dragged into the matter.
The hall remained utterly silent.
After a long while, the Third Prince did not reply.
“It seems the Third Prince has been absent the entire time.”
“Go find him.”
Gu Changze spoke weakly from where he knelt: “Third Brother has always been the most concerned for his brothers. Yet today, when Sixth Brother suffered such a grave incident, he has not shown himself once. Perhaps he’s occupied with something far more important?”
“I would very much like to see what it is that’s keeping him so busy.”
Emperor Yan had already finished half of the edict to depose the Crown Prince. In front of the assembled officials, he had confidently declared that the poison belonged to the Crown Prince. Yet now it turned out that the one who had requisitioned it was the Third Prince. Caught between a rock and a hard place, his expression became exceedingly grim.
Emperor Yan took the lead and headed outside.
Xie Yao deliberately lingered at the rear. Gu Changze was moving forward slowly, staggering slightly, when a pair of slender arms suddenly came up to support him.
“Your Highness.” Anxiety filled Xie Yao’s voice as she carefully helped him forward.
The Third Prince’s residence was completely dark.
Just as Emperor Yan arrived and was about to order the servants to light the lanterns, someone in the darkness suddenly exclaimed in confusion: “The person coming out of the Crown Prince’s residence… doesn’t that look an awful lot like the Third Prince?”
Instantly, everyone’s eyes turned in that direction.
Outside the darkened courtyard, a figure emerged unsteadily from Gu Changze’s residence. The moment he saw the crowd gathered before him, his heart lurched. Reflexively, he hid the object in his hand behind his back.
Gu Changze stepped forward first and smiled gently. “Third Brother has always been concerned about my health. I heard he even sought Father’s permission this morning to visit me. He must have been worried about me.”
Reaching the Third Prince, Gu Changze suddenly grabbed his arm.
Caught off guard, the Third Prince lost his grip, and the items in his hand clattered to the ground.
“What’s this?”
By the time the Third Prince tried to stop them, it was already too late.
An imperial physician picked up the items from the floor and examined them. His expression changed immediately. “Third Prince, why would Your Highness bring these things into the Crown Prince’s residence?”
“Isn’t it just ordinary medicine?” Emperor Yan narrowed his eyes.
“Your Majesty,” the physician replied, “on their own, these medicines are indeed ordinary. However, they conflict with the prescription that the Crown Prince has taken for many years. The Imperial Medical Bureau expressly forbade their use in the Eastern Palace long ago. That is why I find this rather surprising.”
A subtle change crossed Gu Changze’s face. “Third Brother, why did you bring medicine like this to my residence?”
Everyone’s gaze shifted to Gu Xiufu. Having only just regained consciousness and still not understanding the situation before him, he instinctively began to explain: “I…”
Rumors had long been circulating outside. Yet despite them, Emperor Yan still had not decided to depose the Crown Prince. Somehow, one of Gu Xiufu’s servants had learned that the Crown Prince’s illness remained severe and that he coughed up blood every day.
Gu Xiufu had come to see for himself. If the rumors proved true, then giving matters a little push and hastening the Crown Prince’s downfall would hardly be a bad thing. He had deliberately brought a large assortment of medicine with him as a show of concern. Hidden beneath them was a box of incense.
Gu Changze was already frail by nature, and the incense had been specially formulated at Gu Xiufu’s instruction to quietly sap a person’s vitality over time. Yet before he had even made it into the room, he had suddenly lost consciousness. When he awoke, he found himself lying in the courtyard. Before he could leave, he was met by the crowd now blocking his way.
The box of incense had vanished. Even the medicines had been switched.
Gu Xiufu instantly sobered, cold sweat breaking out across his body. He realized he had been set up. “I truly do not know. I only intended to visit Eldest Brother. I unexpectedly fainted as soon as I entered the courtyard. I have no idea whose box this is. Father, please investigate thoroughly.”
“I learned this evening that Sixth Brother had been poisoned and was immediately summoned by Father,” Gu Changze said, frowning. “Did Third Brother not know about that? Why would you choose this particular time to visit my residence?”
“I did not know. I spent the entire day occupied with…”
“We’ll set that aside for the moment.” Emperor Yan cut him off and handed over the ledger. “Answer me this. Ten days ago, you withdrew a certain medicine from my private treasury. What was it for?”
“Father, I never withdrew any such medicine.” Gu Xiufu took the ledger and glanced through it. The unease in his heart deepened. He had never even seen this medicine before. Why, then, was his name recorded as the one who had taken it?
Gu Changze coughed lightly twice before speaking. “Third Brother, you should be careful with your words. Whenever a prince requisitions medicine or supplies from the treasury, he must present his personal jade token. If the treasury officials had not seen your token, why would they have recorded your name?”
At those words, Gu Xiufu hurriedly tore the jade pendant from his waist and held it up. “My jade token has never left my person. I have not gone near the private treasury in the past half month. Father, please investigate this matter thoroughly.”
The princes’ jade pendants were clearly visible to everyone present.
Before Emperor Yan could speak, someone suddenly remarked: “Hm? Why does it seem that the Third Prince’s jade pendant bears an old nick?”
All princely jade pendants were carved from millennium-grade white jade and were not easily damaged.
However, when the Third Prince was born, he was weak and sickly. Hoping to bless him with good fortune, the Emperor had personally carved the character “安” (peace) into his jade pendant with a dagger sharp enough to cut through iron. As a result, the pendant bore a distinctive mark.
Many people knew of this story, so as soon as the comment was made, someone else replied: “Lord Chen must be joking. Everyone knows where that mark came from.”
The official laughed awkwardly. “I mean nothing by it. It’s just that when the Crown Prince’s jade pendant was presented as evidence a few days ago, I remember seeing a similar mark on it. I thought perhaps all the princes had intentionally carved their pendants that way.”
Gu Changze immediately shook his head. “Lord Chen jests. Father does not favor me as much as Third Brother. My pendant bears no such mark.”
“Yet I am quite certain I did not remember incorrectly. That pendant definitely had a nick on it.”
The hall instantly fell silent.
A servant hurriedly brought Gu Changze’s jade pendant over.
Curious, Lord Chen took it first. Unexpectedly, his hand slipped.
Clack! The pendant fell to the floor and shattered into several pieces.
Everyone froze. No further verification was needed. How could genuine millennium white jade break so easily?
“Your Majesty… this… this is a fake jade pendant.” Someone spoke up in shock.
Gu Changze immediately dropped to his knees, astonishment written across his face. “Father, someone deliberately stole my jade pendant and replaced it with a counterfeit in order to frame me! I am truly innocent. If the culprit forged my pendant, then they must be someone intimately familiar with me. That person is very likely still within Shanglin Garden. I beg Father to order a thorough search and restore my good name.”
Emperor Yan’s expression became unbelievably grim. In a low voice, he ordered the search.
Half an hour soon passed.
The commander of the Imperial Guards stepped forward to make his report. “Your Majesty, we searched everywhere, from the Crown Prince’s residence to the quarters of the ministers. And we did indeed find a jade pendant…” He respectfully presented the jade pendant. It was identical to the one that had just shattered.
“Have it examined,” Emperor Yan ordered. “See whether it truly belongs to the Crown Prince.” His gaze darkened. “Where was it found?”
The commander hesitated. “It… it was found in the Third Prince’s residence.”
“Father, I’ve been wronged!” The Third Prince’s legs gave way beneath him, and he dropped to his knees. Only now did he fully realize that he had been lured into a trap.
If the Crown Prince’s jade pendant had been discovered in the Third Prince’s quarters, then it would naturally follow that the counterfeit pendant was also his doing. And on the day of the incident, the Third Prince had been the one standing closest to the Sixth Prince, giving him ample opportunity to slip the pendant onto the Sixth Prince’s person.
The officials exchanged glances. Even those who had long felt there was something suspicious about the accusations against the Crown Prince suddenly understood. If the Crown Prince had been framed from beginning to end, then the lack of evidence against him was hardly surprising.
At that moment, someone pointed out the key issue. “Third Prince, leaving aside the matter of the Sixth Prince’s broken leg, why is the poison found in his medicine connected to the drug you withdrew from the imperial treasury?”
Was it also part of a scheme to murder someone and shift the blame onto another?
The officials recalled the blow Emperor Yan had struck across Gu Changze’s back earlier in the hall, and a chill ran through them.
Had this poisonous plot succeeded, the Sixth Prince would have died, the Crown Prince would have been deposed, and the greatest beneficiary would have been none other than the Third Prince.
The single question left Gu Xiufu drenched in cold sweat. Just as he was about to defend himself, a servant came running in from outside.
“Your Majesty! One of the attendants serving the Sixth Prince has confessed. He said… he said that yesterday the Third Prince sent someone with a hundred taels of gold, instructing him to mix a certain medicine into the Sixth Prince’s medicinal soup. The attendant later took poison out of fear of punishment. Before he died, he kept shouting something about… apologizing to the Third Prince.”
The crowd instantly erupted into an uproar. The medicine withdrawn from the treasury. The servant’s confession. The discovery that the Third Prince had switched the Crown Prince’s jade pendant. And the fact that, on the day the Sixth Prince broke his leg, the Third Prince had been standing right beside him.
Piece by piece, the evidence seemed to point in the same direction.
Emperor Yan flew into a rage. “Take him away!” His voice thundered through the hall. “Investigate this thoroughly!”
The Minister of Justice conducted interrogations throughout the night at Shanglin Garden. Before dawn even broke, the winds in the capital had already shifted.
“Word is that the people around the Third Prince confessed to everything. The jade pendant was forged on the Third Prince’s orders. He also bribed servants at Xishan to push the Sixth Prince down the slope to frame the Crown Prince. Later, he tried to poison the Sixth Prince to death and seize the opportunity to strike at the Crown Prince as well. Even the medicine he brought to the Crown Prince’s residence yesterday was poisoned…”
That morning, Qingyu relayed all the news from the Ministry of Justice.
Xie Yao’s eyes immediately reddened. Unable to wait any longer, she hurried toward Gu Changze’s residence.
By now, all the guards stationed outside had been withdrawn.
Since returning the previous night, Gu Changze had once again fallen unconscious from a high fever. By the time Xie Yao arrived, the imperial physicians had only just fed him his medicine, and he had barely regained consciousness.
“Your Highness, have you heard? His Majesty has uncovered the whole truth. The Third Prince forged the jade pendant to frame you. He also tried to kill the Sixth Prince and then turn the blame on you. The witnesses and evidence have all been verified. This matter has nothing to do with you anymore.”
Gu Changze lowered his eyes slightly. “In that case, Father’s grace is indeed boundless, and my innocence has finally been proven. I simply never expected Third Brother to be this kind of person. Perhaps he was only momentarily confused, yet he nearly cost Sixth Brother his life.”
Seeing the redness around Xie Yao’s eyes, Gu Changze’s expression softened with concern.
Xie Yao immediately felt a sting in her nose. “Your Highness is far too kindhearted. The Third Prince wanted to harm you. Even death would not be enough punishment for him. What pains me is that you suffered because of all this. If not for my entanglement with the Sixth Prince, the incident at Xishan would never have so easily led to suspicions falling upon you in the first place.”
For days, Xie Yao had been consumed with guilt over that matter. The blow Emperor Yan had struck across Gu Changze’s back the previous night only deepened her self-reproach. If not for her, Gu Changze would never have suffered like this. As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes.
Gu Changze smiled gently and handed her a handkerchief. “There’s no need to blame yourself so much. They wanted to harm me; it had nothing to do with what happened that night. Nor were my injuries caused by you. It’s just…” He paused.
Looking into Xie Yao’s eyes, misty as water, a hint of a sigh touched his lips. “Now that matters have reached this point, I’m afraid the engagement cannot be called off after all.”
Xie Yao stiffened abruptly. In truth, ever since Emperor Yan had spoken with her, she had known there was little hope of canceling the engagement. The Emperor would never allow anyone to refuse one of his decrees.
She was destined to marry into the imperial family, to wed the prince he favored least, yet remain where he could keep watch over her. Only then would he feel at ease.
Moreover, because of everything that had happened recently, Gu Changze had been dragged into the scandal surrounding her. He had been confined to his residence, nearly stripped of his position as Crown Prince, and forced to bear torrents of public suspicion.
Although the truth had now come to light, rumors were already spreading everywhere that the Crown Prince had flown into a rage for the sake of a beauty.
With events having escalated this far, if the engagement were called off now, would that not push the heir apparent of the empire to the very edge of a knife, making him the laughingstock of the realm?
Xie Yao lowered her head and swallowed hard. Suddenly, a warm hand closed gently around her fingertips. She looked up.
The tenderness in Gu Changze’s eyes left her staring at him in a daze for a long moment. Then he said, “Now that I have fallen out of Father’s favor and so many things have happened, I can no longer withstand even the slightest upheaval. I’m afraid the matter of breaking off the engagement cannot be accomplished after all. My illness has lingered for years with no cure in sight, and I never wished to burden you. Yet the situation now requires it, so I have no choice but to ask Miss Xie to marry into the Eastern Palace. Still, I can make you a promise. If I die of illness one day, I will leave behind a letter of divorce in advance and set you free. And if, by some fortune, I ascend the throne, I will likewise grant you your freedom.”
A breeze swept through the courtyard.
Though he had not yet recovered from his illness, Xie Yao suddenly became aware of how firmly his fingers were entwined with hers. They felt almost like shackles, impossible to escape. The eyes fixed upon her were gentle and full of devotion. Though his words spoke of helpless resignation, every sentence seemed to be for her sake.
Xie Yao swallowed again. For some reason, the words “die of illness” sounded unbearably harsh. “There will always be a way to cure Your Highness’s illness. Even if you miss your chance at the throne, I will still stay by your side. We could travel the world together, see the beautiful mountains and rivers of Great Sheng. Wouldn’t that be wonderful too?”
Gu Changze had not expected such an answer. His fingers stiffened.
Xie Yao leaned slightly closer. “I am willing. For the sake of the situation and for Your Highness.”
Overnight, news of the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince spread throughout the entire capital. The edict Emperor Yan had half-written to depose the Crown Prince could no longer be used. Having wronged the heir apparent so publicly, and with the entire court now watching, he had no choice but to continue playing the part of a benevolent ruler and loving father.
“His Highness has coughed up blood three times just this morning. On top of that, Your Majesty struck him with the ruler last night. If he cannot survive the journey back to the capital…”
What would people say about the Emperor then? That he had driven the Crown Prince to his death?
Emperor Yan, who cared deeply about appearances, would never allow such rumors to arise. He immediately issued an order: “Prepare to return to the capital at once. Have every physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau attend upon the Eastern Palace. Postpone the Crown Prince’s wedding by seven days. The Ministry of Rites is to spare no effort in making the ceremony grand. Let it dispel the ill fortune that has recently plagued the palace.”
By the time the news reached Gu Changze’s residence, he had just accepted a bowl of medicine from Jiang Zhen. Several braziers burned in the room, yet his hands remained cold. This entire affair had worsened his condition considerably. But Gu Changze did not regret it. He had used himself as the centerpiece of a carefully crafted scheme. He had engineered the circumstances that led to his Sixth Brother’s broken leg. He had deliberately lured his Third Brother into visiting his residence. He had manipulated the Third Prince’s servant into betraying his master, even at the cost of his own life. He had intentionally appeared before Emperor Yan at the moment of the Emperor’s greatest fury, allowing himself to be beaten in front of everyone. He had forced the Emperor into an impossible position and stirred up a storm throughout the capital.
And all of it had been for one purpose: Before Xie Yao entered the palace, he wanted to eliminate the Sixth Brother who coveted her and the Third Brother who constantly opposed him. Only then could the Eastern Palace become an impregnable fortress, capable of sheltering her and guaranteeing her safety after her marriage.
Watching him tilt his head back and drain the medicine in one swallow, Jiang Zhen couldn’t help asking, “Your Highness, was all this truly necessary?”
Gu Changze let out a soft laugh. His eyes were cool and clear. “Anything I want, I will obtain, no matter what methods I must use.”
And once he had it, he would never let it go.