Seeing his reaction, the Empress Dowager already had some understanding, though her expression remained calm: “The release list was presented to Your Majesty a month ago. Could it be that the Emperor didn’t know? By now, Su Su must have reached Shenwu Gate; the palace carriage is ready. If Your Majesty wishes…”
Before she could finish, Li Qianche had already strode out in a panic. His heart raced. He had been busy with state affairs these past days and had not known of this matter she was leaving the palace? Why? Could it be that the last punishment had truly wounded her so deeply?
He called out to Shen Gaoyi to prepare the carriage. At that moment, he had only one thought: he could not let her leave!
He rushed toward Shenwu Gate. Upon reaching the palace entrance, he saw palace maids beginning to leave, and immediately ordered: “Close the palace gates! No one shall leave the palace today!”
Meanwhile, in the side hall, Su Su had been waiting for some time but still saw no sign of Eunuch An’s return. She stepped to the window and gazed at the sun sinking toward the western horizon. The commotion at the palace gate gradually subsided, and a faint unease stirred in her heart this silence did not feel normal.
As dusk fell, An Dekang finally returned in a hurry, wiping his sweat and whispering: “Young Mistress, the Emperor has suddenly ordered the palace sealed. I fear you will not be able to leave today. Perhaps something has happened in the palace. Please return to Changxin Palace for now and wait; we will see what happens tomorrow.”
Su Su lowered her eyes, saying nothing. Unaware of the reason, she could only nod lightly.
As night deepened, she walked along the palace path, and the faint hope she had felt earlier sank with it. This time, it seemed she truly could not leave.
Back in Changxin Palace, Chunlan, seeing Su Su’s continued silence, stepped lightly to her side and gently reassured her: “Young Mistress, perhaps some urgent matter arose in the palace, which is why the gates were suddenly closed.”
Su Su furrowed her brow in thought. Why had the gates been closed so suddenly? Was it Zhuang Shuning trying to stop her? But she had been eager for her to leave the palace, even previously pretending to advise her to go pray for her nephew she had no reason to block her now. Was it the Emperor? Why would he not allow her to leave? Was he afraid of losing a pawn that restrained the Empress Dowager? That didn’t make sense if she left, he would lose a source of information. Moreover, he had always disliked her. So who was it? What was happening?
The more she thought, the more chaotic her mind became. Her head throbbed, and she sighed softly: “Enough. Since we do not know the reason, we will wait until tomorrow. Qiuju, go to the imperial kitchen and see if there is any food left for Xiao An.”
Hearing this, Qiuju immediately obeyed and ran out.
In the imperial study, Li Qianche learned that the palace gates had been closed and Su Su had not been able to leave. The taut strings of his mind finally relaxed slightly.
Shen Gaoyi quickly entered and whispered a report: “Your Majesty, Su Daying has returned to Changxin Palace.”
Li Qianche remained silent for a moment, his gaze deep. He thought to himself: if her desire to leave the palace arose only because of the Crown Prince Ning’s affair, leaving her disheartened, then I can promote her rank surely that will keep her in the palace for now. He then spoke: “Tomorrow, issue an edict to promote Su Daying to Consort Su.”
Shen Gaoyi noticed the Emperor pause as if in thought. He quickly reasoned: the Ning Crown Prince affair has not yet been resolved; Su Daying is still the prime suspect. Promoting her now might spark gossip in the harem of the previous dynasty. He tactfully advised: “Previously, Su Daying copied scriptures and prayed for the soldiers sincerely. This merit should not be overlooked. With the recent southwestern victory, she may have contributed as well.”
Li Qianche slightly nodded. “Then we will issue the edict stating: for her devout prayers for the soldiers and blessings upon our realm, Su Daying is hereby promoted to Consort Su.”
Shen Gaoyi bowed: “Your Majesty is wise. I shall draft the edict at once.”
After Shen Gaoyi left, Li Qianche spoke to the empty hall in a low voice: “What has been discovered regarding the Ning Crown Prince affair?”
At that moment, a shadowy figure appeared like smoke. The secret guard Ye Ying knelt and reported: “Since investigating the Winter Solstice Banquet, we found a suspicious point. When Consort Su went to change her clothes, the side hall was unattended. The palace maids who should have been on duty had all been reassigned by Su Daying’s old maid Fuqu under the pretext of insufficient staff for the banquet. Fuqu is on today’s release list, but she had not yet reached the age to leave the palace; upon exiting, she was killed in a nearby alley.”
Li Qianche’s eyes darkened. “Who assigned the guiding palace maid? Was it someone near Su Su, or someone else?”
“She was a maid in Noble Consort Song’s quarters. We have interrogated her, and she confessed to acting on Noble Consort Song’s orders.”
Li Qianche immediately commanded Shen Gaoyi to summon Song Liuzheng.
Song Liuzheng was overjoyed upon hearing the news. Summoned to see the Emperor alone, her heart leapt. Having not yet served in the bedchamber, she saw this as a golden opportunity.
She carefully prepared herself, repeatedly checking her reflection in the mirror. Soon she arrived at the imperial study, her voice like a songbird: “Long live the Emperor” She made her bow, her eyes flicking toward the Emperor’s face, secretly thinking: even General Pei, famed in the capital for his beauty, cannot compare to the Emperor’s imperial presence.
Li Qianche, however, did not glance at her. He only ordered the escorting palace maid to be brought forward and coldly asked: “Noble Consort Song, do you recognize this person?”
Song Liuzheng, still lost in her own thoughts, glimpsed the maid and immediately turned pale. Her silk handkerchief was clenched tightly, but she forced herself to remain calm: “I… I do not recognize her…”
“I… didn’t…”
Li Qianche slammed his hand on the table and shouted sharply, “She is a maid in your quarters! How dare you claim you don’t know her?!”
Song Liuzheng was so frightened that she fell to her knees, her voice trembling: “There are so many people in the palace, Your Majesty… I truly cannot remember them all…” In her mind, she thought that the maid had only promised to guide Su Su to the side hall, and that what happened afterward would be handled; surely it would weaken Su Su without implicating her.
But the palace maid cried out, “Your Highness! It was on your orders! That night of the Winter Solstice, you commanded me to guide the Noble Consort to the side hall!”
Song Liuzheng’s whole body shuddered, and she blurted out, “Your Majesty, see clearly! I did not harm the Crown Prince Ning!”
Li Qianche sneered coldly. “I have not even mentioned the side hall or the Crown Prince’s death, yet you confess yourself?”
Song Liuzheng collapsed on the floor, sweat mixing with her makeup, sobbing uncontrollably: “I only saw the Noble Consort drunk and kindly sent someone to guide her… I truly know nothing!”
“Just now you adamantly denied it, and now it’s a ‘kind act of guidance’?” Li Qianche’s eyes glinted with greater coldness. “At this point, and you still dare to lie?”
Song Liuzheng repeatedly kowtowed: “I truly only sent someone to guide her! What happened after Su Daying entered the hall, I have no knowledge of! She is always arrogant; surely she is the one who caused the Crown Prince Ning’s death!”
Li Qianche’s gaze was icy as he glared down at her: “I ask you: there are many side halls in the palace. Why did you deliberately guide her to that one hall? You clearly had ulterior motives, deliberately framing her!”
“I did not, Your Majesty! You are biased!” Song Liuzheng wept like rain. “I have no grievances with the Ning Crown Prince’s household, why would I harm him? It should be Su Daying, who has long-standing grievances with Consort Zhuang, who sought to harm Consort Zhuang’s nephew!”
Li Qianche massaged his brow, his tone grim: “I asked about your responsibility in guiding her, not the Ning Crown Prince. There is clear evidence of your participation in the crime against the imperial heir. Why do you still not confess?”
Song Liuzheng’s eyes darted about in panic: “I did not know the Crown Prince Ning was in the side hall… I only thought it was quiet there, suitable for the Noble Consort to rest.”
“The side halls near Qianqing Palace are numerous,” the Emperor’s gaze pierced her, “yet you did not guide her to a nearby hall, but chose the farthest one. What was your intention?”
“I… truly had no intention to harm the Crown Prince,” Song Liuzheng said, closing her eyes and crying, tasting the metallic tang of blood in her mouth.
Only now did she realize that from the moment she agreed to guide the Consort, she had walked into a death trap. Even if she had not personally harmed the Crown Prince, she could not escape the charge of framing a consort. She bit her lip tightly. The warning she had once heard rang in her ears: “If you dare reveal a word, three members of your father’s household will die tomorrow…” As long as she did not admit guilt, at least her father’s position remained, and her family could survive.
Seeing that she would offer no more confession, Li Qianche’s last trace of warmth vanished. Song Liuzheng’s guilt in framing a consort and disturbing the palace was undeniable. Yet the Crown Prince’s death still required thorough investigation. The Ning Crown Prince’s household needed an explanation, the former court ministers were watching, and though Su Su’s involvement remained unclear, Song Liuzheng’s crime could not be ignored. With a wave of his sleeve, he declared: “Noble Consort Song framed a palace consort; her heart deserves execution. From today, she is demoted to commoner and imprisoned in the Cold Palace. As for the Crown Prince Ning, I shall continue a thorough investigation, ensuring the truth is not obscured!”
Song Liuzheng nearly fainted. As the eunuchs dragged her away, she screamed hoarsely: “I am innocent! It was Su Daying… it was Su Daying…”
Her cries gradually faded. The hall returned to a deathly silence. Li Qianche’s gaze was grave. With Song Liuzheng’s limited cunning, she could not have set up such a trap: to silently kill the Crown Prince while flawlessly transferring suspicion to Su Su. The person responsible must hold a high position and possess meticulous and ruthless intelligence.
He turned to Ye Ying: “Song has always been close with Consort Zhuang, yet is now involved in the plot to kill Consort Zhuang’s nephew. This is suspicious. Moreover, Consort Zhuang has not shown grief recently. She and the Ning Princess are sisters what is the state of their usual relations?”
Ye Ying considered carefully: “The Ning Princess is indeed Consort Zhuang’s younger half-sister, raised under her birth mother. Outwardly, they are harmonious, and I have never heard of disputes. I shall investigate the depth of their relationship.”
“Any other leads?”
“That night, there seemed to be a very faint and unusual fragrance in the side hall. The scent is strange and unfamiliar; we are still tracking its source and purpose.”
“Continue the investigation,” Li Qianche said, pressing his fingers to his brow and waving his hand. Ye Ying vanished without a trace.