“To show her sincerity, the Empress specifically ordered that only tea leaves picked before sunrise be sent to us,” Yuan Xiu said, kneeling below.
Liang Jin sat atop his high throne, with Liang Yi’an by his side. “That is indeed the case, Father.”
Sun Feng stood beside Yuan Xiu, pointing at the porcelain shards. “Earlier, outside the hall, I saw Eunuch Li and little ‘Eunuch’ Lin whispering together. Out of curiosity, I leaned in, and that is how the truth behind Her Majesty’s poisoning was uncovered.”
“The glaze used to fire this tea set contains malachite. According to the Records of Tea, malachite reacts negatively with tea leaves picked before dawn. Long-term use of such a tea set mimics the symptoms of a severe cold. Over time, it causes a silent death that appears to be natural, leaving no trace of foul play for a physician to find. It’s only because Her Majesty’s constitution was already weakened from her previous miscarriage that the symptoms manifested so severely this time.”
He gave Lin Yu a nudge. Lin Yu stumbled forward a step before regaining his balance, keeping his head low throughout.
Sun Feng addressed Liang Jin: “This little Eunuch Lin is meticulous; it was thanks to him that we found a trail to follow.”
Irritated and weary, Liang Jin didn’t pay much attention to Lin Yu’s movements. He asked in a heavy voice, “Is there a cure?”
Sun Feng remained silent for a long time. Seeing this, Liang Jin understood the situation and let out a long, heavy sigh.
He turned to Li Changfeng. “Release the two of them. See that they are properly compensated; I was too hasty in this matter.” He then issued a decree, bestowing several rewards upon Yuan Xiu.
Once they had left, Liang Jin suppressed his simmering rage and turned to Wang Fu. “Investigate! Find out how this cursed malachite was made into a tea set and delivered to the Empress’s palace! Search every detail…”
“Your Majesty! Consort Zhang has sent word!” A young eunuch rushed in frantically. “The Consort says a female corpse has been found near the Cold Palace.”
The room was instantly filled with shock. Liang Jin’s temper flared—what more could go wrong today!
“Send them in!”
Eunuch Quan, Consort Zhang’s attendant, knelt the moment he entered, his face pale with terror. “Your Majesty… in the Cold Palace… there is a body…”
Wang Fu noticed Liang Jin’s darkening expression and stepped forward, giving Eunuch Quan a light kick. “In the presence of the Emperor, speak clearly!”
Eunuch Quan trembled. “Yes, yes… Your Majesty, the Consort was helping the Sixth Princess chase a kite today near the Cold Palace. They found a maid lying in the corner with an arrow through her throat. She had long since stopped breathing. The Consort fainted from the shock. The servants recognized the maid as Chun Chi, who serves the Empress. We didn’t dare delay and came immediately to report.”
Liang Jin was furious. “Audacious! To commit an assassination within the palace!”
He ordered Wang Fu to lead an investigation into why the Empress’s maid was murdered in the Cold Palace and commanded Sun Feng to do his utmost to treat the Empress.
As Liang Yi’an led the group out, he looked back just before the doors closed. He saw Liang Jin resting his head in his hands, his face swallowed by the shadows.
Outside, Sun Feng stood beside Lin Yu, casting him a peculiar look. Seeing that no one was close enough to overhear, and with Liang Yi’an and Li Quan walking ahead, Sun Feng whispered, “You little brat. Stinking of medicine and claiming to be a eunuch? Hide it better next time.”
With a huff, the old physician marched away.
Lin Yu stood frozen on the spot, his face looking as though he had been struck by lightning. Wait, he knew all along? His heart was a mess of complicated emotions.
Liang Yi’an looked back and frowned. “Lin… Xiao Linzi, hurry up.”
Lin Yu snapped out of it. “Coming!”
Consort Zhang slowly regained consciousness. Aside from her confidants, the hall was empty. Qu Bai stepped forward to help her up. The Consort rubbed her temples; to make the scene realistic, she had truly thrown herself to the ground, and her forehead was now red.
“Were there any slips?” she asked.
Qu Bai whispered, “Rest assured, my Lady. Within five days at the latest, the Empress will be dead.”
Consort Zhang gave a light laugh. “Good. Sister always loved those red agate pendants; they’ll make perfect funeral offerings.”
Qu Bai knelt to massage her legs, a smile on her face. “It’s the Empress’s own bad luck. Originally, the poison would only have made her restless and prone to madness, but she was foolish enough to wear those red agates every day. Your Lady was truly far-sighted to deal with Chun Chi; now, the position of Empress belongs to no one but you.”
Consort Zhang’s lips curled into a smile, her beautiful face filled with ambition. “It helps that the medicine the Little Prince brought was effective. Besides me, who else is fit for that seat?”
She pulled out the single hairpin holding up her hair and gripped it in her palm.
The previous night, by the withered well in the Cold Palace, Chun Chi had been about to destroy a box of letters. The paper had turned to ash, and just as she was about to dump the warm remains into the well, an arrow had pierced the air and her throat. She couldn’t make a sound as she watched her own blood pool on the ground. A figure in black had waited for her to die before leaving with a bag of paper scraps.
Consort Zhang looked at the freshly turned soil in a flowerpot in the hall. “Only the dead are truly obedient. She did so much for us; dying for our cause is her honor.”
By the time Lin Yu returned to the manor, Yuan Xiu and Zheng Mingtang were already home. Zheng Heng and Zheng Yanzhang hadn’t returned yet, but Deng Yuan and Zheng Zelan were fussing over the two women. Zheng Zelan’s large eyes were brimming with tears of worry for Mingtang.
Seeing Lin Yu return, Zheng Qingyun hurried to meet him. “Brother Xiao Yu…”
Lin Yu knew what he wanted to ask. He pressed a finger to the boy’s lips—”Shh”—signaling they would talk later. The family physician had already checked them; Yuan Xiu and Mingtang had only suffered from the dampness and chill of the cell, but were otherwise fine.
Deng Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and sent them to rest, reminding them to discard their prison clothes so the butler could burn them to wash away the bad luck. The Old Lady only went back to her room once she saw they were safe, kneeling before her Buddha to chant sutras.
As the sun dipped low, Lin Yu and Zheng Qingyun returned to their room with Guanyi standing guard outside. The moment the door closed, Zheng Qingyun turned around. “Did you go and put yourself in danger again?”
Lin Yu explained quickly, “No! I just went to the palace with the Prince.”
He recounted the events. Listening, a flash of ruthlessness crossed Zheng Qingyun’s eyes. “Despicable people, using such filthy methods.”
Lin Yu sighed. “The Empress likely won’t make it. According to Palace Physician Sun, her time is short.”
Zheng Qingyun frowned. “But where did the malachite come from? And how was it so conveniently sent to the Empress, only to be discovered after all this time?”
Lin Yu shook his head. “I’m not sure. Perhaps we should ask your father?”
Zheng Qingyun nodded, then took Lin Yu’s hand, inspecting it carefully. Lin Yu was confused. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong with my hand?”
Zheng Qingyun said solemnly, “I’m checking to see if there’s something wrong with your grip, since you can’t even hold a teacup steady.”
Lin Yu froze for a second before realizing the joke. He laughed helplessly. “Can’t hide anything from you. The moment I entered, I knew that cup was off; celadon doesn’t look like that under the light. The Emperor’s sudden arrival just gave me a plausible reason to break it.”
Zheng Qingyun tapped his hand lightly. “You were too reckless. What if the Emperor had been angry enough to punish you?”
Lin Yu shrugged. “The Prince was there, wasn’t he? He wouldn’t just stand by and watch me get punished.”
Zheng Qingyun gave him a pointed look.
Guanyi called from outside, “Young Master, the Master and the Eldest Young Master are back.”
“Got it, we’re coming out,” Zheng Qingyun replied. He then looked at the eunuch robes Lin Yu was still wearing and teased, “Brother Xiao Yu, aren’t you going to change out of those clothes?”
Lin Yu looked down and realized he was still in the palace disguise. He was mortified. “I’ll change right now! Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been walking around in front of everyone dressed like…”
Zheng Qingyun laughed, looking innocent. “I thought maybe you liked wearing them.” He walked over to the small couch by the window and gestured toward the screen. “Go on, change. We need to go out.”
Blushing, Lin Yu ran behind the screen.
When the two finally emerged, the whole family was seated at the table. Zheng Yanzhang looked relieved to see Lin Yu unharmed and asked about the day’s events. Lin Yu summarized the key points.
Zheng Heng was pensive. “I have some impression of malachite. I recall only the Kingdom of Qinchuan produced it. Before Qinchuan fell, their ruler offered some as tribute to the late Emperor, but that was a long time ago.”
Zheng Yanzhang’s eyes flickered. “So, the Qinchuan people have a hand in this?”
Zheng Qingyun looked out the window, where A’chengyu was bickering with Guanqi. He noted, “A’chengyu’s mother… was she not a Qinchuan native?”
Lin Yu shook his head. “Not necessarily Qinchuan survivors. Didn’t Red Ying seize Qinchuan’s old territories back then?”
Zheng Heng tapped Lin Yu on the shoulder. “You brat, you’ve got guts, sneaking into the palace on your own.”
Lin Yu grinned. “Uncle, I was just anxious. Fortunately, the Emperor was lenient, and the outcome wasn’t too bad.”
Zheng Yanzhang remained silent. After only a few bites, he excused himself and left. Deng Yuan watched his hurried departure with concern. “Dezhong, did Yanzhang and the Prince have a falling out?”
Zheng Qingyun stiffened, instantly recalling the scene he had witnessed during the Double Ninth Festival. Lin Yu noticed and whispered, “What is it, Qingyun?”
Zheng Qingyun shook his head, signaling he was fine. I wasn’t even the one getting kissed, why am I the one feeling awkward?
Zheng Heng looked confused. “Huh? Yanzhang and the Prince fought?”
Deng Yuan saw his expression and realized he was clueless. She didn’t press him, only saying, “The Empress is failing, the Prince must be devastated… and if… then Consort Zhang is the prime candidate for the next Empress.”
Zheng Heng placed his hand over hers. “Don’t worry, my dear.” He knew her fears. Consort Zhang had the Second Prince, who was slowly being introduced to government affairs. If she became Empress, the Second Prince would become the legitimate heir, posing a massive obstacle to the Crown Prince.
Zheng Heng comforted his wife while making a silent vow: as long as he lived, he would support the Crown Prince. Hmph, that Second Prince doesn’t look like sage-king material anyway. In looks, stature, and scholarship, he doesn’t hold a candle to the Prince.
After dinner, Zheng Qingyun and Lin Yu excused themselves to take a walk and digest. Both were tired from the day’s events, but it had been a long time since they had enjoyed such a quiet moment. Guanyi and A’chengyu followed from a distance, leaving them in peace.
Lin Yu looked down at Zheng Qingyun, his eyes filled with a tenderness he hadn’t even realized he possessed. “Qingyun, has this been exhausting for you?”
Zheng Qingyun looked up, his heart skipping a beat at the gaze. “…Not at all. I’m very happy.” He skipped ahead two steps and turned back to smile at Lin Yu. His hair was half-up, held by the jade hairpin Lin Yu had given him, which gleamed coolly in the moonlight.
“I never thought I would one day sit in the examination hall. Before, I only thought about surviving—to be free of pain and bitter medicine. But now, I have other goals.”
Lin Yu asked softly, “What goals?”
Zheng Qingyun’s eyes were firm. “To rise to the blue clouds, and to hold the jade tablet for the sake of the people.”
His eyes were full of longing for the future. Under the hazy moonlight, he reached out his hand to Lin Yu. “Brother Xiao Yu, will you stay by my side forever?”
Lin Yu placed his palm against the boy’s, their hands interlacing. Zheng Qingyun understood the answer. The lake in the courtyard shimmered under the moon as the evening breeze stirred their robes and hair.
I came specifically for you, Qingyun, Lin Yu thought.
Zheng Qingyun said with ambition, “Brother Xiao Yu, if I told you I wanted to be a high official, second only to one and above ten thousand, would you support me?”
Lin Yu joked, “Then I’ll be waiting to hold onto your thigh.”
Zheng Qingyun stuck out a leg. “You can hold it right now.”
They looked at each other and shared a laugh.