Night fell like a heavy shroud, casting a deep, oppressive blackness across the horizon. Occasionally, the distant rhythmic clang of a night watchman’s gong echoed from the long streets, adding a touch of eerie chill to the bleak evening.
At the Tiger Gate of the Imperial Palace, hazy moonlight filtered through withered branches, casting a mottled pattern of shadows upon the darkened ground. A thin, frail silhouette of a young girl stood by the slightly ajar gate.
The girl kept her head lowered, waiting in anxious silence. Upon hearing the rustle of footsteps on fallen leaves, she looked up alertly as a tall, elegant man emerged from the darkness.
He wore a black robe and did not remove his hood until he stood directly before her, revealing the deep and cold features of Yan Qushan.
The girl seemed afraid of him, shrinking back a step, but then she remembered something and mustered the courage to look him in the eye. “My, my brother, he”
Yan Qushan did not answer her. Instead, he asked, “When you came out, did anyone see you?”
The girl shook her head. “The managing matron was asleep. I escaped through the side door; no one saw me.”
Yan Qushan nodded. “I promised your brother. The carriage is ready. Once you reach the relay station, someone will meet you.” He paused, then pulled a thick stack of banknotes from his sleeve and placed them in her hand. “This money will ensure your safety for the rest of your life.”
The girl’s hands trembled as she took the notes, her voice thick with stifled sobs. She opened her mouth, still desperate to ask, “My brother, he”
A sudden gust of wind caught the veil on her face. Her doll like face and thin eyebrows bore an eighty percent resemblance to the young eunuch who had tested Xiao Qi’s food. At this moment, her face was covered in tears, a sight that would move anyone to pity.
However, Yan Qushan’s expression did not change in the slightest. He merely said in a heavy tone, “This was your brother’s own choice.”
The girl’s sobbing grew louder, but the coachman waiting outside the Tiger Gate grew impatient. He poked half his head through the corner of the gate and whispered toward Yan Qushan, “Master Yan, if we do not leave now, it will be too late.”
Time was running out. The girl took one last look at the high palace walls that seemed to touch the sky, then clutched the banknotes, exited the gate, and climbed into the carriage.
Seeing her inside, the coachman prepared to depart, but he turned back one last time to look at Yan Qushan. He met a gaze that was cold and laced with killing intent.
“You know the rules,” Yan Qushan said calmly.
The coachman understood perfectly and made a throat slitting gesture. Yan Qushan gave a slight nod, his lips curving into a cold, sinister smile. In that moment, he looked like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, causing even the coachman to shudder.
The sound of hoofbeats rang out, gradually fading until they were gone. Yan Qushan stood before the Tiger Gate until the sound vanished completely. Only then did he pull his hood back up and walk toward the Cheng’en Palace.
The young eunuch had been his accomplice all along; the boy had traded his own life for his sister’s freedom. As for the poison, Yan Qushan had carefully controlled the dosage before giving it to the eunuch, and he had taken medicine beforehand to suppress the poison’s effects.
The sight of blood leaking from his facial orifices was terrifying, but it was not life threatening; it was merely a performance. Now that the loose ends of the plum cake incident were finally tied up, Yan Qushan breathed a sigh of relief.
However, after walking only a few steps, he encountered an unexpected person by the pond. The path was narrow, and the visitor’s retinue of servants and maids stood in a line, making him impossible to avoid.
Yan Qushan raised his lantern, using the dim yellow light to see the delicate face of the person before him. He bowed. “Peace to the Fourth Prince.”
This was the Fourth Prince, Xiao Yue.
Xiao Yue looked at him and smiled like a warm spring breeze. “It is Master Yan. What a coincidence. The night is chilly; why have you decided to come out at this hour?”
“The moonlight is like white silk, a beautiful sight indeed. I simply came out to clear my mind.”
Xiao Yue covered his mouth and chuckled. “Master Yan is truly unique.”
“The hour is late. I shall not disturb Your Highness further; I must return to the Cheng’en Palace.” He bowed again, brushed past Xiao Yue, and hurried in the opposite direction.
Xiao Yue turned to watch his retreating figure, his expression turning cold. He beckoned the lantern bearing eunuch beside him and whispered in his ear, “Go find out what Yan Qushan was doing out here and who he met.”
“Also, find out who he has been in contact with in the palace lately.”
The eunuch’s heart skipped a beat. “Your Highness, this is”
Xiao Yue sneered. “This matter is definitely connected to Yan Qushan. Mother is still under house arrest, and my brother is a fool, incapable of doing anything significant. Though I am not skilled in poetry or books, as a son, I should do my part for Mother.”
“If he slips up, I can restore Mother’s innocence.”
The eunuch’s eyes darted around as he asked tentatively, “Master Yan is meticulous; he likely will not leave any evidence.”
Xiao Yue glanced at him sideways. “What if he is meticulous?”
He smiled coldly. “Do you think my Grandfather will let him off?”
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Jiande, Xiao Li, sat on his throne. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of a woman’s soft hands massaging his temples. Standing before him was the upright figure of Shangguan Yi.
Shangguan Yi held his ceremonial tablet and gave a light cough. At the sound, Xiao Li slowly opened his eyes and waved his hand, dismissing the beautiful woman.
Xiao Li looked at Shangguan Yi and said slowly, “Today is a rest day, yet I called you into the palace. Do you resent me in your heart, my dear minister?”
Shangguan Yi hurriedly knelt and said loudly, “Serving Your Majesty is my duty; this old official would not dare!”
“I was only joking. Look at you. Rise and be seated.” Xiao Li laughed loudly. “Since your illness, we have become so distant. I truly cannot bear to let you stay at home lying in bed.”
He sighed lightly. “But this illness of yours”
Shangguan Yi rose and held his tablet as he replied, “I thank Your Majesty for your concern. A few days ago, I accidentally caught a chill, but thanks to the physicians’ efforts, I have mostly recovered.”
“Good, the court cannot function without you,” Xiao Li replied, taking a sip of tea. “But I feel that since your illness, you have become even more restrained than before.”
Shangguan Yi bowed even lower, gripping his tablet with more force, not daring to speculate on the Emperor’s intent. “Your Majesty, I”
Xiao Li did not wait for him to finish. “The other day, I went to observe the princes’ archery.”
“Xiao Hong is reckless. Xiao Qi’s form is flawless but lacks boldness. As for Xiao Yue” He chuckled. “He cannot even climb onto a horse.”
“They are all lacking something, so I had a thought.” He paused for effect. “What if I ask you to come into the palace to teach the princes archery and riding? What do you think, Minister?”
Shangguan Yi knelt on the floor and kowtowed. “I am old; I fear I am”
“No matter. You were once the greatest general of Great Liang. Though you have been away from the battlefield for a long time, you are more than capable of teaching a few young boys.” Xiao Li clapped his hands and laughed, seemingly delighted with the decision. “It is settled. As of today, I appoint you as the Grand Master of Archery and Riding.”
Standing beside him, Manager Li smiled and said, “Congratulations, Lord Shangguan. Being the teacher to the princes is a great honor; it shows how much His Majesty values you!”
Shangguan Yi forced a smile that appeared strained and weary. “I thank Your Majesty for your great grace,” he said, before being dismissed by Xiao Li.
He walked down the jade steps, his posture still straight, but his face revealed deep exhaustion. Being the princes’ teacher and living in the palace was a supreme honor on the surface, but in reality, it was house arrest.
The Empress was confined, and the civil faction was not as influential as before. However, the Emperor did not want the military faction to become too powerful either. That was why he wanted Shangguan Yi in the palace, right under his nose, to prevent him from causing any trouble.
He stepped onto the ground, but it felt as though he were walking on thorns and nails. One wrong move would lead to the slaughter of his entire family and his own destruction.
Death without a proper burial.