In the words of Lu Moyun, Qin Ziyu had gone mad.
From his initial refusal to accept his fate striving with all his might to survive to now wanting to climb to the top, it had all happened in a single thought.
“I am the legitimate Crown Prince to begin with. I am only one step away.”
Lu Moyun gritted his teeth. “This one step is as difficult as ascending to the heavens.”
The Emperor had long ago given up on this Crown Prince. Qin Ziyu’s position in his heart didn’t even compare to those imperial clansmen. Among the civil and military officials, no one believed the Emperor would actually pass the throne to him.
“So what? As long as I am alive, anyone else trying to leap over me is committing treason,” Qin Ziyu said.
Lu Moyun felt helpless. Having been friends for many years, he knew that once Qin Ziyu decided on something, he wouldn’t change it; he would press forward even if it meant being ground to dust.
Years ago, when they encountered obstacles, Lu Moyun had wanted to give up at one point, but Qin Ziyu refused to relent, accompanying clients to drink until he suffered gastric bleeding. Having finally survived all that, he was now facing this again—what a mess!
“Why must you be like this? The Sixth Prince could also do it,” Lu Moyun said. He had known Qin Zizhang for some time now; the boy was indeed a gentleman, unlike those others, and had been raised well by the Emperor and the Noble Consort. Furthermore, Qin Zizhang trusted his elder brother Qin Ziyu deeply, frequently running to the Eastern Palace to deliver various supplements and curiosities.
Qin Ziyu shook his head. “He is still young, and his heart is not ruthless enough.”
Lu Moyun vaguely felt something was wrong; Qin Ziyu wasn’t telling the whole truth.
“Since you’ve decided, I will help you.”
Qin Ziyu smiled. “I’ll treat you to a drink later.”
At the mention of wine, Lu Moyun grew even angrier. “You still dare mention that!”
“You certainly have some nerve—not only daring to go to the West Depot, but even going home with Xiao Ci to drink with him.”
“You don’t even know how to cherish your own body; do you still think you’re who you used to be? Can you even drink? Chen Zhuo repeatedly warned you to be careful, yet you treat it all like wind past your ears. If you keep this up, forget three years—you won’t even last one!”
Qin Ziyu was scolded up and down, yet he showed no embarrassment at all, toyfully fiddling with a teacup on the table.
“I don’t drink often.”
“And am I not fine? Why have you suddenly become like an old nag? Is this a habit you picked up after becoming a doctor?”
Lu Moyun was stunned. “A habit?!”
“You’re the one with the habit! I’m telling you, if you dare drink again, I’ll prescribe a dose of poison to kill you and give you a swift end.”
Qin Ziyu: “…And then you’ll follow me in a lover’s suicide?”
Lu Moyun pressed his hand to his forehead. “Let’s talk business.”
“While investigating Imperial Physician Li recently, I uncovered an old case.”
“The Prince of Jing feigned illness to call him away, likely for the sake of this case as well.”
Seeing his hesitant look, Qin Ziyu asked, “Is it related to me?”
Lu Moyun nodded. “Mhm. To be precise, it’s related to the original host.”
“The original host’s illness was brought from the womb. The Empress was poisoned while pregnant and died of exhaustion after giving birth. But as for who poisoned her, how it was done, and what happened afterward, we don’t know.”
The protagonist of the novel was Lu Moyun, and the perspective was mostly on him. There wasn’t much description of Qin Ziyu; one could only catch glimpses through the Emperor’s occasional mentions.
The Emperor and Empress were childhood sweethearts with deep feelings for one another so deep that even the currently favored Noble Consort Wen couldn’t compare. The Emperor had mentioned that the Noble Consort often woke up startled in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep for a long time.
When they read the novel, they assumed the Empress had been murdered by the Noble Consort in a harem struggle, but the truth went far beyond that.
“When I transmigrated, I was still young and had no official rank, so I couldn’t enter the palace to confirm your identity. I had to visit famous doctors everywhere, studying medicine while studying for the exams. When I first entered the court as an official, I encountered the Old Duke’s illness. Later, Qin Zizhang invited me into the palace to take the Noble Consort’s pulse once.”
Lu Moyun continued, “The Noble Consort is indeed heavily burdened by anxiety, but she shows no signs of fear. It seems the heavy affairs of the six palaces rest entirely on her, and there are times when her strength falls short. I also heard from the Sixth Prince that the Noble Consort and the Empress were close friends in their youth. The Empress was a ‘tiger-daughter’ from a general’s family, always blunt in speech and action, while the Noble Consort came from a prestigious family and was a refined lady. Once, while out to offer incense, she encountered an accident and was saved by the Empress.”
“Presumably, if the Noble Consort were truly the one who acted, she wouldn’t let the Sixth Prince get close to you or let him run to the Eastern Palace every day.”
“Mhm. So, what did you find out?” Qin Ziyu nodded. The original host had asked the Emperor more than once who had harmed his mother, but the Emperor only told him he needed to nurse his health and not worry about the rest. The Emperor might have meant well, not wanting the original host to know about those foul deeds, but for a child, a mother is a vital figure; he couldn’t help but ask and wonder.
Lu Moyun took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued, “What you hear may not be true. These buried pasts are still known by quite a few old-timers in the palace. Just listen and leave it at that.”
Years ago, after the Emperor and Empress married, they lived in perfect harmony. However, the Emperor had only recently ascended the throne, and his position was not yet stable. Coupled with his benevolent nature in an ordinary family, a gentle husband and a strong wife would be a recipe for a happy, harmonious home.
Unfortunately, in the Imperial Family, the Emperor’s temperament was “benevolent” at best and “weak” at worst.
The veteran officials left by the late Emperor needed promotions and raises, and the nobility needed placating. He couldn’t just pull the rug out from under them upon taking power. Replacing all the old officials with new ones would make people feel the new Emperor was ungrateful, making his reign seem illegitimate and chilling the hearts of the great families.
The Emperor was only in his early twenties when he ascended. He had a few concubines previously but no primary consort. Furthermore, the Empress Dowager had passed away early, so no one was there to arrange things for him. The late Emperor had prepared a match, but he passed away before the then-Crown Prince could marry.
The Emperor observed three years of mourning, during which many officials urged him to hold a beauty selection, all of which he refused until the Empress entered the Pepper Scent Hall.
Afterward, all sorts of ‘Nobles’ and ‘Beauties’ were frantically stuffed into the harem. Noble Consort Wen was also brought in at that time for the glory of her family; no one cared what she herself thought. Most were clansmen of the nobility—sisters, daughters, even granddaughters. The Emperor couldn’t refuse and took them all.
The Empress was the first to become pregnant. It should have been a joyous occasion, but the harem was not peaceful. She miscarried shortly into the pregnancy. The Emperor was devastated and ruthlessly purged the harem, executing a multitude of maids and eunuchs to be buried with the unborn prince.
“The Emperor’s massive upheaval shook the interests of many, including the Prince of Jing’s father, the former Prince Yong.”
Prince Yong was the Emperor’s elder brother, the third-born. Before him were Prince Nan and Prince Ning, both of whom died early, leaving behind the current Prince Nankang and Prince Puning.
(Note: A single-character title denotes a Prince of the Blood, while a double-character title denotes a Commandery Prince.)
“Prince Yong was dissatisfied and secretly bribed the head eunuch of the Shuning Palace to poison the Empress.”
“Slow-acting poison is hard to detect. There is no change in a day or two, but over a long period, it becomes life-threatening. And at that time, the Empress was pregnant again.”
Qin Ziyu didn’t need him to elaborate further to guess the final outcome.
Prince Yong calculated everything but ultimately cost himself his own life. His entire household was executed, leaving only a pregnant secondary consort who went mad from the shock during her pregnancy. She passed away shortly after giving birth to the child.
“Qin Zizheng took Imperial Physician Li because he wanted to investigate the events of that year?” Qin Ziyu frowned. This was an imperial scandal; tongues would have been sealed tight back then. Even if Imperial Physician Li knew something, he couldn’t possibly tell him after all, even the original host couldn’t get an answer.
Lu Moyun nodded. “Likely so.”
“Speaking of which, the Emperor is better to Prince Yong than to those other two Princes. Despite Prince Yong’s rebellion, the Emperor spared his bloodline, and even Qin Zizheng skipped the rank of Commandery Prince and was enfeoffed directly as a Prince of the Blood.”
“Perhaps they were close in age, and their bond was different from the others,” Qin Ziyu said.
Lu Moyun stayed in the Eastern Palace for more than an hour. He frequently entered and exited the palace gates, and he had walked the path outside countless times, but this time it felt incredibly heavy. He had followed Qin Ziyu onto a road of no return. Although the future was uncertain, he had to keep moving forward.
On the walkway, Lu Moyun encountered his other childhood friend, the Governor of the West Depot who had recently caused a storm throughout the city.
The last time they met was when Lu Moyun had just received his title. The two had exchanged lukewarm pleasantries, neither showing any joy of a long-awaited reunion. Today’s meeting was no different.
Lu Moyun and Xiao Ci looked at each other from afar as their steps brought them closer.
“Lord Lu runs to the Eastern Palace every other day. Those who know would praise Lord Lu’s erudition; those who don’t would think Lord Lu is neglecting his duties. Is the Censorate about to close its doors for good?”
Xiao Ci spoke first, his voice laced with the cold wind. His attitude was even more distant than before.
Lu Moyun smiled faintly, as gentle as jade. “I am untalented and have yet to find a cure for the poison. I only think of being faithful to the task entrusted to me. Whether it is the Eastern Palace or the Western Palace makes no difference.”
“On the other hand, Lord Xiao grows increasingly valiant, seizing people everywhere in Chang’an and causing panic among the commoners. I have already submitted a memorial regarding this matter. I hope your lordship handles it quickly; otherwise, in a few days, I shall speak plainly at the Great Court Assembly.”
His memorial had been intercepted by Xiao Ci. Lately, many had impeached Xiao Ci, but not a single one had reached the Emperor.
Even if Xiao Ci was favored by the Emperor, it would be hard not to draw suspicion. How can another be allowed to sleep soundly beside the bed?
“Lord Lu should mind his own three-quarters of an acre first, lest the loss outweigh the gain.” Xiao Ci took a step forward. “I hear that every time Lord Lu goes to the Eastern Palace, he stays for at least an hour.”
“Is your lordship truly there to see a patient, or to see a person?”
The end of his sentence was playful, carrying a hint of lazy arrogance. Since the two had begun talking, the surrounding eunuchs and guards had hurried away. At this moment, only the two of them remained on the walkway, both standing with straight backs, neither willing to yield.
Lu Moyun looked back directly. “To see a patient.”
“And to see a person.”
A sudden gust of wild wind blew across the walkway, fluttering their robes and hair. The bell of the Wanguo Temple rang out; the serene, distant sound broke the silence. The chanting followed the wind, gradually fading into the distance.
The moment they brushed past each other, Lu Moyun heard Xiao Ci’s low whisper.
“A waste of effort.”