[The Beasts Panic in Frenzy]
At Moon-Viewing Pavilion, the crowds were bustling. The attendants of Weiyang Palace were meticulously preparing for the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet. Consort Ning had given repeated instructions, and Bi Zhu kept a constant watch; the passing servants dared not be careless.
An inconspicuous little eunuch, carrying a waist token from Weiyang Palace, entered Moon-Viewing Pavilion. He was accompanied by unknown palace attendants who were helping to carry and place various incense burners and precious vessels. He was small in stature and utterly unremarkable among the other servants. Due to his lack of physical strength, he was soon pushed aside and sent to handle lighter chores.
The surroundings were chaotic, and no one paid attention to a eunuch blending into the crowd. Song An nervously scanned his surroundings. Once certain no one was watching, he took out finely wrapped powder residue from his robes. Looking around Moon-Viewing Pavilion, he steadied his heart and scattered it in several specific locations.
On the day the weather turned slightly warmer, news of the current Emperor’s triumphant return spread!
As the Empress Dowager’s birthday approached, the entire nation rejoiced. Every corner of Great Yuan was filled with harmony, and the Imperial Palace took on a fresh, new look.
On the eve of the banquet, just as Moon-Viewing Pavilion’s preparations were nearly complete, the Empress Dowager arrived in person.
Because of her arrival, the officials responsible for the pavilion’s renovation and management followed in a grand procession. Consort Ning, being very concerned, had ordered everything to be arranged perfectly a day in advance.
Although she had lived deep in the palace for a long time, the Empress Dowager came from a family of military generals; her temperament was different from that of ordinary women. Seeing the pavilion refreshed and renewed, she showed a look of relief. “Very good.”
The nearby officials followed with congratulatory words, making the Empress Dowager very pleased.
Suddenly, the roar of a beast drifted from the distance, causing everyone to alert. An official asked, “That sound…”
“The Master may not know, but further ahead is the Imperial Zoo,” a eunuch explained. “Usually, there are no roars. Today just happens to be the day the Imperial Zoo is open.”
In her youth, the Empress Dowager loved to ride horses freely. After she moved deep into the palace, the current Emperor specifically built the Imperial Zoo for her, housing all the beasts she favored. It was located near Moon-Viewing Pavilion.
While it wasn’t extremely close, the zoo was usually closed to the public. However, every so often, to prevent the predators from falling ill or becoming depressed, the beastmasters would open the cages to let the animals release their wild nature. With the birthday approaching, every detail of the zoo—the Empress Dowager’s favorite place—had to be handled without negligence, especially the “spirit” and appearance of these caged beasts.
“Your Majesty should walk a bit higher; the view is excellent over there,” Consort Ning said, knowing the Empress Dowager’s preferences.
The officials had rarely seen such a sight. The Empress Dowager patted Consort Ning’s hand, a sign that she was very satisfied with the arrangements. Near the pavilion was a specially built high platform for gazing at distant scenery and the moon. From up there, one could just happen to see the beastmasters training the animals.
From a distance, the well-disciplined beastmasters led the caged animals out with iron chains, taking them for a walk along a set path. The officials praised the sight, and the Empress Dowager’s mood improved—but just as the beastmasters led the animals to the perimeter of the zoo, a sudden change occurred! Several predators controlled by shackles became abnormally excited. Their strength was so great that they actually smashed through the cage doors and broke free from the iron chains!
The beastmasters in the Imperial City were all elite; they could normally handle even tigers. These caged animals had been raised and tamed, yet for the first time, they had fallen into such a state of loss of control! The beastmasters who reacted immediately restrained a few of them, but several crazed bobcats and tigers charged out of the zoo’s path, racing straight toward the nearby Moon-Viewing Pavilion!
“Something’s happened!” “Someone come quickly!” “Bring the sedative, hurry!”
Panic erupted as the beasts charged the pavilion. Consort Ning was frozen in shock on the spot.
“Protect the Empress Dowager! Protect the Empress Dowager!!”
Most of the people near Moon-Viewing Pavilion were palace attendants preparing for the banquet, but there were also Imperial Guards on patrol. A crowd shouted to protect the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was surrounded and protected by the guards, but the beasts were abnormally excited. Veering off their path, they charged into the pavilion and began wreaking havoc. Servants fled in all directions; in an instant, the inside and outside of Moon-Viewing Pavilion were in total chaos.
The strength of a wild beast is incomparable to a human. Two tigers lunged at people; everyone scrambled to escape. The Empress Dowager was startled into retreating several steps, and the officials were pale with fright. Fortunately, the Imperial Guards were present and immediately dispersed the crowd.
Moon-Viewing Pavilion was the venue for the banquet and was considered a blessed land by the Great Yuan’s National Master. Ever since the birthday location was set here, the borders had reported consecutive victories, including the recent news of the Emperor’s triumphant return. Thus, the Empress Dowager had been in high spirits, ordering extra preparations to celebrate the Emperor’s victory. Yet, just as preparations began, disaster struck!
The beastmasters arrived and tried their best to stop them. The beasts’ behavior was bizarre; they surrounded the pavilion and refused to disperse. Because of this, the beastmasters acted decisively. With the help of the Imperial Guards, they finally subdued the animals using sedatives.
The Empress Dowager was left with lingering fears as the tigers were hauled away. But with so many officials and servants present, news of the tiger attack spread instantly. No one was killed thanks to the quick control, but with a national celebration imminent, an attack by beasts was a bloody and ominous omen!
“What is the meaning of this!” the Empress Dowager rebuked.
The beastmasters rushed to kneel: “Your servants do not know! Everything was fine, then they suddenly lost control!”
Afterward, the guards searched the pavilion thoroughly but found nothing. The beasts’ behavior in charging specifically at the pavilion was inconceivable. They only stayed within the court; they did not chase people after the crowd dispersed. Only the pavilion was destroyed beyond recognition. Both the guards and beastmasters called it an anomaly.
The Empress Dowager’s face was grim. Though elderly, she was still healthy and retained the sharp, capable spirit of her youth. She immediately ordered the guards to investigate thoroughly and block all news, detaining every servant who had entered the pavilion that day.
“Which palace do these servants belong to?”
“To the Empress Dowager, they are from Weiyang Palace.” The servants knelt, not daring to look up.
During banquet preparations, unauthorized people could hardly enter; only relevant attendants were allowed. The place where the incident occurred was precisely the area managed by Consort Ning’s Weiyang Palace.
Consort Ning was terrified. The pavilion had been entrusted to her based on her years of good reputation. To do a good job, she hadn’t even let others handle the details, personally overseeing every step. Even the servants could only enter using a Weiyang Palace waist token. A tiger attack was a zoo matter, but because they targeted the pavilion, it became a massive crisis.
As soon as Consort Ning was implicated, Weiyang Palace fell into chaos. When the tigers attacked, most of the palace’s attendants were present. If things went wrong now, it would be a catastrophe. With their pillar, Consort Ning, currently away, the palace was in shambles.
Song An had just finished brewing medicine and was delivering it when he heard the news. For the past few days, he had followed his Highness’s orders to go to the pavilion multiple times. Today, the Prince had specifically told him he didn’t need to go—and that’s when the disaster happened.
His palms were sweating. He vaguely knew this had something to do with his master. Hearing the servants talk about “ominous omens,” he hurriedly entered the Prince’s bedchamber.
Outside was clamorous, but inside was silent. Before he even entered, he saw his Highness standing at the doorway for the first time in days.
The news that the Sixth Prince had been ill for days was no secret in Weiyang Palace, though Consort Ning had ordered the servants to stay quiet. This was the first time the servants in the outer hall had seen him since his illness. He looked sickly, with an abnormal feverish flush on his cheeks, and his eyes were staring straight outside.
“What happened?” Ying Fusheng asked.
The servants snapped out of their daze. Consort Ning was gone, but the little master of Weiyang Palace was still here. Before the senior attendants could stop them, a quick-tongued servant blurted out: “Your Highness, something happened at Moon-Viewing Pavilion! Consort Ning has been taken away!”
The details of the incident were quickly recounted. When the servants finished, they looked at the Sixth Prince. They saw that the sickly Prince looked dazed, and his face suddenly turned pale. Consort Ning was in trouble, the Prince was ill, and the head maid Bi Zhu was nowhere to be found. For a moment, Weiyang Palace couldn’t even find someone to take charge.
After waiting for a long time, the servants were at a loss for what to do until they heard their young master speak: “There is still a chance to turn this around.”
The attendants of Weiyang Palace looked toward the Sixth Prince. They saw the young Highness leaning on a nearby servant to steady himself. His face was pale as he said, “The incident at Moon-Viewing Pavilion was an accident. Tell me everything that happened from start to finish; see if any detail was overlooked at the scene. My Grandmother is a person of reason. I will go to Cining Palace to plead for my Mother’s mercy.”
The Sixth Prince was rarely this assertive. The servants were stunned, but seeing the young Prince forcing himself to stand despite his illness, they felt as if they had found a pillar of support in their desperation and immediately complied.
“Is there any hidden detail regarding Moon-Viewing Pavilion?” Ying Fusheng asked a nearby servant.
The servants who had been instructed by Consort Ning to watch the Sixth Prince saw that he could barely stand, yet was still thinking of her. They had no choice but to answer: “Your Highness, this was purely a bolt from the blue. Her Highness was there when it happened; those tigers suddenly went mad. No one knew why.”
Ying Fusheng listened and did not ask further, nor did he ask where Bi Zhu—Consort Ning’s confidante—had gone. He simply said, “You are my Mother’s inner circle; you know the affairs of the pavilion best. Other servants might be negligent. You must go and review the procurement records for the pavilion over the last few days. Do it quickly.”
Since it concerned Consort Ning, the servants prioritized her safety above all else. They immediately set out to follow his orders.
Song An stood there anxiously until he heard his master say, “Song An, help me change my clothes.” Hearing his Highness call his name, he finally snapped back to reality.
Meeting the Prince’s gaze, Song An noticed his eyes were different than before. Those eyes, devoid of joy or sorrow, held a profound calm that seemed to see through everything. Song An stepped forward. “Your Highness.”
“I have a few things to entrust to you. You don’t need to follow me after that,” Ying Fusheng said.
Song An’s heart leaped into his throat. “Where is Your Highness going?”
Ying Fusheng’s face remained pale. His gaze shifted to the other servants who were busy following his previous orders. Looking at the doorway of the bedchamber where no one remained to block his path, a mocking smile touched the corners of his lips. “My Mother is in trouble. As her son, it is only natural that I go to Cining Palace to plead for mercy.”
With the incident at Moon-Viewing Pavilion, the Empress Dowager was furious, and the palace was filled with unease.
Inside Cining Palace, the atmosphere was deadly quiet. The Empress Dowager, seated on high, rubbed her prayer beads and looked at the person kneeling below. Consort Ning knelt before the hall, her face ashen.
“Grandmother, please appease your anger,” a voice spoke. The speaker wore brocade robes with drifting cloud patterns.
The Crown Prince of Great Yuan stood with his hands behind his back. His movements were refined and elegant; despite his youth, he possessed a magnificent aura reminiscent of the current Emperor in his younger years. Having returned to the palace, he had come to Cining Palace immediately to comfort the Empress Dowager and order the Imperial Guard to investigate. In a short time, he had suppressed the rumors of the beast attack within the palace walls.
Hearing his voice, Consort Ning couldn’t help but look at the Crown Prince in his prime. To avoid any mistakes, she had never told him the truth of his birth over all these years, quietly assisting him from the shadows for fear that the slightest whisper would arouse suspicion. Even seeing her own son required public occasions to steal a few legitimate glances.
When their gazes met, the young Crown Prince tilted his head slightly, continuing to whisper to the Empress Dowager. Perhaps because of something he said, the Empress Dowager’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly, though she was still angry. “Consort Ning, how do you explain this?”
Consort Ning knew her son was kind-hearted and had pleaded for her, so she looked at him with a touch of gratitude. But she didn’t dare look openly, fearing that the incident might implicate the Express or the Crown Prince and displease the Empress Dowager. “Your servant does not know.”
She didn’t dare say much. With such a disaster occurring before the banquet, no one was completely free of blame. The banquet had many components; the Empress couldn’t handle everything alone and had asked other consorts to assist. Consort Ning usually stayed out of such affairs, but this time she had proposed a plan to the Empress after hearing news from the border. The Empress, busy with prayers, had naturally allowed her to assist with the pavilion arrangements.
The news of the Emperor’s return had arrived just two days ago. She had botched the very task the Empress Dowager had just entrusted to her. If it were a minor matter, she could simply accept punishment, but this involved an ominous omen and a bizarre occurrence that surpassed all her expectations.
Clearly, her answer did not satisfy the Empress Dowager, whose expression darkened. “So, according to you, this was just an accident?”
“Regarding Moon-Viewing Pavilion, your servant was careful in every detail and dared not be negligent,” Consort Ning panicked as she sensed the Empress Dowager’s rage. She was utterly perplexed; she had double-checked everything. She was on good terms with other consorts and couldn’t fathom who would frame her at a time like this… her only option was to play dumb and insist it was an accident.
The Empress Dowager’s brow remained tight. Noticing this, the Crown Prince gently massaged his grandmother’s shoulders before speaking. “Consort Ning,” the Prince said mildly, “Moon-Viewing Pavilion was solely the responsibility of Weiyang Palace. Everyone entering and exiting was your person. The beasts didn’t run elsewhere, but specifically to the pavilion. How do you explain that?”
Consort Ning was speechless. Being questioned by her own son caused a pang of hurt in her heart. She could only repeat that she knew nothing, while a sense of resentment grew within her. She looked up at the other woman sitting beside the Empress Dowager.
The woman in the high seat remained silent, the scent of sandalwood clinging to her robes. Her aura was different from everyone else in the hall; she had the compassionate eyes of a Bodhisattva and a beauty mark between her brows. She sat with her hands folded, making the other consorts seem like common dust in comparison. This was the woman the Emperor loved most, the Mistress of the Harem. Her appearance alone and the birth of her son had been enough for the decisive Emperor to appoint a successor. Even though she said nothing, everyone in the hall waited anxiously for her opinion, and the Empress Dowager was also extremely fond of her.
Consort Ning suppressed her hatred. If she were the one in that high seat, she wouldn’t need to kneel here and defend herself; others would go through fire and water for her. But she wasn’t. The Ning family could not compare to the Xu family, and the Emperor’s favoritism was clear to all. Whatever she wanted, she had to scheme for and endure in silence.
By now, Bi Zhu should have delivered the news to the Ning family. The Ning family had been heavily relied upon by the Emperor in recent years. As long as her father and brother received the news and found a few scapegoats, this matter could be resolved.
As she brainstormed how to stall for time, an urgent voice suddenly came from the entrance.
“Empress Dowager, the Sixth Prince has arrived,” a servant announced.
At the sound, Consort Ning shuddered, nearly losing her composure. ‘Who?’
Not long after Consort Ning had been summoned to Cining Palace, the sickly Sixth Prince had actually appeared. Everyone present understood: he was here to plead for Consort Ning’s mercy.
The Empress Dowager frowned slightly, seemingly guessing his intent, but said, “Let him in.”
As the person entered, a heavy scent of medicine filled the hall. Everyone looked over to see a small, thin figure. The Sixth Prince wore only thin clothing; his skin was pale, save for a slight feverish flush on his cheeks. He had come in such a hurry that he brought nothing, and even his collar wasn’t properly fastened, making it obvious he had rushed over from his sickbed upon hearing news of his mother.
Upon entering, he knelt and performed the proper salutations with perfect etiquette.
Feeling the gazes on him, Ying Fusheng calmly raised his head. He saw the figures on the high seats—familiar faces in their younger forms. He looked past the probing stares to the last person.
Empress Xu sat upright, the glass lamps behind her making her features look deep. Her eyes were like autumn water, filled with a soft tenderness, and due to years of burning incense, she possessed a cool, unshakeable composure.
However, the look she cast upon him was one of utter strangeness.