When the incident occurred, Qi Chengming was buried in his studies within the palace.
“Encampment… when setting up security, establish both Jia and Yi sentry posts. During shift changes, only the Jia post withdraws while the Yi post remains in position and automatically becomes the new Jia post. The replacement personnel then form the new Yi post…”
“During marches, scouts should be deployed in groups of three, positioned according to concealed terrain, open ground, narrow passes, and various complex landscapes… to arrange the advancing formation.”
“Segmented management of logistical funds and provisions…”
“Epidemic prevention measures, waste disposal procedures for temporary encampments…”
He devoured these texts hungrily, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. Dipping his brush in ink, he circled key points on paper, systematically organizing considerations for his future expedition until a clear framework began taking shape in his mind.
“Grandfather truly possessed foresight…” he murmured, watching a droplet of ink fall from his brush tip.
Leading such a large contingent to Liuzhou would be impossible without advance scouts thoroughly surveying the route and identifying potential hazards. Old Weiyong Bo indeed lived up to his reputation as a seasoned military man, handling such matters with practiced ease. The veteran soldiers he dispatched would surely prove invaluable.
Suddenly, commotion erupted outside.
“What’s happening?” Qi Chengming’s concentration broke. He tossed his brush aside and called out sharply.
Lately, he had established new protocols for the increasingly desolate Second Prince’s Residence. During his study sessions in the library, no attendants were permitted inside, and no one was to disturb him without urgent cause or create disturbances outside.
Xiao Dezi had been enforcing these rules impeccably, meaning something significant must have occurred.
A group of palace staff barged in, led by a flustered Xiao Chengzi who half-heartedly attempted to block their path while offering a hasty bow. “This eunuch was sent by His Majesty, claiming they need to seal the gates and conduct a palace search.”
Qi Chengming’s smile vanished as he observed the unfamiliar Great Eunuch assuming a bureaucratically polite expression. Standing with hands clasped, the eunuch declared, “Second Prince, please cooperate and spare us difficulties—other residences are being searched as well.”
Qi Chengming’s mind raced before acquiescing. “You may search, but my staff will supervise the process.”
“Naturally,” the stranger replied with an unctuous smile.
At his signal, the other palace staff scattered, creating chaotic movements throughout the premises.
Qi Chengming walked into the courtyard of the Second Prince’s Residence, scanning his surroundings with a frown. “Where is Xiao Dezi?”
“He went to consult Xiao Song Zongguan about routine matters. We’re unsure of his current status,” Xiao Chengzi replied anxiously, glancing toward the gate. This sudden lockdown left them uncertain where people might be confined.
Just then, two familiar figures appeared at the entrance under Imperial Guards escort—
There stood Xiao Dezi, his face a tapestry of unspoken emotions, and the unflappable Xiao Song Zongguan. Xiao Dezi seemed to be restraining urgent words, temporarily masking his thoughts.
“Found it!” an abrupt shout came from one of the searchers. The unfamiliar Great Eunuch startled, shepherding his team toward the rear hall before emerging clutching some object.
“…What did you find?” Qi Chengming’s heart sank, gripped by a foreboding premonition.
He had no idea what was going on. Now, with the sudden sealing of the palace and search, something they needed had inexplicably been found in the Second Prince’s Residence. Qi Chengming’s first reaction—
Framed!
What conspiracy was being pinned on him this time?
He slowly clenched his hand at his side, his gaze fixed on the approaching palace servants: “Wait! Surely I can take a look at something from my own residence?”
“Your Highness the Second Prince may look if you wish, but please do not speak of it until the matter is resolved.” The unfamiliar Great Eunuch was accommodating. With a glance from him, the other servants began clearing the area. Only when the courtyard was empty except for Qi Chengming, Xiao Dezi, Xiao Chengzi, and Steward Song did the servants cease their concealment and bring the item over for him to see.
—It was actually a half-piece of bloodstained fabric. The material appeared luxurious and lightweight but had faded severely, as if it had been stored for many years.
“It was found hidden deep within a wall crack in the rear hall,” Xiao Chengzi whispered as he leaned in.
“Alright, let’s go!” The fabric was only briefly shown before the Great Eunuch took it away. He promptly led the servants out.
Qi Chengming’s expression was grave. He wanted to call out and say something but felt powerless, unsure of what to say. The lack of information was too severe—he knew nothing and couldn’t even defend himself. A shadow of gloom settled over his heart.
…The ancient imperial court, a succession struggle—it was all too perilous.
He somewhat wished to leave Jingcheng quickly and head to Liuzhou.
After a few seconds of silence, Qi Chengming looked toward the door: “Are they still guarding outside?”
Xiao Song Zongguan, who was near the door, glanced out and reported, “Yes, they are.”
Then they couldn’t speak openly in the courtyard. He signaled for everyone to follow him back to the main hall. Bi Shu, now a trusted senior maid, cautiously peered out after the commotion outside died down and quietly slipped into the main hall, reporting in a low voice:
“This servant never noticed anything in that wall crack before…”
Qi Chengming rubbed his temples, recalling that since they started growing beans in the rear hall, Bi Shu had been overseeing it. He began questioning her in detail: “Who has entered the rear hall during this time? That object… could it have been hidden there for a long time?”
Although he asked this, he leaned toward the latter—the fabric looked like an old item.
But Bi Shu said, “Actually, aside from the few servants from our residence who usually help this servant tend to the beans, there was one other person who came to the rear hall yesterday…” Bi Shu couldn’t help but glance in a certain direction.
Qi Chengming followed her gaze to the composed Xiao Song Zongguan.
“I placed it there, Your Highness.”
Xiao Song Zongguan confessed in a sincerely gentle tone, explaining everything smoothly, “Eunuch De and I came over together earlier. We encountered those sealing the palace, and accompanying them was Hua Mian from the Third Prince’s side.”
“Likely, Hua Mian stumbled upon a pair of maids and eunuchs from the Empress’s palace engaging in a secret affair. That illicit couple, in turn, discovered a bloodstained Wugu doll from their hiding spot… Hua Mian probably exposed it somehow, leading to the imperial order to seal the palace and conduct a search.”
He paused here: “…I am fully aware of all this because it was my doing.”
Xiao Song Zongguan lifted his eyelids and, as expected, saw several stunned faces.
Qi Chengming’s mind nearly froze.
Just one day ago, Steward Xiao Song had confidently declared he would “get even for him,” and now, barely a day later, he had orchestrated such a massive incident. The efficiency was absolutely explosive!
But…
“What exactly did they find when they searched the palace?” Qi Chengming had a head full of questions.
“It was the target of the Wugu doll’s suppression,” Steward Xiao Song replied with a cold, mocking smile. “The fabric wasn’t prepared by me, but the blood was my doing… This traces back to an old incident over a decade ago, something my adoptive father told me when I was still a little eunuch.”
He lowered his eyes deferentially, offering an apology while justifying himself: “Today’s events… Since I wish to pledge my allegiance to Your Highness, I felt I needed to present a substantial token of sincerity—a pledge of loyalty—to carry enough weight. That’s why I… However, I failed to arrive in time to inform Your Highness. It was my fault for startling you.”
That fool Xiao Dezi—why did he have to pick today of all days to settle accounts?
The palace was sealed off while he was on his way, and the incident unfolded faster than he had anticipated.
“But rest assured, Your Highness,” Steward Xiao Song patiently explained, “you can calmly wait for this matter to conclude. An imperial decree to console you, the innocent victim, will be issued.”
The method used today was straightforward.
In his memory, he clearly recalled that Xia Jin, a favored eunuch from the Empress’s palace, had been secretly involved with a little maid. Their affair wasn’t exposed until years later, leading to their execution. The spot where they often met was deemed unlucky by the consorts, so the plants and structures there were torn down and completely rebuilt, eventually becoming the small garden.
Hua Mian, the head maid of the Third Prince, was a suspicious and fiercely protective woman with a curious nature.
Both the First Prince and the Sixth Prince were thorns in the side of the Third Prince’s residence.
Steward Xiao Song only needed to instruct a few unfamiliar-faced little maids to pass by and whisper some gossip, and Hua Mian would inevitably seize the opportunity to undermine the Sixth Prince’s influence. She logically stumbled upon the scandal in the Empress’s palace—and then came the next step: they discovered the Wugu doll deliberately placed there.
The Wugu doll wasn’t crafted by Steward Xiao Song either; it was actually made by a consort driven mad by resentment, who used it to curse the current Empress Dowager as an outlet for her rage. The doll was inscribed with the Empress Dowager’s birth date. This incident, which would have occurred later, had provoked the Emperor’s fury, leading to a covert purge of the consorts and another storm of bloodshed.
This time, Steward Xiao Song simply borrowed the doll for his own use:
He destroyed the birth date on it and soaked the Wugu doll completely in blood. How do such seemingly non-specific Wugu dolls curse people? Typically, they are paired with another cursed object placed near the intended victim.
Hence, the Emperor began sealing off the palace and conducting searches.
The victim would be the obscure Second Prince.
The half-piece of fabric used as evidence was unique—it was from a rare early-moon iridescent satin bestowed by the Emperor, overjoyed at the Second Prince’s birth, to be used as the prince’s swaddling clothes. That type of satin was soft and breathable, ideal for an infant’s delicate skin.
The aged, decades-old fabric’s texture and color couldn’t be forged. The old Wugu doll, reeking of decay, was also convincingly realistic. The Emperor would be shocked to realize that the Second Prince might have had his fortune suppressed for over a decade… This was a long-standing conspiracy that had led to the Emperor’s deliberate neglect of the Second Prince.
Song Gu hung his head, but a fierce, obscure fire burned in his eyes.
Years later, the new emperor instructed him to investigate these past matters, digging for clues and truths about His Highness’s harsh childhood and his birth mother. By the time he learned everything, it was already too late. His Highness had grown up—what could the astonished Retired Emperor do then? Shed a few hypocritical tears, wallow in emotions all day, and that would be the end of it. Could he even make any amends?
In any case, all these things were true.
Might as well use them now to shift the blame and detonate everything ahead of time.
First, to retaliate against the princes and vent His Highness’s grievances; second, to sow mutual suspicion and conflict among the other princes, so they wouldn’t have idle time to torment His Highness; third, to let the current emperor uncover the conspiracy early and secure the compensation His Highness deserved…
Song Gu, whose mind was as full of schemes as a lotus pod is full of holes, pondered darkly.
Author’s Note:
Qi Chengming (throughout): Huh? Huh?
After silently listening to the confession of the crime, he slowly realized he seemed to have recruited a formidable Great Eunuch.
Could someone who had immersed themselves in the palace for years, with both skill and cunning, really be this formidable?