TBR CH156
Ji Ying found what he was looking for in the Eastern Palace, so there was no need to linger.
The Crown Prince, abruptly struck by this blow, saw it as entirely Ji Ying’s doing. His gaze at Ji Ying seemed to want to flay him alive.
Ji Ying’s eyes reflected the witchcraft doll in the dirt. The birth characters on it were so familiar. He curled his knuckles, pressing them into his palm, feeling a tingling warmth spread through him, almost making him unable to suppress a laugh.
“You… what are you laughing at?” the Crown Prince stammered, exasperated.
It was better when Ji Ying didn’t laugh, but once a faint mocking smile appeared, the snakes on his dark purple official robe seemed to come alive with his subtle movements, baring their poisonous fangs, ready to brutally and violently kill the enemy before him.
“Nothing,” Ji Ying simply deepened his smile. “Your Highness, there’s no need to worry so much. Now, besides this curse of witchcraft, His Majesty’s health will greatly improve. By then, His Majesty will naturally have the wisdom to discern and determine who is innocent.”
These words sounded proper, but the reality was completely different.
Everyone knew that His Majesty had long regarded the Crown Prince as a thorn in his side. This Eastern Palace was less established by His Majesty and more supported by Prime Minister Chu. If His Majesty were to make the decision, the Crown Prince would certainly not benefit in the slightest.
“Send someone to tell Prime Minister Chu,”
The Crown Prince’s rationality slowly returned. He knew that such a major matter was beyond his ability to resolve, and he would have to humble himself and seek help from Chu Huaicun. At the same time, he glared fiercely at Ji Ying before him, spewing threats: “You despicable wretch, how dare you mock my downfall—even if Prime Minister Chu has some misunderstandings about me lately, he will absolutely not believe your slanders!”
Ji Ying almost let out another genuinely amused laugh. He waved his hand:
“Then I wish Your Highness an early fulfillment of your desires.”
Subsequently, he showed no intention of lingering, taking a portion of his men and leaving the Eastern Palace. Before reaching his own residence, he turned back and glanced at the magnificent building before him.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, the pavilions and towers appeared silent and tall. The Eastern Palace’s gate was painted vermillion, carrying the weighty symbolism of power. Even if its master could not grasp its true might, he instinctively clung to it tightly.
If the Eastern Palace was so, then what kind of temptation must the opulent dragon and phoenix palaces within the imperial grounds, and the vast empire behind them, possess?
His Majesty was now bedridden. Although the information he heard was not false, Ji Ying embellished it with some grand and legitimate titles, making it difficult for the old man to distinguish. Ji Ying knew full well what witchcraft meant to the now life-loving emperor.
The number of people monitoring him increased.
But Ji Ying knew that every person had a weakness, and any seemingly impenetrable wall could have gaps for entry and exit. Just like how Mr. Fang used the teahouse as a cover to find a private moment to detoxify him. His Majesty believed he was foolproof even when ill, but as long as he responded flexibly enough, he could carve out more freedom than ever before.
The current emperor had already stumbled once under this rule.
However, people often repeat their mistakes.
Ji Ying closed his eyes in the empty, dark room. When he opened them again, he saw a memorial scroll held steadily in his hand. The paper of the scroll was fragile, yellowed with age, and the cinnabar ink, personally inscribed by the emperor, was as crimson as boiling blood.
He had wondered what emotions he would feel facing such a relic of the past, but at this moment, he felt a profound calm.
Everything the Lin family suffered was attributed to that obscure, lightless night.
He imagined that night more than ten years ago.
At that time, the late emperor had two more days to live.
Before the late emperor’s sickbed, two red candles for blessing and peace burned day and night. The dying old man propped himself up and saw his own shadow in the dimly lit palace chamber. The shadow was incredibly distorted, as if a hideous monster was trying to break free from his aged, loose skin. His flesh and blood were sucked dry by these monsters, leaving only an empty husk.
The late emperor understood that at his age, death came as easily as a sigh. But he was unwilling to die in a conspiracy.
His illness was strange, only he could perceive it, but the sickness came like a devastating storm. By the time he regained consciousness, the situation had already been controlled by his legitimate son. Imperial physicians were indeed invited day and night, but they were all so frightened that they repeatedly prostrated themselves on the ground, begging for forgiveness. The Crown Prince watched by his side with a worried expression, yet he simply did not stop them. The sound of heads hitting the stone floor was terrifying, like a silent threat.
In his later years, he practiced vegetarianism and Buddhism, and could not bear such scenes.
The late emperor closed his eyes. He and the Crown Prince were actually the most ordinary pair of father and son in the world. Yet, born into the imperial family, every quarrel would be placed on a scale, carefully weighing even the slightest deviation. Human emotions would gradually deplete, and he admitted his selfishness and greed, so much so that he lived long enough, but refused to abdicate for the sake of rivalry.
The old man suddenly coughed heartbreakingly again, like a lead wolf wailing miserably in the face of the shadow of death.
Soon, Gao Changji, the eunuch who had served him the longest, rushed to his bedside. The Crown Prince used the excuse that he could not be startled to refuse all requests from court officials to visit. At this moment, only such an insignificant eunuch accompanied him.
The late emperor coughed for a long while, his eyes bloodshot. Gao Changji, who had served him for so long, couldn’t help but show a look of unbearable sorrow.
“Your Majesty,” he stood by the bed, his face showing a subtle unease, but he still whispered, “Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, protected by the gods. Just do not overexert yourself, and you will surely avert danger.”
Hearing this, the late emperor’s cloudy eyes flickered: “Changji, you have something on your mind.”
Seeing that his long-suffering master had guessed it, as if the last string in his heart had snapped, Gao Changji gritted his teeth and quickly glanced at the empty surroundings:
“This servant deserves ten thousand deaths. Your Majesty has shown great kindness to this servant, and this servant cannot do something so heinous. The Eastern Palace has intervened in state affairs, and everyone outside who wished to see Your Majesty has been refused. But now, the Crown Prince is tied up with trivial matters. That Lord Lin found me and asked me to introduce him to Your Majesty. This servant thought that Your Majesty might still have something weighing on your mind, so I agreed, and even prepared paper and brush…”
If these words were heard by the Crown Prince, ten lives would not be enough for him to pay.
“The Lin family truly possesses the loyalty of true ministers. It is rare that I have not misplaced my trust; you have suffered for me,”
With the situation so grim, the late emperor’s face showed a hint of emotion, and he sighed faintly, “Let Lord Lin come in.”
On that night, the red candles used for blessings shed long, hot tears, which then froze coldly before the dim light of dawn. A loyal minister meeting a wise ruler could not help but be teary-eyed, wishing they could cut out their bloody heart and exchange it for His Majesty’s plight.
Fortunately, the late emperor’s mind became much clearer as a result. He struggled to sit up on his sickbed, his demeanor exactly like that of an emperor on his throne.
Lord Lin mentioned that when he entered the palace, the low library building outside the side gate still had candles burning, though he didn’t know if anyone had noticed. That was the residence of the Grand Historian Wei Gong. Apart from him, no one else was alarmed.
He also mentioned the current political situation. Everyone harbored doubts, but the Crown Prince’s methods were strong, allowing no dissenting voices, as if the news of the late emperor’s demise was destined to spread within days.
The emperor was not yet dead. One wondered how he reacted upon hearing these words.
And no one would ever know how the late emperor reacted at that time.
That was the last night His Majesty retained his lucidity. The next day, he fell into endless vomiting and fainting, never opening his eyes again until death finally arrived. Looking at it this way, the last night ended too quickly, shorter than any other night before.
When the eunuch Gao Changji was later executed, he revealed what happened that night.
But the information he could provide was very limited.
Before dawn, Lord Lin quietly left the palace gate, holding the last relic left by His Majesty in his hand.
He was not in the hall when the monarch and minister conversed. He only knew that their conversation never ceased for a moment. The brush and ink he had brought for His Majesty showed signs of use; His Majesty’s private seal was unsealed, and the bamboo paper used for memorials had vanished without a trace. He concealed all traces, yet in the tightly controlled palace of the Eastern Palace, even as the head eunuch, he could not completely wash away what had already happened.
He had long guessed his own end, yet before the Crown Prince—no, before the newly enthroned emperor—he still died with regret. He hated that his final resistance was exposed too quickly, and he hated the new emperor’s swift and decisive actions.
First, there was Wei Gong, who inadvertently discovered the matter, then him, the instigator, and finally the entire Lin family, who were completely annihilated before they could even issue a warning.
Gao Changji didn’t know what kind of last will His Majesty had left, but he stubbornly believed it could change everything, only…
It was too late.
Ji Ying imagined all the people whose fates were affected by a single memorial, imagined his father who had not uttered a single word until his death, imagined his imprisoned clan younger brother, and the several skeletons submerged at the bottom of the lake. In the silent, dark room, he did not know what he was feeling, but he suddenly curved his lips and laughed intermittently, the unpleasant laughter lasting for a while, even requiring him to cover his mouth with his hand.
His fingers traced the memorial. Every word on it burned clearly in his unfathomable eyes.
Every word was carved into his flesh and blood.
He was the person in this world most familiar with this memorial, and he was confident in saying so, even when comparing himself to all the living and the dead.
Ji Ying took a moment to consider if he was ready. The time to destroy everything was always brief and rushed, yet those involved had to endure a long rumination of pain. Then he realized, with a hint of dizziness, that his readiness was secondary in the face of this question, because everything was already happening.
Chu Huaicun held his hand, pulling him forward with an undeniable grip.
The person he had loved since childhood was never outside the situation. He had walked from that unpretentious youth to today, swallowing countless life-threatening setbacks and the schemes of officialdom, becoming the highly successful Prime Minister Chu, admired by all. He never intended to stop, because he knew what he sought.
How incredible, Ji Ying thought. He had never believed in miracles in this world. But—
Find him.
Even if it was him, disfigured and covered in dust.
Ji Ying stumbled, following the other’s steps. He had walked too long on this bottomless arduous path, destined to be unable to ask for help, knowing that only self-rescue was the path to victory. Only today did he understand that walking side-by-side with someone seemed to give him infinite courage. His steps did not quicken, but they became steadier. Everything that shaped his current self still weighed heavily on him.
But it wasn’t so terrifying anymore.
Chu Huaicun could find him; he could also personally save himself. He had made his decision, carefully wiping the ink from his hands. The paper was as thin as a butterfly’s wing, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in his hand. He carefully placed the memorial in a bamboo scroll, sealed it meticulously, and then placed the bamboo scroll in a place where it would absolutely not be found.
He had never been a completely innocent person; what did two or three more blemishes matter?
The darker the light, the brighter Ji Ying’s eyes appeared in the darkness, like a spark that had long been buried, now finally struggling free from layers of dead branches and rotten leaves, turning everything into its fuel.
Chu Huaicun was not at all surprised when he heard the news about the Crown Prince.
“Tell your Highness not to be nervous,” he said in his snow-white robes, calmly looking down at the messenger who came to report. “The schemer isn’t foolish enough to tell such an easily exposed lie. The Eastern Palace’s threat in his eyes isn’t enough to warrant a specially designed trap.”
“But Lord Ji came specifically…”
“So what?”
His voice was faint. Ji Ying, whom the Eastern Palace couldn’t control, seemed insignificant in his words. This response might be overly indifferent, but to the messenger, it was like celestial music. The messenger bowed his head to his feet, thanking profusely, and only dared to raise his eyes to glance at Chu Huaicun before leaving.
He first saw the silver-white long boots, embroidered with dark gold patterns, a color usually reserved for imperial family members. However, Chu Huaicun was accustomed to overstepping boundaries, so this was no longer a big deal. Looking further up, he saw him seemingly reviewing official documents, something pressed on his desk, and a brush dipped in ink beside him. His hair cascaded down like splashed ink, forming a stark contrast with his pristine white collar.
He resembled an exiled immortal, untouched by the mortal world.
But at the immortal’s waist, hung a sword that could kill with a single drop of blood.
The messenger’s heart jolted. He dared not look further, turning and hurrying away. Only when the person’s back completely disappeared from sight did Chu Huaicun leisurely pick up his brush and continue to make some notes on the map before him.
The person sent by His Highness the Crown Prince would never have imagined that what was laid before Prime Minister Chu were the confidential records of the military’s and court’s troop numbers.
He turned to look at Mr. Fang, saying calmly:
“I was interrupted just now… please forgive me, sir. All the usable troops in the court are listed here. As for the main general, I am from a military background. The General of Zhenbei plans to return to the border after His Majesty’s birthday. He has his troops; His Majesty might seek his help. But that doesn’t matter. I just think that if we are truly to face each other in battle, we must prepare early.”
Mr. Fang mentally calculated everything, and even felt a little surprised. Chu Huaicun’s years of planning, and the military power he firmly held in his hands, were several times more than he had previously anticipated.
Moreover, having stayed in the capital for these many days, he still couldn’t tell that the General of Zhenbei actually had a past acquaintance with Prime Minister Chu.
“Prime Minister Chu speaks very truly.”
Mr. Fang’s voice held a hint of admiration. However, he pondered for a moment, seemingly having other thoughts. Chu Huaicun did not need to wait for him to speak but proactively changed the subject.
“Sir’s intention,”
Chu Huaicun said softly, pressing down on the paper on the table, “I can guess most of it. Forcing with military strength, resulting in open warfare, is the worst possible strategy. Even if it succeeds, the foundation will be unstable. Before acting, I always prepare for the worst, so I mentioned this point first…”
“As for my other plans, please allow me to explain them one by one.”
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