Chapter 93

Proofreader: Mim

At three quarters past noon, the northwestern gates of the capital, which rarely opened, creaked wide.

A messenger riding at full speed carried an urgent message, racing through the night toward the imperial palace.

Even the palace gates, which traditionally stayed closed through the night, opened for him. The messenger’s classified report was passed layer by layer until it reached the hands of Gao Shan, the chief eunuch and trusted aide of the Emperor.

The night passed, and as dawn broke, the air in the capital grew tense.

By morning, more and more carriages gathered in front of the Chunyu Gate. Officials dressed in their formal robes stepped out, their expressions heavy with apprehension as they grouped in pairs or trios and made their way toward the Ziwei Palace.

Their furrowed brows and hushed whispers revealed the weight of the day’s anticipated court session.

Once all ministers had taken their places, Gao Shan’s loud voice rang out:

“His Majesty approaches—”

The hall immediately fell silent as the officials knelt in unison.

“Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor for ten thousand years!”

Draped in a brilliant yellow dragon robe, Xie Shencong ascended the imperial dais and took his seat on the Dragon Throne.

“Rise,” he said.

As the officials stood, Gao Shan announced, “Those who have matters to present, step forward. Those without, withdraw.”

The ministers exchanged cautious glances, clearly awaiting something.

Finally, the Grand Chancellor, Zhang Zhizhen, stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, there was an urgent report from Kui County in the Eastern Mountains last night.”

“Speak.” Xie Shencong’s voice was calm.

“A sudden mountain flood in Kui County unearthed dozens of imperial crowns and phoenix coronets, as well as numerous relics bearing the insignia of the former Cui Dynasty, including tens of kilograms of gold and silver. The magistrate of Kui County has sealed off the area. How does Your Majesty wish to proceed?”

Many eyes turned toward Prince Langya, Xie Lanxu, who stood in the front row.

Xie Lanxu maintained an unreadable expression, his gaze steady and unfazed.

“What do you think, my lords?” Xie Shencong asked.

“Kui County lies along the route of the Cui Dynasty’s last southern tour before they abdicated,” one minister noted. “I believe the rumors of the Cui Dynasty’s hidden treasure may not be unfounded.”

One by one, officials voiced their opinions. Xie Shencong, who had been listening quietly, raised his eyes slightly and directed his gaze at Xie Lanxu.

“What does the Left Assistant Minister think?”

Xie Lanxu bowed and replied, his tone even, “Your servant believes that seeing is believing. Since relics of the former dynasty have indeed been found in Kui County, it would be prudent for Your Majesty to send someone to investigate. This would not only dispel the growing speculation among the capital’s citizens but, if the treasure is real, it could be of great benefit to Your Majesty, to the empire, and to the people.”

The other ministers voiced their agreement, including those from the faction loyal to Prince Feng, Xie Fengshao.

The treasure, if it existed, would be a bounty too tempting for anyone to ignore. Even if the Emperor took the lion’s share, what trickled down could sustain the rest for generations.

The critical question became: Who would lead the investigation?

“Who among you is suitable for this task?” Xie Shencong asked.

Prince Feng’s faction members eagerly stepped forward, proposing their own candidates for the mission.

With Prince Jing already under house arrest in the Imperial Clan Office, his faction had all but crumbled. The few remaining members, too fearful to speak, stayed silent. Meanwhile, Xie Lanxu refrained from volunteering, letting Prince Feng’s faction dominate the discussion.

As the court filled with heated arguments, Xie Shencong ’s expression grew colder.

Finally, from the second row, Qian Yiwang stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, this is a matter of great importance. Mishandling it could give rise to slander or provide opportunities for dissenters. This task should be entrusted to someone who is both competent and loyal to Your Majesty.”

“Oh?” Xie Shencong ’s interest was piqued. “And who do you believe is suitable for the task?”

“While he is a eunuch, Chief Eunuch Gao Shan is sharp and knowledgeable. He has long served Your Majesty loyally and possesses a deep understanding of the former dynasty. I believe Eunuch Gao would be the ideal choice.”

Gao Shan’s expression remained stoic, but Xie Shencong ’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“What does the Left Assistant Minister think?”

Xie Lanxu inclined his head. “Your servant believes it would be appropriate.”

Xie Shencong shook his head. “Gao Shan is indispensable to my daily affairs—I cannot do without him. However, I do have someone in mind.”

He paused before continuing, “Lu Yuanzhi, the Confucian scholar of Anyuan County in the Eastern Mountains, is learned and upright. I will appoint him as a special investigator, alongside the Left Gate Guard General, to oversee this matter.”

The Left Gate Guard General, though styled as a military position, was in fact a eunuch.

Prince Feng’s faction was visibly displeased, but as they opened their mouths to protest, Xie Shencong’s face darkened.

“My decision is final,” he said coldly. “Enough discussion. Court is dismissed. Left Assistant Minister, remain and meet me in the Ziwei Palace.”

With that, Xie Shencong stood abruptly, his dragon robe sweeping the floor as he left Ziwei Palace. A retinue of eunuchs and palace maids followed, leaving the ministers scrambling to bow in farewell.

The political turbulence of the court quickly spread through the palace.

Even in the harem, concubines whispered excitedly about whether the treasure of the former dynasty truly existed.

In the Palace Administration Bureau, the female officials also gossiped among themselves, unable to contain their curiosity.

Within the office, Li Zhi had strictly forbidden anyone from discussing political affairs of the court. Outside the office, however, she turned a blind eye.

After all, she was the one most concerned about the treasure of the former dynasty in the entire harem.

The whole morning, Li Zhi had been pondering whether Kui County was the location where the last emperor of the previous dynasty had chosen to bury his treasure when he fled south.

It wasn’t until she crossed paths with Xie Fengshao in the Imperial Garden that she was jolted back to reality.

When she saw him walking toward her with a flowerpot in his arms, Li Zhi didn’t even have time to think about why he was holding a potted flower. Instinctively, she lowered her head and stepped aside to pay her respects.

But Xie Fengshao stopped right in front of her.

With her eyes cast down, all she could see was the dirt staining the sleeves of his robe and the clay flowerpot cradled in his arms.

Xie Fengshao didn’t speak immediately, forcing Li Zhi to take the initiative to greet him.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” she said.

“Mm, I’m fine,” Xie Fengshao hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Are you busy right now?”

“What can this servant do for Your Highness?”

“I just returned from a hunt on Mount Yu and found this night-blooming cereus that bloomed even in broad daylight. I thought it was quite rare… and it made me think of you.”

The flowerpot in Xie Fengshao’s hands entered Li Zhi’s view.

The plant had slender leaves, tiny white blossoms, feathery petals, and an ethereal fragrance that suddenly overwhelmed Li Zhi’s senses.

“…I’m giving it to you,” he said, slightly awkwardly.

Li Zhi’s heart filled with surprise, though her face remained composed.

“This servant cannot accept such a generous gift from Your Highness,” she said, curtseying to politely refuse. “Consort Yi is renowned for her love of flowers. Surely she would better appreciate the beauty of this rare plant.”

“My mother already has plenty of flowers. One more or less doesn’t make a difference to her,” Xie Fengshao said. “I personally dug up this plant and potted it with my own hands before carrying it all the way back to the palace. You should take it.”

Hearing this, Li Zhi dared not accept it even more.

After all, he had likely been seen by countless eyes on his way back. If she were to accept the pot of night-blooming cereus, wouldn’t it soon become the talk of the entire city?

“Your Highness’s thoughtfulness is deeply appreciated, but it would be better to gift this flower to Consort Yi…”

“Just take it!”

“This servant cannot…”

“You—”

As they went back and forth, the flowerpot suddenly slipped during the exchange.

With a loud crack, the clay pot shattered into several pieces, spilling the soil and plant onto the ground. The dirt splashed onto both Xie Fengshao’s and Li Zhi’s shoes.

Li Zhi’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately dropped to her knees.

“Your Highness, please forgive me, this servant…”

“You keep trying to avoid me,” Xie Fengshao’s voice was taut, filled with suppressed emotion. “Why?”

Li Zhi had no idea how to respond, knowing nothing of the context he referred to. She could only lower her head and remain silent.

The pristine cereus, now stained with dirt, lay between them like an invisible barrier.

Suddenly, she was forcibly pulled up from the ground.

“I don’t like you kneeling before me,” Xie Fengshao said through gritted teeth.

“…”

“Before you left the capital, I sent someone to the prison to ask if you wanted to escape. Why didn’t you leave?”

Li Zhi could no longer suppress her astonishment and looked up to meet Xie Fengshao’s eyes.

“That prison guard… was Your Highness’s man?”

“I spent the entire time you were imprisoned trying to find a way to save you. But at the time, I was still too young and powerless to defy my father’s decision. I could only bribe someone in the Ministry of Justice’s prison to arrange for a condemned prisoner to take your place on the exile road.”

Bribing the Ministry of Justice and switching prisoners…

This was a crime punishable by the extermination of one’s entire family.

Even as the son of a consort, if this matter were exposed, given the emperor’s obstinate and paranoid nature, even Xie Fengshao’s title as Prince Feng …

…would not be enough to spare him from punishment.

The conversation she had with the prison guard was known to no one else. At that time, her heart was wholly consumed by her thirst for revenge. Like a spider in the corner of a wall, she had hidden herself away in her own world, meticulously planning each and every step she would take after leaving the capital.

To live in anonymity, eking out a pitiful existence, was never her desire.

Thus, back then, she refused without a second thought, not even bothering to carefully consider the identity of the person who had come to her.

She had remained silent about the matter ever since, until today, when Xie Fengshao brought it up again.

“…Why would Prince Feng take such a dangerous risk for me?” Li Zhi murmured, dazed.

A flicker of pain crossed Xie Fengshao’s eyes.

“…Do you truly not know?”

Li Zhi hesitated, about to respond, when a cluster of footsteps approached from behind. Turning her head, she saw a bright yellow robe stepping through the moon gate.

Behind Xie Shencong trailed Xie Lanxu, who was dressed in his official robes, as well as a crowd of palace servants.

Just as misfortune never comes alone, the shattered cereus flower lay at their feet. Li Zhi hadn’t yet thought of how to explain the broken flower, so she could only bow first in the direction of Xie Shencong.

Xie Fengshao, upon seeing the Emperor, was slightly surprised but showed no panic.

“Your son greets Emperor Father,” he said, bowing.

Xie Shencong looked at the unusual pair before him, his gaze briefly resting on the broken epiphyllum flower on the ground. He chuckled softly, “Well, isn’t this rare. How did the two of you end up together?”

Following the rules of propriety, Li Zhi waited for Xie Fengshao to speak first.

“I came to the palace to pay respects to my Mother and happened to encounter Director Li. We exchanged a few words,” Xie Fengshao explained.

Li Zhi followed with, “This servant was inspecting the quarterly supplies for the Cold Palace and was on my way back to the Palace Administration Bureau when I encountered Prince Feng entering the palace.”

“What a coincidence,” Xie Shencong remarked. “And what’s the story with the night-blooming cereus on the ground? It’s quite rare. How is it blooming during the day?”

Xie Fengshao glanced at Li Zhi and said, “…Your son went hunting at Mount Yu today and came across this flower. I thought it was intriguing, so I dug it up and brought it into the palace, hoping to let you and Imperial Mother see it. I was in a rush on the way and didn’t notice when it fell and broke.”

“You’re thoughtful,” Xie Shencong said. “Gao Shan, have someone pick up the cereus and plant it somewhere. Let’s have it planted in Yaohua Palace.”

Gao Shan acknowledged the order and instructed a eunuch to handle the matter.

Li Zhi quietly raised her head to glance at Xie Lanxu in the crowd. He wasn’t looking at her; his gaze was fixed on the cereus flower on the ground.

His expression was icy cold.