Chapter 83
Qi Xiao raised his hand and tossed Bai Ren's letter into the incense burner at the center of the main hall. After watching the flames consume the paper entirely, he turned and walked out of the side palace.
The sky was just beginning to lighten, damp and gray outside. Qi Xiao pressed his thin lips together, glanced up at the overcast heavens, and turned toward the covered walkway.
Before he could even turn into the corridor, Qi Xiao heard what sounded like an argument near the side gate of Qianqing Palace. He tilted his head and glanced at Jiang Deqing, who understood immediately and scurried over to investigate. He returned slack-jawed: "Your... Your Highness the Princess, why have you come?"
Qi Xiao furrowed his brow and followed.
Qianqing Palace was where the Emperor conducted state affairs. Women were rarely permitted entry, and without an imperial summons, the guards of Qianqing Palace dared not allow Princess Dunsu to enter uninvited. Thus, the dispute had erupted.
Princess Dunsu wore her court robes, supported by a female official, and coldly regarded the guard captain. She said in a low, stern voice: "Do not recite regulations at me! I have lived in this palace since before you were born. I know the规矩 of this palace better than you do. Not only Qianqing Palace—even Xuan De Palace, I visited freely in my day."
The guard captain broke into a sweat. He was well aware of the Princess's status, but these were unusual times. Orders had just come down to strictly guard every palace gate—no entry or exit without summons. Now of all moments, Princess Dunsu had arrived. He was torn, repeatedly kowtowing and begging: "Your Highness, forgive my offense. I have already sent word to inform the Emperor, but currently His Majesty is in audience with ministers. The messenger cannot enter the hall. Your Highness..."
Princess Dunsu冷笑—a cold laugh. Before she could speak, Qi Xiao had emerged. He swept his gaze across the guards and said in a low, commanding voice: "The Emperor's eldest嫡长公主 wishes to enter Qianqing Palace, and you dare obstruct her?"
Princess Dunsu嘲讽—scoffed. "How convenient that you arrive now, Xiao'er... Take a look—your father's servants are blocking me. They must think I'm an assassin."
The guard captain hastily dropped to his knees to apologize. Princess Dunsu had, after all, come specifically to see Qi Xiao. Having achieved her purpose, she no longer wished to bicker with servants. She turned to Qi Xiao and said heavily: "Come with me."
Qi Xiao nodded. The aunt and nephew dismissed the others and slowly walked to a pavilion nearby. As they mounted the steps, Qi Xiao supported Princess Dunsu. Beneath the wide sleeves of her court robes, the Princess grabbed Qi Xiao's wrist with her well-maintained, slender fingers, digging her nails into his flesh. Qi Xiao looked at her. She stared back at him intently and whispered: "I have heard about the Lingnan situation. Xiao'er, I know you favor Bai Ren, but this time is different."
Qi Xiao gazed coldly at Princess Dunsu without a word. Her anxiety deepened. She frowned and hissed: "Don't be foolish! Such a perfect opportunity—would the Emperor let it slip by? Besides, Bai Ren is no simple person. I told you long ago—Bai Ren's status is noble. Like you, he is天潢贵胄—royal blood! You humiliated him for over a year. If you truly let him escape now, it would be like releasing a tiger back to the mountain. Once he truly becomes the King of Lingnan, do you think he will still be willing to submit to you as before? Don't daydream! The moment he recovers his strength, the first thing he will do is destroy you!"
Qi Xiao said calmly: "Setting aside whether he would harm me—even if he would... I would accept it willingly."
Princess Dunsu was furious. For the sake of appearances, she dared not raise her voice. Pearls of sweat glistened on her smooth forehead. She lowered her voice: "Even if he wouldn't harm you, what about the Emperor? Xiao'er... right now you cannot do anything. Even if you speak a single word of求情—pleading—for Bai Ren, they will抓住—seize upon—your words and turn them against you, accusing you of treason!"
Princess Dunsu knew Qi Xiao was the type who responded to softness rather than hardness. She sighed and softened her tone: "Xiao'er, even if you won't think for yourself, think of your姑母—think of me..." The Princess's eyes glistened with tears. Her voice cracked: "I watched you grow up from childhood... You must know in your heart—is there anyone who has treated you more like a son? If you suffer any misfortune, what face shall I have to meet your father and mother when I pass on?"
One sentence pierced the softest place in Qi Xiao's heart, agonizing and excruciating.
Princess Dunsu turned away to wipe her tears. She said softly: "Wake up. You've been with him for a year now—that is enough. I know you cannot bear to part with him, but you must think clearly. You will become Emperor one day. After you ascend the throne, what manner of person could you not have? Why fixate on one man? Why let him destroy your magnificent future?"
Qi Xiao closed his eyes briefly and said quietly: "Your teachings are correct,姑母. I understand."
Qi Xiao had never lied to Princess Dunsu. She felt relieved and said gently: "I received the news last night and have been worried sick, worried you might dwell on this obsessively. Since you understand, that's good. My dear boy, don't worry. If you like, in the future I can find you anyone you want."
Qi Xiao did not respond. After a long pause, he said heavily: "姑母... please look after Roujia. She is with child now. She cannot withstand any shocks."
Princess Dunsu nodded: "Rest assured. I sent people to her long ago. Do not worry about her. Although Wen Yu has rebelled, Roujia is a married woman now. The Emperor will not make trouble for a woman. Besides... the He family is a great oak she can shelter beneath."
Qi Xiao nodded: "In that case, I am at ease."
Princess Dunsu felt an inexplicable unease. She gripped Qi Xiao's sleeve tighter, frowning: "Xiao'er, you promised me! You absolutely will not conceal anything for Bai Ren or plead for him!"
Qi Xiao replied coldly: "Rest assured,姑母. At today's court assembly, I will certainly clear myself of any connection. As the saying goes—'Preserve the mountain and there will be wood for fuel.' I understand that principle."
In the main hall of Qianqing Palace, the Emperor's face was icy cold, utterly silent. When everyone had assembled, Qi Huan slunk in. He had just heard that the Emperor had summoned him last night, and his heart was racing with fear. Unfortunately, the Emperor was in a terrible mood. Seeing Qi Huan's timorous, cowering appearance only enraged him further. The Emperor flicked his wrist and hurled a teacup violently to the floor near Qi Huan's feet, berating sharply: "Useless wretch! Were you dead to the world? Only now you come!"
Qi Huan threw himself to the ground, trembling violently, unable to utter a single coherent word. Qi Xiao glanced at him coldly, then said calmly along with the others: "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."
Fu Hailu hurried forward to clean up the shattered cup. Li Wenxing stepped forward: "Please compose yourself, Your Majesty. Matters of state take precedence."
The Emperor drew a deep breath and said coldly: "Rise." Qi Huan felt as though he had been granted amnesty. He scrambled to his feet and shrank to one side. Li Wenxing continued: "Your Majesty, we have just received intelligence. The Young Lord Bai Ren has indeed escaped. At dawn, the Young Lord set a great fire in his mansion. While everyone was occupied with fighting the flames, he led a dozen attendants, traveling light, and left the city. According to our scouts, outside the city there are three locations with no fewer than five hundred men providing support. Now... they have likely fled far."
The Emperor laughed bitterly: "Excellent. Wen Yu rebels, and now Bai Ren rebels too... A year ago, I sent one hundred thousand shi of grain to relieve Lingnan's urgent crisis! Then I brought Bai Ren to the palace, treating him as my own flesh and blood. Ha... I raised him like a prince for a full year, and this is what I get—aThankless villain!"
Zhou Deyi stepped forward and bowed: "Please compose yourself, Your Majesty. What matters most now is swiftly pursuing the Young Lord. According to a maid from the Lingnan Prince's mansion, last night someone claiming to be from Lingnan visited the Young Lord. In their conversation, they mentioned the word 'golden seal.' Your minister suspects that the great seal bestowed upon Lingnan by Emperor Taizu all those years ago is now in the Young Lord's possession. The Young Lord is the legitimate son of the Lingnan Prince and was personally appointed as heir by Your Majesty. Now with the seal in hand, should he escape back to Lingnan, it would be like releasing a tiger to the mountains...届时—At that point—suppressing the rebellion will become infinitely more difficult."
The Vice Minister of War stepped forward: "I concur."
The Zhongshuling stepped forward: "I concur."
Qi Huan glanced left and right, then murmured: "I... I also concur."
Qi Xiao swept his gaze across the assembled ministers and stepped forward. He said coldly: "I respectfully request to personally lead troops to capture the Young Lord Bai Ren and display the majesty of heaven."
The moment these words fell, the hall fell silent. Everyone knew, due to the marriage between Roujia and He Zichen, that Qi Xiao and Bai Ren were quite close. The Emperor's trusted officials had been poised and ready, waiting only for Qi Xiao to plead on Bai Ren's behalf so they could狠狠参他一本—thoroughly denounce him. No one had expected that at this moment, Qi Xiao would actually add to Bai Ren's troubles by volunteering for the campaign himself.
The Emperor微微眯眼—narrowed his eyes slightly. He said softly: "The Crown Prince shoulders the fate of the nation. He must not place himself in danger."
Qi Xiao raised his head and looked at the Emperor. He said firmly: "In the past, I misjudged my man—I mistook poison for honey. Now that I know Bai Ren harbors traitorous ambitions, I am consumed with regret. I only ask to personally bring Bai Ren to justice, to atone for my past mistakes."
The Emperor stared at Qi Xiao for a long moment, then smiled: "Excellent. Able to govern on foot, able to fight on horseback—this is the Crown Prince of Da Xiang! The Crown Prince's request... is granted."
Qi Xiao bowed his head: "This subject thanks Your Majesty."
In the private chamber adjacent to Qianqing Palace, the Emperor accepted a bowl of rice porridge from Fu Hailu and stirred it absently. Fu Hailu hesitated, clearly wanting to speak. Finally he ventured: "Your Majesty... why did you grant the Crown Prince's request? Any keen observer can see that the Crown Prince is deliberately adding to Bai Ren's troubles to extricate himself!"
The Emperor smiled: "So what? He is eager to save himself. I shall grant him that."
Fu Hailu急切—was urgent: "Why grant the Crown Prince such a favor? Your Majesty... this is a perfect opportunity. As long as the Young Lord is captured, then through rigorous questioning—no, through formal interrogation—we can surely extract information about how the Crown Prince aided him, how he插手—the meddled—in Wen Yu's rebellion! The Crown Prince's closeness to the Young Lord has been no secret for days. Everyone knows. Then everyone will be convinced, and Your Majesty can with full justification punish the Crown Prince. Is that not ideal?!"
The Emperor嘲讽—scoffed: "Do you think Qi Xiao is a fool? Would he quietly wait for disaster to befall him? He is clever! Did you not see... the moment Bai Ren met trouble, he immediately scrambled to find a way to save himself. A cold-hearted, cold-tempered creature like him—would he wait for Bai Ren to bite back at him? That approach will never work."
Fu Hailu wore a puzzled expression: "Then... then you simply let the Crown Prince go? Isn't that letting him off too easily?"
The Emperor冷笑—smiled coldly: "Who said anything about that... I gave orders just now. The southern campaign troops are being assembled as we speak. Troops are scarce—there are no spare soldiers to give the Crown Prince. All I can spare from the capital is one thousand imperial guards. The rest... he must provide from the Eastern Palace. Thus, Qi Xiao can muster at most two thousand soldiers."
The Emperor诡谲一笑—smirked slyly: "Who are Bai Ren's attendants? They are desperate men! They all know that once they leave the capital, being captured again means death. Will they not fight to the death? Can the soldiers garrisoned in the capital even match them?"
Fu Hailu suddenly understood: "Your Majesty means... to let them destroy each other!"
The Emperor said calmly: "I said no such thing. The Crown Prince has two thousand elite soldiers. Bai Ren has only five hundred ragged followers. On paper, capturing Bai Ren should be a simple matter. Even if he does successfully bring Bai Ren back, that is fine too. I will keep Bai Ren well-fed and comfortable, and constantly remind him—it was the Crown Prince, it was Qi Xiao, who caused his entire clan to be destroyed! Let us see... at that point, whether Bai Ren will do everything in his power to put Qi Xiao to death."
The Emperor was extremely satisfied: "From the moment Qi Xiao and Bai Ren became entangled, I knew—Qi Xiao would die at Bai Ren's hands sooner or later."