Chapter One Hundred and Seven
The Imperial Clan Department did not dare delay Qi Xiao's orders. In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the宗令 (Director of the Imperial Clan Department), the Ming Prince, arrived in haste. Upon entering the hall, the Ming Prince first came to pay his respects to Qi Xiao, who waved his hand and said: "There's no need for such formalities. Just now, while the Second Prince was eating, he suddenly suffered a toxic episode—presumably from eating something he shouldn't have. The prince's life concerns the fate of the nation. I must ask the Prince to lend his assistance."
The Ming Prince repeatedly expressed his unworthiness, then asked in a low voice: "May I ask Your Highness, where are the dishes the Second Prince consumed earlier...?"
"Wait!" Empress Feng struggled to rise with the help of her nanny, her voice trembling. "This is my palace courtyard. Would I harm my own child? Just now... it wasn't a toxic episode at all. Hua'er just choked, coughed so violently that he expectorated blood. There's... there's nothing serious about it."
Only then did the Ming Prince notice Empress Feng. He hastily offered apologies and paid his respects. Empress Feng, burdened by tremendous anxiety, had no time to attend to him. Her eyes darted about, avoiding Qi Xiao's gaze. Qi Xiao responded indifferently, then said slowly: "So that's what happened. Very well... Jiang Deqing, there's no need to summon the imperial physicians. It's just a choking incident. Once he coughs it out, he'll be fine. Why summon the imperial physicians?"
"You dare!" Empress Feng flew into a panic, shouting sternly. "If Hua'er dies because of your delay, I'll have you buried alive!"
At these words, everyone in the hall was stunned. Buried alive for Qi Xiao to accompany祁骅? Had she truly lost her mind?
Qi Xiao, however, was in quite a pleasant mood. He smiled leisurely and said: "What's wrong, Your Majesty the Empress? First you said 祁骅 merely choked, then you said that without the imperial physicians, 祁骅 will die... Ming Prince, do you understand what she's saying?"
The Ming Prince broke out in a cold sweat. He had managed the Imperial Clan Department for many years and knew full well the sordid history between the Emperor and Empress Feng. Back then, the Emperor had first usurped Qi Xiao's dragon throne, and then to appease the veteran officials and the imperial clan without stripping Qi Xiao of his Crown Prince title, he had instead adopted Qi Xiao as his own son. The Ming Prince had known from that moment that chaos would inevitably erupt one day. This seed of disaster had been deeply planted long ago, and now that it had finally sprouted, it was truly earth-shaking. The Ming Prince only hoped to protect himself and survive this upheaval. When Qi Xiao turned the question to him, he sweated even more profusely. Hesitantly, he spoke vaguely: "Your Highness the Crown Prince, please forgive me. Your servant is foolish, but... since this matter has occurred, then..."
The Ming Prince glanced at Empress Feng out of the corner of his eye, then gritted his teeth and said: "We should conduct a thorough investigation. Otherwise, when His Majesty awakens, I won't be able to give him an account."
"You!" Empress Feng raged, but before she could say more, Consort Xue, standing nearby, suddenly let out a soft laugh. She gently tidied her coral hair ornament and said leisurely: "Enough. Why must you all give the Empress such a hard time? If you ask me, we should let big matters become small and small matters become nothing. Earlier, the Empress said that His Majesty's health is poor and the imperial physicians must attend to him carefully. For minor ailments, one should just endure them—no need to trouble the imperial physicians... Now, the Second Prince merely choked. There's even less need to make a big fuss. I say we should all disperse..."
Consort Xue smiled with satisfaction. Previously, when 祁骐 was poisoned, a single dose of medicine could have saved his life, but Empress Feng had deliberately obstructed the summons for imperial physicians, causing a delay that left 祁骐's body weak and frail even now. The wheel of fate turns, and heaven has opened its eyes. Now this poisoner could taste the flavor of her own son hanging between life and death yet unable to be saved!
Empress Feng nearly exploded with rage at their ceaseless comments. Forgetting all propriety, she coldly smiled at everyone: "Fine... fine, ha ha... so this is what happens when the wall falls—everyone pushes! Very well! Investigate! Summon the imperial physicians for my Hua'er this instant. If anything goes wrong, I'll have the entire Imperial Medical Academy buried with him!"
"No rush." Qi Xiao curved his lips into a smile and turned to Jiang Deqing. "Have you sent for the Imperial Lords yet?"
Jiang Deqing bowed. "Reporting to Your Highness, I've already dispatched people to invite them. It's just that the lords' estates are rather far, and several princes have birthdays approaching, so some delay is to be expected."
The Ming Prince was dumbfounded. "In... invite the princes here? For what purpose?"
Qi Xiao said coolly: "A crime of harming imperial offspring is such a serious matter. If it's truly uncovered, can a mere prince like yourself, the Director of the Clan Department, really handle the judgment?"
The Ming Prince swallowed hard, shaking his head with an embarrassed expression. Qi Xiao laughed lightly: "Exactly. So... His Majesty lies unconscious. Naturally we must invite some imperial relatives who can control the situation and make decisions. This unfilial one must trouble the senior princes."
The Ming Prince secretly wiped his sweat-dampened forehead with his sleeve, nodded, and said nothing more.
Upon hearing this, Empress Feng's momentum diminished by another three-tenths. She turned her head and weakly leaned against the rose couch. Consort Xue secretly marveled in her heart. In truth, when she had first learned that Empress Feng intended to poison someone, she had hesitated for a while. After all, she had always harbored ambitions of placing her own son on the throne. That thought couldn't be erased overnight. At the time, she had privately speculated: if she let things take their course, allowing Empress Feng to poison Qi Xiao to death, she could then expose Empress Feng afterward. When the Emperor awoke and dealt with this poisoner, whether or not the Second Prince祁骅 was truly involved, with such a mother he could never become Crown Prince. Wouldn't the throne then fall to her son?
However, this thought had been suppressed by Consort Xue herself in an instant. Setting aside whether she could wait for the Emperor to wake, who was Qi Xiao? Could she obtain information that he couldn't? If afterward he learned she had known and not reported it, the crime would be even greater.
Consort Xue had only thought that Qi Xiao wouldn't attend the banquet, or that he would expose Empress Feng on the spot. Never could she have imagined that Qi Xiao had already set up his chess pieces, waiting for Empress Feng to walk into the trap. Thus he disposed of祁骅 without leaving a trace and completely pulled Empress Feng off her pedestal—a two birds, one stone approach. Most remarkably, from beginning to end, he remained completely uninvolved. The investigation was conducted by the Imperial Clan Department, the testimony was provided by the senior imperial lords. Even when the Emperor awoke later, no one could possibly blame Qi Xiao.
Consort Xue glanced at Qi Xiao and felt a chill run down her spine. Fortunately, she hadn't lost her head back then. Someone like this... was never someone she could provoke.
The imperial physicians were treating 祁骅 in the side hall while everyone sat in the warm pavilion. Half an hour later, the princes arrived. Qi Xiao rose to greet them with a formal bow. The senior princes hastily responded. Their expressions were grave, and they had no time for pleasantries. After paying respects to Empress Feng, they urgently asked: "What exactly happened? Is the Second Prince alright?"
Empress Feng had been nearly frightened out of her wits by Qi Xiao. Her face was ashen, but seeing the senior princes arrive seemed to restore some of her spirit. She let out a wail and flung herself across the rose couch, weeping bitterly: "My uncles and elder brothers have finally arrived... If you hadn't come, your grandson Hua'er would have been beyond saving..."
Consort Xue smiled mockingly. A cornered beast—how much resistance could it possibly mount?
The senior princes were bewildered. Qi Xiao looked at the Ming Prince, who had already offended Empress Feng earlier and now had nothing left to lose. He could only press forward, stepping ahead to separate Empress Feng from the princes. He bowed and gave a rough account of what had transpired, concluding: "The Empress claims the Second Prince merely choked. But your nephew privately believes that matters concerning a prince's life are of paramount importance and must not be taken lightly. A thorough investigation is absolutely necessary. Though your nephew serves as the Director of the Clan Department, a matter this significant must be decided by the consensus of my uncles. Therefore, after consulting with His Highness the Crown Prince, I've troubled my uncles to make this journey."
The longevity-observing Prince nodded and said: "Very right, very right... His Majesty remains unconscious. If the prince comes to harm, wouldn't that be our failing? We must proceed with caution. Crown Prince..."
Everyone looked at Qi Xiao, who said calmly: "From the moment the incident occurred until now, nothing in this palace—not even a blade of grass—has been moved. Whatever the state was then, it remains so now. Everyone present can testify to this. Now that everyone is here, the Director may investigate."
Empress Feng wanted to say something more, but opened her mouth without a sound. Looking at everyone assembled in the hall, she found she couldn't speak a word.
With both witnesses and physical evidence present, and the case being straightforward, it didn't take long to reach a conclusion. The poison had indeed come from theSecond Prince's bowl of japonica rice. The Ming Prince tested it with a silver needle he had brought with him and stepped forward to report: "The rice itself is not poisonous. The toxin was applied to the bottom of the bowl. I don't know... I don't know why it wasn't detected during the previous inspection."
Once this was established, the investigation proceeded smoothly. From the silver chopsticks everyone had used, to the craftsmen who had made them, the entire chain was pulled out. The confessions were unanimous—Empress Feng was responsible.
The senior princes exchanged bewildered glances. They never could have imagined it was Empress Feng who had done this. Empress Feng shrieked her innocence: "Everyone present has seen it! Am I mad? Would I harm my own son?! It was clearly Qi Xiao—this viper! It was him!!"
Qi Xiao smiled coldly: "Is that so? But those craftsmen outside don't say the same. Moreover... the poison was found in your private chambers, Your Majesty the Empress. What does that have to do with me?"
Empress Feng was rendered speechless. Consort Xue seized the moment to sneer: "Of course Your Majesty the Empress isn't mad. Of course Your Majesty doesn't wish to harm the Second Prince. Who you truly wished to harm... we all know in our hearts. It's just a pity that despite all your careful planning, you accidentally harmed your own child. Ha ha... How truly amusing."
"Silence, you wicked woman!" Empress Feng spun toward Consort Xue, screaming in outrage. "Regardless, I am still the Empress! When has it become your place to point fingers?!"
Consort Xue's eyes blazed crimson. Just as she was about to retort, Qi Xiao spoke in a heavy voice: "The Empress is correct. In the end, the Empress is still the Empress. The dignity of the imperial family must not be compromised. Everyone present has witnessed today's events. Let everyone serve as witnesses. When His Majesty awakens in the future... I hope the princes will inform him of the truth. How to ultimately dispose of this matter... must still be left to His Majesty."
Empress Feng collapsed onto the rose couch, looking at Qi Xiao in despair. Consort Xue frowned, puzzled, as she looked at Qi Xiao. His expression remained unchanged as he said slowly: "Before that, let's simply place the Empress under house arrest in Fenghua Palace. What does everyone think?"
They feared offending Qi Xiao, yet also dreaded having to face the Emperor when he woke. Qi Xiao's reasonable approach was exactly what they wanted. Hearing this, they all nodded: "Very right, very right. That's for the best."
Qi Xiao lightly stroked the life-token at his waist and said coolly: "Then let's disperse." With that, he ignored everyone and strode out first.
Jiang Deqing was deeply confused but dared not speak in front of these people. He could only follow them out. Once they had exited Fenghua Palace, he couldn't help but say: "Your Highness! Why? We finally caught Empress Feng's mistake. Why not...?"
"Why not what?" Qi Xiao turned to look at Jiang Deqing. "Kill her directly? I am the Crown Prince, and she is the Empress. Can I kill her?"
Jiang Deqing was speechless. He continued: "Then you could have privately asked the princes to take charge, letting the imperial clan decide whether to purge the门户 (corrupt faction)!"
"No. I don't want that." Qi Xiao smiled cruelly, every word distinct. "I want that wretched woman to die by my own hand."
"Your Highness needn't worry. His Highness has long had plans in place."
At midnight,百刃 sat quietly in his usual clothes, cross-legged on the couch, slowly reviewing documents from Lingnan that had arrived. He murmured: "His Highness has always been someone with his own ideas. Others cannot advise him. Even I... there are some matters where I cannot."
Jiang Deqing was extremely anxious. "If even the Prince's words won't work, then... then there's no one who can advise him! Such a golden opportunity right before us, yet His Highness seems ready to just let it pass. This servant is nearly driven mad!"
百刃 smiled, set down the jade writing instrument, and turned to comfort Jiang Deqing: "Please rest assured, Your Grace. I've never seen His Highness miss an opportunity yet."
Jiang Deqing sighed and shook his head. "Your Highness doesn't understand. His Highness has been acting strangely these past two days! When he's with you, he appears fine, but when alone... he often sits in a daze! Today was even stranger. He actually had me return first to serve Your Highness. He stayed behind in the palace himself, and it's this late already. This... isn't this worrying?!"
A strange light flickered in百刃's eyes as he said slowly: "Your Grace, please don't worry. If I had to guess... the Empress Feng matter will be resolved tonight. There's no need for excessive worry. This matter... must proceed according to His Highness's wishes."
Inside Fenghua Palace, Qi Xiao sat in the main hall for a long while before Empress Feng appeared. It had been only two days, yet Empress Feng had lost all her former splendor. Her hair was disheveled, her face dirty, her eyes sunken—she appeared like an old woman. The palace servants in Fenghua had all been detained, leaving no one to attend to her. Qi Xiao poured himself a cup of tea and said casually: "Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten ten thousand years to Your Majesty the Empress."
Empress Feng shuddered as she laughed, her voice hoarse: "How is my son?! Have you sent people to treat him with all their might?!"
Qi Xiao smiled as he gazed at Empress Feng. After a long moment, he said: "What do you think?"
"You beast!" Empress Feng was furious, screaming. "Have you no humanity left?! He's still your uncle's brother! He's blood kin to you! How could you do this to him?!"
Qi Xiao couldn't help but burst out laughing: "That's an interesting thing to say. My brother... ha ha... Qi Xiao's smile slowly faded, and he said coldly: "The Emperor and my father were brothers too, weren't they? Qi Xiao and 祁骅 are cousins. But they are brothers of the same father. Ha... when they usurped my throne and massacre my maternal family's clan, did the Emperor ever consider that these were his brother's blood kin?!"
Empress Feng was so startled by Qi Xiao's outburst that she fell into her chair. After a long while, she said tremulously: "So you... you know everything..."
Qi Xiao sneered: "Thanks to all of you, every detail of what happened back then—I, Qi Xiao, have never dared to forget!"
Empress Feng slumped weakly in her chair and said: "I know you hate us. But back then, I had no choice. The Emperor... the Emperor wanted the throne. Could I have stopped him? I tried to protect your mother and your maternal family's lives, but..."
"But you still sent my mother a length of white silk." Qi Xiao's voice dripped with mockery. "Then you told my mother... that all the noble relatives felt it would be most improper for the Empress to hold power in the future. A woman ruling over men would surely bring great misfortune. To avoid future disaster, we must cut the Gordian knot now and make a clean break. If the Empress wishes to live, please send the Crown Prince on his way. On the road to the underworld, with the Crown Prince present, surely the late Emperor won't be lonely. If the Empress loves the Crown Prince more, please commit suicide to accompany him. When His Highness ascends the throne, he will naturally adopt the Crown Prince as his own son and continue to invest him as Crown Prince, eventually passing the throne to him."
Empress Feng's eyes went wide with terror. She couldn't speak, stammering: "You... you..."
In the palace lantern light, Qi Xiao's smile was chilling: "Word for word, wasn't it? My mother told me in a dream. Do you believe it?"
Qi Xiao rose and walked toward Empress Feng. She was so frightened she tumbled to the floor, scrambling on all fours into the corner. Qi Xiao approached slowly, driving her into the wall. Empress Feng covered her head, begging repeatedly: "Don't kill me, don't kill me..."
Qi Xiao smiled gently: "Your Majesty the Empress, don't be afraid. I won't kill you."
Empress Feng was stunned. She looked up at him in disbelief, asking tremulously: "You... you won't kill me?"
Qi Xiao pulled out a length of white silk from his robes. The silk floated gracefully, quite beautiful. Empress Feng looked at him in confusion. Qi Xiao smiled coolly: "End your own life, and I will have the imperial physicians treat 祁骅 properly. They will surely save his life. If you're afraid of death... well."
Qi Xiao's smile was sinister: "But... 祁骅's life will likely be forfeit."
Empress Feng was stunned, then screamed shrilly: "You would use my son..."
"Slap!" Qi Xiao slapped Empress Feng hard across the face, sending her head snapping sideways. He sneered: "Now you know I have no humanity?"
Qi Xiao slapped her again with his other hand, shouting furiously: "Twenty years ago!! How did you corner my mother?!"
Qi Xiao threw the white silk onto Empress Feng's face, bellowing: "She was only twenty years old then! She had just lost her husband!! How did you treat her?! How did you treat her?! How did you treat her?!"
Qi Xiao seemed like a demon incarnate, killing intent blazing in his eyes. Empress Feng was so terrified by this murderous aura that she couldn't utter a single word. After a long moment, she said tremulously: "You... you..."
Qi Xiao rarely lost control like this. After catching his breath and calming down, he closed his eyes and said heavily: "I'll give you one night. Think it over yourself... If by dawn I haven't received news that you've taken your own life in recognition of your crimes..."
Qi Xiao smiled cruelly: "Then you'll receive news that your son's illness has become incurable."
Tears streamed down Empress Feng's face as she shook her head continuously. Qi Xiao had no intention of speaking another word to her. He turned and walked toward the exit, but hadn't taken two steps before Empress Feng, crawling over, grabbed his trouser leg. All dignity abandoned, she pleaded tremulously: "Don't take our lives. I know what you want. I'll... I'll help you. The Emperor is beyond saving anyway. I'll end him for you, and then, and then..."
Empress Feng swallowed hard, terrified he wouldn't listen, and hastily repeated what Lord Feng had once said: "Then I'll arrange things for you to ascend the throne. I'm... I'm the Empress. I can ensure you ascend safely and smoothly. Won't that save you considerable trouble? Please? Please?"
Qi Xiao bent down, fixing his gaze on Empress Feng's constantly trembling pupils, and said softly with a smile: "Who told you I want to ascend the throne smoothly?"
Empress Feng blinked in confusion, trembling: "You... you... you want to usurped the throne?!"
Qi Xiao curved his lips into a smile and kicked Empress Feng away as he walked out. Empress Feng cried out twice bitterly, then screamed: "Wait!!!"
Qi Xiao turned his head: "What else do you want?"
Empress Feng knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face. She choked: "After I die... will you treat my son well?"
Qi Xiao sneered: "After my mother died, did you treat me well?"
Empress Feng was speechless. Qi Xiao smiled gently: "But if you don't die, I will certainly not spare him. Your Majesty the Empress, do you have a choice? Don't worry, you have all night. The suffering my mother endured back then... you will slowly come to know."
Empress Feng was utterly hopeless. She collapsed to the floor, and after a long silence, let out a howl: "This is fate!!!"
Outside the main hall, Qi Xiao heard Empress Feng's distant howl and smiled mockingly. He strode out of Fenghua Palace.
It was past midnight. Qi Xiao rubbed his tired brow and, with the help of the carriage driver who had been waiting outside the palace gates, climbed into the carriage. He instructed in a low voice: "To..."
"The Ancestral Temple."百刃 looked up from inside the carriage and smiled gently at Qi Xiao. "Send Fu Zi ahead to clear the way. Don't let the night patrol trouble His Highness."
Qi Xiao laughed in spite of himself: "How did you know I was going to the Ancestral Temple? And... why did you come out?"
百刃 lowered his hood, took a deep breath, and nestled into Qi Xiao's embrace. His voice hoarse, he said: "I was worried."
Qi Xiao's eyes instantly turned red. After a long moment, he lowered his head and kissed百刃's forehead, whispering: "Forgive me. Once again, I've made you worry..."
百刃 shook his head and gently nestled closer in Qi Xiao's arms, murmuring: "I want to go with you to light incense for Empress Xiaoxian."
Qi Xiao nodded: "Alright."