Chapter 39: Anger Part 2

The Emperor permitted it, and in came a courtier in purple official robes with a grizzled beard. He kowtowed in salute, then rose and said, “Your Majesty, in the corpse of the guard from the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion, we discovered that the true cause of death was not the sword wound, but poison on the sword. Both the coroners and imperial physicians agree that the poison matches the one that killed the Third Prince.”

“The same poison,” the Emperor’s previously mild gaze turned sharp with three parts ferocity. He stood and paced the hall. “What a joke! Such incidents happening repeatedly in the imperial city— this is Great Qi’s Imperial Capital, not a slaughterhouse. If word spreads, how will foreign realms view our Great Qi?”

The Minister of Punishments, Li Ganzhi, who was already kneeling, prostrated himself even lower. Yuan Qingming, who had been seated steadily moments before, also rose and knelt, calling out, “Your Majesty, calm your anger!”

The undercurrents in the court were treacherous, unpredictable even to the Emperor himself. He couldn’t help but recall the rumors raised that morning. In just one day, he realized they were deliberately spread by someone with intent. Now that they implicated his third son, he had to confront them formally—whether to kill a chicken to warn the monkeys or capture the culprits, he must investigate to the bottom.

If the assassins grew even more rampant, more people in the Imperial Capital would die!

He immediately ordered, “Yuan Qingming, investigate the source of this morning’s rumors—who is behind it? Get to the bottom of it. Li Ganzhi, combine the Third Prince’s poisoning case with today’s incident into one. Search the entire city for the assassins.”

His words rang out with forceful resolve, unlike his usual feeble emptiness. With such arrangements, his intentions were clear. Yuan Qingming slightly raised his eyes and caught the murderous glint in the Emperor’s gaze, feeling a chill in his heart.

Tonight, the Imperial Capital was another sleepless night. The candles in Splendid Clarity Palace burned until dawn, and the Second Prince’s Mansion was the same.

Yet the people of the Pingnan Prince’s Mansion slept soundly through the night.

Xun Changqing had the habit of rising early from her time on Lingyun Mountain. She awoke before dawn, but with no elders in the prince’s mansion, she didn’t need to pay morning respects. After waking, Zi Jin pressed her back to sleep for another hour. When she rose again, the sky was already bright.

While washing up after waking, she inquired about Wei Lingci’s condition. Zi Jin stood by; Xun Changqing was accustomed to handling these small matters herself without assistance, giving Zi Jin time to answer. “Miss Wei’s wound became inflamed in the first half of the night, likely due to improper treatment, and she developed a low fever. Fortunately, it subsided in the latter half. The maids kept watch, and there’s no major issue.”

A maid on the side placed breakfast on the table and added charcoal to the brazier nearby. The Imperial Capital grew cold faster than Jiangnan; it was now the season for charcoal warming. Once everything was prepared, they all withdrew together.

Xun Changqing picked up the ladle and stirred the congee a few times. She heard Zi Jin say, “Last night, the Imperial Guards didn’t stop all night—they sealed off First Tower and arrested Shao Tang into the Ministry of Punishments.”

These few words contained much information. Xun Changqing calmly took a sip of congee, a smile tugging at her lips as she replied, “The Shao Family’s legitimate son—how could His Majesty bear to touch him? First Tower is a brothel, isn’t it? Is there something wrong with visiting a brothel? And what was the Right Chancellor’s reaction?”

Xun Changqing had matured much compared to before; her questions hit the key points. Zi Jin had expected her to ask and replied, “The rumors that spread yesterday came from Shao Tang drunkenly boasting at First Tower. It wasn’t a big deal on its own, but coinciding with the assassination attempt on you, plus the poison on the guards matching the one that killed the Third Prince—His Majesty’s fury can be imagined. He arrested Shao Tang first to interrogate the reason.”

Zi Jin had investigated last night’s events so thoroughly, which must have taken considerable effort—she surely had people planted in the Ministry of Punishments. Recalling her mother’s time in the capital, Xun Changqing asked, “Did Mother leave anyone in the Imperial Capital?”

Zi Jin’s expression changed slightly. Unwilling to hide from the County Princess, she spoke truthfully, “The Princess Consort left several people in the capital, but some were lost. Only about three in ten remain, and they can’t be fully trusted yet. Allow this subordinate to verify them one by one before reporting back.”

“That works; I trust how you handle things,” Xun Changqing said. After setting down her bowl and chopsticks, she rose and headed toward the western chamber.

Glancing up inadvertently, she saw a few snowflakes drifting down. The tiny flakes melted upon touching the ground, wetting it instantly. Xun Changqing jogged into the corridor. Xian Yu guarded the door, apparently without sleep all night—her spirits were low, with dark circles under her eyes.

Xun Changqing signaled her to rest, but Xian Yu shook her head, her face grave. “I’ll rest after Miss wakes.”

Pitying her loyalty, Xun Changqing softened her tone. “No need. If you don’t trust the prince’s mansion people, I can guard her personally—would that work?”

Xian Yu stood firm without budging, refusing to yield. “You’re just a child yourself—how can you care for Miss? You should go rest.”

This treated her like an immature child. Seeing her persistence, and having no authority to reprimand Wei Lingci’s maid, Xun Changqing suppressed her temper. “I’m not a child. Go ahead and rest; I’ll watch her and guarantee not to leave her side.”

Her repeated assurances only displeased Xian Yu further. She looked up and said, “How are you not a child? Yesterday, you just said a few words to Miss, and it caused her wound to split open and gave her a low fever. Even clumsy children aren’t as rough-handed as you.”