Even the finest wood of the doors and windows could not block the Emperor’s furious voice from within.
The attendants and guards standing outside the door remained expressionless, as if they could hear nothing.
But what would happen to this Lady Cheng?
Would she lower her head to hide her expression?
The attendants secretly glanced over and saw that the girl still stood straight, her head not lowered in the slightest. Her expression was even more impassive than theirs.
Truly, she lived up to being a disciple of the immortals, showing no fear in the face of the Emperor’s wrath. Who knew what she was thinking at this moment?
How interesting.
Cheng Jiao-niang thought, her gaze fixed on the palace door before her.
So this was how the important ministers recorded in the history books confronted the Emperor.
This Master Gao, who left a significant mark in the historical records, was deeply respected by the Emperor. He once reprimanded the Emperor to his face, causing the Emperor to storm off in anger and hide in the inner palace, refusing to see him. In the end, the Emperor still accepted Master Gao’s admonitions, which became recorded in history as a celebrated tale of a wise ruler and an honest minister.
The scene described in just a few short sentences in the books was now unfolding before her eyes, and the feeling was… quite intriguing.
She wondered if she would soon witness the Emperor storming off in anger to avoid the confrontation.
The corner of Cheng Jiao-niang’s eye twitched slightly. She did not see the Emperor storm off in anger, but she did notice an attendant lowering his head and hurriedly walking away, disappearing around the corridor.
…
In Consort An’s palace, the consort, who was now able to sit up halfway, was being carefully fed medicinal soup by her maid. Upon hearing this, she immediately burst into a fit of coughing.
“Your Highness! This is terrible!” she cried out in a trembling voice.
On a nearby folding chair, Empress Dowager sat with her eyes closed, as if she hadn’t heard the young eunuch’s words at all.
“Take your medicine,” she said. “Hurry and stabilize your pulse. Otherwise, when Master Gao brings all the doctors from the Imperial Medical Institute to examine you, that will truly be terrible.”
At these words, Consort An’s already pale face turned ashen. She grabbed the medicine bowl, forgoing the maid’s assistance, and gulped it down in a few hurried swallows, choking and coughing violently.
“Your Highness, Your Highness,” she called out between coughs, her voice trembling with fear.
The Empress still sat on the folding chair, smiling as she opened her eyes.
“What are you afraid of? You had the nerve to claim you only conceived on the day Duke Jin’an sent the pastries, and you even dared to insist it was the Emperor’s child when the imperial doctor diagnosed an unstable pregnancy. You’re quite bold – why the fear now?” she said with a laugh.
Consort An began to sob.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, it’s not that I’m bold – I was foolish…” she cried.
“Foolish?” The Empress cut her off, sitting up straight. “Even foolish methods aren’t necessarily useless.”
Consort An looked at her, wiping her tears.
“But… but if His Majesty becomes suspicious…” she said anxiously.
“His Majesty will be suspicious,” the Empress replied. “Suspicion is second nature to him.”
Consort An nodded repeatedly, her tears flowing even more heavily.
“Your Highness, you promised me a good life… I don’t want to die yet…” she wept.
“Silence,” the Empress said.
Consort An immediately obeyed, falling silent and gazing at the Empress with tear-filled eyes.
“His Majesty will be suspicious, but there’s someone who will draw his suspicion before us. So, there’s no need to worry,” the Empress said, rising to her feet. “This time, my luck is just a little bit better.”
Sometimes, being just a little bit luckier is all it takes.
In the Hall of Diligent Governance, Gao Lingjun watched the Emperor’s furious outburst and thought to himself:
The fact that he could stand here in time was actually thanks to the absurd marriage proposal between Young Master Gao and Lady Cheng. Otherwise, he would still be outside, and by the time he learned of the incident in the palace and rushed back, it would have been too late.
So, perhaps this matter wasn’t entirely unfortunate after all.
The Emperor, who had been angrily uttering words unbefitting a sovereign, suddenly halted.
“I understand now.”
“I know why this happened.”
“This matter is indeed my fault.”
Gao Lingjun frowned slightly.
“Your Majesty, my words earlier were excessive. In truth, ‘the flaw lies not in the jade, but in the one who covets it’…” He bowed as he spoke.
“I know exactly what you rely on,” the Emperor interrupted, his face no longer angry as he stood on the steps, looking down at Gao Lingjun from above.
“You“? “Relay on“? What did he mean?
Gao Lingjun was taken aback by the Emperor’s sudden shift in demeanor – he had actually calmed down again.
It seemed that many things had truly slipped beyond his control.
This time, his departure from the capital might indeed have been a misstep…
“…Master Gao, it’s not that you fear someone speculating about my intentions – it’s that you don’t fear it at all.”
The Emperor spoke, let out a slow breath, and gradually turned back to take his seat.
“You have no fear because the act of framing the Imperial Consort is too clumsy to be believed – it would only bring humiliation upon itself.”
“How could the Imperial Consort possibly harm Consort An? Just because she is carrying a child of mine?”
“The Imperial Consort already has her own son, who has now grown into a man and been enfeoffed as a prince. As for this small, unborn fetus – whether it will even survive to adulthood is unknown and unpredictable. Why would the Imperial Consort risk a secure position, known to all, for such an uncertain matter?”
That was the logic of it, yet the tone in which the Emperor spoke was peculiar, leaving one with a sense of unease.
“Your Majesty is wise,” Gao Lingjun said, bowing in respect.
The Emperor settled back into his seat and looked at Gao Lingjun, nodding slowly.
“Indeed, this is a truth known to all. Therefore, no one would ever believe that the Imperial Consort could commit such an act. They would only think it was either an accident or that Consort An had ill intentions,” he said. “So, for the Imperial Consort, this is a perfect opportunity. Even if she did it, no one would suspect her…”
Gao Lingjun was instantly enraged.
This foolish Emperor – it turned out he hadn’t come to his senses at all!
He had started to think, but only with a muddled mind!
The intention was to make him suspicious, but not in this way!
How absurd that the Emperor could even conceive of such reasoning!
“Your Majesty, if we follow this logic, then there are no truly innocent people in this world. Everyone is a murderer, everyone is a wrongdoer!” he exclaimed, eyebrows furrowed tightly. Gripping his ceremonial tablet, he took a step forward, his voice even louder than before. “Your Majesty, you must not ‘suspect your neighbor over a lost axe’! If Your Majesty harbors such doubts in your heart, how can you rule with fairness? If we argue that the Imperial Consort is suspicious precisely because she has a way to evade suspicion, then the same could be said for Consort An – she could just as easily be framed in this manner!”
What kind of convoluted, chaotic reasoning was this?!
“I know.” The Emperor raised his hand to stop Gao Lingjun. This time, he did not react with anger to the minister’s aggressive tone, his expression remaining calm. “I understand what you mean, but this situation is different from others.”
“Master Gao, the logic of this matter is clear to everyone, and the incident itself is clumsy and laughable.”
“However, there is one thing that very few people know about – something even I was unaware of, something only the Imperial Consort knew.”
What?
Gao Lingjun’s expression turned to one of astonishment.
“Whether you know about it or not, even I cannot say,” the Emperor continued.
“Your Majesty!” Gao Lingjun raised his voice once again.
“Gao Lingjun,” the Emperor interrupted him again, “are you aware that before the lunar eclipse, the Taibai star traversed the sky?”
What?
Gao Lingjun was taken aback.
The Taibai star traversing the sky?
Before this thought could fully form, the idea that had crossed his mind before entering resurfaced. Instinctively, he turned to look toward the door.
That girl! So, she hadn’t come to treat the imperial consorts and concubines at all!
“The appearance of Taibai, coinciding with the lunar eclipse, foretells danger for the Crown Prince.”
The Emperor’s voice continued to echo in his ears.
Danger for the Crown Prince.
A shiver ran down Gao Lingjun’s spine.
“Your Majesty, this is nothing but nonsense…” he protested.
“Summon Lady Cheng,” the Emperor commanded directly.
The attendants’ movements cut off Gao Lingjun’s words. The door was pushed open, and Cheng Jiao-niang entered.
“Lady Cheng, I have summoned you to ask one thing,” the Emperor said, looking at Cheng Jiao-niang as she bowed, getting straight to the point. “Was Taibai traversing the sky before the fifteenth of last December?”
“Your Majesty, yes, it was,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied with a bow.
Gao Lingjun, no longer anxious now, stood to the side, observing the exchange between the Emperor and Cheng Jiao-niang.
“And does the appearance of Taibai, coinciding with the lunar eclipse, signify danger for the Crown Prince?” the Emperor asked again.
“Your Majesty, yes, it does,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.
“The appearance of Taibai, with a guest star seen near the Northern Dipper – does this signify that one is destined to rule the world?” the Emperor asked once more.
If the previous two statements had been of little consequence, this one made Gao Lingjun’s heart skip a beat.
The phrase was all too familiar.
Back when the Great Emperor ascended the throne, the Imperial Observatory had presented a celestial chart showing Taibai appearing in the quadrant corresponding to the Qin region, foretelling that the Great Emperor, then the Prince of Qin, was destined to rule the world. It was this omen that ultimately set him apart from his brothers and secured his position.
Now, such a phenomenon had occurred again.
Gao Lingjun’s heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.
If even he was stirred by this, one could only imagine how the Imperial Consort must have felt upon hearing it…
Cheng Jiao-niang’s voice reached his ears.
“Your Majesty, yes, it does.”
The Emperor nodded and turned to look at Gao Lingjun.
“Master Gao, do you understand now?” he asked.
Gao Lingjun let out a soft sigh.
“Your Majesty, I do not understand,” he replied, casting a glance at Cheng Jiao-niang.
“With your profound knowledge of the classics, how could you not understand?” the Emperor asked coolly.
“Your Majesty, I naturally understand the matter of Taibai,” Gao Lingjun said with a faint smile. “What I do not understand is why, when the court has the Bureau of Astronomy and the Imperial Observatory, Your Majesty chooses not to consult your officials but instead turns to this Lady Cheng?”
As his words fell, he noticed Cheng Jiao-niang glance at him.
This Master Gao is growing anxious, Cheng Jiao-niang thought to herself.
If he could think of it, how could the Emperor not have considered it? Did he truly believe the Emperor would take her words at face value?
The Emperor’s questioning of her was merely to seek confirmation.
And since he sought confirmation, it naturally meant he had already learned of it from another source.
From this perspective, this Master Gao seemed somewhat different from the figure recorded in the history books – not quite the kind of person whose words could force the Emperor to retreat.
But that was hardly surprising. After all, historical records were written by people, inevitably colored by the writers’ biases and emotions – whether to embellish or to disparage. One could never take them entirely at face value.
The Emperor looked at Gao Lingjun and smiled.
“Because I understand that words are just words – anyone can speak them, and while they can be heard, they should not be fully trusted. So, after hearing the Bureau of Astronomy’s report, I still sought further verification by summoning Lady Cheng to confirm,” he said.
Gao Lingjun was taken aback and suddenly understood.
Impossible!
If the Bureau of Astronomy had known about Taibai traversing the sky, there was no way he would not have known! Such a significant matter could not have been kept from him by the Bureau of Astronomy! And to have kept it hidden for so long – since last year… since last year…
“Summon the Supervisor of the Bureau of Astronomy and the others.”
The Emperor’s voice echoed in his ears, followed by the sound of footsteps and the opening and closing of doors, one after another, ringing in Gao Lingjun’s mind.
Indeed, something was wrong. This feeling was all too familiar.
It wasn’t the first time he had experienced this. Last year, during the lunar eclipse, he had intended to use the event to drive Chen Shao out of the court. Instead, Chen Shao had turned the tables and used the Maoping snow disaster to force him out.
The Maoping snow disaster.
That incident, which he had overlooked due to deliberate sabotage.
This time, it was the same – he had been kept in the dark about the appearance of Taibai.
But how was this possible? What was the point of hiding this from him? Moreover, this wasn’t like the Maoping snow disaster. Such a significant matter, concealed from him and even from the Emperor – why would anyone bring it up again unless they had a death wish?
“…Your servant, Guo Yuan…”
The voice in the hall snapped Gao Lingjun back to attention. He saw that the hall was no longer occupied by just the three of them – officials from the Bureau of Astronomy had now joined them.
Guo Yuan.
The man who had staked his life on predicting the lunar eclipse.
Was it he who had spoken?
Gao Lingjun couldn’t help but turn his gaze to the young man bowing in the hall.
If it was indeed him, with the merit of predicting the lunar eclipse, he would surely have gained the Emperor’s trust.
“…It was I who observed the appearance of Taibai at the time. However… however, I thought I might have been mistaken, so I did not dare to report it…”
“…Your Majesty, Guo Yuan did mention it back then, but the rest of us did not witness it. Moreover, our calculations were focused on the lunar eclipse, so we devoted all our efforts to that and overlooked the traversal of Taibai…”
“…Although it was not reported, we recorded it in secret. I do not know how it was leaked…”
How could it have been leaked for no reason?
Gao Lingjun almost laughed in disbelief.
Nothing in this world happens without a cause! Naturally, someone must have wanted this information to come out, and so it did!
No – or rather, someone with ulterior motives had suppressed it for so long, waiting for the right moment to reveal it.
And the right moment was precisely when he, Gao Lingjun, had left the capital.
In an instant, it was as if a veil had been lifted from Gao Lingjun’s eyes. A cold sweat trickled down to the soles of his feet.
“Your Majesty, even if this celestial phenomenon occurred, it does not justify such claims!” He raised his head, spoke loudly, and took a step forward.
The Emperor looked at him, his expression unreadable.
“Because… there is no Crown Prince at present,” Gao Lingjun forced himself to say through gritted teeth.
The Emperor burst into laughter upon hearing this.
“No Crown Prince?” he said with a laugh. “So, in your hearts and minds, Prince Ping is not the one and only inevitable Crown Prince?”
“Without Your Majesty’s explicit decree and public proclamation, Prince Ping is not the Crown Prince,” Gao Lingjun insisted. “We would never dare to presume such a thing in our hearts. Your Majesty, please see clearly!”
The Emperor laughed again.
“Good, good, good,” he said. “You’re right. Without a public proclamation, there is indeed no Crown Prince. That means anyone could potentially become the Crown Prince.”
“Taibai traversing the sky, a guest star appearing near the Northern Dipper – this signifies one destined to rule the world.”
The Emperor stood up and looked directly at Gao Lingjun.
“If Consort An gives birth to a son, Prince Ping, the undesignated Crown Prince, will be in danger.”
“If Consort An loses her child, perhaps he will still be in danger as the Crown Prince.”
“So, no matter what happens, it fulfills the prophecy of ‘danger for the Crown Prince.'”
“Master Gao, do you still believe that this ‘accident’ involving Consort An is a minor matter? A clumsy, foolish incident?”
This was no clumsy, foolish trick! It was clearly an intricately laid scheme!
Gao Lingjun nearly snapped his ceremonial tablet in his hand.
What a meticulously crafted game this was!
Chef kiss :*