Late at night, Xing Muzheng sat alone in a quiet room beside the Imperial Study, facing a solitary lamp. That day, Emperor Taikang, unable to get the answer he wanted, had flown into a rage, made him kneel in the study all afternoon, and now ordered him to spend the night reflecting here until he “figured things out.”
Xing Muzheng’s face showed no anxiety. He held a copy of the Dao De Jing the Emperor had left him, but hadn’t turned a single page for a long while. He was thinking about how Qian Jiaoniang would react upon hearing he’d been confined—most likely not sadness or worry, but pounding the table and cursing him for being cunning.
At the thought, he sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he couldn’t help but smile.
It seemed he’d guessed right.
Meanwhile, upon hearing that Xing Muzheng had been confined in the palace, Qian Jiaoniang slapped her thigh in anger, shouting that she’d been duped. She truly felt she’d been careless—what a perfect chance this was! If she went now and added fuel to the fire, wouldn’t that drive him into a corner?
But unfortunately… she had promised him she wouldn’t do anything.
Qingya found it quite strange. “Jiaoniang, could it be you knew the Marquis was going to be put under house arrest, so you stopped that matter first?” The “matter” Qingya referred to was the plan Qian Jiaoniang had prepared the day she went to Wuling Temple.
Qian Jiaoniang sighed repeatedly. “If I’d known he was going to be put under house arrest, I would have all the more not wanted to stop that matter!”
“Then why did you…”
“Ah, I was taken in. Best not to mention it.” Qian Jiaoniang waved her hand listlessly. What a pity—it might have been the one and only golden opportunity!
Qingya stared at her for a long while, then hesitantly asked, “You… truly aren’t worried about the Marquis? He’s been put under house arrest. Being close to the ruler is like being close to a tiger—there’s no telling if the Marquis might soon lose his head.”
Qian Jiaoniang gave a cold laugh. “Worry about him? Better to worry about myself.” She turned her head and called Hongjuan in. “Quickly, go ask Master Hong when we can leave!”
***
Yet although Qian Jiaoniang wasn’t worried, there was someone who worried so much they didn’t sleep a wink all night.
The next morning, Princess Jianan had her servants prepare a carriage at once. She didn’t even bother with scattering flower petals or making a grand display, and hurried straight to the palace. Emperor Taikang was in the Empress Dowager’s palace, sampling newly presented dried fruits. Seeing her arrive, he smiled, beckoning her over to eat as well.
Princess Jianan barely finished her salute before she rushed to speak ahead of her mother: “Elder Brother, what crime has Dingxi Marquis committed? Why have you put him under house arrest?”
Empress Dowager Huici was also greatly startled by this, but she had always lived with utmost caution. Even though the Emperor was her own son, she wouldn’t speak rashly; she only looked at him with a gaze full of surprise.
Emperor Taikang raised his brows. “Little Sister, your news travels quickly!”
Princess Jianan stamped her foot in anger. “Elder Brother, such a huge thing has happened, and you still try to dodge me! You can’t possibly be doing this just because of what happened yesterday in the Crown Prince’s manor, can you?”
“The Crown Prince’s manor? What happened there yesterday?” the Emperor asked.
Princess Jianan paused, stammering, “N-nothing important! Anyway, what exactly did Dingxi Marquis do to offend you so much that you had to put him under house arrest? He’s one of Xie Dynasty’s great generals—your actions will chill your ministers’ hearts!”
The Emperor didn’t get angry. Stroking his beard, he turned to the Empress Dowager. “Royal Mother, I’ve been thinking, it’s really time we found a prince consort for Jianan.”
The Empress Dowager quickly nodded. “Yes, yes, the Emperor is right.”
Princess Jianan shook her mother’s arm furiously. “Royal Mother, just listen to what my Royal brother is saying! I’m talking serious matters with him, and he’s only teasing me!”
The Empress Dowager’s bejeweled hair ornaments were nearly shaken off. She sighed, “How can your lifelong marriage be considered teasing you?”
Originally, Princess Jianan had been betrothed to a princess consort. Just before the wedding, his father died, and according to custom, he had to observe three years of mourning. The Emperor had wanted to dissolve the engagement and find another, but Jianan refused. When the mourning period was nearly over and they were about to wed, the man suddenly died. Later, the Emperor found her another match, but before the wedding, he died as well. Thus her marriage had been delayed again and again, and she had yet to marry. She herself wasn’t anxious, but the Empress Dowager prayed to the Bodhisattva in the palace every day.
“I’m not marrying! I’ll be a nun for life and keep Royal Mother company!” Jianan said in a huff.
The Emperor said, “If I were to marry you to Xing Muzheng… would you be willing?” His feelings toward Jianan were more like a father’s than a brother’s. She had been clever and adorable as a child, and he had practically raised her himself. He was deeply fond of this little sister.
Jianan’s eyes suddenly lit up, but she said nothing. The Empress Dowager, however, interjected, “No, no, Dingxi Marquis has a wife. We can’t have him kill his own wife, nor can we send our Jianan to be anyone’s equal wife!”
“Royal Mother!” Jianan bit her lip. “Elder Brother has clearly already ordered that village-girl wife of the Marquis to be divorced—just that, for some reason…” She suddenly stopped. She knew there had been such an imperial command but had kept quiet for fear someone might use it against Xing Muzheng. But surely her brother knew the Marquis had not obeyed the edict… Could it be—“Royal Brother, is that why you’ve put Dingxi Marquis under house arrest?”
The Emperor smiled. “Don’t make a fuss. Perhaps before long, you’ll have your wish.” Before Xing Muzheng’s triumphant return to the capital, the Emperor had intended to make him Jianan’s prince consort, but learning that Xing had an original wife and also intended to marry one of the three great talented ladies, Feng Yuyan, made him abandon the idea. Now, however, it seemed Xing Muzheng’s true match might be this little sister of his.
A eunuch entered and bowed. “Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites reports: the Crown Prince’s tutor Gong has hanged himself!”
The Crown Prince had been plagued by misfortune these past two days—failing to seduce the Marquis’s wife, causing the death of his beloved concubine, and now his teacher had committed suicide. Though Wu Hong had never liked that stubborn old man, and wasn’t much saddened by his death, the sudden suicide of such a respected figure drew crowds to the funeral. As the “beloved disciple,” he was expected to be grief-stricken.
Wu Hong did feel quite miserable—stuck here mourning the old man, unable to return to keep vigil over his concubine’s body, having to stand with a group of indignant scholars and vow to uncover the truth behind the tutor’s suicide.
Only when Wu Hong heard the news that Xing Muzheng had been locked up by the Emperor did his mood lighten somewhat. He had been heartbroken at the sight of Wan Hong’s tragic state and had wanted to kill Xing Muzheng on the spot. Now Xing had been seized by the Emperor for some unknown crime—how delightful!
Wu Hong grabbed his aide Fei Kui, who had brought the news. “Do you know why Xing Muzheng was taken?”
Fei Kui shook his head. “This humble student could not discover the truth. I only know that many ministers have gone to plead with His Majesty, but the Emperor refuses to heed their remonstrations or disclose the reason. However…”
Wu Hong pressed, “However what?”
“However, I suspect it may have something to do with Your Highness.”
“With me?”
Fei Kui nodded. “Indeed. Boldly speaking, why else would His Majesty suddenly put Dingxi Marquis under house arrest for no reason? I guess the offense he committed was killing Your Highness’s beloved concubine in the Crown Prince’s manor. Someone must have found out and secretly informed the Emperor. Even though the Marquis has already resigned as Grand Commander, his lingering prestige remains—merit so great it overshadows the ruler, a thorn in the imperial heart. I think the Emperor wants to use this matter to make a big move, deal with the Marquis, and pave the way for Your Highness.”
Wu Hong slapped his palm heavily. “Exactly! That’s what I think too! That Xing Muzheng, just because he has illustrious military merits, acts like no one else matters. Royal Father must have long wanted to get rid of him, but simply lacked the opportunity. Now, with this chance to take him down, Royal Father certainly won’t let it pass.” As long as Xing Muzheng was eliminated, then if foreign enemies invaded again, he could push one of his own trusted men into the position of Commander. With military power in hand, no matter how Third Brother tried to jump around, it would be useless!
Fei Kui laughed. “Isn’t that so? The Imperial Family values Your Highness so much—they’re also avenging you.”
“Hahaha! I’m the Crown Prince—of course Royal Father values me.” Wu Hong glanced at Fei Kui. That stubborn old fellow Fu Gong, aside from lecturing him, even had poor eyesight now. Yet this Fei Kui was clearly sharp-minded, but Fu Gong insisted he stay away from the man.
“Indeed… Only, Your Highness, the Imperial Family has confined Marquis Xing for several days now, yet there’s been no further movement. I wonder if His Majesty is still hesitating…”
“That’s exactly the sort of thing Royal Father would do,” Wu Hong sighed. “When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked; when all the birds are gone, the fine bow is put away. Royal Father should have found some pretext to remove him back when he returned in triumph to the capital—how many years has it been, and he’s still hesitating!”
“Your Highness speaks reason.” When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked—what a chilling thing to hear.
Wu Hong paced the study twice, then tore off the white mourning sash from his arm and threw it to the floor. “No, I must enter the palace and make Royal Father resolve himself once and for all!” Without waiting for Fei Kui to respond, he strode away in long steps.
Fei Kui picked up the white mourning sash slowly, blew the dust from it, and a satisfied smile gradually crept across his face.
