Su Yan stood outside the palace with his sleeves folded, bowing slightly as he awaited the Emperor’s orders. Suddenly, he heard two sharp commands from within the hall. The first, “Get out!” was directed at expelling Yu Wang, and the second, “Get in here!” was summoning him.
Emperor Jinglong, usually calm and composed, was not one to shout in anger. It seemed this time he was truly furious, making Su Yan feel a little uneasy.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the dark purple hem of a robe embroidered with a coiling dragon and couldn’t resist sneaking a look.
Yu Wang’s footsteps paused briefly in front of him, and the two exchanged a glance.
Su Yan mouthed towards the hall: “What did the Emperor ask, and how did you answer?”
Yu Wang, showing no intention of coordinating their stories, smirked with a teasing expression and made a playful air-kiss gesture before walking off.
Irritated, Su Yan decided to go with Plan B in his strategy.
He chose to take a bold risk and make a scene.
Lan Xi quickly exited the hall and whispered in his ear, “The Emperor is furious, make sure to comply and don’t oppose him.” With that, he escorted Su Yan inside, closed the door behind him, and withdrew.
Su Yan noticed that the hall was empty of any attendants. Emperor Jinglong sat by a table near the window, holding a yellow-glazed teacup. His face was grim, and his eyes, cold and penetrating, scrutinized Su Yan. It felt as if he had returned to that day of the imperial examination, where he faced the Emperor for the first time and was nearly punished with the staff right off the bat.
This “accidentally deleting your progress and being sent back to the beginner’s village” kind of feeling… Su Yan took a deep breath and walked steadily before the Emperor, kneeling down in salute.
“Su Yan,” the Emperor said coldly.
Before the Emperor could utter a third word, Su Yan gathered his breath and, with his chest resonating, spoke first: “Your Majesty, I have a matter to report!”
The Emperor was momentarily taken aback.
“I am not an official of the Censorate and know that I have no authority to offer remonstrations or monitor. What I am about to say is bold, and though it may lead to my dismissal, I must speak it.” Su Yan calmly removed his black gauze cap and placed it on the floor beside him.
The Emperor felt a strange sense of déjà vu, recalling how officials of the Censorate would occasionally perform this very act in court. First, they would remove their official hats to show their defiance, indicating they were unafraid of losing their position or even their head. Next, they would hurl accusations at someone mercilessly. As the ruler, he would have to listen patiently; otherwise, he would be accused of silencing opposition.
This boy, although barely an official for a few days, had learned the ways of the clean-stream faction well. The Emperor, secretly annoyed, sneered, “With this stance, who are you planning to impeach?”
Unexpectedly, Su Yan replied, “No one. I’m here as the aggrieved party to lodge a personal complaint.”
The Emperor: “?”
“Your Majesty, Yu Wang has been harassing me. Since the Banquet of Honor, there have been three incidents in total. He has grabbed my hand, touched my waist, and even kissed me! His arrogance is unbearable! I beg Your Majesty to deliver justice on my behalf!” Su Yan wore a face of righteous indignation.
The Emperor: “…”
“Yu Wang is of noble royal lineage and holds a prestigious position. But I, too, am a man of integrity from a family steeped in scholarly tradition, with an unsullied reputation and virtuous upbringing. If he dares to rely on his status to humiliate and oppress me, I would rather smash my head on the imperial steps and die than let him succeed!”
The Emperor, seeing Su Yan’s expression filled with righteous indignation as he glanced around, seemingly searching for a pillar to end his life against, felt a headache coming on. With a hand to his forehead, he sighed.
“I understand you feel aggrieved, but let’s skip the part where you prove your resolve by seeking death,” the Emperor said helplessly.
Su Yan, however, remained defiant. “Is Your Majesty accusing me of putting on a show? Fine, then I’ll demonstrate my sincerity!” He rose, fixed his eyes on the sturdy leg of the plum-blossom-patterned zitan table beside the Emperor’s chair, and charged at it with his eyes closed.
The Emperor reached out effortlessly, catching Su Yan’s head and pressing it onto his lap. Both exasperated and amused, he said, “Alright, alright, stop throwing a tantrum. It’s my oversight. I knew Yu Wang had questionable character, yet I still allowed him to teach you archery. That was unfair to you.”
Seizing the moment, Su Yan rested his head on the Emperor’s knee, tempted to clutch the imperial leg and wail dramatically to amplify his grievance. Ultimately, his sense of dignity held him back. He muttered, “I feel wronged.”
“I know,” the Emperor said soothingly, stroking the back of Su Yan’s head. He found the young man’s childish petulance endearing, distinct from the memories of his own son Helin seeking his attention in childhood. A faint, forbidden thrill stirred within him, as subtle and ephemeral as silk threads brushing against his heart.
Unconsciously, the Emperor’s fingers slid down to Su Yan’s temple and pinched his soft, pale earlobe, kneading it gently. The sensation was tender and smooth, reminiscent of freshly bloomed crabapple petals or chilled pear syrup infused with mint—delicate, fragrant, and sweet. This tactile pleasure ignited a heat and tension within the Emperor that he struggled to suppress.
Immersed in his portrayal of a victim, Su Yan remained oblivious to the slight impropriety in this action.
“I once tried to smash his face with a chessboard but missed,” Su Yan said.
“When was this?”
“A few days after I was caned in court. I could barely move at the time, and it happened in my courtyard.”
“He tried to take advantage of your vulnerability? He deserved it.”
“I also puked in the woods behind the hall.”
“I know.”
“How does Your Majesty know? Could it be that Yu Wang was shameless enough to bring it up?”
The Emperor, unwilling to admit that he had stationed spies in the woods to monitor the situation, gave a vague “mmm.”
Su Yan fumed. “I have never encountered such a shameless person in my life!”
The Emperor nodded. “He was in the wrong and owes you an apology. I’ll order him to make amends, and you can decide the terms—don’t let him off lightly. I’ve also given him a stern reprimand and instructed him to stay far away from you in the future.”
Finally appeased, Su Yan lifted his head, stepped back, and bowed to express his gratitude.
The Emperor immediately felt an emptiness on his knee, as if he had lost the alluring warmth and faint fragrance that had stirred his emotions. Suppressing his feelings with great effort, he steadied his thoughts before speaking again. “Put your official cap back on. I have something to ask you.”
Su Yan knew when to stop. He replaced his black cap and waited respectfully for the Emperor’s questions.
The Emperor pointed to a nearby chair, indicating that Su Yan should sit as well.
Once Su Yan sat properly, the Emperor asked, “What do you think of Ye Donglou’s death?”
The Emperor often used the phrase “What do you think?”—a question that made Su Yan wary, suspecting it was a trap.
Moreover, this was a murder case, and in his previous life, he hadn’t studied criminal investigation. What could he possibly say? All that came to mind were two famous quotes: “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth,” and “No matter how perfect the crime seems, as long as it’s done by humans, there’s always a way to unravel it.”
However, it was of no use at all.
He quickly flashed through the detective movies he had seen in his mind and, after careful consideration, replied, “I don’t have any particular insight into solving cases, just a few humble thoughts. If what I say is incorrect, I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
The emperor waved his fingers, signaling him to skip the formalities and get straight to the point.
“I have only two questions. First, who was missing from the archery field the moment before Ye Donglou fell?” He smiled slightly. “To be honest with Your Majesty, I wasn’t present at the scene, so I’m also a suspect.”
At that time, he had been eavesdropping on Fengan Marquis and had also been forcefully kissed by a Embroidered Uniform Guard officer against a pillar. Of course, he couldn’t confess any of this. He planned to say, if asked, that he had gone to fetch his belt.
“There were many people on the field, each busy with their own tasks, coming and going. It’s hard to determine now who might have been absent at that moment,” Emperor Jinglong pondered, but suddenly his eyes lit up as he blurted out, “The court artists.”
Within the palace, there were many court painters serving in the inner chambers of Renzhi and Wuying Palaces, tasked with painting portraits of emperors, meritorious officials, and decorative pieces like flower screens or murals. On important occasions or during major events, it was customary for them to record the scene in what was known as a “court painting.”
For this year’s Dragon Boat archery event, there were several court painters accompanying the emperor, not just one.
Before Ye Donglou fell, the crown prince had just claimed victory and was thanking the emperor for the reward. Such an important moment would surely have been recorded in a painting. If they retrieved those paintings and examined them carefully, perhaps they could discover who was missing from the scene.
Of course, there was also a chance they’d find nothing.
If the culprit had disguised themselves as a eunuch, palace maid, or guard, they might not have been included in the painting at all. Even if they noticed a missing servant, it would be hard to know who was behind it.
Still, it was a lead.
“You’ve got quite a clever little brain.” The emperor tapped his forehead with a finger, his tone more intimate than proper for an emperor addressing a subject, almost like a teasing Father to his son.
Su Yan quickly flattered him, “It’s Your Majesty’s wisdom that guides me.”
“What’s your second question?”
“Second, where is the murder weapon? The coroner said that Ye Langzhong’s abdomen had been wounded by a short sword or dagger. I think that after the culprit stabbed him, it’s unlikely they stayed on the tower. They’d need to escape the scene within a brief time to avoid being surrounded by the guards.
They wouldn’t have had enough time to get far, and since the area around Longde Hall was sealed off after the incident, the killer may have hidden the bloody clothes and weapon nearby, hoping to disappear into the crowd unnoticed. It’s very likely that the evidence is still hidden somewhere near the auxiliary building. If we search the area thoroughly, we might find the weapon.”
The emperor nodded and asked, “If the culprit stabbed Ye Donglou and then fled, how did they time it so perfectly that he fell from the tower exactly half a moment later?”
Su Yan thought for a moment before replying, “After stabbing Ye Donglou, the culprit might have propped him against the railing, using some support point and a mechanism connected to a timer… But how could they have predicted the exact moment when Imperial Concubine Wei would pass by the steps? That part I can’t figure out.”
The emperor stared at him. “Do you think the real target wasn’t Ye Donglou, but Imperial Concubine Wei and her unborn child?”
Su Yan shook his head. “I can’t say for sure. Maybe there was no mechanism at all. Ye Donglou, heavily wounded and barely conscious, might have twitched and fallen over by accident, which then startled the Imperial Concubine.”
The emperor sipped a few mouthfuls of cold tea, deep in thought, saying nothing.
Just then, a palace attendant rushed in with urgent news. Lan Xi, understanding the gravity of the matter, hurried inside to report that Imperial Concubine Wei had safely delivered a prince, and both mother and child were healthy.
Since the emperor’s marriage at the age of sixteen, he had only fathered three daughters and one son. Crown Prince Zhu Helin was the only son, born to the late Empress Zhang, while the three princesses were born of concubines.
The emperor had never been passionate about women and rarely spent time in the harem, resulting in few women of high rank, and none who could claim exclusive favor. The empress position had remained vacant for years, with no indication of appointing a successor. Ministers often expressed concern that the lack of imperial offspring was detrimental to the state, urging the emperor to take more concubines, though without much success.
Thus, when Imperial Concubine Wei, who had only been in the palace for two years, quickly became pregnant and earned the emperor’s favor, the entire court paid close attention. Now, with the birth of a prince, those ministers who had been pushing the emperor to produce more heirs would surely be ecstatic.
Su Yan couldn’t help but glance at the emperor’s expression.
There was joy on the emperor’s face, but it was restrained and measured. Compared to the nervous, excited, and wall-pounding new fathers he had seen in hospital delivery rooms in his previous life, the emperor’s reaction could almost be described as indifferent.
This monarch, who had ushered in the “Jinglong Revival” and the “Xuanwu Reforms,” couldn’t possibly be asexual, right? Su Yan wondered irreverently, even though there was no mention of this in historical records. Perhaps some unofficial gossip existed?
The emperor set down his teacup and said to Su Yan, “I’m going to see Imperial Concubine Wei. You are dismissed.”
He then turned to Lan Xi and ordered him to relay the command to continue sealing off the crime scene and have the Embroidered Uniform Guard search thoroughly around the auxiliary tower for the murder weapon. He also instructed that all court paintings from that day be sealed and stored until he had visited Imperial Concubine Wei and her son, at which time the paintings would be opened and reviewed.
As soon as Su Yan exited the hall, he was met with the head eunuch’s complex expression, staring at him in awe.
After walking a few steps, Lan Xi finally sighed and said, “You’re quite the talent, young nephew! Being able to act both charming and pitiful in front of the emperor, moving with such ease. Besides you, no one else could manage that. No, not even little master has mastered it to such perfection. Impressive!”
Su Yan blushed, realizing only now how embarrassed he should feel about his earlier behavior. “I’m inexperienced and made a fool of myself in front of you, Uncle.”
“Not at all. As long as you can please the emperor, win his trust and favor, that’s the greatest skill of all,” Lan Xi said with a sly smile, as if admiring a rare treasure.
Just as the two reached the palace gates, they saw Crown Prince Zhu Helin striding towards them, his expression dark. He had likely heard the news of the newborn prince.
Lan Xi, a seasoned veteran of thirty years in the palace, immediately bowed and excused himself, saying he had to deliver the emperor’s orders. He left without another word, leaving Su Yan alone to face the crown prince’s simmering rage.
