After Su Yan and Shen Qi took their leave, Zhu Helin sat in a daze for a moment, then, with disgust, stuffed the booklet of letters into his sleeve and rose to leave the imperial study.
Fubao hurried forward. “Where does Your Majesty intend to go? This servant will have a shoulder sedan prepared at once.”
Zhu Helin said, “To Longde Hall in the Eastern Garden, to pay respects to the Grand Empress Dowager. The sedan is too slow, bring me a horse.”
Fubao was somewhat surprised: Longde Hall was where the Grand Empress Dowager resided in seclusion. On the surface it was called quiet cultivation, but in reality it was not much different from house arrest. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he had not gone there even once, why was he suddenly going to pay respects now?
But seeing the emperor’s gloomy expression, he wisely kept silent and immediately brought over the imperial horse, Chixiafei.
Zhu Helin mounted the horse and spurred it on, galloping swiftly toward the Eastern Garden, followed as always by a group of guards scrambling to keep up.
The Eastern Garden was at the southeast corner of the imperial city; going out through the East Splendor Gate and heading south would reach it. Zhu Helin quickly arrived at the archery ground in front of Longde Hall. Without waiting for attendants to announce him, he strode up the steps, the hem of his crimson dragon robe fluttering with each step.
There were not many attendants serving at Longde Hall, most of them having followed from Cining Palace. Upon seeing the new emperor, they hurriedly knelt in salute. Only Qiong Gu stood up to stop him briefly and said, “Does Your Majesty wish to see the Grand Empress Dowager? This servant will go in and announce it.”
“No need. Must I seek permission from others to see whom I wish?” Zhu Helin shot her a mocking look. “A grandson has come to pay respects to his imperial grandmother, with filial devotion. Surely the Grand Empress Dowager will not take offense.”
“Filial devotion? For the emperor to say so truly leaves this old woman flattered beyond measure.” The Grand Empress Dowager walked out from the inner hall, dressed plainly with light makeup, a string of prayer beads in her hand, as though she had been reciting scriptures in the Buddha hall.
Zhu Helin quickly sized her up. No longer bearing the grandeur she had as Empress Dowager, she seemed to have lost a certain pride and spirit, her face appearing much more haggard and aged, looking entirely like a woman in her fifties.
At the sight of her, Zhu Helin recalled the bottle of poisoned wine at the Zhongshan mausoleum residence. It was as if the poison still lingered around her, making it unbearable for him to remain even a moment longer.
He pulled the booklet from his sleeve and tossed it onto the nearby table. “Recently this collection of letters has been circulating widely in the capital and various prefectural cities. Your grandson has come to ask Royal Grandmother to clarify its authenticity.”
Qiong Gu stepped forward, picked up the nearly falling-apart stitched booklet, and upon seeing one of the pages, her expression changed drastically. She instinctively tried to tuck it into her sleeve.
The Grand Empress Dowager said sternly, “Bring it here for me to see.”
Qiong Gu had no choice but to present the booklet to her.
The Grand Empress Dowager flipped through a few pages. Her face turned somewhat pale, but her eyes shone with a sharp light as she looked directly at Zhu Helin. “Has the emperor come to question me, or to accuse me?”
“What difference is there?” Zhu Helin countered.
“Of course there is! If you have come to ask, I can tell you about that old case, and whether it is true or false is for you to believe or not. If you have come to accuse, I have nothing to say. In any case, it is you who will have the headache, how you deal with it afterward is up to you. I will simply cultivate quietly in the deep palace; who could possibly curse me to my face?”
Zhu Helin saw that even now she maintained a tough stance, clearly her nature would not change. But since he had expected it, he was not angered but instead smiled. “Royal Grandmother truly is someone who has handled great matters, so composed. Since I have already said I came to verify its authenticity, naturally I am here to ask first.”
The Grand Empress Dowager gave Qiong Gu a slight nod. After a moment’s hesitation, Qiong Gu reluctantly signaled for the palace maids to leave the hall with her, then shut the doors tightly.
Only the two of them remained inside, grandmother and grandson, yet also political enemies, forced at this moment to endure each other and speak.
The Grand Empress Dowager lowered her gaze to the booklet, turning the pages one by one, her tone cold and rigid. “These letters are forged; they were not written by me back then.”
Zhu Helin said, “Where there is smoke, there may be fire. If they are forged, how did the other party come to know of your private matters within Qin Wang’s residence?”
The Grand Empress Dowager fell silent for a moment, then gave a faint sigh. “I was only sixteen when I entered Qin Wang’s residence. At that time, the Xianzu Emperor was busy with campaigns and was absent from the residence for ten months out of the year. As newlyweds, we were often apart. I was indeed lonely, so I retained the habit of corresponding with others.”
“Who was the other party?”
“He was the son of a bookkeeper from my maternal family. When we were young, we studied at the same private school, and as adults we got along quite well. Rather than childhood sweethearts, we were more like pen pals. When troubled, we would write letters to each other to pour out our feelings for comfort, but that was all. The letters in this booklet imitate my wording and tone, take fragments of private matters, and mix them with obscene language. It is clearly meant to deceive the masses and make people doubt your Royal Father’s legitimacy as emperor. Can you not see that?”
“So you did indeed correspond?” Zhu Helin thought briefly, then asked, “Were those letters leaked back then?”
The Grand Empress Dowager gave a faint cold laugh. “If one of those letters had not been secretly intercepted by Side Consort Mo, who thought she had grasped evidence of my scandal, how would there have been that later bloodshed in Qin Wang’s residence!”
Zhu Helin pressed further, “What exactly happened in the case at Qin Wang’s residence back then?”
The Grand Empress Dowager frowned, seemingly unwilling to recall the past, even though she ultimately won a great victory, she had lost a beloved son, which remained a lingering pain in her heart. She said briefly, “Side Consort Mo falsely accused me of adultery and even slandered that Tang’er and Cheng’er were born from my illicit affair. I was nearly driven into a desperate situation by her. Even after gaining the upper hand, she refused to stop, going further to harm my Xuan’er. In the end, I seized upon her flaw, counterattacked from the brink, and exposed her malicious scheme. The Xianzu Emperor believed me and had her imprisoned. Not long after, she died in her cell.”
Zhu Helin’s voice turned dry. “Consort Mo… was she truly making false accusations?”
The Grand Empress Dowager suddenly raised her head and stared at him, her voice sharp. “Of course! Back then I was pure and innocent, never having had relations with anyone. My three sons are all of the Xianzu Emperor’s bloodline!”
Zhu Helin had also heard something about that incident involving Ji Yao at Lingguang Temple a couple of years ago. At the time, he had been too young to understand the intricacies. Now, recalling it, that demonic monk was clearly a male favorite kept by the Empress Dowager, yet now she spoke of being “pure and innocent.” How laughable!
The Grand Empress Dowager seemed to read the disdain on his face and gritted her teeth. “With a husband alive and after many years of widowhood, how can those two statuses be the same? I never betrayed the Xianzu Emperor. Believe it or not as you wish!”
After a long pause, Zhu Helin said coldly, “The death of Consort Mo was likely your doing. One last question for Royal Grandmother, how did Xin Wang die?”
The Grand Empress Dowager countered, “Did your Royal Father not tell you?”
“I only know that Xin Wang intended rebellion and was captured. My Royal Father originally intended to spare his life out of brotherly affection. But for some reason he suddenly changed his mind, forced him to take his own life on the spot, and executed all the male members of his household, exiling the women to Lingnan,” Zhu Helin said. “Why did my Royal Father change his mind? Did Xin Wang say something back then, produce some evidence that provoked him?”
The Grand Empress Dowager’s face gradually turned deathly pale, and she shook her head in disbelief: “No, your Royal Father could not possibly have doubted his own bloodline! All these years, he has never, like you, pressed me step by step with such aggression, asking whether he was truly the biological son of Emperor Xianzhu! He has always been as filial to me as ever; he believed me!”
Zhu Helin let out a mocking cold laugh: “Royal Father has treated you the same for over a decade, but how often have you ever treated him with equal sincerity! Even the imperial edict he issued on his sickbed could be intercepted and altered by you. A woman like you, Royal Grandmother, so consumed by the lust for power and willing to use any means, I have only seen one such figure in the history books… I only wonder whether Third Royal Uncle’s premature death was, like the rumors about Wu Zhao’s daughter, also a case of dying at her own mother’s hands in order to frame a political enemy? As for you worshipping your son’s memorial tablet day and night in the Buddha hall, whether it is remembrance or guilt, only you yourself know.”
“Good and evil will ultimately be repaid; the Heavenly Dao delights in cycles of retribution. For now, in consideration of Royal Father’s filial devotion to you, I will not pursue the matter of that bottle of poisoned wine hidden within the forged edict, but that does not mean I will be able to swallow this grievance in the future. Take care of yourself, Royal Grandmother!”
With those final words thrown down, Zhu Helin flicked his sleeve and strode out of Longde Hall.
The Grand Empress Dowager’s face lost all color; she staggered backward a few steps, hit the leg of a chair, and collapsed onto the seat. It was as if a pagoda she had struggled to uphold in her heart for many years had finally crumbled, she completely lost control, breaking down into heart-rending sobs.
Qiong Gu had been eavesdropping through the crack of the door. When Zhu Helin pushed the door open and came out, she hurriedly tried to explain: “Your Majesty! That poisoned wine truly was not the Grand Empress Dowager’s intention, it was the Wei family interfering…”
Zhu Helin seemed not to hear; he shoved her so she stumbled, then rushed down the steps.
Fubao hurried forward to support him, and in a daze thought he saw his eyes reddened, as if tears had fallen, drop by drop of moisture on his face. Fubao looked up at the sky; it had begun to rain.
“Young master, young master!” he called out anxiously, unconsciously using the wrong form of address. “The rain is getting heavier, please take shelter in the corridor. This servant will immediately have someone bring a yellow silk umbrella.”
Zhu Helin shook off his support and strode through the pouring rain. Fubao chased after him, calling out repeatedly to the palace attendants behind him: “Hurry and bring an umbrella!”
An umbrella was held over his head. Completely soaked, Zhu Helin stopped and turned to ask Fubao: “It’s just a bit of rain, are you afraid I’ll be harmed by getting wet? What are you so nervous about!”
“This servant is not nervous, but heartbroken. How much grievance must you have suffered, young master…” Having grown up together, with all his attention fixed on him, how familiar could one become with such a person? Familiar enough that a single glance at the expression in his eyes could reveal his mood. Fubao used a handkerchief to wipe the rain from Zhu Helin’s face, truly aching for him.
“I am not aggrieved, I am aggrieved for Royal Father!” Zhu Helin said through gritted teeth. “I have only known of this matter for half a day, and already this foul anger is choking my chest with pain. Royal Father hid it in his heart for decades, how did he endure it?”
Fubao did not dare ask what the matter was, and could only comfort him: “His Majesty and young master are both wise and enlightened rulers…”
“I don’t want to be some wise ruler! I don’t want to be bound to that dragon throne by rites and rules! I only want to live freely and act as my heart desires. But I know I cannot…” Zhu Helin’s harsh tone softened into a murmur. “As long as Royal Father does not return, this burden rests on my shoulders. Eventually, I too must become like him, learn to consider the greater picture, learn to weigh gains and losses, learn to bury all my love and hatred deep within…”
His fingers spasming as they clutched the fabric over his chest, he could not help but think: was Qinghe the only time in Royal Father’s life when he lived freely, the only time he acted as he wished?
He even saw in his mind how Royal Father must have fervently embraced his lover, using their shared arms, their shared chest, like a slender yet strong thread extending from their very bloodline, binding their feelings and their beloved tightly together.
The rain clouds drifted away from above the imperial city, and the sky cleared again, as though it had only been a brief, localized downpour, just like the fleeting spring. Zhu Helin pushed away the umbrella, took a deep breath, and instructed Fubao: “Help me change clothes. I am going to the Su residence in disguise.”
But Su Yan was not there. In the residence there was only a foul-faced personal guard who could not be beaten into saying a single word.
The two of them stared at each other in the main hall. Su Xiaobei could not stand it any longer and let Zhu Helin in on the truth: “Brother Zhui saw it start to rain and went to the Meridian Gate to receive my lord. Later, a gate guard told him that Lord Su had already left on horseback with Commander Shen, chatting and laughing.”
They left at noon with Shen Qi, and now it was almost nightfall, yet he had not returned? Zhu Helin’s expression darkened as well: “Did he say when he would return?”
Su Xiaobei shook his head. After taking his leave, he went to the gatehouse to wait for his master.
After thinking it over, Zhu Helin said to Jinghong Zhui: “It is not easy for me to sneak out once. With so many people in the palace, next time I may not be able to keep it hidden. Go find Qinghe. When you find him, bring him tonight to Lotus After Rain Villa, and tell him I will also go. But I still need to find someone first, so the exact time I arrive is uncertain.”
Jinghong Zhui asked coldly: “Has the old emperor awakened?”
Zhu Helin shot him a fierce glare: “Royal Father is not yet forty, how is he old!”
Jinghong Zhui: “Since he is alive, it would not be appropriate to call him the late emperor. If I do not call him the old emperor, and call you the young emperor, how am I to distinguish between you?”
Zhu Helin: “…You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? I knew it, on the surface you’re taciturn and seem honest, but in reality you’re sharp-tongued, petty, and full of hidden mischief!”
Jinghong Zhui curled his lips in satisfaction, hugged his sword, and turned to leave.
As he passed the gatehouse, he greeted Su Xiaobei, only saying that he had something to attend to outside and would return at night.
Zhu Helin soon also left the Su residence. Before departing, he had Fubao instruct Su Xiaobei to act as if he had never come, to avoid any leak of information.
***
In the middle of the night, Su Yan arrived at Lotus After Rain Villa under Jinghong Zhui’s escort. He found that aside from the pavilion where Zhu Jintang was staying, lit with an ever-burning lamp for night watch, the rest of the place was pitch dark; Doctor Chen seemed to have already gone to sleep.
It appeared that the young master had acted on a sudden impulse; this night’s visit had not been communicated to Mister Yingxu. Su Yan signaled Ah Zhui not to disturb the medicine boy dozing while keeping watch on the first floor, and directly used qinggongs to leap up to the second floor.
In the spacious bedchamber that also served as a treatment room, only a few wall lamps were lit, dimly illuminating the figure on the bed.
Su Yan removed his cloak and walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and leaned down to gaze at the sleeping Zhu Jintang.
More than three months had passed; his hair had grown into a soft, bristly crew cut, setting off his somewhat gaunt face and making him appear especially youthful and spirited. If one did not look at his clothing, there was oddly a sense of a modern elite about him, perhaps a gentle and refined professor at some university, perhaps a statesman accustomed to issuing commands, or perhaps a tycoon dominating the business world. If he had not been bound by this era, by the identity and responsibilities he was born with, perhaps he might have had many more choices in life.
Su Yan let his imagination wander and sighed with emotion, his fingers stroking Zhu Jintang’s cheek as he lowered his head and murmured softly by his ear: “Your Majesty, your Qingqing has come.”
Jinghong Zhui turned and left, leaping up onto the rooftop from the outer corridor of the second floor. He hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the thought of meditating here, his senses were too sharp; even if he did not wish to listen, the sounds inside would still drift into his ears.
His figure drifted like green smoke for a brief moment before finally settling atop the pavilion in the center of the lotus pond. Holding his sword, he stood motionless on the pointed roof, like a statue of a deity beneath the moon, keeping watch over the quiet villa.
Inside the room, Su Yan seemed only vaguely aware of Jinghong Zhui’s departure, still murmuring to himself: “For some reason, I always feel that although you haven’t awakened, you can hear everything we say…”
“I think so too.” A familiar voice spoke from the doorway.
Su Yan turned his head and saw that Zhu Helin had also removed his cloak, deliberately placing it over the table so that it overlapped with the one Su Yan had taken off.
“Young master,” he called softly.
The candlelight was hazy, light and shadow dividing Zhu Helin’s face, accentuating the handsome, sharply defined contours of his features and the heroic air belonging to a grown man. Su Yan hesitated for a moment, then corrected himself: “Your Majesty.”
The young Son of Heaven walked closer and corrected him: “It’s Helin.”
