Chapter 109
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Outside the window, the noon sun was bright, but Nansan Hall’s main hall, with its doors and windows tightly closed, was dim and chilly. The bronze incense burner at the center of the main hall hadn’t emitted any smoke for three days.
It was a chilly early spring, and the underground heating system in the hall wasn’t lit. There wasn’t even a hand warmer in the hall.
When the eunuch brought in the meal, he shivered, finding the hall colder than outside.
The large hall was completely empty. The eunuch, squinting to adjust to the light, heard a continuous “tapping” sound coming from a side hall. He carried the meal and walked into the side hall, finally finding the Ninth Prince.
The Ninth Prince was sitting with his legs crossed in a circular chair, holding a chess bowl in his left hand and picking up chess pieces with his right hand, flicking them through the slightly open window slit across from him.
The eunuch bowed and greeted.
Xie Duo didn’t look at him, he just said softly, “Just leave it.”
The eunuch walked slowly and placed the meal next to Xie Duo on a low table, stepped back, and nodded, “Her Highness the Empress asked if Your Highness applied the medicine properly today.”
“I did.”
“Her Highness instructed this old servant to check if the injury is improving.”
“It’s better.”
“Her Highness instructed…”
“You may go.”
The eunuch looked hesitant as he cast a surreptitious glance at the Ninth Prince. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded, stepped back, and prepared to leave.
“Hold on,” Xie Duo paused, squeezing the chess piece he had just picked up, and asked quietly, “Did Father Emperor attend the morning court today?”
The eunuch whispered, “His Majesty is still in his recuperation.”
Xie Duo lowered his head, and after a long pause, he said, “You may go.”
The door curtain fell again, making the side room even darker for a moment.
Xie Duo remained motionless, slumping in the circular chair.
Less than ten days into his confinement, and yet he was on the verge of going insane.
That imperial decree disrupted all his plans. He had thought that in another year, he could move out of the palace and live freely. But Father Emperor seemed intent on keeping him imprisoned in this massive cage for the rest of his life.
Xie Duo felt very angry. He believed that Father Emperor, secluded in Xiyuan Hall, might be plotting how to make his days with Sixth Brother even more miserable.
Nowadays, Father Emperor didn’t even attend the morning court.
Despite his ability to think ahead, Xie Duo felt that he was soon going to attract worldwide attention for defying his father’s orders.
But Xie Duo wouldn’t give in on this matter.
He didn’t even care much about Sixth Brother’s current mood. He only knew he couldn’t accept his fate.
Xie Duo’s great-grandfather had been someone who enjoyed traveling to famous mountains and rivers. He had left the capital incognito several times during his lifetime. However, historians had portrayed him as a weary Emperor who neglected his duties. Xie Duo had good reason to suspect that if he were to accept this responsibility, he would be remembered as a “Negligent Empeoror” in the future.
He couldn’t give up.
To pass the time, Xie Duo got up to retrieve the hidden book tucked under the bed.
After enduring another day, the nights became even harder to bear.
Xie Duo had always had exceptionally high energy, so sitting idle all day made it impossible for him to sleep at night. However, Father Emperor not only forbade the opening of windows and doors but also banned any form of lighting, leaving him unable to read at night.
He just kept his eyes open, waiting for the sound of the gong outside.
Even after the second watch’s gong had sounded, Xie Duo still felt wide awake. Hearing the sound of the main hall’s door hinges turning, Xie Duo immediately sat up in surprise.
Soon, a deep voice came from outside the door, “Has Your Highness rested?”
The voice didn’t sound like his usual eunuchs. Xie Duo curiously called, “Come in.”
A tall figure dressed as a eunuch pushed aside the door curtain and entered the bedroom, nodding in respect to the Ninth Prince.
In the dim light, Xie Duo recognized the man before him by his voice. “Senior Minister Li? How did you end up here?”
“I have an important matter to discuss with Your Highness.”
Xie Duo narrowed his eyes in displeasure. “Did Father Emperor send you to persuade me?”
“No.”
“Then how did you sneak into Nansan Hall in the middle of the night?”
“This matter is significant. I hope Your Highness will allow me to explain.”
“If you’re here to convince me to obey the decree, spare yourself the trouble.”
Senior Minister Li remained silent, quickly walked to a corner of the bedroom, lit a lamp, and then turned back to stare at Xie Duo with a stern expression. He spoke in a deep tone, “If Your Highness continues to defy the decree, the court will soon be in chaos. Once Prince Yan is established, I will have no power to turn the tide.”
Xie Duo snorted, “You don’t need to frighten me. I’m eager to see Sixth Brother become the Crown Prince.”
Senior Minister Li furrowed his brow. As if he had made up his mind, he spoke coldly, “Have you ever thought about why the Emperor went to great lengths to designate you as the Crown Prince?”
Xie Duo turned away. “It’s because Sixth Brother and Father Emperor have differing views.”
Senior Minister Li said in a low voice, “You and Prince Yan both grew up by the Emperor’s side. Have you never considered who instilled his thoughts in him? Who subtly guided his beliefs?”
Xie Duo looked slightly surprised. “What are you trying to say?”
Senior Minister Li gazed steadily at the exceptionally handsome youth before him and sighed softly. “You and Prince Yan are two entirely different individuals, not just in temperament and beliefs.” He paused, emphasizing, “But also in appearance.”
Xie Duo frowned and stared at him displeased. “Sixth Brother looks like our Mother Empress, and I resemble Father Emperor. There might be some differences, but our beliefs are not in opposition. There’s no need for you to sow discord.”
Senior Minister Li slowly shook his head. “Prince Yan resembles the Empress, while you, you look like your mother.”
Xie Duo laughed. “Everyone knows that I look more like Father Emperor, and Sixth Brother takes after my Mother…” He stopped mid-sentence, his sharp gaze suddenly looking at Senior Minister Li with a mix of shock and anger. “What do you mean by this?”
Senior Minister Li didn’t reply but continued to fix his eyes on Xie Duo. He murmured to himself, “So strikingly similar. The Emperor’s intentions, I failed to grasp them earlier. Perhaps, even when His Majesty named you ‘Duoshi [to seize in opportune time],’ his purpose had already become clear.”
Xie Duo, in the heat of his youth, couldn’t hide his shock and anger. His eyes were like sharp blades, pointed directly at Senior Minister Li, as he said in a deep voice, “Continue speaking, make it clear so that the Directorate of Ceremonial can officially accuse you.”
Senior Minister Li showed no fear. With a composed expression, he continued, “Your Highness, your birth mother was Yang Chuyan, the granddaughter of Yang Ningzhong, the Duke of Ningguo. She was a renowned beauty in the capital back then. If not for the rebellion during the Longde era, the Yang family would have seen her become the Empress. She was the woman your Father Emperor loved the most.”
“Do you even know what you’re saying?” Xie Duo’s eyes blazed with anger. “If it weren’t for your devoted care of Seventh Brother, I could end your life right now.”
Senior Minister Li calmly took out a scroll of paper from his sleeves. He walked to the well-lit area and spoke gently, “Please, Your Highness, take a look.”
Xie Duo felt that this old fox had truly gone mad.
It must be that Seventh Brother had made it clear he was relinquishing his claim to the throne, which forced this old fox to come up with such a bizarre scheme.
But why did he need to utter such absurd words?
He had to hear out his explanation before judging his intent.
Xie Duo suppressed his anger and looked down at the slowly unfolding scroll in Senior Minister Li’s hand.
The beauty in the painting sat under a peach blossom tree, her lips curving in a faint smile. The lifelike features and expressions stunned Xie Duo, making him clench his fists.
Senior Minister Li pointed to the signature and seal. “This is a genuine work by Master Zhang Dongshan. Master Zhang has been deceased for over a decade. No one can forge his work. The person in the painting is Yang Chuyan, Your Highness.”
As the Ninth Prince gazed at the woman in the painting, whose resemblance to him was uncanny, his angry eyes gradually shifted to astonishment. He bent down and stared at the signature and seal, carefully discerning their authenticity.
Senior Minister Li remained calm and silent, watching the Ninth Prince’s face turn even paler.
Suddenly, Senior Minister Li felt a blur before his eyes. Before he could react, he was being choked, his throat gripped tightly, and slammed against the wall.
The Ninth Prince’s speed was astonishing, surpassing ordinary reflexes, and even his movements were hard to discern.
After an initial panic, Senior Minister Li stopped struggling. Even though he could hardly breathe, he managed to look up at the young man before him, who resembled a fierce beast. He struggled to speak in a hoarse voice, “Your… Highness, I’ve kept this secret for seventeen years. If not for the dire circumstances, I could… have taken it to my grave.”
“Is it because Seventh Brother doesn’t want to contend for the throne that you came up with this outrageous idea to provoke me?” Xie Duo suppressed his fury, glaring at Senior Minister Li, exerting more pressure, almost breaking his neck. “Dare you accuse me of being the offspring of Father Emperor and a traitor’s daughter? My mother endured nine months of pregnancy and labor to give birth to me. There are countless witnesses in the palace. How dare you tarnish her name?”
Senior Minister Li opened his mouth but couldn’t speak. He struggled to raise his hand to grasp the Ninth Prince’s wrist, pleading with his eyes to be released.
Seeing Senior Minister Li’s hands slowly dropping, Xie Duo, suppressing his anger, released his grip.
Senior Minister Li slumped against the wall, gasping for breath, and finally managed to recover. He hurriedly looked up and said, “If you truly want to investigate, the old servants in your Mother Empress’ palace should all be aware. The Empress gave birth to the Ninth Prince before nine months had passed, and she then fell into a near half-month-long coma due to excessive bleeding. You should know about this. To make the Empress give birth at the same time as your birth mother, the Emperor had the Imperial Physician intervene, causing the Empress to give birth prematurely. He also accused her attendants of negligence and expelled them from the palace. Because of the premature baby in the swaddling clothes, who had been switched with a full-term infant, any attendants who saw the baby would surely notice something was amiss.”
Xie Duo snorted, “All attendants expelled from the palace? Doesn’t that make it easy for you to concoct false accusations?”
Senior Minister Li struggled to stand up, his voice filled with sorrow. “Your Highness, His Majesty didn’t allow me to tell you about this. I’ve served in the government for nearly three decades and have never disobeyed the Emperor’s orders. The reason I’m defying His Majesty’s wishes to reveal the truth now is to save your life.”
Xie Duo still didn’t believe it, his gaze fixed on Senior Minister Li with suspicion. “Oh? Why would my life be in danger?”
Senior Minister Li’s voice quivered. “The Empress knows about this.”
Xie Duo narrowed his eyes and sneered, “So you deceived my Mother Empress first and then came to pit me against Sixth Brother?”
Tears welled up in Senior Minister Li’s eyes as he knelt before thr Ninth Prince with a thud and said in a sorrowful tone, “Your Highness, the Emperor has been poisoned! To maintain stability at court, they claim it’s a sudden chill. Respected Elder Chen said that after the Emperor took a secret elixir this morning, he suddenly felt weak all over. Before losing consciousness, the Emperor confided in me. The alchemists have all been captured, but no poison was found in the elixir the Emperor consumed. I’ve already dispatched the Longyin Guards…”
Before he could finish speaking, thr Ninth Prince suddenly dashed out of the bedroom. Senior Minister Li hurriedly stood up and chased after him.
“I want to see Father Emperor!”
“The Emperor is still unconscious. If you force your way in now, you’ll surely alert the Empress!”
“I want to see my Mother Empress!”
“Your Highness!” Senior Minister Li trembled as he said, “If you can’t remain patient at this moment, the Empress may take action against you anytime!”
A moment of silence.
Xie Duo, with his head lowered, slowly raised his eyes to look at Senior Minister Li. “I won’t believe a word you say.”
Senior Minister Li gazed at Xie Duo with a mournful expression. “Your Highness, you have no foundation in the court. If you disturb the court now, Prince Yan’s faction will undoubtedly claim that you’ve harmed the Emperor’s health. They will request the Empress’ judgment, and everything will be over.”
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