“This Prince Never Goes Out at Night.”
The hall was so quiet that not even the sound of a crow or sparrow could be heard.
All eyes fell upon Ye Qi. The officials were alarmed by his boldness yet could not resist using the corners of their eyes to study Duke Liu, hoping to discern something from him.
Duke Liu stood in the front rank, back straight as ever, and did not turn around.
The flesh on Emperor Hongjia’s face trembled. His voice sank low. “Beloved Minister Ye, do you have evidence?”
Ye Qi drew out a thick stack of account books from his sleeve. “Replying to Your Majesty, this minister has evidence.”
Eunuch Yuan Sheng hurried down the steps in small, quick strides, took the evidence, and presented it all to Emperor Hongjia.
Emperor Hongjia glanced at Duke Liu. Duke Liu’s expression remained calm. Faced with Ye Qi’s impeachment, he seemed not to have taken it to heart at all.
By contrast, the Crown Prince beside him had pressed his lips together, and a flash of tension passed swiftly through his eyes.
Emperor Hongjia’s gaze turned sharp and cold. The Crown Prince’s face stiffened, and he lowered his head in flustered haste.
Duke Liu saw everything and yet his eyes remained as still as a deep well.
After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Emperor Hongjia flung the account books to the floor. Once the heavy sound faded, Duke Liu raised his eyes to the Emperor.
Emperor Hongjia’s tone was unreadable. “Duke Liu, look at them yourself.”
Duke Liu stepped forward and retrieved the books. He turned only two pages before closing them again and dropping to his knees in the great hall.
“Your Majesty, this subject has been wronged.”
Emperor Hongjia did not speak.
Ye Qi said, “The books record everything clearly. On what grounds does Duke Liu claim he has been wronged?”
“The Liu family has served the Kingdom of Lu with unwavering loyalty for generations. How can Your Majesty determine that the Liu family accepted bribes merely on the strength of a forged account book?” Duke Liu knelt there and spoke with deep grief.
Ye Qi glared so fiercely that his eyes widened. “Duke Liu, those books bear your Liu family seal. Do you still mean to deny it?”
“The Liu family seal was stolen long ago. It is plain that someone wishes to frame the Liu family.”
Ye Qi let out a cold laugh. “Who would dare steal the seal of the Duke Liu Residence?”
“Duke Liu,” Emperor Hongjia closed his eyes. The lines at the corners of them seemed deeper than before. “The officials listed in these records, the very ones in regular contact with you, are all those who normally move closely with you.”
“You even dared touch official salt... The Liu family’s wealth must be close to rivaling the state treasury by now, must it not?”
The instant those words left the emperor’s mouth, all the officials in the hall dropped to their knees in fear and unease.
The officials especially close to the Liu family looked ashen and scarcely dared breathe.
“Has Your Majesty already decided the Liu family is guilty?” Duke Liu prostrated himself on the floor. His voice had grown hoarse, and his eyes were shadowed over.
Emperor Hongjia sighed, then abruptly changed course. “Did the Crown Prince have any part in this?”
The Crown Prince forced himself to remain calm. “Father Emperor sees all clearly. This son did not take part.”
“Did you not?”
Cold sweat broke out across the Crown Prince’s back, but he knew he absolutely could not admit it. Besides, the Liu family had done many things behind his back. He truly had not been involved in all of them.
Emperor Hongjia was suspicious by nature, and the Crown Prince understood this well. If he could not dispel his father’s suspicions today, then future troubles would be endless.
Moreover, these past years the Liu family had shown signs of rising over his head. He was Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, yet he was forever forced to follow Duke Liu’s direction. The indignity of it had grown unbearable.
He was the Crown Prince. Those willing to attach themselves to him were as numerous as carp crossing the river. The Liu family was nothing more than one faction among many, and now, why not seize this opportunity to be rid of them once and for all?
He clenched his fist in secret and made up his mind. “Father Emperor, this son is Your child. From youth I have remained by Your side and absorbed Your example through constant influence. I know well that Father Emperor loves the people as dearly as a child. This son has always taken Father Emperor as my model. I would never cast aside the myriad people for the sake of selfish gain.”
“Let Father Emperor send men to search my palace. This son’s conscience is clear!”
Duke Liu’s gaze fell upon the Crown Prince like a cold blade. Yet he said nothing, as though he had already expected matters to reach this point.
Emperor Hongjia said, “Very well. Then let it be as the Crown Prince says. Yuan Sheng, lead the Jinlin Guards to the Eastern Palace.”
Eunuch Yuan Sheng accepted the command and turned to head outside. Just then, however, he caught sight of someone standing at the doorway of the rear hall.
He focused his eyes and realized it was the Immortal Nun Fuqing. At once he turned back and went to the emperor’s side. “Your Majesty, the immortal nun has arrived.”
Emperor Hongjia immediately turned toward the rear hall. The immortal nun stood quietly by the door, her face faintly clouded with worry.
“All of you, wait here for a moment. Zhen will return shortly.”
Back in the rear hall, Emperor Hongjia approached her and discovered her face full of troubled gloom. He hurriedly asked, “Immortal Nun, what has happened to you?”
“Your Majesty, this poor nun just cast a divination and obtained an inauspicious hexagram. Overcome with anxiety, this nun came without meaning to disturb Your Majesty’s morning court, and I ask that Your Majesty forgive me.”
Emperor Hongjia grew anxious. “What inauspicious hexagram?”
“In the southwest quarter of Ye Jing, today there is an omen of bloodshed.”
Emperor Hongjia stood stunned for a long while. “Is it grave?”
“This poor nun saw a timber beam collapsing and burying many corpses beneath it. The grievance and resentment are too heavy, and the baleful force will strike the Ziwei Star, greatly harming Your Majesty.”
Emperor Hongjia grew panicked. “What is to be done?”
“This poor nun also saw that all this arises because of men and has to do with silver and money. Your Majesty, if this crisis is not resolved, it will certainly affect the fate of the realm.”
“Immortal Nun, quickly tell Zhen how it may be resolved.”
“This poor nun does not dare say it.”
“Immortal Nun, simply speak. Zhen will not blame you.”
“Wood overcomes Earth. All this begins from Wood, while Your Majesty belongs to Earth. Take care... lest you be replaced.”
Emperor Hongjia’s eyes shook violently.
“Your Majesty, this poor nun is unfamiliar with Ye Jing. The divination shows that the means of breaking this omen lies to the north. Is there a mountain there?”
“Indeed there is. Zhen’s imperial retreat is also in the northern outskirts.”
“Within the mountain there is wood, and there is also metal.”
Very soon, Emperor Hongjia returned to the great hall and sat back down upon the dragon throne without a word.
The Jinlin Guards returned quickly as well, and with them came letters seized from the Eastern Palace.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Jinlin Guards found nothing in His Highness the Crown Prince’s quarters. However, these letters were discovered in the Crown Princess’s bedchamber. They are all letters exchanged between the Crown Princess and the Liu family. We ask that Your Majesty examine them.”
Chief Eunuch Yuan Sheng, perspiring from his exertions, delivered the letters to the Emperor.
Emperor Hongjia read through them one by one. The letters not only mentioned which people the Liu family dealt with in secret but also recorded their trafficking in official salt for exorbitant profit.
“Duke Liu, what more do you have to say!” Emperor Hongjia gripped the letters tightly. Suddenly he recalled what the immortal nun had said just now.
Wood overcomes Earth. Wood... the Liu family.
The Liu family was overcoming him. Emperor Hongjia’s dangerous gaze fell upon Duke Liu’s face.
Duke Liu still wore that same composed expression, as though everything before him posed no difficulty at all.
“These material proofs may all be forged, Your Majesty...”
“Report!” A eunuch’s shrill cry suddenly rang from outside the hall.
A eunuch ran into the hall and dropped to his knees with a thud. “Reporting to Your Majesty, word has come from outside the palace. Something has happened at the Daoist temple!”
“What has happened at the Daoist temple?”
“The Daoist temple that Prince Li oversaw the construction of, Your Majesty, it has collapsed!” The little eunuch’s voice trembled, his fear plain.
A great uproar instantly swept through the court.
Emperor Hongjia sprang to his feet from the dragon throne.
He stared wide-eyed in disbelief. “What did you say?”
“This servant... this servant said the Daoist temple collapsed and crushed many people to death.”
Emperor Hongjia’s face drained of color. He had not imagined that the immortal woman’s words would come to pass so swiftly.
“Men! Go investigate what exactly happened at the Daoist temple! Where is the Minister of Works? Come forward before Zhen!”
Chen Youwei knelt in the center of the hall. “Your Majesty, this minister does not know why the Daoist temple collapsed. This minister has always done his utmost in helping His Highness build the temple and has shown no neglect whatsoever.”
Once Chen Youwei spoke, only then did the others remember that the principal person responsible for the temple had been Lu Ronghuai, not the Minister of Works.
Emperor Hongjia also looked toward Lu Ronghuai. “Third Son, what explanation do you have?”
Lu Ronghuai replied, “What is there for this son to explain? It was not I who made the temple collapse.”
“Impudent! This matter has been under your charge all along. Now that the temple has collapsed, do you still mean to shirk responsibility?”
“The cause has not yet been established. Why does Father Emperor not wait a while longer?” Lu Ronghuai glanced toward Duke Liu on the floor. “Father Emperor may as well deal with the matter of Duke Liu first. This son was listening with great interest.”
Everyone: “......”
Duke Liu returned the barb with a cold face. “Prince Li is in high spirits. One only wonders whether, before long, Your Highness will still be able to laugh.”
“Of course. This Prince is a good man. As for Duke Liu, that is less certain.”
The veins at Emperor Hongjia’s temples throbbed. “All of you, hold your tongues!”
At this moment, an admonishing official stepped out from the ranks. Grief and indignation filled his face.
“Your Majesty, some days ago this minister received an anonymous letter. It stated that Prince Li had privately embezzled the funds for building the Daoist temple and substituted rotten timber in their place. At first, this minister did not take it seriously. Yet today the temple has collapsed, which proves the warning was not wind arising from an empty cave. This minister regrets not reporting the matter to Your Majesty earlier and thereby causing innocent people to lose their lives today.”
Lu Ronghuai said, “Minister Yue is truly remarkable. An anonymous letter from several days ago, and you still carry it about with you at all times.”
The admonishing official ignored him entirely. Lifting his head, he looked uprightly toward Emperor Hongjia. “Your Majesty, this minister’s rank is humble, and his words carry little weight, but today this minister wishes to seek justice for the innocent common people who died unfairly. This subject begs Your Majesty to investigate the matter with clarity.”
Emperor Hongjia looked down over the familiar faces below him, sweeping his gaze from one to another until at last it settled on Lu Ronghuai.
Take care... lest you be replaced. The immortal nun’s words echoed in his ears once again.
Emperor Hongjia narrowed his eyes, coldness plain within them. He stared at Lu Ronghuai for a long time before suddenly realizing that Lu Ronghuai did not belong to Wood.
Not Third Son.
Then who could it be?
Of those present in the hall who belonged to the Wood element, there was only...
“An anonymous letter is only that, and cannot count as evidence,” Emperor Hongjia’s voice was cool and dismissive.
The admonishing official’s face stiffened.
Duke Liu cast a glance behind him.
“Your Majesty, Prince Li... did indeed misappropriate the funds for construction of the Daoist temple,” Chen Youwei said suddenly.
Everyone looked toward him.
Chen Youwei’s face bore a look of remorse. “This minister had believed Prince Li had only diverted a very little. I did not realize... This minister did not intentionally shield him. No one in the Ministry of Works dares defy Prince Li, and this minister was left with no alternative.”
“Your Majesty, this minister was responsible for purchasing the timber, and what was brought back was all the finest timber. The warehouse where the timber was stored had only one key, and only Prince Li possessed it. If Prince Li secretly switched the timber, then this minister...”
“Wait a moment.” Lu Ronghuai interrupted, his expression an easy smile as he looked over. “The warehouse sits right beside the temple. By day, people are constantly coming and going. When exactly was This Prince supposed to replace the timber?”
“Naturally, Your Highness switched it secretly at night!”
Lu Ronghuai laughed.
Emperor Hongjia frowned. “Third Son, what are you laughing at?”
“This son never goes out at night.”
“Why?”
“Because this son’s Prince Consort fears the dark. At night, this son must hold him and coax him to sleep. What leisure would this son have to leave behind a soft and lovely wife in order to run off into that blackened warehouse and embrace timber instead?”
“Pfft.”
The whole hall turned around at once.
Su Ruhe stood there among the ranks at the back. Seeing everyone looking at him, he kept his expression perfectly composed and waved a hand. “It was not me. I did not laugh.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
Su Ruhe: Who laughed? It wasn’t me.
Lu [the dog]: Keep pretending.
0 Comments