The dim light in the main hall was like a skillful hand weaving a dense web in the shadows,
It stuck the passing time, making every moment and every instant in this place exceptionally long.
After listening to Jiang Deshun's account, Xiao Jingheng, perhaps overwhelmed with anger, had suppressed his senses and couldn't release his fury.
He sat silently on the dragon seat at the top, overlooking the vast hall, and laughed bitterly in his rage.
In his eyes, he believed that the world was under his control, and he thought that everything in the world was within his grasp.
But in the end, he had been calculated by others for so long, and he remained ignorant.
He flipped through the Qi Prince's confession, stained with blood, on the dragon case.
After a long while, he said with a weary voice, "Summon Consort Hui."
Jiang Deshun hurried to carry out the task.
Today, the sun was particularly bright, and the gentle sunlight made the walls of the imperial city shine with a golden brilliance.
But the path to the prison was muddy from the recent rain,
And with one careless step, he ended up covered in dirt.
In stark contrast to this scene was the Changle Palace in Zhao Hua.
After days of continuous spring rain in the capital, the sun finally came out today, and palace maids gathered in groups, basking in the sunlight, sweeping away the fallen flowers in the courtyard.
At that moment, Zhao Hua was holding the small and soft Fourth Prince in a side hall, gently rocking him to sleep.
The Fourth Prince was the legitimate son born to the empress, so his name was particularly important.
Based on his birthdate and the eight characters of his destiny, the astronomers from the Qintian Observatory had to identify the missing elements of the five elements.
Then they would report it to the Imperial Cabinet, who would propose nineteen names for the emperor and empress to choose from. The name would be finalized on the day of the full moon.
At this moment, the little one was lazily sunbathing, and his round eyes had already narrowed into a slit.
Zhao Hua softly sang to him, "On the twenty-ninth day, close the door. On the thirty-ninth day, freeze and crack. On the fifty-ninth day, the clever baby claps..."
This was a nursery rhyme she used to sing to little Chengyu in the past.
Now, singing it again couldn't help but stir up many emotions.
After the Fourth Prince fell asleep in her arms, Zhao Hua gently kissed his forehead and whispered softly,
"My child, your older brother will return to the palace and reunite with us soon. In the future, you will have the love of your mother and the protection of your siblings. You will be the happiest child in this palace."
She carefully placed the child in the cradle, intending to watch over the palace maids as they swept the courtyard. However, she suddenly stooped down and entered the inner chamber when Xiao Fuzi bowed and whispered to her,
"Miss, Xiao Fuzi said there is news from the Ministry of Justice. Prince Qi couldn't bear it anymore and has confessed everything."
After returning to the main hall and closing the palace gates, Xiao Fuzi explained the whole process in detail to Zhao Hua,
"At first, no one in Prince Qi's residence was willing to confess. After all, Prince Qi was a relative of the emperor, and the hidden forces were also wary, fearing that if they used torture and it turned out to be a wrongful case, Prince Qi would undoubtedly seek revenge on them. So they interrogated them one by one, starting with the side consort, and gradually uncovered clues."
The Side Consort's lavish spending on a cherished piece of jewelry has caught the attention of the secret agents, who have been relentlessly pursuing the source of her silver. When questioned about the origin of the money, the Side Consort claims that she stumbled upon a stash of silver notes hidden in the room of the Qi Consort. She believed that the Qi Consort was trying to restrict her spending and, feeling indignant, she took some of the silver notes without permission.
The secret agents then followed up by interrogating the Qi Consort about the source of the money. Initially, she refused to confess, but under the threat of severe punishment, she eventually broke down and revealed everything. She admitted that she was unaware of the exact origin of the silver, but all the ill-gotten wealth had been sent back to her from the battlefield during the time when Prince Qi was attacking Zhu Yin.
The Qi Consort had also questioned Prince Qi about the source of the wealth, and he claimed that it was a reward given by the Emperor. However, after Prince Qi suffered a major defeat in the battle against Zhu Yin and was stripped of his power by the Emperor, large sums of silver notes continued to be sent to the Qi Residence every year. Although the Qi Consort had her suspicions, she didn't dare to inquire further."
Xiao Fuzi paused for a moment, approached Zhao Hua, and lowered his voice even more.
"With this information, there is substantial evidence of Prince Qi's crimes. Compared to treason and illicit affairs, this is much more serious. The secret agents employed a brutal method of torture on Prince Qi. I heard that they pulled out all ten of his fingernails and soaked the wounds in chili oil. They would revive him with cold water whenever he fainted from the pain, only to continue tormenting him.
Prince Qi, who had enjoyed a life of luxury for years, couldn't withstand such torture. Before long, he confessed to his secret collaboration with Zhu Yin. He revealed that on the day when General Ning attacked Zhu Yin, they achieved a swift and complete victory because Zhu Yin was in the midst of internal strife. The third son of the late Emperor, Jiang Muye, sought to seize power during the chaos, and with attacks from both inside and outside, Zhu Yin's forces crumbled.
After the death of the late Emperor, Jiang Muye succeeded as the Emperor of Zhu Yin and immediately declared an unconditional surrender. However, this Jiang Muye had already planted a spy named Shang Yang by the Emperor's side seventeen years ago. And that spy, now known as Consort Hui, is the same person."
Upon hearing this news, Zhao Hua couldn't help but be astonished. But it was only a brief moment before she regained her composure.
She had long doubted the relationship between Prince Qi and Zhu Yin. The Tian Ji Bureau had been diligently investigating, and they had also discovered a connection between Prince Qi and Consort Hui.
Over the years, Consort Hui had not competed for favor openly, but she had been scheming to eliminate all the healthy imperial princes.
Her ambition was on the verge of being exposed.
As a woman who had been alone and suffering in a foreign land for seventeen years, Zhao Hua couldn't fathom what was driving her.
"I understand. Whatever crimes she has committed and whatever punishment she deserves, it is for the Emperor to decide. At this point, we can only watch from the sidelines."
Xiao Fuzi nodded in agreement and changed the subject:
"Your Majesty, these past few days, there has been a young eunuch lurking outside the palace, spying on us discreetly. I have already gathered information about him. His name is Zhao Baozhong, and he used to serve Consort Yao. After Consort Yao was banished to the cold palace, he was also transferred there and tasked with delivering meals to her twice a day."
As he finished speaking, his tone inadvertently became heavier. "He is loyal to Consort Yao."
Yun Shan became alert and said, "He used to serve Consort Yao, and he often wanders around our palace. What could he be up to?"
Xiao Fuzi replied, "Consort Yao holds a deep grudge against Empress Dowager, so I'm afraid she might be planning something malicious against you, Your Majesty. Should I gather some people and capture him?"
"Why would we capture him?"
Zhao Hua sneered, her eyes flickering as a plan quickly formed in her mind.
With a mischievous smile, she said, "Consort Yao isn't here to harm me. If I were to guess, she clearly intends to help me instead."
