The next day, at Chaoyang Palace.
In recent days, after finishing his early morning meal, it wasn't long before Xia Ze would enter the palace to treat Xiao Jingheng's ailments with acupuncture and the art of witch insect.
But today, as the hour approached noon, there was still no sign of Xia Ze.
Xiao Jingheng urged Xiao Yinzi to investigate repeatedly, only to hear him timidly reply,
"Your Maj-Majesty, Master Xia Ze is... gone."
"Gone? How so?" Xiao Jingheng asked with barely concealed anger.
"The palace maid sent to fetch him from his residence said his doors were tightly shut, and no one answered no matter how much they knocked. When they broke in, they found he was not present, and... all his belongings were gone, including the gifts bestowed by Your Majesty."
Xiao Yinzi kept his head down, stealing a glance at Xiao Jingheng's expression before adding, "In truth, when this servant escorted Master Xia Ze out of the palace yesterday, I noticed his demeanor seemed rather off..."
Prompted by these words, Xiao Jingheng recalled his private moment with Xia Ze the previous day.
At the time, he had been lost in sorrowful reminiscence before Jin Yue's portrait. He refused to drink Xia Ze's medicine and stopped him from taking Ruo Xin's virginal blood to treat his draconic body.
It was only natural that this exchange might have led Xia Ze to believe Xiao Jingheng blamed him for Jin Yue's death.
Thus, it was not impossible that he prepared for the worst and fled.
For Xiao Jingheng, whose supreme imperial authority permitted no challenge, Xia Ze's abrupt departure was a blatant disrespect to the Son of Heaven. He could not let it go unpunished.
"Send men to find him! I want him alive or his corpse!"
Just as he erupted in anger, Zhao Hua happened to enter the bedchamber.
Seeing Xiao Jingheng's face flushed with rage, she hurried to his side and gently rubbed his back to soothe him.
"My dear, what has angered you again?"
Xiao Jingheng did not wish to discuss the matter with Zhao Hua. He waved Xiao Yinzi away to attend to his task, then told Zhao Hua dismissively, "It's nothing, just a servant's carelessness that displeased me."
Since he did not wish to say more, Zhao Hua did not pry further.
After all, she had come with official business in mind.
After helping Xiao Jingheng settle onto the warm seat, Zhao Hua took out a thick bundle of documents and placed them before him.
"These are the important matters raised by the officials today. I have selected the key points for your attention."
In recent days, Zhao Hua had been bringing Xiao Jingheng an increasing number of documents related to court affairs.
She knew that although indifferent and callous, Xiao Jingheng had always been a diligent ruler when it came to governing the kingdom.
Of course, an able ruler could not be at ease leaving court affairs unattended.
Zhao Hua thus indulged him by providing more and more records and memorials, allowing him to remain occupied in mind even as his body rested.
As Zhao Hua detailed the matters of state, Xiao Jingheng suddenly asked her, "Why didn't Ruo Xin come today?"
Zhao Hua fell silent for a moment before replying with a hint of sorrow, "Ruo Xin witnessed Jin Yue's incident firsthand and was deeply shaken. Her child fell ill with a high fever this morning, so the imperial physicians must be attending to them."
As she spoke, tears glistened in her eyes.
Understanding the hardship she had endured recently, Xiao Jingheng patted her shoulder in consolation and said gently, "You have worked hard these days. With Ruo Xin's child ill, you must be worried. Go and tend to the child. Leave these documents here; I will review them slowly."
Zhao Hua was overjoyed, too delighted even to feign her usual pretense before this beast.
With a shallow smile and a curtsy, she replied, "Then I shall return to accompany you tomorrow, my lord."
And with that, she hurried away.
For the rest of the afternoon, Xiao Jingheng pored over the dense records of court affairs and memorials.
Before he knew it, night had fallen outside.
The men Xiao Yinzi had sent out still had not found any trace of Xia Ze, but agents from the secret service had returned with a report for Xiao Jingheng.
"Your Majesty, we have retrieved all the records of imperial concubines' activities stored in the Tianji Office. However, after careful inspection, we cannot find the volume for the twenty-fourth year of the Qianyuan era."
The twenty-fourth year of the Qianyuan era...
Xiao Jingheng had ordered the agents to retrieve the records of imperial concubines' activities from the Tianji Office primarily to examine that particular year's records.
Xiao Jingyan was born in the twenty-fifth year of the Qianyuan era, which meant Princess Dowager Jinggui must have conceived him in the twenty-fourth year.
That summer of the twenty-fourth year was precisely when the Former Emperor made his third expedition to the Jiangnan region. Based on the typical ten-month gestation period, Princess Dowager Jinggui would have become pregnant around that time.
And during that period when she accompanied the Former Emperor outside the palace, she would have had the greatest opportunity to interact with outside men.
Now, with all other years' records intact, the inexplicable disappearance of that one year's volume only deepened Xiao Jingheng's suspicions.
He asked, "Did you investigate the officials who accompanied them at the time, as I instructed?"
"That is precisely what I wish to report. Among the officials in the entourage... Song Shicheng was in charge of security arrangements."
"Song Shicheng?" Xiao Jingheng was nearly taken aback.
The agent continued, "Yes. He is the birth father of the current Empress, and the only one among all the officials whose children were afflicted with the Peach Blossom Intolerance Syndrome..."
