Consort Xian was at a complete loss for explanation.
When irrefutable evidence was presented before her, any defense seemed feeble and powerless.
The porridge was poisoned, and the bowl of porridge had been personally brought over by Consort Xian herself.
Her mind went blank. She opened her mouth but could only utter two words: “Wrongly accused…”
The words “wrongly accused” cost nothing to say, and anyone could say them.
Princess Li Lanyao glared with indignation. “How dare you! My father is the Son of Heaven, the ruler blessed by the heavens. What treasonous villain would dare to harm him?”
Xi Heng was unmoved by her outburst. He sneered coldly and said, “Your Highness, putting on airs here won’t help. The Jinyiwei conducts investigations based on facts, not sentiment. If you truly want to clear Consort Xian of suspicion, you’d better carefully think back. That bowl of lily porridge—how many people handled it? Who is the one harboring the most malicious intent?”
Consort Xian had already collapsed to the ground. She raised her hand to tug at the princess’s sleeve, trembling as she said, “Wei…Aunt Wei.”
Everything that was presented to the Emperor was always personally overseen by Consort Xian. Aunt Wei was the only person she trusted completely. Consort Xian distinctly remembered that when she was making the lily porridge, all the other servants had been dismissed, and it was Aunt Wei who had stayed behind to assist her.
The princess said, “I’ll go and capture her.”
Consort Xian was about to stand up.
Xi Heng spoke: “Consort Xian must remain here.”
The princess was naturally unwilling to accept this. “The case hasn’t been concluded yet.”
Xi Heng replied, “But the suspicion is already clear.”
Li Lanyao stared at him for a moment before saying, “I want to see my father.”
Xi Heng remained silent.
A sense of unease grew in Li Lanyao’s heart. She asked, “Where is my father?”
Her eyes shifted toward the screen behind them. Tentatively, she called out, “Father?”
There was no response from the Emperor.
Li Lanyao brushed past Xi Heng, intending to barge in.
Yet, Xi Heng didn’t stop her.
She stormed forward, taking large strides, and as expected, there was no trace of the Emperor behind the screen.
In fact, the entire study was devoid of its rightful occupant.
Li Lanyao was on the verge of losing her mind. “Where is my father? Xi Heng! You are the Jinyiwei!”
Xi Heng turned to look at her. “Your Highness, please remain calm. The Jinyiwei has always obeyed the Emperor’s commands. Everything I have done, said, and acted upon today is without shame in my heart.”
What Xi Heng said was not without reason. In the great Xu dynasty, if even the Jinyiwei betrayed the Emperor, then the nation’s collapse would be but a step away. Today, in the Xiaoshan Palace, no one should expect to leave alive.
Li Lanyao staggered back a few steps, utterly despondent.
Xi Heng lowered his gaze. Suddenly, he pulled a small jade rabbit carved from mutton-fat jade out of his robes and held it out in front of the princess.
Li Lanyao stared at the jade ornament, no larger than the size of a palm, dazed for a moment. Her expression gradually softened. “…Just a couple of days ago, my father told me he had recently acquired a fine piece of mutton-fat jade. Since I was born in the Year of the Rabbit, he said he’d have a rabbit figurine made as a gift for me!”
Xi Heng said, “His Majesty has always held Your Highness close to his heart.”
Li Lanyao replied, “But my father… right now…”
Xi Heng answered, “His Majesty has asked me to relay a message to Your Highness.”
Li Lanyao urged, “Speak quickly.”
Xi Heng said, “The autumn hunt was originally scheduled for after the Chongyang Festival. There are still a few days left. This group of disorderly rabble is of little consequence. If they can be dealt with swiftly, this year’s autumn hunt will still be a fine occasion.”
Li Lanyao stood in place, carefully pondering these words.
Xi Heng added, “Your Highness, the chaos in the imperial harem has been brewing for a long time. It stems from the prolonged vacancy of the empress’s position and His Majesty’s excessive leniency. The harem, after all, is a domain for women. In the past, His Majesty had no one capable to rely on, but now that you’ve grown up, as the eldest princess, His Majesty hopes you can help shoulder some of his burdens.”
Li Lanyao nodded and said, “I understand. I will get to the bottom of this matter and give my father an explanation that will not betray his expectations.”
—
At the base of Xiaoshan Palace.
Li Fuxiang had climbed to a shaded spot halfway up the mountain, ideal for concealment. He stopped to rest but didn’t set up camp.
Gao Yuexing surmised that if there was to be action, it would happen soon.
From the faint light of dawn to the blazing midday sun, time crept by.
Gradually, the sun began to dip westward.
Finally, before nightfall, Gao Yuexing saw a cloud of dust rising far off along the official road.
It was the dust kicked up by thousands of galloping horses.
As they drew closer, the faint tremors beneath their feet could be felt.
Li Fuxiang said, “Once we’ve dealt with that group of riffraff, let’s go to the hunting grounds and fly kites.”
His words mirrored the Emperor’s message to the princess.
Neither father nor son treated this palace coup as a serious matter.
Gao Yuexing quietly asked, “When do you plan to act?”
Li Fuxiang replied, “Wait a little longer. Let them pass.”
They stopped to rest further away, in a location even better suited for concealment.
Li Fuxiang wasn’t in a hurry.
The prey wasn’t going anywhere. Patience was key—he’d wait until they took the bait.
Li Fuxiang glanced at the sky and estimated that they wouldn’t act until nightfall.
Gao Yuexing, however, was growing restless. He found an opportunity to ask Li Fuxiang, “Everyone’s busy. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Li Fuxiang had kept Gao Yuexing firmly within his line of sight, not allowing him to stray even a step. He said, “Just enjoy the show.”
In situations like this, Gao Yuexing truly couldn’t find anything meaningful to do.
No one in the army sustained any injuries.
For the Xiaoqi Camp, tempered by the battles of the Western Frontier, dealing with this rabble of scattered soldiers was as easy as having a side dish with wine.
Gao Yuexing could sit still, but her mind couldn’t.
She asked again, “How can you be so sure that reinforcements from the rebel army will come to support them?”
Li Fuxiang replied, “Because this is Consort Hui’s last desperate gamble. If Xiaoshan Palace cannot be taken for a prolonged period, she will inevitably grow anxious, and one by one, she’ll reveal all her trump cards until she has nothing left.”
Gao Yuexing pondered for a moment, then suddenly understood. “So, the battle at Xiaoshan Palace—was it intentionally prolonged by you? The purpose was to bait her into revealing more of her chips, wasn’t it?”
Li Fuxiang looked at her, smiled, and said, “Yes. For anyone planning a rebellion, the prerequisite is having soldiers in hand. Without soldiers, they’re nothing.”
Seeing him smile, Gao Yuexing couldn’t help but want to smile herself.
But as she smiled, her thoughts turned to more complex matters.
Indeed, since ancient times, military power has always been a sensitive matter for the imperial family.
Prince Xiang, Li Fuxiang, was a military commander.
Prince Xin, Li Fuqian, was a civil official.
Perhaps Li Fuxiang could tolerate Li Fuqian, but if Li Fuqian ascended to the throne in the future, it would be impossible for him to spare Li Fuxiang, who held military power.
From the moment Li Fuxiang first stepped onto the battlefield, his path was destined to be one of no return.
The sun hung at an angle on the mountain.
Soon, it was obscured by the mountain’s shadow.
Gao Yuexing once again felt the ground trembling beneath her feet. This time, it was very real, a deep rumbling sound that could be felt through the earth.
The Xiaoqi Camp strictly adhered to Prince Xiang’s orders, making no sound as they allowed all the enemy forces to enter the mountain.
Afterward, they waited in silence for about an hour.
In unison, they pulled out pieces of cotton cloth from their robes, soaked them in water, and covered their mouths and noses.
Gao Yuexing was puzzled.
Li Fuxiang had already prepared everything for her, making it clear she didn’t need to worry about anything. The cotton cloth was folded into a triangular shape and tightly tied over her mouth and nose.
Li Fuxiang said, “On this small peak, there are dozens of hot springs. Before I left the capital, I specially obtained some medicine from the medicinal servants. By calculating the timing and using the heat from the spring water to activate the drug’s effects, we don’t even need to act. Once they enter the mountain, they’ll collapse.”
If action could be avoided, it should be avoided. This was Li Fuxiang’s highest understanding as a military commander.
The soldiers of the Xiaoqi Camp, now resembling masked warriors, followed Li Fuxiang up the mountain. The enemy troops who had entered earlier were caught at the peak of the drug’s effects—dizzy, groggy, and on the verge of sleep. When Li Fuxiang’s soldiers charged in with overwhelming momentum, the enemy scattered instantly.
The Xiaoqi Camp barely had to exert any effort to subdue this group.
Transporting prisoners would waste too much time, so the defiant ones were executed on the spot. As for those who surrendered, each was hung upside down from a tree, one man to a tree.
The Xiaoqi Camp launched a firework signal from the mountain.
At Xiaoshan Palace, Ding Wenfu saw the pre-arranged signal and immediately ordered all the Imperial Guards to mobilize fully, abandoning the pretense of retreat.
With the Imperial Guards, Jinyiwei, and Xiaoqi Camp jointly defending Xiaoshan Palace, if there were still any mishaps, they might as well collectively wash their necks and prepare for execution.
Especially given their meticulous preparations.
For them, it was akin to bringing their troops out for a warm-up.
Once the signal was received, the battle at Xiaoshan Palace changed completely. The Imperial Guards and the Jinyiwei flanked the enemy from both sides. Fighting with full force, they managed to drive the enemy into decline within half an hour.
—
Princess Li Lanyao returned to her quarters, only to find that Aunt Wei was nowhere to be seen.
Could it be that, feeling guilty, she had fled?
Li Lanyao grabbed one of the palace maids who had been serving in the room and asked, “Who saw where Aunt Wei went?”
The palace maids exchanged nervous glances until one stepped forward and said, “Aunt Wei said the outside was chaotic, and she went to wait and escort the Consort back to the palace.”
Aunt Wei had always been trusted deeply by Consort Xian.
No one in the palace ever doubted her words.
The chaos outside meant Aunt Wei had already fled, and finding her now would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Li Lanyao took a deep breath and told herself to stay calm. There had to be a way. She glanced at the adjacent, perpetually empty room and couldn’t help but think that if Gao Yuexing were here, she would surely have a solution.
Li Lanyao didn’t even realize how often Gao Yuexing had subtly or overtly helped her with ideas in the past.
It was only in moments like this that she became acutely aware of it.
She couldn’t help but wonder—if Gao Yuexing were here today, what would she do?
—
Li Fuxiang led his troops and charged into Xiaoshan Palace once again.
It was still nighttime, and his black robe billowed in the wind. He was forever the most dazzling and spirited presence—after all, he was just a seventeen-year-old youth.
As soon as the Xiaoqi Camp entered the scene, an overwhelming aura of lethal resolve engulfed the entire palace.
Prince Xin, Li Fuqian, had appeared at some point. Standing tall on a high railing, he took in the scene, his perspective offering a far more striking view.
Li Fuxiang was like the arrow at the very front, swaying with a jade pendant, while the Xiaoqi Camp behind him carried torches, forming a blazing inferno, as if propelling him forward.
They seemed as if they would tear a rift in the heavens and earth.
Behind Prince Xin, a palace maid draped a robe over his shoulders, saying, “Your Highness, it’s cold. Please take care of yourself.”
The wind was too strong at such heights.
The robe on Prince Xin’s shoulders was quickly swept away by the wind, falling to the ground. He spoke, seemingly to himself, “What’s the use of taking care of oneself…”
—
Gao Yuexing felt the horse come to a stop.
The next moment, Li Fuxiang wrapped an arm around her waist with one hand and placed her at the front of Xiaoshan Palace’s main hall.
Li Fuxiang didn’t dismount, nor did he stop. He had already rushed ahead, but amidst the flickering shadows of blades and firelight, he turned back and sent his voice steadily through the chaos:
“I still have some loose ends to deal with, so I won’t take you along.”
Author’s Note:
The countdown for this arc has begun. The next arc will be the wedding!