Chapter 44 Fearless
Two days later, Song Shuhao returned the embroidery to Hongling, and a consensus was reached between her and Empress Shen. Immediately afterwards, another major upheaval occurred in the court, again stemming from the winter hunt. Under the investigation of Prince Ning and Xia Mingzhe, the clues pointed to General Zhenwei, one of the ministers responsible for the safety of the journey.
The Dali Temple dispatched men overnight to arrest Li Guang and interrogate him to find out who was behind it all. Knowing his scheme had been exposed, Li Guang killed his wife and children and fled. He was surrounded and killed on the outskirts of Lin'an. All evidence and clues had now completely dried up, making further investigation impossible.
Around 1:15 AM, the rapid clatter of hooves echoed through the silent palace. A cold, icy wind whipped against Zhang Ye's face, his indifferent and solemn expression indistinct in the darkness. After dismounting, he hurried to the Xuanzhi Hall, where Zhang Yu was waiting for him.
When they reached the light, the mud and bloodstains on Prince Ning's clothes were clearly visible. He was about to bow, covered in dust, when Zhang Yu reached out and helped him up.
Although Zhang Yu did not look anxious, he had already walked up to Prince Ning and asked, "How is it?" Prince Ning straightened up and replied, "The man is confirmed to be dead. Before he fled, he killed all his wife and children with his own hands. No one survived."
They sent people to keep watch, but fearing they might alert Li Guang, they didn't act rashly. Li Guang appeared normal on the surface, but during dinner, he murdered his wife and children who were gathered in the dining room. Afterwards, Li Guang fled the mansion, but it was clear he intended to die, and no one could stop him.
The initial plan was to capture Li Guang alive, but he managed to escape anyway. Someone came to his rescue along the way, and they fought their way to the outskirts of the city. Li Guang had hidden poison in his mouth beforehand, and knowing that he would eventually fall into their hands, he did not hesitate to commit suicide by taking the poison. There was nothing that could be done to save him.
Prince Ning was still dissatisfied with all of this. He had been determined to capture Li Guang alive, but in the end, Li Guang died. He thought his plan was flawless, but it seemed someone had seen through it and struck first. It was clear that he had underestimated their ruthlessness.
However, considering that Zhao Liang would not sit idly by and would inevitably take action, it was not unthinkable that Li Guang would ultimately atone with his death. The step they had taken now, which successfully weakened the Prince of Anping's power in the court and reclaimed military power from Li Guang, could be considered a steady and pragmatic move.
Seeing that Zhang Yu's serious expression did not soften at all, Prince Ning assumed that he was dissatisfied with the result. Then he heard him say slowly, "Don't pursue a desperate enemy. Let's leave it at that for now. You've worked hard these past few days."
Prince Ning recalled the year Zhang Yu ascended the throne; his sixth brother was fourteen, and he was ten. The late emperor's death and the decree passing the throne to the sixth prince caused more than just a huge uproar.
At that time, the eldest prince, who was 21 years old, the second prince, who was 19 years old, and the fourth prince, who was 17 years old, were considered the reasonable candidates to succeed to the throne. The sixth prince, who was only 14 years old, was simply too young.
Many people were dissatisfied with this outcome, and even though his sixth brother successfully ascended the throne, he undoubtedly faced numerous difficulties. Various factions were eager to make their moves, secretly suppressing him and obstructing him at every turn; he had to deal with countless matters every day. At that time, he was rather naive, having been well protected.
It wasn't until he was seventeen, with the sudden death of the Second Prince, that everything settled down and the political situation in the court gradually eased. His sixth brother could have taken a breather, but in the following three years, the Prince of Anping, who had initially served his sixth brother, couldn't help but reveal his true colors, and so the situation returned to a stalemate.
Even if their plan to profit from the conflict between the snipe and the clam falls apart, it doesn't mean the thieves have given up. Just one step away—in their eyes, they refuse to believe they can't cross that distance until the very end. Prince Ning wondered, in all these years, had his sixth brother ever uttered a single complaint or retreated for a moment?
Zhang Yu's cough pulled Zhang Ye from his reverie. There had been so many things to plan and worry about lately that even he hadn't had much rest, let alone Zhang Yu. Finally noticing that Zhang Yu's complexion was off, Prince Ning frowned and asked, "Sixth Brother is ill? Has the imperial physician examined him?"
"It's nothing serious," Zhang Yu quickly told him. "It's temporarily over for now. You should rest for a couple of days. There are still many things that need your help." The vacant position has already been filled, and ensuring that his people firmly hold onto more real power is also a major task.
There's been a bit too hasty now, but there's still more to deal with. If too much effort is spent on Zhao Liang and his son, there might not be enough time to prepare other things. Even if the losses are heavy, a swift resolution is necessary, especially since the situation is better than he expected. He just doesn't know what Prosecutor Zhao is thinking, but hasn't done anything special.
Having personally reported the situation and noticing that Zhang Yu might be unwell, Prince Ning did not linger in the Xuanzhi Hall and soon left the palace to return to his residence to rest.
·
Before they knew it, November had arrived, and the New Year was drawing ever closer. The Imperial Clothing Bureau was sending people to various palaces and halls to take measurements and tailor clothes for the ladies-in-waiting in preparation for the New Year.
The Imperial Wardrobe had already visited Changning Palace, but Empress Dowager Feng remembered something she had overlooked, so she ordered Lanfang to go to the Imperial Wardrobe to inform them. Lanfang accepted the order, took care of the matter, and then returned to Changning Palace along the same route.
After many gloomy days, today the sun shines brightly and there is no strong wind; the weather is quite nice. Pine, cypress, and bamboo are planted throughout the Imperial Garden, adding touches of greenery and vitality to the winter landscape. However, the lotus pond that Lanfang passed by was filled with withered and decaying lotuses, silently exuding an air of desolation.
Lanxiang suddenly jumped in front of her. Lanfang was startled, clutched her chest, frowned at the person in front of her, suppressed her displeasure, and asked, "Is something wrong?" She subconsciously took a step back, making sure there was more distance between herself and Lanxiang.
Seeing Lanfang's actions, Lanxiang scoffed, but instead asked her coldly, "Do you remember what happened a few months ago?"
"What happened a few months ago?"
“I accidentally knocked over a porcelain vase that the Empress Dowager liked. Someone was willing to take the blame for me, but you insisted on speaking up for that person and exposed me, causing me to be severely punished.”
"If that little palace maid hadn't been terrified by your threats, would she have been willing to take the blame for you? Her timidity is no excuse for you to bully her."
"What are you pretending to be, being a good person? You and Aunt Song are the same, always meddling in other people's business, even things that have nothing to do with you. Do you really think everyone is grateful to you and remembers your kindness? You're always pretending to be kind, it's so pointless."
Lanxiang's disdain was clearly written all over her face at this moment, without any attempt to hide it. Lanfang, however, was more concerned about why Lanxiang had suddenly brought up these old stories. Something was definitely amiss, and she became even more wary.
“I never expected anyone to be grateful or think well of me. Say whatever you want, but I don’t think I did anything wrong. You were punished for taking responsibility for your own mistakes, not because someone else harmed you,” Lanfang said again, frowning.
Lanxiang chuckled softly, then snorted coldly, "I just can't stand people like you. You've been keeping an eye on me lately, haven't you? Do you think no one knows?" Lanxiang moved closer to Lanfang, forcing Lanfang to retreat step by step towards the white jade railing beside the lotus pond.
"Be careful not to fall!" Lanxiang suddenly raised her voice and reached out to pull Lanfang. Lanfang couldn't figure out her intentions, so she tried her best to avoid her movements, but she was tripped by Lanxiang's foot and fell down.
Even though you're dressed warmly in winter, a fall can still hurt terribly. Lanxiang crouched down, pretending to reach out her right hand to pull her up, but her left hand reached for Lanfang's chest and quickly stuffed something into her clothes.
Lanfang slapped away Lanxiang's outstretched hand and reached for the object that had been shoved into her arms, pulling out a white jade pendant. Before she could even take a second look, Lanxiang, who had stood up again, shouted, "We've caught the thief! We've caught the thief!"
This was a rather clumsy frame-up, but there was no one else around, and it seemed no one could testify on her behalf. Lanfang panicked, scrambling to her feet and shoving the item into Lanxiang's hands. "What nonsense are you spouting? I didn't steal anything! You clearly slipped it to me!"
Lanxiang reached out and grabbed Lanfang's wrist, so the jade pendant was now hanging between Lanfang's fingers. She couldn't help but smile and said, "You didn't steal it, but the item is in your hands, isn't it? This is catching you red-handed."
What are you doing?
Losing her composure and preoccupied with arguing with Lanxiang, Lanfang didn't notice anyone approaching. When she looked up, she saw Tingyu, the head maid of Consort Shu, and not far away, Consort Shu, Feng Hui, was walking towards them.
Lanfang soon realized that this was actually a pre-arranged scheme, first to frame her, then with Consort Shu, who happened to be passing by, supposedly "handling the matter impartially." By the time others learned of this, she would most likely have already been dealt with.
Before Lanfang could speak, Lanxiang said to Tingyu, "Aunt Tingyu, please come and help me! Lanfang stole my things and I caught her!"
Tingyu frowned and looked at Lanfang, hesitatingly saying, "This matter..." She turned slightly to look at Consort Shu, who had just walked up to them. Feng Hui didn't show any particular expression at this scene, except for a hint of impatience.
"What's all this noise about?" Lanfang and Lanxiang knelt down to pay their respects, but Feng Hui didn't look at either of them; she simply asked them a question.
Tingyu then said, "Lanxiang said that Lanfang stole her things and was caught by her." Upon hearing this, Feng Hui glanced at Lanfang, then looked at Lanxiang and said, "Tell me what happened yourself."
So, Lanxiang began to tell Feng Hui the story in detail, with great enthusiasm.
Chapter 45 Reversal
The speech was prepared in advance. Lanxiang smoothly recounted her accusations against Lanfang to Feng Hui, and at the end she did not forget to add, "Your Highness, Consort Shu, you must do justice for this servant!" Then she kowtowed heavily to her, making a grand show of it.
Lanfang, in her anger, realized she should calm down. She truly hadn't expected Lanxiang to pull such a stunt. Although she was on guard, she still hadn't anticipated Lanxiang would do something like this. The fact that Consort Shu was willing to condescend to cooperate with Lanxiang's petty tricks was even more unexpected.
A sneak attack is hard to defend against, and having missed the initiative, Lanfang was now in a passive position. She regretted that if she hadn't hesitated for a moment, throwing the object into the lotus pond would have resolved the crisis, but now that method was useless. Unable to ask anyone for help, she could only try to save herself.