Chapter 137: Exposure

Inside Taiji Hall, Emperor Zhou sat regally in the primary seat. Below him, Noble Consort Gao knelt, her face deathly pale, while Pei Xiao stood beside her, eyes closed in stony silence.

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hall. Consort Gao snapped her head up, meeting Pei Yuan’s cold gaze. He didn’t even bother to truly look at her; after a fleeting, indifferent glance, he turned his eyes away.

A chill ran through her heart. But a moment later, she forced herself to rally. The evidence today seemed substantial, but there was still no “smoking gun.” The Emperor suspected her, yes, but he could not convict her immediately. As long as she kept her mouth shut, she might still secure a sliver of hope for herself and her son.

Pei Yuan stepped over the threshold and paid his respects to the Emperor.

Emperor Zhou looked as if he had aged ten years. He gestured for Pei Yuan to rise with a weary hand, then turned to Consort Gao. “The people are all here. If you have anything to say, say it now.”

Consort Gao straightened her back, the ornaments in her hair jingling. She pleaded tearfully, “Your Majesty, I am wronged! I never instigated Zhao Qian to harm the Princess Consort! That Sun Xingye’s testimony cannot be trusted either—how could poison be hidden in the Crown Prince’s estate? It is merely his word; what if it is a frame-up? Your Majesty, you must look into this clearly and grant justice to me and the Crown Prince!”

She was still stubborn. At this point, the Emperor felt a mixture of helplessness and mounting rage.

Finally unable to restrain himself, he grabbed a teacup from the table and hurled it violently at Consort Gao’s feet. He turned his head and barked at Jiang Yan, “Where is that ‘fine disciple’ of yours? Bring him in!”

Cold sweat poured down Jiang Yan’s forehead. He gave a sharp signal, and guards immediately entered, dragging in a gray-faced Eunuch Ye, who collapsed onto his knees.

The Emperor demanded, “Explain this. The Princess Consort was headed toward Taiji Hall. Why did you deliver her to Suoyang Palace, which is in the exact opposite direction?”

Eunuch Ye stole a frantic glance at Consort Gao, swallowed hard, and cried out, “This servant does not know! The Princess Consort seemed unwell after boarding the carriage and kept her eyes closed to rest. But when we reached the corner gate of the Imperial Garden, she suddenly ordered us to stop. We didn’t dare disobey, but then she claimed she saw ghosts everywhere. She was terrified, screamed, and jumped from the carriage, running off to who-knows-where. We tried to chase her, but we couldn’t catch up…”

The Emperor frowned. Jiang Yan pondered for a moment before stepping forward. “According to the Imperial Physicians, the Princess Consort accidentally ingested undercooked ‘Jianshouqing’ mushrooms while at the Empress’s palace. That fungus is known to cause vivid hallucinations.”

Pei Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, remaining silent.

The Emperor ordered, “Bring in the chef who prepared that dish and the palace maids who delivered it.”

The group was quickly brought in.

The chef wept bitterly. “Your Majesty, please investigate! These mushrooms are naturally toxic; it was not a deliberate attempt at murder. It was late, and I was careless with the heat, failing to realize some weren’t fully cooked. I am willing to accept punishment, but I truly had no intent to harm anyone!”

Taoxian also knelt, trembling. “This servant was merely the one delivering the food. I never touched the mushroom cakes. I knew nothing!”

A faint smirk played on Consort Gao’s lips. She shot a silent, provocative look at Pei Yuan, then turned back to the Emperor with tears in her eyes. “Your Majesty, it was all a coincidence! It has nothing to do with me! That villain Zhao Qian had his own treacherous designs. I admit I failed in my duty to supervise him and will accept punishment for negligence, but any other charges are false!”

Pei Yuan spoke up. “Suoyang Palace is kept locked year-round. Who fetched the key?”

Jiang Yan answered, “The Bureau of Palace Rectification has already looked into it. It was an old maid named Li Zhao who tricked the Head Eunuch in charge of the keys. Furthermore… Zhao Qian has always been a lecher with a poor reputation in the palace. Acquaintances have confessed that Li Zhao and Zhao Qian had entered into a ‘dui shi’ (palace marriage) relationship. And…”

He paused. The Emperor prompted, “Why stop? Go on.”

Jiang Yan bowed to Pei Yuan before continuing. “After checking Li Zhao’s ancestral records, the Bureau found she is from the same hometown as the palace maid surnamed Luo—the one who confessed to being the culprit in the case where Consort Xian fell into the water years ago.” What he didn’t say was that Pei Yuan had personally ordered the execution of the Luo family, creating a blood feud. If Li Zhao sought revenge for her fellow villager, it was a plausible motive.

The look of triumph in Consort Gao’s eyes intensified. When she had chosen her pawns, she had planned specifically for this moment.

The logic was so perfectly circular that Pei Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle and clap his hands. “Very impressive.”

Consort Gao ignored him, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief—the picture of a fragile, wronged woman.

“I have two more questions,” Pei Yuan said, leaning toward her. “How does the Noble Consort explain the Rouge Eyes poison found hidden in the Crown Prince’s estate? And the Crown Prince charging into the tower to slay Zhao Qian with one sword stroke was a remarkable display of valor—but how do you explain his initial intent to harm my wife?”

“How dare you spout such nonsense!” Consort Gao shrieked. “That is nothing more than the words of Sun Xingye and your wife! Do they even count as proof? Xiao’er and Feihe were deeply in love; everyone can testify to that. He had no motive to harm her! Talk of ‘killing his wife’ is sheer absurdity! Perhaps Sun Xingye was instructed by someone else to plant the poison and fabricate this story? As for Zhao Qian… his actions have nothing to do with us. Why would Xiao’er need to silence him? You are all producing false evidence!”

Pei Yuan asked, “And how Zhao Qian was brought into the palace, and who he originally was—is the Noble Consort truly claiming she didn’t know?”

“Of course I knew,” she snapped, her neck stiff. “But even sages are not perfect. He had already received his punishment; why couldn’t he be given a second chance at life?”

Pei Yuan smiled again. “Such a kind-hearted Noble Consort. And do you know who your niece truly was? If the Crown Prince and his Consort were so close, why hasn’t he shed a single tear since her passing? And why, months ago, did the Crown Princess plot to kill the young Imperial Grandson?”

Consort Gao was struck speechless.

The Emperor looked at her and shook his head in profound disappointment.

In truth, a much larger question was now on the table, though no one had voiced it yet: Since the same poison was found in the Crown Prince’s estate, was the poisoning case years ago actually Pei Yuan’s doing, or Pei Xiao’s?

If Pei Yuan had been innocent all along… the Emperor didn’t know how he could face his son. He deliberately avoided the topic for now, wanting to delay until he could find a way to give Pei Yuan a fair answer or a formal exoneration.

Pei Xiao remained silent. He knew that anything he said now would be a mistake, only drawing more suspicion to himself. He and his mother had agreed: no matter what happened, she would take the blame, and he would simply deny everything. She was confident she could protect him.

He felt like an outsider to his own life, clearly feeling the hatred for Pei Yuan’s pressure, the confusion over Bao Ning’s actions, and the heavy guilt and gratitude toward his mother for shielding him.

The situation was at a stalemate. As long as Consort Gao refused to confess, the legal authorities could not finalize a conviction. Pei Yuan had won the round, but they hadn’t lost everything yet.

…

Back in Changqiu Palace, Bao Ning was in a half-dreaming state when she felt someone gently scratching her cheek.

“Aunty, Aunty, are you okay?”

Bao Ning opened her eyes to see Yuanzi looking at her with concern. She blinked, startled into wakefulness. “Yuanzi? Why are you here?”

“I heard that some… bad things happened to you.” Yuanzi smiled and took her hand. “Aunty, I’m just glad you’re okay. I brought you some candy.”

Yuanzi pulled a handful of bean-shaped candies from his sleeve and placed them in her palm.

Because children run warm, some of the sugar had started to melt, making them sticky. The warmth from the candy wrapper traveled to her hand, and Bao Ning’s heart softened. She gently pinched his cheek. “Thank you, Yuanzi. I’m fine. I’m very happy you came to see me.”

Yuanzi threw himself into her arms, hugging her waist. “Aunty, can I sleep here tonight? No one is with me, and I’m scared.”

Bao Ning realized that with the chaos surrounding Gao Feihe and Consort Gao, Yuanzi had been left alone all night.

She stroked his hair, feeling a pang of pity. “Alright. We’ll tell the Empress, and you can sleep here with me.”

“It’s already settled,” Yuanzi said, looking up at her. “But I lied. I told the Empress I wanted to sleep in her side hall, and she said yes. But then I snuck out to find you. I missed you! I wanted to see you, but the maids wouldn’t let me… they said you were startled and needed to sleep.”

Bao Ning pulled him up onto the bed and nuzzled his face. “We’ll sleep together.”

Yuanzi was overjoyed. He crawled under the covers and lay down perfectly still, though his eyelids were twitching with excitement. As Bao Ning tucked him in, she thought about how wonderful it would be if she could truly bring him into their household one day. She would treat him like her own child, not just as “Pei Yuan’s antidote.”

The hall fell silent again, save for their steady breathing.

…

In Taiji Hall, the Emperor was exhausted. He ordered Consort Gao and Pei Xiao to be taken to the cells, to be interrogated again tomorrow.

As she passed Pei Yuan, Consort Gao’s eyes darted. A new idea struck her.

She knew she couldn’t wash herself clean, but that didn’t stop her from dragging Pei Yuan down with her. Pei Yuan had planned all this because he wanted the position of Crown Prince, didn’t he? If Xiao’er couldn’t have it, then Pei Yuan wouldn’t either!

Just before crossing the threshold, she suddenly wailed, broke free from the guards, and threw herself at the Emperor’s feet. “Your Majesty! My imprisonment is a small matter, but have pity on the young Imperial Grandson! His mother is gone, and now even I cannot be by his side. He is only five—how pitiful! Your Majesty, Yuanzi is your only grandson. Please, do not let your anger at me fall upon him. Do not let the ‘villain’ succeed again. Poor Yuanzi is already covered in scars; he cannot take any more torment!”

After speaking, she shot a meaningful look at Pei Yuan.

Pei Yuan’s eyes narrowed as he stared back.

The Emperor, who had been about to leave with Jiang Yan’s help, stopped in his tracks. “What do you mean by that?”

Consort Gao’s voice was hoarse. “Yuanzi went missing for a time months ago. Whether by coincidence or design, he ended up in the Fourth Prince’s Lihu Villa… By the time Xiao’er found him, his small arms were covered in wounds. He claimed they were insect bites, but where would so many insects come from? He was clearly abducted by a villain and beaten!”

The Emperor looked at Pei Yuan in disbelief. “Is this true?”

Consort Gao urged, “Whether it is or not, bring Yuanzi here. One question and you will know the truth!”

She was confident. Yuanzi was just a quiet child; what did he know? With a little intimidation, he would say whatever she wanted. Besides, he had been lonely in the Crown Prince’s estate; she was the only grandmother who had been “kind” to him. Between rewards and threats, a child was easy to manipulate.

A flash of guilt crossed her mind, but she dismissed it. She didn’t feel she was hurting him; she was just making him say a few words. And wasn’t she doing this for his own good?

Fifteen minutes later, a sleepy-eyed Yuanzi was brought in. He had been pulled from Bao Ning’s arms and was still dazed.

Standing in the center of Taiji Hall, he looked around to see his grandmother kneeling on the floor in tears. He was utterly bewildered.

The moment she saw him, Consort Gao cried even harder. She rushed forward to hug him, crying out, “My poor grandson!” while secretly pinching his arm hard. She whispered into his ear, “No matter what I say, you must agree with me. Otherwise, you will be the one who kills your grandmother. Yuanzi, do you have the heart to do that?”

She glared at him. “Do you understand?”

Yuanzi winced from the pinch. Seeing his usually doting grandmother transform into this terrifying stranger made tears well up. She pinched him again. “Do you hear me?”

Yuanzi nodded tearfully. “Yes…”

“Yuanzi, do not be afraid.” The Emperor walked over and knelt to be at eye level with him. “Answer your Imperial Grandfather honestly.”

The Emperor pointed at Pei Yuan. “You were lost once, and you stayed at your Fourth Uncle’s villa for a time?”

Consort Gao pinched his arm. Yuanzi’s voice trembled. “Yes…”

The Emperor asked, “Did your Fourth Uncle hit or scold you?”

Yuanzi looked at the Emperor in shock. “How…” How could that be?

Consort Gao’s hand under his sleeve twisted his skin with lethal force. Yuanzi swallowed the rest of his sentence. It hurt so much, and he was terrified. Why was his grandmother pinching him? Why was his grandfather asking this? He didn’t understand the politics, but he knew that if he nodded, it would be bad for his “Aunty.”

The Emperor patted his head, his voice even gentler. “Yuanzi, tell me, were the injuries on your body caused by your Fourth Uncle?”

Consort Gao’s heart pounded. She couldn’t understand why the child was suddenly being so disobedient. Her wrist trembled as she used every bit of strength to wrench his skin again. “Speak!”

Pei Yuan watched Yuanzi closely. He saw the boy’s lips press together as he neared the breaking point.

Everyone waited for the answer.

“What is wrong with you, child!” Consort Gao wailed, swatting at him. “I told you to speak! Why are you silent? Do you want to kill your grandmother?!”

The Emperor roared, “What are you doing?!”

Yuanzi’s fists were clenched at his sides. Finally, he could no longer hold it back and burst into a loud sob. “No! He didn’t hit me! Why are you forcing me to lie? I don’t want to be a bad child! Aunty is good, and Uncle is good… Why does Grandmother want to hurt them? Why?”

Consort Gao’s mind felt like it was exploding.

“Yuanzi, what are you saying?” Her eyes widened as she lunged to grab his arm. “Who taught you this? Tell me, who taught you?!”

Pei Yuan couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward to intervene. Yuanzi ducked into his arms for protection. Seeing this, Consort Gao went even more berserk.

In the scuffle, there was a sudden clink —the sound of porcelain hitting the floor. Looking down, they saw a small red medicine bottle had fallen from Yuanzi’s sleeve. The Emperor frowned suspiciously, picked it up, and opened it. Inside were small pills.

Consort Gao’s face turned white instantly, drained of every drop of blood.

The Emperor handed the bottle to the Imperial Physician. “See what this is.”

The physicians’ expressions changed the moment they saw the pills. They whispered among themselves in disbelief before the eldest stepped forward. “Reporting to Your Majesty… this bottle contains… Rouge Eyes.”

The Emperor was stunned. “What!”

Consort Gao collapsed onto the floor, her hair ornaments scattering. She gasped for air in ragged bursts. She tried to reach for the Emperor’s robes to cry for mercy, but he looked at her with pure loathing and kicked her away.

The Emperor turned to Yuanzi. “Where did this bottle come from?”

Yuanzi said through his tears, “In Yanxi Palace… under the floor tiles.”

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