Chapter 35

When someone dies in Song Garden, it may be a big or trivial matter. In the end, it all depends on who the victim is.

If it were a princeling or a noble young lady, there would probably be imperial guards surrounding the estate on the first day of the flower-picking festival. Mu Jingxu would take charge of the investigation on the spot. Whether it was accidental or involved a human cause, he had to provide an explanation.

But the person who died was a nanny—a nanny who isn’t favoured by the prince, then… there is nothing to look into.

Under feudal privileges, the disparity between people is wider than that between people and dogs.

The matter of Yuerong’s death itself didn’t exacerbate Minister He’s young Miss’ frightened state.

The next day, Rong Tang was wandering in the garden again and happened upon Rong Zheng. He heard that Rong Ying and Rong Ning were now in Miss He’s courtyard, where several noble ladies had gathered to comfort her.

Su Huaijing asked casually, “Are they friends?”

Rong Zheng nodded and said, “The body was discovered when Ningning and Yingying jiejie accompanied Miss He to the banks of the pond yesterday.”

Rong Tang was watching insects climb an early-flowering cape jasmine. Hearing this, he frowned and asked, “Then why didn’t we hear that they were there?”

In the morning, Ke Hongxue came to invite him. Rong Tang didn’t want to go to the island in the middle of the lake anymore, so they went their own way. They met Rong Zheng again by chance. At this moment, there are only three of them, with their respective servants waiting upon them in this corner of the flower park in Song Garden.

There was no need to elude people when speaking, but Rong Zheng still lowered his voice and said, “Er shu* is a prudent person, and even the er biao cousin he brought with him is very careful when doing things. Although they are both female relatives of Duke Ningxuan’s Palace,… one is a concubine’s daughter, one is the eldest daughter of the second wife, and speaking of it, they aren’t actually as prominent as the Minister of War’s legitimate daughter.”

(*TN: second paternal uncle)

When he mentioned the words “concubine’s daughter,” Rong Tang looked up and glanced at him. Unexpectedly, he didn’t notice any expressions of dissatisfaction on his face. Rong Tang felt that this petty didi of his was really difficult to figure out.

He assumed he had a lot of thoughts, but he was also frighteningly naive. He thought he was obsessed with having his da ge killed, but after only being educated two or three times, he respectfully deserved to be called the nation’s good didi.

But it doesn’t have much to do with him in the first place. He withdrew his gaze and reached out to touch the jasmine. Some kind of insect crawled along his finger to reach his nail.

Rong Tang didn’t shake it off and stood there with no change in his expression as he listened to Rong Zheng’s explanation: “Although everyone’s attention is now focused on Miss He suffering a fright, in the end it was the elderly from the palace who died. Moreover, that person was the nanny who’s been serving by the Fifth Prince’s side since his childhood until now. The Emperor’s heart is unpredictable. His Majesty loves Concubine Hui very much, and he also values the Third Prince, but this matter… is not as simple as it appears.”

The insect crawled up to the junction between his index and middle fingers, stopped, and turned twice, as if it didn’t know which direction to go. Hearing this, Rong Tang raised his lower lip at first, but then quickly withdrew his smile. Threads of chilliness crept deep into his eyes.

Su Huaijing stepped forward and placed his fingers on the back of his hand, patiently waiting for the bug to crawl onto his own hand. He said slowly, “Er di has such smart thoughts.”

Rong Zheng scratched his head in embarrassment at the sudden praise and said sheepishly, “There’s no way I noticed it. It was Second Highness who specially mentioned it to me last night.”

Su Huaijing lowered his head and smiled. “Is that right?”

The little insect turned around aimlessly on the finger twice and finally caught sight of the finger in front of it. After hesitating for a moment, it ultimately climbed up along the fingertip.

Su Huaijing cast his gaze downward and waited until it had crawled on steadily before taking his hand away from Rong Tang’s. He then bent slightly to touch the jasmine again, lowering his eyes and gently delivered the little insect back to its original location.

He stood up, dipped his handkerchief into the water placed in the corner of the garden for guests to clean their hands, and slowly wiped the back of Rong Tang’s hand.

He did this most earnestly and seriously—as if he were handling a piece of high-quality porcelain—helping Rong Tang repeatedly wipe the place where the little black insect crawled. His voice was gentle, like the pleasant sounds of nature, and he said quietly, “It seems that Senior Official Zhang wants to have Marshal Xia impeached.”

His voice had been lowered until it was very soft, and he casually talked about important government affairs with an affirmative tone. When Rong Zheng heard this, his expression abruptly changed, and he said in shock, “How does da sao know?”

Su Huaijing let out a laugh. He finally finished wiping Rong Tang’s hands, folded the handkerchief, and handed it to Shuang Shou. He threw a lazy look at Rong Zheng with his phoenix eyes and said, “I’m not at all in the know. Er di should be a bit more cautious about what you say in the future.”

Rong Zheng was stunned for a moment, and then he sensed a chill creeping from his back up to his neck. It’s clearly late spring and early summer weather, but he felt extremely cold.

A strong burst of fear engulfed him.

That was until Rong Tang shifted, bent down, and started plucking flowers.

“I like jasmine. It’s very fragrant and perfect to be placed in the study. It’s a pity that there isn’t a study in the courtyard.” He told Su Huaijing.

Su Huaijing followed his words and said, “Why don’t you grow it together with peonies?”

Rong Tang thought for a moment and said, “Let’s find another flower pot to grow it in. It should be good to put them together.”

White matches well with pale yellow; both are very clean and light colours. They ought to be most pleasing to the eye when paired together.

Su Huaijing naturally responded, “Okay.”

Then he silently picked flowers with him.

It wasn’t until Shuang Fu held a whole bunch of jasmines in his hands that Rong Tang stood up. It was as if he’d just discovered Rong Zheng. He spoke, sounding slightly surprised: “Why is er di still here? Didn’t you say earlier that you were going to Lanyue Pavilion to meet Second Highness? Your saosao and I don’t need you to accompany us.”

Rong Zheng was dazed for a moment. The coldness that was like having icy water poured onto his head gradually dissipated. The morning sun streamed onto him, and his body warmed up. He swallowed, and for some reason he didn’t dare to look at Su Huaijing and said hoarsely, “Then didi will leave first.”

Rong Tang nodded. “Ng, go ahead.”

When Rong Zheng’s figure disappeared from among the jasmines, Su Huaijing couldn’t help but chuckle out loud and he cast an extremely indulgent look at Rong Tang: “This time, it’s not me who’s asking Tangtang to save him.”

Rong Tang glanced sideways at him and said, “Don’t you bully him.”

Su Huaijing still smiled: “Why?”

Rong Tang fell silent and commented in a low voice, “He’s a dunce.”

Bullying him gives the appearance of being a bit immoral.

——Although Rong Tang himself has always been bullying him.

Su Huaijing paused for a moment, and his smile deepened. “That’s good.” He said, “But Tangtang gege is so smart; can you tell me what he was afraid of just now?”

Rong Tang is about to turn around and move on to the next location. He heard that there are peacocks being raised in Song Garden. He’d come out today to see if he would be lucky enough to see a peacock displaying its full plumage. Hearing this, he stopped in his tracks and turned around. His emotion was imperceptible as he threw a glance at Su Huaijing and whispered, “Do you treat me as a dunce too?”

Is he a little dunce like Rong Zheng or a big dunce like Sheng Chengming?

Su Huaijing paused for a moment, then smiled: “How’s that possible? Tangtang is the smartest.”

He sounds rather perfidious when he praises Rong Tang, but it also makes one feel extreme sincerity. Thus, young Prince Rong’s subtle emotions dispersed, and he let out a light snort: “That’s about the same.”

He and Su Huaijing walked forward side by side, followed by Shuang Fu and Shuang Shou. They maintained a distance from them, so their words could not be heard clearly.

Rong Tang then said, “Sheng Chengming specifically highlighted it to Rong Zheng, most likely because he wants to make a move. He wanted to divulge the details to Rong Zheng in advance to prevent him from making mistakes.”

Su Huaijing nods: “Ng, it’s reasonable.”

Rong Tang: “The Second Prince made several great achievements some time ago, and it was then that he was appreciated by His Majesty. Senior Official Zhang wields great power in the court and has many followers. He was originally very high-spirited, but in order to appease Concubine Hui and her son, the bonus bestowed for the flower-picking festival this time surpasses the customary benefits associated with an imperial favour and exceeds the allocation for a prince born of a concubine.”

“Marshal Xia has been a military man all his life and is hot-tempered. He has a very unreasonable and adamant character in court. He looks down on literati. This time, Sheng Chengxing has clearly not made any political achievements, but he has received this honour, and it has only added to his arrogance. I’m afraid it has incited dissatisfaction from Second Prince’s party since long ago.” Rong Tang spoke calmly, walking leisurely all the way. When he saw a little kitten bounding through the flowering shrubs, he couldn’t help but stop to see if there was a nest nearby.

Su Huaijing didn’t rush him, but his eyes brightened the more he listened. He fiddled with his waist tablet unsatisfactorily, then stepped forward and grabbed Rong Tang’s hand. “After that?”

Rong Tang glanced down and didn’t pull away, letting him hold himself like children holding hands to cross the street.

Rong Tang then continued: “If the one who died was someone else, whether it was a nobleman’s son, a highborn lady, or even an impoverished student from Linyuan Academy, with so many officials here, they would definitely not pass over it carelessly. Even if a reason was casually obtained for the accident, Sheng Chengxing will definitely provide a reason to deal with it. And subsequently, whether it is comfort or to compensate, it can be resolved privately, and it will not have much impact.”

Su Huaijing is holding Rong Tang. His hand is a little itchy, so he couldn’t help but scratch the back of it. Rong Tang frowns and turns to glare at him. The main villain immediately obeyed: “I won’t scratch it anymore.”

Rong Tang stared at him for two seconds, then looked away, but his hand was still being held by him, and he said, “If it was a different servant, it wouldn’t be difficult to solve. Just pay a sum of money…” He frowned, as if wanting to superimpose his own thoughts onto Sheng Chengxing, then came up with a sentence: “Something that can be easily handled.”

Although his inherent disposition resents treating human life casually, he acknowledges it as an undeniable reality. Despite his personal aversion, he is powerless to change it.

Rong Tang is somewhat irritated and says, “So the matter itself is not difficult. Only one person has died. In the eyes of Sheng Chengxing and Sheng Chengming, this is a trivial matter that isn’t worth mentioning. Sheng Chengxing will only deem it bad luck, having ruined his and his friends’ moods for merriment.”

Su Huaijing squeezed him comfortingly: “Tangtang doesn’t need to empathise with him, you are different from him.”

Rong Tang is still frowning, and he fell silent for a moment after hearing this. He hummed softly and then said, “As it happens to be the nanny beside Sheng Chengli who has died, therefore, this matter is different.”

“The Fifth Prince is the most inconspicuous existence in the palace. Each of his brothers look down upon him. They neither think that he has the ability to compete with them for the throne, nor do they sincerely think that he is their didi. Strictly speaking, in Sheng Chengxing’s eyes, he’s not even as important as the little eunuch beside him who’s followed him since childhood. So if someone around him dies, even if it is in his own estate, Sheng Chengxing will not care.”

“He will neither investigate the cause of death nor provide compensation, nor even pretend to express his grief. He will only order someone to bury the nanny in a nearby cemetery. This matter is understandable, and Sheng Chengli has no powerful connections or confidence to fight with him. The most likely thing you can do is just stifle your indignation and swallow this grievance.”

Rong Tang snorted lightly as he spoke, as if he thought it ironic that Sheng Chengli would swallow his grievances. But he didn’t want to spread his emotions to Su Huaijing, so he didn’t dwell on it and continued: “But Second Prince is here. In this case, Senior Official Zhang, as Sheng Chengming’s maternal ancestor, is a natural member of the Second Prince’s party. The shujishi who wins the flower-picking competition will directly enter his sphere of influence—the Hanlin Academy. So no matter what, whether it is for revenge, to relieve one’s anger, or to prepare for a rainy day, Senior Official Zhang will definitely take advantage of this matter to implicate the Third Prince.”

He pauses, his brows furrowing slightly, and he glances calmly at Su Huaijing, as if he wanted to gently gloss over the topic.

It is rare that Su Huaijing gets to the heart of the matter and asks, “What’s the reason for it?”

Rong Tang: “…”

He had no choice but to answer honestly: “Brothers not getting along.”

A sarcastic smile appeared on Su Huaijing’s lips.

Rong Tang subconsciously clenched his hand that was being held a little tighter and seemed to obediently rub his hand deep into his palm. His voice was soft as he tried his best not to upset Su Huaijing.

“The current emperor obtained his position through improper means, but he is someone who cares deeply about his reputation. The late emperor… was brutally killed by him. In order not to be accused by the nation’s people of killing his brother, he even found countless pretentious reasons to justify his behaviour. Naturally, he will allow his ministers to say that his sons don’t get along, so as to avoid any possibility of being criticised by future generations that his bloodline is prone to slaughtering their own brothers.”

Rong Tang’s soft voice blended with the early summer sunlight, audible only to Su Huaijing.

His words were clearly disrespectful and, when disseminated, could lead to his beheading at any time. Yet he calmly chatted with Su Huaijing in this garden and told him clearly that the late emperor had died innocently and unjustly.

Su Huaijing is aware that this isn’t a hallucination, but… he still felt that the person in front of him was like a bubble of an illusion.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain that he is obviously Rong Mingyu’s son. Yet, all his words are partial towards the late emperor.

Su Huaijing’s Adam’s apple shifted, and his voice softened, as if he were afraid of bursting the bubble, and he said, “What next?”

Rong Tang said, “I heard that the Fifth Prince’s birth mother died young, and he was raised by this nanny since he was a child. Nanny Yue was like a foster mother to him. What’s more, she just barged her way into the imperial physician’s courtyard a few days ago and left an impression with His Majesty. If the death of such a person is not investigated, it will naturally not cause a sensation, but if—”

He paused and angled his head to glance at Su Huaijing. The latter understood and followed his words to say: “If you want to make a fuss, Senior Official Zhang’s use of subtle criticism will naturally find a way to say that nourishing kindness is the greatest and the kindness of saving lives cannot be repaid. Fifth Highness respects his xiong zhang, so he won’t dare act rashly in front of Sheng Chengxing. However, Sheng Chengxing, as the xiong zhang, pities his didi for having no mother. The latter’s benefactor died violently; thus, his xiong zhang absolutely cannot let the matter go lightly and does not provide any explanation at all. Is this what Tangtang wants to say?”

Rong Tang nodded. “That’s right, and the one who discovered the body of Nanny Yue is the Minister of War’s legitimate daughter. The Minister of War has a good relationship with the Earl Wukang, and his heir, Qin Pengxuan, is openly one of the Second Prince’s party. This is so coincidental that it feels like a trap, specially laid out and waiting for Sheng Chengxing to jump in.”

Su Huaijing: “Does Tangtang think Sheng Chengxing will jump?”

“He has no choice but to jump.” Rong Tang blinked. “Do you see anyone in the garden paying attention to who died yesterday?”

No, what they care about is what performance is being sung in Lanyue Pavilion today; what the theme is of the flower party for the next day. Miss He suffered a fright, so is he himself going to take the opportunity to court her and ultimately gain the support of the Minister of War?

No one cares that a palace maid drowned in the pond. Fifth Prince, who is recovering from illness, almost fainted from crying yesterday…

When the flower-picking festival is over and Senior Official Zhang hands over his report, Sheng Chengxing will be pressured to death for the fact that he disregarded his brother.

Finally noticing indications of the zoo, Su Huaijing lowered his eyes and looked sideways at Rong Tang’s profile. His voice is so light that it sounds like he is coaxing or bewitching, and he asks, “Since Tangtang can see it so clearly, why were you unhappy just now? You’re not satisfied with this conclusion?”

Rong Tang shakes his head. “This has nothing to do with me.”

Whether it’s Second Prince who wants to impeach Third Prince, or Third Prince who wants to overpower the Second Prince, this has nothing to do with Rong Tang. It is just a matter of a dog biting a dog, and no one will win.

If you really want to talk about the winner, there can only be one, and this is what makes him feel unhappy.

Rong Tang said coldly, “I’m just wondering who set this trap.”

Mu Jingxu does not have the character of sacrificing innocent people to achieve his goals. Sheng Chengli has no other advisers around him now. Ke Hongxue follows his senior in everything, and naturally, he is too lazy to care about what Sheng Chengli wants to do. He just wants to live and not have to think too much about anything.

No one would set up such a sinister plan for him.

Except himself.

At fifteen-years-old, having grown up in the cold palace, just starting school, the original protagonist of the Heavenly Way should have been like a blank sheet of paper.

Only he himself would have the intention to set up this trap in order to reap the benefits.