Chao Yan replied, “Exactly.”
He personally helped the little eunuch to his feet. “You work in the palace, assisting Eunuch Huang. How can you be so timid? You need to get used to this. Otherwise, how can Eunuch Huang promote you to serve at the side of important personages?”
The words were reasonable and understanding, the sort that would normally inspire gratitude in anyone who heard them. Yet his expression was so cold that not a trace of warmth could be found in it, perfect like a mask pasted onto his face. Combined with those words, it carried an indescribable sense of mockery.
The little eunuch trembled from head to toe and immediately dropped to his knees again.
He wanted to say something, but it felt as though a lump of phlegm was lodged in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, no words would come out.
The Crown Prince ignored him and left.
The little eunuch’s entire body went weak as he sat on the ground. Someone tapped his arm from behind and said, “You really picked the wrong moment. His Highness is already troubled over the assassin incident, and then you went and approached him.”
Hearing this, the little eunuch’s anxious heart calmed somewhat. He had thought he had offended His Highness. Soon afterward, however, shock and anger rose within him.
“Who would dare assassinate His Highness in the capital?” he asked.
Zhao He smiled but said nothing.
The little eunuch cast a sideways glance at the large cloth sack in Li Lan’s hand and hurriedly slapped his own mouth “That’s not something I should be asking.”
Zhao He patted him on the shoulder. “When you have time in the future, let’s get together.”
The little eunuch readily agreed and immediately rushed off to share everything he had seen and heard with others.
Zhao He quickly caught up with Chao Yan and lowered his voice. “Your Highness, it’s done.”
Chao Yan gave a hum of acknowledgment.
He had originally been thinking about how to spread news of the assassination attempt throughout the palace, and then someone had conveniently delivered themselves to him.
That godson of Eunuch Huang had been known for his loose tongue for years. Eunuch Huang had always been reluctant to elevate him precisely because he feared that mouth of his would cause trouble.
After pondering for a moment, Zhao He said: “Your Highness, regarding the matter of taking concubines…”
Chao Yan replied: “Whether it succeeds or not is another matter.”
With that, he headed toward the Emperor’s residence.
There was a natural hot spring there. Several clusters of lush green plants grew amid the warmth. Steam drifted through the air, slightly obscuring one’s vision.
The Emperor sat in the hot spring wearing only a thin layer of clothing. Imperial physicians and attendants stood nearby.
When he saw Chao Yan, the Emperor narrowed his eyes. His gaze swept over Chao Yan before settling on the large cloth sack in Li Lan’s hand. “What is that?”
Chao Yan suddenly dropped to his knees.
His eyes burned with anger. The muscles in his jaw were tightly clenched. Even across the distance, the Emperor seemed able to hear the grinding of his teeth.
The Emperor unconsciously straightened his posture. “What happened?”
…
The Emperor changed into a fresh set of clothes and now sat in a pavilion built beside the hot spring. His expression was extremely unpleasant.
He stared at the head that had been respectfully removed from the sack. After looking at it for a moment, he slowly said to Chao Yan: “What is there to be afraid of? I told you to investigate, so investigate.”
Chao Yan forced out a bitter smile. “This son…”
The Emperor interrupted him. “Those responsible shall be punished according to the law. This is simply lawless! Today they dare lay hands on the Crown Prince. Tomorrow will they dare lay hands on me?!”
He summoned Eunuch Huang. “Order Vice Commander Hua Que to select five hundred men from the guards under the Grand Commander’s Office and assign them to protect the Crown Prince. I want to see who still dares touch the Crown Prince!”
Eunuch Huang immediately acknowledged the order.
Chao Yan no longer declined the task of investigating the Ministry of Justice’s old cases and kowtowed in gratitude.
The Emperor waved his hand. “Go do your work!”
Chao Yan rose and was about to withdraw when he suddenly paused. A hesitant expression appeared on his face, as though he wanted to speak but could not decide whether to do so.
The moment the Emperor saw that expression, he knew Chao Yan had yet another troublesome matter to present.
How was it that after winter arrived, there seemed to be even more problems?
Closing his eyes impatiently, he said:“Next time.”
Chao Yan could only comply.
After Chao Yan departed, the Emperor ordered someone to contact his informant within the Eastern Palace Guard. Not long afterward, the informant arrived.
The Emperor asked whether he knew about the Crown Prince’s assassination attempt.
The man replied that he did. He had been right beside the Crown Prince at the time. Several assassins had attacked ferociously, aiming directly for the Crown Prince’s life.
At the time, the Crown Prince had been out handling affairs and had brought only four personal guards. Had the informant not pushed him aside, the assassin’s blade would have pierced the Crown Prince’s heart. Instead, it had only struck his arm.
The Emperor asked: “Did those assassins truly kill themselves immediately after failing?”
“Yes,” the informant replied.
“When they realised they could not kill the Crown Prince and had no chance of escaping, they immediately bit down on the poison hidden in their teeth and committed suicide.
“Their actions were so decisive that it was obvious they had received special training. This subordinate believes there are many more assassins like them hidden in the shadows.”
The Emperor waved for him to leave. Then he turned to Eunuch Huang, who had returned after carrying out his assignment.
“Keep that head properly preserved.”
Eunuch Huang looked at the Emperor in confusion.
The Emperor lowered his voice and said a few words.
…
After leaving the West Garden, Chao Yan instructed Zhao He to return to the Eastern Palace and send those portraits back to Eunuch Huang.
Zhao He was stunned. His first thought was: His Highness intends to reject the Emperor’s goodwill.
If the Emperor learned of it, the aftermath would likely be difficult to handle.
However, recalling Chao Yan’s earlier words and knowing that his master never acted recklessly, Zhao He did not ask any questions and immediately accepted the order.
Chao Yan then led his people to the Ministry of Justice to handle the cases. Along the way, Vice Commander Hua Que arrived with a group of men under orders to protect him.
News of the Crown Prince’s assassination had already spread throughout the Ministry of Justice. This was because Chao Yan had made no effort to conceal it afterward and had worn a gloomy expression the entire time.
When Chao Yan had gone to see the Emperor, they had been speculating whether he was going to lodge a complaint. Now, upon seeing Hua Que, they thought: As expected, he really did go complain.
Hua Que belonged to the Grand Commander’s Office and was responsible for protecting the Emperor’s safety. If the Crown Prince had not complained and the Emperor were not concerned for his safety, why would Hua Que suddenly be assigned to him, accompanied by so many soldiers?
Chao Yan noticed the looks directed at him. Stopping in place, he cupped his hands and smiled.
“The old cases shall be investigated thoroughly. Those responsible shall be punished according to the law. I ask everyone to put forth their utmost effort. If we can finish before the New Year, then we can all enjoy a prosperous and happy year.”
The moment everyone heard those words, they understood. This was the Emperor’s order to settle accounts with every guilty party.
When the Crown Prince had come previously, he had not spoken this way. He had only thanked everyone for their hard work, promised to host a banquet once the matter was concluded, and even paid out of his own pocket to improve the Ministry’s meal allowances.
Immediately, everyone smiled and agreed. Some were genuinely delighted.
At last, they could proceed without restraint and follow matters through to the very end, instead of reaching the midpoint of an investigation only to discover that certain individuals could not be offended, forcing them to shelve the matter or muddle through it so long as appearances remained intact.
Others smiled through their discomfort. Their hearts were filled with unease, to the point that they could barely focus on their work.
The moment their shifts ended, they hurried home, changed into inconspicuous clothing, and slipped through the city like fish through water, making their way toward the residences of the capital’s most influential families.
That night, many found themselves unable to eat or sleep. Compared to them, however, Prince Yan was suffering even more.
The damned Meng Zhao had delivered the corpse of the Princess Consort’s relative directly to her.
The corpse was in a horrifying state. Upon seeing it, the Princess Consort was so terrified that she fell ill.
Meng Zhao’s sister later visited under the pretence of checking on her condition and casually revealed that Meng Zhao himself had killed the man.
The relative in question was not some distant family member. He was the Princess Consort’s own younger brother.
After learning this, she immediately confronted Prince Yan. If he had truly been responsible, he would have admitted it. But the matter had nothing to do with him. The useless people he had dispatched only learned about the corpse’s delivery after Meng Zhao had already done it.
Prince Yan tried to comfort the Princess Consort but failed. Her family had only that one son. Now their bloodline had been cut off.
In a fit of anger, Prince Yan struck her. Truthfully, he had never been satisfied with this marriage.
Aside from being somewhat attractive, possessing a decent temperament, and coming from a respectable family, she had no other notable virtues.
Had it not been for the fact that the Emperor had arranged the marriage and that she had borne him two sons and one daughter, he would have divorced her long ago.
“I’ve already been punished by His Majesty. What benefit is there for you in that? Do you want your children to resent you? Do you want your parents to spend their old age in misery? When your brother committed his crime, I protected your parents, which is why they’re still able to maintain their former lifestyle! If I am punished further, do you think the Emperor won’t immediately move against your parents as well? He might even confiscate your family’s property!”
The Princess Consort could say nothing. Leaning against the armrest of her chair, she silently wept.
Prince Yan crouched beside her.
“Calm down. There’s still no progress in the Meng Zhao case. When the Emperor issues punishment, I’ll plead on your behalf so your brother can be buried. Aren’t there still other promising young men in your clan? Once everything is over, your parents can adopt one. Hadn’t a suitable candidate already been selected before?”
The Princess Consort remained silent.
Prince Yan coaxed her for a while longer, but eventually his patience wore thin. He shot a meaningful glance at her senior maid, indicating that she should keep watch over the Princess Consort, then got up and left.
Halfway down the road, he was stopped by Princess Hanzhu, who had hurried over. There was blood on her clothing.
Already irritated, he could not be bothered to investigate where it had come from and simply asked why she had come. Princess Hanzhu wanted him to send people out to search for her daughter.
Prince Yan laughed immediately. “She ran away from home. If she gets bullied, she’ll realise how good life was at home and come back on her own. What are you worried about? It’s because you spoil her too much that she dared do something so outrageous!”
Princess Hanzhu replied: “What if she encounters hooligans or ruffians?”
Prince Yan said: “Can’t they afford to raise a child? If she can’t marry upward, she can marry downward. A girl like her deserves severe punishment. Otherwise, every woman in the capital who experiences a little dissatisfaction will follow her example. Wouldn’t that throw everything into chaos?”
Princess Hanzhu instantly flew into a rage and lunged at him. “How can you say such things as her uncle?!”
Prince Yan immediately dodged and coldly replied: “You simply don’t like hearing the truth.”
As the two argued, the Grand Eunuch arrived and whispered: “The Eighth Prince has come.”
Prince Yan waved a hand. The Grand Eunuch withdrew and relayed the message to the Eighth Prince, Chao Yao.
Chao Yao said: “I have urgent business.”
The Grand Eunuch replied: “You should go back. Don’t let anyone see you.”
“I…”
“Princess Hanzhu is here.”
Anxious and uneasy, Chao Yao departed.
…
Chao Yan worked until deep into the night before finally finishing for the day.
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Zhao He immediately came forward. “Your Highness, the portraits of those women have disappeared.”
Zhao He continued: “I turned the study upside down and still couldn’t find them. I asked the person who received them at the time, and they said they had been placed directly on the study desk.”
After hearing this, Chao Yan fell silent for several breaths.
Then he said: “I understand. You may leave.”
Zhao He asked: “Should we search for them? Just give the order and I’ll lead people to look for them overnight. They have to be somewhere in the Eastern Palace.”
As he spoke, he quietly cursed the thief.
Chao Yan bent a finger and knocked him on the head. “I know who took them. There’s no need to make such a fuss. You have a brain. Why not use it?”
Covering his head, Zhao He thought hard.
Someone who could move freely throughout the Eastern Palace and take things without attracting anyone’s notice…
The Crown Princess?
But why would she take those portraits?
…
Gu Yun was also wondering why he had taken those portraits.
