The person lying on the bed sounded a little disgruntled. “You saw through it?”
She found it strange, too, how easily she had seen through his act. Maybe it was because they’d known each other for so long; in some things, their minds truly worked as one. And the biggest reason of all: he had almost become a master of the game. In this world, there were very few people who could outsmart him, at least so far; she hadn’t met one.
In any case, the fact that he’d woken up was a good thing. The chaos of the night had left her completely drained. She looked at him, full of things she wanted to complain about, but thousands of words got stuck in her throat, turning into a helpless sigh and a nod. She turned her head and quietly brushed away the tears at the corner of her eye.
“Before you do something like this again, can you at least give me a heads-up? So I can be prepared. I thought you were really going to die… and my heart…”
“Are you thinking about dying with me?”
She cast him a sidelong glance. “No. How do you feel now?”
He leaned against the bed frame. After all, his injuries were to muscles and bones serious enough that, if things had gone badly, just as she said, he might never have woken up. His body was still weak, and even keeping his eyes open for long made him feel like he was running out of strength. He took a couple of shallow breaths and said, “Coming back from the brink of death like this… It’s no joke.”
She looked closely at his face, pale and frail, like a flame about to go out, and a deep ache welled up in her chest.
“Couldn’t you have faked it a little?” she said. “You’re such a clever man, how could you not know how to cut corners or play a little dirty?”
A faint, helpless smile curved his pale lips. “If I could fool you, I could fool everyone else in the palace. Sitting in this position, I live every day on edge. How could you possibly understand?”
How could she not understand? He had been named Crown Prince before his first birthday and had spent over twenty years as a constant target. If there were ever a chance for him to live without worry, it would only be in the afterlife, roaming free in the underworld. She understood why he had done what he did this time.
He was the one who prepared the emperor’s medicine. He had spent half a day in the Hall of Governance. Before the poison took effect, no one had seen the emperor but him. When the emperor collapsed, all fingers would naturally point to him. How could he possibly explain?
The one who poisoned the medicine hadn’t truly intended to kill the emperor. They had miscalculated the dosage because if the emperor had died, the Crown Prince would have benefited too much. What they added was aconite, toxic in large amounts, but the quantity had been carefully measured. Increasing the dose from five parts to ten wouldn’t be enough to kill, but it was enough to implicate him.
The real goal was to shift the blame onto him. A Crown Prince suspected of patricide, no matter if he managed to ascend the throne in the future, would forever live under suspicion, just like Emperor Taizong of Song, whose entire reign was clouded by controversy.
To remain invincible, one must be sharp and perceptive, get the latest information as quickly as possible, and respond with the most reasonable plan in the shortest amount of time. In a crisis like today’s, no amount of explanation or declarations of loyalty would help. Only this plan could immediately clear his name, turning him from a villain condemned by all into a helpless heir apparent, the victim of persecution.
In truth, he had no way out. He was pitiful, but cloaked in fine robes, enjoying every luxury and privilege. Life was full of such contradictions, like a decaying rose blooming in a bed of riches: clearly rotted to the root, yet still people speculated how dazzling and dewy it must have looked in full bloom.
She lowered her head and said, “You, really, were poisoned by the incense No one can doubt that. But how did you know something had gone wrong in the Hall of Governance?”
He let out a rough breath. “You have your informants, why wouldn’t I have mine? The poison didn’t act immediately. There was enough time for me to save myself.”
“Then, do you know who put the poison in the medicine pot?”
He looked at her, saying nothing. After a long silence, he finally said, “It doesn’t matter who did it; what matters is who you want it to be.”
She frowned and asked, “So, today’s incident was, really, aimed at you, or is there something else going on beneath the surface?”
A cold smile tugged at his lips. “What do you think? The emperor is in danger, who else stands to gain more than I do? By then, there wouldn’t even be a need for the emperor to punish me. The public’s outrage alone would drown me, do you believe that?”
If this was all a risky move meant to help him, it was a stretch at best. Fortunately, his mind worked quickly. Even if it cost him dearly, he managed to toss the mess right back. Now, the real headache belonged to the one who, actually, laced the poison.
Su Xinghe finally felt her heart settle back into place. She said, “You’re really clever turning danger into safety like that…” But the memory of Zuo Zhaoyi’s attempt to muddy the waters still left her shaken. She asked cautiously, “Weren’t you worried after the effects of the poison kicked in? What if the suspicion still didn’t go away, and you couldn’t even speak to defend yourself, then?”
He closed his eyes, weariness and exhaustion heavy on his face, and answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Wasn’t I counting on you?”
Su Xinghe’s nose stung suddenly. She thought to herself, what a foolish question that had been. If she hadn’t gone to such lengths to protect him, the delicate balance between the royal brothers would’ve collapsed, and that would have done no one any good. He knew this deeply, which was why he hadn’t panicked in the slightest. Instead, he just softly called her name, “Su Xinghe… I feel so cold.”
Since the new year, the palace had stopped burning charcoal, which was the tradition every year. The heated brick beds and braziers had been removed. The only fire in the hall now came from the incense burners. He said he was cold because he had been severely weakened earlier.
Without thinking, Su Xinghe took off her outer robe and climbed into bed. “Let me warn you, Your Highness.”
It was already very late, well past midnight, after all the chaos of the night. As long as no orders came from the inner chamber, everyone would remain waiting outside, and there was no need to worry about anyone barging in. Su Xinghe curled around him like a mother hen guarding her egg. With arms spread wide, she drew him into her embrace, rubbing his back as she asked, “Does this feel better? You haven’t eaten anything this whole time, are you hungry?”
The Crown Prince felt a suffocating pressure, even more overwhelming than the effects of the poison earlier. He flailed his hands, nearly crying out for help. After much effort, he managed to rescue his face from being buried in her chest. With an awkward smile, he said, “Su Xinghe… you’re really… big.”
At first, she didn’t catch his meaning. Once she did, she glared at him in exasperation.
“I was trying to warm you up. You were the one who said you were cold, now you’re complaining I’m too big?”
He quickly replied, “No, never complained. I love it. I can’t get enough of it.”
So what was this between them, really? They had always interacted with this kind of ease, but now, as she thought it over more carefully, it felt like something had subtly changed, something with a different kind of flavor altogether.
His hair was a mess, and she lowered her head to take a closer look, gently smoothing it out for him.
“What happened earlier in the Hall of Governance, really, had me breaking into a cold sweat. Zuo Zhoayi must’ve gone mad. She openly accused you in front of everyone and even ordered the Commandery Guard to arrest you.”
He gave a faint smirk with his eyes still closed.
“Opportunities like that don’t come often. If she didn’t act then, it would’ve been a waste of all the years she and her son spent plotting. Maybe it was their final move, going with the tide, leaving the outcome to fate.”
Su Xinghe continued to mutter, “Who could’ve actually done it? Could it be Zuo Zhaoyi? Or maybe the Empress?”
He pressed his lips together and didn’t respond. From the look on his face, he clearly, didn’t want to dig into it any further. Instead, he quietly complained,
“I was lying there unconscious and still didn’t hear you say a single heartfelt word. Were you not even a little worried? What if I, really, didn’t make it this time? Didn’t you have anything you wanted to say to me?”
She was momentarily speechless at his question. Some words, though clear in her own heart, were ones she simply couldn’t bring herself to say aloud.
She gave a self-deprecating smile. “You were unconscious, how could you even hear me talking?”
He let out a quiet hum. “I could hear everything everyone said. You only said one thing to me: ‘Master, what’s happened to you?’… I thought you’d cry your eyes out. After all, we’ve been through a lot together. But you weren’t flustered at all. Maybe if I had, really, died, you wouldn’t have felt that sad.”
A sudden chill crept into Su Xinghe’s heart. He could hear, but he couldn’t see. It was true she hadn’t said much. But in a situation like that, wailing and weeping wouldn’t have helped a thing. He might have wanted to hear her panicked cries, but all she could do was run between the two palaces, trying to uncover who had set him up.
“If you really had died, I would have been very sad.” She suppressed a smile at the corners of her mouth, unable to fully express how anxious she had been at the time. If she said too much, it might seem like she was pretending. Since he thought she didn’t care, there was no point in explaining further. It was fine as it was, that she didn’t have a habit of showing weakness in front of others. She adjusted the blankets around his neck, “Your body hasn’t recovered yet. Rest well. Tomorrow may not be peaceful.”
The Crown Prince fell into a deep sleep, but because he had inhaled too much incense, he didn’t recover immediately the next day. When Su Xinghe left the chamber, he was still in a dazed state. Dequan, leading the eunuch in charge of the emperor’s health, entered the inner chamber with a crying voice, “Master Gao, see for yourself sometimes he’s clear-headed, sometimes not. The prescription the imperial physician gave is just something to get by. The smoke he inhaled spread throughout his body. The medicine they prescribed is just for reassurance, but I’ve heard it could even leave him a bit dazed. Please report truthfully to His Majesty; this is no small matter. It concerns the stability of the nation.”
Gao Wuyou clasped his hands together and sighed, “What are you saying? Such a good master…” He tried calling out to the Crown Prince, “Your Highness, Your Highness… His Majesty sent me to check on you. Are you feeling any better?”
The Crown Prince, always respectful of filial piety, barely managed to open his eyes when he heard the call. He struggled a bit, then closed his eyes again. Seeing this, Gao Wuyou was close to tears. “Oh dear, what should we do? His Majesty is deeply concerned, but he can’t move right now. Prince Xin is by his side, never leaving. The emperor knew how serious the Crown Prince’s condition was and couldn’t speak to himself, so he gestured for me to come to the East Palace and check. Now, with the Crown Prince in this state, how should I report back without alarming His Majesty?”
Dequan said helplessly, “Even if it’s alarming, it still has to be reported. How could we hide something of this magnitude? If something goes wrong, we’re just small people, none of us can bear the consequences.” While speaking, he led the others toward the front hall, listening for news of the imperial court, asking how the Emperor was doing.
Gao Wuyou replied, “The effects of the aconite are gradually retreating. The imperial physician has also made a clear judgment, and by tomorrow, the Crown Prince should be able to get out of bed and walk around. But as for the Crown Prince himself… what are we going to do?”
Dequan wiped his tears. “Let’s hope for a speedy recovery. The Crown Prince’s poison has affected his muscles and tendons, unlike His Majesty’s condition, which will slowly improve. Right now, we’re like people calling out to heaven, hoping for divine intervention. If we can get through this crisis, I’d be willing to sacrifice ten years of my life.”
“Ah, who would disagree?” Gao Wuyou patted his shoulder. “The gods will look after your devotion. The Crown Prince will surely recover. I’ll go back and report this to His Majesty, and if nothing works, we’ll issue a public notice to seek out famous doctors. We have to cure the Crown Prince.”
Dequan nodded in agreement and saw him to the palace gates. After Gao Wuyou returned, he truthfully relayed his observations from the East Palace. Most eunuchs had quick tongues, and with a dramatic recounting, he moved the Emperor to tears.
Since the death of Empress Gong, the Emperor had played both the role of father and mother, pouring countless efforts into his son. Raising a Crown Prince for an empire was no easy feat. Looking back over the years, it was clear that among the four brothers, only he had the ability to shoulder such responsibility, bearing burdens with the capacity for self-sacrifice while keeping his true strength hidden. The Great Yin dynasty was no longer in the days of iron and blood, battling for dominance. The longer a dynasty existed, the more it needed to maintain its foundations. A young ruler was someone who could protect the ancestral legacy and even revive its former glory. A Crown Prince might die for the sake of the nation, but if he perished due to court intrigues or internal palace struggles, it would be an unjust fate. The Emperor felt a sharp pain in his heart, but he was unable to move at the moment, his forehead beading with cold sweat from his anxiety.
Prince Xin, standing by, spoke softly, “Father, let me go to the East Palace to see him. My second Brother had an accident, and I still haven’t seen him. I can’t put my mind at ease.”
The Emperor nodded at him and gestured, indicating that he could stay to keep watch and didn’t need to hurry back.
He left the Hall of Governance and headed east. As he stepped into the East Palace, he looked up, and for some reason, today the palace halls seemed different from usual.
The afternoon in the palace gave off an illusion of tranquil beauty. The sunlight warmed everything, shining on the intricate and colorful paintings of the palace’s walls. The bright yellow glazed tiles sparkled with tiny golden rays, like a child playing with skipping stones on water, each little leap quickly spreading out. The Lizheng Hall was bathed in this grand and joyful light, calm and composed, without asking where the joy had come from.
The little eunuch at the palace gate stepped forward to offer his routine greetings and guide the way. Prince Xin, stepping on the paved stones, looked toward the sleeping quarters and asked, “Is Lord Su on duty in the palace today?”
The little eunuch replied that he hadn’t seen him. “This servant is stationed at the gate and doesn’t handle the internal matters. I only saw that around the fifth watch, someone came out of the side hall and let the imperial physicians from the previous night leave. Later, there were people coming, and going, so Lord Su was probably inside. She never exits the palace through the main gate of Lizheng Hall; she always uses the northern entrance of Yichun Palace from Chong Ren Hall. So, this servant doesn’t know if she’s still in the East Palace right now.”
Prince Xin slowly nodded after hearing this. “So, the imperial physicians were all sent away? Then, how is the Crown Prince’s illness being treated?”
The little eunuch shook his head. “Your Highness, I really can’t answer that.”
Forget it. Prince Xin shifted his gaze. A gatekeeper wouldn’t know such things.
From a distance, he saw Dequan coming to greet him, holding a whisk and bowing deeply. “Your Highness, you’re here?”
Prince Xin quickly stepped forward and said, “Gao Wuyou reported to the Emperor about the Second Brother’s condition. I overheard it and have been burning with anxiety. How is he now? I heard he’s been alternating between being clear-headed and muddled. Have the imperial physicians said anything?”
Dequan didn’t provide a specific answer but merely said, “When Master Gao came earlier, things weren’t looking too good. But now… You can go in and see for yourself.”
Upon entering the inner chamber, passing through the low-hanging curtains, he saw that Second Brother was already sitting up, leaning against the bed frame and drinking porridge. Hearing the footsteps, he looked up, handed the bowl to the attendant, and gestured for those standing nearby to retreat.
The Crown Prince gave him a calm glance. “I almost went through the gates of hell and couldn’t come back. Do you think I’m faking it?”
Prince Xin had a slightly awkward expression on his face. “I just heard Gao Wuyou say it was that serious, and I thought you were, really, done for. But now that I see you’ve recovered, isn’t that a good thing?” As he spoke, he moved closer to examine his brother’s face more closely. “Second Brother, how are you feeling now? Is there anything uncomfortable? I heard it was Cowherb and Nutmeg, and I’m still puzzled over it. I’ve never heard of these two things together being poisonous. So, was it really like that? You seem alright now…”
However, the Crown Prince’s half-smiling, half-amused look silenced him before he could finish his sentence.
“I don’t believe it either. I don’t believe that people’s hearts are so dark, and I don’t believe that familial bonds in this palace are so thin, with so many hidden dangers. But the facts are right in front of me, and I can’t help but believe it. You’ve been at the Emperor’s side since you were young. Haven’t you figured this out yet? Cowherb and Nutmeg too much of them together can be fatal. If you don’t believe me, feel free to go back and try it.”
Prince Xin was stunned by his words. When he snapped out of it, he quickly waved his hand. “I’m not stupid enough to do something like that. What if something goes wrong, and someone else benefits?” As he said this, he sat down in the armchair next to the bed, furrowing his brow in self-reproach. “If I had known this would happen, I shouldn’t have gone out yesterday. I’ve been overseeing Father’s medicine lately. If anything went wrong, it should be my responsibility.”
The Crown Prince shook his head. “We should be grateful that the person who tampered with things was too clumsy. It happened after I attended to the Emperor’s illness, so I could still find a way to clear my name. But if something went wrong on your end… it would be as if you helped me ascend to the throne by murdering our father. At that point, we’d have no way to explain ourselves, and we’d be caught in a net.”
Prince Xin’s expression was a bit uncomfortable. “So, does that mean we’ve just been lucky?”
The Crown Prince shifted his gaze, his empty stare drifting toward the clear blue sky outside. “Maybe it’s because our mother is watching over us from the heavens. After all, we are the only family we have left in this world. You and I came from the same mother’s womb. We are bound by blood, the closest of kin.”
Prince Xin was silent for a long moment after hearing that, and finally, he sighed deeply. “It’s fate, it’s luck…” It was unclear whether he was lamenting for someone or something.
The two brothers sat in silence, listening to the birds chirping outside the window. In the blink of an eye, spring had arrived, just like that, after the New Year.
A palace servant came in to offer the Crown Prince some water, and Prince Xin personally helped him drink. At this moment, he pressed on with his question. “So, who do you think is behind this plot?”
The Crown Prince slowly finished the water in his cup and placed it down. “It’s probably those few people. I don’t care whose hand it is, but some people must be removed immediately. I’m tired of this cat-and-mouse game. I can’t wait until the future, it must be dealt with now.”
Prince Xin hesitated before asking, “So, you mean… Zuo Zhaoyi?”
He let out a cold laugh. “And there’s Princess Xialing. Let them bear this black pot. Wasn’t your original plan just like this?”
Prince Xin was momentarily stunned by his words. His brother was too clever, his mind working so quickly that if he wasn’t extremely cautious, he would be caught in his words.
He hesitated and nodded. “Well, it wasn’t exactly my plan… Last night, Zuo Zhaoyi spared no effort to drag you down with her. Her ambitions were glaringly obvious…”
“So, if we eliminate her and her daughter, Huo Qingluan will have no chance of turning things around.”
Prince Xin agreed. ” Zuo Zhaoyi deserves to die. Over the years, she has done many things to harm our brothers. This time, whether or not she added the aconite, our father won’t tolerate her. But Princess Xialing…”
The Crown Prince looked at him and sneered coldly. “What? Is she innocent? Have you forgotten how she hung you from the door frame and nearly strangled you, then turned around and told our father that you did it yourself, that it was your own suicide attempt? You may have forgotten, but I haven’t. And don’t forget, last time, she goaded her mother into hitting Su Xinghe. I still remember that debt, and it’s time to make her pay.”
Eliminating political enemies is always done without mercy. Today, they fell into his hands this way, but if the situation were reversed and their lives depended on him, they would show him no mercy either. He knew that no matter how iron-willed his father was, he would still be reluctant to move against his eldest son. So, if he spared Huo Qingluan’s life, he would cripple his wings. No matter how much he tried to win over officials or make preparations, as long as his mother bore the crime of poisoning the emperor and framing the Crown Prince, he would never rise again. This move of cutting off the source of power seemed far more decisive than a dull knife slicing through flesh; it was far quicker and more satisfying. The Crown Prince smiled contentedly at the thought, but to Prince Xin, it appeared rather frightening.
He never did useless work. Many things that seemed like disadvantages ultimately resulted in him coming out ahead. As for this incense poisoning incident, the truth was murky. He could ignore the true culprit or use the situation to his advantage. In the future, it would still be a matter of revenge for a gentleman. Ten years was not too late, right?
Prince Xin stood in a daze. The Crown Prince remained silent, leaning against the pillow and quietly watching him. After a long time, he finally called out, “Qingfang,” and continued, “I will have Su Xinghe handle this. You don’t need to worry. You should be careful around our father and keep an eye on Consort Hui’s every move.”
Prince Xin nodded absentmindedly. He thought of the entanglement between the Su family and the Prince of Jianping’s residence, hesitating before saying, “Will Su Xinghe follow your instructions?”
The Crown Prince replied, “This time, she has no choice. Even if she doesn’t want to, she’ll have to do it. I know the Su family’s position. The Princes are evenly matched, and that balance is what they are striving for right now. But the situation in the court is always changing, and they can’t be satisfied forever. In the end, there will be a winner. Those who are capable will follow the will of Heaven, while the incapable will bow and submit. For thousands of years, hasn’t that always been the way?”
