Chapter 81

 

“Father!”

Xie Jingtan stumbled into the side hall, falling to his knees on the cold black tiles with a loud thud. Consort De followed close behind, trembling as she knelt beside her son.

“Father, please believe me! I would never poison the Xi Shi’s Milk!”

“Bring the Xi Shi’s Milk here!” Emperor Xie Shencong ordered in fury.

A eunuch hurriedly brought the half-eaten bowl of Xi Shi’s Milk. Eunuch Gao, who had been guarding the door, stepped into the hall, pulling a slender silver needle from his sleeve and handing it over.

With a stern expression, Emperor Xie Shencong dipped the silver needle into the pale pink Xi Shi’s Milk.

Xie Jingtan held his breath, staring unblinkingly at the silver needle in the Emperor’s hand.

Moments later, Emperor Xie Shencong withdrew the needle. Its tip had turned black, causing Xie Jingtan’s eyes to widen in disbelief.

“Scoundrel! What do you have to say for yourself?!” Emperor Xie Shencong roared, hurling the blackened silver needle at Xie Jingtan. “Take this and have the imperial physicians identify the poison!”

Xie Jingtan was too stunned to move, allowing the needle to strike his face.

Gao Shan silently took the bowl of Xi Shi’s Milk and left the hall with an impassive expression.

Consort De shuffled forward on her knees, shielding her son, and pleaded tearfully, “Your Majesty! The palace is rife with schemes and treachery! The Xi Shi’s Milk was a gift Jingtan prepared months in advance, a token of his filial devotion. Year after year, he has shown nothing but earnest respect and love for you! How could a child so loyal and sincere ever commit such a treasonous act at the palace banquet? Please, Your Majesty, recall his steadfast devotion before you let anger cloud your judgment!”

“Devotion?” Emperor Xie Shencong sneered, pointing an accusing finger at Xie Jingtan. “He’s too devoted to the idea of sitting on my dragon throne!”

Xie Jingtan flinched in shock and prostrated himself before Emperor Xie Shencong.

“Father! I have no such intentions! If I ever harbor treacherous thoughts toward you, may I be struck by lightning and pierced by a thousand arrows!”

“Your Majesty, please reconsider!” Consort De’s voice trembled as she knelt, tears streaming down her face. “The Xi Shi’s Milk was presented by Jingtan himself. If he had poisoned it, wouldn’t that be tantamount to announcing to all the ministers that he intended to commit patricide? He has no reason to do such a thing! I know Your Majesty is grieving the loss of your child, and I share in your pain. As your consort, I feel every bit of your sorrow. But Jingtan is kind-hearted by nature. You’ve already lost one son—are you going to lose another because of some villain’s scheme?”

The mention of “losing a son” initially referred to the unborn child that Consort Lu had just miscarried.

However, the moment those words left her mouth, everyone’s thoughts turned to someone else—someone who had long since turned to bones.

Even without looking at Xie Jingtan’s ashen face, Consort De realized she had unknowingly touched the Emperor’s rawest nerve.

Emperor Xie Shencong’s face darkened, his fury swelling like storm-tossed waves. His hands, barely visible beneath his dragon robe’s sleeves, clenched and unclenched as if trying to grasp something intangible.

“Are you suggesting that I’ve been deceived by villains and have repeatedly killed my own children?”

Consort De’s heart sank, and she began to tremble so violently that even her kowtows were unsteady.

“Your Majesty… I would never dare imply such a thing…”

“If that’s not what you mean, then what do you mean?!” Emperor Xie Shencong bellowed, snatching a teacup and hurling it at Consort De.

Xie Jingtan instinctively shielded his mother, allowing the cup to shatter against his body. Tea spilled down his robes, soaking him.

The Emperor’s wrath was like thunder, shaking the very foundations of the palace.

In an instant, everyone in the side hall and beyond dropped to their knees, leaving only the enraged Emperor Xie Shencong standing.

“Guards! Lock Prince Jing in the Imperial Clan Court! Where is the Palace Director?”

Li Zhi immediately stepped into the hall, bowing respectfully. “This servant is present.”

“In my harem, such a heinous crime has occurred. I command you to collaborate with the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to investigate this matter thoroughly! Gao Shan—”

Gao Shan stepped forward, his expression calm and composed. “This servant awaits your orders.”

Emperor Xie Shencong’s anger had not abated, but he spoke with measured force. “I appoint you to lead this investigation. Find the true culprit and bring them to justice!”

Gao Shan bowed deeply. “I obey.”

Li Zhi lifted her gaze slightly, catching sight of Lu Yao from the corner of her eye.

Lu Yao’s face was ghostly pale, almost blending into the blood-stained scene around her. Yet, her tear-filled eyes shone with unyielding determination—a fierce resolve that seemed utterly fearless.

The sight pierced Li Zhi’s heart.

This Qixi banquet had ended in bloodshed.

Emperor Xie Shencong stayed in the side hall to comfort the grieving Lu Yao, while Li Zhi coordinated with the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, interrogating all the palace servants involved.

The main investigators were Xie Lanxu and the Minister of Justice. As a mere Palace Director, Li Zhi’s role was limited to that of an assistant, her authority overshadowed by the higher-ranking officials.

It was clear that Lu Yao had deliberately kept Li Zhi out of her plans. Whether it was to spare her worry or to prevent interference, it no longer mattered. What had happened could not be undone.

What mattered most was that Lu Yao had already made her sacrifice, and the plan could not be allowed to fail.

Throughout the banquet, the only opportunity Lu Yao had to poison the Xi Shi’s Milk was after it had been placed on the imperial table.

But at that time, all eyes were on her. How could she have possibly poisoned it without anyone noticing?

Li Zhi, distractedly listening to the interrogations conducted by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, suddenly had a flash of insight.

It was the spoon!

It was Lu Yao’s own spoon.

She had placed the poison on her spoon beforehand, and when she ate the Xi Shi’s Milk, she silently transferred the poison into it.

“When all is settled, send me home.”

Lu Yao’s faint but resolute voice echoed in Li Zhi’s mind.

She couldn’t let Lu Yao’s sacrifice be in vain.

“Prince Jing is powerful and influential. These people all fear him. If we don’t use harsher methods, how will they ever tell the truth?” Li Zhi said aloud.

Her sudden statement drew the attention of Xie Lanxu and the Minister of Justice.

Xie Lanxu—nominally aligned with the Prince Feng’s faction.
The Minister of Justice—known to be a staunch supporter of the Prince Feng.
Only Gao Shan, standing in the shadows, remained neutral—a trusted confidant of the Emperor.

It was precisely because of Gao Shan’s presence that the Minister of Justice had been cautious thus far, refraining from using harsher methods lest he be accused of extracting forced confessions.

“This… they are witnesses, not suspects. Using torture may not be appropriate,” the Minister of Justice said hesitantly, casting a furtive glance at Gao Shan.

“We’ve interrogated them all night and gained nothing,” Xie Lanxu added, pressing further. “Eunuch Gao, what do you think?”

From within the dim shadows of the prison, Gao Shan, dressed in his dark eunuch’s robes, was almost invisible.

After a long pause, a cold and sinister voice emerged from the darkness.

“If they don’t say anything, how can Lord Zhang be certain that there isn’t a suspect among the witnesses?”

The four reached a consensus—to incorporate harsher methods into the interrogation.

Li Zhi knew that Prince Jing was not the real poisoner. However, they needed to fabricate a confession that would seamlessly place the blame on him.

In a court ruled by suspicion rather than evidence, doubt was enough to convict.

By dawn, progress had finally been made.

Under the pressure of harsh interrogation, someone confessed to having seen Xie Jingtan looking anxious and repeatedly inspecting the dish before presenting it.

That single ambiguous statement, combined with other testimonies, was compiled into a report and sent to Ziwei Palace.

There was no conclusive evidence that Xie Jingtan had poisoned the dish.
But there was also no evidence that he hadn’t.

As Li Zhi and Xie Lanxu exited the prison of the Court of Palace Affairs, the first faint light of dawn broke through the oppressive darkness, yet it seemed fragile—ready to be swallowed up by the night at any moment.

They both knew how this would end.

The second day after the Qixi banquet, as dusk faded into night, the oppressive atmosphere in the palace thickened. Every step taken by the palace staff was tentative, as if walking on thin ice.

In Ziwei Palace, Emperor Xie Shencong glanced at the dossier compiled by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, then tossed it aside, never looking at it a second time.

Instead, he distracted himself by fishing, painting, and bantering with palace maids, trying to forget the chaos on his desk.

Fatherly affection and royal suspicion wrestled for dominance in his heart.

He had known Prince Jing well—or at least, he thought he had. Before the Qixi banquet, he had believed that while Prince Jing was ambitious, he lacked the courage to commit treason.

After the death of his eldest son, he had supported Prince Jing to counterbalance and serve as a whetstone for Prince Feng.

But now, with Prince Feng growing weaker and the balance tilting precariously, Emperor Xie Shencong had recalled Xie Lanxu from the frontier to join the imperial succession struggle as a third contender.

He had thought he could manage the situation for at least five more years. But crisis after crisis erupted, and now it felt as if something had slipped entirely out of his control.

Agitated, Emperor Xie Shencong looked down to find a large blot of black ink marring his painting.

In a fit of rage, he overturned the table, sending brushes, inkstones, and paper crashing to the floor.

The imperial study was left in shambles.

Gao Shan stood silently to the side, his expression unreadable, as if he were a mere shadow of the Emperor.

After a long pause, Emperor Xie Shencong’s breathing steadied, and he stood. “Accompany me to the Imperial Clan Court.”

Without a word, Gao Shan prepared the carriage. Before the sun had fully set, Emperor Xie Shencong arrived at the cold, silent prison of the Imperial Clan Court.

The vast prison held only one occupant—Xie Jingtan.

When Emperor Xie Shencong reached the outside of Xie Jingtan’s cell, the prince took a moment to realize who had come. Once he did, he rushed to the wooden bars, tears streaming down his face as he cried, “Father! Have you finally come to believe in my innocence?”

Once the proud and powerful Prince Jing, he was now a broken man. Though he still wore the imperial dragon-patterned robes from the Qixi banquet, his spirit had been utterly crushed.

Emperor Xie Shencong looked at his son’s current state, his emotions a complex tangle.

“I’ve come to see you one last time,” Emperor Xie Shencong said.

Xie Jingtan froze, unable to process the words. His tears fell silently as his mind struggled to comprehend.

“I know,” Emperor Xie Shencong continued, “that you were likely framed. But it is also true that you’ve made yourself a target. If you had been content to remain a virtuous prince, how would you have ended up like this?”

“Father! I’ve always been loyal to you! Never have I harbored a single treasonous thought!” Xie Jingtan pleaded desperately.

“What’s done is done. Words are meaningless now. Your downfall is the result of my indulgence,” Emperor Xie Shencong said with a mix of sorrow and finality. “For that reason, I will spare you the death penalty. I will strip you of your title and find a quiet place for you to live out your days.”

“Father intends to demote me to a commoner!” Xie Jingtan exclaimed, his tear-filled eyes wide with disbelief. His trembling lips and the fingers gripping the bars of his cell reflected the full depth of his despair.

Emperor Xie Shencong did not refute his words.

Xie Jingtan stared incredulously at the Emperor, clad in resplendent yellow robes, surrounded by eunuchs who attended him like stars orbiting the sun.

That lofty expression, feigning sorrowful pity, completely unraveled Xie Jingtan’s remaining composure.

“Hahaha… haha…”

Emperor Xie Shencong frowned. “What are you laughing at?”

“I’m laughing at my own foolishness!” Xie Jingtan’s pale face twisted in a grim blend of grief and rage. Tears streamed down his cheeks, making his bitter smile both eerie and pitiful. “The truth no longer matters in Father’s eyes! You’ve already made up your mind to discard me like a worn tool and elevate Ninth Brother to the throne. What can a son do in the face of such resolve?”

Emperor Xie Shencong’s expression grew darker, but Xie Jingtan continued speaking.

“It’s laughable. I didn’t help Eldest Brother when he was in dire straits, never realizing that I would be the next lamb on the chopping block! When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. I never understood the meaning of those words until now!”

“Silence!” Emperor Xie Shencong roared, his fury uncontainable.

“I am no saint like Eldest Brother,” Xie Jingtan spat, tears streaming as he laughed bitterly. “I cannot simply surrender and await my death. I regret it, Father! I hate myself for following in Eldest Brother’s footsteps! But don’t be too complacent, Father.”

Xie Jingtan’s face twisted into a defiant sneer, even as tears streamed down his face. “Now that there’s no one left to maintain the balance, who knows? Ninth Brother might be the next sacrifice.”

“You… you ungrateful wretch! Treasonous, unrepentant scoundrel! Beast!” Emperor Xie Shencong thundered, his voice shaking with rage. “Since you’re so incorrigible, there’s no need to find a place to exile you. Rot in this cell until you die! That will be my final gesture of mercy as your father!”

With his face livid and his hands trembling, Emperor Xie Shencong stormed out of the prison, his entourage scrambling to follow.

As the echo of hurried footsteps faded into the distance, Xie Jingtan slowly released his grip on the bars and collapsed backward onto the dry straw on the floor.

Tears streaked his face as he sat motionless, his spirit crushed, his heart dead to the world.

A fresh wave of tears slid silently down his cheeks.

“Thirty-eight years in the blink of an eye… life is but a fleeting illusion,” he murmured to himself, his voice barely audible.

In the dim, oppressive cell, his words hung in the air.

“Outsmarted myself at every turn…”

The last sliver of sunlight in the narrow window disappeared, swallowed by encroaching darkness.

Xie Jingtan’s figure was engulfed by the shadows.

Only his ghostly murmurs and self-mocking laughter remained, echoing eerily through the cold, desolate prison.

“In the end…”

“It all came to nothing…”