“I won’t go in. You’re of the imperial clan, it’s better if you handle this; leave the princess a shred of dignity.”
Girls are, in the end, tenderhearted. She couldn’t bear to watch someone born of noble blood fall so utterly, and still wished to preserve her some dignity. However, when Princess Xialing incited Zuo Zhaoyi to slap her, she showed no such mercy.
In the end, people walk every path by themselves. Some carve out a broad and smooth road, while others turn down a blind alley and can never find their way out. They had once been allies, but internal strife only hastens destruction. Not look fractured and scattered, with others reaping the gains.
Huo Yan understood Su Xinghe’s position. Since she didn’t want to go in, she could wait outside. He led his men directly into the Princess’s residence. The gatekeeper, alarmed and panicked, followed behind in a fluster, trembling as he stammered, “This is the Grand Princess’s estate… Who are you people? You should at least report your names…”
A group of armored military officers strode through the halls and chambers as if through a land without inhabitants. The gatekeeper’s chatter hadn’t even ended when the deputy general behind Huo Yan raised a hand and shoved him back several paces. “The Privy Council and the Ministry of Military Control are here to arrest traitors. Be smart and step aside, or face summary execution.”
The gatekeeper was terrified out of his wits and halted under the covered walkway. Inside the estate, maids and servants on duty began poking their heads out like toads after a rainstorm, whispering among themselves in hushed tones, eyes darting anxiously toward the Silver Peace Hall, unsure of what trouble had broken out.
The prince’s manor was a miniature version of the imperial palace, and the Silver Peace Hall (Yin’an Hall) was like the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the main hall of the estate. They were held here whenever the princess received titles or honors, or important ceremonies took place. Now that she was to be charged with a crime, it was only fitting that it would happen here, as well.
When people reach a certain point in life, they often develop a strong sense of foreboding about what’s to come. The matter of bribing Commander Nan Yushu had been exposed. From the confiscation of the Nan family estate to the heavy military encirclement of the Princess’s residence, there had been a brief moment that allowed her time to prepare.
Arresting someone and dragging them past the second gate was the fate of an ordinary disgraced official. But, for members of the imperial family, there had always been a measure of leniency before being sent to Zhaoyu Prison. At the very least, they wouldn’t be hauled out bare-chested like Commander Nan Yushu had been. That final sliver of dignity was still reserved for nobles of their rank.
The princess was waiting inside the Silver Peace Hall. Huo Yan led his men to the hall’s doors and raised his hand, signaling the others to halt. There was no need for a whole troop of hardened soldiers to storm in just to arrest a single woman. Lifting his robes, he entered alone, calling as he walked, “Huo Yan, by order, requests the Princess to relocate for questioning.”
But inside the Silver Peace Hall, there was only silence. Only the ticking of the water clock echoed faintly, rippling softly through the air.
The candlelight flickered, casting its glow over the hall’s lavish furnishings, extravagant to the point of excess, bordering on decadence. Heavy curtains hung down, and when a breeze stirred, it made the apricot-colored tassels sway. The coiled dragon tassels fluttered like a beauty’s jade-like fingers plucking strings, soft as boneless flesh, lingering, and full of sorrowful grace.
Beautiful it was, indeed, but the air was deathly still. And that stillness grew heavier with every step he took, until he reached the floor-length canopy… and saw the hem of a skirt drifting gently above his head.
He looked up.
The girl who once shouted and ran wildly on the viewing platform before the army’s departure to the frontier, now hung silently from a silk sash, suspended, voiceless forever. Of all those in the thousand household, perhaps she was the only one who had dared to show her true nature. But that nature had proved too sharp, too unyielding, and in the end, it became the noose around her neck. Her twenty years in this world had been a lonely journey.
He let out a quiet sigh, turned back, and called for his men.
“Princess Xialing has taken her own life out of guilt. Report to the Embroidered Guard. The case is closed.”
The officer behind him received the order and left. Huo Yan pulled down a piece of curtain to lie on the ground, and had her body carefully taken down. Once a princess at the height of glory, back then, even daring to look her in the eye would have been a crime. Now, she lay there, handled like a lifeless object. It was, when one thought about it, a bitterly tragic fall.
He crouched beside her and examined the marks around her neck, and noticed something curious.
In a typical hanging, due to the weight of the body, the pressure would cause the ligature marks to form vertically, just under the jaw and near the ears. But hers were clearly different: the marks weren’t vertical at all, they ran horizontally. That meant the cause of death may not have been hanging at all, it looked far more like strangulation.
The blood had likely clotted after death, and only then was the body strung up. That would explain why there was only a single bruise. The princess might have never intended to die at all. Perhaps… everything had been forced upon her.
He stood up, a deeper sense of melancholy settling over him. This was always the end result of power struggles, win or lose; it all led here eventually. The only difference was whether it came sooner or later. The cause of death was suspicious, and the killer unknown. Was it the Crown Prince’s doing, or the Su family’s? Most likely, there would never be a clear answer.
Hurried footsteps came from the central corridor. He turned to see Su Xinghe hastening over, lifting the hem of her robe as she rushed forward. When she reached him, her expression was dazed and unsettled. “She committed suicide?”
Having handled investigations before, the first thing she did was check the body. She noticed the ligature marks on the princess’s neck and let out a soft exclamation, reaching out to examine further, but he stopped her.
He lifted the curtain and firmly covered the corpse. “Let’s close the case as it is. Report it truthfully to His Majesty: the princess took her own life out of guilt. At most, the palace will dispatch the thousand Household to manage the funeral. Nothing more will be done.”
Su Xinghe stood there in stunned silence. She had long known that in the imperial family, warmth and sentiment were meaningless, but witnessing it firsthand, she still couldn’t help feeling desolate.
The princess was casually wrapped up like a lifeless object and carried away. Huo Yan noticed that Xinghe was still in a daze and teased, “What’s this? Life and death mean so much to you, Lord Su?”
She forced a smile. “Why mock me, Lord Huo? I’m only carrying out my duties.”
When they stepped out of the hall, the evening wind was chilly, and night had fallen deep. The princess’s funeral arrangements would have to wait for the Inner Court’s orders, but the estate couldn’t be left unattended, and the servants couldn’t be allowed to scatter. Su Xinghe ordered the guards to seal off the premises inside and out and to take away everyone who needed to be detained. In an instant, the once-grand Princess’s residence became desolate and lifeless.
“Lord Huo, did you notice the marks on the princess’s neck?” she asked again, unwilling to let it go.
Huo Yan descended the steps slowly, hands behind his back as he walked down the central path. “The princess hanged herself, of course, there would be ligature marks. No matter what the process was, the outcome is the same. She’s dead. The things that couldn’t be resolved while she was alive… death has answered them all. In a way, this might even be a kind of release for her. She didn’t have to be dragged into your Zhaoyu Prison and humiliated, and you don’t need to dig into the details. It’s better for everyone this way. I won’t spell it out, but I trust you understand.”
Of course, Su Xinghe understood. By taking all the blame onto herself, the princess had become the answer to every lingering question. For the Su family, she had taken the secrets with her to the grave. There was no longer any fear that she would say something reckless and drag others down with her. One could say… she died at the perfect time. With her death, no one would pursue the truth any further, and peace could return to the court. Everyone could resume their roles and focus on their own affairs.
She nodded. For someone like her, known for severity and iron-handed law enforcement, to suddenly act sentimental now would be nothing short of hypocrisy.
Lowering her head, she murmured, “I’ll prepare the memorial for submission as soon as I return. Thank you, truly. If you hadn’t come to bear witness today, I’d have had to shoulder the blame for mishandling the case, whether it was my fault or not.”
“So, are you thanking me for sharing the blame with you?”
He asked with a hint of jest, and Su Xinghe quickly shook her head, denying it. “No, I was just being cautious. I’m the only one left at the Ministry of Military Control now. If I mess up this first case, I fear His Majesty will hold me responsible.”
The evening breeze lifted the hem of his robe; beneath the light armor, his white garments were brighter than snow. His expression was calm, and he spoke slowly and clearly:
“His Majesty won’t concern himself with Princess Xialing anymore. Compared to the stability of the court, a single princess means nothing. Princess Xialing’s crime was in overestimating herself and trying to challenge the Crown Prince.”
Then he turned his gaze to her.
“Su Xinghe, don’t follow in her footsteps.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and she stared at him in shock. “Lord Huo…”
But he seemed unwilling to continue the conversation. Exiting through the gates of the Princess’s residence, he said coolly,
“Today’s task is done. Return to the palace and report. If there are further orders, send word to the Privy Council.”
He moved to mount his horse. She hurried two steps after him and called out,
“Lord Huo, what exactly did you mean by what you just said?”
She held the reins in her hand, making it awkward for him to leave. He looked at her helplessly and said,
“I really don’t have the standing to say this, but for the sake of us having worked together twice, I can’t help but give you a few words of advice. Women shouldn’t get involved in factional struggles. It’s not that I look down on women, it’s just that a woman’s shoulders are too slender to bear such heavy burdens. If you try to force it, in the end, you’ll be crushed.”
As he spoke, he took the reins from her hands, mounted his horse, and turned it around. Just before riding off, he lowered his head and gave her one more look.
“At your age, you should be preparing to leave the palace. If there’s a way to get out earlier, you should take it. That place devours people and spits out nothing but bones. Stay too long, and one day, it might be you who ends up dead.”
With a flick of his whip, he led his men away at a brisk pace. Su Xinghe stood there, stunned. That place devours people and spits out nothing but bones…
So this Privy Council was actually a blunt and forthright man, after all.
Princess Xialing’s remains were not easy to handle. Sending her to the public burial grounds didn’t feel appropriate. She was still of royal blood, and the place was overrun with rats and insects. It would be a disgrace.
Su Xinghe had no better option, so she had Jiang Chengzi go back ahead and set up a temporary resting platform. She assigned a few guards to keep watch over the body and planned to report to the imperial court at dawn for further instructions.
After working through most of the night, she returned to the Eastern Palace close to the fourth watch (around 3–5 a.m.). She caught a brief, restless nap before heading to the front hall.
The Crown Prince, still not fully recovered, had suspended his reading and study duties for a few days, focusing instead on recuperation within the palace.
It was still dark when she arrived. The night-duty palace servants in the hall were nodding off, but when they suddenly saw her appear in the front hall, they were startled.
She asked the gatekeeper, “Any sound from the inner chambers?”
The gatekeeper shook his head. “He had some tea in the middle of the night and asked if you were back. Then he went to sleep and hasn’t stirred since.”
The soft rustle of a palm-leaf fan came from the copper brazier, it was time to start the fire and prepare almond tea for the Crown Prince. Su Xinghe turned to look toward the east; a faint bluish-green hue, like the color of a crab shell, had begun to appear on the horizon. Though still dim, it was no longer pitch-black as when she had returned to the palace earlier.
She gently pushed open the carved flower door and slipped inside. The bedchamber was scented with calming incense, which now made her uneasy just smelling it. She quickly lifted the curtain and entered the inner chamber, then hastily flipped up the bed canopy. Only when she saw him sleeping peacefully did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The man on the bed stirred slightly. The lavish red and gold embroidered pillows accentuated his fair skin. He half-opened his eyes and gazed at her deeply.
“You’re back?”
She gave a soft “mm” and sat down at the edge of his bed. “Did I wake you?”
He said no, that his illness hadn’t yet passed, and his complexion still looked somewhat withered. He resembled a sickly beauty. Propping himself up, he asked how the mission had gone. Su Xinghe replied,
“Commander Nan Yushu has been placed under custody and will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate for trial tomorrow. As for Princess Xialing… when we arrived, she was already hanged in the Yin’an Hall. For now, her body is temporarily kept at the Command Bureau. Once dawn breaks, I’ll report to His Majesty in person.”
He was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. “Dead?”
Su Xinghe confirmed carefully, watching his expression. In truth, she always suspected he had ordered the killing, but seeing his reaction now, the moment of surprise was something no one could fake.
“The princess is dead. How do you think His Majesty will react?”
Leaning against the headboard, he said,
“At most, a grand funeral. What else could there be? Dead… that’s actually better. With her dead, everyone can have peace. This matter is done.”
He seemed entirely eager for the issue to be resolved, which only made her curiosity about the poisoner grow stronger.
She shook him gently. “My lord.”
He turned to look at her. “What is it?”
“I want to ask you something,” she leaned in closer. “Was the poison in the medicine something you administered?”
The Crown Prince gave her a sharp glare. “If it were you, would you poison your own father?”
Apparently not. She blinked sheepishly. “I don’t think Zuo Zhaoyi would have administered that poison. Prince Jianping isn’t even in the capital. If anything happened to His Majesty, it would be a huge disadvantage for him.”
“So it must be Prince Min,” he smiled. “Isn’t Huo Qingxiao returning from provisioning tomorrow? He’ll definitely be back in the capital. You see, when the poison took effect, His Majesty wasn’t in the palace; there’s no way it can be pinned on him. Once this is all over and your factions have torn each other apart, he comes back to reap the benefits. Very clever!”
She stared at him, dumbfounded. “Then why don’t we just add fuel to the fire and burn Prince Min, too? What do you think?”
He gave her a half-smile and stared at her meaningfully. “Not now. If we take down both factions at once, the entire court would start suspecting me.”
This man was truly wicked to the core. Xinghe’s lips twitched as she muttered and plotted against him.
He noticed and lifted the curtain. “Come in and lie down for a while?”
Always trying to lure her onto the bed, but Xinghe didn’t fall for it. The Crown Prince’s bed frame wasn’t so easily broken. She said, “I just woke up and came in.”
He stroked her hand. “It’s a bit cold. There must be frost outside again. Come lie down for a bit, I’ll keep you warm. When the palace gates open, I’ll accompany you to Lìzhèng Hall to see the Emperor. Commander Nan Yushu has been dismissed, but the commander’s post still needs to be filled. Do you want it? If so, come to bed.”
His time, she hesitated, very tempted but afraid he might take advantage of her. “Are you asking me to trade favor for power?”
The Crown Prince looked at her disdainfully. “Do you even have any favors to trade? How come I haven’t noticed? That day when I was sick and delirious, I called you ‘big sister’, and you actually took it seriously? So, will you take it or not? If not, I’ll call Dequan over and make him the Commander of the Ministry of Military Control. Let’s see if he’ll accept…”
Before he finished, Dequan’s voice rang out, “Master, do you keep your word or not?” The Crown Prince looked a bit embarrassed.
Su Xinghe quickly kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed, craning her neck to call out, “Chief Steward, don’t take the master’s joke seriously. Eunuchs aren’t allowed to serve as officials outside the palace.”
Dequan muttered, “I knew it. Nothing better to do than to make fun of me.”
Su Xinghe giggled and sighed, “It’s really warm under the covers.” Then she thought of Princess Xialing and felt a little sorrowful. “You know, when a person still has breath, they count as a person. When the breath is gone, they become like an object, carried around by others, so pitiful.” She waved her hands at him, “I just touched the corpse earlier, seems I forgot to wash my hands…”
The Crown Prince jumped back in surprise, “What did you say?”
He must be worried she’d touch him with hands that touched a dead body! She deliberately teased him, brushing her hand on his chest. He protested, saying no, not to touch him. She pulled back her hand, thought for a moment, then said, “You’re too timid.” Then she lightly touched his fingertips. “You just touched me a moment ago…”
The Crown Prince pushed her away, but she got even more playful, clasping both hands around his face.
Cold hands covered the warm face. The Crown Prince shivered, “Su Xinghe, don’t push your luck too far.”
She said, “Then I’ll just bully you a little,” and added, “You bully me all the time anyway.”
Her hands traced his face, from his eyes to his nose to his mouth, without missing a spot. After finishing, she sighed, “You’re really handsome. It’d be even better if you had a nicer temper.”
Is his temper not good enough? At least with her, he had poured all his effort into controlling it. He could calculate everyone else in the world, but she was not just anyone; she was him in his heart. They’d been together for over ten years. What kind of fate was that? She didn’t care much, but he remembered it deeply. In many ways, they were alike, both tireless, willing to use any means to achieve their goals. He liked her temperament. He didn’t need a woman who depended on men like a little bird; there were too many helpless women like that in the palace. He needed an independent spirit, ambitious and wild, hard to tame, always ready to fight. He had plans for the future. He never wanted a submissive woman. He wanted a queen who would scheme with him and stir up chaos. Not one who cooked and peeled garlic in the harem while he struggled in court.
Her fingertips moved over his face again. Sometimes she was silly and childish, really thinking he was afraid. Suddenly, he bit her hand. She stared in surprise as he cupped it, kissing all the way, from her fingernails to her elbow.
She blushed. “What are you doing? We’re close, but you can’t be this affectionate.”
He asked, “Why not? I’ve kissed your mouth, why can’t I kiss your arm?”
She said, “That’s different. The mouth is the mouth, but the arm counts as part of the body.”
How strange. So the mouth isn’t part of the body? It’s just for eating and talking, with no secrecy? Sometimes he really couldn’t understand what she was thinking. She was silly yet clever. When sharp, she was craftier than a monkey; when mixing things up, her brain lagged behind, making you want to strangle her.
Want me to keep going?
The Crown Prince had been resting well these past couple of days, recovering from the poisoning, and was feeling somewhat indulgent and lustful. Taking advantage of the moment, he pressed her down, saying, “Su Xinghe, let’s make breakfast.”
Su Xinghe energetically flipped him over. “It’s already daylight, and you’re still thinking about cooking?”
The Crown Prince said breakfast was important, eat well in the morning, and you’ll have energy all day.
She ignored his nonsense. There were too many things to handle; who had time to cook? Besides, a kiss was one thing, but if she started cooking, she’d truly be devoted to him. Who would want to hang themselves on a crooked tree like that? Right now, he was quietly leading the Su family toward the cliff edge. When the political situation changed and loyalties shifted, who knew how they’d deal with the Su family then?
Exactly. Whether emperor or crown prince, once they set their minds to getting rid of someone, it was easy. She couldn’t turn the tide, but at least she could avoid losing both her husband and her troops.
After all, no one could live their whole life relying on other people’s conscience.
Suddenly recalling what Huo Yan had said, she lifted her head and asked him, “Master, do you think I’ll ever be able to leave the palace in this lifetime?”
The Crown Prince looked at her with contempt and said, “Probably not, unless you overthrow me. If someone else becomes emperor, maybe then you can leave the palace. You can try.”
Her expression darkened. “But what if I can’t overthrow you?”
“Then you’re too powerless to have all these ideas. Just behave and be a wet nurse, take care of the kids.” He lowered his head, pressing his lips against her ear, and whispered, “There’s one more thing I need to tell you, I’m petty. Anyone who tries to take my woman, I’ll crush them.”
His words made her uneasy, and she gripped his robe tightly.
The Crown Prince said, “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong? Don’t glare at me like that.”
She was annoyed, “Why do you always call me ‘ox eyes’?”
“Calling you ‘horse eyes’ doesn’t sound any better,” he said, smiling innocently.
She paused, then, feeling the humor, playfully poked at him under the covers, “Your skill at being a rogue just keeps getting better, I’m impressed.”
He said, “Not really, just a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
So they twisted and turned on the bed in a jumble of cries and laughter, which left Dequan full of mixed feelings.
Sigh, young people, it’s good to have a partner to act silly with. When you’re close, you can say anything, even if you fight, you still care about each other. Thinking of himself, old and stuck in this deep palace, with no one who truly understands him, not even those ‘horse eyes’… he had lost them too, destined to be lonely till the end of time.
Standing under the eaves watching the sky, the east brightened, shifting from duck-egg blue to milky white. Soon, the pale yellow of dawn appeared. Dequan leaned against the wall and knocked on the window frame: “Master, Lord Su, time to get up.”
As the palace steward, no embarrassing detail escaped his eyes. They had just been planning to cook breakfast, and it must be nearly done now, any longer and it’d burn, young people living carefree and recklessly. The Crown Prince’s body wasn’t fully recovered yet, but with time and energy restored, there’d be plenty of days ahead.
