Zhang Yan stepped forward from the crowd one measured pace at a time, his expression completely calm, showing not the slightest trace of panic. He knelt slowly before Lu Lingzhang and said, “This minister was unworthily entrusted with heavy responsibilities by the late Emperor, and this minister has lived in constant trepidation. This minister originally intended to take these words with this minister to the grave, but since the crimes of the Prime Minister’s Mansion have been brought to light, and Your Majesty has shown such sincere filial piety, it seems this minister has no choice but to speak today.”
Lu Lingzhang stared at him for a moment, then reached out to support his elbow. “The Grand Tutor is of advanced age; please rise.”
“Thanks, Your Majesty for your consideration,” Zhang Yan stood up and said unhurriedly. “On a certain night in the first lunar month of the sixteenth year of Zhenyou, the late Emperor suddenly summoned this minister to the palace in haste. After dismissing all attendants, he told this minister that the eunuch Zhong Zhao had intercepted a secret letter from the Prime Minister’s Mansion. The Wang clan of Langya was eager to establish an heir apparent, but the late Emperor refused. Consequently, Wang Chu conspired with the Empress Dowager to find an opportunity to subject the late Emperor to this Bone-stripping String.”
“The late Emperor trusted this minister, which is why he spoke so candidly. Naturally, this minister was prepared to exhaust every effort and sacrifice myself for him. Thus, this minister devised a plan for the late Emperor by asking him to beat them at their own game—to let the Wang family believe they had successfully administered the poison so they would lower their guard. He would then feign illness to avoid alerting them by pretending to grow weaker day by day until solid evidence of the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s rebellion was secured, at which point he would pull them up by the roots.”
“And the reason this minister dared to gamble with the emperor’s life was because this minister’s wife was often ill in her lifetime, and she became so familiar with medicine that she could recognize it. This minister searched far and wide for cures, and this minister once read about this poison in a medical text. This minister knew that, if the toxic silk thread was replaced at regular intervals, it would not necessarily cost a life.”
“The late Emperor adopted this minister’s humble suggestion. Thus, as you all know, on the seventeenth day of the first month of the sixteenth year of Zhenyou, the late Emperor was suddenly indisposed, and he remained ‘ill’ for two years.”
Xie Jing watched Zhang Yan with a solemn expression. He even remembered the date “the seventeenth day of the first month” very clearly—it had been shortly after New Year’s Eve when he had slipped out with the two children to play. He had been trembling as he waited for a reprimand from the palace that never came; instead, he received news of the late emperor’s sudden illness. At the time, he had even secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
However, Xie Jing felt that the Zhang Yan of this moment was profoundly strange. Compared to the teacher he had known for many years; someone he was close to and familiar with, there was an indescribable eeriness about him.
A few days ago—specifically, on the ninth day of the sixth month, the day before the emperor led the officials out of the city to receive the Eldest Princess’s coffin, Zhang Yan had sent him a letter. The letter contained only a single line cited from the history books:
“In the past, when Emperor Xuan deposed Cao Shuang, he brought Grand Commandant Jiang Ji along in his carriage to increase his prestige and authority.”
Upon reading it, Xie Jing’s heart immediately tightened. In the previous dynasty’s transition from Wei to Jin, when Sima Yi deposed Cao Shuang, he brought along Grand Commandant Jiang Ji, who had commanded the Imperial Guards for fourteen years, to bolster his prestige and chances of victory by ensuring the three armies would be awed into submission.
By using this sentence to caution him, Zhang Yan was indirectly inquiring about Prince Zhao’s arrangements and plans for an uprising, while simultaneously hinting that, if necessary, they could conspire together “to increase prestige and authority.”
Looking back now, not only had Wang Chu anticipated that Prince Zhao’s Mansion might seize this moment to strike by leading him to contact Cheng Wen for troops in advance, but Zhang Yan had also calculated beforehand that Prince Zhao’s Mansion would use this opportunity to rise up.
But at that time, Xie Jing was mired in the devastating news of Lu Lingzhen’s death. His mind was in a stupor; for one, he truly did not know Lu Lingcong’s plans, and for another, he lacked the energy to respond.
Before he even had the chance to write back and apologize, the upheaval had already begun.
“In the twelfth month of the seventeenth year of Zhenyou, the court was in turmoil, and the Wang clan grew even more domineering. At that time, the incident of the Xie family secretly concealing the Lantian Imperial Seal was exposed, and Wang Chu took charge of the case. However, he abused his authority for personal gain, slaughtered the innocent without restraint, and indiscriminately implicated many others. The late Emperor then discussed with me that it was time to close the net, and decided that once the Xie family was convicted, we would proceed to purge the Wang clan.”
Although Lu Lingcong had long anticipated that the late emperor would have such intentions, hearing Zhang Yan speak so candidly and bluntly about “cooking the hounds once the rabbits are caught” still made him feel nauseated.
On the night of the raid on Wuyi Lane, when he had entered Shenlong Hall to meet the emperor and discard Xie Jing, the late emperor’s expression, speech, and the sheer pressure he exerted were by no means those of a dying man. Lu Lingcong had indeed harbored suspicions then, but because the idea was so preposterous, he had suppressed them.
“The late Emperor bestowed upon this minister the rhinoceros horn thumb ring he had worn for many years by instructing me to use it as proof to act flexibly; specifically, to mobilize the two divisions of the Imperial Guard controlled by the Prime Minister’s Mansion. To deceive the Wang family, the late emperor even personally drafted a valedictory decree and entrusted it to Zhong Zhao for safekeeping, to be proclaimed to the world upon his ‘demise.’ Should the Prime Minister’s Mansion use the decree to manipulate power and cause trouble, there would be immediate grounds to wipe them out in one fell swoop.”
“However, on the evening of the third day after the Xie family was imprisoned, when this minister entered the palace for my routine audience, this minister found that the late Emperor had already been murdered with a weapon and had passed away suddenly; just as Physician Qin’s examination showed.”
“The Prime Minister’s Mansion was busy kicking the Xie family of Chen Commandery while they were down and enthroning Your Majesty to consolidate their own power; they wished for nothing more than for the late Emperor to draw his last breath early. Therefore, they did not examine the late Emperor’s body but instead tossed the full authority over the funeral arrangements to this minister and the Court of Judicial Review.”
“When this minister discovered the late Emperor had been murdered that night, only Zhong Zhao was by his side in Shenlong Hall. But before this minister could question him in detail about the beginning and end of the matter, Zhong Zhao also vanished without a trace.”
He raised his eyes to look at Lu Lingcong, “Only now do I know that he was taken away privately by His Highness Prince Zhao for interrogation.”
Zhang Yan’s speech was flawless; the sequence of events and major incidents all matched everyone’s recollections perfectly. Yet, no matter how clear the “cause” was, the “effect” at the end remained blurred—he claimed not to know the true culprit who killed the late emperor nor had he launched an investigation or announced it to the world. His words implicitly suggested Zhong Zhao’s suspicion, yet this contradicted Zhong Zhao’s lifelong reputation for unwavering loyalty to the late emperor, leaving everyone bewildered.
Lu Lingzhang listened, considered it for a moment, and then countered, “If we go by the Grand Tutor’s words, then the Court of Judicial Review should also have noticed the abnormalities in Emperor Father’s remains?”
Zhang Yan replied methodically, “The spread of the Bone-stripping String takes at least five to six days, so when the late Emperor passed, there were no obvious marks on his body. Furthermore, since the culprit used a blunt instrument, there was no prominent external trauma to the late Emperor’s jaw; only internal bruising and accumulation. Thus, it was invisible on the corpse, yet visible on the skeleton. The Court of Judicial Review merely assumed the late Emperor had succumbed to a long-lingering illness; naturally, they did not dare commit such an act of gross disrespect as performing an autopsy.”
Their gazes met and held, neither side giving ground. After a moment, Lu Lingzhang let out a soft, sudden laugh. “It seems the culprit who murdered Emperor Father will be difficult to find for the time being. However, regarding the murderer of Imperial Sister, Zhen also has some matters Zhen wishes to ask the Grand Tutor.”
Zhang Yan immediately bowed and said, “This minister shall tell all that he knows.”
“Just now, Uncle intended to use torture to interrogate Minister Xie’s private seal’s whereabouts. In Zhen’s view, that is no longer necessary.”
“Because that private seal—” Lu Lingzhang slid an object from his sleeve before raising his hand to show those around him, and declared loudly, “—is here with Zhen!”
The ministers fell into an uproar. Lu Lingzhang ordered the eunuchs to take the seal along with that letter to compare the two and pass them around for everyone to inspect closely.
“A few days ago, Prince Zhao’s heir entered the palace to see Zhen. He said he had seen the letter sent back by He Gao, the Prefect of Yongzhou, which forged military intelligence and caused the death of Imperial Sister—and he knew the whereabouts of the private seal used upon it. Four years ago, when Minister Xie was convicted and stripped of his rank, he left this seal behind upon departing the Prince’s Mansion. Shizi kept the object to remember him and has carried it with him ever since.”
“According to Shizi, he hid this seal within a fragrant sachet. Neither Consort Dowager nor Imperial Brother was aware of it. It never left his person throughout the four seasons; he checked it daily, and it was never once lost.”
“As such, it must be someone who could frequently approach Shizi and whom Shizi does not guard against. Only such a person could rapidly steal the seal when needed and then return it stealthily without Shizi noticing anything amiss.”
Lu Lingzhang turned toward Zhang Yan, “Grand Tutor, you have personally tutored Shizi in his studies these past years, often sitting and rising together; it can be said you have spared no effort.”
“So,” his gaze grew heavy, “does the Grand Tutor have any clues regarding someone who can freely enter and exit the Department of State Affairs, who can approach Shizi to steal the seal, and who can imitate the Quxia style to the point of being indistinguishable from the real thing?”
Zhang Yan said, enunciating every word, “Is the answer Your Majesty seeks not already contained within this very question?”
Lu Lingzhang froze slightly, his brows knitting together. “Is the Grand Tutor trying to tell Zhen that this military intelligence was falsely transmitted by Shizi, that he stole it under supervision? The heir is only fourteen this year!”
Zhang Yan let out a cold laugh. “What does age matter? In the Qin era, Gan Luo was only twelve when he was appointed Upper Minister. His Highness Shizi was born under auspicious omens, exceptionally intelligent and refined, with both virtue and talent; who in the capital does not know this? Among the three conditions Your Majesty just mentioned, which one does His Highness Shizi fail to meet?”
“The seal is naturally kept by the heir, that goes without saying. His Highness Shizi has studied governance and statecraft under my instruction; entering and leaving the Department of State Affairs is a routine matter, and all subordinate officials have long been accustomed to it. As for the ‘Quxia script,’ it is the handwriting of His Highness Shizi’s birth mother, finding an original copy to trace from would be far too easy. This minister has personally seen the Quxia style written in his own hand within His Highness Shizi’s study at the Orchid Pavilion in the palace. The physical evidence is conclusive; if Your Majesty does not believe it, you may naturally go and see for yourself immediately!”
Xie Jing and Lu Lingcong both paled simultaneously. The latter instantly drew his sword and pointed it directly at Zhang Yan, “Grand Tutor, watch your words! My son treats you with the utmost reverence and respect as if you were his own grandfather. How can you use such preposterous nonsense to frame a mere youth?”
Other ministers also joined in, “The Grand Tutor’s words are absurd. His Highness Shizi has been close to the Eldest Princess since childhood. How can the civil and military officials of this court believe the claim that he would drive his own biological aunt to her death?”
Lu Lingzhang, however, remained impassive. He merely raised his hand to silence the murmurs and asked, “Since this private seal has never been in Minister Xie’s hands, and the Grand Tutor is so adamant that the one who forged the military intelligence is Shizi, may Zhen then assume that the charges against Minister Xie can be cleared?”
Zhang Yan froze for a split second before nodding with certainty, “Yes.”
Lu Lingzhang then instructed those beside him, “In that case, unbind Minister Xie and respectfully invite him to come before the imperial presence to answer.”
The Hewei, who had already been stationed by the Jade Terrace under Lu Lingcong’s orders, hurried to release his bonds. Ignoring his disheveled appearance and the dull ache in his arm, Xie Jing rushed down the stairs. He did not even have time to exchange a glance with Lu Lingcong before he addressed Zhang Yan in a trembling voice, “…Teacher, the letter forging the military intelligence was written by your hand, was it not you?”
When Zhang Yan did not answer, his tone became even more intense: “And the note that revealed the location of the late Emperor’s hidden true valedictory decree to the Wang family… that was also written by your hand, was it not you?”
In his previous narrative, Zhang Yan had carefully glossed over the authenticity of the decree and the identity of the successor the late emperor had originally chosen. Consequently, the moment the crowd heard these words, they looked at one another in stunned silence.
Seeing Xie Jing’s state deteriorating toward a total loss of control, Lu Lingcong stepped forward a few paces, unobtrusively positioning himself within an arm’s reach of Xie Jing.
Meanwhile, Xie Jing continued to shout hysterically, his voice cracking, “Zhong Zhao and the siblings Ding Yu and Ding Jian were the only surviving kin of the Eastern Palace’s old retainers from the ordnance case. It was you who saved them! You ordered the Ding siblings to assassinate Prince Zhao and kidnap Qing’er, and you conspired with Zhong Zhao to steal the Lantian Imperial Seal to frame the Xie family; Teacher, was it not you?!”
Even as he leveled these heart-wrenching accusations, he realized he still could not drop the respectful title he had used habitually since he was sixteen.
Zhang Yan allowed Xie Jing to interrogate him while remaining silent for a long time before finally saying in a frigid voice, “Killing him… was all to save you.”
Xie Jing dithered before retreating two steps in panic. Years ago, in the old Ding residence, when Ding Yu mentioned the anonymous figure behind the scenes and the reason for wanting Lu Lingcong and Lu Shuqing dead, she had relayed this exact sentence: “That person said that everything being done was to save you. Killing him is all to save you.”
And now, that person had spoken those words to him personally.
Amidst this standoff, a scout from the Capital Garrison suddenly galloped toward them, reporting urgently, “Reporting to Your Majesty, Cheng Wen of the Huaiyang garrison has arrived with his troops! They are currently stationed on the opposite bank!”
The officials immediately turned to look. In the distance, dense ranks of soldiers and horses appeared along the riverbank, the fluttering military banners bearing the character “Cheng.”
And at the very front of the formation, before Cheng Wen’s horse, there appeared to be a single, solitary figure standing alone.
Even if the assembled ministers remained utterly bewildered, Lu Lingcong and Xie Jing recognized that figure almost instantly—it was their son, Lu Shuqing, who should have been safely sent out of Jinling long ago!
Zhang Yan’s voice rang out, “Your Majesty, His Highness Shizi has forged military intelligence and conspired with the enemy to betray the nation. This minister has ordered Cheng Wen, the Prefect of Huaiyang, to take him into custody to await sentencing.”
Before the words had fully landed, Lu Lingcong spoke with chilling intensity: “Cheng Wen is your man!”
“Not just Cheng Wen,” Zhang Yan sneered. “Every single old retainer of the Eastern Palace from the ordnance case of the twelfth year of Jianning is one of mine!”
“You do not seek the throne,” Lu Lingzhang observed, scrutinizing Zhang Yan with sharp insight. “Yet you repeatedly aim your blade at the Imperial Family—assassinating Imperial Brother, kidnapping Shizi, killing Emperor Father, and murdering Imperial Sister. Grand Tutor, what is it that you want? What is it that all of you want?”
“What do I want? What do we want?” Zhang Yan shouted. “Among those present, any veteran official who witnessed that massacre surely knows the answer in their heart!”
He looked at Lu Lingzhang with mockery: “Your Majesty is still too young. If you have the life to return to the palace today, you may feel free to interrogate Prime Minister Wang or ask the Empress Dowager: what was the final fate of those hundred-plus kinsmen of the Eastern Palace retainers held hostage by the Xiao clan of Lanling? Your father, your mother, your maternal kin, your grandmother, and all these great clans and gentry upon whom your Lu family’s empire relies; just what kind of horrific, inhuman atrocities have they committed!”
Cheng Wen clearly lacked Zhang Yan’s resolve, and it appeared his kidnapping of the heir apparent was not entirely voluntary. Still, he called out with wavering confidence, “Grand Tutor Zhang sent word to this minister stating that His Highness Shizi was suspected of the grave crime of murdering the Eldest Princess and had fled the capital; he ordered this minister to detain His Highness Shizi and bring him here. As for the Commandery Princess and the attendants traveling with His Highness Shizi, this minister has not harmed them in the slightest and has allowed them to go their way…”
Lu Lingcong immediately shouted, “Cheng Wen! Release Shizi, and I guarantee you will keep your rank, and your troops will remain unharmed!”
However, Cheng Wen only shook his head: “Forgive this minister, Your Highness. This minister seeks neither promotion nor power. This minister only wishes to avenge my late wife, who became a scapegoat in the Imperial Family’s power struggles.”
The cold glint of his blade shivered as it hung over Lu Shuqing’s head: “The Imperial Family slaughtered our kin; it is only right that we settle this blood debt in kind by slaying the Imperial bloodline.”
“If Your Highness,” he looked with eerie calm at the two brothers of the Lu surname, “or perhaps His Majesty, is willing to take His Highness Shizi’s place, this minister may consider letting him go for now.”
Lu Lingcong moved to head toward the riverbank immediately, but Lu Lingzhang caught him, gripping his wrist with a death grip to halt him while signaling toward the troops behind them with his eyes.
He understood instantly: Lu Lingzhang wanted him to wait for an opportunity to lead a charge and neutralize the threat of the Huaiyang garrison. This was a task Lu Lingcong was far more capable of executing with a higher chance of success.
Lu Lingcong forced himself to stay back while gritting his teeth.
Lu Lingzhang led his own horse forward, wading across the river alone. The riverbank was shallow, the water reaching no higher than the horse’s knees. As he neared the opposite bank, Cheng Wen did not hesitate; he released his grip and let Lu Shuqing walk forward.
At some unknown point, Zhang Yan had taken the ceremonial bow from the imperial carriage, a symbol of imperial authority rather than a weapon meant for real combat. He drew it and aimed at the defenseless Lu Shuqing, and in the blink of an eye, the arrow was already loosed from the string.
In that split second, Lu Lingzhang felt the whistle of the wind behind him. A powerful surge of unease flooded his heart. Driven almost entirely by instinct, he jerked his horse’s head around before throwing his own body across Lu Shuqing’s path to serve as a shield.
The arrow pierced directly into his chest.
Lu Shuqing’s eyes widened in shock as he saw Lu Lingzhang topple from his horse. The emperor, unarmored and clad only in thin inner robes, was instantly stained with a deep, vivid crimson.
He cried out in horror, “Uncle!”
Zhang Yan moved to notch a second arrow, but no one would grant him the time. Lu Lingcong had already grabbed Xie Jing before practically hauling him onto a horse with a single arm as he flipped into the saddle. Without needing a word, Xie Jing took the reins and galloped like the wind toward Zhang Yan.
Fifteen years ago, on the official road outside Jinling, they had shared a horse just like this to escape the pursuit of the Ding siblings and their assassins.
The bowstring was sliced in half as Lu Lingcong’s sword fell. Immediately following the strike, several blades and spears from the Capital Garrison pressed down upon Zhang Yan’s shoulders and back, pinning him firmly so he could not move. In an instant, the Tiger Division soldiers surged across the river to engage the Huaiyang garrison in hand-to-hand combat. Li Qi and Zheng Xiao engaged Cheng Wen, entangling him so he could no longer threaten Lu Shuqing by the riverbank.
It wasn’t that Lu Shuqing had never seen blood, but he truly had never witnessed the flash of blades and shadows of swords on a battlefield—even death was something he had only experienced through the empathy of rumors.
He knelt on the spot, wanting to pull out the arrowhead but not knowing where to start. He could only murmur helplessly, “Uncle…”
Lu Lingzhang’s eyes were half-closed. “Do not waste your effort. I was a dying man anyway; a wound can be treated, but this poison cannot be cured.”
Lu Shuqing shook his head violently. “My aunt and there’s also Imperial Physician Qin… they are both highly skilled! There must be a way! We will surely find a way to detoxify the poison and save you, Uncle!”
Lu Lingzhang only managed to pull his lips into a faint, strained smile. “If there truly were still a cure, how could the regicide of the Wang clan of Langya ever be proven beyond doubt?”
“Qing’er,” he called out using Lu Shuqing’s childhood name, “I suppose I have now repaid the kindness Imperial Sister-in-law showed me by protecting me all those years ago.”
Lu Shuqing’s tears fell instantly.
Through blurred tears, he saw Lu Lingzhang lift his hand slightly. He bent down at once, pressing his ear close to the man’s lips, listening as a voice as thin as silk, broken and gasping, forced out its final words.
He maintained that kneeling posture for a very long time—long enough for the body beneath his palms to gradually lose its warmth and for the voice in his ears to fall silent forever.
Finally, Lu Shuqing stood up stiffly. He swayed as he walked toward the gathered ministers and his parents on the riverbank, saying blankly:
“His Majesty… has passed away.”
The crowd was deathly silent for a long moment before a boiling explosion of wailing and frantic discussion erupted. Amidst the noisy clamor, an unknown general or perhaps a secretary rushed forward, disregarding all etiquette, and grabbed him to ask, “Your Highness, what did His Majesty say to you before he passed?”
In truth, there was not a single person present who did not care about the answer to that question.
They assumed Lu Lingzhang’s words must have concerned the succession of the throne, the Prime Minister’s secret plots, the Empress Dowager’s schemes, or some hidden secret powerful enough to stir the storms of the court and the inner palace—just like all the things he had made public today. They jostled to get in front of Lu Shuqing, asking over one another: “Your Highness, did His Majesty leave a valedictory decree?”
In his dazed state, Lu Shuqing felt himself drawn into a pair of strong arms. In an instant, all the surrounding noise and the exposed blades of political ambition were shut out. When he finally came to his senses, he found himself in the embrace of his parents.
His face was pressed tightly against his mother’s shoulder, while his father’s arms encircled his back from behind.
Lu Shuqing blinked his damp eyes slowly, his mind dull as he thought: in this world, only he knew that, in truth, his uncle had never said any of those things.
Lu Lingzhang had only told him, very softly and very slowly: “When you were little… I wasn’t very old back then either. One day, I saw Noble Consort Wu holding you while leaning under the shade of the plum blossoms in the West Palace garden. My Imperial Brother and Imperial Sister-in-law were sitting nearby, chatting with her to pass the time.”
“Your aunt was holding Ning’ning on the stone steps by the Taiye Pond, playing with weaving baskets out of willow branches…”
“…I wanted to go over so badly then, but I knew I couldn’t. You were a family.”
“Qing’er, you guys are the ones who truly belong to one family.”
Those were his final words.
