WAYCAC Chapter 93

TL: Hua

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Chapter 93: Old Case – “You Know Me.”

The East Palace ordered a re-examination of the Crown Prince Yuanhe case. In addition to the three judicial offices and the supervising Longhe Division, someone was appointed to oversee the process. That person was none other than Pei Xiting.

Pei-wenshu took office and went to the Ministry of Justice the next day, where he was respectfully led into the prison. As he walked down the dimly lit corridor, he thought to himself: Mei Jiang, Qu Zhao, and You Zong were all trusted officials of the Crown Prince. Having them jointly review the case showed that the Crown Prince took this case seriously and that the final outcome would undoubtedly be based on his wishes. As for the Crown Prince’s wishes, Pei Xiting shook his head. While his intentions weren’t public knowledge, they were already quite clear.

The man in the interrogation room was wearing a prisoner’s uniform, his hair and beard gray. With one look, you could tell he was a man who had been living a desolate, aimless life.

Pei Xiting motioned to the guard who had led him there and stood outside the door to listen.

“In the winter of the 13th year of Xining, Crown Prince Yuanhe poisoned the emperor and was subsequently confined,” Mei Jiang said in a flat voice from behind the desk. “Convicted minister Wang Wei, do you have anything to say about the events of that year?”

This was indeed Wang Wei. Pei Xiting caressed the hand-beaded bracelet of red jade and black jade, remembering what Yuan Fang had said about a “business deal for the Crown Prince.”

Xiao Chunhong wanted to use her relationship with Wang Yelai to get into the Wang family to find out Wang Wei’s whereabouts for her employer. He was a key figure. Not only did the old allies of Crown Prince Yuanhe want to find him, but the Crown Prince also wanted to have him firmly in his grasp. After Wang Wei was dismissed and returned to his hometown, the old allies of Crown Prince Yuanhe discovered he had gone missing. In reality, he was in the Crown Prince’s custody.

With the rebellion still a threat, if Wang Wei were to be escorted back to the East Palace by the government or by the Crown Prince’s men, news would inevitably leak, causing unnecessary trouble. Entrusting him to the Immortal Corridor was a much more convenient method. The request for Yuan Fang specifically to be the escort was a personal touch from the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was determined to reverse the verdict for Crown Prince Yuanhe, and Pei Xiting knew it, as did Wang Wei. Wang Wei lowered his head. His face was ashen from years of dark confinement. His cloudy eyes slowly moved. “At that time, His Majesty suffered from a severe headache. Crown Prince Yuanhe went to the palace to attend to him, but His Majesty’s condition worsened. Later, the Imperial Hospital investigated and found a sachet containing poison on the Crown Prince’s person.”

This person must be someone the Crown Prince trusted implicitly.

Mei Jiang leafed through the old case files. “Crown Prince Yuanhe’s conspiracy was exposed, and he was imprisoned in the East Palace. But His Majesty, not believing that his always gentle and filial son would do such a thing, ordered the Three Judicial Offices to jointly review the case. He even went against the majority opinion and chose you, the Imperial Censor back then and a close uncle of Crown Prince Yuanhe, to preside over the review. You entered the East Palace to search and unexpectedly found the source of the poison hidden in a secret compartment in an antique shelf in Crown Prince Yuanhe’s bedroom.”

“…Indeed,” Wang Wei said.

Given the Crown Prince’s status, his personal attendants were fixed, and aside from his closest confidants, who else could get near him? Who could have placed the tainted sachet on his waist without him noticing so he would carry it into the palace so openly? Therefore, when the incident occurred, some ministers immediately petitioned the emperor to punish the Crown Prince harshly, while others held different views.

Mei Jiang looked at the crimson ink on the case file and said, “Back then, some officials insisted on exonerating Crown Prince Yuanhe, arguing that as the legitimate son and heir apparent for many years, his position was secure, and he had no reason to commit regicide and ruin his own life.”

“But many people could see that the emperor preferred the Fifth Prince. The emperor and Consort Wan knew each other from a young age. He once knelt in the palace for a long time, begging the late emperor to grant them marriage, but it was not to be. The late emperor married him to the Wang family’s legitimate daughter and left a will stating that the empress could not be deposed.” Wang Wei paused before continuing, “Although Consort Wan was not the empress, she held the most favor in the palace. Which was more important: his beloved woman or the woman he was forced to marry? And which of their two children was more important?”

Silence filled the interrogation room, with Pei Xiting standing in a quiet, dark corner.

“Compared to Crown Prince Yuanhe, the emperor already preferred the Fifth Prince. Among the princes, the Fifth Prince excelled in both martial and literary arts and had political acumen. Furthermore,” Wang Wei said, “the emperor deeply resented Empress Wang.”

Mei Jiang looked up at Wang Wei. “Why?”

“Because the emperor’s marriage to Empress Wang was a marriage decreed by the late emperor, and it was Empress Wang’s aunt, Consort Wang, who brokered the match for her niece. The real reason, of course, is that Empress Wang was connected to Consort Wan’s death. Empress Wang took a risk and acted against Consort Wan because she was jealous of her and, more importantly, feared that Consort Wan giving birth to a prince would threaten her own and Crown Prince Yuanhe’s positions. But within the entire palace, what could escape the emperor’s eyes?” Wang Wei gave a bitter laugh. “When she did that, the fate of our Wang family was sealed.”

Pei Xiting’s eyes widened slightly, and he unconsciously rubbed the bracelet more firmly.

Did the Crown Prince know about this back then? He must have, Pei Xiting thought. The Crown Prince had his own network from a young age. If he had investigated the cause of his birth mother’s death, he would have likely found clues.

Empress Wang was the birth mother of his beloved brother, but she was also someone with whom he had a blood feud. What would the Crown Prince think?

“From a personal standpoint, the emperor hated Empress Wang, and from a ruler’s perspective, Crown Prince Yuanhe was not his most favored choice for heir apparent,” Wang Wei said, catching his breath. “During that time, the emperor rejected Crown Prince Yuanhe’s memorials multiple times but frequently summoned Empress Qu to attend to him in his sickness. He also privately sent people to find the Fifth Prince, who was traveling throughout Daye. In many people’s eyes, this seemed like a signal. After the incident, they naturally assumed Crown Prince Yuanhe had also recognized this signal and, driven by fear and suspicion, ultimately committed an unforgivable crime.”

The clerk quickly recorded Wang Wei’s words. Mei Jiang said, “Crown Prince Yuanhe was ordered to be imprisoned in the East Palace for life but died in a fire the next day. At the time, many people believed he was too ashamed to live and committed suicide out of guilt.”

Wang Wei had been looking completely dispirited since he sat there, but upon hearing this, he finally showed a different reaction. He lowered his head even further, as if he had heard an accusation he couldn’t face.

“Perhaps it was because… because I found the physical evidence in the East Palace,” Wang Wei said, his voice hoarse after a long pause.

Wang Wei was Crown Prince Yuanhe’s maternal uncle. Their interests were intertwined. Both publicly and privately, he had no reason to frame the Crown Prince. Therefore, when Wang Wei personally uncovered the evidence, many ministers who had been speaking out for Crown Prince Yuanhe gradually fell silent. This was “ironclad evidence,” a hundred times more credible than evidence found by other government offices.

But at the same time, from Crown Prince Yuanhe’s perspective, this was a death sentence.

Wang Wei, as Imperial Censor, had abused his power and harmed virtuous officials but had always held his position. It wasn’t until the Crown Prince took over the East Palace that his crimes were investigated and punished, and he was stripped of his office. Wang Wei was not an entirely innocent person, nor was he righteous or loyal. This made it easy for Emperor Xining to threaten and control him, turning him into a silent blade pointed at Crown Prince Yuanhe.

Mei Jiang asked, “So the physical evidence was planted by you?”

“No,” Wang Wei showed a vague smile. “It was already there.”

When he really found the evidence in the secret compartment of the antique shelf in the Crown Prince’s bedroom, Wang Wei was also stunned. For a moment, he was suspicious, but when he met Crown Prince Yuanhe’s shocked and flustered gaze, he understood.

This had been a setup all along, and Emperor Xining was merely letting things take their course.

Pei Xiting took the record book from the clerk and read it carefully. After confirming there were no mistakes or omissions, he signed his name on the side.

“Pei-wenshu, are you in a bad mood?” Mei Jiang suddenly asked.

“…No,” Pei Xiting snapped back to attention. “The smell of blood in here is unpleasant.”

Mei Jiang didn’t expose Pei Xiting’s excuse and said, “Let’s go out together.”

Pei Xiting nodded and followed, saying, “Has Wang Wei been in His Highness’s custody this whole time?”

“That’s right,” Mei Jiang said. He knew what Pei Xiting wanted to ask. “Wang Wei has a guilty conscience, but he’s finally speaking the truth today. Do you know why, Pei-wenshu?”

Pei Xiting said, “Because it’s His Highness who is in charge now, not the Emperor.”

“Exactly,” Mei Jiang said. “His Highness has a blood feud with Empress Wang but is still trying to clear Crown Prince Yuanhe’s name. Wang Wei sees this as a bargaining chip, but years of confinement have exhausted him and left him powerless to scheme. And while the matter of Third Miss Wang’s attempted murder of Fourth Young Master Zhao at the Qixia Banquet was carried out by an impersonator, it can still be made to seem real. He is destined for a bad end, but his wife and daughter can still have a future.”

They walked out of the corridor into the bright daylight. Pei Xiting asked, “Then why now?”

“Because His Highness finally found someone,” Mei Jiang said.

The word “finally” said a lot. Pei Xiting took the hand warmer from Yuan Fang and asked, “Who?”

“Crown Prince Yuanhe’s personal attendant from back then, Li Buyan.”

In the dark interrogation room of the Longhe Division, a middle-aged man in a plain robe sat in a wheelchair. His face was scholarly as he calmly looked at the man in front of him. “Fifth Prince… no, Crown Prince, it’s been a long time.”

“I have been looking for you,” the Crown Prince said. He was sitting in a rosewood chair, holding a hot water bottle with carved roses on it that Pei Xiting had carefully selected from the storeroom. “You are the number one rat in the world.”

“But you still found me.” Li Buyan paused slightly. “Is it because I secretly observed your beloved that night at the jade pond?”

The Crown Prince said nothing.

“Crown Prince Yuanhe must be very pleased in the heavens,” Li Buyan recalled. “He was always worried that you would never marry. He never could have imagined you not only found someone who caught your eye but also someone who captured your heart.”

The Crown Prince said, “How can a person who died unjustly have a spirit in heaven, especially when he was framed by his closest and most trusted attendant?”

Li Buyan was silent for a long time before he suddenly sighed. “But I have survived to seek revenge. Since you never gave up on clearing Crown Prince Yuanhe’s name, and you know that I was responsible for the events of that year, you must have followed that trail to investigate my past.”

Back then, Wang Wei had used his power as a censor to impeach and expose many people. He gained a reputation for “selflessness” when he put his reputation and future on the line to impeach his own teacher, the Minister of Revenue Li Zhong, for abusing his power and embezzling from the treasury. After the case, Wang Wei was not implicated. Instead, he was promoted for distinguishing between public and private matters, but the Li family was plunged into hell overnight. Li Zhong was executed, the men of the family were sent into exile, and the women became servants.

“Was my grandfather, a man of integrity and honesty, really corrupt?” Li Buyan shook his head with a smile. “No. It was just because Wang Wei knew that my grandfather had made himself unpopular by submitting several memorials against the current emperor’s construction of temporary palaces and accusing Empress Yixian of mismanaging the palace and being extravagant. Wang Wei simply made his move before my grandfather could submit a memorial to impeach him for abusing his power.”

He smiled slightly. “Your Highness, you have an impeccable eye. You must know that what I’m saying is true.”

The Crown Prince looked at Li Buyan, his gaze cold.

“Everyone in the Li family went to hell on earth, and only I, who had been studying away from home for many years, escaped. I am the son of a convicted minister who survived, but my Li family was innocent. I created a false identity, castrated myself to enter the palace, and endured hardships to become a sweeper in the Phoenix Court. Using the Phoenix Court as a stepping stone, I entered the East Palace and eventually became Crown Prince Yuanhe’s personal attendant, all to clear my grandfather’s name. But I gradually realized that this was a foolish hope.” Li Buyan showed a vague smile. “How difficult is it to make a high and mighty emperor admit that he indulged a treacherous official and wronged an innocent person? Your Highness, you must empathize with me.”

Zong Suiyang didn’t answer. Li Buyan wasn’t disappointed and continued slowly, “I couldn’t clear his name, so I could only seek revenge. But I knew that as long as Crown Prince Yuanhe was around, it would be difficult to bring down Wang Wei. Their fates were intertwined. If Crown Prince Yuanhe were to ascend the throne, with his temperament, he would never have the heart to throw his own uncle in jail. So, I eventually despaired and came up with that reckless plan. But I never expected that the Emperor would be so dissatisfied with his Crown Prince.”

The poisoned sachet could not kill Emperor Xining, but it could give him a severe headache. This was the revenge of a weak man. When the matter was exposed, Li Buyan was prepared to be executed by a thousand cuts. He simply hoped that the incident would remind Emperor Xining that there was a dirty blade at his side and that he would have to find a way to get rid of him to protect his own reputation.

But to his surprise, Emperor Xining actually “fell for it.”

Did Crown Prince Yuanhe commit regicide? No. Emperor Xining had his doubts, but he acted as if he didn’t notice and let the situation run its course.

“Later, I even suspected that our emperor had seen everything I had been planning with my false identity all those years,” Li Buyan said, his shackles rattling. “I was a blade he used to stab Crown Prince Yuanhe and the Wang family, just as Wang Wei was a blade he used to stab my grandfather.”

Li Buyan had never wanted Crown Prince Yuanhe to die, but he died anyway. In a daze, he fled during the great fire. When he looked back, he saw the Crown Prince carrying the little prince out of the flames. The child’s cries were sharp and miserable. Since then, Li Buyan had never had a peaceful night’s sleep.

“As long as Crown Prince Yuanhe was guilty, the little prince would be the son of a criminal. He had no imperial favor and no maternal family to help him,” Li Buyan said, looking at the Crown Prince. “But he has you. As long as Crown Prince Yuanhe can be exonerated, the little prince will have no worries.”

Zong Suiyang asked, “Then why did you still wait for me to find you?”

“First, the timing had to be after you could fully exonerate Crown Prince Yuanhe. I originally thought it would take ten, even decades, but I clearly underestimated your capability. Second, I needed to confirm that you were not only determined to clear Crown Prince Yuanhe’s name but also that you wouldn’t become wary of the little prince and turn against him once he was exonerated and had the right to succession,” Li Buyan said apologetically. “People’s hearts are fickle, and the royal family is heartless.”

Zong Suiyang adjusted the lid of the hot water bottle. “So how did you confirm this?”

“Because of Pei Xiting. For so many years, your inner palace has been empty, and yet now you are in a loving relationship with an official’s son. This is truly… shocking.” Li Buyan’s eyes fell on Zong Suiyang’s neck, where a faint tooth mark was visible at the top of his fur collar. “The neck is a vulnerable spot, and for a mark like that to be there shows that you are completely and irrevocably infatuated. And you don’t seem to have any intention of hiding it. Who knows, maybe you’ll make it known to everyone one day.”

Zong Suiyang remained noncommittal.

“Crown Prince Yuanhe once said, ‘My brother is a nine-heaven eagle, and he loves his freedom the most.'” Li Buyan said. “That’s your true nature. Even after years of suppressing yourself, you have now surrendered to the Third Young Master Pei, who suddenly broke into your cage. Therefore, I dare to guess that you won’t let go of him or abandon him, but you also won’t have the heart to imprison him in the deep palace.”

“Fifth Prince, after all these years, despite Emperor Xining’s best efforts, you still don’t want to be emperor. This is the most devastating truth.”

He let out a light laugh, his voice echoing eerily in the dark corner.

Zong Suiyang silently walked out of the interrogation room. At the end of the dark corridor, a person wrapped in a snow-white cloak was crouching on the steps, playing with snow. As he got closer, he could hear him grumbling:

“That bastard Zong Suiyang, making me wait so long. Just wait until I get my hands on him… Oh, you’re out? I didn’t say anything!”

Pei Xiting suddenly looked up, revealing a flushed face. The Crown Prince frowned, pulled him to his feet, handed the hot water bottle to Yu Shaoyun, and cupped Pei Xiting’s face with his warm hands. “Why are you crouching out here in the cold instead of staying in the room?”

Pei Xiting looked up, like a little kitten waiting to be petted. “The charcoal is burning in the room. It’s too stuffy.”

“Why aren’t you wearing the ear warmers and gloves I prepared for you?” Zong Suiyang asked again.

“The ear warmers muffle my hearing, and the gloves…” Pei Xiting looked down and gestured for the Crown Prince to look at his waist. “I took them off and hung them on my belt.”

He had a reason for everything. Zong Suiyang pressed his palms inward, and Pei Xiting’s mouth formed a small circle, revealing his two small, white teeth.

“Boohoo…” Pei Xiting looked at Zong Suiyang pitifully.

Zong Suiyang’s expression softened slightly. He rubbed Pei Xiting’s face, and, once it had warmed up a bit, he withdrew his hand. He then let his left hand fall and took hold of the right hand Pei Xiting had stealthily extended. Together, they walked down the long corridor and out.

“When I came back just now, I saw an old man selling candied hawthorns. They were shaped like rabbits. I was just about to tell the carriage to stop when some little kid rushed over and bought the last skewer,” said Pei Xiting. “I was so mad!”

Zong Suiyang raised a hand and patted his scarf. Before he could offer any comfort, Pei Xiting went off again like a string of firecrackers.

“Oh, right, let’s eat out tonight! I want to have a lamb hot pot, and this time, we have to have the flatbread!” Pei Xiting licked his lips.

“Good,” Zong Suiyang said, tightening his grip on Pei Xiting’s hand. “Xiting, I’m fine. You don’t have to comfort me.”

Pei Xiting turned his head to look at him and said, “I thought you appointed me as the ‘inspector’ of the East Palace precisely so I’d learn about this old matter and know about your nightmares.”

That was exactly it. Zong Suiyang smiled sweetly and said, “Our Xiting is so clever.”

“Suiyang, everyone has moments of weakness and helplessness. There’s no shame in it,” Pei Xiting said, pulling on Zong Suiyang’s hand. When Zong Suiyang leaned down, Pei Xiting looked up and whispered to him, “The things you do to me in bed… I don’t feel ashamed of those either.”

Yu Shaoyun and Yuan Fang: “…”

An image of Pei Xiting losing control in his arms flashed through Zong Suiyang’s mind. His eyes darkened slightly, and he pulled the other man closer, saying, “You’re always so outspoken.”

Pei Xiting, feeling righteous, said, “I’m whispering to you. If anyone else listens in, it’s rude.”

Yu Shaoyun and Yuan Fang: “…”

Zong Suiyang let out a soft laugh and led Pei Xiting to a pine tree ahead. Looking at the branches covered in white snow, he said in a calm voice, “Li Buyan said something very true: I still don’t want to be emperor. That’s the real devastation.”

Emperor Xining wanted Zong Suiyang to be his heir because he was the son of the woman he loved, and he was also the most suitable heir. What troubled and angered Emperor Xining was that Zong Suiyang, who had been diligent and hardworking since childhood, had never had the desire to be emperor.

Zong Suiyang and Crown Prince Yuanhe were very close, like good brothers. Zong Suiyang even put his own safety at risk on several occasions to consolidate Crown Prince Yuanhe’s position, and Emperor Xining couldn’t bear it. The truth of Crown Prince Yuanhe’s case could have been uncovered quickly if Emperor Xining had wanted, but he chose to let things take their course.

You want your son to secure his position and inherit the throne? Then I’ll make him fall from grace and bear the blame so your Wang family can never rise again. This is perhaps what Emperor Xining said to Empress Wang in his heart at the time.

But Emperor Xining’s purpose went beyond that. The man’s need for control was too strong. He had mapped out only one path for Zong Suiyang: study, grow, become crown prince, and then emperor. When Zong Suiyang was young, he stubbornly left Yejing to travel, which undoubtedly shattered Emperor Xining’s plans and fantasies. So, Crown Prince Yuanhe’s case may have also been a form of punishment and coercion for Zong Suiyang.

Did my elder brother really die because of me? The answer isn’t “yes,” but it’s also not “no.” If it were, the matter would only be a shadow in Zong Suiyang’s life, not a nightmare. “You couldn’t have decided the matters of the previous generation. It was Empress Wang, Emperor Xining, Li Buyan, and others who caused Crown Prince Yuanhe’s death, not you,” Pei Xiting said. “You have nothing to be sorry about to Crown Prince Yuanhe. Even Zong Lu, at his young age, understands this fact.”

Zong Suiyang said, “That’s the good thing about kids.”

“Is Zong Lu an ordinary child? He can already review official documents and discuss state affairs with his ministers on behalf of his lazy fifth uncle,” Pei Xiting said, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Isn’t there another reason you chose to reopen this case now? You saw his painting of a ‘fledgling bird’ and realized he can’t suppress his ambitions anymore, and you’re worried he might seek out the rebels himself?”

“Admit it, Suiyang,” Pei Xiting said, reaching out to straighten Zong Suiyang’s scarf and rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand. “Your heart is too soft. You can’t bear to throw a young eagle off a cliff and make it learn to fly in despair. So you gave up the idea of using the rebels as a whetstone for Zong Lu, and you abandoned the thought of letting Zong Lu clear Crown Prince Yuanhe’s name himself. You still chose to handle everything for him.”

Zong Suiyang scrutinized Pei Xiting for a long time and said, “Xiting, you know me.”

Pei Xiting said smugly, “I’m a parasite in your gut… actually, that’s disgusting.”

“Indeed,” Zong Suiyang said, leaning down to kiss the back of Pei Xiting’s hand. “You’re the little fox in my heart.”

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