Chapter 162: Old Zhu Panics, Afraid Of The Truth! Please Vote Monthly
Song Zhong almost stumbled out of the suffocating torture chamber, cold sweat soaking the lining of his Flying Fish Robe, clinging to his skin and sending shivers down his spine.
The bizarre clues kept echoing in his mind, along with that horrifying deduction.
【 The Crown Prince’s death… had something to do with him himself? 】
The thought was like a nightmare, refusing to leave.
Before long, he arrived at the Imperial Prison office where Jiang Huan was.
The candlelight flickered in the office, casting Jiang Huan’s perpetually cold face in an unsteady light and shadow.
Song Zhong stood below with his hands clasped, reporting in the most straightforward and unemotional tone possible all that he had found about the peculiar timelines of Wang Yue, Eunuch Li, and Lan Xin, and the discovery that all the disposal orders ultimately pointed to the Crown Prince Zhu Biao himself.
With every sentence spoken, the muscles in Jiang Huan’s face seemed to stiffen a little more.
When Song Zhong finally uttered the deduction that even he found appalling, the air in the office seemed to freeze completely.
Jiang Huan looked up abruptly, his hawk-like eyes showing, for the first time, a look of near shock and disbelief, even with a hint of imperceptible fear.
He stared intensely at Song Zhong, as if to confirm he wasn’t talking nonsense.
“Are… are you sure?”
Jiang Huan’s voice was incredibly dry, even carrying a hint of hoarseness he hadn’t noticed himself:
“Have all the deployment orders, vermilion endorsements, and disposal records been verified? Were the timings indeed before the Crown Prince fell gravely ill?”
“Your subordinate guarantees with his life that all files, confessions, and seals have been repeatedly checked, with absolutely no errors!”
Song Zhong bowed his head heavily, his back soaked with cold sweat: “The timings are undeniable. When Wang Yue and Eunuch Li were dealt with, although the Crown Prince had minor ailments occasionally, he was by no means gravely ill to the point of being bedridden.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan fell silent.
He slowly sat back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously and forcefully tapping on the hard desktop, making a ‘tick, tick, tick’ sound that was particularly jarring in the dead silence of the office.
Without realizing it, his brow furrowed tighter and tighter, his eyes flashing with an extremely complex light.
Shock, doubt, confusion, and a deep, ineffable chill.
【 The Crown Prince… cleaned up people around him himself? 】
This completely overturned all his previous deductions and assumptions.
【 If this were true, what would it mean? 】
【 It would mean the Crown Prince had sensed danger long before the incident? It would mean he might have known who wanted to harm him? It would mean he had even resisted and made arrangements in secret? 】
【 But… how was that possible?! 】
【 The Crown Prince’s reputation for benevolence was known throughout the empire; if he had sensed a conspiracy, why didn’t he report it directly to the Emperor? 】
【 With the Emperor’s Favor and trust in the Crown Prince, and his zero tolerance for conspiracy, he would have surely swept away all obstacles with lightning speed! 】
【 Unless… unless the danger the Crown Prince sensed was extremely unusual, so unusual that he could not, or dared not, directly inform the Emperor? 】
【 Or even… he believed the Emperor wouldn’t believe him? Or… 】
A more terrifying and unbelievable thought, like a viper, quietly crept into Jiang Huan’s mind, making him shiver instantly.
He dared not think further.
After a long while, Jiang Huan finally spoke slowly, his voice terrifyingly low: “Who else knows about this matter?”
“Apart from your subordinate and a few absolutely trustworthy Imperial Guard Officers who handled it directly, no one else knows.”
Song Zhong quickly replied: “All files and confessions have also been sealed.”
“Very good.”
Jiang Huan nodded, his eyes becoming extremely sharp and solemn:
“This lead ends here for now. Pull all your men back, and do not investigate any further.”
Having said this, he looked at his subordinate meaningfully and continued:
“Especially regarding the Crown Prince’s vermilion endorsements and disposals, never mention them again, nor record them!”
“Yes! Your subordinate understands!”
Song Zhong’s heart tightened, and he immediately obeyed.
He knew that this matter was too deep, so deep that even Jiang Huan felt fear.
Jiang Huan waved his hand, signaling Song Zhong to withdraw.
The office was once again empty except for Jiang Huan.
He sat alone in the dim candlelight, his brow furrowed, repeatedly pondering the earth-shattering discovery Song Zhong had brought.
【 The Crown Prince knew of the danger… dealt with it himself… but didn’t say… 】
【 Who was he defending against? Who could make him so wary that he even dared not easily inform the Emperor? 】
【 The Imperial Palace? The Princes? The Nobles? Or… 】
Every possibility made Jiang Huan’s scalp tingle.
Especially when combined with the ‘forbidden palace medicine’ and ‘Shaanxi old case’ implicated in the Drum of Hearing Petitions case, and the mention of ‘prince’ by Fu Youwen and others, as well as that mysterious iron box…
Countless fragments of clues collided and combined and shattered in Jiang Huan’s mind.
He felt as if he had touched the tip of an iceberg of a huge conspiracy, and the darkness beneath the iceberg was unfathomable, capable of swallowing everything.
That night, the candlelight in Jiang Huan’s office burned until dawn.
…
The next morning, as dawn began to break.
Jiang Huan carefully straightened his robes, took a deep breath, and with the investigation conclusion and his own analysis, heavy enough to crush any person, he walked with slightly heavy steps towards Huagai Hall.
He knew that what he was about to present might not be the ‘truth’ the Emperor wanted to hear, but a more complex, more terrifying riddle that could even trigger an earthquake within the Imperial Family.
Inside the hall, Old Zhu had just woken up and was already reviewing memorials, or rather, he was unconsciously tormenting the vermilion brush in his hand before breakfast.
The bloodstained iron box lay on a corner of the imperial desk, like a silent curse.
“Your Majesty, Jiang Huan requests an audience.”
Yun Ming cautiously stepped forward to report.
“Let him roll in!”
Old Zhu’s voice was hoarse and full of impatience.
Jiang Huan quickly entered the hall and knelt: “Your subject Jiang Huan, pays respects to the Emperor.”
“How did the investigation go?!”
Old Zhu did not look up, his voice icy:
“Who were those damn bastards that silenced them?!”
“And Liu Chun’s confession, is it written?”
“That Zhang Biao, has he caused any more trouble!? Tell him, don’t push me to do anything drastic!”
Three consecutive questions, carrying almost uncontrollable killing intent and the wrath of depleted patience, made Jiang Huan’s scalp tingle and his heart tremble.
He knew that what he was about to report was not any of these three questions, but the wrath it would stir would definitely be greater than any of them.
But at this moment, he could no longer back down.
“Hoo…”
Jiang Huan suppressed the fear in his heart, took a deep breath, lowered his body, and in the most steady tone possible, recounted Song Zhong’s findings exactly as they were.
Including all the timings, the Crown Prince’s vermilion endorsements, and the strange fates of those three individuals.
As he narrated, Old Zhu’s face grew uglier and uglier, the vermilion brush in his hand creaking as he squeezed it.
“Crack!”
The vermilion brush finally broke under his strength.
He looked up abruptly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Jiang Huan, filled with extreme shock, bewilderment, and a confusion that overturned his perception of reality.
“What… what did you say?”
For the first time, Old Zhu’s voice carried a barely perceptible tremor; he even doubted if he had misheard due to extreme fatigue: “Biao’er… Biao’er dealt with it himself? Before he fell gravely ill?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty…”
Jiang Huan answered with a stiffened scalp, not daring to look up: “According to all the documents, seals, and confessions currently verified… it is indeed so.”
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
Old Zhu slammed the imperial desk and stood up abruptly, his voice hoarse with agitation:
“Biao’er is benevolent! If he had discovered anything, why wouldn’t he tell me?!”
“Why would he use this kind of… this kind of subtle method?! It doesn’t make sense! Someone must have forged evidence! Confused the truth!”
He could not accept this conclusion.
He panicked! He began to fear the truth!
This was more incomprehensible and painful to him than hearing someone had plotted to murder the Crown Prince!
It meant that his most trusted, most proud son might have concealed something enormous from him, his father, in his final moments!? Might have endured immense pressure and fear alone!?
Even… might have distrusted his own father!?
This made him feel a rage of betrayal, but more so, a bone-chilling pain and confusion.
“Your subject… your subject initially found it unbelievable…”
Jiang Huan bowed deeply, his voice dry: “But the chain of evidence is clear, the timings match, the seals and endorsements are genuine… your subject… your subject dares not conceal it.”
“Hoo hoo…”
Old Zhu’s chest heaved violently upon hearing this, panting heavily like a trapped, wounded beast.
He stared intensely at Jiang Huan, then suddenly glanced at the iron box, his eyes shifting, anger, suspicion, pain, confusion… various emotions intertwined madly in his eyes.
【 Why?! Biao’er, why didn’t you trust Father?! 】
【 What happened to you?! 】
【 Who?! Who pushed you to this point?! 】
The immense questions and pain almost drowned him.
After a long while, that monstrous wrath seemed to slowly be replaced by a deeper, cold chill.
He sat back onto the dragon throne extremely slowly, his entire being seeming to have aged many years in an instant. His voice became exceptionally calm, yet more terrifying than any roar: “Jiang Huan.”
“Your subject is here.”
“What do you think… why did the Crown Prince do this?”
Jiang Huan’s heart pounded, knowing the most crucial moment had arrived.
He chose his words carefully and spoke with caution:
“Your subject… your subject is dull-witted. But your subject speculates, the Crown Prince, being filial and benevolent, perhaps… perhaps he did not wish to cause turmoil in the court, nor to worry Your Majesty…”
“Perhaps…”
He paused, his voice lower:
“Perhaps the danger the Crown Prince sensed… was of a special origin, such that the Crown Prince believed that even if he reported it to Your Majesty, it might… be difficult to eradicate completely, and might even alert the enemy, leading to greater disaster…”
“Special origin?”
Old Zhu suddenly caught this word, his eyes flashing with brilliance: “Explain clearly!”
Jiang Huan took a deep breath, as if making a bold decision, and said:
“Your subject dares to surmise that what could make the Crown Prince so wary, even not daring… or not willing to openly state, is definitely not an ordinary court official or an Imperial Concubine.”
“Their influence must be deeply entrenched, deeply rooted within the court… or the Imperial Clan, and their target is likely not just the Crown Prince himself, but… to destabilize the nation!”
“Imperial Clan… destabilize the nation…”
Old Zhu murmured these words repeatedly, his gaze sweeping over the iron box again, then over the files Jiang Huan presented, recalling Zhu Yunteng’s frantic and resolute figure…
All the clues seemed to be connecting in a terrifying way.
Forbidden palace medicine, Shaanxi old case, princes’ accusations, iron box suspicion, Crown Prince’s self-investigation…
A vague yet chilling outline gradually emerged in Old Zhu’s suspicious and sharp mind.
His face turned extremely grim, a mixture of fury, heartache, and extremely cold killing intent slowly replacing his previous agitation and confusion.
“I… I understand.”
Old Zhu’s voice was frighteningly calm.
In just an instant, Huagai Hall seemed to turn into a graveyard, dead silent.
Then followed a long, suffocating silence.
Jiang Huan lowered his head and bowed, not daring to make a sound.
He could feel the increasingly strong, cold killing intent emanating from the Emperor on the dragon throne, and a silence akin to despair beyond grief.
After a long while, Old Zhu’s fingers tapped the imperial desk unconsciously again, his voice hoarse, no longer with the previous rage or agitation, but with an extreme, chillingly calm interrogation:
“Jiang Huan, in your opinion, after Biao’er’s self-investigation, why did it ultimately still…”
He did not finish, but Jiang Huan instantly understood the Emperor’s unfinished question.
Since the Crown Prince had already sensed the danger and begun secretly disposing of people around him, why was the tragedy still not prevented?
Was the other party more cunning? Or did the Crown Prince show mercy?
Or… was there some other force that even the Crown Prince could not resist.
Jiang Huan’s heart leaped into his throat; he knew his answer was crucial.
He carefully recalled all the clues, his mind racing, trying to piece together those seemingly scattered fragments.
Suddenly, a detail he had previously overlooked flashed through his mind like lightning.
Wang Fu!
That old eunuch who had always served by the Crown Prince’s side!
And according to previous investigations, he had a brother named Wang An, who served Prince Qin Zhu Shuang in Prince Qin’s Mansion.
Song Zhong had sent people to investigate this eunuch, Wang An, who also died suddenly before the Crown Prince’s death.
Furthermore, a thousand taels of gold were unearthed from Wang Fu’s ancestral home in his hometown, and his ancestral home was in the same county as Prince Jin Zhu Gang’s favored concubine, Lady Deng…
Upon thinking of this, Jiang Huan looked up abruptly, a look of sudden enlightenment yet even greater terror flashing in his eyes. His voice was dry but exceptionally clear:
“Your Majesty! Your subject… your subject just remembered a crucial point!”
“When Fu Youwen and the other four were interrogated, their clues mentioned that Wang Fu was the old eunuch who had always served the Crown Prince in his daily life and meals.”
“After he accidentally fell into a well and died, a thousand taels of gold were unearthed from his home in his hometown.”
“In addition, he had a younger brother who secretly met with the Crown Prince when the Crown Prince was inspecting Shaanxi.”
“And their native place is Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi!”
“Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi?”
Old Zhu frowned; this place name seemed to touch a nerve.
“Precisely!”
Jiang Huan spoke faster:
“I immediately had them investigate his brother, Wang An, who serves His Highness Prince Qin in Prince Qin’s Mansion. It is said he also died suddenly a few months ago!”
He paused, took a deep breath, and revealed a shocking connection:
“And according to the Imperial Clan archives, Consort Deng, the one His Highness Prince Jin favored the most, her family’s native place is precisely Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi!”
“It is said she died of illness a few months ago…”
Boom—!
The words struck like lightning inside Huagai Hall.
Old Zhu’s pupils contracted sharply! His body lurched forward.
Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi! The Wang Fu, Wang An brothers! Prince Jin’s favored consort, Lady Deng!
These three seemingly unrelated points were forcefully connected by Jiang Huan through the line of ‘native place’.
Moreover, Wang An held a position in Prince Qin’s Mansion! And his elder brother, Wang Fu, was an eunuch in the Eastern Palace responsible for medicine!
And Crown Prince Zhu Biao fell ill after returning from inspecting Shaanxi!
All the clues seemed to have found a terrifyingly clear direction in an instant!
Old Zhu’s face turned extremely grim, his knuckles white from the force of his grip.
【Third Brother! 】
【It really was you?! 】
【You condoned, or even instigated, your consort’s fellow villagers to reach into the Eastern Palace?! Towards the Crown Prince?! 】
An indescribable rage and the sharp pain of betrayal by his own son surged through Old Zhu.
But he was Old Zhu, after all. Extreme anger was followed by extreme calmness and suspicion.
Only a connection by native place? This could be a strong suspicion, but as ironclad evidence, it was far from enough!
Third Brother is a scoundrel, lustful, and violent, but did he truly have the nerve and intelligence to plan such a meticulous poison plot?
Was there someone else behind this?
“What else?”
Old Zhu’s voice was as cold as ice shards:
“A connection by native place alone proves nothing. Wang Fu fell into a well, Wang An died suddenly, Lady Deng died of illness; all witnesses are dead! Where is the poison? The method of poisoning? The evidence?!”
Jiang Huan felt the Emperor’s suppressed rage and quickly lowered his head:
“Your Majesty is wise. It is indeed difficult to conclude based solely on native place. Furthermore, the matter is long past, and the human witnesses are almost all extinct, while material evidence… is even harder to find.”
“Poison itself is elusive and difficult to investigate, let alone a cold case from years ago…”
He changed tack and proposed an extremely bold suggestion that fit the current predicament, which was the only way he could think of to break the deadlock:
“Your Majesty, all clues currently seem to point towards… connections between the inner affairs of the vassal kings and past events in the Eastern Palace. However, key direct evidence is lacking, and it is all circumstantial suspicion.”
“I, your humble servant, dare to suggest that perhaps… perhaps we could use the Shaanxi corruption case or this Drum of Hearing Petitions case as a pretext, and issue an imperial edict to urgently summon Prince Qin, Prince Jin, and Prince Zhou to the capital immediately to report and be questioned!”
“All three Highnesses have previously been enfeoffed or were involved in Shaanxi affairs, so summoning them to the capital is legitimate.”
“At that time, Your Majesty could personally… inquire. Observe their words and actions, and examine their expressions.”
“Perhaps… we can find flaws, or perhaps force some individuals to reveal themselves…”
“Concurrently, with the three princes coming to the capital, their mansion officials and related individuals will inevitably accompany them or be active, which might provide new opportunities for my Imperial Guard’s investigation…”
Jiang Huan did not state it explicitly, but the meaning was clear:
【We currently lack direct evidence, so let’s bring all the biggest suspects to the capital, right under the Emperor’s nose! 】
【Use the might of the Son of Heaven to personally interrogate, observe, and pressure them! 】
【Perhaps we can find a breakthrough under high pressure, or wait for them to make a mistake! 】
Old Zhu fell silent after listening.
He leaned back on the dragon throne, closed his eyes, and forcefully rubbed his throbbing temples with his fingers.
Summoning the vassal kings to the capital… especially those possibly implicated in the Crown Prince’s murder…
This was undoubtedly a risky move!
It could alert the enemy, cause greater upheaval, and perhaps even force a cornered animal to leap.
However, as Jiang Huan said, this seemed to be the only way to break the deadlock.
Otherwise, should Biao’er die so inexplicably? Should the true culprit continue to go unpunished?
The thought that Biao’er might have endured fear and betrayal alone as he died twisted Old Zhu’s heart like a knife!
He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze devoid of hesitation, replaced by the coldness and decisiveness of an Emperor.
Then, he spoke calmly and indifferently, “Jiang Huan.”
“I am here.”
Jiang Huan’s body stiffened. He could clearly feel the palpable killing intent and calculation emanating from the Emperor, making his scalp tingle and his respect deepen.
“Draft three imperial edicts.”
Old Zhu’s voice was so calm it was devoid of any fluctuation: “Send them via 800-li urgent dispatch, separately to Prince Qin’s Mansion in Xi’an, Prince Jin’s Mansion in Taiyuan, and Prince Zhou’s Mansion in Kaifeng.”
“Say that I have been worried about the Crown Prince recently, my old ailments have recurred, my health is not good, and I miss my son dearly.”
“I specially summon Prince Qin Zhu Shuang and Prince Jin Zhu Gang to immediately set aside their vassal duties, travel light and with few attendants, and hasten back to the capital to attend to my illness, to comfort my heart.”
“As for Prince Zhou Zhu Su…”
He mused for a moment and said:
“Tell him that I heard his compilation of the 《Compendium of Relief from Famine Herbaria》 is progressing well, and have him bring the manuscript back to the capital for my review. I wish to examine it personally!”
Attend to illness?
Review manuscript?
Jiang Huan’s heart suddenly tightened.
What a perfect excuse to attend to illness! What a perfect excuse to review a manuscript!
These were the most righteous and irrefutable reasons that the vassal kings could not refuse.
Filial piety was paramount; who would dare refuse?
But everyone understood; this was clearly a Hongmen Banquet!
“Draft three secret edicts as well.”
Old Zhu continued, his tone still placid, but every word carried killing intent:
“One to Duke of Song Feng Sheng, one to Duke of Ying Fu Youde, and one to Marquis Jingning Ye Sheng, instructing them to immediately take troops under the guise of ‘practicing defenses and guarding the capital’ to take over the defenses of Xi’an, Taiyuan, and Kaifeng, once they receive news of Prince Qin, Prince Jin, and Prince Zhou leaving their fiefs.”
“And to protect the residences of Prince Qin, Prince Jin, and Prince Zhou, allowing entry but not exit!”
“All mansion officials, guards, and family members are to be confined to their posts and await investigation!”
“Any resistance will be treated as rebellion, and they are to be executed first, then reported!”
【Openly build plank roads, but secretly cross the Chencang! 】
Jiang Huan understood instantly.
Use the warm edicts of ‘attending to illness’ and ‘presenting a manuscript’ to lure the vassal kings away from their strongholds, then use absolutely loyal veteran generals to instantly control their fiefdoms and mansions under the guise of military action, completely preventing them from resisting or destroying evidence!
When Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Su arrive in the capital, bewildered and perhaps still holding onto a sliver of hope, they will face a net already cast and ironclad evidence prepared long in advance!
This was the Emperor’s style!
Either don’t do it, or do it thoroughly!
If he doesn’t move, he doesn’t move; but when he does, it’s like thunder and lightning, leaving no room for retreat!
Cold sweat broke out on Jiang Huan’s back, and he immediately accepted the order: “I obey the edict! I will attend to it at once!”
“And one more thing!”
Old Zhu added, his gaze profound:
“Tell Feng Sheng, Fu Youde, and Ye Sheng to act quickly and discreetly! Before Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Su leave their fiefs, not a single whisper must leak out!”
“What I want is them to smoothly attend to my illness and present their manuscript, do you understand?”
“I understand!”
Jiang Huan kowtowed heavily and quickly withdrew to make arrangements.
He knew that a perilous political storm targeting the vassal kings had already begun its most deadly prelude amidst the Emperor’s casual words.
After Jiang Huan left, the hall door was heavily shut once more.
Inside the hall, Old Zhu sat alone on the dragon throne.
He reached out, slowly stroking the cold iron box, his gaze as deep as a bottomless abyss.
【Biao’er… my son… 】
【What exactly did you hide from your father… 】
【And what… drove you to such a desperate end… 】
A single, cloudy tear slid silently from the corner of the eye of this Emperor who had lived a life of killing.
But in the next second, that tear was replaced by an incredibly terrifying, ice-cold killing intent that could freeze everything.
No matter how cruel the truth, no matter who was involved.
He would uncover every last detail.
He would make everyone who caused his son’s death pay the most agonizing price.
【Even a tiger does not eat its cubs, but if a son attempts to kill his brother… and shake the foundation of the state… 】
【Then do not blame me, the father, for being heartless! 】
