Chapter 100: Are You Jealous?
Yan Bei waited at the Bureau of Military Affairs until the Ministry of Personnel delivered the appointment order to the Dou Family before getting up and leaving the yamen.
On the road, thinking that this major matter was settled in just two hours, the corners of his mouth that had lifted stayed up.
Returning to the Prince’s Mansion just after Xu hour, the path that originally led very close to his Yangrong Zhai was involuntarily directed toward A Li’s courtyard by his footsteps.
Gao An happened to lead people out of the courtyard, bowed slightly upon meeting, turned his head and pointed to the dim room behind, saying: “He is already asleep.”
Yan Bei tilted his head back, his gaze crossing over the courtyard wall toward Hua Qing Garden on the other side: “What about her?”
Gao An couldn’t help but lift the corners of his mouth too: “The Princess coaxed A Li to sleep just now and then returned to her room.
“Guard Wei came looking for the Princess just now; they should still be talking at this moment.”
“Is that so.” Upon hearing this, Yan Bei immediately lifted his foot, stepped onto the corridor, crossed the passage, and under the illumination of a string of long lanterns, arrived at the gate of Hua Qing Garden.
Lan Qin was just speaking with Hua Lin under the door; upon seeing him approach, she immediately restrained her expression and showed her usual gentle smile: “The Prince has returned.”
“Where is the Princess? Not asleep yet, right? I need to discuss something important with her.”
Hearing the words “something important” emphasized by him, Lan Qin smiled again: “This servant will go inform her.”
Wei Zhang had just come from the yamen side and was talking about the progress of the wrangling in court today. Hearing that Yan Bei had come here, he retreated to under the door.
Yue Tang instructed him: “Please invite the Prince to the Tea Room.”
These past few days, Yue Tang had been handling affairs in the west wing Tea Room. The stove was still warm, and the room was cozy.
After sitting down, Yue Tang brewed hot tea for Yan Bei. Yan Bei first told her about the interrogation of Chu Xin at the yamen, then relayed Dou Yun’s response: “Early tomorrow morning, he will go to the Imperial City Department to assume his post.”
Yue Tang nodded: “He had already sent someone to tell me earlier. I heard Mu Chang entered the palace ahead of you?”
“What use is it for him to go first? He doesn’t have right on his side.” After Yan Bei finished speaking, he turned his face sideways to look at Yue Tang. “Today the Emperor originally said I arrived late, but I am not one to do things halfway; once I start, I see it through, and in the end, I got it done.”
Yue Tang gazed at him and smiled faintly, like a breeze rippling the water: “When it comes to handling important matters, Prince Jingyang has never disappointed me.”
These words were spoken.
No disappointment is no disappointment; why distinguish between important and trivial matters?
Yan Bei scoffed disdainfully on his lips. A tendon in his mind tugged, and he suddenly glanced at her again.
However, Yue Tang lowered her head to warm her hands over the stove, seemingly not noticing him at all. “This must be Chu Ying’s idea. It was he who had Mu Chang step forward to seize back the Imperial City Department. If I were Mu Chang, I wouldn’t be in such a hurry to come out at this point.”
“I didn’t expect it to really be the Mu Family.” He withdrew his gaze from those five onion-like fingers. “Although the two families are accomplices, it was definitely Mu Chang who first proposed it.
“In other words, all the conspiracy should originate from the Mu Family. The Chu Family bears half the responsibility, but he is just a participant. They simply share the same foul smell, hit it off immediately, and agreed to each take what they need after success.”
“So why did the Mu Family come up with this idea?” The firelight from the stove reflected in Yue Tang’s downcast eyes. “The earliest signs of the entire conspiracy seem to have appeared on Brother, but now I am somewhat doubtful: was Brother’s death really the earliest sign?
“Was everything truly calm before that?”
Yan Bei pursed his lips and said nothing.
A path of revenge and a path of solving mysteries, but every time one enemy is dealt with, new puzzles always emerge.
What initially appeared to be merely an assassination targeting the authority of the Imperial City Department Envoy gradually turned into a major conspiracy concerning the Imperial Court and Imperial Palace.
Up to now, the murderer who plotted to kill their mother and son three years ago has been thoroughly investigated, and the Mu Family’s identity as accomplices and masterminds has surfaced, but the reason why they did it remains completely baffling!
Before this step, what happened in the palace that night? Why did Prince Duan die, and how did he die? Were the accidents that befell the two princes really orchestrated by the Mu Family? Why did Prince Duan secretly communicate with Consort An? And why did he propose that the First Prince go to receive the Second Prince? None of this is clear yet.
Also, what role did the Shen Family play in all this? Why did the Former Emperor suddenly enfeoff the Shen woman as Empress?
The answers are still shrouded in fog.
“Prince!”
At this moment, a series of footsteps splashed through the mud, broke through the rain curtain, arrived under the door, and shattered the room’s silence.
“Prince, Princess, something has happened in the Supreme Court Prison!”
It was Jiang Shao rushing over quickly with two guards. He shed his usual indolence, held back his panting, and said: “Two quarters of an hour ago, Chu Xuan used a pass token from Changchun Palace to send people into the prison to see Chu Xin.
“Then forcibly fed poison to Chu Xin!”
“How could you let him in?” Yan Bei abruptly stood up, his voice turning cold. “This afternoon I told you to increase personnel to guard there; was it so you could stand around like decorations?!”
Yue Tang held him back and asked Jiang Shao: “You said they went in and forcibly fed him poison; did they succeed?”
Jiang Shao, who had been scared breathless by Yan Bei, finally exhaled: “Reporting to the Princess, they did not immediately succeed! The people were impersonating those from the palace, claiming to come on the Emperor’s decree, and since the token was real, it was hard to stop them.
“But after tailing them in and discovering it, they quickly subdued the perpetrators, and the poison was dug out from Chu Xin’s mouth. However, that poison is exceptionally potent; Chu Xin had just touched it to his mouth, and his lips were already purple, and he couldn’t catch his breath!”
“So he’s not dead yet!”
Yue Tang glanced at Yan Bei. “If Chu Xin dies, no matter what, it will buy some time for Chu Ying! Let’s go take a look right now!”
She then said to Jiang Shao: “You immediately bring Hua Lin and catch up!”
……
Chu Xin was legitimately thrown into the prison; as long as he confesses, the Chu Family is finished.
So how could there be any mistake in the guarding?
But the Chu Family still managed to break through layers of obstacles to reach Chu Xin, which shows their methods are formidable.
And ruthlessly vicious!
They say even a tiger won’t eat its cubs, but to protect their own lives, they kill their own flesh and blood without blinking an eye to silence him; what humanity is left in such people?
Yue Tang gave up riding in the carriage and raced to the Supreme Court Prison on horseback with Yan Bei.
Several groups of people were patrolling back and forth in the open space in front of the prison. The torches all around nearly lit up the sky.
“Princess!”
Entering the prison gate, Jiang Shao arrived with Hua Lin, and Wei Zhang followed at the side.
“Quickly go in and see where he is? See if he’s still breathing?”
Yue Tang said as she walked, following the guards who came to greet her, until they reached a cell deep in the prison surrounded by many people.
“Prince!”
The guards all bowed toward her behind.
Yan Bei glowered at them darkly: “How do you handle things!”
Although the opponent wasn’t some third-rate, lapses were inevitable despite tight security, but just after he had boasted of his success the previous moment, this blunder happened the next— wasn’t this deliberately sabotaging him?
“Enough, say no more.” Yue Tang said, “First check on the person; that’s urgent.”
Yan Bei then said: “All of you go out and wait! Do not enter unless summoned!”
After the surrounding people dispersed, Chu Xin lying flat on the ground was immediately revealed.
Under the oil lamp’s light, as Jiang Shao said, at this moment his lips were purple, eyes tightly closed, motionless.
Yue Tang quickly checked his breath; it was almost imperceptible.
Jiang Shao handed over a pill; the outer layer had already dissolved, clearly eroded by saliva: “On the way here, it was already shown to Doctor Hua; he said this poison, once in the mouth, quickly enters the abdomen with the saliva—very potent.”
Of course it’s potent; just this slight contact, and now he’s unconscious. If the guards had been a moment later, he would surely be dead by now.
In fact, even a less potent poison, as long as it silenced Chu Xin and prevented him from speaking or writing, would achieve the goal of delaying time; and if there’s the slightest chance of rescuing him later, the person could still be saved.
But Chu Ying was so resolute in acting against his own son; besides delaying time, what else was he afraid of?
“No need to panic first!”
While Yue Tang was lost in thought holding the pill, Hua Lin looked up and said, then deftly tossed a pill into Chu Xin’s mouth, fed him several sips of water, and massaged his philtrum.
After the clear water went down, soon Chu Xin’s limbs began convulsing. His body then curled into a bow, and with a pained expression, he turned to lie on his side.
After groaning a few times, he opened his mouth and suddenly vomited two mouthfuls of blood!
The blood splattered on the ground but soon mixed with the dark ground.
Following Yue Tang’s skirt hem before him, he looked up, his wide eyes heavily swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
“All good.” Hua Lin looked up at Yue Tang. “He won’t die for a while. Ask whatever you need to quickly!”
Yue Tang then said: “Drag him up.”
Wei Zhang stepped forward and pulled Chu Xin up, propping him to sit against the wall.
Two days and nights ago, this scion in fine clothes and holding a precious sword had stormed into the Top Scholar’s Mansion like entering an empty place, but now disheveled and filthy, clothes ragged, as if not yet recovered from the near-death ordeal, his body slanted against the wall, right hand supporting the ground, breathing ragged like bellows.
But his gaze always followed Yue Tang.
Yue Tang stopped a step away from him: “Do you know who tried to kill you?”
Chu Xin said nothing, just looked at her, but his breathing grew more rapid.
“Looks like you know full well.” Yue Tang said. “Since that’s the case, you should also understand that the Chu Family is hopeless for you now.
“After you helped the Chu Family abandon Chu Yan, you have finally become the second discarded pawn. This is the family precept your clan drilled into you from childhood; now that the day has come for sacrificing life for righteousness, you must feel very honored.”
Chu Xin twitched his cheeks, the light in his eyes more piercing than the nearby oil lamp: “Shut your mouth!”
Yue Tang sneered coldly: “I’ll ask you a few questions. Answer me honestly.” Her gaze fell faintly on his face, her voice not loud but irresistible, “Why did Mu Chang ally with the Chu Family to kill me and my Father King?
“What is the real reason behind your collusion to harm me?
“Chu Ying is eager to kill you not because he’s afraid you’ll confess, but afraid you’ll reveal the secret behind it, right?”
“Why should I tell you?” Chu Xin’s eyes bulged with rage. “Although the Chu Family has abandoned me, it was a last resort. Although you saved me, are you doing it to let me go?
“I, Chu Xin, was born a Chu Family member; even in death, I die for the family. I will not fail our ancestors!
“Yue Tang, I won’t say a word of what you want to know!”
Yue Tang suddenly reached out and locked his throat: “If you won’t say, then I’ll kill you myself!”
With this heavy strike, Chu Xin’s head smashed hard against the wall, and cracking sounds came from his neck joints.
But he clenched his teeth tightly, refusing to yield to the death.
Yue Tang’s five fingers turned to cold iron, digging directly into his flesh.
His face first turned red, then purple, eyes bulging, mouth open yet emitting no sound.
Yue Tang released her hand.
Chu Xin collapsed to the ground; of the breath he had just regained, two-thirds was lost again.
Yue Tang looked down and brushed her fingertips: “Then let’s change the topic. How did you kill Yue Rong?”
Chu Xin panted a few times, face against the ground as he looked up: “Who told you we killed him?…”
Yue Tang narrowed her eyes: “Still not being honest.”
Chu Xin propped himself up: “He wasn’t killed by us!”
“Then who?” Yue Tang stared closely at his face. “Chu Yan said first the Shen Family wanted to kill her; then while Yue Rong secretly investigated the Shen Family’s handles, he traced it to you, drawing fatal disaster.
“And he indeed died of heart palpitations; if not natural death but murdered, then his medicine must have been tampered with.
“The medicine he took was from the Imperial Hospital; the culprit could only strike from the Imperial Hospital. You know this full well, even using the captured imperial physician sent to Chu Yan as evidence to persuade her back then.
“At that time, your grandfather was Grand Preceptor, a key minister relied on by the Former Emperor, often entering the palace. He had opportunity to approach the imperial physicians.
“If not you, then who?”
“You conclude it’s us based on this?” Chu Xin supported himself on the floor to sit straight, then slowly crossed his legs, looking at her with a hint of sarcasm. “The imperial physician confessed personally that it was the Shen Family.
“The bribes he received were all from the Shen Family’s accounts.
“Especially, I personally saw him contact Shen Family members; without this evidence, you think I could convince Chu Yan with just empty words?”
He chuckled lowly twice, then lifted his head: “Yue Tang, you and I are childhood sweethearts; let me out, and I’ll help you kill the Shen Family to avenge Yue Rong—how about it?”
Yan Bei, holding his arms at the side, upon hearing this, shot a venomous glare.
Chu Xin bared his teeth back: “Is Prince Jingyang jealous? I thought you were a great hero who never indulged in romance, but you can’t pass the beauty pass either!
“If you can’t stand me, why not come kill me right now?!”
Yan Bei’s two arms were already tensing.
Yue Tang stood up, glanced at him, turned and walked out: “His words are not to be trusted. Find a way to move him out of the prison, guard him strictly, and interrogate slowly.
“Then announce outwardly that the Chu Family’s Eldest Young Master attempted suicide by poison out of guilt and has died in prison.
“Chu Ying has already met with Mu Chang; their prepared moves are surely more than this.
“I want to see what the Chu Family will do next after hearing this news!”
