Chapter 128: The Princess’s Opportunity
Xiao Huo entered Yong Qing Hall when the morning light had not yet fully appeared.
Under the dimly lit corridor lamps, Yue Tang had just finished a full set of swordplay.
“After this subordinate obtained the roster from the Imperial Household Department, to be cautious, I sought out several other old eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department to confirm the authenticity of the list.
“After verification, this subordinate screened the targets one by one. Excluding those who were only left outside the hall serving at the time, finally until last night, I found a senior palace maid who was released three years after Empress Mu’s death because she had reached the age limit.
“She was formerly an embroiderer by Empress Mu’s side, responsible for needlework. Having no family left, she now remains in the Capital City operating a small embroidery shop.
“At first, she couldn’t recall much, so this subordinate had her reminisce about the circumstances back then. She said the Empress began having symptoms at noon on the fifth day of the seventh lunar month, at which time the Former Emperor and our Prince Duan were in the outer hall.
“The inner hall and outer hall were separated by a courtyard.
“Because the Empress had previously miscarried once, the Former Emperor placed great importance on this legitimate son, so he specially summoned the high monk Xuanjiang from Tiantai Mountain in the northern suburbs to recite scriptures and pray for blessings in the East Side Hall.
“But the Empress still did not give birth even by evening.
“Unsure if it was affected by the Empress’s difficult labor, before nightfall, Princess Duan who remained in the Prince Duan’s Mansion also went into labor, reportedly ten days ahead of the Imperial Physician’s estimated due date.
“Upon hearing the news, the Prince immediately rushed back to the mansion.”
Yue Tang, who was slowly pacing, stopped at this point.
“Both I and the Second Prince were born at the chen hour on the sixth day of the seventh lunar month. During this period, were there only these people in Jiaofang Hall?”
“After the Prince left, there was only the Former Emperor, and Xuanjiang who was reciting scriptures. Besides that, only the Imperial Physicians.” Huo Yun nodded.
“She said during the Empress’s difficult labor, the Former Emperor would enter the inner hall from time to time to check on her, making those guarding the Empress anxious and fearful of being blamed, so it left a deep impression.”
Yue Tang narrowed her eyes: “The Former Emperor entered the inner hall from time to time to check on her?”
“Yes. She said the Former Emperor was extremely nervous! When the Empress was five or six months pregnant, the Former Emperor feared she would overexert herself and hardly let her worry about anything.
“He also nearly exempted the officials’ families from their court greetings.
“In the two months before labor, even this palace maid’s monthly routine of measuring the Empress’s waist for new clothes was done by the Empress’s personal palace maids instead.
“One can imagine how anxious the Former Emperor must have been when the Empress had a difficult labor.”
Yue Tang pressed her lips together and looked toward the hazy long sky.
“Right,” Huo Yun remembered again, “she also mentioned one thing, saying that at that time Mu Chang and his wife had returned to the Capital City to handle family property, and had several times requested to enter the palace to accompany her, but the Empress refused.
“Even them she refused?”
“Exactly. Actually, the Empress’s relationship with the Mu Family was not that bad; she just hated that iron could not become steel. On the day the Mu Family returned to Jiangling, she even disguised herself to see them off outside the city, and later maintained quarterly letter correspondence.
“So, perhaps because the Empress was carrying the dragon child and it was very taxing, she had no choice but to refuse.”
Clouds surged beneath Yue Tang’s eyes, but she said no more.
The topic came to an abrupt end here.
She stood like a statue gazing at the horizon; she did not even notice when Xiao Huo withdrew.
“Princess, the Prince is here!”
Han Yi quickly walked behind her to report.
Yue Tang remained motionless, still like a stone.
Han Yi looked at her damp hair and shoulders, unable to hold back: “Princess, the cold dew is heavy; please take care of your health.”
Yue Tang still did not respond to him.
Han Yi hesitated for a moment, untied his cloak, and carefully draped it over her shoulders.
Only then did Yue Tang silently let out a long sigh, stuffing the empty cup in her hand—its tea stains completely dried—into his hands, and turned toward the corridor.
The cup still retained the warmth of her palm.
Han Yi held it stunned, only turning around after a long while.
As soon as he turned, he faced a face as black as the bottom of a pot.
“Prince!”
Han Yi retreated two steps.
Yan Bei’s eyes were like knives, carving his face down to bare bones.
Han Yi took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm: “Prince, please come inside.”
Yan Bei’s voice seemed squeezed out through the eye of a needle, his body twisting like a snake: “‘The cold dew is heavy; please take care of your health’~~~~~ Hmph!”
He snorted coldly, “Vixen!”
With that, he left like a gust of wind.
Han Yi stood in place, taking several deep breaths before clutching the cup and leaving.
Yan Bei arrived at Yong Qing Hall and squeezed next to Yue Tang to warm himself by the stove. “I brought people to you early in the morning, and you won’t reward me?”
Yue Tang said: “What people?”
“The passerby you caught in the alley!”
Yue Tang suddenly understood. Then she glanced at him: “You’re a big man, and a military general; why warm yourself by the fire? Move farther away.”
“You also trained in martial arts from a young age, with high martial arts skills; how are you different from me? You warm yourself too.”
Yue Tang let out a “yo”: “Quite a temper.” She casually pushed the tea over: “Drink more water.”
Yan Bei took the cup and dragged over Han Yi’s cloak from the side to pad under his waist.
Yue Tang saw it and slapped his arm, pulling out the clothes: “Are you asking to die, being so overbearing? Don’t you know to respect people?”
Yan Bei ground his teeth: “Not to mention it, but don’t you think there’s something off about that pretty boy surnamed Han? He can actually beat me at chess, but the Emperor selected Xu He as Top Scholar, not him.”
Yue Tang rolled her eyes: “Childish.”
After that, silence.
Yan Bei sent a guard to bring the passerby who had come from that path to Yong Qing Hall. While waiting, he looked at her: “What are you worrying about now?”
Yue Tang’s brows were gloomy: “I’m thinking about my second brother who died early.”
Yan Bei: “……That placenta?”
Yue Tang stomped her foot on his thigh.
Yan Bei cried out in pain.
Han Yi entered from outside the door, cupped his hands and addressed “Princess,” then calmly glanced at Yan Bei, walked up to pick up his own clothes, and calmly withdrew.
Yan Bei’s mouth and eyes skewed: “I was wrong.”
Yue Tang withdrew her foot.
Yan Bei rubbed his thigh, brushed off his robe, sat properly, and said seriously: “What I mean is, why think about him for no reason?”
Yue Tang said woodenly: “Han Yi’s grandfather was demoted in a case involving the Mu Family selling official positions that year, so I asked him for details about the case.
“The Mu Family did commit crimes, which greatly angered the Former Emperor, so he mercilessly threw Mu Chang’s father into prison, though the crime did not warrant death.
“But he still faced imprisonment.
“The eventual outcome was that Mu Father was pardoned and released, and the three Mu brothers resigned their posts to accompany Mu Father back to their hometown.
“It looks like the Former Emperor showed mercy, still considering their ties, but one can still see his annoyance with the Mu Family.
“Yet six years later, when the Second Prince was a little over five, he and the Empress still entrusted the child to the Mu Family to raise, so they must have been confident to do so.”
Yan Bei was slightly stunned: “No matter what, the Mu Family is the Empress’s maternal home; the legitimate son she bore is also extremely important to the Mu Family, so they had no reason to harm the Second Prince.
“This was later proven as well.
“In other words, if even the Mu Family couldn’t guarantee the Second Prince growing up safely, no other family could be trusted.
“Since the Second Prince had to stay away from the Imperial Palace to survive, entrusting him to the Empress’s maternal family was no problem.
“The Mu Family didn’t commit a capital offense either; it was merely violating regulations, not treason.
“In the end, what does this have to do with your dead second brother?”
Yue Tang toyed with the teacup in her hand: “Nineteen years ago, three people were born on the same day and month: me, the Emperor, and my second brother.
“My second brother who died early has no explanation, while the living me and the Emperor bore the calamity spoken of by the old monk.”
Yan Bei paused: “This calamity isn’t a good thing; fewer people bearing it means less sin. Why insist on him bearing it too?”
Yue Tang’s face grew even gloomier: “After the Second Prince went to Jiangling, the Former Emperor did not relax his attention on him.
“Besides the guards and attendants accompanying the Second Prince who stayed with the Mu Family, every year the palace would irregularly send people to meet him.
“As far as I know, every festival there were special people sent. I told you before; in later years, it was even First Prince Yue Yuan who personally led people there.
“I’ve thought it over repeatedly; under such circumstances, the Mu Family absolutely could not have gone to the trouble to concoct some crooked idea of disrupting the Imperial Court by leveraging the merit of raising the Second Prince.
“They were commoners at the time; what confidence did they have to deceive the Former Emperor in the future and control the subsequent situation?
“Contacting Chu Ying as commoners to conspire and lay such a conspiracy already exceeded the Mu Family’s capabilities at the time.
“But they still did it, and succeeded.
“How much energy and determination did that require?
“The Mu Family definitely had ambitions, but I feel their later actions weren’t logical progression, but rather prompted by some other reason.”
Yan Bei paused: “You mean, that reason is the ‘calamity’ on the Second Prince? Because of the old monk’s prophecy, the Mu Family developed evil intentions?”
Yue Tang’s brows were deep: “Xiao Huo said the palace maid recalled that Empress Mu stopped receiving guests a few months before giving birth, and later even avoided palace servants she wasn’t close to; Mu Chang and his wife requested to accompany her but were not allowed.
“This is also suspicious.
“Later it was said that on the day of the Empress’s labor, only the Former Emperor and my father king were waiting in the outer hall, plus one old monk reciting scriptures.
“Just these alone would still be normal, but suddenly I thought of my mother.
“Her?…”
Yue Tang nodded: “Mother has always been cold toward me; the reason is simple, saying my birth caused my second brother’s death.
“In the past, I occasionally thought it absurd.
“But now, I think this might also be a serious matter.
“Me, the Second Prince, my second brother—besides the two mothers having difficult labors on the day of our births, I’m afraid some important event also occurred, which caused my second brother’s death.”
Yan Bei straightened his back: “So you’re suspecting that the Mu Family, who had no chance to approach the Imperial Palace at the time, later learned of these behind-the-scenes matters?”
“Exactly.” Yue Tang looked at him, “Matters involving the Empress’s offspring are never trivial.”
Yan Bei stood and paced: “If so, then nowadays, the only ones who know this secret are the Mu Family?
“But the Mu Family absolutely won’t say it.”
“Not necessarily.” Yue Tang’s gaze coolly looked at the ground, “The Emperor is the Mu Family’s long rope to heaven; without the Emperor, all their ambitions will come to nothing.
“What if the Mu Family is no longer worth the Emperor’s desperate reliance? Then I don’t think Mu Chang can stay steady without showing flaws.”
Yan Bei nodded slowly: “True. But achieving this isn’t that easy either.”
“Princess.”
Wei Zhang’s voice sounded at the doorway.
After cupping his hands to the two in greeting, he walked in. “The Mu Family had activity last night. After Mu Chang returned to the mansion, this subordinate boldly entered to scout and found they sent out large troops, ambushing our Prince Duan’s Mansion and Prince Jingyang’s Mansion from several directions.
“Prince Jingyang’s Mansion?” Yan Bei sneered: “He still dares to target me?”
Wei Zhang smiled: “Probably at this point, Mu Chang already knows the Prince is at Prince Duan’s Mansion. When you leave later, there will definitely be a string of tails following.”
“This old thief!”
Yan Bei wanted to smash his fist down.
Halfway, he remembered this was Yue Tang’s home and forcibly pulled it back.
Wei Zhang’s smile lingered as he looked at Yue Tang: “Additionally, early this morning, someone from the Supreme Court accused the Princess of murder in Yongfu Palace.
“They even obtained evidence from the Imperial Guard Camp that the Princess entered the palace yesterday, claiming definitively that the Princess released snakes in the small garden near Yongfu Palace to harm someone, and afterward poisoned the bribed eunuch to silence him.”
“Outrageous!”
Yan Bei could no longer hold back and slammed his palm on the table. “This must be the Mu Family’s doing; they’ve gone mad and want to countersue?!
“—Wait, there’s probably a conspiracy!”
After saying that, he saw Yue Tang and Wei Zhang both looking at him, and added: “People are bullying right to our faces, and you’re still so calm?”
Yue Tang glanced at him, squatted down to check the table he had slapped distressedly, and said: “Why panic? Isn’t this a good thing?
“The thing that was just said to be hard to accomplish is now a ready opportunity.”
She stood up and looked at Wei Zhang: “What stage has the accusation reached now?
“It’s already been brought before the Emperor. After Ruan Fu’s death yesterday, Empress Dowager Shen had already dragged Shen Yizhu to Zichen Hall, unrelenting and demanding an explanation.
“Coincidentally, when those who accused the Princess earlier arrived at Zichen Hall, Mu Chang and his wife were inside visiting the Emperor with Mu Shuyun.
“Now the Emperor has sent for Empress Dowager Shen.
“I estimate the people from the palace should arrive soon too.”
At this point, he turned to look outside, then said: “Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.”
An eunuch leading two young eunuchs was personally escorted by Han Yi, hurriedly crossing into Yong Qing Hall’s courtyard gate.
“By His Majesty’s oral decree, summon Princess Yongjia to enter the palace immediately to see him!”
“Good, I receive the decree.”
Yue Tang nodded, gesturing with her eyes for Han Yi to take the people away, then instructed Wei Zhang: “Guard that eunuch well, and do as I privately instructed you yesterday.”
Yan Bei looked at them: “Then I’ll accompany you to the palace?”
“No need.” Yue Tang beckoned him, “You just do as I said.”
When Yan Bei brought his ear over, she leaned close and said a few words, then pushed the blushing him back.
“Make the matter bigger; no harm.”
Yan Bei grunted, and left stumbling over his own feet and hands.
Yue Tang called Han Yi again: “The person the Prince brought, hand him to Lan Qin first; I’ll see him when I return.”
After saying that, she had a maidservant fetch a cloak, draped it on, and steadily stepped over the threshold.
