Chapter 285: Peach Blossoms Arrive
The morning in the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion was steeped in the smell of medicine.
Guo Pi leaned against a Luohan bed covered with thick brocade, his throat rolling as he tried to cough up phlegm, but only managed a muffled “heh-heh.”
The personal attendant holding the spittoon stepped forward. Seeing blood streaks in the phlegm he coughed up, his hands trembled with fright, and he almost dropped the porcelain basin.
The Duchess by the bedside, her eyes red, wrung a warm handkerchief.
“The Duke is suffering from excessive anger and anxiety. The doctor said he needs rest and must not be worried or agitated further…”
Guo Pi’s cloudy eyes were half-open, half-closed, gazing at the withered crabapple fruits outside the window.
Once upon a time, the crabapple trees were a sight in the mansion. When the flowers bloomed in spring, the children and grandchildren often played beneath the trees. Now, the fruits lay scattered on the ground, uncleaned, only to be rolled by the wind and stick to the blue stone slabs…
Disheveled, and desolate.
The Duke of Zheng’s Mansion was going to fall.
“Zhao Huai…” he murmured, his voice hoarse like a worn-out bellows, “that scoundrel… has he confessed?”
“Replying to Master, the Ministry of Justice is watching closely, and the Crown Prince’s men are guarding strictly. I only heard that they have been interrogating him daily, using torture… but not a single word has leaked out.”
As she spoke, the Duchess leaned closer to his ear and said in a low voice:
“However, the secret line has sent a message… saying that the Crown Prince is not only strictly interrogating Zhao Huai but also summoning several old stewards who were involved in the transportation of grain and military supplies back then… I fear… I fear it might unearth the case of the Old Mausoleum Swamp…”
“The Old Mausoleum Swamp?”
Guo Pi’s eyes widened abruptly. A flicker of terror flashed in his cloudy pupils, and his withered yellow fingers tightly clenched the brocade quilt.
“Have you found out? Has His Majesty… has His Majesty inquired about this matter?”
“Master, you must not think about these things anymore…” The Duchess anxiously patted his back, “The most important thing now is to take care of yourself. If anything happens to you, the sky over the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion will truly collapse…”
Guo Pi closed his eyes and gasped, his chest heaving violently.
“Li Zhao… he’s digging three feet into the ground…”
He, the Duke of Zheng, a veteran of three dynasties, and related to the Empress Dowager’s family, had never taken the young Crown Prince seriously before.
But now, this Crown Prince, who had fought his way back from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood on the Western Frontier, acted with ruthless decisiveness, leaving no room for maneuver, making him feel an unprecedented chill and… fear.
“Go…”
Guo Pi gasped, struggling to sit up.
“Send someone… to ride at top speed to Longxi… to send a letter to Xiao Yan, saying… saying that this old man begs him, for the sake of past affections, to help this old man… to help the Guo family…”
The Duchess looked troubled, shaking her head with worry.
“Master, I secretly sent a card to request an audience with the Empress Dowager and the Grand Princess before, but they both feigned illness. The Xiao family is also in no position to help themselves right now, I’m afraid… I’m afraid it won’t be easy to talk to them…”
“Hmph.” Guo Pi sneered, a phlegmy sound in his throat.
“Whether it’s easy to talk to the Xiao family depends on what I say. Xiao Song cannot escape responsibility for the Old Mausoleum Swamp incident… Even a cornered rabbit will bite. We are all on the same boat. If he refuses to help, I will reveal all the old messes… cough, cough, cough… then no one will have a good time…”
As he spoke, hurried footsteps were heard from outside.
The steward rushed in, his face ashen.
“Master, something bad has happened… someone from the Ministry of Justice has come, saying… saying they want to ask you a few questions…”
“Who from the Ministry of Justice? Xue Qingzhi?”
“No, no. I just received news that Minister Xue, due to the sudden death of his younger brother, Second Master Xue, is overwhelmed with grief and has resigned from his post. The current acting head of the Ministry of Justice is… His Highness Prince Duan…”
“Quick, help me change. I must go and see… cough, cough…” He coughed violently and suddenly sat up.
However, due to the excessive force, his vision went black, and he fell straight backward.
A large, glaring stain spread across the brocade quilt.
“Master!”
“Duke of Zheng!!”
The Old Madam and the attendant rushed forward to support him, only to see blood continuously gushing from the corner of his mouth. He was breathing out more than in.
“Quick! Send for a doctor!”
–
The chaos in the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion did not cause much of a ripple in Shangjing City.
At this time, in the Eastern Palace, Li Zhao was frowning at a thick stack of files.
On the desk sat the breakfast that had just been delivered: a plate of crystal steamed dumplings, a plate of braised beef, and a bowl of steaming millet porridge, exuding a rich aroma.
Lai Fu stood by, watching his Highness lost in thought over the files without touching his chopsticks, and couldn’t help but gently remind him.
“Your Highness, please eat some breakfast first. It won’t taste good if it gets cold.”
Li Zhao looked up, his eyes bloodshot, clearly having not slept all night.
He waved his hand: “Leave it. Go and get Xue Qinglian’s confession for me to look at again.”
Lai Fu complied and took out a file from the documents beside him.
In this military supply corruption case, Xue Qinglian was responsible for escorting the grain and fodder transport envoy to the capital. Due to his diligent work in handling the case, he was exceptionally promoted by the Emperor.
His elder brother, Xue Qingzhi, held the position of Minister of Justice, and his second brother was soaring to new heights…
Originally, the glorious prosperity of the Xue family…
Who would have expected such a sudden turn of events?
A person, just like that, dead.
Lai Fu couldn’t understand the intrigues of the court. He just watched curiously as the Crown Prince, with a heavy expression, flipped through the confession, feeling uneasy.
“Your Highness, have you discovered any clues?”
Li Zhao’s gaze turned cold, and he put down the files.
“Xue Qinglian just submitted a card saying he wanted to see me to report new clues in the Guo Mingyuan case, and he died in his study overnight?”
Lai Fu didn’t understand, shrinking his neck and standing at attention, feeling somewhat frightened and uneasy…
Guan Ya cupped his hands and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, Ye Xiao sent people to investigate. On the night Second Master Xue died, the dogs in the mansion did not bark, and the gatekeepers said they did not see any outsiders entering or leaving. In this case, it seems like an inside job.”
“Also, according to the maids in the Xue Mansion, the night before Second Master Xue died, he received an anonymous letter. After reading it, he became restless and even instructed a servant to prepare a carriage and horses, saying he was going out…”
“An anonymous letter?” Li Zhao’s gaze turned cold, “Have you found out who sent it?”
“Not yet.” Guan Ya shook his head, “The maid couldn’t remember the appearance of the messenger, only that they were dressed as an ordinary servant. However, I suspect this matter is mostly related to the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion. I fear Second Master Xue had discovered some crucial clue and was silenced…”
Li Zhao slowly picked up a steamed dumpling, but did not eat it. He merely held it in his hand, examining it, his tone light but filled with killing intent.
“Guo Pi, that old scoundrel, is capable of such deeds. However, does he think that by killing Xue Qinglian, he can silence the truth?”
“Your Highness.” Guan Ya hesitated for a moment, lowering his head and cupping his hands.
“I heard that in the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion, Guo Pi is on his last legs. Is it possible…”
“On his last legs?” Li Zhao’s lips curved into a cold smile, “He’s good at picking his timing. By dying, he thinks he can take the matter to the grave? It’s not that easy. Even if he dies, he must still have the old case dug out from his belly for me…”
Guan Ya’s heart tightened.
The Old Mausoleum Swamp case involved too many people. Let alone the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion, even the current Emperor would probably not want to delve into the details and expose the scars of the Daliang Dynasty…
For His Highness to bring up the old matter again was no different from provoking the gods.
This risky move was terrifying.
His Highness was truly audacious.
“By the way.” Li Zhao seemed to recall something and suddenly turned his head to ask directly, “How is You Huang Ju?”
Guan Ya was stunned for a moment before realizing His Highness was referring to Master Miaozhen.
Ever since the assassination attempt on Imperial Street and Xue Sui’s injury, she had been recuperating in You Huang Ju under Li Zhao’s care.
The Crown Prince had visited once that day, but had not been back since.
Normally, it was hard to tell what his intentions were…
He deliberated and said, “Replying to Your Highness, Imperial Physician Zhang visits daily for treatment. He says it’s a blessing in disguise; this arrow wound has forced out the residual poison of Snow Withering, and most of the toxins have been cleared. However, it has depleted her qi and blood, damaging her foundation. It’s unknown how many years it will take for her to recover…”
Li Zhao asked, “What does she do every day?”
Guan Ya stole a glance at him and said in a low voice, “From what I’ve heard, Master Miaozhen is very quiet. She spends her days copying scriptures and taking medicine. However, Aunt Jinshu and Young Lady Xiao Zhao occasionally go out to buy medicinal materials and pastries.”
Li Zhao nodded, picked up the teacup on the desk, and took a sip.
“Have the kitchen stew some high-quality bird’s nest soup and send it to her. Also, tell Zhang Huaicheng that he must ensure her body is properly recuperated. If even a single strand of her hair is missing, I will hold him accountable.”
Guan Ya and Lai Fu exchanged glances, secretly marveling.
It seemed His Highness was still very concerned about Master Miaozhen, so much so that they, his subordinates, couldn’t understand whether he harbored more hatred or affection for her…
These two, entangled and complicated.
Lai Fu suddenly remembered a troublesome matter and quickly bowed.
“May I ask Your Highness, what is to be done with Third Miss Guo?”
Li Zhao, lost in thought, asked casually, “Which Third Miss Guo?”
Lai Fu, with a bitter, chubby face, rubbed his eyebrows, “It’s that Third Miss Guo, from the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion…”
Li Zhao seemed to snap back to reality, putting down the teacup.
“Have someone send her away.”
Lai Fu felt a pang of reluctance and gently advised, “Third Miss Guo has been waiting outside the mansion for several days, and Your Highness has not seen her… it’s inevitable that people will gossip…”
Li Zhao’s face darkened, “If you like to make decisions for me, then you can deal with it.”
Lai Fu choked and hastily agreed, “Yes.”
Li Zhao glanced back at Guan Ya, stood up, straightened his robes, and lifted the curtain to go out.
“Follow me through the back corner gate.”
Guan Ya responded and followed closely behind.
Unexpectedly, as Li Zhao led his attendants onto the blue stone path of the back corner gate, a slender figure emerged from the shadows under the eaves.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, please wait…”
Li Zhao stopped.
Guo Yunrong stumbled forward, dressed in a plain white jacket and skirt, her hair slightly askew. The face that had once smiled charmingly at the Spring Banquet was now as pale as paper, her eyes swollen red, like two ripe peaches.
“Your Highness… please save the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion…”
Her voice was hoarse, choked with sobs, as she stepped forward, only to be blocked by two guards on either side, their swords drawn.
“Please show mercy to Yunrong…”
Guo Yunrong said tremblingly, looking at Li Zhao’s icy face. Tears fell uncontrollably, and she slowly knelt on the ground, kowtowing.
“If it is inconvenient for Your Highness, could Yunrong see Sister Xue…”
Li Zhao: Peach blossoms at my door, I’m in such trouble…
Xue Sui: Let’s see how you handle it.
