Chapter 69

 

The languid melodies of the lute reverberated through the intricately carved halls of Hui Xue Tower.

Xie Jingtan’s brow furrowed deeply, his expression impatient. The ministers aligned with the Prince Jing were fiercely debating how to retaliate against the backstabbing Prince Langya.

“Impeach him? On what grounds? Xie Lanxu has been back in the capital for less than a month. Are you planning to impeach him for not taking proper care of horses at Mingyue Tower?” one minister retorted vehemently, opposing the idea of using impeachment as a counterattack. “If you ask me, we should instead provoke His Majesty’s displeasure with him—”

“Oh, that’s easy for you to say!” another shot back. “It’s clear that His Majesty didn’t bring him back because he likes him but because he’s useful. The Emperor doesn’t care about personal feelings, only results!”

“That’s still more effective than digging up trivial nonsense for an impeachment!”

As the argument between the two grew heated, Xie Jingtan slammed his wine cup onto the table with a heavy thud.

The pavilion fell into immediate silence.

“Master Qian, what is your opinion?” Xie Jingtan’s sharp gaze landed on Qian Yiwan, who had remained silent all this time.

Ten years ago, Qian Yiwan had pledged allegiance to Xie Jingtan. Back then, he was merely a low-ranking official, a nobody. It was Xie Jingtan who had promoted him to his current position as the Second Rank Imperial Censor. Over the years, Qian Yiwan had resolved numerous issues for him and become a cornerstone of the Prince Jing’s faction.

Even Xie Jingtan himself had grown accustomed to consulting Qian Yiwan when faced with difficult decisions.

“Your Highness,” Qian Yiwan began calmly, “any impeachment at this point would only appear to His Majesty as a petty and retaliatory move. Even if we uncover some misstep of Xie Lanxu’s, His Majesty would likely dismiss it outright.”

“Then what should we do?” Xie Jingtan asked through gritted teeth. “In a single night, I lost two of my most trusted men! I cannot swallow this indignation!”

“Your Highness might consider Xie Lanxu’s inherent weakness,” Qian Yiwan suggested, his tone measured.

Xie Jingtan leaned forward, intrigued. “Go on.”

“Xie Lanxu’s lineage is a weakness he will never be able to escape,” Qian Yiwan said slowly. “When His Majesty bestowed the former dynasty’s princess to the Crown Prince as his primary wife, it was a calculated move to sow discord among the Crown Prince’s supporters.”

When the current dynasty usurped the previous one, many officials had shed blood and sweat to overthrow the previous regime. Now, with the former emperor’s daughter marrying the Crown Prince, it meant the bloodline of the dethroned dynasty could one day become the legitimate heir to the throne.

For those who had once risked everything to topple the old regime, how could they not worry about future retribution?

Faced with such a dilemma, who would dare wholeheartedly support a Crown Prince married to a princess of the previous dynasty?

What could be done?

The only solution was to replace the Crown Prince.

From the moment the marriage decree was issued, the Crown Prince’s fall from grace was inevitable.

While the naive common folk celebrated the seemingly joyous resolution, the astute had already heard the dirge of the Crown Prince’s future.

“Your Highness, let us not forget: when His Majesty ascended the throne, the national treasury was empty. And all these years, where has all the tax money gone?”

“You’re suggesting…” Xie Jingtan’s eyes lit up as he grasped the implication.

“Your Highness…”

Qian Yiwan leaned closer, whispering softly into Xie Jingtan’s ear.

“Yiwan, you truly are my beacon of wisdom!” Xie Jingtan exclaimed, his spirits lifted. “In your opinion, who would be the most suitable to carry out this plan?”

Once again, Qian Yiwan whispered into his ear.

An insidious scheme began to take shape.

——

Three Days Later, At Court

On his way to the palace, Xie Lanxu could feel the stares following him. By the time he reached the Ziwei Palace, the whispering had grown louder, and ministers were openly scrutinizing him. Xie Lanxu, however, seemed unfazed. Standing calmly in his usual spot, his expression was steady and composed.

“His Majesty arrives!”

The ministers quickly organized themselves into neat rows, forming two groups: civil officials and military officers.

Draped in imperial yellow, Xie Shen strode to the dragon throne and sat down, his robes billowing as he moved. Gao Shan silently took his position behind the Emperor, a shadowy figure as always.

“Long live the Emperor, long live His Majesty!” the ministers chorused.

“Rise,” Xie Shen said coolly.

Seeing his neutral expression, the ministers couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

When the Emperor smiled, it didn’t necessarily mean he was pleased. But when he didn’t smile, it was certain that he was displeased.

What had upset him this time? Many in the hall had a faint idea.

“My loyal subjects,” Xie Shen began, “it seems that the people have been restless lately. I’ve even heard rumors reaching the palace. Who among you can explain what’s going on?”

The ministers exchanged nervous glances, hesitant to speak. Qian Yiwan, standing near the front as a Second Rank Imperial Censor, kept his head down and remained silent.

Seeing him hold his tongue, the other members of the Prince Jing’s faction followed suit, maintaining their silence.

Finally, someone from the Prince Feng’s faction stepped forward. “Your Majesty, a novel of historical secrets has recently become popular among the common folk. It contains tales of a vast treasure left behind by the previous dynasty, and street children have even taken to singing a so-called treasure poem.”

“What treasure poem?”

“‘Countless gold buried deep in the mountains, only the Emperor can find it…’” The minister hesitated, but under Xie Shen’s stern gaze, he reluctantly recited the final line: “‘Emperor, come and claim it.’”

The hall fell silent at the audacious and irreverent rhyme.

“The treasure of the previous dynasty… It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that phrase,” Xie Shen remarked, a smile playing on his lips. “But wasn’t the treasure of the former dynasty dismissed as nonsense?”

The hall remained silent.

“Prince Langya, what do you think? Is it nonsense?”

All eyes turned to Xie Lanxu. Under the weight of their gazes, he remained calm, bowing slightly before responding.

“Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, whether the treasure exists or not is irrelevant. What is clear is that there are those stirring unrest among the people.”

The ministers aligned with Prince Jing immediately seized the opportunity to attack.

“His Majesty was clearly asking about the treasure, yet you turn this into an issue of unrest. Are you trying to deflect suspicion?”

“Prince Langya, are you trying to absolve yourself? After all, your mother was the last princess of the former dynasty. Perhaps you know more than you let on!”

Inside the Ziwei Palace, a cacophony of murmurs arose.

“What do you know about the former dynasty’s treasure?” Xie Shen asked, his gaze locking onto Xie Lanxu’s eyes.

“Your Majesty,” Xie Lanxu replied, his voice steady, “I, too, only recently heard of this so-called historical tale, which claims to connect me with the treasure. If the treasure truly exists, then the person spreading these rumors and inciting unrest must surely know something.”

Xie Shen stroked his chin thoughtfully, lost in contemplation.

After a moment, he spoke. “Very well. I shall entrust this matter to you. You have one month. Either uncover the mastermind behind these rumors or locate the so-called treasure. If you fail, I will view your inaction as deliberate negligence.”

Xie Lanxu bowed. “This humble servant accepts the decree.”

When court adjourned, Xie Lanxu walked out of the Ziwei Palace, unfazed by the varied looks cast his way.

Instead of returning directly to his residence, he turned and made his way toward the cluster of female official bureaus deeper within the palace grounds.

When Xie Lanxu stepped into the Palace Administration Bureau, the female officials busy with their work froze in surprise.

Director Ma, the head of the bureau, had gone out with another female official to handle some matters, leaving Li Zhi as the highest-ranking official present.

With so many people around, Li Zhi maintained a professional demeanor, offering Xie Lanxu a formal bow.

“Your Highness, what brings you here unexpectedly?”

“I am here to find Director Ma,” Xie Lanxu replied.

“Director Ma is out handling official matters. Is it an urgent matter, Your Highness?”

“It is not urgent. I will wait here until she returns,” Xie Lanxu said nonchalantly.

Both the Director and the Deputy Directors had private offices. Li Zhi escorted Xie Lanxu to her own office and had one of the serving maids brew tea for him.

Once the tea was delivered, and they confirmed they would not be disturbed for some time, the real conversation began.

“His Majesty has ordered me to thoroughly investigate the rumors in the capital regarding the former dynasty’s treasure. Within a month, I must either uncover the treasure or identify the mastermind spreading the rumors,” Xie Lanxu explained.

Li Zhi was not surprised by his purpose for coming.

The rumors had not only spread through the streets but also infiltrated the palace in recent days. Everyone seemed to have something to say about the supposed connection between Xie Lanxu and the former dynasty’s treasure.

“To be honest, Director Ma’s current investigation is directly related to Your Highness,” Li Zhi said. “This morning, two palace maids were reported for discussing royal secrets.”

“Director Ma discovered that it wasn’t just these two maids. Many within the palace have been discussing a rumor of unknown origin.”

“What rumor?” Xie Lanxu asked.

Li Zhi’s expression became more serious. “Some say the deposed Crown Prince’s rebellion was tied to a treasure he supposedly obtained from the former dynasty’s princess—hidden by the last Emperor of the Cui Dynasty during his escape.”

Li Zhi carefully observed Xie Lanxu’s reaction.

Though the deposed Crown Prince was renowned for his noble character, Li Zhi wanted to probe for any truths within the rumors. Xie Lanxu’s expression told her everything—this was merely baseless gossip.

“If my father had cared about treasure, he wouldn’t have died the way he did,” Xie Lanxu said with biting sarcasm. “To the very end, he clung to his ideals of righteousness. And that is why our family was destroyed while his blood painted the floor.”

Li Zhi placed her hand gently over Xie Lanxu’s on the tea table. “What does Ah-Li plan to do—find the treasure, or uncover the mastermind behind the rumors?”

“Naturally, the easier of the two,” Xie Lanxu said. “Even if I wanted to find the treasure, there’s no clue where to begin.”

“Do you wish to find the treasure?” Li Zhi asked, her eyes meeting his.

Xie Lanxu met her gaze calmly, his tone firm.

“What if I do? My parents never mentioned any treasure. My father, in particular, dismissed the idea with contempt. Even if I wanted to find it, there’s no starting point.”

“Did the Crown Princess ever leave you any instructions or hints?”

Xie Lanxu lowered his gaze to the rising steam from the tea, as if recalling a distant memory.

“Not to my recollection,” he said. “Perhaps my mother knew nothing. Or perhaps, if she did, she deliberately kept it from me to spare me from being entangled in conflicts.”

Li Zhi wanted to press further, but the sharp look in Xie Lanxu’s eyes warned her to tread carefully.

“Did Chunlan, the maid who once served your mother, ever say anything to you?”

Li Zhi’s heart pounded, but outwardly, she maintained a composed smile.

“She only ever spoke about trivial things, like the Crown Princess’s osmanthus cakes. After all, Chunlan never served directly at your mother’s side.”

Her explanation seemed to satisfy Xie Lanxu. The sharpness in his eyes receded, like a tide retreating from the shore.

“To me, my mother had no secrets—only pain,” he said.

Even as he sat in the Palace Administration Bureau, his mind seemed to drift back to the distant Pavilion on the Lake in the Eastern Palace.

Though outwardly fragile, his mother had been a fiercely strong-willed woman. That strength became most apparent during her bouts of illness.

“Whenever it rained, her injured leg would cause her unbearable pain. Even when the agony drove her to pound her head against the floor, she refused to appear weak or accept anyone’s help. In those moments, we were all her enemies—reminders of her hatred for the fallen dynasty.”

“How did the Crown Princess injure her leg?” Li Zhi asked.

“During the southern escape, she fell from her horse while fleeing an assassination attempt. It was never the same afterward,” Xie Lanxu replied.

Before Li Zhi could say more, Director Ma returned to the Palace Administration Bureau, having heard of the Prince Langya’s visit and hurrying back.

Xie Lanxu remained to discuss the palace rumors with Director Ma. Understanding her place, Li Zhi quietly excused herself.

She stood in the corridor, lost in thought about the information Xie Lanxu had just revealed.

Two chatting palace maids passed her from the other end of the hallway.

As they drew nearer, their conversation reached Li Zhi’s ears, jolting her back to the present.

“What were you just talking about?” Li Zhi blurted.

“Ah, Li Sizheng!” The two maids quickly bowed. “We were talking about a new arrival to the palace. They say she cried the entire way here.”

“What’s her name?” Li Zhi asked, her throat dry.

“Her surname is Lu. I think her name is Lu Yao,” one of the maids said with a smile.

As the two maids walked away, Li Zhi remained rooted in place, unmoving.

A chill spread through her body, and her heart felt heavy with suffocation.

Lu Yao—

The girl she had chosen.

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T/N:- Next Chapters are advanced chapters so they will be locked and then unlocked once in two days.