Chapter 93: The Truth Behind the Plot
Proofreader : Mim
The emperor was already furious, and hearing Qin Yi’s words added fuel to the fire. However, being a monarch, he hadn’t completely lost his reason. He understood the gravity of the situation, so after venting his anger, he decided to speak privately with Qin Yi in Qianqing Palace.
According to protocol, this should have been a private conversation between the emperor and his crown prince. No one else was supposed to participate or had the right to do so. But before leaving, the emperor glanced at Chu Jinyao and suddenly said, “Let the Crown Princess come as well.”
Since Chu Jinyao was going, naturally, Empress Xiao Qi wasn’t going to stay behind. She had great confidence in her plan, but with things involving herself, there was no better reassurance than watching the situation unfold personally.
Once they arrived at Qianqing Palace, the emperor looked at Qin Yi and Chu Jinyao for a long while before asking, “Speak. What’s going on here?”
The emperor wasn’t stupid. By saying this, he clearly indicated that he didn’t want to hear empty pleasantries anymore.
Qin Yi didn’t hold back either and directly stated, “That Daoist used deceitful tricks to fake divine powers. The so-called green fire is merely a special phenomenon. Your Majesty might recall the incident in the Western Garden, where the dancer’s dress caught fire, and it also burned with a green flame.”
In fact, the emperor had no recollection of this. During the performance, his full attention was on the beautiful dancers, and when the accident happened, he was immediately surrounded by ministers, eunuchs, and guards, leaving no room to notice such details. However, hearing Qin Yi mention it now, the emperor vaguely remembered. He slightly nodded and said, “I know. Continue.”
Whether the emperor truly remembered or not was irrelevant to Qin Yi, so he continued, “Since Wang Mingci was able to use such a strange trick to create the illusion of divine power, then naturally, that palace maid could do the same. The flames on her body were likely from the same source as today.”
At this point, Empress Xiao Qi couldn’t sit still any longer. She interrupted, “The Crown Prince’s speculations are quite intriguing. However, we all saw it with our own eyes. Today, Wang Mingci used a peachwood sword to ignite the talisman paper, and later, the Crown Prince used a gold hairpin. I don’t understand the reasoning behind it, but based on your guess, it would seem that some kind of trigger is required to light this substance. But back in the Western Garden, we all saw that the dancer was spinning in circles and suddenly caught fire. No one or anything touched her, so clearly, the two incidents are not the same.”
“Are they the same or not? We will know once we ask the Jin Yi Wei,” Qin Yi responded without even looking at Empress Xiao Qi. He then ordered the servants outside, “Summon the people from the prison.”
At this, Empress Xiao Qi’s heart skipped a beat. Lately, she truly seemed to be having a streak of bad luck, as though her previous good fortune had all been used up. She had meticulously planned the incident with the dancer in the green dress, intending to propagate the idea that divine fire descended upon the earth as a warning of the Eastern Palace’s misconduct, thereby convincing the emperor to leave another prince in the capital as a backup heir. But despite the large-scale uproar, the emperor still wasn’t willing to replace the Crown Prince. After all her scheming, the only outcome was that Qin Yi was temporarily sidelined for a few days, without any real benefit to her. Empress Xiao Qi was livid about this. Since one plan failed, she devised another—she colluded with Wang Mingci, hoping to force Qin Yi out of the Ciqing Palace and place her own person close to the emperor. But once again, her plot was thwarted when Wang Mingci was exposed by Qin Yi on the spot. Not only had her plan failed, but she also found herself blamed for introducing the fraudulent Daoist. Empress Xiao Qi already felt extremely unlucky, and now Qin Yi wanted to revisit the old issue of the dancer in the Western Garden, which had already passed. She had no desire for this matter to escalate any further.
Empress Xiao Qi glanced at Qin Yi and laughed lightly, saying, “The Crown Prince wields great authority. I remember that this palace maid was accused of plotting against the throne and suspected of being an assassin. Such a serious matter, even His Majesty hadn’t given orders on how to handle it, yet the Crown Prince seems to command the Jin Yi Wei with ease, issuing orders for interrogations as he pleases.”
Empress Xiao Qi had always been a master at sowing discord, and her words hit right on the mark. The Jin Yi Wei was the emperor’s personal investigative agency, but Qin Yi’s influence within the Jin Yi Wei was also substantial. For Qin Yi to order an interrogation wasn’t difficult, but while his goal was to uncover the truth, in the emperor’s eyes, it might appear quite the opposite. And now, Empress Xiao Qi had purposely reminded the emperor of this point, making her as annoying as a persistent fly—irritating yet hard to swat.
The emperor remained seated calmly at the top, his expression giving nothing away. Yet somehow, the atmosphere within Qianqing Palace seemed to thicken, gradually becoming tense.
Qin Yi’s face grew colder. He was clearly fed up with this aunt of his. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t hesitate to throw a few jabs at her, both to vent his frustration and to subtly dispel the emperor’s suspicions. However, this approach was a double-edged sword. While it hurt Empress Xiao Qi, it also damaged Qin Yi’s standing in the emperor’s eyes, since they constantly clashed in moments like this. Qin Yi was preparing to retaliate when suddenly he felt a tug on his sleeve.
Surprised, Qin Yi held back his words and let Chu Jinyao take over.
Empress Xiao Qi was like a buzzing fly, constantly droning on. While others may not dare to speak out against her, Qin Yi never hesitated to strip her of her dignity. But Empress Xiao Qi was also adept at playing the victim, turning herself into the “poor woman” in such instances. Dealing with her was best left to another woman.
Chu Jinyao smiled gently and addressed the emperor, “Your Majesty, ever since the incident in the Western Garden, the Crown Prince has been deeply troubled. He has been haunted by the question: why would the dancer, who was performing perfectly fine, suddenly catch fire? This time it was only a fire, but what if next time it was some kind of weapon? The Crown Prince, though he hasn’t said it out loud, has been very concerned about Your Majesty’s safety. So, ever since we returned from the Western Garden, he has been personally investigating the matter. As for me, I believe that since this issue involves Your Majesty’s safety, it should be handled with utmost care. But it seems we’ve done something wrong, haven’t we?”
The only card Empress Xiao Qi held was the emperor’s trust. Chu Jinyao was keen enough to not bother engaging with her directly. Instead, she turned her focus on the emperor. The emperor, known for his gentle treatment of women, especially his daughter-in-law, who had always been quiet and dignified, was quite fond of her. Unlike her brash husband, the Crown Princess had always been composed. The emperor smiled at her remarks and said, “This is the Jin Yi Wei’s responsibility. If the Crown Prince has concerns, there’s no harm in investigating. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Chu Jinyao breathed a long sigh of relief and bowed gracefully. “That’s a relief. Just now, the Empress’s words made me fear that we had acted improperly.”
Although Qin Yi thought Chu Jinyao’s words were somewhat saccharine, he had to admit they had done the trick. With the emperor’s approval, Qin Yi continued, “Since Your Majesty doesn’t hold me accountable, I’ll have the Jin Yi Wei bring forth the relevant officers.”
With Chu Jinyao’s intervention easing the tension, the emperor approved Qin Yi’s plan. Empress Xiao Qi, who had never before experienced such frustration, found herself silenced. In the past, she was the one controlling the situation, leaving her opponents speechless and forcing Qin Yi to suffer in silence. Now, for the first time, she was on the receiving end of such treatment, and she hated every moment of it. Her gaze toward Chu Jinyao was full of venomous malice.
Chu Jinyao pretended not to notice. She and the empress were destined for a confrontation sooner or later, and today, she was simply seizing the opportunity.
When the Jin Yi Wei arrived, they brought forward the written confessions from the dancer in question. The maid had been interrogated multiple times, and her story remained consistent. She claimed to know nothing about how the fire had started, except that the day before her performance, her dress had been accidentally torn. Given the tight schedule, there hadn’t been enough time to make a new one, so she had asked another maid to mend it. Knowing the importance of the event, she had stayed to watch as the other maid repaired the dress, but nothing seemed unusual at the time. The dancer genuinely had no idea what had caused the fire.
The confession didn’t seem to reveal much. The emperor, growing impatient, asked, “What exactly are you trying to say? How does this relate to today’s events?”
Empress Xiao Qi took a sip of tea, then smiled and said, “Exactly, we all saw what happened that day. There was no wooden sword or golden hairpin that touched her, and there was no open flame on the boat. If not a divine warning from the heavens, how else could such a thing happen, where a person catches fire out of nowhere?”
Even the one who had produced the incendiary substance, Wang Mingci, wasn’t fully aware of its capabilities. He at least had to heat a wooden sword and use its tip to ignite the white powder. How could Empress Xiao Qi have managed to ignite a dancer in front of everyone with no visible fire?
Qin Yi didn’t respond but instead commanded, “Bring the garment.”
The items from the imperial prison could not be directly presented to the emperor, empress, or even the crown prince and princess, the most exalted figures in the land. The remnants of the dress were brought to the veranda of Qianqing Palace, where a group of palace maids, following Qin Yi’s instructions, carefully took apart the remaining parts of the dress. Sure enough, they found some powder hidden within the seams.
Empress Xiao Qi’s face finally changed when she saw the powder.
“This was sewn into the skirt by the palace maid who repaired it, right in front of the dancer. According to her, these were just fragrances to enhance the performance. While there were indeed fragrant substances mixed in, the majority was crushed shell powder.”
A eunuch stood at a distance, holding a small dish of the powder. A senior imperial physician had been summoned from afar, unsure of what was happening and trembling as he examined the powder. After sniffing and feeling it, he finally declared, “To report to Your Majesties, the crown prince and the crown princess, this powder contains not only common fragrances but also shell powder, and another substance I cannot identify.”
The unidentified substance was the very same exotic fire particles that had been demonstrated earlier. The emperor’s memory wasn’t so poor as to forget that. He recognized the substance and began to show signs of anger: “What is the meaning of this?”
Qin Yi didn’t speak. The imperial physician, confused and terrified, was now trembling more. Seeing this, Chu Jinyao stepped in, asking: “Physician, since this shell powder isn’t a fragrance, why was it mixed with the rest of the powders? Are there any precautions when using it?”
The imperial physician replied, “Your Highness, shell powder is made by burning shells into a fine powder. It doesn’t have much use, but it should never be mixed with water. If it comes into contact with water, it will boil violently and can cause burns.”
“So, it reacts to water,” Chu Jinyao smiled, delivering the most crucial point directly to the emperor.
“The servants in the West Courtyard wanted to impress their masters. On the day of the dance, they hid two eunuchs aboard the boat, who splashed water on the dancer at just the right moment to create the illusion of a lotus rising from water. These small fire particles ignite when touched by the heated tip of a golden hairpin. And when shell powder heats up upon contact with water, it can also ignite the dancer’s skirt. This explains why, after she jumped into the water in a panic, the fire only grew stronger. And later, rumors spread throughout the palace that a green-clad dancer was set ablaze, with even the water unable to extinguish the flames. People said it was a heavenly warning, and soon after, officials began to suggest that the fire was a sign of the crown prince’s misconduct.”
Qin Yi stopped there. The emperor, though a lover of pleasure, was no fool. Seeing how this trap had been meticulously planned and led directly to a clear target, how could he not understand what was happening?
As soon as Qin Yi had been accused, Empress Xiao Qi had suggested summoning a Taoist priest to exorcise the evil, conveniently recommending Wang Mingci, who in turn suggested relocating the crown prince.
The emperor closed his eyes, his mind swirling with thoughts, unsure whom to trust or believe.
Empress Xiao Qi had turned pale. She knew things had gone wrong the moment they started taking apart the dress, but by then, it was too late to stop it. The imperial physician’s revelation about the shell powder had tied everything together. Empress Xiao Qi was anxious and angry, but there was nothing she could do. The emperor was right there. What excuse could she possibly use to make Qin Yi stop?
“Your Majesty…” Empress Xiao Qi called softly, her face drained of color. At this point, all she could do was deny everything. Though she was the most suspicious person, she had already dealt with any witnesses. Even if the emperor and Qin Yi both suspected her, what could they do without evidence? Letting go of her dignity in front of Qin Yi and Chu Jinyao, Empress Xiao Qi stood up, lowered herself in a bow, and pleaded to the emperor: “I know Your Majesty and the crown prince both suspect me, but I swear I had nothing to do with this. I’m just a woman—how could I come up with such a complicated plan? Even hearing the crown prince explain it leaves me confused. If Your Majesty doesn’t believe me, you can investigate. Look into the maid who sewed the dress or even Wang Mingci. See if they had any dealings with me. Your Majesty, we’ve been together for over ten years. I’ve given you a son and a daughter. You know me better than anyone. You cannot wrongly accuse me like this!”
As she spoke, tears streamed down her small face, making her look utterly pitiful. This scene wasn’t meant for outsiders to see, so Chu Jinyao lowered her head, and Qin Yi turned his gaze away. Empress Xiao Qi’s tearful plea moved the emperor, who finally relented and said: “Everyone, leave. I will personally assign people to investigate this matter.”
This meant Qin Yi would no longer have any say in the investigation. Chu Jinyao was frustrated but kept her face calm. Qin Yi appeared just as serene. The two of them bowed and left the hall together. As they moved, the other palace servants quietly withdrew as well.
Back at Ciqing Palace, Chu Jinyao couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Your Highness, is that really it?”
“Most likely,” Qin Yi replied, seeming in a surprisingly good mood. His tone was laced with sarcasm: “If he investigates it himself, what do you think he’ll find?”
Qin Yi was all too familiar with his father’s way of doing things. If the emperor handled the investigation, it was almost guaranteed that nothing would come of it. Besides, a few tears from Empress Xiao Qi, and he’d probably forget about it entirely.
Chu Jinyao was speechless for a long time before finally saying: “So that’s it? After all the empress has done to you, after all the evil she’s committed, the emperor still won’t do anything?”
Qin Yi hadn’t expected Chu Jinyao to be so upset. He asked in surprise, “What’s gotten into you? Why are you so angry?”
Chu Jinyao had held her frustration in for a while but finally blurted out: “I’m angry on your behalf!”
Qin Yi laughed. He was reminded of a long time ago, when Chu Jinyao had been punished by her grandmother with a beating. While she hadn’t seemed particularly upset, he had been furious. It seemed that many things in this world worked that way—the person involved might not care much, but the one who cared about them couldn’t stand it.
Thinking this softened Qin Yi’s heart. His smile grew even gentler as he said: “You’re just like a child. How old are you now, and you’re still thinking about fairness?”
Chu Jinyao looked up in confusion, only to see Qin Yi squinting slightly, smiling like a hunting tiger—calm and dangerous: “Only children care about fairness. In politics, the only thing that matters is interest. Besides, the empress has already paid the greatest price.”
Empress Xiao Qi had covered her tracks well, and perhaps there was no concrete evidence linking her to the plot. But that was where she was foolish. When an emperor begins to suspect, does he care about evidence? The emperor had trusted Empress Xiao Qi for years, confiding everything in her because of that trust. But now, after this incident, the foundation of that trust had been shaken.
The closer someone is, the less they can tolerate betrayal. The empress’s position in the emperor’s heart had been undermined, and that was the true victory here. Even if she escaped without punishment, it didn’t matter. Qin Yi wasn’t a child who believed wrongdoing should always be punished. If the emperor wouldn’t give him justice, he would take it himself.
Seeing Qin Yi’s expression, Chu Jinyao realized that he hadn’t taken any of this to heart. His indifference was a sign of maturity, but Chu Jinyao couldn’t help feeling a pang of sorrow. The emperor wasn’t just a ruler—he was also Qin Yi’s father.
What kind of youth had Qin Yi endured?
The thought pained Chu Jinyao, and Qin Yi, who had been lost in thought, noticed her downcast expression when he glanced at her. Puzzled, he pulled her close and asked: “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Chu Jinyao mumbled. “I just wish I had met you earlier.”
Qin Yi hadn’t expected that. He was used to putting the past behind him, but here was someone who remembered it all and felt sad on his behalf. He pulled her closer, his heart swelling with emotions he couldn’t express. They sat quietly for a while, with Chu Jinyao resting her head on his shoulder, hugging his waist.
After some time, Qin Yi finally broke the silence: “You did very well today. I haven’t asked yet—how did you know about those strange fire particles?”
Chu Jinyao sighed softly: “It all started when the empress sent me that ointment. It reminded me of a foolish thing I did as a child. I was wild before I turned five, always running around. Once, my playmates and I had the idea to mix urine and sand and heat it up. We ended up creating something that looked like wax. When we tried to light it, the flame was strange, and it scared us all. I remember it vividly. The fire on the dancer’s skirt looked familiar, and when someone mentioned it, I realized it was the same substance.”
“Wait a minute.” Qin Yi didn’t seem as interested in the substance as he was in something else. “Why, as a child, would you even think to mix urine and sand?” What exactly had she been doing back then?
Author’s Note:
Yes, this is the dangerous substance known as white phosphorus. All of this comes from Baidu—I’ve never tried it myself, and if anyone gets into a time travel accident, I take no responsibility.
Also, shell powder that has been intensely burned becomes calcium oxide, commonly known as quicklime. When quicklime meets water, it releases heat. This reaction is well-known, and in ancient times, people even used this method for whitening their skin.
Oh my, it feels like I’m writing a chemistry lesson…
Final note: The idea of using an exothermic reaction to ignite white phosphorus is purely theoretical. I have not tested it, and I do not wish to test it. See you all tomorrow!
