Chapter 131: The Higher the Magic

 

The situation in the capital had undergone a complete reversal. Around this time last year, the Crown Prince was progressing steadily, at the height of his power, while Prince Su was virtually unnoticeable under the Crown Prince’s brilliance. Even the presence of Princess Consort Su was far less than before her marriage. But things in this world were always unpredictable, and now, the fates of Princess Consort Su and the Crown Princess had completely switched.

 

On that day during the morning court session, the Emperor was truly enraged. The Crown Prince was suspended, and Prince Su took over Qin Yi’s responsibilities in managing court affairs. The imperial court, mostly rebuilt after the war, was now much more streamlined compared to before. When Prince Su took charge, he immediately displayed impressive authority, and his reputation as a virtuous and capable leader spread even further.

 

The situation for Prince Su and his mother, Noble Consort Shu, was increasingly favorable, with many powerful families in the capital seeking to align with them, including several noble clans. In contrast, the Eastern Palace had become much more subdued.

 

Inside Ciqing Palace, Linglong brought something and quietly reported to Chu Jinyao, “Your Highness, I’ve heard that today Princess Consort Su showed her concern for the people’s hardships. At a banquet, she organized a fundraiser with the wives of officials to collect silver for disaster relief, personally donating five thousand taels.”

 

Chu Jinyao only responded with a soft “Hmm.” Seeing that Chu Jinyao didn’t react further, Linglong became anxious and added, “Your Highness, a few days ago, Princess Consort Su donated ten thousand taels of incense oil to the Huangjue Temple, praying for Empress Muhuai and the people of the world. Now she’s leading the disaster relief effort. Isn’t she completely disregarding you?”

 

Empress Muhuai was, in fact, the late Empress Xiao Qi. After several days of back-and-forth between the Emperor and the Ministry of Rites, the Emperor finally managed to give Empress Xiao Qi a grand burial. Although the Ministry of Rites had conceded on the burial ceremony, they refused to budge on the posthumous title. In the end, the Emperor had to abandon his preference for names such as “Xiao,” “Duan,” or “Yi” and settled on the title “Muhuai.”

 

The character “Mu” signifies a warning, and “Huai”… is even more undignified. If an Emperor were to be given a posthumous title like “You,” “Huai,” or “Ling,” it meant that his reign was marked either by mediocrity or tyranny. As for Empress Xiao Qi, being given such a title as Empress clearly showed the disdain the officials held for her, even in death, unwilling to bestow an honorable name.

 

Chu Jinyao snapped off the extra branches of an orchid with a crisp sound, placing the scissors on Linglong’s tray, and remarked sincerely, “It seems that Princess Rong’an and the Prince Wei’s family are truly wealthy. From what I’ve seen, since Princess Consort Su arrived in the capital, she must have spent at least thirty thousand taels.”

 

Linglong, still feeling indignant, said, “They’re nothing but a pair of thieves! The order in the capital was restored by His Highness the Crown Prince, and the current government was also rebuilt by him. Now that His Highness has been dismissed and Prince Su has taken over a well-organized court, no wonder things are going smoothly. And during the most difficult days in the capital, half the city was destroyed. If it weren’t for Your Highness cutting palace expenses and leading all the palace maids to make winter clothes for the common people, who knows how many would have frozen to death this past winter? For this, Your Highness endured many complaints. Now, after the troubles have been handled, they return from their vassal state to reap the benefits, taking credit for both Your Highness and the Crown Prince’s achievements. Not only that, but they even instigate others to criticize Your Highness. I… I just can’t stand it!”

 

Chu Jinyao merely smiled indifferently and glanced at Linglong, her tone turning cautionary, “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear those words. Don’t say them again.”

 

Linglong bowed her head, realizing her mistake, “Yes, Your Highness, I understand.”

 

After reprimanding Linglong, Chu Jinyao took the newly trimmed flower arrangement back to the study she shared with her husband. Ever since Qin Yi was ordered to remain in confinement by the Emperor, he had spent most of his time here.

 

Chu Jinyao personally replaced the flowers in front of the decorative screen with fresh ones, while Linglong took the old branches and quietly withdrew. Now, it was just the two of them. Chu Jinyao looked at Qin Yi calmly reading his book and suddenly felt a strange sensation.

 

While remaining unshaken by honor or disgrace was commendable, Qin Yi’s composure over the past few days seemed a little too much. Chu Jinyao still remembered how, during a fire incident in the western palace, when a palace maid’s dress had barely caught fire, Qin Yi had immediately deduced it was the work of Empress Xiao Qi and predicted that the Eastern Palace would be attacked next. His foresight had been spot on. And now, the situation of imperial suspicion and familial conflict, while brutal, was not hard to foresee. Countless examples of it were recorded in history. If even Chu Jinyao could predict such a turn of events, how could Qin Yi, after being Crown Prince for so many years, be caught entirely off guard by his dismissal? It should be noted that Qin Yi himself had revealed the truth of the flogging incident in public.

 

Qin Yi turned a page, his expression unchanged, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“It’s nothing,” Chu Jinyao shook her head but remained wary. “I just feel like you’ve tricked me again.”

 

Qin Yi chuckled softly, beckoning her over. “Ever since you got pregnant, you’ve become much sharper. If the child is a boy, I think he’ll save me a lot of trouble in the future. Stop thinking so much. Come here.”

 

…

 

Though Qin Yi had been ordered to “reflect behind closed doors,” Chu Jinyao was not confined, and she still held control over the palace administration.

 

When Qin Yi was governing, Chu Jinyao naturally managed the palace affairs. Now that the Emperor had returned, it was highly improper for a junior like Chu Jinyao to continue holding the power to manage the harem. After all, only the Empress could officially hold such authority. Even in her absence, it was Noble Consorts like Shu or Li who had the right to assist in the management of the Six Palaces.

 

The fact that the Emperor had not revoked Chu Jinyao’s control over the palace signified that he had not intended to eliminate the Eastern Palace entirely, and there was still a chance for its recovery.

 

When Chu Jinyao heard the report from a palace maid, she headed to Kunning Palace to handle the remaining affairs of Empress Xiao Qi. The cause of Empress Xiao Qi’s death remained a mystery, and it was unclear whether the Emperor had discovered the truth.

 

When Chu Jinyao arrived, she was surprised to find someone there.

 

“Your Majesty,” Chu Jinyao bowed in greeting to the Emperor.

 

The Emperor dismissed his attendants, standing alone with his hands behind his back in the main hall of Kunning Palace, gazing at the empty space, seemingly lost in reflection.

 

Hearing the voice, the Emperor turned and glanced at Chu Jinyao. Seeing it was her, he sighed softly, then turned back, continuing to look at the grand yet hollow palace.

 

Chu Jinyao couldn’t help but wonder, who had the Emperor been hoping would call out to him? Was it Empress Xiao Qi, whom he hadn’t seen one last time? Or was it his first wife, Empress Wenxiao, who had also died in this very palace?

 

No one could say.

 

After waiting for a while and realizing the Emperor had no intention of moving, Chu Jinyao quietly reminded him, “Your Majesty, I need to organize Empress Muhuai’s belongings and clean up Kunning Palace. Could you…” please move elsewhere for your reminiscing, so she could carry on with her duties.

 

The Emperor, likely never expecting that after twenty-four years of being Emperor, he would one day be told he was in the way, seemed taken aback. Today, however, he was overwhelmed with emotions he couldn’t share with his ministers, his eunuchs, or even his concubines. So, seeing Chu Jinyao here now, he poured out his heart, regardless of whether she was listening or not.

 

“…Both of my wives were younger than me. When Wenxiao passed, I was still young and reckless, not understanding the rarity of a first wife. By the time I understood, it was too late. She was much younger than me, and I couldn’t bear to be too harsh on her. Over the years, I did my best to accommodate her. I thought I had done enough, but in the end, she died with grievances, and I didn’t even see her one last time.”

 

Hearing this, Chu Jinyao didn’t know how to respond. As a ruler and a father, the Emperor had undoubtedly been lacking. But as a husband, he had truly been considerate and generous. He had been married to Empress Xiao Qi for sixteen years, and their relationship was clearly deep. From Empress Xiao Qi’s perspective, the Emperor was probably a good man. No wonder she was still dressing up for him before her death.

 

The Emperor was kind and gentle, always easygoing with everyone. If he were just an ordinary man, he would likely be well-loved.

 

But as an Emperor, his kindness became a weakness, leaving him vulnerable to manipulation. His personality had the potential to bring ruin to many, even to the entire dynasty.

 

Despite being the supreme ruler, the Emperor had no one to confide in and had to retreat to the empty halls of the dead to pour out his heart to an outsider like Chu Jinyao.

 

After thinking for a moment, Chu Jinyao asked, “Your Majesty, if you miss Empress Muhuai so much, why not find the culprit responsible for her death? Surely, if she is watching from the heavens, she wouldn’t want her murderer to roam free.”

 

“I’ve already ordered an investigation. But all the people who served her have died, and even the maid who witnessed the true culprit drowned in the lake a few days ago.”

 

Chu Jinyao raised an eyebrow silently. Drowned in the lake at this time of year? The ice on the lake probably hadn’t even fully melted yet. Whether Qiushuang had truly “slipped” into the water, only Noble Consort Shu and Qiushuang would know.

 

When Qiushuang was plotting against others, she probably never thought that one day she would also fall victim to an “accident” in the same way.

 

The Emperor seemed lost in confusion. By this point, he must have realized that Qiushuang’s accusations against the Eastern Palace had likely been manipulated. He wanted to uncover the truth, but with all the witnesses dead, the vast palace offered no clues. Where could he begin his investigation?

 

Seeing the Emperor lost in thought, Chu Jinyao guessed what he was thinking and asked directly, “Your Majesty, if I may ask, how exactly are you investigating this?”

 

“I instructed Zhang Zhen to immediately find out the truth behind the Empress’s death.”

 

Zhang Zhen was the new chief eunuch of the imperial court. Chu Jinyao could easily imagine the scene: the Emperor returning in a fit of rage, ordering his trusted eunuch to investigate, and then simply waiting for results. If that was the case, he might as well give up on learning the truth.

 

Chu Jinyao said, “Your Majesty, have you considered that even those closest to you may not always tell you everything? Everyone has their own desires, and as the ruler of the world, with wealth beyond measure, people will inevitably hide things from you out of self-interest. The truth you see and the people you trust may not be as reliable as you think.”

 

The Emperor paused for a moment, then asked in a low voice, “Are you trying to speak on Qin Yi’s behalf?”

 

Though phrased as a question, his tone didn’t suggest he was actually asking. Chu Jinyao didn’t hesitate and admitted, “Yes. I am the Crown Princess. Naturally, my words and actions are aligned with the Crown Prince. That’s my bias, which is why I’m here speaking to you. And those around you, they too have their own biases. Perhaps what they tell you reflects that.”

 

The Emperor sighed. “You are truly dedicated to Qin Yi, always finding ways to speak up for him. But why? His personality is brash and prickly. Why are you so devoted?”

 

“Then why are you here today?” Chu Jinyao countered.

 

The Emperor was momentarily speechless, then after a pause, he smiled wryly, “Perhaps you’re right. It’s true that as we grow older, we need companionship. You two are lucky to have each other. I hope Qin Yi learns to appreciate this. He’s been spoiled by his status from a young age—arrogant and domineering. When everything comes too easily, it’s hard to value it.”

 

“Your Majesty, you always say he’s stubborn and proud, but aren’t you the same?”

 

“You…”

 

Though the Emperor had indeed been craving conversation, that didn’t mean Chu Jinyao could speak to him without restraint.

 

“Please, hear me out. You can punish me for overstepping afterward.” Not giving the Emperor a chance to interrupt, Chu Jinyao quickly continued, “You say he only cares about himself and doesn’t listen to others, but aren’t you the same? You’ve always been biased against him. You think that because he’s the Crown Prince, he looks down on others. That’s why you deliberately overlook how hard he works for his position and ignore his outstanding achievements. Let me be bold and guess that when Empress Wenxiao died, the Crown Prince was present, and you felt that you lost your authority as a father in front of him. So, ever since then, you’ve been unwilling to get close to him. Even though he’s far more capable than Prince Su or Prince Lu, you refuse to acknowledge it and instead shower affection on the other two.”

 

The Emperor fell silent for a long time. Chu Jinyao lowered her gaze, quietly counting the green bricks on the floor. After an indeterminate amount of time, the Emperor finally asked, “Do you speak this boldly in front of Qin Yi as well?”

 

“Yes,” Chu Jinyao replied. “If he does something to upset me, I scold him directly.”

 

The Emperor seemed amused. He chuckled briefly and turned to face her, saying, “No wonder.”

 

No wonder a man as proud and stubborn as Qin Yi, who never bowed to anyone, had taken the initiative to write him asking for permission to marry. The Emperor thought, perhaps they would be much luckier than he had been.

 

With that cryptic remark, the Emperor left. Whether Chu Jinyao’s advice had made any impact remained unknown. In the following days, calls for the Crown Prince to return to court gradually began to rise. After some deliberation, the Emperor allowed Qin Yi to oversee the rebuilding of the Three Armies camps outside the city.

 

When Chu Jinyao heard the news, she excitedly went to Qin Yi to take credit. “Your Highness, the Emperor agreed to let you out. Don’t you think it was my speech that did the trick?”

 

Qin Yi smiled at her. “Yes, the Crown Princess has done a great service this time.”

 

As he met Chu Jinyao’s gaze, Qin Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, his smile deepening. “What’s that look in your eyes?”

 

“It’s nothing,” Chu Jinyao replied, slightly deflated. “Did you plan all this from the beginning?”

 

“Plan what? You’ve been with me this whole time. Don’t you know what I’ve been doing?”

 

“But you don’t seem surprised at all.” Chu Jinyao stood up and huffed before heading toward the door. “Say whatever you want. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”