Chapter 157 : Reversal
This earth-shattering announcement dropped into Golden Throne Hall like a rock thrown into a lake- immediately setting off a tsunami. And then a figure, small and ramrod-straight, and shielded by a palace maid and an eunuch, entered with an unusual expression in his eyes. Who was it if not Xuan Pei?
Everyone stared at Xuan Pei in amazement. This Thirteenth Prince was virtually ignored by everyone in the imperial court. Even if one said that Xuan Lang was incompetent, he still had the backing of Imperial Consort Xian and would therefore not be bullied. In contrast, Thirteenth Prince, Xuan Pei, had been born of a lowly palace maid. Now that his birth mother had died, no one in the palace paid him any attention, and if it were not for people mentioning him occasionally, no one would ever remember that such a person even existed .
Perhaps Xuan Pei had dressed up especially for today’s occasion, as he was wearing a lotus-green brocade robe that he must have dug up from somewhere. It was a solemn colour, and since Xuan Pei was still young, he looked rather peculiar in the robe. Moreover, even though the brocade was clearly of the finest quality, the style of the robe was that of many years ago, and it only took a glance to see that it did not fit him.
Even so, that small figure strode forward confidently, calm and steady despite his short stature. The Emperor could not help the astonishment that showed momentarily in his eyes. It is said that one can sense a person’s bearing and presence by the way that person conducts and carries themselves. With his unexpected appearance before the officials and everyone present, it was obvious that this was not the weak prince born of a lowly maid, but one who possessed a magnificent bearing. It was such that those present began to imagine that in time this prince would not be someone without talent. Although he was so young, he already had a reserved and composed disposition. Furthermore, while it was true that all the members of the imperial family were blessed by heaven with innate traits, even at the same age Xuan Li could not come close to him.
Xuan Pei walked into the middle of Golden Throne Hall. Lifting up a corner of his robe, he knelt next to Jiang Ruan and said, “Imperial Father, this subject can testify that Princess He Yi was not killed by Hong’an Junzhu!”
Jiang Ruan had been staring at the youth in front of her in astonishment. Looking at him at such close quarters, he was completely different from the boy who had been bullied previously. It was as if Xuan Pei had transformed into someone else by making himself appear more mature, thus making him seem exceedingly unfamiliar to her.
Xuan Pei had always been timid due to his birth mother, and had also been subject to much humiliation within the palace. In her previous life, she had also entered the palace around this time, and had encountered Xuan Pei being bullied. At that time, she had comforted him with a few words, and this situation had somehow reached the Emperor’s ears. Thereafter, the Emperor had handed Xuan Pei over to her to raise.
In her previous life, she and Xuan Pei had depended on each other for survival. Xuan Pei had been the most sensible child she had ever met. Such a good child, but he could only, like her, be trapped in the depths of the palace. Xuan Pei had never even had the opportunities to flourish and display his talent in the court, unlike the other princes. Moreover, before Xuan Pei had met her, he had been abandoned and denied his birthright by someone with ulterior motives in the palace. Thus, although he was no longer a young child, he had the sensibility of one.
Now, this child was an absolutely different character. His gaze contained nothing of the clingy dependency which had been seen in his previous life; he was clearly sober and calm. Xuan Pei had been born with natural advantages, and Li Dong had fancied him in her previous life because of his matchless good looks. At present, this child’s appearance was certainly first-rate, and when he knelt together with Jiang Ruan, all the people in Golden Throne Hall could not help but be astonished, feeling that these two people were largely similar in bearing. Yet, on second thought, they were probably overthinking the resemblance.
In contrast, there was a minute shift in expression in Xuan Lang and Xuan Li’s gazes, as neither of them had imagined that Xuan Pei would appear. Although Xuan Pei was not favoured, he still bore the t.i.tle of ‘prince’, just as they did. In Xuan Li’s eyes, Xuan Pei was not even as significant as an ant, and his name was hardly ever heard of in the palace. In addition, this boy had deliberately been brought up to be useless from a young age so there was absolutely nothing to fear where he was concerned. However, his appearance today fell like a bolt from the sky, and coupled with his saying that he wanted to speak on Jiang Ruan’s behalf, was totally shocking to Xuan Li. Xuan Pei’s bearing and demeanour at present caused Xuan Li great unease.
The Emperor looked at Xuan Pei with a complicated expression. He had never cared about this son; in the past few years, he could not even remember how many princes had died – there was no shortage of bleached bones in the palace. Perhaps it was heaven’s punishment that, among his sons, every single one with some talent had the ambition of wild wolves. The others were utterly incompetent, just like the Crown Prince, who had, by nature, a shallow mind. If it were not for the Emperor’s secret protection, the Crown Prince would long ago have become the sacrificial victim in someone’s power struggle.
The Emperor had no recollection of Xuan Pei’s mother. Besides, in the palace, the princes born of lower-cla.s.s origins were dispensable in the Emperor’s eyes, so he never spared them a thought. On seeing Xuan Pei appear all of a sudden, a feeling he could not quite understand arose in his heart.
The appearance of this youth was like jade, and his features were extremely beautiful. Because he had lived in the palace for such a long time, his complexion was excessively fair, but due to his youth, he did not look wan and haggard. Rather, he was like a crystal doll. He had inherited the royal family’s naturally good bearing and had mastered the art of displaying that bearing exceedingly well. Even though he had made very few public appearances all these years, somehow, that innately n.o.ble demeanour had not been diminished.
Most importantly, from the time he had walked in, he had looked directly at the Emperor, his tone had been deferential but not weak, and his att.i.tude calm and unhurried without being conceited. How was this in keeping with a boy as young as he was? He seemed much older and wiser than his youthful age.
The Emperor suddenly realised that he might have neglected a potentially outstanding prince for so many years.
...
Xiao Shao frowned minutely. He could clearly see that the way Jiang Ruan was regarding Xuan Pei was somewhat unusual. Although she was making a concerted effort to conceal it, she was not entirely successful. The members of the Jinyi Guard he had placed within the palace had naturally heard of Thirteenth Prince’s circ.u.mstances. A useless prince whose upbringing had been deliberately negligent – how had he changed so drastically overnight? Earlier, at the time when the incident of Jiang Ruan helping Xuan Pei had been reported to him by the Jinyi Guard, Xuan Pei had still been a weak prince bullied by palace maids. Now, he was conducting himself in a very fitting manner, and was a completely different person. Just by observing the palace maid and eunuch who had entered with Xuan Pei, their proper behaviour, without a hint of overstepping boundaries, was clear evidence that they truly respected their master.
He had initially thought that Xuan Pei’s appearance was by Jiang Ruan’s arrangement, but now, judging from Jiang Ruan’s confused expression, this did not seem to be the case. What was this Thirteenth Prince up to?
Xiao Shao paused in his observations. He did not know if he was being delusional, but he had always thought that Xuan Pei’s actions and bearing were similar to Jiang Ruan’s, almost exactly so.
The Emperor deliberated for a long time before slowly saying, “Eh, so what is your testimony?”
“When the incident happened that day, this subject was also at Mu Feng Pavilion and personally saw Princess He Yi being dragged to the chair by two palace maids. At first, this subject thought they were simply having fun, then this subject saw Hong’an Junzhu arrive and go up to them to make inquiries, at which point Princess He Yi collapsed. At that time, everything happened so abruptly that this subject was uneasy and perplexed, so I quietly stole away without anyone noticing. Subsequently, when this subject heard the news that Hong’an Junzhu had been imprisoned, this subject pondered over this and felt that something was not right. Thus, although this subject is fearful, I cannot stand by and allow Hong’an Junzhu to be slandered. This subject is weak and has only come forward now to testify and beg Imperial Father to exercise clear judgement!”
As soon as these words were uttered, everyone present took a deep breath. What did Thirteenth Prince mean by these words: he was present at the scene and could bear witness? Fourth Prince, Xuan Lang, had also said he had seen what had happened with his own eyes. With these words, Xuan Pei was unequivocally accusing Xuan Lang of lying!
Xuan Lang’s face changed drastically. Naturally, he knew this was a serious matter. Since Xuan Pei had said this, the water had turned incredibly muddy, but he had no recourse but to wade in it even if he did not want to. Moreover, no matter what happened, Xuan Lang had incurred the Emperor’s suspicion as a result of Xuan Pei’s statement.
Who was Xuan Pei? He was still a young boy, and no matter how calm and unfl.u.s.tered he showed himself to be, it was not possible to refute his age. People would think that children have no need to lie, but it was not the same for him.
Before Xuan Lang could attempt to exonerate himself, Imperial Consort Shu interjected impatiently, “Do you know what you are saying? Fourth Prince also saw everything with his own eyes; aren’t you wrongfully accusing Fourth Prince with your words?” Imperial Consort Shu’s heart was already full of hatred for Xuan Pei. How could this low-cla.s.s prince born of a palace maid actually collude with Jiang Ruan to absolve her? Since matters were like this, it was time to throw this Thirteenth Prince into the deep end and let him pay the price for what he had done!
Empress Dowager Yi De looked at Xuan Pei in puzzlement. When she had seen Xuan Pei at first, she had also felt somewhat astonished, and thought it was all Xiao Shao’s doing. She had even wondered when Xiao Shao had established a relationship with Xuan Pei. Then, when she observed Xuan Pei’s clear and distinct words, not at all like what was said of him in the palace, she felt a little comforted. She trusted Xiao Shao’s moral character, and since Xuan Pei was the one Xiao Shao had chosen, he would be all right. Moreover, among all these princes, one who had some ability and was not greedily ambitious was indeed rare.
Immediately, Empress Dowager Yi De shot Imperial Consort Shu a dispa.s.sionate glance while saying, “The facts have not yet been clearly determined, Imperial Consort Shu. Aijia thinks you are overstepping.”
Imperial Consort Shu did not dare to offend Empress Dowager Yi De, so she reluctantly shut her mouth, but she was quietly scheming how to lure Xuan Pei into the water.
The Emperor eyed Xuan Pei. Although he disliked how Xuan Pei was testifying on Jiang Ruan’s behalf, he still said, “Oh, you surely know that what you and Fourth Prince are saying are not quite the same.”
“To reply to Imperial Father, this subject does not know what Fourth Brother has said. However, this subject saw that Fourth Brother was also there when the palace maid supported Princess He Yi to Mu Feng Pavilion. This subject also heard what Fourth Brother said to Hong’an Junzhu.” Xuan Pei’s voice was clear and bright, a contrast to the more solemn tones of an adult male, and he possessed a cogent vitality that belonged to those who were young. Hearing his voice caused people to be at peace, and to feel that his words were trustworthy.
Xuan Lang clenched his fists tightly, only to hear the Emperor ask, “What did he say?”
Jiang Ruan glanced at Xuan Pei. Up to this point, she had also been rather uncertain as to whether Xuan Pei was actually there at Mu Feng Pavilion that day. In her opinion, Xuan Pei’s appearance today was too bizarre. Moreover, because of his unexpected appearance, there was no way to continue with what she had entrusted Hui Jue to do. Xuan Pei should not have been there that day. What caused her even more suspicion was how, in such a short period of time, Xuan Pei had become a completely different person. What on earth had happened?
“This subject heard Fourth Brother tell Hong’an Junzhu, when Fourth Brother raises the issue of marriage with Imperial Grandmother, Hong’an Junzhu should not decline, otherwise Hong’an Junzhu would not be able to escape a crime punishable by beheading,” said Xuan Pei loudly.
With these words, silence fell instantly upon Golden Throne Hall, a silence so absolute that one could hear a pin drop.
Xuan Lang’s complexion turned deadly pale and he immediately looked at Xuan Li’s expression.
Jiang Ruan was also stunned, following which, she could not stop the laughter which arose in her heart. From this, it was evident that Xuan Pei had never gone to Mu Feng Pavilion that day. However, one could not deny that Xuan Pei’s words had been brilliant; the moment they were voiced, not only had the Emperor’s expression changed slightly, even Xuan Li’s expression was no longer that natural.
Xuan Lang had initially committed murder and shifted the blame for Xuan Li’s sake; the ultimate objective was to have Jiang Ruan marry into Xuan Li’s fu. However, Xuan Pei’s words had revealed yet another meaning – Xuan Lang wanted to marry Jiang Ruan himself. On the surface, Xuan Li seemed generous and good-natured, but was in reality full of doubt and suspicion. It would be impossible for him not to suspect that Xuan Lang was merely paying him lip service by appearing to adhere to his purposes while in actual fact using another method. Although Xuan Lang was incompetent, he had Imperial Consort Xian’s support and protection. Now that Imperial Consort Chen had lost power, this was the best time for Xuan Lang to seize an opportunity to raise his own status. After all, if Jiang Ruan were married to Xuan Lang, the benefits she could have brought to Xuan Li could also be given to Xuan Lang.
It was not implausible that Xuan Lang had truly harboured other thoughts.
Xuan Lang’s eyes flickered slightly, but he was not as calm as before. He and Xuan Li had schemed and plotted for so many years, and so Xuan Lang would know exactly what Xuan Li was thinking. For a moment, he was furious at Xuan Pei’s plan to drive a wedge between them. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, there was no way for him to explain the situation to Xuan Li. With a heart full of anxiety, he strode to the centre of the hall and fell to his knees with a ‘pu dong’ before the Emperor.
“Enlightened Imperial Father, this subject has been wronged!” Xuan Lang said, his voice resonating with incomparable pain. Xuan Lang was accustomed to putting up a false front, but his face truly reflected, to some degree, how much he was at a loss as to what to do. He looked at Xuan Pei with anguished outrage and said, angrily, “Thirteenth Brother, you and I are brothers. Who has incited you to implicate me? You are still young, but you must not mindlessly do what others tell you.”
This barb was explicitly and implicitly aimed at Jiang Ruan, and he successfully made use of the Emperor’s misgivings about Jiang Ruan. Xuan Pei was still young, and it was extremely possible that he had been led astray by someone. One after another, the court officials present looked towards Jiang Ruan. Jiang Ruan’s expression registered no change, but she was inwardly somewhat anxious.
What on earth was Xuan Pei hoping to achieve? She did not want Xuan Pei to be involved in this matter, but his performance today had already attracted the attention of quite a few people within the imperial court, such as Xuan Li, who would definitely take notice of Xuan Pei’s unusual behaviour. Xuan Pei putting himself in the limelight like this was not necessarily a good thing. If he was not capable of self-preservation, then it was possible to foresee that, after today, Xuan Pei’s position in court would be better than before, but at the same time, trouble would also be nipping at his heels.
A mother naturally wants to protect her child. Jiang Ruan was unwilling to involve Xuan Pei, but no one imagined that the situation would develop to this point before her eyes. For a moment, she had no clue how to resolve this issue.
“Every word that this subject has said is true, and I hope Imperial Father will bring your astute judgement to bear on the matter.” Xuan Pei paid no heed to Xuan Lang’s words, and his tone was still as resolute as ever.
The Emperor stared at Xuan Pei with deep intent, and said, weightily, “The both of you are sticking to your own versions, and you both have your own opinions. Someone must be lying. Thirteenth Prince, even with your testimony, Hong’an Junzhu will not be able to walk away from this accusation.”
Even if Xuan Pei testified for Jiang Ruan, with both of them standing by their version of events, there was still no way to prove Jiang Ruan’s innocence. There was no way to bring the final curtain down on this show.
Who knew that Xuan Pei would shake his head and say, “ No, this subject is not the only witness. There is another person who can testify on Hong’an Junzhu’s behalf.”
The entire hall was in an uproar. Someone else?
“Eh? Who else is there?” The Emperor asked.
“There is still this subject.” In the midst of the silence, someone spoke up out of the blue. The Crown Prince smiled and stood up from among the officials.
The Empress and Empress Dowager Yi De both stared at him in unison, Xuan Li’s tightly clenched fists trembled minutely, and Xuan Lang looked at the Crown Prince incredulously.
The look the Crown Prince gave to Jiang Ruan was loaded with meaning. He then moved to stand next to Xuan Pei and lifted up a corner of his robe to kneel down; the three of them knelt side by side. The Crown Prince said to the Emperor, “To reply to Imperial Father, all that Thirteenth Brother has said is true, because this subject was also present at the scene.”
Jiang Ruan frowned. Xuan Pei had not been present at the scene that day and the Crown Prince’s words were total hogwash. She had asked Xiao Shao not to interfere in this situation, and the Crown Prince’s unexpected appearance was clearly not by Xiao Shao’s hand. Even if the General fu’s people had tried to devise a scheme to rescue her, they would not have involved the Crown Prince, so this could also not be due to them. Then, this situation was surely quite fishy. Jiang Ruan eyed Xuan Pei and was suddenly struck by a thought – could it be that this was all due to Xuan Pei?
Before the Emperor could speak, Imperial Consort Shu finally could not hold back any longer and burst out again, “Crown Prince, what are you saying? Have you also been bewitched by someone?”
The Empress looked at Imperial Consort Shu coldly as she said, “Imperial Consort Shu, mind your words.” Although the Empress was a mere figurehead within the inner palace, when the Emperor was present, she was still accorded some degree of respect. Ordinarily, she allowed everyone in the inner palace to do as they liked, but when it came to the Crown Prince, she could not help but take courage and act decisively. She did not care if Imperial Consort Shu wanted to slander or frame other people, but when it involved the Crown Prince, she could not just stand by idly and watch.
“Shut your mouth.”
The Emperor was also incensed by Imperial Consort Shu’s actions. Previously, he had sympathised with her because of her beloved daughter’s death, and thus been more tolerant towards her, but now she was becoming increasingly unreasonable. However, he still had some doubts about the way the Crown Prince had spoken up for Jiang Ruan out of the blue. This son had no brains but held a powerful position, and was always being led by the nose. This, together with his exaggerated sense of self-importance, meant that he often did foolish things. Thus it was even more unlikely that he would take the initiative to help someone. His manner today clearly showed that he was speaking on behalf of Jiang Ruan; could it be that Jiang Ruan had some connection with the Crown Prince? Xuan Pei had already puzzled him greatly, why did the Crown Prince have to stick his nose in as well?
Since he had never heard of any interaction between the Crown Prince and Jiang Ruan in the palace, the Emperor could not help but turn his gaze to Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao himself had spoken of wanting to marry Jiang Ruan, but when Jiang Ruan had been sent to the Ministry of Justice’s prison, he had not made any movement. At that time, the Emperor had thought this very peculiar. Could it be that he was just holding back to show this hand at this time? Immediately, the Emperor felt his chest tighten.
The Crown Prince had come forward to bear witness, which meant that there were two princes speaking on Jiang Ruan’s behalf. The situation had changed in an instant.
Xuan Lang felt a little anxious. What he had originally a.s.sumed to be a foolproof plan had been derailed by the unexpected appearance of the Crown Prince and Xuan Pei. Most importantly, from the time Xuan Pei had testified, Xuan Li had been looking at him with different eyes, and clearly had no intention to speak up for him. Once the seeds of doubt have been planted, they will break through the ground, sprout and grow, eventually growing into a malignant tumour that could not be defeated. Moreover, for such a naturally suspicious person, this would be even more the case.
He faced the Emperor and immediately kowtowed, banging his head repeatedly on the ground, ‘dong dong dong’, while saying, “Imperial Father, this subject has only spoken the truth, this subject does not dare to deceive Imperial Father. Imperial Father kindly pa.s.s judgement!”
The Crown Prince glanced indifferently at Xuan Lang before saying, “Fourth Brother, what are you saying? Can it be possible that this prince and Thirteenth Brother have colluded to frame you?”
Some of the court officials were looking at them in bewilderment. The Crown Prince and Xuan Lang were usually on good terms, how did it come to be that they were at loggerheads today? Still, Xuan Lang was fully aware that ever since Jiang Ruan quietly said something to the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince had deliberately kept him at arm’s length, and even demeaned him and caused trouble. Xuan Lang knew that this current situation must have something to do with Jiang Ruan, and because of this, Xuan Lang viewed Jiang Ruan with some trepidation. At present, the Crown Prince was putting pressure on him with no room to manoeuvre, Imperial Consort Xian was absent, and Xuan Li was not saying anything, so he could only grit his teeth and endure.
The Crown Prince stated to the Emperor, “That day, this subject encountered Thirteenth Brother while walking along and decided to visit Mu Feng Pavilion on a whim, then unexpectedly observed the scene which Thirteenth Brother described just now. At that time, this subject was also extremely frightened, but now, watching Thirteenth Brother having the guts to come forward and testify despite his young age, this subject realises that behaving like a tortoise with its head in its sh.e.l.l is not befitting of Imperial Father’s son. Thus, this subject has come forward to testify for Hong’an Junzhu.”
This stream of nonsense, in keeping with the image of a foppish dandy, rendered the officials present speechless, especially as they had previously experienced the Crown Prince’s way of doing things.
The Emperor held back his anger and was about to speak, when he heard the Crown Prince continue, “Because there are many doubtful points in this case, this subject has brought someone else to help. With this person’s aid, it should not be difficult to resolve this case satisfactorily.”
“Who?” The Emperor asked heavily.
“Guards,” the Crown Prince called out loudly, “escort Jinling Divine Physician Xia in.”
Following the eunuch’s announcement, a man strolled unhurriedly into the hall, dressed in long robes of fresh, cool blue. He looked to be in his early twenties, with an adorable youthful face, and carrying a satchel. Upon entering the hall, he knelt before the Emperor and said, “The commoner Xia Qing greets His Majesty.”
Jinling Divine Physician Xia Qing – everyone gasped. There had been an Imperial Physician Office in the palace for generations, but when it came to Xia Qing’s generation, Xia Qing was not content with the status quo. He looked down on the Imperial Physician Office’s old-fashioned medical treatments and his head was full of new and innovative ideas. However, the Imperial Physician Office generally treated n.o.bles, and if a patient they treated were to die, their heads would roll. How could they countenance Xia Qing’s newfangled methods, which no one had ever heard of?
Xia Qing realised that staying in the palace would be increasingly stifling, so he took leave of his family and travelled extensively on his own. Somehow, he eventually made his way to Mt. Jianan, where he came under the tutelage of Teacher Ba Qi and became his disciple. His medical expertise reached amazing heights, and he was given the t.i.tle, ‘Jinling Divine Physician’.
Now, Xia Qing was still young, but everyone in Great Jin knew his name. Despite this, when the Imperial Physician Office once again invited him to join them, Xia Qing had diplomatically declined, instead travelling extensively all over the land. This was the first time he had entered the palace after becoming famous.
No one could have imagined that the Crown Prince would invite Xia Qing there, and neither would anyone have imagined that Xia Qing would have anything to do with the Crown Prince. What was Xia Qing’s intention in coming today?
The Crown Prince smiled when he noticed everyone’s stupefied appearance. “Everyone, there’s no need to be suspicious. This prince regarded Princess He Yi’s death as being very odd, and feared that even the corpse could have some abnormality. As it so happens, Divine Physician Xia is an old friend of this prince’s, so this prince invited him to have a look at Princess He Yi’s corpse.” After a pause, he slowly continued, “If he had not taken a look, then we would be none the wiser. But after his examination, we uncovered something rather serious.”