In the tenth month, the capital had already entered winter. The palace servants had changed into their winter attire, and in the palaces of those concubines who feared the cold, charcoal braziers were already lit.
Yet, the atmosphere in the palace was even colder than the weather.
Just two days prior, the Pacification Commissioner dispatched to Xin County for disaster relief, Ding Jiwu, had returned to the capital to report on his duties. Immediately afterward, he impeached the former magistrate of Xin County, the current Assistant Prefect of Lizhou, Qi Ruhai, and the Commissioner of the Office of Transmission, Yuan Hao, for secretly colluding, engaging in corruption and perverting the law. They were accused of using substandard materials to build the Xin County embankment while embezzling project funds, with treacherous intent.
This matter caused a huge uproar. Everyone knew how severe the disaster in Xin County had been, with countless commoners losing their homes and families, displaced and destitute. Everyone had thought it was a natural disaster, but now it was discovered to be man-made?
The capital's populace was filled with righteous indignation, and the Emperor was also furious. He ordered a thorough investigation, commanding officials to go to Lizhou to escort Qi Ruhai to the capital. Yuan Hao, who had already been suspended from his post, was imprisoned in the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice to await a joint trial by the three judicial departments once Qi Ruhai arrived.
As soon as this happened, the Eldest Prince from the Palace of Heavenly Purity fell "ill." However, the Emperor, breaking from his usual behavior, did not go to visit. Concubine Shu, worried about her father, went to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to seek an audience but was reprimanded by the Emperor.
That was Concubine Shu! The most favored Concubine Shu was actually reprimanded by the Emperor. Everyone in the palace was on edge, fearful of inadvertently provoking the Emperor's displeasure and suffering misfortune.
In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Concubine Shu was uncharacteristically discomposed. Her beautiful eyes were filled with humiliation and anger, but a true beauty remains lovely even in anger, and Concubine Shu was such. Her slightly flushed face from anger only added to her delicate charm.
Unfortunately, this delicate beauty had a terrible temper. The decorative items in the hall had been smashed to pieces by her, leaving almost no place to stand.
Even so, Concubine Shu's anger was not quelled.
"When have I ever been treated like this? In front of so many people, the Emperor actually said I lacked propriety!" At that time, her face had turned pale then red with embarrassment. She insisted on seeing the Emperor, but he had Quan Fuhai escort her back to her palace. It was called an escort, but it was almost like being taken into custody.
"Those lowly creatures are surely laughing at me behind my back!" When had she ever suffered such indignity? In the past, she could come and go from the Palace of Heavenly Purity as she pleased, and the Emperor never stopped her.
Consort An stood in a corner, making sure there was nothing left in the room for Concubine Shu to smash before speaking. "Your Ladyship has vented your anger; now it's time to consider serious matters. Minister Yuan's affair is no trivial matter. Once proven, the consequences will be dire."
"I know how serious it is, but what can I do? We spread the news that the Eldest Prince was ill, and the Emperor didn't even glance his way. I personally sought an audience, and the Emperor refused to see me." It was precisely because she knew the gravity of the situation that she was so anxious and thus so furious.
A trace of worry flashed in Consort An's eyes. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "There is little we can do from within the rear palace; we must exert force through the front court. This concubine thinks Minister Yuan would not be without contingency plans. It's just that the Emperor is acting swiftly and decisively, so even if someone wanted to help, they wouldn't dare. Your Ladyship, perhaps you need to show a certain stance."
"Me, show a stance?" Concubine Shu thought for a moment. "You mean, the Eldest Prince?"
Consort An nodded.
Concubine Shu was not only a favored concubine but also the birth mother of the Eldest Prince. The weight of the latter identity was far greater than the former. Those court ministers might not necessarily be willing to help Concubine Shu's father, but they might be willing to offer timely aid to the maternal grandfather of the Eldest Prince.
Concubine Shu paced. "You're right..."
Just then, Ming Cui entered. "Your Ladyship, a verbal message has come from the family residence, asking you to use your status as the Eldest Prince's mother to persuade some court officials..."
The Yuan family's thoughts aligned with Consort An's.
Concubine Shu composed herself. "Bring me paper and brush."
As soon as Concubine Shu made her move, the Empress immediately received the news—the spies planted earlier in the Palace of Heavenly Purity had served their purpose.
"Fei Ming?" the Empress inquired. Fei Ming, the Left Vice Minister of Justice, was the chief official handling the case of Yuan Hao and Qi Ruhai, and Concubine Shu had secretly sent him a letter.
"Trying to bribe court officials using the Eldest Prince's name, hmph." The Empress gave a cold laugh. "Secretly spread the news that the child I carry is a prince."
The child in her womb was already five months along. The Chief Physician Xia had personally taken her pulse and confirmed she was carrying a prince.
With the imminent birth of the legitimate son of the central palace, the Eldest Prince's significance would lessen considerably, and the minds of the court officials were bound to tilt once again.
Mei Yi hesitated slightly. "Revealing the news this early, wouldn't it..." She worried someone might plot against the Empress.
The Empress: "They wouldn't dare." She was confident in her control over the rear palace. Aside from Concubine Shu, no one would dare to easily meddle within the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. And Concubine Shu was currently too preoccupied with her own troubles.
"If we can completely destroy the foundation of the Yuan family and Concubine Shu in one move this time, then revealing it a bit earlier is of no consequence."
That was true. Mei Yi also understood the reasoning. Once the Yuan family fell and Concubine Shu's deeds were exposed, the Emperor would surely detest Concubine Shu, and the Eldest Prince's status would also be threatened. The benefits of success this time were too great.
The Empress rubbed her lower back. "The only trouble is, this case involves a joint trial by the three judicial departments: the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate. Even I cannot guarantee where the loyalties of these people truly lie." At this stage, the matters involved became more complex. Mutual protection among officials in the court was the norm, and Yuan Hao, having been an official for many years, might not be without those who would strive to protect him.
"Once Qi Ruhai enters the capital, we must have someone keep a close watch on him. Before the trial results are out, nothing must happen to him."
This was out of fear that Yuan Hao would push Qi Ruhai out as the scapegoat and then forge a suicide to cover his guilt.
"This matter cannot be entrusted to the Jiang family; find someone else to handle it," the Empress said, lacking confidence in the Jiang family's capabilities.
Mei Yi: "Yes."
Soon, Qi Ruhai entered the capital and was immediately imprisoned in the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice. Various factions vied for influence, and the joint trial by the three departments seemed to yield a different outcome each day. By the winter month, a verdict still could not be reached.
At this time, the situation in Xin County had stabilized. The Deputy Pacification Commissioner, Qi Caishang, escorted the magistrate of Xin County back to the capital. In the court assembly, the Xin County magistrate wept bitterly, proclaiming his innocence. He stated that he had personally witnessed correspondence between Qi Ruhai and Yuan Hao and had secretly kept a copy of an account book. That account book detailed the "annual gifts" Qi Ruhai gave to Yuan Hao.
Yuan Hao's faction angrily accused the Xin County magistrate of framing them. Unexpectedly, the magistrate directly crashed his head against a pillar to prove the truthfulness of his testimony.
The Xin County magistrate used his life to prove his words, leaving Yuan Hao's faction speechless.
At this moment, the Eldest Princess's Consort petitioned, testifying that Yuan Hao had secretly colluded with court officials, accepting countless bribes. The Yuan residence was filled with gold, silver, and treasures, making him nothing less than a corrupt official of the Zhao nation!
The Eldest Princess's Consort was related to Yuan Hao by marriage, making this testimony particularly powerful.
The Emperor immediately ordered a search of the Yuan family residence.
In the palace, Concubine Shu heard of the events in the court and was furious beyond measure.
"Go! Bring Zhaorong to me at once!"
The betrayal by the Eldest Princess's household was something the Yuan family had never anticipated, and the Consort's testimony was exceptionally damaging.
Concubine Shu thus vented her anger on Zhaorong.
A winter rain had fallen just yesterday, leaving the palace bricks damp and cold. Zhaorong knelt on the blue bricks of the courtyard of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, her expression strained. Concubine Shu had specifically ordered Ming Cui to watch her, forbidding her from rising.
An intense chill and pain drilled from her knees into her body. Zhaorong gritted her teeth.
She knew why Concubine Shu was treating her this way. She had heard about the affairs in the imperial court. Even yesterday, she had received news from home, knowing her father would move against the Yuan family.
It wasn't betrayal; it was seizing the opportunity.
The Grand Princess's estate naturally had its own channels of information and had learned about the Magistrate of Xin County arriving in the capital ahead of others. However, they couldn't be sure what the magistrate would do, so they decided to wait and see. Once they detected the situation turning unfavorable, they would immediately impeach Yuan Hao. Being in-laws of the Yuan family made their testimony particularly potent, and precisely because they were Yuan family in-laws who came forward voluntarily, the Emperor would not vent his anger on them.
Concubine Shu wished she could skin Zhaorong alive.
"Do you think your family will get off scot-free? Even if His Majesty doesn't vent his anger, what about Zhaoyun? She is a wife of the Yuan family!"
Unexpectedly, Zhaorong remained utterly calm, even smiling at her. "My mother should be at Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's palace at this moment. Perhaps, the decree ordering my sister's divorce from Yuan Zishi is already on its way."
"Yuan Zishi favored a concubine over his lawful wife, placing my sister in an awkward position for the sake of a prostitute. Such a husband is beneath the Grand Princess's estate!"
Furious, Concubine Shu raised her hand and slapped Zhaorong. "Would your Wei family have dared to do this before?" Have you forgotten how humble and subservient you were when begging to marry your daughter into our family?
Zhaorong endured the blow. "Times have changed, Concubine Shu. You should be thinking about what your Yuan family is going to do now."
At the Palace of Earthly Blessings, Consort An finished braiding the Second Princess's hair and let her go. "Go play by yourself."
The Second Princess nuzzled Consort An's cheek before running off.
Puying lowered her voice. "Mistress, this morning's court session..." She relayed the news she had heard to Consort An.
Almost without thinking, Consort An said, "Find a reliable person to leak the matters concerning the Lin and Wang families, ensuring the Empress's people find out."
Puying's eyes widened. "Mistress?"
Back when the imperial consort selection was about to begin, Miss Wang, daughter of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Miss Lin, daughter of the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, were strong candidates. To prevent either from being selected, they had intervened. Later, following Consort An's instructions, they pinned everything on the Yuan family. If anyone investigated, they would only trace it back to the Yuans.
Now, Consort An meant to expose this?
"But... what about Concubine Shu..."
"If the Yuan family is finished, how much better off can Concubine Shu be?" Consort An thought for a moment and guessed that the Empress must have had a hand in Yuan Hao's case. The Empress would certainly not miss this chance to deal with Concubine Shu. If Concubine Shu fell, it might implicate her as well.
Pinning everything on the Yuan family back then was precisely to avoid being implicated. If Concubine Shu's downfall was inevitable, better to let her fall completely. To protect herself, she wouldn't mind giving her a push.
"Right," Consort An remembered something else. "Is there anything left linking us to Concubine Cao?"
Puying, still reeling from the shock, answered instinctively, "No. At the time, those matters were handled by people sent by Concubine Shu. No one would connect them to us."
Consort An: "That's good." Her stiff face couldn't form any expression, but a flicker of regret passed through her eyes.
Though Concubine Shu had a terrible temper, she had indeed provided her with much protection.
But nothing was more important than her own life and the life of the Second Princess.
At the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the Empress had once again invited Qi Daiyu over for conversation.
They even played a game of Gomoku.
The Empress couldn't easily hold the Eldest Princess, so the little girl nestled in Qi Daiyu's arms, occasionally placing a piece for her. Even if it was a wrong move, Qi Daiyu didn't correct her, as it was all just for fun.
The Empress watched with a smile. They were all waiting, waiting for the results of the search of the Yuan family.
Lanyi quietly entered, leaning close to the Empress's ear to whisper, "Your Majesty, Luhui requests an audience."
The Empress raised an eyebrow. "Luhui? She's finally come."
She must have also learned about the Yuan family's situation and deemed the timing ripe before seeking an audience.
The Empress looked at Qi Daiyu. "Noble Consort Hui, the time has come."
It seemed her years-long struggle with Concubine Shu was about to reach its conclusion.
