Qi Junmu had set Qingzhou's affairs aside for the time being—he decided to wait until the captured assassin was brought back to the capital, or at least until Qi Junzhuo returned, before dealing with it further.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the spring-palace (erotic) paintings that had appeared in the rear palace had reached a conclusion, and the Empress Dowager summoned him to Renshou Palace.
When Qi Junmu arrived, the Empress Dowager's expression was grim. Wen Wan stood beside her, head bowed and eyes lowered, her demeanor mild and composed. Qi Junmu paid his respects, then asked what had happened.
The Empress Dowager said grimly: "We've found out. It was the work of Prince Su's remaining followers. I've already had all those Prince Su remnants beaten to death."
She said this as casually as if she were discussing the weather. Wen Wan, standing behind her, seemed to recall the scene and shuddered involuntarily.
"Prince Su" referred specifically to the late Emperor Jing's elder brother, Qi Yun. Back in the day, Qi Yun had been well-positioned to become emperor. The Empress had no sons of her own, so she adopted him as her eldest son—making him both the eldest and the legitimate heir—and naturally, he gathered many followers.
The late Emperor Jing, Qi Ying, had always appeared unremarkable—neither striving nor contending, blending in among his many brothers. The Shen family had supported Prince Su, Qi Yun, at the time.
There was no deep enmity between the late Emperor Jing's mother and Prince Su's mother, nor any great rift between the brothers themselves. The late Emperor Jing neither followed Prince Su nor opposed him.
When the late Emperor Jing was young, he showed no ambition for the throne whatsoever, which put both the old emperor and his brothers at ease. He was neither the eldest nor the legitimate son, and since he didn't want it, no one was going to drag him into the fight.
Shen Yi was made the late Emperor Jing's study companion—reportedly at Prince Su's suggestion, to have Shen Yi keep an eye on him. Old Master Shen agreed and sent his son into the palace.
But the scheme was exposed. The late Emperor Jing fell out with Shen Yi, and it was then that he said: In this world, no one can be trusted. From that point on, he began building his own power base.
About three years later, the old emperor suddenly died. The late Emperor Jing took the throne, executed Prince Su, the brothers who had supported Prince Su, and any other brothers who had designs on the throne—sparing only the timid, cowardly, and foolish Qi Liang, whom he enfeoffed as Prince Ying as a token figurehead.
What exactly happened in the palace that day, no one knew. All anyone knew was that the man who walked out was covered in blood. For this reason, some unofficial histories call the late Emperor Jing a patricide and fratricide—a tyrant.
After Prince Su's death, all his descendants were executed. His consort set fire to the Prince Su Mansion and perished in the flames, leaving a mountain of bones. Prince Su had been widely beloved and surrounded by talented men and strategists, so the late Emperor Jing could never exterminate them all. Many still wished to avenge Prince Su by killing the late Emperor Jing.
Back when Qi Junmu was still a prince, an attempt on his life had come from these very Prince Su remnants. Had it not been for Qi Junzhuo, Qi Junmu might very well have died. For this reason, the Empress Dowager had no tolerance whatsoever for Prince Su's followers.
So when she caught these people this time, she had them questioned and then summarily executed.
The Su remnants were a persistent bunch—they popped up every two or three years, each time stirring up trouble to plague the late Emperor Jing's descendants.
Whether they were truly Prince Su's followers, or whether someone was merely using Prince Su's name to cause chaos, Qi Junmu couldn't say.
Now that the Empress Dowager had already had them killed, the trail was completely cold. Whatever he might suspect, it was useless now.
Still, Qi Junmu knew in his heart: this wasn't over.
"Your Majesty, what are you thinking?"
Seeing Qi Junmu deep in thought, the Empress Dowager couldn't help but ask.
Qi Junmu looked up and gave a faint smile. "Nothing, Imperial Mother. Now that you have confirmed it was Prince Su remnants and the culprits are dead, let the matter rest here."
The Empress Dowager found his tone deeply displeasing. She felt he was insinuating something, that he disapproved of her actions. "Is Your Majesty suggesting otherwise?" she asked.
Qi Junmu shook his head. "Not at all."
The Empress Dowager was speechless, her expression cooling.
Seeing that she was displeased, Qi Junmu had no desire to linger and be scolded. He rose, saying he had official business to attend to, and took his leave.
After the emperor had gone, the Empress Dowager's expression turned rigid with fury. She murmured: "Now that he's emperor, his wings have grown stiff. He no longer holds his mother in any regard."
She spoke very softly, but Wen Wan, standing right before her, heard every word.
Wen Wan truly did not wish to meddle in matters between the emperor and the Empress Dowager—they were mother and son, after all.
But seeing the Empress Dowager's face, she hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and personally offered her a cup of tea, saying softly: "Imperial Mother, His Majesty holds you in the highest respect in his heart. His filial piety is known throughout the realm."
"Filial piety?" The Empress Dowager did not take the tea. She gave a cold laugh. "I certainly don't see it."
Wen Wan said no more. She stood there respectfully, tea in hand, knowing better than to overstep. She had already spoken in the emperor's defense; if the Empress Dowager refused to hear it, that was not her fault. Even if word of this got out, no one could blame her.
The Empress Dowager was still fuming at Qi Junmu when a sudden thought struck her. She looked up at Wen Wan, a flicker of suspicion in her eyes. She knew her son well—ordinarily, he kept Wen Wan close to his heart and could not bear to see her suffer the slightest grievance in this palace. Yet today, he hadn't even glanced at her.
Recalling Qi Junmu's recent coldness toward Wen Wan, she frowned and asked: "What is going on between you and His Majesty? Are you still at odds?"
At these words, Wen Wan's hand trembled slightly, and tea sloshed over the rim onto her fair skin. She drew in a sharp breath, then quickly regained her composure and said: "Imperial Mother, I fear I have angered His Majesty somehow. But I am too dense to understand what exactly he is upset about."
The Empress Dowager was well aware of the business with the Wen family. Hearing Wen Wan take all the blame upon herself, she did not scold her, only said: "The emperor has always been stubborn. Do not overthink it. Your duty is to manage the rear palace well—that is what matters."
Wen Wan acknowledged this with a gentle, obedient reply.
No comments:
Post a Comment