Qi Junyan and Qi Junyou did not linger either. They had narrowly escaped with their lives, having not been purged by the Emperor, and neither wanted to spend a moment longer in this perilous palace than necessary.
Qi Junzhuo was the last to leave. He looked at Ruan Jiqing and asked, "Eunuch Ruan, is His Majesty all right?"
Seeing it was him, Ruan Jiqing offered a kind smile. "Do not fret, Prince Jin. His Majesty is fine. Return to your residence for now—everything will become clear tomorrow."
Qi Junzhuo was still a little unsettled, but he knew Qi Junmu well. Since he had chosen to deliver the message through Ruan Jiqing, it meant everything was still within his control. With that thought, he felt much more at ease.
Just as he was about to leave, Ruan Jiqing added, "Prince Jin, His Majesty has sent a surprise to your residence. This servant offers his congratulations in advance."
Qi Junzhuo was a little taken aback, unsure what the surprise could be, but he still thanked Ruan Jiqing with great sincerity.
Ruan Jiqing's congratulations were about more than just the Emperor's gift—they were a quiet assurance that His Majesty had never doubted him. And in Qi Junzhuo's eyes, there was nothing in this world more precious than the Emperor's trust.
After Qi Junzhuo departed, Ruan Jiqing let out a sigh.
The affairs of the rear palace were in utter disarray—just thinking about it gave him a splitting headache. Fortunately, the Emperor did not have to shoulder all of it alone.
The banquet had come abruptly, and everyone left in confusion.
No one could have foreseen that the very next morning, the tides of the court would shift entirely.
On the second day, the Emperor did not hold court—but by then, news of what had happened in the palace had spread to everyone.
First, the Left Chancellor's eldest son was suddenly struck by a severe illness in the palace and passed away that very night. Second, Empress Wen Wan was cast into the cold palace on charges of conspiring against the Emperor. Third, Lin Xiao submitted a memorial admitting his crimes and then took his own life at home; all families connected to the Lin family by marriage were thrown into the imperial prison. Wen Zhuo was imprisoned and executed for embezzling military funds, while Wen Yao and others were also locked away in the imperial prison.
Finally, Prince Ying was sentenced to death, and Qi Fan was placed under house arrest, forbidden from ever setting foot beyond his confinement for the rest of his days.
A flurry of edicts came down one after another, and the officials were completely stunned by the sheer force of it all.
Prince Ying's fate they could have anticipated—after all, the man had coveted the throne, and it was only fitting that the Emperor would order his death.
But what crimes had the Lin and Wen families committed? How had they fallen to the point of having their entire households seized?
After the initial shock and panic came bewilderment.
Was there some connection between Lin En's death and Wen Wan's demotion? Why else would Lin Xiao have submitted a confession of guilt? What crime had he committed? And why had he not spelled it out clearly?
The more one pondered these questions, the more unsettling they became. Even the boldest imperial censor did not dare to submit a memorial asking for clarification.
---
Qi Junmu did not hold court that day, but he had risen early.
He stood atop the highest pavilion in the palace, gazing far into the distance in every direction.
The clouds on the horizon were dark, and the wind carried a bitter chill. Qi Junmu drew his white cloak tighter around himself. Gazing into the distance, human figures seemed impossibly small, and the road leading out of the capital looked especially desolate.
After some time, Qi Junmu heard footsteps approaching.
He stood there quietly, waiting until the person drew near.
Shen Nian climbed the stairs and looked at the Emperor's pale profile, his heart aching with concern.
Qi Junmu turned to him and asked, "I never told you any of what happened last night. Are you angry with me?"
Shen Nian shook his head. The Emperor's analysis of the situation had been clear and logical—but as the Empress Dowager had questioned at the end, where was the proof? The Emperor had no solid evidence that Lin Xiao had been backing Lin En's bid for power.
This matter must have weighed heavily on the Emperor's heart, pressing down on him all the while. How could Shen Nian possibly be angry? Even the closest of confidants kept certain thoughts to themselves—he himself was no exception.
"I killed Lin En," Qi Junmu said. "Do you think I am—"
"No," Shen Nian interrupted before he could finish.
When the Emperor had given the Empress Dowager a choice—either renounce her title and leave with Lin En as an ordinary mother and son, or let Lin En drink the poisoned wine—she had refused to choose. She wanted both power and her son. In the end, Lin En had stepped forward and drained the cup himself.
The Empress Dowager had watched Lin En fall and hurled curses at Qi Junmu, while the Emperor stood coldly watching. Though a deep weariness had settled over him, this time he had shown no mercy to anyone.
Hatred, rage—everyone had to pay for what they had done.
Qi Junmu looked at Shen Nian, then smiled. "Shen Nian," he said, "you are all I have left now."
Shen Nian stepped closer. He wanted to embrace the Emperor—but below the pavilion, there were too many eyes. Yet where no one could see, he could hold the Emperor's hand. Softly, he said, "Your Majesty, I will always be here."
Qi Junmu gave a quiet acknowledgment. "To be honest," he said, "I am not the least bit sad about how things turned out. At first, I couldn't understand why they did what they did, but now, it no longer matters."
Hearing the loneliness in Qi Junmu's voice, Shen Nian squeezed his hand firmly.
Qi Junmu held his hand in return. The two of them stood atop the pavilion, gazing into the distance—vast sky, vast earth, and in the midst of it all, two people able to lean on each other and share warmth. Surely there was no greater blessing in this world.
A cold wind rose again. Shen Nian glanced up at the sky and said, "Your Majesty, it is snowing. It is too cold up here—let us go down."
Qi Junmu looked up and saw fine grains of snow beginning to fall. He nodded.
---
When they returned to Qianhua Hall, Qi Junzhuo was waiting inside.
Shen Nian knew that the two brothers had matters to discuss, and there was still a mess inside and outside the palace that needed tending to, so he took his leave.
After Shen Nian left, Qi Junmu looked at Qi Junzhuo, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Why have you not risen?"
Qi Junzhuo looked up at him, then lowered his gaze. "Your Majesty," he said, "this subject—"
"Has she been delivered?" Qi Junmu asked calmly.
The "she" he referred to was the surprise Ruan Jiqing had mentioned the night before—the female assassin.
He had sent her to Qi Junzhuo's mansion for two reasons: first, because the assassin had shown a measure of self-awareness, and second, because he wanted to hear Qi Junzhuo's explanation.
He trusted that Qi Junzhuo would never harm him—but an explanation was still owed.
Qi Junzhuo understood that perfectly well, which was why he had come to the palace first thing in the morning.
Knowing the Emperor was not there, he had waited quietly.
Qi Junzhou pressed his lips together, organizing his thoughts, and then said, "A Nian—"
"Change her name," Qi Junmu cut in immediately. "I do not like hearing it."
Qi Junzhuo was startled, then realized that the Emperor truly disliked anyone sharing that name. It turned out that his earlier remark about it clashing with Marquis Zhenbei's name had not been a jest.
Keeping those thoughts to himself, he smoothly corrected himself: "She is from Yunhai, and a close relative of my mother. In Qingzhou, she came to assassinate me. At the time, my old illness flared up—she did not strike, and instead saved my life. Afterwards, I let her go."
"I never expected her to save me... She said she did not truly wish to kill anyone, but had certain reasons for not wanting to reveal her secrets. When I released her, she told me she would not harm Your Majesty." Qi Junzhuo trailed off, unsure what more to say, and pressed on awkwardly, "The assassination attempts on Qi Fan and Wen Yao were also her own doing. She wanted to leave her old life behind and settle matters quickly. I promised her I would not speak of it, which is why I never told Your Majesty."
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