Jinyi Spring

The eunuch then presented the clothes and jade pendant back to the emperor's desk.

Emperor Jianzhang picked up the garment and examined it closely. Sure enough, there was a small opening on the lower right side of the lapel, just big enough to accommodate the jade pendant.

He remained silent for a long time, then looked up at his eldest son kneeling on the ground, whose face was full of sorrow.

Cixi collapsed to the ground, trembling even more violently, her face as white as a sheet. No wonder the jade pendant looked familiar; it turned out to be an old possession of her master from his youth.

She subconsciously looked up at Xue Jicheng, but he didn't even glance at her.

She knew she was finished... she was doomed... how could this be? It didn't match what that person had told her at all.

Cixi'an's eyelids rolled back, and she fainted.

Suddenly, a mournful roar echoed throughout the imperial study—

Xiao Henian knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face, and cried out hoarsely, "He who has no conscience! He who has no conscience! My sister has just died tragically, her body is not even cold, and yet someone has smeared her reputation like this!"

Only then did Qin Wang seem to realize what was happening. He prostrated himself on the ground and wept bitterly. His forehead pressed against the cold gold brick, hitting the ground again and again, "thump, thump, thump," the dull sound seeming to strike the hearts of everyone present.

"Mother! Mother! It is your son who has harmed you! Your son only wanted to comfort you with two old items, to let you know that your son cares about you... I never thought that they would be used by evil people to tarnish your reputation!"
"You are weeping while holding these clothes, weeping because your son cannot be reunited with you, and has been so unjustly accused..."

He truly felt that he had harmed his mother: not because of those two things, but because of his status as the eldest son of the emperor. He had caused his mother sixteen years of unbearable suffering and nearly caused his sister to never see the light of day again.

He cried so hard his voice was hoarse, and then he banged his head down again.

“Mother, what kind of life have you lived these past sixteen years? Keeping watch over the dim lamp, striking the wooden fish, all alone in that nunnery, not even able to see your own son more than once… You endured sixteen years, your hair turned white, your tears dried up, and you finally waited for your son to leave the palace and establish his own residence, only to be forced to flee for your life in the middle of the night, and in the end… in the end…”

His voice was drowned out by his sobs, and his whole body trembled like a withered leaf in the wind.

After a long silence, he spoke again, “Mother! You were devoured by wolves, without even a complete body! Your son wanted to collect your body, but I couldn’t… Your son is unfilial!”

He lay on the ground, sobs gushing from the depths of his throat like a wounded beast.

"You died unjustly! You died unjustly!"

Those mournful cries echoed in the imperial study, making everyone's heart ache.

Xiao Henian knelt to the side, tears streaming down his face, pounding his chest and stamping his feet, "My poor sister... you were slandered while you were alive, and they won't even let you off the hook after you're dead..."

Ming Shanyue remained expressionless, but inwardly she marveled at how well Prince Qin and Lord Xiao could put on an act.

Upon seeing his father, he clasped his hands and said, "I beg Your Majesty to make a just and impartial decision, to clear my brother's name, and to vindicate the deceased!"

He quickly added, "Your Majesty, I beg you to clear my uncle's name and vindicate the deceased!"

Chief Minister Zhang and several other senior officials bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please clear the name of the deceased!"

Emperor Jianzhang sat behind his dragon desk, gazing at the people in the room, at his eldest son's trembling shoulders, and at the two objects lying quietly on the desk—his lips pressed tightly together, remaining silent for a long time.

Commander Xie wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, please allow me to take this nun back to the imperial prison for a thorough interrogation."

After a long silence, Emperor Jianzhang nodded. "We must find out why Xiao fled the nunnery in the middle of the night and who instructed this nun."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Commander Xie and Xue Jicheng. "Xie Ming and Xue Jicheng, for failing to protect Qingxin Fagu, you are hereby fined one year's salary. You are hereby ordered to handle this case properly and atone for your crimes."

Commander Xie, Xue, and Cheng kowtowed in unison, saying, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Emperor Jianzhang then said to the eunuch beside him, "These belongings of Lady Xiao are temporarily placed in a safe place. They will be dealt with after the case is closed." Ming Shanyue stepped forward and reported, "Your Majesty, this case is no small matter and involves many people. In order to seek fairness, I dare to request that the Flying Eagle Guard, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review jointly try this case. Only in this way can we distinguish right from wrong and ensure that the guilty are not wronged and the guilty are not let off."

The Duke of Ming also clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Please make your decision, Your Majesty."

The Emperor nodded. "Granted."

Everyone withdrew.

Four eunuchs supported the nearly exhausted Prince Qin and Xiao Henian, while two Flying Eagle Guards carried the still unconscious Empress Dowager Ci'an out.

As night deepened, lanterns swayed in the wind along the palace path, casting long and short shadows.

Ming Shanyue walked side by side with Commander Xie.

After taking a few steps, Mingshan suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Lord Xie, if Ci'an is silenced, you won't be able to explain yourself."

Commander Xie's expression hardened, he paused, his gaze quickly sweeping across the surroundings in the night before he quickened his pace and walked away.

Ming Shanyue watched his retreating figure, a slight smile playing on her lips.

In fact, he, like the Xue family, couldn't wait for Cixi to shut up.

The Xue family did not want Ci'an to reveal who had instructed her to do what she did.

Ming Shanyue, however, did not want her explanation for supporting the king to be exposed.

Once Empress Dowager Ci'an dies, everything will be buried with her, and no one will investigate anymore. Those two things belong to the loyalist king.

However, he still said that sentence.

Because he knew that the Xue family was even more anxious than he was, and even less willing to let Cixi live another quarter of an hour.

As for how long Cixi will live, whether she lives a long or short life, it all depends on Xue Jicheng's abilities.

He was gambling—gambling that Xue Jicheng would kill Cixi before she could say the most crucial words.

With Empress Dowager Cixi dead, the astute Commander Xie naturally knew who was behind it.

Ming Shanyue served as the Northern Garrison Commander for only a year and a half, while Xue Jicheng had concurrently held the position for over nine years. Xue Jicheng's influence in that imperial prison has not yet been completely eradicated.

A moment later, only Emperor Jianzhang remained in the Imperial Study, sitting blankly on the dragon throne, with Eunuch He standing to one side, his head buried in his chest.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Emperor Jianzhang looked at the items on the dragon table again—two broken bones, a monk's hat covered in mud, an inner robe, and a jade pendant.

My gaze darted back and forth, but a sense of bewilderment gradually crept into my mind.

Those two old items, along with Empress Dowager Cixi's words and the Xue brothers' coordinated pronouncements before the emperor, all pointed to a possible affair between Lady Xiao and Ming Changqing.

If that garment didn't have that inconspicuous little hole, if that jade pendant wasn't an old gift from Lady Xiao—would Qin Wang be unable to explain himself even if he had a thousand mouths?

And would I, like I did nineteen years ago, immediately assume that Xiao Shi and Ming Changqing were having an affair?
Emperor Jianzhang closed his eyes, his fingers gripping the armrests of the dragon throne tightly, his knuckles turning white, his chest feeling as if a stone was pressing down on it.

Could it be... that old incident was also a deliberate frame-up? Was it to make him despise the Xiao family, clearing obstacles for the future grandson of the Xue family to become the Crown Prince? (End of Chapter)