Proud Feather

Chapter 114 Collapse
"Father..."

Chu Ling's heart skipped a beat, and Gao Mian's words came to mind.

"I sense a resistance, as if it wants things to stop here."

A chill crept up my back, and my father's familiar, loving face seemed to be shrouded in shadow, merging with the dream from that day.

By the time Chu Ling came to her senses, the emperor had dismissed everyone else, leaving only her and her father in the hall.

"Ah Ling, I heard you haven't been sleeping well lately, getting up early and coming home late every day, with the lights on until midnight. This can't be good for a child; it will ruin your health and cause you trouble later. Listen to your father, put all these things aside and get some rest. Look how thin you've become! I'll have Consort Xian help you get some nourishment later."

The emperor's words were full of heartache and concern for his daughter.

But Chu Ling couldn't agree. She knew her father didn't want to talk about it, but she couldn't let it go at this moment: "Father, we really can't close this case. Fang Wu is a minor official with a bright future following my elder brother. How could he easily poison someone? And Minister Lin, even if he accepted bribes, Father, you would still give him some face for the sake of Grand Tutor Lin. But poisoning the Crown Prince would be a dead end. The clue of Wenxianju at Dahuai Temple must be completely eradicated to find out the reason and not let any bad person get away."

When her concern went unanswered, the emperor's affection gradually faded, and he stared at her intently.

He didn't respond to his daughter's question, but instead asked, "Ah Ling, when did you become so knowledgeable about politics? You speak so eloquently about it."

Chu Ling's heart trembled: "Father..."

The Emperor continued, "I sent you to oversee this matter, firstly to put your mind at ease, and secondly to put the Crown Princess's mind at ease. Now that the murderer has been identified, you should also settle down and focus on your work."

Chu Ling's lips trembled: "Father, but what I said makes sense. Only when the case is clear and understood can my elder brother's name be cleared."

"You mean, Father doesn't want your elder brother to be exonerated?" the emperor questioned.

"of course not……"

"Then what are you worried about? If there's a problem, won't Father investigate?" The Emperor's expression softened, and he spoke earnestly, "A-Ling, what you find absurd at first glance is actually quite absurd in history books. There have been cases of palace servants conspiring to murder the Emperor, and it's not surprising that a close attendant poisoned the Crown Prince. As for the doubts you've raised, I will have the Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate follow up on them, and we will definitely find out the truth."

Chu Ling was not comforted at all. What kind of reputation did the emperor have for being murdered by palace servants? How could her wise and upright elder brother be compared to that tyrant? Her father had not thought things through and actually said such a thing.

"Can we leave the case open until they finish their investigation?" she asked hopefully.

"No. Closing the case is one thing, investigating is another," the emperor said firmly. "The rumors outside are so nasty. If we don't address this now, even if the truth is revealed later, it will be difficult to change the people's minds. Some might even write it down in their notebooks, and a hundred years from now, your elder brother will leave a stain on history."

The Emperor sighed: "Besides, the Crown Prince has been murdered, and delaying the disclosure of the truth will damage the imperial prestige. I am your father, and also the Emperor of this country. Seeing the people's hearts in turmoil and rumors spreading, how can I only think of myself?"

In the end, we still need to close the case.

Chu Ling asked, "You mean, we should close the case now and let them investigate privately?"

The Emperor nodded: "It is a fact that Fang Wu poisoned the body. You found it yourself, so there is no doubt about it. What is lacking now are some details. Even if some accomplices are let go, it is not too late to deal with them later."

"What if the real culprit is let go?" Chu Ling blurted out.

The emperor frowned: "A-Ling..." Chu Ling felt increasingly cold inside, and said to him, "Father, do you really think it was an official's insubordination? My elder brother is the Crown Prince! The heir apparent! Don't you know who benefits most from his death?"

This sentence is like a needle, puncturing the bright and shiny bubble on the surface.

The emperor's face suddenly darkened, and he said coldly, "What exactly are you trying to say? Who do you believe is the real culprit?"

"..." Chu Ling said, "I don't think anyone is the culprit. In short, we can't make a determination until Fang Wu's case is investigated. You said we can investigate privately, but the case is closed. Wouldn't it damage the reputation of the government to reveal the real culprit later? At that time, in order to maintain the dignity of the imperial family and the law of the court, will we handle it discreetly again? Can my brother really get his name cleared?"

Faced with his daughter's questioning, the emperor remained calm.

He looked at his daughter: "A-Ling, your father has always thought of you as a kind-hearted child. Although you are sometimes mischievous and willful, you are filial to your father, respect your elder brother, and never look down on others because of worldly prejudices. Your father knows that your elder brother's death has been a great blow to you, but how can you take your anger out on others without any evidence? Do you know how serious this crime is for a prince?"

Chu Ling was stunned. Her heart sank, as if she had returned to her past life, to the time when she knelt before her father, the emperor, begging him to thoroughly investigate the cause of her brother's death.

She was too young and naive then. Later, when her father passed away, she was filled with remorse, believing that she had been too immature and that her father's reaction was justified without any evidence.

So in this life, she went to great lengths to find clues, hoping to expose her second brother's pretense in front of her father with reason and evidence.

Even now, although she hasn't fully revealed the truth, Fang Wu's clue is enough to make people want to get to the bottom of things.

But the Emperor still denied it, and what he said was no different from what he had said in his previous life.

This left her almost completely drained of her strength. All her hard work over the past month seemed like a joke.

It seems she was wrong.

"Father..."

Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, the emperor did not show the same tenderness as before, but simply said, "I thought that letting you investigate personally would put your mind at ease, but I did not expect that you would be corrupted by those ministers. Politics is corrupt, and you are caught up in it, so it is inevitable that you will be influenced by them and lose your purity. This is my mistake, but fortunately, it is not too late now."

The emperor turned around, sat back on his dragon throne, and looked down at her: "From now on, you no longer need to concern yourself with this matter. Return to the palace and rest well. I will have Consort Xian take good care of your health. Do you understand?"

"..." Chu Ling burst into tears, "Father!"

The Emperor frowned: "A-Ling, I can tolerate your willfulness, but you are hurting my feelings by doing this! Do you understand?"

It's you who don't understand, Father!

Chu Ling cried out in despair in her heart.

She wasn't crying because of her father's words, but because of the truth she had finally come to understand about her past and present lives.

In her past life, she was in such a difficult situation, and it was her longing and regret for her father that sustained her to the end. But all of that collapsed at this moment.

The tall, majestic, wise, and loving father she had imagined was nothing but an illusion.