The Red Mansion

Chapter 231 Jing Ning uses a scheme, Dai Quan confesses.

After Emperor Jingning returned to the Jiangning Imperial Textile Bureau, he immediately issued a strict decree to temporarily seal off the imperial palace, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving without permission.

At this moment, inside the sleeping quarters, Emperor Jingning sat on his throne covered with a bright yellow cushion, with Lei Xiaochen and Hou Wei standing in front of him. There was no one else there, not even Dai Quan, who had been dismissed.

Emperor Jingning, with a stern expression, issued an edict to Lei Xiaochen: "You are to immediately interrogate the assassins captured today. Use severe torture if necessary, and make sure to get to the bottom of things as quickly as possible! Guard against suspicious individuals approaching the assassins, especially... guard against Dai Quan, Zhen Yingjia, and those associated with them!"

Lei Xiaochen accepted the order.

Emperor Jingning then turned to Hou Wei and issued an edict: "You are to strictly guard the gates of the temporary palace. All those who enter or leave, regardless of their rank, must have their reasons recorded in detail. If there are any suspicious persons, send someone to secretly follow them. If any suspicious persons do anything suspicious, do not report back, arrest and interrogate them immediately! In particular, keep a close eye on Dai Quan, Zhen Yingjia, and those related to them!"

Hou Wei accepted the order.

Emperor Jingning believed that the assassins' ambush today was precise, and only Dai Quan and Zhen Yingjia knew in advance that he was going to Niushou Mountain today. Even Lei Xiaochen only knew in advance that he was going to travel incognito today, but did not know the specific destination.

However, Emperor Jingning did not conclude that Dai Quan or Zhen Yingjia were behind it, or that someone else had relayed the news of his incognito trip that day, which led to him being targeted by assassins.

Emperor Jingning believed that Jiang Niansheng's capture of the assassin leader today might cause panic among the inside agents, prompting them to contact the people behind the scenes outside.

On one hand, he ordered Lei Xiaochen to interrogate the assassin by torture, and on the other hand, he sent Hou Wei to wait for the assassin to come to him at the gate of the palace. He used two methods simultaneously.

After Lei Xiaochen and Hou Wei left, Emperor Jingning's expression became dejected.

He felt that his incognito travel today was reckless.

Recently, his grandson Yuan Li was assassinated for being infatuated with Yu Zhaoying's beauty, and today, the retired emperor was assassinated again while paying respects at Jinglan's tomb.

It really is...

Thinking of this, Emperor Jingning shook his head self-deprecatingly.

He was relieved that there were only twenty-one assassins today. If there had been many assassins, wouldn't he have ended up like Yuan Li?

What alarmed him most now was his growing suspicion that the assassination attempt might be related to Emperor Taishun. Firstly, he, as the retired emperor, had indeed been in the emperor's way; secondly, Emperor Taishun might harbor resentment over Yuan Li's death.

……

……

Jiang Nian returned to her residence in the Jiangning Imperial Textile Bureau.

He sat alone at his desk, holding a cup of tea, but his mind was elsewhere, lost in deep thought.

A matter of paramount importance weighed on his mind: could today's assassination attempt have been orchestrated by Emperor Taishun?
Upon closer reflection, Emperor Taishun did indeed have a motive.

However, the possibility is slim.

"Who exactly was behind today's assassination attempt?"

Who was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Yuan Li in Yangzhou?

"Were the two assassinations orchestrated by the same person?"

"If it was done by the same person, what is this person plotting?"

“Dai Quan is suspicious, but he is unlikely to be the mastermind; he is more likely an inside man.”

"..."

Jiang Nian couldn't see through it for a while.

The main problem was that he failed to grasp a crucial point: today's assassination attempt on Emperor Jingning was not a genuine attempt to kill him, but rather a feigned assassination. If he had grasped this point, it wouldn't have been difficult to deduce the mastermind behind it.

He had actually considered that it was strange that only twenty-one assassins had come to carry out the assassination today. But he thought it might be because the mastermind could only summon these few assassins in a hurry.

He believed he should no longer be involved in this matter. If Emperor Taishun truly orchestrated today's assassination attempt on Emperor Jingning, he shouldn't have personally investigated the truth. And if it wasn't Emperor Taishun, and he had captured the assassin's leader alive, which could help Emperor Jingning uncover the mastermind behind it all, that would be a great achievement…

As he pondered, the tea grew cold, but he remained completely unaware.

……

……

Dai Quan returned to his residence in the Jiangning Imperial Textile Bureau. The room was exquisitely furnished, with a Ru kiln beauty vase on a sandalwood table, adorned with a few flowers, and calligraphy and paintings by famous artists hanging on the walls. All the objects were of extraordinary quality.

At this moment, Dai Quan sat uneasily in the armchair, his fingers gripping the sandalwood armrests so tightly they turned white.

Standing before them was a eunuch in his twenties named Tian Qi. Tian Qi was originally a trusted confidant promoted by Dai Quan, and he was the one who handled the recent communications between him and Mr. Zhuge.

Dai Quan stared intently at Tian Qi with his old eyes, his voice trembling: "Have you ever seen Xiao Zhong? Do you recognize his face?"

Tian Qi felt uneasy under his gaze and hurriedly bowed, saying, "I have never seen him before and do not know what he looks like."

Dai Quan's fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest, the "tap-tap" sound jarring. He pondered for a moment, then asked, "The other day you said that Zhuge Yan said that, apart from the leader Xiao Zhong, none of the assassins who were feigning an assassination attempt knew that Ninth Master was behind it all? Nor did they know that I was the inside man?"

Tian Qi nodded vigorously: "That's exactly right."

Dai Quan frowned and asked again, "So, Xiao Zhong knew that Ninth Master was the mastermind, and also knew that I was the inside man?"

Tian Qi was terrified by the question, his spine went cold, and he could only bite the bullet and say, "Yes...that's how it is."

Dai Quan waved his hand, looking exhausted.

Tian Qi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly bowed and withdrew.

When Dai Quan was the only one left in the room, he slumped into the armchair like a rag doll, his face ashen.

He recalled the people he had interrogated; even the toughest men couldn't withstand severe torture.

Therefore, he believed that if the man who looked to be around forty years old that Jiang Nian captured today was indeed Xiao Zhong, then there was a high probability that Xiao Zhong would confess. And once he confessed, the Eighth Prince's Party would be finished, and Dai Quan would be finished too...

Thinking of this, Dai Quan couldn't help but shudder, as if the soul-reaping messengers from the underworld were already standing behind him.

He composed himself, thinking to himself, "The best course of action now is to confirm whether the person captured by Jiang Nian is indeed Xiao Zhong. If not, all will be well; if so..."

He gritted his teeth, but couldn't come up with any good ideas. He could only sigh, his mind a jumble of thoughts, unable to make sense of it all.

……

……

Indeed, very few people can keep their mouths shut under severe torture.

However, Xiao Zhong is a tough guy who can keep his mouth shut even under pressure.

Lei Xiaochen ordered his men to apply the finger-crushing torture to Xiao Zhong. The pain, so intense it would likely cause an ordinary person to faint, was excruciating. Xiao Zhong, however, gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and remained completely silent. They then ordered him to be branded with a hot iron; the smell of burning flesh filled the air, but Xiao Zhong still refused to confess. Despite these various forms of torture, Xiao Zhong remained tight-lipped.

Lei Xiaochen, an old military general, secretly admired Xiao Zhong, thinking that someone like him was suitable to be a military general.

Besides Xiao Zhong, some of the other captured assassins confessed. However, just like the previous assassination attempt on Yuan Li in Yangzhou, these assassins were nothing more than ants, completely ignorant of his background. They only knew they were acting on Xiao Zhong's orders, and were unaware that today's assassination attempt on Emperor Jingning was actually a ruse. Xiao Zhong deliberately led only twenty assassins, having no intention of succeeding in the assassination at all.

However, they did reveal a potentially useful piece of information: that before carrying out the assassination, the group of assassins had hidden in a residence outside Jiangning City.

Lei Xiaochen immediately dispatched his trusted men to search the residence. They found a handwritten copy of the Diamond Sutra, its pages yellowed. Tucked inside was a letter bearing the seal of "Master Yuanming" and the words: "By order to assassinate Jingning!"

Lei Xiaochen could tell from the handwriting that this copy of the Diamond Sutra was probably copied by Emperor Taishun, and the five characters “By order to assassinate Jingning” also looked like Emperor Taishun’s handwriting.

Even though Lei Xiaochen was a seasoned military general and a veteran of many battles, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, thinking to himself, "Could it be that father and son are going to kill each other, the court is in chaos, or even the world is in chaos?"

……

……

There were only two people in the bedchamber.

Emperor Jingning, wearing reading glasses, sat on his throne, holding the Diamond Sutra and a letter in his hands, his face ashen.

Lei Xiaochen stood respectfully below, not daring to utter a sound.

Emperor Jingning's mind was in turmoil. On one hand, he thought it might really be Emperor Taishun's doing; on the other hand, if it wasn't Emperor Taishun's doing, then someone was deliberately framing Emperor Taishun, causing him to turn against Emperor Taishun and his son. Considering the previous assassination of Yuan Li, it was truly a huge conspiracy, a heinous crime!
After a long silence, Emperor Jingning slowly asked Lei Xiaochen, "Do you really think this matter was orchestrated by the Emperor himself?"

Lei Xiaochen hurriedly bowed and said, "This matter is of great importance, and this old minister dares not make a rash judgment. However..." He changed the subject, "There is another matter that needs to be reported to the Emperor Emeritus."

"speak."

"Today, Chief Steward Dai sought out this old minister. First, he inquired about the name of the bandit leader, but the old minister declined, citing confidentiality. Then he pressed him to ask if the bandit leader had confessed, but the old minister again declined, citing confidentiality."

At this point, Lei Xiaochen glanced at Emperor Jingning's expression.

Emperor Jingning's eyes narrowed suddenly behind his glasses, and his two graying eyebrows furrowed: "You mean... Dai Quan is suspicious?"

Lei Xiaochen carefully chose his words and said, "This old minister dares not speak presumptuously. It is just that Chief Steward Dai seems uneasy today, which is truly unusual."

Before he finished speaking, Emperor Jingning's brows furrowed.

……

……

Inside the bedchamber, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Emperor Jingning sat alone on his throne, wearing glasses.

Dai Quan crouched low and tiptoed in, stealing glances at Emperor Jingning's expression. Seeing the emperor's gloomy face and anger between his brows, Dai Quan's heart tightened, but he forced a fawning smile and said, "Did Your Majesty summon this old servant to serve you?"

"Kneel down," Emperor Jingning coldly uttered.

Dai Quan's body trembled, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground.

Emperor Jingning looked down at Dai Quan, then suddenly sighed and said, "Dai Quan, how many years have you served me?"

Dai Quanqiang composed himself and said, "Replying to Master, it has been a full forty years. When this old servant was eighteen, I was fortunate enough to be able to serve you closely, and this year... I am fifty-eight years old."

"Yes, forty years." Emperor Jingning's tone suddenly softened, as if with emotion. "I have treated you exceptionally well!"

Dai Quan hurriedly kowtowed, his forehead touching the ground, and said, "Your Majesty's kindness is immeasurable, even if I were to be shattered to pieces. I pray every day, hoping that I can serve Your Majesty for another forty years!"

Emperor Jingning said, "Raise your head."

Dai Quan hurriedly looked up again.

Emperor Jingning stared into Dai Quan's eyes, then suddenly sighed, his tone turning icy: "If that's the case, then why did you betray me?"

These words struck Dai Quan like a bolt from the blue. His face turned ashen, and his voice trembled as he stammered, "Master...Master..."

Seeing his state, Emperor Jingning had already made up his mind and continued, "The bandit leader Xiao Zhong has already confessed. Now, I want to hear it from your own mouth!"

Dai Quan was terrified, his body trembling, and he kept saying, "Master...this old servant...this old servant..."

"Even now, you still dare to deceive us!" Emperor Jingning suddenly roared, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

This shout terrified Dai Quan to the point of utter panic. He disregarded everything else and cried out, kowtowing repeatedly with tears streaming down his face, "Master, spare my life! This old servant knows his mistake! This old servant deserves to die!"

A glint flashed in Emperor Jingning's eyes as he thought to himself, "I've fallen for their trap!"

It turns out that Xiao Zhong did not confess; Emperor Jingning was merely using a trick to coerce Dai Quan into confessing.

……

……

Dai Quan lay prostrate on the ground and confessed everything that had happened!
The confession shocked Emperor Jingning to the point of turning pale.

Thus, Emperor Jingning learned that Yuan Li's assassination in Yangzhou and this assassination attempt were both orchestrated by Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, and Yuan Zai.

Emperor Jingning learned that today's assassination attempt was not intended to take his life, but was merely a pretense to frame Emperor Taishun.

Emperor Jingning learned that Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, and the other Yuan clan were plotting to turn him against Emperor Taishun so they could depose him. Furthermore, with Yuan Li dead, he would choose either Yuan Ti or Yuan Xi as the new emperor. Yuan Ti was allied with Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, and the other Yuan clan, while Yuan Xi was gentle and easily manipulated. In this way, wouldn't the entire empire fall into their hands?
Emperor Jingning even learned that the handwritten copy of the Diamond Sutra and the letter stamped with the seal of "Master Yuanming" were secretly given to Yuan Si by Yuan Shi. The words "ordered to assassinate Jingning" on the letter were deliberately imitations of Emperor Taishun's handwriting.

Emperor Jingning was of course aware that Yuan Si had sent his trusted advisor Zhuge Liang to Jiangnan to orchestrate both an assassination attempt and a feigned assassination.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingning felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Immediately, he sighed inwardly, "Those eight, nine, and ten brothers, they really are too clever for their own good!"

Back then, Yuan Si, Yuan Tang, Yuan Si, and Yuan Ti formed cliques for personal gain, with Yuan Si particularly popular, earning the nickname "Eighth Prince of Virtue," which ironically aroused the suspicion of Emperor Jingning. Now, they have acted cleverly and committed such heinous crimes, truly bringing about their own destruction.

Emperor Jingning urgently ordered Hou Wei, a first-class imperial bodyguard, to lead men to capture Zhuge.

Actually, this Mr. Zhuge was not surnamed Zhuge, but Ge, and his given name was Ge Chaobai. It was only because he admired Zhuge Liang and some people praised him for his wisdom and resourcefulness that he became known as "Zhuge" or "Mr. Zhuge".

When Hou Wei led a group of guards to capture Zhuge based on the address provided by Dai Quan, the place was empty and they failed to capture him.

Zhuge Liang was cunning. When he saw that Xiao Zhong had not met him at the agreed time, he knew that something had changed, either that Xiao Zhong was dead or had been captured alive. He immediately fled, leaving Hou Wei empty-handed.

(End of this chapter)