The night was deep.
In Shaoan Hall, one of the halls of the Eastern Palace, lights were still burning.
Inside a simple chamber, a chessboard sat on the couch. Crown Princess Sun knelt before it, holding a black stone, hesitating.
Seated opposite her, playing against her, was none other than Fang shaojian, who had been missing for a long time.
After becoming a wanted man, Fang shaojian had first hidden in a cloth shop within the city. Now he was hiding in the Eastern Palace.
Seeing Crown Princess Sun hesitate, he offered a reminder.
“When a decision must be made, make it. In handling matters, one must avoid constantly looking forward and backward.”
Crown Princess Sun smiled softly and placed her black stone.
“Only through careful consideration can one take each step steadily.”
Fang shaojian spoke with deeper meaning. “Opportunities vanish in the blink of an eye. Careful consideration is certainly good, but the ability to adapt in a crisis is equally indispensable.”
Crown Princess Sun smiled. “Fang shaojian is right. Then tell me, is the timing favorable now?”
The words seemed to refer to the game, yet also to something else.
Holding a white stone, Fang shaojian decisively placed it on the board and then said, “The time has not yet come.”
Crown Princess Sun raised an eyebrow, seeming somewhat dissatisfied.
She said, “The pawn is dead. This is precisely the time to press the advantage.”
Fang shaojian smiled coldly. “The pawn may be dead, but the people behind the pawn are not without the ability to fight back. If you launch an attack rashly now, be careful of suffering a backlash.”
Crown Princess Sun frowned in thought. “The matters of tomb robbery and private coin minting are enough to drag down a whole string of people.”
“But not enough to bring down a wang,” Fang shaojian said firmly.
Crown Princess Sun let out a cold snort. “Ning wang planted a spy in the Eastern Palace for decades. With a single move, he nearly caused the Crown Prince’s death. How can such a grudge go unavenged?”
Fang shaojian looked at Crown Princess Sun with a half-smile.
“If this servant had not warned Your Highness, both niangniang and His Highness would still be kept in the dark, living with poison every day. With the Crown Prince’s condition, he would soon have fallen ill and died suddenly. Fortunately, this servant discovered something amiss in time and saved the Crown Prince’s life.
“Afterward, it was this servant who informed niangniang about Princess Huyang and the fuma privately minting coins and robbing tombs. It was also this servant who made arrangements in secret and caught Ning wang off guard. After doing so much for the Eastern Palace, does niangniang still not trust this servant?”
Crown Princess Sun immediately smiled, her expression exceptionally sincere.
“Fang shaojian misunderstands. If bengong did not trust you, why would I act according to your plans? Bengong simply cannot accept watching Ning wang remain free and untouched.”
Fang shaojian suddenly lowered his voice.
“Does niangniang still remember the things this servant mentioned last time?”
Crown Princess Sun’s expression changed drastically.
“Do not mention those words again.”
Fang shaojian smiled.
“Extraordinary matters cannot be accomplished without extraordinary methods. Looking across the realm, Ning wang is merely a piece on the chessboard. Niangniang should direct your attention toward the true king, the Emperor.”
“You are being insolent!”
Crown Princess Sun was terrified. Fortunately, only the two of them were present in the chamber.
Fang shaojian was entirely unconcerned.
“Of course, since Ning wang dared to plant a spy in the Eastern Palace, the Eastern Palace should naturally return the favor. If we cannot take Ning wang’s head, would Your Highness be satisfied with taking Gongzi Zhao’s head instead?”
Naturally, Crown Princess Sun was not satisfied.
“Even if Gongzi Zhao dies, Ning wang will merely lose one son. How could bengong be satisfied?”
“Must niangniang see Ning wang dead?”
“Of course.”
Fang shaojian shook his head.
“Forgive this servant’s incompetence. This is beyond my ability. Not to mention that the matters of private coin minting and tomb robbery are unrelated to Ning wang. Even if Ning wang had participated in them, His Majesty would not execute him. At most, he would be reduced to commoner status and placed under house arrest. Niangniang is truly making an impossible demand.”
Covering her mouth, Crown Princess Sun laughed softly.
“Fang shaojian prides himself on his extraordinary intelligence, though fate has treated him harshly. Now that bengong is giving you an opportunity to demonstrate your talents, why have you become timid? Doing what others cannot do, that is how one proves Fang shaojian’s abilities.”
Fang shaojian was unaffected by her attempt to provoke him.
He still shook his head.
“It is not that I am unwilling, but that I cannot. Niangniang would do better to choose another target.”
A displeased expression appeared on Crown Princess Sun’s face.
She placed a black stone and said, “The Eastern Palace is in danger. During today’s banquet, I saw the way His Majesty looked at the Crown Prince. I fear he will make his move before the three-year period is over.”
Fang shaojian nodded.
“That is only natural. His Majesty gave the Eastern Palace a year, which already exceeded everyone’s expectations. Yet the Crown Prince failed to make use of that year and instead allowed his subordinates to act recklessly outside the palace under the Eastern Palace’s name. His Majesty’s patience is limited. He will never give the Crown Prince another year.”
The hand holding Crown Princess Sun’s chess piece trembled slightly.
She merely said vaguely, “The Crown Prince is benevolent.”
Fang shaojian looked at her with a faint smile.
“The Crown Prince succeeded because of his benevolence, and he will also fail because of it. A ruler must balance leniency and severity, that is the superior path. Excessive benevolence ultimately strips away a sovereign’s authority. A prince without authority cannot control his ministers. It seems the Crown Prince’s downfall is already destined.”
Crown Princess Sun did not refute his words.
Instead, she reminded him, “You said that you would help bengong.”
Fang shaojian nodded.
“This servant is helping niangniang right now.”
As he spoke, a white stone landed on the board, swallowing several black stones.
Crown Princess Sun was distracted and troubled, her attention no longer on the game.
She asked, “What should be done now?”
Fang shaojian asked, “What does Your Highness mean?”
Crown Princess Sun lowered her voice.
“Naturally, I mean Ning wang, Zhao wang, and His Majesty.”
Fang shaojian’s eyes shifted slightly.
“Does niangniang intend to take a risk?”
Crown Princess Sun’s expression darkened.
“You said it yourself, the Crown Prince’s downfall is inevitable. Yet I have no desire to perish alongside him. I want to live, to live well, and to watch my descendants ascend to the highest position. At present, there is only one way. And only you can accomplish it.”
The method proposed by Crown Princess Sun was simple: have the Emperor die early.
If the Emperor died before issuing an edict to depose the Crown Prince, then the Crown Prince would become the legitimate successor as a matter of course.
At that point, the civil and military officials would all obey the Crown Prince and suppress any ambitious opportunists.
The problem was that the Crown Prince was physically weak, while the Emperor remained vigorous despite his age.
To make the Emperor die first would be exceedingly difficult.
Only extraordinary measures could achieve such a goal.
Regicide meant the extermination of nine generations of one’s clan.
Only a death-sworn operative could carry it out.
Yet even a death-sworn operative would require someone to make extensive preparations in advance and create the conditions necessary for an assassination.
For such a matter, there was no one more suitable than Fang shaojian as strategist and planner.
The two looked into each other’s eyes.
Without a single word, each understood the other’s intentions.
Fang shaojian smiled faintly, thinking that the Crown Princess wanted him dead.
If he truly planned an assassination of the Emperor, then whether it succeeded or failed, he would be executed.
The road to his death lay right ahead.
And the Crown Princess could hardly wait to send him down that road.
He said, “Niangniang overestimates me. I am now nothing more than a disgraced criminal hiding from the world. How can I shoulder such an important task?”
Crown Princess Sun laughed loudly. “Fang shaojian, why be so modest? Without ever leaving your residence, you successfully plotted against Huyang and Chen fuma, implicating Ning wang in the process. You handled that affair beautifully. I believe that even something ten times more difficult would not stump you.”
Fang shaojian lowered his head and smiled, his eyes filled with mockery.
“I will need to consider this matter carefully.”
“Time waits for no one. I hope Fang shaojian will make a decision soon,” Crown Princess Sun urged.
Fang shaojian replied, “This is no trivial matter. It must be planned over the long term. If niangniang cannot wait, then find someone else. This servant will not accompany you in this endeavor.”
Crown Princess Sun relented.
“Very well. We will proceed according to your plan. But you yourself said that His Majesty cannot wait much longer before issuing an edict to depose the Crown Prince. I hope to see the fruits of Fang shaojian‘s efforts within three to five months.”
Fang shaojian smiled.
“Niangniang, it is late. You should return and rest.”
Crown Princess Sun looked at the chessboard before her. “Without realizing it, I have reached a dead end.”
“Niangniang‘s mind was not on the game. This result is hardly surprising.”
“And yet Fang shaojian can divide his attention between two things at once.”
“Why should niangniang compete with a sinner like me?”
…
Ning wang fu.
Gu Jiu accepted a sandalwood box from the eunuch Qian Fu.
She asked, “What is inside?”
Qian Fu shook his head.
“I do not know.”
Gu Jiu made countless guesses, but in the end she carried the sandalwood box back to the main quarters and opened it in the study.
The upper layer contained a stack of banknotes.
Gu Jiu was just about to think that Liu Zhao was vulgar, still thinking about money at a time like this.
When she lifted that layer, she found all sorts of property deeds and land deeds underneath.
Clearly, these were the private assets Liu Zhao had accumulated over the years.
At the very bottom, Gu Jiu found something else.
The moment she saw its contents, she sucked in a sharp breath.
Liu Zhao had actually preserved ironclad evidence proving that Chen fuma had privately minted currency.
Gu Jiu’s heart filled with uncertainty and suspicion.
Liu Zhao had acted under Ning wang‘s orders to settle this matter for Chen fuma.
Why, then, had he kept this evidence?
Surely it could not be that he had foreseen today’s events.
Moreover, under the current circumstances, retaining such evidence seemed to create more disadvantages than benefits. It was practically handing others a weapon to use against him.
Gu Jiu could not help trying to understand Liu Zhao’s intentions.
Clearly, the reason Liu Zhao had entrusted the sandalwood box to her was to prevent the evidence inside from falling into the hands of the Imperial Guards.
Could it be that Liu Zhao had kept the evidence in order to blackmail Princess Huyang and Chen fuma?
Regardless, the contents of the box absolutely could not be seen by others.
She closed the box, locked it, and handed it to Qing Mei.
“Put it in the storage chest.”
Qing Mei accepted the order.
Gu Jiu originally wanted to destroy the evidence, but she worried that Liu Zhao might still have some use for it. In the end, she could only hide the box first and prevent the Imperial Guards from discovering it during a search.
That night, no one returned to the wang fu. Everyone stayed in the palace.
Gu Jiu tossed and turned, not falling asleep until midnight.
She had slept for less than two hours when a maid woke her.
Today was the first day of the new year. She had to enter the palace to pay formal respects.
The first thing Gu Jiu asked after getting up was, “Has gongzi returned to the residence?”
Qing Mei shook her head.
“Gongzi has not returned.”
Gu Jiu immediately asked again, “What about wangye and the others?”
“According to Eunuch Deng, neither wangye, wangfei, nor any of the gongzi and their wives have returned to the wang fu.”
The Eunuch Deng that Qing Mei referred to was Deng Cunli.
Gu Jiu had promoted him to the position of eunuch attendant.
No movement within the wang fu escaped his notice.
Gu Jiu’s heart skipped a beat, but she did not panic.
The fact that no one had returned was certainly worrying.
But precisely because no one had returned, it also meant that Liu Zhao was, for the time being, safe.
Gu Jiu rose, washed, ate a little food, put on her court robes, and boarded a carriage at the second gate, preparing to head to the imperial palace.
However, upon arriving at the palace, she was informed that this year’s New Year’s Day court audience had been canceled.
“Canceled? Why?”
Gu Jiu was greatly alarmed.
Surely the New Year’s audience could not have been canceled merely because of Chen fuma‘s tomb-robbing affair.
She did not believe Chen fuma possessed that much influence.
The guards at the palace gate kept their mouths shut and merely blocked Gu Jiu from entering the palace.
At this moment, Deng Cunli stepped forward. “Furen, allow laonu make some inquiries. Perhaps I can find out the reason.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Go and return quickly.”
Deng Cunli was an old hand from the palace. He knew clearly all the places where the young eunuchs from the palace frequented after leaving the grounds.
Finding the right person and spending a little silver, he learned the situation without much effort.
Returning to Gu Jiu’s side, he quietly reported, “Reporting to furen, laonu has learned that His Majesty is gravely ill and unable to handle affairs. Therefore today’s New Year’s court audience has been canceled.”
Gu Jiu was alarmed. “Yesterday His Majesty was perfectly fine. Why is he gravely ill today?”
Deng Cunli shook his head. “The reason is unknown. The news came from Xingqing Palace, so it should be genuine.”
Given the Emperor’s temperament, he would never cancel the New Year’s audience without reason.
Either he truly was seriously ill, or something earth-shattering had happened.
Unable to enter the palace, Gu Jiu could only turn back.
She left Deng Cunli behind, ordering him to gather as much information as possible. In particular, she wanted to know when the people from Ning wang fu would be allowed to return.
Gu Jiu did not return directly to the wang fu.
Instead, she ordered the coachman to detour toward Princess Huyang’s fu.
From a distance, their carriage was stopped.
Gu Jiu lifted the curtain and looked outside.
It was the first day of the New Year, and the wind was bitterly cold.
The wind poured through the carriage window, cutting against her cheeks like knives.
Princess Huyang’s fu had already been surrounded by the Imperial Guards.
Members of the Imperial Guard moved in and out like hunting hounds, carrying stacks of account books and letters.
The servants of the Princess fu, apart from those who had attended Chen fuma and had already been arrested and thrown into the imperial prison, had all been gathered into a separate courtyard under guard.
The Imperial Guards would interrogate them one by one later.
Afterward, Gu Jiu went to the Chen fu.
The Chen fu was a scene of utter misery.
All the old, weak, women, and children of the Chen family had been arrested by the Imperial Guards. They would all be confined in the imperial prison until the case was concluded.
Those found innocent might be released, but they would lose their wealth and status.
Those found guilty would either be executed or exiled.
In short, the Chen family was finished.
Chen fuma was certainly doomed.
Gu Jiu sighed softly, lowered the carriage curtain, and said, “Let’s go.”
The carriage slowly set off and returned to Ning wang fu.
The residence, once lively and bustling, now seemed empty and lifeless in the absence of its masters.
The servants already knew that disaster had struck Princess Huyang’s residence. Combined with the fact that none of the masters except the eldest young madam had returned, everyone felt uneasy and distracted.
They feared that something might happen to the wang fu as well.
No sooner had Gu Jiu returned to the Eastern Courtyard than a servant reported that Shen cefei, Luo cefei, and several meiren had come to visit.
After some thought, she said, “Tell them I am tired and will not receive guests for the time being.”
Qing Mei worriedly asked, “Furen, is it appropriate to refuse them directly?”
Gu Jiu replied, “They merely wish to ask how wangye is and what will happen to the wang fu. I cannot answer such questions. Tell them all to return and wait peacefully for news from the palace.”
Gu Jiu insisted on seeing no one, and Shen cefei and the others could hardly force their way into the Eastern Courtyard.
Left with no choice, they withdrew awkwardly.
Just as Gu Jiu had predicted, they could only wait anxiously for news from the palace.
The news never arrived.
Instead, what arrived were the fierce-looking Imperial Guards.
Wei Zhong, Commander of the Left Guard, cupped his fists and said, “Please forgive us, da furen. We are merely carrying out orders. We must inspect Gongzi Zhao’s study and confiscate all letters and documents.”
Gu Jiu stood beneath the eaves, watching the Imperial Guards move in and out of the Wenshu Courtyard, gathering documents and correspondence from the study.
Her face remained expressionless as she looked at Wei Zhong.
“When will wangye and the others be allowed to return?”
Wei Zhong maintained a stern expression. “They will return when the time comes. Furen need not worry.”
Gu Jiu snorted coldly.
“When the Imperial Guards arrive at my door, how can benfuren not worry? What crime has my gongzi committed? Would Wei daren care to enlighten me?”
Wei Zhong shook his head.
“There is nothing I can say.”
Gu Jiu looked displeased, like a woman who had been slighted and was acting impulsively without much calculation.
Yet inwardly she was extraordinarily calm.
She already knew yesterday why the Imperial Guards had come.
Today was merely a performance.
She had not failed to consider bribing Wei Zhong with a fortune.
However, after only a few seconds, Gu Jiu abandoned the idea.
Wei Zhong was one of the Emperor’s trusted hounds, among the sovereign’s most trusted officials.
If he could be bought off with mere money, he would never have earned the Emperor’s confidence.
Had Gu Jiu truly attempted to bribe him, not only would she have learned nothing, she would likely have attracted the attention of the Imperial Guards herself, bringing endless trouble.
Thus she maintained an appearance of anger and coldly watched as the Imperial Guards turned the entire Wenshu Courtyard upside down.
In the end, she watched with apparent fury as they carried away everything they had found and departed in triumph.
The arrival of the Imperial Guards frightened the servants badly.
For the moment, Gu Jiu had no time to comfort them.
Silently, she walked into the Wenshu Courtyard.
What had once been a comfortable and luxurious study compound was now a complete mess.
Books lay scattered everywhere across the floor.
Brushes, inkstones, paper, and ink had all been thrown about as well.
Gu Jiu walked through the rooms.
As expected, everything important had been taken away.
She instructed, “Qian Fu, take some people and clean up the Wenshu Courtyard.”
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