At the Gu Residence.
Gu daren paced back and forth in the room, his expression grave.
Xie shi said sarcastically, “I knew this day would come sooner or later. I just didn’t expect it to arrive so quickly. Back when that child Gu Jiu was betrothed to Gongzi Zhao, everyone was celebrating. I said at the time that she might bring disaster upon the family. Sure enough. She has only been married a few days, and already the wang fu has been surrounded by the Imperial Guards.”
“Say less.”
Gu daren snapped at Xie shi impatiently.
Xie shi looked at him. “Laoye, you need to make a decision quickly. Our Gu family cannot be dragged down by the wang fu.”
Gu daren‘s brows knitted tightly together. He was thoroughly irritated.
Gu Ting let out a couple of dissatisfied snorts.
However, he did not directly argue with Xie shi. He was no good at verbal sparring and would certainly not be her match.
Gu Cheng frowned. “Mother, things are not as serious as you think.”
Xie shi grew annoyed. Gu Cheng had become increasingly estranged from her and constantly spoke on Gu Jiu’s behalf. He truly did not know what was good for him.
She said, “The wang fu has been surrounded by the Imperial Guards. You saw it with your own eyes. How can you say it isn’t serious? Liulang, don’t speak nonsense and mislead your father.”
Gu Cheng said to Lord Gu, “Father, your son went to the wang fu today. Everything there appeared normal. This time the Imperial Guards surrounding Ning wang fu is not an isolated case. Other wang fu also have Imperial Guards stationed at their gates to prevent people from entering or leaving. I think this matter will likely pass without danger.”
Gu daren gave an “Mm,” neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Xie shi then asked, “Will Gu Jiu be returning tomorrow?”
Gu Cheng nodded. “Er meimei was very certain. She said she will definitely return tomorrow.”
Xie shi sneered. “I think she won’t be able to return tomorrow. The wang fu has already been surrounded. She can’t even leave the fu, so how could she come back?”
Gu daren sighed inwardly.
“At a time like this, whether she returns or not is no longer important. What matters is how serious the situation is for the wangye. Will it implicate our Gu family?”
Gu Ting said, “Of course it won’t implicate our Gu family. Meimei is a new bride. Even if something happens to the wang fu, the blame cannot fall on her, much less on the Gu family.”
His tone was extremely certain. He seemed completely confident in Gu Jiu.
Xie shi‘s gaze darkened.
“Sanlang, don’t speak too confidently. Whether she is a new bride or not, she is now part of the wang fu. As the saying goes, when one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer. There is absolutely no possibility of her being the sole exception.”
“Enough.”
Gu daren finally made up his mind.
He said, “We will observe the situation for another couple of days before deciding anything.”
Xie shi was unwilling to let it go.
“Laoye, hesitation leads to disaster.”
Gu daren waved his hand.
“Stop saying such things. The wang fu has only just encountered trouble. Nothing has been decided yet. If I rush to distance myself from them now, wouldn’t I appear to the world as a treacherous and opportunistic man? Once the matter reaches a conclusion, it will not be too late to sever ties.”
“But what if–”
“There are no what-ifs. The matter is settled.”
Gu daren‘s decision was final.
With a flick of his sleeve, he left.
Gu Ting followed him out.
Only Xie shi and Gu Cheng remained in the hall.
Xie shi was thoroughly annoyed.
“I truly don’t know what your father is thinking. The situation is obvious, yet he refuses to make a firm decision.”
Gu Cheng frowned. “Mother, that’s not the right way to look at it. What if wangye emerges completely unharmed in the end?”
Madam Xie replied, “I’m betting wangye will definitely get into trouble this time. Just wait and see. You’ll all regret it sooner or later.”
Gu Cheng shook his head.
There was no point continuing the conversation, so he simply took his leave.
At the wang fu.
Pei shi had fainted.
Gu Jiu immediately ordered the servants to carry her back to Chunhe Hall. At the same time, she sent people to summon a taiyi from the palace.
The Imperial Guards stationed at the manor gate did not make things difficult and allowed people to leave in order to fetch a physician.
The people who hurried over to Chunhe Hall all wore worried expressions.
Wangye was trapped in the palace, and wangfei was unconscious.
What were they supposed to do now?
It was as though they had lost their pillar of support. Everyone was filled with anxiety and unease.
Gu Jiu sat beside the bed.
Hidden beneath her sleeve, she was quietly taking Pei shi‘s pulse.
Her emotions had become knotted in her heart. Repeated shocks and overwhelming anger had caused her to faint.
What Pei shi needed now was peace and careful recuperation.
However, the wang fu was passing through troubled times. How could the dignified wangfei possibly find peace of mind? It would already be fortunate if she could avoid being overwhelmed by the constant stream of bad news.
Gu Jiu withdrew her hand and looked at the anxious, worried, and helpless crowd.
“Wangfei niangniang fainted due to extreme anger attacking the heart. For the moment, she is merely unconscious. There should not be any serious danger. Everyone need not worry excessively.”
“How do you know mufei is not seriously ill? Are you a physician?”
Xiao Qin’er stepped forward and challenged Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow.
She and Xiao Qin’er had been incompatible from the very beginning.
Part of it stemmed from the discord between Liu Zhao and Liu Yi. More importantly, however, it was a struggle over interests and authority.
In such a vast wang fu, there could only be one person in charge.
Below the wangfei, would Xiao Qin’er hold the highest authority, or would it be Gu Jiu? That question had to be contested.
Whoever controlled the authority of the manor controlled its finances.
Authority itself was profit.
Their positions were fundamentally different. Peaceful coexistence was impossible.
Eventually, one of them would have to submit beneath the other’s feet.
Either Xiao Qin’er would submit, or Gu Jiu would.
Therefore, whenever an opportunity presented itself, Xiao Qin’er always stepped forward to make trouble for Gu Jiu.
It might not accomplish anything and could even backfire on her.
But if she failed to maintain such a posture, the people of the wang fu might begin to think she had already submitted to Gu Jiu and accepted her authority.
Therefore, even when everyone knew that a small quarrel would accomplish nothing, they still had to fight it out.
It was like office politics.
Not every conflict is about tangible benefits. Often, it is simply about positions, or because you find the other person unpleasant.
Many people have done things that harm others without benefiting themselves. There is nothing unusual about it.
Gu Jiu countered, “Si dimei, are you hoping that wangfei niangniang’s illness becomes severe enough that she cannot rise from bed?”
Xiao Qin’er became angry.
“Don’t twist my meaning. You’re not a physician. How can you judge that mufei‘s condition isn’t serious? What if she truly is ill and her treatment is delayed? Can you bear that responsibility?”
Gu Jiu let out a cold laugh.
“Before all of you arrived, I had already sent someone to summon the taiyi. He will be here shortly. Under no circumstances will mufei‘s illness be delayed. Si dimei, the next time you wish to accuse me, at least understand the situation first. Otherwise, the person making a fool of herself will be you.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than a maid announced from the doorway that the imperial physician had arrived.
When Li taiyi saw the room packed with people, he immediately frowned.
“There are too many people here. The room has poor air circulation, which is bad for wangfei’s health. Everyone should leave. Stop crowding the room.”
Gu Jiu nodded.
“Then we’ll trouble Li taiyi.”
With that, Gu Jiu took the lead in leaving the bedchamber.
Everyone else followed.
They waited in the side hall for news, each person preoccupied with their own worries.
Twisting her handkerchief, Ouyang Fu quietly asked Gu Jiu, “Dasao, mufei will be all right, won’t she?”
Gu Jiu replied, “Don’t worry. mufei will be fine.”
“Then what about wangye and da gongzi in the palace?”
Gu Jiu looked directly at Ouyang Fu.
“I don’t know.”
Ouyang Fu lowered her head, unable to hide her disappointment.
She had thought Gu Jiu might know something and had hoped to learn a little information from her.
A short while later, Li taiyi emerged from the bedchamber.
Everyone crowded around him.
“How is wangfei?”
“Is it serious?”
Li taiyi coughed lightly, cutting off the flood of questions.
Only after everyone quieted down did he speak.
“Wangfei became overwhelmed by anger, causing her to lose consciousness. Laofu has already applied acupuncture. She has awakened, and there is no major problem with her health.
“However, she requires rest and must not be disturbed. In addition, I will prescribe another medicinal formula which should be taken daily according to instructions.”
“Wangfei truly isn’t seriously ill?”
“Of course.”
Everyone felt relieved.
And while feeling relieved, they could not help glancing at Gu Jiu.
Unexpectedly, Gu Jiu had been exactly right.
Wangfei’s condition truly was not serious.
Qin mama, who attended Pei shi, came out with a message.
“Wangfei requests that da furen come in to speak with her. Everyone else may leave.”
Shen cefei asked, “Wangfei won’t even see us?”
Qin mama nodded.
“Wangfei is physically weak and has limited energy. I hope everyone can understand.”
“What about me? I want to help mufei share her burdens.”
Xiao Qin’er spoke up.
Qin mama shook her head.
“Wangfei did not ask to see si furen.”
Xiao Qin’er’s face changed instantly.
Biting her lip, she shot a fierce look toward Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu remained unmoved and followed Qin mama into the bedchamber.
She knew perfectly well why Pei shi wanted to see her.
Pei shi had already sat up and was leaning against the headboard.
She beckoned Gu Jiu closer, indicating that she should sit on the round stool beside the bed so they could speak more conveniently.
Gu Jiu complied and asked with concern, “Is mufei feeling any better?”
Pei shi‘s face was pale. She appeared weak and exhausted.
“About the same. The Imperial Guards came to arrest people. Does that mean wangye is facing disaster?”
Gu Jiu shook her head.
“It does not.”
Pei shi stared at her intensely.
Lowering her voice, Gu Jiu said, “The fact that the Imperial Guards came to arrest people proves only one thing: they failed to obtain any useful leads from wangye or from gongzi. From this, we may infer that they also failed to obtain anything useful from the other princes.”
“But the Imperial Guards arrested people and threw them into the Imperial Prison. Can those eunuchs and attendants withstand torture? If they say something harmful to wangye, what then?”
Pei shi was anxious and frightened.
Her hands gripped the quilt so tightly that the veins stood out.
Gu Jiu reassured her.
“Even if those eunuchs and attendants cannot withstand torture and confess, do you really believe they possess much information that could truly harm wangye?
“Wangye‘s absurd behavior is already known to everyone. At most, those attendants can confess to things like drinking, gambling, competing over women, and similar matters.
“Can any of them name even one thing genuinely related to the Crown Prince’s poisoning? Or does mufei believe that the Crown Prince’s poisoning was actually the Prince’s doing?”
Pei shi immediately denied it.
“Of course wangye has nothing to do with the Crown Prince’s poisoning. What concerns me is that someone might not endure the torture and start making things up in order to save himself.”
Gu Jiu shook her head.
“Mufei‘s worries are unnecessary. As far as I know, the palace servant who poisoned the Crown Prince had already been serving in the Eastern Palace more than ten years ago. In other words, that person had been hidden inside the Eastern Palace for at least a decade.
“Meanwhile, the young eunuchs currently serving around wangye only entered the wang fu eight years ago. As for the two senior eunuchs, although they have served wangye for many years, they are responsible only for his daily life and meals. Their knowledge is limited.”
In Gu Jiu’s view, if Ning wang truly had poisoned the Crown Prince, he would certainly have acted only after careful planning.
And from the very beginning, he would already have cut off every loose end and destroyed all evidence.
Therefore, no matter how thoroughly the Imperial Guards investigated, they could never extract the truth from dead men.
As long as Ning wang insisted he was innocent, the Imperial Guards would not dare torture an imperial prince.
Unless the Emperor intended to convict Ning wang based solely on suspicion without any evidence.
Seen in that light, Ning wang‘s return was only a matter of time.
The one who would truly suffer was Liu Zhao.
Many of Ning wang‘s private affairs had, in reality, been handled through Liu Zhao.
Were the people around Liu Zhao capable of keeping their mouths shut?
Pei shi remained deeply worried.
“The people sent to Lu hou fu still haven’t returned?”
Gu Jiu shook her head.
“They have not returned. Most likely they were stopped by the Imperial Guards at the gate and could not gain entry.”
Pei shi‘s brows knit tightly together.
“What are we supposed to do?”
“Mufei need not worry. Fuwang will certainly return safely.”
Gu Jiu’s voice was gentle and carried a soothing effect.
Pei shi suddenly grabbed Gu Jiu’s wrist.
The grip hurt, but Gu Jiu could hardly shake her off.
Pei shi stared fixedly at her.
“Wangye really can return safely? You are not lying to benwangfei?”
Gu Jiu nodded firmly.
“Erxi would not dare deceive mufei.”
Pei shi finally relaxed a little.
“As long as he can return safely, that is enough. Benwangfei is certain that the poisoning of the Crown Prince has nothing to do with the prince. If people say wangye knows how to enjoy food, drink, and pleasure, that is true. But if they say he spent decades plotting, planting spies in the Eastern Palace and waiting for an opportunity to poison the Crown Prince, that is absolutely impossible. Wangye is not capable of such a thing.”
Gu Jiu did not know what to say.
If Ning wang knew how little Pei shi thought of him, he might not know whether to feel pleased or disheartened.
Was Ning wang truly as lacking in strategy as Pei shi claimed?
Gu Jiu slowly shook her head.
She did not agree.
When Ning wang was still young, he had deliberately slept with a maid from Xingqing Palace to tarnish his own reputation and lower the Emperor’s expectations of him. That incident alone proved that Ning wang lacked neither intelligence nor courage.
He was ruthless toward others, and even more ruthless toward himself.
Few people possessed the courage to employ such a risky strategy of self-defilement, knowing it could result in punishment and disgrace.
Gu Jiu said, “Since the Crown Prince’s poisoning was not done by fuwang, His Majesty will eventually release him.”
Pei shi nodded repeatedly. “You are right. The prince will return sooner or later.”
A maid lit calming incense.
Pei shi was mentally exhausted and soon drifted off to sleep.
Gu Jiu rose, lightened her footsteps, and quietly left the room.
She had not expected to find Ouyang Fu standing beneath the eaves waiting for her.
“Dasao, mufei is all right now, isn’t she?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Mufei is fine. She has already fallen asleep. Why hasn’t er dimei returned to her room?”
Ouyang Fu looked full of concern. “I am worried. I wanted to stay and care for mufei.”
“You are thoughtful. However, mufei already has maids and matrons attending to her. You have been exhausted for two days yourself. You should return and rest.”
“What about dasao?”
“I also intend to return and rest.”
“Tomorrow is the second day of the New Year. Will dasao return to her natal family?”
Gu Jiu replied, “I would like to, but I worry that the Imperial Guards stationed outside will refuse to let me leave the residence.”
Ouyang Fu looked haggard.
“Dasao, with things as they are now, what are we supposed to do?”
Gu Jiu gazed into the night sky.
Only after a long while did she answer.
“That question should be directed to er gongzi. I am merely a woman of the inner quarters. I understand nothing of court affairs and have not even fully grasped the rules of the palace.”
“Dasao is too modest.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “Er dimei, please forgive me for not accompanying you further. It has been a tiring day. I shall return to my room and rest. Farewell.”
Gu Jiu left decisively, giving Ouyang Fu no opportunity to continue questioning her.
Ouyang Fu stamped her foot in frustration. Having no alternative, she could only return to her own room.
Gu Jiu was exhausted, yet sleep would not come.
After washing up, she reclined on a couch in the small study and closed her eyes to rest.
A moment later, she abruptly opened them.
“Go summon Eunuch Deng.”
Qing Mei accepted the order and departed.
Deng Cunli was brought to the small study.
“Laonu pays his respects to furen.”
“No need for formalities. Sit and speak.”
After a brief pause, Gu Jiu went straight to the point.
“Eunuch Deng has served in the palace for decades. In your opinion, how will His Majesty ultimately deal with the Crown Prince poisoning case?”
Deng Cunli considered his answer carefully.
“There are two possibilities.”
“I would like to hear them.”
“The first possibility is that the real culprit is discovered and executed, followed by another cleansing of the imperial palace. Crown Prince’s Highness would also gain some breathing room as a result.
“The second possibility is that no culprit is found and the case becomes an unsolved mystery. However, His Majesty is deeply suspicious by nature and will certainly punish all the princes. Loss of stipends would be the lightest punishment. He may even strip the princes of their titles directly. The Crown Prince, meanwhile, would become a target, and his deposition would not be far off.”
Gu Jiu nodded to herself.
“Then which possibility do you think is more likely?”
Deng Cunli said,
“I believe furen already has an answer.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “My answer is that there is no real culprit.”
“Precisely so. There can be no real culprit in this case.”
The palace, the civil officials, and the military commanders were engaged in a three-way struggle.
Behind the scenes, forces within the palace had already made contact with the military faction. They would never permit a real culprit to emerge and provide the Crown Prince with justice.
Those people had spent nearly ten years ensuring that not a single person around the Emperor would speak on behalf of the Crown Prince.
They had already walked ninety of a hundred steps.
They could not allow the final ten steps to fail.
Even if thousands upon thousands had to die, they would still drag the Crown Prince down.
Leave a Reply