Chương 57: Chapter 55 Interlude 11

In the heart of Yushitai, Yushi Dafu Zhang Wei sits behind a desk polished to a shine. His gaze, sharp as a blade, is fixed on the documents before him, but his attention shifts to the man standing at his desk who has brought him the documents.

"Are you telling me that after three days", he says in a voice as icy as tea left on the table.

"Three days since Zhāohuán was poisoned, on the very day she returned from exile, we have absolutely no solid leads on who might have ordered it?" The secretary swallows hard at his superior's tone before responding with studied restraint "Unfortunately, that is the case, Yushi Dafu. The maid we had identified as a possible accomplice was found dead. It seemed like a promising lead, but it was a dead end."

"Dead?" Zhang Wei repeats coldly.

"The body was discovered by an imperial palace patrol in an abandoned well. We sent men to her family's residence, hoping to find something, but…" The secretary lowers his gaze.

"The entire family was dead. And judging by the decomposition, they'd been dead for nearly a week." Zhang Wei rubs his temples in frustration, then says to his secretary "A week. That means the plan to poison the Zhāohuán began almost as soon as we learned that Guifei Xiang's entourage was approaching the capital."

"That's most likely", the secretary confirms. Silence hangs in the air for a moment, so thick it could almost be cut with a sword.

"Prepare a report with everything discovered so far", Zhang Wei orders after a moment.

"I want it to be complete and clear so it can be delivered to the Emperor before nightfall. Also include a list of everyone who might have a motive for wanting to poison the Zhāohuán." The secretary bows slightly as he asks "Do you want the long list or the short one, Yushi Dafu?" Zhang Wei lets out a sigh that seems to carry years of accumulated fatigue as he replies "The short one, for now. We don't want to stir up more mud than necessary before we know what snakes dwell within it."

The secretary nods, jotting down quick notes on the papers he carries. Zhang Wei watches him for a moment while his mind is already jumping to the next matter.

"And regarding the matter of Agent Wang Lianhua, what has finally happened?" he asks his secretary.

"Actually, Your Excellency, Wang Lianhua no longer belongs to the Yushitai", the secretary tells Zhang Wei.

"A few months ago, shortly after the Celestial Fragment incident, the Zhāohuán, likely at the behest of Guifei Xiang, used her rank to transfer her to her personal service. The order arrived sealed and was registered."

"And no one in this Ministry knew about it?" Zhang Wei growls, his lips tight.

"For some reason, Li Zhongcai, director of the Personnel Department, delayed processing the paperwork, and so the whole matter went unnoticed until it blew up when we sent agents to look for her", the secretary replies to Zhang Wei. Zhang Wei closes his eyes for a moment as his lips tighten into a hard line.

"What measures have been taken regarding Li Zhongcai?" he asks his secretary.

"The case has been reported to the Disciplinary Department, but Li Zhongcai is the brother of Li Xinghe, deputy secretary of the Ministry of Rituals", the secretary replies.

"Therefore, I don't think the punishment will go beyond a reprimand, unless you personally order otherwise." Zhang Wei runs a hand across his forehead before shaking his head and sighing "It's not worth making an enemy of a deputy secretary over something like this." The secretary waits, brush in hand, and asks cautiously "Do you wish for us to issue a summons to interrogate Wang Lianhua?" Zhang Wei lets out a dry laugh, devoid of any trace of joy.

"Do that right after Zhāohuán was poisoned inside the imperial court?" he replies to his secretary.

"And without a single reliable lead on the perpetrators? The Guifei would deny us and do so with every ounce of disdain she could muster. No, let's not make the request. Not for now, at least." The secretary nods, remaining silent as he waits for further orders. Finally, with a slight gesture, he says "I have no further orders for you. You may withdraw." The secretary bows and walks away in silence.

Zhang Wei is left alone in the silence of his office as he rests his elbows on the desk, interlaces his fingers, and closes his eyes. The storm has not yet begun, but Zhang Wei can already hear the distant roar of its thunder. And tonight, in the midst of the storm, he will have to face the Emperor and deliver this report.

In one of the pavilions where the imperial consorts reside, more precisely, in a secluded room where only they are present, three women sit around a low table covered with an embroidered brocade tablecloth. A blue-and-white porcelain teapot gives off white steam, and trays of sesame, plum blossom, and glutinous rice sweets dot the surface like edible treasures.

Fei Lan, the First Imperial Consort, elegantly holds a teacup while her dark eyes, as sharp as her thoughts, stare unblinkingly at the woman speaking to her, across from her, the Sixth Consort, Fei Qiao, holds her gaze after taking a sip.

"So your foolproof plan", Fei Qiao says to her.

"Turned out not to be as foolproof as you intended, older sister." A slight twitch runs across the corner of Fei Lan's lips as she listens.

"I don't know how that brat managed it", she says in a restrained voice.

"But the poison was Soul-Devouring Lotus. Someone who hasn't even opened the Water Gate shouldn't have survived long enough for the imperial physician to stabilize her." A heavy silence follows her words, until Fei Xi, the Eighth Consort, speaks in a pensive tone.

"It is known that Zhāohuán is likely one Blessed by the Heavens", she says softly.

"Perhaps that blessing grants her greater resistance to poisons than an ordinary person." Her words hang over the table for a moment, spreading like ripples in a pond after a stone has been dropped. Fei Qiao frowns and sets down her cup with a soft clink.

"If that's true", she murmurs.

"It would mean that any attack on the Zhāohuán would have to be direct. And that would make it exponentially more difficult." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Fei Lan nods slowly, her fingers playing with the rim of her cup.

"Any discussion on that subject will have to wait for better times", she finally says coldly.

"Right now, security around the Zhāohuán is so tight that not even a suicide assassin could get close to her. Any plan would be little more than meaningless chatter." The conversation pauses for a moment as the three consorts sip tea and nibble on sweets. The sweet taste contrasts with the veiled bitterness of the conversation.

After a few minutes, Fei Lan sets down her cup and turns to Fei Qiao with an inquisitive look as she asks "What have your contacts in the Yushitai told you about the Zhāohuán's bodyguard, the one who was involved in the whole Celestial Fragment affair?" Fei Qiao shrugs slightly.

"They tell me there's nothing they can do", he replies.

"It seems Yushi Dafu Zhang Wei has given up. And not only that, I've been told in confidence that the Emperor himself held a secret audience with Guifei Xiang and the maiden. After that meeting, he allowed them to return to the Cloud Fragrance Pavilion and gave orders that no further questions be asked about what happened at the Celestial Fragment of the Sands."

Fei Lan presses her lips together tightly, wondering why her contacts hadn't informed her of something so important, but before she can continue, someone knocks on the door. The First Consort glances at her, irritated by the interruption, but aware that if someone dares to interrupt her meeting, it must be for a compelling reason.

"Come in", she says curtly to whoever is on the other side of the door. The door opens and a maid bows quickly as she says "My apologies for interrupting, Venerable Fei, but an urgent order has arrived from the Emperor." Fei Lan raises an eyebrow as she says to the maid "Then speak quickly. What is it?"

"The Emperor has ordered that all his consorts and children, as well as numerous nobles and high officials, be present tomorrow at mid-morning for an urgent court meeting", the maid replies without looking up. Fei Lan waves her hand after hearing the maid and says "You may withdraw." The maid bows and disappears behind the door, letting it close softly behind her. Fei Lan looks at her companions and sighs as she says "It seems our meeting is over.

We will all have preparations to make for His Majesty's sudden surprise." Fei Qiao and Fei Xi nod silently, after which they rise slowly while Fei Lan, with the grace of one born for elegance, stands up and says a few words of farewell as they leave the room to join their maids. When the door finally closes, silence falls over the room, but Fei Lan does not sit down; instead, she stands motionless by the table, her eyes fixed on the window as she gazes out at the silent garden.

And she thinks of Guifei Xiang and her worthless daughter. If she had already wanted to rid herself of them for having snatched the position that rightfully belonged to her, now she had an even more compelling reason. She is convinced that, one way or another, they were involved in her son's death. And that, Fei Lan silently vows, will not go unpunished. The Hall of the Celestial Dragon is more crowded than it has been in recent years.

Morning light streams through the large windows, reflecting off the dais at the front of the hall where Sun Hao, Emperor of Tianjing, sits upon his throne. His expression is stern and his demeanor unyielding, though his thoughts are far removed from the image he projects. To his right, standing as straight as a ceremonial pole, is Taijian Lu Jianjun, chief of the administrators, with his hands crossed over his chest and his gaze lowered but alert.

To the left stands Jiangjun Han Xin, clad in the ceremonial armor of the Left Army, and beside him, in a rare appearance, the taciturn Jiangjun Qi Jiguang, wearing the armor of the Right Army, as he seldom participates in court affairs. In front of the throne, at the foot of the marble staircase leading up to the imperial platform, stands the imperial family.

The imperial consorts, arranged in order of seniority, wear formal but dark robes, perhaps as a symbolic gesture considering recent events, while the imperial princes stand lined up beside them, tense as the strings of a guzheng. Only two figures are missing, Zhāohuán Sun Wen, still grave after her poisoning, and Guifei Xiang, who has not left her daughter's side since then.

Further back, beyond the rungs of authority, the representatives of the noble houses are gathered, some present in person and others through their envoys. Further behind, the empire's high officials fill the hall for this unusual summons from the Emperor. Sun Hao observes the scene in silence, knowing that what he is about to say will unleash a storm whose effects he cannot predict. But his hands are tied, for the Sect of the Celestial Sun has spoken.

And in the Empire, its voice carries more weight than that of the throne. Noticing that the murmurs among the attendees are beginning to grow, he makes a slight gesture with his fingers. Taijian Lu Jianjun steps forward and proclaims in a clear voice, trained by decades of protocol "The Emperor will speak." The hall falls into an expectant silence. Sun Hao looks up, and when he speaks, his voice is firm and direct, without a hint of hesitation.

"I have two matters to communicate to this assembly, both of which are related", he tells the people gathered in the throne room.

"The first is the result of the investigation into what occurred at the Celestial Fragment of the Sands." Whispers resurface at the mere mention of the name.

"Prince Sun Chao and several young men from noble houses disappeared inside it. I have personally interrogated a witness, and, considering the circumstances involved, I reported the case to the Sect of the Celestial Sun", here Sun Hao pauses as a sharp silence fills the room. After the pause, Sun Hao continues and tells those present "The Sect has decreed that everything that happened within the Celestial Fragment shall remain a secret.

No one, neither prince nor noble, may access further information except through a formal and direct request to the Sect itself." The impact of those words is felt as if a stone had been thrown into a pond, and the ripples of this event spread among those gathered. The gazes of those present turn in multiple directions. Toward Fei Lan, mother of the missing Sun Chao, who is holding back her anger as best she can. Toward Fei Qiao and Fei Xi, whose clans also had members go missing in the Celestial Fragment.

Toward the elderly representative of the Zhang family, whose mask of serenity betrays not a single muscle. Sun Hao looks at them all, aware that no one is satisfied with what he has just said, but knowing that no one will risk incurring the Sect's wrath by trying to pry into secrets they shouldn't. When he senses that the tension is about to become unbearable, Sun Hao raises his hand again. Taijian Lu Jianjun steps forward once more, and his voice echoes through the hall as he says "The Emperor will speak again."

All eyes turn once more to the throne presiding over the hall.

"The Sect of the Celestial Sun, for reasons that have not been revealed to me, has issued an order regarding the imperial succession", Sun Hao declares next, knowing the effect his words will have. A massive murmur spreads like a wave at his words, just as he knew it would. The mere idea of a change in the succession process is enough to chill the blood or ignite ambitions, and the eyes of his sons are fixed on him, alert, fearful, or expectant, depending on their previous prospects in the race for the throne.

"The Sect has decreed that, until the Celestial Fragment of the Sands reopens, the Tianjing Empire must remain stable", Sun Hao says in a relentless tone.

"Therefore, even though there are only sixteen years left until the imperial succession, acts of hostility between the candidates for Heir are strictly forbidden." The hall erupts as whispers turn into murmurs, and then into stifled exclamations. Protests disguised as unease and voices that, though they dare not rise too high, make clear the confusion that reigns.

"Silence in the court!" thunders the voice of Taijian Lu Jianjun. When silence is restored, Sun Hao rises slowly, causing everyone present to kneel immediately. The height of the throne allows him to look down on everyone, but it is his gaze that imposes the true distance.

"This is not a suggestion", says Sun Hao, each word striking the air with the weight of authority.

"It is a direct decree from the Sect of the Celestial Sun. And they have declared their intention to severely punish anyone who violates it." Here he pauses before uttering his final sentence: "When the Celestial Fragment reopens, they have said I will receive further instructions from them regarding how the succession will proceed in this cycle. Until then, they will not tolerate anyone disrupting the stability of the Empire." A new silence settles over the room, this time thicker, colder.

The webs of alliances woven over the years tighten as dozens of people begin to consider how these new orders affect their interests and their relationships with the princes. Sun Hao observes the faces before him and, for a moment, considers mentioning his daughter's poisoning. But no. Though he has his suspicions, this day was not convened by a father, it was convened by the Emperor, and, unfortunately, that will always take precedence.

Furthermore, taking action on this matter would stir up turmoil among the noble families, which is exactly the opposite of what the sect has ordered, and Sun Hao, as much as he would like to, cannot go against those orders. Therefore, with a final gesture to Taijian Lu Jianjun, he brings the session to a close.

"The Emperor hereby adjourns this audience", proclaims Taijian Lu Jianjun. Sun Hao turns and exits through the back of the throne room, followed by his attendants who, with the exception of Taijian Lu Jianjun, have not uttered a single word throughout the entire session. And in his wake lies the mess he's created by derailing hundreds of storylines and plots that now have to be put on hold, and it's unclear whether they'll survive the wait.