Chapter 11: 11. Chapter 11: Where is Qingwu?

Chapter 11: Where is Qingwu?

At this hour, the Emperor should be in the Hall of Diligent Governance, meeting with officials and reviewing memorials. The Emperor's special arrival was naturally due to the news of the Prince falling into the water.

Logically, everyone should have gone to the main hall to discuss matters.

But anyone could see right now that the Emperor, seated in the primary position, was in a foul mood; no one dared to suggest moving his residence.

The Empress Dowager sat beside the Emperor.

With a face full of heartache, she said, "How could Yuanheng fall into the water so suddenly? Could someone be attempting to murder the imperial heir? This matter must be investigated thoroughly!"

"Mother is right; it must be strictly investigated," Emperor Wusu said in a flat tone.

However, the frost in his eyes seemed capable of piercing everyone present.

"Li Yuzong, bring in the palace attendants who were looking after the Prince."

Within moments, more than a dozen palace maids, eunuchs, and nannies were brought to the hall entrance.

Chief Eunuch Li walked toward the Emperor's subordinate with his head bowed, reporting respectfully, "Your Majesty, they have all been brought here."

Emperor Wusu, Zhao Mingyan, scanned those kneeling on the ground.

"The Prince fell into the water, yet not a single person was accompanying him."

He did not raise his voice in anger, yet his words were inexplicably terrifying.

The Emperor had barely spoken a sentence when an incompetent eunuch, his legs trembling, wet his pants.

Li Yuzong signaled to his subordinates to quickly drag the man away to avoid defiling the Emperor's sight.

One could not blame the man for his weak psychological endurance; the new Emperor had fought his way up from the battlefield, and his path to the throne was paved with white bones.

In recent years, his image as a diligent and people-loving ruler had become deeply ingrained in the public consciousness. Combined with his peerless, handsome countenance, people had almost forgotten he possessed this side of himself.

He had not displayed such a terrifying demeanor for a long time.

An aura of slaughter instantly filled the entire palace.

Behind the screen, Ji Qingwu shuddered. She wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her body tight.

She could not see the expression of this Northern Li Emperor, but she could feel the murderous atmosphere of being in the same space. Furthermore, since her inner garments were still damp, goosebumps had broken out all over her body.

The saying "to serve a monarch is to be with a tiger" was no exaggeration.

The Empress Dowager remained relatively composed on the surface. "Your Majesty, these attendants failed in their duties and deserve punishment. However, Yuanheng was raised under Consort Wei. Since something happened to the Prince, why has his mother not appeared yet?"

Consort Wei had received the news late and was currently on her way.

Seeing that the Emperor had no intention of directing his anger toward Consort Wei, the Empress Dowager frowned and spoke, "Yuanheng was carried back to Cining Palace, shivering from the wind and covered in filth, his little face pale. It broke my heart just to see him."

Yuanheng sat quietly to the side.

The Emperor looked at him, his voice devoid of any comfort, carrying instead a tone of interrogation.

"Yuanheng, why did you fall into the water?"

Emperor Wusu had been on the throne for three years, and none of his concubines had produced offspring; he had only this one Prince.

However, the Emperor did not dote on him excessively; he was never soft when it came to punishing mistakes. Consequently, Yuanheng had not developed a spoiled or arrogant temperament.

The four-year-old child spoke clearly, "Reporting to Imperial Father, after finishing my lessons, I passed by the Taiye Pond. I heard a puppy barking in the grass, so I sent Xiao Quanzi to check. Afterward, I accidentally fell into the water by the shore."

Emperor Wusu nodded, his eyes cold. "Where is Xiao Quanzi?"

Before an answer could be given, a woman's pleasant voice drifted in from the entrance.

"Your Majesty, I have found Xiao Quanzi's body."

Consort Wei, dressed in a misty blue gauze palace gown with a golden swaying hairpin, entered accompanied by two maids.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager."

Consort Wei curtsied. With bright eyes and white teeth, her gaze was spirited and lively; she was a rare, stunning beauty, truly worthy of being the Emperor's favored consort.

After receiving the Emperor's permission, she approached the little Prince.

In a gentle tone, she said, "Yuanheng, Mother is late."

Seeing her manner, the Empress Dowager said irritably, "Consort Wei, so you were late all this time, making the Empress Dowager and the Emperor wait for you. Were you acting as a judge investigating a case?"

It was not only men who pursued power; the women of the inner palace fought tooth and nail to grasp control over the six palaces.

The Empress Dowager had never been Empress; she enjoyed this status only by virtue of her stepson. Having tasted the flavor of power, she was unwilling to let go. Watching Wei Liru rise from a noble lady to a Consort, with the position of Empress within reach, how could she not be on guard?

It was no secret in the palace that Consort Wei and the Empress Dowager were at odds.

Wei Liru said in surprise, "Empress Dowager, please do not tease me. I was so worried about the Little Highness's safety that my heart was racing. On my way here, I passed the Taiye Pond, so I took the opportunity to have people search the area."

"Took the opportunity?"

The Empress Dowager sneered inwardly. She was merely finding a way to resolve her own predicament.

The Emperor's only Prince had met with an accident; as his mother, she could not escape blame.

Emperor Wusu's expression did not change; he paid no mind to their bickering.

"Speak. What did you find?"

"Besides Xiao Quanzi's body, I have a greater discovery." Consort Wei looked at the Emperor with an air of hesitation. "Your Majesty, there is a great deal of moss on the steps by the lake."

Prince Yong thought Consort Wei was making a fuss and sneered, "There has been much rain this year. It is normal for moss and algae to grow by the lake after it rains. Has Consort Wei never seen moss before?"

Consort Wei ignored Prince Yong's mocking words and looked at Emperor Wusu with her watery eyes.

"However, it just so happens that my maid, Bitao, is from Chaonan. She recognizes this specific type of moss as one that only grows in her hometown. For this Chaonan moss to suddenly appear in the Imperial Palace, and for Yuanheng to accidentally slip into the lake, I cannot help but wonder."

These words were an explicit hint: the moss was suspicious, and the Prince had been targeted.

Since Consort Wei dared to expose this publicly, the person behind it must have no connection to her. Now that the clue had been thrown out, if the culprit was not found, it would be a failure of the Imperial Household Department.

The Grand Eunuch, Li Yuzong, immediately bowed and exited the hall to begin the investigation.

The Empress Dowager's gaze darkened. Consort Wei was clever; by investigating the cause of the Prince's fall first, she had effectively turned a potential fault into a merit.

But the Empress Dowager would not let her off easily. "Your Majesty, regardless of the circumstances, Yuanheng nearly lost his life. Our Northern Li Imperial Family has only this one heir. This matter must not be dealt with lightly; everyone involved must be severely punished."

Emperor Wusu asked, "What does Mother suggest?"

"The palace attendants serving the Prince shall have their stipends docked for a year and receive twenty strokes of the cane. Consort Wei is responsible for the Prince's upbringing; since he nearly met with a disaster due to her lack of careful supervision, she shall be confined to her palace for three months. Additionally, should we consider moving Yuanheng to a more suitable palace?"

As the person in charge of the inner palace, it was within the Empress Dowager's duty to propose such measures.

A slight smile curled at the corner of the Emperor's mouth.

"Mother, which palace do you think is more suitable for Yuanheng?"

The Empress Dowager's eyes shifted. She could not simply demand that the Prince be moved to her own quarters.

She said circuitously, "This requires long-term consideration. However, he can no longer stay in Guanju Palace. I heard that Yuanheng was rescued by someone. Who was it? I must reward them handsomely."

Shi Xi stepped forward with quick strides to report, "It was the fifth young lady of the Ji family, who came to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager today. She disregarded her own safety and jumped into the lake to save the Little Highness."

Zhao Yuanheng pricked up his little ears. So this woman was a member of the Ji family, just like the Empress Dowager.

He did not care which concubine's palace he would be moved to; instead, he was more interested in the woman's name.

The Emperor said with a half-smile, "The Empress Dowager's niece from her maiden family. What a coincidence."

Acting as if she had just found out, the Empress Dowager asked, "The fifth young lady was always such a kind and brave child. Where is Qingwu?"

Behind the screen, Ji Qingwu:...

*I'm right here.*

Ji Qingwu: *Silently raises her hand.*

(End of Chapter)