Chapter 79

The night was as dark as ink.

Within the Taiyi Palace, Xue Shengan had been standing inside the hall for a long time, but Emperor Renle seemed to ignore him, facing the wall and staring at the divine statues hanging there without uttering a word.

For the past six months, Xue Shengan had been ordered to lead the army in search of clues about the “elixir.” Now that he had gathered some information, he had returned to the capital to report. During these past few days, every time Emperor Renle summoned him, he seemed pleased.

But today, Emperor Renle had ordered Xue Shengan to enter the palace late at night, only to remain silent.

It was unclear how much time had passed, and Xue Shengan’s legs were nearly numb when Emperor Renle finally turned around.

“I’ve recently heard…”

Xue Shengan made a gesture of respectful listening, but Emperor Renle paused for a long while before continuing, “It seems there are some rumors about the Crown Prince in the palace.”

Xue Shengan lifted his eyes, surprised, and immediately knelt.

“I am still investigating this matter, and I would not dare to report it without solid evidence. Who would have thought that someone below would let it slip? It is my fault for not tightening control! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!”

Upon hearing this, Emperor Renle’s expression darkened.

Another long silence passed before he simply said, “Speak.”

“Your Majesty, do you still remember the Yunxiang Village massacre in Mengyang Prefecture?”

Xue Shengan raised his head but saw that Emperor Renle only furrowed his brows.

It seemed he didn’t remember.

“Twenty years ago, Yunxiang Village in Mengyang Prefecture was raided by mountain bandits, and the situation was horrific,” Xue Shengan said slowly. “The bandits were not content with looting, but slaughtered the entire population of the village and then set fire to it, leaving nothing behind, not even a brick or a tile.”

At this point, Emperor Renle recalled the incident.

He remembered that more than two hundred people had died in that massacre, and such a brutal event hadn’t occurred in the Great Liang dynasty for decades.

But he also remembered that the governor of Mengyang Prefecture had quickly led the troops to suppress the bandits, who were all killed, and since then, Mengyang Prefecture had not suffered any further banditry.

“A few days ago, while searching for the elixir of immortality, I happened to pass by Yunxiang Village.”

“There was no one left in the village, but the people in the nearby towns still clearly remember the incident. While I was investigating the clues for the elixir, I heard villagers say that, the night before the massacre, several pregnant women had disappeared from the village.”

“Later, hunters passing through Yunxiang Village often saw the spirits of these pregnant women at night, claiming that their children had been cut out and sent to the palace.”

“I originally thought it was just a baseless rumor, but the villagers spoke so convincingly, so I paid attention to the matter, thinking that if it was a mere rumor, those hunters should be punished. But if…”

He glanced at Emperor Renle.

“Yunxiang Village had long been destroyed, and investigating the leads is no easy task. The only thing we can confirm now is that the disappearance of those pregnant women happened just as the queen was about to give birth to the Crown Prince…”

Xue Shengan didn’t dare to continue directly.

Emperor Renle turned his back again.

The candlelight cast a long shadow of his thin figure onto the floor, which fell in front of Xue Shengan like a giant stone, almost suffocating him.

A long time passed.

Then, Emperor Renle’s voice fell heavily on Xue Shengan’s head.

“Continue the investigation.”

Rumors are a weapon that kills without leaving a trace.

They are invisible, intangible, and even the source cannot be found.

If left unchecked, they will inevitably lead to great disaster.

If one strikes down the rumors with thunderous force, it might stir up even more trouble.

On this somewhat stuffy spring night, the queen sat alone at the window, her long hair flowing, and remained there until dawn was nearly upon them.

It was only then that someone stood in front of her palace.

When the palace maid reported, the queen opened her eyes, looked through the window at the figure outside, and silently walked toward the mirror table.

Despite not having slept all night, the queen still had her maid dress her in a regal and elegant manner, paying attention to every detail.

The Crown Prince waited outside for half an hour before he was allowed to step into the main hall.

The moment she saw the Crown Prince’s expression, the thought that had been hanging in the queen’s mind all night came crashing down.

Her body remained tense, but the blood flowing through her veins began to boil with ambition.

She had made her decision.

So, before the Crown Prince could speak, she took the initiative and asked, “Did you hear any rumors, and that is why you’ve come to see your mother?”

The Crown Prince raised his eyes and looked solemnly at the queen.

“Did Mother hear the rumors too?”

The queen sat down and calmly nodded.

After a moment of thought, the Crown Prince said, “Although I know these rumors are nonsense, nothing ever comes from nowhere. We must find out who is behind this.”

The queen thought, naturally.

In Yunxiang Village, all 231 people were clearly dead, the mountain bandits had been wiped out, and even those who knew about it back then had gradually disappeared from the world.

Where had things gone wrong? Who was spreading these rumors?

“Yes,” she muttered. “We must find this person.”

“But the immediate task,” the Crown Prince said, “is to curb these rumors before—”

“How do you curb rumors?”

The queen suddenly interrupted the Crown Prince’s words. “People have mouths; are you going to stop them from speaking?”

She glanced out the window, where the lamps under the eaves were already lit.

“Since you’ve heard the rumors, do you think they haven’t reached your father’s ears yet?”

The Crown Prince naturally knew.

This was precisely why he was eager to see the queen.

“Has Father heard the rumors but not summoned Mother?”

“Yes.”

The queen said, “Someone must be doing this on purpose, and their goal is to make the Emperor doubt both of us.”

At this point, she suddenly turned to look at the Crown Prince, her gaze becoming sharp.

“What do you think Mother should do? How can I prove my innocence for something I didn’t do?”

For some reason, the Crown Prince felt that the queen’s gaze at this moment was very strange, but he couldn’t put his finger on why.

“No need for Mother to prove anything; I will find out the truth.”

“Find out. How will you do that?”

The queen said, “Are you going to interrogate everyone in the palace, one by one, to find the source of the rumors?”

She rested her chin in her hand and smiled, wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes.

“Since this is clearly intentional, the person behind this must have made all the necessary preparations. By the time you catch the instigator, your father may already be preparing to take a blood test for the succession.”

The Crown Prince felt even more confused upon hearing this.

“What do you mean, Mother?”

Still not understanding?

The queen suddenly stood up.

She hadn’t wanted to go this far.

The Queen Wen had never been content with just holding the imperial seal.

What use was that?

In the previous dynasty, the queen had the power to issue imperial decrees, but now she could only affix the seal to matters in the harem or for ceremonial purposes, no different from ordinary women in the inner court.

But she had to endure.

She would endure until her son ascended the throne.

Watching the Crown Prince finally secure the position of heir apparent, with military power in his hands and no strong competition from other princes, she could finally rest easy, just waiting for him to sit on the dragon throne.

Who would have thought this incident would happen at this time?

Had this happened before, the queen might have been thrown into confusion.

If hard evidence were found, even her entire family would not be spared.

But times had changed.

Her son now held great power, and the throne was just one step away; she could not afford any mistakes.

Only one step remained.

If someone tried to stop her, she would kick them aside.

Moreover, she had been impatient for a long time, and this rumor had forced her hand.

So, whether the Emperor suspected her or not, she didn’t want to wait anymore.

“Suspicion is the hardest thing to get rid of in this world. Once your father has even the slightest doubt, you will never secure this position as heir.”

She took a step forward and stood before the Crown Prince. “If that’s the case, why not sit on the dragon throne before your father grows suspicious, so you can truly silence the rumors?”

Under the palace lamps, the Crown Prince’s eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.

“Mother, what are you saying?”

“Your Highness, can you not understand?”

The queen grabbed his wrist and spoke each word slowly, “After all, the throne will eventually be yours. Right now, your father is immersed in his spiritual pursuits and not concerned with state matters. You can take the throne early and restore order in the court. Do you really want to wait until the Great Liang Dynasty is beyond repair and then go up to clean up the mess?”

Outside the hall, several trusted guards stood at the door, not allowing even a fly to get close.

An hour later, the Crown Prince finally emerged.

It was supposed to be the time of day when the sun rose, but it seemed like rain was coming, and the sky above was overcast.

No one knew what the queen and Crown Prince had discussed.

When the Crown Prince stepped out of the dark palace, his demeanor still exuded a noble presence, cold yet resolute.

On the other hand, the queen, who followed behind, had a pale face, with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

Some people, no matter how much power they gained, were still born common and destined for nothing great.

Fortunately, she had long anticipated this and made all the necessary preparations.

Standing behind the door frame, the queen watched the Crown Prince’s upright figure and suddenly asked, “Are you going back to the Eastern Palace to find Shufang?”

The Crown Prince paused his steps.

After a moment, he turned around.

The queen’s face had already lifted into the same smile she always wore, as if she truly cared.

“I heard that Shufang has been feeling unwell recently. I am concerned about her, so I had someone bring her here. She is resting in the back hall right now.”

A spring thunder rumbled in the distance, echoing over the imperial city.

A sudden downpour began, falling without warning.

This year’s capital seems to be experiencing more rain than usual, with showers lasting all day.

Moreover, Yiling had decided to stay low for the time being, so she hadn’t gone out these past two days.

Yesterday, however, Yiling had someone deliver a few items to Shen Shufang, only to hear that she was sick again and refusing to see anyone.

Yiling felt a growing sense of unease.

Perhaps it was because spring was a season known for its melancholy, and the continuous rain only deepened one’s mood.

Or perhaps… because these past few days, Xie Hengzhi seemed especially busy, often staying in his study for a long time.

Li Chun and Dao Yu were always stationed outside.

It was obvious who else might be inside.

That night, Yiling sat by the window, watching the light in the study come on again. She finally understood why she felt so restless.

Since Xue Shengan was ordered to search for clues about the longevity elixir for the Emperor, what clues could he find in the Xie residence?

The elixir couldn’t possibly be hidden in the study.

Moreover, Yiling had already seen that Xie Hengzhi didn’t believe in such things at all. He only went along with the Emperor’s requests to appease him, but privately, he would never waste his efforts on such matters.

Were they perhaps planning something underhanded?

When the night grew late, the study light finally went out.

Xie Hengzhi gently pushed open the door to the bedroom.

Yiling sat by the window, propping her chin, seemingly lost in thought.

She snapped back to reality when she saw him enter, her gaze locking onto him.

“Aren’t you going to rest yet?” he asked.

“I will rest now,” Yiling replied.

As she stood up, she heard Xie Hengzhi ask, “Is that a new bracelet?”

She looked down and saw the bracelet on her right wrist. “Oh,” she responded, “No, it was a gift from the Crown Princess.”

Xie Hengzhi didn’t look at it any longer and sat on the bed, picking up a book.

Seeing him looking so leisurely, Yiling asked, “Aren’t you going to rest?”

“Today is a rare moment of free time. I’ll read for a while,” he said, flipping through the book and lazily leaning against the soft pillow.

Seeing this, Yiling relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

She walked into the bedroom curtains and quietly lay down.

It seemed she had been overthinking.

Time passed, and the candlelight flickered in the silence of the night.

Xie Hengzhi put down his book, walked over to the bed, and softly called, “Yiling?”

The person on the bed remained still, breathing steadily without any reaction.

Xie Hengzhi then sat on the edge of the bed and gently removed the bracelet from her wrist. He quietly gazed at her.

It wasn’t long before Li Chun’s figure appeared outside the door.

Xie Hengzhi leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Yiling’s forehead.

He then stood up and left the room.

As the door closed behind him, Yiling finally opened her eyes.

She touched her forehead, where she could still feel the warmth of his kiss.

Staring at the ceiling, Yiling’s heart suddenly began to race.