The Blood Crown - Chapter 106

Yan Sikong didn’t sleep all night and went to the yamen1 early the next day.

The Ministry of Personnel had recently organized the list of officials participating in the capital inspection plan according to their ranks and was busy collecting their political achievements over the years. They also needed to draft the topics for internal assessments and verifications, so it was a very busy time.

Yan Sikong was occupied with official duties all morning, but his heart was always concerned with the case of the Crown Prince. His colleagues in the yamen were also discussing it, as it was a matter of national importance.

One of the ministry’s officials asked Yan Sikong, “Master Yan, as the Crown Prince’s teacher, do you have any news?”

Yan Sikong coughed lightly, “The Crown Prince and the Consort are innocent. I’m sure His Majesty will discern the truth.”

This was essentially saying nothing, so the official persisted, “You frequently visit the Wenyuan Pavilion. Are you seeking out the Chief Minister?”

Yan Sikong smiled faintly, “I am concerned about the Crown Prince and the Consort, so I ask my teacher for some information. However, everything will be decided by the three judicial departments and ultimately by His Majesty.”

Seeing that Yan Sikong was tight-lipped, they gave up.

Yan Sikong thought to himself that it seemed his every move was being watched, and he should visit the Wenyuan Pavilion less often in the future.

Despite his anxiety, Yan Sikong didn’t run to Yan Zilian that day. The morning court session was still filled with heated debates about the Crown Prince and Consort Hui, but no conclusion was reached. He estimated that if Wanyang had secretly informed the Empress Dowager, she would only make a move after the morning court session. So, besides waiting, there was nothing else to be done.

After waiting for a day, during the next morning court session, the ministers continued to advise, and Emperor Zhao Wu suddenly relented. He said that the Crown Prince’s performance of the emperor’s rites at the northern suburbs’ ancestral tombs was indeed baseless, so he would release Chen Mu. However, the case of Consort Hui allegedly ordering an assassin to kill the Second Prince had a confession from the assassin, and it needed to be thoroughly investigated to uncover the truth.

This was clearly due to pressure from the Empress Dowager, but with the assassin’s confession, even the Empress Dowager couldn’t interfere with the judiciary—especially when the emperor didn’t want her to. This alone was sufficient.

When Yan Sikong visited Yan Zilian late at night, he learned that the Crown Prince had already been returned to the Eastern Palace. Although the Crown Prince was temporarily safe, the danger was not over. Consort Hui, being the Crown Prince’s mother, was now in prison, which damaged the Crown Prince’s reputation. If she was found guilty, it would certainly implicate the Crown Prince.

Yan Sikong asked, “Teacher, you mentioned discussing the case with the Court Minister. Any results?”

Yan Zilian nodded, “The three judicial departments are jointly investigating. It’s impossible to tamper with the confession. The assassin refuses to recant, whether by coercion or bribery. I suspect his family is in Xie Zhongren’s hands, and he’s prepared to die. The judicial departments have no evidence linking Consort Hui to the crime beyond his confession and the timing of the attack after she left. Master Meng said that in an ordinary case, with insufficient evidence, he wouldn’t convict the Consort. But the Censorate opposes him at every turn. Most importantly, this is a case of an attempted assassination within the harem, a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations. If they can’t find the mastermind, they will also be held accountable. If the Consort is innocent, then who is guilty? How can they explain this to the emperor?”

“We should investigate the assassin’s origin and follow the trail. Maybe we’ll find more evidence.”

“This man is from the northwest, possibly the Datong area. If His Majesty gave enough time, Master Meng would have investigated by now. But the deadline is approaching, and there’s no time.”

Yan Zilian stroked his beard, “Now the emperor wants to convict the Consort. Who dares to overturn the confession?”

Yan Sikong squinted, “Then perhaps the only option is to kill the assassin.”

“If the assassin is killed, there will be no evidence. But Xie Zhongren will surely accuse us of silencing him, causing unknown repercussions.”

“If we don’t kill him, the Consort won’t escape. If we do, there might be a slim chance.”

Yan Zilian pondered, then sighed, “The one who should die isn’t him.”

Yan Sikong was startled. To others, this might sound like cursing those framing Consort Hui, but his sharp mind instantly grasped Yan Zilian’s underlying meaning.

Indeed, the one who should die now is not the assassin; that assassin will eventually be executed. But killing him now is the worst of all strategies, a non-strategy, while the death of one person could truly help Chen Mu through this crisis—that person is Consort Hui.

If Consort Hui dies, it can be said she died to prove her innocence. Emperor Zhaowu will not pursue the matter further, and for the sake of propriety and reason, he cannot consider deposing the crown prince at this critical moment, or he would be criticized by the whole world.

However, Yan Sikong had to play dumb. He believed Yan Zilian wouldn’t want him to understand the hidden meaning in his words. Yan Sikong merely said viciously, “Yes, that eunuch has committed so many evils, it’s absurd that heaven hasn’t taken him yet!”

Yan Zilian gave a noncommittal response and said, “I’ll discuss it further with the Grand Justice. You should enter the palace tomorrow and first comfort the crown prince.”

“Understood.”

On the way back, Yan Sikong felt increasingly heavy-hearted.

He knew Yan Zilian wouldn’t go as far as to harm Consort Hui, but when he visited her that day, he saw she was already in extreme fear. The years of bullying and oppression in the palace had left her utterly desperate. If she were subjected to more torture, and if she learned that Chen Mu had been released while she was still a burden to her son, she might take her own life.

Yan Zilian saw this, Meng Duo saw this, and now Yan Sikong understood as well. But none of them would tell Chen Mu, nor would they stop it. Her death could secure the position of the crown prince, making her death meaningful.

Yet, Yan Sikong felt a heavy, oppressive feeling in his chest, making it difficult for him to eat and sleep.

Chen Mu was about the same age as he was when he witnessed Yuan Mao being wrongfully killed. A young man with great ambitions but no way to achieve them, having to face the harshness of life early on, with no choice.

That day, Consort Hui was in a pitiful and terrified state, but when she mentioned Chen Mu, she was resolute. Her gaze reminded him of his two mothers. Their faces had faded in his memory, but their care was something he could never forget. Though women are weak, a mother is strong. Consort Hui had lived a life of sorrow and misery, and she probably wouldn’t have the fortune to see her son ascend the throne. She was truly a pitiable person.

Yan Sikong closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He felt guilty toward Chen Mu, but he told himself that it couldn’t change anything.

When a person is too weak, they can protect nothing. The only solution is to become strong, supremely strong.

—-

The next morning, Yan Sikong entered the palace to visit Chen Mu. Chen Mu anxiously asked about Consort Hui’s condition. Yan Sikong tried to comfort him but didn’t reveal much. He repeatedly advised Chen Mu not to plead with Emperor Zhaowu, fearing it would backfire.

Upon returning home, Yan Sikong found three copper plates stacked on his desk, a signal from She Zhun indicating he had returned to the capital. After some thought, he wrote a letter asking She Zhun to train a few assassins. If the time came when it was absolutely necessary, they might have to take the risk of killing the second prince to secure Chen Mu’s position as crown prince.

After writing the letter, he had Ali deliver it to She Zhun at night.

—

The deadline given by Emperor Zhaowu for the investigation was approaching. The Three Judicial Offices had already discovered the assassin’s origin. He came from Datong Prefecture and entered the city three days before the assassination attempt. They interrogated everyone he had talked to at the inn where he stayed, finding that he had met a mysterious man there. However, the trail went cold after that, and they couldn’t find this mysterious man.

Since they couldn’t get further information from the assassin, they naturally turned to Consort Hui. Interrogation always involved torture, and Yan Sikong couldn’t bear to think about how the frail woman would endure it. At this moment, Chen Mu’s heart was probably being fried in oil.

So, within a few days, Yan Sikong heard that Chen Mu had disregarded advice and pleaded with Emperor Zhaowu, only to be thrown out. Yan Sikong thought it over and decided not to enter the palace, fearing that frequent visits to the Eastern Palace might also incur Emperor Zhaowu’s displeasure.

The court had been in chaos for more than half a month due to this case. Since Meng Duo had not yet concluded the case, Emperor Zhaowu expressed his dissatisfaction with the Three Judicial Offices during the morning court session, and the situation was becoming increasingly tense.

At this time, shocking news came from the prison—Consort Hui had hanged herself. She had written a large “injustice” in blood on the wall before hanging herself in that dark, sunless cell.

yamen1  – A yamen (衙门) is a term used in imperial China to refer to the office or residence of a local bureaucrat or government official. It was both a place where administrative duties were carried out and the official’s living quarters. Yamen typically included spaces for administrative work, holding court, and various governmental functions, as well as areas for the official’s family and household staff. The yamen was an important center of local governance and justice in traditional Chinese society.