Lingxiao had never imagined there could be someone so similar to her, someone who would be willing to sacrifice their life for such a simple and meager kindness.
Looking at the unconscious Azhu, Lingxiao sighed softly. "In this vast, floating world, countless people struggle to find a way to live, yet only you, you silly child, chose to walk toward death."
If she hadn't been there today, Azhu would have died at the memorial altar set up by the Zhang Family, and the matter would have ended there, forgotten. In the words of those high-and-mighty nobles, she was merely a servant. Even she herself, the Fourth Young Mistress, had her life swallowed up by these towering gates and deep courtyards just as easily—without a ripple, and with no one the wiser.
"Doctor, please take good care of her. I have important matters to attend to tonight; I’m sorry to trouble you."
The white-haired physician nodded. "Do not worry, my lady. The bleeding has stopped, and fortunately, it did not reach her vital organs. You may take her away tomorrow once she wakes; with a few months of rest, she will recover as if nothing happened." Above all, Lingxiao had delivered her just in time.
As she stepped onto the street, officers from the Capital Magistrate were heading straight toward her. The scene the Zhang Family had caused was too massive; a Prince of the realm and the First Rank Grand Secretary Zhang—any one of them involved was enough to shake the Capital. Through the tacit cooperation of all parties, officials protected one another. Never mind the bodies buried in the garden—even the possibility that Song Xiyan had been murdered by Zhang Yuan was prevented from spreading.
Lingxiao had long foreseen this result, so she felt no anger. Now, the "assassin" who caused such a scene at the memorial was a wanted criminal throughout the city. Leaving blood-written characters all over the altar, killing the guards of the Zhang Mansion, and sauntering away—this was an act that threw the Zhang Family's reputation into the dirt and trampled on it. If the dignified Grand Secretary Zhang endured this, he would truly become the laughingstock of the city.
The victim was Song Xiyan, but her own family refused to seek justice for her. Who else would stand up for someone already dead? Oh, right—there was that little fool of a maid. In this world, only she would speak out for Song Xiyan. Because of this, while so many things were easily swept under the rug, the assassin was pushed into the limelight. They wanted to shift public focus, but Lingxiao would not let them have their way. As she brushed past the officers, she spotted a bookstore ahead.
Lingxiao did not hesitate and walked straight inside. Soon, she emerged carrying several stacks of paper, disappearing into the crowd until her figure was no longer visible.
...
As night fell, inside the Daqing Celestial Prison, Xiao Wuji, who had been left to languish for a long time, finally saw Prince Han once more. In just half a day, Prince Han seemed utterly exhausted. Seeing Xiao Wuji, he remained silent for a moment before saying, "Come, let us go see your father."
Xiao Wuji paused, looking up at Prince Han. Even though he did not know what the Prince was planning, being able to see his father was good. In this world, his father was all he had left. Before entering the prison of the Deposed Crown Prince, Prince Han stopped. "Xiao Wuji, do you know what crime your father committed?"
Xiao Wuji looked up, thinking of what he had heard earlier before the throne. Three years ago, his father was deposed because he was accused of improper conduct and exam malpractice. Two years ago, he was exiled to Liaoxi, and his father was imprisoned in the deep palace. A year ago, his grandfather, having earned merit in the northern campaigns, was supposed to return in triumph but was instead branded a traitor. The northern territories lost several cities, and within the palace, his father’s name was mentioned repeatedly. There were those who didn't want his father merely imprisoned; they wanted him dead.
Xiao Wuji lowered his head. "His living is, to some, a crime in itself."
His father was the Emperor’s second son, the first born of the Empress. The late Empress and the Emperor had been childhood sweethearts, and his father was their first child. When the Imperial Grandmother passed away, she had held the Emperor’s hand, begging him to look after the child who had just been born. His father and he must have held a different meaning for the Emperor. To ensure his father’s death, any crime could be pinned on him, such as...
"He colluded with outside ministers and kept his own private soldiers and secret guards. The fact that you are here to see him today is because the Emperor gave you the chance." Prince Han coughed twice, his face pale—it seemed he was suffering from more than just exhaustion. "Do you understand what I am saying?"
Understand what? To interrogate his own father? Xiao Wuji wanted to laugh, but he couldn't. He remained silent, not wishing to say a word to Prince Han. Prince Han hesitated, then finally sighed. "Enough. Go in."
Xiao Wuji looked ahead. The prison holding the Deposed Crown Prince was large, its doors thicker than any other, with dozens of bailiffs standing on either side. Was this to keep him from escaping, or to prevent others from breaking him out?
"Creak!"
The heavy door opened, and Xiao Wuji saw his father sitting upright in the cell. He had grown much thinner, his hair had turned white, but that handsome face, which had been famous across Daqing over a decade ago, still possessed a certain grace. Xiao Wuji had inherited all the finest features of his mother and father, yet his reputation could never compare to his father’s. The Crown Prince of those years had been the "white moonlight" of the entire nation; everyone knew his name, and praises of him could be heard everywhere in the Imperial City.
And now, this man, once revered like an immortal, sat in a cage wearing only thin robes, enduring the cold wind and the deepest suspicions of his own father.
"Father..."
Hearing Xiao Wuji’s voice, the Deposed Crown Prince opened his eyes. Seeing his son, his eyes were filled with shock, then extreme fury. "Xiao Wuji! Why are you not staying in Liaoxi!"
Xiao Wuji’s eyes turned red as he stepped forward, shaking his head. "Father, if I did not return, there would be no kin left for me in this world."
The Deposed Crown Prince slammed his hand against the cage in a fit of rage, growling in pain, "Do you know! Coming back—your returning here—is so dangerous!"
Xiao Wuji knelt before his father. "Father, I was not long for this world anyway. In Liaoxi, I faced assassination attempts every three days and humiliation every ten." He looked up, tears in his eyes. "Father, I have no other family left. Just you. Grandfather... he is gone."
The Deposed Crown Prince closed his eyes, his entire body trembling. "Wicked fate, wicked fate!" He said, "Wuji, it is Father’s fault. Father failed your mother, failed your grandfather, and failed so many others."
Xiao Wuji shook his head, weeping. The Deposed Crown Prince reached out and rested his hand on Xiao Wuji’s shoulder. "My good child, this should not be your fate; this should not be your end. It is Father’s fault... Father was too stubborn."
The Deposed Crown Prince asked, "Who sent you in?"
"Prince Han," Xiao Wuji replied.
The Deposed Crown Prince paused, then let out a dry laugh. "Old Nine, always hard-mouthed but soft-hearted. It seems I need not worry too much." He looked at his child with tear-filled eyes. "The day before yesterday, I dreamt of your mother. She said she missed me."
Xiao Wuji’s eyes widened, a wave of panic rising within him. "Father..."
The Deposed Crown Prince shook his head, then gripped Xiao Wuji’s hands tightly, veins bulging on his face. "Wuji, listen to me! You must not trust anyone in this Daqing! I do have a troop of men; they are on the outskirts of the city. Take them and send them to your Imperial Grandfather. And this jade ring—remember, you must give it to your maternal grandfather." He gripped his son's hands harder. "You must live on!"
Xiao Wuji realized what his father was about to do and frantically shook his head. "Father! No!"
The Deposed Crown Prince’s eyes reddened. He reached up and touched the hairpin in Xiao Wuji’s hair, his tone suddenly cold. "Xiao Wuji! You ungrateful wretch!"
The next moment, he gripped Xiao Wuji’s hands tightly and plunged the hairpin deep into his own chest!
"Father!!!"
Xiao Wuji completely collapsed, wailing in agony. His father stroked the back of his son's hand tenderly, leaning against the cage, and whispered, "Do not blame Father, Wuji. Your mother is too lonely; Father must go keep her company. And your grandfather... he left too suddenly. If I don't catch up to them, then..." He vomited blood with every word. "Wuji, you are the smartest child. You know what must be done, don't you?"
Xiao Wuji shook his head violently, crying. "No..."
The Deposed Crown Prince smiled, tightening his grip on the hairpin in his chest, and sighed, "Wuji, I was defeated by one person. But until now, until my death, I never knew who that person was. The future is filled with tigers and wolves... My son... You must... live!"
The next moment, he yanked the hairpin out!
"Splat!" Blood sprayed across Xiao Wuji’s face. His father collapsed into the cage, his body convulsing several times before falling still. The Crown Prince of Daqing was gone—dead at the hands of his own son! His glorious life had come to an end.
"Imperial Brother!"
Prince Han had been a step behind. When he heard Xiao Wuji’s cry, he rushed in, but by the time he reached the cage, his brother was already silent. Prince Han fell to his knees, staring at the scene in the cage. Seeing Xiao Wuji’s trembling, blood-stained hands, his disheveled hair, and the hairpin, he knew exactly what had happened.
"Xiao Wuji!" Prince Han grabbed him by the collar, his eyes red, but when he met Xiao Wuji’s hollow, vacant gaze, the words died in his throat. He threw Xiao Wuji to the ground in frustration and looked at his brother, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "Xiao Wuji, your father gave his life to grant you a path to survive. From now on, pull yourself together. I don't need to teach you what to say, do I?"
Xiao Wuji’s entire body shook. Prince Han turned back and roared, "Xiao Wuji!"
Xiao Wuji snapped back to his senses. The overwhelming grief receded like a tide, and his mind became clearer and colder than it had ever been. He gripped the blood-stained jade ring tightly. "I know!" he repeated. "I know what to do!"
...
While the Deposed Crown Prince died in the Celestial Prison, the Imperial City of Daqing was bustling with fervor. Someone had scattered countless fliers in every crowded place, detailing the illicit affair between Zhang Yuan and Qin Yanran. The descriptions were so vivid and scandalous that they made the readers flush with heat.
The pitiable first wife, Song Xiyan, was painted as the tragic lady who wouldn't even be awakened by the pair’s trysts. This poor wife had cut her own flesh to offer blood and tirelessly sought medical help for the mistress, only to be ultimately heart-cut to death by Zhang Yuan and Qin Yanran. How could such a story not incite discussion?
The Zhang Family wanted to cover everything up, but Lingxiao was determined to bring it all to light. Standing atop the Red Sleeve Pavilion, she looked down at the men and women below, her expression cold. She had never tasted love in this world, and now, being cold-hearted and heartless, she would never go back to taste it.
She heard the people below discussing, "Does the Estate of the Duke of Yong know about this?"
"Sigh, what if they do? Song Xiyan committed adultery with someone back then, and it was Zhang Yuan who married her. During the wedding, the people of the Duke’s Estate even cheated her on her dowry. Besides, I heard that for the two years Song Xiyan was married, the Duchess of Yong never once went to visit her!"
"Why visit her? They have another daughter. Is visiting the Marchioness not better?"
Sitting on the rooftop, Lingxiao listened as their conversation shifted from Zhang Yuan’s deeds to how many people Song Xiyan had supposedly committed adultery with, and how the Marquis's Estate and Song Miaochun were involved. She pursed her lips. She had too many enemies; counting them from childhood to now, so many things had been framed and plotted against her by others. Besides Zhang Yuan, there were so many more. No rush, no rush—take it slowly.
The people below represented the majority; they didn't care for the truth, they only wanted to feast on the gossip. But that was fine. As long as they were discussing it, as long as it was related to Song Xiyan, that was enough. She didn't care if it was infamy, ridicule, or if everyone just watched from the sidelines—as long as it was being spoken of, that was enough!
Besides, it wasn't as if she didn't have ways to sway public opinion. She still had plenty of the money she had taken from those she killed. She would just find a few beggars from the streets and point all the fingers directly at the Zhang Family.
But why was there no news from Your Highness Changsheng? Lingxiao touched her ear and looked in the direction of the Celestial Prison. The Highness had not rung the bell, which meant she was not yet needed. Thinking this, Lingxiao leaped down to find the beggars.
The Highness Changsheng she was thinking of was now on his way to the Imperial Palace, leaving a trail of bloody footprints with every step, heading toward his own path of survival.