ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 149

It was the third quarter of the si hour¹3:30 PM, at the Guande Hall on Qingliang Mountain.

Before the autumn hunt, a grand archery ceremony was to be held, and all the civil and military officials, as well as the military trainers, had gathered early, awaiting the arrival of the Emperor. By this time, the morning mist in the mountains had already dissipated, and the rising sun cast a red glow over the horizon like dragon scales. The mountain wind howled, banners flapped, and the beat of war drums filled the air, stirring a sense of heroism.

Just then, a figure darted swiftly through the crowd, drawing glances from many. Prince Ning was conversing with his advisors when he noticed the newcomer and looked up, his expression immediately changing. “What happened to you?”

It was his son, Xiao Wen, whose face was covered in bruises and purple welts, and his robes bore traces of dirt and ash. He looked thoroughly disheveled. Seeing people staring, Xiao Wen raised his sleeve to cover his face a bit, lowered his voice, and said angrily, “Father, someone ambushed me just now! I was caught off guard and barely managed to escape.”

Prince Ning’s first reaction was disbelief. “Did you perhaps drink too much again and fall into a ditch?”

“Father!” Xiao Wen protested urgently. “On such an important day, how could I drink and mess things up?”

On his way to Guande Hall, he had indeed been ambushed.

His attackers struck him from behind, covering his head with a sack and dragging him to a corner, where they beat him soundly. Xiao Wen, worried his wine flask might break, hadn’t shielded his face, hence the sorry state he was in. By the time he escaped from the sack, his attackers had already vanished without a trace.

Suppressing a bitter resentment, Xiao Wen looked at his torn robe. Prince Ning, believing him mostly, frowned and said, “Who would be so bold as to attack within the palace grounds? After the archery ceremony ends, I’ll send someone to investigate.”

Just then, the sound of chanting came from the front; the Emperor had arrived. Dozens of palace attendants and guards escorted the dragon carriage, which stopped before the red steps. Everyone bowed down, and the Guande Hall fell into complete silence, broken only by the fierce wind.

This was Emperor Jing Ming’s first public appearance since the rumors of his poisoning. Prince Ning couldn’t help but steal a glance, discreetly lifting his head under the cover of others. He saw Emperor Jing Ming, supported by palace attendants, descending from the dragon carriage.

Having not seen him for days, Prince Ning noticed that the Emperor looked visibly older, his temples tinged with white. He appeared frail, like a withering tree, lacking the vigor he once possessed.

Suppressing his suspicion, Prince Ning watched as Emperor Jing Ming slowly ascended the red steps to make his ceremonial offerings in the temple. After a while, the Emperor emerged, took his seat on the throne, and all those present bowed again, chanting for his long life, a display of reverence that filled the air with awe.

Prince Ning, somewhat distracted, only came to himself when he heard Xiao Wen’s voice nearby. “Father, Father?”

He quickly composed himself and stood up, realizing that everyone around him had already risen. Above them, the Emperor said, “I am unwell, so today’s archery ceremony will be overseen by the Crown Prince.”

At these words, the officials began murmuring amongst themselves, their whispers reaching Prince Ning and deepening his unease. On the red steps above, the Crown Prince, Xiao Yan, had already taken on his duties as commanded. Standing at the forefront, his figure was tall and upright, bathed in the golden morning light. He looked heroic and unmatched in beauty, so much so that people dared not gaze directly at him.

Standing further back, Li Zhizhi was momentarily lost in thought as she watched. Then she heard the Grand Princess beside her remark, “The Fifth Prince has truly matured and grown into his role.”

Li Zhizhi turned to look at her. The Grand Princess smiled, saying, “Do you remember his lazy demeanor from before? He is a completely different person now.”

Hearing this, Li Zhizhi unconsciously recalled the first time she saw Xiao Yan, seated in his wheelchair. She nodded in agreement.

Soon, the steward respectfully brought the bow and arrows before Xiao Yan. He put on his thumb ring and arm guard, took up the bow, and the ceremonial official turned to the Emperor Jing Ming and respectfully declared, “Your Majesty, the grand archery ceremony is ready to commence.”

The Emperor nodded. “Proceed.”

In an instant, the drums began, each beat resonating deeply like thunder, echoing across the Guande Hall and shaking the air. Xiao Yan slowly drew his bow, aiming at the distant target. His eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade unsheathed, emanating a fierce and concentrated intensity.

The drumbeat quickened, falling like heavy raindrops and hammering in the ears, making everyone tense. All eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan’s every move, as this arrow was shot on behalf of the Emperor himself—any failure would surely invite criticism.

Li Zhizhi unconsciously held her breath. The Grand Princess, noticing her tension, leaned over to rea.s.sure her in a low voice, “Xiao Wu has always had excellent archery skills; he’ll definitely hit the target. Don’t worry.”

Li Zhizhi knew this, too—she had seen Xiao Yan’s archery prowess before at the hunting grounds of Mount Qian. But even so, she couldn’t help but worry.

Suddenly, the sharp sound of an arrow breaking through the air was heard as an arrow shot out, disappearing in an instant. A moment later, a colorful flag was raised in the distance.

A bullseye!

Li Zhizhi’s heart finally settled, and a slight smile appeared on her face. The Grand Princess teased her, “You really were nervous for him this whole time.”

Li Zhizhi’s face flushed. At that moment, Xiao Yan looked over. Their eyes met, and after a moment, he lifted his brow, with a hint of a smile in his phoenix-shaped eyes, and mouthed silently, “Well?”

The Grand Princess cleared her throat lightly beside her, and Li Zhizhi quickly averted her gaze, not daring to look at him any longer.

Xiao Yan shot three arrows in succession, all directly hitting the bullseye, as though it were an easy feat, his manner calm and unbothered, as if the target were so large that anyone could hit it blindfolded.

Next, the civil and military officials each took their turn in the ceremony. The military officials did decently—though not all hit the bullseye, at least their arrows landed on the target. But when it was the civil officials’ turn, the scene became embarra.s.sing, with arrows flying wildly and black flags raised everywhere as arrow after arrow missed.

Then, a sudden disturbance occurred. An arrow unexpectedly flew toward the Emperor’s throne from an unknown direction. Shocked gasps and cries rang out among the crowd.

“Protect the Emperor!”

In a split second, Xiao Yan swiftly drew his bow and fired an arrow with hardly a moment’s thought, striking down the oncoming arrow with precise accuracy.

Everyone sighed in relief. Someone expressed their grat.i.tude, saying, “Thank goodness! The Crown Prince’s archery is unmatched. Your Majesty—”

Before the sentence was finished, another arrow hit Emperor Jing Ming directly in the chest. The palace attendants rushed forward in horror, their piercing cries breaking through the air: “The Emperor has been attacked!”

“Protect the Emperor, quickly!”

The scene instantly fell into chaos; no one had expected that amidst the grand shooting ceremony, there would be an a.s.sa.s.sin hidden among them.

…

When Emperor Jing Ming was attacked, he immediately returned to the palace and summoned the imperial doctors for treatment. At that moment, no one cared about the autumn hunt anymore; the ministers were so anxious they nearly knelt at the palace gates. It wasn’t until dusk that a guard finally emerged from inside, saying, “It’s getting late. Your Excellencies, please return.”

Several ministers surrounded him, inquiring about the Emperor’s condition. The guard merely replied, “The Emperor has awakened, but he is seriously injured and needs to rest quietly.”

Only then did everyone feel relieved, and they dispersed.

Prince Ning walked at the back of the crowd, his expression somewhat obscure. The other ministers spoke to him, but their hearts were elsewhere. Once he returned to his residence, Princess Ning hurriedly greeted him, asking with concern, “Your Highness, how is the Emperor?”

Prince Ning only responded, “He is seriously injured.”

He sat down in a chair, and at that moment, Xiao Wen entered from outside, dismissed the servants, and closed the door. “That arrow was terribly inaccurate. Father, why didn’t you find someone with better archery skills?”

Prince Ning shot him a glare, his face dark as water, and said, “Do you think today’s incident was orchestrated by me?”

“Wasn’t it?” Xiao Wen was taken aback. “If not you, then who else?”

Prince Ning fell silent. Xiao Wen then realized something and said, “Could it be that the Crown Prince did it? And what about the poison from last time…”

Prince Ning furrowed his brows, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest. “It’s highly likely it was him.”

“I think so too,” Xiao Wen sat down beside him, yawned lazily, and leaned back in his chair. “He must be getting impatient.”

Then he thought of something and added, “Father, you can’t let him succeed! If the Emperor dies, and Xiao Yan returns to the capital to ascend the throne, where would you have a place?”

Prince Ning’s frown deepened. Seeing his father’s expression, Xiao Wen understood that he was once again hesitating, caught between fear of one thing and another. This made him feel a bit disdainful. “Just endure a little longer; who knows, maybe Xiao Yan’s son could become Emperor.”

After being ridiculed by his son, Prince Ning’s expression darkened. He glared at Xiao Wen, who quickly fell silent, feeling regret for his earlier words. Princess Ning quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, “It’s been a long day; you must be tired. I had someone make some white fungus soup. Why don’t you both have some?”

Prince Ning, however, ignored her and stood up, striding out of the room, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

Princess Ning then turned to her son, her tone carrying some reproach. “How could you speak to your father like that?”

Xiao Wen, aware that he had overstepped, initially felt a bit guilty. However, hearing his mother’s admonishment, he became slightly irritated and said, “I was just speaking the truth; he can’t stand to hear it.”

After saying this, he disregarded Princess Ning’s calls and went back to his room. It was late at night, and there was nothing to pa.s.s the time in the palace, making it rather boring. Xiao Wen lay down on the couch and felt something hard in his arms. He reached in and discovered it was a small white jade wine bottle.

Originally, Xiao Wen had not planned to take the Wushi powder today, but after receiving a blow earlier, he glanced at the bottle of Shidongchun that Li Zhizhi had given him that morning, feeling a bit tempted.

He became addicted to Wushi San and found it increasingly difficult to control himself. Just then, the wine bottle, which he had been holding all day, was still warm, so he decided to drink it all at once. The taste was incredibly sweet, and gradually, just like before, he felt warmth spreading through his body, leaving him somewhat light-headed. The effects were kicking in.

Xiao Wen felt a bit puzzled; the effects of the medicine usually didn’t take effect this quickly. Today seemed particularly potent, but this thought flickered in his mind and was soon forgotten.

When taking Wushi San, a person would feel their entire body heat up, at which point they needed to consume cold food, remove their clothing, and move around to sweat off the heat, a process known as “xing san” (sweating out). However, if “xing san” was not done correctly, it could be life-threatening.

Xiao Wen had never experienced any issues with “xing san” before, so he a.s.sumed it would be the same this time. He lay on the couch, bare and barefoot, and called for a maid to come in. Upon seeing him like this, the maid understood immediately; they had been intimate before, so there was no more reservation at this moment and they started having s.e.x right away.

Just as Xiao Wen was getting into the mood, he suddenly felt a warmth in his nostrils. Something fell down and landed on the maid’s face. Instinctively, he reached out to wipe it away, only to find it was bright red blood.

The maid screamed, “Your Highness, you’re bleeding!”

“Why are you shouting? It’s just a nosebleed,” Xiao Wen dismissed it casually, thinking he was simply full of yang energy, and that the Wushi San was too nourishing. He paid it no mind, but the nosebleed didn’t stop. After a while, he felt a sharp pain in his right ear, and a warm fluid began to flow out, trickling down his earlobe and onto his neck. He froze, reaching up to touch it, and found his hand covered in blood.

The maid stared at him in terror as blood gushed from his nose, ears, and eyes. Finally, he opened his mouth and spewed a mouthful of blood all over the maid. She was so frightened that she stood there in shock, and after a moment, a piercing scream shattered the quiet night.

By the time the doctor arrived, Xiao Wen was already gasping for breath. He lay there with his eyes wide open, looking pale as paper and his expression frozen. The Princess of Ning sat beside him, weeping uncontrollably in deep sorrow.

The doctor, noticing Xiao Wen was completely naked, initially thought he had suffered from a sudden illness. However, upon seeing the blood seeping from all seven orifices of his face, he sensed something was wrong. He carefully checked his pulse and asked the Princess of Ning, “Has he eaten anything unusual lately?”

The Princess paused for a moment before sobbing, “Wen’er hasn’t eaten anything… He just enjoys drinking, and he has no other ailments… Someone must have poisoned him! Doctor, please save him!”

At that moment, a trembling voice spoke up, “Your Highness… Your Highness often takes Wushi San…”

The doctor turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw a maid huddled in the corner, her clothes disheveled, her hands and feet bound, and her face covered in blood. She looked utterly horrifying.

Terrified, she stammered, “I-I really didn’t harm Your Highness… I swear, he took Wushi San on his own! Doctor, he must have died from taking too much Wushi San; it has nothing to do with me!”

When Prince Ning entered, he heard this and was enraged, his eyes widening. For a moment, his hands and feet trembled as he rushed to the bedside. Seeing Xiao Wen’s gray face, he trembled and reached to check his nostrils; there was no breath left.

His only son had just died like this.

The doctor looked at him with pity and said, “Your Highness, when I took his pulse, I did find many toxins in his body. It seems he has been taking Wushi San for quite some time, and this time it was likely a mistake in the ‘xing san’ process that caused this. Please accept my condolences.”

“No!” Prince Ning suddenly glared at him, his eyes bloodshot. “Someone must have harmed my son. He told me today that he was ambushed and beaten on the way; there must be someone with ulterior motives who has taken his life!”

“This…” The imperial physician found it somewhat baffling and tried to explain, “Even if he was beaten to death, it should have happened on the spot, right? How could he have died from bleeding from all seven orifices a day later while sharing a room with someone? Besides, the toxin in Xiao Wen’s body doesn’t look like it came from just one dose of Wushi San; it must have been building up for at least several months. The people in the w.a.n.gfu must be well aware of this.”

“Stop talking!” Ning w.a.n.g roared, like a furious beast, speaking decisively, “Someone must have harmed my son!”

The imperial physician was startled by his shout and thought he had lost his mind. However, considering the situation, it was understandable. His only son had died after taking Wushi San, which was far too disgraceful. Years ago, the Taizu Emperor had commanded the formulation of extremely strict laws specifically prohibiting Wushi San; sellers would face the death penalty along with their entire family, and those who consumed it would be executed by strangulation. In other words, even if Xiao Wen hadn’t died this time, if discovered, he would still face severe consequences.

In any case, a person was already dead, and it had nothing to do with the physician. He hurriedly picked up his medical box and left. In the distance, he heard the maid wailing heart-wrenchingly, clearly indicating that Ning w.a.n.g had no intention of sparing her life. The physician couldn’t help but shake his head, thinking to himself: This young lord truly brings calamity upon himself; why would he carelessly take Wushi San, harming both others and himself?

…

In the early morning, Li Zhizhi had just awakened when a maid reported that Xiao Yan had come and was waiting in the flower hall, seemingly with urgent business.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi thought for a moment, then washed up and dressed before heading to the flower hall. From a distance, she heard the Grand Princess speaking with Xiao Yan: “How could this happen? How could a perfectly fine person suddenly be gone?”

“I don’t know either. The news came from the Fourth Prince today, saying that the person died last night.”

“What was the cause of death?”

Xiao Yan raised his head and looked towards the door. The young girl was wearing a frost-colored coat, holding a hand furnace, and the morning sunlight fell on her face, outlining her bright and delicate features. She seemed to sense his gaze and looked up, her eyes shimmering like autumn water, beautiful and sparkling. After a moment of eye contact, she suddenly smiled and said, “Elder Brother Crown Prince.”

Her voice was sweet and soft, like the candy he loved to eat most.

Xiao Yan remained silent for a moment and then said, “I heard he was beaten to death. The Fourth Prince said that Xiao Wen was ambushed yesterday and received a beating, perhaps suffering internal injuries, and died at home last night.”

Li Zhizhi was taken aback, and the Grand Princess sighed in disbelief, saying, “I don’t know who is so despicable to take a life like this. They must be captured and severely punished.”

After she finished speaking and saw Li Zhizhi approaching, the Grand Princess exchanged glances with Xiao Yan, and no one spoke. She couldn’t help but smile knowingly, shaking her head inwardly, and said, “You two can talk; I will go see what’s happening with Ning w.a.n.g.”

The Grand Princess got up, and all the servants were dismissed. Li Zhizhi remained in place, while Xiao Yan sat on the chair. After a moment, he reached out his hand and said, “Come here.”

Li Zhizhi looked at his hand, hesitating slightly before taking a step forward and slowly placing her right hand in his palm. Before she could even touch it, he firmly grasped her hand and pulled her into his warm and familiar embrace. The faint scent of sandalwood overwhelmed her, engulfing her completely.

Xiao Yan held her tightly, as if he wanted to crush her and merge her into his very bones. He leaned in close to her ear, nearly gritting his teeth as he said, “How dare you? How could you be so bold…”

Li Zhizhi felt a bit of pain from being held tightly by him, yet she strangely felt at ease. She listened as Xiao Yan softly scolded, “Do you think he’s the same as Liu Man? He is the only son of the Ning Prince, and the Ning Prince definitely won’t let this go easily.”

As he spoke, he became even angrier: “If only you had discussed this with me beforehand—”

The Crown Prince was as restless as a bl.u.s.tering dog, barking without actually biting. Li Zhizhi found her thoughts amusing and suddenly laughed. Xiao Yan naturally heard her; before he could get angry, Li Zhizhi asked, “Did Xiao Wen get hit yesterday? Crown Prince, who hit him?”

Xiao Yan immediately fell silent. Li Zhizhi slightly turned her head, carefully looking at him. The distance between them was pulled infinitely close, their breaths mingling. She didn’t care and leaned in a bit closer, almost touching his thin lips. Li Zhizhi whispered, “Isn’t the Crown Prince still here?”

Xiao Yan pressed his lips together, his phoenix-like eyes deep like the sea, capturing her gaze tightly, his breath slightly uneven. Li Zhizhi found it more and more interesting. She pouted and kissed his lips, speaking sweetly, “I was wrong; don’t be angry, Crown Prince.”

Xiao Yan tightened his arm around her waist bit by bit, a dark tide rising in his eyes, yet his expression remained indifferent. He said, “You’re trying that again.”

Li Zhizhi laughed, her bright eyes curving like blossoming peach flowers. She mischievously replied, “Does the Crown Prince not fall for this?”

“What about this?”

As she spoke, she pecked at his lips, and before Xiao Yan could respond, she boldly pried open his lips and explored inside. The whole process was effortless, with not even a hint of resistance. It was as if she had naturally mastered this skill; though her movements were unrefined, they were even more irresistible.

Like the first bloom of pear flowers in summer, she was youthful and delicate, making one want to swallow her whole.

The Crown Prince immediately surrendered, fiercely kissing her back, his hot tongue enveloped in sweetness. Even if that sweetness were poisoned, he would consume it without hesitation at this moment.

After a long time, Li Zhizhi was finally released. Her eyes glistened with moisture, her lips reddened like crumpled petals, and a few strands of hair had come loose. She squinted and asked, “Did the Crown Prince send someone to hit Xiao Wen?”

Xiao Yan gave a light snort and replied, “Just giving him a lesson.”

As he spoke, he grabbed Li Zhizhi’s wrist and examined it for a long time. The red mark from earlier had already vanished, and he was satisfied.

Li Zhizhi looked down at him and said, “Prince Ning wants to pin this on you.”

“Let alone whether he can find any evidence against me,” Xiao Yan said dismissively. “With the coroner present, as long as the body is handed over to the Ministry of Justice, they’ll clarify the cause of death within half a day. How could we trust just his word?”

He then asked, “What exactly did you do? He usually eats Five Stone Powder without issue; why did something happen yesterday?”

Li Zhizhi honestly explained, “That jar of Shidongchun had no idea how much Five Stone Powder was put in it; he drank it all at once, so naturally, something went wrong.”

She spent an entire night steaming down a full jar of Shidongchun to just a small bottle. Though the alcohol’s scent would evaporate, the Five Stone Powder would still settle and concentrate in the liquor.

Xiao Yan asked, “Aren’t you afraid of being discovered?”

Li Zhizhi said, “If you take Wushi powder without permission and are found out, you’ll be sentenced to death by hanging. Xiao Wen would never casually tell others, and even if the Ning w.a.n.gfu people knew, they wouldn’t dare to speak of it.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan felt a surge of anger and bit Li Zhizhi’s lip as a form of punishment, saying, “You mustn’t do this again! Whatever you do, you have to discuss it with me first.”

Li Zhizhi nodded repeatedly, saying, “Okay, I understand.”

But Xiao Yan knew that although she appeared so obedient now, once she turned away, she would revert to her old ways. She would only listen when she needed something from someone.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t refuse her.

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• 13:30 PM