The Great House Is About to Fall
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Tents stood in rows all around, their banners fluttering in the wind. The steady tread of patrolling soldiers mingled with the occasional whinny of a horse.
Inside the central command tent, everyone wore a solemn expression.
Emperor Hehui sat behind the desk, his face composed and unreadable.
“Wan Wubai was strangled beneath the slope. Surely you know of this, Minister Wan?” The emperor did not even raise his eyelids. His words were cold and hard as blades.
Liu Rongshan stood at the emperor’s right hand. He glanced at Wan Jing kneeling on the ground, then looked away.
Wan Jing was over forty. Ordinarily, he was an elegant and easygoing man, but kneeling below the steps today, he had lost all his former poise and dignity. Beads of sweat rolled from his temples into his sideburns, and he trembled too badly to speak.
“Hmph!” The emperor pointed at the messenger. “Tell him how Wan Wubai died.”
The messenger obeyed and spoke without pause, like beans pouring from a tipped basket. “General Wan was taken by force to Fallen Phoenix Slope. A hemp rope an inch wide was tightened around his neck. Once he could no longer resist, his killer finished him with a short dagger. Afterward, his body was pushed down the steep slope.”
Silence filled the tent. Only Emperor Hehui’s furious voice broke it.
“The Wan family grows bolder by the day!”
The Fifth Prince stood rigidly to one side, his head bowed and his lips sealed. He and the Crown Prince had entered the tent only to find their father interrogating Wan Jing. The Wan family was his maternal clan, and panic had already seized him. He had lost all courage to argue with the Crown Prince and wished only that he could find a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
Li Fushun presented a stack of memorials. Emperor Hehui glanced at them with disdain and ordered, “Let him read them. From repairing the riverbanks during last summer’s floods to the winter hailstorms in the eastern regions, what exactly has the Wan family been doing? Did they truly think I knew nothing?”
Xia Yunhe listened in silence. As the emperor’s maternal relatives, the Wan family had grown overwhelmingly powerful in recent years, and the corruption within their ranks could no longer be concealed. The emperor’s conduct today made one thing clear: the Wan family’s sun was setting, and their great house was on the verge of collapse.
The Minister of Revenue, Wan Jing, was still kneeling beneath the steps. His hands trembling, he took the memorials and opened them with shaking fingers. Large drops of sweat struck the ground. Suddenly, he prostrated himself and cried out that he had been wronged.
The emperor continued calmly, neither hurried nor slow. “I had yet to question Wan Wubai, so how did he die outside the prison? He was strangled at Fallen Phoenix Slope on Deer Mountain. Last night, you were neither at my side nor attending the Fifth Prince. Where did you go?”
“Your Majesty, I—I have been wronged. Bai was my own kinsman. How could I commit such an inhuman deed?”
Wan Jing’s voice was filled with grief. “It is true that I sought out my clansman, but only because I was concerned about the cold at night and wanted to bring him several warm garments. These past few days I had been accompanying His Highness the Fifth Prince in the pursuit of Baize. Last night was the first time I had been free. After delivering the clothes, I immediately returned. I was on my way to His Highness when I heard of my clansman’s misfortune.”
Emperor Hehui was silent for a moment. Rubbing his palms together, he looked toward Liu Rongshan. “He went to deliver clothes? Duke Dingguo, tell me—is that in accordance with common sense?”
Liu Rongshan turned and glanced at Wan Jing. “He did not go early, nor did he go late. He chose last night of all nights. Minister Wan’s excuse is truly too clumsy.”
“Your Majesty.” Wan Jing’s eyes were full of anguish. “My clansman was skilled in martial arts and far stronger than an ordinary man. The messenger is certain that he was strangled beneath the slope, but who would carry a rope with them? How could anyone stand upright in such fierce wind at night? I am merely a scholar without the strength to bind a chicken. How could I have done such a thing?”
Wan Jing’s argument was incisive enough to make everyone present question the true cause of Wan Wubai’s death.
Just as the others fell into thought, the Fifth Prince said, “Father, the rain had stopped last night. Minister Wan left alone, and he did indeed carry several pieces of clothing with him.”
The matter grew increasingly perplexing. Liu Rongshan stepped forward and saluted. “Your Majesty, why not summon Lu Zhaoxing, Prefect of the Shuntian Prefecture? He was trained in criminal investigation and can handle a case such as this with ease. The truth will reveal itself in due course.”
After Liu Rongshan finished speaking, Emperor Hehui said nothing. He merely lifted his eyes and surveyed the others. At last, his gaze settled on Xia Yunhe.
“Yizhi, what do you make of this matter?”
Xia Yunhe had been standing at the edge of the tent, unnoticed by most. Once Emperor Hehui called on her, everyone’s eyes turned toward her. With no choice but to step forward, she bowed and said, “Your Majesty, this matter involves a human life, and Minister Wan is a high-ranking official of the second grade. It must therefore be handled with the utmost caution. The forests of Deer Mountain are dense, and two people have already died in a single night. There may be assassins abroad. For the safety of Your Majesty, we should return to the palace without delay. Once there, the case can be transferred to the Shuntian Prefecture for investigation, thereby clearing General Wan’s name.”
The emperor drawled a thoughtful hum, then ordered that Wan Jing be guarded carefully. All further decisions would wait until they returned to the palace.
His gaze shifted once more to the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince. “Have either of you captured Baize?”
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“Father, we did capture Baize at first, but after giving it some thought, I realized that Baize is an auspicious beast. Since it is a creature of good omen, it must possess spiritual wisdom. Releasing it would be better than capturing it, and my Fifth Brother agreed with me. So we let Baize return to the forest.”
As the Crown Prince spoke, he glanced at the Fifth Prince without the slightest change in expression.
Baize’s cry had been heard not only by the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince, but also by those who had not taken part in the hunt. Emperor Hehui narrowed his eyes, a trace of doubt in his voice.
“Fifth Son, is that truly so?”
The Fifth Prince was worrying about what effect the Wan family’s downfall might have on him. Hearing his father’s question, he hastily replied, “Yes, yes. The Crown Prince is absolutely right.”
Emperor Hehui furrowed his brows. Then the Crown Prince said, “I have another suggestion.”
“Speak.”
“After we released Baize, it appeared once more on the mountaintop. Why not build a temple to Baize at the foot of the mountain and offer sacrifices there? First, it would proclaim the vastness of Your Majesty’s grace. Second, it would pray for Baize’s protection, so that the lands of Chu might enjoy favorable weather and abundant harvests.”
The Crown Prince’s words were measured and his arrangements thorough. Emperor Hehui was delighted and readily agreed.
“Let it be done according to the Crown Prince’s plan. Duke Liu, see to its execution.”
…
This year’s autumn hunt had reached such a state that everyone was filled with anxiety. The emperor’s enthusiasm had also waned, so he ordered an early return to camp.
Several of the princes were either ill or keeping their distance to avoid suspicion, and their hunting records were pitifully sparse. When Emperor Hehui reviewed the register and saw only a scattering of entries, he ordered several generals to hunt a few rabbits, pheasants, deer, and roe deer to fill it out.
On the fifth day after returning to camp, the emperor ordered that they would return to the palace the following day.
Once all the affairs had been settled, Xia Yunhe found half a day free and left her tent to clear her mind. She suddenly saw Chen Haizhou being helped out of Emperor Hehui’s tent.
Thinking she must have mistaken what she saw, she rubbed her eyes for a long while. When she looked again, Chen Haizhou was staring at her. After exchanging a few casual words, he was helped away to rest.
Xia Yunhe was bewildered and slipped outside the camp to think. By all accounts, Wei Sizhao possessed extraordinary martial skill. How could he have failed? Chen Haizhou was still alive. What, exactly, had happened that night?
She stood beneath a tree with her arms folded, deep in thought, when a pebble suddenly fell onto her shoulder.
She turned around. There was no one nearby.
Wei Sizhao’s voice came from the tree above. “Lady Xia, I am in the tree. Do not look up.”
Xia Yunhe glanced around. Seeing that no one was watching her, she called out politely, “Little Marquis Wei.”
Wei Sizhao lay concealed among the branches. “Lady Xia, someone removed the barbs from the trap. That is how Chen Haizhou survived. There are too many guards in the camp, and I could not find a chance to tell you. Fortunately, you came outside today, so I made a point of speaking with you. I can no longer remain in the Upper Capital. Once the autumn hunt ends, Chen Haizhou will certainly search for me again. Tomorrow, I will leave the city.”
He fell silent for a moment, then said, “Revenge can wait ten years.”
Now that she knew why Chen Haizhou was still alive, Xia Yunhe pondered before saying, “Little Marquis Wei, there is one more matter I must ask you to keep in mind.”
“What matter?”
“The safety of Mr. Zheng Mian and his family. Mr. Zheng has been dragged into this conflict, and Duke Dingguo intends to harm his family. The Crown Prince’s faction treats human lives as mere weeds. After considering it from every angle, I cannot leave this matter unattended.” Xia Yunhe paused before continuing, “I hope you will go to Yin Commandery and convey a message to Third Master Fu. He will handle everything that follows.”
She added, “In truth, I should not trouble you with this. But the Xia family has fallen into decline, and from what I have observed of your actions recently, you are a man of honor and justice. That is why I have taken the liberty of asking this favor. If it is inconvenient, I will not press you. Consider it nothing more than a reckless suggestion.”
The woods fell silent. It seemed Wei Sizhao had no desire to involve himself in the matter. That was understandable. He could barely protect himself; how could he have the time to manage someone else’s affairs?
She sighed and said, “Take care.” Then she turned to leave.
A sudden voice came from the tree above.
“Very well.”
“Though I am no paragon of virtue, I know that a promise must be kept and an undertaking brought to completion. Since I have agreed to help you, Lady Xia, I will not break my word.”
…
The autumn hunt had begun with bonfires, so naturally it ended with bonfires as well.
That night, bonfires of every size blazed throughout the camp. Laughter and merriment filled the air. The game of the golden autumn was plump and succulent; the roasted roe deer and venison were deliciously juicy, tender, and free of toughness.
Xia Yunhe was weighed down by her thoughts and had little appetite. After taking only a few tentative bites, she found the game too rank to bear. She set down her chopsticks, left the feast, and went alone into the woods for air.
The autumn breeze was cool and refreshing. The treetops rustled softly, as though whispering their secrets to one another.
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Someone suddenly tapped her on the shoulder.
She turned and saw the Seventh Prince, Xie Yi. Xia Yunhe saluted and asked how his injuries were. They had exchanged only a few words when the shadows between the trees shifted, and two more people appeared.
It was the Fifth Prince and Wan Jing.
Her eyes narrowed. Wan Jing was supposed to be under the watch of the Imperial Guards. How had he come here?
Xie Yi quietly clasped her hand. Xia Yunhe signaled for him to remain silent.
The Fifth Prince said, “That medicine is not very effective. At most, it will incapacitate the guards for half an hour. I will come straight to the point. Tell me—did you truly kill Wan Wubai?”
Wan Jing looked helpless. “Your Highness, did you drag me out here just to ask that?”
“Do not waste words. I am asking whether you killed Wan Wubai.”
“The emperor has both eyes fixed on the Wan family. Do you think I have gone mad?”
“If it was not you, then someone must be framing the Wan family. Do you know who is behind it?”
At those words, Wan Jing fell silent.
After a long while, he raised his head and looked in every direction. Xia Yunhe and Xie Yi instinctively held their breath. Seeing that there was no one else nearby, Wan Jing lowered his voice and said to the Fifth Prince, “That day, I gave Wan Wubai poison and instructed him to take his own life if necessary. Now he is dead, and the medicine has vanished. Your Highness must find out where it went, or whether someone stole it, so that no future danger remains.”
He drew a deep breath, gripped the Fifth Prince Xie Xuan by the arm, and said earnestly, “The fate of the Wan family depends on this. Your Highness must proceed with the utmost caution. Once you leave the palace and establish your own residence, the Wan family will have to rely on you.”
The Fifth Prince pushed Wan Jing away. “I know. If not for the Crown Prince, I would have captured Baize long ago.”
Wan Jing sighed. “Your Highness, this has nothing to do with Baize. Forget it. You must discover where that packet of medicine went. If it falls into His Majesty’s hands, the Wan family will be doomed.”
The two men sighed repeatedly as they departed.
…
Xia Yunhe and Xie Yi had only just relaxed when the Fourth Prince’s voice made their hearts tighten once more.
“Zeng Xi, in a few days I will bid Father farewell. The Upper Capital is a place of endless trouble; I can stay no longer. We must find the poison Wan Jing mentioned before we set out for the Far Commandery. Do you understand?”
“I understand. Rest assured, Your Highness.”
The Fourth Prince continued, “If you fall asleep outside the tent and neglect your duty as you once did while watching the Seventh Prince, I will not spare you.”
After the Fourth Prince and Zeng Xi left, Xia Yunhe and Xie Yi remained silent for a long time. The woods were secluded and the grass thick. Several people had been plotting in the dead of night, and after waiting until no one else appeared, Xia Yunhe finally felt at ease.
Then her foot struck something.
She moved aside and picked it up. It was a small paper packet, speckled with traces of blood.
Her heart stirred. She opened the packet and found some white powder inside. She was about to smell it when Xie Yi stopped her.
“Teacher, that is poison ground from wolf-poison flowers of the Northern Rong. Do not smell it. It causes hallucinations.”
“How do you know?”
Xie Yi replied, “The palace eunuch who abducted me to Downriver Village used this very poison. I recognized it.”
Hearing this, Xia Yunhe closed the packet and bent down. By the light of the moon, she carefully examined the undergrowth. Sure enough, she found darkened bloodstains on the blades of grass.
This was where Wan Wubai had truly died…
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