The emperor's bedroom was covered with heavy brocade curtains, and the smell of ambergris mixed with medicinal herbs filled the air. As soon as one walked into the palace, one walked from noon to dusk.
The emperor was ill in bed, so he received her on the imperial couch. He was wearing a bright yellow robe, leaning against a pile of brocade quilts and hidden bags, revealing his sallow and dry face and hands, like a dead tree buried among flowers. The assassination attempt on the Lantern Festival was a heavy blow to him. He was already frail, and now he was even more like a candle in the wind.
The biggest change was in his eyes. Sui Sui remembered seeing the emperor at the New Year's Day court. His eyes were still as bright and awe-inspiring as ever, but now they were as dim as a fish's eyes, and filled with the same gloomy and dead air as the room.
Sui Sui felt a little dazed, and after calming himself down, he stepped forward and saluted: "I pay my respects to Your Majesty."
The emperor nodded slightly: "Xiao Qing, please don't be polite."
He motioned for the eunuch to sit down, stared at her for a while, and said slowly: "Today, I invite Mr. Xiao to enter the palace. First, I want to thank you for saving my life."
Sui Sui bowed and said, "Your Majesty, your words are too serious. I am sorry that I failed to save you in time and frightened you."
The emperor waved his hand and said, "Xiao Qing is a man of great integrity, there is no need to be so modest..."
He winked at the eunuch, and soon an eunuch came with several scrolls of silk books.
The emperor said, "These are my two mansions and farms. One is in Daningfang, and the other is in the southern suburbs of the city. Although they are small and simple, they may be a place for Xiao Qing to stay when he comes to Beijing."
"Narrow and simple" is just a humble word. Daningfang is only one block away from Penglai Palace. The block is full of residences of high-ranking officials and kings. The houses there cannot be bought even if you have money.
Sui Sui said: "I am ashamed to accept this."
The emperor said: "This is a little gift from me, Xiao Qing, please do not refuse it."
After a pause, he continued, "In addition, I have already discussed with the Prime Minister and will give you the title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi. The Secretariat is already drafting an imperial edict, and it will only take a few more days."
Kaifu Yitong Sansi is a rank of the first rank official, granted to important officials with outstanding merits. Xiao Yan was given this rank when he was in his forties, while Xiao Ling was already in the highest position in the country when he was only in his twenties. Although he had made great contributions in saving the emperor, it was a bit too much.
Sui Sui's heart sank slightly. When the emperor saw that he had given her land, houses and estates and promoted her to a higher position, he knew that this was definitely not just a simple way of repaying a favor.
The emperor secretly observed Xiao Ling's expression and found that the young general's face did not show any signs of being carried away. Instead, he showed a hint of contemplation.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If Taiyi had half her composure and vigilance, he would have been able to hand over the country to him without worry, and things wouldn't have ended up like this.
Sui Sui patiently waited for the next words to be said. The emperor was silent for a while, and finally dismissed the eunuchs and palace servants who were serving beside him. He sighed softly and said, "I have an unreasonable request, and I hope Xiao Qing will fulfill it."
Sui Sui's eyes moved slightly: "Your Majesty's words are serious. Your Majesty, please give me your orders and I will obey them."
The emperor said, "There is no one else here right now, so there is no need for us to discuss the etiquette between the monarch and his subjects. I am asking you for help as your father's good friend and Ye'er's father."
Sui Sui's heart trembled, and she had guessed what he was going to say, so she just lowered her eyes slightly.
The emperor said, "I didn't know why you came to the capital this time, but now I have a rough guess. It's because of what happened to Ye'er back then, right?"
His tone was like that of an ordinary elder, kind and gentle, and patient and instructive.
Sui Sui did not deny it. At this point, there was no need to pretend to be polite. She simply admitted, "Your Majesty is wise. This time I came to the capital for the sake of the former Queen Mother."
The emperor sighed and said, "It's hard to believe that you have been brooding over this matter for so many years."
Sui Sui said: "The Grand Majesty has treated me with great kindness. I have nothing to repay you, so I can only do my best to help you."
She did not want to hear what the emperor said, and continued: "I implore Your Majesty to hand over the case of the Queen Mother's conspiracy to rebel, the case of the assassination of the King of Qi during the autumn hunt, and the case of the murder of the late Queen Mother to the relevant officials for trial, and let the deceased know as well."
The emperor's face changed slightly, and he said thoughtfully: "Huan Rong has committed an unforgivable crime. He should be executed. I will not protect this traitor."
Sui Sui knew that there would definitely be a “but” after this.
As expected, the emperor continued, "However, many years have passed since Ye'er's incident. It is futile to bring up the past. It will only cause more pain and suffering to the relatives..."
He paused and said, "The Queen still doesn't know that Ye'er's death was related to Huan Rong. If she knew that they were brothers who killed each other, she would probably not be able to bear the blow. Since the criminal is destined to be executed, why bother to open up the scars of the past? Please let it go for Ye'er's sake..."
Sui Sui lowered his eyes and remained silent. The tall and spacious hall was silent, with only the jingling of jade bells on the corners of the tent.
This was probably the most difficult decision in her life.
After a long while, she finally bowed and said, "I beg Your Majesty to ask the late Queen Mother for your advice."
The emperor's face darkened slightly: "If Ye'er knew about this in the afterlife, he would definitely not want to see his mother mourning for him again..."
Sui Sui raised her eyes and calmly looked at the old face of the emperor: "Your Majesty, are you worried that the Empress will be sad and heartbroken, or are you worried that the Empress will know that Your Majesty knew who killed the late Empress Dowager, and is she covering up for the murderer?"
The emperor's expression was stern: "How outrageous!"
"Xiao Ling, do you know who you are talking to?" His face was like the sky before a storm. "Do you know that based on what you just said, I can punish you for disrespect?"
Sui Sui said: "I am terrified."
Despite saying this, her expression remained calm, without any trace of panic or fear.
The emperor stared at her for a long time with a gloomy face: "I don't need to discuss this with you."
Sui Sui bowed and said, "I beg Your Majesty to let Jingchu know. I will not complain even if my body is crushed to pieces."
When he suddenly heard Changxi's courtesy name, the emperor's body trembled involuntarily.
His body, which he was barely holding on to, collapsed like a dirt mountain in a rainstorm. The sullen look on his face gradually faded away, and tears appeared in his cloudy eyes.
After a long while, he whispered: "I'm sorry, Dalang, but by the time I knew about it, it was already a done deal. The queen was heartbroken, and Erlang was her only comfort during that time..."
Sui Sui looked at him coldly and listened to him making excuses for himself in silence. He covered up for Er Yu only because he considered many factors at the time and Er Yu was more suitable to be the crown prince. Did he condone or even guide Huan Ye's death? When he proposed to give up the throne, the emperor might have been disappointed with the eldest son and began to consider appointing another crown prince.
Sui Sui said: "Your Majesty is very observant."
The emperor stopped talking and just lowered his eyes to look at his dry hands. After a while, he raised his eyes, looked at Sui Sui and said, "I promise you, I will hand Huan Rong over to the Dali Temple and the Censorate for trial. I will not interfere."
He bowed and said, "I thank your majesty for your help."
The emperor added: "I already know about you and Sanlang."
Sui Sui was not surprised. Their affairs were not very confidential. If one was willing to investigate, it would be easy to find out. Even if the emperor did not know about it originally, the queen mother would definitely drag her and Huan Ye into it after the failure of the plot.
She pursed her lips and said, "This matter has nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi. His Royal Highness knows nothing about my identity."
The emperor nodded: "I know."
He looked at her deeply and said, "I have three legitimate sons in total, and the sixth and seventh sons below the third son are also young."
Sui Sui understood his thoughts clearly. After the crown prince was deposed and killed, Huan Xuan was the undisputed crown prince.
The emperor added: "Sanlang is different from Dalang."
Sui Sui’s back stiffened.
The emperor continued, "Da Lang is a free-spirited person. Although he gave up the throne in order to go to Heshuo, this was also what he wanted. He is gentle and kind, and never fights with the world. The throne has always been a burden to him. San Lang is different. For some reasons, the queen doesn't treat him well. I am busy with government affairs and rarely ask about his affairs. The Queen Mother Ruan likes quietness and doesn't like children to bother her. He can grow up to be what he is now, all thanks to his own determination. He has ambitions and aspirations."
He paused, looked directly into Sui Sui's eyes and said, "It's not easy for this kid to get to this point. Do you understand my thoughts, Xiao Qing?"
Sui Sui certainly understood his thoughts. Huan Xuan might be unwilling to accept that he could not get what he wanted, and might even give up the crown prince position for her in a fit of impatience. However, he could not guarantee that he would not regret it after he got what he wanted.
Besides, she had no intention of continuing to tangle with him, so she said without hesitation: "I will do my best to assist Your Majesty and His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi."
The emperor saw her frank and calm expression, so he nodded and said, "Then I am relieved."
He rubbed his forehead and said, "After saying these few words, I feel a little tired again."
He stood up casually, bowed and left.
After leaving the palace, she went straight back to Duting Inn. When she arrived at the inn, she dismissed the servants, closed the door, and took out a long and narrow sandalwood box from the box.
This was the "Pharmacist's Notes" that the Empress gave her when she entered the palace for an audience at the plum blossom viewing banquet. After she brought it back, she put it at the bottom of the box and never opened it.
She opened the box, took out the scroll, untied the silk ribbon, and unfolded it carefully.
She gently stroked the lines of golden characters. The silk felt cool to the touch and exuded a faint scent of sandalwood.
As soon as she saw the handwriting, she knew that the scroll was not written by Huanye, but the handwriting was elegant and strong, and the handwriting of the person who copied the scroll was not inferior to Huanye. The queen said that this was a favorite of the late queen, and it was probably the handwriting of some calligrapher or famous monk.
She did not believe in Buddhism. She knew that she had committed many sins and never sought comfort from gods or Buddhas.
But at this moment, he was silently reading the scroll left by Huan Ye word by word, as if to dispel the uneasiness in his heart.
What the emperor said was not without reason. The truth of that year was like a sharp sword. Once it was revealed to the public, it would definitely hurt the mother he respected and loved.
She insisted on seeking such a result. Was it for him or for her own obsession
She read the scroll over and over again, but there was no answer in the text, and the deceased would not give her the answer.
Sui Sui sat quietly at the desk until sunset. The afterglow shone on the book, and the dust slowly sank and floated in the light. Finally, the setting sun faded away, and the house was shrouded in dusk. From outside, the sound of bamboo poles hitting copper hooks came - the postman was lighting the lamp in the corridor.
Sui Sui pinched her brows, rolled up the book carefully, and put it back into the sandalwood box.
At this moment, the voice of the guard rang out from outside the curtain: "General, Cheng Xi wants to see you."
Sui Sui put the sandalwood box back to the bottom of the box, and then said, "Please ask him to sit in the hall."
Previously, Huan Xuan was injured and unconscious, and she had been guarding him in Zhengjue Temple. After he woke up, she went back to the post station and took a nap for a few hours. Then she followed the messenger from the palace to the East Palace for an audience. She had no time to take care of Cheng Zheng's affairs. She was just thinking of taking some time to ask him to come over and talk, but she didn't expect him to come by himself.
As Sui Sui walked into the hall, Cheng Zheng stood up and saluted: "I am here to see the general."
Sui Sui said, "Mr. Cheng, please take a seat." He then asked the servant to serve tea.
Cheng Zheng's heart sank slightly when he saw her treating him so politely. He was to blame for the King of Qi's injury. If she had treated him as a subordinate, she would have severely reprimanded him or even punished him. The fact that she treated him so politely meant that she did not intend to keep him.
He lowered his head and bowed again: "I overestimated my own abilities and caused His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi to be injured. Please punish me, General."
Sui Sui said: "Cheng Xi, you are too serious. You have not entered my shogunate. You are my guest. How can I punish a guest?"
Cheng Zheng lowered his head in silence, his eyes slightly reddened: "I know I was wrong."
The attendant brought the tea table and tea sets, and rolled up his sleeves to pour him a cup of tea: "Cheng, what are your plans? If you want to stay in Beijing and take the imperial examination, I can do my best to help you."
As she spoke, she picked up a box from the table and opened the lid, revealing a box full of gold ingots and several letters of recommendation.
Sui Sui said: "Please accept it, Cheng Xi."
Cheng Zheng pushed the box forward and said, "I feel guilty for accepting this."
He paused and said, "Cheng plans to travel around, see the beautiful scenery, broaden his horizons, and then return to Beijing to take the imperial examination in a year."
Sui Sui nodded and said: "If Cheng Xi comes to Wei Bo, he must come to my humble abode for a chat."
He took out the letter of recommendation from the box, pushed the box back in front of him, and said with a smile: "It's just a small amount of travel expenses, I hope you will accept it."
Cheng Zheng was silent for a long time, then thanked him and said, "Thank you for the reward, General."
This is the advantage of talking to a smart person. There is no need to explain everything in detail, as he already understands her thoughts.
She had clearly told him not to go near the Qinzheng Office Building on Lantern Festival night, but he went anyway. Even if it was because he cared about her, she would not keep any subordinate who disobeyed orders and whose judgment was affected by personal feelings.
Sui Sui said: "I wish Cheng Xi a bright future."
Cheng Zheng bowed again to express his gratitude and left, but he did not take the box of gold with him.
Sui Sui also expected that he would most likely not accept it, so he sighed softly and ordered the servant to put the box of gold coins back into the cupboard.