Inside Taichu Palace.
The doors of Shenlong Hall were tightly closed. The eunuchs and maidservants who originally served inside keenly sensed the abnormality permeating the air and tactfully retreated completely, leaving only the Emperor, the Emperor’s uncle Wang Shu, Prince Zhao who had returned to report his mission, and… the deposed Princess Consort Zhao inside.
The palace servants were aware of Xie Jing’s name, but without mentioning the surname “Xie,” there was truly only this proper way to address him. Not all of them were confidantes brought in after the new emperor ascended the throne; some had served in Shenlong Hall for many years and were accustomed to seeing many great storms.
In the impression of these older servants, Princess Consort Zhao was considered an anomaly among the imperial nobility. Not only did he manage to be so disliked by the late Emperor and Empress Dowager despite the Heir Apparent being so likable, but also his temper had not been smoothed out even after ten years. In the end, he simply couldn’t be bothered to even pretend in public, becoming an existence that made the entire palace frown and shake their heads when mentioned, earning the title of “That One.”
As for the relationship with His Highness Prince Zhao—they could only be sure that the Princess Consort had been “favored.” In the earlier years, they were indeed deeply attached to each other, not hiding their affection in public. Later, although they no longer appeared together as frequently, there were never rumors of discord, and His Highness had indeed never taken concubines or secondary wives.
But no matter what, the final result they saw was that the Princess Consort was suddenly abandoned, not even given the dignity of retiring to the Changmen Palace, and was directly driven out of the capital.
Although considering the fate of the other members of the Xie family as a comparison, it was already a great fortune that the Princess Consort saved his life, and being exiled was not strange. However, the unspeakable aspect of this matter was that the edict was not issued by the late Emperor, who had already passed away, nor by the Empress Dowager and the new Emperor, nor by the Prime Minister’s Mansion, the Ministry of Justice, or the Court of Judicial Review, but was personally drafted by His Highness, leaving absolutely no room for change.
Prince Zhao’s action was too swift and decisive, almost implying “fear of not avoiding him quickly enough.” Apart from the most straightforward reason—to completely distance himself from the Xie family, it also made people suspect whether there had been a long-standing rift between the two or if the Princess Consort had been out of favor for a long time, and now a chance had finally been found to dispose of him.
The palace servants privately felt that this was highly probable. After all, examples of affection waning before beauty fades have always been common, and the imperial family never lacked for figures like Chen Ahjiao.
Their attitude was mostly one of pity and regret. The Princess Consort was not a bad person anyway, he was just unlucky. How brilliant and striking he had been when he passed the imperial exams. Yet a young beauty, confined to the Prince’s Mansion, had painstakingly borne two children over ten years, only to meet such a tragic fate.
Everyone thought that the Princess Consort would never have the chance to set foot on the soil of the capital again in this lifetime, let alone reply to questions in Shenlong Hall as he was doing now.
The Tiger Division was temporarily stationed near the West Grand Camp on the outskirts of the capital. While the Emperor and his entourage returned to the palace, Lu Shuqing took Lu Suning directly to see Lady Wu. Lu Lingzhang assigned seats to Wang Shu and Xie Jing in the outer hall to wait, while he summoned Lu Lingcong into the inner hall.
Wang Shu’s face showed some signs of age. His speech was still slow and even-toned as always: “I remember that Young Master Xie was the top scholar of the Zhengyou 7th year, and the draft of the imperial examination questions for the 13th year also came from your hand, correct?”
Xie Jing nodded and replied, “That is correct.”
Wang Shu thought for a moment: “Young Master Xie doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about official documents. Why, then, did you run around so much and toil for the matters in Yongzhou?”
“Just running around and toiling for a livelihood. Selling calligraphy and paintings couldn’t earn much silver, but catching the eye of Lord Prefect at least ensured enough food and warm clothing.”
Wang Shu smiled: “His Majesty mentioned recently that upon your return to the capital this time, he would grant you an honorary post, as before, ensuring you receive your stipends without having to attend court, allowing you to live the same carefree life you once had. He wished to know your thoughts on this.”
Xie Jing was taken aback, pondered for a moment, and said, “In the past, constrained by my status, it was difficult to refuse the late Emperor’s great favor. Thus, I rightfully remained in my position and did not dare entertain any intentions regarding court affairs.”
“I thought I would have no further chance to see His Majesty in this life. I did not expect His Majesty to show mercy to me, a convicted person, and still grant me the opportunity to return to the capital and enter court. Naturally, I hope to achieve even a small part of my ambitions.”
Wang Shu raised an eyebrow. “Then, in your opinion, what position should His Majesty grant you for you to best realize your great vision?”
Xie Jing said without thinking, “I have tasted the feeling of falling heavily after climbing high. Now I have no burdens, and I am also not afraid to fall again.”
Wang Shu revealed a hint of surprise: “Young Master Xie, perhaps you should state it clearly.”
Xie Jing smiled: “If I state it clearly, His Majesty may not enjoy hearing it, but Prime Minister Wang would probably enjoy it.”
Wang Shu gladly made a “please continue” gesture.
Xie Jing then stated plainly, “I seek nothing else. It is enough if all the hardships the Xie family suffered in the past are retaliated against, one by one, upon the entire Prince Zhao’s Mansion.”
Wang Shu silently scrutinized him for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, “I once heard an anecdote, there was a princess in the Western Regions in ancient times who, to help her husband seize the throne, did not hesitate to turn against her own father and brothers. However, after her husband ascended the throne, he was treacherous and faithless, seeking a new favorite. The princess plotted every step for revenge, first poisoning the new favorite and then personally slaying her two young children with her husband, causing the faithless man to end up as a lonely person and die in depression.”
He stared Intently at Xie Jing: “I’m just a little curious. Does Young Master Xie have the magnanimity to sacrifice his own kin for a righteous cause because there is also a new favorite in the Prince’s Mansion?”
Xie Jing sneered coldly: “I’d be very willing to see if there truly is such a new favorite in the mansion, and it would be best if they got a taste of exactly what I went through back then, so I can vent the hatred in my heart.”
“Then it seems there isn’t.” Wang Shu narrowed his eyes. “Let me ask one more question. Although the late Emperor disliked your nature in every way back then, he never once mentioned deposing you to establish another Princess Consort Zhao from beginning to end. Do you understand why that was?”
Xie Jing replied, “My father and older brother appeared to hold high positions, but in reality, they had no financial power and even less military power. They merely talked a lot, which was of no substantial help to Prince Zhao.”
“Then, have you ever thought about why the late Emperor was still uneasy about the Xie family? Since they didn’t pose any actual threat, and knowing that his beloved grandson was close to his maternal family, why did he take the unnecessary step right before his death, still insisting on dragging your entire Xie family to burial?”
Xie Jing stared steadily at the floor tiles of the outer hall and gave a mournful smile, “It wasn’t that the late Emperor felt uneasy; it was that someone wanted the late Emperor to feel uneasy.”
He picked up the previous thread of conversation: “In my opinion, that princess’s anger and hatred did not only come from the new favorite but also from the faithlessness and from her finally realizing that her husband only married her to seize the throne and never had an ounce of true feeling for her.”
He slightly curled his lips: ”To fall out of love, or to never have been in love, which is more hateful?”
Wang Shu was clearly not entirely convinced: “Your behavior when you were young was somewhat absurd, but you are not stupid. Whether he was sincere or what thoughts were in his heart, after ten years, it’s impossible for you not to know anything.”
Xie Jing seemed to find it highly comical: “Apart from being able to leave the Prince’s Mansion at will, how was the rest of my time any different from a concubine in a deep residence? It was nothing more than dutifully respecting my in-laws, pleasing my husband with my looks, and continuing the family line. Giving birth to an Imperial Eldest Grandson, one favored by the late Emperor for his auspicious birth, was the most remarkable achievement of my ten years as a court official.”
Wang Shu retorted, “But you didn’t seem to think that way back then. Who in the capital doesn’t know that when His Highness Shizi was accidentally lost, Princess Consort Zhao did not eat or sleep and became hysterical for several days, driving himself mad, and only calmed down once the child was found?”
Xie Jing sneered coldly, “Prime Minister Wang, you yourself also said ‘back then.’ Didn’t you follow His Majesty out of the city just now? Surely Prime Minister Wang wouldn’t fail to understand what His Highness Shizi said, right?”
“Since you’ve torn off the mask like this,” Wang Shu asked, following the thread, “why did Young Master Xie take the Commandery Princess away from the capital with you?”
Xie Jing slowly said, “I took her with me so you all would come looking for me. If I hadn’t taken her, even if I couldn’t survive and died in a foreign land, I doubt anyone would even inquire.”
“You didn’t even take His Highness Shizi. The Princess is merely a daughter. How could you be so certain that the court would definitely send people to look for her?”
Xie Jing scoffed through his nose: “The court might not send people, but Lu Lingcong definitely would search, and as long as he searches, the court cannot afford not to search.”
“How much he values this child… I think not only I am aware of it, but Prime Minister Wang should also know it very well as well. If the court could locate Lu Suning and bring her under control, wouldn’t that add yet another powerful lever to influence Prince Zhao and the Tiger Division? It’s just a pity that all of you were ultimately a step too slow and couldn’t outpace Lu Lingcong.”
Wang Shu said, “You keep saying how much he values this child. This child is your own flesh and blood; do you not value her?”
“Prime Minister Wang is also a father and a son. For Prime Minister Wang, who is more important? The person who gave birth to and raised you, or the person you gave birth to and raised? Leaving aside the story of ‘Burying a Son to Serve a Mother,’ Prince Zhao’s Mansion wronged me first. If I were to rest easy and repay grievance with kindness, what face would I have to meet my relatives in the afterlife?”
Wang Shu frowned slightly: “That imperial edict was passed from the palace to the Xie family only through Zhong Zhao’s hands. Its effectiveness is comparable to a posthumous edict, and it was clearly the late Emperor’s intent. Why are you so certain that Prince Zhao was involved?”
Xie Jing glanced at him and slowly said, “Does Prime Minister Wang know that after the late Emperor passed away, Zhong Zhao was said to have died for his master, but he was actually silenced and died by Lu Lingcong’s sword?”
Wang Shu was clearly hearing about this for the first time and was startled. Xie Jing continued:
“In the beginning of the reign of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong, much effort was spent to curb the power of aristocratic families. By the Jianning and Zhengyou eras, my self-promotion as being part of the ‘Xie Clan of Chen Commandery’ was nothing more than a nice-sounding empty title, utterly useless apart from engaging in petty opportunism and relying on connections.”
“Lu Lingcong was calculating for that position. On one hand, he feared that his maternal in-laws would not be a help but a hindrance, and on the other hand, he feared that in the future, maternal relatives would divide power and the influence of the old noble families would spread further. He finally achieved this situation of weakened aristocratic power; how would he dare to risk allowing my Xie clan to become dominant and resurrect itself?”
He looked at the empty dragon throne in the hall and said, “Lu Lingcong was steeped in the struggles of legitimate versus illegitimate and older versus younger siblings from a young age, and he knows their harms deeply. He personally told me back then that he only wanted one legitimate eldest son to prevent fraternal strife in the future. Since he determined that Lu Shuqing would be the sole heir, guarding against the Xie family was naturally put on his agenda.”
Wang Shu asked, “If that is truly the case, why didn’t he eliminate the root of the problem and punish you along with the others to forever eliminate future trouble?”
“A living person can be arbitrarily slandered and defamed; in his mouth, it wouldn’t be excessive for me to become utterly wicked. But if I were a dead person, I would genuinely become Lu Shuqing’s ‘deceased mother.’ With that emotional knot present, it would probably not be so easy to make him completely obedient and devoted to his father. How could Lu Lingcong possibly leave such a potential source of trouble?”
“Then what about the Tiger Division? Could he really show no trace of a a new force in secret to the person next to him?”
“Prime Minister Wang has said that I was only absurd, not stupid, which I take as a compliment. Back then, I was completely fooled by Lu Lingcong, thinking he was merely accumulating wealth. How could I have ever imagined he harbored such intentions?”
Wang Shu, however, chuckled and said indifferently, “For Young Master Xie to be able to speak this way, at least today, you’re far from being described as stupid or absurd.”
Xie Jing also smiled, “There are no others here, so I might as well speak plainly with Prime Minister Wang. His Majesty values the bond of brotherhood and finds it inconvenient to make a move, but Prime Minister Wang and the Empress Dowager cannot fail to plan for the Wang family.”
“Lu Lingcong and I were husband and wife for ten years. He probably didn’t foresee this day, so he didn’t conceal everything from me. The higher I stand, the more useful the things I know become, and the sooner the Wang family’s goal—which is also my goal, can be achieved.”
Wang Shu met his gaze: “Your goal?”
Xie Jing’s expression was as still as water. He quietly said, “I want Lu Lingcong to also taste the pain of the extermination of his family.”
As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from the inner hall. A moment later, Lu Lingzhang and Lu Lingcong walked out one after the other. After the latter made his farewells, he glanced at Xie Jing, who was seated on the other side of the hall, and walked out of Shenlong Hall.
Lu Lingzhang only asked about the Yongzhou campaign, saying nothing else, so Lu Lingcong was unable to take the opportunity to gauge the attitude towards the marriage alliance. Most details had already been presented in the military report. After replying with a few words, Lu Lingzhang waved him away, saying, “The Consort Dowager misses Imperial Brother deeply. This time, you may stay in the capital for a longer Period and spend quality time with your family.”
That glance was naturally observed by Lu Lingzhang. His Imperial Brother’s indifference outside the city just now was exactly the same as the indifference he showed three years ago when issuing the edict to depose the Princess Consort. He figured that if he hadn’t dismissed only him and had kept Xie Jing in Shenlong Hall, his expression would likely still be one of similar indifference, and there would not have been that final look.
He did not consider himself to understand his Imperial Brother very well. From beginning to end, he couldn’t tell whether Lu Lingcong’s feelings were genuine or feigned.
Lu Lingzhang did not summon Xie Jing into the inner hall, suggesting he had tacitly approved of Wang Shu’s conversation with him early on. He casually asked two more questions about the military situation, and Xie Jing, concealing the details of his encounter with Lu Lingcong, answered everything else truthfully.
Finally, Lu Lingzhang exchanged a glance with Wang Shu, received an affirmative nod, and said, “Minister Xie has the will to serve the country, and Zhen has no reason to refuse. A decision will be made at tomorrow morning’s court. Rewards and punishments must be clearly distinguished. Zhen provisionally bestows one hundred taels of gold for your livelihood before your stipend is issued. If there are any other favors you desire, Zhen permits you to ask for them yourself.”
Xie Jing moved to the center of the hall, knelt down, and kowtowed: “This minister dares not ask for extravagant things. This minister only hopes Your Majesty still permits this minister to reside in the old Xie family residence, to serve as a place to stay in the capital.”
Lu Lingzhang lowered his gaze and looked at him, saying, “Granted.”
Wuyi Lane has historically been where aristocratic families and noble descendants resided. Even after the bloody incident involving the Xie family in the 17th year of Zhengyou, it merely resulted in the sealing of one residence and did not impede the fine horses, sculpted carriages, and nobly dressed people entering and exiting the other households.
After being inspected by officials and sealed, the Xie’s Mansion had remained empty until now, with weeds in the courtyard growing as high as half a person.
The pair of Eastern Vase and Western Mirror in the main hall had long been smashed to pieces on the ground. The calligraphy and paintings on the walls had also vanished. Amidst the desolate ruins, the eave bells were whimperingly blown by the spring wind. Only the plaque reading “A Hundred Acts of Forbearance Define the Family’s Reputation” still swayed leisurely on the beam.
Lu Lingzhang ordered Wang Shu to assign some servants from the Prime Minister’s mansion to remain at the old Xie’s Mansion to clean and serve. Xie Jing knew in his heart that this was supervision disguised as service, but he did not refuse and accepted everything with thanks.
Restoring such a desolate house was not a matter of one or two days. Xie Jing sent people to clean up the South Courtyard, where he used to live, first. As for the main house where his parents, elder brother, and sister-in-law once lived, and the wing room Xie Jun used as a bedroom, he did not step inside to look further.
As night fell, all the lights in the residence dimmed. Candlelight flickered, and there was scarcely a sign of human presence.
Xie Jing gently turned down the quilt and got out of bed, holding his shoes in his hand. He walked to the wall mirror in the outer room that occupied most of the wall. Standing on his toes, he reached out and felt along the carvings on the upper edge of the mirror frame. He stopped at the throat of a certain sparrow carving and inserted his index finger to flick open the hidden live clasp inside.
He lightly leveraged his shoulder to push, and the mirror surface slowly turned open by half as if along a central axis. Xie Jing stepped into the darkness behind the mirror, turned around, pushed the mirror back, and reset the live clasp from inside the wall.
Xie Jing put on his shoes, crouched down, and fumbled for a few moments, finding a hurricane lamp and a tinder stick in the corner. He lit the lamp and started walking into the depths.
The night before leaving Yongzhou, Lu Lingcong had meticulously drawn him the map of this secret passage between the old Xie’s Mansion and Prince Zhao’s Mansion. However, to avoid detours, the excavation had to cross a hidden underground river connected to the Yangtze River, and the secret chamber was built on the water at an intermediate location between the two places.
The water level of the underground river rises and falls with the tides of the Yangtze River. At high tide, the water submerges the suspension bridge connecting the ends of the two passages to the secret chamber, so one must precisely time the daily low tide in order to pass during that interval.
It was precisely becausee the Xie’s Mansion was deserted and desolate, combined with the abundance of Hewei personnel stationed in the capital, that Xie Jing’s jest from back then, “It would be more convenient to just dig a tunnel between the two houses”, was actually put into practice by Lu Lingcong.
The secret passage was cold and damp, and Xie Jing, who was wearing only thin clothing, could barely withstand it. Fortunately, after walking quickly for less than half an hour, he faintly saw the door of the secret chamber.
He crossed the bridge, put down the hurricane lamp, knocked according to the rhythm of the Tiger Division command signal, and then took the silver hairpin securing his hair from his head. The shape of the hairpin’s head perfectly matched the keyhole on the door, and he unlocked the lock twisted around the door.
The temperature difference between the inside and outside of the secret chamber was distinct. Lu Lingcong was leaning against the edge of a table with his back to the door, lost in thought while staring at the wall. Only when he heard the approaching movement behind him did he abruptly turn around.
Xie Jing stopped and looked around the room but didn’t see a third person.
Lu Lingcong understood what he was looking for and said at the appropriate moment, “My mother saw that the children weren’t in high spirits, so she had them stay in the palace.”
Xie Jing let out a breath upon hearing this, nodded, and smiled faintly with a touch of weariness. He walked around the table and let Lu Lingcong embrace him, casually saying, “It’s been nearly ten years since I last attended court. I won’t be able to avoid it tomorrow. Is my court attire from back then still at home?”
