The blood color in Emperor An’s eyes faded somewhat, likely due to the effect of the medicine, and the pain in his head subsided. However, the violence and killing intent in his heart showed no sign of easing. Looking at the ministers who were kneeling in the hall, he could barely contain his rage.
He had long known that his sons were restless, and he was aware of their efforts to win over ministers to seize the throne. However, when he truly saw these officials—who were supposed to be loyal to him—fighting amongst themselves over his sons, completely forgetting who the true ruler of this land was, for the first time, Emperor An felt a deep sense of crisis.
It was as if someone was always lurking, eyeing the throne beneath him, waiting to pull him down and take his place.
Emperor An gazed at the bloodied Fourth Prince and the kneeling Second Prince, and a murderous intent surged within him.
...
The matter at Lingyun Temple wasn’t resolved directly in the morning court. However, since the Fourth Prince’s wife and Princess Leyang had confessed in public, Emperor An ordered that the three of them, along with the Fourth Prince, be imprisoned and handed over to the Secret Court for further investigation. Bai Erniang and Madam Pei were also to be handed over to the Secret Court.
Although Minister Pei, who had been wronged, and the Second Prince had not been imprisoned, they were both placed under house arrest by imperial decree. Further punishment would be determined once the investigation was concluded.
After the court session ended, the Second Prince, whose face was ashen, stormed out of the palace. When he reached a secluded spot, he turned and slapped Song Jinxiu hard across the face.
"It’s all your fault!" the Second Prince yelled.
Song Jinxiu’s head was knocked to the side from the force of the slap. "Your Highness..." he tried to protest.
"Shut up!" the Second Prince seethed. "Didn’t you tell me that the information was solid, that this was a surefire way to bring down the Fourth Prince? You told me that this wouldn't stain my hands, that all I had to do was stir things up. Why has it ended up like this?"
The Second Prince had wanted to destroy the Fourth Prince, but he had secretly made a deal with Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan had supported him in secret, helping him rise in the court, breaking the relationship between the Fourth Prince and the noble families, which allowed the Second Prince to thrive.
The Second Prince understood how powerful Xiao Yan was and how shrewd he could be. He never intended to directly harm those close to him to provoke Xiao Yan, so he never planned to directly intervene in the Lingyun Temple affair. At most, he intended for Bai Erniang and the others to just stand aside while the Fourth Prince was exposed, and after the Fourth Prince’s fall, he would reveal his true face.
But how had things turned out so differently? Now, he was being implicated in setting up the Fourth Prince’s wife.
The Second Prince remembered the frustration of being wrongly blamed during the morning court, and he felt like spitting blood in his anger.
"Did you really want to help me, or did you want to get me killed?" he shouted.
Although Emperor An had not imprisoned him like the Fourth Prince, the house arrest clearly meant that the emperor believed the Fourth Prince’s wife’s words. Moreover, the noble officials and Minister Cui had looked at him with displeasure earlier, completely shattering the already fragile trust between them.
Minister Cui had angrily criticized him for trying to scheme against Xiao Yan and the Fourth Prince without consulting anyone, for acting on his own.
Even his supporters were thinking this way—how could others feel?
And how would Xiao Yan feel?
Song Jinxiu stood in silence, his face pale and at a loss for words.
The Second Prince was enraged. "Song Jinxiu, you’d better hope nothing happens to me, and that my father can investigate this and clear my name. Otherwise..."
He gave a cold grunt, shot a vicious glare at Song Jinxiu, and stormed off.
Song Jinxiu, with a slap mark on his face, stood in the corner of the secluded area, utterly miserable.
...
In the palace, Emperor An reclined on the couch while Eunuch Feng massaged his temples.
"Your Majesty, the decree to seal the empress palace and place her under house arrest has already been delivered, and the Fengxi Palace is now under guard," reported Vice General of the Imperial Guards, Yu Yanfeng.
Emperor An kept his eyes closed. "What did the empress say?"
Yu Yanfeng lowered his head. "The empress says she’s been wronged."
"Heh!" Emperor An opened his eyes and sat up, a mocking expression on his face. "She’s wronged? There’s no one in the world more venomous than her!"
Leyang was a fool with no brains, acting impulsively but never crossing the line. If she had, she wouldn't have received the position of princess. While it was true that Leyang coveted Song Tangning, if it weren’t for the empress’s instigation, and her manipulation of the Fourth Prince’s wife, how could Leyang have caused such a big mess?
"Send someone to Lingyun Temple to investigate what happened last night and see just how much the Second and Fourth Princes were involved. Be sure to avoid the Privy Council’s people," Emperor An ordered.
The Privy Council had Xiao Yan, and it would be biased.
Emperor An was paranoid, and Yu Yanfeng understood what he meant. He took the order and withdrew.
Once the palace grew quiet again, Emperor An turned to Eunuch Feng. "How is Xiao Yan?"
Eunuch Feng stood by. "Director Xiao coughed up blood and fainted. He was carried back to his residence."
Emperor An frowned. "Did he really cough up blood?"
"Absolutely," Eunuch Feng answered quietly. "Many people saw it. Director Xiao had to be supported when he got off his horse. His steps were unsteady, and after attacking the Fourth Prince, he was overcome with rage."
"Physician Sun has already gone to Jiyun Alley and reported that Director Xiao’s previous internal injuries hadn't fully healed, and after the incident, his old wounds flared up. After being sent back, he developed a high fever, and it sounds quite serious."
Eunuch Feng watched Emperor An’s expression carefully, choosing his words cautiously. "Director Xiao must have been enraged because of the County Princess."
Emperor An remembered the day when Xiao Yan had collapsed into his arms, covered in blood, and was carried back to his residence. He also remembered Song Tangning’s frantic, tear-filled eyes. His suspicions instantly faded.
"Where is Song Tangning?" Emperor An asked.
"I heard she was startled, and she fell ill after returning to the capital in the afternoon. Even the Lady of Rongguo was upset and in poor health."
Emperor An lowered his gaze. "That little girl has suffered enough for no reason. Tell Physician Sun to take good care of Xiao Yan, and also check on the girl. Later, go to the storeroom and get some tonics to send to them. Tell them to rest well. I’ll make sure they get justice."
Eunuch Feng quickly replied, "I will obey the order."
Emperor An felt guilty toward Xiao Yan. That day, when he had argued with Xiao Yan over the Lu family, Xiao Yan had said that he feared Emperor An wouldn't be able to protect Song Tangning, so he had to deal with the Lu family. Emperor An had angrily scolded Xiao Yan for overthinking. But now, first, Lu Qin nearly took the girl’s life, and now the empress and her son, along with the Second Prince, had almost ruined her innocence.
Xiao Yan had nearly lost his life while saving the emperor, and now his injuries had flared up again.
Emperor An felt a sense of guilt and, after a long moment of contemplation, spoke up.
"Draft the decree. Song Tangning is gentle and virtuous, diligent in her studies, loyal to the emperor, and has helped with the establishment of the Rongsheng Academy, easing my burdens. Grant her the title of County Princess Xiangning, with the same land as before, and she will enjoy the privileges of a county princess."
Emperor An felt indebted to Xiao Yan. Though Xiao Yan, a eunuch, had risen to head the Privy Council, there could be no further promotion. But since Song Tangning had suffered, and as a woman, Xiao Yan doted on her. It was only right to give her some respect and comfort.
Eunuch Feng’s eyes widened, astonished at the fortune of the County Princess.
The imperial decree, along with a reply from the northwest, arrived almost simultaneously at Jiyun Alley.
After sending off the official who brought the decree, Tangning casually tossed the document to Yuejian. Just as she was about to feel joy at her brother’s letter, she heard someone outside say that Song Jinxiu had arrived.
Tangning frowned in distaste. "I don’t want to see him."
She still had to read her brother’s letter.
Outside, Song Jinxiu, noticing her turn to leave, called out loudly, "Tangning, I know you saw me!"
Yuejian noticed Tangning’s frown and was slightly irritated. "My lady, I’ll chase him off."
Tangning held the letter in her hand, glancing at the still-bright sky outside.
Song Jinxiu’s loud voice had undoubtedly drawn the attention of many.
"Fine. Let him in."
==============
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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