Xie Zhui only recently received news about the strange occurrences at the Marquis An's residence.

 

Currently, the Northern Army was under the command of Rong Ji, who was both a relative and a good friend of Xie Sui. When Xie Zhui sent a message by carrier pigeon to the Northern Border, it wasn't just to have Xu Guang and Yin Tong investigate these matters; it was also to enlist Rong Ji's help.

 

Rong Ji, with his significant authority and extensive resources, was able to quickly uncover information.

 

The Marquis An's residence was not an impregnable fortress. Once suspicions arose and a thorough investigation was conducted, it didn't take long to uncover some clues.

 

Xie Zhui stared intently at Old Madam An and said, "Judging by the look on the Marchioness' face, she clearly knows what has happened to Marquis An. Does the Marchioness dare to speak the truth in front of His Majesty?"

 

Old Madam An replied, "I don't know what you are talking about. The Marquis has indeed been unwell and has been recuperating at the residence, which is well known. How does the Prince Consort, residing in Prince Li's mansion, know about border affairs? Could it be that the Prince Consort still maintains contact with the Northern Army and has them continue to gather information and serve him?"

 

"Marchioness, your attempts to sow discord are truly remarkable," Xiao Shan sneered. "How we gather information is none of your concern. The issue at hand is you. Why can't you answer the questions honestly? Spouting nonsense won't save you."

 

Old Madam An ignored him and instead looked towards the Emperor, crying out, "Your Majesty..."

 

She knew the Emperor felt a sense of guilt towards the An family. Over the years, the An family had remained at the border, never seeking credit from the Emperor nor receiving any special rewards. She envied her two brothers and the Empress Dowager. She even wrote to Old Master Gu, hoping he would petition the Emperor to elevate the An family's status.

 

But Old Master Gu said that the more the An family remained dutiful and unassuming, the more the Emperor would remember their past loyalty.

 

If they truly sought titles and ranks, wearing down that bit of sentiment, the An family would be left with nothing.

 

Old Madam An knew that Old Master Gu's words were reasonable, but she couldn't help feeling resentful, holding onto that frustration. It wasn't until she returned to the capital for her descendants' marriage that she realized the Emperor's remembrance was more valuable than anything else.

 

Now, she didn't know what happened, but she understood that as long as the Emperor remembered their past loyalty, everything could be resolved.

 

The Emperor looked at Old Madam An. If it weren't for the fact that one of his sons had been crippled and Xiao Shan and Xiao Jin caused a scandal that shook the entire Da Zhou with the child-swapping incident, he might still have some patience for Old Madam An.

 

As long as her actions weren't excessive, he could turn a blind eye for the sake of the Empress Dowager and Old Master Gu.

 

But now, he just wanted to know the truth.

 

So the Emperor raised his eyes to Xie Zhui and asked, "What did you mean by your earlier words?"

 

Xie Zhui looked at the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have discovered that Marquis An has developed a drug addiction. It is said that the drug makes one feel as if they are in heaven, but without it, life becomes unbearable. Marquis An now cannot go a day without this drug, and his appearance has become gaunt and haggard, as frail as kindling. Everyone knows that Marquis An and the Marchioness have a deep affection for each other. How is it that the Marchioness has never mentioned this addiction? Has she never thought to ask Your Majesty to send an imperial physician to treat him?"

 

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shan frowned and angrily said, "Marquis An is a general who guards our nation's gates. If he has fallen into drug addiction, what if his subordinates also use this drug? Would not our nation's security be in jeopardy?"

 

The Emperor's expression turned cold. The issue of drug addiction occurred during his grandfather's reign, who, trusting in Taoist priests, frequently consumed elixirs and ultimately died from drug addiction.

 

At that time, though he was young, he still remembered the horrifying sight of his grandfather bleeding from all seven orifices as he lay dying.

 

Since then, no Taoist priests had been allowed within the Da Zhou's borders. After his father's reforms, such incidents never occurred again. He didn't expect to hear of it again today.

 

Xie Zhui continued, "Not only does the Marquis An's residence have addictive drugs, but it also harbors the unique poisons of the Northern Rong, which is truly malicious."

 

Xiao Shan quickly added, "Father Emperor, since the drugs originate from the Marquis An's residence, she must be carrying some on her person. We should immediately send someone to search her. If these drugs spread within the capital, the consequences would be unimaginable."

 

Xiao Jin also urgently said, "Third Brother is right. Father Emperor should immediately send people to investigate the Marquis An's residence. If our nation's soldiers fall prey to this drug, how can they defend the borders?"

 

The Emperor knew the gravity of the situation. Without even glancing at Old Madam An, who was tugging at his dragon robe, he called for the Imperial Guards and ordered them to search Old Madam An's residence immediately.

 

Old Madam An did not expect the investigation to turn on her so suddenly; her face turned pale.

 

While waiting for the Imperial Guards' report, Xiao Shan looked at her and said, "There is still time. Why not talk about the Gu family? You keep insisting that someone harmed the Great-Grandfather. Who exactly are you accusing?"

 

Gu Xuan's face turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead upon hearing this.

 

He thought the recent oddities at home and Gu Yan's changed attitude towards him were just his imagination. He didn't expect there to be such a serious matter behind it.

 

Everyone's eyes were on Old Madam An. The Emperor, in a cold voice, commanded, "Speak."

 

Frightened by the Emperor's wrath, Old Madam An swallowed nervously and said, "That day, my second brother was frustrated by his lack of progress in the officialdom and went to see our father. Seeing his troubled expression and knowing our father's poor health, I followed him..."

 

Xiao Shan let out a cold laugh and said, "That's strange. If you followed them, wouldn't the servants have announced your presence when the father and son were talking? If you were there and saw it with your own eyes, that would be solid evidence. But afterward, no one saw you."

 

"If you weren't there, how do you know what happened? Did you sense it somehow? Or perhaps you were the one who angered him to death?"

 

Hearing this, Old Madam An's face turned deathly pale, and she swayed, on the verge of fainting.

 

Seeing this, everyone understood what happened. Gu Xuan, in disbelief, said, "It was you? On the day Father passed away, you fainted several times. I thought it was from grief, but it turns out you were the one who angered him to death. What were you thinking, trying to pin it on me?"

 

Old Madam An remained silent, having nothing to say. In the end, it was simply her unwillingness to accept the situation.

 

From the time of her marriage in her youth, she had been discontent. Her elder sister entered the palace, rising to a high position, valued by the family and revered by others. The man she fancied did not fancy her, and she had to sacrifice for the family, her sister, and even her sister's children by marrying a brute and moving to a desolate place.

 

Though she was also a legitimate daughter, returning to the capital after marriage was difficult for her.

 

Her husband’s military achievements could not compare to those of the Xie family. The Xie family was at the height of its power, while the An family remained lukewarm, and even the Marquisate was granted because of her connections.

 

Even if she held absolute authority in the An family, it meant little. She was still inferior to those from families less prestigious than hers.

 

The An family could not bring her much glory. She resented the An family and also hated the Xie family for not giving her the respect she felt she deserved.

 

So, she wanted to see the Xie family destroyed and the An family rise to take their place.

 

This was not an easy task and required immense patience. After taking action against Xie Chen, she revealed what she had done to her husband.

 

Naturally, he was unwilling to act against Xie Sui. According to him, a plea for help could be ignored, but he could not take action against the Northern Army.

 

If this matter were discovered, it would lead to the extermination of their entire clan.

 

Old Madam An knew that her husband would eventually agree. Because he was weak, because she had already taken action, and because of a man's pride. It was a fact that she had once favored the Xie family, which looked down on the An family. Of course, it was also because if her actions were exposed, the lives of dozens of people in the An family would be at stake.

 

So, even if he could refuse for a while, he could not refuse forever.

 

Eventually, everything went as she planned, and the An family took action against the Xie family.

 

People often say that a woman could be terrifying when she was ruthless, but in truth, anyone—man or woman—could be terrifying once they made up their mind.

 

The Xie family fell, and the An family had the opportunity to rise. However, the Emperor was angered by the fact that the Xie family sought help from the An family, and the An family, bound by protocol, did not act, nearly leading to the annihilation of the northern army.

 

The An family had not done anything wrong, at least not on the surface. No matter how displeased the Emperor was, he would not take action against them.

 

The only ones who knew about her personal vendetta with the Xie family were the older generation of the Xie family and the Empress Dowager of that time.

 

However, the Empress Dowager was very frail and could not manage much.

 

But she still did not completely eradicate the Xie family.

 

Moreover, after that, her husband became even more silent, plagued by nightmares in the dead of night. Sometimes, he would feel guilty towards the Xie family and consider petitioning the Emperor to confess his sins. She found this absurd and then gave him a drug she inadvertently obtained from a foreign merchant.

 

The merchant said that consuming this drug would make one forget all their troubles.

 

Gradually, Marquis An became dependent on the drug.

 

His temperament was altered by the drug, becoming particularly fierce, and he often shouted about seeing ghosts.

 

Old Madam An grew increasingly averse to seeing him, so she packed up and brought her favored descendants back to the capital.

 

Over the years, she harbored a persistent thought: if others could be imperial relatives, why couldn't her descendants become imperial relatives as well?

 

But no one ever considered her.

 

The sacrifices she made were seen as insignificant in the eyes of others.

 

Upon arriving in the capital, her life remained difficult because her status was not as high as others, so even her attempts to intimidate Xie Zhui were thwarted by Xiao Shan.

 

Then she began to manipulate Gu Xuan, often insinuating in front of him and his wife that their branch of the family was destined to decline.

 

The human heart was made of flesh; there were some things that should not be constantly mentioned. Mentioned too often, even the most generous heart would retain a scar.

 

Especially when there was a comparison to be made: all the titles and glory went to the main branch of the Gu family, while Gu Xuan received nothing. Under the influence of alcohol, he would naturally quarrel with the old master.

 

At that time, Old Madam An had one idea: the Empress, Consort Lan, Xiao Shan, and Xiao Jin had good relationships, right? She wanted to sow discord between them and then increase her own influence in the mix.

 

What she didn't anticipate was that after Gu Xuan quarreled with Old Master Gu, the old master privately met with her.

 

Old Master Gu asked if she said something to Gu Xuan, noting that Gu Xuan's temperament would not have led to such behavior without someone whispering in his ear.

 

She naturally denied it.

 

Old Master Gu was very disappointed, saying she changed and that she should not stay in the capital but return to Xun'an.

 

Old Madam An was naturally furious. She had a fierce argument with Old Master Gu, venting all her grievances from over the years and even confessing to the evil deeds she committed.

 

Old Master Gu clutched his chest, looking at her in disbelief.

 

At that time, Old Madam An declared that she would never return. All her descendants' futures were in the capital, and she would not go back to that desolate place.

 

Then she left, not even glancing at Old Master Gu, who stumbled and sat on the ground, calling out to her.

 

As a result, Old Master Gu passed away.

 

Then came the mourning period.

 

With shallow roots in the capital, she could only wait for an opportunity.

 

Soon, she set her sights on Crown Princess Liu Jingyi. She sought to ally with Liu Jingyi, helping her eliminate her enemies. But her ultimate goal was to connect with the Empress through these actions, gaining the Empress' reliance, and thereby securing opportunities for the An family's grandchildren to enter the Eastern Palace.

 

Everything seemed to be going according to her plan, but somehow, something went wrong. Suddenly, the Empress developed a deep aversion to her.

 

Even Xie Sui, who was supposed to have fallen off a cliff and died, reappeared.

 

Suddenly, Old Madam An felt as if there was a divine will at play.

 

At this point, everything was exposed, and everything returned to its origin. As long as the Emperor investigated, it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. All she could hope for was that the Emperor would remember their past loyalty and show leniency.

 

***

 

The Imperial Guards quickly brought items from Old Madam An's residence.

 

Since they were searching for drugs, they brought an imperial physician with them. With the physician's expertise, they quickly found the drugs.

 

When reporting back, the imperial physician said that the items were incomplete and had been used, but it was unclear on whom they had been used.

 

Considering the people Old Madam An had been in contact with, the Emperor's gaze turned cold. He asked, "Who were the drugs used on?"

 

Old Madam An opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word, then she shook her head vigorously.

 

Seeing her nervous demeanor and recalling her motives, Xiao Shan's mind raced, and he blurted out, "The Crown Princess?"

 

Xiao Jin looked up at him, and Xiao Shan understood. He said, "In recent days, she has only been in contact with the Crown Princess..."

 

A chill ran through Xiao Jin's heart. He quickly looked at the Emperor and said, "Father Emperor, I will immediately return to the Eastern Palace to verify this matter."

 

The Emperor nodded.

 

Xiao Jin rushed back to the Eastern Palace as quickly as possible. Liu Jingyi, having been deposed, was living in a remote corner of the Eastern Palace.

 

When Xiao Jin went to see her, she was dressed plainly, her face haggard, and her hands rough, bearing no resemblance to her former self.

 

Upon seeing him, Liu Jingyi's eyes brightened, and the first thing she said was, "How is the little princess?"

 

The Emperor conferred the title of Princess on Little Snowball, with her name inscribed as Xiao Yuzhu on the jade plaque.

 

Xiao Jin looked at her and asked, "Did Old Madam An ever give you anything?"

 

Liu Jingyi's eyes dimmed, and she replied, "Yes, she gave me something, saying it was a medicine to win back the Crown Prince's heart."

 

Xiao Jin clenched his hands tightly and said, "Did you ever..."

 

"No," Liu Jingyi interrupted him. "I did want to win back the Crown Prince's heart and had countless opportunities to put the medicine in his food. I may be foolish, but I'm not an idiot. I know there's no medicine that can truly win someone's heart. Even if there were, it would be called poison. I couldn't let my child have a mother who poisoned their father."

 

"I still have the medicine. You can take it," Liu Jingyi concluded.

 

Xiao Jin looked at her, took the jade bottle containing the medicine, and turned to leave.

 

Liu Jingyi watched his back until he disappeared from sight.

 

She buried her head and cried out in anguish.

 

***

 

Overnight, the palace underwent a dramatic change.

 

Consort Shu was demoted and sent to the Cold Palace, implicating her entire maternal family. The Fourth Prince was adopted by Prince Yong, who had died shortly after birth.

 

Consort Lan was demoted and placed under house arrest, and the Empress was ordered to reflect on her actions behind closed doors.

 

Consort Xian was released but demoted to the rank of Zhaoyi*.

*is a title used in the imperial harem system of ancient China. It is a rank given to one of the Emperor's consorts, typically below the Empress but above many other consorts.

 

In the court, the missing Xie Sui reappeared, Xie Chen's eyesight was restored, and both branches of the Gu family were reprimanded by the Emperor and demoted.

 

The Marquis An's residence was confiscated due to their involvement in plotting against court officials and a prince. Old Madam An was ordered to consume the very drug she brought.

 

Prince Li, Xiao Shan, was rewarded for his merits and given the title of Prince of Yunnan, with Yunnan as his fiefdom, which could not be reclaimed unless he committed treason.

 

When the news reached Prince Rui's residence, Xiao Rong spat out his tea.

 

He could hardly believe what he heard and couldn't understand how such drastic changes occurred both inside and outside the palace overnight.

 

And as for Xiao Shan, what virtues and abilities did he possess to make the Emperor break ancestral rules and grant him a fiefdom?

 

Moreover, the Emperor's repeated reprimands of the Empress, Consort Lan, and the Gu family—what did that signify?

 

How did Xiao Shan manage to benefit from all this?

 

Xiao Rong was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, desperately wanting to find out what had happened.

 

Gu Linglong, eating an orange, said, "Your Highness, this incident shows that Xiao Shan is not simple. You should avoid him in the future."

 

"I've long known he's not simple. Look at how he's managed to win over Father Emperor," Xiao Rong said sullenly. "I just wonder what the Crown Prince thinks about this. Xiao Shan having a fiefdom—there's something odd about it."

 

"Even if there's something odd, it doesn't concern us," Gu Linglong said. She thoroughly figured out Xiao Rong's temperament by now. When to agree with him, she must agree, but when to confront him, she must do so without mercy; otherwise, it would lead to a mess.

 

Just like now, seeing Xiao Rong's displeased expression, Gu Linglong calmly finished the last piece of her orange and then clutched her chest, pretending to retch.

 

Seeing her like this, Xiao Rong quickly called for a doctor.

 

After taking her pulse, the doctor smiled and said, "Congratulations, Your Highness. The princess is expecting."

 

Upon hearing this, Xiao Rong was elated. He was going to have a legitimate son. What did Xiao Shan's fiefdom matter compared to his own legitimate son?

 

Gu Linglong smiled as she watched Xiao Rong pace back and forth, thinking that as long as he didn't go out, he wouldn't cause too much trouble.

 

With such significant upheaval in the palace, there would be plenty of people investigating.

 

They only needed to sit in the prince's residence and wait for the results; there was no need to take action themselves and draw attention.

 

Xiao Shan, on the other hand, had no interest in the commotion these events would cause.

 

Upon returning to the prince's residence, he recounted everything that had happened in the palace to Xie Zhui, then asked, "When do you think we should go to Yunnan?"

 

Xie Zhui replied, "Anytime is fine."

 

Then he grasped Xiao Shan's hand tightly and asked, "Is this how things will end in the capital?"

 

Knowing the fates of those involved and the shocking events, he still felt a deep sense of anger and dissatisfaction.

 

Xiao Shan smiled slightly and said, "Of course not. This is just the beginning."

 

TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - I'd really like to see how far Leon goes and how far we can increase the number of chapters. Thanks~!

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