jdhmnovel Chapter 603
Chapter 603
The sword hummed faintly in its sheath, as if sensing its master's anger. "You dare to be so audacious, Crown Prince!" His voice was forced out between clenched teeth, carrying a chilling killing intent. "Secret Guards, accompany me to the palace immediately to see the Emperor!"
When the Prince of Zhennan and his entourage arrived at the palace, the majestic palace walls were faintly visible through the rain and mist. The once solemn and majestic Forbidden City was now brightly lit yet eerily silent. A suffocating atmosphere permeated the air, like the deathly stillness before a storm. The Prince of Zhennan strode through the many palace gates, his guards following behind him, their steps perfectly synchronized, the clanging of their armor echoing in the empty palace corridors.
Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the scent of sandalwood mingled with the rain. The Emperor sat on his dragon throne, the memorials in his hands crumpled beyond recognition. Hearing footsteps, he raised his head, his brow furrowed into a deep knot. The Prince of Zhennan lifted his robes and knelt heavily, raindrops dripping from his hair and forming small puddles on the golden bricks. He recounted the events in detail, each word striking the hall like a heavy hammer blow.
"Bang!" The emperor slammed his hand on the table, shattering the teacup. His dragon robe billowed in the wind, revealing his ashen face: "How could the Crown Prince be so foolish!" Before he could finish speaking, a eunuch stumbled in, his official hat askew: "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince requests an audience, saying he has important matters to discuss."
The emperor sneered, a cold glint in his eyes: "Perfect timing! Summon him in!" The palace doors slowly opened, and the crown prince strode in with unsteady steps. Upon seeing the Prince of Zhennan and the others, his steps abruptly halted, his face instantly turning paler than the white paper on the wall. Rain dripped continuously from the hem of his robes, leaving dark stains on the gold bricks.
"Crown Prince, do you know your crime?" The Emperor's voice, icy cold, echoed in the empty hall. The Crown Prince's legs went weak, and he knelt heavily on the ground, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. He opened his mouth, but only managed a few incoherent sobs: "Your subject... Your subject knows his crime..." His head almost touched the ground, his hair ornament askew, his former majesty completely gone. The atmosphere in the hall froze, with only the sound of rain tapping on the windowpanes, as if providing accompaniment to this farce.
The situation changed suddenly
The carved and gilded dragon pillars gleamed coldly in the candlelight, and the air in the entire hall seemed to freeze. The Prince of Zhennan, clad in black armor, the dark patterns on his cloak flickering in the light, fixed his sharp, hawk-like gaze on the Crown Prince. A cold, disdainful snort escaped his throat, booming like thunder in the silent hall: "Your Highness, the evidence is irrefutable. Now, how do you intend to deny it?"
The prince's python robe, embroidered with gold cloud patterns, was already soaked with cold sweat. His legs trembled slightly, and he almost couldn't stand. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, leaving dark stains on the polished floor tiles. With a thud, the prince knelt heavily on the ground, his voice filled with fear and pleading: "Father, I was bewitched! I was momentarily blinded by evil spirits! Please, Father, have mercy!"
On the dragon throne, the emperor slammed his fist on the table, causing the jade cup on the gilded dragon-patterned table to shatter with a crisp sound that echoed throughout the hall. His eyes widened in fury, burning with what seemed like raging fire, and he roared in a voice like a booming bell, "Who has bewitched you? Speak!" This roar, carrying the oppressive power of an emperor, made everyone in the hall's eardrums ache.
The crown prince trembled violently, his lips quivering. He hesitated for a long time, his eyes filled with fear and struggle. But under the emperor's burning gaze, he finally dared not hide anything any longer and said in a trembling voice, "It's...it's the third prince. He said that as long as I help him get rid of the Prince of Zhennan, he will help me secure my position as crown prince."
These words caused an uproar in the hall. The officials whispered amongst themselves, their gazes shifting between shock, doubt, and speculation. The Prince of Zhennan frowned deeply, his eyes swirling with anger and coldness. He thought to himself: "The Third Prince, who usually seems so gentle and refined, is actually so treacherous and ruthless. He's truly impossible to guard against."
The emperor's face instantly darkened, becoming as gloomy as the sky before a storm, seemingly ready to burst into flames. He abruptly flicked his sleeve and commanded in a voice as cold as ice, "Summon the Third Prince to the palace!"
Outside the palace, the sky was already as dark as ink, and the wind howled like a ferocious beast, pounding wildly against the palace doors and windows, emitting mournful cries. Large raindrops pelted down, splashing water onto the bluestone slabs, creating a chaotic scene. This raging storm seemed to foreshadow an even greater tempest about to sweep through the palace.
Before long, hurried footsteps approached. The Third Prince, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, entered the hall surrounded by guards. Seeing the solemn expressions of everyone in the hall, and the Crown Prince's disheveled appearance, he was startled, his pupils slightly contracting. However, years of experience allowed him to quickly regain his composure, and his face once again displayed that gentle and refined smile. He bowed and said, "May I ask what business Father has summoned me for?"
Faced with questioning, the Third Prince remained calm and composed, beginning to defend himself with earnest words, as if he were truly innocent. However, confronted with the Crown Prince's unwavering accusations and the detailed evidence presented by the Prince of Zhennan, his sophistry appeared so weak and feeble, like a paper fortress that crumbled at the slightest touch.
Palace Mystery
The flickering flame on the gilded dragon-shaped candlestick cast long, dark shadows on the emperor's face. His thin fingers gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly, his knuckles white from the force. His gaze, like two poisoned daggers, pierced between the Third Prince's panicked, evasive eyes and the secret letters and account books presented by the Prince of Zhennan. The documents, stained with vermilion seals, gleamed eerily in the candlelight, like evidence of crimes soaked in blood.
"Even now, you still dare to argue?" The emperor suddenly roared, his voice like a muffled thunderclap in the silent hall. He slammed his fist on the dragon desk, causing the jade brush washer on it to tumble and shatter into pieces on the white marble floor tiles. The crisp sound of the shattering startled all the officials in the hall. The third prince's moon-white brocade robe was already soaked with cold sweat, the dark embroidered python pattern twisted and deformed in the water stains. He fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead hitting the cold floor tiles with a dull thud: "Father, please understand! Someone must have fabricated evidence to frame me!" His trembling voice carried a desperate struggle.
The Prince of Zhennan stepped forward, his black cloak sweeping across the shattered jade on the ground, the sword at his waist emitting a clear, melodious ringing with each movement. He clasped his hands in a salute, his voice booming like a bell: "Your Majesty, the handwriting in the secret letters is verifiable, and the troop mobilization documents and seals are all there. If the Third Prince remains obstinate, how can you silence the voices of the people?" With that, his sharp gaze swept over the Third Prince like a hawk, making the other's neck feel cold.
Just as the atmosphere became tense, a flurry of footsteps and shouts of dissuasion suddenly came from outside the palace. A young eunuch stumbled in, his hat askew and one embroidered shoe missing, and breathlessly reported, "Your Majesty! The Empress... is kneeling outside the palace gates, saying she has a great injustice to report!"
The emperor's thick eyebrows furrowed instantly, and the air in the hall seemed to freeze. He remained silent for a moment, then raised his hand and said in a deep voice, "Summon them!"
The gilded palace gates slowly opened, letting in a cold wind carrying a drizzle that flickered the candlelight within. The Empress, dressed in a long-sleeved robe embroidered with crimson gold and pheasant patterns, her pearl tassels rustling with each hurried step, stood before her. Tears still clung to her pale face, her hair disheveled, a far cry from her usual dignified bearing. Reaching the foot of the steps, she suddenly knelt, kowtowing heavily. "Your Majesty! This is all due to my lax discipline! I have failed in my duty as a mother!" she cried, crawling to the Emperor's feet, clutching the hem of his dragon robe, sobbing uncontrollably. "My third son lost his mother at a young age, and I treated him as my own… He must have been misled, momentarily confused!"
Dragon Palace Startled Waves
A thunderclap boomed over the Forbidden City, and rain poured down like a silver curtain from the bronze beast ridges. Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Empress's crimson robes, adorned with pheasant patterns, swept across the blue bricks, the pearl tassels rustling as her back trembled. Suddenly, she tore off the nine-phoenix-and-sun jade pendant wrapped in gold thread from her neck, her fingertips tracing the raised cloud patterns on it—a token of love that the Emperor had personally tied to her during her investiture as Empress eighteen years ago.
"If Your Majesty wishes to punish me, then execute me first!" The jade tablet shot through the air and slammed heavily against the dragon pillar. Amidst the crisp sound of shattering, the twelve strings of gilded bronze bells under the eaves were shaken wildly, clattering out a chaotic din. The Third Prince looked up abruptly and saw his mother's thin back hunched over like a withered lotus in her loose palace dress. A metallic taste suddenly welled up in his throat, and a suppressed sob mingled with the sound of rain, breaking into the cracks between the blue bricks.
The Prince of Zhennan's black armor gleamed coldly in the candlelight. He instinctively gripped his sword hilt, but caught a glimpse of the Crown Prince's reaction out of the corner of his eye. The usually timid Crown Prince was now kneeling upright, his gaze fixed on the jade shards scattered on the ground. A chilling dark light surged in his dark pupils, like a poisoned blade gleaming in the shadows.
"Enough!" The emperor suddenly pressed his throbbing temples, his right hand beneath his dragon robe crumpling the troop mobilization edict. The vermilion seal on the edge of the parchment, blood-red in the candlelight, bore the mark of the Third Prince's private seal, now resembling a gruesome wound. "Detain the Third Prince temporarily at the Imperial Clan Court, until tomorrow..."
"Wait!" A hoarse cough came from the corner of the hall. The white-haired prime minister, leaning on his dragon-headed cane, struck the ground heavily with each step, as if striking the hearts of everyone present. "Your Majesty, the Third Prince's troop mobilization is indeed true, but the Crown Prince's words... are merely one side of the story." His cloudy old eyes swept over the Crown Prince's suddenly pale face, his deliberately drawn-out tone like a venomous snake's tongue, "This old minister implores a thorough investigation of those who colluded with the Third Prince, lest they be wrongly accused..."
A thunderclap boomed outside the palace, and lightning illuminated the Crown Prince's terrified face. He crawled two steps on his knees, his crown askew, scattering pearls and jade: "Father! Every word I have spoken is true, the advisors of the Third Prince's residence..." Before he could finish speaking, the Empress suddenly lunged at him, grabbing his collar. The pearl tassels on her phoenix crown grazed the Crown Prince's cheek, instantly leaving three bloody streaks, like three grotesque curses.
"The names of your advisors? Where is the token?" The Empress's bloodshot eyes burned with madness. "You say San'er colluded with the Prince of Zhennan, do you have any secret letters to prove it?" Her sharp questions echoed in the empty hall, startling the owls in the rafters into letting out a mournful cry. The Prince of Zhennan's hand on his sword bulged with veins, but the Emperor raised his hand to stop him. The aged Emperor looked at the fine lines at the corners of the Empress's eyes, and for a moment, he was transported back thirty years—when she had also stood so stubbornly in front of him, protecting him, then a prince, from the sharp blades of powerful ministers.
The stench of sandalwood mingled with the stench of blood filled the hall, and the emperor suddenly felt an inexplicable weariness. "Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the Three Judicial Offices will hold a joint trial." His hand trembled uncontrollably as he waved his sleeve. "Court adjourned."
As night fell, the Prince of Zhennan's carriage rolled through the puddles. He unfolded the secret report by the light of a lantern; the four characters "Crown Prince's Eastern Palace" on the yellowed letter were tinged red by the candlelight. His fingertips traced the distinctive markings on the corner of the paper, and he suddenly recalled the Empress's outburst earlier that day—how could the Empress, who had calmly commanded the guards during the palace coup, have lost control so drastically before the Emperor? Outside the carriage window, splashing water cast menacing shadows on the palace walls, like countless demons grinning maliciously.
Meanwhile, deep within the Cold Palace, a withered face was reflected in a bronze mirror, its surface stained with verdigris. Consort Hua forcefully shoved the phoenix hairpin into her disheveled hair, gazing at her reflection—a face seven-tenths like the Empress's—and suddenly let out a piercing laugh. Outside the window, the rain gradually subsided. She picked up a bloodstained handkerchief from beside her pillow; the embroidered twin lotus blossoms had long since faded to an eerie crimson—a gift she and the Empress had received eighteen years ago.
As the drumbeats sounded, in the west warm pavilion of the Taiji Hall, the emperor sat listlessly facing the memorials scattered on the floor. On the table lay two broken jade tablets; one was a keepsake thrown away by the empress, the other… He picked up the blood-stained fragment, the words "Crown Prince" still faintly discernible. Suddenly, the candle wick exploded, sparks flying onto the memorials, burning a charred hole in the words "The Prince of Zhennan wields considerable military power." And within the folds of the memorials, a yellowed portrait quietly slipped out—the girl in the painting bore a striking resemblance to the empress, but was marked with a sharp cross in vermilion ink.
Undercurrent
At the third quarter of the hour of Mao (5:45 AM), wisps of smoke rose from the bronze animal-head incense burner in the main hall of the Dali Temple, mingling with the raindrops dripping from the eaves and condensing into a hazy mist in the morning light. Golden dragons coiled around the twelve vermilion pillars seemed to appear and disappear in the mist. The plaque announcing the joint trial by the three judicial departments hung high overhead, gleaming with a cold luster, as if overlooking the thrilling contest about to unfold.
As the heavy iron gates swung open, the Third Prince was escorted into the hall by two guards. A night of imprisonment had left his pale white brocade robe rumpled and disheveled, his hair ornament askew, and his face slightly haggard. However, a stubborn, unyielding flame still burned in his dark eyes, flashing with a sharp light the moment his gaze met the Crown Prince's. The Crown Prince sat upright on the other side, dressed in a brand-new bright yellow brocade robe, the gold-threaded python patterns on the hem gleaming. But his constantly fidgeting hands and shifty, evasive eyes betrayed his inner unease.
The Prince of Zhennan was clad in dark, soft armor, the jade tassel on his sword swaying gently with his breath. Behind him stood twelve bodyguards, dressed in black, their faces veiled, like silent statues, exuding a chilling aura of menace. The Prince of Zhennan's gaze swept across the entire area like a hawk's, not missing a single subtle change in expression; his eyes seemed to pierce through the heart, revealing all secrets.