Chapter 348

Seventy-Seven, Nightmare

! Artisans! Magistrate Ouyang Rong rushed into the study with Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang, carrying a qin case, and Li Su Guoer, holding up her skirt.

The three saw overturned chairs and tables, and shattered porcelain and tea leaves scattered across the floor.

Cold tea water had pooled near the door, soaking the toes of their boots.

Inside the study, the two men… Li Su Dalang paced frantically in place, head bowed;

Li Wang Lixian sat slumped on the damp, wet floor amid the broken porcelain and tea leaves, as if soulless, his left hand bracing the ground, staring at a strange jade tablet in his right palm, engraved with characters.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong even saw blood oozing from Li Wang Lixian's palm, likely cut by shards of porcelain on the floor.

Yet the noble Prince of Prince Xunyang's expression was vacant, staring blankly at the jade tablet, muttering something over and over—Magistrate Ouyang Rong and the others couldn't make it out.

Seeing this, Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang immediately turned and shut the door, sealing off the room.

"What happened?" Magistrate Ouyang Rong frowned, asking: "What news?"

No one answered.

Li Su Guoer turned to Wei Mei: "Mother, where's the informant from the Prince's Mansion?"

"When I came back to pour tea, I saw Sixth Young Master and Fu Su react strangely after reading the letter, so I took Guo Yu and the others away first—they're waiting in the flower pavilion," Wei Mei replied anxiously, then walked over to help the disheveled Li Wang Lixian up.

Li Su Guoer suddenly shouted: "Brother!"

The dazed Li Su Dalang jolted, looking around as if seeing the others for the first time:

The dazed Su Su Dalang suddenly shuddered, looking around as if seeing the people around him for the first time.

He held out a crumpled letter with both hands, face filled with sorrow:

"Look—Grandmother… it's over. Everything's over."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong silently took the letter and read it, eyes lowered.

Li Su Dalang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke mournfully to Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang, Li Su Guoer, and Wei Mei:

"Li Li Zhengyan is raising the banner of restoring Li Gan, and his rebellion is growing stronger in the southwest. Counties between Hongzhou and Guizhou have surrendered one after another—he's swept over half the region. Grandmother was enraged, swayed by the Wei Prince and Liang Prince, and issued a secret edict imprisoning the Prince. She then sent a cup of poisoned wine, dispatching the lady-in-waiting Mistress Miao Zhen to secretly follow the emissary team to Jiangzhou, to supervise Father and me as we take our own lives in atonement.

"The emissary team is already on the road—they'll reach Prince Xunyang City by tomorrow morning!"

At these words, the room fell utterly silent.

Only a single oil lamp on the table flickered uncertainly, its flame trembling as if about to die at any moment.

Under its light, the shadows of all present seemed neither still nor moving.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong set down the secret letter, broke the silence, and looked up calmly:

"A secret message from the Prince's Mansion? Who delivered it? That Guo Yu?"

Wei Mei nodded: "Yes, Guo Yu—the Prince's trusted confidant. He's risked his life to deliver every Shenjing Luoyang report before."

Li Su Dalang grabbed Magistrate Ouyang Rong's sleeve, voice trembling:

"Tianlang, Father and I couldn't believe it at first—such a massive matter, yet no personal handwriting. But Guo Yu produced a personal token, smuggled out of the deep palace by the imprisoned Imperial Uncle. The Prince's Mansion also sent an old general with Qi Refining cultivation, racing from Shenjing Luoyang at breakneck speed to deliver this warning before the poison emissary arrives."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong opened his mouth to speak, when a hollow voice came from beside him:

"This Hetian jade tablet… was given to me, my younger brother, and Princess Changle by my elder brother, when he was still Crown Prince."

Li Wang Lixian, now helped up by Wei Mei, held the jade tablet in one hand, his wounded palm still bleeding. Li Su Guoer had cut a strip of her skirt to bind the wound.

He stared blankly at the jade, continuing in a broken voice:

"Princess Changle's jade tablet was shattered by Mother when she and my elder brother quarreled. Only two remain in existence—one in my room, and the other…"

He paused, staring at the familiar tablet, then let out a bitter laugh:

"My younger brother, imprisoned and risking death to send this urgent message… we brothers were never meant to escape death… this nightmare that's haunted me for years was right—I will die by poison. It was bound to come… wuhu…"

As he spoke, the former deposed Emperor of Daqian, now Prince of Prince Xunyang, who had endured countless trials only to be strangled by his own mother, clutched his beloved wife and daughter and wept uncontrollably.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong listened, frowned in silence for a moment, and chose not to ask about Li Wang Lixian's cryptic "dream." He spoke:

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Ouyang Rong frowned and fell silent for a moment; he did not ask about the so-called dream Su Su Xian had rambled about, but instead spoke:

Li Wang Lixian wept silently; only Li Su Dalang, in a daze, answered:

"Yes, his name is Meng Meng Shouguang. He was once a loyal officer under Father when Father commanded the Right Cavalry Corps as Crown Prince. After Father was stripped of rank and exiled, Meng was dismissed by the Wei clan and cast out—later, he found refuge under the Prince's Mansion.

"Tonight, he escorted Guo Yu here to help us escape."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong fell silent.

He said nothing. Li Wang Lixian and Li Su Dalang drifted like sleepwalkers, lost without direction. The three women were equally at a loss. Li Su Guoer turned her gaze north toward Shenjing Luoyang, unable to fathom how her grandmother—whom she'd never met—could be so cruel.

He said nothing. Su Su Xian and Su Su Dalang, like lost souls, mumbled in their sleep, deprived of their anchor; the three women were equally at a loss. Su Su Guoer turned her head northward toward Shenjing Luoyang, unable to fathom how that grandmother she had never met could be so heartless.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong raised his head and suddenly addressed Li Wang Lixian and Li Su Dalang:

"Uncle, Su Dalang—Heaven never seals off all paths. Come, take me to meet Guo Yu. I need to ask him more."

He smiled at the group.

Seeing his calm demeanor, Li Wang Lixian and the others clung to him like drowning men grasping at straw, nodding frantically:

Seeing his calm demeanor, Su Su Xian and the others seized upon him like drowning people clutching at a lifeline, nodding frantically.

Everyone stepped out.

But Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang, who had been watching her senior brother closely, noticed immediately that his back tunic clung tightly to the nape of his neck—drenched in cold sweat.

She lowered her head, pulled out a scented silk handkerchief, and silently offered it to his side…

At the entrance to the flower pavilion, Magistrate Ouyang Rong tucked away the damp handkerchief and entered with the others.

He immediately saw two weary figures—one unfamiliar, one familiar.

One was Guo Yu, the goatee official Magistrate Ouyang Rong had met several times before; tonight, he wore no official robes, only a plain black round-collar narrow-sleeved tunic, modest and unassuming.

His tea sat untouched, his expression weary and anxious.

The other was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a square face, wearing a headband, gray martial attire, leather belt, black boots, arms long as an ape's, clearly accustomed to drawing bows.

His face was simple, his expression solemn and silent.

He sat stiffly; before Magistrate Ouyang Rong's group entered, his eyes had been fixed on the door, filled with both hope and tension.

Now, Magistrate Ouyang Rong, Li Wang Lixian, and the others walked in.

The simple man rose abruptly, rushed forward, and knelt on one knee, eyes red, voice choked:

"Seventh Prince—your hand… are you alright?"

"I tripped, just a minor wound. Rise, Meng Shouguang. Long time no see—you're still as impulsive as ever, haven't learned to be steady."

Li Wang Lixian forced a smile, reaching out to lightly support his old loyal general.

Meng Meng Shouguang strained to widen his bulging ox-like eyes, but tears poured like a spring—a mighty man, weeping openly: "I won't change! I'll always be Seventh Prince's guard!"

Li Wang Lixian was moved, covering his face with his sleeve, weeping again. The sovereign and his loyal subject, reunited after years apart, embraced and wept together, drawing silent admiration from all present.

"Your Highness." Guo Yu rose and stepped forward, glancing at Magistrate Ouyang Rong behind Li Wang Lixian and Li Su Dalang, then bowed respectfully.

"Mr. Guo, please rise." Li Wang Lixian, supported by Li Su Dalang, stepped aside and began introducing them:

"This is Tianlang—my right arm. Without him, my family could never have escaped Longcheng. Mr. Guo, you've met him before."

"Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Changshi, I've long admired your name." Guo Yu bowed formally to Magistrate Ouyang Rong; Meng Meng Shouguang also gave a deep fist salute, eyes filled with gratitude as he studied Magistrate Ouyang Rong, as if memorizing his face.

Since entering the pavilion, Magistrate Ouyang Rong had silently observed both men, noting every expression and gesture. Now, he smiled politely, waving the letter in his hand:

"The situation is urgent—I won't waste time with formalities. Let's get to the matter."

Li Wang Lixian quickly wiped his eyes; everyone grew tense and serious.

Guo Yu frowned: "What would you like to know?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong asked directly:

"When was the Prince imprisoned?"

"On the eighth day of the eighth month. The Prince was summoned to the palace late at night, scolded by the Empress, and imprisoned. She then issued a secret edict ordering the lady-in-waiting Mistress Miao Zhen to deliver poisoned wine to Jiangzhou…

"This was tightly sealed. But the imprisoned Prince bribed a eunuch to smuggle out the jade token to Princess Princess Changle, who risked everything to inform the Prince's Mansion. That's why we were sent—hurriedly—to warn Your Highness and the Heir!"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong listened carefully, then paced once, frowning:

"Why would the Empress suddenly rage so? Why order her son's death? Could there be a misunderstanding?"

Guo Yu, nearly pulling out his beard in distress, cried:

"The Empress's heart is unfathomable—who can guess? But I suspect it's tied to the three pieces of news that reached Shenjing Luoyang on the eighth. The Prince had already sensed trouble—but never expected to be summoned that very night.

"One piece: news from the southwest—Li Li Zhengyan and Wei Wei Shaoqi have marched north, swept through half of Lingnan, and entered Jiang Nan Dao. Countless counties surrendered; the court's face is shattered.

"On that day's court session, the Empress reportedly dismissed the Lingnan Inspector and all the Censorial Officials."

Guo Yu hesitated: "The second piece… concerns Your Highness."

"What about it?" Magistrate Ouyang Rong asked.

"They say… Jiangzhou Inspector Wang Wang Lengran submitted a memorial accusing Your Highness of colluding with Li Li Zhengyan, claiming you sheltered Wang Jun, Li Li Zhengyan's former Jiangzhou Doctor, plotting rebellion to aid the Cai Qin army's attack on Jiangzhou from within. Some female censors from Jiangzhou reportedly testified to this."

Li Wang Lixian stared blankly: "So Mother believed it? Without even investigating, she ordered my death?"

Guo Yu gave a bitter, silent smile.

Beside him, Meng Meng Shouguang, recalling the past, eyes filled with grief and fury, growled:

"It's those two Wei clan traitors who slandered you to the Empress! Villains who betray the state—may their hearts be torn out!"

The worst-case scenario—unlikely, but feared—had come to pass.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong frowned.

The Empress's sudden shift in Shenjing Luoyang had come too swiftly, leaving no time to prepare.

He had long believed that after years immersed in court politics, she had become a seasoned stateswoman—shrewd in imperial strategy and in choosing an heir.

He had assumed her actions would always follow discernible logic.

But reality, sometimes, is more absurd and illogical than any tale.

But reality, at times, is often more absurd and illogical than a storybook.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong stared blankly as Li Wang Lixian, Li Su Dalang, Wei Mei, Guo Yu, and others in the room looked ashen-faced.

He suddenly realized he might have overlooked a crucial link.

Historically, even the most brilliant and cunning emperors, upon reaching old age, tended to grow confused and foolish—like an old man who refuses to die and becomes a thief.

The sovereign seated upon the throne facing south in Shenjing Luoyang's imperial court was an octogenarian woman—the founding empress of Great Zhou—though her palace brimmed with youthful male favorites.

Yet the grand project of erecting virtue-inscribing central halls and Buddhist statues across the realm hardly resembled the work of an emperor genuinely striving to govern with vigor; moreover, who knew if Empress Wei Zhao had other hidden backups besides the deposed Emperor Li Wang Lixian's family? Discarding one would be no great loss…

"What was Master's and Minister Shen's reaction?" Magistrate Ouyang Rong suddenly asked.

Guo Yu's face froze, then he shook his head:

"I don't know. Prince Xiang fled at once to send word, ordering the Prince's Mansion to immediately dispatch me and General Meng to alert you. Before we departed, Master and Minister Shen likely hadn't heard yet—and now, I have no idea what's happening in Shenjing Luoyang…"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong fell silent.

No wonder the letter from his master, Chenjun Xie Xun, received this afternoon made no mention of this emergency—he must have mailed it before the night of August 8th.

Perhaps Master Chenjun Xie Xun and Minister Shen's latest letters are already en route, though now, it seems far too late.

Such unforeseen emergencies easily shatter the composure of the clever and confident, and political struggle is both brutal and swift, leaving no time for choice; one misstep, one wrong judgment, and ruin is inevitable.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong breathed shallowly, acutely aware of the peril, forcing himself to remain calm.

With the fragmented information at hand, his mind raced through analysis.

But the more he thought, the colder his heart grew.

"I and General Meng left Shenjing Luoyang half a day after this group of female imperial envoys, but we pressed on day and night, caught up with them in Yangzhou to change vessels, and now, after countless delays, we arrived ahead of them."

Guo Yu urged anxiously:

"Your Highness, Young Master, Magistrate Ouyang Chancellor—the Shenjing Luoyang imperial envoys' ship will reach Prince Xunyang Ferry by tomorrow morning!"

"Hurry and think of a plan… or else, flee at once—wait any longer and it'll be too late!"

The atmosphere in the flower hall grew frantic.

"Flee? Where could we run to?"

Li Wang Lixian swayed, barely held upright by his wife and eldest son, his face deathly pale.

Su Su Guoer clutched a letter-sword tightly in her sleeve, her beautiful face distant, then suddenly spoke: "Wang Jun is next door."

"Yes, yes! There's Wang Jun, Li Li Zhengyan—they're in the southwest…"

The once-mighty Prince of Leisure, now on the brink of losing everything, looked like a traveler dying of thirst in the desert who glimpses an oasis—his spirit stirred.

He frantically called out to everyone, ready to flee out the door—when suddenly, a soft voice called from behind:

"Big Brother…"

Chenjun Xie Xie Lingjiang's Jiang Xiaolian called out worriedly to the handsome young man standing still, head bowed in silence.

"Tianlang."

"Tianlang, what… what do you think?"

Li Wang Lixian, Li Su Dalang, Su Su Guoer, and Wei Mei all halted their frantic movements; as one, their eyes turned to the man who remained unmoved, watching him intently, waiting for his nod.

Guo Yu and Meng Meng Shouguang, who had risked their lives to deliver the warning, also stopped, turning to look at this "Tianlang," whose influence in Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion seemed immense—some curious, some assessing.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong lifted his head, glancing at the array of faces around him, each expression different.

He knew.

Another life-or-death choice lay before him.

(End of Chapter)