Chapter 416

Hu Xiaotian glanced at the guy and thought, Damn! Heroes emerge in every generation; this palace truly is a place of hidden tigers and dragons. I just said that, yet this guy can actually repeat it like a recorder—he's truly a rare talent seen once in a century.

That little eunuch, newly assigned to serve beside the Emperor, was the little eunuch Yin Zheng—his words of flattery hadn't even finished when Bang! Long Yelin let out another fart that cut him off. Immediately a host of palace maids and eunuchs dropped to their knees, chanting in unison, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! The Emperor's dragon energy rises, peace throughout the four seas!" Well, they've picked up this trick in no time; these palace folk have a knack for flattery.

The direct result of these eunuchs and maids interrupting was that the Emperor forgot to reward Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian had thought the Emperor would reward him upon waking, but after hearing three foul farts he got nothing—hope greater, disappointment greater. He left the Xuanweigong in a sullen mood.

Upon exiting the Xuanweigong, Hu Xiaotian ran into the commander of the palace guards, Mu Rongzhan. He instantly felt an ominous presence—every encounter with Mu Rongzhan brought no good; the man was iron‑fisted and impartial, dealt with no sentiment, hard to get along with. He wondered if this time he'd come to arrest him again. Hu Xiaotian smiled, clasped his hands, and said, "Hu Xiaotian pays his respects to the Commander."

Mu Rongzhan gave a slight nod: "Greetings, Eunuch Hu. How is the Emperor's condition?"

Hu Xiaotian, hearing his courteous tone, immediately relaxed and said, "So the Commander came to check on the Emperor; I thought you were here to drag me back."

Mu Rongzhan said, "Eunuch Hu, don't misunderstand; I previously invited you to my place solely for your protection, not to target you. Now that the matter has been settled, I will naturally not trouble you again."

Hu Xiaotian, hearing that the matter had been settled, was startled—could the affair of the Mingyue Palace really have been cleared up in just one night? Since it concerned his life and death, he naturally cared, and he whispered, "You mean… my innocence has been proven?"

Mu Rongzhan nodded: "Minister of Justice Zhai Guangmu committed suicide out of fear of guilt, leaving a confession that he deliberately framed and smeared Eunuch Hu's innocence."

Hu Xiaotian exclaimed in disbelief: "Zhai Guangmu? Who is that? I've never met him."

Mu Rongzhan said, "You don't know him, but he knew you. In his suicide note he wrote that he once had a grudge with your father and sought this opportunity to kill you. He was an expert in handwriting analysis, and it was he who claimed the suicide note left by the Talented Person was a forgery, directly pointing to you as the culprit."

Hu Xiaotian snapped, "That man is despicable—using such vile means to harm me!"

Mu Rongzhan replied, "He's dead, and he also left a letter explaining what happened."

Hu Xiaotian asked, "How did he die?"

Mu Rongzhan said, "He died horribly—his eyes gouged out, his tongue cut off, and he was hanged from a beam; he must have been tortured before death. But that letter is definitely in his own hand."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Written under duress? That would only raise suspicion against me."

Mu Rongzhan said, "The Talented Person's suicide note has been re‑examined; experts are certain it has nothing to do with you, and Wen Chenghuan also agreed with the result."

Only then did Hu Xiaotian breathe easy—Old Wen Chenghuan actually let him off, suggesting there was something unusual behind this affair.

In the Grand Tutor's manor, Wen Chenghuan silently gazed across at Ji Feihua, who was as lovely as peach and plum but with a heart like a snake and scorpion. Ji Feihua sipped her fragrant tea leisurely, her star‑like eyes gleaming, a dimpled smile forming as she asked, "Grand Tutor, how do you find this tea?" The tea leaves were her gift; since she had come calling, she wouldn't arrive empty‑handed.

Wen Chenghuan said, "The true essence of tea tasting lies in the state of mind, not the tea leaves themselves." In his view, Ji Feihua's visit was like a weasel paying New Year's respects to a hen—no good intentions.

Ji Feihua smiled, "Grand Tutor, every word is a pearl. The same pot of tea can taste fresh and mellow to some, bitter and astringent to others—like swallowing vinegar—not because of the tea, but because of one's mood."

Wen Chenghuan suddenly lifted the Chazan before him and poured all the tea onto the floor.

Ji Feihua showed no reaction, slowly setting down the Chazan, her orchid‑finger lifting the lid and placing it gently on the cup, then she whispered softly, "The Wen family has a daughter just come of age, kept secluded in the inner chambers, unknown to outsiders. Heaven‑given beauty is hard to discard; once chosen to stand beside the sovereign, a single smile can bewitch a hundred charms, rendering the six palaces' powder and paint colorless. Before the Talented Person entered the palace, it was indeed rumored that Wen Chenghuan had an adopted daughter, yet no one had ever seen her true appearance."

Wen Chenghuan's heart jolted at the words; though deeply scheming, his composure remained unruffled as he coldly said, "Lady Ji, your words carry hidden meaning."

Ji Feihua smiled, "I have always considered myself quite bold, yet compared to the Grand Tutor I must admit inferiority; even the Zajia would not dare to pull off a beam‑switching deed."

What does Lady Ji mean?

Ji Feihua said, "In this world most people are muddle‑headed, some are clear‑minded, and others pretend to be muddle‑headed while knowing the truth; the Zajia see the Grand Tutor as either truly muddle‑headed or merely feigning it."

"Insolent!" Wen Chenghuan bellowed.

Ji Feihua said, "His Majesty is benevolent and tolerant, but the Retired Emperor is somewhat more suspicious, so he keeps meticulous records of how many wives each person has, how many children each family bears, how many estates and acres of fertile land they own. The Retired Emperor never made these public; many matters were recorded, and in the past this was handled by the Bureau of Heavenly Secrets."

A muscle twitched at the corner of Wen Chenghuan's mouth, yet the Bureau of Heavenly Secrets is now firmly in Ji Feihua's grasp.

Ji Feihua said, "When the Zajia took over the Bureau of Heavenly Secrets, we happened upon some things that are clearly not good; if they were made public…" She trailed off, then giggled. From her sleeve she drew a scroll and slowly unfurled it before Wen Chenghuan; the scroll depicted a beautiful maiden whose brows and eyes bore a seven‑tenths resemblance to Wen Ya.

Wen Chenghuan asked, "Where did you obtain this portrait of Ya'er?"

Ji Feihua said, "The Retired Emperor is meticulous in his affairs; a mere portrait would lack persuasive power, but…" He then produced a small brocade box and placed it on the table: "Inside is a lock of her hair and the imprint of her fingerprints. Even if a person grows up or her appearance changes, the quality of her hair and the pattern of her fingerprints remain unchanged. The Talented Person spent some days in the palace, so some traces would still remain."

Wen Chenghuan said, "Lady Ji, you are indeed thoughtful."

Ji Feihua smiled, "Serving alongside Wen Chenghuan in the same court, lacking even a bit of caution, the Zajia would have not enough heads to lose."

Wen Chenghuan merely gave a cold laugh.

Ji Feihua said, "Although the Talented Person is dead, the wutong tree still lives; she may know little, but patient questioning can still yield some insight. Since you, Wen Chenghuan, have seen that suicide note, you ought to wrap this up quickly—as the saying goes, 'Spare where you can, spare where you must; why press relentlessly to the death?' Making Zhai Guangmu testify against his conscience is compounding the error; as a Ministry of Justice official who knows the law yet breaks it, do you think he deserves death even more?"

Wen Chenghuan chuckled, "Lady Ji, you should really think over your own words."

Ji Feihua said, "Even though the Grand Tutor holds high rank and power, if I were to present these trivial pieces of evidence before the Emperor, he might not believe them. But have you considered, Grand Tutor, that I am loyally devoted to the state with sincere loyalty? If someone sought to slander me through the Mingyue Palace affair, would the Emperor believe it? Would he punish me?"

Wen Chenghuan said, "The Emperor's favor toward Lady Ji is unmatched throughout Dakang."

Ji Feihua smiled, "As the saying goes, 'No man enjoys a thousand days of good fortune, no flower stays red for a hundred.' Having grown up in the palace since childhood, I understand the meanings of favor and trust better than anyone, and I know what it means to live. If someone wished to harm me, I might simply laugh it off; but if anyone dared to harbor designs against the Emperor, do not blame the Zajia for showing no mercy."

Wen Chenghuan slowly nodded, faced with Ji Feihua's open threat, he found himself speechless; in this exchange she had clearly seized the initiative. After a moment's thought he said, "I hope Lady Ji forever remembers these words: loyalty to the sovereign and love for the nation are the foundation of humanity; should anyone dare to be disloyal to the Emperor, I, Wen, would even sacrifice my old life to oppose them to the death."

Ji Feihua chuckled, "Hearing those words from Wen Chenghuan makes me glad for the Emperor; it seems our aims are the same, only the paths we would take differ." His remark carried a double meaning, hiding a hidden thrust.

"Different paths, no plot together!" Wen Chenghuan certainly understood this principle.

Ji Feihua slowly rose and said, "The Zajia still have business to attend; I'll take my leave now."

"Please don't see me out!"

Not long after Ji Feihua departed, another visitor arrived at the door—Zilan Palace's maid Ziqian. Wen Chenghuan felt somewhat odd, having heard that Ziqian had been sent by Princess Anping Long Xi Yue to deliver a message, and though it was awkward to refuse, he had her ushered in.

The bright and clever Ziqian, upon seeing Wen Chenghuan, performed a respectful salute and said softly, "Zilan Palace's maid Ziqian pays her respects to Wen Chenghuan."

Wen Chenghuan smiled and asked, "Miss Ziqian, what brings you to see an old man like me?" He had never met Ziqian before, nor had he any acquaintance with Princess Anping Long Xi Yue; he truly could not guess why this young lady had come calling.

Ziqian said, "I am here on the princess's orders to deliver something to Wen Chenghuan."

Wen Chenghuan blinked: "What is it?"

Ziqian whispered, "This item was originally given to our princess by the Talented Person; now that the Talented Person has met misfortune, the princess, upon seeing it, is reminded of him and feels sorrow, so she has sent her servant to return it to the Wen residence, to restore it to its rightful owner and fulfill her wish." She presented a painting with both hands.

Extra chapter for Baobao's popularity! Weekend, allow Zhangyu to relax a bit! (To be continued~^~)