Chapter 23: A Matter Too Deep to Speak Of

Zhu Xu soon arrived at Kunning Palace.

"Greetings, His Highness Prince Hui." The maids coming and going bowed in salute upon seeing Zhu Xu.

As usual, Zhu Xu waved his hand with a grand air and said, "Rewards, rewards for all — next time."

The maids burst into giggles and hurried away.

Zhu Xu walked inside and saw Empress Zhang holding embroidery, stitching something. Meanwhile, Huan'er on the side stood there with her big eyes wide open, glaring hard at Zhu Xu.

Zhu Xu was taken aback and muttered under his breath, "Sister Huan'er isn't the petty type... did I come to the wrong place?"

Empress Zhang's needle slipped, nearly pricking her hand. She set it down helplessly and looked at Zhu Xu, saying, "You little rascal, tell me honestly — did you already guess long ago that I was pregnant rather than ill?"

Zhu Xu wore a look of pure innocence, eyes wide, and said, "Sister-in-law, you're pregnant? Boy or girl? Does Brother Emperor know? I'll go tell him right now!" With that, he turned as if to dash off.

Empress Zhang shot him an exasperated glare and said with a chiding smile, "Enough, sit here quietly. His Majesty just went to rest — I'll tell him tonight."

Zhu Xu agreed twice in quick succession, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. He'd been mulling over the whole way here how to broach the subject with her.

Huan'er was still puffing with anger, glaring at him. These past days they'd been on tenterhooks, never imagining that Zhu Xu had been keeping it from her all along, leaving her unable to sleep properly for days.

Zhu Xu sat down beside Empress Zhang with a grin, thought for a moment, and said, "Sister-in-law, I felt something a bit strange today."

"Strange? What's strange?" Empress Zhang picked up her embroidery again, chatting with Zhu Xu as she stitched.

Zhu Xu furrowed his brow and puffed out his cheeks. "I can't quite say — it's just that ever since I came back, I've felt something off about the palace."

Empress Zhang's hand paused at his words, her expression cooling slightly before she looked up at him and said gently, "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will bully you."

Zhu Xu was startled, staring wide-eyed at Empress Zhang, and said with an incredulous look, "Sister-in-law, besides Brother Emperor and you, who else could bully me?" Even as the words left his mouth, his mind snapped taut — this person was someone even Empress Zhang feared!

Who on earth was it?

"Enough," Empress Zhang said, unwilling to say more. She looked at Zhu Xu with a hint of warning. "From now on, don't leave the palace unless necessary. Stay in your own palace or come here. Try to visit His Majesty as little as possible too."

Suspicion weighed heavier in Zhu Xu's heart, but his face stayed cheerful. "Alright, I'll listen to you, Sister-in-law."

What kind of person could make the pregnant Empress Zhang so wary? He knew well that Zhu Youxiao and Empress Zhang shared an extraordinary bond — at a time like this, there shouldn't be anyone left to make her so cautious.

Zhu Xu patiently kept Empress Zhang company in idle chat for quite a while before taking his leave. As he stood up, he covertly signaled Wu Rou, who was standing nearby.

Wu Rou calmly escorted Zhu Xu out, and only then did he get the chance to ask in a low voice, "Has Sister-in-law shown anything unusual lately?"

Wu Rou shook her head slightly and replied just as quietly, "Nothing unusual. Her Ladyship saw the imperial physician this morning, which is how she confirmed she carries the imperial child."

Zhu Xu nodded — clearly Empress Zhang was being very guarded and hadn't revealed anything. Walking along, he said, "Any movement from that maidservant I told you to keep an eye on?"

Wu Rou's brow furrowed slightly, then she said, "Nothing out of the ordinary, except she went to Xian'an Palace yesterday."

Xian'an Palace?

Zhu Xu's brow arched. That was where Madam Ke resided. And since Madam Ke was still in Jiangnan, it must be her faction preparing an escape route, right?

"Mm, keep a close watch," Zhu Xu said, then paused briefly before adding, "Find an opportunity to have Huan'er transfer that person away, so we don't have to stay on edge."

The Wu sisters already had some understanding of the palace's sordid affairs, and they promptly acknowledged the order.

Only then did Zhu Xu wave his hand, signaling she needn't see him off further.

Zhu Xu returned to Jinghuan Palace, sat in his reclining chair, and squinted at the view outside, his mind churning ceaselessly. He went through every memory he had but still couldn't find anyone matching such a description.

"Who could it be?"

Zhu Xu murmured to himself with flickering eyes. Logically, such a person wouldn't be obscure in the annals of history.

"Could I have missed someone?"

Zhu Xu couldn't figure it out. He'd more or less familiarized himself with every corner of the palace over these years — he'd run through everyone, and none fit the bill.

"Your Highness," Cao Huachun approached Zhu Xu cautiously and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I've checked. There's been nothing unusual in the palace lately, and no strangers have come or gone through the gates."

Zhu Xu felt somewhat uneasy, though not to the point of fear. After a moment's deliberation, he said, "These next few days, have your disciples and adopted sons do their work quietly and mind nothing else. We won't make a move either — we'll wait and see."

Since Zhu Youxiao was set on visiting Jiangnan, more things were bound to happen afterward. He wanted to see just how long this person could stay hidden.

"Yes, Your Highness," Cao Huachun said.

Over the following days, apart from a few of Cao Wenzhao's men who had legitimate reasons to frequently leave the palace, Jinghuan Palace behaved as properly as the other palaces — not a single step out of line.

But contrary to Zhu Xu's expectations — he'd assumed Zhu Youxiao would make many moves — Jingyang Palace was eerily quiet. Zhu Youxiao was unusually diligent in state affairs, even setting aside much of his carpentry.

This made Zhu Xu all the more suspicious, yet he could find not a single clue.

Zhu Xu stood before Jinghuan Palace, gazing at the sky outside, silently calculating.

"Your Highness," Cao Wenzhao walked up behind Zhu Xu and said in a low voice, "Zhou Jianyu wants to see you."

"Zhou Jianyu?" Zhu Xu was taken aback — he'd nearly forgotten this man existed. Then he said, "What does he want?"

Cao Wenzhao said, "It's Ni Wenhuan. He found Zhou Jianyu through Luo Sigong, and that's how Zhou Jianyu came to find me."

Ni Wenhuan?

Zhu Xu's brow arched. This was one of the future 'Five Tigers' under Wei Zhongxian. Under his pen, Ministers of the Six Ministries, Censors, provincial governors, even Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat had all been impeached and subsequently cast into prison to die!

He was Wei Zhongxian's sharpest blade!

"Did he say anything?" Zhu Xu pondered Ni Wenhuan's intentions.

Last time, the Qingliu faction had won a great victory, and Wei Zhongxian and the other eunuchs had been driven from the palace. Gu Bingqian and the others, being outer officials, had been barely implicated — and due to Zhu Youxiao's contrarian nature, they'd actually been promoted. But Ni Wenhuan, as a Censor, had not only failed to pick the winning side back then but had actively opposed the Qingliu, so his days at the Censorate were probably not going well.

"His wife's younger brother is a Vice Bureau Director in the Construction Division of the Ministry of Works. He privately built illegal vessels and was seized by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He's now locked up in the Northern Provost Prison."

Cao Wenzhao said, "I expect he's grasping at straws in his desperation and came to us."

Zhu Xu looked thoughtful and said, "What's his letter of allegiance?"

"He didn't say," Cao Wenzhao replied. "He said he'd only speak once he met the man behind it all. Claims it's a great secret. Your Highness, shall we go see him?"

Zhu Xu smiled faintly and said, "Never mind how many eyes are on the palace right now — that old fox Luo Sigong is probably just waiting for me to walk into his trap."