Translator: 🍓SassyStrawberry | http://www.sassystrawberry.com
Project: Phoenix Totem (凤凰图腾） | Author: Huaishang (淮上) | Rating: Mature
Trigger Warnings: Non-con, rape, underage, grooming, age gap, abuse of authority, problematic gong, harem politics, depression, suicide, murder, death.
Tags: Abusive obsessive love, Imperial Court and aristocracy, Strong x Strong characters, Jianghu grievances
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Chapter 8 The conspiracy was unmasked
FOR THE BEST READING EXPERIENCE, WE RECOMMEND READING THE CHAPTERS IN THE ORIGINAL FORMAT INSTEAD OF THE WORDPRESS READER.
Lao Junmei followed the Qianwan Emperor out of the palace. The bright yellow guard of honour had not yet set off, the Qianwan Emperor waved his hand and said,” Imperial Physician, please ride with Zhen in the carriage.”
Lan Junmei bowed and said,” This old subject does not dare.”
The Qianwan Emperor laughed at this, saying,” What is there to not dare to do? When Zhen was still the Crown Prince, I had long heard of the Imperial Physician’s fame, and upon seeing him today, it is indeed true that your medical skills are superb.”
Lao Junmei sighed at this, saying:” This old subject is embarrassed. Speaking about when Your Majesty was the Crown Prince, do you remember Empress Mingrui’s second son’s life, this old subject did not……”
The Qianwan Emperor’s expression suddenly became a little strange, not only was it strange, but there was a little annoyance and an inexpressible awkwardness. Lao Junmei listened closely to his words and noted his expression, and suddenly shut his mouth.
Empress Mingrui had been the Qianwan Emperor’s original Empress and had been his consort while he was still the Crown Prince. She gave birth to the Qianwan Emperor’s eldest son, the current Crown Prince. When she had the second son, it was coincidentally around the time that the Emperor had just ascended to the throne. That night, Empress Mingrui had gone into a sudden difficult labour. It had been Lao Junmei who had rushed into the palace and in a flurry of action, managed to save the lives of both the mother and child.
However, after the newborn had arrived, there was a bolt from the blue. News that the newborn prince’s airways had been congested and had already passed away. Lan Junmei found this extremely strange at the time, by all rights although it had been a difficult delivery, the child had been born healthy, a full six catties and nine taels [1] in weight. How would the child have suddenly had a sputum obstruction? He had hurried to the palace to rescue the child, but the imperial bodyguards had refused to grant him entrance. The Qianwan Emperor had only spoken one sentence at the time: The child has already died, and the Empress had also passed away suddenly from acute postpartum complications.
Lao Junmei pondered over the matter repeatedly but simply couldn’t understand it, wondering if he had done something wrong, and had left the newborn in such a desperate emergency. The Imperial Guifei was later conferred as the new Empress, and she was Empress Mingrui’s younger sister. The not-yet one-year-old little Crown prince was then given into the Empress’ care to be nurtured and brought up.
The Qianwan Emperor sat at the agarwood tea table within the huge imperial carriage, while reading a memorial. Not long after, he suddenly heard some noise coming from ahead. The leader of the Imperial bodyguards shouted out,” Attendants! There’s an assassin, protect the Emperor!”
Lao Junmei was startled by this and hurriedly put himself in front of the emperor as a shield. At this time, the sound of blades and arrows rang out. The Imperial bodyguards knelt beside the car, separated by the curtain, and said,” Reporting to your Majesty. The assassin was not heading towards us, instead, he has already flown towards the outside of the palace. Should we dispatch guards to hunt him down?”
Even before these words had fallen, by the entrance of the carriage came the sound of Rong Shiba’s voice,” Your Majesty, the shadow guard have already pursued that person to the roof of the Cold Palace. This subject has also sent people to protect the Guifei, your Majesty please make haste to leave this place!”
Then someone outside seemed to say something to Rong Shiba, and Rong Shiba’s voice changed in pitch,” Your Majesty! This subject deserves to die ten thousand deaths! The Guifei has been murdered!”
In a flash, Lao Junmei had the same feeling as he had eighteen years ago. At that time, he had clearly already treated the Empress and the prince, but within ten minutes of his departure, they had still died. Inexplicably and bafflingly, they had lost their lives.
He anxiously looked toward the Qianwan Emperor. The Emperor sat at the tea table for a while, his expression without emotion as he sat amidst the bright yellow wealth and glorious honour.
Rong Shiba raised his voice,” Your Majesty! Please hurry and leave this place! Your Majesty! –”
The Qianwan Emperor got up and lifted the carriage curtain, then leapt down from the carriage which was more than the height of a person. He then strode towards the Cold Palace.
Rong Shiba couldn’t be bothered about keeping the secrecy of his shadow guard status, and ran from the shadows to knee in front of the Qianwan Emperor, blocking his way and shouting loudly,” Your Majesty, this place is dangerous!”
The other Imperial bodyguards were stunned at seeing the black-garbed and silver-masked man vigorously throw himself down to kneel before the Emperor, and they just stared in a daze. The Qianwan Emperor didn’t even spare him a glance, and advanced forward,” Get out of the way.”
Rong Shiba was sweating all over,” Your Majesty –”
“Out of the way!”
The Qianwan Emperor directly kicked aside Rong Shiba and strode towards the palace gates.
The rays of light were already very dim at this time. The Guifei lay in the shadows, both eyes wide open. Lao Junmei trembled as he lit a palace lamp, the blood-red colour cast a glow on her face, and the green-black mark of strangulation on her neck was clearly visible.
Such a vicious move. She had not died of strangulation, instead, she had died due to her neck bones being shattered. The bones were entirely broken, not a single one was spared.
The Qianwan Emperor looked at the woman who had died with her eyes wide open and unable to rest in peace [2] for a while, in his heart, he had come to a terrible deduction, but he didn’t say anything. His entire body rigidly stood there, not daring to speak or question. He feared that if he asked, then that terrifying prediction would become reality.
“Your Majesty, look at this.” At this time, Lao Junmei discovered something by the Guifei’s pillow. He reached out and gingerly picked something up, and in the dim light of the palace lanterns, one could see that it was a strand of hair.
It was not very long, jet black, and extremely soft and straight. The Qianwan Emperor took the measure of the length, and his face abruptly became extremely unsightly.
Lao Junmei and Rong Shiba both stood by the side with their hands down at their sides. The Cold Palace was extremely quiet as if the sound of the wind was seeping through the gap between the window and the wall, the sounds produced seemingly like the rising and falling of the distant tide.
The Qianwan Emperor spoke quietly,” Rong Shiba.”
“This subject is present.”
“The shadow guard have engaged the assassin?”
“Yes.”
“Let him go.”
Rong Shiba in that instant felt that he seemed to have misheard. He raised his head and looked at the high and mighty son of heaven’s cold and dignified visage.
“Your Majesty, what…did you [3] say?”
The Qianwan Emperor repeated it again,” Let him go.”
The Emperor sat down silently by the couch. After a very, very long time. So long that it seemed the desolate and bleak time in the Cold Palace had already solidified. Only then did Lao Junmei hear him open his mouth to speak dully, his voice so low and deep, like a predator beast that had tensed up its muscles tautly, before springing into action to capture its prey.
He pointed at the Guifei’s already cold corpse, and said,”……Prepare for burial.”
Zhang Kuo very cautiously asked,” What should we say?”
“Say it was a sudden illness.”
Empress Mingrui had died of a sudden illness, the prince who had never shown his face had died of a sudden illness, Xia-zhaoyi had died of a sudden illness, and the Guifei had also died of a sudden illness.
It was just that the one who should have died had not died, thus the ones who shouldn’t have died died instead.
By the time the Qianwan Emperor returned to the palace in the suburbs, it was already dinnertime. He had just entered the gate when the palace staff asked Zhang Kuo if they should set the meal. Zhang Kuo looked at the Emperor’s expression and silently shook his head at the palace staff.
The servants were about to retreat when suddenly they heard the Qianwan Emperor ask,” Where is he?”
The little eunuch was stunned by this for a moment, before realizing whom he was asking about. He replied hurriedly,” To respond to your Majesty, the little noble sir was in his room in the afternoon. At this time, this slave does not know.”
Mingde’s status within the palace was vague, and the shadow guards do not possess an actual official position or duties. Most of the people serving the Qianwan Emperor refer to Mingde as the little noble sir. Although this title was secret, however, with regards to the reason for this gongzi being ‘noble’, the people around the Emperor were very clear about it.
It is not just anyone who could monopolize the favour of the Emperor for two years. Perhaps Shangguan Mingde couldn’t be regarded as the world’s number one beauty, but he truly made this high and mighty supreme ruler feel that he had indeed found this number one. And he has not been able to let it go since.
The Qianwan Emperor abruptly and unexpectedly exploded in rage,:” Not even knowing his whereabouts, are all the numerous people within the palace all shirking their duties? Not even being able to keep track of a single person, what is the value in keeping them! Zhang Kuo!”
Zhang Kuo hurriedly lowered his hands,” This slave is present.”
“Everyone is to receive thirty strokes with the rod, and driven out of the palace, to never be employed again!”
These palace staff inexplicably found themselves shelved, and later there were continuous cries of misery. In a short while, the courtyard rang out with the heavy sound of flogging and the palace staff’s mournful wails.
The Qianwan Emperor strode through the long and lavishly decorated corridors, lifted his foot, and kicked open the main door to the bed chamber. Mingde sat by the window on a madder red little couch, clutching a gathered-up brocade quilt. The elegant long branches and leaves of the orchids cast a faint shadow over his profile.
Shangguan Mingde lifted his eyelids and looked at the Qianwan Emperor’s furious and terrifying expression. He spoke insipidly,” Why did you have them beaten? The noises are distressingly uncomfortable.”
The Qianwan Emperor waved his hand, and Zhang Kuo silently retreated. After a while, someone in the courtyard gave orders to gag the palace people who were currently receiving punishment, hence the continuous cries of misery were no longer heard.
Mingde strained his ears to listen, and actually smiled a little at this,”……Your Majesty, is this necessary.”
His body was suddenly held up in the air. The Qianwan Emperor lifted him up by his neck and gripped his lower jaw. He gritted his teeth and bit out each word,”……Shangguan Mingde! How can you be so cruel?”
”This subject cannot seem to understand Your Majesty’s words.”
“One corpse, two lives, how could you do it?!”
Mingde paid no heed to this, smiling unconcernedly,” This subject hasn’t done anything.:”
The Qianwan Emperor flung him away. Mingde’s injured ribs hadn’t yet fully healed, and he groaned dully at this. The Qianwan Emperor then pressed him down, a hand with clearly defined joints reached into his robes and ruthlessly grabbed at his waist, and then another hand firmly slapped his face.
He hadn’t held back in delivering this slap. The Qianwan Emperor had been a Crown Prince who had fought wars on horseback and had established his authority and territory in this manner. Since childhood, he had learned martial arts from the experts in the Palace. Later Mingde’s martial arts had been personally instructed by him. Mingde was young and his body was frail after all, so once this slap landed, his body collapsed bonelessly into the Qianwan Emperor’s arms.
The Qianwan Emperor held his lower jaw, almost crushing his bones,” Shangguan Mingde, when you kill people, do you waver at all? Even if it is an instant of soft-heartedness? Do you even have a little bit of humanity?”
Mingde abruptly lifted his hand and tightly grasped at the Qianwan Emperor’s wrist, his expression ferocious as he gritted out,” Then what about you? Back then when you strangled Empress Mingrui to death, were you at all soft-hearted? Did you hesitate even a little when you ruined me? You ask me to show mercy towards others, but who has ever shown even the least bit of compassion for me?”
