The siege of the Prince Su’s mansion caused a tremendous sensation both inside and outside the imperial court.
The servants from Prince Su’s mansion were summoned directly to the Kaifeng Prefecture for interrogation, bypassing any intermediaries. This prevented outside officials from obtaining detailed information, making them hesitant to act rashly.
The discovery of two corpses in the mansion garden—did that sound absurd?
At first glance, undoubtedly absurd.
But upon deeper reflection, perhaps not so absurd after all.
In his later years, the late emperor often displayed erratic behavior, and palace maids and eunuchs were frequently beaten to death for trivial matters. It was also rumored that Prince Su had been unwell recently…
Father and son, if they went mad and committed murder, perhaps it wasn’t that unreasonable.
Therefore, several officials led by Fu Wenshan shifted their focus away from the corpses, instead latching onto the issue of the Prince being placed under house arrest before any conviction, deeming it a violation of national law and a breach of decorum.
Tu Yao replied, “Esteemed ministers have misunderstood. It is not house arrest. Previously, someone reported seeing suspicious individuals resembling assassins infiltrating the mansion. All current actions are purely for the safety of the mansion’s residents.
As for the corpses, they were discovered by accident. These are two entirely separate matters.”
Fu Wenshan nearly lost his temper.
What a case of the pot calling the kettle black! No wonder the Kaifeng Prefecture officials were so brazen—it was all because this old fellow set the example.
Someone attempted to speak further, but Tu Yao glanced sideways at him, calm and composed, asking, “Would this esteemed minister be willing to stake his family’s lives guaranteeing Prince Su’s innocence?”
The man was left speechless, his words caught in his throat…
He was neither willing nor dared to.
Xie Xian, who had been sitting in quiet meditation with his eyes closed, suddenly remarked, “If you dare not, then shut up. Such noise is inappropriate in the imperial court.”
Fu Wenshan was furious and couldn’t help but retort, “Earlier, Minister Xie remained silent, yet now you persist—what is the meaning of this?”
Xie Xian looked at him as if he were a fool—alive and well.
“I remained silent earlier to avoid conflict of interest. Minister Fu, surely you understand that?”
After all, it was his own son who had led the siege on Prince Su’s mansion, so it was only natural he kept quiet initially.
Fu Wenshan’s face twitched. Just as he was about to speak, Xie Xian cut in again, “Speaking now is simply out of curiosity at encountering such a fool. Gentlemen, please don’t mind.”
“Fool…”
The official was both humiliated and furious, his face alternating between red and green.
He wanted to argue back, but if he spoke now, wouldn’t that be admitting he was the “fool” being insulted?
Yet staying silent was equally unbearable.
“Minister Xie truly has a silver tongue,” Fu Wenshan said with a forced smile, “I admire you, truly.”
“My pleasure, my pleasure,” Xie Xian fully embraced his greatest talent, accepting the compliment gladly.
Fu Wenshan: “…”
Indeed, one simply couldn’t compete with this man in shamelessness.
Seeing Fu was about to speak again, Xie Xian grew tired of listening and interrupted directly, “Minister Fu, as an official in the Ministry of Rites, you lack eloquence and talent. At such a sensitive time, you insist on defending Prince Su—whether this is overstepping your duties or acting with ulterior motives, I cannot say.”
“Alright, alright,” the emperor, seated high on the dragon throne, had watched the drama unfold and feared Xie might provoke Fu into a fit of rage. He finally intervened to take sides, “We shall discuss this matter another day. Prince Xian, what is your opinion?”
No response.
Everyone turned their gazes to the elderly prince standing at the very front of the right side.
He stood steadily, eyes tightly shut, breathing deeply, apparently… asleep.
Because of Prince Su’s special status, this case could not be handled like an ordinary one. After Xie Yu left the palace, the emperor summoned officials from the Zongzheng Temple, which was responsible for matters concerning the imperial family.
Currently overseeing the Zongzheng Temple was none other than the late emperor’s fifth elder brother, Prince Xian.
The old man was eighty-nine years old but was well-preserved, with a rosy complexion, strong voice, and nimble legs—perfectly healthy.
Sometimes, when the emperor was exhausted, he would think bitterly that maybe this old man might actually outlive him.
Anyone who can outlive a turtle must possess extraordinary abilities, such as minding one’s own business and avoiding unnecessary talk.
Prince Xian clearly took this principle to new heights:
Not only did he avoid meddling in other people’s affairs, but he also showed little interest in handling even the Zongzheng Temple’s official duties, speaking only when absolutely necessary.
After living a life of wealth and honor, reaching this age was already a bonus—why bother exerting oneself further?
Over time, people outside began calling him “Prince Leisure.”
Indeed, among all officials in the entire court, none were more relaxed than him.
While I am here working myself to the bone, you dare to fall asleep openly?!
Whether he was truly asleep or pretending was unclear…
The emperor pinched the bridge of his nose, silently cursing the old fox, then gave a signal to Wang Zhong.
Wang Zhong hurried down and softly called out to Prince Xian beside him, gently patting his arm, “Prince Xian? Prince Xian?”
“Hmm, yes?!” The elderly prince, with his white beard and hair but rosy face, hadn’t even opened his eyes. He skillfully raised his jade tablet and loudly declared, “His Majesty is wise!”
The emperor: “…”
All the ministers: “…”
Wang Zhong suppressed a smile and whispered, “Your Highness, the Emperor is asking for your opinion.”
“Alas, I am old and weak, forgive me, Your Majesty,” Prince Xian fluently apologized, then just as smoothly and calmly asked, “What was the question?”
The emperor didn’t feel like speaking.
Wang Zhong briefly recounted the previous discussion.
Prince Xian let out a long “Oh,” thinking to himself that he was practically on his deathbed—why couldn’t the younger generation just settle down?
The old man remained silent, his eyelids drooping, thinking for so long that others began to worry he had fallen asleep again before he finally spoke slowly:
“Sire, this matter is of grave importance, involving human lives and clearly violating national law. If dealt with merely through family discipline, it would be unfair. Therefore, the Zongzheng Temple cannot take the case and must recuse itself.”
The emperor responded with a simple “Oh,” and asked, “Then, according to you, what should be done?”
Prince Xian slowly turned around, his aged eyes scanning the ministers present.
After a long pause, he finally said, “According to the law, the Ministry of Justice should take the lead in the investigation.”
The Minister of Justice: “…”
Thanks a lot on behalf of the entire ministry!
Prince Xian always spoke slowly, but today, as he thought and spoke, he was even slower.
Moreover, autumn was dry, and after receiving the news yesterday, the old man had developed a sore throat from excessive anxiety. His voice sounded like a shovel scraping against stone, making people’s teeth ache.
When he finally finished speaking, the emperor exhaled in relief and, shivering slightly, turned to the Minister of Justice, asking, “What do you think, my dear minister?”
The Minister of Justice thought, “I don’t think much of it at all!”
As autumn deepened and everyone was busy worrying, this was clearly a matter of internal royal conflict. If even the old fox Prince Xian didn’t want to take on this hot potato, why should the Ministry of Justice?
He immediately declared loudly, “Your Majesty, I believe it is inappropriate. Although corpses were found, there is no evidence indicating Prince Su’s involvement. Moreover, no one in Prince Su’s mansion holds an official position. According to the laws of the Great Lu, the local authorities where the crime occurred should handle the case.”
Tu Yao, the chief official of Kaifeng Prefecture: “…”
He was not surprised at all.
The emperor lightly tapped the dragon throne, “Hmm, my dear minister makes a valid point.”
He then turned his gaze to Prince Xian, only to find the old man picking his eyes.
The emperor: “…”
After a brief silence, the emperor made the final decision, “In that case, the case of Prince Su shall be led by the Kaifeng Prefecture, with the Zongzheng Temple providing assistance! If necessary, the Ministry of Justice must fully cooperate and must not refuse!”
Prince Xian: “…”
The Minister of Justice: “…”
Fine, then we’ll all die together.
Although that was the case, as the saying goes, too many cooks spoil the broth. When too many departments are involved, often only one ends up doing the work.
In this case, although it was technically a joint investigation by three parties, in reality, both the Zongzheng Temple and the Ministry of Justice could easily avoid involvement by claiming to be “assisting.”
As for the Kaifeng Prefecture, which had initiated the case, they certainly wouldn’t want anyone hovering around, getting in the way. Thus, it was convenient for everyone.
When the news reached the Kaifeng Prefecture, Ma Bing was peeling garlic with Xie Yu.
She asked him, “Won’t you need to recuse yourself this time?”
Xie Yu remained expressionless, “I have no personal grudge or connection with Prince Su, so there’s no need.”
Besides, looking around the entire Kaifeng city, almost every street was filled with imperial relatives. If he had to recuse himself every time, would there even be any cases left for him to handle?
Ma Bing was deeply skeptical of his “no personal grudge or connection,” but then she thought better of it and felt relieved.
“No news from Xiao Huang yet?”
Xie Yu shook his head, clearly somewhat worried, “Someone saw him leaving the city, but after that, he disappeared without a trace.”
It had already been five days since the last sighting.
Five days could bring about many changes.
“Left the city?” Ma Bing paused her garlic pounding, “What did he go out for?”
What was outside the city?
Or who had lured him out?
“He must have discovered an important clue,” Xie Yu brushed off the garlic skins, “Gao Laoliu controls many businesses. Before Xiao Huang left the city, he passed by a teahouse. If he encountered danger or was lured by a suspicious person, he would have had time to leave a signal—even a single glance would have sufficed.”
But there was nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Ma Bing relaxed slightly, “At least this indicates that Xiao Huang was in a safe enough situation at the time. At the very least, he felt he could handle it without needing help.”
Xie Yu nodded.
But five days had already passed—enough time to change any situation completely.
In these five days, where had Xiao Huang gone? What had he encountered? What had he discovered?
Was he already in danger, unable to send a message, or…
Gao Laoliu had also dispatched many people recently, and it was his men who had last spotted Xiao Huang.
What was out there beyond the city walls?
That was a lot.
The luxurious mansions of wealthy merchants who visited only once a year, the estates and villas that imperial relatives might never step foot in—any of these places could easily hide hundreds or even thousands of people.
A mere Xiao Huang had seemingly vanished like a stone dropped into the sea.
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