Autumn Execution

Emperor Yongchang weakly leaned back against the headboard.

One event after another had left him mentally and physically exhausted. The Blood Oath could not test whether two people were related by blood, and that had dealt him a shock unlike anything he had ever experienced.

He didn't want any more complications. Waving his hand, he ordered, "Guards, drag—drag this traitor away and execute him."

Xiao Qianyì staggered backward, staring at the emperor in disbelief. Panic welled up inside him. Could he really be about to die here?

He turned to the Empress with a pleading look. She had always spoken gently to him and cared for him so well. Surely she wouldn't just stand by and watch him die?

The Empress bit her lip uneasily, then lowered her eyes and avoided his gaze.

The Second Prince, the palace attendants, the eunuchs—those who had once bowed and scraped before him, welcoming him with smiles—now looked at him with contempt and glee.

No one could save him.

No, there was someone.

With a thud, Xiao Qianyì fell to his knees before the Empress Dowager. "Your—no, Empress Dowager, I really am innocent. I thought I was part of the Royal Bloodline. You know that if the palace hadn't sent someone to fetch me, I wouldn't even have known what was happening. I knew nothing about this from beginning to end!"

Why had his adoptive parents done all this without discussing it with him? Why hadn't they left more evidence to prove he was the emperor's son?

"And besides, when the Three Judicial Offices held their joint trial, my adoptive mother really did switch a child out of the palace. There were plenty of suspicious points. And even if the Blood Oath can't prove that His Majesty and I are related by blood, it can't prove that we aren't related, either!" Xiao Qianyì refused to accept that he would die just like this. Cleverly, he seized on the loophole.

The Empress Dowager's eyelids trembled, and a flicker of emotion showed in her eyes. She turned to Emperor Yongchang. "Emperor, everything must be supported by conclusive evidence. In my view, we should be cautious and send people to investigate thoroughly. What if that couple snatched this child from someone else? What if this child is a victim too? Or what if there's an even deeper conspiracy at work?" She sighed. "If we make another mistake, the lives lost can never be brought back. Will you issue an Edict of Self-Blame then?"

Making one mistake after another was no different from being a tyrant.

This time, he could blame incompetent officials. But what about next time? He would lose his virtue and the people's trust, and his throne would become unstable.

Xiao Qianyu let out a cold laugh. "Forgive me, Imperial Grandmother, but I cannot agree. Heaven has already manifested its power to prove my innocence. If you still have doubts, are you questioning whether Heaven sees clearly—or even defying the will of our ancestors?"

The Empress Dowager's expression changed. "I didn't mean that."

Xiao Qianyu pressed her relentlessly. "Then what did you mean? Are you not covering for him? He's the product of a conspiracy, and an 'Evil Spirit' Heaven has warned us about. We should be rid of him as quickly as possible, yet you keep pleading for him. It makes me wonder if he's already bewitched you."

"How dare you! This is outrageous!" The Empress Dowager trembled with anger and pointed at Xiao Qianyu. "How dare you speak to me like this?"

Where was the filial, obedient boy he used to be? He was actually defying his elders.

Xiao Qianyu merely gave her a mocking smile, unmoved by her anger.

He had already put on a grand display of Divine Protection. If he still bowed and scraped, showing everyone the utmost respect, then those bolts of lightning would have been wasted.

Besides, what was there about the Empress Dowager that deserved his respect? Her partiality, as she repeatedly protected the protagonist? Or the way she belittled his status as Crown Prince?

An Empress Dowager whose loyalties so clearly lay with the protagonist wasn't someone he needed to flatter or respect.

Doubt crept into Emperor Yongchang's eyes as well. Anything involving an "Evil Spirit" had to be treated with caution. "Mother, do you truly have to save him? He's nothing but a commoner. Since he falsely claimed to be of the Royal Bloodline and enjoyed the Imperial Family's wealth and luxury, even if he's innocent, does that mean I can't execute him?"

If he wanted the man dead, he could simply kill him. There was no reason for the Empress Dowager to keep protecting him.

What mattered was that Xiao Qianyì was an "Evil Spirit." Could he possibly matter more than the emperor himself? The Empress Dowager's repeated attempts to stop him had truly displeased Emperor Yongchang.

The Empress Dowager lowered her eyelids. She knew she could no longer forcefully protect Xiao Qianyì. Otherwise, they would suspect that the Evil Spirit had bewitched her, and Xiao Qianyì would die even sooner.

With a sigh, sorrow filled her eyes. "I simply took a liking to this child. With him by my side these past few months, I had a few days of genuine happiness and peace. I truly can't bear to see him die an unjust death."

Emperor Yongchang didn't say whether he believed her. He replied with restrained patience, "Then what exactly does Mother want?"

If it could be avoided, Emperor Yongchang didn't want to upset his mother.

The Empress Dowager blinked. "For the sake of how diligently he once served me, have him sent to prison for now. Let him live a few more months, then have him executed in autumn."

As she spoke, she closed her eyes as if unable to bear it.

Emperor Yongchang hesitated. Waiting until autumn meant delaying the execution by only a few months, which wasn't impossible. But first, he would have to summon the masters from Guardian Temple to dispel any ill fortune. Only if they confirmed that keeping Xiao Qianyì alive wouldn't bring disaster upon him would he agree.

Emperor Yongchang gave his consent and nodded. "Very well. We'll do as the Empress Dowager says. Let him live a few more months, then have him executed in autumn."

Xiao Qianyì looked dazed, both glad and grieved. He was glad he wouldn't die right away, but grieved that he had only a few months left to live, and would still die in the end.