The Truth

Sure enough, Huaiqing, as the daughter, couldn't possibly be completely clueless about the man that the Empress valued so much and was willing to be banished to the Cold Palace to protect.

If I were Sherlock Holmes, Huaiqing, you would be Watson. Xu Qi'an nodded and pressed, "Who is it?"

Huaiqing's already aloof face became even more expressionless, and his tone became indifferent and distant as he uttered two words: "Imperial Brother-in-Law."

The words "Imperial Brother-in-Law" seemed to be the key to unlocking the mystery, allowing Xu Qi'an to suddenly see the light, connect all the clues, and finally figure out the details of the Consort Fu case.

"This imperial brother-in-law must be the Empress's younger brother or elder brother," Xu Qi'an clicked his tongue.

Only a brother born of the same father and mother could make the Empress willing to bear the blame to protect him.

Princess Huaiqing nodded slightly, "The Empress Dowager's brother is a dissolute young man who indulges in sensual pleasures, is uneducated and incompetent, and is obsessed with beautiful women. The palace maids in Fengqi Palace all hate him because every time he visits the Empress Dowager, he always tries to grope them inappropriately."

His words suggested he felt extreme disgust and disdain for his maternal uncle.

"Only now do I remember something. The Imperial Brother-in-law used to visit the Empress Dowager occasionally, but a few years ago, he suddenly stopped coming. Now, looking back, I understand what happened."

Besides members of the imperial family, the families of the Empress, Imperial Noble Consort, and Noble Consort can also visit them in the palace, as long as they report to the palace in advance.

Xu Qi'an squatted on the ground, his hands immersed in the bucket of water, looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, and murmured:

"Palace maid Huang Xiaorou was raped by the emperor's brother-in-law and became pregnant. Desperate, she attempted suicide, but the people the empress had placed by her side discovered her in time and saved her. No, that's not how it works."

Huaiqing, on the contrary, looked down at his toes and said softly, "Didn't you say she had given birth? What about a miscarriage? Does a miscarriage also cause the cervix to close?"

"A palace maid's pregnancy cannot be hidden, but since Huang Xiaorou has endured until now, it means the child has not yet been born."

Xu Qi'an hummed in agreement. "Stretch marks will appear in three or four months, and the cervix will close after a miscarriage. I'm more inclined to believe the Empress should abort the child, because the child cannot be born, otherwise the Imperial Uncle will be finished."

Huaiqing nodded. "So, the palace maid Huang Xiaorou harbored resentment and joined forces with the person behind the scenes, ostensibly framing the Crown Prince, but actually implicating the Empress and Duke Wei?"

"If that's the case, then Huang Xiaorou must hate the Empress to the core. Hmm, that makes sense, it's the hatred for the murder of her son. But I always feel it's not that simple."

What do you want to ask?

"Your Highness is indeed wise. Why doesn't Her Majesty the Empress kill Huang Xiaorou? That would have solved everything."

"The Empress Dowager is indeed kind-hearted and soft-hearted." Huaiqing shook his head regretfully, her expression seemingly one of pity for her misfortune and anger at her lack of self-control.

From this perspective, the Empress seems to be a soft-hearted woman. If it were Huaiqing, she probably would have killed Huang Xiaorou on the spot to prevent future troubles. Huaiqing is a woman capable of great things; I can confirm that. Xu Qi'an raised his hand to touch his chin, but stopped halfway, putting his hand back into the bucket as he said:

"Then the case became clear. The Empress must have been paying attention to the case of Consort Fu. When she discovered that Huang Xiaorou was the one who killed Consort Fu, I questioned her that day, and she knew that the person behind the scenes planned to use the Emperor's brother-in-law to scheme against her."

"This is an open conspiracy; it's either the emperor's brother-in-law or yourself. But then again, the Empress is truly a 'brother-supporting demon.'"

Huaiqing frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"She was willing to be banished to the cold palace for the sake of a good-for-nothing younger brother. But once she was deposed, the fourth prince would no longer be the legitimate heir, and would truly be ineligible for the throne."

Huaiqing glanced at him and sneered, "What's the difference between the concubines in the harem and those in the cold palace?"

"That's true." Xu Qi'an met Huai Qing's gaze. This was the first time the princess had expressed her dissatisfaction with Emperor Yuanjing in front of him.

"The Empress Dowager never concern herself with matters of the inner palace. She has no attachment to the position of Empress. She would probably be very willing to exchange her position for the life of the Imperial Uncle. However, my Fourth Brother will surely harbor resentment."

"So that's why Your Highness sent the Fourth Prince away?"

Huaiqing nodded and asked, "And what about the yellow silk fabric?"

"In the spring of the thirty-first year of Yuanjing, it should be the time when the palace maid Huang Xiaorou lost her virginity. Something is strange. Huang Xiaorou committed suicide four years ago, and the thirty-first year of Yuanjing was five years ago. The thirty-seventh year of Yuanjing has just begun, so let's not count that for now." Xu Qi'an suddenly frowned.

Princess Huaiqing understood Xu Qi'an's meaning and said in a melodious voice, "Based on the timeline, she committed suicide after being forced to have a miscarriage. After the Empress Dowager aborted Huang Xiaorou's fetus, she arranged for He'er to take care of her."

"That's true, it matches our investigation results. But doesn't Your Highness find it strange? You just said that pregnancy and childbirth can't be hidden in the harem. What makes Huang Xiaorou, a mere palace maid, dare to do this? Unless she's extremely reckless."

"It couldn't be Father Emperor." Huaiqing shook his head.

Xu Qi'an agreed with this.

Given Emperor Yuanjing's desire for immortality and his dedication to Daoist cultivation, it was absolutely impossible for him to have slept with a palace maid.

"Let's go ask this imperial brother-in-law; there's no point in just guessing here."

Xu Qi'an's suggestion was approved by Princess Huaiqing, who seemed to have the same idea.

The two immediately left the ice cellar and saw the figure of the young eunuch in the distance; he had not yet left.

This little eunuch is quite honest. Xu Qi'an walked over and said, "Princess Huaiqing and I are going out of the palace. You should go and rest first. Don't rush to report today's events to His Majesty."

The young eunuch looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"Just say what you have to say, don't beat around the bush."

"Lord Xu, this servant is a little afraid."

"Don't worry, I'll be gentler," Xu Qi'an laughed. "I won't let you know things you shouldn't know. Just be a good boy/girl."

The young eunuch finally breathed a sigh of relief, "With your words, I can finally rest easy."

Xu Qi'an had thought he would be able to ride in a carriage with Huaiqing, but unexpectedly, the heartless Huaiqing gave him a fine horse.

Sitting on horseback, following the princess's carriage towards the Imperial Uncle's residence, Xu Qi'an couldn't help but think of his beloved little mare.

He was attacked yesterday, but he chased away the mare, killed three assassins in self-defense, and then went to the yamen to recuperate. To this day, he still doesn't know the mare's whereabouts.

However, before he went to the palace this morning, he instructed his colleagues to go find the mare.

The car window opened, and Huaiqing leaned out, her features flawless, her nose straight and elegant, her red lips vibrant and her corners exquisitely sculpted. Her beautiful eyes were like a pool of autumn water, clear and bright.

"Even if the Empress Dowager did indeed take the blame for the Emperor's brother-in-law, the person behind it all still hasn't been found," she sighed.

Xu Qi'an didn't answer, but instead asked, "What I don't understand even more is why the person behind the scenes only made their move against the Empress now?"

The two looked at each other in silence.

The Imperial Uncle's residence was located within the Imperial City. When Xu Qi'an and the Princess arrived at the residence, they asked the guards and learned that the Imperial Uncle was not in the Imperial City, but in his old residence in the inner city.

"Go and ask when the Imperial Brother-in-law moved to the old residence," Huaiqing ordered the accompanying guards as he opened the carriage window.

After asking, the guard replied, "This morning."

This morning? Emperor Yuanjing proposed deposing the empress during the morning court session. Xu Qi'an subconsciously looked at Huaiqing and found that his first wife was also looking at him.

"Go to the Shangguan family residence," Princess Huaiqing said coldly.

The luxurious carriage, crafted from golden nanmu wood, slowly drove out of the imperial city, taking more than half an hour to arrive at the Shangguan family's ancestral home.

Surprisingly, the Shangguan family's old residence was just a three-courtyard house, not much larger than the mansion Xu Qi'an had bought. Of course, in terms of refinement and luxury, it certainly far surpassed the Xu Residence.

Moreover, there are many guards here.

As the carriage slowly came to a stop, Xu Qi'an took out a piece of paper prepared on the way from his pocket using the Qi-Watching Technique and ignited it with his Qi.

The carriage stopped outside the Shangguan residence. Huaiqing stepped off on a small stool and went straight into the residence. The guards at the gate did not dare to stop him.

During the journey, Huaiqing and Xu Qi'an talked about the Shangguan family history. The Shangguan family was not a prominent and wealthy family. His maternal grandfather, Shangguan Qing, was appointed as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and concurrently as a Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion.

But all of this happened after Empress Shangguan took over Fengqi Palace.

Before this, the Shangguan family was just a small Lineage. Huaiqing's maternal grandfather, Shangguan Pei, was only a censor, Principal Sixth Rank.

"The Wei family and the Shangguan family have been friends for generations. When Duke Wei was young, his family was poor, and he studied at the Shangguan family. His maternal grandfather was considered his mentor," Princess Huaiqing said.

Xu Qi'an nodded; he had only learned about the connection between Wei Yuan and the Empress today.

"Then how did Duke Wei get into the palace?" He paused, then asked, still puzzled.

Princess Huaiqing shook her head.

As you walk through the front yard, the sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments drift over.

From afar, they saw the back hall door open, where seven or eight dancers dressed in thin veils were gracefully dancing, while musicians played seductive tunes.

Xu Qi'an's eyes widened. To be honest, he was used to seeing such scenes in the Imperial Academy of Music, but even the dancers in the Imperial Academy of Music were not as daring as the women in the hall.

Those women wore neither a bodice nor underpants, but only a thin gauze garment, flaunting their allure.

Inside the hall, a fair-skinned, handsome middle-aged man with a small mustache sat in the main seat, with one beautiful woman on his left arm and another on his right.

He leered at the dancing girls as they gracefully swayed.

Several diners sat on either side, looking quite happy.

Xu Qi'an gained a deeper understanding of the absurdity and lechery of this imperial brother-in-law. His elder sister was about to be deposed, yet he was still indulging in sensual pleasures. What was even more absurd was that the Empress was taking the blame for him.

I'm shivering with anger and cold. When will these "brother-supporting demons" finally stand up for themselves?

The eldest princess stopped outside the hall, turned her head, and glanced at Xu Qi'an.

Understanding immediately, Xu Qi'an took off his sword, walked to the door, and banged on the doorframe with the scabbard, shouting, "Room check! Men, squat on the left; women, squat on the right. Hands over your heads, and show me your IDs."

The group, engrossed in their sensual pleasures, were taken aback and only then noticed Xu Qi'an and Princess Huaiqing standing outside.

The dancers stopped dancing, the musicians ceased playing, and the emperor's brother-in-law, sporting a small mustache, was initially taken aback, then his brows furrowed.

Huaiqing stepped over the threshold and entered the hall, coldly declaring, "Everyone, leave the hall and do not approach within a hundred paces. Anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy."

Xu Qi'an shouted, "Yes!"

With a flick of his thumb, the sword was drawn half an inch from its sheath. He glanced around at everyone in the hall and shouted, "Get out of here!"

The musicians, dancers, and diners scattered in all directions.

"Don't go! Don't go!"

The emperor's brother-in-law shouted, but couldn't stop the dispersing crowd. Enraged, he stomped his foot and pointed at Xu Qi'an, yelling, "Where did you come from, you dog slave? Guards! Guards!"

Xu Qi'an thought to herself, no wonder Huaiqing disliked this uncle so much, no wonder she suspected the emperor's brother-in-law immediately.

This is a complete playboy.

After calling out a few times and seeing no one outside to help him, the Imperial Uncle stopped shouting, squinted at Princess Huaiqing, and said, "Huaiqing, why aren't you in the palace? What are you doing at your uncle's residence?"

"Does the Imperial Uncle know about the Emperor's deposition of the Empress?"

Huaiqing's voice was like the wind and snow in the dead of winter, carrying a chilling coldness, "This morning at court, Father proposed to depose the Empress, and the Imperial Uncle, as Mother's younger brother, still had the mood to drink and make merry at home."

"Of course I know," the emperor's brother-in-law suddenly said, becoming agitated. "But what can I do? I'm not Wei Yuan; can I say that His Majesty won't agree to depose the empress?"

"Does the Emperor's brother-in-law know the reason why Father Emperor deposed the Empress?" the eldest princess asked.

"Wasn't it all because my sister framed that woman in the Eastern Palace so that the Fourth Prince could become the Crown Prince?" the Imperial Uncle said loudly. After saying that, he scoffed, seemingly disdainful of the Empress's actions.

Xu Qi'an cautiously looked at Huai Qing, who remained calm, or rather, indifferent, throughout.

He was about to interrogate Huang Xiaorou when he suddenly saw Huaiqing wave his hand, stopping him. The princess sneered, "Imperial Uncle, I am here on the Emperor's orders to arrest you."

The emperor's brother-in-law was taken aback. "Arrest me? On what grounds?"

Huaiqing finally revealed a cold smile, "By the palace maid Huang Xiaorou."

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Uncle was struck dumb, his entire body trembling. A look of panic flashed in his eyes, and he forced himself to say, "What Huang Xiaorou? Huaiqing? What nonsense are you spouting?! What nonsense are you spouting?!"

He actually started yelling at Princess Huaiqing.

"You won't shed tears until you see the coffin." Huaiqing stretched out his hand, and Xu Qi'an handed him the dull-colored yellow silk.

She took it and slapped it hard across the Emperor's brother-in-law's face. "You know best what you did to Huang Xiaorou in the spring of the thirty-first year of Yuanjing."

The emperor's brother-in-law was stunned.

The yellow silk fabric slid down his face, as if taking away the last bit of color from him. The emperor's brother-in-law's pupils were unfocused, and his expression was filled with fear.

"Who told you that? Who told you about Huang Xiaorou?" the emperor's brother-in-law murmured.

"Naturally, it's Her Majesty the Empress," Xu Qi'an replied, playing along with the lie.

"Fart!"

The emperor's brother-in-law reacted unusually strongly; a blush slowly rose to his face, it was hard to tell whether it was from excitement or anger. He shouted:

"I am the only son of the Shangguan family. How could she betray me? How dare she betray me? How will she face my father in the future? Don't try to lie to me."

Xu Qi'an said, "Because Huang Xiaorou was involved in the Consort Fu case, her past was uncovered, and the Empress had no choice but to confess. In the spring of the thirty-first year of Yuanjing, you defiled Huang Xiaorou in the palace."

He spoke with absolute certainty.

"Impossible! Huang Xiaorou is already dead. The Empress promised me she would silence her," the Imperial Uncle exclaimed in shock.

The truth is, the Empress didn't silence her; she merely aborted Huang Xiaorou's unborn child. Huaiqing was right; the Empress was too soft-hearted. Xu Qi'an glanced sideways at the Eldest Princess.

Huaiqing remained expressionless and said calmly, "Tell the truth. It's better to tell me than to confess in the Nightwatchers's dungeon. Or perhaps, does the Imperial Uncle want to experience the tortures of the Nightwatchers's dungeon?"

The emperor's brother-in-law slumped down.

"Yes, Huang Xiaorou did have an affair with me, but she did it willingly because she thought I was His Majesty."

"I enjoy beautiful women, but I'm tired of the women in brothels and Imperial Academy of Music. The concubines in my household have long lost their novelty for me. Gradually, I've discovered that the women in the palace fascinate me more than the women outside."

"It's all my sister's fault. She has so many maids in her Phoenix Palace, yet she won't even let me touch them. His Majesty is obsessed with cultivation and hasn't been close to women for many years. What's wrong with me wanting one or two maids?"

She is the mistress of the harem. If she agrees, who can stop her? I don't want His Majesty's concubines. That day, I went to Fengqi Palace to visit the Empress and saw a maid sweeping. She was pretty and charming, and I thought she was a new maid in Fengqi Palace, so I went up to her and started touching her inappropriately.

"Ha, she thought I was His Majesty, blushing with embarrassment and not daring to refuse, letting me do as I pleased."

Huang Xiaorou entered the palace in the 28th year of Yuanjing's reign. At that time, His Majesty had become obsessed with Qi-Watching Technique and no longer visited the harem. As a mere palace maid, she had never even seen what Emperor Yuanjing looked like. Xu Qi'an pondered to himself, the effects of his Qi-gazing technique still present, and he knew that the Imperial Uncle was not lying.

"When no one was around, I took her into the private room and we made love. Afterwards, she was overjoyed, believing that she had served His Majesty and that she was the only woman who could make His Majesty break his vows. Not only her, but everyone in the harem, from the concubines to the maids, had fantasized about being different and being favored by His Majesty."

No wonder the Empress was so determined to protect you if you impersonated the Emperor and had sex with a palace maid; even ten lives wouldn't be enough to stop you.

The emperor's brother-in-law swallowed hard. "Later, I became addicted and often used the pretext of visiting the empress to meet with Huang Xiaorou. I experienced something different with her, unlike with any other woman. But I never expected that she would become pregnant."

"Only then did I panic and tell the Empress about it. She scolded me severely and forbade me from ever stepping into the inner palace again. She also promised to kill Huang Xiaorou to silence her and clean up the mess for me."

Xu Qi'an said quietly, "So Huang Xiaorou always thought she was carrying the emperor's child, and therefore hated the empress who forced her to have an abortion. When she later found out that she had been deceived, and that the person who seduced her was not the emperor, but you, the emperor's brother-in-law, by then the fetus was gone, and the matter was already settled. She couldn't afford to offend the empress, so in shame and anger, she committed suicide."

"But the Empress was too kind-hearted and felt guilty about what you had done, so she took a miraculous medicine from the Imperial Pharmacy and saved Huang Xiaorou's life. Little did she expect that this would sow the seeds of disaster four years later."

"It's all her fault! If she had killed Huang Xiaorou back then, none of this would have happened!" The Imperial Uncle exclaimed angrily, "She ruined me! It's all her fault!!"

"You're lying!" Xu Qi'an suddenly interrupted him, saying sternly, "If it were just Huang Xiaorou, then the Empress wouldn't need to take the blame for you. Huang Xiaorou is already dead, and there's no way to verify her identity. The Empress can simply deny it."

"Since she admitted it, it means that besides Huang Xiaorou, you have another weakness that someone else has against you."

P. S.: I'll update this first and then revise it. I was a bit tired writing this chapter, time for a nap.