# 239. A Great Breakthrough
*Some points need confirmation…* Biaobiao blurted out, "What are they?"
Huaiqing pursed her lips, pondering what discoveries Xu Qi'an might have made while also paying close attention to him. Although she had been meticulously searching through the room, her mind was still a jumble, and she hadn't found anything particularly useful or significant.
"First, if Consort Fu had indeed been assaulted by the Crown Prince, she would have definitely cried for help. So why didn't the attendants and palace maids in Qingfeng Palace hear anything? Let's go downstairs first… you go and gather all the palace maids and attendants in the courtyard," Xu Qi'an said to the head attendant.
The group immediately descended to the courtyard, where all the attendants and palace maids of Qingfeng Palace, totalling twelve individuals—four maids and eight attendants—were gathered.
"Listen up, this is Sir Xu, who has been tasked with investigating the case. He is fully in charge of the investigation into Consort Fu's murder. You must answer his questions honestly and without concealment," the head attendant said in a deep voice.
"Yes!"
The crowd responded with bowed heads.
The head attendant nodded with satisfaction and looked towards Xu Qi'an.
Xu Qi'an singled out a graceful palace maid, gesturing for her to come closer.
The young maid shuffled forward with her head bowed.
"A little closer."
The maid stepped up to Xu Qi'an, who whispered a few words into her ear, then said, "Go ahead."
The maid quickly scurried into the pavilion.
What is he up to?
Biaobiao and the supervising eunuch were perplexed, while Huaiqing seemed to be deep in thought.
Xu Qi'an turned to the other maids and attendants, "Why was there no palace maid attending to Consort Fu on the day of the incident?"
The palace maids and attendants exchanged glances, appearing hesitant and afraid to speak.
Xu Qi'an's gaze sharpened as he reprimanded, "Anyone who conceals or withholds information will be treated as a suspect in Consort Fu's murder and will be imprisoned in the Nightwatchers’ dungeon."
A young eunuch quickly replied, "My lord, we dare not approach the pavilion."
*Dare not approach the pavilion?*
Xu Qi'an sensed he had found something. A man entering Consort Fu's bedroom, yet the attendants in the courtyard did not dare to approach—what does that imply?
It implies the Emperor has quite the situation on his hands.
Xu Qi'an secretly thought with anticipation.
The young eunuch explained, "Consort Fu loved to drink. After getting drunk, she would often scold and beat the attendants of Qingfeng Palace. We feared being caught in her outbursts, so whenever she drank, we kept our distance."
"Is it always like this?" Xu Qi'an asked.
"Yes, without exception," the eunuch replied.
"When did this start?"
The eunuch hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, "Ever since I entered the Qingfeng Palace, Consort Fu has always been this way."
*Little chicken, your experience is lacking...* Xu Qi'an scanned the group and asked, "Who is Consort Fu's personal maid?"
"It's your servant..." A slightly older maid stepped forward.
"You answer my previous question," Xu Qi'an directed his gaze at her.
"Well, it's just that..." The older maid hesitated, "A few years ago, Consort Fu was fine, but over the years, her personality became more and more peculiar. She would often stand alone on the pavilion, gazing at something unknown. When drinking, she liked to recite melancholic poetry..."
She spoke with subtlety, likely not daring to comment on Consort Fu or the Emperor's private affairs. But Xu Qi'an and Huaiqing were both sharp and understood the underlying meaning.
*This is the sorrow of a lonely woman... Alas, Emperor Yuanjing is quite the character, with so many beautiful women in his harem, and yet he chose to practice cultivation and abstinence...* Xu Qi'an sighed and continued,
"On the day of the incident, did anyone hear Consort Fu's cries for help?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Xu Qi'an didn't say anything but looked towards the direction of the pavilion, nodding slightly.
Following his gaze, they saw the young maid who had entered the pavilion earlier standing on the observation deck. At Xu Qi'an's signal, the maid closed the lattice door of the observation deck, and moments later, faint cries for help could be heard from inside.
By this point, even the less astute Biaobiao understood Xu Qi'an's intention.
"Outrageous! You dare lie! The cries for help were clear as day!" Biaobiao scolded.
The attendants in the courtyard were startled and hurriedly tried to explain.
Xu Qi'an gestured for them to calm down, then turned to the head attendant, "Bring out the broken section of the railing..."
Next, he looked at the older maid and said, "You stay. The rest can leave."
The older maid looked a bit flustered, wringing her hands nervously.
"Little eunuch, you go to the outer courtyard. I'll call you back in a bit," Xu Qi'an anticipated a rebuttal from the seemingly obtuse young eunuch, preparing to bring Huaiqing and Lin'an to bear.
However, the young eunuch said nothing and obediently left.
"What have you found?" Huaiqing was the first to speak once they were alone.
The aloof and proud princess had her own theories. Earlier, when the maid cried for help inside the pavilion, it was faint but audible from the outside.
There were two possibilities: either Consort Fu didn't call for help at all, or she was silenced.
"What is the Crown Prince's cultivation level?" Xu Qi'an asked.
"He's trained in martial arts for a few years, skilled in archery and horseback riding," Huaiqing replied.
*Oh, a weakling...* Xu Qi'an nodded.
The Crown Prince's cultivation was at the Refining Vitality level, perhaps not even that. This made sense; for a prince, continuing the lineage was paramount. What was individual martial prowess compared to that? The Emperor needn't lead charges in battle.
Moreover, the ability to resist temptation was a significant test. Especially for a Crown Prince surrounded by beautiful women, it would be challenging to remain chaste in the impulsive years of youth.
Xu Qi'an mused that it was only someone with great willpower, like himself, who could stay single for nineteen years.
"Although the Crown Prince's cultivation is shallow, overpowering a frail woman would still be easy, so it's possible that Consort Fu never had the chance to call for help," Xu Qi'an surmised.
"My brother the Crown Prince would never do such a thing," Biaobiao retorted immediately, showing a display of stubbornness that a sister ought.
Xu Qi'an didn't respond to Biaobiao, who was pouting her cheeks in defiance. Instead, he coldly looked at the older maid, "You weren't completely truthful earlier, were you?"
A flash of panic crossed the maid's eyes, and she shook her head, "Everything I said was the truth. I didn't lie. Please believe me."
"You didn't lie, but you didn't tell the whole truth, right?" Xu Qi'an tapped her leg with the scabbard, "I'm not very patient. If you don't speak, you'll be taken to the Nightwatcher's dungeon to confess. I can't guarantee how the guards there will treat you."
These young maids and eunuchs were cunning but timid, so intimidation was the best approach.
The maid bit her lip and, after a moment of hesitation, said, "Your Highnesses, Lord Xu, please follow me."
She turned and entered the pavilion, with Xu Qi'an, Huaiqing, and Lin'an following behind.
Returning to the bedroom, the palace maid went straight under the bed and, with some effort, pulled out a large wooden box. From beneath layers of old clothes, she retrieved a small wooden case.
With her head bowed and trembling slightly, the palace maid presented the wooden case.
Xu Qi’an took it, opened the case, and upon seeing what was inside, one single word filled up his mind: *Woah!*
Had it not been for Lin’an and Huaiqing standing beside him, he might have let out an exaggerated whistle.
Inside the wooden box lay a jade-carved object, 15 centimetres long and 4 centimetres in diameter, with a mischievous-looking head and a slender body.
Xu Qi’an immediately understood why the palace maid was hesitant to speak.
This item was forbidden within the palace, far more taboo than the small “Little Liu Bei”[^1] often found in women’s chambers. The moral implications were one reason, but more importantly, this was the imperial palace.
Has the emperor no face?
Once discovered, the consequences could be severe, from banishment to the cold palace to demotion in rank.
*Thus, Consort Fu’s outbursts while drinking, aside from a frustrated woman’s imbalance, were a prelude to some private indulgence… Such things, of course, were not for the servants to see. Aside from her closest maid, everyone else would be dismissed… Thankfully, I sent the young eunuch away; otherwise, Emperor Yuanjing would have me silenced… He’s actually being betrayed by a fake, pfff…* Xu Qi’an almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
"What is this thing?" Princess Lin’an asked with a frown.
Xu Qi’an glanced at her, then at Huaiqing. The aloof princess was expressionless, examining the “jade sceptre” with confusion in her eyes.
*No way, not even Huaiqing, with her extensive knowledge and upbringing, recognises it? Don't you read any naughty texts?*
Xu Qi’an coughed and explained, "It’s a man’s vital part."
Lin’an let out a startled "ah" and stepped back a few paces, her round face turning red, with her neck and ears also flushed.
Xu Qi’an thought, *Is this all it takes to scare you? I have a bigger one.*
Huaiqing recoiled as if touched by electricity, turning her head away, her fair face lightly blushed.
"H- h- how could consort Fu- how could she hide such a thing? It’s disgraceful. Quick, put it away…" Lin’an stammered in her reprimand.
*Don’t be so quick to judge. Maybe your mother also has one under her bed…* Xu Qi’an closed the box and handed it back to the palace maid, saying, "Put it back, don’t taint the princesses’ eyes."
The palace maid obediently followed his instructions.
Xu Qi’an asked, "On the day Consort Fu fell from the tower, was this item on the bed or in the box?"
"It should have been in the box," the palace maid replied.
*If it were on the bed, the report wouldn’t have left it out…* Xu Qi’an nodded and asked again, "Was the missing maid also one of Consort Fu’s close attendants like you?"
The palace maid nodded.
"Alright, you may go now."
After she left, Xu Qi’an sat at the table, lamenting that he couldn’t take the "jade sceptre" for examination while he explained to the two inexperienced princesses:
"On the day Consort Fu fell from the tower, the servants in the courtyard didn’t hear her call for help. There are two possibilities: either the Crown Prince subdued her, or Consort Fu willingly had an affair with the Crown Prince."
Huaiqing shook her head, "If it were a willing affair, why were there signs of resistance and struggle in the room?"
"You clearly lack experience…" Xu Qi’an smiled and said, "There are still two possibilities: First, Consort Fu resisted at first but the Crown Prince somehow coerced her. Second, sometimes, male and female affection doesn’t have to take place on the bed."
Both princesses blushed and spat in embarrassment.
"Then why did Consort Fu fall from the tower? You said she was pushed," Huaiqing questioned.
“I can’t answer that right now," Xu Qi’an analyzed, "On the day of the incident, Consort Fu had been drinking. What she would do next is take out the 'jade sceptre' to… let out some frustration.
“If I were the Crown Prince, I would use that to coerce her into a long-term secret relationship. A woman who’s been alone for a long time might be half-hearted about it, and there’s no need to push her out of the tower. Even if the Crown Prince sobered up and wanted to kill her to silence her, it shouldn’t be after the act, because during the time of clarity afterwards, a man is the calmest and wouldn’t act on impulse.
“Another point of doubt, Consort Fu, needing to do such a thing, dismissed the palace maids and attendants from the tower. It makes even less sense to then send a personal maid to invite the Crown Prince, unless they had an affair long before.
"But according to the investigation of the Three Departments and the testimonies of the servants and maids in the courtyard, there was no prior relationship between Consort Fu and the Crown Prince."
"So, my brother the Crown Prince was truly wronged." Lin’an’s eyes sparkled with hope.
"That’s quite possible, but it’s too early to conclude." Xu Qi’an nodded.
Huaiqing asked, "How did you know the palace maid was hiding something?"
Her clear and bright eyes were fixed on Xu Qi’an. It seemed like she was asking for guidance but also found it hard to swallow her pride.
*Consider studying the psychology of microexpressions…* Xu Qi’an said, "A person’s facial and body movements can reveal their inner thoughts to a certain extent; they are more honest than words."
Huaiqing frowned, "I’ve never seen a book documenting such knowledge."
"I figured it out myself."
Huaiqing slowly nodded, somewhat impressed, "You really are a genius at solving cases."
*… In reality, solving cases isn’t about talent, it’s about experience and knowledge. Without those, even a genius at deduction wouldn’t make it past the threshold.* Xu Qi’an smiled, "Your Highness flatters me."
At this moment, the head attendant called from downstairs, "Sir Xu, we’ve brought the items."
Xu Qi’an immediately stood up and said, "Now, I’ll test one of my theories. We might soon find out how Consort Fu died."
The three went downstairs, where Xu Qi’an took the broken railing from the guard and carefully examined the break, inspecting it repeatedly.
He fell into deep thought.
The red-dressed and white-dressed princesses, understanding his need for concentration, did not interrupt him.
Even though Lin’an’s feet under her skirt were nervously shuffling, showing her anxiousness.
Because Xu Qi’an had mentioned that the truth of Consort Fu’s death would soon be revealed. Since it concerned her brother’s innocence, she was very eager.
Yet she dared not disturb his thinking.
"Let’s go to the icehouse. Princess Huaiqing, please summon a nanny." Xu Qi’an led the group away from the Qingfeng Palace, and Huaiqing instructed the guards outside the palace to fetch the old nanny.
Arriving at the icehouse, they left the guards outside. Xu Qi’an, Huaiqing, Lin’an, the supervising little eunuch, and the old nanny entered the icehouse and once again saw Consort Fu’s body.
"Please remove Consort Fu’s clothing and turn her over," Xu Qi’an requested.
The nanny hesitated, but seeing Xu Qi’an respectfully turn his back, she looked to Princess Huaiqing for approval, not to Lin’an.
Huaiqing nodded, "Do as Sir Xu says."
A few minutes later, the maid said, "It’s done."
Xu Qi’an turned around. Consort Fu lay naked, prone on the wooden board, her pale back covered in livor mortis, but without the marks Xu Qi’an had expected to see.
"That’s all." He nodded.
Leaving the icehouse, they gathered in a side room. Lin’an couldn’t wait and asked, "So, how did Consort Fu die? My brother, the Crown Prince, is innocent, right?"
Xu Qi’an glanced at the supervising young eunuch, then at the two princesses, and said solemnly, "Consort Fu likely fell from the tower by herself."
"How do you know?" Huaiqing raised an eyebrow.
This conclusion surprised everyone.
“The railings of the Qingfeng Palace pavilion are not rotting, rather they are very sturdy. If Consort Fu was pushed down, her body would inevitably leave bruises on her back from hitting the railings.
"But the examination just now showed that Consort Fu's back did not have any long-shaped bruises, only livor mortis and block-shaped bruises from the fall," Xu Qi'an said.
Huaiqing pondered, "But she did indeed die from breaking through the railings... Are you saying someone tampered with the railings?"
Xu Qi'an nodded. “Besides, after Consort Fu fell, she had been drinking. The palace maid at Qingfeng Palace said she often watched the scenery from the lookout tower... I guess she was watching to see if His Majesty would come, though that’s not important.
“The important thing is that when people drink, they instinctively lean or rest on the railing. Consort Fu fell on her back, so she must have been leaning on the railing. But because the railing was tampered with, she fell to her death.
“I asked earlier, the jade sceptre wasn't taken out during the incident. This means that Consort Fu didn't use the jade sceptre immediately that day... you know what I mean. So, the possibility of her standing at the lookout tower is very high.
"The coroner's report that she wasn't violated also serves as evidence. The maids of Qingfeng Palace didn't hear any cries for help because Consort Fu wasn't assaulted and naturally didn’t need to cry out."
Huaiqing and Lin'an suddenly understood, the latter genuinely happy because the suspicion on the Crown Prince lessened significantly.
The former fell into deep thought, mulling over Xu Qi'an's analysis like a top student digesting a teacher's lecture.
The supervising little eunuch bowed his head, silently noting down every word Xu Qi'an said to report to his father eunuch later.
At this point, the old nanny interjected, "Sir, it was this old servant, not the coroner, who examined Consort Fu."
"Oh, it was nanny. That's perfect, I have some details to ask."
He pulled the old nanny aside and whispered, "Nanny, your standard for determining whether someone was violated is based on the man's... emission, or…?"
He asked his question quietly.
The old nanny whispered a brief explanation.
"Oh, I see," Xu Qi'an said.
This further confirmed that Consort Fu was not raped but indeed died from an accident, a meticulously arranged accident.
Since it wasn't a crime of passion, the Crown Prince’s suspicion was very light.
After receiving confirmation, Xu Qi'an said, "The only one who could have done this must be that close palace maid."
Of course, the palace maid wouldn’t kill Consort Fu and frame the Crown Prince without reason. Even Lin'an could figure this out.
"Who would instruct the palace maid to do this?" Lin'an glanced at Huaiqing with distrust.
Huaiqing sneered, and Lin'an immediately shrank behind Xu Qi'an.
Not bothering to argue with Lin'an, she frowned and asked, "Then how do you explain the mess in the room?"
"The palace maid couldn’t have deliberately messed up the room in front of Consort Fu before she fell. And after Consort Fu fell, the Qingfeng Palace servants would have noticed immediately."
"Maybe Consort Fu was in a terrible mood and messed up the room herself. Or maybe there was something wrong with the alcohol, like hallucinations," Xu Qi'an explained.
Unfortunately, without an autopsy on Consort Fu, this speculation cannot be confirmed.
"Let’s call it a day. I want to go back and think things over, sort out the case," Xu Qi'an said.
He couldn't say he was slacking off.
After sending Princess Lin'an back to Shaoyin Courtyard, Xu Qi'an saw Princess Huaiqing waiting outside, and he knowingly walked over.
The two walked silently, the guards trailing far behind.
"I didn’t expect that once you got involved, Consort Fu's case would immediately have a breakthrough," Princess Huaiqing praised.
"This case isn’t actually difficult. At least proving the Crown Prince's innocence isn't hard," Xu Qi'an said, pausing for a few seconds before continuing, "The Three Judicial Departments don’t seem eager to prove the Crown Prince’s innocence."
Xu Qi'an always felt that the reasoning skills and investigative methods of this era were lagging, but he couldn't deny that there were still many talented people in the Three Departments.
The Consort Fu case wasn’t as detailed as the tax silver case, as strange as the Sangpo case, or as mind-bending as the Yunzhou case. It didn’t involve too many cultivation systems.
Proving the Crown Prince's innocence was somewhat challenging, but not impossible.
Princess Huaiqing looked ahead, silent for a dozen seconds, and then said, "This matter boils down to two possibilities: one, the Crown Prince is the real culprit. Two, the Crown Prince is being framed."
Xu Qi'an responded with a "hmm."
“If the Crown Prince is the real culprit, then he will be deposed. The official evaluation has just ended, and the national succession struggle is about to begin. Neither His Majesty nor the entire court would want such a thing to happen. Besides, it would make the Crown Prince Clique resentful, creating unnecessary enemies.
"If the Crown Prince is being framed, then who in the harem has the capability to do so? Who dares to frame even the Crown Prince? The Three Judicial Offices would rather not provoke them. After all, this is ultimately His Majesty's family matter."
Xu Qi'an answered bluntly, "All princes eligible to inherit the Eastern Palace are possible suspects."
Huaiqing said, "But the biggest suspects are my full brother and my mother."
Because the Fourth Prince is the legitimate eldest son and the first in the succession.
"Suspicion is inevitable. If there’s a death of a prince in the palace, all those favoured concubines are suspects. But as long as evidence is destroyed, no matter how great the suspicion, what can be done?"
Palace intrigue is actually quite straightforward and brutal; not every concubine in the harem is a far-sighted, cunning strategist like Zhuge Liang.
Huaiqing slowly nodded.
"There’s something I don’t understand. The Fourth Prince is the legitimate eldest son. Why did His Majesty appoint Lin'an's full brother as the Crown Prince?"
When Xu Qi'an asked this question, he stared closely at Huaiqing. If she showed signs of annoyance or resistance, it would indicate that his behavior of having a foot in two boats had made her feel uneasy and not considered him a confidant anymore.
Huaiqing pondered for a moment, then shook her head, "No one can guess Father’s mind. But once, by chance, I heard some rumors..."
Xu Qi'an quickly interrupted, "Your Highness, your servant wishes to live a long life, have children and grandchildren, and die peacefully."
Uncharacteristically, Huaiqing smiled slightly, "It’s not some top secret; it doesn’t matter if you hear it."
After a pause, she continued, “It is said in the palace that the reason the Crown Prince is the Crown Prince is because Noble Consort Chen was the most favoured in her youth, thus Father broke the rules by appointing a son born of a concubine as the Crown Prince.
"But my elder brother once complained to me privately. In his childhood, Father treated him extremely well and often instilled in him the principles of being a ruler... So, if Father never intended to make him the Crown Prince, why would he say such things?"
Xu Qi'an turned around, waved at the distant guards, and then walked a bit further with Huaiqing. Then, unable to contain his curiosity, he rubbed his hands and asked:
"Then why was the son of a concubine ultimately made the Crown Prince?"
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[^1]: Erotic material? Why? Because Liu Bei had the title Royal Uncle “Huangshu”, which is cognate with “yellow books”, which means erotic material.