# 250. Brainstorming
On the dot of eight, the side gate of the Meridian Gate slowly opened. An elderly eunuch walked to the entrance and loudly announced, "Court is in session!"
The noise instantly ceased, and the civil and military officials entered the side gate in an orderly fashion, with the civil officials on the left and the military officials on the right, clearly separated.
After entering the Meridian Gate, officials of the fourth rank and above proceeded into the hall, while those below the fourth rank remained at the entrance, and those below the sixth rank stayed in the plaza.
The ministers entered the hall and waited for a quarter of an hour before Emperor Yuanjing finally arrived, fashionably late.
A cluster of gazes fell upon their emperor, trying to discern clues from his expression or demeanour.
All attempts failed. Emperor Yuanjing had been on the throne for thirty-seven years, his mind was unfathomably deep, and his experience vast. There were very few in the court who could match wits with him.
Perhaps only Wei Yuan and Prime Minister Wang.
This court session started off no differently than usual, with the ministers presenting their reports and the emperor responding as usual.
"Your Majesty, thousands have frozen to death in Chuzhou during the harsh winter. The Provincial Administration Commissioner has exhausted the funds allocated for disaster relief. We humbly request Your Majesty to issue a decree, instructing the Ministry of Revenue to allocate funds..."
"The national treasury is empty. For disaster relief, you may seek donations from the local gentry..." Emperor Yuanjing replied.
"Your Majesty, the northern barbarians have repeatedly violated our borders. As spring approaches, border conflicts are becoming increasingly intense. We must remain vigilant."
"Your Majesty, the Zhenbei King has ignored the barbarian raids on our borders, stubbornly defending the city without deploying a single soldier. This has led to widespread displacement and heavy casualties among the border populace. We beseech Your Majesty to hold him accountable."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanjing looked at Wei Yuan, his voice void of emotion, "Duke Wei, what is the situation with the northern barbarians?"
Wei Yuan frowned slightly and replied, "At the end of last year, the north experienced heavy snowfall for several months, killing countless livestock. I anticipated at the time that the barbarians would raid southward."
Emperor Yuanjing suddenly remembered this and frowned, "And what of the aftermath? The barbarians invaded the border, so why did the Nightwatchers not receive any prior intelligence?"
"It was your servant’s oversight," Wei Yuan replied.
In truth, he had withdrawn his informants from the north, redeploying them to the northeast.
Emperor Yuanjing coldly declared, "For failing to detect the invasion south of the northern barbarians, Wei Yuan is relieved of his duties as Left Censor-in-Chief and will forfeit a year's salary."
The hall fell silent for a moment as countless questions swirled through the ministers' minds.
Although the Nightwatchers were responsible for gathering intelligence, this was only a secondary duty. Furthermore, with the northern barbarians invading, and the Zhenbei King refusing to fight, even knowing in advance wouldn't have made much difference. How could this blame be pinned on Wei Yuan?
However, since it was rare for Emperor Yuanjing to target Wei Yuan, the civil officials seized the opportunity, quickly attacking Wei Yuan and loudly praising the emperor's wisdom.
A censor stepped forward and emphasised, "Your Majesty, the Zhenbei King turned a blind eye to the people's suffering caused by the military disaster. We implore Your Majesty to hold him accountable."
Emperor Yuanjing's response was a mere three words, "We are aware."
The censor reluctantly retreated.
As the court session neared its end and the piled-up administrative matters were resolved, the ministers ceased their petitions. Emperor Yuanjing raised his index finger and gently tapped the table.
An elderly eunuch, dressed in a serpent robe, stepped forward and surveyed the ministers.
*It’s coming...* The ministers inside the hall all felt a twinge in their hearts.
The earlier proceedings had been routine, and while it was surprising that Wei Yuan was relieved of his position as Left Censor-in-Chief, Emperor Yuanjing’s sudden call for a court session was definitely not for this "small matter."
The elderly eunuch unrolled the imperial decree in his hands and read aloud, “We have thoroughly investigated the Consort Fu case. It has been found that Empress Shangguan orchestrated the murder of Consort Fu by instructing palace maid Huang Xiaorou and framing the Crown Prince...
“After rigorous questioning, Empress Shangguan has confessed to her crimes. The Empress has lost her moral compass and is unfit to bear the Mandate of Heaven. She is hereby stripped of her seal and will retire to Changchun Palace."
Changchun Palace was the Cold Palace.
Inside and outside the hall, there was a dead silence.
From the First Rank Grand Ministers down to the ministers outside the hall, everyone who heard the contents of the decree was stunned.
In the midst of the silence, a low voice broke out:
"Your Majesty, this cannot be."
Emperor Yuanjing squinted his eyes, expressionless as he looked at the azure cloak who had just stepped out of line.
Wei Yuan, with greying temples and eyes reflecting the weariness of countless years, locked gazes with Emperor Yuanjing.
It was unclear how much time passed before the Minister of Law and the Chief Justice of the High Court simultaneously stepped forward, loudly declaring, "Your Majesty, the Consort Fu case has not been examined by the Three Judicial Offices. It cannot be decided lightly."
Emperor Yuanjing replied slowly, word by word, "This is our family matter."
The newly appointed Minister of Rites swiftly stepped forward, bowed, and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty, deposing the Empress is also a matter of state importance. It must not be done hastily. We beseech Your Majesty to submit the Consort Fu case to the Three Judicial Offices for review before making a final decision."
Though the decree stated that the Empress had confessed, deposing the Empress was a serious matter. Without knowing the full circumstances, the ministers were unwilling to support Emperor Yuanjing in this decision.
"Very well!"
………
In the early morning, Xu Xinnian finished washing up and headed to the back hall for breakfast. From a distance, he saw Xu Lingyin, dressed in her little skirt, sitting on the steps outside the hall, pouting angrily.
Her small figure looked lonely and pitiful.
"Lingyin, why are you sitting here?" Xu Xinnian asked.
Xu Lingyin looked up at him but didn’t respond.
"Second Brother is asking you a question." Xu Xinnian frowned.
"Mother kicked me out and even hit me," Xu Lingyin complained. "Second Brother, can you scold Mother for me?"
Xu Xinnian shook his head.
The little girl’s expression turned to one of resignation as she scrunched her nose and said, "If Big Brother were home, it would be better. Big Brother likes to bully Mother the most."
Xu Xinnian entered the hall and sat in his usual spot. After Lyu'e served him a bowl of porridge, he asked while eating, "Mother, did Lingyin make you angry again?"
"No, it’s your Big Brother who made me angry," Auntie replied coldly.
"Big Brother hasn’t even come home..."
Auntie sneered, "That’s exactly your Big Brother’s skill. He can make me furious even when he’s not here."
Xu Xinnian glanced at his sister and father, who were both silently eating their porridge, and asked, "What happened?"
Xu Lingyue whispered, "Lingyin was eating buns this morning. She took a bite and then spit it out, saying that this way she wouldn’t get hungry and could keep eating forever."
"Did Big Brother teach her that?" Xu Xinnian twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Xu Lingyue nodded.
Uncle Xu added, "After Lingyin spat it out, she felt it was a pity and tried to pick it up to eat it again, which got her a beating from your mother."
Xu Xinnian: …
He looked under the table and indeed found a few chewed-up pieces of bun.
"Big Brother didn’t come home last night either," Xu Lingyue said gloomily.
Xu Erlang and Xu Pingzhi exchanged a glance and said in unison, "He’s definitely at the Jiaofangsi."
…
Xu Qi'an woke up in a side room at the Nightwatcher constabulary. The spacious courtyard was quiet, with only an old clerk hunching over to sweep the yard.
*This duvet hasn't been washed in ages; it smells awful. Public dormitories are the worst.*
He disdainfully tossed the duvet aside, unsteadily got out of bed, and opened the window to let the sunlight in.
This was the public dormitory of the Nightwatcher constabulary, a place for clerks and Nightwatchers to rest when they worked overtime. Only Gold Gongs had their own rooms; the rest of the rooms were shared.
The hygiene wasn't great, and who knew how many generations of people had been buried under those thick cotton blankets.
Thanks to the Sitianjian's miraculous medicine and his own robust physique, the penetrating wound in his left shoulder had already scabbed over and would heal in a few more days. However, the exhaustion from using the "One blade from heaven and earth" hadn't fully recovered, leaving him feeling drained.
Xu Qi'an poured himself a cup of tea to rinse his mouth, then went to the yard to fetch a bucket of icy clear well water to wash his face before heading to Spring Breeze Hall.
"Ah, much better..."
After finishing the hearty breakfast delivered by a clerk, Xu Qi'an patted his bulging belly and contentedly sprawled in Li Yuchun's chair, propping his feet up on the desk.
Only now did he have time to think about last night's assassination attempt.
*Usually, I leave the palace at four, but yesterday, I left after six because I was checking the list of people who had entered and exited the Imperial Pharmacy.*
*It's not surprising that the assassins knew my route home; I take that road every day. But how did they time it so perfectly?*
*Nightwatchers frequently patrol the rooftops, so the three assassins couldn't have been lying in wait for me all along, or they would have been spotted by the night patrols.*
*Clearly, they knew exactly when I left the palace... The mastermind is likely someone from within the palace; otherwise, how could they have known this detail?*
*Is it the Empress? Yesterday, I uncovered something unfavorable to her, and she immediately sent people to kill me... Does she want to stop me from investigating further?*
*If it really was the Empress, then I'll have no choice but to divorce Huaiqing.*
Xu Qi'an rubbed his temples.
At that moment, a black-clad clerk entered Spring Breeze Hall. Seeing Xu Qi'an inside, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I just went to the back courtyard looking for you, Sir Xu, but couldn't find you. I thought you had left the constabulary."
Xu Qi'an, still reclining with his legs on the desk, half-closed his eyes. "I'm not going to the palace to investigate today; I'll wait until my injuries are healed."
The clerk nodded and said, "Duke Wei is looking for you. Please go to the Tower of Noble Spirit first."
*Ah, it seems that Duke Wei has already learned about the assassination attempt last night. He must be amazed at my achievements...* Xu Qi'an put his legs down, stood up from the chair, and said, "Lead the way."
Following the clerk to the Tower of Noble Spirit, Xu Qi'an skilfully climbed to the seventh floor, only to find that besides Wei Yuan, there were two unexpected guests in the tea room.
Princess Huaiqing, as elegant and noble as a snow lotus; and the Fourth Prince, Emperor Yuanjing's proper son, who was handsome and reserved.
Though he was Huaiqing's elder brother, the Fourth Prince's features bore little resemblance to his sister's, though he did bear a slight resemblance to Emperor Yuanjing.
Huaiqing, on the other hand, looked somewhat similar to the Empress, though their temperaments were vastly different, making the resemblance barely noticeable.
All three of them looked extremely grim. Wei Yuan held a teacup, head bowed in silence, seemingly unaware of Xu Qi'an's arrival. The Fourth Prince turned at the sound and nodded slightly at him.
Huaiqing also did not look at Xu Qi'an, her brows furrowed in deep thought.
"Duke Wei," Xu Qi'an cupped his fists.
Wei Yuan finally raised his head, pointed to the seat beside Huaiqing, and said warmly, "Sit down."
Xu Qi'an took a seat.
"You were attacked last night?" Wei Yuan pushed the teapot toward Xu Qi'an, indicating that he should pour himself some tea.
Having just eaten his fill, Xu Qi'an poured a cup of tea but did not drink it. He nodded and said, "The mastermind behind it is related to the Consort Fu case and is someone within the palace."
"You suspect the Empress?"
Wei Yuan's question was too direct, and for a moment, Xu Qi'an didn't know how to respond. He cautiously glanced at Huaiqing.
Huaiqing still did not look at him, lost in thought.
*Right now, the Princess looks just like a woman facing a divorce...* Xu Qi'an thought to himself.
"Today, His Majesty proposed deposing the Empress during the court session, claiming that the real culprit behind the Consort Fu case was the Empress," Wei Yuan said.
"???"
Xu Qi'an stared at him in shock, his first thought being: *How long did I sleep?*
How could everything have changed so drastically after just one nap? It felt like he had slept for a century.
He had personally investigated the Consort Fu case, meticulously piecing together each clue. He wasn't even certain that the Empress was the culprit, so how could Emperor Yuanjing be so sure?
Did he think he was Conan or Di Renjie?
But then, something Princess Huaiqing said left Xu Qi'an even more bewildered.
"Mother admitted to it."
*The f- what did you say?*
Xu Qi'an waved his hand, "Sorry, I need a moment to process this..."
He thought for a long time before tentatively asking, "His Majesty wants to depose the Empress because the real culprit behind the Consort Fu case was the Empress, and the Empress actually admitted to it?"
The Fourth Prince nodded.
"Could she have been forced to?" Xu Qi'an speculated.
"No," Wei Yuan shook his head, his eyes, filled with the wear of years, looking at him as he spoke in a deep voice:
“You personally investigated the Consort Fu case. No one knows the clues and details better than you. Think carefully, is there anything suspicious or unreasonable about it? Today, Their Highnesses came to the headquarters not only to discuss the deposing of the Empress with me but also with the intention of asking for your help.
"His Majesty hasn't revoked your golden token yet. The officials need time to confirm this matter, so you still have time to investigate the case."
Huaiqing and the Fourth Prince both looked at Xu Qi'an.
The Fourth Prince clasped his hands and bowed, "We must trouble you, Sir Xu."
Xu Qi'an ignored him and looked at Huaiqing instead.
The Princess, as graceful and pure as a lotus flower, scrutinised him with her autumn water-like eyes, "How are your injuries?"
She didn't mention the case but rather expressed concern for Xu Qi'an's injuries.
*Considering your sincere apology, I won't go through with the divorce...* Xu Qi'an nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Your servant is fine."
After a pause, he continued, "In the Consort Fu case, the Empress indeed had ample motive and reason to frame the Crown Prince. And based on the clues I uncovered yesterday, the mastermind indeed points to the Empress."
The Fourth Prince interrupted excitedly, "Impossible, Mother would never do such a thing."
"Calm down, Your Highness, I haven't finished," Xu Qi'an said, turning his gaze to Huaiqing. "Does His Majesty have any evidence?"
Huaiqing shook her head, "No, it was Mother who admitted to it."
Xu Qi'an frowned, "That's odd. If His Majesty has no evidence, why would the Empress admit to it? And since the Empress has already confessed, why would she still send someone to assassinate me?"
That creates a paradox.
The Fourth Prince sighed and said, "It's precisely because we don't know that we've come to you. Sir Xu, you've solved many perplexing cases. If there's anyone in the capital who can uncover the truth quickly and clear our mother's name, it's you."
Xu Qi'an took his first sip of tea since sitting down and slowly responded, “When I first took over this case, I thought the Consort Fu case had only two possibilities: One, the Crown Prince did indeed lose control after drinking and killed Consort Fu.
“Or two, someone framed the Crown Prince to seize the position of Crown Prince.
“After investigating the Qingfeng Palace where Consort Fu resided, I could confirm that the Crown Prince was indeed framed. So, the case falls into the second category—someone wanted to frame the Crown Prince.
“Following this line of reasoning, all the clues inevitably pointed to the Empress. To be honest with both of you, just now, I was also suspecting the Empress, thinking she might have sent assassins to kill me.
“But after learning that the Empress confessed to being the mastermind, I started to doubt the case. The mastermind's goal isn't just to frame the Crown Prince—it's a plot with more layers.
"But here's a question: The Empress lives a reclusive life, and the Fourth Prince isn't the Crown Prince, so why would the mastermind target the Empress? What could they possibly gain? It can't be for the position of the chief consort in the harem, can it?"
After all, with an Emperor who has been abstinent for over a decade, does the title of the chief consort even hold any significance?
Wei Yuan put down his teacup and sighed, "Firstly, whether the Fourth Prince is the Crown Prince or not, he is still the legitimate eldest son of the Emperor. Secondly, the mastermind is targeting me."
"???" Xu Qi'an looked at him in confusion.
Wei Yuan paused for a moment, then explained, "The Wei family and the Shangguan family are old family friends. The Empress's surname is Shangguan."
*I see, so Wei Yuan and the Empress are political allies, making Wei Yuan an in-law of sorts... No wonder Princess Huaiqing is half a disciple of Wei Yuan... So the Consort Fu case, on the surface, is a scheme to frame the Crown Prince, but in reality, it targets Wei Yuan?*
*Wei Yuan undoubtedly belongs to the Fourth Prince’s Clique... Taking down both the Crown Prince Clique and the Fourth Prince Clique with one case—impressive...* Xu Qi'an marveled internally.
"Today, during the morning court assembly, the Emperor dismissed Sir Wei from his position as Left Censor-in-Chief," Princess Huaiqing said.
*Hmm, that doesn't make sense... Even if the mastermind wanted to weaken Wei Yuan by taking down the Empress, that would be a roundabout way to reduce his power. But why would the Emperor immediately strip Wei Yuan of an important title the moment the Empress was in trouble? It almost seems like the Emperor himself is the mastermind... Wait a minute, assuming the Empress is the mastermind behind framing the Crown Prince and her intent was to support the Fourth Prince as the Crown Prince.*
*Once the Emperor learned of this, he immediately weakened and admonished Wei Yuan... What does this imply?*
It implies that the Emperor is wary of Wei Yuan.
Xu Qi'an suddenly understood why the Emperor chose to make a son of a concubine the Crown Prince rather than the Fourth Prince, who was born of the Empress.
*The Empress and Wei Yuan are political allies; if I were in his shoes, I'd be uneasy too.*
Reining in his wandering thoughts, Xu Qi'an focused on the case again, mentally retracing the Consort Fu case.
As Xu Qi'an sank into contemplation, the tea room fell silent, with only the soft sounds of the four breathing.
*The Crown Prince drank with Noble Consort Chen and encountered Huang Xiaorou on his way back. He was invited to Consort Fu's Qingfeng Palace... At that moment, the Crown Prince indeed had improper thoughts about his father's woman.*
*Then Consort Fu fell to her death, and the Crown Prince became a suspect, detained by the High Court.*
*After I discovered that Consort Fu had been murdered and that the Crown Prince was framed, Huang Xiaorou's body was found at the Xie Pavilion the next day... too convenient, far too convenient.*
*No wonder I felt something was off at the time. Huang Xiaorou was silenced, not a suicide. So why did the perpetrator choose to dispose of the body at Xie Pavilion?*
*If the aim was to silence her, secretly burying the body would have been better than throwing it into a well. Even more, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of stone wells in the inner palace—why choose a well in a busy, populated area like Xie Pavilion?*
*This was intentional, deliberately leading us to discover the connection between Huang Xiaorou and the Empress.*
*Was my initial guess wrong? Huang Xiaorou wasn't the killer of Consort Fu; she was just a tool, a decoy to make us suspect the Empress?*
*No, Huang Xiaorou did indeed lure the Crown Prince to Qingfeng Palace. The Crown Prince might lie, but his guards wouldn't. This is too easy to verify. Also, setting up the scene, sabotaging the railing, being familiar with Consort Fu's habits, and knowing she would be affectionate with the “fake husband”—all of this had to be the work of a close maidservant.*
*If the Empress wasn't behind all this, why did she confess? Perhaps there's something that forced her to admit it.*
*What is the Empress afraid of? It must be related to this case. The three key people involved are Consort Fu, the Crown Prince, and the maid Huang Xiaorou.*
*And among these three, the only one connected to the Empress is Huang Xiaorou...*
*Huang Xiaorou?!*
Various chaotic thoughts and speculations flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind as he pieced together the clues from the case, step by step.
Realising something, Xu Qi'an pulled out a piece of dull yellow silk cloth from his robe.
Embroidered on it were bright red lotuses and the words: "Spring, 31st year of Yuanjing"
Princess Huaiqing's eyes were fixed on the yellow silk cloth. "This was found on the body of the maid Huang Xiaorou."
"That's right!" Xu Qi'an nodded, glancing at the three people present, finally focusing on Princess Huaiqing. In a solemn tone, he said, "Your Highness, we only know that the Empress saved Huang Xiaorou, but there are two more crucial points to note, did your Highness see them?"
Princess Huaiqing shook her head.
"First, why did the Empress save Huang Xiaorou?"
"My mother has always been kind-hearted. It's not surprising that she would use precious elixirs to save a maid," Princess Huaiqing replied.
*The Empress might be a good person, but that's not the main point...* Xu Qi'an shook his head and said, "Then why did the Empress take a particular interest in a maid and even assign someone from Fengqi Palace to watch over her?"
"We asked, but my mother refused to answer," Princess Huaiqing frowned.
"Second, why did the maid Huang Xiaorou take her own life?" Xu Qi'an pointed at the yellow silk cloth and said in a grave tone, "The answer lies right here."
...