Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

"This old servant was ordered by Eunuch Han to escort the 'Imperial Decree' token out of the Imperial Treasury to the Seal Bureau to retrieve the 'Phoenix Seal Mold'—said to be urgently needed by the Empress Dowager's quarters, to prepare for the old seal...I dare not, dare not ask any more questions..."

Another person stammered, "Deputy Commander... Deputy Commander of Tianheng, it was... it was the imperial edict that arrived last night at 9:00 AM, saying 'The Prince of Qi needs to borrow the documents for one night.' This old servant only recognizes the edict and dared not delay..."

Zhu Han and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance.

The Grand Princess coldly raised her hand: "Who sent the white plaque?" Her question "who" was not asking the name, but rather "which line of hands."

The eunuch gritted his teeth: "It's...it's someone from Lady Jingyi's room."

Lady Jingyi did not argue, but simply said, "Everything the Empress Dowager enters and leaves the palace is recorded. There is no need to make things difficult for them."

She looked up at the Empress Dowager and said, "Your Majesty, now that Han Su is dead, it's perfectly acceptable to throw mud at De Shou. We'll just hold up the umbrellas."

The Empress Dowager sighed, a sigh like an old tree trembling in the wind: "I'm not trying to protect you. I'm protecting the rules. Whether Han Su lives or dies, it's just a thread. Who's the real mastermind?"

A sudden breeze stirred in the flower hall, causing the hundred unlit lamps to sway slightly in the shadows.

The Empress stepped forward and said quietly, "Your Majesty, I dare to offer a plan to force that hand to reveal itself."

"Speak," the Empress Dowager nodded.

"A grand banquet," the Empress said. "Under the name of 'purification after the rain,' we will invite princes, princesses, and important officials from both inside and outside the palace to the Imperial Garden. During the banquet, we will ask the three departments to publicly examine the origins of the 'Imperial Attendant' and 'Deputy Commander' from last night."

Anyone who entered the Inner Treasury, the Seal Office, or the Eastern Granary last night—please cross the water between Yan and the palace. The cinnabar rain, having already adhered to the silk, though washed away overnight, still leaves traces.

Human desires are numerous, and the hand in the game will never be absent; if he is absent, his shadow will surely appear.

The Crown Prince frowned: "Won't it cause chaos if Yan is chosen as the judge?"

"Chaos is good." The Empress's eyes were clear. "In chaos, people will make mistakes. Lady Jingyi is skilled in criminal law and knows how to see people's true colors in chaos."

Lady Jingyi smiled slightly, maintaining impeccable manners: "Your subject dares not presume to presume, for I only know a little about timing. In Yan, there are three approaches: 'slow' and 'forceful'. The slow approach involves bestowing a towel."

"For any stain of red on the hem of one's clothing, a white cloth shall be given, and one shall be asked to wipe it clean; if pressed, incense shall be given. The incense shall contain musk to enhance the vermilion, and each subsequent wiping shall make the vermilion more prominent. The third matter… I request that Your Highness allow me to borrow something."

She turned to Zhu Han and said, "Prince Jing'an, you can borrow half of the 'Deputy Commander of Tianheng' and place it in the center of the banquet, covered with a plain silk cloth. Those involved in the matter may be moved by it."

"I added a very thin layer of gold leaf under the silk, so that it felt slippery to the touch—a guilty person would unconsciously touch it, leaving a mark on the silk."

She spoke at a measured pace, like unfolding a piece of cloth inch by inch.

The crown prince stared at her: "You seem to understand people's hearts very well."

"Having spent so long in the palace, one gains a superficial understanding of appearances."

Lady Jingyi smiled, a very slight smile, “Your Highness, do not worry. I set this up not for any particular person, but simply to expose the ‘hand.’ Who the hand is, we will know once we see the finger.”

The Empress Dowager nodded: "Alright." She looked at Zhu Han, "And you?"

"Your Majesty, I am willing to use troops to protect the banquet, prohibit entry and exit, and seal the four gates."

Zhu Han cupped his hands in greeting, "I further request that the Censorate set up a secret compartment under the western eaves of the Imperial Garden to record names and steps. Anyone attempting to leave their seat should be recorded but not arrested."

"Very well." The Empress Dowager slowly rose, her aging but still vigorous bones standing straight amidst the layers of her robes. "The banquet will begin in three quarters of an hour. No gossip will be discussed inside the hall; outside, people's hearts will be tested."

She took two steps, then stopped, turned back to look at the Crown Prince and the Empress, her eyes unusually gentle: "You two, don't make a scene."

The Crown Prince bowed his head: "Your subject will remember."

The Empress lowered her eyelashes: "I will obey Your Majesty's decree."

The Grand Princess clicked her tongue and flicked her sleeve: "Let's go. Let's see whose face gets bruised first tonight."

At dusk, the Imperial Garden was illuminated by thousands of lanterns.

The waterside pavilion winds around the covered corridor, its white gauze like mist. The stone path, freshly washed after the rain, gleams, and the lotus leaves in the pond, adorned with water droplets, tremble gently.

Palace maids lined up, each carrying a tray containing a clean white handkerchief, a slender-necked incense bottle, and a basin of clean water.

The banquet was arranged in three rows: members of the imperial family on the east, officials on the south, and the inner court on the north. A row of empty couches was left on the west side for the Censorate to register the officials.

In the center of the table was covered with a plain silk cloth, beneath which rose a flat, raised surface, resembling a harmless stone.

A female historian stood before the desk, her sleeves loose and her eyes calm—Madam Jingyi herself stood there.

The Empress Dowager did not take a seat, but instead sat in a high pavilion by the water, gazing across the water.

She was unattended, with only a palace lantern under the eaves softly illuminating the white hair at her temples.

The Empress sat at the same table as the Crown Prince, her expression serene.

Gu Qingping was not on the east side at this moment, but in the north row, standing at the head of the inner court, like a snow-white plum blossom.

Three drumbeats sounded, and the banquet began.

The eunuch relayed the imperial decree: Under the guise of a purification ritual, all shall first perform the water-walking ritual. The water-walking ritual involves circling the pond once and stepping over three basins.

The first basin was clean water, the second was lightly salted water, and the third was clean water. Afterward, a white cloth was given to him to wipe the corners of his clothes, cuffs, and shoes.

The officials from various departments proceeded in an orderly fashion, their footsteps steady and soft as the water flowed gently. Among the crowd, some held their breath, some glanced furtively to their left and right, and some feigned ease. The officials of the Censorate wielded their pens like knives, their eyes scrutinizing every inch of each person's instep and sleeve.

Among the members of the royal family on the east side, the King of Qi was absent, leaving his seat empty, which stirred up a sense of unease.

Prince Jing'an's gaze swept over the empty seat, and his heart tightened even more.

Lady Jingyi stood beside the white silk, occasionally raising her hand to hand a white handkerchief to a certain "trembling and fearful person," saying in a gentle tone, "Wipe your hands, lest you catch a cold."

The white handkerchief touched a person's hand, and the fragrance was extremely faint. After a while, a faint red tinge slowly seeped out from the person's sleeve—the effect of musk drawing out cinnabar was undeniably revealed in full view of everyone.

As the third round of crossing the water was about to end, a palace attendant suddenly ran in, knelt down, and shouted, "King Qi, enter!"

The banquet erupted in commotion. King Qi, dressed in a plain white robe and wearing a folding fan crown, possessed a refined and handsome appearance, and his steps were as swift as the wind passing through a bamboo grove.

He did not perform the elaborate formalities with the Crown Prince, but only bowed from afar: "Your Highness, Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, and all of you." His eyes then fell directly on the plain white silk in the center, and he smiled gently, as if he were seeing an old friend.

Lady Jingyi stepped aside half an inch: "Would Your Highness like to cross the water?"

King Qi took the white handkerchief without hesitation, circled the pond, his sleeves brushing against the water vapor, his white shoes treading on the salt. When he returned, the handkerchief was snow-white, without a trace of red.

He stood before the plain silk, and through it, he lightly pressed his fingertip against it, then smiled sheepishly: "Excuse me."

The moment her fingers lifted from the silk, the subtle wrinkles lingered on the silk for a moment—Madam Jingyi's eyes flickered; it was the "handprint" she had planned. Unfortunately, the other party's mind was as firm as stone, her fingertips did not tremble, and the mark was as faint as if it were not there.

"Your Highness, please rest assured," she said with a smile.

King Qi also laughed: "The lady is shrewd."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly in the waterside pavilion, as if awarding each of the two men a point in their duel.

The Crown Prince's gaze was indifferent, but Gu Qingping looked at Prince Jing'an, her eyes clouded with a hint of fire beneath.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd—at the registration point on the west side of the eaves, someone took advantage of the chaos to flip over the register of officials and ran away.

Prince Jing'an's eyes turned cold. With a flick of his toe, a silver chopstick flew out from the table and landed directly in a crack in the stone in front of the man.

The man tripped and fell right in front of the white silk. He grabbed the edge of the silk with both hands and yanked hard—the object under the silk was half pulled out. A flash of golden light revealed a semi-circular "Deputy Commander of Tianheng". All eyes were drawn to this flash.

In a panic, the man grabbed the deputy commander, and blisters immediately formed on his palm. He screamed in pain, and the deputy commander fell to the ground, rolled twice along the stone surface, and stopped at the tip of the King of Qi's boot.

King Qi lowered his head, bent down, and picked it up.

Many eyes flew like arrows at that moment, fixed on his fingers and the seal—but he did not hesitate for a moment, raised the half of the deputy order, turned around, and held it in his palm: "The deputy order approved by the Emperor is here."

The Crown Prince stood up, his voice steady: "Where is Cheng Yu?"

Lady Jingyi raised her hand and pointed. She wasn't pointing to a person, but to a direction: at the far end of the northern inner court, there was an inconspicuous little eunuch with a white collar and empty eyes.

The officials of the Censorate had already recorded his name, but had not paid attention to it.

After being pointed at, the man trembled like a leaf. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth, straightened his legs, and jumped into the pool!
"Take them down!" Prince Jing'an rushed out almost simultaneously.

Water splashed everywhere. He had already stepped onto the edge of the pool. With a flick of his wrist, a chain flew out from his sleeve and wrapped around the man's shoulders and back like a living thing, forcefully pulling him back from the water.

The person fell onto the rock, vomited water, coughed up blood, and rolled the whites of their eyes upward.

Madam Jingyi had already approached and pressed two acupoints on his chest with her fingertips. The man's breathing became slightly easier, but his eyes were still like those of a frightened bird.

"Name?" The Grand Princess's voice was as cold as a knife.

The man's voice trembled: "My...my name is Qingxi, a junior officer in the Deshou Bureau, responsible for issuing warrants..."

Before he could finish speaking, a gurgling sound came from his throat, and his gaze suddenly froze.

Madam Jingyi quickly pried open his jaw, and a faint scent of almonds wafted out.

"Poison hidden between the teeth," she said softly, without any panic. "Someone, bring a clean white cloth, open the throat—"

It was too late. Qingxi bled from her mouth and nose, and breathed her last. The ground was quickly stained red.

Some people in the crowd gasped in surprise, while others quietly covered their cuffs.

The Empress Dowager watched from the waterside pavilion, her face as still as an ancient well.

“Dead men cannot testify,” the Crown Prince said expressionlessly. “Who else is alive?” He looked toward the Censorate.

The official, his hands trembling, flipped through the booklet, only to discover that the bottom corner of the pages had been soaked with water, making several names illegible.

Lady Jingyi glanced at the plain silk, which now had several messy finger marks, different from the previous marks.

She waved her hand: "Don't panic. Anyone who reached out to pull the white silk just now, leave your name; anyone who looked out more than three times after hearing the words 'Cheng Yu,' leave your name; anyone who avoided the water and did not enter the third basin, leave your name."

She subtly draws people in, like playing Go.

In a short while, nearly twenty people had stood on one corner of the west eaves, including palace servants, eunuchs, officials, and miscellaneous laborers.

"Enough." The Empress Dowager finally spoke, her voice unhurried under the lanterns, "Enough for me to see a shadow."

She raised her hand and gently clenched it, as if she were grasping an invisible rope.

The person on the other end of the rope also involuntarily raised their head at that moment.

Lady Jingyi followed the Empress Dowager's gaze, and as she looked, a very faint smile appeared on her lips.

His gaze fell on the three chief officials of the inner court in the north, then slid over and stopped on—the Empress.

The Imperial Garden suddenly fell silent, so quiet that you could hear the "plop" of a frog falling into the pond in the distance.

Almost all eyes were immediately drawn to the Empress's bright eyes and simple clothes.

"Your Majesty," Lady Jingyi called softly, as if waking someone from a dream in the night, "The inscriptions approved by the Emperor need the Empress Dowager or the Empress's signature before they can leave the palace. Do you still remember that document from March?"

The Empress's expression remained unchanged upon hearing the call.

She simply raised her hand slowly, her fingertips emerging from her sleeve, white as fresh snow, and landed on the table.

She said, "I remember. A copy of the 'Border Defense Record' was kept in my possession. When the Phoenix Seal was moved south, I was also responsible for its signing."

"What about the deputy commander who issued the 'Cheng Yu' order last night?"

Lady Jingyi pressed on, her gaze and tone gentle, like a pool of clear water, yet each word held firm: "The clerk, is there also a Lady?"

The Crown Prince turned his head to look at the Empress, his eyes deep and intense.

Gu Qingping lowered her eyes, her fingers tightening. Prince Jing'an stood in the lamplight, his back straight as a spear, but his breathing unconsciously became heavier.

The Empress quietly looked back at Lady Jingyi: "No."

"Who is that?" Lady Jingyi asked.

The Empress did not answer, but looked at the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager slowly clasped her hands together on the waterside pavilion, pressing down on the sandalwood beads to stop them from rolling. She said, "It is I."

In the lamplight, the breath seemed to flow backward for a moment.

The storm in the Crown Prince's eyes suddenly subsided, and the Grand Princess narrowed her eyes. Prince Jing'an didn't move, but his palm suddenly felt cold.

"I have signed that order."

The Empress Dowager neither dodged nor evaded, saying, "Because of the need to 'prepare the border.' I know that the King of Qi wants money, silver, and grain, and the border cannot wait for anyone."

I know the rules, I know the path to take—but at that time, the rules were no match for the hunger of my warhorses.

"I have taken him into custody. Han Su was instigated and took a shortcut, which I did not notice. The fault lies with me."

She said "wrong" before anyone else, in an irrefutable tone.

Lady Jingyi's eyelashes trembled slightly, as if even she hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to handle the situation so easily. "Then why did you forge the phoenix seal, cross the river to the East Granary at night, and kill someone to cover your tracks?" she still asked.

“It’s not me,” the Empress Dowager said. “It’s someone who’s using my ‘mistakes’ to justify his own ‘rightness.’ What he wants isn’t the money for border defense, but the position of the Crown Prince, Jing’an’s life, and the Empress’s power.”

She raised her hand and pointed to the edge of the white silk. Her finger was light but steady, like pressing a nail gently into wood: "Jingyi, pull it open."

The silk ribbon was lifted, and half of the deputy command token gleamed under the lamp. Beside it was another object—a gold book as thin as a cicada's wing, with a thin page on which vermilion could be faintly seen.

Madam Jingyi put on silk gloves, turned the page, and looked up, saying, "This is the white card register for those who entered the Seal Bureau last night, recording the fingerprints of the cardholders. The Deshou Bureau uses apricot kernel balm, which leaves clear and unique fingerprints."

She handed the register to the Censorate. The officials then presented it to the Crown Prince, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress in turn.

Under the lamplight, the Crown Prince paused slightly on one fingertip: the fingerprint was clearly visible on the brocade pattern, with three characters written in small regular script next to it—"Jingyi".

The Imperial Garden was eerily quiet once again. The wind blew through the sea of ​​lights, causing the flames to dip and rise again.

Lady Jingyi did not offer any explanation, but simply gathered her sleeves, took a half step back, and bowed to the Empress Dowager, saying, "Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."

The Empress Dowager didn't look at her, but stared at the fingerprint as if it were a flower blooming on a stone. "What is the meaning of this?"

Lady Jingyi lowered her head, her voice flat: "Empress Dowager—I believe His Highness is too soft, the Empress too prudent, the Crown Prince too straightforward, Jing'an too rigid, and Prince Qi too hasty. The world simply cannot bear so many 'too's. Someone must make the first cut, removing a layer of fat before removing a layer of bone. I… merely made that first cut." (End of Chapter)