“Your subject, pays homage…”
“No need.”
Zhong Li was about to kneel and pay her respects when Lu Jing’an raised a hand, signaling her to rise.
Zhong Li stood up, waiting for Lu Jing’an to speak.
“There is no Emperor here, only an old man reminiscing about his childhood. Such formalities are unnecessary,” Lu Jing’an said, slowly standing up.
As sunlight streamed through the windowpanes, Zhong Li finally got a clear look at the man opposite her.
Her delicate brows furrowed, and her eyes widened in shock. In just a few days, Lu Jing’an appeared to have aged several years. His posture was stooped, and a significant portion of his hair had turned white.
“Your Majesty, what has happened to you…” she began, then trailed off.
Lu Jing’an knew what she was asking. He smiled faintly, “When one grows old, it’s inevitable to show signs of frailty.”
Zhong Li cupped her hands and remained silent.
Lu Jing’an walked to the windowpane and gently pushed it open. A cool breeze blew in, scattering a few withered leaves.
“When the late Emperor was alive, this small courtyard was not like this,” he said, placing his hands behind his back and gazing at a withered pear tree outside the window. “Back then, the entire courtyard was filled with pear blossoms, as white as snow. Every time I brought Feng Yang here to play, we would spend the entire afternoon.
The tutors from the Imperial Academy were always searching for us. Every time they found us, it was I who was reprimanded by my father. Feng Yang was always the one who was doted upon.”
Zhong Li listened in silence as Lu Jing’an recounted his childhood memories.
“After Feng Yang’s mother, Empress Ruan, died, the late Emperor was consumed by grief, and his health declined rapidly. Although Feng Yang was not yet of age, everyone knew back then that the late Emperor’s favor had always been for him. As for me…”
He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “No matter how hard I tried, I could only be a mere accompaniment, even an accompaniment destined to build the empire and then hand it over with both hands.
But I was unwilling. Feng Yang may be exceptional, but I am not lacking either. Why did my father only favor him and not me? Was it simply because he was born to Empress Ruan?
Thus, I seized the empire, purged the Ruan family, and cultivated my own confidantes. I thought I had succeeded, only to realize it was all a joke.”
“Your Majesty!” Zhong Li, seeing Lu Jing’an’s emotional state, quickly interrupted his thoughts. “In my opinion, regardless of what happened before, the Wise Prince does not seem to have any intention of contending for the throne with you.”
“Is that so?” Lu Jing’an turned back, looking at Zhong Li with suspicion.
Zhong Li lowered her gaze, pondering for a moment before asking, “When Your Majesty was young, did you not also travel extensively throughout the various regions of Nan Yue Kingdom?”
Lu Jing’an frowned, unsure of Zhong Li’s intention.
“I have heard that after Your Majesty ascended the throne, the Wise Prince toured the entire Nan Yue Kingdom to temper himself,” Zhong Li said.
Lu Jing’an nodded; he was aware of this.
“In Zhong Li’s view, after witnessing the conditions in Nan Yue Kingdom, the Wise Prince may no longer harbor any desire to compete with Your Majesty for the throne.”
“How did you deduce that?” Lu Jing’an asked.
Zhong Li cupped her hands, “Your Majesty, I have had the fortune to travel across the entire Nan Yue Kingdom over the past year. In my opinion, the common people of Nan Yue Kingdom do not care who the current Emperor is, what achievements he has made, or whether the heir is legitimate or illegitimate.
Their wishes are simple: to live in peace and contentment, to have a stable life, and to be prosperous and tranquil.
Since Your Majesty’s ascension, you have developed the ports of Jin Zhou and Yong Cheng, and supported the construction of Lin Zhou. The Wise Prince is aware of all this. Since you have won the hearts of the people, and the Wise Prince has seen so much, he must have realized that you are more suited for the throne than he is.
Moreover, if he truly harbored ambitions of seizing power, how could the rumors among the populace remain merely superficial? Would they not be like the former Divine Maiden Cult, causing chaos and harming the nation?”
Lu Jing’an was stunned, his gaze towards Zhong Li filled with a hint of surprise.
He had not expected that a mere woman could see matters more clearly than he did.
“Heh!” He chuckled, his eyes filled with self-mockery and irony. He raised a small booklet, resembling a memorial, and coldly tossed it onto the table. “Ultimately, I guarded against the wrong person despite my meticulous precautions. How laughable, how truly laughable.”
Zhong Li remained silent.
After a long pause, Lu Jing’an took something from his sleeve and handed it to Zhong Li.
Zhong Li looked closely and realized it was the token he had given her earlier to investigate Consort Rong’s case.
“Your Majesty, is this…”
“Young Minister Zhong, obey my command!”
Zhong Li reacted quickly and knelt down.
“I command you to take this token and conduct a secret investigation into the affair of the Chat Grass. You must apprehend all those behind the scenes and bring them to justice, so that the common people and the innocent children who have been implicated can have an explanation!”
“Yes!” Zhong Li accepted the token.
Lu Jing’an looked at the slender woman kneeling on the ground, who, despite her frail appearance, inspired more confidence than the useless officials in court. He sighed, “Minister Zhong, I do not know if it is too late for regret at this point in my life. I only hope that you can complete this task and give Nan Yue Kingdom, the court, and myself a chance to breathe.”
With that, Lu Jing’an seemed to grow weary and waved his hand.
Zhong Li tucked the token into her robes and quietly withdrew.
Eunuch Hua was still waiting at the door. Seeing Zhong Li emerge, he first bowed respectfully, then escorted her back the way she came.
As the deep autumn settled upon Jin Cheng, it grew a little chilly. The already narrow corridors, swept by a gust of wind, felt like ice snakes burrowing into one’s neck, causing an involuntary shiver.
Zhong Li tightened the cloak around her and quickened her pace, following Eunuch Hua.
Suddenly, Eunuch Hua stopped, as if remembering something, and looked up at the sky.
“Eunuch Hua!” Zhong Li asked, somewhat perplexed.
Eunuch Hua murmured, “The Emperor’s birthday is in two months.”
Zhong Li understood and asked, “So, should we prepare a birthday banquet?”
Eunuch Hua glanced at Zhong Li and shook his head. “The Emperor dislikes celebrating his birthday. The Emperor’s mother passed away on the very day he was born.”
Zhong Li heard this and fell silent.
“Alas!” Eunuch Hua sighed, and as he walked, he cautioned Zhong Li, “Minister Zhong, the Emperor giving you this token means he has placed all his hopes on you.”
Zhong Li replied, “Eunuch Hua, rest assured, I will thoroughly investigate this case.”
“One can only hope. Perhaps this will lift the Emperor’s spirits a little, and his health will cause less worry,” Eunuch Hua said.
“His health? What is wrong with the Emperor’s health?” Zhong Li asked.
This time, Eunuch Hua did not reply but quickened his steps away from the palace.
Zhong Li watched Eunuch Hua’s retreating figure and, mimicking him, looked up at the sky.
For some reason, she recalled what Lu Wu Xie had said to her while observing the stars outside of Liao Cheng. “Firestar guarding the Heart,” did Eunuch Hua also know something?
Eunuch Hua escorted Zhong Li out of the palace, and she boarded the carriage that had been waiting for her outside.
The coachman was a trusted subordinate of General Hua, and he was aware of the matters between her and Hua Yao.
“Minister Zhong, where shall we go now?”
Zhong Li took out the token from her pocket and, after some deliberation, said, “To the Ministry of Justice. I wish to see someone.”
“Alright!”