Chapter 8: The Empress's Anger

"Second Young Master, the assassin was clearly you."

"It wasn't me, it was you who killed him. I'm so young and weak, how could I have killed him? Tell me how you killed the assassin and saved this Prince!" Zhao Cheng picked up the short knife from the ground and played with it as he spoke.

Seeing the Prince's eyes and the knife in his hand, Jianxi, who had just recovered his strength, started trembling again. However, he wasn't stupid; otherwise, he wouldn't have stood out among the hundreds of eunuchs and become the Prince's chief attendant. He quickly realized that the Prince didn't want others to know he had killed the assassin and wanted him to take the blame. If he didn't agree, he didn't dare to think about it. The Prince had killed such a formidable assassin with just a gesture, and killing him would be even easier.

"It was me who killed him. We were playing in the garden when the assassin tried to assassinate the Prince. I stepped forward, shouted, and snatched the knife from his hand, killing him!" Jianxi, having figured it out, immediately admitted it and puffed out his chest as he spoke.

"Ha, you're quite capable. How did the two eunuchs die? Fool, if you're asked, you'll give it away. Think again!" Zhao Cheng laughed and scolded. Jianxi hung his head, looking miserable, and thought for a moment before retelling the story, but there were still many loopholes. Zhao Cheng had to repeatedly guide him to make the entire event more plausible.

After telling the story over ten times, Zhao Cheng finally nodded in satisfaction. By then, Jianxi believed he had killed the assassin and was a loyal servant who had bravely saved the Prince.

"Here, go stab him a few times. Remember to tear the original wounds!" Zhao Cheng handed the knife to Jianxi and pointed to the corpse.

"Why, Second Young Master?" Jianxi looked at the dead body with wide, fierce eyes and said timidly.

"You said you stabbed the assassin seven or eight times, but he only has two wounds. No one will believe you!" Zhao Cheng pushed the knife into Jianxi's hand and said. Jianxi now realized he was completely on the Prince's ship. With a determined heart, he took the knife, walked to the corpse, closed his eyes, and stabbed it several times. The sound of the blade scraping against bone made his teeth grind, and the blood that hadn't yet coagulated splattered on his face.

"Sigh, I'm doing this to save your life!" Zhao Cheng sighed softly to himself, knowing that anyone with clear eyes would quickly understand that the entire event was carefully orchestrated, and Jianxi was just a part of it. If Jianxi hadn't stepped in front of him without hesitation when the assassin appeared, Zhao Cheng would have considered him a prime suspect. At that time, even if he didn't die, he would have been severely punished. By doing this, he was also protecting Jianxi.

"Second Young Master, what's next?" Jianxi threw down the knife and asked. At this point, he was covered in blood, looking like he had just been through a bloody battle.

"Go back immediately, don't alarm the people in the garden. That old Zhang might be one of them!" Zhao Cheng said. Hearing the gunshots, none of the gardeners had come to investigate, which made him suspicious. Better to be cautious and hide in the nest for now.

"Open the door quickly, the Prince has been attacked!" Circling to the side door connecting the garden and the winter garden, Jianxi supported the Prince, who seemed about to 'die' at any moment, and pounded on the gate, shouting at the top of his lungs. These were all things the Prince had instructed him to do beforehand.

The Emperor loved calligraphy and painting, enjoyed poetry and literature, was well-versed in music and dance, and was skilled in various games. This artist Emperor, who pursued a rich spiritual life, was seeking a kindred spirit. Empress Zheng Hongmei, with her heavenly beauty and dignified elegance, had followed Empress Dowager Xiang for many years, had a good understanding of etiquette, and was well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was intelligent and lively. She often took over the task of reviewing memorials for the Emperor, so Empress Zheng was very much to the Emperor's taste and was deeply favored by him.

"Your Majesty, everyone in the palace is saying that the Second Prince is wearing hemp clothes and straw shoes, mixing with the farmers, and after a year of study, he still hasn't finished learning the 'Hundred Family Surnames.' His tutor is so angry that he wants to quit. He even smashed everything in the study and almost set the house on fire, burning himself to death. They all say the Second Prince is a demon!" A small eunuch, with a lowered head, reported to Empress Zheng.

With a crisp 'snap,' a white jade paperweight on the desk broke into two pieces. "Who told you this? Is it just a rumor?" Empress Zheng, usually dignified and composed, pointed at the small eunuch, her eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"Your Majesty, this is not a rumor. It's being spread throughout the palace, even the sweepers know about the Second Prince."

"Enough, go out!" The Empress stood up and then sat down, waving her hand. "Cui Zhu, give two strings of coins to Ning An!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ning An bowed and left.

"Hmph, my son has already been forced out of the palace, and now they won't even let him alone. Do they really think we can be bullied?" Empress Zheng, who was intelligent and had been in the palace for many years, knew all the dirty tricks inside. After hearing the eunuch's report, she realized that someone had planted spies around Zhao Cheng, spreading rumors to defame her son. Otherwise, how could the palace know about events happening a hundred miles away?

"Your Majesty, should we report this to the Emperor?" Cui Zhu asked.

"There's no need to alarm the Emperor over this!" Empress Zheng shook her head.

"Your Majesty, Grand Eunuch Huang has returned and is waiting outside!" A small eunuch reported from outside the room.

"Quick, bring him in!" Empress Zheng's face lit up, and she said repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, this old servant has sinned and failed to live up to Your Majesty's trust!" Huang Jingchen knelt down as soon as he entered. An assassin had appeared in the mansion, and three people had died. After careful consideration, Huang Jingchen did not alert the local authorities but immediately imposed a lockdown, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving, and then rode back to the capital to report.

In the past, he had served Empress Dowager Xiang alongside Empress Zheng, who was also a palace attendant. Although they later became master and servant, they still had some old ties. For the sake of Empress Wang, Huang Jingchen had lost his place in the palace and was eventually taken in by Empress Zheng. After Zhao Cheng left the palace, she sent him to accompany him, allowing him to escape the palace's persecution and find a place to retire in peace.

"Grand Eunuch Huang, please stand up. What happened?" Empress Zheng was startled but maintained her composure, instructing her attendant to help him up and bring a cushion for him to sit on.

"Your Majesty, a major incident occurred in the mansion two days ago. Someone tried to assassinate the Prince."

"How is Cheng'er?" Empress Zheng stood up abruptly, her face losing its usual elegance.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. The Prince was only frightened and not injured, but he often wakes up from nightmares, calling for Your Majesty!" Huang Jingchen stepped forward to support her.

"What about the mansion's guards? What were they doing, letting the assassin get in?"

"Alas, Your Majesty, when we left the palace, this old servant requested that the inner palace send guards, but they refused, saying the Prince's mansion wasn't established yet. I could only have the mansion's manager select strong servants and laborers to stand guard at night to protect the mansion's safety. The inner courtyard was guarded by eunuchs, but they were all unskilled. The assassin was the mansion's manager, who killed two eunuchs. Fortunately, the Prince's attendant was quick-witted and found an opportunity to kill the assassin, saving the Prince!"

"Yang Jian, that old scoundrel, dares to do this. I will not let him off!" Empress Zheng waved for everyone in the room to leave.

"Your Majesty, this matter is not simple. We cannot act rashly. Yang Jian's power in the palace is immense. He even conspires with external officials to plot against the Empress. How much more so for us? There must be others behind the scenes stirring up trouble. The mansion's managers were all their people!"

"Hmph, I am not the same Zheng Beauty as before. I won't let them scheme against my child!"

"Your Majesty, after the major case in the palace, the Empress has been in seclusion, her health deteriorating day by day. To put it bluntly, she doesn't have much time left. With the Emperor's favor for the Empress, the Empress's position will be yours. Why create enmity now and ruin the big picture?" Seeing Empress Zheng's anger, Huang Jingchen hurriedly advised.

"Have you heard the rumors in the palace? Is Cheng'er really as bad as they say?" Empress Zheng's expression softened, and she sat down.

"After the Prince left the palace, his personality did change, but not as badly as the rumors suggest!" Huang Jingchen smiled. "The Prince has been in contact with many rural farmers, so it's inevitable that he has picked up some of their habits!"

"Alas, does Cheng'er dislike reading?"

"The Prince indeed doesn't like reading, but he enjoys various ingenious crafts and games in the countryside!" Huang Jingchen answered cautiously. He had secretly seen the things Jianxi had brought, which were all finely crafted, and knew they were made under Zhao Cheng's instructions, but he didn't know what they were for.

"I don't want him to get involved in the palace's intrigues, which is why I let him leave the palace. I hope he will live a long and prosperous life as a leisurely and wealthy prince. When I am old, I will have someone to rely on and enjoy family happiness. But some people won't let me have my way. Do they really think my words are less valuable than the ramblings of two Taoist priests?" Empress Zheng said.

"Does Your Majesty want to use this opportunity to bring the Prince back to the palace?" Huang Jingchen, hearing the underlying meaning, asked tentatively.

"Why not?" Empress Zheng frowned, puzzled.

"Your Majesty, in the old servant's opinion, it's best to let the Prince stay away for now. There are six or seven princes in the palace, and the crown prince has not been established. Not all of them will want the Second Prince to be a peaceful prince. It's inevitable that some will have ambitions for the throne. Your Majesty's wish may be hard to achieve. It would be better for the Prince to grow up outside the palace, away from these dirty affairs!" Huang Jingchen bowed and said solemnly.

"Um!" Empress Zheng nodded. "But the wind won't stop just because the tree wants to be still. Some people in the palace are always doing things behind the scenes. I'm worried that Cheng'er, a child, won't be able to escape their schemes!"

"Your Majesty, in the old servant's opinion, since the Imperial Guard is controlled by Yang Jian, sending guards from the palace might not be reliable. It would be better to replace the people in the Prince's mansion and have the Marquis arrange some trusted people. This would be more secure!" Huang Jingchen thought for a moment and said.

"Grand Eunuch, your consideration is sound. I will write a letter to my father and have him arrange it!" Zheng Hongmei's father, Zheng Shen, was a direct official of the Prince's mansion, equivalent to a small civil servant today. He had time to do a second job, running a tavern, but he was very familiar with the inner workings of the mansion. Entrusting this matter to her father was completely trustworthy.

"Your Majesty, this is the best course of action. The old servant is relieved!" Huang Jingchen, seeing the Empress agree, nodded happily.

"I will entrust Cheng'er to you, Grand Eunuch. I will handle the palace affairs. I will make sure those who talk too much, set traps, and spread lies to the Emperor shut their mouths!" Empress Zheng's face turned stern as she spoke. She was determined to protect her son at all costs and would not be lenient with those who tried to harm him. Her usually gentle and noble face was filled with a fierce expression, making even the experienced Huang Jingchen feel a chill.

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