When the original host was still very fond of Noble Consort Han Xuerou, he never quite extended that affection by association to their only child, the little princess Jiang Ying.
The little princess had hardly spent any time with her imperial father. Now, sitting on his lap, even though her heart was brimming with happiness, she didn’t quite know what to do with her chubby little hands.
Seeing this, Qin Jingzhou simply took hold of the princess’s two small hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “They’re a little cold, aren’t they? Tuantuan, are you cold?”
The little princess’s nickname was Tuantuan.
She shook her head. “In answer to Father’s question, I’m not cold!” She glanced cautiously at her mother consort. Seeing her mother still beaming, she gathered her courage and said, “Father’s hands are so warm.”
Qin Jingzhou burst out laughing and sent a communicator message to Ling Jing: “She really is a little sweetheart.”
Ling Jing leaned conveniently on Qin Jingzhou’s shoulder. “Hmm, she’s so incredibly thoughtful. I just negotiated with the original host a moment ago, which took a bit of time. The original host didn’t want to leave her daughter behind—her only wish was for Tuantuan to live a peaceful life.”
“But when I arrived, Jiang Jingzhou herself had already disappeared, her soul utterly scattered. It’s obvious the World Will took care of it personally,” Qin Jingzhou said with a smile. “As long as Tuantuan wishes, I can gather all the Fate’s Sons and let her choose a male concubine from among them.”
Ling Jing thought for a moment and replied earnestly, “Those three Fate’s Sons are, respectively, the original host Han Xuerou’s cousin, her cousin’s son, and her cousin’s nephew. Regardless of their character, all three are quite handsome. The worst looking among them is about on par with Yu Guan. As far as I’m concerned, that’s more than enough to serve the ruler with looks alone.”
Hearing this, Qin Jingzhou immediately grasped the level of attractiveness of those three Fate’s Sons. “Then they really are good-looking.”
The little princess had no idea what her father and mother consort were talking about, but seeing the two of them so close together completely set her mind at ease, and she began to worry about her sleeping Crown Prince brother instead.
She whispered, “Is brother feeling any better?”
Ling Jing pinched her little cheek, “Your brother will get better very soon.”
The little princess was overjoyed, showing a gap-toothed grin. “Really!” She looked at her father and the Crown Prince’s hands joined together and asked again, “Is it true that heart ailments must be healed by the heart?”
Qin Jingzhou gave her cheek a squeeze too. “Sharp little fox.”
The little princess pressed her lips together, smiling.
Just then, Xiao Qing woke up slowly and, upon seeing his most beloved little sister in this world, his tone naturally softened, though his voice was still a touch hoarse. “What brings you here?”
The little princess replied, “I came with Mother Consort.”
Xuan Qing withdrew his hand, slowly sat upright, and then took his sister from their father’s lap onto his own, giving his father and… Miss Ling some room for intimacy.
It was obvious the little princess was close with her Crown Prince brother. She even knew to lean against him while on his lap, clutching his big hand with her own. She mumbled softly, “Wow, brother, your legs… are kinda bony.”
Seeing this, the maids and inner attendants, who had restrained themselves all this time, couldn’t help but smile.
They didn’t really understand how His Majesty suddenly changed back, but for everyone at the Crown Prince’s Residence, today couldn’t possibly be any better.
Later that evening, when the Crown Prince moved to a side hall of the Qianqing Palace, and Consort Han, with her maids, attendants, and luggage, officially settled into the Star Watching Terrace, those in the know realized: the winds had shifted again.
The Imperial Preceptor, who concocted the pills, wasn’t entirely the same type of person as the head palace maid by Consort Han’s side. Yet things had taken a sudden sharp turn, and in the end, the Preceptor could only seek out the head maid to gauge the situation.
Since they were not quite on the same side, the head maid was guarded in her speech, misleading the Preceptor into thinking the Emperor harbored suspicions but had no proof.
After all, once those pills started being consumed, they weren’t so easy to shake off!
So he decided to add something extra to the pills, enough to make the Emperor feel ecstatic, but not too poisonous—since he would also be taking them himself, even if he could take the antidote in advance.
So, after visiting the head maid, he went back to his own place to keep refining pills.
The head maid was still eagerly waiting for news to be sent out… but upon arriving at the Star Watching Terrace for the first time, she discovered that just standing by the window, she could overlook everything: the entire terrace was tightly encircled by Imperial Guards, and a little farther off, armored Imperial Guards patrolled back and forth.
It was only then that she thought with dawning horror: wasn’t she basically accompanying Consort Han into the imperial prison?
The realization twisted her expression instantly.
Consort Han was lounging on her usual precious consort’s bed, picked up a Buddhist scripture, and said, “You aren’t one of my Han family. I guess you answer to Wei Cousin? That one, he’s always had bad intentions, thinking about marrying my elder sister all the time… What a pity.” With growing glee, she continued, “As I told you, these last days these pills have given me headaches and chest pains. What makes you think the dog Emperor wouldn’t notice something awry?”
Stabbed straight through, the head maid’s shame turned to fury. “You!”
Consort Han went on, “Judging by your airs… which family’s lady are you?”
The head maid decided to stop pretending. “You don’t need to know. If it weren’t for you, all Wei Lang’s plans…”
Consort Han cut her off, “You mean helping Cousin Wei commit regicide, seize back my sister, right?” She looked over the head maid as though inspecting an idiot. “What are you after? Hoping that if he succeeds and gets his wish and marries my sister, you’ll earn yourself a spot as a concubine, or maybe an official mistress?”
The head maid was on the verge of collapse. Called out again and again, her last protective cloak torn away, the taste in her mouth was indescribably bitter…
She suddenly shrieked, “I would! I don’t want anything else!”
Consort Han gave her another once-over, smiling with wicked relish. “My apologies.” With that, she immersed herself in the scripture.
After watching the spectacle for a while, the inner attendants finally came to their senses, dragged the sobbing head maid out, and handed her over to the guards at the door, to be delivered to the Department of Judicial Review.
Having sent off the biggest poisonous weed at her side, Consort Han called together her inner attendants and maids, rare for her to speak from the heart: “I’ve long said the Emperor was outstanding in his youth, and not so easily brought down by a few petty schemes. Just a few brats from noble clans—do they really think they can change heaven and earth? In any case, with my sister here, let the Emperor get angry. At most, I’ll just spend some time in ‘the cold palace,’ like now.”
The maids and attendants present were either from the Han family themselves or had received all kinds of benefits from them. Their families had long been taken care of by the Han clan… Deep down, they were very clear—the Han family only had eyes for the Duke Cheng'en, and likely didn’t want to get mixed up with Young Master Wei’s plans.
Speaking of which, Qin Jingzhou had only crossed over for half a day, and already the Department of Judicial Review and the imperial prison were filled with a few more big fish.
He was in no hurry to order interrogations, only letting those sharks and minnows stew in jail for a few days. He wanted to see if the Preceptor would present him with any surprises.
At this moment in time, the Emperor could still command the guards and Imperial Guards, and most officials in the Capital held him in awe. But as for the nobility and great families—who could say?
The Original Emperor had earned his reputation as a restorer by suppressing the noble clans and high-ranking families, treating the common people kindly, and so restoring the country’s strength. The national treasury had, for a time, overflowed with silver and grain.
After taking the throne, the original host had barely managed to follow his father’s policies for three years, and back then Great Zhou really had flourished.
Because of this, after the original host “let himself go” for so many years, covering the court and common folk in chaos, the officials and people still harbored hope for him.
The powerful noble families and high-ranking clans who’d previously been suppressed by the Original Emperor and the original host, naturally didn’t see it that way. They took advantage of the original host’s neglect to form alliances in secret, and even worked with several of the Imperial Family’s princes to try to carve out power for themselves.
In Qin Jingzhou’s view, they hadn’t quite reached the point of becoming petty kings in their fiefdoms, but it wasn’t far off. While the Emperor’s orders still reached outside the capital, he could only truly control about four provinces around the capital.
And Great Zhou had forty administrative provinces in total.
After coaxing Princess Tuantuan to sleep, Qin Jingzhou pulled Ling Jing and their son Xuan Qing into a strategy meeting. “How should we save the world?”
Xuan Qing had recovered quite a bit by now. Leaning on his chin, he replied, “Most of Great Zhou’s noble families and high officials are far more savage than later-day capitalists. Draining blood is one thing, but they eat people as well.”
Ling Jing gave a cold laugh. “If that group of aristocrats were actually competent rulers, if they cared even a little about the lives of the people, the World Will wouldn’t have needed to call your father and me over.”
Xuan Qing, now aware of his father’s line of work, added bluntly, “Dad’s appearance fee is pretty high. Great Zhou must have been tormented nearly to destruction.”
Qin Jingzhou smiled. “Looks like we’re all in agreement: no need to reason with them. Cut the knot with a sharp blade.”
Next, it was time to discuss how to use the capital region and those four provinces to farm, raise troops, and pacify the world.
The three of them talked over statecraft in the Qianqing Palace through the whole night.
The next morning, in a palace room beside the Star Watching Terrace, the Imperial Preceptor finally finished refining his improved pills: designed to make the Emperor feel floated for a long time.
However, even with advance antidote, the aftereffects… would not be easily withstood.
Recovery would take years, and even then, there would be no guarantee of safety.
The Preceptor, feeling he’d sacrificed greatly, had his confidant contact the mastermind behind the scenes: I’m risking my life here! I need my share increased by thirty percent!
His confidant went out to deliver the message without trouble, but on his way back into the palace with a reply, he was caught outright by patrolling Imperial Guards.
So the Preceptor never got his message returned. Then, when it was time for the daily pill delivery, the Senior Eunuch and guards arrived to fetch him, and he could do nothing but bring his latest batch of pills to Qianqing Palace.
The Preceptor entered the study on the side of Qianqing Palace, bowed, and only then saw the Emperor and Consort Han playing chess by the window… but Consort Han looked… off!
Moments later, he realized: that was Noble Consort Han! Not the one who’d moved into the Star Watching Terrace yesterday to meditate for the Emperor!
What on earth had happened yesterday?
Wasn’t the Noble Consort supposed to be out of favor?
Filled with suspicion, the Preceptor suddenly saw the Crown Prince step out from an inner room and calmly take a seat beside the Emperor… Even though none of the Emperor, Consort Han, or the Crown Prince gave him so much as a glance, he was instantly seized with an ominous feeling of being on trial.
Standing right there in a warm and cozy room, the Preceptor began to sweat so much, he started to shiver.
Only after Qin Jingzhou finished his chess match did he seem to remember the Preceptor still kneeling there half-fainting. “I’ve heard you refined some new pills for Us? Bring them, let Us see.”
With a sudden jolt, and under the Senior Eunuch’s discreet cue, the Preceptor came to himself, trembling as he took out the box holding the pills.
Qin Jingzhou took a look and chuckled right away. “You people aren’t even trying to hide it anymore.” After letting Ling Jing and Xuan Qing examine the pills, he instructed the Senior Eunuch, “Since he made these spiritual pills himself, he ought to take them himself. If our Preceptor could achieve ascension right here, wouldn’t that be eye-opening?”
The Preceptor shuddered and collapsed to the floor, with only a single thought in his heart: It’s over!
But the Senior Eunuch wasn’t about to show mercy.
Since the Preceptor started making pills for the Emperor, he’d grown increasingly imperious, and he’d bullied and mistreated these close palace attendants no end. Having a chance for payback now, how could they let it go?
Without needing a wink, several inner attendants stepped forward, restrained the Preceptor, and poured all three pills into his mouth.
Suddenly, Xuan Qing remembered something. “Father, several Imperial Physicians who entered the prison seemed to have a connection with the Preceptor. They took advantage of my confused state to play tricks…”
Qin Jingzhou smiled. “I’ve kept those prescriptions. We’ll just decoct a batch according to the recipe, have the Imperial Physicians in prison try some, and save a portion for the Preceptor—a taste of his own medicine.”
Damn you, a taste of my own medicine!
Once I’ve drunk the decoction and soup, you might as well just bury me!
Yet the Preceptor could only curse inwardly, knowing full well that now his crimes had come to light, he was done for no matter what. The only thing he could hope for was to confess honestly and have a few friends and relatives spared.
Broken in both body and spirit, the Preceptor sat lifelessly as Qin Jingzhou noticed his son looking at him with eager eyes. He asked, “What is it? You want to interrogate him yourself? Go ahead, I won’t interfere.”
Xuan Qing was highly pleased. “Thank you, Father.”
Ling Jing chimed in at the right moment. “Taking revenge with your own hands is the best way to satisfy the heart.”
Father and son both smiled.
The inner attendants, maids, and guards on duty in the room all began to beam as well. For a time, the Qianqing Palace was filled with an air of pure happiness.
Meanwhile, it was a completely different story at the Wei family mansion, home of Han Xuerou and Han Xuejing’s cousin. “Gloomy” didn’t begin to describe it.
Wei Guangmei, the “Wei Lang” on whom the head palace maid pinned her hopes and also the cousin of both Han sisters, was sitting in a corner of his father’s study, lost in thought: The Crown Prince moving into a side hall of the Qianqing Palace was one thing—Jiang Jingzhou had loved that son deeply when the Crown Prince was young, and it was only the excessive use of pills and the Prince’s habit of frank admonishment that caused the rift…
He could even guess without asking that so long as the Crown Prince showed a little softness, Jiang Jingzhou would yield at once.
He didn’t care much about the Crown Prince regaining favor. In any case, the Crown Prince was frail; living past thirty would be a miracle.
But Xuerou bringing the princess into the Qianqing Palace as well, and Jiang Jingzhou dealing with the physicians and Preceptor who’d treated the Crown Prince all in a single day… That was wholly unexpected!
Now the whole family was worrying: if the Preceptor revealed them, what then?
Wei Guangmei glanced at his family debating. After getting his father’s permission, he offered, “Why not have my mother visit my uncle’s home, and with my aunt, pay a call on the consort in the palace?”
Wei Guangmei’s mother, Lady Han, was the biological aunt of Han Xuerou and Han Xuejing.
Since her precious son needed her, of course Lady Han would oblige.
The next day, Lady Han accompanied her sister-in-law to submit a calling card, requesting an audience with the Noble Consort.
Since Ling Jing had arrived, all palace matters naturally fell under her purview.
Her own mother and aunt seeking an audience—she certainly couldn’t refuse. In the original plot, after the original host’s death, Wei Guangmei was heartbroken, and these two women were the ones who decided to send the little princess Tuantuan into his care.
And the men of the Han clan had tacitly approved.
Beforehand, Ling Jing gave Qin Jingzhou a heads-up. “It’s been ages since I came across such a depraved family. Honestly, I’m a little excited.”
Qin Jingzhou replied solemnly, “This family really doesn’t deserve a swift end. That would be letting them off too easy.”