Chapter 209: The Crown Prince Falsely Accused of Treason and Placed Under House Arrest…

Everyone present felt a jolt of tension at Xie Chengqi’s words. Rumors in the capital had long painted the Crown Prince as gentle and mild-mannered, but when he stormed into the palace that night, he had forced the Sixth Prince to kill their mother with his own hands, without a moment’s hesitation.

The calm and composed expression he wore at the time had left many deeply wary of him.

Now, hearing the child mumble in his sleep with a hint of disdain in his tone, they feared that if the Crown Prince were displeased, he might take it out on them as well.

“Chengqi.”

Xie Hui’s voice rang out. The little one, who had just tried to burrow back under his blanket, poked his head out again in a sleepy daze, his voice still soft and childish.

“What is it~?”

Now more awake after being disturbed, Xie Chengqi finally noticed the blood on Xie Hui’s face. Alarmed, he scrambled over and anxiously tried to wipe it off with his hand.

“Daddy, are you hurt? Does it hurt? Let me hug you.”

Seeing that he was about to wriggle out of the blanket, Xie Hui quickly reached out and scooped him up, wrapping both child and blanket tightly in his arms.

Guard Lu, who had been standing by, understood immediately and hurried out to fetch the Crown Prince’s ceremonial robes that had been rushed to completion earlier.

Xie Hui had entered the palace in the dead of night. Though a brazier was burning in the hall, the night air was still chilly. He sat down by the fire, holding Xie Chengqi, who was bundled up like a silkworm cocoon.

Though Xie Chengqi was too intimidated by Xie Hui’s stern gaze to crawl out, he was still worried about his father. Normally a child who loved cleanliness, he didn’t mind the bloodstains now. He leaned in close and rubbed his cheek affectionately against Xie Hui’s.

“Daddy…”

Though he didn’t mind the blood on Xie Hui’s face, the scent of blood on his father’s body made Xie Chengqi wrinkle his nose.

Guard Lu brought in the Crown Prince’s ceremonial robes and helped the boy change in the warm hall. Once dressed, Xie Chengqi instinctively ran back to his father’s side, hugging his leg and looking up.

“Daddy, where are you hurt?”

“I’m not. That’s someone else’s blood.”

Only then did Xie Chengqi relax, staying quietly in place while Guard Lu helped straighten his clothes.

The enthronement ceremony was somewhat rushed. As Xie Hui sat on the dragon throne, dawn broke. Xie Chengqi, still a bit unsteady on his feet, entered the grand hall in his Crown Prince robes.

During the ceremony, Xie Hui officially named Xie Chengqi as Crown Prince, elevated his birth mother to Empress, and honored the former Empress as Empress Dowager. He made no mention of the Emperor Emeritus.

The commander of the Imperial Guards had been bribed, and the Emperor Emeritus, ever suspicious, had ordered the imperial protection forces to relocate to the outskirts of the capital, fearing an attempt to seize his throne.

By the time they received word, someone else was already seated on the dragon throne. Without an imperial edict, entering the capital in such a manner was considered treason.

Moreover, Xie Hui never admitted to rebellion. The official explanation was that the Emperor Emeritus had suddenly fallen ill.

There was much to handle in the early days of his reign, while the Empress Dowager had little to do. Now that her own son was Emperor, the concubines who had once crossed her in the palace were all keeping their heads down.

Busy with state affairs, Xie Hui instructed Guard Lu to send Xie Chengqi to the inner palace to stay with the Empress Dowager.

Though she had once disapproved of the Crown Prince’s entanglement with a courtesan, she didn’t hold it against the innocent child.

Besides, the woman was already gone. It wasn’t truly her fault.

“Your name is Chengqi?”

Having been raised under Xie Hui’s care and taught by Old Master Xie, Xie Chengqi’s manners still left much to be desired, but there was plenty of time to teach him.

“Yes, I’m Xie Chengqi, Grandmother.”

The Empress Dowager had come from the prestigious Xie family. Entering the palace had felt like stepping into a cage, where she had to obey countless rules at all times. Hearing such a casual address, like something from an ordinary household, caught her off guard. After a moment’s pause, she beckoned him over.

“Come here, let me take a look at you.”

Xie Chengqi trotted up to her and stared at the pastries on the table, forcing himself to look away.

“There’s no need to be so reserved here with Grandmother. If you want to eat, go ahead. But… have you washed your hands?”

Xie Chengqi paused mid-reach, then instinctively shook his head. One of the maids brought over a basin of water, helped him wash his hands, and dried them with a cloth before letting him eat.

The Empress Dowager had heard some of the major developments in court. Just then, her own mother came to visit the palace. While chatting, the topic of the Empress came up. The Empress Dowager subtly signaled the maid to take Xie Chengqi out.

“About the posthumous title¹ for the Empress… did His Majesty ever mention it to you before?”

She took a sip of tea and gently shook her head.

“No, he never did.”

“Then let it be. Perhaps that’s for the best.”

The Empress had heard others mention the situation in the Crown Prince’s residence. That concubine, ever since entering the household, had never once received a visit from the Crown Prince. He hadn’t even shown any affection for the child she bore.

If there had been any true feelings between them, the story would sound less hollow.

Still, one thing was undeniable: His Majesty might have felt nothing for the courtesan, but he could not turn his back on Xie Chengqi.

The Crown Prince could not have a mother who came from a brothel and held nothing more than the lowly status of a concubine. Just like Consort Xian in the past—once she became His Majesty’s favored consort, no one ever mentioned her former life again.

Old Madam Xie had thought of this as well. She lifted her teacup and took a sip.

From this alone, it was clear how determined His Majesty was in establishing the Crown Prince.

The Empress Dowager looked up from the window at the Crown Prince chasing butterflies in the courtyard, then exchanged a smile with her own mother.

In winter, butterflies were hard to come by. The Crown Prince had finally spotted a dull gray one, but before he could catch it, it fluttered away. Frustrated, he threw the net aside and sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, propping up his chin with a sigh.

Seven days later, the initial affairs of the new reign had been sorted. Xie Hui was just about to check on Xie Chengqi’s studies when Guard Lu came in to report:

“Your Majesty, Old Master Xie requests an audience.”

Most noble families held no official positions, but the men they had provided to assist Xie Hui’s rebellion were too formidable to ignore.

As a noble family, they had raised numerous secret guards under the guise of house guards. These men were highly skilled in martial arts, capable even of infiltrating the palace. What emperor wouldn’t be wary of that?

Since ascending the throne, Xie Hui had yet to deal with matters related to the noble clans. He wasn’t someone who discarded allies once they’d outlived their usefulness, nor did he want others to grow disheartened. Besides, those families had acted out of respect for his maternal grandfather. It wouldn’t do to make things difficult for Old Master Xie in front of them now.

“Let him in.”

Xie Hui set aside his plan to check on Xie Chengqi’s studies, deciding to handle this matter first.

“Grandfather, come try this tea.”

At the sound of that address, Old Master Xie’s tense heart finally relaxed. He bowed, then walked over and took a seat.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Old Master Xie stated his purpose.

“Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and I imagine there aren’t many reliable people in the palace yet. The guards who accompanied Your Majesty into the palace—several noble families in the capital have discussed the matter. If Your Majesty is willing to retain them as palace guards, it would be their honor.”

“If Your Majesty still has concerns, assigning them to manual labor would be acceptable as well.”

The Emperor Emeritus had ruled with folly and paranoia, and his method of stripping the noble families of power had been to disgrace their younger generations.

Even ordinary families couldn’t tolerate such treatment, let alone proud noble clans.

They had helped Xie Hui rebel because they trusted Old Master Xie. Afterward, they gathered to discuss and, having left themselves a way out, decided to take a gamble. They believed the new emperor would not be as foolish as the last.

They had no intention of rebellion. If giving up the things that stirred imperial suspicion could bring long-term peace, most noble families were willing to make that trade.

Xie Hui was pleased by Old Master Xie’s words, though he maintained a polite facade.

“How could I accept this? It was my great fortune to receive the help of you and the other uncles back then. If I were to accept your kindness again now…”

Old Master Xie was reassured by his response and had already begun thinking about how to take his leave.

Xie Hui lifted his teacup, inhaled the aroma, then set it down again. Smiling at Old Master Xie, he said,

“To tell the truth, I’ve always found it a pity. So many talented young men from noble families, yet Father Emperor never favored them.”

In past imperial exams, the top scorers were rarely from noble families. It wasn’t due to a lack of talent, but because the Emperor Emeritus had deliberately suppressed them.

Old Master Xie was momentarily stunned by Xie Hui’s words. When he came to his senses, even someone as composed as he had become with age couldn’t help showing a flicker of emotion.

The Emperor Emeritus hadn’t barred noble sons from taking the exams, but no matter how brilliant they were, their rankings were always held back if they came from noble bloodlines.

There were such cases in Old Master Xie’s own clan. He truly found it a shame.

Given the chance, those ambitious young men would much rather earn merit and bring honor to their families than wander the world aimlessly.

“Now that I’ve ascended, it’s a joyous occasion. I plan to hold a special imperial examination next spring.”

“Grandfather, I too look forward to seeing what the sons of noble families are capable of.”

Xie Hui admitted to himself that he was uneasy about the noble clans raising so many skilled secret guards. Since he was accepting their men, he had to offer something in return to ease their concerns.

Besides, he genuinely felt it was a waste to let talented scholars be buried simply because of their birth.

“On behalf of the noble families, this humble subject thanks Your Majesty.”

Xie Hui accepted the bow with a cheerful smile, then personally helped Old Master Xie to his feet and ordered Guard Lu to escort him to the palace gates.

After seeing Old Master Xie off, Xie Hui remembered what he had originally planned to do. He turned and asked,

“Where is the Crown Prince?”

“His Highness is currently learning horseback archery with his tutor. Shall I summon him, Your Majesty?”

Hearing that the boy was in class, Xie Hui dismissed the idea.

At first, he had worried the child wouldn’t be close to him. But after spending time together, he found the boy too clingy. If he went and the Crown Prince saw him, the child would never be able to focus on his lessons again.

“Forget it. I’ll go see the Emperor Emeritus.”

This had been the swiftest move Xie Hui had ever made—clean, decisive, and without hesitation. Though he had succeeded in his rebellion and now sat on the Imperial Throne, he couldn’t shake the feeling that simply seeing these outcomes wasn’t enough to truly satisfy the client.

Now that court affairs were settled, he had time on his hands.

Perfect timing to have a little chat with the Emperor Emeritus.

Translator’s Notes