Chapter 206: The Crown Prince Falsely Accused of Treason and Placed Under House Arrest…

“Yes, after all, he is still my child.”

Because His Highness had shown no interest before, Guard Lu had never paid much attention to that child either.

Now that His Highness brought it up, he couldn’t give a clear answer right away. He could only test the waters and replied cautiously, “Your Highness, shall I inquire about it tomorrow?”

“Alright.”

A child neglected by his own father was bound to have a hard time in the Crown Prince’s Estate. In such an environment, it was rare for him not to harbor resentment and instead still think of his father.

No wonder someone like the Client, after being betrayed by his own father, would still be willing to spend a precious wish on that child.

Just then, a maidservant arrived with the evening meal. After finishing the food, Xie Hui returned to his desk and began working through the stack of memorials¹. As he handled the official documents, his thoughts turned to the current situation.

In the end, the Client had been poisoned to death by a cup of wine sent by the eunuch at the side of the Father Emperor.

But based on the many events stored in the Client’s memories, Xie Hui was convinced that things hadn’t been as simple as they appeared.

In this world, even when the Emperor Emeritus² had succeeded in his coup, the power shift had not shaken the influence of the noble clans³. That alone showed just how untouchable their status was.

It wasn’t until Guard Lu came in to urge him to rest that Xie Hui finally left the study and went to bed.

The next day, after court, Xie Hui went to the Inner Palace⁴ to visit the Client’s mother.

The Empress was dressed in an opulent gown, the bright red color making her look especially dignified. When she saw Xie Hui approaching, her greeting was formal rather than affectionate.

“What brings you to the palace today to see your mother? Aren’t you busy with affairs outside?”

Xie Hui glanced at the attendants serving beside the Empress. With just one look, the old matron at her side turned and dismissed all the servants and cleaning maids.

“Can’t you see His Highness and Her Majesty want to have a private conversation? All of you, out.”

Once the attendants were gone, the matron also stepped out and closed the door behind her.

With everyone gone, the Empress visibly relaxed. Her fingers, painted with crimson nail polish, idly turned the tea cup in her hand. She lifted her head lazily and looked over.

“What is it? Something wrong?”

“Mother, I was thinking recently… a few years ago, there was a misunderstanding between me and that courtesan at Sixth Brother’s estate.”

The Client had indeed had relations with a courtesan at the Sixth Prince’s residence, and the woman had even become pregnant once.

But from what Xie Hui had seen from an omniscient perspective, it was clear that the courtesan was not as disgraceful as the Client had believed. And that night between them—neither side had consented willingly.

“Oh?”

The Empress finally showed some interest, her gaze toward Xie Hui turning more scrutinizing.

Some time ago, when her mother visited the palace, she had brought up that incident again, even though it had happened years ago. She had scolded her, saying her son had behaved disgracefully.

Most noble clans prided themselves on their purity and looked down on those who had fallen into the dust, especially courtesans. And Xie Hui, as the Crown Prince, had not yet taken a Crown Princess.

“Mother, I suspect there was a plot behind that incident. And beyond that, it seems Father Emperor has a particular fondness for Sixth Brother. When Sixth Brother invited me to his estate to view the flowers, I saw a painting in his study—the very one I had asked Father Emperor for many times, but he had always refused to give it to me.”

The Empress had only been listening casually up to this point, but when Xie Hui said this, her entire demeanor changed. She dropped her relaxed posture and became serious.

“Are you sure you didn’t mistake it for another painting?”

“I’ve always loved that painting. I couldn’t have mistaken it.”

“Now that you mention it, I remember Consort Xian⁵ was wearing a hairpin recently—the same one I had taken a liking to not long ago.”

Some things might seem trivial on the surface, but once a thread is pulled, it can unravel a whole web of memories and suspicions.

“You should leave the palace now. If you stay here too long, the Emperor will start to get suspicious again.”

As she said this, a trace of sarcasm flickered in the Empress’s eyes.

“Mother, I’ve been thinking… why not…”

Xie Hui had already been considering this last night. The initiative was still in his hands. There was no need to keep enduring in silence. The Client had thought the same.

The Empress pressed her index finger to her lips and gently shook her head at her son.

They were still in the palace. It wasn’t the time or place to speak of such things.

“It’s been a while since you visited your grandfather. Why not go see him?”

The reason Xie Hui brought this up with the Empress was to test her stance.

After all, she had been the Emperor’s beloved wife for many years, and judging from the Client’s memories, he had held deep affection for his mother.

Now, seeing that the Empress had no intention of stopping him, Xie Hui felt a sense of relief. He rose and gave her a respectful bow.

“Mother, I take my leave.”

Just as he stepped out of the palace gates, Guard Lu came up to him and said, “The Sixth Prince’s personal guard came looking for Your Highness. He asked when you might have time to visit the estate.”

“I’m not going. I don’t have time.”

With that, Xie Hui got into the carriage and instructed the driver to head to his maternal grandfather’s residence.

In the end, the Client had met such a tragic fate simply because he hadn’t been ruthless enough.

He had held a winning hand, yet played it to ruin.

His maternal grandfather was one of the most powerful figures among the noble clans. He had survived two separate imperial transitions unscathed, all thanks to the careful planning and maneuvering of the Xie family.

The reason His Majesty is so wary of the noble families these days ultimately comes down to the sheer amount of power they hold and the deep roots they’ve established.

What’s more, these families are all proud and aloof. They only trust the Xie Family’s word and refuse to heed the emperor’s commands.

And yet, the emperor still has no real way to deal with them. He can only grit his teeth and accept it.

“Has the Crown Prince arrived?”

The guard at the gate, seeing the figure approaching, quickly ordered someone to inform the master.

When Old Master Xie heard the report, he set down his brush, instructed the servants to hang up the freshly written calligraphy to dry, and hurried out.

Normally, the names of emperors are taboo⁶ and must be avoided by subjects. But now that the emperor also bears the surname Xie, not only has the family name been preserved, His Majesty has never shown the slightest displeasure over it.

Noticing the serious expression on the Crown Prince’s face, Old Master Xie led him to the lakeside pavilion. He dismissed all attendants and, after hearing Xie Hui’s purpose for coming, finally spoke.

“I had thought Your Highness had no such intentions.”

“Grandfather, to be honest, I truly didn’t before.”

Xie Hui admitted it frankly in front of Old Master Xie.

The Crown Prince was usually clear-headed when it came to state affairs, but when it came to emotions, he often lost his way. He still held on to the memories of his father, the emperor, personally teaching him.

In the end, it was his indecisiveness that led to his downfall.

“So what happened to make Your Highness change your mind?”

Old Master Xie wasn’t convinced by just a few words. For a moment, he even suspected this might be part of the emperor’s scheme.

“Not long ago, I noticed that Father Emperor seems especially fond of my sixth brother. And in the palace, my mother has often been wronged because of Consort Xian, his mother.”

Xie Hui casually made up an excuse, then went on to tell his grandfather about the emperor’s plan to support the Sixth Prince in ascending the throne.

…

After leaving his grandfather’s residence and getting into the carriage, Xie Hui took a sip of tea. Only then did a faint smile appear on his lips.

His relationship with the Xie Family had never been particularly close. Once he realized that the emperor disliked his maternal relatives, he had gradually cut ties with them.

Fortunately, during today’s visit, he could tell that his grandfather didn’t hold any grudge over the past distance between them.

This time, Xie Hui didn’t return directly to the Crown Prince’s Estate. Instead, he noticed the guard beside him looking somewhat uneasy and speaking up.

“Your Highness, someone from the palace came. His Majesty has summoned you.”

“Tell them I’m busy today.”

With that, Xie Hui climbed into the carriage and instructed the driver to return to the Crown Prince’s Estate. He still hadn’t had the chance to meet the target of his mission in this world.

Guard Lu was momentarily stunned when he heard the Crown Prince’s response. After all, no matter what had happened in the past, whenever the emperor summoned him—even in the dead of night—His Highness would always order the carriage to be prepared without hesitation.

Snapping back to his senses and watching the carriage roll toward the estate, he quickly pushed aside his thoughts and turned to carry out the order.

Before the Crown Prince left the estate that morning, Guard Lu had already instructed the steward to bring the young boy out.

At the very least, the child needed to be cleaned up a bit. He couldn’t let the Crown Prince see him in such a sorry state and become angry.

It was almost inevitable that the boy had been mistreated. There was no way he could be cleaned up completely in such a short time.

Besides, Guard Lu figured that even if the boy looked clean on the surface, it wouldn’t escape the Crown Prince’s eyes.

Xie Hui hadn’t expected the boy to be well cared for in the first place. He had already prepared himself for the worst.

When he sat down on the soft couch to rest, a maidservant brought him a cup of tea.

“Your Highness, the young master has been brought to the courtyard. Would you like to see him?”

“Bring him in.”

At his command, an elderly nursemaid led in a small child.

Xie Yan was dressed in new clothes, but the fit was poor. At a glance, they looked like they were just hanging loosely on his frame.

“Are you the Crown Prince?”

The child looked small and thin, but surprisingly, he wasn’t shy at all. His voice rang out clearly as he asked the question, his eyes—black and round like grapes—fixed intently on Xie Hui.

When Xie Hui didn’t answer, the boy tilted his head curiously.

Setting down his teacup, Xie Hui beckoned him over and said, “Come here.”

Xie Yan let go of the nursemaid’s hand and walked over, standing in front of Xie Hui and continuing to stare at him with curiosity.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Nursemaid said you’re the Crown Prince.”

“And besides that?”

Xie Hui waited patiently for his answer. Seeing the boy frown in thought but unable to come up with anything, he gently took the child’s small hand in his own and said softly,

“I’m also your father.”

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Translator’s Notes

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1. memorials: Official communications sent by government officials to the Emperor (zouzhe). These documents covered everything from local governance to military reports and were a primary tool for imperial administration. ↩
2. Emperor Emeritus: A retired Emperor (Taishang Huang) who has abdicated the throne, often to his son. While technically retired, they frequently retained significant influence or power behind the scenes. ↩
3. noble clans: Powerful hereditary families (shijia) that held immense social, political, and economic influence. Historically, these clans often rivaled the imperial family’s power, maintaining their status across different dynasties. ↩
4. Inner Palace: The residential section of the Forbidden City (hougong) where the Emperor’s consorts and family lived. Access was strictly regulated, and it was the center of ‘harem’ politics. ↩
5. Consort Xian: A high-ranking imperial concubine. ‘Xian’ (Virtuous) is a specific title rank within the imperial harem, usually one of the four senior consort positions below the Empress. ↩
6. names of emperors are taboo: The practice of ‘naming taboo’ (bihui), where it was forbidden to write or speak the characters of the Emperor’s personal name. Using the same surname as the Emperor (Xie) was usually a sign of extreme favor or shared ancestry. ↩