One of Qian Xingzhi's greatest virtues was that she never held a grudge overnight. Though she had endured what could only be described as two hellish days, by the next morning she had already figured out how to make trouble for the Third Prince. Since he was so favored, why did he need Qian Xingzhi to cough up three hundred thousand taels? If it wasn't to force her into submission, then it meant those three hundred thousand taels couldn't be accounted for through official channels. Consumed by lust for power, just how low could this Third Prince sink?
Taking advantage of these two days of leisure, she disguised herself as a maidservant and wandered the streets again. She had long since memorized which shops were on this street, what the shopkeepers were like, and how many beggars were at the corners. Her best informant was a young waiter at a teahouse; most of the scant information she had came from him.
"Hey? Miss Zhixing? It's been a while since you've been here!"
When out and about, she naturally had to use a fake name. After racking her brains, the only thing she could come up with was reversing the order of characters in her name, "Xingzhi," to get "Zhixing." Now, she was passing herself off as a maidservant in the Qian Mansion responsible for buying groceries and cooking.
It feels so much more comfortable wearing women's clothes! Qian Xingzhi sighed as she picked a small seat in the corner and struck up a conversation with Zhu Qing. "You have no idea—there's so much work at Lord Qian's place but the pay is meager. I've been squeezing in time to do some embroidery to supplement our income, so I don't have as much free time as before."
"I heard Lord Qian is a favorite of the Third Prince. How can he treat you so shabbily?"
"That's not it. Lord Qian himself is strapped for cash... I heard..." She deliberately lowered her voice. "Lord Qian's being hounded for money."
"But Lord Qian just took office, didn't he? Could he be gambling?"
"No, no. Lord Qian rarely steps outside his door. If you ask me, I think someone higher up has it in for him. Speaking of which... Have there been any interesting happenings lately?"
"You've come at just the right time. There was indeed something amusing yesterday." Qian Xingzhi watched Zhu Qing's animated expression and couldn't help wondering if he was a spy planted in this teahouse specifically for gathering intelligence—after all, her connection with Zhu Qing had gone surprisingly smoothly, and their conversations were always about spreading rumors under the guise of gossip.
"Tell me quickly! You have no idea how bored I am with no one to talk to in the mansion every day. I'm dying of boredom."
Zhu Qing also sat down, pouring a cup of tea for both Qian Xingzhi and himself. With a serious look, he said, "Yesterday I saw the Third Prince's personal guard. Do you know where he went?"
"Miss Zhixing" raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction. "Don't keep me in suspense. I have to go back to the mansion soon."
"He went to the Full Moon Tower! I saw him standing guard there with my own eyes. That can only mean the Third Prince was inside... I've never heard of the Third Prince being so dissolute before..."
The Full Moon Tower was one of the most famous brothels in the capital, except it housed male entertainers. Qian Xingzhi recalled the Third Prince's demeanor from the previous night and couldn't suppress a shiver of disgust.
"Miss Zhixing" quickly chimed in, "So the Third Prince is that kind of person! Oh, look at the time—I need to get back to the mansion. I'll come for tea another day."
She gave Zhu Qing thirty coins and left in a hurry. That was a considerable sum for just a cup of tea, but Zhu Qing didn't say anything extra, clearly understanding that the extra twenty coins were payment for the information.
It sounded like the Third Prince hadn't had any scandals involving brothels before. In that case, it was time to make his reputation even more notorious. "Miss Zhixing" unconsciously curled her lips into a sinister smile. She needed to carefully select someone to entertain the Third Prince properly.
Three days passed in a flash. Under Yang Mingwan's management, two rounds of the rites had gone smoothly. Qian Xingzhi was also busy with her own plans and had come up with an even bigger scheme.
* * *
Lu Yu glanced sidelong at Qian Xingzhi, who had suddenly come to visit, wondering what shocking thing she was about to say next. Ever since she told him about the Third Prince's intentions toward her, Lu Yu wasn't sure how to face her anymore.
"Lord Lu, I've been hearing some gossip lately that the Third Prince frequents the Full Moon Tower. Not only does he indulge in debauchery, but when a male entertainer asked for a tip, he was kicked out. It's absolutely appalling."
"Oh? It seems Lord Qian is quite fond of observing the common folk when you have nothing to do."
Why was he speaking in that sarcastic tone? Qian Xingzhi ignored it and continued fanning the flames: "I thought about it carefully after I got back. The Third Prince is so desperate for those three hundred thousand taels—I doubt it's mere greed. There must be something else going on. If a prince is secretly dabbling in brothel businesses..."
Qian Xingzhi was, of course, making this up. She had originally just wanted to stir up some rumors to ruin the Third Prince's reputation, but then she thought of the three hundred thousand taels. If she could cause a financial crisis for the Third Prince that reached the emperor's ears and prompted a thorough investigation, maybe the Third Prince would be too busy dealing with his own mess to bother with her. She didn't believe for a second that the Third Prince was honest and incorruptible.
What was it Lu Yu had said so arrogantly last night? "The Third Prince is nothing to fear," and he told her to rest assured. He was absolutely brimming with arrogance. Now that she had extended an invitation to sanction the Third Prince, how could he possibly refuse?
Lu Yu nodded, looking very appreciative. "I see. I understand now."
Though his face betrayed nothing, Lu Yu's heart was in turmoil. How did Qian Xingzhi know that the Third Prince was secretly interfering in the Full Moon Tower's operations to squeeze out money to cover his eight hundred thousand tael deficit? Could she have guessed it by chance? In any case, he had already planned to make an example of the Third Prince, so this played right into his hands. If anything went wrong, he had a convenient scapegoat standing right here, saving him the trouble of setting up another trap to frame someone else.
On the twenty-seventh day of the first month of the forty-third year of Yong'an, the New Year celebration commenced as scheduled. Thanks to Qian Xingzhi's warning, Jun Anche had not only arranged three additional rounds of patrols but also dispatched six extra guard units today. Qian Xingzhi, for some reason, was seated to the left of Lu Yu. She didn't pay much attention to him, instead eagerly anticipating the show she had planned.
After several rounds of wine and a continuous stream of songs and dances, Qian Xingzhi found herself enjoying a sumptuous feast for the first time, attended by bright and lively servant girls. She was truly experiencing the taste of power.
The Third Prince was the first to speak: "On this auspicious New Year, I raise my cup to Your Majesty, wishing you boundless blessings and eternal life!" Qian Xingzhi took a bite of osmanthus cake and glanced at the Crown Prince and Empress, whose faces instantly darkened. She winked at Lu Yu.
Lu Yu was once again wearing that moon-white brocade robe, maintaining his harmless and innocent demeanor as if the undercurrents of the banquet had nothing to do with him. When he turned and saw Qian Xingzhi's unseemly behavior, for the first time he couldn't help but let out a laugh.
But before the scene she had orchestrated could unfold, a sudden crisis erupted. The eunuch closest to Jun Anche abruptly sprang up, clutching a sharp object shaped like a hairpin, and lunged straight at the emperor. In that split second, Qian Xingzhi instinctively shouted, "Protect His Majesty!" But everything happened too fast; no one could get in front of the emperor in time.
A loud crash rang out as someone threw a wine jug, hitting the eunuch on the head. Though he stumbled, he still managed to stab downward. Fortunately, the emperor's survival instinct was extremely strong; he slid off his dragon throne and crawled toward the panic-stricken empress.
Immediately after, three or four palace ladies drew sharp objects from their hairpins and charged at the emperor. But by then, the princes and the guards outside the hall finally reacted. The Crown Prince, being closest to Jun Anche, lunged at the eunuch like a dart. For a while, the hall was filled with sounds of fighting, breaking objects, and screams that assaulted everyone's eardrums.
The moment the assailants were subdued, they swallowed poison. In an instant, four or five corpses lay sprawled across the hall, blood oozing from their seven orifices. Qian Xingzhi was terrified, but thanks to Lu Yu's earlier hints, she had some mental preparation. She darted to the side of the mastermind, Lu Yu, but when she turned to look at him, she saw his brows tightly furrowed and his expression grim. Qian Xingzhi's pupils contracted—could it be that this wasn't arranged by Lu Yu?
Everyone slowly came to their senses. The hall was now tightly surrounded by guards, and the banquet was in chaos. The Crown Prince quickly helped Jun Anche back to his seat. The emperor's face, previously pale with fright, was now flushed red with anger. Trembling, he hissed through clenched teeth, "How... how dare you..."
But this brief respite didn't last long. The dancers, whose faces had been all charm a moment ago, suddenly changed. Two went to block the Crown Prince, while two more lunged at the emperor. Qian Xingzhi was almost amused—this imperial palace was as leaky as a sieve! And this was after security had been reinforced? It was utterly ridiculous.
These dancers weren't wielding weapons, but they had taken advantage of the earlier confusion to get extremely close to Jun Anche. At his age, a few punches from them would be devastating. Just at this critical moment, a prince suddenly appeared and, using his fan as a sword, engaged them in a fluid, seamless display. With just a few moves, he drove back the two dancers. Seeing the situation was hopeless, they too swallowed poison and died on the spot.
The smell of blood wafted into Qian Xingzhi's nostrils. The hall was a mess, filled with the sounds of sobbing and retching. Qian Xingzhi shrank completely behind Lu Yu. She noticed that Lu Yu was holding a teacup behind his back, gently stroking the patterns on it. A signal with a cup? Qian Xingzhi's mind wandered. Judging from Lu Yu's equally shocked expression, it seemed these two assassination attempts weren't his doing.
The Third Prince collapsed to the ground, kowtowing without stopping. "Father! I... I deserve ten thousand deaths!"
Let alone this celebration, not even since the founding of Nansheng had there been such an absurd assassination attempt. He had thought everything was in order and had simply left it to his subordinates to handle. Now that this had happened, he couldn't escape blame. Who didn't know that his dear father cherished his life above all else?
The hall fell into dead silence. What came next might not be any calmer than before; the real storm was just beginning. The Crown Prince was the first to jump in. "Third Brother! You have truly let down Father's trust in you. With such danger today, if anything had happened to Father, what would you have done?" The Third Prince was drenched in sweat. His already narrow features were twisted together, making him look even more pathetic. He had never been quick-witted, and now he could barely stammer out a defense, simply begging for forgiveness over and over.
"Father, though Third Brother is at fault, the priority should be to find the real culprit behind this." Qian Xingzhi looked up and saw that it was the prince who had fought off the dancers earlier. Among all the princes, his appearance and bearing were the most unremarkable, but those moves he had just displayed had a certain heroic flair.
"Exactly!" The Third Prince, seeing someone speak up for him, quickly latched on. His sluggish brain finally started working. "Seventh Brother is right. Father, I deserve to die for this grave mistake, but the real mastermind is still unknown. This person planned everything so secretly and thoroughly—they must be someone close to you. Please allow me to investigate this matter thoroughly to atone for my crime."
The Crown Prince's tone grew even sharper. "Third Brother speaks lightly. You arranged everything for this celebration. Who's to say this wasn't your own scheme? Father, in my opinion..." Seeing the Crown Prince's impassioned expression, Qian Xingzhi couldn't help but feel nervous for him. Not only had he presumed to accuse his imperial brother before the emperor had even spoken, but he was now blatantly stepping on his political rival when things were still unclear. What an utter fool...
Sure enough, Jun Anche's beard bristled with rage. "All of you, shut up! You've gone too far!" At those words, a sea of people knelt down, all falling silent. When the Son of Heaven is angry, who knows how many lives will be lost? After a long pause, Jun Anche finally spoke slowly. "Qian Xingzhi... Do you know your crime?"