Chapter 84: Seeking to Investigate the Forged Imperial Edict

As Empress Guo finished speaking, the attendants following behind her surged forward, seemingly about to storm into the Hall of Heavenly Purity. At this critical moment, Lady Li, calmly and unhurried, called out, “Your Majesty, I advise you not to act rashly!”

She paused, then continued in a tone tinged with mockery, “You are the paragon of the inner palace, always a model in the eyes of your servants. Thus, I have chosen to imitate your own methods from before—just as you once set your bedchamber ablaze, I have drenched this hall with kerosene. If Your Majesty dares order anyone in, I shall have the Hall of Heavenly Purity set alight and take the Crown Prince with me, offering ourselves as a funeral sacrifice for the late Emperor!”

Hearing these words, Empress Guo was so furious she trembled, pointing at Lady Li and shouting, “You—” But before she could finish, a rush of anger overwhelmed her; her vision went black and she fainted. Fortunately, Zhu Hao caught her from behind, sparing her from a dangerous fall onto the hard palace steps—such a tumble could have cost her life.

With Empress Guo’s sudden collapse, Zhu Hao quickly stopped her attendants from charging into the hall. He dared not risk it; if Lady Li truly set the Hall of Heavenly Purity on fire, he, Zhu Hao, would forever bear the infamy of driving his royal brother to death.

Once he had restrained the attendants, Zhu Hao signaled them to assist in supporting Empress Guo. Then, casting a cold, threatening glare at Lady Li, his eyes full of anger and warning, he tried to cow her into submission. But Lady Li remained unfazed, replying only with a cold snort.

Seeing this, Zhu Hao had no mind for further argument. He instructed the attendants to carry Empress Guo back to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility to rest, and personally summoned the imperial physicians, ordering them to attend to her immediately. Thus, the entire party withdrew from the Hall of Heavenly Purity.

Upon arriving at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility with the physicians, Zhu Hao watched anxiously as they examined Empress Guo. Suddenly, she cried out in anger, “Wretched woman! You infuriate me!” She gasped desperately, her face deathly pale as she slowly opened her eyes—she was in a dire state.

After she awakened, the imperial physicians withdrew quietly. Zhu Hao followed them outside and, filled with concern, asked, “How fares the Empress’s health?”

The chief physician replied carefully, “Her Majesty merely fainted from a sudden rush of rage. There is no serious danger. However, Her Majesty has neglected her health for years and is physically frail. With such intense agitation, it could have been much worse. I shall prescribe some restorative remedies and recommend a period of quiet recuperation; with care, Her Majesty will recover. But if she again succumbs to such fits of anger, fainting from fury, her life will be in grave peril. Your Highness must counsel her earnestly not to be so easily provoked.”

Zhu Hao agreed fervently, seeing the gravity of the physician’s warning. As he escorted the doctors out, he thought to himself, “Thank goodness—it could have been disastrous if Empress Guo had truly fallen ill at such a turbulent time. Without her, I would be left isolated and powerless, leaving the way clear for Consort Dowager Zheng’s schemes. Not only would I betray my late father’s love, but I would also place myself, my mother, Empress Guo, and my brother in mortal danger!”

With these thoughts weighing on him, Zhu Hao returned to Empress Guo’s bedside and softly asked, “Mother, how do you feel now? Lady Li is nothing but a petty schemer; there’s no need to let her anger you. With Father newly departed and chaos within and without, we need you now more than ever to steady the court. You mustn’t fall ill—you must take care of yourself!”

Empress Guo sighed deeply at his words. “It is not that I am angry with Lady Li,” she said, “but with myself. I am furious at my own jealousy, at my madness in setting fire to my own palace, setting such a disgraceful example for the harem. I am unworthy of being Empress, unfit to be the mother of the realm!” She began to cough violently, her agitation clear.

Zhu Hao, alarmed, recalled the physician’s warning and hurried to comfort her. “Mother, in the end, it was merely a quarrel between you and Father, nothing more. Lady Li’s words at the Hall of Heavenly Purity were meant precisely to provoke you—please do not fall into her trap. Your health must come first above all!”

Hearing this, Empress Guo sighed again, “You are so understanding. I treated you so poorly before—I was blinded by jealousy. Now that your father is gone, I have finally awakened, but it is too late. He will never wake again!” Tears slid down her face as she spoke.

Zhu Hao quickly took out his handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears, continuing to soothe her, “Mother, both fortune and misfortune are Heaven’s will. I have never blamed you. Please don’t torment yourself; just focus on regaining your health.”

Though his words were somewhat insincere—he had, in truth, long harbored resentment against her—after hearing Spring Peach’s account and witnessing Empress Guo’s heartfelt remorse, he found himself letting go of all old grudges.

He now felt nothing but pity for the Empress—a woman so grievously wounded by his father. He wished only for her to recover.

Looking at the sincerity in Zhu Hao’s eyes, Empress Guo nodded slightly, then, still uneasy, continued, “The issue of the Crown Prince is delicate. Once I am better, I will handle it myself. For now, you must not act without careful thought. Instead, investigate the imperial edict in Consort Dowager Zheng’s possession. Although I have not been with the late Emperor for some time, I do not believe he would leave such a decree behind. I hope you can get to the bottom of this, just as you did with the palace fire.”

At the mention of the fire, Zhu Hao scratched his head in embarrassment. It was his investigation that had shattered any hope of reconciliation between his father and Empress Guo. Now, having gained a new perspective on her, he felt guilty.

Still, he knew this was not the time for hesitation. Steeling himself, he replied, “I accept your command, Mother. Please rest assured, I will uncover the truth of this matter.”

Noticing Empress Guo’s growing pallor, Zhu Hao realized she needed rest. After a respectful bow, he said, “Please take care of yourself, Mother. I shall take my leave and, when I have found the truth, report back to you.” With that, he quietly withdrew from the room and left the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

After leaving, Zhu Hao pondered the task his mother had set him. He could think of only one capable person for such an investigation—Gongsun Ce, whom he had already appointed as acting head of the Central Intelligence Bureau. Zhu Hao ordered his attendant to summon Gongsun Ce to his own chambers.

When Zhu Hao returned to his quarters, he found Gongsun Ce already waiting. With a nod, he greeted him, “Gongsun, you are quick! You arrived even before I did—have you been learning the art of stealth from Shi Qian at the Intelligence Bureau?”

Gongsun Ce smiled, easily catching the jest. “Your Highness, please do not tease me. I am no martial artist. I hurried here simply because you summoned me. If I kept you waiting, it would be my failing.”

Pleased by Gongsun Ce’s respect for protocol, Zhu Hao turned to business. “Gongsun, I’ll be frank. I have an important task for you—one that concerns the fate of the dynasty. You must not let me down.”

Gongsun Ce straightened and replied earnestly, “Your Highness has but to command; I will do all in my power to carry out your orders.”

Zhu Hao then briefly explained the matter of the disputed imperial edict and asked, “How long will it take you to investigate this?”

Gongsun Ce pondered for a moment, then replied with difficulty, “Your Highness, this is not a matter of time, but of feasibility. When the late Emperor passed, only Consort Dowager Zheng was present in the Hall of Heavenly Purity. Even if I find palace maids or eunuchs to testify that her edict is a forgery, she will simply claim we bribed them. In my view, this is a case with no evidence, no starting point for inquiry.”

Hearing this, Zhu Hao felt a wave of discouragement. If even Gongsun Ce was at a loss, perhaps the truth really was beyond reach.

Suddenly, inspiration struck him. “Wait—Empress Guo was only confined to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility after my father’s death. She should know everything that happened in the Hall of Heavenly Purity before then. If she can testify she never saw the edict in Consort Dowager Zheng’s hand, that should suffice. So why does she want me to investigate whether the edict is a fake?”