The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Every dynasty placed enormous emphasis on propriety and etiquette. Each level and status had specific appearances and laws that they could not exceed. Not even someone as arrogant as King Qi dared to use the image of anything more than a three-clawed dragon, and while the First Prince was the first in line, he only dared to use a four-clawed dragon. Thus, it could easily be imagined how lofty the status was of those who dared to use five-clawed dragons in the Imperial Palace.

  “Don’t tell me that you don’t even recognize this?”

  Yang Zhao was in no mood to be nice to this Imperial Army officer. He was Wang Chong’s sworn brother, and anyone who dared to make trouble for Wang Chong would be making trouble for him. Yang Zhao and Consort Taizhen would never permit this.

  “The Sage Emperor said before that as long as Consort Taizhen wants to see a guest, no one is to hinder them, and those who defy this will be executed! What? You want to defy the order?” Yang Zhao coldly said.

  “This subordinate would not dare!”

  The Imperial Army officer backed away along with his soldiers.

  In front of Wang Chong, he had already been shaking and sweating, yet he had found it difficult to defy the orders of his superiors. But now that Yang Zhao had appeared and revealed the five-clawed golden dragon token, he had the perfect excuse to stand aside.

  “Hmph, what are you standing in front of the gate for? Get out of here!” Yang Zhao coldly ordered.

  The Imperial Army soldiers standing at the gate shivered and hastily moved even farther away.

  Someone with the five-clawed dragon token could kill first and explain themselves later. They did not dare to defy him.

  “Worthy brother, let us go!”

  Only now did Yang Zhao warmly smile and walk toward Wang Chong.

  “Mm!”

  Wang Chong smiled, boarded his carriage, and went through the gates with Yang Zhao.

  No one noticed that as soon as the carriage was through the gates, it became quiet and somber.

  The two sworn brothers sat side by side. Wang Chong was the first to break the silence.

  “Elder Brother, what happened in the palace? Why was the Fifth Prince seized by the Imperial Clan Court?”

  “You don’t know?” Yang Zhao got straight to the point, gravely reporting, “Jade Consort Xiao committed suicide.”

  “What?!”

  Wang Chong shuddered in shock, his eyes flying open as he stared at Yang Zhao. Yang Zhao seemed to know what Wang Chong was asking and sternly nodded.

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong felt his heart immediately drop.

  Although Yang Zhao hadn’t said it directly, Wang Chong already knew that Jade Consort Xiao was the consort the Fifth Prince was alleged to have had an affair with.

  “How could it be like this?”

  Wang Chong muttered to himself, all of his calm lost.

  Jade Consort Xiao was a critical individual for this case, and Wang Chong had come to the palace precisely to see her. As long as he could find out the truth, he could easily resolve the danger the Fifth Prince was in.

  But Wang Chong had never imagined that Jade Consort Xiao would already be dead.

  It was completely unexpected!

  After being tempered in the fierce battles of both the political realm and the military realm, Wang Chong was keenly aware that Jade Consort Xiao’s death meant that there were no witnesses, and even if the Fifth Prince had been framed, no one could prove his innocence!

  Wang Chong felt his heart grow heavy.

  “You now understand why the mood in the palace is so strange, right? The death of a consort is no minor matter. Everyone in the palace, including the other palace consorts, is watching this event, and that’s not even considering that a Prince is involved,” Yang Zhao gravely said.

  He was a born gambler, and as long as the world wasn’t collapsing, there was little in the world that could upset him. Thus, he had always been smiling and carefree, but even he could sense that the mood in the palace had taken a turn for the bizarre.

  Chapter 1617 - The Dead Cannot Give Witness!

  Chapter 1617: The Dead Cannot Give Witness!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “When did this happen?” Wang Chong sternly said.

  “It was probably last night. When she was discovered by her maids, she had already committed suicide by hanging herself from a rafter. Shuhua Palace is already covered in white streamers and the burial preparations are being made. I only recently learned of this matter from my younger sister,” Yang Zhao said.

  The younger sister Yang Zhao spoke of was naturally Consort Taizhen.

  The Fifth Prince was involved in a royal scandal, and no matter what dynasty it had taken place in, it would have been vigorously suppressed. Not even the eunuchs in the Fifth Prince’s residence knew the details. But Consort Taizhen had a special status, and this status meant that there was practically nothing in the harem that could escape her grip.

  This was why Wang Chong had gotten in touch with Yang Zhao before coming.

  Consort Taizhen was one of the people closest to the truth in a secretive place like the palace.

  The carriage fell silent. Yang Zhao silently watched as Wang Chong closed his eyes and began to digest this shocking news. The Fifth Prince and Wang Chong had always been close, and now that Jade Consort Xiao had died, another crime had been added to Li Heng’s record.

  Wang Chong’s investigation had also been placed in a dire state.

  After a few moments of silence, Wang Chong asked, “Just how was the matter between Jade Consort Xiao and the Fifth Prince discovered in the first place?”

  Princes and consorts had special statuses, and even if they occasionally interacted, they would normally keep their distance. As for private affairs, they would be incredibly secretive and carry it out away from the sight of others, so such matters were not easily exposed. Wang Chong found the whole matter very suspicious, but the Fifth Prince’s people only knew the end result and nothing about the details.

  “You’ve asked the right person,” Yang Zhao said. “This matter is a royal scandal, so everything has been concealed. Outsiders know nothing except that the affair happened, but I managed to learn the whole story from a few eunuchs who worked with Jade Consort Xiao.

  “There’s been all sorts of gossip regarding Jade Consort Xiao for some time, and there are even claims that they were seen, but no one took them seriously. But not long ago, a private letter was obtained from Jade Consort Xiao, apparently found on the clothes of one of her personal maids. Although many of the words had been washed away while in the laundry, it was still possible to make out a few scandalous phrases.

  “This is a major taboo in the palace, and the Imperial Clan Court was immediately mobilized. They believed that it was Jade Consort Xiao’s maid who had a relationship with someone and had inadvertently left a personal love letter in her clothes, but the maid said that this wasn’t her letter, and that Jade Consort Xiao had even more of them. A consort was now involved, and the Imperial Clan Court did not dare to be negligent and immediately investigated.

  “In the entire process, the Imperial Clan Court treated Jade Consort Xiao with utmost respect. After all, if they made a mistake, the Imperial Clan Court would be taking the blame. But to their surprise, they found a secret box in Jade Consort Xiao’s bedroom, and they found within a personal jade token that the Fifth Prince had never shown to anyone else.”

  “Jade token?”

  Wang Chong trembled in shock and looked over.

  “Mm! Besides the jade token, there was also a love letter personally written by the Fifth Prince.”

  Yang Zhao sternly nodded and continued his story.

  “When these two objects were discovered, everyone was dumbfounded. When I heard the news, I was also stunned. But the jade token was authentic. It was left behind by the Fifth Prince’s mother, and I’ve gathered that no ordinary person could forge it.”

/>   “How could this be?!”

  Wang Chong’s mind was in turmoil. He had naturally seen this jade token, and just like Yang Zhao had said, it never left the Fifth Prince’s side. He had never imagined that it would be crucial evidence in this incident.

  “…After that, the Imperial Clan Court harshly interrogated Jade Consort Xiao’s maids, and they finally admitted the truth. And a keepsake from Jade Consort Xiao was also found in the Fifth Prince’s residence, apparently a handkerchief that she had personally woven. The case was settled by then, causing a major stir. But Jade Consort Xiao’s sudden suicide for fear of punishment last night still left many people shocked. Although the palace has tried its best to cut off the news, all sorts of rumors have gotten out. It probably won’t be long until the entire matter gets out,” Yang Zhao gravely said.

  The mood in the carriage was still and oppressive.

  Wang Chong’s heart was heavy.

  Affairs in the harem were a major taboo!

  A Prince having an affair in the harem was already enough to get him the death penalty.

  And even worse was that, according to Yang Zhao, the Fifth Prince and Jade Consort Xiao had been privately meeting, and they had even been seen. Even though Yang Zhao said that these were rumors that no one believed, given what had happened, Wang Chong felt that there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that they were true.

  But the truth was probably not what those witnesses had imagined.

  With witnesses and physical evidence in Li Heng’s token and love letter, the Fifth Prince would find it hard to clear his name.

  And the death of Jade Consort Xiao was the final blow to Li Heng’s case. The dead could not give witness.

  With her death, many lines of investigation had become dead ends while Li Heng’s crimes worsened.

  And this was not Wang Chong’s only concern. Once the news got out, then it didn’t matter if Li Heng was later cleared, as he would forever lose his right to inherit the throne.

  In no dynasty had a person who had caused chaos in the harem been made sovereign. The suspicion alone robbed him of this right!

  When it came to inheritance, the officials of the court were incredibly cautious.

  “What vicious methods; what great ambition!”

  As Wang Chong muttered to himself, a figure emerged in his mind.

  Although all the evidence pointed to the Fifth Prince, Wang Chong believed that he was not that sort of man. Given his understanding of Li Heng, he would never go to the harem and engage in a private affair with a consort.

  If he were really this kind of person, he would have never become the Great Tang’s ‘Lord of Resurgence’ in his last life, nor would the Stone of Destiny have issued the ‘True Dragon Mission’!

  Wang Chong leaned back against the carriage wall and remained silent for a long time.

  “What is the palace’s view of the Fifth Prince right now? Do they all believe that he meddled in the harem?” Wang Chong harshly asked.

  “Hmph, if only things were that simple.”

  Yang Zhao coldly smiled.

  “Through my relationship with my sister, I’m basically familiar with everyone in the palace. I’ve met with that Jade Consort Xiao several times, and her personality is cold and indifferent, and she normally eats vegetarian meals and recites Buddhist sutras. How could she have an affair with the Fifth Prince? And her death is just too fishy. Their affair had just been exposed and the Fifth Prince had just been imprisoned, but it was a little too quick for her to hang herself. The people in the palace aren’t blind. You think they didn’t see that?

  “And I investigated and found that her personal maids all vanished without a trace after Jade Consort Xiao committed suicide. It’s only been half a day, so why would they disappear so quickly? And if this was really a private affair, what did it have to do with them? At this time, shouldn’t loyal servants have been devoting their attention to sorting out her personal affairs?

  “Although Jade Consort Xiao wasn’t as favored as my younger sister, she was still a consort, and she never quarreled with anyone. But now she’s dead by suicide and her maids have all disappeared. That man in the palace has changed out all the Imperial Army soldiers, maids, and eunuchs again and again. There are many faces those old eunuchs and wet nurses who have lived in the palace for decades can’t recognize. And now, he’s gone even further and extended his hand to a consort! This is simply too audacious, too lawless!”

  Yang Zhao’s voice oozed resentment.

  Although Yang Zhao hadn’t named the man, both of them knew who he was talking about. Only one person had the authority to move around the Imperial Army and benefitted the most from the Fifth Prince’s imprisonment.

  Wang Chong leaned back against the carriage wall and began to think.

  Yang Zhao did not disturb him. He trusted in Wang Chong and knew that he was thinking of a plan.

  Wang Chong finally opened his eyes and ordered, “Take me to where the Fifth Prince is being held!”

  Jade Consort Xiao was dead, meaning that many things could no longer be investigated. Wang Chong’s greatest concern at the moment was Li Heng’s situation, and as one of the core individuals in this incident, he might be able to answer a few questions.

  “The Fifth Prince is at the center of this storm, so the Imperial Clan Court has placed many guards around him and essentially locked the place down. The number of soldiers has increased by six times, and there’s a lookout at almost every step. Outsiders simply can’t get close. Fortunately, Her Majesty has already handled everything and we can go in when we please!”

  Yang Zhao nodded and made a gesture to the driver outside.

  “Hyah!”

  A few moments later, the carriage changed directions and headed toward the Imperial Clan Court.

  ……

  “Uncle Jing, what do you think the situation is outside? Has Wang Chong come into the palace yet?”

  Beneath the Imperial Clan Court, in a cell with a floor covered in dried grass, Li Heng looked up at the small window above him, his expression worried and yet brimming with hope.

  The underground prison of the Imperial Clan Court was cold and sinister. The weak light of the oil lamp coming in from the small window was the only light source, and also his only hope.

  “Your Highness, be at ease! The King of Foreign Lands will definitely come! In this world, as long as the King of Foreign Lands wants it, there’s nothing he can’t do!” Li Jingzhong reassured him.

  After such a major scandal, the Fifth Prince had been seized, and Li Jingzhong, as the Fifth Prince’s personal eunuch, had been unable to escape the disaster and been imprisoned with him.

  Chapter 1618 - The Sage Emperor's Jade Seal!

  Chapter 1618: The Sage Emperor’s Jade Seal!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Li Heng’s eyes erupted with a bright radiance for a moment, but he quickly shook his head, and his eyes began to dim.

  “But the matter this time is extremely serious. I hear that they even found my personal jade token in Jade Consort Xiao’s bedroom. It won’t be that easy!”

  Li Heng bitterly smiled. He still found the entire matter inexplicable, but all the evidence pointed to him, and any words he spoke to defend himself were wasted.

  “Your Highness, don’t lose heart. If you didn’t do it, you didn’t do it. Others might not believe you, but I and the King of Foreign Lands have known you for so long that we naturally know what’s going on. And has Your Highness forgotten that when the King of Foreign Lands set off for the Battle of Talas, everyone thought that the enemy was far too strong and that victory was impossible? The danger back then was much greater than the danger we’re in right now, but didn’t the King of Foreign Lands still win? Even if the Confucian Sect, the First Prince, and King Qi are working in concert to control the court, didn’t they still recently suffer a setback from the King of Foreign Lands? The First Prince probably hates the man to h
is bones, but he was still compelled to make him a rank seven civil official,” Li Jingzhong argued.

  If Wang Chong had been listening, he would have undoubtedly been left slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

  This number one treacherous eunuch whom he had always rejected was actually one of his most ardent believers.

  Fifth Prince Li Heng seemed to think of something, and the clouds of sorrow on his face greatly dispersed, and even a smile began to form on his lips.

  He had been constantly observing the border incident as it developed, and he had even heard that the First Prince had been compelled to make Wang Chong a rank seven civil official and had also broken a few precious objects in the palace. Li Heng had almost broken into laughter at the time.

  Truly, Wang Chong seemed to possess some inconceivable strength, like that of a bamboo shoot breaking out of the earth. The tenacity he revealed left a truly deep impression, and it seemed like nothing in the world could stop him. As a friend, he was the best kind of friend one could have.

  And as an enemy, Wang Chong was definitely the worst enemy one could ever run into.

  It’s true. Li Heng raised his head and quietly said to himself, King of Foreign Lands, I’m alone and without allies in the palace. You’re the only one who can help me!

  ……

  The Imperial Clan Court had an inner court and outer court. The outer court was set outside the Imperial Palace specifically for imperial relatives, whereas the inner court was set up in a remote corner in the northwest part of the Imperial Palace and was meant specifically for members of the imperial family. In addition, this court was also responsible for crimes committed by maids, consorts, and eunuchs.

  Wang Chong’s carriage didn’t need long to reach the Imperial Clan Court.

  Upon getting off the carriage, Wang Chong looked up at the oppressive black eaves that stood in stark contrast to the golden resplendence of the Imperial Palace. Even before he went inside, he could already feel waves of cold sweeping over him. Just as Yang Zhao had said, the Imperial Clan Court was heavily guarded, and the fierce guards all seemed extremely vigilant. Wang Chong and Yang Zhao had only just gotten off the carriage and were already being closely watched. Even though one was the Great Tang War God of prodigious strength and the other was Consort Taizhen’s cousin, the prison guards regarded them like any other.