Chapter 114
“Your Highness, Your Highness, the An family has never colluded with the enemy or committed treason. Please, Your Highness, see the truth with clarity. Xin’er… she must have been framed by a malicious person,” Grand Preceptor An trembled as he stepped forward to kneel, looking as though he had aged more than ten years overnight. His hair was streaked with gray, and his face was covered in tears.
Shangguan Ye raised his hand slightly. “Grand Preceptor An, if the An family is truly innocent, His Majesty will certainly grant you justice. For now, what you must do is cooperate with the investigation. Whether or not there was a conspiracy, we first need to find some clues.”
The Grand Preceptor was supported by two maidservants. He sighed deeply upon hearing Shangguan Ye’s words and then glanced at Hou Qianxing standing beside him. With a helpless shake of his head, he said, “Your Highness, it is not that I am unwilling to cooperate. We genuinely know nothing about this. Where should we even begin? Indeed, in our initial anger, we refused to cooperate with the investigation, but the truth is, we truly know nothing.”
His gaze then shifted to Murong Qiufeng, who stood on Shangguan Ye’s other side, with a handsome face and an elegant demeanor. From Imperial Physician Wang’s testimony, the Grand Preceptor learned that An Lanxin had been caught because she attempted to harm Murong Qiufeng, which ultimately exposed the An family’s secrets. Though it was claimed she accidentally ingested poison while trying to harm others, everyone knew it must have something to do with the prince.
No matter how grave his daughter’s mistakes, she was still his daughter. To have her humiliated in such a way was hard for the Grand Preceptor to bear. He had also heard about a past conflict with the Empress, and now, it felt as though the Murong family had completely overshadowed the An family. Once allies who respected one another, the two families were now on the brink of enmity. Regardless of whether the An family survived this ordeal, their relationship with the Murong family was irreparably damaged.
Thus, the Grand Preceptor’s gaze toward Murong Qiufeng was filled with hostility.
Murong Qiufeng felt sorry for the An family, understanding that the Grand Preceptor’s attitude stemmed from his distress. He responded with a polite nod before turning to Shangguan Ye. “I’ll go take a look over there.”
Shangguan Ye shook his head. “We’ll go together.” Then he looked at Hou Qianxing. “Lord Hou, I’ll leave you to speak with the Grand Preceptor.” With that, he left with Murong Qiufeng, not sparing the Grand Preceptor another glance, clearly displeased by the older man’s hostility toward Qiufeng. However, he restrained himself, knowing it might make Qiufeng feel guilty.
The Grand Preceptor noticed this shift in Shangguan Ye’s demeanor and stood there, stunned, as he watched the two men walk away. A complex, gloomy expression crossed his face. He sighed deeply, realizing that the Murong family had indeed grown too powerful. With Murong Yun reigning in the harem, Murong Qiujun favored as a royal consort, and Murong Qiufeng trusted by the prince, their influence was vast.
Hou Qianxing cast a sidelong glance at the departing figures, his eyes inscrutable. Then he turned to the Grand Preceptor. “Please, Grand Preceptor, have a seat.”
The old man gave a bitter laugh. “Lord Hou, His Highness should not have brought Murong Qiufeng along. The Murong family is implicated in this matter.”
“Grand Preceptor,” Hou Qianxing said, his tone sharp. “If you wish for the An family to survive this crisis, you should set aside personal grievances.” With that, he ended the discussion and turned to the matter at hand.
—
Along a secluded path, Murong Qiufeng looked at Shangguan Ye’s somber expression and couldn’t help but chuckle. He tapped the prince’s arm lightly. “What are you angry about?” He knew the prince was displeased with the Grand Preceptor’s attitude, but it seemed unnecessary to get so worked up about it.
Shangguan Ye stopped, took Qiufeng’s cold hand in his own, and kissed it gently. “I’m sorry you have to endure this.” His words carried more meaning than just the present situation.
Since meeting Shangguan Ye, Qiufeng had been dragged into numerous conspiracies and made many enemies. The prince had wanted to protect him from harm but instead exposed him to danger. All of this stemmed from his own selfishness, his desire to share every storm with Qiufeng.
Qiufeng’s cheeks flushed. He turned away, embarrassed. “It’s really nothing. Don’t overthink it. Let’s keep going.” He pulled his hand free and strode ahead through the snow, his heart racing from the prince’s tenderness.
Shangguan Ye watched his retreating figure and smiled. The cold no longer seemed as biting.
—
The courtyard was in disarray from the recent search.
Murong Qiufeng knelt to pick up a book from the ground. “Do you think they might have been searching for letters?”
Shangguan Ye pushed aside a cabinet and examined the scattered books, many of which were torn. “That’s possible.”
He suddenly noticed how the cabinet’s shadow formed a triangle when it was slightly misaligned. Moving the cabinet, he traced the shadow’s edges until he found a hidden mechanism. With a firm press, a stone panel in the floor slid open, revealing stairs descending into darkness.
“What’s that?” Qiufeng asked.
Shangguan Ye smiled. “Let’s find out.” He took the candle Qiufeng lit and descended first, warning, “Stay close and be careful.”
The underground passage was cold and damp but soon led to a dimly lit chamber. There, they found signs of habitation—feminine items suggesting a woman had lived there recently.
“This wasn’t the concubine’s room,” Qiufeng noted, touching a still-warm teapot. “Who else could it be?”
Before they could ponder further, a clattering noise sounded behind them. They turned and saw a figure limping away.
They pursued the figure to a hidden door leading into a cave-like space. Shangguan Ye called out, “Come out! We mean no harm.”
A tremulous voice answered, “Who are you?”
Murong Qiufeng replied softly, “I’m Murong Qiufeng, and this is Prince Ye, the Supreme Commander of the military.”
“The prince?” The voice wavered, then said bitterly, “If you’re truly here to investigate, tell me: Do you know the current favored concubine, An Lanxin? If I told you that I am the real An Lanxin, would you believe me?”
Shocked, the two men exchanged glances. Murong Qiufeng answered, “I believe you.”
The woman emerged, pale and trembling. In the light, her features were identical to the infamous An Lanxin, though her demeanor was more subdued and gentle.
She revealed her tragic tale: she was the true An Lanxin, once a favored concubine of the emperor, until her trusted maid betrayed her. The maid had taken her place, leaving her imprisoned here for over a year, poisoned to ensure her silence.
Tears filled her eyes. “I was replaced. And now my family is accused of treason. I beg you, help me save them.”
The prince clenched his fists, his eyes cold with resolve. “We will uncover the truth.”
The mystery had deepened: if this woman was the real An Lanxin, who was the imposter in the palace? And what sinister forces were manipulating events from the shadows?
