People only remembered Empress Chen to be gentle and dignified, but little did people know that the Emperor loved the mother of the Seventh Prince Sima Qiu, Imperial Concubine Shu, the most. The Emperor loved her so much that he wanted to name Imperial Concubine Shu the Empress as Empress Chen wasn’t able to get pregnant. However, the case of poisonous magic had touched the Emperor’s nerves. Not only did he either kill or exile every eunuchs and palace servant girls in Imperial Concubine Shu’s palace, but he also sent Sima Qiu, who was only six years old by then, to the remote Royal cemetery. He claimed that he wanted to let Sima Qiu guard the cemetery for him, but it was just another form of exile.
It was an eventful autumn ten years ago. Right after Imperial Concubine Shu was put into jail because of the case of poisonous magic, she committed suicide in jail. It was also then when the Weiyang Palace was on fire. After that, Empress Chen became the crucial assistant of the Emperor, and the Emperor made her in charge of the harem. This marked the beginning of Empress Chen’s glory in the past decade.
Leng Changxi looked slightly tired when he returned in the evening. It must be because of the arguments in the courtroom. Qin Yunuan carefully poured him some hot tea. Before she spoke, Leng Changxi took the initiative to talk about it, “The case regarding Empress Chen has been settled. Poisoning Imperial Concubine Yun and placing the Grand Prince under house arrest were already serious enough for a death penalty. Now that the case of poisonous magic from ten years ago was reviewed, there’s evidence that Empress Chen used the servant girls of Imperial Concubine Shu to set her up and sent people to poison her in jail.”
Qin Yunuan couldn’t help but sneered, “The evidence came so suddenly and thoroughly. It all happened such a long time ago. How could it be so easily re-investigated all in a sudden?”
Leng Changxi exchanged glances with Qin Yunuan, and they understood each other. Who else? Apart from Sima Ray, who else had such ability and such hatred to Empress Chen?
“Nevertheless, the Emperor is really furious this time. He had ordered that Empress Chen’s body would not be buried in the Royal cemetery, and nobody should be allowed to mourn her.”
Qin Yunuan exclaimed, “Empress Chen treasured her fame the most while she was alive. Now she would really die with her eyes wide open.”
An empress buried out of the Royal cemetery. It had never happened since the establishment of Qi.
Qin Yunuan was massaging Leng Changxi’s shoulder, and Leng Changxi narrowed his eyes comfortably. Right then, Leng Wu came in to report that a carriage suddenly came to the back door of Prince Ning’s mansion. The owner of the carriage refused to identify himself, but he asked for Leng Changxi.
“People who want to see me are just as many as people who want to kill me.” Leng Changxi sneered, “Is it that I have to see every one of them?”
Leng Wu paused for a moment, then suddenly arched his hands and said, “I understand.”
In the dark and narrow back alley, a black carriage stopped quietly by the back gate of Prince Ning’s mansion. The carriage was all black from the curtains to the wheels, even the clothes of the carriage driver, as if it had been fusing into the dark night.
“Dear guest, please return. It is late already, and our master isn’t seeing anyone.” A servant by the door said. It was easy to tell that he was no ordinary servant from his sparkling eyes.
“It doesn’t matter.” The person on the carriage said softly. The voice was so light that it was hard to tell whether it came from a man or a woman. “I can wait.”
“Humph, wait here then.”
The night was getting darker, but the carriage was still there. It seemed that the horse understood the mind of its master, and it didn’t make any sound.
The carriage driver couldn’t take it anymore. It was cold in the night, and he was shivering, “Master, we should return. You have been unwell if you catch a cold…”
“So what?” The person inside sounded weak, “I’ve been staying in colder places.”
Suddenly, the person inside stopped moving. His ears moved slightly and seemed to hear the light sound of friction in the air. If he was right, it must be a pair of well-made martial boots stepping on the rooftop coming this way. The owner of the boots must have excellent light skills, and no one could compare to him in Qi.
“He’s finally here.” The person in the carriage smiled as he heard a light sound of landing. The carriage driver was shocked as if he had seen a ghost when he saw Leng Changxi suddenly appearing in front of the carriage, and he trembled and fell off the carriage.
Meanwhile, the person in the carriage was extremely calm. He raised the curtain and revealed his unhealthily pale face. He smiled and said, “General Leng is really putting on airs to come after such a long time.”
Leng Changxi turned his body sideways and said frankly, “Cut the crap. Just tell me why you’re here, seventh prince.”
Only then, the seventh prince Sima Qiu dismounted the carriage slowly. Even though he’s already fifteen years old, he looked lean and pale as he stayed in the cold Royal cemetery for all these years. Apart from that, Empress Chen bribed the guards and nannies to be strict on Sima Qiu, and they even tortured him in every way.
“I like your frankness, General Leng.” Sima Qiu took a few steps forward, “I just want to cooperate with General Leng.”
Cooperation, again. Leng Changxi took a glance at Sima Qiu with the corner of his eyes, “May I ask, why do you think I would cooperate with you?”
“We have common enemies.” Sima Qiu’s tone was getting emotional.
“Your enemy is Empress Chen, seventh prince.” Leng Changxi ticked his eyes, “Now she’s dead already.”
“It’s not enough,” Sima Qiu shook his head and said, “Empress Chen and Sima Ray, they owe me so much that death isn’t enough to redeem their sins. Do you know how my life was in the Royal cemetery? Even though I am a prince, I was merely their toy and a joke back in the Royal cemetery. I could bear it when they cut my food short. I could bear it when they asked me to do the hard work. But did you know what Sima Ray do to me later? In order to please the local powers of the Royal City, he arranged the pedophiles working for the local powers into the Royal cemetery. I was good-looking, so I became their toy at night. Could you imagine that, General Leng? As a man, I have such a shameful past.”
Then Sima Qiu punched the carriage powerfully with a muffled bang, “Together with Empress Chen, they killed my mother. They took honor and peace away from me, and they even harmed my dignity as a person. I would never forgive Sima Ray without eating his flesh and drinking his blood.”
Leng Changxi smiled faintly after hearing that, “That’s your own business, and it’s nothing to me.” After that, he turned around and was about to leave. If it hadn’t been for Qin Yunuan who told him that Imperial Concubine Shu’s death was likely to be related to the fire of Weiyang Palace, and Sima Qiu might know something, he wouldn’t give up the warmth in his room and come here in the first place.
“Don’t General Leng want to know about your real self?” Sima Qiu yelled. “You’ve investigated the fire of Weiyang Palace for so long, but you’re always a step away from the answer. With your ability, General Leng, you should have easily found the truth for such a small incident. Don’t you wonder why, General Leng?”
Leng Changxi turned back with a gloomy look, “What do you mean?”
Sima Qiu smiled, “General Leng, have you ever doubted the people around you?” Sima Qiu said as he slowly approached, “I’m unhealthy indeed, and my eyes don’t work so well having stayed in a dark environment for too long. But that’s also the reason why my ears work much better than normal people. I could hear something that you might not.”
Leng Changxi stood still, “Seventh prince, you should know that I hate being threatened.”
“No one dares to threaten you,” Sima Qiu shrugged, “I was pleading, pleading you to cooperate with me.”
Leng Changxi stared at Sima Qiu for a long time. He was unsure about it. In fact, he had already discovered what Sima Qiu told him, and he was secretly investigating it too, but the progress was very slow.
The glances of the two met. After a while, Sima Qiu suddenly said, “I have everything you want, the son of the grand princess of Weiyang Palace, Leng Changxi.”
Leng Changxi’s pupil contracted. Qin Yunuan, who was hiding in the dark, was also shocked. She had been doubting about it, but now that Sima Qiu said it, it was expected but surprising.
The quiet air seemed to freeze. The masked face of Leng Changxi was emotionless. He suddenly turned around and ordered the shadow guards who were hiding in the dark, “Kill him.”
The next moment, shadows of blades shined in the empty alley. It was the first time Sima Qiu saw such circumstances. His legs became powerless, and he fell onto the carriage driver. He tried his best to explain, “My mother had a great relationship with the grand princess when she was alive. The grand princess was taken on the way to her marriage, then she was rescued and hidden in the palace. My mother was the only one who went to visit her. General Leng, you shouldn’t kill me so ruthlessly if you want to know more about your birth mother. I’m still useful to you.”
Leng Changxi raised his hand and gestured a stop sign, then said with a low voice, “Then I’ll kill you later.”
Sima Qiu was relieved, and he boldly asked, “General Leng, aren’t you inviting me in to talk about it further?”
Leng Changxi replied coldly, “Go to the First Boite. I don’t want to make Prince Ning’s mansion dirty.” In fact, Leng Changxi knew clearly by now that there’s someone in Prince Ning’s mansion that he needed to beware.
Qin Yunuan was worried, and she naturally followed him there. However, she stopped at the door of the third-floor secret room of the First Boite of Royal City. She held Leng Changxi’s hand and said gently, “If you don’t want me to know, I’ll not go in.”
After Qin Yunuan said that, Leng Changxi dragged her to his chest powerfully.
“I wish you to be there with me. Everything of me isn’t a secret to you.”
In the room, Sima Qiu’s cheeks finally looked a bit rosy. He calmly said, “It all started twenty-three years ago. At that time, West Xia and Qi were at war, but like North Di and Qi nowadays, and the people of Qi were suffering. However, back then, Qi was the one which asked for peace by marriage. The one who was to be married was the noblest grand princess Qinghe of Qi, and the one who escorted her to West Xia was Prince Ning, Leng Zhongyi, who had admired the grand princess for years.”
