The entire investigation into A wu’s escape from the Imperial Capital was entrusted to Futai.
How Ye Han managed to infiltrate the Taoist temple and enter the palace, how A wu summoned her, and where A wu went afterward—all of it was thoroughly uncovered.
Futai knelt before Emperor Jingxi, pleading guilty.
At the time, he knew A wu had been to the front hall of Fengtian Hall, but to avoid trouble, he had concealed this fact.
Later, when he encountered Princess Dening within the palace, he even mentioned A wu to her, urging her to visit the Imperial Noble Consort.
He never imagined this would lead to such consequences.
Emperor Jingxi neither confirmed nor denied this, but instead asked in detail about the circumstances before and after A wu killed the Empress.
He then interrogated Princess Dening, pressing her about the events of that day.
Princess Dening stubbornly held her ground, “If I hadn’t helped her, she would have died.”
Emperor Jingxi’s face was expressionless, “Speak.”
He added hoarsely, “Tell me exactly what you saw.”
Princess Dening recounted how she went to Langhua Hall and saw A wu, terrified, her face as pale as paper, holding a hairpin and attempting to end her life.
She described how A wu cried in fear.
She spoke it all in one breath.
After a long while, she knelt, pressing her forehead to the ground.
“I know I have betrayed you, Father, but you once said I must fulfill the duties of an elder sister. I could not bear to see the Imperial Noble Consort sacrificed to accompany you in death, nor could I bear to watch you, in anger, kill her. That would leave my younger brothers and sisters motherless.”
Emperor Jingxi’s cold voice cut through the air as he said, “You’re talking nonsense. That was only a jest; you actually took it seriously?”
Princess Dening lifted her neck stubbornly, murmuring, “But Mother said it was true. She had reason…”
Emperor Jingxi’s voice lowered, slow and heavy, “What did she say?”
Princess Dening answered, “She said there are few sincere among emperors and ministers. Before Han Wudi passed, he personally ordered Consort Gouyi to die. The more talented an emperor, the fewer true hearts he has; all are cold as iron. She did what she did because she knew you wouldn’t spare her. She was bound to die…” Her voice trailed off.
Emperor Jingxi’s expression darkened, and the entire bedchamber seemed to grow heavy with a suffocating aura.
Princess Dening was frightened.
She had never seen her father look so gloomy.
After a moment, Emperor Jingxi said coldly and bleakly, “Yes, I am heartless and ruthless, brutal and cold-blooded. She was right. You did well. You were right. It’s my fault. All my fault.”
Princess Dening was dumbfounded. “Father…”
“Leave.”
“Father, I didn’t mean to, but I saw Mother so terrified—”
“Leave.”
Several palace ladies and maidservants quickly stepped forward and took Princess Dening away.
Silence returned to the bedchamber.
The water clock ticked softly.
Emperor Jingxi’s face was pale and cold as he stared fixedly at the intricate patterns on the carpet, while scenes replayed vividly before his eyes.
She had nestled softly and dependently in the arms of that young man.
She looked at him with wary, terrified eyes.
Though she stretched out her delicate arm, begging for his embrace, she instead pleaded for that young man.
Emperor Jingxi recalled the horrific scene of the Empress’s death, a sight that chilled the soul.
A wu had never killed before, yet now she had.
Clumsily, she stabbed at flesh with the golden hairpin in her hair.
Emperor Jingxi had killed before; he knew what it meant for someone who had never killed to take a life for the first time.
Even the coldest, most ruthless people would be haunted by it—plagued by nightmares, sudden awakenings, and lingering fear. It took time to adjust.
But she—she was just an ordinary, delicate woman.
Yet she killed, and in such a clumsy, difficult way.
Emperor Jingxi pressed his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes with difficulty.
She had only given birth six months ago, and she was still young.
He should have been more patient, explaining things slowly instead of being so harsh.
That was why she had spiraled after the Empress’s incident, pushing herself into a corner and taking desperate measures.
She had truly been forced into a dead end, willing to risk everything.
Killing the Empress was, in essence, suicide.
She left herself no way out.
At that moment, Futai entered silently and knelt, not uttering a word.
He was certainly at fault—greatly at fault.
He felt guilt and was willing to accept punishment.
Emperor Jingxi’s expression remained dark and silent.
Futai knelt quietly, waiting.
Suddenly, Emperor Jingxi spoke, “That day, she said she returned from the Daoist temple to Langhua Hall and first went to the side hall. Was anyone present at the time?”
Futai hurriedly answered respectfully, “Weilan was by her side, and the Wet Nurse as well.”
Emperor Jingxi repeated, cold as ice, “Xuan Weilan and the Wet Nurse.”
Futai was taken aback, suddenly realizing something.
A wu appeared innocent and naïve, unaware of worldly matters, but deep down, she harbored a near-fanatical decisiveness and cruelty.
Just look at how she treated the Imperial Son and Lu Yunjian.
She would never look back.
She would never soften.
She killed the Empress in a fit of anger, but before that—
Futai’s heart shrank in fear; he dared not dwell on it.
Weilan and the Wet Nurse soon arrived.
The Wet Nurse had been driven out by A wu and had seen nothing.
Weilan knelt there, trembling all over.
Emperor Jingxi’s cold gaze fixed on Weilan. “Speak.”
Weilan’s lips quivered. “Your servant… your servant saw—”
Emperor Jingxi listened silently.
Weilan hesitated, then suddenly burst into tears, bowing her head to the ground desperately as she cried, “Your servant saw the Imperial Noble Consort take a golden hairpin. She wanted to—”
Futai’s heart nearly leapt from his chest.
He wanted to stop her but was unable to speak.
He now understood.
The Imperial Noble Consort killed the Empress in a single, furious sweep, without hesitation.
There must have been a violent resentment brewing in her heart for days.
But where did this resentment come from?
From that day’s mention of sacrificial burial, that resentment had taken root!
Yet on the day of the sacrificial burial, to whom was she speaking?
And how had she restrained herself?
Weilan sobbed, “She raised the golden hairpin toward the little Imperial Son—”
When she said this, she suddenly realized the Emperor was staring at her.
His expression was terrifyingly strange, his eyes sharp and chilling.
Weilan shuddered, “It seemed the Consort wanted to kill the little Imperial Son, almost stabbed him… but she withdrew.”
She then prostrated herself on the ground, trembling but desperately suppressing her sobs.
Soon, she was taken away.
After Weilan left, the bedchamber fell into a deathly silence.
Futai had served Emperor Jingxi since he was thirteen; now, after twenty-three years, he had never seen the Emperor’s face so pale.
Not even when Emperor Jingxi’s own brother once tried to seize the throne had he seen such an expression.
In truth, when he thought about it carefully, the most beloved Consort—the woman the Emperor cared for deeply—had just given birth to a pair of adorable twins.
It was a time of bliss and joy, so much so that the Emperor had been smiling widely and was even considering issuing a General Amnesty.
But in the midst of such happiness, if suddenly everything vanished—what would that mean to Emperor Jingxi?
Futai dared not think, and yet fear crept into his bones like a cold chill.
The horrifying tragedy had almost happened without their knowledge.
It had all come down to a single moment of thought.
In this suffocating pain and unease, Futai glanced at Emperor Jingxi and saw fine cold sweat beading on his forehead.
The Emperor’s thin lips moved slightly, as if to speak, but no sound came out.
Then, Emperor Jingxi bowed his back, covering his eyes with his long, slender fingers.
“If a single careless word of mine has caused this human tragedy… ABE…”
He closed his eyes and murmured lowly, “I cannot live anymore.”
***
For several days, Weilan had been anxious and uneasy.
But after Futai summoned her and comforted her, Weilan finally felt at ease.
Futai was kind and gentle.
After consoling her, he sent her to the Imperial Food Bureau to work hard.
He spoke earnestly, “I will help you step by step, supporting you all the way until you reach the fifth rank of Shanggong.”
When he said this, Weilan’s expression showed some confusion.
She seemed to realize something and looked serious.
Futai sighed, “But you must remember, remember exactly what you saw and heard. Keep it in your heart.”
Weilan bowed her head.
“Yes.”
Futai said, “Now, tell me what you saw. What did you remember?”
Weilan thought for a moment then said: “The Emperor said that in the future, the Consort would be buried with him. The Consort wanted the jade thumb ring, but the Emperor refused. The Consort wanted the Imperial Second Son to inherit the Crown Prince position, but the Emperor still refused. The Consort was deeply hurt, depressed after childbirth, almost causing a great disaster. The Emperor was heartbroken over this.”
Futai stood with his hands behind his back and nodded, “Excellent. Listen.”
He sighed, “No matter how much the Emperor loves the Consort, he never indulged her even a bit. Because of this, a tragedy almost happened.”