Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 106

Dou Hui was an old retainer of Emperor Gao. After Emperor Gao’s funeral carriage departed, he was left idle. Emperor Ai, a man of lofty ambitions, was determined to entrust the palace to those he trusted. Dou Hui knew that staying would only make him a nuisance, so he simply feigned illness and requested to resign from the palace.

Over the years, he had amassed considerable savings, enough to buy a residence in the capital, establish some property, and live out his remaining years in peace. In the past, he was often surrounded by sycophants, for he was a man Emperor Gao relied upon. Now that Emperor Gao was gone, no one paid him any mind. For the past half-year, his life had been quite comfortable. It was Grand Princess Puyang who, grateful that he was an old man who had served her late father, often sent people to his home to inquire after him. She never forgot to send gifts during festivals, treating him as one of her own family’s elders.

But Dou Hui was never at ease.

Emperor Gao’s death was an unresolved knot in his heart. If this knot was not untied, he always felt that turmoil lay ahead.

Having been immersed in the palace for most of his life, he had developed an almost unerring intuition for good and ill, for conspiracies and schemes. It was very precise. Emperor Gao had clearly been harmed by someone, but as to who it was or how they had done it, Dou Hui had no clue. Logically, it should have been the Princess’s faction. She had benefited the most after Emperor Gao’s death. Moreover, the edict that the Prince Consort had produced from his sleeve was even more suspicious. He had clearly calculated everything, preparing the edict in advance, just waiting for the right moment to present it.

Forced by sentiment and by the circumstances, he had no choice but to play along with the act and let him have his way. After that, all power in the court fell to the Grand Princess, and Emperor Ai was completely sidelined.

Yet Dou Hui also felt it was unlikely to have been Puyang’s doing. Even after the Grand Princess ascended the throne as a woman and became the ruler of the world, Dou Hui still felt it wasn’t her. This, too, was an intuition. He had been by Emperor Gao’s side. While Emperor Gao himself might have been blinded by his position, Dou Hui was a complete outsider, and thus saw the dispositions of the imperial princes and princesses with even greater clarity. The new ruler was cunning, yes, but she would not go so far as to harm the father she loved so deeply. Furthermore, judging from her interactions after he left the palace, she was indeed completely unaware.

Dou Hui grew increasingly anxious. If she was not the mastermind, he feared this matter would soon be brought to light. Recalling that day, the Prince Consort had been calm and composed. He had fully assumed that the Prince Consort had discussed it with the Princess and made complete preparations. Now, it seemed that was not the case.

These past few days, Dou Hui’s heart had been burning with anxiety. It was not until several eunuchs arrived at his residence with a verbal edict from Her Majesty that Dou Hui felt a sense of relief. With a sword hanging over your neck, you always fear its fall. When it finally does, you become calm instead.

It could not be worse than this.

Puyang summoned them in batches. First, she questioned the imperial physicians and reviewed the medical records, learning that the late Emperor had been in good health before his death, with no life-threatening conditions. The imperial physicians, being of low rank and little power, dared not say much. When questioned by the Emperor, Imperial Physician Zhou finally summoned his courage and added, “Ever since Your Majesty persuaded Emperor Gao that time, he had been recuperating according to my prescription, and his pulse was consistently stable.”

With this statement, by the time Dou Hui arrived, Puyang’s expression was already grim.

The late Emperor’s death was strange in every respect. Some had felt something was wrong early on, but with the posthumous edict suppressing them, no one dared to speak of it. Puyang, for her part, had not pursued it because Wei Xiu had been present at the late Emperor’s deathbed, and Wei Xiu had never mentioned anything amiss. At the time, she thought that for such a major matter, if A-Xiu knew something, she would certainly not have kept silent, so she too had let it rest.

However, once abnormalities began to surface, every word of that posthumous edict became suspicious.

Dou Hui prostrated himself on the ground, saying, “This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal joy without end.”

Puyang looked at him. His hair was graying, and he already showed signs of old age. He wore a simple cloth robe, appearing like a kind-faced old man. She had always thought so. He had served the late Emperor for most of his life and had inevitably had some friction with court officials. She had feared that after a lifetime of toil, he would live uncomfortably in his old age, so she often sent people to look after him, as a way to reward his loyalty. Who knew that this loyalty was false.

“Minister Dou, who instructed you to forge the posthumous edict?” Puyang asked directly. Her tone was so calm it was frightening. Even though Dou Hui was prepared, he could not help but feel a chill.

He kowtowed heavily and replied, “The edict was not forged by this guilty subject. It was the Prince… the Imperial Consort and this subject. All that this subject did was in accordance with orders.”

Puyang felt as if her soul had suddenly been ripped from her body. She felt a chill in her heart, a sense of sorrow, a surge of resentment, and also exhaustion.

She did not even have the strength to speak. She simply waved her hand, dismissing Dou Hui. She did not say how he would be dealt with, nor did she give him any instructions.

Dou Hui did not ask, either. He quietly withdrew.

There was no one else in the hall. Puyang had dismissed the palace attendants long ago. She had not believed Wei Xiu did it, but she had still prepared, just in case. What if she had? The crime of murdering the late Emperor—if that were to get out, even she, the Emperor, could not protect her.

So there had been so many lies between them. She remembered a long time ago, whenever the late Emperor summoned Wei Xiu, she would always follow along. She was always so worried that her father would hurt the person she loved, and she protected her at every turn.

Looking back now, it was truly laughable.

What was even more laughable was that she still could not bring herself to feel a shred of hatred for Wei Xiu. She had deceived her, but she did not hate her; a father’s debt is paid by the child, and she could only accept it. She had killed her father, yet she still could not hate her. It was true that her family had been in the wrong.

But no matter how bad the late Emperor was, he was still her father. As his daughter, how was she to accept this?

Puyang stared blankly, not even noticing the tears streaming down her face. She thought, Where has A-Xiu gone? Why hasn’t she returned? I so want to see her with my own eyes. Even at a time like this, she still wanted to lean in her arms as she had before. Even knowing that warm, reliable embrace was fake, was cold, she still longed for it, still did not want to lose it.

Wei Xiu had left the palace to see Jiao Yong.

On the day of the Prince of Jin’s rebellion, she had given a jade pendant to Yan Huan as a token, instructing him to ask Jiao Yong to surround the Prince of Jin’s residence as a threat if the situation took a turn.

Now, the matter was over. Jiao Yong wanted to return the jade pendant and had requested to see her.

He had done her a great favor. Moreover, this incident had exposed her. Rather than avoiding him, it was better to go and meet him.

Jiao Yong had acted without hesitation based on a single jade pendant, which showed his feelings for the Zhong clan. Seeing him, Wei Xiu was instantly reminded of the years gone by. She had met Jiao Yong when she was young. He was about the same age as her brother. In military strategy, he was inferior to her brother, but in martial arts, her brother was no match for him.

The two of them were always sparring. Her brother would fight again after every defeat, and Jiao Yong never held back, often beating her brother so soundly he could not fight back. Even so, Wei Xiu had never seen any discord between them. On the contrary, they grew closer, like bl00d brothers.

Jiao Yong knew who Wei Xiu was the moment he saw her. She bore too strong a resemblance to Zhong Qing. It was only thanks to the fact that most people in the capital had forgotten the young man who had long resided on the frontier that her identity had not been exposed.

“It has been a long time, Brother. I trust you have been well,” Wei Xiu said with a smile.

Seeing an old acquaintance, Jiao Yong was overcome with emotion. He looked at Wei Xiu for a long time before saying, “A-Meng.” When Wei Xiu nodded, he sighed, a mix of happiness and sorrow. “You are still alive. Master Zhong’s bloodline can continue. I am truly happy.”

As he spoke, he took the jade pendant from his robes and respectfully returned it to Wei Xiu.

Wei Xiu accepted it, glanced down at it, and then carefully tucked it away. “Thank you for your help this time, Brother,” she said.

Jiao Yong smiled. “Compared to the grace of Master Zhong’s teachings back then, what is this?” He sat up straight, his expression turning serious. “Whatever your plans are, just say the word. Although I have been transferred from the Gold Guard, I have built up considerable support in the army over the years. We must make the Xiao family pay for their crimes in bl00d!”

He was past thirty, but his heart was filled with a passion no different from his youth. Wei Xiu watched him, somewhat dazed, finding the words she had to say next difficult to utter.

Seeing Wei Xiu’s silence, Jiao Yong asked with concern, “Are you in some kind of difficulty?”

Wei Xiu looked at him and said slowly, “I no longer think of revenge.”

Jiao Yong was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief. He stared at Wei Xiu for a long time. She let him scrutinize her, not saying a word. His gaze, once direct, shifted from concern to contempt. Wei Xiu was filled with shame, yet she remained silent.

Finally, Jiao Yong scoffed, stood up, and turned to leave. He stopped at the door and turned back to look at Wei Xiu, his mocking gaze like a knife, slicing away her dignity piece by piece.

Wei Xiu could not offer any high-minded words. She could only let him look down on her like this.

Jiao Yong waited a moment, but Wei Xiu did not take back her words. He scoffed again and again, his words piercing her heart. “The Zhong clan has always been of noble and upright character. There has never been someone like you who covets wealth and clings to power. With you alive in this world, I wonder if Master Zhong can rest in peace in the netherworld?”

Wei Xiu’s brow twitched. She lowered her gaze to the floor before her and said in a low voice, “You should go.”

Jiao Yong’s last hope died. Before leaving, he shot her a glance filled with both hatred and disgust. “It would have been better if you had died back then!”

Wei Xiu sat woodenly in the tea room for a long time. Yan Huan and A Rong watched her with worry, but dared not make a sound.

As dusk fell, Wei Xiu turned to look out the window. Pedestrians on the street outside hurried toward their homes. After a day of hard work, parents or spouses and children were waiting for them. Knowing this made any hardship worthwhile. It was the same for everyone in the world.

“In your hearts, do you also see me this way?” Wei Xiu asked.

Did they think her actions had disgraced the Zhong clan’s name? That it would have been better if she had gone with her parents all those years ago?

A Rong quickly said, “Of course not.”

Wei Xiu looked toward Yan Huan. He said nothing. When his eyes met hers, he looked away, not daring to meet her gaze directly. A Rong’s relatives had perished when the Zhong residence was exterminated. Yan Huan’s father had died loyally while protecting the Grand Marshal. They assisted Wei Xiu with all their might, certainly because they served her as their master, but they had also placed their hopes in her.

Wei Xiu smiled, a smile of utter desolation.

“So be it,” she said softly.

It was late dusk when Wei Xiu returned to the palace. The sun sank in the west, setting the sky ablaze with sunset clouds like a raging fire. A cool wind rose, the autumn chill deepening. Under the evening glow, the city of Luoyang seemed so bleak.

Puyang was waiting for her in the Hall of Containing Light.

A meal was already set out in the hall. The moment she entered, Puyang draped an outer robe over her shoulders and said, “It’s getting cold.”

Wei Xiu smiled at her. “You take care as well.”

They looked at each other without a word. They clearly had a thousand things to say, but neither could utter the first sentence.

After dinner, the two of them went to the study.

Wei Xiu had wanted to wait until the matter with the Prince of Han and the Prince of Teng was settled before speaking of her own affairs, but she could no longer bear the weight. The day-after-day self-reproach had made it impossible for her to continue acting as if nothing was wrong.