Chapter 83: The Grief of Loss (Part One)

“Say ‘atari’!”

In a side hall to the east of the Tai’an Palace, Li Xian, with an air of composure, picked a black stone from the go board and placed it on the board with a crisp snap. Smiling broadly, he looked across at Li Xian sitting opposite him and gently reminded him.

“I’m done. This is pointless!”

Li Xian, already looking troubled, saw that his large group was about to be slaughtered, the game beyond saving. He had no desire to continue. Irritated, he tossed a white stone onto the board, snapped back his words, and abruptly got up. He paced the hall in agitation, his brow furrowed into a deep, unmistakable scowl.

“Sixth Brother, are you really giving up? Why not start over? I’ll give you a three-stone handicap, what do you say?” Li Xian, fully aware of what was troubling his brother, cared little. He didn’t even bother explaining, merely chuckled and teased with a carefree air.

“You can still laugh, Seventh Brother? Father has neglected state affairs for three days now. Who knows about the Emperor’s health… sigh…” Li Xian shot Li Xian a disgruntled glare, stamped his foot, and gave a long, miserable sigh.

“Don’t worry, Sixth Brother. Father is fine. Today, or at the latest tomorrow, he’ll make a decision. Just put your mind at ease.” Li Xian smiled slightly, flicked his wide sleeves, and answered with a reassuring smile.

“I hope so.”

Li Xian’s patience was wearing thin after three days of waiting. Anxiety gnawed at him—not only genuine concern for the Emperor’s health, but even more so for the outcome of the Gong family’s case. Although the blame had been shifted to Yan Desheng, neither brother could claim complete innocence. If trouble did arise, the consequences would not be so easily dismissed. For this reason, Li Xian inwardly regretted ever getting involved with his brother in the first place, though he couldn’t bring himself to say so.

Tsk, this guy is still too restless. With a temperament like this, how will he ever hold his own against that woman? No wonder he failed so miserably in his previous life! Seeing Li Xian’s agitation, Li Xian silently grumbled in his heart. Yet his face remained calm, his smile unchanging, and he said nothing more, letting his brother pace back and forth like a caged beast.

“Seventh Brother, do you think Mother might…”

At last, Li Xian could not suppress his worry. His face darkened as he voiced half his concern, his anxious expression practically screaming “no confidence.”

Enough. In the end, we’ll have to rely on him to keep up appearances. If he gets too worked up and does something foolish, what a mess that would be! Li Xian hadn’t intended to reveal the truth, but seeing his brother so unnerved, he rolled his eyes inwardly and said, “Sixth Brother, sit down. I know what I’m doing. There won’t be any problems.”

“Oh? Why is that? Tell me, Seventh Brother, let me hear your reasoning.” Li Xian had been holding back for three days and could no longer contain himself. He didn’t immediately believe his brother’s reassurance; instead, he pressed for answers with dogged persistence.

“Sixth Brother, the confession submitted three days ago was from Yan Desheng; naturally, the responsibility falls to the Palace of Virtue. The case has already reached Father, and word’s spread among officials. Haven’t you heard? There’s no turning back once the arrow’s released. The ones who should be anxious are those at the Palace of Virtue—not you,” Li Xian said with a helpless shake of his head.

“True enough, but until there’s a result, I just can’t rest easy,” Li Xian admitted. He was not a fool; he’d already considered the logic behind his brother’s words. But ultimately, his lack of confidence made him uneasy.

“Sixth Brother, Father is wise and not easily deceived. I’d wager he’s already guessed the truth, but dare not say so, nor would he truly investigate. The delay is only to create pressure. But alas, I fear Father’s scheme will come to nothing.” Seeing his brother still unable to see through the fog, Li Xian, though reluctant, decided to reveal everything.

“Ah, this—” Li Xian clearly hadn’t thought so deeply. Hearing that the Emperor might have guessed the case’s intricacies made him nervous.

“No need to worry, Sixth Brother. Sometimes you have to let things play out as they are. What’s done is done; there can’t be more trouble now. Father—” Li Xian, an adept in political intrigue, far surpassed his brother in these matters. Since he’d revealed his reasoning, he no longer bothered with subtleties and laid out his logic plainly. But before he could finish, Zhang Che hurried in from outside, prompting Li Xian to fall silent at once.

“What is it?”

Li Xian might lack experience, but he was clever. Hearing his brother’s explanation, he was about to offer his own thoughts when Zhang Che approached. He stopped himself, frowned with displeasure, and asked in a steady voice.

“Your Highness, Lord Gao has arrived with an imperial message. His Majesty summons you at once.” Zhang Che, seeing Li Xian’s displeasure, dared not be careless and quickly explained his presence.

“Hm?” At the Emperor’s summons, Li Xian was taken aback. He hesitated before asking, “Just me?”

“Your Highness, Lord Gao said only that His Majesty summoned you; there were no other instructions.” Zhang Che glanced at Li Xian’s face before replying cautiously.

“Seventh Brother, this—?”

Hearing he was summoned alone, Li Xian’s nerves, just calmed, were thrown into turmoil again. He shot a grave look at his composed brother, seeking reassurance.

What’s the old man up to—sowing discord? Or being mysterious? Li Xian was also surprised by the Emperor’s decision to summon his brother alone. His mind raced, and after a moment he guessed the reason, though he couldn’t be sure. When Li Xian looked at him, Li Xian smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Sixth Brother. It’s good news. If I’m not mistaken, this time you’ll be put to good use.”

“Oh? Is that so? How do you figure?” Li Xian was bewildered, unsure if his brother was joking.

“Don’t worry, Sixth Brother. Go on, don’t keep Father waiting. I’ll await your good news here.” Faced with his brother’s doubts, Li Xian offered no further explanation, only replied with certainty.

“Very well. Then wait here, Seventh Brother. I’ll be back soon.” Seeing his brother’s confidence, Li Xian, despite lingering doubts, was mostly reassured. He nodded and made to leave.

“Sixth Brother, remember—if Father asks you to support the Crown Prince, don’t hesitate. State your position at once.” Before Li Xian turned to go, Li Xian added with a smile.

“I understand.” Li Xian was still uncertain about his brother’s advice, but unwilling to contradict him, he replied vaguely and strode out of the hall.

“Get out! All of you, get out of here!”

In a small side hall on the west side of the palace, angry roars echoed, punctuated by the crash of shattered porcelain. In such a heavily guarded palace, this clamor was especially jarring. Clearly, there was only one person who dared behave so outrageously here—Helan Minzhi.

Helan Minzhi was always headstrong and never cared for rules. But ever since the Gong family incident, he had been confined in this side hall for three days. Despite being well looked after, with ample attendants and provisions, he could not leave. The grief of losing both mother and sister had left him seething, and now this captivity pushed him to the brink. He had tried to force his way out, but each time was blocked by skilled eunuchs at the door and, though not seriously harmed, was knocked out and brought back, adding to his humiliation. The pain of bereavement drove him nearly mad. He rampaged through the hall, smashing everything within reach, but it was futile. The eunuchs ignored his frenzy and the palace maids, as long as he stayed inside, turned a blind eye. No one intervened or tried to calm him, which only stoked his rage further.

“Get out! All of you, get out now—get out!”

After a bout of destruction, the hall was left in shambles. With nothing left to break, Helan Minzhi collapsed amid the debris, gasping for breath, still muttering curses. A wave of helplessness surged from deep within, his eyes reddened, and tears streamed down his twisted face. Amid his blurred vision, he suddenly felt the air in the hall grow heavy, and a nameless fear seized him. He wiped his face with his sleeve, looked up with red-rimmed eyes, and saw the Empress Wu standing before him.

“Your Majesty, your nephew is in such pain. Mother and sister died such unjust deaths—please, Your Majesty, give me justice, I beg you...”

Seeing Empress Wu, Helan Minzhi’s tears flowed even more fiercely. He collapsed to the floor, wailing in anguish—a sight too pitiful to bear.

Witnessing such grief, the Empress’s anger slowly softened, and a fleeting, complex look crossed her eyes…