Chapter 35: The Scapegoat Princess Sentenced to Death (35)

Even though the abbots of Buddhist institutions like the White Horse Temple and Ganlu Temple eventually joined the effort, they were just as clueless as the rest, failing even to notice the pig's tail growing from the Emperor Tianwu’s backside.

The Emperor did not tell them, of course. He had been bathing and dressing himself lately. After all, he could not simply execute every maid who served him; that would be a clear signal to others that something was wrong with his body. Thus, he had to handle these two tasks himself.

As time passed, not only were the masters of the Celestial Master’s Mansion and the various temples growing increasingly anxious, but the Emperor himself was becoming deeply distressed. Rumors began to swirl throughout the capital because the Emperor had not held court for a long time. Indeed, ever since he had suddenly begun to gain weight, he had ceased appearing at court, only occasionally summoning key officials for small meetings and strictly ordering them to keep his condition secret.

It was precisely because of this that the events within the palace and his sudden physical transformation could be temporarily masked. Had he appeared at court, the civil and military officials would have known immediately; it would have been impossible to keep them all silent. Yet, for an Emperor who had always been diligent, suddenly missing court for over a week was bound to stir up private discussions among the uninformed officials. Coupled with the ambiguous rumors leaking from the palace and the fact that the abbots of the White Horse and Ganlu temples had been explicitly summoned, it was difficult for the officials not to speculate. For now, however, no one dared to speak openly, only whispering among themselves in private. The nature of these discussions varied wildly depending on whether the individual was fully informed, partially informed, or completely in the dark.

...

In the rear hall of the Qianqing Palace in the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Zhu Yu was hosting a private family dinner with the Crown Princess Tang Hui, his brother-in-law Tang Xiande, his study companion and Left Admonisher Xia Luo (the eldest son of the Duke of Qi), and Zhou Bin (the second son of the Duke of Ding). Once the eunuchs and palace maids were dismissed, they began to discuss the Emperor’s situation in private.

"Your Highness, I have gathered information about the Prince of Lu. It is said he has been cursed; his entire body is covered in blue, purple, and black spots, his tongue has swollen to block his throat, making breathing difficult, and his limbs have turned into pig trotters. I find it hard to believe, but the person who told me claims to have seen it with his own eyes."

Feudatory princes were not free and generally could not leave their fiefs. The Crown Prince was in a similar position, finding it difficult even to leave the Eastern Palace. Furthermore, because the Emperor was currently in the prime of his life, the Prince dared not cultivate deep ties with officials. Information from inside the palace was relatively easy for him to obtain, but news from outside was not. Consequently, when the Emperor sent men to investigate the Prince of Lu’s situation, the Crown Prince immediately dispatched his brother-in-law to do the same. Tang Xiande had not seen the Prince of Lu himself, so he spoke with hesitation, finding the report somewhat absurd.

The Crown Prince nodded bitterly and said, "If this had been a few days ago, I would have found it equally outrageous. But now, it seems likely to be true. You do not know what has happened in the palace. The Prince of Lu’s mother, Consort Guang, became eight months pregnant overnight and gave birth to a pig’s head—a lifelike pig’s head. And the Father Emperor has suddenly gained dozens of pounds. Since this weight gain is also related to pigs, the news of the Prince of Lu’s limbs turning into trotters is not entirely inconceivable. The masters from the Celestial Master’s Mansion, the Imperial Observatory, the White Horse Temple, and the Ganlu Temple are all gathered in the Zichen Hall, yet none have found a solution. I suspect this matter is inextricably linked to Prince Zhu Qin; in fact, he is likely the one who brought this disaster upon us. It is only natural that his condition is the most severe."

Aside from the Crown Princess, who already knew, the others were shocked. However, they understood that some things could be said by the Crown Prince but not by them, so they remained silent, lost in thought.

"The Emperor and Consort Guang have both fallen victim to this? No wonder the Emperor hasn't held court for days. Even when I ask my father, he just mumbles and says nothing truthful. You are the only one who treats us as your own, Your Highness." Once the Crown Prince had spoken, Tang Xiande understood that the information he had gathered was likely accurate.

"I am telling you this, but you must not let it go further. The situation is still unclear. Sigh, I have long suggested to the Father Emperor that he needs to exercise greater control over some of my brothers, or at least keep them under his watchful eye. Treat this as if you never heard it. Go back, behave yourselves, and stay quiet. If necessary, pretend to be ill. The Father Emperor is likely in a foul mood. We have no way to help, and empty words of comfort are useless; it is better to keep a low profile."

The Crown Prince had never been one to believe in such things, but reality left him no choice. Knowing his father’s temperament and his own helplessness in this matter, he began to plan for the future, prioritizing discretion to avoid his father’s wrath. After a few final instructions, the meeting adjourned, and he sent word to the other officials belonging to the Eastern Palace to keep their heads down and avoid trouble.

This was the reaction of those who knew the truth. Those who only knew a little were busy scurrying about, trying to dig up more information—if the Emperor weren't currently too busy to deal with them, they would have been executed long ago. As for those who knew nothing at all, they simply listened to the gossip, joined the crowd, or waited on the sidelines to see how things would unfold.

After a long time—long enough for Ding Shui to grow tired of toying with the Prince of Lu—the party finally arrived at the capital. They were immediately taken into the palace by the Emperor and handed over to the Celestial Master’s Mansion and the Imperial Observatory, with orders to find a solution. Dong Huaide and the imperial physicians who returned with them were not executed immediately but were ordered to cooperate fully. If the Prince of Lu recovered, their lives might be spared; if not, they would all be buried with him.

The Emperor believed that the reason the Imperial Observatory and the Celestial Master’s Mansion had failed to make progress was that they only had Consort Guang—who had already given birth—and the pig’s head to study. Furthermore, due to the restrictions of gender, they could not properly examine the Consort. Moreover, the abnormalities in the Consort might have already faded. As for himself, he could not very well let those monks and Taoists examine his own body. Therefore, they had lacked a breakthrough. Now, with his son, the Prince of Lu, who possessed an abundance of abnormalities, available for experimentation, the Emperor felt a glimmer of hope.

But Ding Shui no longer wished to drag things out. The efficiency was too low; it had taken over a month to reach the capital, and they still hadn't accepted their fate. After resting for a night, Ding Shui decided it was time to officially send the Prince of Lu to his death.