Chapter Twenty-Three: A Palace Coup, Old Enmities Revealed

Deep within the grand palace, the Emperor sat in his chambers, his face as dark as a gathering storm. He was deeply troubled by the ambush on Crown Prince Li Chengyin; the incident had struck the court like a massive boulder cast into a placid lake, stirring up tumultuous waves.

The Emperor’s intense concern stemmed from two fronts. On one hand, Li Chengyin was his own flesh and blood, the continuation of the royal lineage—a bond that, while perhaps thin in the context of imperial life, could not be ignored. On the other hand, the matter concerned the very stability of the court and the bedrock of imperial power. If a Crown Prince could be brazenly ambushed within the palace walls without the truth coming to light, it was an open challenge to the Emperor's authority. It would sow panic among the court and beyond, emboldening various factions to stir and threatening the peace of the entire dynasty.

He sat upon the Dragon Throne, his posture majestic and solemn, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying, piercing sharpness.

Deng Feiqian, Commander of the Imperial Guard, hurried in. His steps were swift yet steady. Upon entering the hall, he immediately knelt on one knee to pay his respects. "Your Majesty, your subject has come to report."

The Emperor lifted his gaze, his eyes like torches as they fixed upon the Commander. His voice was low and commanding. "I ordered you to investigate the Crown Prince’s ambush thoroughly. What progress has been made?"

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Deng Feiqian’s forehead. Aware of the gravity of the situation and the Emperor’s impatience, he replied hastily, "Your Majesty, I have conducted a thorough search throughout the palace, examining potential entry and exit routes for the assassins, as well as their possible hiding spots. I have also interrogated several relevant individuals, but as of now, there are no definitive leads pointing to the mastermind."

Hearing this, the Emperor’s face darkened further. He slammed his hand against the armrest of the throne and roared, "I have given you so much time, and yet you have achieved nothing! If you cannot get to the bottom of this, you may all bring your heads to answer to me!"

Deng Feiqian trembled slightly and voiced his assent, his heart heavy with dread and pressure.

Meanwhile, while recuperating in his East Palace chambers, Li Chengyin did not allow his injuries to cause the slightest slackening in his resolve. In the dead of night, he secretly summoned his trusted strategists and capable guards—men like Pei Zhao—to deliberate in a hidden chamber illuminated by flickering candlelight.

Though Li Chengyin’s face was pale and his wounds throbbed with sharp pain, his eyes remained resolute and keen, like cold stars in the night.

"This ambush was no accident," he said slowly. "A powerful force must have orchestrated it with great care. The mysterious anonymous letter that lured me into the trap is the key. Pei Zhao, tell me, has the investigation into that letter yielded any results?"

Pei Zhao stepped forward and replied, "Your Highness, the letter passed through many hands, making it exceptionally difficult to trace. However, following a few faint threads, I have discovered that it seems to be linked to a clandestine organization within the court, though it is not yet clear who is behind it."

Li Chengyin nodded slightly, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

In another corner of the palace, the investigation team dispatched by the Emperor was also working feverishly. They combed through imperial archives and questioned all manner of personnel, leaving no potential clue unturned.

After a arduous search, the findings of Li Chengyin’s confidants and the Emperor’s investigation team converged, revealing shocking clues. Like pieces of a puzzle, they began to form a terrifying truth: the masterminds were none other than Minister Gao and the Empress.

It turned out that the earlier scandal involving the love letters, which had driven Li Chengyin and Xiaofeng into a desperate predicament, had also been instigated by the Empress.

The Empress had realized that Li Chengyin was maturing and no longer as easy to control as before. His deep affection for Xiaofeng led her to believe he had been "bewitched" and was straying from the path she and Minister Gao had set for him.

In the Empress's heart, Li Chengyin was meant to be a compliant pawn for her and Minister Gao to use, charging into the fray of court power struggles to secure their interests. His transformation deeply unsettled her, and she sought to regain her grip on him by manipulating Xiaofeng.

When Li Chengyin learned the truth, he was sitting by the window in the East Palace. Sunlight fell upon him, yet it could not dispel the gloom in his heart. His hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his body trembled slightly as the grief and hatred within him erupted like a volcano. He could never have imagined that the woman who had not only murdered his birth mother—leaving him to suffer the pain of abandonment and the coldness of the court since childhood—would now seek to eliminate him, the boy she had raised for so many years.

He recalled the days spent by the Empress’s side. Though he knew the court was filled with pretense, he had still harbored a sliver of gratitude for her upbringing. Now, even that final shred of sentiment had vanished, replaced by a bottomless hatred and a firm resolve for vengeance.

He swore in silence that he would make the Empress and Minister Gao pay a bitter price for their deeds. No matter how thorny the path ahead, he would never retreat.