In the evening, the mastermind behind the poisoning of the Ninth Prince's horse was uncovered. It was neither Empress Xie nor the Seventh Prince, but someone else.
Liang Zhaoyi and Yu Meiren had just finished supper and were chatting over tea when Tong Xi came in to report the matter to them.
Pan Cairen exclaimed in surprise, "It's actually not the Empress and the Seventh Prince."
Yu Meiren said, "The Empress and the Seventh Prince wouldn't be so foolish."
Pan Cairen further inquired, "The mastermind is an eunuch of the Director of the Palace Administration. Where would an eunuch get the courage to harm a prince? Who is the real mastermind behind this?"
Yu Meiren looked at Tong Xi and asked, "Yes, who exactly is the real mastermind?"
With a respectful demeanor, Tong Xi said, "Your Highnesses, the information I gathered is this: the Emperor has just ordered the execution of Eunuch Zeng, the Director of the Palace Administration, and his accomplices, without dealing with anyone else."
Pan Cairen and Yu Meiren both appeared shocked, then looked at Liang Zhaoyi doubtfully, "Sister, what's going on? Without anyone's orders, even if given a hundred lives, an eunuch of the Director of the Palace Administration wouldn't dare to harm the Ninth Prince. There must be someone behind Eunuch Zeng."
Liang Zhaoyi was not surprised and said calmly, "This incident ends here."
Pan Cairen was astonished, "Ends here? Is the Emperor not going to investigate the real mastermind?"
"Plotting against a prince is a serious crime. It's strange that the Emperor isn't thoroughly investigating the real mastermind." Yu Meiren asked, full of confusion, "Sister, why isn't the Emperor thoroughly investigating the real mastermind?"
"There's only one possibility," Liang Zhaoyi said meaningfully, "The true mastermind's identity is not simple."
Hearing this, Yu Meiren and Pan Cairen were both shocked, exclaiming in unison, "Not simple, could it be..."
Before they finished speaking, Liang Zhaoyi interrupted them, "It is not for us to speculate who it might be."
Noting the warning tone in Liang Zhaoyi's voice, Yu Meiren and Pan Cairen nodded quickly, "Sister is right."
Liang Zhaoyi changed the subject to gardening, successfully diverting the attention of Yu Meiren and Pan Cairen.
In the study, Zhao Yao was copying out "The Analects." The Fifth Princess was sitting beside him, helping him read, so that he could copy more quickly.
After reporting the matter of the Ninth Prince's poisoned horse to Liang Zhaoyi and the others, Tong Xi came to the study to inform Zhao Yao.
"Father only executed a few eunuchs of the Director of the Palace Administration and no one else?"
"No,"
shocked, Zhao Yao thought for a moment and then appeared enlightened, "So it seems that this matter ends here." After speaking, he waved his hand for Tong Xi to withdraw, and he continued to copy "The Analects."
The Fifth Princess didn't understand and hurriedly asked Zhao Yao, "Yao Yao, what did you mean by saying this matter ends here just now?"
Zhao Yao continued copying as he spoke, "It means Father does not wish to investigate further into this matter."
"Why?" The Fifth Princess was full of confusion, "Poisoning Ninth Brother's horse is no small matter; it's an attempt on a prince's life. Why wouldn't Father investigate further? Doesn't he usually care deeply for Ninth Brother?"
"Because this matter is not simple," Zhao Yao continued, "The true mastermind behind this is not simple. It's unclear whether it's someone from the Crown Prince's group or from the likes of Third Brother's people."
"How is it not simple?" The Fifth Princess curiously asked, "Father is the Emperor; isn't he able to deal with anyone? Why wouldn't he deal with this person?"
Zhao Yao looked up at the Fifth Princess helplessly, "Fifth Sister, it's not that Father cannot deal with the real mastermind but rather wants to let the person go."
After hearing Zhao Yao's words, the Fifth Princess became even more bewildered, "Why does Father want to let this person go when they tried to harm Ninth Brother?"
"Because this person is very important."
"More important than Ninth Brother?"
"Since Ninth Brother wasn't harmed, it's another matter altogether," Zhao Yao said.
The Fifth Princess said, half understanding, "So from what you're saying, this person is more important than Ninth Brother."
"Fifth Sister, there's a saying about how a single hair can affect the whole body, do you know it?"
"I know."
"This person is that single hair, you understand?"
The Fifth Princess first nodded, then shook her head, "I don't understand."
"If you don't understand, so be it. In any case, this matter doesn't concern us, so there's no need for you to worry." Zhao Yao thought his explanation was clear, but Fifth Sister still didn't get it, calling her foolish.
"Yao Yao, explain clearly."
"Even if I explained, you wouldn't understand." Zhao Yao tapped "The Analects," "Fifth Sister, continue reading."
"If you won't say, then don't say it. I wasn't eager to know anyway," the Fifth Princess said angrily, then picked up "The Analects" and continued reading to Zhao Yao.
They read until Xu time (7-9 PM), and then Zhao Yao allowed the Fifth Princess to go rest. Before leaving, the Fifth Princess still wanted to know why the person who framed the Ninth Prince couldn't be dealt with, but Zhao Yao did not tell her.
The Fifth Princess went back to ask Yu Meiren, who also did not know why. Yu Meiren told the Fifth Princess not to concern herself with the matter, lest she bring trouble upon herself. Hearing this, the Fifth Princess was too frightened to ask any more.
The fact that the Emperor only dealt with a few eunuchs of the Director of the Palace Administration greatly dissatisfied the two of them in Zhao Yang Palace and Yongxin Palace.
In Zhao Yang Palace, Empress Xie angrily smashed a teacup.
"Why doesn't the Emperor continue to investigate further?" Empress Xie's face was grim, "Is the Emperor shielding the Crown Prince?"
The Seventh Prince said, "Father has always doted on Zhao Xun, right? Zhao Xun was almost killed this time, yet Father isn't pursuing the real culprit." He let out a cold laugh, "It seems in Father's heart, Zhao Xun doesn't measure up to the Crown Prince."
"What is Zhao Xun compared to?" Empress Xie echoed in resentment, "The Emperor blatantly shields the Crown Prince's people and favors the Crown Prince."
"Mother, this matter has nothing to do with us, so we don't have to be this angry," the Seventh Prince comforted Empress Xie, "The one who should truly be angry is Noble Princess Consort Rong. She certainly won't let this go easily."
Recalling Noble Princess Consort Rong's previous disrespect towards her, Empress Xie's eyes turned icy, and she gritted her teeth, "That bitch Noble Princess Consort Rong!"
"Mother, let Noble Princess Consort Rong revel for a while; let her and the Crown Prince fight it out first." The Seventh Prince sneered, "With her temperament, she absolutely won't let this matter slide. Likewise, Prince Dai won't let it rest either. Let's just wait and see them fight."
Hearing this, Empress Xie nodded slightly, "Prince Dai will be back soon; let them fight."
"Mother, we can add fuel to this fire, to make this matter..." Although the Seventh Prince didn't finish his sentence, the implication was clear.
Empress Xie understood and nodded approvingly, "Let's do as you say."
"Mother, regarding the matter of bestowing the pearl to Prince Dai, Father hasn't made a decision for a long time. Does Father not want to bestow the pearl upon Prince Dai?" The argument over this matter had been ongoing for days, yet Father hadn't agreed, which was very strange, "Father isn't he the fondest of Prince Dai and even wants him to replace the Crown Prince. Granting the pearl elevates Prince Dai's dignity, logically Father would agree immediately, but he hasn't—what is he thinking?"
"It's because of your grandfather." Empress Xie was infuriated at the thought of her father supporting the Crown Prince instead of her son, "The Crown Prince has the backing of the Xie family; the Emperor is wary of the Xie family, so he won't immediately agree to bestow the pearl to Prince Dai."
"I'm the legitimate one, yet Grandfather supports a Crown Prince born of a concubine. I can't comprehend his thinking." The Seventh Prince felt equally indignant, "In what way am I inferior to the Crown Prince?"
This issue was a thorn in Empress Xie's heart, "If I hadn't been too young back then, what right did that bitch Xie Wan have to marry the Emperor? What qualifies her son to be Crown Prince?" Back when the late Emperor cooperated with the Xie family for an imperial marriage with a daughter of the Xie family, Empress Xie was too young to marry. The Xie family thus married the Emperor to Xie Wan, a girl of similar age from a different branch.
"You are the rightful heir of both the Zhao family and the Xie family, and it is you who should be the Crown Prince, not the son born of a concubine like Xie Wan." Every time she thought about her son, a legitimate offspring of the Xie's family being below the son of a concubine like Xie Wan, Empress Xie felt humiliated.
"Mother, being legitimate is of no use when my grandfather doesn't support me."
"Once the Crown Prince loses to Prince Dai, your grandfather and the others will turn to support you," Empress Xie, stifled by her feelings but seeing no solution, said, "We have no choice but to be patient and wait."
"I do hope Prince Dai returns soon." Once Prince Dai is back in the capital, his conflict with the Crown Prince will intensify.