Salted Fish Chapter 60

 Chapter 60

Words of Alarm

Hearing Consort Lan's words, Xiao Shan raised his eyes and stared at her intently. His face was expressionless, and he didn't say a word, just quietly watching her.

Consort Lan, who was about to say something, couldn't help but shiver under his gaze and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Shan pursed his lips and then, quite abruptly, smiled and said, "Why does Mother Consort say that? How did you come to this conclusion? What is the basis for saying that the Empress pushed me? To save Second Brother?"

Consort Lan swallowed, her face showing some anxiety as she said, "Don't be in such a hurry. Listen to my analysis. At first, I didn't think of the Empress either, but when I heard that you were pushed in front of the Crown Prince, this thought came to my mind."

"At that time, when the Crown Prince was attacked, both the Empress and I were anxious, thinking about saving him. As we rushed towards the Crown Prince, the palace maids and eunuchs were in disarray, blocking our way. The dancer near the Emperor suddenly lunged at the Crown Prince, and we were too far away to do anything but watch. You were the closest to the Crown Prince, and we were the closest to you. It's not impossible that the Empress pushed you to save the Crown Prince. After all, she is his mother. As a mother, she couldn't just watch her son get hurt. Moreover, if something happened to the Crown Prince, wouldn't the court be thrown into chaos? So, I think it was the Empress who did it."

"Mother Consort, apart from you and the Empress, was there no one else behind me at that time?" Xiao Shan asked, lowering his eyes.

Consort Lan thought very seriously and tried hard to recall the scene, "There were a lot of palace maids and eunuchs, and Consort Xian and the others were also there. After all, the Crown Prince was being attacked, and the Emperor was nearby. They had to at least pretend to be anxious."

Xiao Shan said, "Mother Consort, what if it was Consort Xian and the others who did it?"

Consort Lan replied, "That's impossible. They were some distance away. If Consort Xian and the others had made a move, I would have seen it."

Xiao Shan closed his eyes briefly and said, "Why couldn't they have had their subordinates do it? A slight signal from the master, and their people would rush forward to act. It was a dark and chaotic night; who could see clearly?"

Consort Lan was slightly taken aback and nodded, "That's possible too."

Xiao Shan continued, "These are just my random thoughts. Mother Consort suspects the Empress, so let me ask, did you see the Empress make a move?"

Consort Lan shook her head, "No, I didn't see it. It's just a gut feeling. After thinking it over, I could only suspect the Empress."

Xiao Shan said, "Mother Consort, without seeing it with your own eyes and without concrete evidence, such words shouldn't be spoken based on mere speculation."

Consort Lan hesitated, "But..." She still felt that the Empress was suspicious.

Moreover, whether it was because this idea had taken root in her mind, Consort Lan always felt that when Xiao Shan fell forward, she saw a pair of hands. And the closest person to her was the Empress.

Xiao Shan looked at Consort Lan and said, "Mother Consort, no more 'buts.' Father Emperor has entrusted this matter to Second Brother. I believe Second Brother will investigate it thoroughly."

"What if it really is the Empress? Even if the Crown Prince finds out, he might not tell you," Consort Lan said gloomily. "Do you think the Crown Prince would be honest with you?"

Xiao Shan didn't answer her question directly. Instead, he asked, "Mother Consort, if that were truly the case, how do you think I should face Second Brother?"

Consort Lan was stunned. She thought for a moment and slowly shook her head.

To be honest, her mind had been in turmoil these past few days, and she hadn't considered the future at all.

Xiao Shan said, "Mother Consort, you should rest and recuperate in the palace. Xie Zhui had strong reactions since becoming pregnant, so I will take him back first."

Consort Lan nodded blankly.

Xiao Shan bowed to her and then turned to leave.

Consort Lan watched his back, wanting to call him back but not knowing what to say. So, she could only watch as Xiao Shan left.

On the way back to the prince's residence, Xie Zhui noticed Xiao Shan's strange expression. Just as he was about to speak, Xiao Shan looked at him and smiled, saying, "We'll talk when we get back to the residence."

Xie Zhui nodded in agreement.

Once they were back at the residence and alone, Xiao Shan didn't hide anything from Xie Zhui and recounted his conversation with Consort Lan.

After listening, Xie Zhui was silent for a long time. Then he looked at Xiao Shan seriously and said, "No matter who it is, if they really did such a thing, I will never forgive them for the rest of my life."

Xiao Shan tugged at the corner of his mouth and held Xie Zhui's hand. "This concerns my life and death. I must get to the bottom of it."

The Emperor tasked Xiao Jin with the investigation, and Xiao Shan trusted Xiao Jin, so he wouldn't doubt him.

However, since this matter was closely related to him, he would also conduct his own investigation.

His trust in Xiao Jin wouldn't waver because of a few words from Consort Lan, but at the same time, he wouldn't remain passive.

If there was a hidden hand targeting him in the darkness, he needed to uncover it. Otherwise, who knew what dangers might lie ahead?

Seeing Xiao Shan's determined attitude, Xie Zhui felt somewhat reassured.

Two days after Xiao Shan visited Consort Lan in the palace, her illness also improved. However, she was in low spirits and used the excuse of needing to recuperate to avoid paying respects to the Empress.

Xiao Shan didn't have any particular reaction to this news.

However, there was a development in the matter of the assassins at the Rining Hunting Grounds. This time, Consort Xian was implicated.

The person in charge of the Rining Hunting Grounds was a distant cousin of Consort Xian's mother, essentially a distant cousin of Consort Xian herself. The dancer's brother developed a gambling addiction at the gambling house* owned by Consort Xian's cousin and had accrued significant debts.

*The author used the term casino here, but I changed it to gambling house to suit the era they are in.

As a result, the family handed her over to settle the debt.

Consort Xian's cousin noticed that she was quite attractive and had no backing, so he intended to send her to the palace to help Consort Xian secure favor. To this end, he had someone adopt the girl, forged her identity, and even arranged for her to be trained in dance for two years.

The eunuch who stabbed Xiao Jin once served in Consort Xian's palace. He had been punished by Consort Xian for a mistake, forced to kneel in the snow all night, and was later sent to the Rining Hunting Grounds.

Neither the girl nor the eunuch confessed to anything. When it was discovered that the girl's adoptive father was connected to Consort Xian's distant cousin, both the girl and the eunuch bit their tongues and committed suicide.

The girl died with a smile on her face, muttering two words that were unclear, possibly "wander" or something else.

Xiao Jin reported all these findings truthfully. After returning to the palace, the Emperor conducted a thorough investigation. Upon confirming that Consort Xian knew about the girl through her distant cousin, the Emperor was furious. He recalled the Wen Meiren sent from Yangzhou and the already treacherous official Zhang Ruo Zhi.

The Emperor immediately placed Consort Xian under house arrest and had Xiao Xian confined to Qionglin Courtyard.

He also ordered an investigation into any connections between Zhang Ruo Zhi, Wen Meiren, and Consort Xian.

Regardless of Consort Xian's initial intentions for the girl—whether to secure favor or to spy on the Emperor's movements—she was now guilty of multiple offenses in the Emperor's eyes.

The Emperor also remembered that Consort Xian originally did not plan to go hunting, citing Xiao Xian's illness at the time.

Once suspicion arose, everything Consort Xian did seemed calculated and filled with purpose.

Through a detailed investigation by the imperial guards, it was revealed that a palace maid from Consort Xian's palace inadvertently disclosed that Xiao Xian was not originally ill. Instead, he fell ill after being punished by Consort Xian, who made him kneel in the courtyard for half a day out of anger.

Upon receiving this information, the Emperor immediately summoned Xiao Xian.

Although Xiao Xian was young, he sensed the tense atmosphere in the palace, especially after Consort Xian was placed under house arrest and he himself was put under scrutiny.

Being so young and unable to reach out to anyone after Consort Xian's confinement, Xiao Xian was filled with fear and uncertainty, not knowing whom to confide in.

So, when the Emperor summoned him and inquired about the events before the hunting trip, Xiao Xian's first instinct was to defend Consort Xian.

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