Salted Fish Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Various Choices

Not long after Xiao Shan left the Ganming Hall, he was intercepted by Xiao Jin, who had been waiting for him.

Xiao Jin's face didn't look good at the time, and his gaze towards Xiao Shan was very grim. Without saying a word, he took Xiao Shan to the Eastern Palace.

Xiao Shan originally planned to leave the palace directly, but seeing Xiao Jin's obviously angry expression, he abandoned the idea and slowly followed Xiao Jin to the Eastern Palace.

On the way, he tried to speak to Xiao Jin, but Xiao Jin ignored him, focusing solely on walking ahead.

Xiao Jin led him to the study, and Chang An gently closed the door, leaving the two brothers inside to talk. He dismissed the other attendants nearby and stood quietly outside the door, keeping watch.

Inside the room, Xiao Jin paced back and forth in the study, making Xiao Shan dizzy. Unable to bear it, Xiao Shan spoke up, "Second Brother..."

Xiao Jin frowned and snapped, "Shut up."

Xiao Shan obediently closed his mouth, looking at Xiao Jin with wide eyes, as if wondering why he was being so harsh.

Xiao Jin, of course, wasn't fooled by his expression. Resisting the urge to grab Xiao Shan by the collar, he gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "How dare you say such things in front of Father Emperor? Do you know how dangerous that was? If Father Emperor had become suspicious of you, I might be looking at your corpse right now."

Xiao Shan said earnestly, "Second Brother, it's not that exaggerated. I understand Father Emperor's thoughts..."

"You understand nothing; you're just being presumptuous!" Xiao Jin didn't wait for him to finish before shouting at him. He looked like a lion trapped in a desperate situation, his entire demeanor radiating frustration, and his eyes were red. "You think you understand Father Emperor, but what if something goes wrong? Do you know that the most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart?"

Xiao Shan replied softly, "Second Brother, I know all that, but those words needed to be said. Not just for you, but for me as well. We can't let Father Emperor suspect that the two of us orchestrated this foolish act together."

Xiao Jin said angrily, "I understand what you're saying. I've already ordered an investigation, and there will be results soon. Who would have thought you'd be so reckless, speaking so openly in front of Father Emperor? Aren't you afraid of causing a huge disaster?"

Xiao Shan coughed lightly. "I don't have that kind of power. Father Emperor summoned me to ask my thoughts; I couldn't just stay silent. You know my nature, Second Brother. I can't keep things bottled up. If I didn't speak, wouldn't that make me look guilty in Father Emperor's eyes? I haven't done anything wrong, so speaking my mind won't make Father Emperor angry."

Xiao Jin glared at him and said, "Even so, you shouldn't have been so reckless."

Xiao Shan smiled and said, "Yes, I understand. It won't happen again." After saying this, he changed the subject. "Second Brother, how is my little niece? I heard from Father Emperor that you don't plan to hold a full-month celebration for her?"

They missed the third-day washing ceremony* at the Rining Hunting Grounds, and Xiao Shan hadn't expected Xiao Jin to skip the full-month celebration as well.

*I searched and this is the rite on the 3rd day of the baby's birth. It is the day to bathe the newborn and pray for a healthy life and future. In this ceremony, the newborn's parents and close relatives would put different herbs and money, representing health and wealth, into the bathwater and talk auspicious words when bathing the baby. Newborn's parents' close friends would bring gifts to participate, and some well-educated ones would also write beautiful poems. The baby's mother's parents would also send presents with auspicious meanings at this ceremony, such as clothes, jewelry, peanuts, and cakes.   Source: Chinese Birth Celebration

When Xiao Jin heard him mention his eldest daughter, his expression turned somber. He said, "It's not that I don't want to hold the celebration. This little girl has been very weak since birth. Your second sister-in-law can't leave her side for even a moment. If the little girl is out of her sight, she feels that someone is trying to harm them."

Liu Jingyi's mental state was very poor, and was constantly paranoid and suspicious.

Moreover, the child was born prematurely and was weak. She had already fallen ill twice since they returned. With the weather getting colder, the child couldn't be exposed to the cold wind. Liu Jingyi pleaded with him, saying she didn't want to hold the full-month celebration.

The imperial physician also advised rest, so he mentioned it to the Emperor, suggesting they wait until the little girl's hundredth day to celebrate.

To be honest, Xiao Jin was so worried about the affairs of the Eastern Palace's inner court that he felt like he was going bald. He believed that he was cursed by the Rining Hunting Grounds. If it weren't for this autumn hunt, none of these issues would have arisen.

Returning to the Eastern Palace, he found himself looking at everything with suspicion, seeing everyone as a potential threat.

Regarding Liu Jingyi's premature labor, she claimed that it was caused by Lady Xu.

According to Liu Jingyi, on that day, the weather was stifling, and she was in a bad mood, so she went to the pavilion in the backyard to get some fresh air.

When she arrived, Lady Xu was already there.

Lady Xu came from a good family but had always been very low-key. Since becoming pregnant, she rarely went out and showed great respect for Liu Jingyi, the Crown Princess, whose family had lost its power.

The two of them had a very cordial conversation for a while. Seeing Lady Xu's cautious demeanor, Liu Jingyi felt bored and didn't want anyone to think she was trying to harm Lady Xu's child.

So, she left the pavilion early. Who would have thought that after taking just a few steps, she would be bumped—or rather, pushed—by Lady Xu, who was seeing her off.

If it had just been a bump, it wouldn't have mattered, but there was an oil slick where she stepped, causing her to slip and hit a pillar.

This collision led to her premature labor.

Although the Eastern Palace had long prepared midwives and wet nurses, her sudden premature labor still left everyone in a bit of a panic.

Liu Jingyi's premature labor, compounded by a difficult delivery, nearly resulted in the loss of both the mother and child. It took an entire day of struggle before she finally gave birth to a daughter.

According to Lady Xu, she never touched Liu Jingyi and had no idea what happened. She claimed that Liu Jingyi suddenly slipped and hit the pillar on her own.

Lady Xu believed that Liu Jingyi was deliberately using the child to frame her, as they were the only two pregnant women in the entire Eastern Palace.

What gave Xiao Jin a headache was that the maidservants around the Crown Princess testified that Lady Xu did touch Liu Jingyi, while Lady Xu's attendants swore on their lives that Lady Xu never touched the Crown Princess.

Apart from the two of them, there were no other eyewitnesses.

After the incident, when Liu Jingyi woke up and learned that her daughter was born prematurely and was weak, she initially wanted to kill Lady Xu. However, she restrained her anger and had Lady Xu confined.

During this period, although Liu Jingyi wasn't kind to Lady Xu, she didn't abuse her or harm the child in her womb.

Lady Xu, on the other hand, endured the situation, waiting for Xiao Jin to return and make a decision.

Without concrete evidence, such matters could only be investigated slowly.

Xiao Jin had both Liu Jingyi's and Lady Xu's attendants detained, waiting to see who would be the first to tell the truth.

He hadn't yet reached a conclusion in his investigation when the Empress already made her stance clear. Since there was no evidence, she took Lady Xu into the palace.

The Empress' attitude was to prioritize the heirs.

Xiao Shan didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the Eastern Palace. He only asked about it because the Emperor mentioned it before he left.

Xiao Shan understood the Emperor's intention; the Emperor wanted him to help Xiao Jin find some relief.

However, as a younger brother, it was really inappropriate for him to comment on the disputes among the women in the Eastern Palace.

But since Xiao Jin brought up the matter of the inner court, Xiao Shan hesitated for a moment before asking, "If the truth is uncovered, what do you plan to do, Second Brother?"

The current situation was quite clear: the Empress wanted to protect not Lady Xu, but the child in her womb.

But if it turned out that Lady Xu was indeed responsible, what would happen after the child was born? Would she be spared for the sake of the child, or would they wait until the child was born to punish her and keep the child?

When the time came, would Xiao Jin be able to act against the woman who bore his child?

Would the Empress agree to it?

Similarly, if it was ultimately found that Liu Jingyi used her own child to frame Lady Xu, would Xiao Jin depose the Crown Princess?

How would Xiao Jin face his already-born eldest daughter, who was destined to have no maternal family and was in poor health?

Hearing Xiao Shan's question, Xiao Jin closed his eyes, his face showing some pain.

But he quickly opened his eyes and said, word by word, "No matter who it is, if they try to harm my child, I will make them pay. If a mother can't even spare her own child, then she doesn't deserve to be a mother."

Seeing the seriousness and a hint of complex hatred on Xiao Jin's face, Xiao Shan couldn't find any words to comfort him.

In the end, he said, "Since you have made up your mind, Second Brother, then investigate thoroughly. You can also take this opportunity to review the people in the Eastern Palace."

"You're right," Xiao Jin said, putting away his previous expression. He smiled and added, "At the very least, we can't let the culprit go unpunished, nor can we wrong the innocent."

Xiao Shan responded, "Second Brother, you've finished lecturing me. Can I leave the palace now?"

Xiao Jin's brow twitched. "When did I lecture you? I was giving you some advice."

Xiao Shan's eyes curved into a smile. "Then tell me, Second Brother, was it that rascal Xiao Xian who tattled on me? I can't think of anyone else. After all, the conversation in the Ganming Hall isn't something that can be easily leaked."

"This kid is a bit ungrateful. I kindly took him to see Father Emperor, and he repays me like this. He must have exaggerated things; otherwise, you wouldn't be so angry."

Xiao Jin raised an eyebrow and said, "What, do you mean Fifth Brother shouldn't have told me?"

"No," Xiao Shan quickly replied. "I just think he shouldn't have exaggerated."

"How do you know he exaggerated?" Xiao Jin shot him a glance. "From the way Fifth Brother looked so scared, I doubt he even dared to repeat all your reckless words."

Xiao Shan laughed dryly. "Second Brother, let's not talk about this anymore. It's getting late; I should be leaving the palace."

This time, Xiao Jin didn't stop him and allowed him to leave the Eastern Palace.

After Xiao Shan left, a complex expression appeared on Xiao Jin's face. Then he walked towards the inner courtyard.

He wanted to check on the child.

***

When Xiao Shan returned to the prince's residence and saw Xie Zhui, he pulled him into an embrace.

He thought how fortunate he was to have only Xie Zhui.

In Prince Li's residence, he didn't have to deal with the messy affairs of the inner court.

Sensing Xiao Shan's emotional instability, Xie Zhui let him hold on.

When Xiao Shan finally let go, Xie Zhui asked, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Shan shook his head. "Nothing, just a bit worried about you."

Xie Zhui replied, "What is there to worry about with me in the backyard of my own residence? If anyone should be worried, it's me worrying about you, since you went to the palace to see Father Emperor."

"Father Emperor isn't a monster; there's nothing to worry about," Xiao Shan said with a smile.

Xie Zhui thought for a moment and agreed, "True, compared to Father Emperor, some people are indeed more frightening."

Hearing this, Xiao Shan raised an eyebrow. "Why so reflective today?"

"No, it's just that since returning to the capital, I've heard so many messy things that I've been thinking a lot," Xie Zhui said softly, not hiding his thoughts.

The events at the Eastern Palace had already spread, and naturally, Xie Zhui heard about them.

Today, after Xiao Shan entered the palace, Physician Su came to take his pulse. When the topic of children came up, Xie Zhui suddenly thought of the daughter born to Crown Princess Liu Jingyi and the pregnant Lady Xu...

At that moment, Xie Zhui felt a sudden panic.

According to tradition, being pregnant, he shouldn't continue to monopolize Xiao Shan, and he should even take the initiative to select concubines or attendants for him.

But now, they still shared the same room.

Xiao Shan had no such intention, and Xie Zhui didn't want to let Xiao Shan go at all.

Even the mere thought of such a possibility made his anger rise uncontrollably.

It was a feeling of intense anxiety and burning frustration.

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