The suspicion directed at Xia Wuyang lasted for only a moment before no one paid it any mind.
It was just a squabble. Could Xia Wuyang really have killed Princess Yun Shu over something so trivial?
Besides, even if Xia Wuyang had the inclination, he didn’t have the strength. He simply couldn’t have killed Princess Yun Shu.
Some did suggest that the arrival of the Qiuci Dancers at the Eastern Palace was suspicious and possibly connected to Princess Yun Shu, wondering if that was what led to her death.
But when they thought of the nightly revelry in Wenhua Hall and how Xia Wuyang doted on the group of Qiuci Dancers, no one believed he was responsible for Princess Yun Shu’s death.
’That old fool is completely senile now. He couldn’t even see that Princess Yun Shu was trying to harm him. For all we know, if he found out, he wouldn’t resent her at all. He’d probably thank her for sending him the Qiuci Dancers.’
And just like that, the suspicion against Xia Wuyang was easily dismissed. No one gave him a second thought as they began to suspect others.
"It was unquestionably the flare-up of an old injury." The elderly Imperial Physician repeatedly heated a silver needle in the candle flame. "The Princess had a pre-existing heart condition, much like a crack on a Glazed Cup..."
By now, the investigation into Princess Yun Shu’s death had reached a preliminary conclusion: her death was indeed caused by the flare-up of an old injury. Moreover, this injury had shown prior signs, but the princess had paid them no mind.
No one had ever imagined it would cause her to die in such a brutal fashion in Caiyun Hall.
Similar incidents were not unheard of, but they typically occurred in the Jianghu. The Princes and Princesses were all pampered, with Imperial Physicians constantly at their side. Such an event was rare among them, which naturally aroused suspicion.
Even Emperor Xia dispatched experts to assist in the investigation, but they found no suspicious clues. That is, until someone suggested it might be the work of the Nether Acupuncture Needle.
After all, to achieve something so flawless, it seemed that within the entire Great Xia Dynasty, only the Nether Acupuncture Needle was capable of it. Furthermore, it would have to be wielded by a practitioner who had reached at least the Great Success Realm in the technique.
Upon hearing this assessment, the crowd of Famous Constables, forensic doctors, and Imperial Physicians turned pale as ash. They scrambled to silence the person who had made the suggestion, not daring to let him speak further.
The Nether Acupuncture Needle was a Secret Technique passed down within the Royal Family. Very few Practitioners could cultivate it, let alone master it to the Great Success Realm. Every single person who had was a major figure within the Great Xia Royal Family.
’Would such a prominent figure really assassinate a member of the younger generation?’
Therefore, Princess Yun Shu must have died suddenly from the flare-up of an old injury. It was definitely not the work of the Nether Acupuncture Needle, and by extension, it had nothing to do with Xia Wuyang.
The investigation petered out just like that. Although some doubts remained, they were no longer considered important. Soon, Emperor Xia began to arrange her funeral.
It was never announced that Princess Yun Shu had been murdered; the official cause of death was the flare-up of an old injury. Xia Wuyang even made a point of attending her funeral to bid a final farewell.
’If Princess Yun Shu knew what was happening from beyond the grave, I wonder if she’d be touched. I killed her, attended her funeral, and am now sleeping with the Qiuci Dancers she tried so hard to send my way. When you think about it, she was really quite good to me.’
The assassination of Princess Yun Shu was but a minor episode for Xia Wuyang. Disposing of that madwoman would save him a lot of trouble in the future.
He continued his nightly revelries with the Palace Maids and Qiuci Dancers, all while secretly cultivating and improving. His Cultivation Techniques, Combat Techniques, and Secret Techniques were all steadily advancing, bringing him ever closer to a breakthrough.
The outside world, however, had no idea of the depths that lay hidden beneath his senile and incompetent facade.
Everyone thought the elder Crown Prince, Xia Wuyang, was deteriorating by the day and nearing death. Many in the Eastern Palace were already looking for a way out, including Lady Xingyan, a consort Xia Wuyang had once doted on.
Lady Xingyan was one of his Consorts. Her full name was Zhao Xingchen, and she came from an Astrology Family that had been completely wiped out.
When they were young, Xia Wuyang had saved her life and helped her rebuild the Astrology Zhao Family. Their relationship had been excellent, not much inferior to his bond with his Main Consort, Yun Liyue.
But as Xia Wuyang fell from favor and his faction disintegrated, Lady Xingyan gradually grew distant.
Though Xia Wuyang later became irritable and quick to anger, frequently berating the Eastern Palace Concubines, he rarely reprimanded Lady Xingyan. This was despite feeling that she hadn’t used her astrological abilities to help him, and that she wasn’t fully devoted to his cause.
Xia Wuyang had also happened to hear that for several decades, Lady Xingyan had been in contact with the Manor Master of Wanjian Manor.
The Manor Master of Wanjian Manor and Lady Xingyan were childhood friends. After the Astrology Zhao Family was annihilated, the Manor Master had also offered his aid, but his help paled in comparison to Xia Wuyang’s.
At the time, unable to confirm the truth of the rumor, Xia Wuyang soon lost himself in debauchery and couldn’t be bothered with it. Besides, his relationships with his concubines were deteriorating, leading to endless gossip. He couldn’t possibly investigate every single rumor, so he let the matter drop.
Beautiful Palace Maids in the Eastern Palace were replaced one batch after another. Xia Wuyang could barely keep up; he had no time to bother with the concubines he had grown to detest.
’But I’m not even dead yet, and Lady Xingyan is already making her move. Could this have something to do with that childhood friend of hers, the Manor Master of Wanjian Manor?’
In Wenhua Hall, sandalwood smoke wafted as golden-threaded curtains hung low.
Xia Wuyang lounged on a soft couch with a Qiuci Dancer on his left and a Little Sect Saintess on his right. They were billing and cooing, lost in their affections. Life was good.
Lady Xingyan stood below, dressed in a moon-white gown with a slender sword at her waist, watching the curtained Xia Wuyang with an impassive gaze.
She was exceedingly beautiful, with picturesque features and skin fairer than snow, but her almond-shaped eyes held far too much coldness.
"How is it you have time to see me today?"
Xia Wuyang popped a grape fed to him by the Qiuci Dancer into his mouth, glancing down at Lady Xingyan.
"I have come today to ask a favor of Your Highness... a divorce!" Lady Xingyan did not beat around the bush. Her red lips parted as she looked at Xia Wuyang and spoke, enunciating every word.
As her words fell, the hall was plunged into silence. All the Palace Maids stared at Lady Xingyan in astonishment, as if they couldn’t believe she had dared to say such a thing.
Since ancient times, there were only widowed concubines, never divorced ones. Even if such a thing were to happen, it should be the Crown Prince who initiated it, not the consort. This was a blatant slap in the Crown Prince’s face.
It was common knowledge that the elder Crown Prince only had a few months left to live. Most of his concubines were simply waiting for him to pass away, at which point they would regain a semblance of freedom. There was no need to request a divorce now, disturbing the elder Crown Prince’s final days and making him an even greater laughingstock.
By doing this, Lady Xingyan would cause him to lose all face, even if Xia Wuyang refused.
"Insolent!"
Xia Wuyang shot to his feet, glaring viciously at Lady Xingyan below. "A divorce? You must be dreaming!"