Chapter 97: Hanging by a Thread

The two eunuchs had drunk far too much and had fallen asleep with their heads on the table. I leaned against the wall, exhausted beyond endurance, every bone in my body aching with a pain nearly impossible to bear. Yet I forced myself not to sleep. If I did, who knew what might happen next?

At that moment, I made myself stay awake, determined to think everything through carefully. What on earth had really happened?

This matter was very likely connected to the little eunuch Qingzi. But then, who had given Qingzi his orders? He was only a eunuch; he would never have had the nerve to harm Princess Xihe on his own.

Could it be Jiang Ye?

Thinking back to that earlier quarrel, to Jiang Ye’s furious outburst in the summer palace, I could not help recalling the day he had struck me so brutally. It showed plainly that he felt very little brotherly affection for Princess Xihe. Today, after being humiliated by her, he might well have borne a grudge and sent someone to teach her a lesson.

But would Jiang Ye truly, for a moment’s anger, conspire to harm the emperor’s favorite princess?

Something about this was terribly strange.

As I was thinking, I heard movement again, as though someone had entered. Fearing it was Qingzi returning, I lifted my head sharply, only to see that it was not Qingzi at all, but Jiang Xuan.

How had he come here?

I moved slightly, and Jiang Xuan shook his head at me.

So I lay there and did not dare move again.

Jiang Xuan came forward, bypassed the two sleeping eunuchs, and went straight to the prison door. But the door was locked, and he could only stand outside it.

“Yo—”

Before Jiang Xuan could finish, I said, “This servant is fine. May I ask, Ninth Prince, how is Princess Xihe now?”

“You are in this state, and yet you still worry about others?”

“It is this servant’s fault for failing to protect the princess.”

“Was it really you who injured Xihe?”

“Does the Ninth Prince believe the rumors of outsiders as well?” As I said this, an overwhelming sadness rose in my heart. It was as though a tightly strung cord had snapped all at once, as though the breath I had been holding had suddenly broken, and I immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“Little Xiao!” Jiang Xuan grew anxious and at once struck the lock open with one palm, rushing in.

Because he moved so abruptly, the two eunuchs were startled awake, but they only muttered a little and then slumped down again to sleep.

Jiang Xuan immediately forced a pill into my mouth, but I pressed my lips together and refused to swallow.

“If you won’t take it, do you want me to feed you as I did last time?”

“What do you mean, last time?”

Jiang Xuan’s gaze flickered away. “Take the medicine first. Do you value your own life so little?”

I had only managed to make one sound before Jiang Xuan took the chance to push the pill into my mouth. “What are you angry about? I only wanted to make the matter clear.”

I turned my face away and would not look at him.

“Xihe has always been close to you. You have spent many days by my mother’s side as well. If I still did not understand your character, then I might as well dig out my own eyes.”

At that, I looked at him at once.

“You lose your temper at the slightest thing. You truly have quite the servant’s temper.” As he spoke, Jiang Xuan took a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. His expression was anxious, his manner extraordinarily gentle.

“This servant would never dare be angry with the Ninth Prince.”

“Never mind that for now. How serious are your injuries? Those beastly men actually tortured you. I will never spare them.”

“The Ninth Prince need not be angry. The private suffering of servants in the imperial harem is surely something you have long since heard about. Now you simply see it with your own eyes.” My voice was weak, and my hand trembled as I pressed it to my chest.

Jiang Xuan clenched his fist, cold light flashing in his eyes.

“Ninth Prince, this servant is fine. Such flesh wounds cannot take this servant’s life. I will surely live long enough to see the truth come out.”

Jiang Xuan released his hand and asked, “Regarding Xihe’s fall into the water, what have you discovered?”

“Your Highness—”

“I do not have much time. If you have found anything, tell me quickly. I can also—”

I knew Jiang Xuan wanted to help me. But his identity was sensitive, and after the emperor had already punished Empress Zhang, Jiang Xuan’s own situation could not be good. If he became involved at this moment, I would only drag him down and cause him to lose the emperor’s trust as well.

“Ninth Prince, this servant is fine. As long as this servant waits until Princess Xihe awakens, everything will be all right.”

“Xihe, she—”

“How is the princess?”

“She has a fever that will not break, and she remains unconscious. The physicians say that if she cannot survive tonight, then Xihe will—”

“What?” I was horrified. How could Princess Xihe be in such grave condition?

“If anything happens to Xihe, you will be dead for certain. Little Xiao, I know you must have discovered something. If you do not speak now, it will be too late.”

“This servant thanks Your Highness, but this servant truly has discovered nothing.”

“Little Xiao!” Jiang Xuan said angrily as he rose to his feet. “At a time like this, why are you still hiding things from me? Do you not wish to live? Do you know that your life belongs to me? If I do not want you to die, then you cannot die.”

“Your Highness—”

“If you will not say it, so be it. I will find a way myself.”

“Your Highness, you cannot—”

But Jiang Xuan would not heed my plea. He walked straight out of the prison door. At the threshold, he turned back to me and said, “Hold on. I will bring you out openly and honorably.”

“Your Highness—”

I could not move. I had only just forced myself upright when I had to lean back against the wall again.

“What happened?” The two eunuchs woke, blinked blearily, and looked around. “Did someone come just now?”

“Come what come? Isn’t that little dog of a thing right there? Huh, how did this lock get opened?”

The two eunuchs hurried over. Seeing the lock split open by Jiang Xuan’s hand, they immediately said, “Could he have been trying to escape?”

One eunuch came in and kicked and punched me roughly. “So you want to run? I’ll give you running. I’ll give you running.”

“Enough, enough.” The other eunuch came in and said, “Look at him. Does he look like someone trying to escape? Maybe the lock was broken. Stop taking it out on him.”

“He makes me sick to look at. If it weren’t for him, the two of us would not have to stand guard here. Forget it. You stay here and watch him; I’m going to see what’s going on over at Eunuch Qing’s place. Why hasn’t he come yet?”

“Go on, go on.”

After that eunuch left, the other one locked the cell door again.

Perhaps it was because Jiang Xuan had given me a pill, but my body now felt somewhat more comfortable. I leaned against the wall, worried about him. Since he had said he would help me, he would surely do everything he could. But if this dragged him into the matter, would it not put him in danger?

Within this imperial harem, no one wanted to be used, and no one wanted to use others too much. Yet I was always being schemed against, always causing the people who cared for me to be dragged into peril.

Xiao Zhi, ah, Xiao Zhi. You rely on a little cleverness and think you can survive in this harem, yet time and again you are harmed, and you even drag others down with you.

A faint, self-mocking smile appeared at the corner of my mouth. Perhaps I really was an ill-omened person. From the moment I was born, it had been the moment my mother died, and now—

Just then, there was movement in the prison.

Qingzi and that eunuch appeared, and not only them, but even Qiu Ronghai as well.

I was startled. Had something happened?

Had Princess Xihe awakened?

“Drag the man out.”

From his tone, it was clear that Princess Xihe had not awakened.

The two eunuchs came forward and hauled me out at once, dragging me to my knees before Qiu Ronghai.

Qiu Ronghai bent slightly and looked down at me. “Little Xiao, I will give you one more chance. Tell me plainly who ordered you to harm the princess. Was it Consort Tong?”

“Eunuch, please see clearly. I did not harm the princess. Eunuch, as long as the princess wakes, it will prove I never harmed her.”

“So you still refuse to tell the truth. Then let me tell you the truth as well: the princess may not wake again. The emperor’s meaning is that if the one who ordered you can be found from your mouth, that would be best. If not, you will be executed on the spot. Using one life to pay for the princess’s, that would still count as fair enough.”

I was shocked and asked hurriedly, “The princess is fine. How could the princess possibly be in trouble? Eunuch, are you deceiving me?”

“How insolent. Does this eunuch have time to deceive a filthy dog like you?” Qingzi spat at me. “Today, Eunuch Qiu has come on the emperor’s orders to send you on your way.”

I shook my head, unable to believe it. Princess Xihe could not die. I could not die either.

“Eunuch Qiu, I have not uttered a single lie. Eunuch, I must go see the princess. I did not harm her. Someone will uncover the truth.”

Qingzi gave a cold laugh. “You’re still hoping for Lord Long, are you? Let me tell you the truth: Lord Long has been sent by the emperor to search for medicinal materials. He will not be coming back to save you at all. Men, apply the paper-suffocation punishment to Little Xiao. Once you are dead, it can be said that you took your own life out of fear of guilt. By then, only Eunuch Qiu will know who you claimed ordered you.”

To use my death to accuse Zhang Bingtong?

Then once I was dead, there would be no testimony, and Zhang Bingtong would be unable to defend herself no matter what.

Paper-suffocation punishment?

I had heard of this torture too. My father was, after all, the magistrate of a county, and in order to force confessions from criminals he often used cruel methods. This was among the most vicious. Unlike beatings, it left no marks. It was simply a way to kill without leaving evidence. First, the executioner would peel off a sheet of prepared mulberry paper and press it over the prisoner’s face. Having already held a mouthful of strong liquor in his mouth, he would spray forcefully, sending out a fine mist. The paper would become damp and soft, and immediately cling tight to the face. The executioner would then cover the second sheet in the same manner, and so on. At first the prisoner would struggle with all four limbs; by the fifth sheet, he would no longer move. Then the executioner would stop. Stepping forward to inspect closely, he would peel back the five sheets stacked together, now almost dry, the mulberry paper appearing clearly embossed with the contours of the face, like the mask worn in the stage performance of ceremonial promotion.

“No, Eunuch Qiu, this is murder!”

“Oh, your little mouth is quite sharp. If you say I am murdering you, then you are insulting His Majesty.”

“Little Xiao, you are being presumptuous. How dare you insult the emperor? That is an even greater crime. Men, begin at once.”

“Yes!”

I was dragged upright at once and bound to a stool. I struggled a few times, but someone struck me across the face, sending my head spinning. Combined with my already weakened condition, I could no longer move.

A sheet of softened mulberry paper was pressed over my face.

Soon after came the second sheet. My breathing had already become extremely difficult. I could only kick my legs, but someone held them down and would not let me move.

Then came the third sheet, the fourth, the fifth.

My eyes could no longer move at all. With each breath I took, the air was forced back into my abdomen, and all my organs began to ache. I must not die. I must not die. I must not die. I kept repeating the thought in my mind, trying to sustain myself by it. But my consciousness was growing weaker and weaker.

Was I going to die?

Long Zhan, Jiang Xuan, where are you?