Chapter 23: Where Did Qin Hao Come From

"I would never dare to deceive Your Majesty."

Yang Suxin knelt down in a hurry.

"As Hao’er's stepmother, I shouldn't have come here to speak ill of him. But the Qin family is truly unable to withstand such turmoil from him. Furthermore, he carries the Princess Royal’s personal jade pendant, and I am powerless to restrain him."

Empress Xiaoyuan nodded, her tone softening as she said, "You may go."

Yang Suxin felt a flicker of joy, but her expression remained sorrowful. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your magnanimity. Your servant takes her leave."

Once Yang Suxin had walked a distance away, a voice emanated from the inner chamber.

"Let’s go and ask Qingyao."

It was Emperor Xuande, his voice deep and cold. He had been present the entire time, but, having no desire to deal with the family members of his ministers, he had remained inside practicing calligraphy. He had never expected to hear such news. His expression was grim; he was clearly genuinely angry.

"Your Majesty, please do not be angry. Let us go and ask Qingyao. What if it is not..."

"Do you truly believe a mere Countess of the Earl’s Mansion would dare to deceive the Emperor?"

A quarter of an hour later, at the Princess’s residence.

The Emperor and the Empress had both arrived. Li Qingyao and the Duke of Yi, who had been with Qin Hao, hurried to receive them.

When Qin Hao heard the Emperor had arrived, he initially wanted to join the crowd to see what the Emperor of Great Jing looked like. But on second thought, he decided against it. If he accidentally committed some act of disrespect, he would surely be executed. He immediately returned to his quarters.

Only someone as bold as Qin Hao would dare to leave without waiting for the Princess and the Duke to return; anyone else would have been required to kneel and wait until the Princess returned.

At the entrance of the Princess’s residence, Li Qingyao and the Duke of Yi hurried to pay their respects.

"Your daughter greets Father and Mother."

"This old minister greets Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress."

"The Duke of Yi is here as well?" Emperor Xuande asked coolly.

"This old minister came to thank Master Shen for his counsel," the Duke of Yi replied candidly.

Emperor Xuande nodded without further inquiry. Several of the founding dukes were trusted, loyal subjects. Moreover, the military generals were generally straightforward, answering whatever they were asked. It was entirely in character for the Duke of Yi to visit a commoner to express his gratitude.

Seeing that the Emperor seemed displeased, the Duke of Yi spoke up, "Your Majesty, if you have no further instructions, I shall take my leave."

"Duke of Yi, stay a moment. I have words for you," said Emperor Xuande.

The Duke of Yi bowed in acknowledgment and stood to the side.

Immediately, Emperor Xuande fixed a stern gaze on Li Qingyao. She felt a surge of confusion. What was wrong with her father? And why was even her mother looking at her with such an odd expression?

Emperor Xuande snorted coldly. "Qingyao, are you hiding something from your mother and me?"

"Huh?" Li Qingyao was completely baffled. What did this mean?

Empress Xiaoyuan’s tone was equally sharp. "Qingyao, your father and I already know. Have you been harboring Qin Hao?" Because Qin Hao had brought shame upon her daughter, the Empress had lost whatever small shred of affection she had held for Qin Hao’s mother.

Li Qingyao was even more bewildered. Where did this "Qin Hao" come from? She asked in confusion, "Father, Mother, are you referring to the Qin Hao who was once betrothed to my third sister?"

"Who else could it be?" Emperor Xuande demanded, brows furrowed.

Li Qingyao felt deeply wronged and quickly defended herself. "No! How could I possibly harbor Qin Hao? If I actually saw him, it would be a wonder if I didn't beat him up!"

The Emperor was furious. "Stop the charade! The Countess of Kaiyang just left your mother’s presence, claiming you have been harboring Qin Hao. She says that, emboldened by your personal jade pendant, Qin Hao has been running amok in his household, beating everyone he sees! Because he is protected by your pendant, Yang Suxin cannot stop him, nor does she dare to, which is why she came to the inner palace to plead with your mother!"

The Duke of Yi stood by, feeling uneasy. Royal gossip was not a dish easily digested. He found himself in a dilemma: staying was awkward, and leaving was impossible.

Upon hearing the words "personal jade pendant," it was as if a keyword had been triggered, and Li Qingyao froze on the spot. Hadn't she given her pendant to Shen Hao?

Wait. Qin Hao’s mother’s maiden name was Shen. Qin Hao... Shen Hao.

*Damn it!*

Li Qingyao blurted out, "Shen Hao is Qin Hao!"

"What!?" the Duke of Yi exclaimed. He was stunned. Could the brilliant, altruistic Shen Hao really be the fool of the Qin family? Was that even possible?

Emperor Xuande took in the reactions of his daughter and the Duke. Lowering his gaze, he asked, "Qingyao, you say that Shen Hao is Qin Hao?"

Li Qingyao was no longer certain. "If it is indeed my personal jade pendant, I only ever gave it to Shen Hao. If, as you say, Father, the person holding my pendant is Qin Hao, then Shen Hao must be Qin Hao. Otherwise, such a coincidence is impossible."

Empress Xiaoyuan’s expression also changed, and her tone softened considerably. "If Xiao Hao was so lovesick for his mother that he became a fool, how could he possess such literary talent?"

For a moment, the four most powerful figures who could shake the capital were left at a loss.

"I will go and ask him," Li Qingyao said, unable to restrain herself, and turned to leave.

The Duke of Yi suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, when you first said Shen Hao arrived at your residence, he was in rags, starving, and looked worse than a beggar, is that correct? As far as I know, Qin Hao is well-treated in the Qin family, and Duke Yang’s daughter is known for her gentleness; rumors say she has always treated her stepson well. If Shen Hao is indeed Qin Hao, then I fear there is something deeply amiss."

Li Qingyao stopped. The confusion in her eyes deepened. The information was contradictory.

Emperor Xuande spoke calmly, "Qingyao, go and question Shen Hao. Just arrange a room for your mother and me where we can overhear your conversation."

"As you command, Father." Li Qingyao agreed and went to make the arrangements.

Qin Hao had only just returned to his room when he was summoned back. Upon seeing that only Li Qingyao was present, he didn't bother with courtesies and immediately complained, "Your Highness, you cannot keep dragging me around like this. I just wanted a rest; why is that so difficult?"

In the hidden chamber, a flash of murderous intent crossed Emperor Xuande’s face. "Such audacity," he hissed coldly.

Beside him, the Duke of Yi whispered quickly, "Your Majesty, this boy is just like that; please do not be angry. I tell you, whether he is Qin Hao or not, I plead for him. If he is not suitable to stay at the Princess’s residence, I would be happy to take him under my wing."

"What do you mean by that, Duke of Yi?" the Emperor asked coolly.

"Your Majesty, let us hear what he says. In a moment, I will tell you about this boy’s deeds, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed. He is truly a talent—for the sake of the nation and the people, he must not be killed!" The Duke of Yi spoke urgently, hoping to quell the Emperor’s murderous intent.

Emperor Xuande fell silent, continuing to listen to the dialogue between his daughter and Qin Hao.

Li Qingyao composed herself, sat in the main chair, and asked coldly, "Qin Hao, do you know your crime?"

Qin Hao was puzzled. "Your Highness, I offered you strategies and contributed a couplet; how could I be guilty of anything?"

Suddenly, it clicked. The Princess had not called him Shen Hao, but Qin Hao. Qin Hao froze, and the atmosphere in the room turned strange.

Li Qingyao sneered, "So, it is true! You are Qin Hao—the one who left my third sister in tears and caused the Royal family to lose all face!"