Chapter 22: Breathing His Last
Today was not Zhang Yonggui's day off. However, since he wasn't part of the Second Prince's immediate entourage, his absence wasn't glaring. Just moments ago, an unfamiliar young eunuch had passed on a message: someone was waiting for him here, though the messenger hadn't left a name.
He had no idea who it could be. Fearing it might be an urgent matter, he came over despite his utter confusion.
Yet, the moment he arrived, a sudden, sharp pain struck his calf and shoulder. Before he knew it, he was hurtling forward, sent flying out into the open for no apparent reason.
Ignoring the pain, Zhang Yonggui scrambled to his knees. "Your Highness, please forgive me! This servant did not mean to! Just now, just now, I don't know what happened. A sudden pain shot through my leg, and I-I tripped! I never intended to bump into Your Highness!"
He pressed his forehead against the cold ground, his entire body trembling violently. Even his voice shook uncontrollably.
Despite being outdoors in a wide, open courtyard, the space around them fell into a deathly silence. It was so quiet that the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze could be heard. a sound that felt like the sharp tip of a blade scraping against one's scalp.
After what felt like an eternity, the Crown Prince’s nonchalant voice drifted down from above.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Y-yes, Your Highness, please see the truth of the matter..."
Xuan Qiao ordered coolly, "Look up."
Trembling, Zhang Yonggui raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on the Crown Prince's boots. He dared not look him in the eye.
"Your Highness, this old servant remembers now. This man belongs to the Second Prince's palace," Qi Guangde exclaimed with a dramatic oh, acting as though he had only just recognized the man.
Zhang Yonggui quickly interjected, "Eunuch Qi has a sharp eye. This servant is Zhang Yonggui. I do indeed serve the Second Prince at Xingqing Palace."
"It seems my second brother harbors quite a bit of resentment toward me. I was simply taking a stroll, minding my own business, only to have someone from Xingqing Palace lunge at me." Xuan Qiao’s expression suddenly darkened. "Seize him. We are going to Xingqing Palace."
Panic seized Zhang Yonggui. "Your Highness, I beg you to see clearly! This servant truly didn't mean to-mph! mmmph!"
His frantic shrieking caused Xuan Qiao to frown in annoyance. Taking the cue, the two guards holding him immediately sprang into action. One delivered a swift, brutal punch to the eunuch's stomach, while the other smoothly shoved a gag into his mouth.
Zhang Yonggui’s eyes widened in agony as cold sweat instantly broke out across his forehead. Yet, he couldn't make a single sound.
The procession made its way to Xingqing Palace. Along the way, palace maids and eunuchs bowed to pay their respects. A few sharp-eyed servants spotted Zhang Yonggui in custody and noted the Crown Prince’s dark, stormy expression. Realizing this was not a friendly visit, they hurriedly scurried inside to warn the Second Prince.
Xuan Wen strode out to greet them, a welcoming smile plastered on his face. "What brings you here, Royal Brother? Please, have a seat. Servants, serve tea! Brew the Da Long Tuan tea leaves I received just a few days ago."
Xuan Qiao flatly rejected the hospitality, giving no face at all. "Save it. I imagine you have no real desire to let me taste it anyway."
"What are you talking about, Royal Brother? I must say, I am quite bewildered," Xuan Wen replied, his expression remaining perfectly composed.
The two guards tossed Zhang Yonggui onto the floor.
Zhang Yonggui hastily scrambled into a kneeling position, weeping and wailing. "Second Highness! This servant truly did not mean to offend His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! I have no idea what happened! Please, Your Highness, save me!"
Feigning confusion, Xuan Wen asked, "This... Royal Brother, what exactly is going on?"
Qi Guangde stepped forward. He put on a flawless performance of a loyal servant seething with indignation but forcing himself to remain respectful. "To answer the Second Highness: just moments ago, His Royal Highness was taking a peaceful stroll when this scoundrel suddenly lunged out from the side. Thank the heavens His Highness was quick enough to dodge, or else he wouldn't be sitting here with you right now!"
"You brainless fool! Are your eyes glued to the top of your head?!" Qi Guangde furiously pointed at Zhang Yonggui’s nose, raining down another string of curses. "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a man of the utmost nobility! If you had caused him even a scratch, could a lowly thing like you bear the consequences?!"
Xuan Wen shot Qi Guangde a dark, venomous glare.
To him, the eunuch's tirade was a blatant insult by proxy, pointing at the servant but cursing the master. For a mere subordinate to act so brazenly, it had to have been orchestrated by Xuan Qiao himself!
Taking a covert, deep breath, Xuan Wen’s cheek twitched with suppressed frustration. "Please do not be angry, Royal Brother. Since he offended you, it is only right that he is punished. Rest assured, I will deal with him severely."
Xuan Qiao’s expression remained placid. Looking down, he idly spun the jade archer’s ring on his left thumb. When he spoke, his tone carried profound implications. "Second Brother, I have a question. Today, taking that path was a sudden whim of mine. It is completely opposite in direction from Xingqing Palace. How was it that he happened to be there? Could it be..."
"...that he was acting under someone's orders, spying on my movements?"
He delivered the words with a slow, deliberate drawl. As he reached the final sentence, he suddenly lifted his gaze, his pitch-black eyes locking dead onto Xuan Wen.
Xuan Wen’s face fell drastically.
Sensing the perilous shift in the atmosphere, Zhang Yonggui had a sudden flash of desperate inspiration fueled by sheer terror. "Your Highness, this servant did not! This servant truly stumbled by accident. At the time, it was because my shoulder and calf suddenly hurt that I lost my balance... That's right! Someone must have framed this servant. Your Highness, please see clearly!"
Xuan Qiao let out a soft chuckle. "Second Brother's handling of this is fair and just. I believe it was not Second Brother who ordered this. Am I right?"
Xuan Wen stared back at him. The two brothers locked eyes in a silent, tense standoff for a long moment before Xuan Wen finally forced a smile. "Thank you for your trust, Royal Brother."
He turned to Zhang Yonggui, the smile instantly vanishing from his face. Looking down from his seat, his expression morphed into one of chilling cruelty. He commanded in a dark, heavy voice,
"Guards. Zhang Yonggui has committed the crime of insubordination. Drag him out and administer thirty heavy strikes with the cane."
There was a profound difference between a standard caning and a fatal one; the secret lay entirely in the executioner's technique. With a skilled hand, a hundred strikes would leave the bones and muscles unharmed. But if every blow was struck with lethal intent, a mere ten strikes could shatter a man's spine.
And now, it was blatantly clear that the Second Prince had chosen to discard him. Was there any hope he would survive this?
"Your Highness! Your Highness! I am being framed! I am innocent! Your Highness-!"
Zhang Yonggui was hauled away. Soon, the heavy, sickening thuds of a wooden cane striking flesh echoed from the courtyard. At first, Zhang Yonggui’s agonizing shrieks pierced the air, but the cries steadily grew weaker and weaker... until they ceased entirely.
A guard marched in and reported, "Reporting to the Crown Prince, reporting to the Second Prince. Zhang Yonggui has breathed his last."
Unhurried, Xuan Qiao smoothed the creases in his sleeves and rose to his feet. With a faint smile, he said, "Second Brother, I have matters of state waiting for me at the Eastern Palace. I shall take my leave."
Xuan Wen offered a stiff, superficial smile. "Safe travels, Royal Brother. Forgive me for not seeing you out."
Out in the courtyard, Zhang Yonggui’s corpse remained sprawled across the punishment bench. His head lolled to the side, his lifeless arms dangling toward the ground.
The fabric across his waist and lower back was soaked through with blood. All the servants of Xingqing Palace stood around, silent as winter cicadas out of sheer terror.
Without sparing the gruesome scene a single glance, Xuan Qiao strode out at a leisurely pace.
Inside the hall, Xuan Wen sat frozen in his chair like a wraith. His face was a ghastly shade as he glared murderously in the direction Xuan Qiao had disappeared, practically grinding his teeth to dust.
Xuan Qiao. Damn him. Damn him!
Their Imperial Father favored his mother above all others. Had it not been for Empress Xu and Xuan Qiao, his own mother would be the Empress, and he would be the rightful Crown Prince! By what right did Xuan Qiao dare swagger into Xingqing Palace to throw his weight around?!
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