Chapter 85 Remembrance: Death
Feng Luodi remembered Jiang Moyin’s words: to know what someone is truly thinking, you only have to look carefully. I guess he’s right; although all of them try to hide their emotions behind a mask, they cannot maintain their façade forever.
I guess I can see what he mean. Feng Luodi thought quietly to herself as she observed the ceremony quietly from the side of the room. The ceremony was over, and the new bride was waiting for her husband in their bedroom. Each of the guests toasted their congratulations to the Crown Prince individually, offering their blessings to the newlyweds. Why do I just find it so…ridiculous? Their true emotions and their words don’t match up at all.
“Have some pomegranate wine – a local specialty.” Situ poured her another goblet of wine, attracting her attention. “Like I said, all you have to do is to eat.”
“Alright.” Feng Luodi nodded, taking a swig of the wine without thinking twice. She choked. “It’s so strong! How is pomegranate wine so strong?”
“Is it?” Situ puzzled, setting his own goblet aside. “It’s much weaker than the Shaodaozi we drink.”
“Hey. Shaodaozi is as strong as my Autumnal Ombre, alright?” Feng Luodi glared at him, feeling the effects of the spirit immediately. Her tolerance for alcohol was as low as ever, but unfortunately for her, the wines in the Xuan Dynasty only seemed to come at both extremes of the spectrum: either too watered down or way too strong.
Situ steadied her with a hand, his gaze landing on her reddened cheeks and her moist, red lips. What a beautiful and ephemeral night it is.
Unconsciously, he stepped forward and his arm snaked around Feng Luodi’s waist. Under the surprised gaze of the officer beside them, he carried her into his arms. Reflexively, her arms shot around his neck, clinging onto him for balance. He walked out of the banquet with her in his arms, the head steward quickly guiding them back to their room.
Gently, he lowered her onto the bed. Looking at her delicate features, unguarded and relaxed, Situ sat by the bed and sighed. All beautiful moments are indeed ephemeral.
A hoarse cry broke the deep of the night.
“Assassin! The Crown Prince has been murdered!”
“Get General An immediately! Surround the residence; let no one out!”
Feng Luodi sat up on the bed, holding a hand to her head. She peered out of the window in confusion. Did I hear wrongly? How is it that the Crown Prince is assassinated on the day of his wedding? How can that happen?
Shaking her head, Feng Luodi shuffled to the table and poured herself a cup of tea. Lazily, she pushed open the door of her room. Quattor appeared before her.
“Miss Feng, the General invites you to the antechamber whenever you’re ready.”
“Has the Crown Prince really been assassinated?” Feng Luodi could not wrap her mind around the situation.
Quattor nodded. “His body has been found in the study.”
“The study? What’s he doing there on the night of his big day!” Feng Luodi was perplexed.
Quattor shook his head. “My guess is as good as any. Miss Feng, you can have some light snacks and freshen up before you head to the antechamber. You might be spending a lot of time in there after this.”
“No need for that, I’ll be there as soon as I get changed. Argh, the smell of alcohol clings to my clothes.” Feng Luodi waved her hand as she turned to return to her room.
When she reached the antechamber, she was surprised to see the decorations of the banquet still in place. However, there was now a body in the middle of the hall, that of the Crown Prince of Xianbei. A white cloth covered the body, a stark contrast to the red carpet of the hall. Nobody noticed Feng Luodi as she slowly entered the hall from one of the side doors.
The crowd in the antechamber was divided into three groups. The guests of the banquet, General An and his men, and a group led by a richly dressed man.
The richly dressed man spoke up angrily. “We can find out the cause of death of the Crown Prince right now if we investigate the body! Why are you stopping me, General An?” He was the Third Prince of the Xianbei kingdom, a man Feng Luodi had seen during the banquet.
General An was a burly man, and a voice to match his stature. “Your Highness, the death of the Crown Prince is an important affair that concerns the entire kingdom. We can only proceed after his Majesty arrives.”
A scholarly looking man standing behind General An spoke up, obviously angered by the events. “Why did the Crown Prince leave in the middle of the banquet to head to the study? What do you have to say about that, your Highness?”
“Are you suspecting me?” The Third Prince sneered. “Who gave you the authority to question me, out of all the attending guests today?”
Someone quickly stepped forward to defuse the situation. “Relax a little, Third Brother. I’m sure Father would’ve received word by now and will be here soon. Let’s just all wait for a while. Thankyou for your patience, dear guests.”
“Hmph. I could always count on you to be the pacifist, Fourth Brother.” The Third Prince sat down, his lips pressed tightly together.
Feng Luodi shuffled over to Situ quietly. “The banquet was still ongoing? At this time of the night?”
Situ nodded. “It’s a common practice of the Xianbei.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he died of alcohol poisoning, given how much he drank tonight.” Feng Luodi looked at the covered body on the floor and felt a shiver crawl down her spine. Why is everyone still fighting, even after the horrific death of the Crown Prince?
Situ’s brow furrowed together as soon as the words left her mouth.
Li Hengba spoke up immediately beside her. “Oh? You seem to know the cause of death of the Crown Prince, young miss?”
All eyes were upon her. Feng Luodi knew she’d made a mistake; she was too used to speaking her mind freely whenever she was near Situ, but that slip of tongue had garnered her unnessccary attention and possibly, trouble.
As expected, General An looked at her, suspicions beginning to from in his mind. “Oh? Do you know the cause of death of the Crown Prince? If I do remember correctly, you were the first to leave the banquet. If I may ask, where did you go after the banquet?”
Situ placed a hand on her shoulder. “She was drunk, and I sent her back to her room to rest. The head steward of the Crown Prince’s residence sent us back himself.”
Before General AN could reply, Li Hengba cut in coyly again. “If that’s the case, was I right to say that you, General Situ, had left the banquet as well?”
“You seem to care much about our General Situ, Master Li.” Feng Luodi finally found a chance to retaliate, trying to hide her nervousness from the crowd. “I guess that’s normal, seeing as how important a figure General Situ is in these lands. But perhaps, you should think before you make such hasty decisions, Master Li. After all, this is the kingdom of the Xianbei, and not yours to do as you wish.”
Li Hengba froze for a second and cast a glance at General An and the nobility of the Xianbei Kingdom, quickly deciding to keep his opinions to himself upon seeing their darkened expressions.
“Let’s not make any further decisions before the King arrives.” General An did not pursue the issue. “Everyone present is a suspect, and we will question all fairly.” He looked at the body on the floor quietly, sadness apparent in his eyes.
Still, Feng Luodi found it hard to believe that the Crown Prince whom they were speaking to just a few hours before was now dead, his body covered by a white cloth, obscuring even his face. She turned to Situ, but he was already resting with his eyes closed. Learning from her recent mistake, she decided to keep her questions to herself.
Before long, a royal attendant rushed into the antechamber.
“Attendant Chen. Where is the King?” General An quickly stood up.
“The King’s illness had gone into remission, being too distraught upon hearing news of the Crown Prince’s death.” The attendant panted. “I bring his word: General An is to lead the investigation regarding the death of the Crown Prince, and everyone is to comply with the investigation.”
“Attendant Chen, how is my father doing?” The Fourth Prince stood up.
Attendant Chen turned and bowed towards the 4th Prince. “The King had fainted upon hearing the news, and is being tended to by the Royal Physician. I dare not speak casually about his condition; I believe it’s best if you see for yourself.”
“That is correct indeed.” The Fourth Prince turned to leave. “I worry for the health of Father, and shall leave to check on him at once.”
“Hold on a minute, your Highness.” General An stopped him. “Perhaps it’s best if you wait for the investigation to be complete before you visit the King. After all, nothing will happen to the King with the Royal Physician tending to him.”
The Fourth Prince’s expression darkened.
The Third Prince laughed a little. “He’s right, brother. No need to be worried. Why don’t you carry on with the investigation then, General An.”
Feng Luodi blinked. Why do I feel like a sense of animosity between the Third Prince and his brothers?
“Please give us some time. A coroner is already checking the body of the Crown Prince.” General An nodded, and turned to the crowd.
As time passed, the crowd began to stir. The ambassador of Sushen intended to leave, but was quickly stopped by his attendant. Many glances were directed at Situ, as if they were waiting to see what he would do. To their disappointment, he appeared to play by the rules and continued resting with his eyes closed. Now Feng Luodi understood what the rest had meant by Situ’s “influence” in the North. Indeed, he was the inaugural “king” of the North, and many followed his example. If only I was there when he took the North by force! That would’ve definitely been a legendary tale for generations to come!
Before long, the deathly silence was broken by the coroner.
“General An, the Crown Prince had died due to poisoning. The poison he had ingested was mild, and it took some time before it set in and caused his death.”
“How was he poisoned?” General An’s voice was laced with anger.
“I’ve checked. His Highness had not consumed anything other than wine since noon.”
“Bring all the goblets and cups that the Crown Prince had used since the afternoon!” General An shouted.
Faces changed as the cause of death was revealed. Feng Luodi glanced around, trying to take in the reactions of the guests and nobles alike.
“Don’t.” Situ stopped her.
“Hmmm?” Feng Luodi looked at him, surprised.
Situ did not even open his eyes. “The lesser you know, the better it is.”
“Okay.” Feng Luodi turned her attention back to the cup in her hands.
Before long, three cups were brought into the hall, and the coroner examined each of them carefully. Picking up one of them, he turned to General An.
“General, this was the cup that had been laced with poison.
“Who was the one who had poured wine for the Crown Prince tonight?” General An’s steely gaze swept over the group of attendants.
Suddenly, an attendant fell to his knees, kowtowing to the General.
“Forgive me General! I was instructed by someone else!”
His words caused a stir in the crowd, and even Situ opened his eyes.
The Third Prince jumped to his feet, seemingly angrier than General An. “Who was it?!”
“It was…General Situ.” The attendant replied without a hesitation, a finger pointing in Situ’s direction.