Chapter 0252: The Conclusion After Careful Deliberation—Both Are Unfortunate Souls
“Do you know what Soul Incense is?” Shen Yuan asked softly.
Xie Chengze first shook his head, then seemed to recall something and slightly lowered his gaze, his dark pupils drifting downward.
Soul… Incense?
The name was too obvious—it was hard not to draw certain connections. For instance, why did the Second Prince’s soul end up in the original host’s body? Or why did the incense in the Empress’s Kunning Palace cease burning once it was broken?
Seeing Xie Chengze fall silent, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but press further, “Did you remember something?”
Xie Chengze thought for a moment and shook his head again. “Why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“While I was unconscious, I vaguely recalled some memories from my past life,” Shen Yuan explained, recounting the events that transpired after the Second Prince was killed. “That’s how it happened. So I suspect someone used Soul Incense to swap the false Second Prince’s soul with the real one.”
Xie Chengze was utterly stunned, his mouth agape for a long time.
In the original novel’s ending, after the Second Prince’s death, the Crown Prince finally ascended the throne and purged the remnants of the Second Prince’s faction. Sheng Shihai’s father, Sheng Yunhai, unable to bear that his son was the court’s most corrupt official and traitor, chose to take his own life, thus sparing the Sheng Family. Meanwhile, the Hanlin Academy fell under the control of the Su Family.
Then…
Xie Chengze froze. After describing the fate of the Second Prince’s remnants, the author concluded the book with an extremely brief passage.
Historical records later noted that Shen Yuan, as The Powerful Minister of his era, gradually climbed to the pinnacle of power in the treacherous court. He made mistakes and lost his way at times, but he always held fast to his original intentions. In the end, he quelled the court’s rebellions, leaving a thrilling chapter on the stage of history.
In the original text, it seemed there was indeed no detailed account of Shen Yuan’s fate.
It was merely a brief mention in historical records, with no further elaboration.
Xie Chengze had initially thought this was a common narrative technique used to conclude novels. It never occurred to him that perhaps Shen Yuan had no ending at all—or rather, he had no future to possess an ending. His conclusion was being killed by the Crown Prince’s own hand.
This was truly hard to judge.
Xie Chengze raised his hand and deeply rubbed his face.
He began to carefully sort through the key points. Xie Jinyu claimed he had guarded the Second Prince’s body for a full twenty years. Combined with the changes in Xie Jinyu’s attitude toward the Second Prince over the first decade—from dependence to distance, from confusion and reflection to disgust and opposition, yet still imprisoning him—this indicated that Xie Jinyu had indeed suspected the Second Prince was not the original soul.
In the following decade, whenever the Second Prince committed grave offenses, Xie Jinyu never killed him but instead cooperated with Emperor Jian in handling the matters lightly. Perhaps it was truly as he said: he was fantasizing that the original host would one day return.
That was why he forbade the Second Prince from leaving Jingcheng—he intended to imprison the Second Prince in the capital for life, awaiting the original host’s return.
Then there were Xie Jinyu’s words: “If I had known about Soul Incense twenty years ago…” and “He’s about to return, he’s almost back…”
In the original text, why did the Crown Prince suddenly relent, and why did he inform Shen Yuan through the Empress to launch a palace coup on the day the Second Prince ascended the throne?
Did the Empress promise the Crown Prince something?
For example, if the Crown Prince agreed to become emperor, she would tell him how to make the real Second Prince’s soul “return to its homeland.”
Then the Empress turned to Shen Yuan and told him to kill the Second Prince.
In the end, Shen Yuan killed the Second Prince, and the Crown Prince went mad and killed Shen Yuan.
Excellent.
Xie Chengze finally sorted it out.
The original owner was truly a tragic figure.
Not only did he lose his father at a young age, but after barely surviving to the age of nine, his soul was burned away, and his mother succumbed to madness and depression, eventually dying. Just when he might have returned, his body had already become that of a heinous villain, and before he could even return, the body had died.
The Second Prince was also a tragic figure. He should have been reincarnated after death, but someone suddenly burned his soul into another body to resurrect him. Initially wanting to live a low-key life, he was first threatened by the Empress’s agents, then manipulated by Sheng Shihai’s followers, ultimately descending step by step into the path of a villain.
“Chengze…” Shen Yuan’s gentle, concerned voice sounded by his ear. Xie Chengze snapped back to reality and realized he had been gripping the hair on his head tightly, tousling it into disarray.
He quickly smoothed his hair. “I just remembered something urgent. I have to go now. Rest well, and I’ll visit you again tonight!”
With that, he hurriedly stood up and left the Imperial Hospital Inner Chamber.
Shen Yuan had originally wanted to ask why Xie Jinyu was so obsessed with him and what this so-called “salvation” was about. But seeing Xie Chengze leave in such a hurry, he could only sigh softly.
“Fine, I’ll ask tonight instead.”
Little did he know that this single delay would make their next meeting as difficult as climbing to the sky.
…
Xie Chengze stepped into the Eastern Palace once more.
The guards at the entrance still didn’t announce him, instead allowing Xie Chengze to enter directly.
The Eastern Palace remained as desolate as during his first visit. Led by the guards, he arrived at the Crown Prince’s palace bedroom. Imperial guards were stationed at the entrance, and a familiar face sat upright at the stone table in the courtyard.
Xie Chengze approached and greeted him, “Cao Que.”
Upon hearing this, Cao Que stood and saluted, his armor clanking. “Your Highness, the Prince Regent.”
“Has the Crown Prince awakened?” Xie Chengze asked indifferently.
“Not yet. The Crown Prince has internal injuries and requires extensive rest.”
“I see…” Xie Chengze stood still for a moment, then casually remarked, “Commander Cao, I have a question I hope you can answer.”
Cao Que paused slightly before raising his hand in salute. “Your Highness may ask.”
“On the day of my father’s passing, was there anyone entering or leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation?”
“Your Highness, His Majesty had been unconscious all day. He woke during the You hour (5-7 PM) vomiting and coughing blood. I personally attended to him the entire time.”
“You?” Xie Chengze’s eyes flickered. “No one else?”
Cao Que shook his head. “The Empress had given orders that no one was to approach the Hall of Mental Cultivation except the physicians she personally brought. After His Majesty coughed blood, I requested permission to summon a physician, but His Majesty refused.”
“Do you know… why?”
Cao Que looked deeply at Xie Chengze.
“His Majesty was a martial artist. He understood his physical condition better than anyone.”
He seemed to want to say more but hesitated and ultimately remained silent.
As the Empress’s man, he couldn’t speak too freely.
“Commander Cao is also a martial artist.” Xie Chengze’s sharp gaze fixed intently on Cao Que. “You must have been able to tell that His Majesty was poisoned, correct?”
Cao Que remained silent, which amounted to confirmation.
Xie Chengze’s expression darkened abruptly. He had only intended to probe, but he never expected Cao Que to admit it—and without showing the slightest surprise.
The poisoning incident is inextricably linked to the Cao family!
Gritting his teeth, he sneered coldly, “Cao Que, you remain remarkably composed. Aren’t you afraid this prince might pin the charge of poisoning His Majesty on your head?”
Cao Que’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, “This humble official believes the Prince Regent would never wrong an innocent person.”
“Withholding knowledge makes you far from innocent.”
Xie Chengze coldly tossed out these words before turning toward the bedchamber doors.
“Step aside! This prince wishes to visit the Crown Prince!” he barked at the imperial guards blocking the entrance with crossed halberds.
“Allow the Prince Regent to enter,” Cao Que instructed from behind.
Only then did the guards withdraw their weapons.