Unable to return to Southern Chu, she longed to gaze day and night in the direction of her homeland.
Princess Donglin nodded slightly. "Very well."
...
Two days later, at night.
The dim and frigid Ministry of Justice prison was a place of shadows. Yan Yunting, clad in his official robes, wore exhaustion on his usually handsome face. With heavy steps, he carried a lantern as a guard led him to the deepest cell.
The guard said, "Lord Yan, you may only speak with the prisoner for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Despite all the torture, she has confessed nothing. We need your assistance to make her talk sooner."
Yan Yunting thought of his family, teetering on the edge of ruin, and gave a slight nod. "I will do my best."
The guard unlocked the cell, the heavy door creaking open with a dull groan before he departed.
Inside, the cell was shrouded in darkness, the flickering light of an oil lamp barely illuminating the space. The stench of blood and decay filled the air. Yan Yunting raised his lantern, its pale glow revealing a frail figure curled up in the corner.
It was Tantai Rou.
Tantai Rou, battered and bloodied from torture, had a chain shackled around her ankle. She looked as though she had been dragged from a pool of blood, a pitiful sight. Yan Yunting's heart ached at the sight. Setting the lantern aside, he called softly, "Rou'er?"
The chain rattled.
Tantai Rou slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Yan Yunting, tears immediately spilled down her cheeks. Struggling, she crawled toward him. "Brother Yunting... I—I’m not a spy. Please help me. Someone framed me."
Yan Yunting's chest tightened. He wiped the blood from Tantai Rou’s face.
Tantai Rou wept bitterly. "They tortured me... Brother Yunting, I’m dying... It hurts so much."
The sight of his once gentle and dignified wife reduced to such a state pained him deeply. Yet, he couldn’t help asking, "Rou'er, tell me—did you alter the list for the Plowing Ceremony?"
Tantai Rou choked back a sob, her voice trembling with innocence. "Of course not..."
Her mangled hand clutched desperately at Yan Yunting’s sleeve, her pleading eyes filled with sorrow.
Yan Yunting wanted desperately to believe her.
But the evidence was undeniable.
Every clue pointed to Tantai Rou being a spy for Southern Chu. The real Tantai Rou, the youngest daughter of the Tantai family, had long been replaced.
His heart torn apart, Yan Yunting held her hand and spoke gently, "Rou'er, you are my wife. I will do everything in my power to save you. But first, tell me—where is Southern Chu’s spy network in Yanjing?"
Tantai Rou’s gaze turned cold, her pitiful expression vanishing.
A sneer curled her lips. "Come closer, and I’ll tell you."
Hope flickered in Yan Yunting’s chest as he leaned in. With the last of her strength, Tantai Rou seized his sleeve.
Yan Yunting, a scholar with no martial prowess, stumbled and fell. Tantai Rou’s fingers clamped around his throat like talons, and she sank her teeth into his ear.
Agonizing pain shot through him as he let out a strangled cry.
Hearing the commotion, the guards rushed in.
"Save Lord Yan!"
"Good heavens, how did this happen?"
Chaos ensued as they pried Tantai Rou away.
Her mouth smeared with blood, she spat out half of Yan Yunting’s ear in disgust. "If not for Southern Chu, who would waste time on a hypocrite like you? You’re the most deceitful, heartless man in the world. Every moment with you made me sick."
Yan Yunting, dizzy from the pain of his mutilated ear, could barely stand.
Tantai Rou continued her tirade. "The Zhao Yang Princess despised you, and so do I. You’re nothing but a delusional fool."
Her words cut deeper than the wound. He never imagined his gentle, devoted wife could be so ruthless.
Suddenly, Tantai Rou whirled around and slammed her head against the stone wall.
A sickening crack—
Blood gushed as she collapsed, her fingers twitching toward the south, as if reaching for the distant skies of Southern Chu.
Her eyes remained wide open, lifeless.
...
News of Tantai Rou’s death soon reached Southern Chu.
The kingdom was in turmoil.
The royal family, locked in a bloody power struggle, had set the land ablaze with war. The palace was heavily guarded as Li Yuanli, clad in black imperial robes, summoned his trusted generals to quell the rebellion.
The streets ran red with blood.
"Your Majesty, what shall we do with Lu Yun?" the chief eunuch reported.
The Lu family had fallen, and their youngest daughter, Lu Yun, had been imprisoned. Somehow, she had escaped the dungeons. When Li Yuanli left Qing State, he had brought the bloodied girl back to Southern Chu.
Lu Yun possessed the ability to foresee the future in her dreams—a rare gift. Li Yuanli recalled the cryptic prophecy left by the late Southern Chu Empress. Perhaps keeping Lu Yun alive would help unravel its secrets.
Casually, he ordered, "Confine her to a courtyard. I will deal with her after the rebellion is crushed."
The eunuch bowed and left.
Rubbing his temples, Li Yuanli reflected on the chaos—all thanks to his dear second brother.
His impulsive assassination attempt in Qing State had cost him dearly.
He would learn from this mistake, bide his time, and strike again when the moment was right. As his thoughts wandered, the image of Shen Wei’s radiant face surfaced in his mind.
A slow smile curved his lips.
They would meet again. There was plenty of time.
...
...
With Tantai Rou’s suicide, the Yan family faced repercussions. Their disgrace became fodder for gossip among the common folk and even reached the imperial harem.
"To die by smashing her own head—Tantai Rou was a woman of spine," Liu Ruyan mused in Yongning Palace, pausing briefly to reflect before resuming her painting.
Dawn’s pale light seeped into the barren courtyard of Yongning Palace, where not even a single flower bloomed. Over time, Liu Ruyan had grown accustomed to sketching with coarse brushes and rough paper.
A newly assigned maid stood drowsily by the desk, indifferent to Liu Ruyan’s murmurs.
Once her ink plum painting was complete, Liu Ruyan examined it critically—the elegant blossoms were marred by the shoddy paper.
"Your Highness, the Internal Affairs Office has delivered your ceremonial robes," a young eunuch announced, presenting the lavish attire. "Tomorrow at eight, you are to dress and attend the investiture ceremony in Yongning Palace."
Liu Ruyan arched a brow, displeased. "Why must I go to Yongning Palace?"
She loathed being anywhere near Shen Wei.
Every encounter left her unsettled.
The eunuch replied, "This morning, His Majesty elevated Noble Consort Chen to Imperial Noble Consort. The ceremony is tomorrow. By protocol, all consorts must attend in formal attire."
