After taking only a few steps, a figure suddenly rushed out from the hall, pushing past the guards blocking his path, and fell to his knees before the Crown Prince with a loud thud. "Your Highness!"
It was Zhu Wu, Xie Huaichuan’s personal attendant.
"You promised that if I told the truth and testified against the Young Master, you would give me the antidote and spare my life. Do you still stand by your word?"
The Crown Prince looked at him with amusement. "His Majesty has already decreed that all those involved are to be executed on the spot. Not only were you involved, but you also acted as an accomplice, personally delivering messages between your Young Master and Consort Yu. Even if I wanted to save you, His Majesty would never allow it."
Zhu Wu’s eyes filled with panic and disbelief. "Your Highness, you swore you would protect me! You can’t go back on your word now! I’ve already betrayed the Young Master for you—"
"For me?" The Crown Prince let out a light chuckle. "Weren’t you acting for your own survival?"
Though his lips curved into a smile, his tone was icy. "You must have heard how I deal with spies in the Eastern Palace. What makes you think I would save a traitor who betrayed his own master?"
Yun Kui, standing nearby, cautiously glanced at him.
Oh no, he’s hinting at me.
He keeps reminding me every now and then about the consequences of betrayal, as if he’s afraid I’ll be bribed by someone else!
The Crown Prince: "..."
Zhu Wu’s eyes burned with fury, his molars grinding audibly. "Your Highness, aren’t you afraid that if I die from poison in prison, I’ll swear with my last breath that you poisoned and threatened me to frame the Young Master?"
"When did I ever poison you?" The Crown Prince raised a brow. "Ah, you mean that ‘Hundred Poisons Pill’? I lied to you. That was just a hazelnut—one my bedchamber attendant peeled for me. How did it taste?"
Zhu Wu froze as if struck by lightning. "A hazelnut?!"
Yun Kui: "..."
Using a hazelnut to trick someone into thinking it was poison… The Crown Prince is truly… devious.
Zhu Wu clenched his jaw so tightly his face twisted in rage.
Back then, standing outside the hall, he had been completely unaware. The large "poison pill" had been shoved into his mouth without warning. Before he could even taste it, his chin was forcefully tilted up, forcing the pill down his throat.
The Crown Prince had claimed it was the Hundred Poisons Pill, saying that the Young Master had already been captured. If he wanted to atone for his crimes and obediently testify against his master, he would be given the antidote and spared.
But it had just been a hazelnut?! He’d been tricked!
With a furious roar, Zhu Wu swung his fist at the Crown Prince in a fit of rage. But before he could even fully stand, Qin Ge kicked him back down, and three armed guards immediately pinned him to the ground.
The Crown Prince looked down at him with cold disdain. "You poisoned my bedchamber attendant, and I haven’t even settled that score with you yet. And now you dare beg me to save your life?"
Yun Kui blinked in surprise, her gaze shifting to the Crown Prince.
So it really was the Marquis of Ningde’s son who poisoned me… Is His Highness avenging me?
Alright, I take back what I just thought. The Crown Prince isn’t devious at all! He’s a good man!
Zhu Wu, his right cheek pressed against the ground, struggled uselessly as he cursed, "You deceitful, treacherous snake! May you die a wretched death!"
Before he could continue, Qin Ge swiftly stuffed a cloth into his mouth, then used the hilt of his sword to wrench Zhu Wu’s arm, snapping it with a brutal twist. Zhu Wu broke into a cold sweat, veins bulging across his body from the pain.
The Crown Prince seemed long accustomed to such curses and threats. Without a flicker of emotion, he turned away and strode out of the palace gates.
Yun Kui felt a strange pang of loss when he released her hand.
The chilly night breeze swept over the thin layer of sweat on her palm, sending a shiver down her spine.
Is he angry again?
Why isn’t he holding my hand anymore?
She hurried after him, her eyes lingering on his hand, casually resting behind his back. She hesitated, not daring to reach out.
Forget it. Who do I think I am, trying to hold the Crown Prince’s hand? Do I have a death wish…?
Trailing closely behind him, she muttered under her breath, "Your Highness, you really shouldn’t lie to people like that."
The Crown Prince remained silent, his expression cold.
Yun Kui bit her lip before cautiously asking, "Your Highness, earlier, when you promised Consort Yu that you would spare the Ninth Prince’s life and send him to be raised in the countryside… That wasn’t another lie, was it?"
The Crown Prince replied icily, "What do you think?"
Yun Kui lowered her head. "This servant doesn’t know."
If he could trick Zhu Wu into testifying against the Marquis of Ningde’s son with a hazelnut, it was entirely possible he had deceived Consort Yu into confessing the truth the same way.
Recalling how the Crown Prince had uttered the words "death by a thousand cuts" in the hall, Yun Kui still felt a chill crawl down her spine.
True, the Ninth Prince had bullied her before, and she disliked him, but she couldn’t fathom such an extreme punishment being inflicted on a five-year-old child.
In the end, he wasn’t at fault. He had no say in who his parents were.
Having grown up without parents herself, Yun Kui knew the hardships of being orphaned. And now, in the span of a single night, the Ninth Prince had lost both his parents—his doting father, no less—his identity rendered illegitimate by law, and his very life hanging by a thread.
The walk back was silent.
The palace was usually at its liveliest on New Year’s Eve, adorned with lanterns and decorations to welcome the new year. But after the scandal in Chaoyang Hall—the imperial lineage tainted, the Emperor’s wrath uncontainable—countless lives would be lost tonight.
The fireworks and sky lanterns at Taihe Gate would likely remain unlit this year.
Yun Kui thought back to her days working in the Imperial Kitchen. Every New Year’s Eve, after the banquet preparations were done, the cooks would gather the leftover ingredients and let the servants cook hotpot together.
The steaming broth and meat warmed them against the winter chill, and as they laughed and celebrated surviving another year in the ruthless palace, it almost felt like the coming year held promise.
But this year, she was serving in the Eastern Palace. Though she had narrowly escaped death, the atmosphere was far lonelier than before.
Despite it being New Year’s Eve, the Eastern Palace was as cold and quiet as ever, devoid of any festive spirit.
The Crown Prince…
Her gaze unconsciously drifted to his tall, imposing figure, clad in dark robes embroidered with golden dragon patterns. Before she could dwell on it, they had already reached Donghua Gate.
Two slender figures stood beneath the palace walls—one robust and authoritative, the other lean and upright.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince, they immediately stepped forward and bowed. "This general/your humble servant greets Your Highness."
The Crown Prince waved a hand dismissively. "At ease."
The older of the two, the Marquis of Wuning, spoke with gratitude. "Had Your Highness not uncovered Xie Huaichuan’s scheme in time and rescued Qingci from peril, the consequences would have been unthinkable."
The Crown Prince nodded before turning to Shen Yanyu. "How is Lady Shen?"
Shen Yanyu had just finished calming his wife. The lingering heat in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Thanks to Your Highness’ swift intervention, the effects of the drug were mild. She has already returned home to rest." Shen Yanyu clasped his hands in salute. "This humble servant is deeply grateful for Your Highness’ aid."
The Crown Prince replied, "Xie Huaichuan’s target was me. It was my fault she was caught in the crossfire. There’s no need for thanks."
Listening silently beside the Crown Prince, Yun Kui pieced together the events.
So, Xie Huaichuan, the Marquis of Ningde’s son, had tried to set a trap for the Crown Prince and Shen Yanyu’s wife, only for the Crown Prince to turn the tables—exposing Xie Huaichuan’s affair with Consort Yu and the truth about the Ninth Prince’s parentage.
"If His Highness hadn't discovered it in time, today it would have been him and Lady Shen caught in bed together..."
"His Highness's reputation is already poor. If the heir of the Marquis of Ningde had succeeded this time, he might have gone down in history as the most licentious crown prince..."
The Crown Prince: "..."
While the Marquis of Wuning and Shen Yanyu were discussing matters concerning the Ninth Prince with the Crown Prince, they noticed his absent-mindedness, his gaze repeatedly drifting toward his bedchamber attendant.
Exchanging a glance, they cupped their hands in farewell. "The palace gates will soon be locked. We won’t delay Your Highness's rest any longer and shall take our leave."
The Crown Prince dismissed them.
Upon returning to Chengguang Palace, the Crown Prince suddenly declared, "You are not to attend me tonight. Reflect on your actions."
Yun Kui: "..."
He was still furious about the incident with Li Meng!
Fine, no bedchamber duties then. At least it’s not the dark confinement room. I’ll go back to my own quarters—who needs reflection? I won’t spend a single second on it!
The Crown Prince fixed her with a cold stare.
Yun Kui lowered her head, feigning meek obedience, and retreated with a bow.
After washing up, she lay down on her creaky wooden bed, only to find it uncomfortably hard.
Truly, once accustomed to luxury, hardship becomes unbearable. After sleeping on the layered brocade mattress of His Highness’s sandalwood bed, this rickety cot feels like torture.
When she’d first moved here from the communal dormitory, this space had seemed spacious and cozy. Yet in just over a month, her standards had been spoiled rotten!
She retrieved her treasured gold ingot from the bottom of her chest and placed it alongside the ten taels of gold bestowed by the Empress, spreading them across the bed like a large ingot surrounded by five smaller ones. These were her prized possessions—her family, her lifeline.
If she ever had the chance to leave the palace, this gold could buy her a grand courtyard, enough to live comfortably for the rest of her days.
But when would that day come?
Her future felt uncertain. She didn’t know when the Crown Prince might cast her aside or how his future consort would treat her.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door. "Yun Kui, are you asleep?"
It was Eunuch Cao Yuanlu’s voice.
Yun Kui hurriedly hid the gold and opened the door. "It’s so late. What brings you here?"
Cao Yuanlu smiled warmly. "It’s New Year’s Eve. His Highness would like your company."
Yun Kui hesitated. "Is this your idea... or His Highness’s actual wish?"
"The orders I deliver are the unspoken desires of His Highness’s heart," Cao Yuanlu replied.
Yun Kui bit her lip. "But he’s still angry with me."
"How could that be? His Highness adores you. Why would he be angry?"
After a pause, Yun Kui asked, "Eunuch Cao, do you know about Li Meng—the guard punished with forty strokes? Will he... survive?"
"Rest assured, His Highness administers justice impartially. He doesn’t wield power for personal grudges."
"Personal grudge?"
"Can’t you see? His Highness favors you. Seeing you laugh with another man and even criticize him behind his back—that’s what provoked his temper."
Yun Kui muttered, "He also dragged me to the side palace to witness the fate of Consort Yu and the heir of the Marquis of Ningde. A classic ‘beheading the chicken to scare the monkey’ tactic."
Cao Yuanlu broke into a sweat and defended his master. "Tonight, the Marquis of Ningde’s heir sent word, luring His Highness with claims of your alleged affair with an actor. Though His Highness didn’t believe it, he feared for your safety and dispatched guards to protect you."
Yun Kui was stunned. The Marquis’s heir had framed her for adultery!
Recalling the events in the hall, Cao Yuanlu added, "His Highness never expected Consort Yu and the Marquis’s heir to take their own lives. When Consort Yu... well, His Highness shielded your eyes from the bloodshed. Don’t you remember?"
Yun Kui blinked. Now that he mentioned it, she did.
"And... Eunuch Cao, when His Highness threatened to have the Ninth Prince sliced to death—was that real?"
"That’s the Emperor’s family affair. His Highness has no authority to decide such matters."
"So the ‘slicing’ was just to frighten Consort Yu into confessing?"
"Precisely. Standard interrogation tactics. Sometimes pressure is necessary to loosen tongues."
"I see." Yun Kui finally relaxed.
Thinking of Cao Yuanlu’s purpose, she asked softly, "In previous years... did His Highness spend New Year’s Eve alone?"
Cao Yuanlu sighed. "Whether at the northern barracks or here in Chengguang Palace, His Highness has always been solitary. Now that he’s found someone who suits him, won’t you show some kindness? Even keeping him company for conversation would suffice."
Yun Kui wavered. "But after meeting Li Meng and speaking ill of him behind his back, wouldn’t my presence just irritate him further? Tomorrow’s the New Year—what if he decides to ‘discipline’ me tonight? Beat first, celebrate later..."
Cao Yuanlu: "...When has His Highness ever disciplined you? When the Empress ordered you to deliver poisoned wine under the Marquis of Ningde’s scheme, even in the interrogation chamber, His Highness let you off lightly. The one time he confined you, didn’t he carry you out before the chair grew warm?"
Yun Kui pondered. True. For all his fierceness, he’d never truly punished her, despite her countless liberties. Today, he’d even held her hand...
Fine.
She nibbled her lip. "Then I’ll go with you."
Sharing a bed means I can cop a feel of those abs. Not a bad deal.
She followed Cao Yuanlu to Chengguang Palace but found the Crown Prince absent.
"His Highness is bathing in the cleansing chamber," Cao Yuanlu explained.
Yun Kui’s eyes gleamed. Shyly, she suggested, "Does the cleansing chamber need attendants? Perhaps... I could assist?"
Cao Yuanlu tsked. Earlier, she refused vehemently. Now she’s the eager one.
Steam curled in the cleansing chamber as the Crown Prince soaked in the water, eyes closed. The door creaked open softly.
A young woman’s mischievous giggle reached his ears.
Hehehehehe...
Time to admire those abs!
