On the night of the Lantern Festival, the entire Imperial Street was ablaze with lights, crowded with people, and adorned with lanterns of all shapes and sizes, resembling a radiant river of light from afar.
After taking just a few steps, the dazzling array of stalls instantly caught Yun Kui's eye.
To adults, things like rabbit-shaped lanterns, sugar paintings, and clay figurines might only appeal to children, but to her, they were brimming with novelty and delight.
As a child living under her uncle's roof, she had never owned a rabbit lantern of her own. A simple "I want one" would only be met with scorn and curses. Even if she merely gazed longingly with envy, her aunt's venomous words would immediately reach her ears.
She didn’t dare to ask, didn’t dare to hope. At one point, she even believed that wanting anything was wrong. This fear and timidity haunted her throughout her childhood.
In a way, she pitied the Ninth Prince—perhaps because she saw a reflection of herself in him. Her aunt had told her she was the product of her mother’s adultery, a child who should never have been born. What right did she have to make demands?
Her aunt claimed the family had spent all their silver just to raise her, so she ought to be obedient and filial. Only later did she learn that the money had been squandered by her cousin on gambling. Her aunt’s version of "filial piety" meant forcing her to become a concubine to an old wealthy man, earning a hefty bride price to pay off her cousin’s debts so he could marry a pretty girl from town.
She refused. She wanted to escape—to flee somewhere no one knew her. Even if she had to beg on the streets, at least some child might toss her a half-eaten candied hawthorn stick.
After entering the palace, no matter how difficult her circumstances, no one would point at her and call her a bastard. She could even slowly save up gold and silver, laying bricks for a better future.
Noticing her unwavering gaze fixed on a sugar painting stall, the Crown Prince remarked, "If you want it, buy it. Who knows when you’ll next have the chance to leave the palace?"
Yun Kui slowly snapped out of her daze. "Then I’ll really buy it?"
The Crown Prince studied her slightly reddened eyes and murmured, "Mm."
Yun Kui patted her purse and smiled sheepishly. "This servant only brought a small gold ingot worth two taels. Most vendors probably can’t make change for that. What does Your Highness think?"
Her little scheme was transparent. The Crown Prince sighed. "This prince isn’t so stingy as to deny you a sugar painting."
Yun Kui immediately beamed, her eyes curving into crescents. "Thank you, Your Highness! Would you like one too?"
The Crown Prince replied, "This prince doesn’t eat such things."
Seeing Qin Ge approach as if to report urgent matters, Yun Kui went to queue up by herself.
Qin Ge bowed to the Crown Prince and whispered, "This subordinate has questioned the craftsmen involved. The Qiandu Gate Lighthouse was built with shoddy materials, missing critical structural supports. With the strong winds tonight, the tower will collapse within an hour at most."
The Crown Prince’s expression darkened instantly. "Are the men in position?"
Qin Ge nodded. "This subordinate has already arranged it. In half an hour, the Water Mirror Theater will begin their performance to draw the crowd away from the lighthouse. The patrol guards are also stationed discreetly to ensure the people’s safety and minimize casualties."
The Crown Prince said gravely, "Go oversee it personally."
Qin Ge immediately departed to carry out the order.
When Yun Kui returned with her sugar painting, she noticed the Crown Prince’s icy demeanor and couldn’t help asking, "Your Highness, has something happened?"
The Crown Prince turned to her. "It’s none of your concern. You—"
Before he could finish, his gaze landed on the sugar painting in her hand. Unlike the usual flowers, birds, or historical figures, the design somewhat resembled...
Cao Yuanlu glanced between the sugar painting and his master—the nose, the lips, what a striking likeness!
"Miss, is that sugar painting supposed to be His Highness?"
Yun Kui twirled the stick and blinked innocently. "I’m not sure. I asked the vendor to make me a handsome man to eat, and he just poured the sugar into this shape. Do you think it looks like His Highness?"
Then, right in front of the Crown Prince, she took a loud, crisp bite out of the sugar figure’s head.
The Crown Prince felt a faint throbbing in his temples.
Cao Yuanlu was at a loss for words. This girl was truly the boldest soul alive!
As they strolled further down the street, Yun Kui carried a rabbit lantern in one hand and alternated between nibbling her sugar painting and candied hawthorns, eyeing the sweetmeats and dried fruits next.
Each time she wanted to buy something, she’d sneak a glance at the Crown Prince’s expression. When he remained silent, she’d happily make her purchase. Before long, Cao Yuanlu and Deshun’s hands were overflowing with her spoils.
Feeling a bit guilty, she dipped into her savings to buy each of them a box of pastries as thanks.
Cao Yuanlu winked at her, and Yun Kui understood—he was hinting she should get a gift for the Crown Prince too.
But what could she buy? The Crown Prince lacked nothing and was notoriously picky. He’d scoff at common sweets, and with the meager coins in her purse, what could she possibly get for His Highness that wouldn’t earn his disdain?
The Crown Prince subtly averted his gaze from her, focusing instead on the distant Qiandu Gate Lighthouse.
The Ministry of Works rebuilt it year after year, cutting corners each time. This year, they’d even reused subpar bricks and timber from previous constructions to cut costs. Officials embezzled the bulk of the funds, squeezing every layer until both materials and craftsmen’s wages were reduced to the bare minimum.
The towering hundred-foot lighthouse was a disaster waiting to happen. Yet beneath it, crowds of revelers remained oblivious, immersed in the festive joy of the New Year.
Spotting the lighthouse in the distance, Yun Kui tugged excitedly at his sleeve. "Your Highness, let’s go take a closer look!"
The Crown Prince held her back. "Don’t."
She stared at him blankly, unused to seeing such a cold, ruthless expression on his face. Even his icy tone sent a familiar tremor through her heart.
Did I go too far and anger him?
Hearing her thoughts, the Crown Prince paused briefly before softening his gaze. He took her small, delicate hand in his. "Let’s go watch the opera instead."
The heat of his palm enveloped hers, sending sparks racing through her veins. The tingling sensation where their skin touched made her pulse quicken.
Only when the Water Mirror Theater’s melodic singing reached her ears did Yun Kui’s chaotic thoughts finally settle.
His grip remained firm, his attention fixed on the stage where a man and woman gazed at each other with tender affection.
At first, Yun Kui found nothing remarkable about the performance—until the actor called the actress "Lady Yu," and the tearful woman repeatedly addressed him as "Master Xie." A sense of déjà vu struck her just as someone in the crowd shouted, "That’s the Heir of Ningde Marquis and the Emperor’s Concubine Yu!"
Gasps erupted instantly.
"Wasn’t the Ningde Marquis’s family executed for ten major crimes? Could it be because the heir’s affair with Concubine Yu was exposed?"
"I know this story! The Xie and Yu families were originally connected by marriage. The heir and Concubine Yu grew up together, but after Lord Xie became the Emperor’s uncle and rose through the ranks, he forced the heir to abandon his betrothed from the Yu family and marry another. That’s why Concubine Yu entered the palace…"
"Have you heard the rumors? They say the Ninth Prince is actually the son of Lord Xie’s heir, and now he’s been imprisoned by the Emperor..."
"Don’t spread such nonsense!"
"How is it nonsense? The Marquis of Ningde is the Emperor’s uncle, and his heir has always been favored by His Majesty. Yet overnight, their entire household is to be purged—clearly, there’s more to this story..."
Whispers spread among the common folk, and soon, the sight of two lovers entangled in a tragic, life-and-death embrace on the opera stage drew even more attention.
Compared to the annual lantern tower display, the juicy royal scandal unfolding before their eyes proved far more intriguing. Crowds gathered around the Shuijing Stage, drawn by the spectacle. Before long, the area was packed with onlookers—many of whom didn’t even know what was happening but squeezed in simply because others had. Meanwhile, the usually bustling Qianmen Gate, home to the grandest lantern tower, stood nearly deserted.
Yun Kui was led by the Crown Prince to a quieter spot near Magpie Bridge. As she listened to the opera’s mournful lyrics, unease crept over her.
"Didn’t His Majesty seal off Chaoyang Hall on New Year’s Eve? How did this leak so quickly? And now there’s already an opera about it—by tomorrow, won’t the whole capital know?"
The Crown Prince gripped her hand tightly, his gaze fixed somewhere distant, as if he hadn’t heard her.
Following his line of sight, Yun Kui noticed the towering lantern tower swaying faintly in the wind. At first, she thought her eyes were playing tricks—until realization struck, draining the color from her face. "Your Highness, the tower—"
Before she could finish, the Crown Prince’s expression sharpened. He signaled to the hidden patrol officers, who swiftly moved to evacuate the crowd near Qianmen Gate.
Shouting warnings would only incite panic and stampedes. Instead, the officers quietly dispersed the onlookers under the pretense that lingering near the tower was forbidden. Once the area cleared, dozens of officers erected tall barriers, sealing off a ten-zhang radius around the tower.
The crowd barely had time to wonder what was happening when a piercing, mournful creak split the air. The sound was followed by the crunch of crumbling stone and the splintering of wooden beams. The massive dragon-and-tiger lanterns adorning the tower trembled precariously in the icy wind.
Then, a shrill scream cut through the noise: "The tower’s collapsing! It’s going to fall!"
Like a drop of water hitting boiling oil, the cry ignited chaos.
People turned to see the magnificent tower swaying violently, debris raining down as its supports groaned under the strain. Then, with a thunderous crash, the towering structure collapsed in a fiery explosion of shattered stone, burning lanterns, and flying timber.
Screams and collisions erupted, but thankfully, most of the debris was contained by the barriers. Only scattered wood chips and smoke drifted toward the crowd still watching the opera at Shuijing Stage.
Hidden patrol officers rushed to extinguish the flames while the Crown Prince’s personal guards worked to calm and guide the panicked crowd, preventing trampling.
Yun Kui stared in shock as the hundred-foot tower crumbled before her eyes. One thought consumed her: had she insisted on visiting the tower earlier, she’d now be buried beneath the wreckage.
Dazed, she looked up at the man shielding her.
Behind her, Deshun was just as shaken, his heart still pounding with lingering terror. Cao Yuanlu, however, knew the Crown Prince had ordered surveillance on the Ministry of Works months ago—today’s disaster had been anticipated, and preparations had spared them greater tragedy.
But just then, a dozen black-clad assassins surged from the chaos, blades drawn.
Their leader bellowed, "The Crown Prince is a tyrant who slaughters the innocent! Today, we uphold justice—kill this beast and restore order!"
Before Yun Kui could react, she was pulled into the solid, protective embrace of the Crown Prince.
Thank you for your continued support, dear readers!
