Shen Xiabai was very busy, but every evening he returned to spar with Cui Yunchu. Cui Yunchu was lacking in stamina and repeatedly lost, begging for mercy.
By now, Xing'er had grown so thick-skinned from overhearing them through the crack in the door that no matter what Yu Feng said, she no longer blushed in the slightest. She could even turn around and tease him a few times herself.
Dowager Shen was quiet as well. Claiming that she preferred peace and quiet, she no longer required Cui Yunchu to pay her respects every day. Cui Yunchu was more than happy to enjoy the tranquility. With a steward handling the affairs of the residence, she had truly become, just as Yu Feng had once said, little more than a lucky charm.
“Miss, Miss!” Xing'er hurried into the room, her face filled with anxiety. “There have been so many rumors outside these past two days. They’re saying… they’re saying that His Majesty is considering deposing the Crown Prince. Quite a few officials have been in the Imperial Study these past two days, apparently discussing the matter.”
The Emperor’s dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince had not begun only recently. After Cui Qingyuan’s disappearance, the Crown Prince’s deposition was merely a matter of time.
Cui Yunchu was not surprised. It was only happening somewhat faster than she had expected.
“What about Prince An’s residence? Have there been any movements there?”
Xing'er shook her head. “No. Prince An’s residence has been unusually quiet. There’s nothing suspicious.”
Cui Yunchu nodded. “Have Yu Feng send people to keep an eye on Princess An. She’s pregnant, so if anything seems amiss, report it to me immediately.”
The rumors about the Crown Prince’s deposition grew more intense by the day. On the third day, it was time for Cui Yunchu to return to her maiden home.
When Shen Xiabai left for court that morning, he had already instructed the steward to make all the necessary preparations for the homecoming and wait for his return.
Cui Yunchu sat up sleepily. “If you’re truly that busy, I can go back alone. It will be fine.”
The only person she was concerned about was her grandmother.
“I’ll go with you,” Shen Xiabai said firmly.
Cui Yunchu had no choice but to agree. Once Shen Xiabai had finished getting ready and was about to leave, she suddenly asked, “That… has there been any news of Cui Qingyuan these past two days?”
Shen Xiabai looked at her without saying anything.
“I was only asking,” Cui Yunchu said. “I’m worried that Grandmother might ask about him and be saddened.”
“We’re still searching. As long as we haven’t found the body, there’s still hope.”
Cui Yunchu acknowledged this with a quiet sound. “His Majesty sent Zhou Yu after him. Did you know about it beforehand?”
The moment she asked, she suddenly regretted it.
Sometimes, it was better not to understand certain things too clearly. A little confusion was what kept things peaceful.
Cui Qingyuan had once harmed Shen Xiabai’s father and elder brother. Even if Shen Xiabai had merely taken advantage of the situation, it would still have been understandable.
Shen Xiabai turned back, held Cui Yunchu’s face in his hands, and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead. “A Chu, have you forgotten? You said you would trust me.”
Cui Yunchu nodded.
Only after Shen Xiabai’s figure had disappeared did she murmur softly, “Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter. It would be understandable.”
Indeed, it was understandable.
Cui Qingyuan had failed to attend court for two days in a row. Combined with the Emperor’s intention to depose the Crown Prince, the officials had already begun to draw their own conclusions. Outside the palace gates, groups of two or three officials stood together, whispering among themselves.
The Crown Prince’s faction was dispirited, while Prince An’s faction was unusually low-key.
The Crown Prince and Prince An stood together. Neither was as relaxed as before, and both remained silent, no longer trading barbs or sparring with one another.
“Imperial Brother must be so happy these past two days that he can hardly sleep,” said the Crown Prince.
Prince An glanced at him. “Crown Prince Imperial Brother knows even that? Do you perhaps have eyes that can see a thousand miles?”
The Crown Prince smiled but said nothing.
He was walking on thin ice, but Prince An probably was not having an easy time either. After all, Cui Qingyuan was Cui Yunfeng’s father. Hiding the truth was likely difficult for him as well, especially with Cui Yunfeng being pregnant.
But paper could never wrap up a fire forever.
As the heavy palace gates opened, the officials entered one after another and proceeded toward the main hall.
The Crown Prince paused, then walked alongside Shen Xiabai at the rear of the group. “I believe Lord Shen was right that day. I shouldn’t have allowed Zhou Yu to return.”
“Your Highness must be joking. I said nothing.”
“My brother-in-law needn’t pretend in front of me.”
At court, the Emperor announced the unfortunate news that Cui Qingyuan had fallen from a cliff. “I have already dispatched Zhou Yu to conduct a thorough search. Whether alive or dead, we must find him and bring him back.”
The officials all fell to their knees and praised the Emperor. Regardless of what they truly thought, they were perfectly cooperative on the surface.
After a brief period of mourning, an official from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward and brought up the approaching New Year.
“Your Majesty, the end of the year is approaching. According to tradition, you should make a trip to Mount An Temple to offer sacrifices to our ancestors. This year has been peaceful, and the ceremony is intended to pray for favorable weather and a good harvest next year.”
“By my calculations, it is indeed time. Ministry of Rites, begin making the preparations.”
The Emperor agreed readily. Anyone with eyes could see that he was in an excellent mood.
The annual journey to Mount An Temple at the end of the year was an extremely important occasion for the imperial court, and many officials would accompany the Emperor.
The Emperor’s gaze fell upon the Crown Prince standing at the front. “This time, I will entrust the Crown Prince with full responsibility for arranging all the affairs.”
The Crown Prince frowned slightly. He raised his eyes to look at the Emperor, then cupped his hands and accepted the order.
The officials were all somewhat astonished, but none dared to show it.
Being responsible for all the arrangements included ensuring the Emperor’s safety. Was His Majesty truly placing such trust in the Crown Prince?
After court ended, the Emperor summoned the Crown Prince to the Imperial Study.
Shen Xiabai merely glanced in that direction before turning to leave. Prince An quickened his pace and caught up with him. “Brother-in-law, you don’t want to know why Father summoned the Crown Prince?”
“Today is my wife’s homecoming visit. Rather than worrying about this, Your Highness should hurry back and watch over Princess An, lest she hear something she shouldn’t and suffer a miscarriage from the shock.”
“…”
He had actually forgotten.
Prince An did not linger and left the palace alongside Shen Xiabai.
“Brother-in-law, is my father-in-law really dead?” Prince An suddenly asked before getting into his carriage.
“The Crown Prince asked me the same question earlier. The two of you know no more than I do.”
With that, Shen Xiabai boarded his carriage.
In the Imperial Study, the Emperor was unusually amiable toward the Crown Prince for the first time.
“You’ve heard the rumors circulating recently?”
The Crown Prince knelt. “To answer Father, I have been occupied with state affairs day and night and have heard nothing of such rumors.”
“Is that so?” The Emperor cast him a sidelong glance. “Chen'er, you were born of the Empress. From the moment you were born, you were the Crown Prince. I once had great hopes for you.”
The Crown Prince furrowed his brows. “It is my incompetence that has disappointed Father.”
“You have indeed disappointed me! As the heir to the throne, you have no bloodlust whatsoever. How can you continue to be the Crown Prince?”
“This journey to Mount An Temple is your final chance. If you handle it well, I can allow you to remain in the position of Crown Prince. If you fail, you will return to your fief and at least preserve your life.”
“Get out.”
The Crown Prince raised his head and looked at the Emperor before cupping his hands and withdrawing from the Imperial Study.
It had been a long time since he had gone to visit the Empress.
The Empress’s palace was bleak and silent, with only a handful of servants in attendance. Though she was the Empress and thus the highest-ranking woman in the empire, the desolation of her palace revealed just how completely she had fallen out of favor.
“I thought you would never set foot in your mother’s palace again.”
“Mother.” The Crown Prince cupped his hands. “You don’t look well.”
The Empress rose and walked a circle around the Crown Prince. “I thought the one I was waiting for would be His Majesty’s decree deposing me—or poison and a length of white silk from Prince An and his mother.”
The Crown Prince fell to his knees with a thud. “It is my fault for being incompetent, Mother. I have made you worry.”
“I am not afraid,” the Empress said. “This day was bound to come sooner or later. We either win, or we die.”
With her back to the Crown Prince, she gazed at her phoenix throne. “You came today because there is some difficult decision you cannot make on your own.”
“Everyone says that Prime Minister Cui is dead.”
“What do you think?” The Empress turned her head slightly.
“The situation is urgent. I have had no time to verify it or think it through carefully.”
“If time is truly so pressing, what are you still hesitating over?”
“But Father said he would give me another chance.”
“So you still have some affection for him as your father.” The Empress bent down and fixed her eyes on him. “But you also know very well what kind of man your father is. You want me to make the decision for you, so that you will feel less guilty, is that it?”
The Crown Prince lowered his head, his fingers digging tightly into his palms.
The Empress said, “If he were truly willing to give you a chance, the capital would not be rife with rumors that he intends to depose you. Who knows whether this so-called chance of his is actually a sharpened blade meant to take your life?”
The Crown Prince’s body stiffened.
He was not a fool. In fact, he had already guessed what his father intended. If the Emperor wanted to depose him, he would surely make him falter during the ancestral rites, giving both himself and the realm a justifiable reason to strip him of his position.
The Empress let out a cold laugh. “That day, you were so resolute for the sake of that child. I thought you had finally come to your senses. But now it seems you are still just as weak.”
The Crown Prince slowly rose to his feet. “I understand.”
As he left, the Empress’s slow, grave voice followed him out.
“I prepared the poisoned wine and the three feet of white silk long ago. I have lived long enough. Even if I lose, I am not afraid.”
The Crown Prince took one last, deep look at the Empress’s chambers before turning and leaving.
