When Ye Ting heard him say "thank you," the corner of her eye twitched involuntarily.
Somehow, whenever he smiled warmly and uttered words of gratitude, it felt as though he was delivering a fatal blow to whoever received it.
After Xiao Zhiheng finished speaking, he seemed to find the situation rather dull and casually added, "Never mind. This sort of thing isn’t for me."
No, it absolutely is for you—and you’re exceptionally good at it.
Xiao Zhiheng raised a brow slightly, noticing the conflicted expression on her face. "What are you thinking?" he asked.
Ye Ting felt he was feigning ignorance, so she replied perfunctorily, "Your Highness is right. This servant agrees."
The Crown Prince gave a quiet "Mm" and continued watching her in silence.
Under his unwavering gaze, Ye Ting’s scalp prickled with discomfort. Eventually, she relented and admitted the truth. "This servant was just thinking… Your Highness’s actions were actually helping Empress Su."
She paused briefly before continuing, "Your Highness treats Her Majesty very well."
Though the Crown Prince never voiced it openly, his respectful yet distant demeanor toward the Empress was merely a facade. In truth, he held some regard for her and her faction.
Regardless of the depth of their bond, the fact that he accepted her tentative gestures of concern meant that, at the very least, he acknowledged her—both as his aunt and as his stepmother.
If nothing else, Ye Ting knew that the Crown Prince hadn’t originally planned to visit the Empress’s palace. He had abruptly changed course midway. Even if she didn’t fully grasp his intentions, she understood that whatever scheme he was executing didn’t require such sudden urgency.
But then again, Empress Su happened to be in dire straits, desperately needing someone to pull her out of trouble. With her playing the emotional card, how could the Crown Prince simply stand by and watch?
And as luck would have it, Consort Rong had chosen that very day to parade herself ostentatiously into Zhaoyang Palace, practically delivering herself to them—like a gift on a silver platter.
The Crown Prince had merely seized the opportunity to hand Empress Su the leverage she needed.
A smooth maneuver, executed without a trace of effort.
On the surface, it appeared as though he was settling scores with Consort Rong for daring to plant spies in the Eastern Palace. But in reality, this open confrontation benefited Empress Su far more.
Xiao Zhiheng hadn’t expected Ye Ting to be dwelling on this. He blinked in mild surprise, a faint trace of amusement flickering in his eyes.
He repeated slowly, "You think I was helping who?"
"Empress Su," Ye Ting answered.
"Why would you think that?" The Crown Prince seemed genuinely puzzled by her interpretation.
His beautiful eyes curved slightly as he reminded her in a soft, deliberate tone, "Have you forgotten that I was the one who first sought the Empress’s favor? One matter at a time—exchanging benefits for mutual gain. How is that considered helping?"
Ye Ting was slow to react. "Exchanging… benefits?"
"Mm," Xiao Zhiheng replied languidly. "I intend to petition for your elevation to the rank of Liangyuan. That won’t be easy to arrange, but the Empress can assist. If I can make Consort Rong stumble, the Empress will have the authority to grant my request—"
He paused, then added with a hint of mock offense, "Looking at it this way, it’s clear that I am the one treating you the best. How did you miss that?"
"……"
For a moment, Ye Ting found herself at a loss for words.
First of all, her current identity as "Pingting" was highly problematic. To free her from her slave status, sever her past, and legitimize her position as a proper consort in the Eastern Palace, certain formalities had to be observed. If Consort Rong were in charge, she would undoubtedly meddle behind the scenes.
The Crown Prince had his own demands, but Empress Su was the one who could make things happen.
Logically speaking, the Crown Prince secretly favoring an unconventional beauty wasn’t a big deal. He could have simply bestowed upon her the title of a low-ranking concubine or Baolin without going through all this trouble.
But His Highness clearly had no interest in such casual arrangements.
This was his first time "indulging" someone, and he preferred to do it in the most outrageous way possible.
Ye Ting was beginning to notice something peculiar about the Crown Prince.
Though he appeared gentle, accommodating, and impeccably courteous on the surface, there was an underlying numbness—a cold, detached recklessness—that occasionally led him to abruptly alter or decide upon something of great significance, leaving others scrambling to keep up.
Capricious was the perfect word to describe Xiao Zhiheng—a velvet glove hiding a blade.
As autumn deepened, the nights grew bitterly cold. The servants in Changle Palace were few, but fortunately, this was the Crown Prince’s childhood residence before he established his own household. All the essentials were still in place.
However, as a temporary lodging, it couldn’t compare to the Eastern Palace in terms of preparation. There was only one proper bed.
Ye Ting hesitated. The last time, she had been drunk and oblivious, but now, the thought of sharing a bed with him left her feeling anything but composed.
Moreover, this bed was much smaller than the one in the Eastern Palace—clearly not designed for two. Troublesome.
Xiao Zhiheng glanced at her twice before patting the space beside him with an air of understanding. "Come up."
Ye Ting wavered. "Isn’t this against protocol?"
The Crown Prince’s lips curled in faint amusement. "It is. So what do you propose? Will you sleep on the floor?"
Absolutely not. She’d freeze to death by midnight.
With a complete lack of principles, Ye Ting climbed onto the bed.
Fine.
It’s not like we haven’t slept together before.
Just as she was about to extinguish the candles, Xiao Zhiheng stopped her. "Leave them."
His face, illuminated by the flickering candlelight, bore traces of weariness. Yet his dark eyes reflected the flames, bright and alert. "Let them burn," he said quietly.
Ye Ting hadn’t known he had this habit. How could anyone sleep in such brightness? she wondered as she slowly settled onto the bed.
A rare silence fell between them.
With neither speaking, the sounds around them became starkly clear—the rustling of fallen leaves outside the window, stirred by the night wind.
The palace was bathed in warm light, creating an indescribable sense of coziness in contrast to the cold darkness outside.
Ye Ting thought she might understand why the Crown Prince disliked sleeping in complete darkness.
At night, when the palace grew still and the world outside turned pitch black, closing one’s eyes in an empty, cavernous hall made one feel as though all vitality had been snuffed out.
As drowsiness crept over her, a hazy image surfaced in her mind—
A much younger Crown Prince, alone in the palace, sitting stiffly on his bed. The halls were ablaze with light, as bright as day. His face was deathly pale, as though he had just woken from a nightmare…
Ye Ting frowned slightly, an inexplicable sense of recognition tugging at her. She turned to look at the man beside her.
And there it was—the very scene she had imagined, overlapping with reality.
Xiao Zhiheng lay perfectly still, his breathing even. If not for their proximity, she wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss. His brows were tightly knit, his complexion unnaturally ashen.
The moment she shifted, his eyes snapped open, a trace of dark crimson fading from their depths. His voice was low and rough with sleep. "What is it?"
Something about his condition unsettled her. "Your Highness… are you in pain?"
If you are, I’ll call for help.
Xiao Zhiheng made a questioning sound.
Ye Ting cut straight to the point. "You don’t look well."
He dismissed it casually. "It’s nothing. Pay it no mind."
She wasn’t convinced.
Truthfully, she was far more afraid of his sudden demise than he was. The stakes couldn’t be higher—two lives hanging in the balance.
"Perhaps Your Highness should take some medicine? The prescription Imperial Physician Zhang left earlier is still here. It wouldn’t be too troublesome to brew a dose…"
Xiao Zhiheng interrupted her, seeming somewhat puzzled as he asked, "Are you truly worried that something might happen to me?"
Why?
He couldn’t quite understand this person.
Ye Ting was momentarily at a loss for words and could only respond tactfully, "Everyone is worried. Your Highness, your health is fragile. Eunuch Lin said you must take it seriously. I... all of us fear something might happen to you."
He suddenly laughed, coughing lightly before replying, "Mm."
Then, he added, "Is there anything else?"
Ye Ting hadn’t expected him to actually listen to her words and was caught off guard. She stammered, "No, nothing else."
Xiao Zhiheng gave another "Mm" and said nothing more. Yet, for some reason, he reached over and extinguished the candle by the bed.
The room darkened considerably, leaving Ye Ting momentarily stunned.
She wanted to glance at Xiao Zhiheng, but the next moment, he pulled the blanket over her face and said, "Sleep."
Ye Ting tried to resist, but he added coolly, "Stop staring at me all day."
"..."
That night, the two of them managed to get through it.
While the night passed uneventfully in the Palace of Eternal Joy, the outside world was far from calm.
Empress Su and Consort Rong had been locked in a bitter feud for too long. As two opposing forces in the palace, their clashes were never easily resolved. Empress Su, as the ruler of the inner palace, appeared secure in her position, but Consort Rong—a thorn in her side—constantly provoked her. While her life wasn’t unbearable, it was far from comfortable.
Emperor Xuan had always treated Empress Su with indifference. Whether in affection or regard, she paled in comparison to the late empress. As the successor, she was little more than a figurehead.
Consort Rong, however, was different. Favored for years, she had borne the Fourth Prince, and her family held considerable influence in court. With her rising status and ambition, it was no surprise she dared to challenge the empress.
Consort Rong had fought hard to gain control over the inner palace affairs—pulling strings, whispering in the emperor’s ear, and seizing every opportunity.
Her efforts had paid off, and recently, she had thoroughly suppressed Empress Su. With the empress’s authority slipping away, it wasn’t impossible that she might eventually replace her.
Everything had been going smoothly according to plan.
Who could have guessed she would stumble over the crown prince—a sickly man who could barely string three sentences together?
Now, Consort Rong was filled with regret.
She had been too impatient. Everyone knew the crown prince had been ill for years, barely clinging to life. There had been no need to act against him. Not only had she gained nothing, but she had also needlessly invited trouble!
That night, the Palace of Brilliant Sun was anything but quiet.
Consort Rong, stripped of her earlier arrogance, was detained in the empress’s palace. The moment Emperor Xuan arrived, she immediately pleaded for mercy.
The emperor, now aged with streaks of white at his temples and the marks of time etched on his face, appeared gentler without his usual sharpness. But he was still the emperor, and his long-held authority remained undeniable.
Consort Rong threw herself at his feet, weeping pitifully. "Your Majesty, this humble consort knows nothing! You know how timid I am—I would never dare to commit such an outrageous act! The people sent to the crown prince’s residence were all carefully vetted. If there was any impurity, it must have been the doing of those deceitful servants who slipped them in... Your Majesty, please believe me!"
Consort Rong, ever the favored consort, knew how to play her part. Her tearful pleas softened Emperor Xuan’s heart.
Empress Su, however, was disgusted. "Preposterous! The mistake occurred under the consort’s supervision—how can she claim no responsibility?"
Consort Rong gritted her teeth. "This humble consort wouldn’t dare."
Empress Su knew she couldn’t crush Consort Rong in one strike, so she didn’t press further. Instead, she sighed. "Your Majesty, I acted out of concern. Today, we were fortunate that the crown prince was unharmed. But what if a grave mistake had been made? Who could bear such responsibility? Your Majesty, this matter cannot be taken lightly."
Consort Rong opened her mouth to speak—
Just then, Imperial Physician Zhang, who had been attending to the crown prince, arrived to report. His words were the same as before: the crown prince’s condition was unstable, and he must avoid exertion, needing rest and quiet.
But the moment Emperor Xuan heard that the crown prince’s health had worsened again after entering the palace, his attention shifted entirely. He fell silent.
Consort Rong, unable to read the emperor’s silence, could only beg again, "Your Majesty..."
Emperor Xuan reached out and helped the tear-streaked consort to her feet. Empress Su’s expression darkened.
Consort Rong’s heart leapt with joy—but before she could savor it, the emperor’s next words crushed her.
Patting her hand affectionately, Emperor Xuan said, "Beloved Consort, your temperament is too hasty. If managing trivial affairs is beyond you, then leave the inner palace matters to the empress. Return to your own palace and calm your heart."
The words sounded gentle, but the meaning was clear.
Consort Rong’s plea had failed. Emperor Xuan stripped her of her authority over the inner palace and returned it to Empress Su.
Telling her to "calm her heart" in her own palace was nothing short of house arrest.
Consort Rong, who had never been confined before, was stunned. "Your Majesty, this humble consort—"
"Enough," Emperor Xuan said soothingly, patting her hand once more before turning to the eunuch beside him. "Escort the consort back."
"Yes."
With that, the commotion in the Palace of Brilliant Sun came to an end.
The once-flourishing Consort Rong was confined for the first time.
By the next day, the news had spread throughout the palace.
Ye Ting, who had missed most of the drama, finally learned the aftermath.
The proud Consort Rong had fallen hard. The original owner of Ye Ting’s body had been sent to the crown prince’s residence under her orders—and now, she had been hoisted by her own petard. The crown prince’s "gratitude" had likely left a lasting shadow on her heart.
As Xiao Zhiheng drank his medicine, he tapped the table lightly and asked casually, "Anything to say?"
This time, Ye Ting understood immediately.
Here was her chance to prove her loyalty.
With solemn conviction, she declared, "Since entering the crown prince’s residence, I belong here. My only master is Your Highness. No matter what Consort Rong says, I will not listen. My loyalty to Your Highness is unwavering—I harbor no ill intentions!"
The crown prince played along, smiling. "Mm. I believe you."
[Not a single word of truth in that mouth.]
Ye Ting felt her chest tighten at his silent remark.
As if he ever spoke the truth either.
Just then, movement came from outside, followed by the arrival of Eunuch Qian, Emperor Xuan’s chief eunuch.
Eunuch Qian was exceedingly polite, smiling as he said, "May Your Highness be at peace. Imperial Physician Zhang is attending to His Majesty, and coincidentally, the emperor wishes to invite you for a conversation and a meal."
Last night, the two palace women had clashed, escalating into such a mess—yet the crown prince, at the center of it all, hadn’t even shown his face before the situation was resolved. Only now was he being cautiously summoned.
It was clear that the frail and precious crown prince was a silent burden on Emperor Xuan’s heart.
Xiao Zhiheng’s expression remained calm, though he coughed lightly, his face growing paler. He nodded gently. "My thanks for the trouble."
Eunuch Qian hurriedly replied, "It is no trouble at all. Your Highness, please."
Xiao Zhiheng prepared to leave.
But before he did, he didn’t forget Ye Ting, who had nothing to do. Smiling, he said to her, "Wait here. I will return for you."
Ye Ting nodded and said, "This servant understands."
Xiao Zhiheng, however, seemed skeptical and repeated his question, "Do you truly understand?"
Ye Ting found it baffling—what was there not to understand?
Then, she heard his dark, ominous inner voice—
Perfect. Then you should know that if you choose wrong, only the King of Hell will come to claim you.
Ye Ting: ???!!
What did he mean by "choosing wrong"?
Wait a minute—explain first! What exactly am I supposed to choose?
Eunuch Qian and his entourage, acting on imperial orders, couldn’t afford to wait. Xiao Zhiheng glanced at Ye Ting, whose expression had suddenly turned as if she’d swallowed a fly, before being assisted out the door.
Meanwhile, Ye Ting was left utterly rattled by the Crown Prince’s cryptic inner monologue, her earlier enthusiasm for exploring the palace’s battlegrounds of intrigue completely evaporated.
She kept turning over the meaning of "choosing wrong" in her mind, her thoughts a tangled mess.
Distracted and uneasy, she sat at the table, mechanically drinking cup after cup of water. Lost in her frantic contemplation, she remained seated the entire morning.
It wasn’t until someone came to announce the meal that she finally snapped out of it.
Ye Ting sat blankly for a while, staring into space, unaware of when the silent palace attendants had left. Only when she felt a pang of hunger did she listlessly pick up her chopsticks.
But as she touched the bowl, she realized something was stuck beneath it.
Peeling it off, she unfolded a small slip of paper with a line of tiny, cramped handwriting:
Exit through the side gate. West Garden, in front of the opera stage. Come quickly.
Ye Ting: "..."
Consort Rong was already confined and out of the game.
And yet, my role as this useless assassin still isn’t over?
Damn it, why?!
