Sitting in the carriage on the way back to the palace, Yun Wan felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders. The wheels turned slowly as the carriage made its way toward the towering imperial city, passing through the bustling streets where the aroma of freshly baked pastries drifted through the curtains.
Yun Wan called for a stop, and Fuling peeked inside. "What does my lady require?" she asked.
Peeking out through the curtain, Yun Wan instructed, "I'd like some butter chestnut cakes. Buy two portions for me." She handed Fuling some silver. "The other pastries from Wuxiangzhai are also quite delicious. If you'd like, feel free to buy some for yourself."
Fuling shook her head and refused, then pulled out a plump money pouch from her sleeve with a grin. "Eunuch Jiang gave this to me before we left the palace—more than enough!"
Yun Wan smiled faintly and let her be.
With ample funds, Fuling quickly returned with two packages of butter chestnut cakes, wrapped in oiled paper and exuding a warm, fragrant softness. Yun Wan opened one, ate two pieces, then carefully rewrapped the rest, intending to bring them back for Emperor Jingxuan to try—though she wasn’t sure if he had ever tasted them before.
The other package she left unopened, handing it to a young palace maid accompanying them to be delivered to the Hongwen Institute once they returned to the palace.
After finishing the chestnut cakes, there was still about an hour before they reached the palace gates. Yun Wan let out a small yawn, propped her arm up, and dozed off lightly.
By sunset, she arrived at the Zichen Hall.
Stepping inside, she found the hall dimly lit. Yun Wan instinctively lit a candlestick, and as the flame flickered to life, she caught sight of Emperor Jingxuan’s figure in the corner of her eye. Startled, she gasped.
Pressing a hand to her chest, she chided, "Your Majesty, why didn’t you make a sound?"
She had thought the hall was empty, only to nearly faint when she suddenly noticed him standing motionless by the latticed window.
By the half-open window, where the evening breeze drifted in, Emperor Jingxuan stood with his hands behind his back. The golden hues of dusk filtered through the leaves outside, casting half of his figure in light and the other half in shadow, his silhouette long and striking against the floor.
He turned, revealing his handsome, chiseled features, his dark eyes fixed on her as he said calmly, "You’ve returned, my lady."
"Judging by your rosy complexion and the joy in your eyes, it seems something pleasant has happened?"
The corner of his lips lifted slightly, as if trying to appear sincere.
From a distance and against the light, Yun Wan couldn’t quite make out his expression. She carried the candlestick to the desk, sat down, and replied with a smile, "Nothing particularly good—just the resolution of an old matter that has eased my mind."
She was referring to the Lu family, but Emperor Jingxuan interpreted her words differently.
An old matter.
Hmph.
In the candlelight, his expression darkened imperceptibly, but he remained silent.
The sudden quiet stretched on until Yun Wan finally sensed something amiss. He seemed… odd.
Had someone offended him these past few days?
After a moment’s thought, she picked up a teacup and turned to him. "Would Your Majesty like some tea? This humble one will pour it for you."
Tea to soothe the heart’s fire.
The hem of his dark robes swayed as Emperor Jingxuan strode over and took a seat across from her. "I’ll trouble you, then."
Yun Wan poured a cup of steaming tea and carefully handed it to him. As he reached out to take it—
"It’s quite hot, Your—"
Her voice cut off abruptly.
Her gaze locked onto the familiar purple ring on his thumb. In an instant, her mind went blank.
She stared fixedly at the thumb ring, her breath slowing, her grip on the teacup trembling.
Emperor Jingxuan took the cup from her hands and drained it in one go.
Thud.
He set the cup down on the table with deliberate calm, his lips quirking in a humorless smile. "Do you recognize this ring, my lady?"
The color drained from Yun Wan’s cheeks, her thoughts a tangled mess.
The very ring she had personally discarded that morning now sat perfectly intact on its owner’s hand—the shock was no less than witnessing the dead come back to life.
Especially since she had acted out of guilt.
At his question, Yun Wan remained frozen in place, her stunned expression still unconcealed.
Emperor Jingxuan chuckled lightly, his tone leisurely. "You seem… surprised?"
"Allow me to enlighten you, my lady. This ring is the very one I lost five years ago. Fortunately, it has been recovered."
He slid the ring off his thumb, holding it between his fingers as if inspecting it, his voice low and measured. "Would you like to know where it was found?"
Her lashes fluttered slightly. "Wh-where?"
Emperor Jingxuan’s voice cooled. "In a stable."
His face was stern, his imperial authority radiating despite his forced composure. "A rather curious coincidence—it was the Lu family’s stable, to be precise."
"Don’t you think you owe me an explanation, my lady?"
He lifted his gaze, his sharp phoenix eyes boring into hers with growing intensity.
Yun Wan’s face paled. "So Your Majesty already knows everything."
"You’ve known all along that it was me, haven’t you? That’s why you deliberately brought up the ring—just to watch me panic and expose myself?"
Her voice trembled between fear and resolve, her eyes locked onto his, demanding confirmation even as she already knew the answer.
Emperor Jingxuan’s lips thinned into a hard line, displeasure tightening his features. "My lady, I am the one asking questions here."
"You actually threw my possession into a stable? How splendid! Why not a sheep pen, a cow shed, or a pigsty?"
That she had discarded his belonging like worthless trash was one thing—but to throw it into such a place, and the Lu family’s stable at that! It proved she hadn’t hesitated for even a moment.
For the exalted Son of Heaven, this was unacceptable.
The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he grew.
"...Sheep, cows, pigs—because there weren’t any."
Yun Wan parted her lips, wanting to speak but fearing his sudden fury.
Emperor Jingxuan clenched his fist against the table, veins bulging like twisting branches, his brows drawn low.
Yun Wan swallowed. "At the time… that was the only option I had."
Emperor Jingxuan’s voice sharpened. "Then why didn’t you confess to me?"
She lowered her head. "I didn’t dare."
The air around them grew heavy. Emperor Jingxuan’s expression hardened. "Had you come forward, you wouldn’t have needed to live in fear. Did you truly believe I would kill you?"
Yun Wan’s head snapped up.
Her tear-filled eyes met his, silently answering his question.
Yes.
She had feared he would kill her.
The realization struck Emperor Jingxuan like a blow to the chest, a dull ache spreading through him.
Now that everything was out in the open, Yun Wan no longer held back. "You despised the person who schemed against you that year, vowing to have them flayed and dismembered. Have you forgotten?"
"If you loathed her so much, how could I have dared to walk to my own execution?"
The heart of an emperor was unfathomable. His words had carried the weight of a death sentence—how could she have risked confessing at such a critical moment?
Emperor Jingxuan’s voice softened slightly. "At the time, I didn’t know it was you."
More importantly, he had spoken harshly to prevent her from suspecting anything.
Little did he know, the very person he spoke of was her.
Tears welled in Yun Wan’s eyes, her expression pained. "And afterward? You already knew the truth, yet you brought it up repeatedly—was it just to torment me?"
Emperor Jingxuan fell silent.
He had intended to interrogate her, so why did it feel like the roles had reversed?
He decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.
With a cold expression, he demanded, "Tell me, my lady—what exactly happened that night five years ago?"
Yun Wan turned her face away. "Haven’t you already uncovered everything?"
Emperor Jingxuan’s voice was icy. "I want to hear it from you."
