The Phoenix's Hidden Secret - Chapter 1
Father Emperor placed two imperial dossiers before me.
One was for Shen Zhixing, the son of the Grand Tutor, whom I had known since childhood.
The other was for Huo Wujiu, the General Who Guards the Nation, just recalled from the Northern Frontier.
My hand, reaching for Shen Zhixing, paused in mid-air.
This was because, before my eyes, a line of ink characters appeared out of nowhere:
“Absolutely do not choose Shen Zhixing! He is a hypocrite; in the future, he will personally push you into the abyss for the sake of his confidante!”
“Your true destiny is to become an Empress, not someone’s pawn!”
Empress?
No, what I want is far more than that.
“Yue’er, cough, cough…”
Father Emperor’s voice was weak, hoarse with years of chronic illness.
His emaciated finger tapped the two dossiers in front of him.
One was Shen Zhixing.
One was Huo Wujiu.
“Your Father Emperor doesn’t have much time left.”
“The struggle between the Crown Prince and the Prince of Yong has made the court unstable.”
“You must choose a consort to gain support from an external clan, only then can you stand firm in the storms to come.”
My gaze lingered on the two dossiers, finally resting for a long time on Shen Zhixing’s.
“Father Emperor, your daughter has known Zhixing Gege since childhood…”
My words were hesitant, but the meaning was clear.
A trace of relief appeared in Father Emperor’s eyes.
“Zhixing is indeed a good match.”
“The Grand Tutor’s lineage has former subordinates throughout the court, and he himself is the capital’s foremost talent. He is also sincere towards you.”
I was about to extend my hand following his words.
The ink characters before my eyes scrolled again.
“He’s not sincere! He only loves the glory your princess status brings him!”
“He thinks you’re not worthy of him. The one he truly admires is that woman, Jiang Ruowei!”
A cold smile played on my lips.
The Xuanji Pavilion’s intelligence network had already thoroughly investigated Shen Zhixing.
This “Heavenly Oracle” barrage merely re-verified my judgment.
This thing had suddenly appeared when I was sixteen.
I withdrew my hand, pressing it against my chest.
“Father Emperor, your daughter… your daughter’s heart hurts again.”
My face instantly turned pale, and my breathing grew rapid.
“State affairs are important, but your daughter’s marriage… it’s better to postpone it.”
Seeing my condition, Father Emperor was alarmed and no longer spoke of choosing a consort.
“Quickly summon the Imperial Physician!”
He called out anxiously.
Supported by a maid, I leaned weakly against the back of the chair, tears shimmering in my eyes at the opportune moment.
The Crown Prince and the Prince of Yong both thought I was Father Emperor’s most beloved legitimate princess, a pawn they could win over in their struggle for power.
But they didn’t know.
I, Princess Lin’an, Lin Shuyue, had been the Master of the Xuanji Pavilion since I was twelve, overseeing the world and determining the fate of the nation, suspended above imperial power.
Shen Zhixing, Huo Wujiu.
Neither of them was my chosen consort.
They were merely two pieces in different positions on my chessboard.
“Your Highness, the Grand Tutor’s son is requesting an audience outside the palace.”
My maid whispered in my ear.
I waved my hand.
“Let him in.”
Shen Zhixing, dressed in white, slowly walked into the hall.
Seeing my frail appearance, a look of distress immediately appeared on his face.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”
He walked to my side, his voice gentle.
“I heard His Majesty is choosing a consort for you. Are you troubled by this?”
I looked up at him, my eyes full of reliance.
“Zhixing Gege, I…”
“Don’t be afraid.”
He interrupted me.
“No matter what happens, I will be by your side.”
“If Your Highness is unwilling, no one can force you.”
He spoke with sincerity.
Yet, the barrage before my eyes mercilessly scrolled out his true thoughts.
“As expected, she still relies on me so much.”
“A woman of the deep palace who can’t even control her own destiny, who else can she rely on besides me?”
“Just a little comfort from me, and she’ll be utterly devoted.”
I lowered my head, hiding the mockery in my eyes.
“Zhixing Gege, with those words from you, I feel at ease.”
He smiled contentedly.
He reached out to touch my hand, but my maid subtly intercepted him.
“Young Master Shen, Your Highness needs rest.”
Shen Zhixing’s expression stiffened slightly, then returned to normal.
“It was presumptuous of me.”
“Your Highness, please rest well. I will come to see you tomorrow.”
He turned and left, his back elegant and refined.
I watched his retreating figure, my lips moving slightly.
“Go investigate Jiang Ruowei.”
“I want to know all her details.”
“And, keep a close eye on Shen Zhixing.”
I used my illness as an excuse to postpone the selection of a consort.
However, rumors quietly began to circulate in the capital.
The story was about a young man of unparalleled talent who was forced to marry a noble lady of high status but no talent or virtue, a mere puppet.
The young man was distressed but fortunately met a confidante of extraordinary talent and character.
The two were perfectly harmonious, considering each other soulmates.
The story spread like wildfire.
Everyone knew it was an allusion to Shen Zhixing, me, and a woman named Jiang Ruowei.
Jiang Ruowei was the daughter of a fallen aristocratic family.
Recently, she had gained fame in the capital’s literati and beauty circles due to several poems.
“Your Highness, please don’t take those words outside to heart.”
My personal maid, Yunshu, said indignantly.
“It must be that Jiang Ruowei deliberately spreading them to ruin your reputation.”
I put down the book in my hand, my expression calm.
“It’s fine.”
“Let her speak.”
Rumors are the lowest form of weapon, yet they are also the most disruptive.
This was a good opportunity for me to see just how unstable this pawn, Shen Zhixing, truly was.
At this moment, the barrage flashed before my eyes.
“High alert! Slimeball and b**** date scene! Lakeside Pavilion!”
I stood up.
“Yunshu, change my clothes.”
“We’re going out for a walk.”
The Lakeside Pavilion was built on the lake in the Imperial Garden.
From afar, I saw the two people in the pavilion.
Shen Zhixing and Jiang Ruowei.
Jiang Ruowei wore a plain white dress, her face adorned with a look of aloof pride.
“Zhixing, do you truly intend to marry a woman whose thoughts and insights are as different from yours as clouds from mud, for the sake of your future?”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly.
“Your brilliance will be extinguished in that deep, secluded palace.”
“You will have your wings bound, never able to soar in the vast sky again.”
Shen Zhixing stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the lake, silent.
But his slightly furrowed brows and a hint of struggle in his eyes already spoke volumes.
“Although Princess Imperial is of noble status, what does she understand?”
Jiang Ruowei continued.
“She only knows poetry, songs, paintings, and romantic trivialities. How could she comprehend your lofty ambitions and administrative talents?”
“Only I… only I understand you best.”
Shen Zhixing finally sighed.
He turned to look at Jiang Ruowei.
“Ruowei, among those who know me, you are the only one.”
What a passionate confession.
A cold smile formed in my heart as I stepped forward.
“Zhixing Gege.”
I called softly, my voice carrying just the right amount of grievance and shock.
Shen Zhixing’s face suddenly changed when he saw me.
He instinctively shielded Jiang Ruowei behind him.
Jiang Ruowei was also startled and quickly knelt to bow.
“This commoner greets Your Royal Highness Princess.”
I didn’t look at her.
My gaze was solely on Shen Zhixing’s face.
“I heard everything she just said.”
Shen Zhixing’s expression was somewhat awkward, and he quickly explained.
“Your Highness, you’ve misunderstood.”
“Ruowei is just outspoken; she means no harm.”
“Oh?”
I raised an eyebrow.
“So you mean what she said was true?”
“I…”
Shen Zhixing was momentarily speechless.
The barrage popped up again.
“He’s thinking, ‘How can you be so jealous, without even this much tolerance!'”
“And, ‘Ruowei is right, you really are just a deep-palace woman who only knows how to bicker and is utterly boring!'”
The smile on my lips deepened.
“Never mind.”
I waved my hand.
“Since Zhixing Gege believes she is your only confidante, then I, your unbetrothed fiancée, seem a bit superfluous.”
I turned to leave.
“Your Highness!”
Shen Zhixing called out anxiously behind me.
I didn’t look back.
Once trust collapses, any further explanations are futile.
Besides, I had never trusted him in the first place.
Back in the palace, the secret report from the Xuanji Pavilion was already on my desk.
Jiang Ruowei’s father was once a third-rank official but was later dismissed for corruption.
She was determined to restore her family’s glory and would stop at nothing to achieve it.
Shen Zhixing was the first target she had chosen.
“Pass down the order.”
I tapped the table, my voice cold.
“Let Jiang family’s political rivals become active.”
“I’d like to see what she’ll use to restore her family’s glory.”
Jiang Ruowei quickly tasted the bitter fruit.
Her father’s old corruption case was reopened.
Several officials with old grudges against her family jointly submitted a memorial, demanding a thorough investigation.
The Jiang family was in a mess.
Jiang Ruowei probably never expected retribution to come so quickly.
She had no proof that I was behind it, but her intuition would tell her it was related to me.
This would only make her resent me more, leading her to do something even more irrational.
For example, setting a trap for me at the palace banquet hosted by Consort De.
Consort De was one of Prince Yong’s people.
This banquet, ostensibly for flower viewing, was in reality a test for all factions.
As the legitimate princess, I was naturally among the invited.
At the banquet, Jiang Ruowei, as a representative of talented women, was also invited to attend.
She looked much more haggard, but the look in her eyes as she gazed at me was full of venom.
After several rounds of drinks.
Jiang Ruowei’s maid, carrying a fruit platter, “accidentally” slipped beside me.
The fruit platter overturned, and a book wrapped in bright yellow brocade fell out of her sleeve, landing right at my feet.
“What is this?”
Consort De’s voice immediately rang out.
The eunuch beside her picked up the book and presented it.
Consort De only glanced at it, then her face changed dramatically, and she furiously threw the book to the ground.
“Absurd!”
“Your Royal Highness Princess, how could you read such obscene material!”
A stir ran through the crowd.
All eyes focused on me.
It was a book of erotic paintings.
The ladies present all showed expressions of disdain and shock.
Shen Zhixing also stood up, looking at me in disbelief.
“Your Highness, this…”
Jiang Ruowei knelt on the ground, crying pitifully.
“It’s this commoner’s fault, this commoner was careless…”
“But this commoner doesn’t know why this book fell from beside Your Royal Highness Princess. I beg Your Ladyship to investigate!”
She acted so well.
As if it had nothing to do with her.
I picked up my teacup and gently blew away the foam.
“Miss Jiang seems to have quite a bit of research on this type of painting.”
My voice wasn’t loud, but it instantly silenced the bustling hall.
“To be able to identify its nature at a glance.”
Jiang Ruowei’s sobbing paused, and a flicker of panic crossed her face.
“This commoner… this commoner just…”
I put down my teacup, my gaze sweeping towards the maid kneeling on the ground, trembling.
“Guards!”
“Examine her sleeve.”
My imperial guards, the Xuanji Guards, immediately stepped forward.
The maid tried to struggle but was held down firmly.
The guard flipped her sleeve inside out and reported loudly.
“Reporting to Your Highness, her sleeve has fresh ink stains.”
“It’s the same ink as the newly added annotations on this painting.”
I smiled.
“Miss Jiang.”
“This Princess is very curious.”
“Why would your maid have ink from this painting on her sleeve?”
“And why did you want her to carry this ‘your’ painting and specifically fall beside this Princess?”
Jiang Ruowei’s face was ashen.
She hadn’t expected me to be so calm and even find evidence on the spot.
Consort De’s face also turned very ugly.
She had intended to suppress me with this, but she hadn’t expected to fall into her own trap.
“Your Royal Highness Princess, perhaps… perhaps it’s a misunderstanding.”
She forced a dry laugh, trying to smooth things over.
“Misunderstanding?”
I stood up and walked step by step to Jiang Ruowei.
“In this Princess’s view, this is an entrapment.”
“It’s slandering an imperial princess, a crime punishable by death.”
My voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
Jiang Ruowei trembled all over, collapsing to the ground.
Shen Zhixing quickly walked over and stood in front of me, shielding me.
“Your Highness, please calm your anger.”
“Ruowei might just have been momentarily foolish. I beg you to consider it her first offense and spare her this once.”
He chose to protect Jiang Ruowei once again.
Looking at him, I suddenly felt a bit annoyed.
“Young Master Shen.”
“Are you trying to teach this Princess how to do things?”
Shen Zhixing’s face turned pale.
He probably never thought that I, who had always been gentle and reliant on him, would speak to him in such a tone.
He saw the flash of killing intent in my eyes.
He froze.
I ignored him, turning to Consort De.
“Consort De, I ask you to give this Princess an explanation for this matter.”
“Otherwise, this Princess will have no choice but to seek justice from Father Emperor.”
With that, I took my people and walked away, leaving a mess and a hall full of shocked guests.
The scheme failed, and she almost lost her life.
This made Jiang Ruowei hate me to the core.
She ran to Shen Zhixing, weeping and adding fuel to the fire, portraying me as a deeply scheming and vicious woman.
Shen Zhixing was already feeling uneasy and out of control due to my transformation.
Jiang Ruowei’s crying made him feel even more that his authority was being challenged.
The naive princess who once obeyed his every word seemed to be slipping from his grasp.
He needed to do something to re-establish his sense of superiority.
Therefore, at the Royal Poetry Gathering hosted by the Crown Prince, he delivered a fatal blow to me.
On that day, Jiang Ruowei was also present.
She composed a poem about plum blossoms, with ornate words and a lofty artistic conception.
Everyone applauded.
Shen Zhixing stood up.
He didn’t look at me; instead, his gaze burned as he looked at Jiang Ruowei.
“Ruowei’s work possesses an innate grace and administrative talent.”
He paused, his voice carrying throughout the grand hall.
“It cannot be compared to those women who grew up in the deep palace, knowing only romantic trivialities.”
One sentence nailed me to the pillar of shame.
Everyone present knew who he was talking about.
Glances of pity, ridicule, or schadenfreude all converged on me.
My maid Yunshu trembled with anger, her eyes reddening.
Yet, I was unusually calm.
The barrage in my mind was frantically scrolling, the words even changing color in their fury.
“Princess, tear him apart! Don’t hold back!”
“This scumbag! How dare he!”
“Let him know what it means to mess with someone powerful!”
I held my wine cup, gently swirling it.
The amber liquid in the cup reflected my cold eyes.
I didn’t cry, nor did I cause a scene.
I didn’t even spare Shen Zhixing a glance.
I simply drank the wine in my cup, then stood up and slowly left the banquet under everyone’s gaze.
My back was perfectly straight.
My steps were steady.
A faint smile even played on my face.
Shen Zhixing, you succeeded.
You successfully enraged me.
And you successfully downgraded yourself from a “discarded piece” to a “dead end.”
From today onwards, you hold no value to me whatsoever.
After I left, the atmosphere of the poetry gathering became extremely strange.
Shen Zhixing probably thought I would lose my composure on the spot, allowing him to “comfort” me as a victor.
My calmness left him at a loss.
He stood there like a clown.
Leaving the noisy poetry gathering, I walked alone towards the depths of the Imperial Garden.
I needed an absolutely quiet place to calm the killing intent in my heart.
Stopping by a secluded rockery, a tall figure emerged from behind it.
It was Huo Wujiu.
He was dressed in a dark black uniform, his posture as straight as a pine tree.
The winds and frosts of the Northern Frontier had left their marks on his face, yet they also made his eyes sharper.
He just looked at me, saying nothing.
The people in the capital said he was a rough man who lacked refinement.
But I felt that his silence was far better than Shen Zhixing’s hypocritical words.
He had probably also attended the poetry gathering and witnessed what had just happened.
He didn’t step forward to comfort me.
He simply pulled out a small item from his embrace and offered it to me.
It was a small carving made of a wolf’s tooth, crude but carrying a wild power.
“In the Northern Frontier, this can ward off nightmares.”
His voice was deep, somewhat hoarse.
I took it, the wolf’s tooth still warm from his body heat.
“Thank you, General Huo.”
He nodded, then unfastened his cloak from his body and handed it to me.
“It’s late, and the dew is heavy.”
He said these few words and then turned to leave.
He didn’t say another word from beginning to end.
But he gave me the most substantial warmth.
Holding the wolf’s tooth and wrapped in his cloak, the irritation in my heart gradually subsided.
Huo Wujiu.
This chess piece might become the greatest variable in my plan.
And perhaps, my sharpest blade.
Upon returning to the palace, the secret report from the Xuanji Guard was already on my desk.
“When is the Flower Appreciation Banquet scheduled?”
“Reporting to Your Excellency, it is in three days, to be held at the Royal Villa.”
“Will Jiang Ruowei and Shen Zhixing attend?”
“Yes. Jiang Ruowei seems to have already prepared her ‘trump card’.”
I sneered.
“Very good.”
“Pass down the order that on the day of the Flower Appreciation Banquet, everyone is to keep to their positions.”
“If she wants to put on a show, this Princess will give her the grandest stage.”
“This time, this Princess will ensure that she and those behind her can never rise again.”
The commander knelt on one knee, his voice firm.
“As you command.”
Three days passed in a flash.
During these three days, the palace was calm.
I spent my days recuperating, reading, and listening to the zither, as usual.
The Crown Prince visited me once.
He sat by my bed, his words full of a brother’s concern.
“Yue’er, are you feeling better?”
I gave him a weak smile.
“Thank you for your concern, Imperial Brother. I am much better.”
He sighed, casually mentioning, “The matter at the poetry gathering.”
“Zhixing… he indeed went too far.”
“But he was just momentarily confused, youthful impulsiveness. You shouldn’t hold it against him.”
“Father Emperor still hopes you two can marry soon to stabilize the court.”
My long eyelashes concealed the coldness in my eyes.
“Your daughter will listen to Imperial Brother.”
The Crown Prince left, satisfied.
He needed the support of the Grand Tutor’s faction, so he naturally didn’t want any animosity between me and Shen Zhixing.
He thought I was still the sister he could manipulate.
After he left, the Xuanji Guard commander’s figure appeared behind the screen.
“Your Excellency.”
“Everything has been arranged.”
“Jiang Ruowei bribed your new palace maid, Chunhe, to accuse you at the banquet.”
“The forged letter is hidden in Chunhe’s sleeve.”
“The letter paper used is indeed the cloud-patterned tribute paper specially supplied to your sleeping quarters.”
“The content of the letter is about your secret conspiracy with the Prince of Yong: once the Emperor passes, you will help him ascend the throne, and after the deed is done, you will become the Regent Grand Princess of the new dynasty.”
What a huge appetite.
Jiang Ruowei intended to eliminate both me and Prince Yong in one fell swoop.
“The person who forged the letter?”
“Already under our control.”
“Chunhe’s family?”
“Also secretly protected. Jiang Ruowei used them to force Chunhe to comply.”
I nodded.
“Very good.”
“On the day of the banquet, ensure Huo Wujiu’s seat is closer to mine.”
“Additionally, send a message to Prince Yong.”
“Tell him that the Crown Prince intends to act against him at the Flower Appreciation Banquet.”
A flicker of understanding crossed the commander’s eyes.
“Your Excellency is brilliant.”
“It’s good to fish in troubled waters.”
I waved my hand, and he quietly withdrew.
During these three days, I also met Huo Wujiu once.
At the Imperial Garden’s training grounds.
He was shirtless, sweat soaking his bronze skin, his muscles solid and fluid.
He was practicing his saber.
The saber winds were sharp, carrying the killing aura of the northern border.
He saw me, stopped his movements, and picked up a cloth to wipe his sweat, seemingly at a loss.
I didn’t approach; I just stood far away.
“General Huo’s saber is very fast.”
He scratched his head a little awkwardly.
“Your Highness jests.”
“In the Northern Frontier, if your saber is slow, you won’t survive.”
I looked at him and suddenly asked, “If one day, someone points a saber at me, what will the General do?”
He was stunned for a moment, then spoke without hesitation.
“Then he will have to get past this subordinate’s saber first.”
His eyes were sincere, without a trace of impurity.
I smiled and turned to leave.
Huo Wujiu, this blade of yours, this Princess will soon use it.
Royal Villa, Flower Appreciation Banquet.
The weather today was fair, with a pleasant breeze.
All sorts of rare and exotic flowers competed for beauty, and the sound of music was unceasing.
I wore a pale purple palace dress, sitting at the head of the table, my expression languid, maintaining the demeanor of a sickly beauty.
The Crown Prince and Prince Yong sat on either side of me.
Shen Zhixing sat not far away.
He frequently looked at me, his gaze complex—with guilt, uneasiness, but more so, a hidden arrogance.
He was probably still waiting for me to yield to him, to give him a chance to save face.
Jiang Ruowei sat below him.
She was meticulously dressed today, with a determined smile on her face, her eyes filled with provocation as she looked at me.
Huo Wujiu sat in the corner, like a silent wolf.
Only a cup of clear water was placed before him, yet his eyes never left my vicinity.
The banquet proceeded smoothly.
Everyone drank wine, composed poems, admired flowers, and chatted, a scene of peace and prosperity.
Finally, Jiang Ruowei couldn’t hold back.
She gave a signal to Chunhe, the palace maid serving me.
Chunhe, carrying a plate of pastries, walked towards me.
She suddenly stumbled, “Oh dear,” and lunged towards me.
Yunshu, my maid, was quick-witted and stopped her.
But a letter from her sleeve “conveniently” fell out, landing at my feet.
The envelope was bright yellow, with no writing on it.
“What is this?”
Prince Yong’s voice immediately rang out, with a touch of well-timed surprise.
His people were closer than the Crown Prince’s.
A eunuch swiftly picked up the letter and presented it to Prince Yong.
Prince Yong opened the letter and “his face changed drastically” at a single glance.
He furiously stood up and slammed the letter down on the table.
“Imperial Sister!”
“How could you do such a treasonous thing!”
His angry shout brought the entire hall to dead silence.
All eyes focused on me.
The Crown Prince also changed his expression and stood up.
“Fourth Brother, stop spouting nonsense! Yue’er, she…”
“Imperial Brother, see for yourself!”
Prince Yong flung the letter to the Crown Prince.
After reading it, the Crown Prince’s face also turned ashen.
He pointed at me, his lips trembling, unable to speak.
“Guards!”
Prince Yong roared.
“Princess Lin’an conspires with external officials, attempting treason! Arrest her!”
His accompanying guards immediately drew their swords and surrounded me.
Jiang Ruowei knelt on the ground, her eyes filled with uncontrollable glee.
Shen Zhixing was also stunned; he looked at me, his face full of disbelief.
“Your Highness… you…”
The situation spiraled out of control.
But I remained seated, calmly picked up my teacup, and blew on the hot liquid.
“Stop, all of you!”
A clear shout rang out.
Shen Zhixing quickly walked to my front, shielding me behind him.
He faced Prince Yong and the Crown Prince, his expression sorrowful, but his tone exceptionally firm.
“This matter has nothing to do with Her Highness!”
“This letter was written by your humble servant!”
At these words, everyone present was astonished.
The joy on Jiang Ruowei’s face froze.
She looked at Shen Zhixing in confusion, her eyes filled with bewilderment.
Prince Yong narrowed his eyes.
“Young Master Shen, you can eat carelessly, but you cannot speak carelessly.”
“Can you bear the grave crime of treason?”
“I’ll take full responsibility for my actions!”
Shen Zhixing straightened his back, looking righteous and fearless.
“Your humble servant merely admired Her Royal Highness Princess. Seeing that Her Highness has been dispirited lately, I imitated Her Highness’s handwriting and wrote this playful letter, hoping to cheer Her Highness up.”
“I never expected it to cause such a great misunderstanding. I deserve death!”
After speaking, he was about to kneel and beg for mercy.
What a moving declaration of “deep affection” and “sacrifice.”
He thought that by doing this, he could both save me from danger and make me eternally grateful to him, never to leave him again.
He wanted to regain control of me through this method.
How ridiculous.
The barrage appeared opportunely.
“Ugh! He’s helping you admit guilt! Confirming you two have a private affair, and making you look stupid for not even being able to keep a treasonous letter safe!”
“This IQ, and he’s the capital’s top talent? Bah!”
“Princess, run! Don’t fall for his hypocritical protection!”
Of course, I wouldn’t be fooled.
Just as everyone was either suspicious, moved, or watching the show.
“Clang!”
Huo Wujiu drew his saber.
Without a word, he strode to my front.
That battle saber, which had drunk the blood of countless enemies in the Northern Frontier, was fiercely plunged into the bluestone pavement before me.
The saber hummed, radiating killing intent.
He looked at no one, simply scanning the entire hall with his wolf-like gaze.
He didn’t say a single word.
But everyone understood his meaning.
Anyone who dared to take another step forward would die.
The surrounding guards, awed by the tangible killing intent emanating from him, involuntarily retreated half a step.
This was true protection.
Not with words, but with a saber.
Not hypocritical calculation, but unreserved loyalty.
Looking at his broad back, a hint of warmth seemed to spread through the coldest part of my heart.
I smiled.
I stood up and gently pushed aside Shen Zhixing, who was blocking me.
“Young Master Shen, there’s no need for this.”
My voice wasn’t loud.
“What belongs to this Princess, this Princess will acknowledge.”
Shen Zhixing staggered, looking at me in disbelief.
“Your Highness, I…”
“This letter is not yours, nor is it this Princess’.”
I walked to the letter and picked it up.
“Nicely forged.”
“The handwriting is ninety percent similar, and the paper is indeed the cloud-patterned tribute paper from my sleeping quarters.”
“It’s a pity, a small oversight, dear sister!”
I held the letter up to the sunlight.
“The forger probably didn’t know.”
“The vermilion paste used for this Princess’s private seal is mixed with gold dust offered by the Western Regions.”
“Under the sunlight, one can see specks of golden light.”
“And this seal…”
I gave a disdainful smile.
“Uses only the most common cinnabar.”
A stir ran through the crowd.
Everyone craned their necks to see.
Jiang Ruowei’s face instantly turned ashen.
“This… this doesn’t prove anything!”
She was still making her last struggle.
“Perhaps Your Highness just happened to use different cinnabar this time!”
“Is that so?”
I turned to look at Chunhe, the palace maid who had been kneeling on the ground, trembling, since before.
“Chunhe.”
“Tell me, what exactly is this letter about?”
Chunhe trembled all over, looking up at Jiang Ruowei, then at me.
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Jiang Ruowei’s eyes.
“Why must Your Royal Highness Princess interrogate a mere palace maid?”
“Since you say the letter is forged, then produce the evidence!”
“Evidence?”
“As you wish.”
I clapped my hands.
Two Xuanji Guards escorted in a middle-aged man with a shifty appearance.
The man collapsed to the ground the moment he saw Jiang Ruowei.
“Miss Jiang… Miss Jiang, spare my life!”
“You said you’d give me a thousand taels of silver if I just imitated the Princess’s handwriting for this letter!”
“I was forced!”
Jiang Ruowei’s color drained away instantly.
She never expected that I would be able to find the person who forged the letter for her.
“You… you’re talking nonsense!”
She shrieked.
“I don’t know you at all!”
“You don’t know me?”
I spoke faintly.
“You met him several times at the ‘Wenxiangju’ teahouse in the west of the city, and the silver notes for the transaction were drawn from your mother’s dowry shop.”
“Do you need this Princess to invite the accountant to confront you as well?”
Jiang Ruowei completely collapsed to the ground.
She was finished.
I walked up to her, looking down at her.
“You thought your petty tricks could deceive this Princess’s eyes?”
“You thought with your meager schemes, you could shake this Princess?”
“Jiang Ruowei, you overestimate yourself.”
“And you underestimate this Princess.”
The dust settled.
Jiang Ruowei’s attempt to frame the imperial princess and harm Prince Yong was proven with conclusive evidence.
Prince Yong’s face was ashen with rage, and he immediately demanded that Jiang Ruowei and her accomplices be executed on the spot.
The Crown Prince also immediately distanced himself, denouncing Jiang Ruowei’s malicious heart.
A flower appreciation banquet turned into a trial.
Shen Zhixing stood there dazedly, like a soulless statue.
He couldn’t understand.
He absolutely couldn’t understand how things had escalated to this point.
His carefully designed “hero saving the beauty” had turned into a complete farce.
He had lost.
Lost utterly.
Amidst the chaos and clamor of the hall, I slowly walked towards the man who still stood with his sword drawn, guarding me.
I walked up to Huo Wujiu.
And gripped his saber, which still emanated a chilling aura.
His hand was steady, his palm thick with calluses.
I looked up at him; he was also looking down at me.
In his eyes, there was shock, ecstasy, and a hint of disbelief.
I extended my hand to everyone, and also to him.
“General Huo.”
“This Princess’s consort can only be someone who stands shoulder to shoulder with this Princess.”
“Not someone who stands behind and ‘protects’ this Princess.”
“Are you willing?”
Everyone was stunned by my shocking action.
Huo Wujiu’s sturdy body trembled.
He looked at my outstretched hand.
He dropped the scabbard in his hand with a “clatter.”
Then, under everyone’s gaze, he knelt on one knee.
He gripped my hand, with such force it seemed he wanted to mold me into his very bones.
His voice, trembling slightly with emotion, carried a promise as vast as mountains and seas.
“This humble general will not shrink from death.”
At this moment.
I heard the sound of Shen Zhixing’s world collapsing.
He staggered backward, muttering to himself.
“How could this be…”
“How could she choose him…”
“That brute… how could she…”
His pride, his arrogance, everything about him was shattered the moment I chose Huo Wujiu.
I didn’t spare him another glance.
I helped Huo Wujiu up, and we stood side by side.
From today onwards, the balance of power in the capital was about to change.
And I would personally lay down the first chess piece that would change everything.
The outcome of the Flower Appreciation Banquet shook the entire capital.
Jiang Ruowei was thrown into the Heavenly Prison, and the Jiang family’s property was confiscated, leading to their complete downfall.
The news of my public choice of Huo Wujiu, the General from the Northern Frontier, as my consort caused an even greater uproar.
Princess Lin’an was no longer the weak, isolated girl who could be easily manipulated.
Behind her stood the formidable military achievements of the entire Northern Frontier.
The Emperor quickly issued an imperial decree approving this marriage, and no one dared to object.
My interactions with Huo Wujiu also began from that day.
He was still not good with words.
But he would clumsily send me small trinkets from the Northern Frontier, such as dried flowers and beautiful stones.
These things weren’t valuable, but they felt far more real to me than the jewels and instruments Shen Zhixing had given me.
I would handle Xuanji Pavilion affairs in my study.
He would quietly polish his saber beside me, never disturbing me.
If I occasionally stayed up late, he would silently bring me a bowl of hot soup and stand at the doorway until I finished it.
He never asked why I had suddenly become so powerful overnight.
Nor did he ever ask where my endless schemes came from.
He would simply say in his deep voice when I occasionally showed signs of fatigue:
“Your Highness, I am here.”
With him around, I felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
A peace that required no calculations, no pretense.
As for Shen Zhixing, he completely became a joke.
He was cruelly abandoned by me and then personally witnessed me choosing Huo Wujiu, plunging him into madness.
He began to frantically send me letters of repentance, and stood in the rain outside the palace gates, trying to use these self-inflicted hardships to gain my sympathy.
I ignored him completely.
Cornered, he made the most foolish choice.
A secret report from the Xuanji Guard arrived.
“Your Excellency, Shen Zhixing has fully pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince.”
“He presented a malicious scheme to the Crown Prince, attempting to stage a palace coup on the day His Majesty passes, in conjunction with the capital’s garrison, to force Prince Yong into submission.”
“Then, he hopes to use his ‘merit in saving the Emperor’ to prove to you that he is the strongest man.”
I looked at the secret report, a cold smirk on my lips.
What a laughable man.
Even until the very end, all he thought about was how to win against me, how to conquer me.
He simply didn’t understand.
What I wanted was never a man to conquer me.
But, the entire world.
“Very good.”
I placed the secret report over the candlelight, watching it turn to ash.
“Pass down the order, cast the net.”
“The Crown Prince, Prince Yong, Shen Zhixing…”
“These fish have all been caught.”
The funeral bells for the Emperor’s passing chimed eighty-one times.
The entire palace was covered in white mourning cloths, and cries filled the air.
The Crown Prince immediately sealed off the palace city.
The armored troops of the capital’s garrison surrounded the Forbidden City, making it impenetrable.
He wore mourning attire, but there was no sorrow in his eyes, only barely suppressed ambition and killing intent.
“Proclaim my decree!”
Before the mourning hall, addressing the officials, he had already begun to refer to himself as “朕” (Zhen – Imperial We).
“Prince Yong intends to commit treason! He is confined to his mansion! All officials must prioritize state affairs and enthrone a new ruler!”
Prince Yong naturally wouldn’t be outdone.
The news I had sent him in advance had prepared him.
His private soldiers and the Crown Prince’s controlled garrison engaged in fierce fighting inside and outside the palace city.
For a time, fire lit up the sky inside and outside the Imperial City, and cries of battle echoed.
My Princess’s residence was surrounded.
Ostensibly for “protection.”
I was waiting for someone.
Sure enough, not long after, Shen Zhixing arrived.
He was also dressed in white, but he looked spirited and his eyes shone brightly, completely out of place with the mourning white of the palace.
He thought he had truly won.
“Your Highness, you must have been frightened.”
He walked up to me, a barely concealed smugness in his voice.
“It’s very chaotic outside. You are safest staying here.”
“The Crown Prince… Imperial Brother, he…”
I showed just the right amount of panic and fear.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness.”
He smiled, reaching out to brush away a non-existent stray hair from my temple.
“Once His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ascends the throne, I will be a trusted minister of the new dynasty.”
“At that time, I will surely ask His Majesty to issue an edict for you to marry me gloriously.”
“By then, no one will dare to bully you again.”
He looked at me as if I were a lost and found treasure.
“Yue’er, I know you’re still angry with me.”
“But you must understand, a man always needs his own career and ambitions.”
“Everything I’ve done is for our better future.”
“You just need to obediently stay behind me, and I will be able to create a world for you.”
I looked at him, feeling a slight urge to laugh.
Even at this point.
All he thought about was how to make me his subordinate.
“Zhixing Gege…”
I spoke timidly.
“I’m scared.”
“Don’t be afraid.”
He was very satisfied with my reaction, his tone growing even gentler.
“With me here, everything will be fine.”
“Soon, everything will be over.”
He turned, preparing to leave.
“I will ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to accuse Huo Wujiu of being an accomplice of Prince Yong.”
“A brute like him doesn’t deserve to compete with me.”
He spoke lightly.
Yes, soon, everything would be over.
But what would be over was his pipe dream.
At the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The Crown Prince wore the dragon robe, his hand on the Emperor’s sword, forcing all the civil and military officials to kneel and pay homage.
Prince Yong, covered in blood, was held captive below the hall, glaring defiantly at him.
“The victor is king, the defeated is bandit! No need for more words!”
“Good!”
The Crown Prince laughed loudly.
“Then today, I, the Emperor, shall let you all see who is the new master of this realm!”
He raised the Emperor’s sword high, about to issue his command.
“Imperial Brother, this dragon robe doesn’t seem to fit you well.”
My clear voice came from outside the hall.
Everyone turned their heads.
I, dressed in plain mourning attire, slowly walked into the grand hall.
Beside me, followed a nervous but diligently upright young man.
It was the sixteen-year-old Prince An.
A presence everyone had overlooked.
The Crown Prince frowned when he saw me.
“Yue’er, this is not where you should be. Go back quickly!”
Shen Zhixing also became anxious.
“Your Highness! Leave here at once!”
I ignored them.
I just walked to the center of the grand hall.
“The late Emperor left a secret edict before his passing.”
I pulled out a bright yellow scroll from my sleeve.
“The throne is bequeathed to Prince An!”
The Crown Prince’s face changed dramatically.
“Nonsense!”
“Do you intend to shake the very foundation of the nation with a secret edict of unknown authenticity?”
“Guards, seize them!”
His subordinate guards drew their swords again.
At this moment.
Outside the grand hall, the sound of uniform footsteps echoed.
The Northern Frontier army, clad in dark armor and wielding battle sabers, surged in.
Leading them was Huo Wujiu.
The soldiers of the capital’s garrison were as fragile as paper in front of these battle-hardened veterans who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
In just a moment, they were all disarmed.
The Crown Prince collapsed onto the dragon throne.
Prince Yong also showed a look of despair.
Neither of them had expected that I held such a trump card.
And this was not the end.
Dozens of black-clad figures silently appeared in various corners of the hall.
They were the Xuanji Guards.
The sharpest and most mysterious fangs of the Xuanji Pavilion.
Shen Zhixing was utterly dumbfounded.
He stared blankly at me.
Looking at Prince An beside me, looking at the murderous Northern Frontier army, looking at those mysterious black-clad figures.
He finally understood.
The chess game he thought he was playing was never one he could participate in from the start.
He wasn’t a player.
He didn’t even qualify to be a pawn.
“No… impossible…”
He muttered to himself, his face ashen, swaying precariously.
“How could you…”
I walked up to him, looking at his dejected appearance.
“Shen Zhixing.”
“The game is over.”
The deepest part of the Heavenly Prison.
Damp, dark, emitting a stench of decay.
Jiang Ruowei was shackled to the corner like a dead dog.
The once aloof and proud talented woman now had disheveled hair and a face covered in filth.
Hearing footsteps, she raised her head.
Seeing me, her hollow eyes instantly ignited with venomous flames.
“It’s you!”
“You poisonous b****!”
She struggled, the iron chains rattling harshly.
“May you die a terrible death!”
I had the jailer bring a chair, and I sat down in front of her.
“Jiang Ruowei, even now, do you still believe that you only lost to a simple framing?”
She was stunned.
“Your father’s corruption case, I had someone reopen it.”
“The reputation you painstakingly built in the capital’s talented women circle, I had storytellers ruin it little by little.”
“Your acclaimed talent, in my eyes, is merely a child’s game.”
“You and the family behind you, from the very beginning, were merely insignificant chess pieces I used to distract the Crown Prince and Prince Yong.”
“Your struggles, your schemes, your ambitions, in my eyes, were nothing more than a monkey show for my amusement.”
Jiang Ruowei’s eyes widened, filled with terror and disbelief.
“No… no…”
She shook her head frantically.
“You’re lying! You’re deceiving me!”
I smiled.
“Do you still remember the first meal you had after entering the Heavenly Prison?”
“That seemingly ordinary bowl of plain porridge had an ingredient called ‘bone-rotting grass’ added to it.”
She trembled all over, as if remembering something, and lowered her head to look at her hands.
Her fingernails had already begun to blacken and fall off.
“This medicine won’t kill you immediately.”
“But it will make the bones in your body slowly rot away, little by little.”
“You will personally watch your flesh peel off your bones.”
“You will smell the putrid stench of your own body, until, in endless agony, you turn into a puddle of pus.”
“Ah—!”
Jiang Ruowei let out a horrific scream, not quite human.
She finally broke down.
The dual torment of mind and body was a more cruel punishment than death.
“Enjoy it thoroughly.”
“This is what you deserve.”
Leaving her cell, I walked to another one.
Shen Zhixing.
He was hanging by iron chains.
Seeing me, the hatred in his eyes was gone, replaced by endless regret and pleading.
“Yue’er… Your Highness…”
His voice was hoarse.
“I was wrong… I truly was wrong…”
“Please let me go, for the sake of our childhood friendship…”
“I love you, I always have…”
I listened to him finish in silence.
Then, I personally crushed his last hope.
“I saw your talent, which is why I chose you as the backdrop for my ‘naive princess’ persona.”
“Jiang Ruowei’s petty cleverness was just an idle piece on my chessboard used to confuse onlookers.”
“The scheme you presented to the Crown Prince was full of flaws; I deliberately let you succeed to draw the snake out of its hole.”
“Even the moment you believed you ‘fell in love’ with me at the Flower Appreciation Banquet was something I specially designed back then to make you, this chess piece, more ‘loyal’.”
The color drained from his face, inch by inch.
I leaned closer to him, and in a voice only we could hear, I told him the final truth.
“Shen Zhixing, your greatest value to me was your arrogance and foolishness.”
“Thank you, you saved me a lot of trouble.”
He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Those eyes, once full of charm, completely lost their light.
I turned to the jailer and gave my order.
“Cut out his tongue, sever his hand and foot tendons.”
“Then, no need to kill him.”
“Throw him into the coldest, most barren mine in the Northern Frontier, to live a lifetime of hard labor.”
“Let him live, forever living in this nightmare he personally created.”
Shen Zhixing made a gurgling sound.
He would never understand, even in death.
He had never provoked a mere palace princess.
But rather, a deity who controlled the cosmos.
The new Emperor ascended the throne, changing the era name to “Guangqi.”
Prince An became the most stable emperor of the Great Ye Dynasty.
For behind him stood me, the Grand Princess who held court from behind a curtain.
And also, the Grand Marshal who commanded all the world’s armies, Huo Wujiu.
My wedding with Huo Wujiu was grand beyond measure.
Celebrated by all under heaven.
That night, red candles burned brightly.
Huo Wujiu walked into the bridal chamber, seeing me sitting before the mirror, my eyes filled with exhaustion.
He walked over and gently embraced me from behind.
Without saying a single word.
He simply removed my phoenix coronet and took off my heavy ornaments.
Then, he lifted me horizontally, placed me on the bed, and covered me with a blanket.
“No matter who you are.”
He lay beside me, simply holding me.
“You are my wife.”
“From now on, I will guard you as you sleep.”
I leaned against his sturdy chest, listening to his steady, strong heartbeat.
For the first time in over a decade, I slept incredibly peacefully.
In my mind, the barrage named “Heavenly Oracle” scrolled its last line of text.
“Congratulations, player, you have completed the hidden quest—[Redefine the Cosmos]. The Heavenly Dao is ruthless, yet there is a path home.”
Subsequently, it completely disappeared.
For several years thereafter, under my governance, the Great Ye Dynasty enjoyed clear governance, peace, and prosperity, ushering in the “Guangqi Golden Age” that was heavily written about in historical records.
I remained the Grand Princess who held all power.
But I would learn to make a bowl of his favorite noodles for Huo Wujiu.
I would watch him practice martial arts in the courtyard and wipe his sweat for him.
He gave me the only human warmth in this cold game of chess.
Later, some said that in the most desolate place of exile in the Northern Frontier, they saw a mad beggar.
That beggar had no tongue, his hands and feet were severed, and he would only draw the silhouette of a woman in the snow with his body every day.
In his mouth, he would forever murmur two words.
“Yue’er…”
And in the Northern Frontier’s temporary palace.
We…
(End)
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
