The emperor sat before the desk, his brows slightly furrowed, his expression unreadable, quietly looking down at the youth kneeling below the steps. He gave a low “mm” and said in a heavy voice: “Do you truly wish to postpone the date of the banquet?”
After the Crown Prince’s marriage, a banquet would be held to entertain the officials and titled ladies, receiving the congratulations of all. On one hand, it celebrated the long continuation of the dynasty’s realm; on the other, it signified that the Crown Prince would formally begin to fulfill his duties as heir.
This matter bore great significance. Crown Princes of all dynasties valued it highly; it was not something to be postponed at will.
“The Crown Princess has a pure and kind temperament, yet her mind is sensitive. Because of rumors, she inevitably suffers grievances. Now, due to her young age and weak constitution, she developed a high fever overnight and lies ill in bed—there will surely be no shortage of further gossip.” Cui Yiyu lowered his eyes and said with striking frankness, “This son does not wish her to be absent from the banquet, nor does he wish her to be distressed.”
These words were difficult to say.
They had nothing to do with the real reason. If spoken poorly, it would appear as foolish infatuation with love and a lack of concern for state affairs—unfit for great responsibility. Yet these words had to reach the emperor’s heart.
Now that the emperor was advanced in years, yet still firmly controlled court affairs, balancing internal and external powers without the slightest intention of relinquishing authority, a young and vigorous Crown Prince would inevitably seem displeasing.
Cui Yiyu supported himself with one hand on the ground, his spine straight. His voice was sincere and earnest, yet his eyes were utterly lifeless, as if he were reciting from instinct.
He had been entangled in these struggles for power for more than ten years, yet observed the royal grudges and affections with the detachment of an outsider, seeing more clearly than even the empress and the Crown Prince.
By saying this, he was gambling.
“Rumors, hm.” The emperor spoke, his tone inscrutable.
He had long occupied a position of power; even without anger, he commanded authority. Though he appeared indecisive, there was contemplation in his eyes.
What rumors surrounded Lin Yuanjin, he naturally knew—nothing more than that she possessed only beauty, inferior to her legitimate elder sister in every way, timid and weak, obedient to the point of resembling a piece of wood.
Before granting the marriage, he had already sent people to investigate. Though she was indeed obedient and compliant, she was far from as exaggerated as the rumors claimed. Moreover, after seeing her yesterday, she unexpectedly suited his eye. Now that she had become part of the royal family, those baseless rumors sounded particularly unpleasant.
The emperor slowly set down the brush in his hand; it landed upon the jade brush rest with the faintest sound.
It broke the solidified silence in the study.
“You are quite thoughtful.” The emperor sighed, “Rise. You care for and are considerate toward your newlywed wife—what fault is there? I pardon you.”
“Many thanks, Father Emperor.” Only then did Cui Yiyu slowly rise. As he lifted his eyes, he saw the emperor sizing him up, satisfaction in his gaze, as though seeing his former self.
He had gambled correctly.
The empress had mentioned before that in his early years, the emperor had been an ordinary prince. He went to war in place of his father, while his primary wife happened to be with child. By misfortune, she caught a chill and fell ill, and could not endure it—both mother and child perished. By the time he returned in triumph, it was already too late.
A knot in the heart formed over many years was naturally difficult to untie.
“How did that child fall ill?” The emperor shook his head, beckoned Cui Yiyu closer, and patted his shoulder, speaking of family matters like a kindly father at home.
“Father Emperor.” Cui Yiyu stiffened slightly, seeming uncomfortable as he avoided the emperor’s gaze.
“Mm? Was she harmed by someone?” The emperor narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. “Speak plainly to me. I will certainly uphold justice for you and the Crown Princess!”
“That is not the case.” Cui Yiyu lowered his lashes, his gaze flickering as if guilty. A faint flush rose on his fair, jade-like cheeks as he said softly, “Perhaps this son has been… somewhat reckless of late.”
“It truly should not have reached Father Emperor’s ears.”
After speaking, the youth furrowed his brows and lowered his eyes, becoming as silent as a sawn gourd, saying no more.
The meaning was that the Crown Princess was already weak in constitution; having done some strenuous activity, it was only natural that cold had entered her body.
“……”
The emperor fell into a strange silence. Clearly not expecting to hear such a reason, he saw Cui Yiyu’s neck stiffen to the point that the veins stood out faintly blue, and could not help but clap his shoulder hard, bursting into hearty laughter.
“Indeed, a tiger father has no dog son! Good! I pardon you of all guilt!”
“The Crown Princess is beautiful, and my son is no less so. The two of you are in perfect harmony like qin and se, and to continue the lineage is a most excellent thing!” The emperor slapped the desk, summoning Eunuch Li who attended closely at his side. “Transmit my decree—select some of the finest medicinal materials from the treasury and bestow them upon the Crown Princess!”
“Yes.”
The Crown Prince came empty-handed to plead for forgiveness, yet when he left, not only was the imperial mood greatly pleased and the banquet postponed, he also carried with him a string of rewards.
The news was neither concealed nor restrained, and in the blink of an eye, it spread.
Originally, rumors had been spreading like wildfire, openly and secretly accusing the Crown Princess of having thin fortune—falling ill just after paying respects at the imperial ancestral temple, as if the ancestors were dissatisfied and had inflicted illness upon her.
Now, no one knew what the Crown Prince had said, but not only was the emperor not angered—he even bestowed rewards.
It seemed as though a major matter had been reduced to a minor one, and the minor one dissolved entirely.
“They say it is the Crown Princess who is ill—does that make it truly her illness?” Noble Consort Pei reclined upon a soft couch, listening to the palace maid’s report. The translucent grapes in her hand resembled glass beads.
Her fingers crushed the grape in her hand, its juice splattering all over the maid beside her. “Yesterday, when I saw that Crown Princess, though she was young, her complexion was excellent—not the slightest sign of illness. How is it that the moment she saw me, she fell ill?”
The empress and the Crown Prince might not mind ill omens, but she did.
“I fear the Crown Prince has realized that paper cannot wrap fire—his condition has leaked out. Now he wishes to use that obedient little girl to feign illness and delay for a few more days.” Noble Consort Pei let out a cold laugh. “I would like to see what life-saving method they can come up with in these few days.”
“Shall this matter be reported to the Second Prince?” the matron asked in a low voice.
The Second Prince, Zhou Heng, was Noble Consort Pei’s son, and also the emperor’s second son.
“Let me think.” Noble Consort Pei’s beautiful eyes shifted as she pondered. “If he knows everything, it may appear too deliberate before His Majesty… I have it.”
She sat upright and smiled leisurely. “Send a letter and have Heng’er enter the palace to visit his imperial sister-in-law.”
“Your Ladyship is most thoughtful. This old servant will attend to it at once.”
At this moment, contrary to what Noble Consort Pei had imagined—
Within Yihe Palace, matters were far from peaceful.
Lin Yuanjin lay on the bed, her face pale as if drained of blood, her hands and feet icy cold. Supported by Matron Zhang at her back, she drank medicine weakly.
The empress stood at the side, her expression stunned, tinged with helplessness—as if she had never expected feigning illness to become real illness. Only when someone outside announced the Crown Prince’s arrival did she hurriedly turn and walk out, stopping Cui Yiyu. “What is going on?!”
“What matter?” Cui Yiyu’s brows drew slightly together as he lifted his eyes in confusion.
“The Crown Princess!” the empress lowered her voice. “Does she have some underlying condition? Does the Crown Prince know?”
“She has no such condition. It is only that she was previously framed and her life was once in danger. She fell gravely ill then, and is now weak, unable to withstand disturbances.” Cui Yiyu had already said this once to the Crown Prince; now he repeated it. “His Highness naturally knows.”
“Why did he not say so earlier?” Dissatisfaction appeared in the empress’s eyes. Had she known earlier that this Crown Princess was not in good health, she would have changed her choice even at the cost of face.
“She was framed after the marriage was bestowed,” Cui Yiyu explained in a low voice.
He had witnessed Lin Yuanjin’s miserable state with his own eyes. If, after that incident, the empress had insisted on breaking off the marriage, would that not place the Crown Prince in a position of injustice?
Cui Yiyu lifted his eyelids slightly; beneath his indifference lay faint traces of cold detachment. “The Crown Princess is frail. With some care, she will recover. Since you and the Crown Prince already have plans, there is no need to worry now.”
The empress did not care at all whether Lin Yuanjin could bear children. What she truly wanted was a Crown Prince’s heir born of a Cui clan daughter, Cui Xinyi.
Lin Yuanjin, like him, was nothing more than a tool in the eyes of this mother and son.
The empress fell into thought, gradually discerning a few threads of reason.
Just now, she had been startled by the severity of Lin Yuanjin’s illness. Now that it was put this way, regardless of whether she was truly ill or not, the purpose of their plan had indeed been achieved.
If Lin Yuanjin’s constitution were truly poor—if she were as frail as the emperor’s primary wife had once been—it would even spare her the risk of paving the way for Xinyi.
It might even be a good thing.
“This son has already gone before Father Emperor to explain and request the postponement of the banquet. These medicinal materials are Father Emperor’s reward. I hope Mother Empress will be at ease.” Cui Yiyu’s gaze shifted, and he suddenly noticed a figure not far away.
He stepped back half a pace, raised his voice slightly, and performed a proper, respectful salute to the empress. Just as he was about to head toward the inner chamber where Lin Yuanjin was recuperating, the empress suddenly called him to a halt.
“The Crown Princess was gravely ill just now and wished to see you. She is young and newly separated from her family, so she depends especially on her husband.” The empress spoke coolly, not even turning her head. “The Crown Prince is older; he should know his limits.”
“This son understands what is proper and what is not.” Cui Yiyu paused mid-step, gave a slight nod, his smile faint. “It is only that Mother Empress also knows—in the palace, nothing is ever within one’s own control.”
The empress said no more, perhaps thinking of Matron Zhang’s presence and feeling a headache coming on.
Cui Yiyu stepped forward and entered the room, immediately smelling the heavy scent of medicine.
The side hall where she temporarily stayed had been arranged brightly and meticulously, without the slightest fault to be found. A purple sandalwood folding screen inlaid with kingfisher feathers stood across before the bed.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince has returned?” Matron Zhang sat by the bedside, holding a plate of preserved fruits. Hearing the steady footsteps, she turned her head, quickly stood, and stepped aside.
Lin Yuanjin had been resting with her eyes closed. At the sound, she opened them, just in time to see the youth in a crimson robe—his bearing upright, his features handsome—perfectly imitating the Crown Prince, like someone wrapped in an airtight shell, not a trace of human warmth leaking out.
“Fuyi.” Lin Yuanjin’s misty eyes suddenly brightened a little. She curved her eyes into a smile, her gaze toward him filled with a unique trust.
“Her Highness the Crown Princess has been thinking of you, fearing His Majesty might blame you because of her,” Matron Zhang said with a teasing smile.
“Father Emperor is benevolent; how would he place blame?” Cui Yiyu sat beside Lin Yuanjin, supporting her neck to help her sit upright. He looked at her intently, used a clean handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat at her temple, and asked, “Does your body ache?”
“Perhaps it is from the previous injury—catching cold and being drenched in the rain.” Lin Yuanjin’s gaze wavered slightly. Her hand unconsciously clenched the bedding as she spoke with a smile.
Since that incident, every month when her guishui (menstruation) came, her abdomen would feel as though ice blades were cutting into flesh, the twisting pain unbearable, like suffering punishment. She would grow drowsy all day, unable to rise from bed.
Cui Yiyu turned to look at Matron Zhang. “Has the imperial physician come? What did he say?”
“He has come.” Matron Zhang responded quickly, “Her Majesty invited the Chief Physician. He said the Crown Princess may have fallen into water before and suffered from cold entering the body. In the future, she must not be exposed to cold again. For now, she should take medicine and be properly nourished with warmth.”
“Your Highness would naturally not let the Crown Princess suffer. It is only that she is young—having to endure this suffering every month is truly pitiful.”
Lin Yuanjin looked at Matron Zhang, then at Cui Yiyu, and suddenly a thought arose in her heart.
Since she knew Matron Zhang had been sent by the emperor, and that Cui Yiyu—even the empress—had to put on an act in front of others, then could she… make use of it in return?
After all, she did not know about the substitute.
“Your Highness.”
Lin Yuanjin suddenly spoke. Her lashes trembled, a trace of shame in her eyes, as she slowly raised her hand and carefully said, “Can you hold my hand?”
In truth, she was greedy for more—but those thoughts were like bubbles in water, vanishing in an instant. Afraid of offending, afraid of overstepping, she did not even dare voice them.
Rationally, Lin Yuanjin knew she should not open this door, yet a person’s desires always surfaced when pain struck, trying to break through one’s defenses.
She could not tell whether she wished for her desire to come true, or hoped the other would refuse, so she could sever her thoughts from then on.
It was as though she were using another’s power to force an innocent person.
Lin Yuanjin’s fingertips curled slightly, as if she wanted to give up.
Cui Yiyu’s body stiffened. His slightly widened eyes were dark as night, quietly watching Lin Yuanjin. Though she was smiling, her eyes were faintly wet, as if she had shed tears earlier from unbearable pain. His too-sharp memory forcibly dragged him back to that mountain road.
He had carried Lin Yuanjin on his back, clearly feeling the burning heat of her tears as they quietly fell onto the back of his neck.
“I’m sorry.” Cui Yiyu sat by the bed, awkwardly taking her hand, lowering his eyes as he spoke softly.
The mountain road was long, the wind and rain relentless.
He had truly searched for an entire day and night before finding her.
