Bai Xiang hesitated before saying softly, “I told her that you are her mother. The eldest young master has military achievements and is favored by the Emperor. The Duke also values him, and he has an influential adoptive father. But the second young master has nothing. Even the Princess, your sister-in-law, won’t help you. Who else would? I also reminded her to consider the Duke’s current situation – that path is no longer viable. If Lady Wang and the eldest young master truly treat her as well as they claim, then by doing this, she’s not only helping herself but also solving a problem for them. After all, Lady Wang can’t make decisions for Jiang, but you can.” She fell silent for a long while before taking the purse and walking away.
Madam Du let out a soft sigh. “You did well. You’ll be generously rewarded when we return.”
Bai Xiang exhaled quietly, standing by to serve. After a long silence, Madam Du asked in a low voice, “Is Zheng De still keeping watch there?”
Bai Xiang nodded. “Yes.”
Madam Du fell silent again. In the darkness, she clasped her hands together, silently reciting countless prayers and making numerous vows.
As the night deepened and visitors dwindled, a small group finally arrived at Chongsheng Temple. There were only seven or eight of them, with a man in a date-red robe at the center, walking somewhat differently from the others. They moved quietly through the garden, occasionally stopping to admire lanterns. The man in the center engaged in friendly conversation with others, appearing particularly warm and approachable, like an ordinary wealthy household.
Madam Du hurriedly said, “Quickly, call Zheng De back. We’ll prepare to leave immediately. Go around the back.” Bai Xiang, not understanding the urgency, rushed downstairs to call for him.
After the group made a circuit of the garden, the man in the date-red robe stood looking around for a while before casually heading towards Epiphyllum Tower.
Madam Du watched intently and let out a soft breath. Her cunning imperial uncle often changed his plans at the last minute. Tonight, he was traveling incognito, with very few people aware of his whereabouts. She could only guess his destination based on childhood memories. Once he reached Epiphyllum Tower, his guards would surely secure the building first.
She wondered what expressions Jiang Chang Yang and He Mu Dan would have when they were discovered inside and awakened. This idea was inspired by Jiang Chang Yi’s situation, though this was not a case of a sparrow becoming a phoenix, but rather a fallen phoenix becoming less than a chicken. Madam Du smiled, put on her hood, and turned to go downstairs.
As she descended, she saw Bai Xiang hurrying towards her with a worried expression. Alarmed, she asked, “Where’s Zheng De?”
Bai Xiang shook her head. “I couldn’t find him. He wasn’t in his usual spot, so I thought he might have sneaked into Epiphyllum Tower. I was about to check inside when I heard people coming. I didn’t dare linger, thinking he might have heard the commotion, and returned, so I hurried back.”
Madam Du felt faint, her heart pounding with fear. She recalled her instructions to Zheng De: if Mu Dan hadn’t followed her orders to drug Jiang Chang Yang, and if the two hadn’t left according to her original plan, he was to keep them on the second floor of Epiphyllum Tower no matter what. Had something gone wrong when Zheng De tried to carry out this task? For the first time in her life, she tasted true fear.
Seeing her mistress’s face turn pale, Bai Xiang also became frightened and asked tremblingly, “Madam, what should we do?”
With cold sweat on her palms, Madam Du tried to maintain her composure. “Let’s leave quickly. He might be waiting for us at the back door.” She strode towards the rear of the garden.
Bai Xiang hurried to keep up, and the two moved through the shadows, soon disappearing among the trees. As if being chased by ghosts, Madam Du suddenly stumbled just before reaching the garden’s back corner gate. She pitched forward, about to fall face-first. Bai Xiang, still a few steps behind, could only watch helplessly, letting out a soft cry of alarm.
Madam Du braced herself for a painful fall, but unexpectedly, a pair of hands reached out from the side and steadied her. Then, the distinctive voice of a eunuch spoke: “Be careful, Madam.” It was a plump, pale man in his fifties, wearing a gray round-collared robe and appearing kind-faced.
The voice struck like a thunderbolt. Madam Du was shocked and frightened, barely able to look up at the person before her. She leaned on Bai Xiang’s shoulder, trembling uncontrollably, telling herself over and over that it was all over. She had been outmaneuvered by He Mu Dan and Jiang Chang Yang.
The man smiled and said, “We just met on New Year’s Day, Madam. Have you forgotten me so quickly?”
Unable to avoid the situation, Madam Du stammered, “Oh, it’s Eunuch Shao. What brings you here?” She knew only a few people were supposed to accompany the Emperor tonight, and this corner gate had been closed for years. Why would someone be guarding it?
Eunuch Shao smiled. “Don’t you know, Madam?”
With Zheng De mysteriously missing and Eunuch Shao waiting specifically for her, what could this mean? The Emperor might not care about her schemes against Jiang Chang Yang and He Mu Dan, but he would surely despise her for daring to use him. Madam Du’s mind raced. Suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears. She grabbed Eunuch Shao’s hand, about to kneel, and pleaded, “Eunuch Shao, please help me! For the sake of my mother, please let me go.”
Eunuch Shao quickly helped Madam Du up, smiling. “Oh my… please don’t. How could I, a mere servant, accept such a grand gesture from you? Let’s talk this through. Fortunately, I’m the only one here. It wouldn’t look good if others saw this.”
Hearing that he was alone, Madam Du felt somewhat relieved. She wiped her tears and asked softly, “Why are you here, Eunuch Shao?”
Eunuch Shao sighed. “His Majesty wants to summon Duke Zhu and you…”
Madam Du tensed up again, fear overwhelming her. Her voice trembled as she said, “Eunuch Shao…” She choked up, tears rolling down her cheeks and onto Eunuch Shao’s hand.
Eunuch Shao clicked his tongue sympathetically, gently squeezing Madam Du’s hand and stroking it. He said softly, “Don’t be afraid, Madam… If there were to be punishment, I wouldn’t be the one waiting here. Rest assured, His Majesty understands. It’s not a serious matter.”
“Then what is it? If you don’t tell me, I’ll be so worried…” Madam Du sobbed again, looking as delicate as a pear blossom in the rain. She leaned weakly against Eunuch Shao, secretly considering how to explain the situation.
“Don’t be afraid… don’t be afraid.” Eunuch Shao discreetly glanced at Madam Du’s voluptuous figure and still-beautiful face. He helped her walk, seeming to guess her thoughts. “When you see His Majesty, just be honest. Don’t hide anything.”
Did this mean the Emperor knew everything? Trembling with fear, Madam Du was half-dragged, half-supported by Eunuch Shao as they stumbled towards the back.
Meanwhile, Mu Dan sat nervously in a small room behind Epiphyllum Tower, listlessly watching Lady Wang and the Princess of Fen arguing as they played chess. After hearing the lamp wick crackle for the fifth time, she began to worry about Jiang Chang Yang, who had been gone for a long time. She restlessly got up and looked towards the door several times, seeing only the hazy silhouettes of trees and colored lanterns swaying in the night breeze.
Suddenly, Wu came hurrying towards the back. Seeing Mu Dan, he flashed a smile, then bowed to the Princess of Fen and Lady Wang before saying, “Miss He, please come to the front.”
Mu Dan looked anxiously at Lady Wang, who smiled faintly, stood up, and came over to adjust Mu Dan’s clothes. She said softly, “Don’t be afraid. It’s just a formality. Everything has been prepared.”
Mu Dan was half-believing, half-doubting, but knew she had to face this challenge today. She took a deep breath and turned to follow Wu towards Epiphyllum Tower. Earlier, she and Jiang Chang Yang had briefly entered the tower in darkness, unable to see much before leaving. Now, a lotus lantern hung in front of Epiphyllum Tower, its soft light somewhat easing her tension.
Wu escorted her only to the entrance, then handed her over to a young eunuch, whispering, “Be careful.” Mu Dan nodded and followed the eunuch inside, keeping her head down. When the eunuch’s boots stopped, she stopped as well. The eunuch said quietly, “Bow.”
Mu Dan bowed. After a moment, she heard someone say calmly, “Rise and answer.” She stood up straight but kept her head lowered. She could see a pair of formal boots not far away, which she recognized as Jiang Chang Yang’s. This calmed her somewhat, and her stiff back relaxed naturally.
Suddenly, the person spoke again: “Raise your head.”
Mu Dan looked up to see a corpulent old man, about sixty years old, sitting on a couch in the center. He wore a simple date-red round-collared robe with narrow sleeves and was squinting at her with piercing eyes. As his gaze swept over her, Mu Dan’s heart skipped a beat, and she blinked several times involuntarily.
The man’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “Why are you blinking at me?”
A deathly silence fell. Jiang Chang Yang’s face paled slightly. He glanced nervously between Mu Dan and the man, taking a small step forward, about to speak. But Mu Dan’s soft voice answered, “This commoner is afraid.”
The man’s eyes grew colder, his voice harsher. “What are you afraid of? If you’re afraid, why did you dare to come here?”
Mu Dan glanced at Jiang Chang Yang, who was looking at her with concern, his eyes full of tenderness and encouragement. She smiled slightly and said softly, “It’s because of him.”
Another moment of silence passed, feeling like an eternity to Mu Dan. Finally, the man spoke: “Jiang Chang Yang, I hope you’ll keep your word.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your blessing,” Jiang Chang Yang replied without hesitation, bowing deeply. Mu Dan quickly followed suit.
The man seemed to lose interest, waving his hand dismissively. “Rise. Duke Zhu and his wife have arrived. You’ll all meet together.”