Juan Su opened the door to see Lu Huating and Qun Qing returning leading the horse. Both their hair and clothing were soaked through with sweat, as if fished from water.

Seeing Juan Su staring at her, Qun Qing said, “Just now the horse broke free of its reins. We ran to chase it—fortunately no one was hurt.”

Qun Qing’s expression remained unchanged. Juan Su suspected nothing: “Chief Clerk, this horse is too wild. You should ride this subordinate’s horse instead.”

Lu Huating’s movements tying the reins paused. He saw Qun Qing had already quickly entered the hall. Only after a long while did he ask, “The Princess Consort has been settled?”

“Thanks to Lady Qing’s mediation, both Prince Yan’s consort and the young heir are without serious harm. It’s just that rumors are fearsome—who knows what the situation will be after tonight.”

Both Prince Yan and the Crown Prince had been summoned to the Hall of Supreme Ultimate for confrontation. The entire palace awaited the Sage’s judgment. Prince Yan’s Mansion was destined for a sleepless night.

Lu Huating said, “I’ll change clothes first and speak more in a moment.”

Lu Huating had just finished bathing when lifting the curtain he glimpsed Qun Qing actually sleeping on the floor—the place where he usually slept.

Then he noticed this hall was somewhat different from when he left. The vanity was piled top to bottom with wooden boxes and books.

“What are these?” Lu Huating asked.

Cui Yu followed behind: “They’re ledgers from the Bureau of Imperial Bedchamber. This servant helped move them in.”

“The Bureau of Imperial Bedchamber’s ledgers also require my lady to manage?”

Cui Yu said quietly, “It’s all because of Consort Meng. Lady Qing finally made the looms, and Consort Meng wanted to intercept the credit. She instigated His Highness the Crown Prince to laterally transfer Lady Qing to the Bureau of Imperial Bedchamber. Among the Six Bureaus, the Bureau of Imperial Bedchamber has the most bad debts. There are many parasites within.”

Cui Yu curiously peeked inside. Lu Huating calmly let the curtain drop: “Why aren’t you attending the Princess Consort?”

Cui Yu quickly left. Lu Huating entered the hall and walked behind Qun Qing, only then discovering a wine pot actually sat on the small table. He tried pouring it out—not a single drop remained. Qun Qing slept on her side wrapped in a blanket, her posture proper, yet her half-dry long hair meandered across the mat.

He looked down, using two fingers to lift her long hair, his fingertips lightly touching the artery at her neck.

This was originally a method for judging the degree of intoxication. It was just that Qun Qing was rarely so compliant. With just a bit of force, he could grasp her vital point. Lu Huating’s heart stirred slightly. His fingers also moved slightly. Qun Qing suddenly grasped his hand. Lu Huating also did not release his grip, grasping her shoulder and forcibly turning her over.

Qun Qing was extremely exhausted, yet unable to sleep. It seemed that with Lu Huating’s return, she was somewhat tense, thus had just drunk wine to aid sleep. With his sudden touch, her heartbeat, which had just calmed after riding the horse, became chaotic again. She could not help feeling angry.

Yet Lu Huating’s dark eyes stared fixedly at her face, mocking: “I’m seeing how my lady lies without blushing.”

Qun Qing paused and said, “Thank you for leading the horse.”

Her complexion was nearly pale, yet the corners of her eyes bore a sharp arc. When staring at him like this, it gave him an impulse to shatter porcelain.

Lu Huating said, “Do you usually sleep so casually in others’ territory?”

Qun Qing slept on the floor precisely to disperse the wine. Hearing this, she passed over the grating parts: “This is merely a mat. Since you have injuries, go sleep on the bed. It’s just switching positions.”

Lu Huating said nothing in response but picked up the wine cup. Seeing intent to stop him in Qun Qing’s eyes, he had already used his fingertip to wipe away the side stained with lip rouge, drank the remaining wine in the cup, and looked at her with a smile: “Since my lady can sleep on my mat, I too can do this.”

With that, he no longer made things difficult and lifted the curtain to sit on the bed.

Qun Qing said, “Will the Sage depose the Crown Prince this time?”

Lu Huating said, “The Eastern Palace was personally instructed by the Sage. From childhood he took him hunting, playing chess, reading, and governing the realm. The kindness of raising exceeds the kindness of birth. Based on Prince Yan alone, the Sage cannot be ruthless enough.”

Qun Qing said, “Are you speaking of the Crown Prince, or speaking of yourself?”

Lu Huating curved his lips: “Meng Guangshen will not sit and await defeat. He has his own methods to deal with me.”

As if confirming his words, Juan Su knocked on the window: “Chief Clerk, Eunuch Zheng has come, calling you to receive the decree!”

Lu Huating went out to receive the decree. Qun Qing heard the decree’s content from by the window: “Prince Yan’s Mansion has merit in suppressing bandits and providing disaster relief in Yunzhou. The Sage has long wished to reward this. The former Minister of Rites has retired. The ministerial position is vacant, so Lu Huating is hereby appointed Minister of Rites.”

“Congratulations, Minister Lu.” Zheng Fu glanced at Prince Yan Mansion’s plaque and reminded, “The Sage has already bestowed a residence. Please, Minister Lu and your wife, move out of the Prince’s Mansion as soon as possible.”

Prince Yan Mansion’s people looked at Lu Huating, their faces showing little joy.

Qun Qing understood. In the Great Chen court, officials were not permitted to form factions with imperial princes. This decree ostensibly promoted Lu Huating, but in reality forcibly separated Lu Huating from Prince Yan’s Mansion, preventing him from assisting Prince Yan hereafter.

Zheng Fu said, “The Sage has temporarily transferred regency duties to His Highness Prince Yan. As for the Crown Prince, the Sage has temporarily ordered the Crown Prince confined to the auxiliary palace to reflect on his errors.”

The result was almost the same as Lu Huating had predicted. The scales in Emperor Chenming’s heart tilted toward the Crown Prince—he merely confined him. Fortunately, with regency power in Prince Yan’s hands, Xiao Yunru was temporarily safe.

Lu Huating received the decree and lay on the bed fully clothed. Through the curtain, he saw Qun Qing slowly sitting up and said, “If you’re tired, moving tomorrow would be the same.”

Qun Qing said, “Now is not yet the time to be tired.”

She pinned up her hair, dressed in her official robes, then rose to pack the unfinished ledgers into boxes. Qun Qing packed books into boxes quickly yet meticulously. Lu Huating watched her for a while, then suddenly said, “When my lady attended Princess Bao’an’s side in those years, you served as a study companion, didn’t you?”

Qun Qing paused slightly. In those years in the palace, Yang Fu disliked rising early. It was she who organized trunks daily. It was just that the world’s gaze was all drawn to the Seventeenth Princess. In those years, she never felt being a study companion was worth noting.

Moreover, having been an agent for so long, she was about to forget what kind of person she had been as a study companion.

Lu Huating rose to help her pack ledgers into the boxes. This person’s appearance was beautiful. After bathing, he appeared even more radiant, the scent of yellow citronella almost pervasive.

Though the Crown Prince had not been deposed, regency power had already fallen into Prince Yan’s hands—just one step away from the previous life’s outcome. Once Prince Yan held power, the marriage between them could be annulled. In the previous life, Lu Huating had not yet had time to take a wife, but for gentlemen, marrying and having children seemed an unabandoned matter.

And once she exchanged back her mother, there would be no reason to remain.

Thinking of this, Qun Qing asked, “When will you release me?”

Her voice was extremely soft. Lu Huating’s dark eyes paused slightly. After a long while, he drew out a stalk of yellow citronella from his sachet, lightly tossing it into her box, saying, “The grievance of Yearning’s Guide—do you think it can be settled so easily? At least I should accompany my lady to find the poisoner before you and I settle accounts.”

Qun Qing said no more.

Whether love or hate, this intense entanglement bound her, actually allowing her to slightly settle her heart and walk through this difficult road.

—

The Crown Prince’s consort’s carriage arrived at Xianyou Temple.

A light rain fell. Lan Yue carefully helped Zheng Zhiyi from the carriage. Zheng Zhiyi looked at the cluster of gleaming lanterns opposite and picked up a stone to throw over: “Already enemies in the Eastern Palace. Who would have thought coming here, we’d still have to be neighbors.”

The one holding a lamp and observing opposite was precisely Prince Yan’s side consort Yang Fu, who had been demoted by the Sage to reside at Xianyou Temple. Yang Fu had been waiting respectfully since early, dodging the stone and mocking: “I thought how favored she was, how formidable Qun Qing was. In the end, she couldn’t even defeat a Meng Bao Shu and was still driven here in disgrace.”

“Crown Prince’s Consort.” Here, Lan Yue tugged at Zheng Zhiyi’s clothing.

Zheng Zhiyi turned her head and saw Dewu standing before the brightly lit temple, fingering prayer beads. He had grown taller than when they last met, his countenance more serene. She recognized him: “Little monk!”

Dewu’s clear glass-like eyes gazed at Zheng Zhiyi, then looked with surprise at her belly.

When last seeing this young Crown Prince’s consort, she had clearly still been a maiden. What he saw before him reminded him of the fact that this maiden would soon become a mother.

Lan Yue hastily handed Qun Qing’s letter to Dewu.

The letter was written in Sanskrit, requesting the envoy’s protection for the Crown Prince’s consort. After reading it, Dewu performed a salute with palms together and invited Zheng Zhiyi to rest in the Buddha hall.

After he left, Zheng Zhiyi urged Lan Yue, “Take it out. I’m hungry.”

Lan Yue had no choice. She secretly took out a pig’s trotter from the bundle and had Physician Li stand watch at the door: “I heard the Liuli Kingdom’s envoys all eat vegetarian meals. This servant will quickly open the window to disperse the smell.”

After becoming pregnant, Zheng Zhiyi was extremely gluttonous. She took large bites of the pig’s trotter: “Coming here is certainly peaceful, except eating meat must be done secretly, which is truly troublesome.”

Just as she was speaking, Physician Li exclaimed “Ah!” Zheng Zhiyi came face to face with Dewu entering with two cotton quilts. Seeing Zheng Zhiyi holding the pig’s trotter, Dewu was also startled, then lowered his eyes and withdrew.

“He won’t be angry, will he?” Zheng Zhiyi said uneasily. “If we offend the envoy, won’t that bring disaster to Great Chen?”

Before finishing, Dewu had entered again.

He held a wooden tray with fruits and vegetables. In the center was even a porcelain plate with a chicken leg on it.

Dewu looked at Zheng Zhiyi and pushed the wooden tray before her, saying something.

Zheng Zhiyi asked, “What did he say?”

Physician Li said, “He said Xianyou Temple not only has vegetarian meals. Foreign envoys’ meals include meat. Hereafter he will deliver it to the Crown Prince’s Consort daily.”

Zheng Zhiyi stared at Dewu in a daze and performed an awkward bow. Dewu smiled at her and turned to leave.

News that Prince Yan’s consort bore a deformed child quickly reached Xianyou Temple.

Here, Yang Fu pressed her thin lips together.

She felt satisfaction at Xiao Yunru’s miserable defeat in competing for Prince Yan’s love, yet also felt fear at another woman’s tragic pain. Thinking of her own experience when the nation fell, Yang Fu said, “She certainly cannot go on living, can she?”

She urged her attendant palace maid to inquire whether Prince Yan’s consort had sought a short end, just as she herself had when slandered by rumors.

The attendant palace maid brought back different news. She knelt and said, “I heard the matter of the two wards from those years has been brought up again. The person who rode horses into the city killing commoners was not Prince Yan but the Crown Prince. The Sage was greatly enraged and has already ordered Prince Yan to serve as regent, confining the Crown Prince to the auxiliary palace.”

After hearing this, Yang Fu’s expression was strange: “What did you say? That day’s person was not Prince Yan?”

Then the person who burst into Pure Tranquility Abbey and “violated” her was also not Li Huan.

Yang Fu thought of that day’s scene. That masked person killed over twenty guards in the abbey, mercilessly stabbing with his sword Qun Qing who blocked the coffin, then lifted the coffin lid to see her hiding within, frightened nearly immobile.

He did not remove his mask and roughly pressed down upon her, yet suddenly stopped when she struggled, as if suddenly awakening. He paused for a long time, making a low, hoarse sound by her ear: “I’m sorry.”

The next day, news that Princess Bao’an had lost her chastity spread throughout the palace quarters, yet only she herself knew that day “Prince Yan” had not defiled her at all.

She had only thought his apology was for slandering her reputation, and slandering her reputation was merely his method for forcibly marrying her.

She viewed his stopping as proof that Li Huan truly loved her. Not having suffered harm created her sense of fortune regarding the nation’s fall, making her feel that maneuvering between the Crown Prince and Prince Yan was a game. She could ultimately use her beauty to control Prince Yan and obtain what she wanted.

Yet she had not expected that person was not Li Huan at all!

Yang Fu’s lips turned deathly pale as she collapsed.

“Why were medical officers summoned to Yang Fu’s side?” Zheng Zhiyi asked.

“Princess Bao’an’s heart pain flared up and she suddenly fainted,” Lan Yue said. After thinking, she still did not tell Zheng Zhiyi the news.

The Crown Prince was imprisoned in the auxiliary palace. No wonder Lady Qing wanted to send the consort here—the palace was probably about to descend into chaos.

—

Outside Meng Mansion, Jinwu Guards maintained heavy watch. Bao Shu could not enter: “Have you gone mad? This is my family residence. My Father is still inside. You monitor like this—how can he attend court tomorrow?”

“Consort, please calm yourself.” Wang Xiang said quietly. “The Sage has decreed that until the poppy case is investigated clearly, Grand Councilor Meng temporarily may not go out. If the consort makes a scene like this, it will only produce the opposite effect.”

Bao Shu’s clothing had already been soaked by rain. Her lips trembled from cold. She had not even seen Li Xuan once before Li Xuan had already been taken by Jinwu Guards to the auxiliary palace. Even the matter of national fortune, which the Sage most taboo, had not been able to topple Prince Yan. Could it be that in one night, the Meng family would be defeated?

She saw Father emerge. Her eyes brightened.

The lamp in Meng Guangshen’s hand illuminated his graying hair, yet his expression was still very calm. Through the sword-wearing Jinwu Guards, he said, “You should return. Do not worry. Tonight Lu Huating should have already been promoted to Minister of Rites. This decree was my suggestion.”

Bao Shu slowly calmed down.

Meng Guangshen said quietly, “You need only do your duties well in the Six Bureaus and must facilitate the trade negotiations. All other matters are within my control.”

With that, he straightened and turned back into the residence.

Bao Shu composed herself, turned back, and boarded the sedan chair: “Go to White Horse Abbey to inspect that batch of embroidered patterns.”