Within Xianyou Temple, all was calm.

Lan Yue attended to Zheng Zhiyi’s rest as usual. She was already quite visibly pregnant and needed to position her body first before adjusting her belly.

But Zheng Zhiyi suddenly opened her eyes and asked: “Haven’t the people outside withdrawn yet? Why does it feel like there are even more these past few days?”

Lan Yue was startled by her perceptiveness. She glanced at the side hall and covered her with the quilt: “Have you forgotten what Physician Li said? The Crown Princess must not overthink—it’s bad for the Imperial Grandson.”

Zheng Zhiyi pursed her lips and lay down to sleep. Lan Yue went to the side hall, closed the door, and questioned: “Was it you? What did you gossip about to the Crown Princess again?”

“What could I say? It’s so heavily guarded outside—clearly something has happened. Do I need to gossip?” The lady crouched by the charcoal brazier warming herself had a cold expression and mocking tone. She wore palace maid clothing, her hair slightly disheveled, with faint scars on her arms. Shockingly, it was Meng Baoshu!

How domineering Baoshu had been when she was Crown Prince’s Consort, and now having been demoted back to an ordinary palace servant, she’d experienced much bitterness. Not to mention that the guards now stationed at Xianyou Temple and the serving eunuchs were all Prince Yan Mansion’s people. Baoshu had previously framed Princess Yan and the heir apparent—these people naturally showed her no pleasant face.

When fetching water, a head eunuch had gotten into conflict with Baoshu. Even Lan Yue, who happened to pass by, couldn’t bear to watch and called her back to the side hall.

“Noble family daughters like you probably never gave eunuchs a proper look your whole lives, right? Speaking that way—are you not afraid the head eunuch will abuse you?” Lan Yue efficiently washed clothes while cursing. “I truly only saved you for the sake of us both being palace maids. If you dare bully the Crown Princess, I’ll be the first to throw you out.”

Baoshu had been adding charcoal. Hearing this, her heart stung, and her tongs struck the brazier forcefully. Lan Yue heard movement outside and quickly stopped her: “You’ve woken the Crown Princess!”

Zheng Zhiyi jumped barefoot from the bed and walked to the inner room.

De Wu was tapping his wooden fish. Hearing the disturbance, he turned around and was surprised to see this young Crown Princess’s panicked face. He took out a rattle drum and shook it, making a clear sound, asking if her stomach was uncomfortable. Zheng Zhiyi shook her head. He then brought out a food box, gesturing for her to eat.

Usually when he brought out the food box, she would smile, but Zheng Zhiyi still shook her head.

De Wu looked puzzled at the shrine. He had enshrined the Great Chen folk deity of child-giving beneath the golden Buddha statue. Perhaps the Great Chen gods couldn’t understand his language and didn’t receive his prayers.

“Little monk, can you interpret whether dreams are auspicious or inauspicious?” After hesitating for a long while, Zheng Zhiyi suddenly spoke. “I dreamed of Li Xuan. I dreamed that when we were in Huaiyuan, he waved at me and went alone into the snow, and I could never see him again. The last time I dreamed of Father, Father passed away. Could something have happened to him?”

Finally asking this question, like exhaling a breath, a perfectly round tear fell with a plop.

De Wu saw her crying and froze momentarily. Meanwhile, Zheng Zhiyi felt a force in her abdomen pressing downward, as if also anxious to leave her body. She furrowed her brow tightly, cried “Oh no,” and stepped back twice: “It’s over, it’s over. I’m going to defile your Buddhist hall.”

With her words, warm fluid trickled onto the floor.

Lan Yue, who came running, was shocked at the sight and hurriedly called for Physician Li. The inner room immediately became chaotic: Zheng Zhiyi’s cries of pain, Physician Li’s words, Lan Yue’s shouts mixed together. Right at this moment, the main door was smashed open, cold wind rushed in, and a team of guards entered. Seeing the scene in the inner room, they asked not a single question—several people lifted Physician Li and left.

This time Physician Li struggled, and Lan Yue also cried out: “What are you doing? Can’t you see the Crown Princess is giving birth?”

The guard said: “Previously when Princess Yan gave birth and encountered danger, it was related to this physician. By order of Prince Yan, we’re taking this person for investigation.”

Lan Yue blocked the doorway: “Why not investigate earlier or later, but investigate at this moment? According to palace regulations, the Crown Princess’s delivery should be attended by two midwives. First you transferred away the midwives, and now you want to take Physician Li away. The weather is so cold—aren’t you trying to harm lives?”

Several guards’ faces were cold and unmoved. Two people forcibly pulled Lan Yue aside. Lan Yue thought of a terrifying possibility: Princess Yan had been bullied by Crown Prince’s Consort during childbirth and nearly lost her life. Now it was a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye—how could they possibly let the Crown Princess fare well?

Physician Li carried Qun Qing’s token, but Qun Qing had already passed away—how could that convince anyone?

Seeing Zheng Zhiyi in such pain she rolled on the ground, De Wu covered her with his monk’s robe and placed the Buddhist prayer beads on his hand around Zheng Zhiyi’s wrist. He walked to the door and gestured for them to leave Physician Li behind.

As a Liuli Kingdom guest envoy, he wouldn’t be bullied, but the guards at the door only paid respects and wouldn’t compromise: “If the envoy is unwell, Prince Yan will send an imperial physician later.”

After speaking, several people forcibly escorted Physician Li away. A figure rushed out from the side hall and embraced Physician Li: “If you want to investigate, just take me! I was the one who harmed Princess Yan. The Crown Prince hasn’t been convicted yet—are you this impatient already?”

Now that the Crown Prince and the Meng family had already been defeated with almost no chance of survival, Baoshu understood that this bloodline of the Crown Prince was the only hope. As long as this lineage remained, the surviving remnant followers wouldn’t scatter like birds and beasts, and her future would still hold hope.

Immediately after, she was pushed to the ground. Baoshu refused to let go. Someone said disdainfully: “Consort Meng, being demoted by the Eastern Palace is your good fortune. Otherwise, you’d have already been sent to the imperial prison with the Eastern Palace and your Father!”

So the Crown Prince and the Meng family had already been sent to the imperial prison!

“Can we really not wait a brief moment?” Among the guards, a teenage youth asked. “The Crown Prince has indeed been demoted to the imperial prison by His Majesty, but Prince Yan promised His Majesty that after ascending the throne, he would care well for Imperial Grandson Zhang and establish Imperial Grandson Zhang as Crown Prince. What if something happens to Imperial Grandson Zhang… what if something happens that startles Prince Yan’s side consort residing there?”

Before finishing, the head guard turned and struck him: “Yang Li, you talk too much! Are His Highness’s affairs something you can discuss?”

Yang Li took the slap and lowered his head, imperceptibly breathing a sigh of relief.

Previously, Qun Qing had brought him into the palace, enrolled him under Prince Yan’s command, and planted him here. Just now he had already conveyed the message and hint—this fulfilled the trust Sister Qing had given him.

His words, however, made Baoshu and Lan Yue’s hearts sink further.

Prince Yan took the opportunity to force abdication in the name of protecting the sovereign, forcing His Majesty to agree to abdicate, but requiring Prince Yan to promise that the unborn child in Zheng Zhiyi’s womb would become Crown Prince or Crown Princess, even naming him “Zhang.” Prince Yan, pressed by circumstances, agreed, but how could his heart not harbor resentment and hatred?

Prince Yan was so young, yet had to make the Crown Prince’s bloodline his heir. The two brothers were already as incompatible as fire and water. Given Prince Yan’s temperament, how could he not think of eliminating the roots?

Simply let Zheng Zhiyi have difficulty in childbirth, or have the child die young right after birth, and there would be no more such troubles.

The main hall of Xianyou Temple was the Liuli Kingdom guest envoy’s residence. Li Huan was wary of this and naturally couldn’t act there.

But transferring away the midwives and Physician Li could make Zheng Zhiyi fend for herself.

A woman giving birth was like passing through the gates of hell. Zheng Zhiyi was young and this was her first child. Without an imperial physician, it would be the greatest test!

Zheng Zhiyi lay on the floor covered in sweat, her voice growing weaker. De Wu rushed into the inner hall, found a quilt to wrap her in, and disregarding propriety, held her hand.

Baoshu clung to Physician Li and wouldn’t let go. Lan Yue suddenly burst out the door and ran frantically along the valley path toward the outside.

The guards didn’t stop her. They also knew that all of Xianyou Temple was heavily guarded by Prince Yan’s people. Seeking rescue would be as impossible as sprouting wings to fly.

Yet Lan Yue ran frantically to the nearby civilian dwelling: “Princess, I beg Princess Bao’an to save a life!”

Outside the dwelling hung an exquisite lantern. This was precisely Yang Fu’s residence.

The young man’s words just now had reminded Lan Yue.

Although Yang Fu had previously been demoted here by Prince Yan, she was after all Prince Yan’s side consort. Prince Yan still came to see her once a month. Though they often parted unhappily, he still came, which meant he still had feelings for Yang Fu.

As long as she could say a word or two, there might be a turning point.

But no matter how Lan Yue pounded on the door, Yang Fu’s door remained tightly shut—

Inside the door, the two palace maids serving Yang Fu were silent as cicadas, nearly unable to steady their trays. One said: “That’s Lan Yue shouting. It seems the Crown Princess encountered difficulties giving birth. Should we help her?”

The other said: “Are you crazy? At a time like this, who dares get involved with the Crown Prince? Unless you want to die!”

Though the two noble mistresses had previously been bitter enemies like needle points meeting wheat awns, never speaking when they met, now living together in this desolate place, suffering hardship with truly no one to talk to, their servants had gradually developed some mutual helping sentiment.

The Crown Princess lived in the main hall after all, eating and residing with the guest envoy, so supplies weren’t lacking. When Yang Fu’s charcoal brazier didn’t have enough fuel, it came from Zheng Zhiyi’s side. The flower tea on the table was also exchanged with Lan Yue.

Lan Yue had even asked them to secretly exchange books, saying the storybooks they’d brought were all boring to Zheng Zhiyi now. The long days were tedious—if they didn’t exchange books to read, she truly couldn’t survive.

At night, Yang Fu leaned against the bed and opened that unfamiliar storybook. She immediately furrowed her delicate brows, but didn’t ask about the source and read on with distaste.

Having seen Yang Fu’s books and annotations, Zheng Zhiyi seemed to want to say something. One day on a whim, she came visiting with her pregnant belly, knocked on the door a few times. Yang Fu ignored her, angering Zheng Zhiyi so much her willow-leaf brows shot up. She cursed her soundly through the door and never came again.

…

At this moment, the two palace maids tremblingly brought medicine into the room.

Yang Fu hadn’t groomed herself for several days and looked haggard. Hearing Lan Yue’s crying outside the door, she was distracted, her expression and behavior completely losing their former composure.

After the palace upheaval, Yang Fu suddenly fell gravely ill. She burrowed under the quilt, having nightmares during the day, unable even to hold a medicine spoon.

She was truly too terrified of palace upheavals. At the end of the Shengping era, the palace had this same atmosphere of dark clouds crushing the city, and then everything was destroyed. She fell from the clouds into hell. Ever since Li Huan’s troops surrounded Xianyou Temple, she’d constantly felt something terrible would happen.

Past and present continuously blurred.

That time was different from now after all. Then there was someone with her—as if she only needed to call “Qingqing” and that person would come from beside the bed and hold her hand.

Qun Qing could strike flint to make fire, could boil water, could shoot arrows through door cracks to kill those trying to enter. She would also discuss with Shi Yuming about setting traps in the temple.

Yang Fu also remembered that the reason Qun Qing had taken her to Pure Serenity Temple was precisely because her elder brother Shi Yuming was a guard at Pure Serenity Temple—she had said so herself.

But she’d been too frightened then. She couldn’t hear anything, only knew to clutch Qun Qing’s arm, drawing faint warmth from her slender yet upright body, but never asked her what she was thinking.

Even now Yang Fu was somewhat puzzled—wasn’t Qun Qing afraid?

At that time, Qun Qing had her hide in a coffin. When Li Xuan burst in, she used her body to block the coffin. Inside, Yang Fu heard the sound of her bones shattering. She didn’t even make a sound.

Thinking back now, in the instant Qun Qing died, she feared startling her, lest she make noise and be discovered by the intruder.

Thinking of this, Yang Fu suddenly dropped her spoon into the bowl, startling both palace maids.

Yang Fu after all was no longer the princess of years past—she had gained some experience.

News of Qun Qing’s death had already arrived. These details she’d belatedly realized were ultimately meaningless.

No one would protect her anymore.

“What’s happening outside? Why is there constant knocking?” Yang Fu asked.

The palace maid said: “The Crown Princess is giving birth. Prince Yan wants to take away the physician—this is letting the Crown Princess fend for herself.”

Lan Yue was already crying incoherently. Yang Fu got out of bed and pressed close to the door crack, seeing Lan Yue kneeling before her door.

So it was Zheng Zhiyi’s misfortune.

Yang Fu’s gaze fell on the books on the table, and she furrowed her brow. Even if Qun Qing bet on a different person, what use was it? Wouldn’t it still be the same ending?

But counting these two years, Zheng Zhiyi wasn’t really a stranger after all. For such a person to also disappear at Xianyou Temple—afterward she would have one less acquaintance.

Lan Yue’s crying made her tremble, as if the palace servants who died throughout the palace that day, their spirits were weeping, then returning to emptiness, while ultimately only she remained alive.

Yang Fu’s door opened without warning.

Lan Yue’s face hung with teardrops, staring at her blankly.

Yang Fu had already walked out like a ghost, walked before those guards. Before speaking, she first coughed: “I am ill. Can you leave that physician for me?”

Princess Bao’an was after all Prince Yan’s favored consort. The guards exchanged glances but still wouldn’t compromise: “This person’s medical skills are inadequate. If the side consort is unwell, we’ll report to Prince Yan and immediately find someone for you.”

“His medical skills are excellent. I’ve been ill here several times—his prescriptions worked quickly.” Yang Fu coughed again. Her lips were pale, her eyes held mockery. She said to the guard: “I know you don’t know how to answer to Prince Yan, afraid of dereliction of duty costing your lives. I’ve written a letter to His Highness. Take it to report back.”

She took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and handed it over.

The head guard hadn’t expected Princess Bao’an would truly dare interfere. After much hesitation, seeing Yang Fu’s expression like a fierce ghost, fearing she would collapse on the spot, he accepted the paper, pushed Physician Li back, and returned to report.

Once Physician Li gained freedom, he ran toward the hall.

Some time had already been delayed. It all depended on Zheng Zhiyi’s fate.

Yang Fu covered her nose with her sleeve and walked inside, only tossing words to Lan Yue: “I most cannot bear seeing women give birth—my whole body feels uncomfortable. You should leave quickly too.”

Just entering the door, her legs went weak and she was supported by two palace servants. Yang Fu trembled all over, already regretting, filled with trepidation: “After Prince Yan reads the letter, will I have angered him?”

The two palace maids comforted her together. After waiting briefly, loud cries came from the distance.

At this moment, Li Huan had already received the report.

He sat before his desk, expression cold and condensed, his eyes still somewhat red. Glancing at Yang Fu’s silk slip, he was somewhat surprised it was Yang Fu who interfered, but this couldn’t dispel the resentment in his heart.

During the days of forcing abdication at the traveling lodge, he hadn’t committed acts of humiliating his birth father, treating him well with food, drink, and music. Emperor Chenming had cooperated, and they’d passed several days of filial father-son relations.

Emperor Chenming clearly knew that currently the only one capable of ruling Great Chen was him. To preserve peace in the realm, the throne could only be given to him, yet he still hoped to preserve Li Xuan’s bloodline and gave the imperial grandson such a fine name—what favoritism this was.

Li Zhang—like Li Xuan, both were beautiful jade.

Whether to keep this jade whole or shatter it—from now on he would decide.

Li Huan clenched the cloth slip: “Born, then? The Retired Emperor told me to care well for Li Zhang. How can the remote Xianyou Temple benefit the Imperial Grandson’s growth? Bring him over and raise him in the Taiji Hall. The Crown Princess is not permitted to follow—only one palace maid may attend.”