The night grew ever darker. The playful bed curtains drifted and swayed through the better half of the night before at last they stilled.

——

The following morning, the whole of the Xuanwang Palace waited for Responding Attendant Wu to emerge from the Cold Palace and be elevated in rank.

What was curious was that from the moment Prince Xuan received the news yesterday, all the way until noon today, Prince Xuan had done nothing more than allow Responding Attendant Wu to move freely in and out of the Cold Palace and arrange for a few maidservants to be sent there to attend to her.

Not a single thing beyond that.

For a time, the other consorts throughout the palace were all speculating — could it be that Prince Xuan had no fondness for imperial sons?

Yet that made little sense either, for everyone in Xuanzhao knew His Majesty doted upon the Crown Prince.

In the Imperial Garden, it was all in a stir, everyone gathered together and whispering among themselves.

At that moment, Responding Attendant Wu in the Cold Palace was also growing restless.

She had planned to use the child in her womb to reverse her fortunes, yet Prince Xuan had only sent maidservants and an Imperial Physician to look after her. He had said nothing about moving her out of the Cold Palace — only that she could come and go freely.

There was none of the jubilation from years ago, when the Empress Xuan had been examined by the Imperial Physician and found to be carrying an imperial prince — no delighted rewards bestowed upon ministers, no palace banquet arranged.

Could it be that His Majesty, because she had offended the Crown Princess, was afraid that bringing her out of the Cold Palace would displease the Crown Prince — and that was why he had not even come to lay eyes on her?

Was the child in her womb not His Majesty’s imperial son as well?

Because the Crown Prince was displeased, did His Majesty simply intend to leave her to herself?

Behind the carved screen, the maidservant Xiao Dai set down the meal and curtsied with lowered head. “My Lady, please eat.”

Responding Attendant Wu gave a self-deprecating twist of her lips. He was not entirely without concern — at least he had sent maidservants to tend to her.

She rose and settled into the wooden chair, surveying the meal laid out on the wooden table. A celadon bowl held a fragrant mushroom and chicken soup; beside it, a food box steamed with mountain yam and wolfberry congee, sweet soup, bird’s nest porridge…

Responding Attendant Wu let out a quiet laugh. Even the meals had changed. It seemed His Majesty did still care for the child in her womb — but then why had he not yet brought her out of the Cold Palace?

Responding Attendant Wu’s eyes shifted thoughtfully. Could it be that he was doing this to protect her and the imperial prince she carried?

Was that why he maintained this outward show of indifference? In that case — so long as she safely delivered the child in her womb, would she not then be elevated to equal standing with the Empress Xuan?

After all, His Majesty doted on the Crown Prince’s every wish. The child in her womb would surely be the same.

Even if she could not match the Empress Xuan, she would at least be an Imperial Noble Consort.

At this thought, Responding Attendant Wu curved her lips in a smile. She picked up the wooden chopsticks, took a small bite of a steamed dumpling, and said, “Xiao Dai, the meal today is exceptionally good.”

“My Lady, if you find it good, please eat more. This servant will make sure to tell the Imperial Kitchen to prepare the same dishes for you going forward.” Xiao Dai smiled and helped Responding Attendant Wu to a few more shrimp dumplings, placing them in her porcelain bowl.

Responding Attendant Wu pressed her lips together in a smile. She found herself looking forward more and more to the days ahead.

“This subordinate pays his respects to Responding Attendant. His Majesty has a private matter he bids this subordinate relay to you.” Guard Qu pushed open the worn palace door and knelt on one knee, his manner respectful.

Xiao Dai, seeing this, bowed together with the other attending maidservants and withdrew.

The palace door was pulled shut. Guard Qu rose to his feet, crossed to stand behind Responding Attendant Wu, circled his arms around her, and placed his hand over her abdomen. In a low voice, he said, “Mine?”

Responding Attendant Wu bit into a shrimp dumpling and said nothing.

Guard Qu kissed the side of her face and murmured in a low, hoarse voice, “Must be mine, as it happens — after all, His Majesty…”

He left the rest unsaid. Responding Attendant Wu had already pushed him away.

“His Majesty may come to the Cold Palace without warning at any moment. Stay away from the Cold Palace for the time being.” Responding Attendant Wu said through gritted teeth.

Guard Qu sprawled back across the bed, gave a yawn, and said, “The Crown Prince caught a chill, so His Majesty goes to keep him company after leaving court. When would he find the time to come to the Cold Palace?”

Responding Attendant Wu’s eyes narrowed. She moved to the edge of the bed and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. “Qu Lang~”

Guard Qu’s gaze deepened. His fingertip hooked around the satin ribbon at the woman’s waist. Responding Attendant Wu laughed and pulled away. “We cannot. There are too many maidservants around now, and the child is not yet stable. If we were discovered, I do not need to tell you what would become of us both.”

When Ye Jian had been reassigned to the Fifth Princess’s chambers back then, she had set about finding a new scheme. Imperial Guards were responsible for the security of the Xuanwang Palace and could move freely throughout. She had observed for several days — this Guard Qu was bold, which made him a suitable candidate.

She had deliberately half-fainted into his arms while he was on a solo patrol. Young men, and bold ones at that — she had not needed to do much; he had found it difficult to resist on his own.

But that had still not been enough. At the time, His Majesty had yet to bestow his favor upon her. So she had had Guard Qu inform her of His Majesty’s routes and arranged a carefully staged “chance encounter.”

After His Majesty bestowed his favor upon her, she secretly took contraceptive medicine — after all, His Majesty already had far too many princesses. If she were to bear an imperial prince at this juncture, her status would speak for itself.

Afterward, she continued privately meeting with Guard Qu. That way, the likelihood of her carrying an “imperial prince” would be much greater.

And the identity of the child in her womb would go unquestioned — after all, the timing aligned.

What she had not anticipated was that she would later offend the Crown Princess and be cast into the Cold Palace by His Majesty. Even so, it mattered little. This “imperial prince” had arrived at precisely the right moment — he was her chance to turn everything around.

Guard Qu let out a breath. He too understood this was not the right moment.

Responding Attendant Wu’s lips curved slightly. “Qu Lang, would you not like our child to replace the Crown Prince?”

“What… what?” Guard Qu abruptly sat up from the bed.

Being disloyal to His Majesty was already enough to condemn them — and now she wanted him to… to seize the throne from the Crown Prince??

Was Responding Attendant Wu truly this bold?

He had taken up with Responding Attendant Wu in the first place precisely because her standing within the palace was low, meaning His Majesty would not keep close watch on her — it was that which had made him reckless.

“Qu Lang, right now there is only the Crown Prince in the palace. If the Crown Prince were no longer here, then His Majesty would have only this ‘imperial son’ in my womb. Do you not wish to become a Grand Emperor?” Responding Attendant Wu said enticingly. “By then, all of Xuanzhao would belong to our child.”

Her only hope was that Guard Qu would be bold enough to attempt an assassination on the Crown Prince — in which case Guard Qu would be as good as dead. From that point forward, no second person would know the truth of her “imperial son’s” parentage.

And she would no longer need to live in fear.

Guard Qu swallowed hard. Become a Grand Emperor? What sort of nonsense was this?

How could a mere guard possibly prevail against the Crown Prince?

He would never even get within arm’s reach before being cut down in a single stroke by one of the Crown Prince’s guards!

If Responding Attendant Wu wanted to throw her life away, she had best not drag him along with her!!

With that kind of wild ambition, the child in her womb absolutely could not be allowed to survive — otherwise, it would one day implicate him!!

“Qu Lang, what do you think?” Responding Attendant Wu smiled sweetly and looped her arms around Guard Qu’s neck, pouting softly. “Can you do it?”

Guard Qu’s gaze darkened. He tilted his head and kissed her lips.

Could he do it? He wanted to go on living!!

Of course he could not!!

——

The Crown Prince’s Chambers.

Yan Yunning sat beside Xuan Yanyu, watching him play chess with Prince Xuan.

Xuan Yanyu had fallen “ill,” and until this “illness” had passed, Prince Xuan would not permit him to leave the palace. She could only stay inside the palace with him.

“Wait.” Prince Xuan called out in alarm.

The hand Xuan Yanyu had poised over the board with a chess piece paused, and he watched as his father picked up the piece he had just played and moved it to a different position.