Imperial Physician Zhang was right; the contraceptive decoction was indeed extremely cold.

Zhao Yān was normally quite hardy, but after drinking the medicine, when her monthly flow came, the pain was like a dull knife cutting through her abdomen, with waves of chills.

Liu Ying wrapped the princess’s soiled undergarments in multiple layers before taking them away to be destroyed, then filled a warming pot and placed it in Zhao Yān’s cold hands, asking softly: “Can Your Highness still enter the palace today?”

Zhao Yān nodded with difficulty, warming her stomach as she said: “Having returned from outside the palace, I must pay my respects, both for propriety and sentiment.”

Liu Ying wanted to dissuade her but stopped herself, nodding as she said: “Your Highness should rest a while longer. This servant will go make arrangements.”

Zhao Yān had not slept well for half the night, and in the morning had drunk the throat-suppressing decoction. When the agarwood incense and medicinal scent in Taiji Hall hit her, she felt somewhat nauseated.

Behind the translucent hanging gauze, the Emperor sat cross-legged in a blue Daoist robe at the center of bright lamps. Concubine Zhen, wearing a golden lotus crown, and Priest Shen Guang, holding a duster, flanked him on either side, seemingly calculating something important with finger divination.

Zhao Yān vaguely heard phrases like “the northern palace buildings destroyed by wind and thunder” and “rebuilding the Star-Plucking Observatory,” and knew it likely concerned wasteful expenditures that would burden the people.

“…the golden elixir is complete, the jade swallow has returned to the embrace—this is heaven-sent joy.”

…

…

Concubine Zhen’s jade hands lightly poured the blue-green tea. Seeing the “Crown Prince” enter the hall, she smiled and stopped speaking.

Zhao Yān suppressed the churning in her chest and waited until the voices behind the hanging gauze ceased before properly folding her sleeves and bowing to the Emperor, saying: “Your child pays respects to Imperial Father.”

“You have returned,” the Emperor said somewhat absently, continuing slowly, “After these days of recuperation, has your health improved?”

The floor tiles were cold and hard. Zhao Yān kept her eyes lowered, enduring her discomfort as she said: “Thanks to Imperial Father’s blessing, your child’s constitution has greatly improved. Your child is grateful for Imperial Father’s concern and has brought two items as a small token of filial piety.”

She glanced up slightly, and Li Fu behind her presented a prepared tray.

On the tray was an essay written in the Crown Prince’s style and a pot of pure water taken from the deep spring of Yuquan Palace.

The Emperor passed over the thick essay with its neat handwriting and only took up the jade pot, pouring a cup and praising: “Excellent water!”

Priest Shen Guang, eyes focused on his nose and heart, immediately stroked his beard and added: “I’ve long heard that the water from Yuquan Palace’s spring rises from deep dragon veins, with life-extending effects. It’s most suitable for taking with elixir pills.”

“The Crown Prince is thoughtful,” the Emperor said, a rare compliment-not-not-not—not for scholarly essays or concern for the common people, but for a pot of “spirit spring” water casually brought back.

“Thank you for Imperial Father’s excessive praise,” Zhao Yān said, her eyelids lowered, the corners of her mouth barely moving.

“You’ve come at a good time.” The Emperor suddenly remembered something and instructed, “In just over a month, it will be your Imperial Mother’s birthday. Last year, you left the palace to avoid the heat and couldn’t fulfill your filial duties in person. This year, I’m entrusting you to properly arrange this birthday celebration, to make up for that regret.”

Zhao Yān replied: “Your child accepts the command.”

The Emperor said nothing more, waving his sleeve to indicate her dismissal.

Zhao Yān felt relieved. As she bowed and withdrew, she passed by the Chief Eunuch.

The Chief Eunuch folded his sleeves and bowed to Zhao Yān, then hurriedly whispered something in the Emperor’s ear.

The Emperor pondered and weighed, closing his eyes as he said: “There’s no rush. Send it over in a couple of days.”

The Chief Eunuch’s expression changed slightly, but he only responded with a submissive “Yes.”

Zhao Yān withdrew from Taiji Hall with folded sleeves, unaware of what followed.

She took a deep breath, clutching Liu Ying’s hand to endure the waves of dull pain in her abdomen, then asked: “Just now, I heard Concubine Zhen mention a ‘jade swallow returning to the embrace.’ Do you know what that’s about?”

Liu Ying looked around in all directions, then lowered her voice: “This servant just learned from Lady He that Consort Xu is with child. It’s said that the night before her diagnosis, she dreamed of auspicious clouds entering her embrace. People are saying that Consort Xu may be carrying a prince.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yān smiled coldly. She had never believed in such supernatural nonsense.

However, the Zhao family’s offspring in this generation were sparse. Her Imperial Father had toiled for most of his life and only produced five daughters and one son. For the past decade, there had been no births, as if under a curse. It was strange that at this critical juncture, news suddenly came of a consort being with child.

Zhao Yān concentrated for a moment, then asked: “This Consort Xu, is she one of Concubine Zhen’s people?”

Liu Ying shook her head: “I’ve heard that Concubine Zhen is wholeheartedly devoted to Daoism and hasn’t been seen to have any confidants. However, because of her detached mindset and non-competitive nature, all the consorts are willing to be on good terms with her.”

Strictly speaking, Concubine Zhen couldn’t be considered a devastatingly beautiful woman, but she excelled in her otherworldly temperament. With her golden lotus crown, duster in hand, and gentle smile as she burned incense, she truly had the appearance of a divine consort stepped out from a painting, almost perfectly matching the Emperor’s pursuit of immortality and Dao.

Concubine Zhen’s kind and gentle humanity, combined with the divinity of her Daoist robes, was far beyond what the cold and dignified Empress Wei could achieve.

Zhao Yān turned her steps, instructing: “Go to Kunning Palace.”

“Her Majesty has been ill with accumulated worries lately, suffering from severe headaches. She just had acupuncture from the Imperial Physician and is resting in the inner chamber,” the court lady said, bowing respectfully as she led Zhao Yān into the hall.

Zhao Yān pressed her lips firmly, then used her palm to rub her cheeks, turning to quietly ask Liu Ying: “How does it look?”

Liu Ying examined the flush rubbed into her cheeks and nodded: “Much better color.”

Only then did Zhao Yān put on a normal appearance and confidently step into the hall.

Incense smoke curled upward from the table. Empress Wei sat upright on a small couch, eyes closed as a palace maid massaged her temples to help her relax.

Her complexion was not good, her long eyebrows knitted like an untieable knot. Even so, her makeup remained imposing and neat, her phoenix robes majestic without a hint of decline, like an undefeated female general seated in authority.

Seeing Zhao Yān enter and pay respects, she opened her eyes, restored to her usual cold dignity, and raised her hand to dismiss the palace maids.

“I hear that Imperial Mother’s phoenix body is slightly unwell,” Zhao Yān said, bowing and raising her head. “Is it because of Consort Xu’s matter?”

“It’s an old ailment,” Empress Wei said, looking at the all-too-familiar face before her, somewhat distracted. “You look a bit haggard.”

Zhao Yān was stunned, instinctively touching her face. She had managed to bring some color to her cheeks, yet she was still seen through.

She had to find an excuse: “On the way back to the palace yesterday, a horse was startled and fell off a cliff. Perhaps I was frightened and haven’t yet recovered.”

“This palace has also heard of this matter,” Empress Wei said, her phoenix eyes calm. “Having Liu Ji by your side was ultimately a hidden danger. She should be gone now.”

Zhao Yān knew that her mother’s words were for the greater situation, without personal sentiment involved, but she still felt an inexplicable blockage in her heart.

Those in high positions seemed to see only benefits and the big picture. Human life was not worth mentioning, and the truth about Zhao Yǎn’s wrongful death was not worth mentioning either.

Zhao Yān pinched her fingers, raising her beautiful, stubborn eyes: “Doesn’t Imperial Mother want to ask what this child learned during these days outside?”

Empress Wei looked at her and said calmly: “If you’re referring to the ‘Extinguished Lamp’ matter, this palace has nothing to ask.”

“Imperial Mother knew?” Zhao Yān was astonished.

“Yǎn was this palace’s son. How could a mother be completely unaware of what her child was thinking and doing?”

“You knew why my brother died… You know the murderer?”

“Prince Yong, Prince Su, even the great clans whose interests were affected… which one couldn’t be the culprit? But what of it? Who among us could touch them?”

Empress Wei took a deep breath, slowly closing her eyes. “This palace knows what you want to question, but Changfeng, this palace’s half-life has been like climbing a height while holding a treasure. When I was young, this palace only wanted to climb to the highest point, to run the fastest, until one day, when one of the treasures in my arms suddenly shattered, piercing my heart with pain…”

Since then, she had lost the courage to charge forward, only thinking about how to maintain stability, how to protect the one remaining treasure in her arms through wind and rain, to keep it from breaking as well.

……

At Prince Su’s mansion, Cai Tian removed his boots and stood in the outer room of the library, reporting each piece of intelligence.

“Everything is as the Prince predicted. The bait we released has traced the ‘Master’s’ whereabouts. Action should be taken soon.”

“Liu Baiwei’s matter has also been handled according to the Prince’s instructions.”

“Today in Taiji Hall, a message came saying that the elixir is not yet complete, and the delivery date must be delayed by two days. This humble servant suspects the Emperor is dissatisfied with the case of Prince Yong’s heir and is using this to sound a warning.”

Behind the desk, dressed in a dark-colored civil-military robe, Prince Su sat in the imperial chair with his legs crossed, holding a scroll in his left hand while his right hand rested on the small stove warming the wine.

As the day of the poison flare-up approached, the Prince was in a foul mood and would often distract himself by reading scrolls.

However, instead of his usual profound and mysterious military strategies, lately he had switched to scrolls about romantic affairs between men and women. His eyelashes cast two dark arcs of shadow, but his cold, pale face showed not a hint of lustful emotion. He seemed either to be seeking knowledge out of genuine interest or completely unaffected by the alarming intelligence just reported.

Since his master hadn’t spoken, Cai Tian didn’t dare withdraw rashly.

After a long silence, Cai Tian’s mind, which was usually as steady as an old monk in meditation, began to grow anxious. He wondered: Perhaps he had missed some intelligence, or perhaps the Prince was dissatisfied with his performance?

While Cai Tian was pondering, there came the very faint sound of a page turning.

Wenren Lin opened a page with his fingertips, turned to the back, held it down, and then switched to hold the scroll with his right hand, placing his left hand by the stove to warm it.

Cai Tian racked his brain for all the intelligence he had, and finally ventured: “The Crown Prince has sent people to Mingde Hall and is still monitoring Liu Baiwei’s movements.”

The Prince’s long, elegant hand, being warmed by the stove, rotated slightly, and the speed at which he scanned the scroll slowed down a bit.

Cai Tian rapidly filtered through the intelligence in his mind and added another item: “This morning when the Crown Prince entered the palace to pay respects, palace servants observed that His Highness didn’t look well, often clutching his stomach as if suffering from some hidden ailment.”

Wenren Lin’s eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly as he turned to look out the window.

The slanting sun stretched out long shadows, and the sunset was as gorgeous as a burning fire. The day’s remaining heat made the cicadas’ song long and weak.

Zhang Cang, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, wiped his sweat as he came to report: “My Prince, the carriage is ready. Shall we depart immediately for Yuquan Palace?”

It was nearly the beginning of the month. Soaking in hot springs could slightly alleviate the cold poison in the Prince’s body. If not for having to deal with Prince Yong’s heir and look after the little Crown Prince, the Prince really shouldn’t have come down from the mountain back to the city these past few days.

Wenren Lin neither affirmed nor denied, gently putting down the unfinished scroll in his hand. He clasped his hands behind his back and went out.

At the Eastern Palace, the lanterns were just being lit.

Zhao Yān dragged her tired, aching body back to her sleeping chambers and collapsed onto the bed.

Despite the scorching summer day, she was shivering from head to toe with cold, forced to curl up on the couch wrapped in a thin blanket. Her temples were covered in cold sweat from the pain, and by the end, she even felt dizzy and nauseous.

Without Liu Ji’s loud and domineering voice in the Eastern Palace, it felt strange—quiet as a tomb.

Zhao Yān finally found something to distract herself. She got off the bed with the quilt wrapped around her, seeking paper and brush, exposing only her pale little face as she said: “I will write a letter to Liu Baiwei. When Gu Xing returns from his duties, have him deliver it to Mingde Hall.”

Liu Ying entered carrying half a bucket of freshly boiled water and nodded upon hearing this.

She had only learned from Her Highness last night that Liu Baiwei was male, disguising himself as a woman only to serve as the Crown Prince’s advisor without arousing suspicion.

She was quite shocked, firstly because the Crown Prince had kept this from her for so long, perhaps due to a lack of trust; secondly, because Liu Ji often addressed the young princess as sister, their behavior casual and intimate. She wondered how much of that was due to official business and how much was due to personal feelings.

After thinking about it all night, she gradually accepted it. As long as it was someone Her Highness trusted, she should learn to trust them, too.

Liu Ying put warming herbs into the wooden tub and rolled up her sleeves to grind ink for Zhao Yān, saying: “Your Highness’s body is still unwell. Perhaps you should rest first. The letter can be written tomorrow.”

Zhao Yān gently shook her head, sitting at the table as she said, “Liu Baiwei is impatient and straightforward. If he doesn’t receive news from me, who knows what he might do.”

As she spoke, Liu Ying’s ink-grinding motion suddenly paused as she bowed toward the outer room: “Prince Su.”

A tall, imposing shadow stood behind the screen, and it was unclear how long he had been there.

Zhao Yān’s brush tip paused. She saw Wenren Lin slowly step out and steadily walk toward her.

Zhao Yān unconsciously swallowed, signaling to Liu Ying and the inner attendants at the door: “You may all withdraw.”

Liu Ying looked at the especially cold and stern Prince Su, but ultimately bowed at Zhao Yān’s visual cue and withdrew, closing the door behind her.

“How is it that the Grand Tutor didn’t have anyone announce—”

Before Zhao Yān could finish speaking, she was lifted into the air, blanket and all, as Wenren Lin bent down to carry her back to the bed.

She was stunned and instinctively put her arms around Wenren Lin’s neck, her abnormally cold body temperature from the pain transferring to his neck.

Wenren Lin took the opportunity to pull down her hand, his eyelids half-lowered as he placed two fingers on her pulse point.

After a while, he slowly frowned, looking up at Zhao Yān: “What reckless thing has Your Highness consumed?”

Zhao Yān knew she couldn’t hide it and withdrew her hand, saying in a muffled, soft voice: “…contraceptive decoction.”

“What?”

Wenren Lin raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone darkening.

Being stared at by those deep, profound eyes, Zhao Yān felt like a criminal under interrogation and didn’t dare repeat herself.

“Didn’t this Prince already feed Your Highness medicine? How could you recklessly consume such crude external concoctions?”

Wenren Lin’s voice was both low and deep as he gently lifted Zhao Yān’s chin, making her gaze inescapable. “Who prescribed the medicine for Your Highness?”

Zhao Yān had no choice but to look at him directly, saying with difficulty: “I wanted to take it myself… Didn’t the Grand Tutor say not to have too much confidence in your self-control?”

An anxiety-inducing silence followed.

“Is that how Your Highness interpreted those words?”

After a long while, Wenren Lin asked with perfect composure.

Zhao Yān, fearing that his next sentence would be to drag Zhang Xu away for execution, curled up, clutching her stomach like a soft clam trying to retract into its hard shell. Sweating profusely, she said hoarsely: “Interrogate me later. I have no strength to speak with you now…”

Wenren Lin looked at the nearby letter with its ink not yet dry and gave a light laugh.

He turned around, removed his outer robe, and casually threw it onto the desk. Silently, he began to roll up his sleeves, layer by layer, until they were at his elbows, revealing strong forearms.

Zhao Yān tensed inwardly, wondering if he was about to beat someone.

When Wenren Lin gestured for her to lean forward and gripped her ankle, Zhao Yān instinctively pulled back slightly.

Wenren Lin gave her a look and said gently, “If you move again, I’ll have Zhang and Liu captured and use their warm blood to warm Your Highness’s body.”

Zhao Yān immediately froze.

Wenren Lin removed her boots and socks none too gently, then cradled her feet in his palms, slowly immersing them in the appropriately heated water.