Wei Shubin lowered her head. She truly hadn’t thought carefully about that aspect. Could her rash and impetuous actions bring trouble to her parents and entire family?

“A few years ago, we wouldn’t have been so afraid,” Su Lingyu sighed. “When the Empress was healthy, her mind was at ease, and she was open-minded about everything, showing only mercy and consideration to those below her. But when people are confined by illness for long, their temper grows short. We attendants are fine if we’re careful, but the real problem is the Crown Prince – how could he possibly read the room and speak humbly? Just these past few days, mother and son have quarreled several times, leaving us all trembling in fear. I thought the Empress was displeased with the Crown Prince because of Princess Yang’s pregnancy, but from what you say, that’s not it.”

“With the Empress so ill, how could the Crown Prince still anger his mother? He’s too unfilial,” Wei Shubin frowned.

Su Lingyu sighed, “Indeed, I’ve advised him so many times, but he just won’t change. Just yesterday, what a small matter it was! Prince Yue sent a new book compiled by his retainers to Li Zheng Hall, asking us to read it to the Empress for entertainment. The Empress was quite pleased, and Master Shangzhen, who was nearby, joined in praising Prince Yue a bit, saying how diligent he was in compiling books, even borrowing and copying all the medical texts from Purple Void Temple, being very thorough and careful. What’s wrong with speaking a few kind words about a son to his mother? But the Crown Prince heard this and took offense, throwing out a barbed comment, saying, ‘Cousin, your temple is becoming like a marketplace theater, with people performing various shows every day.'”

Wei Shubin burst out laughing, imagining Li Chengjian’s sneering expression as he said this, thinking he had quite a way with metaphors. Chai Yinglu was also quick-witted – if that pair of cousins got into an argument, it would surely be quite a spectacle.

“What did Master Shangzhen say?”

“Master Shangzhen didn’t retort, but the Empress heard and immediately became angry, scolding the Crown Prince for being so harsh with his brothers and sisters, saying if he’s like this while his parents are still alive, what will he be like in the future? That argument between mother and son, ah…”

“How difficult for you all, caught in the middle taking fire from both sides.” Wei Shubin patted Su Lingyu’s hand sympathetically. The Crown Princess gave a bitter smile: “I’m fine, I just do my duties without speaking, but Master Shangzhen can’t avoid it. Both the Empress and Crown Prince like to find fault with her. I didn’t understand why before, but hearing you say that Princess Yang met His Majesty at Purple Void Temple? Perhaps that’s the reason…”

“That’s so unfair. Master Shangzhen didn’t intentionally bring them together, it was just a coincidence of fate. The Empress and Crown Prince can’t control their husband and father, so they take it out on her – what sense does that make!”

Wei Shubin was indignant, and Su Lingyu deeply agreed. The two women talked for a long while under the apricot tree before reluctantly saying goodbye. Wei Shubin suddenly remembered something: “Oh right, the day after tomorrow is Major Heat – your birthday! The past two years, all of us close friends gathered to celebrate with you, but this year…”

This year, the eldest daughter of the Su family had become the Crown Princess, and with the national mourning period, holding festive gatherings was impossible. Su Lingyu shook her head with a slight smile: “In my current situation, what birthday? I don’t even know if I’ll ever see better days in this life. Just getting by, surviving one day at a time.”

Seeing her so dejected, Wei Shubin couldn’t bear it and tried to console her, saying she wanted to visit the Eastern Palace tomorrow to keep her company she was also suffering from boredom at home. Su Lingyu thought for a moment and agreed, telling her to try coming to the Eastern Palace in the afternoon, when she might have returned from Li Zheng Hall.

After making their arrangements and parting, Wei Shubin prepared some birthday gifts and informed her parents. The next day, heavy rain suddenly fell with constant thunder and lightning, shaking heaven and earth for half a day before stopping. She worried about the difficulty of travel. The following day, on Major Heat itself, she went out to find the streets as muddy as they had been when she had fled from the Eastern Palace that time.

Though travel by cart was still difficult, at least this time she wasn’t running away from home… The ox cart slowly dragged her to the Jia Fu Gate of the Eastern Palace. She dismounted, showed her credentials to enter, and was being led by palace servants past Xian De Hall into the rear residence when she suddenly saw a mounted party ready to depart, while Su Lingyu was being helped by maids to don her veil as she hurriedly walked toward her mount, holding up her skirts.

Seeing Wei Shubin approach, Su Lingyu stopped. After the two women exchanged greetings, the Crown Princess grabbed her and said: “Quickly mount up, come with me to Purple Void Temple!”

What had happened now?

Wei Shubin didn’t have time to ask for details, mounting the horse brought by an attendant. The party left the Eastern Palace through Bei Gate and turned west, moving quickly. On horseback, Su Lingyu explained the situation to Wei Shubin.

That day after returning to the Eastern Palace from Minister Wei’s residence, Crown Prince Li Chengjian asked about the Wei family’s situation. The couple had a rare peaceful conversation, and Su Lingyu took the opportunity to advise her husband on filial piety, speaking of how difficult things were for the Empress. In an unguarded moment, she told Li Chengjian about Yang Buyao’s pregnancy.

She hadn’t expected her husband to be unaware of this matter – or at least unaware of who the father of Yang’s child was.

After learning this, Li Chengjian left with an ashen face to make some arrangements, though he didn’t tell his wife the details. The next day brought that great thunderstorm, and with the Tai Ji Palace’s low-lying ground, the air was stifling before the rain, and everywhere was steaming with standing water afterward, making the Empress even more unwell. The Crown Prince and Princess attended her at Li Zheng Hall all day. When they went to attend her again this morning, they heard from trusted servants at Li Zheng Hall that Princess Hai Ling Yang had given birth to a son during yesterday’s great thunderstorm.

The birth itself wasn’t unexpected – it was bound to happen sooner or later. But what made Li Chengjian angry was that Chai Yinglu hadn’t appeared at Li Zheng Hall all day yesterday, reportedly going to the nunnery to help deliver Yang’s baby and save her life. Moreover, there were rumors that she had gone together with Prince Yue Li Tai, by imperial decree from the current Emperor.

After leaving Li Zheng Hall, Li Chengjian didn’t return to the Eastern Palace but rode off directly. Su Lingyu, remembering her appointment with Wei Shubin, had just returned to the palace to rest briefly when someone reported that the Crown Prince had gone to Purple Void Temple. Thinking this didn’t bode well, she hurried to go and try to reason with him, meeting Wei Shubin as she was leaving.

This indeed wasn’t good, and Wei Shubin grew more worried the more she thought about it. Both women urged their horses on, but with water and mud everywhere, and Su Lingyu’s black gauze veil hindering speed, it was still quite a while before they could see the Daoist banners at Purple Void Temple’s gate in the distance.

Wei Shubin, familiar with the way, rode to the main gate and dismounted when suddenly there was a “whoosh” and a yellow blur with a musky scent pounced out – the fat hunting leopard A Tun had come to greet her again.

The leopard seemed somewhat anxious, refusing Wei Shubin’s caresses and instead circling her legs with its tail, running a few steps toward the temple interior, then looking back as if indicating she should follow. This behavior suggested its master might be in some danger or trouble… Wei Shubin’s heart sank as she heard Su Lingyu asking the servants:

“Is His Highness the Crown Prince still inside?”

The temple doorkeeper confirmed this, and the two women went in. Wei Shubin led the way, holding A Tun’s leash as she headed straight for the temple master’s inner chamber, but was stopped at the courtyard gate by Jing Xuan:

“Please wait, Miss Wei. Master Shangzhen is in private discussion with an honored guest, and has ordered that no one should disturb them…”

Wei Shubin hesitated slightly and asked: “Is the Crown Prince inside? Are they… talking well?”

“They were shouting and arguing earlier, loud enough to hear from here,” Jing Xuan shook her head with a bitter smile. “It’s not the first time, though, so it should be fine…”

Wei Shubin’s heart tightened further when suddenly the leather leash jerked in her hand. Unprepared, she lost her grip. The hunting leopard bounded through the doorway, rushing toward the tightly closed doors of the main hall.

“A Tun!”

It was still a wild beast after all – if it got agitated and harmed the Crown Prince, that would be disastrous. Jing Xuan was also startled, and Wei Shubin had no time to think further, running into the courtyard with Su Lingyu. As she saw A Tun rise on its hind legs and scratch at the door with its front paws, she reached out to grab the leopard, but lost her footing, lunging forward with a push, and the main door of Purple Void Temple suddenly flew open.

Inside the room were a man and woman, indeed Chai Yinglu and Li Chengjian. At this moment, their forms were intertwined as they reclined on the couch, in the midst of… a deep kiss.