Chapter 21: The Farewell

Chapter 21: The Farewell

Crown Prince Yuan Jun was escorted back to his sleeping palace when a general from the Imperial Guard arrived with an imperial decree. The general proceeded to post guards at all entrances and exits of the Bao Han Palace, leaving only a corner door for passage. Subsequently, a senior eunuch from the imperial court arrived and gathered all the servants attending to the Crown Prince. He proclaimed the rules and sternly ordered everyone to strictly adhere to the regulations during the period of confinement, to serve the Crown Prince with utmost care, and not to disturb his studies and self-reflection.

By the Emperor's decree, all expenditures at the Precious Scroll Palace are to be reduced. Apart from necessities like clothing, food, charcoal, and water, even the personnel should be trimmed. Hence, half of the eunuchs and palace maids were sent back to the Imperial Ladies' Bureau for reassignment. Those remaining are not allowed to leave the premises, and all their needs shall be delivered by designated individuals.

It was barely distinguishable from imprisonment.

For a moment, silence in the Precious Scroll Palace was as still as frozen winter, not a single sound could be heard.

That evening's dinner was delivered cold, the food having traveled a long distance from the imperial kitchen to Bao Han Palace. The eunuchs who carried it had to pass through the scrutiny of the guards before they could enter, causing further delay and inevitably cooling the dishes. Knowing that they wouldn't receive any additional rewards for this delivery, their attitude became even more neglectful.

Yuan Jun knew there was nothing he could do. Trapped in Bao Han Palace, he was powerless to change anything.

The Jingbei King had ruled for three generations, each one fiercely independent and commanding substantial military power. It would indeed be difficult to subdue them without resorting to force, solely relying on the emperor's virtue – marriage alliances might be used to strengthen blood ties and gradually assimilate them.

But the Jingbei King wasn't a fool. Any princess sent to him would inevitably become a sacrifice. She was his own sister, the one who taught him how to write with a brush, held his waist while teaching him to ride, a mentor and motherly figure. A sister who had dedicated herself wholeheartedly to his well-being and public image.

He would rather his father yield the throne than send his imperial sister away. But events had reached a point of no return, and she would certainly be married off to Jingbei. Never had he despised his own helplessness so deeply.

Yuan Jun tossed and turned all night, unable to fall asleep. Just as dawn was breaking, he was vaguely roused by someone shaking him awake: "Sister, wake up! It's time to set off! The Princess is looking for you!"

Yuan Jun opened his eyes, feeling somewhat disoriented. He sat up and saw a young servant girl with braided hair staring at him anxiously. "Sister Rong, were you too exhausted from your work last night? How could you oversleep? Thankfully, neither of us undressed last night. We must hurry and get on the carriage; you're the Palace Lady accompanying the bride, and being late would be troublesome."

An accompanying Palace Lady?

Was he dreaming?

Yuan Jun's face was filled with confusion as the servant girl helped him out of bed. Looking down, he indeed saw himself dressed in a perfectly neat and festive red palace attire. Turning his head, he found himself standing in a small room that clearly belonged to a woman, tidied with care. In the reflection of the dressing table mirror, a fully adorned woman met his gaze. Outside the window, the sky was still pitch black, while inside the room, a single copper lamp illuminated a hazy glow, yet he could still discern his surroundings.

It was that Palace maid, Rong, whose captivating beauty had captivated him, only to eventually align herself with his sister. He had a profound impression of her.

Am I dreaming? Is this bizarre dream a result of my excessive concern for my elder sister?

He found himself involuntarily being pulled out by the young maid, only to see that the sky outside was still shrouded in darkness. Several Palace Ladies, similarly attired in wedding attire, spotted him and waved him over. They then proceeded to walk slowly towards the main courtyard.

There, in the main courtyard, stood a magnificent wedding carriage. Yuan Jun observed his sister, Princess Yi Yang - the one who had taught him to write and read since childhood - emerge from the house, resplendent in her wedding attire. A few ladies-in-waiting bowed their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.

Word arrived that the officials from the Ministry of Rites, responsible for the wedding procession, had arrived. Princess Yi Yang turned her head slightly and nodded. "Let's proceed then."

The double happiness lanterns cast a resolute contour on her profile. It seemed that she held no attachments, her sharp and bold eyebrows framing a clear yet indifferent gaze. The wedding attire softened her usual icy arrogance, replacing it with an air of regal grandeur. The luxuriously embroidered robe, adorned with phoenix motifs, trailed across the thick red carpet as palace maids assisted her into the palanquin.

Yuan Jun fixated on his sister, his heart aching with a sour pain. He didn't know how long this dream could last, but he greedily gazed at his sister before following the other attendants into the spacious palanquin. Slowly, it began to move.

After the palanquin started its journey, it soon left the princess's residence, traversed the broad imperial street, and exited the city gates, heading steadily north.

Observing Princess Yi Yang's silence, Yuan Jun suddenly asked, "Are you worried about the Crown Prince?"

Princess Yi Yang lifted her gaze to look at him, clearly surprised that the usually reticent palace attendant would dare to speak up. However, she replied, "Father has confined the Crown Prince as a warning to me and a form of protection for him."

Yuan Jun was taken aback. Princess Yi Yang said, "He's warning me. The decision to dethrone the crown prince lies in his thoughts alone. If I were to rely on Prince Jingbei's influence for other motives, what could I, as a woman, do without the crown prince? As a princess, if Prince Jingbei had any ulterior motives, he wouldn't allow me to bear his child. And the crown prince, being young and impetuous, might be manipulated into committing acts of rebellion. Once such rumors spread through the court, even if the Emperor has no intention of deposing him, he may have no choice. Thus, it's better to confine the crown prince to prevent others from exploiting the situation and inciting unrest."

"We siblings have our own paths to follow. There's no time for melancholy. The crown prince is resilient; he'll endure this hardship."

Princess Yi Yang froze as she saw the usually composed and cautious Little Shanggong's eyes gradually turn red. Then, she noticed a veil of mist form over her innocent, clear eyes, followed by tears welling up unexpectedly.

She was beautiful, and thus, her teary appearance evoked even more sympathy. Moreover, her silent weeping was genuine, revealing heartfelt sorrow.

Princess Yi Yang smiled in surprise and asked, "Oh, why are you crying? Are you homesick?"

Gazing at the weeping young girl, Princess Yi Yang, for some reason, was reminded of her younger brother when he was around eight or nine. Back then, his silent and resolute sobs were just as heart-wrenching. But now that he had grown up, he hadn't cried in a long time.

She sighed softly and took a handkerchief to gently wipe away the girl's tears. Finding them endless, she drew the girl into her arms, much like how she used to console her brother years ago, patting her back soothingly. "There, there. What's so distressing? For me, isn't the capital just another kind of cage? Now that there's an opportunity to break free, to seize new chances and beginnings, perhaps even spread your wings and soar, isn't that a good thing?"

A cage?

Yuan Jun looked at Princess Yi Yang, his vision blurred by tears. In a daze, he realized that, indeed, wasn't that grand palace nothing but a massive prison?

His own body was still trapped within its depths.

Since he had grown older, his sister, bound by societal norms of gender, had long stopped embracing him. Now, within this young palace maid's body, his sister's tender comfort and touch made him feel as if he had returned to his childhood. The torment and pain he'd endured these days seemed to fade away under his sister's solace.

Suddenly, an idea struck Yuan Jun. This dream felt so real. If he was dreaming of being this little palace maid, could it be that in her dreams, she was the imprisoned prince, locked away behind those many vermilion gates?