Chapter 89

Chapter 89

You Nan paid no mind to court affairs from the Eastern Palace.

There was no use in concerning himself anyway; as long as he stayed alive, that was enough.

In the Eastern Palace, he often found himself anticipating Chen Mingzhou's visits. But not knowing what kept the other busy, You Nan waited for him for many days without a sign.

You Nan didn’t feel anxious.

Because these past few days, mysterious items kept appearing in his bedchamber.

Sometimes it was a pair of children’s socks, sometimes a tangled ball of yarn.

You Nan recognized at a glance that these were things belonging to the cat and "007."

You Nan stored these items together with the paintings Chen Mingzhou had previously given him, hidden in the empty compartment beneath the bed’s footboard.

The palace maids changing his quilts and bedding never lifted the wooden plank, so no one had discovered You Nan’s secret hiding spot.

It was very safe.

On the fifth day after Fu Lingtan left, You Nan had successfully finished making a child's garment.

Before he could feel pleased, he saw the chief maid quickly run in from outside.

The chief maid’s face was panicked, yet her eyes held determination. She stepped forward to pull at You Nan, "Your Highness, the Third Prince is staging a coup! He’s already had soldiers surround the entire imperial city."

You Nan’s eyes widened in an instant.

A coup?

You Nan clenched his fists.

He lowered his gaze, his mind quickly turning.

If the Third Prince was staging a coup, the chances were fifty-fifty.

If the Third Prince seized the throne, he would be killed. All of Fu Lingtan’s brothers held grudges against Fu Lingtan; no matter who ascended the throne, You Nan’s current status as "Crown Princess" meant he would undoubtedly be the first to be executed.

If the Third Prince failed, he had the Emperor’s protection and wouldn’t die.

But now that the Third Prince was staging a coup, the chief maid was alarmed.

What did that mean?

You Nan bit his lip. It meant the Third Prince’s manpower and forces far exceeded the Emperor’s imperial guards. Even if Fu Lingtan were in the palace, the Third Prince’s chances against the Emperor would definitely be over seventy percent.

Since there was no way to escape either way, why not gamble on escape?

Either use the chaos to flee the palace and stay far away from trouble, or wait for death.

You Nan made his decision almost instantly.

He refused to die here!

You Nan lifted his eyelids, his face still feigning panic, "What should we do?"

You Nan appeared flustered.

Seeing his helplessness, the chief maid calmed down.

She comforted the distressed Crown Princess, "Don’t be afraid, I will definitely protect your safety."

You Nan nodded, "Alright."

"I will go make preparations now. Please wait for me, Crown Princess." The chief maid bowed to You Nan and immediately turned to leave and arrange for people to break through the siege.

While the hall was empty, You Nan immediately took out the makeshift bag he had made in his spare time, retrieved everything hidden under the bed, and covered it with other items.

There were silver coins, plenty of jewelry, and expensive silk fabrics.

You Nan restored the items on the bed to their original places, then stood ready with his bundle for the chief maid and the others to arrive.

Only he didn’t expect that instead of the chief maid, he would see the person he had long wanted to see.

.

The Third Prince’s midnight coup attempt failed.

The lights in the imperial city burned until daybreak.

The number of prisoners dragged out by the imperial guards seemed endless. The Emperor, enraged, ordered them all executed in the streets.

And his son, the Third Prince, was also run through by the Emperor's sword that very night.

But the Emperor didn’t escape unharmed either; he was attacked by the hidden guards and assassins the Third Prince had brought. Though the Emperor was brave and skilled in battle, he was still overwhelmed by numbers.

He was stabbed three times, lost too much blood, and only barely managed to issue the execution order before falling unconscious.

In an instant, the political situation became more chaotic.

The Fourth Prince seized the opportunity, bribing many of those serving his father, forcing them to obey his commands, while simultaneously taking control of both the inner palace and the outer court.

"What?" The Fourth Prince slammed the table, "What did you say? The Crown Princess is missing?"

"How could a full-grown person suddenly disappear!"

The Fourth Prince’s heart sank, feeling that You Nan’s disappearance was not a good sign.

"Investigate quickly! Did the Crown Prince leave behind any loyalists in the capital?"

The reason the Third Prince forced the palace was because he had placed informants within the army the Crown Prince led out, who directly betrayed Crown Prince Fu Lingtan.

Fu Lingtan, attacked from all sides, was completely surrounded.

The news of Fu Lingtan’s death on the battlefield had already reached the capital.

Upon hearing it, the Third Prince believed no one could stop him anymore.

But the Third Prince also feared this news would reach the Emperor’s ears, so, egged on by his advisors, he chose to make the first move, forcing the palace to usurp the throne.

The Fourth Prince wasn’t so impulsive.

All along, there were too many outstanding older brothers above him. He had always kept his ambitions hidden, surviving in the shadows until now.

Before, when the Second Prince was gone, there was still the Crown Prince. When the Crown Prince was gone, there was still the Third Prince. Now, only with the Third Prince gone did it finally come to him.

The Fourth Prince didn’t dare act recklessly, proceeding with extreme caution.

So he didn’t directly threaten the court physicians to poison the Emperor or use potent drugs.

Instead, he quickly took control of the entire imperial city in secret.

The birth mothers of all the princes in the rear palace he had under his thumb.

The younger princes were also locked away on their own, with no one allowed to approach them except to deliver meals.

All of the Fourth Prince's plans proceeded smoothly, but now a wrench got thrown into the works.

You Nan, who should have been imprisoned, was not in the palace.

"Yes!" replied the Fourth Prince's subordinate, though his expression showed hesitation. "The maids and eunuchs of the Eastern Palace all claim they never saw the crown princess leave. The crown prince's trusted senior palace maid is still under interrogation, and she insists she knows nothing."

The Fourth Prince knew the senior palace maid well.

His gaze turned sinister. "If she refuses to talk, then she's expendable. After all, she is one of Fu Lingtan's people—everyone associated with him must die."

He said angrily, "I don't buy that she knows nothing."

The Fourth Prince issued the order directly, signing the senior palace maid's death warrant.

The events in the imperial city never made it out to the common people.

You Nan stayed up all night, standing in the courtyard and staring off toward the imperial city.

The previous night, the entire imperial city had been in chaos, filled with bloodshed and screams. Chen Mingzhou used the chaos as cover to get him out.

You Nan was deeply grateful to him.

You Nan did not resist and allowed Chen Mingzhou to get him outside the palace walls.

Just before leaving, he got a feeling and instinctively turned to look back. There, at the entrance of the side hall where he had lived, he saw a familiar palace shoe.

At that moment, he knew—the senior palace maid had discovered Chen Mingzhou's plan to take him away, but she had not stopped them.

She played dumb, hoping he could escape.

He also realized that Chen Mingzhou had intentionally let the senior palace maid become aware of their actions.

You Nan heaved a long sigh, his face full of sorrow.

The senior palace maid had been so kind to him over the past year. If given the chance in the future, he would surely avenge her.

As You Nan was lost in thought, his hand was gently tugged.

He snapped back to reality and looked down to see a familiar little child.

His heart jumped, and he immediately recognized the child. His eyes welled up with tears.

You Nan crouched down and hugged the son he hadn't seen in so long. He wanted to say something to the child, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he got choked up.

Not a single word could come out.

Maomao was very well-behaved. Though still young, he had already learned to walk.

The little child still remembered You Nan's familiar, comforting smell.

The child raised his short, tender arms, reaching up to wipe away You Nan's tears.

His little mouth worked like he was trying to say something, but he could not speak, unable to utter a word.

You Nan saw his pouting lips and furrowed little brows, and his heart just melted.

On the other side of the courtyard, in a lush, green corner, stood a man standing tall and straight.

Chen Mingzhou gazed at You Nan and Maomao in the courtyard, a distant look in his eyes, a rare tenderness in his expression.

Hang Minyu came in from outside. Chen Mingzhou heard his footsteps but did not turn around.

Hang Minyu stared right at You Nan, who was holding the child and heading into the house.

It had been over a year since he last saw You Nan, and he looked noticeably thinner and more frail.

He'd also changed completely from his former innocence and purity.

He seemed more stable, resilient, and mature now.

Hang Minyu's heart ached.

For some reason, even though You Nan and Maomao's reunion should have been a joyous occasion, he couldn't stand to watch.

Despite his discomfort, Hang Minyu forced himself to face the scene directly.

Only when You Nan closed the door, cutting off his view, did he finally snap back to reality.

"I recall you and You Nan go way back."

Hang Minyu heard Chen Mingzhou's voice beside him. "Now that You Nan has escaped the imperial city, you two should catch up."

Hang Minyu looked up to study Chen Mingzhou's calm expression.

He couldn't tell if Chen Mingzhou had actually forgotten that it was he who had wronged You Nan in the past.

How could he even look You Nan in the eye?

Hang Minyu looked away, lowering his eyes. "You Nan has just returned and hasn't had time to settle in. Perhaps I should drop by in a few days."

He made an excuse for himself. "There are still some matters I need to wrap up. Once I finish, I'll have time to talk with You Nan."

After a few seconds, Chen Mingzhou said, "Alright."

He looked at Hang Minyu. "Most of the tasks are now complete. General Kangping did a great service this time. When General Kangping arrives in the capital, we'll have to throw a proper banquet in his honor."

Hang Minyu made a mental note.

Before turning to leave, Hang Minyu took one last look at the closed door.

Now that You Nan was here, he wouldn't have to look after Maomao anymore.

He wondered if Maomao would remember him.

.

You Nan, finally reunited with his son, was buzzing with energy.

007 also heard the commotion and came to investigate.

The little kitten leaped directly through the window into the room, meowing his head off for attention.

Sure enough, upon seeing him, You Nan exclaimed with delight, calling him "baby."

The kid had been well and truly upstaged.

The little cat sat on the bed, his little feet bare, watching as his mother, who had just been doting on him endlessly, was now kissing, hugging, and petting his playfellow.

The child sat dazed on the bed, taking a long moment to snap out of it before his eyes welling up with tears.

His little mouth pursed into a pout.

"Ahhh ahhh!" the child let out a stifled cry.

Hearing this, the little cat immediately turned his head. Having spent so much time with the child, he understood exactly what was going through the little one's mind.

The little cat, now equally spirited, raised his tail and retorted: "Meow, meow, meow!"

While crying out, he also nuzzled his soft, little body against You Nan's hand, all while locking eyes with the child, vying for attention outright.

The child couldn't take it.

Overwhelmed with frustration, he broke into loud wails, crying out, "Waaah!"

You Nan, who had been enjoying the spectacle of the rivalry between the two, suddenly saw her son break down in tears.

Her heart ached with pity, and she quickly hugged the child's little head, comforting and kissing him over and over.

She was just short of swearing that she loved him the most.

The little cat looked up and saw the child, who had been wailing moments before, now resting on You Nan's shoulder, grinning cheekily at him.

There was no trace left of the earlier tears!