Chapter 121

Chapter 121

As March drew to a close, peach blossoms climbed the branches, blanketing the streets and rooftops.

Wen Zuo's duties had concluded, and it was now Emperor Shunyuan's turn to personally preside over the final, palace-administered imperial examinations.

But before the examinations could begin, joyous news spread through the palace—

The envoys Consort Zhen had sent to pray at famous mountains and ancient temples had returned. Besides bringing back blessed talismans from various temples, each carried a divination slip.

Every word on the slips was an auspicious omen.

The first slip read: "Laws and regulations are clearly established."

The second slip read: "The four seas are free from war."

The third slip read: "Reviving all things in due season."

The fourth slip read: "The dragon soars, ushering in prosperous fortune."

The fifth slip read: "The ancestral temple secures the precious mandate."

Each symbolized the emperor's robust health and the nation's flourishing prosperity. Emperor Shunyuan, upon reading them, felt that Da Qian was prospering and even the gods were offering protection, filling him with joy.

As the spring rivers warmed and all things revived, Emperor Shunyuan's spirits improved day by day. He specially rewarded Consort Zhen, granting her many pieces of gold, silver, and jewelry.

Consort Zhen covered her lips with a light laugh, gracefully curtsying in gratitude.

Emperor Shunyuan then remembered Princess Zhaoyue and hurriedly urged Consort Zhen to bring her over, saying he wanted to see how the little girl had been lately.

Before long, Princess Zhaoyue came skipping into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, throwing herself into Emperor Shunyuan's arms and calling out crisply, "Imperial Father."

Consort Zhen quickly chided, "Slow down, don't bump into your Imperial Father."

Zhao Yue pouted, obediently took half a step back, and lowered her head.

But Emperor Shunyuan laughed, waving his hand. "It's fine. How much strength could this little girl have? I adore her spirited nature."

Zhao Yue's face brightened again as she threw herself back into Emperor Shunyuan's arms, smugly lifting her chin toward Consort Zhen.

She always felt her mother was too strict with her, constantly nitpicking, which often left her feeling disheartened.

As she grew older, her temperament became increasingly sensitive, even developing a rebellious streak against her mother's teachings.

It was her Imperial Father who truly doted on her, always indulging her and often defending her against her mother.

Emperor Shunyuan reached out to stroke her two little braids, smiling. "Our Zhaoyue is such a darling. From now on, stay by Imperial Father's side. I'll protect you, all right?"

"All right!" Zhaoyue chirped, reaching to grab a peach shortbread from the plate on Emperor Shunyuan's desk and stuffing it into her mouth to chew.

Emperor Shunyuan rapped her lightly on the head. Seeing her cheeks bulging as she ate, he couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Already thirteen, yet you still look like a little girl."

Consort Zhen stood to the side, the ghost of a smile touching her lips. Her fingertips gently brushed Zhaoyue's collar, smoothing the slightly disheveled edges.

After playing boisterously with Zhaoyue for a while, Emperor Shunyuan grew tired and needed to rest further. Consort Zhen urged Zhaoyue to leave.

"Go play with your nanny, don't run around," she whispered, pressing Zhaoyue's shoulders. Then she turned, her expression darkening, and instructed the maid beside her, "Go summon the Fourth Prince. Tell him I have important matters to discuss."

Shen He had heard that many new peach blossom pastries and steamed peach blossom treats had appeared in the capital. Feeling tempted, he took his wife to search for these delicacies throughout the city.

They ate their way from Guanqi Street to Caoyang Street, their bellies full and round, before finally feeling satisfied.

He didn't forget to bring back some peach blossom stuffed duck for Consort Zhen and Zhaoyue.

In high spirits, he had just stepped into the princes' quarters when he heard his mother summoning him. Without much thought, Shen He picked up the food box and went to pay his respects.

Stepping into the inner chamber, he glanced around, seeing only Consort Zhen but no sign of Zhaoyue.

"Mother," he said, presenting the food box like a treasure, "I brought some food from outside the palace. It's very fragrant, for you and Zhaoyue to try."

Consort Zhen glanced at it dismissively, saying flatly, "Put it there."

Shen He rubbed his nose, his spirits dampened. He had brought it back specially as a token of his regard. But Consort Zhen seemed preoccupied, showing no appreciation.

"What did you summon me for, Mother?" he asked, still respectfully.

Consort Zhen suddenly stood up, pulling him to the desk. She rolled up her sleeve, pointed a fingertip at the bamboo paper spread on the desk, and asked, "Look, what is this?"

Shen He looked closely and couldn't help but freeze. "This is... divination slips from prayers?"

"Exactly."

Shen He grew even more puzzled, not understanding why she was showing him this.

A smile of supreme confidence played on Consort Zhen's lips. "These slips were obtained from five famous mountains. Arranged in the order they were delivered back to the capital, they form these five sentences. To an outsider, they would seem like blessings for Da Qian and His Majesty."

Shen He immediately frowned. "There's hidden meaning in these slips?"

Consort Zhen shot him a glance, tinged with frustration at his lack of understanding. Then she picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and rearranged the order of the five sentences.

But this time, she turned the order on its head.

"The dragon soars, ushering in prosperous fortune; Laws and regulations are clearly established; Reviving all things in due season; The four seas are free from war; The ancestral temple secures the precious mandate."

Consort Zhen set the brush down in the inkstone with a cold laugh. "These are divination slips, not ordinary poems. The five mountains I chose are all located on dragon veins. If arranged according to the flow of the dragon veins, from beginning to end, this is the current order. Now, read the first character of each slip in sequence."

Shen He's heart lurched, and the words tumbled out: "Long Zhang... Ying Si Zhi?"

"Long Zhang" comes from the *Book of the Later Han*: "There was red light illuminating the room, and in the courtyard, a fiery glow was seen, with dragon-like markings and phoenix-like grace," meaning the bearing of a Son of Heaven.

"Zhi" means order or rank. "Si Zhi" is an elegant term for the Fourth Prince.

Thus, the entire phrase meant: "The Fourth Prince possesses a heaven-mandated bearing."

Cold sweat instantly drenched Shen He's back, his face turning deathly pale.

Consort Zhen, however, was blind to his reaction, continuing on her own. "I deliberately scrambled the order to avoid appearing too deliberate and raising His Majesty's suspicions. In a few days, find a pretext to present these slips to the Directorate of Astronomy and have them explain it to His Majesty. His Majesty has always believed in such things; he will surely treasure them. By then—"

"Mother!"

Shen He cut her off sharply, his voice thick with terror.

Consort Zhen was stunned.

Ever since she had rescued Shen He from Empress Liu's hands and raised him herself, he had always been gentle, obedient, and compliant with her wishes.

This was the first time he had dared to interrupt her.

Shen He's chest heaved violently. He took a deep breath, and when he exhaled, it was with suppressed fury.

He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his voice trembling with a shaky, unsteady tone: "Are you trying to get me killed?!"

Consort Zhen was momentarily taken aback. She had plotted and schemed tirelessly, all to secure a future for him—how could he accuse her of harming him?

Shen He’s arms flailed unconsciously, his neck flushed crimson.

He wanted to shout but feared being overheard, so he lowered his voice, seething with resentment: "Now, Fifth Brother has won the people's hearts, and Father values him highly. How can my achievements compare to his? By presenting this divination slip now, you’re holding my feet to the fire! Do you think Fifth Brother would willingly give up after seeing these words? Do you think the Three Masters of the Crown Prince assigned to him by Father would accept their efforts ending in vain? And what about the Jun family—do you think they would simply resign themselves to fate?"

"I know I’m mediocre and bear no responsibility for the people of the world. I’ve never thought of contending for the Heir Apparent’s position—I only wish to live a quiet, peaceful life as a prince. Now, Fifth Brother and I get along well, and he will surely look after me in the future! By doing this today, are you trying to make him kill me to eliminate any future threat?"

"I have no ambition. I don’t want to spend my days coveting things beyond my reach. Mother, please spare me! I can walk this path to repay your kindness, but what about Qinrui? She is the love of my life—we want no part of this suffering!"

"Suffer?" Consort Zhen trembled with rage, nearly raising her hand to slap him. She pointed at Shen He, her voice shaking: "You say you don’t want to suffer, but what about your sister? Do you know how much suffering is in store for her? Besides you, who else can she rely on? Those people will only treat her as a tool for gaining benefits!"

Shen He lowered his eyes, took several deep breaths to suppress the anger in his heart, and muttered: "I'll protect Zhao Yue."

Consort Zhen, who had been furious moments ago, now reddened around her eyes. A tear fell on the back of her hand, her disappointment reaching its peak.

"You’re lying to me," she said, her voice tinged with despair. "You’ve never thought about how to protect Zhao Yue. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so devoted to your own amusement!"

Shen He felt stung by these words. He wasn’t heartless and hurriedly defended himself: "Mother, don’t say that. Zhao Yue is so clever—I’ve always treasured her above all else."

But Consort Zhen shook her head with a cold smile, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Zhao Yue can only live a peaceful and secure life if you ascend to the throne. Otherwise, her fate will be no different from that of every princess in Da Qian."

At the founding of Da Qian, the ancestors, wary of maternal relatives monopolizing power, established a rule: princesses could not marry into prominent noble families and could only choose husbands from families of modest means.

But with countless commoners in the world, the choice of whom to marry was not up to the princess.

Thus, the "Fengyi" regulation (literally 'Offering Ceremony') was created: whoever contributed the most money to the court would be eligible to marry a princess.

Where would men from modest means get so much money? They would "borrow from wealthy families at exorbitant interest rates."

After obtaining the money and marrying the princess, they would leverage her status to befriend the powerful, attach themselves to noble families, and gradually recoup their losses from the common people.

Almost none of Da Qian’s princesses lived happily.

They entered their husbands’ homes with lavish dowries, only to find their families impoverished and dependent on their dowries for support.

Not only could they not live in luxury, but to help their husbands prosper and care for their children, they had to set aside their royal status and assist their husbands in currying favor with the powerful.

Once their husbands’ families prospered, those common-born men would become restless. They would take concubines, seek new pleasures, and abandon the princesses.

But for a princess to return to the palace, seek a divorce, or even complain to her parents was next to impossible.

Every time she tried to return to the palace, she had to pass through layers of eunuchs and matrons. If her husband’s family bribed even one of them, she would never be able to go home.

Emperor Zhaoxi’s Princess Ruzhen was beaten to death by her husband while pregnant. After sobering up, the husband fled to Nanping, and there were even those in court who argued that his crime did not warrant death.

Because once a princess married, she was no longer a member of the royal family but belonged to her husband’s family. He was first her husband, then a subject.

Princess Ruzhen’s mother wanted to avenge her daughter but had to rack her brains and weigh every option—and this was only because she held the status of a consort.

Consort Zhen knew all too well that her Zhao Yue would face the same fate.

She wiped away her tears, gazed at the sky outside the window, and spoke with terrifying calmness: "Your father can dote on someone without equal, but don’t let that give you illusions. When he has to abandon someone, he can be the most ruthless of all."

"Look at the Crown Prince—now he enjoys the emperor's highest favor, but when the Emperor sent him away, did he show any fatherly affection? I saw Jun Mulan kneeling outside the palace hall until she miscarried. She was such a formidable woman, having fought her way through battlefields and never bowed to anyone, yet she couldn’t save her own son. And I, too, cannot save my Zhao Yue."

"I’ve always known that he is first an emperor, then a father. Every choice he makes is for Da Qian. No one is beyond sacrifice."

After hearing Consort Zhen’s heartfelt words, Shen He remained silent for a long time. The warmth of the chamber was so quiet that the *drip-drip* of water from the eaves could be heard.

Finally, he moved his lips, but his eyes remained lowered, his voice as light as a breeze brushing against the window lattice: "But isn’t that how it should be?"

Consort Zhen turned her face sharply, thinking she had misheard, her breath catching in her throat.

Shen He finally raised his head, his gaze meeting hers directly. Gone was the filial affection of the past, replaced only by a cold, almost cruel clarity.

He knew that if he continued to evade the issue, Consort Zhen would only charge ahead blindly, gambling his life on a distant dream.

"Zhao Yue, as a princess, enjoys the privileges of royalty and the tribute from Da Qian’s people. Isn’t it only right that she contributes something to the stability of the nation? Why are you so domineering, Mother, wanting only the benefits but refusing to let Zhao Yue endure any hardship?"

Consort Zhen stared at him blankly, suddenly feeling that this child she had cherished and watched grow up was terrifyingly unfamiliar.

He could actually say such things.

He actually thought this way.

She staggered back a step, her palm slamming heavily on the table to steady her swaying figure.

Jun Mulan’s pardon and Shen Zheng’s appointment as Crown Prince had repeatedly crushed her fighting spirit, but she had always clung to a sliver of hope.

Only now were her efforts and persistence utterly shattered.

She belatedly realized that Shen He, too, had been raised under the palace’s strict teachings, studying the ways of those in power, accustomed to calculating gains and losses.

His unwillingness to protect Zhao Yue wasn’t due to stupidity, laziness, or lack of ambition—he simply regarded Zhao Yue as an item to be sacrificed at any time, a pawn to pave the way for Da Qian.

It was meaningless now. Everything was meaningless.

She no longer needed to think about elevating Shen He to the throne, because like his father, he would exploit Zhao Yue to the fullest—even if he still remembered to bring her a portion of peach blossom-stuffed duck.

Shen He clenched his fist slightly, turning his head away, his words chillingly calm: "Mother, don’t look at me like that. Anyone who ascends to that position would think the same way."

Consort Zhen suddenly laughed, her laughter trembling slightly: "Shen He, don’t you also enjoy the privileges of a prince and the tribute from Da Qian’s people? What have you contributed to the stability of the nation? Why should you get to have beautiful wives and concubines, indulge in pleasure, and live as a carefree prince, while my Zhao Yue must sacrifice her lifelong happiness?"

Shen He was left speechless by this sharp questioning. After a long pause, his face flushed red, and he stiffened his neck: "Princes and princesses are simply different."

"Get out!"

As soon as these words left her mouth, Shen He knew that the last trace of affection between them had been severed.

Tears finally fell from Shen He’s eyes, but he offered no further defense. It was as if he had lifted a burden that had weighed on his heart for years, and his entire body felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

He no longer had to live to protect Zhao Yue—he was finally just himself.

The peach blossom-stuffed duck was flung out by Consort Zhen. The oil paper wrapper tore open, the duck meat coated in dust, instantly turning gray and repulsive.

Shen He paused for a moment, took a deep look, then turned and disappeared down the corridor without looking back.

Consort Zhen clutched her chest, collapsing into a chair from the pain. Trembling, she gulped down several cups of warm water before barely catching her breath.

This heart palpitation had started two years ago. Imperial physicians had examined her countless times, but it never improved.

She remembered her mother, who had suffered from the same illness and passed away within three years.

But she couldn’t bear to let go.

She couldn’t bear the thought of having only three years left, nor the idea that if Zhao Yue were mistreated in the future, she would have no chance to stand up for her.

Wiping away her tears and straightening her clothes, Consort Zhen stumbled out, searching for Zhao Yue.

She searched every corner of the palace but couldn’t find the little girl, who must have run off somewhere again.

She finally ended up in the imperial garden, where she heard Zhao Yue’s clear laughter from behind a rockery.

Consort Zhen hurried around and saw Shen Zheng, crouched down, fists clenched and held out proudly to Zhao Yue.

Zhao Yue excitedly rubbed her hands together, first stealing a glance at Shen Zheng’s expression before carefully pointing a finger: “This one!”

Shen Zheng opened his hand—empty.

Zhao Yue’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Then it must be in this hand!”

Shen Zheng smiled and opened his other hand—still empty.

Zhao Yue’s jaw dropped, utterly baffled.

With a low chuckle, Shen Zheng snapped his fingers right before her eyes, then opened his palm to reveal two pear candies.

“Here you go. Someone naughty hid these, but since Zhao Yue is good, they’re for her.”

Zhao Yue instantly lit up, grabbing Shen Zheng’s sleeve and bouncing with excitement. “Crown Prince Brother is amazing! Do it again! Do it again!”

Shen Zheng had no more tricks up his sleeve—Wen Zuo was far too cunning, and this was the only hiding spot he’d managed to uncover. Wen Zuo wouldn’t breathe a word about the others.

Just as Shen Zheng was about to pat her head, Consort Zhen’s sharp voice cut through: “Zhao Yue! Come here!”

Hearing her mother’s voice, Zhao Yue wilted as if doused with cold water.

She secretly pouted at Shen Zheng, then hung her head and dragged her feet step by step toward Consort Zhen.

“Let me see what’s in your hand!” Consort Zhen snatched the two pear candies, her gaze warily sweeping over Shen Zheng as a sudden chill of apprehension shot through her.

After all, she was the one who had harmed Jun Mulan and couldn’t believe Shen Zheng had any good intentions toward Zhao Yue. Yet, she couldn’t throw the candies away in front of the Crown Prince.

So she grabbed Zhao Yue’s arm, her voice cold and stern: “I told you not to run off. Come back with me!”

As he watched Zhao Yue’s reluctant figure, glancing back over her shoulder, Shen Zheng sighed softly.

If things unfolded according to the Qian History, this day next year would be Zhao Yue’s death anniversary.