Chapter 6 — Calling Off the Wedding at the Shen Estate

Yet, with practiced poise, the old woman straightened her spine, her posture regaling the arrogance of her past influence.

Nonsense! she spat, her voice raspy with indignation. Do you truly believe these anonymous, questionable letters are enough to smear the name of the Shen clan? I served the late Emperor and nurtured his Majesty for decades. Without my care, where would you have found your Son of Heaven today? How could the Emperor possibly put his faith in such one-sided accusations?

Shen Yan, emboldened by her defiance, felt a spark of desperate hope ignite within his chest. Grandmother is right! Even if the crime were as vast as the heavens, he must consider the debt of upbringing and favor! His Majesty would never dare to chill Grandmother’s heart simply for the sake of a princess who has already been married off!

Just as their bravado reached a fever pitch, a cold, indifferent voice drifted from the threshold of the prison cell.

Nurse.

The word hung heavy in the air. So, in the eyes of your Shen family, the debt I owe you for the past years is truly that insurmountable?

Hearing himself addressed as his former nurse, the elder woman’s eyes welled with tears. She foolishly believed that the Emperor still harbored a shred of lingering affection. But the very next sentence struck her like a blast of winter air, casting her into a frozen abyss.

I am profoundly disappointed.

Four simple words were all it took to drain the blood from her withered face. The Emperor slowly closed his eyes. I remember the grace you showed in nursing me. All these years, I have showered your clan with immeasurable riches, bestowed the phoenix-headed staff upon you, and indulged your kin until you stood at the pinnacle of glory. But the favors I granted you were not meant to be exploited for colluding with the enemy and betraying our lands!

Seeing that the Emperor’s fury was focused solely on the charge of treason, Liu Yi-yi scrambled forward, throwing herself onto the cold stone floor in a desperate heap. Your Majesty! I am wronged! I know nothing of this treason! I am but a weak woman—I beg for your mercy!

The Emperor cast a fleeting, hollow glance at her, his expression as still as a stagnant pond. You may not have colluded with the enemy, he said, his tone devoid of warmth. But you publicly slandered a princess of the blood, condoned that young girl’s degradation of the imperial line, and schemed to ruin the reputation of my daughter, Chang Le. Do you truly think these are trivial matters?

Liu Yi-yi’s entire body went rigid. My imperial father reached out, gently pulling my cloak tighter around my shoulders, his voice dropping to a temperature that chilled the marrow. Colluding with enemy nations is a capital offense. But to humiliate the daughter I cherish most is to humiliate me personally! Whoever dares to scheme against my Chang Le, schemes against the entire imperial house!

Shen Yan crumpled to the floor, his limbs turning to jelly. Only now did the realization hit him: he was truly finished. He crawled toward my feet, slamming his forehead repeatedly against the frigid stone tiles. Chang Le! I know I was wrong! Please, I beg you to plead for me before the Emperor! We were almost wed today, were we not? Even a single day of marriage warrants a hundred days of grace—you cannot simply stand by and watch me die!

His face was a pathetic mess of tears and mucus. I truly wanted to marry you! Everything today was merely a momentary lapse in judgment! If you would only speak a word in my favor, I would be your beast of burden for the rest of my life, yours to command!

I lowered my eyes, watching the man groveling at my feet. My gaze held only undisguised loathing. Marriage? I let out a soft, mocking laugh. Shen Yan, have you forgotten? This union never came to pass from the very beginning.

I took a step back, deftly avoiding his hands as they clawed for the hem of my garment. Do you even have the audacity to speak of us as husband and wife?

Shen Yan froze. My voice remained calm, yet every syllable felt like a blade. Even if I were not a princess, even if I were merely the daughter of a commoner, I would never look twice at a traitor who conspires with foreign powers to murder his sovereign! You gambled the safety of the realm for the sake of fame and fortune; you wagered my father’s life for your own ambition. Now that your schemes have been unmasked, how do you find the face to beg for my intercession? You deserve to die a thousand deaths!

Shen Yan collapsed completely, rendered mute by the weight of his own destruction. The Emperor stepped forward, his presence commanding and vast. Hear my decree! Shen Yan has conspired with the enemy to assassinate the Son of Heaven, with evidence beyond dispute. As for the Shen clan, by the laws of this land—exterminate nine generations! The execution is set for ten days hence!

The imperial guards responded in unison, their voices echoing through the chamber: We obey the decree!

The entire Shen family disintegrated into a state of catatonic shock. But the Emperor was not finished; the fury in his eyes burned even brighter. Extermination is merely the price for your treason. My Chang Le has never known a single harsh word from me since she was a child. Yet today, she suffered every indignity at the hands of your clan. This is a separate debt, and I shall see to it myself!

Yen Suo suddenly stepped forward, dropping to one knee. Your Majesty, I request an order. I wish to carry out the punishment on your behalf. Within these ten days, I shall ensure that every debt owed to the Princess is repaid in full.

My father fell silent for a long moment. His gaze rested on the heavy, ink-black cloak draped over my shoulders—a cloak that still carried the icy bite of the northern winds, yet provided a sanctuary of warmth. I grant your request.

There was a complex shadow in my father's eyes as he reached out to firmly pat Yen Suo on the shoulder.