Chapter 3 — Destined for the Phoenix Throne, I Refuse the Crown Prince

I taught him to recite the foundational primers. Together, we solved character riddles and matched poetic couplets.

When drawn, it is round; when written, it is square. Short in the winter, and long in the summer.

The top is the character for a thousand, the waist is wood, and the rising sun shines from beneath.

A heart of stone, hard and unyielding; the ancient moon, clear and bright.

The late emperor favored Lu Wenhe, which only made him all the stricter with the boy. The methods I taught him helped ease his burden considerably. Those days slipped away in the blink of an eye. So fast, in fact, that the imperial edict for our betrothal had barely been drafted before the late emperor fell gravely ill. Back then, Lu Wenhe would often hide away in a secluded corner of the garden and cry. I would bring him sweet-scented osmanthus sugar candies to comfort him.

Soon after, the late emperor passed away, and the palace was plunged into complete chaos. My grandfather and father entered the palace to observe the mourning rites. I was barred from entering and could not meet Lu Wenhe, so I had to write to him. Yet, not a single letter was returned. Only later did I discover that my grandfather had intercepted every missive I sent. Following the late emperor's death, the sovereign dispatched trusted confidants to keep a close watch on all the noble clans. Sending letters to Lu Wenhe at that time would only have brought disaster upon his head.

The moment the imperial mourning period ended, Lu Wenhe was dispatched to the northern frontier. Though it was ostensibly framed as an opportunity to temper his character, sending an eight-year-old child to the bitter, freezing deserts of the Western Frontier inevitably reeked of callous cruelty. It was said that the empress dowager had attempted to intercede on his behalf, only to fall suddenly and mysteriously ill, rendering her unconscious before she was swiftly banished to a distant villa to recuperate.

On the day Lu Wenhe departed, I secretly climbed the ancient city wall to bid him farewell. I watched his carriage grow smaller and smaller until it vanished into the horizon. Upon returning to my chambers, I found a note resting on my desk. It contained only four characters:

Wait for my return.

My replies could not be sent through the usual family channels. The Xie household could not afford to maintain even the appearance of a connection with Prince Xuan; otherwise, we would easily be charged with forming factions for private gain. Fortunately, the late emperor had left behind a band of shadowy guards for Lu Wenhe, and he assigned several of them specifically to protect me. Through these shadow guards, our correspondence continued uninterrupted.

When winter arrived, I would arrange through my cousin's mercantile caravans to send thick cotton robes and medicinal supplies to the frontier. Upon their return to the capital, the caravan would bring back furs and dried desert fruits sent by Lu Wenhe. I would write to him of the amusing gossip in the capital, while he described the howling sands of the frontier.

During the half-year I spent staying with my maternal grandparents in Jiangnan, he secretly slipped away to visit me. Late that night, I pushed open my window to find him standing beneath the blossoming Chinese rose trellis in the courtyard. He was covered in the dust of a long journey, yet his smile was breathtakingly bright.

Your birthday is approaching, and since I happened to be passing by, I thought I would bring you a gift.

From the remote frontier to Jiangnan was a journey of a thousand miles. What a remarkable coincidence that he just happened to be passing by. I did not expose his falsehood; instead, I simply smiled and invited him in for a bowl of noodles. The broth had been simmered since early morning in the small kitchen, though I had accidentally overcooked the noodles until they were nearly mushy, and the fried egg was slightly scorched. Fortunately, it was still edible. Lu Wenhe did not complain in the least, finishing every last drop of the broth and noodles.

After sharing the noodles I made and the tea I brewed, we chatted for a while longer. Before the sky began to pale, Lu Wenhe had to leave once more. Just before departing, he drew a white jade hairpin from his inner robes and gently slid it into my hair.

Wait for my return.

I stood before the window, watching his retreating figure scale the courtyard wall and vanish into the night. My heart fluttered wildly for a long time.

The carriage finally rolled to a steady halt before the gates of the Xie residence. My maid assisted me as I stepped down. Standing upon the stone steps, I looked up at the sliver of a crescent moon in the sky and quietly counted the days in my heart.

The moment I stepped through the main gates, I sensed that the atmosphere within the estate was profoundly wrong. The servants did not even dare to breathe too loudly. The head steward hurried forward, lowering his voice:

Young mistress, the master is waiting for you in the study. The madam just fainted a moment ago.

My heart constricted, and I quickened my pace. Sure enough, the family had already learned of what had transpired at the flower-viewing banquet. Mother lay pale and still upon the daybed. Seeing me enter, she struggled to sit up, but I hurried forward to press her gently back down.

Mother, do not move. Please, rest well.

I must be blind, leading a wolf into our own home and almost bringing ruin upon you.

Mother, human hearts are as unfathomable as hidden depths; this is not your fault.

I pulled the blanket up to tuck her in, offering words of comfort for a long time. Only after she was finally settled did I turn and make my way to the study.

Father sat behind the heavy desk, his expression deeply grave. Seeing me arrive, he laid down his brush and went straight to the point:

Regarding today's events, how do you intend to handle them?

Your daughter has already dispatched people to monitor Xuan Qingqing, and the moment I entered the estate, I sent trusted servants to search her quarters.

Father nodded, remaining silent for a moment before speaking again:

And the crown prince's side?

They are under surveillance as well. Your daughter has her own plans.

Father asked no further questions. He simply looked at me deeply, a note of lingering awe in his voice:

You have truly grown up.

By the time I emerged from the study, the night had deepened considerably. Upon returning to my own courtyard and sitting down, a silent shadow dropped effortlessly beneath the eaves.

Young mistress, after the banquet concluded, the empress flew into a rage and originally intended to severely punish Xuan Qingqing.

I raised an eyebrow.

And then?

Then, Xuan Qingqing spoke privately with the empress for a quarter of an hour. We were stationed too far away to catch the specifics of their conversation, but once she emerged, the empress's attitude had clearly softened a great deal.