Chapter 4 — Destined for the Phoenix Throne, I Refuse the Crown Prince

What on earth had Xuan Qingqing said to the Empress, turning her boiling rage into radiant joy in the blink of an eye? The shadow guard continued his report without missing a beat.

Shortly after that audience, the Empress dispatched her most trusted confidante out of the palace and straight to the Duke of Zhenguo’s estate. My subordinate followed in total secrecy, watching as the eunuch slipped unseen into the shadows of the rear courtyard, lingering quietly to observe the chaos unfolding within.

My gaze narrowed slightly.

What happened at the Duke’s estate?

Today, the young heir’s primary wife went into labor, throwing the delivery room into utter turmoil. Amidst the frantic confusion, one of the heir’s concubines seized a moment when no one was watching and brazenly switched the newborn son with another infant.

My pupils suddenly constricted.

Did the Empress’s people intervene?

Not at all. From start to finish, the man remained hidden in the shadows, offering no help whatsoever, nor making any move to stop them.

I closed my eyes, my mind racing through the possibilities at lightning speed. What was the Empress playing at? The young wife’s labor was premature; no one could have possibly predicted she would give birth today. And the child-swapping scheme was entirely unprompted. Unless... Xuan Qingqing was involved. Either that woman possessed truly divine powers, capable of foretelling the future and piercing through the veil of heaven's secrets, or she had known what would happen all along. Whichever the case might be, she was far from a benevolent soul.

Keep watching her. Furthermore, send someone to tail the swapped child.

The shadow guard acknowledged the command with a low murmur, then melted back into the stillness of the night. Within a few days, startling news echoed out from the inner palace. The Empress had personally implored the Emperor to bestow a marriage decree upon the Crown Prince and Xuan Qingqing. Just like that, Xuan Qingqing stepped out from the shadows of an orphaned girl with nowhere to turn, ascending in a single leap to the prestigious rank of Crown Princess. Once the matrimony was officially sealed, Xuan Qingqing did not return to the Xie family manor. Instead, she moved directly into the luxurious residence specially prepared for her by the Empress herself.

I was more than happy to enjoy the newfound peace and quiet. On ordinary days, I kept my mother company with gentle conversations, and whenever leisure permitted, I visited the temple outside the city walls to burn incense and pray for blessings. During that period, I even sent a formal calling card to the young wife of the Duke’s estate, who was still confined to her postpartum chambers. Upon returning home, word reached me that the Duke’s estate had quietly sold off one of their concubines.

Time slipped by in gentle, uneventful waves, right up until two nights before Lu Wenhe was due to return to the capital. In the dead of night, the shadow guard once again materialized outside my window.

My lady, recently the Crown Prince and the Empress have been frantically hoarding massive quantities of grain across the regions of Luzhou and Huainan.

The teacup in my hand paused mid-air. Luzhou and Huainan. Those two provinces were exceptionally fertile, and grain prices there had always remained steady and reliable. Moreover, the autumn harvest was nearly upon them, meaning the fresh crops would soon flood the markets. To stockpile provisions on such a massive scale at a time like this was tantamount to throwing silver into the deep ocean. Unless... I gripped the wooden window frame so tightly that my knuckles turned completely white.

Keep a close eye on them. Also, send men to Luzhou and Huainan to capture a few sparrows. The moment you catch them, kill them and bring their carcasses back to me immediately.

At the same time, send word to my maternal family. Without disrupting the livelihood of the common folk, we too shall begin hoarding grain in all the towns surrounding Luzhou and Huainan.

Since we cannot yet fathom what our enemies intend to achieve, we shall simply dance to the rhythm they have chosen to play.

The day Lu Wenhe returned to the capital, the sky was vast, clear, and washed with bright sunlight. I did not go to the city gates to welcome him. His return this time was for an official debriefing, which according to court protocol meant he had to enter the palace and pay respects to the Emperor first. In any case, he was hardly short of this brief moment.

Sure enough, past the hour of noon, he sent a messenger bearing a letter, explaining that the Emperor had kept him for an evening banquet and that he would come to find me on the morrow.

Yet, despite his promise of the morrow, when I pushed open the window to catch the evening breeze that very night, I caught sight of a tall, straight-backed figure standing quietly beside the garden swing. It felt remarkably like that night in Jiangnan. Lu Wenhe was dressed in a deep cyan civilian robe, the jade pendant I had given him hanging securely from his waist. With his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and towering stature, he cut an arresting figure, pure and noble as jade.

I gave a soft, deliberate cough.

He raised his head, his gaze locking effortlessly with mine. Then, a slow smile spread across his face.

It has been so long since we last met; have you forgotten what I look like?

Without a shred of politeness, he climbed straight into the room in two swift strides, casually pouring himself a full cup of tea and draining it in one breath.

Half a year apart, and you seem to have grown taller again.

I am already eighteen years old, what more is there to grow?

I shot him an exasperated glare. He merely chuckled, offering no counter-argument.

I asked him, Has the Emperor summoned you yet? What did he say?

He twirled the empty teacup between his fingers, his tone nonchalant. It was nothing more than the usual polite pleasantries, praising my hard work a few times and leaving it at that.

Just that?

Lu Wenhe shrugged his shoulders. Just that. He hasn't assigned me any specific duties either. Instead, he bestowed upon me an official prince's residence, telling me to stay there temporarily, rest, and sort myself out for a while before we discuss anything further.

I narrowed my eyes in thought. Ever since the current Emperor ascended the throne, his attitude toward Lu Wenhe had always carried an ambiguous, delicate nuance. He was neither heavily trusted nor deliberately suppressed.