Chapter 7 — Destined for the Phoenix Throne, I Refuse the Crown Prince

At the same time, news of the disappearance of Prince Tuyen spread throughout the capital. The crown prince's confinement order was lifted, reportedly because the emperor believed the crown prince had shown true remorse. Coupled with the empress pleading on his behalf in private, His Majesty forgave the crown prince's past mistakes and restored his freedom. The very first thing the crown prince did upon regaining his liberty was to submit a formal memorial, begging to atone for his sins by traveling to Lu Province to pray for rain.

"This unworthy son is deeply aware that my previous failure in disaster-relief efforts betrayed the trust of my imperial father and the common people," the memorial read. "Although Lu Province has now stabilized, the drought persists, and the people still yearn for blessing rain. During my confinement in the Eastern Palace, my heart remained tethered to the disaster victims, and day and night I burned incense and prayed. Now, I humbly request to bathe and fast, erect an altar, and beg the heavens to show mercy and bestow blessings upon the multitudes."

The emperor stared at the crown prince for a long time, but in the end, he granted the request. The crown prince led a formidable retinue straight to Lu Province. True to his word, upon arrival, he erected a ceremonial altar, observed ritual fasting, burned incense, and performed all the necessary solemn rites. Three days later, the crown prince ascended the altar, grasping an imperial sword of authority as he beseeched the high heavens. Miraculously, on the very day of his prayer, the clear blue skies suddenly clouded over with thick, rolling storm clouds. Soon after, a torrential downpour lashed the earth. Torrents of rain cascaded from the heavens, breathing new life into the parched, cracked soil. The people of Lu Province spread the news far and wide, weeping and shouting with joy. The crown prince, Lu Bayuan, stood high upon the sacrificial altar, drenched in the rain with a look of boundless compassion, cutting the very figure of a savior. When the news reached the capital, the entire imperial court was shaken to its core. The officials who had previously blamed the crown prince for his incompetence during the famine suddenly changed their tune. Overnight, the crown prince's prestige soared to unprecedented heights.

Sitting alone in my chamber as I listened to the shadow guard's report, my fingertips grew ice-cold. Praying for rain? Why did it happen to rain the exact moment the crown prince arrived? Such coincidences simply did not exist in this world. Yet the common people cared nothing for such dark suspicions. They only saw the rain. Whoever brought the deluge was hailed as the savior chosen by the heavens. On the day the crown prince returned to the capital, the entire city of Lu Province turned out in droves. Masses of people lined the streets to bid him farewell in an overwhelming display of adulation. Yet the very first thing he did upon returning to the capital was to implore the emperor to grant my hand in marriage.

My father immediately and tactfully declined, using my prior betrothal to Prince Tuyen as an excuse. To everyone's astonishment, the crown prince's attitude was unyielding and resolute.

"The Seventh Imperial Uncle's whereabouts are currently unknown, and his chances of survival are slim. Miss Xie is virtuous, serene, and strictly observes the rites—a true paragon of noble womanhood. Can Lord Xie truly bear to let her waste her youth observing widowhood for a man whose life or death remains unverified?" the crown prince argued fiercely. "I am willing to treat her with the proper ceremonies of a principal wife, and I will never allow her to suffer any grievance."

The emperor did not explicitly state his position, leaving the crown prince to negotiate directly with the elders of the Xie family.

Faced with the crown prince's relentless press, I entered the palace early the next morning to pay my respects to the empress dowager. Once all attendants were dismissed, I recounted every detail of yesterday's events. The empress dowager listened in silence for a long time.

"What is the emperor's stance?" she finally asked.

"His Majesty's attitude remains ambiguous, but this subject believes the crown prince spoke with absolute confidence yesterday because he is backed by powerful support. I am afraid that even if my father pleads with the emperor, His Majesty might not..."

The empress dowager sighed softly and patted the back of my hand. "Aijia understands. Return home first; Aijia will make her own arrangements."

I took my leave and exited the palace. Not long after returning home, word spread throughout the capital that the empress dowager had suddenly collapsed. By that afternoon, news leaked from deep within the inner court that the empress dowager had fallen into a deep, unawakening coma, baffling all the imperial physicians. The grand preceptor was urgently summoned into the palace. After casting astrological calculations, the grand preceptor concluded that the Xie family's daughter possessed an excessively harsh destiny, which clashed violently with the empress dowager's imperial constitution. Only by retreating to the imperial temple to cultivate peace and chant prayers could this disaster be averted.

And the daughter of the Xie family was none other than myself.

That very night, the empress dowager miraculously woke up. The first imperial decree she issued upon regaining consciousness was an order commanding Xie Fuzhen, the legitimate daughter of the Xie household, to reside at the Imperial Lotus Temple in the outskirts of the capital, devoting herself wholeheartedly to honoring the Buddha and praying for the empress dowager's longevity.

As soon as the decree was promulgated, the crown prince found it impossible to press the marriage further. Early the next morning, I began packing my luggage. Though called a spiritual retreat, it was merely changing one's residence. Compared to staying in the capital and being constantly harassed by the crown prince, retreating to a secluded temple for peace and quiet sounded far more appealing.

I instructed my maidservants to pack the traveling trunks. While we were busy, a sudden commotion erupted outside the door.

"My lady is packing her luggage and is currently receiving no visitors. Please pause your steps, Lady Tuyen..."

"Step aside."

The door was shoved violently open. Tuyen Khanh Khanh stood on the threshold, her face dark with displeasure as she stared straight at me. She marched directly inside, her gaze complex and heavy. After a long, tense silence, she suddenly blurted out:

"Why do you refuse to marry the crown prince?"

My hands froze over the packing. I raised my head to look at her. She asked the question with such righteous indignation, as if my marrying the crown prince were an absolute law of nature, and my rejection of Lu Bayuan was an act of supreme treason.

I was so exasperated that I laughed out loud.

"Why on earth should I marry the crown prince?"

"You..."