Chapter 4 — The North Wind Knows My Heart

Truth be told, I wanted to point out that the Ninth Princess had hidden under her blankets last night to feast on two whole plates of pastries. Logically, she should not have been hungry. Yet, after weighing the matter, I decided against it. Shen Yu’s concern for the Ninth Princess always bordered on the hysterical; if I were to speak up, he would only accuse me of neglecting her. Why invite such unnecessary trouble? Besides, I hardly had the leisure for it. I had to return to the Earl’s estate to dissolve my engagement. There was no need to inform Shen Yu of the annulment; it was likely exactly what he had been praying for. Ever since I entered the palace as a lady-in-waiting, my father had treated me with excessive deference, terrified that offending me would be synonymous with offending the Ninth Princess. Every time he saw me, he offered a smile, though it was always heavy with sycophancy.

"Dissolve the engagement? Good! Excellent!"

"Given your current standing, Shen Yu is hardly worthy of you."

I sipped my bird's nest and lotus seed soup slowly, acting as if I had heard nothing. He was a Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a third-rank official. To think he was beneath a mere sixth-rank lady-in-waiting like me—it was surely I who was aiming too high. Fortunately, the Shen household shared this view. Years ago, they had betrothed their son to me only because I had become the Ninth Princess’s companion. It was a momentary lapse in judgment; once they came to their senses, they realized the impropriety. How could a concubine’s daughter from the fading Rongxiang Earldom be a match for the legitimate heir of the Marquis of Wuwei? Later, rumors circulated in the palace that the Ninth Princess and Shen Yu were deeply attached, and the idea of making him the Imperial Consort took root. For years, in the light and in the shadows, many had hinted at breaking our betrothal, yet for some reason, it was always suppressed. Today, my father went to the Shen estate to discuss it. Lady Shen was overjoyed; she didn't ask a single question, just nodded vigorously.

"Breaking it is for the best! Yes, let it be broken!"

In less than half an hour, my father returned with my betrothal papers. The marriage had been successfully annulled. The following morning, several matrons came to escort me into the palace. Without a word, they bathed me, applied powder and rouge, pinned jade hairpins in my hair, and draped me in jewels. They selected the most magnificent gown they could find to dress me. Once I was perfectly groomed, they bowed respectfully and retreated.

"Please wait here, Lady. Someone will come shortly to escort you to the banquet."

A banquet? Was it the grand reception hosted by His Majesty to welcome the Prince of Northern Pacification? My heart skipped a beat. Prince of Northern Pacification Lu Xiao... was he truly as bloodthirsty and cruel as the rumors suggested? It was said his face was covered in jagged scars, a visage so hideous that noble ladies turned pale at the mere sight of him. He had long passed the age of majority, yet his quarters remained devoid of maidservants or concubines. Thinking of this, the rumors seemed to have some basis in reality. Shen Yu had once scolded me, saying, "You are not the one being married off, so naturally, you see no cause for alarm."

When it seemed the Ninth Princess might be the one to wed Lu Xiao, I had dismissed those rumors as exaggerated nonsense. But now that the lot had fallen to me, the very thought broke me into a cold sweat. The room suddenly felt stifling. I exhaled softly and pushed open the window. In the fading light of dusk, a figure stood beneath the veranda. His stature was tall and imposing, his demeanor aristocratic yet distant. Hearing the movement, he turned his head. His cold, sharp brows softened in an instant, like melting spring snow.

"So, it really is you."

My eyes widened.

"It is you?"

Two years ago, during the Lantern Festival, the Ninth Princess had sneaked me out of the palace to view the lanterns. But no sooner had we reached the palace gates than Shen Yu intercepted us. His expression darkened instantly; he pulled me aside and berated me.

"Why didn't you advise the Princess against this?"

"The festival grounds are crowded and unpredictable. If something happened to the Princess, would you be able to bear the consequences?"

He continued, "Even if you were determined to go, you should have informed me so I could provide an escort."

I was so anxious that my face burned red. "I did try to advise her. But the Princess said if I didn't accompany her, she would go alone..."

"Still lying!" Shen Yu shouted. "On the previous holiday, you told me you wanted to see the Lantern Festival. You even said that once you were allowed out of the palace, you would go every year."

He stepped closer, staring daggers at me. "Zhu Wanyuan, was it your own desire that led you to coax the Princess into taking you out?"

I waved my hands frantically. "No, never. That is absolutely impossible. If His Majesty found out, I would be flogged twenty lashes, losing half my life..."

He retreated a step, hands clasped behind his back, his eyes filled with such profound disappointment that it was clear he did not believe a word. "Stop playing these games with the Princess. One day, you will be struck by heavenly retribution."

With that, he flicked his sleeves and walked away. Heavenly retribution... that meant being struck by lightning five times. It might even implicate my mother, preventing her from being reborn into a good life in the next world. I scrambled after him to explain. I would never dare manipulate the Ninth Princess. But he kept his face cold, refusing to speak a word as he helped the Ninth Princess into the carriage and drove off. If I lost my mistress, I would surely be punished. The carriage moved at a steady pace, and I ran after it. I couldn't even remember how many times I tripped and fell along the way. I only remembered one thing: Shen Yu never once looked back at me. The Ninth Princess leaned against the carriage window, weeping as she cried, "I'm sorry, Wanyuan... it's all my fault..."

Crash! I fell to the ground again. This time, I could not rise. A long, slender hand reached down, pulling me onto the back of a horse. I turned, startled. A man dressed in black, his face cold and indifferent, looked down at me.

"Is the person in that carriage really so important to you?"