The next day, after noon, Xie Yao arrived at the Fifth Princess’s residence and a maid led her inside.
The Fifth Princess, Gu Ming, was the emperor’s most beloved youngest daughter and also Xie Yao’s closest childhood friend.
As Xie Yao made her way through the princess’s estate and stepped past the ornamental gate, she saw Gu Ming reclining lazily on a beauty couch. A handsome attendant was feeding her freshly imported grapes, while several male favorites attended to her below. Some kneaded her shoulders, some massaged her legs, and others entertained her with stories, hoping to draw a smile from the princess. It was a life of perfect ease and comfort.
“Oh? An honored guest has arrived.” Spotting Xie Yao from afar, Gu Ming casually waved her hand. The attendant bowed and withdrew.
Just as Xie Yao stepped forward to pay her respects, Gu Ming grabbed her arm and pulled her upright. “Enough. Do you still stand on ceremony with me?”
Taking the opportunity, Xie Yao sat down.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Gu Ming quickly got to the point.
“When your message arrived yesterday asking about it, I immediately sent people to investigate. I heard that after Father learned of the Xiao family’s decision to break off the engagement, he summoned several of my imperial brothers to the Imperial Study. They stayed there from early morning until nearly noon, and afterward Father issued an imperial decree.”
Holding a painted fan, Gu Ming lowered her voice and shared the information with Xie Yao.
The Xiao family’s cancellation of the engagement had caused quite a stir. Even Gu Ming had heard about it very quickly. The night before, she had been at Cining Palace attending the Empress Dowager during her illness. Upon returning yesterday, she had stormed back into the palace in a rage, intending to make a scene in the Imperial Study and demand that the emperor severely punish Xiao Min, that heartless man. Before she could do so, however, she heard news of the emperor’s decree.
She and Xie Yao had been friends since childhood. Originally, Gu Ming had worried that once Xie Yao married into Chancellor Xiao’s household, the two of them would no longer be as close and carefree as they were in their maiden days. Yet in the blink of an eye, the Xiao family broke off the engagement. Before Gu Ming could even finish cursing Xiao Min for his faithlessness, she learned that an imperial edict had instead betrothed Xie Yao to the Crown Prince, making her Gu Ming’s future sister-in-law.
At once, all of Gu Ming’s anger vanished. She had gone to the palace furious and returned beaming. When Xie Yao’s letter arrived at the princess’s residence, she decided to find out whose idea this arrangement had really been.
“But why do you care about that? Even if it wasn’t Crown Prince Brother’s idea, once you marry into the Eastern Palace, do you really think he’d treat you poorly?”
Gu Ming’s beautiful eyes curved with amusement as she fanned herself and teased Xie Yao.
“My Crown Prince Brother is famous throughout the palace for his good temper. He’s kind and benevolent to those beneath him, respectful and dutiful to those above him. The Eastern Palace doesn’t even have any concubines right now. Once you marry in, with your beauty and talent, how could he possibly not fall for you?”
Gu Ming laughed as she spoke. “When you marry into the family, we’ll be sisters-in-law. With me around, no one in the imperial clan would dare bully you.”
Far better than marrying Xiao Min, she thought. The man’s parents were harsh and demanding, and his younger sister was spoiled and overbearing.
The more Gu Ming compared the two matches in her mind, the more pleased she became with Xie Yao’s new marriage. Yet after talking enthusiastically for quite some time, she finally noticed that Xie Yao had been sitting there the whole time, her brows knitted in a frown.
“What are you thinking about?” She reached out and tapped Xie Yao lightly on the forehead.
Xie Yao still said nothing.
“Don’t tell me you’re unhappy about marrying my imperial brother?”
Only then did Gu Ming realize something was wrong. Her eyes darted about, and suddenly she sprang to her feet. “Don’t tell me you still can’t forget Xiao Min!” Her voice rose involuntarily.
Seeing the servants around them turn their heads, Xie Yao quickly pulled her back down into her seat.
“If I still couldn’t forget him, why would I have taken the initiative to send back the letter dissolving the engagement?”
At last, Gu Ming’s expression eased, and she gave a soft snort. “You two were childhood sweethearts. More than ten years together. If it were me, I wouldn’t be nearly as free and easy as you are.”
Whether she was truly free and easy about it or not, Xie Yao did not comment. She merely tugged at Gu Ming’s sleeve. “Just tell me. Was it His Majesty’s idea, or…”
“That, I genuinely don’t know. But Crown Prince Brother has been convalescing in the Eastern Palace for so long that you two have never even met. On the other hand, Father seemed especially concerned after hearing about the Xiao family’s broken engagement. He asked quite a few questions about it and even had the Empress summon you to the palace. So I’d say it’s probably Father who made the decision.”
Gu Ming paused, then added, “After all, Crown Prince Brother has always avoided getting involved in such matters.”
The descendants of loyal ministers… public opinion… It was only natural for the emperor to take such matters seriously. But were those rumors truly worth granting her the position of Crown Princess, the future consort of the heir apparent?
A flicker of confusion crossed Xie Yao’s eyes. “You know me. I never wanted to enter the palace.”
She let out a soft sigh. A breeze drifted in through the hanging-flower gate, lifting the loose strands of hair beside her ear. If this had been the Crown Prince’s idea, perhaps she could still find a way around it. Perhaps she could do something to make him dislike her, and then the marriage would fall through. But if it were the emperor’s will, then there would be no room whatsoever for reversal.
Gu Ming’s hand suddenly stilled on the fan she was waving, and the smile at the corners of her lips gradually faded.
Most imperial family affairs were complicated. Once someone entered the deep palace, it was often a lifetime without leaving. Although Xie Yao was a noble daughter from a princely household, she had never been raised in sheltered seclusion. Her parents respected and cherished one another, and their residence had very few concubines. She had never experienced the brutal infighting of great aristocratic mansions. It was only natural that she would resist the devouring world of the imperial palace.
With that thought, most of Gu Ming’s earlier joy dissipated. She had wanted Xie Yao to become her sister-in-law only because she hoped her friend would live a better life. If Xie Yao didn’t want it, Gu Ming naturally wouldn’t want it either.
“I’ll enter the palace tomorrow and try to sound Father out. A-Yao, don’t worry too much.” Gu Ming clasped Xie Yao’s hand tightly. Feeling the chill in her fingertips, she couldn’t help but feel distressed for her and offered a few words of comfort.
“So many things have happened in the capital these past few days. You’ve been running around dealing with everything yourself and haven’t had a chance to rest. Later, I’ll have people prepare some tonic supplements for you to take home. You should take good care of yourself.”
Seeing the worried look on Xie Yao’s face, Gu Ming felt a pang of sympathy. Without drawing attention to it, she gently changed the subject and began sharing amusing stories to cheer her friend up.
The two sat together in the pavilion until nearly the Hour of Shen (around 3-5 p.m.). Only then did Xie Yao take her leave and head home.
While arranging for the medicinal supplements to be prepared, Gu Ming lowered her voice and asked for one final confirmation. “You truly don’t want this?”
Xie Yao pressed her lips together and shook her head. Not wanting it was one thing. But the Emperor’s decree had come so suddenly, and it offered her the exalted position of Crown Princess. Even ordinary princes would likely deem her unworthy of such a rank, so why would the Heir Apparent be willing? The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.
“Please look into it for me.”
In the three months since the disaster struck the Xie family, Xie Yao had grown far steadier and more mature. She considered matters much more thoroughly now. She knew all too well that every word the imperial family spoke was carefully weighed. They would never bestow such an enormous favor for no reason, merely to silence public gossip. Releasing Gu Ming’s hand, she stepped out of the pavilion.
Gu Ming watched her leave the courtyard, then sighed as she fanned herself lightly. “I really don’t know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing that she doesn’t want to enter the palace.”
A palace maid hurried forward to support her. “Even if Miss Xie doesn’t enter the palace, she’ll still find a good match.”
“I’m worried the matter with the Xiao family may have hurt her.”
“But Miss Xie has already broken off her engagement with the Chancellor’s household. Why are Your Highness still concerned about that?”
The maid’s meaning was clear. If Xie Yao truly cared for Xiao Min, she would have been eager to marry him long ago. Why else would she have caused such an uproar by insisting on ending the engagement, leaving the two of them with no possibility of reconciliation?
Gu Ming shook her head. “You don’t understand her. If she were really so carefree and detached, she wouldn’t have been the one to break off the engagement with the Xiao family.”
The maid became even more puzzled.
“Do you know how long she and Xiao Min have known each other?” Gu Ming smiled and raised a hand, gesturing with her fingers. “More than fifteen years.”
After so long, even a dog would have become dear to someone. Let alone a childhood sweetheart.
“Someone! Stop this unfilial wretch!”
Under the darkened sky, wind and rain raged. Fresh blood streamed across the flagstones. Amid the dead silence of the Xiao residence, only Chancellor Xiao’s furious roar could be heard.
At his command, two guards seized Xiao Min, who was swinging a sword with bloodshot eyes.
The sight gave Chancellor Xiao an immediate headache.
After yesterday’s morning court session, the Emperor had summoned him to the Imperial Study and berated him mercilessly. He was then ordered to stay home for seven days and keep a low profile. Returning from the palace in a foul mood, Chancellor Xiao had drunk heavily that night and slept until late afternoon the next day. Never had he expected that the moment he opened his eyes, he would hear news of such a catastrophe.
His precious son had awakened from unconsciousness and, as his very first act, hacked down the steward who had delivered the letter dissolving the engagement. Then, sword in hand, he tried to storm out of the residence to see the future Crown Princess.
Upon hearing the report, Chancellor Xiao felt his vision go black. The Emperor was already displeased with him over the previous incident.
Chancellor Xiao had never expected a simple broken engagement to stir up such an enormous uproar in the capital, nor had he imagined it would draw the attention of both the Emperor and Empress. Since being placed under house arrest upon his return yesterday, he had regretted it deeply. Had he known that the orphaned daughter of the Xie family enjoyed such extraordinary favor from the Emperor, he would never have rushed to send that letter of dissolution while Xiao Min was still unconscious. Even granting her the position of a noble concubine would have been preferable to provoking the Emperor’s displeasure and allowing that woman to become the Crown Princess.
As he inwardly cursed Xie Yao while simultaneously fearing he had truly offended the Emperor this time, Chancellor Xiao could only resign himself to lying low for the moment. Yet less than a day after returning home, his dear son had awakened.
The steward’s corpse still lay in the courtyard, eyes wide open in death.
Though Xiao Min had yet to recover from his grave illness, and traces of sickness still lingered on his incomparably handsome face, his fury was impossible to hide. Rain washed the blood from his fingertips. His ink-black hair clung to his temples as he fixed Chancellor Xiao with a dark, menacing stare and slowly raised the sword in his hand.
“What did you promise me before I lost consciousness? You said that if I endured those lashes, you would never interfere in my marrying her again.”
Who could have imagined that, while he lay delirious with fever and unconsciousness, Chancellor Xiao would send the letter breaking off the engagement? Not only had it caused a sensation throughout the city, but she had now become another man’s Crown Princess.
The thought alone was enough to make Xiao Min struggle to suppress the bloodthirsty rage surging within him. “And what happened instead? Are you going back on your word?”
The sword’s tip nearly touched Chancellor Xiao’s aging eyes. He flew into a rage. “The engagement has already been dissolved. Now she is the Crown Princess, betrothed by imperial decree. Are you truly prepared to kill your own father over a woman? Have you forgotten who you are and what you are meant to accomplish, Xiao Min?”
She was merely a woman who had already lost all backing and protection. How could she be worth so much to his son that he would act as if his life depended on her? He had willingly endured thirty strokes of the paddle, suffered a raging fever, and fallen unconscious, all to preserve her place as his lawful wife. And now, in such a half-dead state, he still intended to brave the storm just to see her?
“The disobedient steward has already paid with his life. As for the rest of this debt, I’ll settle the account with you when I return.” Xiao Min had no desire to argue further. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and strode toward the gate once more. He cast aside his sword, clutching only a strand of interlocked-heart prayer beads tightly in his hand as he murmured to himself: “She must think I’m the one who wanted to break off the engagement. She must be furious with me. She’s so proud. Over these past days, how much gossip and scorn must she have endured all alone… A-Yao… wait for me…”
Before he could finish his sentence, his legs suddenly gave way beneath him. The two guards seized him firmly.
With a heavy thud, Xiao Min, dressed only in a thin sleeping robe, was forced to his knees in the torrential rain.
“You…”
The stone pavement was icy beneath him. He had not recovered from his illness, and his recent anger had further exhausted both body and mind. Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Blood spattered across his sleeve. He struggled to rise but failed.
Chancellor Xiao approached and looked down at him from above. Then, without warning, he struck the back of his son’s neck.
Darkness flooded Xiao Min’s vision. The last remnants of strength drained from his body. The fury and shock had not yet faded from his face as he looked at his father with barely any breath left in him.
“Father…”
“Take the young master away. Give him a sleeping draught. Without my permission, he is not to wake.”
The rain poured down relentlessly.
Xiao Min’s fever had never broken, and now he was utterly weak. Supported by two guards, he was escorted toward the rear courtyard. Unable to resist, he could only cling tightly to the strand of beads in his hand. Not a drop of rain or blood touched them. His pale fingers brushed over the beads.
His mind clouded by fever, Xiao Min shivered from the icy rain, yet he still lowered his head to gaze at the interlocked-heart beads.
“But Father… I love A-Yao. She’s the only one I want.”