The next day.
Shen Xiyue had slept restlessly through the night. When she woke, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
She lay there with her eyes open, waiting until Shuangye came in to rouse her.
Shuangye prepared breakfast for her and carefully explained the situation outside.
The fire at Wenyuan Marquis Manor had burned all night, and notices had been posted throughout the city. The common people were already gossiping eagerly about the fire in the bridal chamber on Qi Xun’s wedding day. Now, with the notices up, rumors of all kinds were spreading.
Censors had submitted memorials one after another to impeach the Qi family. Marquis Qi and his son were currently in the court, weeping and wailing, proclaiming their innocence. What they needed most now was Shen Xiyue, the victim herself.
Shen Xiyue nodded, set down her bowl and chopsticks, and asked Shuangye if she could make her look more pitiful.
Shuangye nodded. As a covert guard, how could she not know disguise techniques? With a few dabs and smears on her face, she said it was done.
Shen Xiyue opened her eyes and looked in the mirror. Her reflection was truly horrifying…
Sooty black smudges covered her originally fair and delicate skin. A long, bloody gash suddenly appeared on her face, like an overripe persimmon that had fallen to the ground. Her lips were chapped and pale, and even her neck was streaked with traces of blood.
What a perfect look of someone who had narrowly escaped death.
As she marveled at the transformation, Shuangye brought out a wedding dress that had been scorched by smoke and fire: "My lady, wear this."
Shen Xiyue let her slip the dress over her, even carefully crumpling it to create wrinkles.
Finally, Shuangye pointed to the inside of the sleeve: "This has been soaked in chili water. If you can’t cry, just gently rub your eyes."
Shen Xiyue was amused. Did she really think she was going to put on a performance? …But this maid was truly a treasure.
She nodded. "Understood."
The Crown Prince’s Residence was only a hundred paces or so from the imperial palace, but Maoping deliberately prepared a carriage, taking Shen Xiyue on several detours before heading toward the palace.
It was already late summer, the heat was intense, and cicadas chirped incessantly, yet Shen Xiyue’s mind was clear and calm.
The Dengwen Drum was placed at the side of Chengtian Gate, the entrance to the imperial palace, guarded by imperial guards standing nearby.
When Shen Xiyue appeared, the imperial guards had already spotted her. They tightened their grips on their swords, watching her intently, ready to execute her on the spot if she dared to storm the palace.
Instead, they saw her walk straight to the massive Dengwen Drum and stop.
The lead imperial guard eyed her suspiciously. Her clothes were tattered, her appearance ghastly, yet her bearing was dignified. She didn’t seem like someone who had come to beat the drum for fun.
Following protocol, he loudly reminded her: "Only major grievances or confidential matters of great importance may be presented. Disturbing the court is a serious crime, punishable by at least thirty heavy strokes or, in severe cases, exile. Do you understand?"
Shen Xiyue nodded. "I understand."
The imperial guard made no further attempt to stop her. Shen Xiyue took a deep breath, picked up the drumstick beside her, and squinted at the tall Dengwen Drum.
As the daughter of a military family, she had seen her father drilling troops since childhood and had heard the battle drums from the front lines.
"Thud!"
She raised her hand and tested it, finding the sound loud and resonant. Then, mustering all her strength: Thud! Thud! Thud…
The expressions of the imperial guards behind her grew even more solemn, for according to Dashun law, whenever someone with a grievance beat the Dengwen Drum at the palace gate, the Emperor was obliged to personally intervene!
…
At the same time.
In Taihe Hall.
The current Emperor, Emperor You'an, was angrily reprimanding Marquis Qi and his son:
"What do you mean she was burned to ashes?
What did you say when you begged me for the marriage decree? You swore you would treat County Princess Huayang well for the rest of her life. You knelt for a full day and night before I agreed to grant her hand in marriage!
The Shen family has served the throne loyally for generations, defending the nation. Shen Jianshan has only this one daughter. And you two—how dare you! She was married into your family just yesterday, and today you tell me she's been burned to ashes?
Where do you expect me to put my old face now!"
He was truly furious.
Marquis Zhenxi, Shen Jianshan, had guarded the western frontier for him for many years, ensuring peace and making great contributions. He had only one daughter, County Princess Huayang. Last year, when he sent his daughter back to the capital, the Emperor had intended to arrange an excellent marriage for her. Now, everything had been ruined by the Qi family!
How would the people of the realm view him now?
Several princes stood at the front, eyes lowered, noses fixed on their hearts, saying nothing. Matters that did not involve earning merit were not their concern.
One of them, Censor Song, pressed forward with reddened eyes: "The Emperor granted this marriage. How dare the Qi family treat the County Princess with such neglect? This is outright contempt for imperial authority!"
Contempt for imperial authority was a grave crime.
At this, Marquis Qi panicked: "Your Majesty, please see clearly! My son was utterly devoted to County Princess Huayang, which is why he sought the marriage decree. There was never any intention to show contempt for imperial authority… Last night, the ancestral hall in my residence also caught fire. I didn't even have time to save it…"
Before he could finish, Censor Song cut him off:
"Notices were posted all over the streets. Heir Qi clearly shifted his affections to another. Why would the bridal chamber suddenly catch fire? Someone must have set it deliberately! The fire in the Qi family ancestral hall was clearly a diversion!"
Marquis Qi's face flushed crimson with anger. He pointed a trembling finger at Censor Song: "Song Cang! As a censor, you must base your words on evidence. You cannot fabricate accusations and wrongfully blame us just because the County Princess is your cousin!"
Censor Song did not yield an inch: "Officially, Wenyuan Marquis Manor drove County Princess Huayang to her death. Privately, the Qi family drove my cousin to her death. Before His Majesty, you simply say she's gone, and think you can wash your hands clean? What, because the Shen family isn't in the capital, do you think the Song family doesn't exist?"
Marquis Qi was left speechless and hurriedly said, "That's not what I meant…"
Censor Song's father, Chancellor Song Zhijian, spoke up, suppressing his anger: "Then what did Marquis Qi mean?"
Everyone knew that Chancellor Song's full-blooded younger sister, Song Yingzhao, had married Marquis Zhenxi, Shen Jianshan.
Shen Jianshan was a military man, but he was utterly devoted to his wife. Lady Song had only given birth to one daughter before her health was damaged, making further pregnancies difficult. Yet Marquis Shen did not take any concubines or maids, content to live happily with just his wife and daughter.
Last year, when Shen Xiyue first returned to the capital, she immediately became the most sought-after noble lady in the entire city.
Her father was Marquis Zhenxi, her maternal grandfather had served as Grand Tutor, her uncle was the current Chancellor, and her cousin was a censor who had earned the jinshi degree!
Who wouldn't envy her?
Now, the Qi family simply claimed she had been burned to ashes. The Shen family was too far away to speak up, but would the Song family accept this?
The Emperor grew even angrier. The Shen family would be hard to appease, and the Song family would be no easier. What kind of trouble had the Qi family brought upon him?
If he had known this would happen, he should have let Qi Xun kneel to death at the palace gates rather than agree to the marriage.
Emperor You'an narrowed his eyes and looked at Qi Xun, demanding: "Is what was posted on those notices true?"
Qi Xun was so shaken by the imperial authority that his face turned pale. Clenching his teeth, he denied the accusations: "Your Majesty, I harbor no ill intentions toward the princess. Those notices are nothing but malicious slander by those with ulterior motives—"
When he first learned about the posted notices, he was deeply astonished. He had always kept Zhilan well hidden—even his parents were unaware of her existence—so how could anyone else know?
For a brief moment, he even suspected that Zhilan herself might have posted the notices. But he quickly dismissed the thought. Zhilan was not foolish; what she wanted was a legitimate, lifelong commitment, not the fleeting satisfaction of such a reckless act.
But then, who was trying to harm him?
Qi Xun could not figure it out.
However, upon further reflection, he thought: since Shen Xiyue and the Crown Prince had been reduced to ashes in the fire… with no evidence left, the Emperor’s anger would likely subside after a few harsh words.
Just as Emperor You'an caught his breath and prepared to continue his reprimand, a series of drumbeats from outside suddenly echoed, startling him for a moment.
The entire court fell silent in an instant. Where was the drumming coming from?