In the spring of the fourth year of Emperor Shenglin’s reign, a light rain fell from the sky.
Luanyi Pavilion was the residence of Crown Princess Yang Fu. It had once been the most luxurious palace in the Daming Palace. But now, half of the candles and lamps had been put out, and the palace maids had already been dismissed. The incense burner and beautiful golden decorations stood in the cold, empty room, making the whole palace feel lonely and bleak.
Ten days ago, the Crown Prince had been imprisoned. Emperor Chenming had suddenly fallen ill, and the Third Prince, Prince Yan, had ascended the throne without even taking off his armor.
Rumors spread that Prince Yan was cruel and bloodthirsty. Everyone in the palace lived in fear, unable to guess what the new emperor might do.
The Crown Prince was still alive, and Prince Yan had not done anything openly reckless. Instead, he often summoned the Crown Princess, who was under house arrest, to Liangyi Hall. He ordered her to copy Buddhist scriptures and pray for Emperor Chenming.
Yang Fu had once been a princess of the previous dynasty. She was well educated and could read Sanskrit.
However, whenever Yang Fu left for Liangyi Hall, she always looked frightened. Her carriage often did not return until after noon, and each time, she came back later than before.
Soon, rumors spread among the palace servants.
Some said they had seen the Crown Princess return with weak legs, barely able to walk, and that palace maids had to carry her back.
Others said Prince Yan’s request for her to pray was only an excuse. His real purpose was revenge.
They said that when the State of Chu fell, Prince Yan had once wanted to marry the beautiful Princess Bao’an. But Yang Fu had refused him and married the Crown Prince instead.
Now Prince Yan had gained absolute power. He had imprisoned his elder brother and taken his sister-in-law for himself.
After all, this was not the first time he had done something like this…
The rumors became more and more vicious.
Qunqing could no longer stand listening to them. She struck the window frame hard with her hand.
“Clang!”
The sharp sound startled the birds in the trees. The whispers below the wall immediately stopped, and only the sound of her fingers hitting the wooden frame remained.
Inside the palace, the water clock dripped steadily, like a countdown. Its rhythm matched Qunqing’s restless heartbeat.
She stared at the palace path without blinking, ignoring the deep pain spreading through her body.
Finally, she saw a woman running toward her from the palace road. Her hair was tied high, and she was wearing a traditional ruqun.
As she ran, she called out, “Qun Siji! Qun Siji! I’m back!”
It was Xiangcao, Yang Fu’s maid.
Before Xiangcao could reach her, Qunqing pushed the window open.
The first thing she saw was the sandalwood box still safely in Xiangcao’s arms.
Her heart sank.
“You didn’t see the Crown Princess?”
“No.”
Xiangcao’s voice trembled, and tears were already in her eyes.
“There are many soldiers in armor outside Liangyi Hall. They’re Prince Yan’s guards. They won’t let any palace servants inside. I told them I was bringing medicine for the Crown Princess, but they wouldn’t let me enter either.”
“They only said that the three volumes of Buddhist scriptures weren’t finished yet, so His Highness Prince Yan wanted to keep the Crown Princess for a meal. They would continue copying the scriptures in the afternoon.”
“It’s already past noon. I don’t know if the Crown Princess can endure it…”
Qunqing’s expression stiffened.
“Were there guards surrounding the palace gates today?”
“Yes.”
Xiangcao wiped the sweat from her face.
“They said that when Prince Yan was still regent, he ordered an attack on Southern Chu. The Southern Chu spies in the palace heard about it and became desperate. They have tried to assassinate him three or four times over the past few days.”
“That’s why His Highness Prince Yan has guards around him wherever he goes these days.”
“That’s what they said, but…”
Xiangcao nervously looked around. She suddenly stopped, her eyes filled with fear.
“Siji, I’m afraid something has happened in the palace.”
“Do you think the Crown Princess did something to offend Prince Yan? Is that why so many guards were sent there?”
“Otherwise, why wouldn’t they let me see her?”
Qunqing looked at her with dark eyes.
“I asked you to remind the Crown Princess to come back early and take her medicine. Did she say anything?”
“Yes.”
Xiangcao seemed to calm down a little.
“The Crown Princess sent someone to tell me… ‘I understand. Come back after you finish copying the scriptures.'”
Qunqing was silent for a moment before saying, “Since the Crown Princess said that, there’s no need to worry.”
“It’s because I always scare myself.”
Xiangcao lifted her skirt and started to leave. Then she suddenly turned around and smiled.
“Siji has only come to Luanyi Pavilion a few times to teach the Crown Princess, but you even remember when she needs to take her medicine.”
“Since most of the palace servants were dismissed, I’ve been so busy that I feel like I’m running around all day. If you hadn’t reminded me, even I, her maid, might have forgotten to bring her medicine.”
Qunqing seemed surprised.
But the surprise quickly disappeared beneath her long eyelashes. She only gave a small smile in response.
Most of the female officials in the Six Palaces were calm and serious. They rarely smiled.
Like the men, they were intelligent, talented, and ambitious. Because of this, they often found it difficult to communicate with ordinary palace maids.
Qunqing was especially quiet. She always arrived with her luggage, taught her lessons, and left without saying much.
Yet Xiangcao had never felt that Qunqing was cold or arrogant.
Once, Xiangcao had secretly exchanged love tokens with a young man in the front courtyard.
Qunqing had noticed them and thrown a small stone to warn them just before Zhu Shangyi passed by.
From that moment on, Xiangcao believed that Qunqing was cold on the outside but kind-hearted underneath.
After all, if Qunqing did not truly care about the Crown Princess, she would never have continued teaching her as usual after the Crown Prince was imprisoned, when everyone else was trying to stay away from her.
Over the past few months, Qun Siji had become thinner and thinner, as if she carried a heavy burden in her heart.
Xiangcao looked at the empty bedchamber and tried to help her.
“Is Siji still waiting for the Crown Princess?”
“Won’t that delay your other duties? Should I go back to Liangyi Hall and ask again…”
“Don’t meddle.”
Qunqing suddenly interrupted her.
“Just mind your own business.”
Xiangcao bit her lip and quietly backed away.
Qunqing closed the window.
The moment it shut, her face became pale and tense.
She quickly spread out a sheet of paper and picked up her pen.
Her movements were unusually hurried.
Outside the window, the sky grew darker. The dim light made the words on the paper difficult to see, as if a heavy storm was about to arrive.
The sight of so many soldiers surrounding the palace had given Xiangcao a terrible feeling.
If the little maid knew that Crown Princess Yang Fu was actually on her way to assassinate Prince Yan today, she would probably faint from fright.
At this moment, Yang Fu was like a fish on a chopping board.
She was trapped inside Liangyi Hall and surrounded by layers of guards.
It was clearly a very bad sign.
Qunqing stared at the paper and tried to remain calm.
Then she suddenly realized that this might be the last letter she would ever write for the princess.
She bit her index finger and squeezed out a drop of bright red blood.
Then she dipped the tip of her pen into the blood and began to write.
The pain was unbearable.
Suddenly, nausea rose from her chest, and cold sweat soaked through her clothes.
Since the failed assassination attempt on the winter solstice, she had been seriously injured. Her body was already at its limit, and she often felt as though death was close.
Qunqing endured the dizziness and continued writing, though her handwriting had begun to shake.
For years, the restoration of Southern Chu had seemed hopeless.
The Great Chen Dynasty had slowly swallowed up Southern Chu until the kingdom had been pushed to this final desperate situation.
Even Princess Bao’an had become a sacrifice.
In truth, the people of Southern Chu had wanted to use Princess Bao’an for a long time.
Although Prince Yan possessed the talent to become an emperor, he had one fatal weakness.
He was deeply in love with Princess Bao’an.
He did not care that she was a princess of the fallen dynasty or that she had already married the Crown Prince.
Because he was blinded by his feelings for her, he had given Southern Chu an opportunity.
They could persuade Princess Bao’an to pretend to submit to Prince Yan. Then, once they had gained what they wanted, they could take back the throne.
It seemed like the easiest plan.
But Qunqing did not want the princess to submit to him.
Yang Fu had already lost her country and her family.
Yet she would still have to lower herself and please a man she hated.
How painful would that be?
So Qunqing chose the most foolish path.
She never told the princess about this plan.
Instead, she took care of all the dirty and bloody work herself.
Princess Bao’an had once lived a peaceful life in the palace.
She had married Li Xuan, the Second Prince she had loved since childhood, and became the Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince, Wenren, had ruled the country.
If he had become emperor, he might have given Southern Chu a chance to recover and rebuild its strength, perhaps because of his love for the princess.
Unfortunately, only a few years later, the Crown Prince was imprisoned by Prince Yan.
Prince Yan was ambitious and skilled in warfare.
After taking power, his first action was to personally lead an army against Southern Chu, determined to unify the Central Plains.
The Crown Prince of Southern Chu, Zhao, became completely desperate.
He went around Qunqing and secretly sent a letter home, directly giving the responsibility to Princess Bao’an.
That night, Yang Fu cried two silent tears.
She leaned forward and hugged Qunqing.
The princess’s body was cold and heavy against her, like a jade statue falling onto her. Qunqing could barely breathe.
“I received a letter from my brother, Emperor Zhao.”
Yang Fu’s voice trembled.
“I am still a princess of a country.”
“Li Huan treated me like this… treated me like this…”
“If I can endure this humiliation, how will I ever face my father, my elder sister, and my country?”
“And you, Qingqing… When you came back that time, you were covered in blood. You scared me half to death.”
Yang Fu cried beside her ear.
“Qingqing, you’re all I have left. If you’re gone, surrounded by wolves and tigers, what am I supposed to do in the future?”
“Li Huan has eight guards around him. If you try to get close to him, won’t you be putting yourself in danger?”
“But it will be much easier for me to get close to him, won’t it? He only asked me to copy scriptures.”
“I’m willing to do it. Please don’t frighten me by saying that you don’t have much time left…”
Since she could not persuade the princess, Qunqing decided that this assassination attempt had to be a matter of life or death.
She personally took out the poisoned bead left behind by her mother and hid it inside the long tail of the princess’s hair ornament. She taught Yang Fu how to secretly poison Li Huan and escape without being noticed.
However, planning something was easy. Carrying it out was another matter.
Li Huan was an experienced warrior, while Princess Bao’an was delicate and had never tried to assassinate anyone.
When the princess disappeared without returning, Qunqing immediately knew something was wrong. She was afraid that Yang Fu had been exposed and discovered by Li Huan.
Sending Xiangcao to deliver medicine to Princess Bao’an was only a signal they had agreed on beforehand, meant to find out whether the princess was safe.
If everything was fine, Yang Fu would answer:
“I took it this morning.”
If something had gone wrong, she would answer:
“I’ll take it when I get home tonight.”
But Yang Fu’s answer was neither.
This could only mean that the princess had already fallen into Li Huan’s hands.
Worse, the message had been sent through someone acting in Prince Yan’s name.
Xiangcao had also said that the Southern Chu assassins who had attacked Li Huan had been handed over to the Ministry of Justice.
They must have been captured alive.
Qunqing could not help wondering how many of them knew that she was hiding among the female officials of the Six Palaces.
If even one of them confessed, her death would only be a matter of time.
If she had known this would happen, she would never have agreed to let Yang Fu take such a risk.
But now, she had to protect the princess before her own identity was exposed.
Qunqing folded the letter and placed it beneath Princess Bao’an’s jade pillow.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from behind.
The palace door was pushed open.
Xiangcao cried out in surprise.
“Qun… Qun Siji! Eunuch Liang, who serves His Highness Prince Yan, is here!”
Behind her, a eunuch wearing a dark red robe strode into the room.
Eunuch Liang had a sharp expression.
“By order of His Highness Prince Yan—”
Xiangcao quickly bowed.
Qunqing stood with her hands at her sides, waiting for the order.
Eunuch Liang took a piece of white silk from his sleeve. He glanced at Qunqing before announcing in a high voice:
“Qunqing, a sixth-rank official of the Shangyi Bureau, is suspected of treason and attempting to assassinate a prince. By His Highness Prince Yan’s order, you are summoned to Jinglian Pavilion for questioning.”
The unfamiliar accusation struck Xiangcao like thunder.
She trembled and stared at Qunqing in disbelief, as if she no longer knew her.
Qunqing’s face was pale.
She stared at the edict carefully, feeling as though she were standing on a leaking boat.
“Your servant, Qunqing, has been wrongly accused. I work inside the palace and hardly ever have the chance to see His Highness Prince Yan. How could I possibly commit treason?”
“Please enlighten me, Eunuch Liang.”
She spoke slowly to buy herself time.
In her mind, she went over every word of the edict.
Treason.
Attempting to assassinate a prince.
Jinglian Pavilion.
Jinglian Pavilion…
Something was wrong.
Prince Yan should still be in Liangyi Hall at this time.
Why would he send her to Jinglian Pavilion for questioning instead of the nearby Liangyi Hall?
The two places were almost on opposite sides of the palace.
Eunuch Liang asked, “I also have a question for you.”
“You are a palace official responsible for compiling palace regulations. Why were you in the Crown Princess’s bedchamber during your duty hours instead of staying at the Shangyi Bureau?”
“Don’t you know that the Crown Princess is under house arrest and is not allowed to receive visitors?”
Xiangcao hesitated, but Qunqing answered calmly:
“The Shangyi Bureau was ordered by Her Majesty the Empress to teach the Crown Princess the proper rules and etiquette of the inner palace on the second and third days of every month.”
“Zhu Shangyi assigned this duty to me. Since she never ordered me to stop, I have simply continued doing my job.”
“If you have doubts, you may ask Zhu Shangyi.”
Eunuch Liang laughed twice.
“This servant doesn’t need to ask anyone. The official record is full of problems.”
“A lesson for a noble lady begins early in the morning and should be finished within an hour. There is no reason for it to continue until noon.”
“Besides, the Crown Princess left for Liangyi Hall a long time ago.”
“Are you planning to stay here alone in Luanyi Pavilion, teaching an empty room instead of leaving?”
He narrowed his eyes.
“Or are you hiding here to act as the Crown Princess’s adviser?”
Qunqing remained calm.
“Eunuch Liang, it is true that I finished teaching this morning.”
“But the Crown Princess has been bored while under house arrest, so she asked me to play chess with her.”
“Halfway through our game, His Highness Prince Yan suddenly summoned the Crown Princess to Liangyi Hall to copy scriptures.”
She slowly stepped aside and revealed the chessboard on the table.
“The Crown Princess did not want to stop the game, so she ordered me to watch the board until she returned.”
“Eunuch Liang, as long as the Crown Prince has not been punished, the Crown Princess remains the future mother of the nation.”
“How could I, a mere sixth-rank official, dare to refuse her?”
“If you were in my position, how would you have refused?”
Eunuch Liang stretched his neck and looked at the chessboard.
Black and white pieces covered the board. The game appeared to be intense and evenly matched.
Beside the board was a cold cup of tea and a half-eaten pastry.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell which parts were real and which had been deliberately prepared.
It was hard to believe that these two seemingly unrelated young women had been secretly plotting treason together.
Eunuch Liang was both embarrassed and annoyed.
“This servant only needs to carry out the order. There is no point in wasting words.”
“Let’s go.”
Xiangcao’s hands and feet turned cold.
She silently knelt on the ground.
She clearly remembered that when the princess had left, there had been no chessboard on the table.
There had been no tea or pastries either.
What frightened her even more was that Qunqing had actually dared to challenge Prince Yan’s order.
Wasn’t she afraid of being beaten to death?
Xiangcao gathered her courage and reached out to grab Qunqing’s skirt.
But Qunqing suddenly stepped forward, causing Xiangcao to fall to the floor.
Qunqing looked at Eunuch Liang.
“With a little investigation, you will find that Qunqing has always performed her duties properly in the Six Palaces. Every action I take follows palace rules.”
“I have always worked hard to maintain my reputation as an official.”
“If His Highness Prince Yan cannot give a proper reason for accusing me, then please do not make baseless accusations.”
“You could ruin both my reputation and the Crown Princess’s.”
Qunqing slowly approached him.
She had sharp phoenix-shaped eyes and thin lips. Her expression was calm and indifferent.
The long line of her neck beneath her hair was elegant, and when she spoke, she carried the quiet authority of an official.
Her eyes fell on the piece of silk in Eunuch Liang’s hand.
It looked as though it had been roughly torn from his sleeve. The edges were uneven.
After staring at it for a moment, she suddenly snatched it from his hand.
Eunuch Liang was startled.
“What are you doing? How dare you—”
“Since the second year of Emperor Shenglin’s reign, an imperial order has forbidden the Clothing Bureau from providing His Highness Prince Yan with silk clothes, hats, scarves, or other silk fabrics.”
“This is because His Highness is allergic to silk and develops severe itching and hives whenever he comes into contact with it.”
“His Highness probably doesn’t even keep a piece of silk near him.”
“So how could he have used silk to write an imperial edict?”
Qunqing looked directly at him.
“Eunuch Liang, you’re the one being reckless.”
“Who ordered you to falsely deliver Prince Yan’s decree?”
“Would that person be willing to take the punishment and lose his head for you?”
Her voice was not loud.
But the entire hall fell silent.
Xiangcao stared at her in shock.
Eunuch Liang was speechless, and a trace of panic appeared in his eyes.
There was still hope.
Qunqing took a deep breath like a drowning person who had finally reached the surface.
She unfolded the silk and examined it more carefully.
Because the silk was thin and slightly transparent, she could see faint writing on the other side.
The discovery reassured her even more.
The handwriting was not Li Huan’s.
And the content was completely different from the so-called edict Eunuch Liang had announced.
Qunqing stared at the writing.
A chill suddenly ran down her spine.
The handwriting was beautiful, yet it carried a wild and powerful feeling.
“Si Ji is diligent in his duties. I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as him.”
“Princess Bao’an’s life is in your hands.”
“I received your letter. I am safe and well.”
“I look forward to seeing you.”
The person who had written these words seemed to be smiling as he spoke directly to her.
Thinking about everything that had happened, Qunqing finally understood.
He had already expected her to discover that the edict was fake.
He had expected her to snatch the silk away and examine it herself.
He had deliberately arranged this ridiculous little trap for her.
If she lost her composure now, she would be admitting her guilt without being forced to.
She would have fallen into his trap.
Eunuch Liang’s voice came from nearby.
“Let me tell Siji the truth.”
“This servant only dared to do this because Lu Changshi of the Prince Yan’s residence ordered me to.”
“This servant is guilty and will apologize later.”
“I hope Siji will be willing to forgive me.”
Lu Huating.
That name was even more frightening to Qunqing than Prince Yan’s name.
Every time she heard it, she felt the same chill run down her spine.
Lu Huating was the chief strategist of Prince Yan’s court.
He was extremely cunning.
Prince Yan had been able to rise so quickly because of his help.
Qunqing had secretly fought against Lu Huating several times.
Every time she tried to make a move against Li Huan, her plans failed because Li Huan always had a chief adviser named Lu by his side.
Lu Huating was like a snake hiding in the shadows.
He patiently waited for the right moment to strike.
As soon as he found the smallest clue, he could follow it relentlessly.
Several times, he had nearly discovered Qunqing and struck back at her.
Because of this, his name had become a heavy burden in her heart.
He was her nightmare.
Now Qunqing stood there holding the piece of silk.
Cold sweat covered her body, and her heart pounded violently in her throat.
These were reactions she could not control.
Before this, Prince Yan had always been in the open while she remained hidden.
She was merely an insignificant spy among the palace officials.
But now, Lu Huating had specifically asked to see her.
It was as though the veil hiding her identity had suddenly been torn away, leaving her completely exposed.
At that moment, Qunqing knew with absolute certainty that he had discovered who she really was.
The song was over.
The outcome had already been decided.
Her mission had failed.
“Princess Bao’an’s life depends on you…”
The words written on the silk seemed poisonous.
They made it clear that the princess’s life was now more in Lu Huating’s hands than in Li Huan’s.
Li Huan still desired the princess.
But what about Lu Huating?
He was ruthless.
He had wanted to kill Princess Bao’an for a long time and had only been stopped by Li Huan.
Over the years, Prince Yan had grown more and more powerful.
Lu Huating had also gained enormous influence and had become increasingly bold.
Many times, he had acted against Prince Yan’s wishes and killed people anyway.
Yet in the end, Li Huan had always chosen to protect him.
For an emperor, beautiful women were easy to find.
But a truly capable general was much harder to obtain.
Qunqing forced her trembling hands to calm down.
She touched her sleeves and collar.
“Please wait a moment, sir.”
“I need to change my clothes.”