Zong Duo escorted Baoying to Chengguang Hall and had the palace attendants heat water for her to bathe and change clothes.
He rinsed himself with cold water in the side hall and had just changed into clean garments, not even having had time to wring the water from his hair, when he heard a commotion outside.
He summoned an attendant and asked, "What's all the noise outside?"
The attendant lowered her hands and replied, "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager heard that the Princess Consort had fallen into the water and has come with her retinue to check on her. Also, His Majesty, unable to leave his duties at the front, has sent Gao Yan to see the Princess Consort."
Zong Duo could hardly believe his ears.
His Princess Consort falls into the water, and the Emperor sends his most trusted Gao Yan, while the Empress Dowager herself deigns to visit in person.
He didn't believe in any imperial familial warmth—for the Emperor and Empress Dowager to place such importance on her, there must be some reason he didn't yet know. But there was no time to ponder it now; he hurried out to receive the imperial procession.
Baoying had already changed into clean clothes, her half-dried long hair draped loose as she sat on the couch, with the Empress Dowager holding her hand and asking question after question.
"How did you end up at the Yuhu Bridge? How did you fall into the water? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Baoying didn't know how she'd fallen in either.
At the time, the competition had been at a critical moment, and the atmosphere on site was electric. She'd been leaning against the stone railing—a railing over a foot thick—and it had simply snapped. The suffocating sensation of cold water flooding her mouth and nose had swept over her…
She shook her head, her face pale, and whispered, "Your Majesty, I wish to return to the Prince's residence."
The Empress Dowager saw how pale her small face had gone, which only made her dark brows and lashes appear deeper in contrast. Those two long lashes trembled unconsciously, her brows and eyes lowered in a pitiful manner that bore a faint resemblance to the Noble Consort in her youth.
The Empress Dowager's brow twitched. She steadied herself and looked again—actually, she didn't really look like the Noble Consort. Baoying was like a white peony, full and lustrous in her beauty, while the Noble Consort was more like a red rose, dazzling and striking. If anything, it was the occasional artless charm the Noble Consort displayed that resembled Baoying more.
How absurd—since when did the elder resemble the younger? The Empress Dowager suppressed that strange feeling and turned to order attendants to prepare a carriage to send Baoying back to the residence.
Zong Duo stood to one side, taking in the Empress Dowager's every move.
His legal mother had never been close to any of the princes, let alone hold someone's hand and fuss over them like this. Seeing her staring at Baoying's face, he cast a glance over as well.
Hmm… after being soaked in the pond water, she'd lost her usual liveliness, hanging her head listlessly. She did look rather pitiful.
But he didn't believe the Empress Dowager possessed any compassion. What had happened to make her treat Baoying with such solicitude?
He scanned the attendants in the hall but couldn't find Bailu's figure. He wanted to ask someone, but there was no one to ask.
Zong Duo was displeased, though he didn't show it on his face.
Before long, an attendant reported that the sedan chair was ready. Zong Duo personally helped Baoying out.
As they crossed the threshold, he asked in a low voice, "Why did you go to the Yuhu Bridge?"
It was her first time at the Western Gardens. Without someone to guide her, she couldn't have found the place on her own.
Baoying's head was still foggy. She thought for a long moment before answering, "A very imposing person led me there. I think… his name was something like Yao Guo."
Zong Duo's heart tightened.
He'd known it wasn't an accident. He'd guarded against every possibility, yet somehow still left an opening for that Yao bastard.
But seeing her listless state, he couldn't bring himself to say anything reproachful.
After helping her into the sedan chair, Zong Duo didn't signal for the bearers to lift it. Instead, he held the door and asked, "What happened earlier at Wanshou Palace and Feixian Pavilion?"
Baoying shook her head blankly. The sudden fall into the water had truly frightened her; she couldn't recall anything from before.
Zong Duo was about to ask further when another attendant hurried over from the side path to deliver a message: "Third Prince, Consort Xian requests your presence."
Zong Duo had no choice but to let down the sedan curtain and send her off.
Though Consort Xian hadn't come to the Western Gardens, the results of the competition had likely already reached her ears. The thought of having to deal with her interrogation gave Zong Duo an immediate headache.
Passing by Taiye Lake, he deliberately detoured to the broken section of the Yuhu Bridge railing.
A red silk cord had been strung around the broken stone balustrade. Zong Duo stepped inside, his fingertips lightly brushing the fractured edge of the railing. He bent down and picked up a fragment, examining it in his palm for a moment before gazing thoughtfully at the surface of the lake.
He remembered now—at the moment she'd fallen in, the bridge had been in complete chaos, but Yao Guo alone had stood off to the side, staring intently at him.
Arriving at Jiafu Palace, several palace maids stood in the corridor outside the hall. Zong Duo spotted Bailu's figure at once.
He said nothing, entering the hall to kneel in half-salute before Consort Xian: "Your son pays respects to Mother."
Consort Xian reclined on the arhat couch, studying him.
Zong Duo wore no crown, his dark hair bound simply with a jade hairpin. Having walked all the way here under the blazing sun, his damp hair had mostly dried, though a ring of water stains still showed through at his shoulders and collar.
Consort Xian did not bid him rise. She asked coldly, "How is your little Princess Consort?"
"She is unharmed. She has already been sent back to the residence."
Consort Xian let out a cold laugh. "So you knew she wasn't seriously hurt! With all those palace maids stationed at the Western Garden, did you really think she would drown? You were just one step away from the finish line—why did you have to jump in and save her?"
Zong Duo explained calmly, "Because she fell into the water right before my eyes. Had I turned a blind eye, even if I'd crossed the line and won, I would have left myself open to attack. If I lost the post of Salt Inspector over this and earned a reputation for being cold-hearted and faithless, that would be losing both the battle and the war."
Hearing that every word he said made sense, Consort Xian could only grit her teeth and say, "Wasn't that Miss Shi supposed to be born with the Phoenix Destiny? How is it that no sooner had she married you than she ruined your great plans?"
"Mother need not blame her. Her falling into the water right in front of me was a coincidence—clearly the arrangement of someone with ulterior motives."
Having lived deep in the palace for years, Consort Xian naturally understood the scheming behind such matters, but she still couldn't swallow her anger. "Even if her fall was a plot against you, in the end, it's still her own fault for not staying put! If she'd just remained in the Feixian Pavilion, nothing would have happened. But she had to go running onto that bridge—if she hadn't gone wandering off, who could have used her as a pawn?"
Zong Duo lowered his eyes. "Mother's admonishment is well taken. When I return, I will discipline her myself."
"I see no need to wait until you return. Summon her here now—I shall teach her the rules personally!"
"She was frightened by her fall and has already returned to the prince's residence. Even if Mother wishes to discipline her, there's no need for such haste."
Consort Xian raised an elegant brow. "Are you protecting her?"
"Your son would not dare."
"Don't think I don't know." Consort Xian said coldly. "At the Xu residence, you rebuffed your cousin for her sake. Isn't that so?"
"I did not do it for her. I simply do not care for such underhanded tricks." Zong Duo raised his eyes to meet Consort Xian's. "The Xu family sometimes oversteps their bounds, and I had no choice but to rein them in."
"Overstep?"
Consort Xian let out a short laugh, rising abruptly from the arhat couch and pointing a finger at Zong Duo, who knelt before her.
"Back then, when the Xu family invited great scholars to begin your education, you didn't find that overstepping! When the Xu family brought in the finest martial masters in the martial world to teach you your skills, you didn't find that overstepping! Now that your wings have grown strong, you want to cast the Xu family aside, is that it?"
Zong Duo looked at Consort Xian.
The Xu family had indeed shown him immense kindness, and yet…
"Mother, there is a distinction between sovereign and subject. No matter how close the Xu family is, they are still on the outside."
The moment the words left his mouth, a crisp smack rang out.
Consort Xian had raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
Zong Duo did not dodge or flinch, taking the blow squarely, a red mark immediately blooming on his cheek.
Consort Xian clutched her stinging palm, seeming momentarily dazed.
Since Zong Duo had turned thirteen, she had rarely raised a hand against him. But it was a habit formed over many years—Consort Xian demanded absolute obedience from her son.
Ever since he had begun involving himself in court affairs, Zong Duo had defied her time and again, and Consort Xian felt a stirring of unease at losing control.
But that slap just now had dispelled her unease. No matter how strong Zong Duo's wings grew, without the Xu family's support, he was nothing.
"You bear the surname Zong, but has your father ever cared for you in the slightest? Whatever abilities you possess today, you owe entirely to the Xu family's cultivation! I don't care what considerations led you to marry the Shi girl, but you remember this: when you ascend to the throne, the empress you enshrine will bear the surname Xu, and no one else's. Your eldest son will carry only Xu blood in his veins! Do you hear me?"
"…Yes." After a long moment, Zong Duo answered in a low voice.
Consort Xian sat back down, rubbing her brow wearily. "You may go."
Zong Duo rose in silence and walked to the door, then suddenly stopped, glancing sideways at Bailu, who stood in attendance at the entrance.
"As the princess consort's personal maid, you abandoned your post, and in doing so brought about today's disaster. From this moment on, your name is struck from the prince's residence roster. You are to be returned to Jiafu Palace, where Her Ladyship will deal with you as she sees fit."
Bailu felt as though a thunderbolt had struck from a clear sky. Palace maids sent back to the inner court were no different from disgraced servants—they would never again be entrusted with any important position.
She dropped to her knees with a thud, her voice trembling. "Your Highness, forgive me! I did not abandon my post—I merely came to report to Her Ladyship…"
"Report?" Zong Duo looked down at her coldly. "Who is your mistress?"
Cold sweat broke out on Bailu's brow. She answered with difficulty, "It… it is the princess consort."
"Then what business do you have reporting to Her Ladyship?"
"I… I was merely updating Her Ladyship on the affairs of Prince Yan's residence…"
In a voice neither loud nor soft, Zong Duo said, "Prince Yan's residence does not keep those with divided loyalties. Since you still recognize Her Ladyship as your mistress, you may return to Jiafu Palace to serve there."
A loud crash came from inside the room—Consort Xian had hurled her covered teacup to the ground.
Bailu pleaded piteously, but Zong Duo turned a deaf ear, flicking his sleeves and striding away.
Back at the prince's residence, Historian Xiao and Yuan Yi came out together to greet him.
"Invite Mr. Mu and the others to Yunhui Hall." Having given the order to Yuan Yi, Zong Duo turned to Historian Xiao and asked, "How is the princess consort?"
"Nanny Sun had ginger soup prepared and sent over. The princess consort should have drunk it by now and gone to sleep."
Zong Duo nodded, then asked, "Have you heard the results of the competition?"
"I've already been informed. Truly, fate is unpredictable. Who would have thought that both Your Highness and the Second Prince would fall short at the final hurdle, letting the Fifth Prince snatch the victory."
Zong Duo neither confirmed nor denied, merely saying, "This defeat is my doing. Arrange it—the reward silver should still be given at the full amount for winning first place."
Historian Xiao mused, "Your Highness, the reward silver for the commanders amounts to over a thousand taels—not much in itself, but we are at a time when funds are tight. With the Salt Inspector post slipping through your fingers, the expenditures for Northern Yuan may come under strain. In my view, it would be wise to increase revenue and cut expenses—there's no need to spend silver where it isn't necessary."
Zong Duo said, "Silver should be spent where it must be spent, and saved where it must be saved. The Dragon Imperial Guard's rewards will be issued as planned. As for the rest, trim the household staff's expenditures."
Since he had established his own residence, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Consort Xian had sent countless palace attendants over. Though the prince's household had only two masters, the servants beneath them numbered in the hundreds—every corner filled with others' eyes and ears.
Zong Duo instructed Historian Xiao to use Bailu's incident as a pretext to deal with the redundant idlers and informants—either sending them off to the rural estates or returning them to the inner court.
Historian Xiao hesitated. "In that case, Consort Xian's face may not be too pleased."
"My face is already far from pleased."
Historian Xiao started, only then noticing the faint mark of a handprint on his face. He dared not speak further and quickly took his leave to carry out the orders.
Before long, Mr. Mu and the others arrived. They had already learned the outcome of the dragon boat race, and the atmosphere in Yunhui Hall was heavy with tension.
Xu Pei was the first to challenge: "Mr. Mu, didn't you cast a divination earlier, saying the Salt Inspector matter was highly auspicious?"
Mr. Mu waved his fan, a hint of confusion on his face. "The hexagram showed as much—that what Your Highness sought would surely come to pass. Where exactly did things go awry?"
Xu Pei gave a faint sneer. "Where did things go awry? Isn't it plain for all to see? Why did the Princess Consort's Phoenix Destiny prove utterly useless, and instead drag Your Highness down?"
"Indeed. How could this be?" The others nodded in doubt.
"It has nothing to do with her." Zong Duo handed the fragment of stone from the Jade River Bridge to the group. "Take a look at this stone."
Han Yao took it and examined it, startled by the cut surface as clean as if sliced by a blade. "This—this was shattered with Internal Energy!"
"Not only that." Zong Duo said calmly. "It was done from a distance—the Internal Energy transmitted through the air to precisely shatter the stone railing before the Princess Consort, causing her to fall into the water."
Xu Pei frowned. "What kind of person has such skill?"
Zong Duo did not answer, only turning his gaze to Mr. Mu.
Mr. Mu snapped his feather fan shut, lost in thought. "Could it be the eunuch director Yao Guo? In the entire palace, only he possesses Internal Energy so profound that it can be released and withdrawn with such perfect precision. Moreover, he entered the palace midway, elevated by Consort Gui—it would hardly be surprising for him to act on behalf of the Fifth Prince."
Han Yao angrily flicked his sleeve. "We guarded against everything, yet still failed to guard against that old villain in the palace!"
Zong Duo understood the palace's dynamics even better than they did. "I think guarding against him is futile. The Fifth is the most favored by His Majesty—and who's to say Yao Guo's actions weren't carried out on the Emperor's own orders?"
At his words, the group fell silent.
Zong Mao was eighteen this year, having entered court only a year prior. By seniority of age or rank, the Salt Inspector post should never have fallen to him. For the Emperor to secure this lucrative position for his most beloved son, he had deliberately made the Salt Inspector post the prize for the dragon boat race, yet arranged for Yao Guo to sabotage it from behind—that was entirely possible.
In the end, Phoenix Destiny could not outmatch Imperial Fate.
A silence settled over the room, with faint voices drifting in from outside.
Zong Duo called out, "What is it?"
Yuan Yi hurried in to report: "Your Highness, Ruyi from Zhaoming Hall has come—she says the Princess Consort has developed a fever and requests a physician."
"Understood." Zong Duo acknowledged flatly, then turned to the assembled guests. "It's getting late. Everyone, please return for now. Xiao Jiang, come with me."
"Yes."
Xiao Jiang quickly rose to his feet, secretly delighted: at last, he would have the chance to see the Princess Consort's true face.