Willows swayed in the gentle breeze, crimson pillars and glazed roof tiles gleaming in the sunlight. Together with the young man and woman standing there, gazing at each other with undisguised affection, it made for a picture-perfect scene of a talented gentleman and a beautiful lady, enough to set one’s heart fluttering.
Yet even this spring breeze could not smooth away the deep wrinkles of shock etched across Nanny Song’s face.
Heavens preserve us! Were all the palace guards dead? When the Crown Prince was placed under house arrest, he was still young, and his residence sat beside the Empress’s palace for her convenience in raising him. This was the side hall of the Empress’s own Fengming Palace. How could one of Noble Consort Shang’s people have been allowed inside?
And that youth… Could he be the real Feng Qiyuan, the one who was supposed to be hidden away? How had he slipped out on his own?
Just then, the youth looked up and spotted her and the Empress. Straightening immediately, he lifted the hem of his robe and, as nimble as a deer, vaulted gracefully over the railing. He landed lightly on the steps below and strode directly toward them.
No… that couldn’t be Feng Qiyuan. Those legs were perfectly fine.
The youth first studied the emerald phoenix crown atop the Empress’s head, then glanced at the respectful Nanny Song standing beside her. The smile at the corners of his lips never faded as he cupped his fists in greeting and ventured tentatively: “Mo… Mother Empress, what brings you here?”
His manner was effortless and elegant, every bit the refined young nobleman, with not the slightest trace of feminine softness.
The spirited and handsome “young man” before them was, in fact, the very young lady who had been sleeping beneath the blankets only days earlier.
Empress Tang could not help but marvel inwardly. Nanny Song’s skills were truly extraordinary. In merely a few days, she had transformed that frail young girl into a youth of such natural masculine grace and bearing. In fact, she seemed even more heroic than that useless Crown Prince.
Yet Nanny Song appeared even more astonished than the Empress.
The outfit the “young man” wore had only just been delivered from the Imperial Tailoring Bureau, freshly made. This was Nanny Song’s first time seeing the girl dressed in a nobleman’s luxurious long robe.
Who would have thought… She really did look like a young lord.
Meanwhile, Yushu had still been lost in the dizzying charm of being “looked over” by His Highness. Only when she saw the Crown Prince leap over the railing and greet someone did she realize that the Empress had arrived. She hurried down the steps and bowed respectfully. “This servant, Yushu, comes under Noble Consort Shang’s orders. I have been sent to visit the Crown Prince and deliver the nourishing tonics Her Highness prepared, so that the Crown Prince may restore his health.”
The excuse was proper enough on the surface. Under the pretext of delivering supplements, she had really come to probe the situation.
After dismissing Yushu with a few curt words, Empress Tang turned coldly to the guards.
“Who allowed this Yushu inside?”
None of the guards answered.
The Empress understood. Since the Crown Prince had fallen from favor, Noble Consort Shang’s influence had steadily grown, and her reach had already extended into the Crown Prince’s palace.
Fortunately, the young lady had been smuggled into the palace hidden inside a rice chest, so these guards had never learned of her presence.
Having thought it through, the Empress waved a hand with a frosty expression and ordered the guards on duty to be dragged out and flogged. That would teach them, and any other curs who dared to obey her in public while defying her in private. She then carefully examined the “young man” before her. “Come inside. I want to speak with you.”
Once they entered the side hall, all attendants were dismissed. Nanny Song personally stood guard at the door, and only then did Empress Tang settle into her seat and ask, “What is your name?”
The young girl knew little of court etiquette. Even after witnessing the Empress’s formidable display of authority, she showed no fear. She casually found a chair, sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and replied with a grin: “My father and I have made our living performing in the jianghu since I was little. I never had a proper name. My father always just called me ‘(Yatou) Girl.’”
Although Nanny Song had already interrogated her thoroughly, Empress Tang narrowed her eyes, still unconvinced. “Your father… has he ever spoken to you about your mother?”
Yatou calmly sipped her tea. “I asked when I was little. My father always said Mother had gone back to her family to care for my grandparents. Only after I grew older did I realize she probably died of illness long ago. My father must’ve been afraid I’d be heartbroken, so he made up that story. After I figured it out, I stopped asking.”
The Empress remained skeptical and raised an eyebrow. “That’s all? He… never told you anything about his history with me?”
A blood feud of stolen child and murdered wife! How could such hatred simply be forgotten? The blood-soaked night seventeen years ago had been brutal and merciless. Had Lou Guan’er, the actor, been so terrified that he had never dared reveal the truth to his daughter?
Yatou looked genuinely puzzled. “My father… knows Your Majesty from before?”
She frowned thoughtfully. “Well, Father was rather handsome when he was younger. Even a sow would stop in her tracks after seeing him. If that’s the case, then it’s just like those stories performed in the theater. You were hopelessly smitten with him, spent one spring night together, and… actually, you’re my real mother?”
As she reached that conclusion, her voice rose with excitement. Her eyes sparkled, and she looked ready to leap up and throw herself into the Empress’s arms.
What nonsense was this? Empress Tang had lived a life of dignity and privilege, yet in all her years, no one had dared speak such outrageous slander to her face.
Furious, she slammed her palm onto the table. “Utter nonsense! Consider my station. How could I possibly have become involved with an actor? You and I have absolutely no connection whatsoever!”
Yatou, who had looked eager a moment ago, instantly slumped back into her chair in disappointment. “If we’re not born of the same mother, then why did Nanny Song say I resemble the Crown Prince so much and make me impersonate him? Isn’t it because the Crown Prince and I share the same mother but have different fathers?”
She looked at the Empress hopefully. “Mother… no, Your Majesty, just admit it. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. I definitely won’t tell that old Emperor you’ve put a great big green hat on his head!”
In the end, she still refused to give up, staring eagerly at the Empress.
She looked less like someone seeking revenge for an old grudge and more like someone desperately trying to claim kinship with nobility and become the Empress’s daughter.
If the Empress hadn’t needed her so badly, she would have ordered the girl dragged out and beaten to death on the spot.
Still, Yatou’s expression seemed completely sincere. Lou Guan’er, forever on the run, likely hadn’t dared entrust such a life-threatening secret to this reckless young fool.
Thinking this, Empress Tang relaxed slightly. With cold eyes, she said: “Do not try to claim relations with me. You merely happen to resemble the Crown Prince. Nanny Song told me you negotiated terms with her and demanded a great deal of gold and silver. If you successfully accomplish this task, I shall allow you and your father to leave the palace. You can then enjoy wealth and comfort together. But if you refuse to obey…”
“If I refuse, you’ll kill both me and my father…” Yatou cut her off before the threat was finished.
She suddenly threw herself to the floor, hugged the Empress’s pearl-embroidered shoe, and clung tightly to her leg. In a gentle, coaxing voice used to soothe a child, she comforted the Empress instead: “You don’t have to make threats. Your child understands! I’ve already grasped a little of your difficulties, Mother… ah, no, Your Majesty. Rest assured, even if you refuse to acknowledge me, I’ll still do my utmost to help resolve the troubles facing you and my imperial elder brother-from-another-father!”
“What is all this nonsense?!” Empress Tang couldn’t shake off the human burr clinging to her leg. She was so furious that her phoenix hairpin tilted askew, and even the dangling ornaments of her headdress swung into her face. But for now, she needed to keep this chess piece under control. Forcing down her anger, she softened her expression and instructed the girl to study proper etiquette under Nanny Song. Only after finally prying herself free from the clingy nuisance did she leave the side hall.
What a thing she is. Her head is full of nothing but dreams of attaching herself to the powerful!
The Empress pressed her lips together—a rude little street rat. Once the scheme to frame the Second Prince succeeds, she absolutely cannot be allowed to live. Only by eliminating both her and that fugitive Yan Shan root and branch can future trouble be prevented.
Afterward, Nanny Song reported that the girl had drifted from place to place since childhood. Following her actor father through countless trades, she had done all manner of odd jobs. In addition to inheriting her father’s training as a martial-stage performer, she had even disguised herself as a boy. She worked as a runner and broker in a brothel when her father fell gravely ill, earning money for his medicine. Despite her young age, she had spent years mingling among common folk. She had worked in nearly every trade imaginable among society’s assorted ranks. No wonder she played the role of a flirtatious young man so effortlessly.
Given that, Nanny Song’s work became much easier. All she needed to do was have the girl memorize portraits of the nobles and dignitaries who would attend the imperial banquet, then teach her a few court manners. That would be enough to fool the crowd.
The Crown Prince had been imprisoned for more than four years. The thirteen-year-old boy of the past had since grown into a young man. Changes in appearance and physique were only natural.
Furthermore, Yatou had martial arts training. When she deliberately lowered her voice, it became difficult to tell whether she was male or female. As long as she didn’t engage anyone in lengthy conversations about the past, she should be able to pass unnoticed in such a bustling gathering.
Before long, the day of the birthday banquet arrived.
According to the customs of the Great Feng Dynasty, imperial banquets typically began at noon.
Emperor Chunde of Great Feng was in the prime of his life. Dressed in splendid robes and a lofty crown, he sat on the Dragon Throne and received homage from his ministers and princes.
The Emperor’s descendants flourished. Aside from the eldest prince, who was chronically ill and suffered from a hidden condition that kept him from appearing in public, all the other princes had come to offer birthday congratulations.
Political fortunes at court could change in an instant.
For the past few years, the Eastern Palace had grown cold and deserted. Meanwhile, the Second Prince, Feng Qiting, basked in favor and influence. Numerous officials and royal princes gathered around him, exchanging pleasantries with the increasingly powerful prince.
Seeing this, his mother, Noble Consort Shang, wore a satisfied expression as she calmly accepted the other consorts’ flattery. Yet the Second Prince himself seemed troubled. Taking a moment to sit beside his mother, he peeled a lychee and murmured quietly: “Mother Consort, before entering the hall earlier, I happened to glimpse the Crown Prince from a distance near a corner of the palace. Just as Yushu reported, his legs appeared perfectly sound. There wasn’t the slightest sign of disability. With those old ministers supporting him, it seems the banner of the Eastern Palace may rise once again.”
He had previously sent people to investigate. Hadn’t they all claimed the Crown Prince’s leg injury was severe? Because of those reports, he had proceeded confidently, waiting for the Crown Prince to appear lame before the court and thereby lose any hope of inheriting the throne. But from what he saw today, there seemed to be no sign of illness whatsoever.
Noble Consort Shang’s expression remained unchanged. Gracefully accepting the peeled lychee from her son, she smiled faintly. “You still view matters too superficially. If nothing were truly wrong, why would the Empress use the excuse of negligent attendants to purge that entire group of servants from the Cold Palace? I’ve heard that Nanny Song left the palace and sought out several renowned physicians. Perhaps they employed some acupuncture or special treatment that allows the Crown Prince to walk normally for the time being.”
She paused. “However, no matter how skilled the doctors may be, such an injury couldn’t possibly be fully healed in so short a time. The old wound must still remain. Today’s festivities could certainly use a martial contest for entertainment. Later, be sure to arrange for a suitable person to look after the Crown Prince. We wouldn’t want his old injury to flare up and make a spectacle of himself in front of everyone.”
As she spoke those final words, Noble Consort Shang cast her son a meaningful glance.
The Second Prince, Feng Qiting, immediately understood.
Indeed, during martial demonstrations, accidental bumps and injuries were commonplace.
The Emperor always kept imperial physicians nearby.
Should the Crown Prince be injured during the exhibition, the physicians would naturally examine him on the spot. And if he truly suffered from a leg disability, then they could make a great issue of it before the entire court.
However, someone else would have to spearhead this plan. It could not be traced back to him. The ideal candidate was naturally the Third Prince, Feng Qiwu, who had long been on bad terms with the Crown Prince and was known for his rash temperament.
With that thought in mind, the Second Prince smiled as he glanced at Feng Qiwu seated across from him. Rising from his seat, he made his way toward the Third Prince.
At that moment, the banquet hall was lively and bustling, yet the Emperor’s expression remained clouded. Suddenly, he spoke: “Empress, when the princes came forward to pay their respects earlier, I did not see the Crown Prince. Where is he?”
The imperial consorts and princes entered the hall separately. The Empress had arrived first, while the Crown Prince should have entered with the other princes afterward. She, too, had noticed that “Feng Qiyuan,” who ought to have been present for the formal greetings, was nowhere to be seen.
Earlier, she had already questioned the hurriedly arriving Nanny Song.
Covered in cold sweat and visibly flustered, Nanny Song explained that just as the youth was about to reach the Jinluan Hall, he had suddenly complained of stomach trouble and claimed he could no longer hold it in.
Having no choice, Nanny Song and two palace maids had accompanied him to a side lavatory. Yet no sound came from within. When Nanny Song finally grew suspicious and went inside to check, she found the room completely empty. The youth had vanished.
The moment the Empress heard this, her heart clenched. She regretted her impatience. In her eagerness to frame the Second Prince, she had gambled on an exceedingly risky move.
That wretched girl had actually dared to run away! What nerve!
Just then, the Emperor asked about the Crown Prince’s whereabouts.
Even Empress Tang had no idea how to respond. She could only force a smile and say: “The child became overheated last night and upset his stomach. I ask Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
Emperor Chunde’s brows knitted slightly. Who among them had not once been a prince?
Whenever there was a major palace celebration, princes began eating plain porridge and vegetarian meals the day before, carefully avoiding anything that might cause indigestion or embarrassment during the formal ceremonies. Yet that useless boy clearly had no such self-discipline. Missing the ritual audience over a stomachache was simply beyond redemption.
Around the hall, the consorts and princes exchanged glances and suppressed their laughter. Some of the old ministers who still held hope for the Crown Prince could only sigh anxiously, as though they wished they could personally cure his diarrhea so the heir apparent could appear.
Then, all at once, a eunuch at the entrance cried out: “The Crown Prince has arrived to offer birthday felicitations!”
Conversation throughout the hall stopped abruptly.
Every gaze turned toward the palace doors.
There, the Crown Prince, absent from public view for four long years, appeared at last. Dressed in ceremonial robes, wearing a golden crown and jade belt, he strode into the hall with confident, sweeping steps. And he seemed considerably taller than before.
The frail, effeminate youth of years past had grown into a lean, striking young man, sharp and elegant in bearing. The transformation was enough to make everyone look twice.