Shen Chao’s mind was in turmoil.
The Crown Prince was the second son of the Empress and the Emperor. Since childhood, the Emperor had raised him in the Hall of Mental Cultivation under the pretense of grooming a future ruler. Outsiders praised the Crown Prince as benevolent, virtuous, wise, and enlightened, destined to become a humble and compassionate ruler who cherished his people.
Everyone held deep admiration for His Highness the Crown Prince—everyone except Shen Chao, for she had witnessed the Crown Prince’s demonic side.
It happened four years ago, during a summer.
The Empress was suffering from a migraine and found it difficult to sleep.
As the Empress’s Chief Attendant of Clothing, Shen Chao, upon hearing of Her Majesty’s headache, worked through the night to craft a medicinal headband and delivered it to the Empress.
Holding an umbrella, she ventured out into the darkness and stumbled upon Xiao Yanli in front of Phoenix Palace.
At that time, Xiao Yanli was only twelve years old, dressed in plain robes. With one hand, he forcefully shoved a young eunuch into a large water vat in front of the palace.
Amidst the torrential rain and flashes of lightning, Xiao Yanli resembled a soul-reaping demon.
Terrified, Shen Chao hastily hid behind a pillar and stole a glance at the young prince.
The vat was large enough to hold three or four people and was used by the Empress to cultivate water lilies. Unfortunately, the water lilies were ungrateful, never blooming and merely flaunting their leaves as a facade.
Xiao Yanli gripped the back of the young eunuch’s neck with one hand, pressing him into the vat, while his other hand idly stroked the lotus leaves inside.
“Her Majesty’s water lily is truly useless, refusing to bloom. Father says it hasn’t been nurtured properly.”
“I read in a book that some flowers bloom more vibrantly and abundantly when fertilized with decaying flesh. Tell me, if I feed it your blood, how long will it take to bloom?”
No one answered his question. The young eunuch struggled desperately under his grip but gradually fell silent.
Beneath the lightning, Shen Chao clearly saw the water overflowing from the vat tinged with red!
—Boom.
Shen Chao watched as he broke into a delighted smile, his expression gradually twisting into something monstrous.
He seemed both satisfied with his handiwork and displeased with the dreadful weather.
Once he had laughed his fill, his gaze suddenly turned sharp and fixed in Shen Chao’s direction.
Those were the eyes of a ferocious beast. Shen Chao was scared out of her wits and fled headlong into the pouring rain.
Later, she kept an eye out for any missing persons in Phoenix Palace, but disappearances were commonplace in the palace. No one dared to ask too many questions, fearing they would be suspected and become the next victim.
Perhaps the rain that night had concealed Shen Chao’s figure, for after days of fear, no one came looking for her. As time passed, she gradually let down her guard.
Shen Chao continued her life as before, until one hot day when Her Majesty permitted her to work in a side hall to escape the heat. There, she overheard Xiao Yanli complaining to the chief eunuch of Phoenix Palace.
“Her Majesty’s water lily still hasn’t bloomed. Si Xi truly is useless.”
Si Xi was the name of the young eunuch who had disappeared.
“Was the blood not enough?”
In that moment, Shen Chao lost her focus and pricked her fingertip with an embroidery needle. Drops of blood fell one by one, staining the Moonlight Brocade in her hands, terrifying her to her core.
Though the Empress was lenient and did not hold her accountable for ruining the fabric, Shen Chao was so frightened that she fell ill with a high fever for several days. In her dreams, she relived the scene of Xiao Yanli pressing her into the vat to drain her blood.
In the dream, Xiao Yanli held a dagger firmly against her neck, his face—still bearing traces of childish innocence—twisted into a horrifying grimace.
His eyes were fierce as he said, "You die, and my water lilies will bloom."
This nightmare had haunted Shen Chao for many years. Even now, her first reaction upon seeing Xiao Yanli was to shrink back.
Shen Chao moved slowly toward the palace hall, as if by dragging her feet she could avoid meeting Xiao Yanli.
Xiao Yanli’s personal eunuch spotted her from afar and hurried over to greet her. "Oh, Sister Caichun, please hurry! Don’t keep His Highness waiting!"
Hearing this, Shen Chao’s legs went weak again, but she quickened her pace nonetheless.
Upon entering the hall, she saw Xiao Yanli seated in an official’s chair, holding a book in his hands.
Though the youth was only sixteen, he already embodied the saying, "Stand like a pine, sit like a bell." Among all the princes, Shen Chao could not find a second whose bearing could compare to the Crown Prince’s.
"This servant Caichun pays respects to the Crown Prince."
Only then did Xiao Yanli shift his gaze to Shen Chao. Without speaking, he left her frozen in her bowing posture, not daring to move.
Her legs were already trembling, her body swaying, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead, yet she gritted her teeth and held on.
How amusing.
Only after savoring her distress did Xiao Yanli wave a hand.
Fu Hai immediately stepped forward to help her up, his face breaking into a smile. "Oh, Sister Caichun, His Highness summoned you for no other reason. Didn’t you once make a headband for Her Majesty the Empress to relieve her headaches? His Highness would like to ask you to make one for him as well."
Shen Chao was taken aback. A headband… four years ago…
Could it be that the Crown Prince had seen her that night and summoned her now to silence her forever?
Terrified, she lowered her head to avoid Xiao Yanli’s damp, cold gaze, forcing herself to stay calm so her voice wouldn’t tremble. "I will give the recipe to you at once, sir."
Fu Hai held her back. "Ah, ah, ah, is Sister too busy to make one for His Highness?"
He glanced at his master and, seeing Xiao Yanli’s indifferent gaze fixed on his hand, immediately released Shen Chao’s sleeve as if burned by hot iron.
Shen Chao found his request troubling. The Crown Prince was an unrelated man, and all his clothing and accessories were arranged by the Imperial Household Department.
She was merely the Chief Attendant of Clothing for the Empress; making a personal item for him was highly inappropriate.
Seeing her so frightened, Xiao Yanli changed his request. "Never mind. I don’t care for headbands. Make a sachet instead."
"This servant…"
"What, is Sister unwilling?" Xiao Yanli looked at Shen Chao with a faint, ambiguous smile.
His expression seemed gentle, like that of an ordinary young man, yet Shen Chao felt a chill rise from the depths of her heart, as if a venomous snake had coiled around her ankle.
There were several female officials serving the Empress, and aside from Zhixia, all were older than Xiao Yanli.
They were all daughters of court officials. Xiao Yanli usually addressed them politely as "Sister," but none dared to treat this Crown Prince as a younger brother.
Yet, whether intentionally or not, Xiao Yanli had never once called her "Sister." Today, that single word sent shivers down Shen Chao’s spine, leaving her mind blank. Her body moved faster than her thoughts, and she dropped to her knees with a thud.
"This servant wouldn’t dare!"