23
Claiming they were drunk was the perfect excuse—only someone intoxicated would fall into a lotus pond, only someone drunk would speak such nonsense.
At the Grand Princess Changping’s command, several sturdy, broad-shouldered maidservants stepped forward, rolling up their sleeves as they prepared to escort Yu Shu and Yang Jinhui away.
Though the Grand Princess had said they were to be “sent” to the side hall to sober up, everyone knew what that really meant. This wasn’t some gentle invitation—they were being taken away and locked up. Whatever happened next would be entirely up to the Grand Princess’s discretion.
“Grand Princess, please wait a moment!”
A male voice called out from the side. The crowd turned to look, and saw a tall, imposing man striding quickly toward them.
It was Wei Zhuo.
Vice Commander of the Imperial Guards, one of the personal attendants by the emperor’s side.
His appearance could only mean one thing—he was speaking on the emperor’s behalf.
The emperor had also come today to celebrate the Grand Princess Changping’s birthday. Though he hadn’t made a public appearance, it was clear he had learned of the incident between the Xijiang’s Ninth Princess and Yang Jinhui—so he sent Wei Zhuo to assess the situation.
The moment the Grand Princess saw Wei Zhuo arrive, she instinctively glanced toward the pavilion at the center of the lotus pond.
The emperor was there, seated in the lakeside pavilion. He had likely witnessed the entire scene—how the Ninth Princess of Xijiang had pushed Yang Jinhui into the water.
The question now was: in sending Wei Zhuo, was the emperor showing support for the Xijiang’s Princess, or for Yang Jinhui?
As this thought crossed her mind, the Grand Princess looked at Wei Zhuo and asked, “Deputy Commander Wei, do you have something to say?”
Wei Zhuo stepped forward, offered her a respectful bow, and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty asked me to relay a message. He witnessed everything that happened by the lotus pond just now. It was indeed Miss Yang who initiated the conflict, and the Ninth Princess of Xijiang acted only in self-defense. Though the disturbance did interrupt your birthday banquet, there were extenuating circumstances, and her actions are understandable.”
“The emperor’s meaning, then?” the Grand Princess asked, though she had already understood. The emperor was speaking in defense of the Ninth Princess—he had chosen to stand by her side. Whatever his reasons, one thing was certain: he had not chosen to support Yang Jinhui.
When the Grand Princess Changping asked that question, even those who hadn’t understood before now realized: this was the emperor’s will. The emperor intended to protect the Ninth Princess of Xijiang.
Yang Jinhui’s face turned ghostly pale—whether from the chill of falling into the water or from heartbreak at hearing that the emperor wasn’t on her side, no one could say. The strength she had shown earlier while pretending to be pitiful and trying to turn the situation against the Ninth Princess had completely vanished. Now, she stood listlessly as the maidservants supported her, her whole demeanor drained of spirit.
As everyone had guessed, Wei Zhuo continued, “His Majesty said that although the Ninth Princess acted in self-defense, she did disturb the Grand Princess’s birthday banquet and ought to offer her a formal apology. As for Miss Yang—since she instigated the entire incident, she bears the greatest responsibility. She is to be sent home immediately and placed under house arrest. Without permission, she is not to step outside.”
Not just anyone would be handled this way—“sent home to reflect in private” was a punishment that came with weight. And although the emperor’s message was simply relayed, the fact that Wei Zhuo, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards, had come to deliver it himself spoke volumes. This wasn’t a routine matter—the emperor was clearly furious.
In front of so many people, Yang Jinhui being punished and sent home to reflect sounded mild on the surface—but in truth, it meant she had fallen out of favor with the emperor. Her title as the “Emperor’s sworn sister” no longer held any weight.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Yang Jinhui’s body trembled slightly. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.
“Miss Yang has fainted!”
“Hurry, get her out of here!”
With Yang Jinhui collapsing from the shock, the area around the lotus pond descended into chaos once again. Several people rushed to lift and carry her away.
As the crowd around the pond slowly dispersed, Yu Shu hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward to bow to the Grand Princess Changping. Under Wei Zhuo’s watchful eye, she offered a respectful apology—her tone measured and sincere.
Yu Shu did this not out of fear, but out of consideration. After all, today was the Grand Princess’s birthday. No matter how things had escalated with Yang Jinhui, their conflict had indeed disrupted the celebration. As a guest, it was only right for her to show the proper respect to her host. Now that the emperor had publicly spoken on her behalf through Wei Zhuo, the Grand Princess needed a way to gracefully step down from the confrontation. Offering a polite apology smoothed things over for everyone.
Perhaps because Wei Zhuo was still standing by, Grand Princess Changping didn’t act too arrogantly. Although her attitude toward Yu Shu remained cold, and her face still bore a displeased expression, at least she refrained from reprimanding her further. She simply said, “I won’t hold this against you today, but you should be more careful in the future. Not every time will someone be there to speak on your behalf. Let this be the last time.”
“Yes.” Yu Shu responded in a tone that matched the Grand Princess’s—flat and unremarkable.
Grand Princess Changping glanced at Yu Shu for a moment. She simply couldn’t bring herself to like the young woman; even looking at her for too long seemed to strain her eyes. With a curt remark, she said, “I have other matters to attend to. Please see yourself out,” and turned to leave.
“Safe travels, Your Highness.”
Once the Grand Princess was a distance away, Wei Zhuo turned back toward Yu Shu and said, “Princess, I have some matters to attend to as well. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Thank you again, Deputy Commander Wei,” Yu Shu expressed her gratitude.
“You’re too kind, Princess. Farewell,” Wei Zhuo replied before turning and leaving.
Yu Shu watched him leave.
Qingli walked up to Yu Shu and softly said, “Princess, we should be leaving now.”
Earlier, her princess had almost been pushed into the water by Yang Jinhui and nearly wrongfully accused. Although the emperor had spoken up for the princess in the end, Qingli still felt uneasy. This place had a bad atmosphere, and the sooner they left, the better.
Yu Shu looked up toward the lake’s central pavilion, where she could only see the open windows, with a light breeze flowing through. It was quiet inside, and no one could be seen. She wondered when Xiao Jingyao had left.
“You think the Emperor of Daxia would actually send someone to help me?” Yu Shu asked Qingli in confusion. Though she had crossed paths with Xiao Jingyao a few times, she had never revealed her identity, nor had he summoned the Western Jiang envoy. That at least indicated his stance. It wasn’t that he despised them, but he clearly didn’t like them. So why would he help her? Wasn’t it better for her to be falsely accused by Yang Jinhui and scolded and punished by Grand Princess Changping? It certainly wasn’t because of her status as the Ninth Princess of Western Jiang—her status didn’t carry enough weight. Could it be that Xiao Jingyao had some other motive?
Thinking about it, Yu Shu was suddenly startled by her own thoughts. What motive could Xiao Jingyao possibly have toward her?
Qingli, unaware of the princess’s inner turmoil, replied based on her own thoughts, “People in Daxia are hypocritical and insincere, and it’s disgusting. Fortunately, their emperor is a reasonable person. He saw what happened with his own eyes, and couldn’t bear to see the princess slandered by Yang Jinhui. He gave the princess justice. A wise ruler is one who stands for what’s right, not for personal connections.”
If Xiao Jingyao’s only intention was to present himself as a wise and just ruler, that would be fine—but Yu Shu couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t that simple.
“Let’s go,” she said, pushing the thought aside. She called Qingli and turned to walk in the other direction.
On either side of the stone path, rare and exotic flowers bloomed in full splendor—red, yellow, purple, pink, and blue—forming a dazzling sea of color. Butterflies fluttered gracefully through the blossoms, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty.
Unknowingly, Yu Shu and Qingli wandered deeper into the garden. Enchanted by the serene scenery that felt almost like a fairyland, Yu Shu lifted her head—only to spot a man in a white robe embroidered with golden threads standing ahead, his back turned toward them. He turned around when he heard their approaching footsteps.
It was Xiao Jingyao.
Yu Shu froze. Why was he here?
She had no idea how long he’d been standing there.
He stood expressionless, his deep eyes unreadable. The wind rustled the fine silk of his robe. Though he hadn’t spoken yet, Yu Shu instantly understood the message in his gaze:
—I’ve been waiting for you.
“Princess Yu Shu of Xijiang,” he finally said, “we meet again.”
**