Chapter Six

“The prince consort was caned to death for treason back then, and my daughter once raised the same doubts,” Taiping added softly. “I simply don’t want anyone to be branded a traitor and die unjustly in prison.”

Those who had just relaxed straightened again.

Three years ago, Prince Consort Xue Shao was caned to death in prison for treason; his second son had only just turned a month old. The Ming Palace had many taboos, and this was one of them — who would have thought that Princess Taiping would speak of it herself.

The Emperor didn’t speak, or perhaps he didn’t want to respond.

“If your daughter held a grudge against the Wu family, she wouldn’t have married Wu Youji,” Taiping continued. “As for the crown prince’s position, Taiping doesn’t believe there is much room for dispute. This time a hundred people submitted a memorial petitioning to make Wu Chengsi the Crown Prince; next time there will surely be a thousand, ten thousand. But is the office of Crown Prince something decided by a mere petition? The so-called Crown Prince must first be the imperial heir, and ‘imperial heir,’ as the name implies, is the emperor’s own descendant.”

Taiping spoke with courtesy and propriety, without a single flaw.

No matter how noble Duke of Zhou Wu Chengsi was, he remained the Emperor’s nephew, not his offspring.

I sat completely still, listening to the mother and daughter spar, unable to move. I glanced instinctively at Yongtai, only to see her chewing on half a jade dew cake, grinning and winking at me.

Li Chengqi sat beside her leisurely holding a cup of wine; his face, lit by the palace lanterns, was crystalline as jade, serene like an orchid.

The Emperor sighed softly and said nothing.

Because of that conversation, the Emperor never brought up granting marriages again, and the princesses and duchesses present privately breathed a sigh of relief.

Wan’er was right: the Li and Wu families were both on shaky ground, and even if she stayed by his side every day, it was hard to read the Emperor’s mind. Precisely because of that, the Emperor always used marriage grants as leverage.

There were countless arranged unions— even the most favored Taiping Princess was married off to the obscure Wu Youji. All the more so for those who held the title of princess but, because their fathers had been imprisoned, had no solid footing.

After the banquet, the Emperor kept Taiping behind to talk.

When everyone took their leave, she suddenly remembered something and asked Li Chengqi,

“Why didn’t Longji come today?”

Li Chengqi replied,

“A few days ago I went to Qujiang. I didn’t take a carriage or bring any attendants, and halfway there I was caught in a heavy rain and got completely soaked. I’ve been resting in bed these past few days. I was afraid of passing my illness on to the Empress Dowager and my aunts, so I didn’t dare show myself today.”

The Emperor nodded, asking with concern,

“It’s nothing serious, right?”

Li Chengqi smiled and answered,

“It’s nothing serious. He says he’ll come to the palace tomorrow to apologize to the Empress Dowager.”

“Good, tell the Empress Dowager to expect him tomorrow,” she smiled, then added, “Tomorrow is the day the princes from the Wu clan pay obeisance. Have him enter the palace around the noon hour; it will be a good chance for him to see the princes.”

When I heard the Wu family being granted an audience, I focused and listened closely.

Li Longji is Li Chengqi’s third younger brother—could my uncle’s words have been about him? But how would he have known Li Longji would enter the palace tomorrow, and why would he tell me?

The more I thought, the deeper I sank into the fog, unable to find a single clue.

The Emperor continued,

“Wan’er just said Zhaoqing Palace has been mostly prepared. You should return to the palace in half a month; that way the Grand Empress Dowager won’t have to wait for festivals and New Years to see you.”

Several princes bowed and accepted the imperial decree.

It was only when I stepped out of the hall that I noticed water stains still clinging to the carved stone at Li’s Gate—after days of heavy rain, the downpour had finally stopped.

At the palace gate, the maidservants were scrubbing the jade steps; when they saw us emerge they hurried to the sides and bowed.

Yiping, who had been waiting, spotted me from a distance and was about to step forward when a small hand clutched mine.

Yongtai pouted at my side and coaxed,

“It’s rained these past few days and I’ve been cooped up in the palace. Now that it’s stopped, Sister, come with me to walk around Taiye Pond.”

I froze for a moment, puzzled by her cheerfulness.

“The path is all puddles—what about tomorrow?”

Yongtai pushed out her lips and said,

“Oh no. If I want to see Brother Chengqi again, I’ll have to wait half a month.”

So she wanted to invite Prince Yongping to come along.

I couldn’t help but mutter to myself—this little girl is always so well treated by her, and when it comes to moments like this she knows just how to bully me.

Everyone else at the banquet dared not eat much; I’d gone the whole day without food, and after only two bites my thoughts were thrown into turmoil by the matter with the Crown Prince.

I was just thinking of going back to have Yiping prepare something to fill my stomach, and she wants me to accompany her to the Taiye Pool?

Seeing my hesitation, Yongtai immediately made a decision and ordered her palace maid,

“Have the women from Princess Yong’an’s residence return first.”

The maid bowed quickly and left, running to Yiping’s side to whisper a few words.

Yiping watched me from afar; I helplessly nodded, signaling for her to return to the palace first.

By then Yongtai had released my hand and flung herself toward Li Chengqi as he was stepping out of the hall, acting coy as she said,

“Brother Chengqi.”

Li Chengqi looked down at her and asked in a flat tone,

“Why aren’t you going back yet?”

Yongtai twitched her nose, glanced at me, and said,

“Sister Yong’an wants to go to the Taiye Pool—Brother Chengqi, would you be willing to accompany us?”

Li Chengqi, having heard her, looked up at me.

I cursed silently, but didn’t know how to respond to Yongtai. If I said it was my idea, fine — if not… looking at the look of absolute certainty on Yongtai’s face, I knew she had it in the bag today.

Yongtai kept signaling to me with her eyes, but it was Li Chengqi who nodded first and said to Li Chengyi behind him,

“Since the princess is willing, the two of us will take a walk around Taiye Pond.”

Li Chengyi smiled and nodded.

“We’ll follow Big Brother’s arrangements.”

After he spoke, he gave me a slight nod. I hurriedly returned the salute, saying,

“Thank you, Prince Yong’an and Prince Hengyang, for accompanying me.”

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