Chapter 49: Anticipation
When did she start looking forward to the wedding?
…
The Crown Prince’s heart skipped a beat, but a summons from the Emperor could not be delayed.
He composed himself and hurried to the Imperial Study.
Before he could even bow, he was met with the Emperor’s furious rebuke. “Look at this fine mess you’ve made!”
These words were rather harsh.
As the rare imperial fraternal twin to his sister, Princess Zhaoyang, the Crown Prince had been extremely favored by the Emperor for many years and was seldom reprimanded like this.
He couldn’t help but wonder secretly: Could it be that Imperial Father suspects my birthright? On second thought, that couldn’t be right. If his Imperial Father knew of his true parentage, how could he still be alive?
It must be something else.
The Crown Prince breathed a slight sigh of relief, stepped forward quickly, and said with a respectful expression, “Your son does not know what he has done wrong. I beg Imperial Father to enlighten me.”
“You don’t know?” The Emperor grew even more incensed, sneering, “It’s the talk of the town. The dignified Crown Prince, the heir to the nation, sent men to assassinate a court official just to vent his personal anger. I had no idea the Crown Prince possessed such methods.”
As he spoke, he threw a stack of memorials right in the Crown Prince’s face.
The Crown Prince’s heart went cold. He caught them and saw they were all from officials of the Third Prince’s faction, impeaching him for assassinating a court official.
Assassinating a court official was no small matter, and for the Crown Prince to do it was simply unheard of.
As if they had witnessed it themselves, these men wrote in their memorials about his dissatisfaction with Shen Ji and how he had dispatched men to ambush him along the road, describing it in vivid detail.
Some went even further, explicitly pointing out that the Crown Prince’s actions were actually a sign of his dissatisfaction with the Emperor.
With such a grave accusation leveled against him, the Crown Prince subconsciously denied it. “Imperial Father, please see clearly! Your son has never done such a thing!”
“The witness and material evidence are all here. How do you explain yourself?” the Emperor said, tossing an Eastern Palace Token before him.
The Crown Prince was speechless. It wouldn’t be strange if Prince Yan knew about the assassination of Shen Ji. But how did the Third Prince find out? And how much did he know?
That third brother of his had long been eyeing the position of Crown Prince, and now that he had an opportunity, he was biting down and refusing to let go.
Seeing that denial was futile, the Crown Prince could only say, “Your son… your son did it to avenge Zhaoyang.”
The Emperor snorted coldly. While he was certainly resentful that Shen Ji had been so inflexible at the Qionglin Banquet, causing the princess to attempt suicide, he was even more displeased that the Crown Prince had bypassed him to carry out an assassination.
“Are you avenging Zhaoyang, or do you simply have no regard for me?” The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly. “At the Qionglin Banquet, I had already punished Shen Ji. You did not object then, yet you turned around and secretly sent men to assassinate him. Such duplicity—what are your true intentions?”
The Emperor doted on the Crown Prince, but he loved his throne even more. It was fine as long as the Crown Prince remained obedient, but once he exhibited any unusual behavior, the Emperor would become wary.
Moreover, the Crown Prince’s actions this time had truly crossed a major line for the Emperor. No matter how much he disliked Shen Ji, he was still the Emperor’s subject, and it was not the Crown Prince’s place to deal with him privately. If only he had reported it beforehand!
As the Emperor now recalled the events of the Qionglin Banquet, he even began to suspect that perhaps the Crown Prince had a private grudge against Shen Ji and had used his hand to eliminate him.
But the Emperor was unwilling to dwell on this thought, because the Emperor could do no wrong.
The Crown Prince hastily knelt. “Your son wouldn’t dare.”
“Wouldn’t dare? What wouldn’t you dare to do? You assassinate Shen Ji today, who will you assassinate tomorrow? Are you going to assassinate any court official you find displeasing? If you had succeeded, I might have thought a little more highly of you. But you failed, leaving behind such an obvious handle for me to clean up your mess.” The Emperor felt utterly disgraced.
The Crown Prince lowered his head even further, repeatedly begging for forgiveness.
“Tell me, which Crown Prince has ever carried out assassinations in private like you? If word of this gets out, what will the people of the realm think of you? If you don’t want to be the heir apparent, you should abdicate in favor of someone more worthy sooner rather than later!”
After a round of scolding, the Emperor’s expression softened slightly. “I see that Zhaoyang is not seriously harmed. Let this matter end here. Do not touch that Shen Ji again.”
If Shen Ji had been eliminated by the Crown Prince without a trace, it would have been one thing. But after this failed assassination, if anything were to happen to him, no matter how cleanly it was done, it would cause the scholars of the realm to lose faith in the Crown Prince.
“Yes.”
“You may leave.” The Emperor waved his hand. He was still partial to the Crown Prince and decided to suppress the matter.
The Crown Prince bowed and withdrew.
By the time he walked out of the Imperial Study, his forehead was slick with cold sweat.
The Crown Prince secretly pondered that his third brother had been tipped off by either Shen Ji or Prince Yan. Regardless of who it was, the situation was very unfavorable for him.
He wasn’t sure how much his third brother and Prince Yan knew, but he was certain that he could no longer make a move against Shen Ji—whether or not Shen Ji knew his secret.
On the surface, the conflict between him and Shen Ji was far from a life-or-death struggle. Not to mention, it was difficult for him to act within Prince Yan’s sphere of influence. Even if he did manage to kill Shen Ji, he would be the first to be suspected.
Prince Yan was one thing; there was no direct conflict of interest between them. But his third brother was wholeheartedly trying to replace him.
If something were to be discovered, or if nothing was found but something was pinned on him regardless, it would be very bad.
Besides, up until now, his third brother had only made an issue of the “assassination of a court official,” never mentioning the Crown Prince’s parentage. It seemed they didn’t know his secret.
The Crown Prince carefully recalled the scenes at the pavilion and by the Imperial River on the day of the Qionglin Banquet and ultimately decided to put the matter aside for now.
He could not afford to lose his composure and bring trouble upon himself.
During the time Shen Ji and Ping An were recuperating at Prince Yan’s estate, Yan Wangfei arranged for the group of four to stay in the same courtyard. Looking out for one another, they grew more familiar and closer than before.
After recuperating for a little over half a month, Shen Ji’s injuries improved day by day.
Su Zhenyue saw this and gradually felt relieved, with only one matter weighing on her mind.
This day, seeing Shen Ji resting in the courtyard, Su Zhenyue simply moved a round stool over and sat not far from him.
The sunlight on her face was warm and pleasant.
After a moment of thought, Su Zhenyue asked softly, “Cousin, are we going to live here forever?”
Shen Ji’s brows arched slightly in surprise. “Of course not. Why would you think that?”
“I’m a little worried about the Crown Prince,” Su Zhenyue answered honestly.
She had always been fearful of things like assassinations. It was safe inside Prince Yan’s estate, but she didn’t know if it would be safe once they left.
“No need to worry about that.” Prince Yan’s voice suddenly rang out. As he spoke, he had already strode into the courtyard.
The two of them quickly stood up. “Your Highness.”
“No need for formalities, sit.” Prince Yan smiled. “How are He Ming’s injuries?”
“Much better.”
“That’s good.” Prince Yan nodded, then asked, “Have you not told Miss Su about the Crown Prince’s situation?”
Su Zhenyue blinked, a little bewildered. “Told me what?”
Shen Ji said softly, “There shouldn’t be any more problems from the Crown Prince’s side.”
“Hm? What do you mean?” Su Zhenyue’s eyes lit up.
Shen Ji couldn’t be too specific, only saying, “Because if he really killed me, he would face endless trouble.”
During his recuperation, Shen Ji had thought about this matter seriously, recalling every single one of his few interactions with the Crown Prince, replaying every word and every glance, mulling them over carefully.
It was obvious that the Crown Prince wanted him dead, having started laying the trap from the Qionglin Banquet.
But in reality, he had only met the Crown Prince one more time than the other new Jinshi scholars.
Therefore, the problem most likely lay in that one extra meeting.
It was before the Qionglin Banquet, by the Imperial River.
At that time, his clothes were dirty and needed washing, and a young eunuch had offered to find him some soap pods. The Crown Prince had suddenly appeared, exchanged a few words, and even asked him why he wasn’t using soap pods…
What if the Crown Prince’s question about the soap pods wasn’t a casual inquiry, but an intentional probe?
What if that young eunuch had inadvertently discovered some secret, and the Crown Prince mistakenly thought Shen Ji knew it as well?
Historically, the reasons for murder, aside from crimes of passion, were few: for love, for revenge, for personal gain, or to silence someone.
After eliminating the obviously impossible options, Shen Ji made a bold deduction: the Crown Prince wanted to kill him, most likely to silence him.
Once this speculation arose, it was difficult to overturn.
All the points of doubt seemed to become clear and logical. The only thing Shen Ji couldn’t figure out was what secret could make the Crown Prince so determined to kill him.
Something the Crown Prince cared about so much could not be a small matter.
Treason?
Murder?
An illicit affair?
…
Shen Ji couldn’t guess the specific reason, but that didn’t stop him from finding a way to survive. He consulted with Prince Yan and used the Third Prince’s influence to muddy the waters first.
After all, the Third Prince and the Crown Prince had been at odds for a long time. How could the Third Prince’s faction possibly let go of an opportunity to catch the Crown Prince in a mistake?
With the Third Prince entering the fray, the situation became more complicated, and the Crown Prince had more to worry about.
And Shen Ji would be much safer.
However, if he wanted to uncover the Crown Prince’s secret, he would probably have to investigate slowly.
…
Su Zhenyue was still not at ease. “What if the Crown Prince isn’t afraid of trouble?”
Shen Ji’s expression paused for a moment. “He will be.”
When the Crown Prince was unsure if Shen Ji knew, and unsure how many people knew, but eliminating him clearly had more drawbacks than benefits, he would consider it carefully.
Prince Yan, however, laughed heartily. “Is Miss Su distrustful of this prince? Within Youzhou’s borders, it won’t be so easy for the Crown Prince to assassinate a court official.”
The explanation was on the tip of his tongue, but Shen Ji swallowed it back and nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
Su Zhenyue gave an embarrassed smile. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just timid and a little scared.”
“I know,” Shen Ji said softly. He could completely understand her worry and fear. That was why the next step was to grasp the Crown Prince’s secret as soon as possible and use it to bring him down.
Prince Yan then said, “No need to be afraid. I came here this time to tell you that the Emperor has reprimanded the Crown Prince. He shouldn’t dare to act rashly for a short while.”
After a pause, Prince Yan added, “Even if the Crown Prince still has other ideas, within Youzhou’s borders, this prince can guarantee your safety.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but his words were spoken with immense confidence.
Su Zhenyue felt a little more at ease and said sincerely, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Prince Yan did not stay long. After a few more words with Shen Ji about the court’s recent developments, he left.
Watching Prince Yan’s departing figure, Su Zhenyue let out a breath, feeling quite fortunate. It was a good thing they had run into Prince Yan at the Dragon King Temple that night. Otherwise, things would certainly be much more difficult than they were now.
“Mianmian,” Shen Ji suddenly spoke, his tone serious. “You can stay at Prince Yan’s estate for now. It’s safe here, Prince Yan is friendly to you, and Yan Wangfei likes you very much.”
He had been considering this for the past few days, and seeing her genuine worry and fear today, he made this decision.
Su Zhenyue was taken aback. “I’ll stay at Prince Yan’s estate, but what about you?”
Will he stay at Prince Yan’s estate as an advisor? Is he not going to be a county magistrate anymore?
“I’m going to Anle County to take up my post,” Shen Ji explained. “If I stay at Prince Yan’s estate for too long, I’m afraid it will be detrimental to Prince Yan.”
A short stay could be explained as recuperating from injuries. But if he stayed for a long time, it would inevitably make people question Prince Yan’s intentions.
For a vassal prince, privately befriending a court official was not a good thing.
“Then why do you want me to stay here?” Su Zhenyue’s eyelashes fluttered. Her mind turned, and she guessed the reason. “Is it because you’re afraid it won’t be safe if the Crown Prince makes another move?”
Shen Ji didn’t deny it, only saying evasively, “The conditions in Anle County are also poor.”
The matter with the Crown Prince was not fully resolved, and she was scared. There was really no need for her to take the risk with him.
Su Zhenyue understood his meaning and his reason for suggesting it, but she felt a little moved, a little stifled, a little ashamed, and a mix of other indescribable feelings.
She knew she had always been afraid of death and cherished her life above all else. In that long dream, terrified of being assassinated again, she had hidden in the West Wing Courtyard for months without stepping out. After waking from the dream, she had also racked her brains to change her fate.
Wasn’t that why she had approached Shen Ji in the first place?
In her initial plan, Shen Ji would help her avoid the arranged marriage, and she would help him avoid the great fire. She would have repaid his kindness, and they would be even. But she didn’t know when she had stopped thinking about these things.
Perhaps it was because they had experienced so much together recently that she had no time to think. Or perhaps it was for some other reason.
Even when she first arrived at Prince Yan’s estate, Su Zhenyue had thought about just hiding here forever. Until the Emperor passed away, until Prince Yan ascended the throne…
But now that Shen Ji had brought it up himself, for some reason, she didn’t want to do that anymore.
Su Zhenyue said sullenly, “The conditions are poor, but aren’t you still going?”
Before Shen Ji could answer, she added, “If you go, I’ll go. I already said it that day at the Jing An Marquis Estate. I’m going with you to Anle County.”
She spoke each word with exceptional firmness.
Shen Ji frowned slightly. “Mianmian!”
“I trust His Highness Prince Yan, I trust myself, and I trust you.” Su Zhenyue took a step forward, took his hand, and softened her voice. “Besides, we’ve already bowed to heaven and earth.”
She had been a little worried before, but after hearing what Shen Ji and Prince Yan said today, little of that worry remained.
Prince Yan valued Shen Ji and intended to recruit him. How could he let him die just like that? And that was the future emperor, after all. He had personally guaranteed her safety, so what was there to worry about?
Hearing her mention that “bow to heaven and earth,” Shen Ji subconsciously said, “That doesn’t count. It was too unfair to you.”
“If it doesn’t count, then you still owe me a wedding,” Su Zhenyue replied instantly. “You promised in front of the Marquis and the Old Madam.”
Shen Ji looked at her quietly, silent for a moment. “Mianmian, do you really want to go with me?”
“Yes, really.” Su Zhenyue nodded emphatically.
She wasn’t actually sure if her insistence on going with him was out of a sense of loyalty, trust, or some other reason, but she felt that they should advance and retreat together.
“Not afraid?”
“A little, but when I think about you being there, it doesn’t seem so scary anymore,” Su Zhenyue said softly, looking into his eyes.
No matter how dangerous it was, he would always protect her.
There weren’t many people in this world who would do that for her.
Shen Ji gazed at her for a long time before finally nodding. “Alright, then we’ll go together.”
“Okay.” Su Zhenyue smiled, her eyes seeming to sparkle with starlight.
She didn’t know if she would regret this decision in the future. But at least in this moment, she had no regrets.
Once Shen Ji’s injuries had improved slightly, he bid farewell to Prince Yan.
Prince Yan did not try too hard to keep them, instead gifting them several pieces of protective soft armor and dispatching a team of personal guards to accompany him.
“These men are skilled in martial arts and loyal. Not only can they protect you along the way, but you can also command them once you reach Anle County. It will save you from having no one to use when you first take up your post.” Prince Yan’s treatment of him was half gratitude for saving his son and half an effort to recruit talent.
If you want others to serve you sincerely, you must treat them with sincerity. Prince Yan had understood this principle since he was very young.
Shen Ji was filled with gratitude and thanked him repeatedly.
“You and I are fated to meet; no need to mind these things.” Prince Yan waved his hand, then said with a bit of a tease, “Besides, I promised to protect you both. If I can’t do it, I’m afraid Miss Su will say this prince is full of empty words.”
Shen Ji was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile. This is good too, he thought. I can be much more at ease.
Prince Yan’s smile faded, and he said seriously, “By the way, regarding the matter you brought up the other day, I have already sent people to investigate.”
Shen Ji knew he was talking about investigating the Crown Prince’s secret and simply nodded.
…
At this moment, Yan Wangfei was holding Su Zhenyue’s hand, reluctant to part.
Yan Wangfei was in her early thirties, not tall, with fair skin, but she had a rather fiery temper and could wield a long spear with impressive might. Because of the incident where the Heir Apparent was bitten by a poisonous snake, she had given Prince Yan and their son the cold shoulder for several days.
However, she was very fond of Su Zhenyue and often pulled her aside to chat, asking about the latest trends in the capital or the various things she had seen on her journey. When she was in high spirits, she even said she would teach Su Zhenyue martial arts when she had time.
“It’s a pity you’re leaving so soon. I haven’t had a chance to teach you martial arts yet,” Yan Wangfei said with deep regret.
Su Zhenyue smiled. “If there’s a chance in the future, I will ask for Your Highness’s guidance again. I just hope Your Highness won’t find me too dull-witted.”
“I won’t. Besides, how are you dull?” Yan Wangfei smiled, then had a maid bring out the travel money she had prepared. “I heard you lost many of your belongings on the road. This is what I’ve newly prepared. See if it’s to your liking.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Su Zhenyue was quite moved.
Even though she had deliberately tried to get on good terms with her at first because of her status, she had always kept the kindness others showed her in her heart.
Yan Wangfei touched her hair bun and whispered in her ear, “I think that Number One Scholar is a good man, and he’s sincere to you. Good sister, when you two get married, don’t forget to invite me for a cup of wedding wine.”
“Rest assured, Your Highness, we will definitely invite you,” Su Zhenyue replied, then glanced at Shen Ji.
Coincidentally, he was also looking at her.
The sunlight fell on his face, coating his features with a faint golden light.
Su Zhenyue’s heart suddenly stirred. Previously, when she thought about them having another wedding, she only felt it was to fulfill his wish and make him happy. When did she, too, begin to feel a faint sense of anticipation?