Chapter 114

Chapter 114 Upon hearing Wan Linlang's confession, Prince Jing showed little emotion. Even though Wan Linlang had failed to out-argue Qiuxiang, both Prince Jing and the Princess Consort were no fools. Fang Yuan'er feeling unwell and sending a maid to fetch Wan Linlang instead of calling for the estate physician was itself an unusual matter. The two of them had clashed more than a few times. Wan Linlang, instead of staying in her own courtyard in the middle of the night, had gone to Xiachi Courtyard to provoke Fang Yuan'er. Where did she get the nerve? The confrontation was real, but Fang Yuan'er herself was not entirely innocent either. However, since Fang Yuan'er had just endured the pain of childbirth, Prince Jing could hardly hold such trivial matters against her. Prince Jing: "As for matters of the inner court, the Princess Consort may handle them as she sees fit." The Princess Consort pressed her lips together, knowing that Prince Jing did not wish to deal with it and had once again left the matter to her. The Princess Consort lowered her gaze to Wan Linlang: "Lady Wan, for confronting a Concubine Consort and causing her premature labor, you are fined six months' allowance, placed under house arrest for one month, and ordered to copy ten volumes of Buddhist scriptures as penance." Unless a grave offense had been committed, punishments in the inner court were limited to house arrest, fines, and copying scriptures—corporal punishment was not lightly employed. Wan Linlang respectfully saluted the Princess Consort: "This servant acknowledges her guilt!" After disposing of Wan Linlang's case, Prince Jing returned to the front courtyard with his attendants. He had just sat down when he heard Shi'an say: "Your Highness, Jing Wu has returned." Prince Jing said: "Have him wait in the study." After Prince Jing changed his clothes, he received Jing Wu in the study. Prince Jing: "What did you manage to extract?" Jing Wu kept his head lowered: "Reporting to Your Highness. The eunuch Yuanbao said that Aunt Fangchun from the palace instructed him to do it." "Fangchun?" A cold smile curled on Prince Jing's face. "Consort Chen certainly has impressive reach!" Fangchun was indeed one of Consort Chen's trusted attendants. Prince Jing was filled with disgust. This Consort Chen came from a humble background and had only gained the Emperor's favor through her looks. Who would have thought she was vicious of tongue and cruel of heart? Every imperial concubine in the harem had been bullied and suppressed by her, and her methods of harming others were endless—and highly unrefined at that. Or perhaps, relying on the Emperor's favor, she simply could not be bothered to cover her tracks. Previously, Consort Chen's reach had been confined to the harem, but now she had extended her hand to the prince's manor outside the palace. Prince Jing suppressed the anger in his chest and let out a light laugh. "I recall that a chambermaid favored by the Seventh Prince recently died?" The Seventh Prince had been born to the Empress in her middle years, and she treasured him more than the apple of her eye. The Empress held great hopes for this son and was extremely strict in his upbringing. Before the Seventh Prince was granted his own establishment and title, he was only permitted to have chambermaids. Yet the Seventh Prince was carved from the same mold as the current Emperor. Lustful and dissolute—loving someone to the point of wishing them life, hating them to the point of wishing them death. Though he could not take a wife or concubines, he had never lacked for attendants in the palace. Just recently, he had nearly laid hands on one of the Emperor's own palace maids. The chambermaid who died was a palace maid who had grown up alongside the Seventh Prince, serving him like a mother and elder sister. Her significance was extraordinary. Lately, the Seventh Prince had come to suspect that the Empress was involved in the chambermaid's death and had been in a cold war with his mother for some time. Prince Jing picked up his brush and wrote a single character on the laid-out paper before slowly saying: "To prevent the Empress and the Seventh Brother from falling out as mother and son, it would be best for the Seventh Brother to learn the truth." After a moment, Prince Jing added: "Also, gather information on the other matters in the Seventh Brother's household, and lead them all to Consort Chen as well." Half-truths and ambiguity were what truly left one unable to defend oneself. And given that Consort Chen relied on the Emperor's favor, she would likely disdain even bothering to refute it. Suddenly, Prince Jing recalled the words Fang Yuan'er had spoken. A collapsing palace? Was it truly just a dream, or was there something more behind it? After Jing Wu left, Prince Jing practiced calligraphy in his study. Before long, Shi'an entered and handed him a letter. "Your Highness, this servant only just discovered a letter that had been slipped into my clothes. It bears the words 'For His Highness's Personal Reading'—it seems it was written specifically for you." Prince Jing glanced at it casually. On the envelope were four blood-red characters—For His Highness's Personal Reading. Whether written in blood or cinnabar, he could not tell. Shi'an said: "This servant has already inspected it—it is nothing more than an ordinary letter." Prince Jing casually tore it open and read it, the light in his eyes growing increasingly dark. Shi'an waited nearby, not daring to speak loudly. "Do you know who sent this letter?" Shi'an kept his head lowered: "This servant thought it over carefully—it should be someone from Concubine Wan's side." "Understood. You may go." "Yes." Letter in hand, Prince Jing walked slowly to the candle flame and set the letter alight. Lady Fang had just spoken of dreaming of a palace adorned with nine-tailed luan birds collapsing. And now Wan had sent a letter saying she had dreamed the previous night of a palace in the southeast corner being crushed by heavy snow, with a golden hairpin shattered beneath the rubble. Consort Chen's maiden surname was Jin. The meaning in Wan's letter could not have been more obvious. Prince Jing smiled enigmatically: "Can there truly be such a coincidence in this world?" Two people dreaming simultaneously, both dreaming of a palace collapsing and Consort Chen meeting with misfortune. If Prince Jing had merely taken Fang Yuan'er's mention as an oddity, then Wan Linlang's bringing it up again made him wary. Prince Jing did not believe in ghosts, gods, or spirits—he believed far more in human machinations! With that thought, he raised his hand in a gesture. A figure emerged from the shadows. "Investigate the situation at Zichen Hall." The Emperor doted on Consort Chen. Not only had he granted her the significant character "Chen" for her title, but he had also found all other palaces unsatisfactory and had a new one—Zichen Hall—specially built for her. From the very naming of Zichen Hall, it had stirred waves of heated debate in the imperial court. Later, its specifications nearly exceeded those of the Empress's Fengqi Palace. It was only after several remonstrating officials died by throwing themselves against the pillars in the imperial court that the Emperor reluctantly conceded a step. If this palace, which had consumed immense resources and held profound significance, were to collapse within five years of its construction... it would surely shake the entire court and the public. Prince Jing could already foresee the coming storm. Inside Xiuyue Pavilion, Wan Linlang, dressed only in her inner garments, sat quietly by the bedside watching the charcoal fire burn. After a long while, Suiyu lifted the curtain and entered. Wan Linlang's eyes instantly lit up, and she asked subconsciously, "Has the Prince come?" Suiyu's body stiffened, and she shook her head quietly with her head lowered. "The Prince is staying in the front courtyard, with no movement." The smile on Wan Linlang's face vanished instantly, like dark clouds gathering. She clutched the quilt tightly and said in disbelief, "How could the Prince not come?!" Then she raised her head to look at Suici. "Are you sure you delivered the letter to Eunuch Shian?" Suici immediately replied, "I'm certain, miss!" "Fearing something might go wrong, I even hid in the shadows and watched for a while. I saw with my own eyes Eunuch Shian discover the letter and tuck the envelope into his sleeve!" "Unless something unexpected happened, Eunuch Shian would definitely give it to the Prince!" Wan Linlang demanded, "Then why hasn't the Prince come to Xiuyue Pavilion?!" "I... I don't know either!" Suiyu and Suici were frightened and lowered their heads, not daring to say anything more. No one suspected Eunuch Shian's loyalty to Prince Jing. Wan Linlang was full of doubts: "Could it be that the Prince doesn't believe me?" "Or has the Prince completely lost hope in me?" "No, that's impossible!" Wan Linlang absolutely refused to believe that Prince Jing would abandon her. Setting that aside, in her previous life, Prince Jing had ascended to the throne—he was inherently a highly ambitious man. In this life, she had used her 'foresight' ability to give Prince Jing the upper hand. There was no reason for him to have no reaction at all, was there?!