Chapter 9
That night, the Cui residence was completely silent.
The moon was high in the sky, and its cool light shone through the window, casting dappled silver frost into Cui Yunshu's bedroom.
She lay on the soft canopy bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Everything that had happened during the day replayed in her mind like a revolving lantern. The heart-stopping confrontation in the Lu family's backyard, the woman's shrill accusations, the noble ladies' horrified gazes, and... her sister Cui Yunxi's pale yet unusually calm face.
The plan was a success.
In terms of the outcome, it was perfect. A meticulously planned "accident" successfully escalated a potentially suppressed scandal within the inner palace into a shocking case involving the Dali Temple and impacting the very foundation of the nation. Now, rumors of "the Crown Prince forcibly abusing a commoner and impregnating her" have spread throughout the capital, the Eastern Palace's reputation is ruined, and her marriage to the Crown Prince is in grave danger under the condemnation of the entire nation.
She should have been happy, and should have been thrilled to have successfully turned the "plot around".
But she didn't.
An indescribable, chilling sense of unease was spreading from the depths of her heart, entangling her every limb and bone.
The source of that bewilderment was Cui Yunxi.
She couldn't understand it.
How could a young woman, a future crown princess, remain so calm when her fiancé was embroiled in such a shocking scandal and she became the laughingstock of the entire capital?
That wasn't a forced act, a pretense, or a deliberate suppression of emotions out of the upbringing of a noblewoman. Cui Yunshu considered herself fairly good at judging people; she could discern that beneath that calmness, there was no anger, no humiliation, no despair, and not even... the slightest trace of sadness.
It was a kind of indifference that was almost like... detachment.
It was as if her fiancé wasn't the one thrust into the spotlight today, nor was she facing a humiliating disgrace that could ruin her life.
This is completely illogical.
Could it be that my sister truly has absolutely no feelings or expectations for this marriage, or for the Crown Prince himself? If that's the case, why did she take the initiative to accept this marriage on my behalf in the first place?
Cui Yunshu's mind was in complete turmoil. She felt like a traveler walking in a thick fog, thinking she could see the road ahead, only to find, after taking a step, that there was a bottomless abyss beneath her feet.
No, she has to find out the truth!
Once the thought took hold, she could no longer suppress it. She suddenly sat up in bed, threw on an overcoat, and without even putting on her shoes, barefoot, carrying a small horn lamp, quietly pushed open the door and went out.
The Cui residence was silent in the dead of night. The lanterns under the corridor cast a dim yellow light, making her shadow appear longer and shorter. A cool night breeze blew against her thin clothes, causing her to shiver involuntarily, but she paid no attention to it.
She walked through the garden, around the artificial hill, and went straight to "Mizhuyuan" where Cui Yunxi lived.
Inside the Mizhu Courtyard, the bamboo groves stand tall and straight, the moonlight casting dappled shadows on the ground, swaying in the breeze as if weeping. A faint light still shines through the windows of the main house, clearly indicating that the people inside are not yet at rest.
Cui Yunshu took a deep breath to calm her wildly beating heart and gently pushed open the slightly ajar door.
The scene inside the room startled her slightly.
Contrary to expectations, Cui Yunxi did not weep or sit in a daze. She was dressed simply in a white nightgown, her long hair loosely tied up, sitting upright at her desk, holding a book in her hands, engrossed in reading by candlelight. Her composure and tranquility were exactly the same as during the day, as if the storm outside that could overturn the capital was nothing more than a gentle breeze outside the window to her.
Hearing the door open, Cui Yunxi looked up and saw Cui Yunshu. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "Fourth sister, it's late. Why did you come over?"
Cui Yunshu carried the lantern inside and closed the door. She put the lantern aside, walked straight to the desk, and stared intently at her sister, no longer able to maintain her daytime facade.
"Sister," she said bluntly, her voice trembling slightly with emotion, "Are you... are you alright?"
Cui Yunxi put down the book in his hand, looked up at her, his clear eyes reflecting the candlelight, and asked in return, "Why would I be bad?"
"Why would it be bad?" Cui Yunshu's voice rose involuntarily as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Don't you know what's going on outside? The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince did such a beastly thing! He's ruined your reputation, your entire future! How... how can you still be sitting here reading like nothing happened?!"
She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving and her eyes reddening. Part of her outburst stemmed from feeling sorry for her sister, while the other part was filled with fear of the growing unease within herself.
“Sister, listen to me,” she stepped forward, grasping Cui Yunxi’s slightly cool hand, and said urgently, “This is our perfect opportunity! The Crown Prince’s character is so corrupt that the Emperor, for the sake of the royal family’s reputation, will certainly not allow you to marry him. We can use this opportunity to propose to Father and the elders that this marriage be dissolved! You will never have to marry that scum again, never again…”
"shut up."
Two words, light and airy, yet carrying an undeniable force, instantly interrupted all of Cui Yunshu's words.
Cui Yunshu was stunned and looked at Cui Yunxi in disbelief.
Cui Yunxi slowly withdrew her hand, stood up, walked to the window, opened it, and let the cool night breeze blow through her long hair. Her back was slender and upright, and her voice was calm without a trace of emotion.
“He’s not a scumbag.” She paused, then repeated it, as if stating an irrefutable truth, “He’s not that kind of person.”
"What?" Cui Yunshu was completely stunned. She wondered if she had misheard. "Sister, what are you saying? That woman has all the evidence, both witnesses and physical proof. Everyone in the capital saw it. You... how could you still..."
“I believe him.” Cui Yunxi turned around, the moonlight and candlelight intertwining on her face, making her plain features appear somewhat unreal. Her gaze went straight into Cui Yunshu’s eyes, and the firmness in her eyes was something Cui Yunshu had never seen before. “No matter what others say, no matter how much so-called ‘evidence’ there is, I believe him.”
Cui Yunshu was struck dumb, staggered back two steps, and almost knocked over the chair behind her.
Her mind went blank.
believe?
Faced with overwhelming evidence, my sister actually said... she believed that man?
"Why?" Cui Yunshu's voice was dry, as if it had been sanded. "What makes you believe him? Just because of that imperial decree of marriage? Just because of his status as the crown prince? Sister, stop deceiving yourself!"
Cui Yunxi looked at her, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes—helplessness, pity, and finally, a long sigh.
She was silent for a moment, as if considering something, or perhaps recalling something. Finally, she spoke slowly, her voice as soft as a whisper:
"Because... he was with me the whole night the incident happened."
"What did you say?!" Cui Yunshu's eyes widened instantly; she almost thought she was hallucinating.
“You heard me right,” Cui Yunxi said, a faint blush of shyness and sweetness appearing on her face for the first time. “That night… he sneaked into my Mizhu Courtyard.”
Next, Cui Yunxi slowly recounted a story that was completely different from what was recorded in the "book," yet it was incredibly true.
Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng had been away from the capital for over a month on imperial orders to inspect river works. Upon his return, he was preoccupied with various affairs of state and had been unable to see her. That night, driven by his longing, he disregarded propriety and brazenly sneaked into the Cui residence, hoping to see her and express their feelings to each other.
They didn't do anything outrageous; they simply sat on a stone bench under the bamboo grove and talked for half the night. He told her about his observations on his inspection tour and his worries about the future of the court; she smoothed his furrowed brow and listened to him describe the harmonious life they would enjoy after their marriage.
The moonlight was beautiful that night, the bamboo shadows swayed, and everything was as beautiful as an unreal dream.
“Our marriage is not, as you think, just a cold political alliance,” Cui Yunxi’s voice grew softer, her eyes glistening with tender tears. “Five years ago, at the Lantern Festival banquet in the palace, he saw me. Later, it was… he himself who asked the Emperor for this marriage.”
"The reason he refused to reveal his whereabouts after the incident, preferring to be disgraced and condemned by everyone rather than involve me, was to protect my reputation. He was afraid that I would be criticized and accused of 'secretly exchanging favors' by the world."
"He protected me, so how could I just stand by and watch him suffer an injustice?"
"So, it was my own decision to stand up."
...
Cui Yunshu stood there blankly, motionless, like a wooden sculpture whose soul had been taken away.
She couldn't hear anything Cui Yunxi said after that. All she could hear was a huge, endless buzzing sound.
Mutual affection...
He proposed to her in private...
To protect her reputation, he was willing to suffer injustice...
These words, like red-hot blades, pierced her cognition, shattering her set of right and wrong based on "books"!
It turns out that the older sister wasn't without feelings; rather, she was deeply in love.
It turns out that the Crown Prince was not a scoundrel, but a deeply devoted lover.
It turns out that what she thought was a "rescue" was, from beginning to end, a self-righteous and utterly absurd farce!
Everything she meticulously planned, the schemes she was so proud of, were built on a completely flawed foundation! The storm she stirred up not only failed to sever the chain she thought was fatal, but instead, like the most foolish executioner, it wielded its blade against the happiness of the person she most wanted to protect, forcing her to sacrifice her own reputation to save her love!
An overwhelming sense of absurdity and guilt engulfed her like a torrent.
Looking at her sister, whose expression was resolute and who was willing to risk everything for love, she realized for the first time how shallow and ridiculous her understanding of the world was.
What she perceived as the "plot," the "prophet" upon which she depended for survival, seemed utterly vulnerable at this moment.
"I...I..." She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, to apologize, to explain, but found that her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and she couldn't utter a single word.
In the end, she staggered out of the room, almost fleeing in panic, leaving behind the world that belonged to her sister and the prince, a world she had never truly understood.
The night wind grew colder.
She walked barefoot on the cold stone path, yet felt no chill. For her heart was a thousand times, ten thousand times colder than the night wind.
In her mind, the cold lines of text in the book clashed and tore at the gentle yet firm light in her sister's eyes, almost ripping her mind apart.
If... if what my sister said is true...
Then, what does everything in the "book" even mean?
If they were in love, why did the Crown Prince rebel three years later? If he cherished his sister so much, why did she suffer a tragic death on the city wall and the entire Cui family be executed?
For the first time, the story took a turn completely out of her control.
And she, this self-righteous "savior," finally became a completely bewildered... outsider at this moment.
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