Chapter 55: Opening Up - Those Who Share the Same Path Will Eventually Walk Together.
After returning to the manor, Wei Yihua was restless. Su Yue held her wrist and said, "Your Highness, shall we go to Lord Yue's bedchamber now?"
Wei Yihua: "What is she doing in the palace right now?"
Su Yue summoned a maid and asked her questions. The maid replied, "Lord Yue is staying in his bedchamber reading today. I just brought him some tea, so he should still be in the bedchamber."
Wei Yihua pursed her lips. "Then I'll go see her."
The magnolias in front of the steps are in full bloom, their white petals hanging on the heads of the stone lions guarding the gate. Their flawless and smooth color is even more precious than the oriental pearls inlaid on the hairpins and crowns of noblewomen.
As Wei Yihua entered, she saw Yue Yining sitting amidst a cloud of dragon orchid incense smoke. A snow-white wrist protruded from her dark green robe, holding an ancient book. At first glance, she resembled a white lotus bud standing upright against the azure sky.
Yue Yining felt a ray of rosy light shine into the hall. When she looked up, she saw that it was Princess Chang.
She closed the book and stood up: "Why didn't Your Highness give prior notice? I didn't even have time to have the servants prepare some refreshments."
“Why bother with all that formality between us?” Wei Yihua said, sitting down on the other side of the table. She glanced at the book of divination in her hand. “I heard you’ve been so busy these past few days, how come you’re reading something leisurely today?”
In the past few days, Yue Yining has left her residence almost every morning to visit various officials. She is skilled in physiognomy and can discern the intentions of most people by observing their faces. Many people claim to be still considering their options, but in reality, they have already secretly pledged their allegiance to others, only unwilling to make it clear. Yue Yining can see all of this clearly.
In just seven days, she attended several elegant gatherings and met with many high-ranking officials of the court, gaining a general understanding of the factional stances of some important officials in the court at this stage.
She doesn't need to know everyone's wishes; knowing the wishes of those who hold power in key institutions and departments is enough.
Yue Yining: "How could I dare to be lazy? The list has already been drafted and someone has taken it to Lord Shen. I have also made a copy, and I am just waiting for Her Highness the Princess to review it."
"If I hadn't finished all my other work, I wouldn't dare to study anything else here."
Yue Yining smiled and said, "Speaking of which, some interesting things happened yesterday when I met with Vice Minister Liu of the Ministry of Works."
"I don't know if it was the Vice Minister of Works' own idea, or the Fourth Prince's or someone else's instruction, but during the meeting, his words were full of threats and inducements. He asked me why I chose the Third Prince, and that if I wanted power and status, the Fourth Prince could give it to me. He advised me to leave the Third Prince's camp as soon as possible, or I would suffer the consequences sooner or later." Yue Yining laughed, "I've seen many ways of recruiting people, but this is the first time I've seen it so blatant."
Wei Yihua suddenly asked, "Then why did you choose to support Wei Ye?"
Upon hearing this question, Yue Yining was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Why is Your Highness using this to tease me?"
Wei Yihua: "It's not a dig at you, I really just wanted to ask you something."
"I'm just surprised that Your Highness only thought to ask me now?"
Wei Yihua ignored her question: "So what's the reason?"
“There is no reason,” Yue Yining said. “I am now assisting the Third Prince only because Your Highness the Eldest Princess has made such a request.”
Wei Yihua's heart sank.
Even though she had vaguely suspected it for a long time, she still felt desolate when it was confirmed. Yue Yining's answer was concise and to the point, without any attempt to conceal her tact.
As expected. All the events of her past life have changed in this one. If Wei Yihua hadn't found Yue Yining early on and shamelessly brought her into the Princess's residence, she certainly wouldn't have entered the capital so soon, nor would she have chosen a wise ruler so early.
If Yue Yining had arrived in Yanjing according to the timeline of her previous life, would she still be sitting here chatting with her right now?
Seeing that she was in a daze, Yue Yining called out, "Your Highness?"
Wei Yihua snapped back to reality and looked at Yue Yining. "What's wrong?"
Yue Yining: "I heard from the maid that Your Highness went to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine today. Is there something urgent?"
"..." Wei Yihua opened her mouth, "My mother summoned me back to the palace today because she had some news to tell me."
Wei Yihua recounted in detail the emperor's plan to include the seventh prince, Wei Xueyu, in the list of candidates for crown prince.
Sure enough, she saw Yue Yining pause in tapping her teacup.
“Wei Xueyu?” Yue Yining read the name aloud, then frowned slightly, as if she remembered something. “I think I’ve heard this name before.”
Wei Yihua: "Yes, I mentioned him to you when you first came to Yanjing. He is the son of Consort Duan, and his maternal family is the Wang family, which has already fallen into decline."
Yue Yining: "So it was him."
“…I told you before that as long as the Wang family doesn’t fall, Father Emperor won’t consider making him Crown Prince, because there’s the worry of powerful maternal relatives.” Wei Yihua sighed softly, “I never thought my words would come true.”
Yue Yining: "I remember His Highness said that Consort Duan's mother was a member of the Xie family. Even if the Wang family has fallen, isn't there still the Xie family?"
Wei Yihua said, "That's what I thought too. But since Father Emperor has already agreed, it means he doesn't mind."
“It doesn’t seem like they don’t mind,” Yue Yining said thoughtfully, “it’s more like they don’t think the Xie family will be a threat.”
"At the end of March, Prime Minister Xie submitted a memorial requesting to retire, but it was not accepted. Perhaps he did not really intend to resign and retire, but only used this as an opportunity to show his loyalty to the emperor. The emperor refused, but he insisted on returning to his hometown to rest for a month. Now is a time of great turmoil in the court, and a month's absence would mean missing many important matters. A powerful minister would not be willing to make such a sacrifice, but Xie Zhi really left," Yue Yining said. "Even if it was an act, he played it very well."
"It is unclear whether the Xie family expressed their opinions to the emperor in private, or whether the emperor actually had something on Xie Zhi. Based on the information we have so far, perhaps it was because the Xie family adopted a humble attitude that the emperor trusted them."
There was a knock at the door; it was a servant bringing tea and pastries.
After everyone left, Yue Yining continued, "Does Your Highness know anything about the Seventh Prince?"
"I have met or heard of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince to some extent, but I know very little about the Seventh Prince."
The Seventh Prince, Wei Xueyu. Whenever this person was mentioned, Wei Yihua could only think of a vague figure.
Her seventh brother was the closest in age to her, only two years apart. They were similar not only in age but also in knowledge. When they were studying at Chonghua Palace, Wei Xueyu's name was often mentioned by the teachers, who all said he was intelligent.
They should have had a lot to say, but Wei Yihua and Wei Xueyu only talked a handful of times.
It's simply because Wei Xueyu is such a reclusive person.
There were only five children studying in Chonghua Palace back then: the eldest prince Wei Changqiong, the third prince Wei Ye, the fourth prince Wei Jing, the seventh prince Wei Xueyu, and the eldest princess Wei Yihua. Among them, Wei Xueyu was always the one who stayed alone. While the other four were playing wildly in the palace, Wei Xueyu would play with crickets and look at the flowers and trees in a corner.
He wasn't talkative, but his pronunciation was accurate when he recited, indicating that he wasn't bad at speaking, just didn't like it. Trying anything to get someone who doesn't want to talk is futile; her fourth brother once tried to get Wei Xueyu to play with him, but he was rejected and sheepishly returned.
Over time, Wei Xueyu became known as a strange person in Wei Jing's eyes.
“What kind of prince squats on the ground playing with insects every day? Doesn’t he find it disgusting?” Wei Jing said. “He doesn’t respond when you talk to him; he’s probably not very bright.”
Wei Ye would nod in agreement, while Wei Changqiong would pat Wei Jing on the shoulder and warn him to be careful with his words.
“Everyone is different. Besides, what’s wrong with playing with insects?” Wei Changqiong said with a smile. “Seventh Prince just doesn’t like talking to people. He’s very opinionated. He’ll remember all the bad things you said about him today. Be careful, he’ll get his revenge one day.”
In young Wei Yihua's eyes, everyone in Chonghua Palace was a vibrant color: Crown Prince Wei Changqiong was a warm and bright pale yellow, Third Prince Wei Ye was a pure and sincere sky blue, and Fourth Prince Wei Jing was a fierce and menacing purplish-red. Only Wei Xueyu was always a dull gray.
Wei Yihua: "When I was a child, I talked to Wei Xueyu a few times, but he didn't really pay attention to me. He only paid attention to one person, His Highness the Crown Prince."
Although she still didn't want to play with them, Wei Xueyu would listen to what Wei Changqiong said and was willing to respond.
Yue Yining listened attentively, and after thinking for a while, she said, "The Seventh Prince's temperament is indeed a bit strange, but from the princess's description, it seems to be a congenital disease that is passed down by word of mouth among the people."
Wei Yihua: "What illness?"
“‘Heart Lock’ syndrome,” Yue Yining said. “This is a rare congenital condition. Children with this condition generally appear no different from ordinary people and are physically healthy, but they do not like to talk from a young age and do not respond when called by strangers. Some severely affected children are still unable to take care of themselves as adults. In rare cases, they may exhibit extreme intelligence and exceptional knowledge. These people often seem to have locked their hearts, hence the name ‘Heart Lock’ syndrome.”
Wei Yihua exclaimed in surprise, "There are such special diseases in the world? It's amazing... I heard that Wei Xueyu started speaking at the age of three. At that time, Consort Duan invited the imperial physicians to diagnose her one by one, but they couldn't find the cause, and they had never heard the physicians mention this disease before."
"Aren't you a Taoist master? How come you even know about medicine?"
Yue Yining smiled: "The Celestial Master practices the Five Arts. Does Your Highness know what these Five Arts are? Mountain Medicine, Fate, Physiognomy, and Divination. The Medicine refers to the art of traditional Chinese medicine. Although I am not proficient in this art, I know a little about it."
“In that case, His Highness the Seventh Prince is actually not suitable to be the Crown Prince,” Yue Yining said. “A ruler needs the ability to lead, win people’s hearts, and mediate conflicts among court officials, which is something that a child with a locked heart condition cannot do. His Majesty’s decision to include him in the list of candidates for the Crown Prince may have another purpose.”
Wei Yihua's hands, which were tucked into her sleeves, slowly clenched.
She said, "My mother said that the Xie family seems to be planning to support the seventh prince."
Yue Yining was stunned. Wei Yihua continued, "My mother has some spies on her side, and her sources of information are definitely reliable."
“These days, Xie Qingyu has been frequently visiting the Seventh Prince, Wei Xueyu. He makes no attempt to hide it, and many people know about it. However, Xie Qingyu is also contacting you at the same time, so people in the court still think that the Xie family is indecisive and are waiting to see how things develop,” Wei Yihua said. “But my mother said that the Xie family has chosen the Seventh Prince from the very beginning.”
"She has a piece of intelligence, which was previously investigated by her informants. It records the specific movements of several court officials since the beginning of the year, including Xie Qingyu."
"Xie Qingyu began contacting the Seventh Prince three months ago. It's just that we don't know if this is his personal wish or if he represents the Xie family, or if he has the Prime Minister Xie's instructions behind the scenes."
Because it was so absurd, Yue Yining frowned: "There was contact three months ago?"
Didn't Xie Qingyu just return to Yanjing and be recognized by the Xie family three months ago?
Wei Yihua looked at her: "And you? I heard from Suyue that you often visited Xie Qingyu at the Prime Minister's residence a few days ago. Didn't he mention these things to you?"
Yue Yining was slightly taken aback: "...No."
Although Yue Yining and Xie Qingyu both held official positions and were frequently involved in the affairs of officialdom, they almost never talked about official matters when they were together.
Why don't they talk about it? Yue Yining thought about this and also felt a little strange. Clearly, she and Xie Qingyu didn't have much in common except for matters of officialdom.
Neither of them were particularly talkative, but she always felt very comfortable around him, as if she were in a spring breeze.
She didn't need to worry about awkward silences or embarrassment, because Xie Qingyu would always bring up new topics at the right time, letting her talk about her own experiences. He would always respond appropriately, giving her emotional feedback so that she could continue talking.
Yue Yining suddenly stopped.
Did Xie Qingyu intentionally try to be considerate of her feelings throughout the conversation?
Wei Yihua had been observing Yue Yining's expression. Seeing Yue Yining lost in thought, her heart sank. She continued, "Just as you said, the Seventh Prince is not suitable to be emperor. If he were to ascend the throne, he would inevitably need a close advisor to help and assist him. And if the Xie family decides to side with the Seventh Prince, then the core of the Seventh Prince's camp will inevitably be the Xie family. After he ascends the throne, the candidate for this close advisor will inevitably be a senior member of the Xie family."
"Based on my understanding of Wei Xueyu, he is not greedy and has no desire for power or status. His agreement to participate in the struggle for the throne must be due to someone pulling the strings behind the scenes. I can see through the Xie family's wolfish ambitions. Their choice to assist the Seventh Prince is obvious: it's because the Seventh Prince is the easiest to control." Wei Yihua's eyes were sharp. "A maternal clan that has been wiped out and is burdened with numerous crimes, an empress dowager on the verge of madness, plus a taciturn emperor who has no desires or ambitions—if you were a powerful close advisor to the emperor, what would you do?"
--regent.
This is simply the best soil; there's no better deal in the world.
Yue Yining's eyes narrowed, and Wei Yihua, seeing her furrow her brows, knew that she fully understood.
“Xie Qingyu is Xie Zhi’s eldest son and has always been plotting for his father, which shows that they are birds of a feather.” Wei Yihua spoke more and more urgently, her heart pounding, but she bit her tongue to keep her voice steady. “Otherwise, why would he have kept it from you all this time?”
“You returned to the capital three months ago. You don’t know his identity, but surely he knows you’re staying at the Princess’s residence? You even went to the Xie residence to tell Xie Zhi’s fortune. You had so many opportunities to meet and recognize each other, but he avoided you every time. Why do you think that is?”
Yue Yining was stunned for a moment, "This..."
"Is it reasonable for him to suddenly become so attentive to you, sending so many gifts to please you, and using various excuses to invite you to the Xie residence to see him? How can a person act two different ways? What else could it be but ulterior motives?"
Yue Yining frowned. She admitted that what Wei Yihua said was true, but she still shook her head and refuted it: "Your Highness, I spent some time with Xie Qingyu, and I don't think he's that kind of person—"
"You're still defending him!"
Yue Yining stared at Wei Yihua in astonishment. The princess suddenly stood up, her golden hairpins swaying wildly, her chest heaving violently beneath her brocade robes.
Yue Yining hadn't expected her to get angry. "Your Highness, please calm down..."
Wei Yihua said, enunciating each word clearly, "I am very calm, and I know what I am saying."
"As for you, do you even remember that you are an advisor to my princess's residence? I told you that Xie Qingyu had ulterior motives, but you didn't appreciate it at all, and instead refuted me on his behalf! I want to ask you, what exactly do you mean by this!?"
Yue Yining originally intended to explain properly, but when she saw Wei Yihua's expression, she panicked.
Yue Yining hurriedly stood up: "Your Highness!"
Wei Yihua blocked her outstretched hand, her eyes already red.
She said in a hoarse voice, "Do you trust him more than I do?"
She didn't want to cry, and she had never cried while arguing with anyone. What kind of magic did Yue Yining possess that could make her shed tears in front of her time and time again?
Just thinking that someone else held a greater place in Yue Yining's heart, namely Xie Qingyu, made her heart clench painfully.
She was the one who understood her best, knowing her past and future, her ideals and ambitions. She treated Yue Yining with all her heart, yet Yue Yining trusted a two-faced scion of a powerful family more. How could she accept this?
Yue Yining looked at Wei Yihua and finally managed to compose herself: "I did not mean to anger Your Highness."
"I never expected that my actions would arouse Your Highness's suspicion..."
With red eyes, Wei Yihua gritted her teeth and said, "So it's still my fault? Are you trying to say that I'm being paranoid?"
“No,” Yue Yining’s voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, “Your Highness is fine and has not done anything wrong. If anyone has made a mistake, it can only be me; it was my oversight in doing things.”
“I know what Your Highness is worried about.” Yue Yining walked closer. Wei Yihua lowered her head and refused to look at her, so Yue Yining looked at the top of her head and said softly, “No matter what he says or what benefits he offers me, I will not leave Your Highness.”
"Because the person I chose is Her Highness the Eldest Princess."
Wei Yihua stood there stunned. She hadn't expected Yue Yining to say that. She was completely dumbfounded and couldn't even react.
"You chose...me?"
"Yes." Yue Yining looked at her, her voice gentle. "The person I have chosen to assist is not His Highness the Third Prince, but you, the Eldest Princess."
Wei Yihua remained motionless, speechless, as if a series of fireworks were exploding in her mind.
“His Highness the Third Prince also knows about this,” Yue Yining said. “He once told me that he believes the Princess is more suitable to be emperor than he is. Whether it is determination, perseverance, compassion, knowledge, or courage, the Princess far surpasses him.”
“If there hadn’t been no precedent of a female emperor in the previous dynasty, Your Highness would have been the most suitable candidate for crown prince. But the reason why precedents exist is because someone breaks the rules and regulations. In that case, why can’t Your Highness be the one to break the precedent?”
"To be honest, Your Highness, I am actually a coward, but I am also someone who will not be easily changed. I have chosen Your Highness as my lord today, and I will not go to another place. This is both a trust in my own judgment and a trust in Your Highness."
Sunlight streamed into the interior through the begonia-patterned window.
Wei Yihua whispered, "...But, is it really me?"
Yue Yining looked at her, slowly walked forward, and hugged her shoulders. The person in her arms had a trembling voice, and a fleeting glimpse of tears welled up in her reddened eyes before finally sliding down her cheeks.
Yue Yining knew that Her Highness the Princess had always harbored a knot in her heart. Her repeated hesitations and lingering gazes revealed an unusual heaviness in her heart. But even someone as intelligent as her couldn't be sure what it was.
Wei Yihua grasped Yue Yining's arm: "You still haven't told me why, why did you choose me?"
Yue Yining thought.
If she guessed correctly, the Princess's inner conflict would be resolved after today.
“There is no reason,” she said. “The eldest princess is ordained by Heaven, pacifies all directions, and her virtue extends to all corners of the world. She is the ruler of the universe and the rightful heir to the divine throne. If I say this, Your Highness will know that I am merely reciting from the book, using it as an excuse, and that there is not a single word of truth in my mouth.”
"Your Highness and I are the same kind of people. Your Highness's vision of peace and prosperity is also my earnest expectation for the world. Those who walk the same path will eventually walk together, no reason is needed."
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