Chapter 38: Exposure
Yu Fei ordered Ding Xiang to keep an eye on Huo Dao's movements at all times.
Early the next morning, Dingxiang came to report that Huo Dao came out of the prince's study holding a wooden box.
Yu Fei stayed in the Eastern Palace for a long time and knew that the box was a memorial to be presented to Emperor Yu.
She decided to commit fraud.
When Huo Dao was about to step out of the gate of the East Palace, she pretended to catch a cat and knocked over the box in his hand.
Normally, the servants in the palace would retreat when they saw the prince's personal guards, but there was someone in the East Palace who was fearless. Huo Dao saw the letter fall from the box and hurriedly leaned over to pick it up.
"Ah... Huo Dao, please help me check if my arm is broken." Yu Fei screamed while stroking his right arm.
Huo Dao ordered the palace maids behind him to pick it up, and Ding Xiang hurried to help.
While Yu Fei was dragging Huo Dao to check his injuries, she secretly watched Ding Xiang stuffing the marriage proposal into the wooden box. When she was done, she stepped back and said, "Forget it, I'll call a doctor to take a look later. You go ahead and do your work."
Huo Daofu walked further and further away with the wooden box in his arms.
"Miss, what if something happens and the prince finds out?" Ding Xiang was a little worried.
"I don't have a golden medal of immunity from death." Yu Fei tried his best to calm down.
"I don't know how to say it... I always feel that this matter cannot be resolved with a get-out-of-jail-free card..." Ding Xiang's voice trembled slightly.
Yu Fei was not afraid. Compared to his anger after he found out that she had arranged a marriage between him and Yang Zhi, she was more afraid of his cruelty and ruthlessness after he found out that the snake tactic was ineffective.
"If you stick your head out, you'll get a knife. If you shrink your head, you'll get a knife too. Just walk and see, and act according to the situation."
Palace banquets in ancient times were as frequent as modern gatherings.
The eighth day of the 11th month is also known as the "Laba Festival". After the emperor, his ministers and concubines offer sacrifices to their ancestors and gods, a banquet is held in the main hall that evening.
Perhaps he had something to hide, Yu Fei felt that the Emperor and Empress were particularly happy tonight, especially the Empress. She was usually cold and serious, but the look she gave Jing Cang from time to time seemed to imply "my son has grown up".
She had a premonition that the imperial decree granting Jing Cang and Yang Zhi marriage would be announced at this banquet.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Jing Cang saw that Yu Fei's face was pale. He secretly touched her hand and found that it was cold and sweaty. He ordered the palace maid to find a hand warmer and put it in her hand. "If you feel uncomfortable, go back first."
"No need." Yu Fei shook his head, holding the hand warmer like a hedgehog, as if his heart was pierced with a sharp pain.
"It's just an ordinary palace banquet, nothing serious, don't force it." Jing Cang poured her a cup of hot tea and pushed it in front of her.
Yu Fei subconsciously looked at Yang Zhi who was sitting in the seat opposite where the ministers' families were sitting. Yang Zhi smiled at her, seemingly not minding Jing Cang's intimacy and concern for her at all.
The cups of hot tea seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. She didn't have the strength to lift them. The white smoke from the tea moistened her eyes. She quietly moved further away from him.
The music and dance were melodious and graceful, but Yu Fei found it too noisy and chaotic. On the one hand, she hoped that the emperor would immediately issue an imperial decree granting her marriage, so that she would no longer be like an ant on a hot pot, and on the other hand, she hoped that time would pass more slowly, so that they could sit side by side for a long time like lovers.
After three rounds of drinks, the emperor waved away the musicians and dancers and made a gesture to the eunuch beside him. The eunuch picked up a bright yellow imperial edict from the tray of his harem.
A sharp voice resounded throughout the hall like a suona: "The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: I have heard that the Prime Minister's daughter, Yang Zhi, is virtuous, gentle, and of outstanding appearance... Yang Zhi is still unmarried, and is a perfect match for the Crown Prince. To make her a perfect match, I hereby betroth you to the Crown Prince as the Crown Princess. All ceremonies will be handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Qintianjian, and a date will be chosen for the wedding..."
As soon as the decree was announced, all the ministers praised the emperor and empress for their wisdom.
Yang Zhi stood up and was about to receive the order, but saw Jing Cang in a daze and glanced at Yu Fei.
Yu Fei understood, tugged at Jing Cang's sleeve, and whispered, "Your Highness, go and receive the decree."
Jing Cang did not move, and looked at her with a gaze as cold as ice and sharp as a blade, as if he wanted to freeze her and cut open her chest to see if she had a heart.
Yu Fei's breath was choked, and she met his cold eyes with a hint of hurt, and said stubbornly: "Your Highness, accept the order."
Seeing the confrontation between the two, the nosy Jing Yi wondered, "Brother Emperor has been slow to accept the decree. Is he dissatisfied with this marriage?"
Jing Yi's words were like water splashing on a frying pan, causing everyone to look at Jing Cang, either openly or secretly.
Seeing the situation, Yu Fei said, "Prince Ning is joking. Your Highness personally wrote to Miss Yang to ask for her hand in marriage. How could you be unhappy?" Looking at Jing Cang, she smiled sweetly, "Your Highness was so overjoyed that he lost his composure."
"Maid Yu is right." Jing Cang almost laughed at himself, but it was fleeting. He paused for a moment, and his tone became calm. "Miss Yang is the one who wrote to me personally to ask for marriage. How could she be dissatisfied?"
He responded to her calmly and even cooperatively, but Yu Fei seemed to foresee the danger of an impending disaster - he was like a lion on the verge of going mad, ready to tear her to pieces at any time.
Yang Zhi nodded at her and smiled gratefully.
Yu Fei's hands and feet were cold and her body was shaking. As expected, when Jing Cang returned, she was taken away by two guards like a dead person.
After the banquet, Huo Dao asked, "What... is going on?"
Huo Dao was shocked, and Jing Cang was also struck by lightning. He gritted his teeth and said, "It's probably Yu Fei who is causing trouble."
Recalling what he had reported, "You said that Yu Fei knocked over the memorial box at the gate of the East Palace. It was the second day after she left my study?"
Huo Dao said: "Yes".
Jing Cang pondered Yu Fei's behavior that night, and it was obvious that it was all planned. She pretended to be innocent and lured him into teaching her how to write and stamped her body to confuse him, but he was blinded by lust and fell into her trap.
But how did she know that there was a marriage proposal in the study?
He ordered: "Strictly investigate the servants in the East Palace, especially those who have close contact with Yu Fei."
"yes."
Jing Cang held his forehead with his hand and asked, "Did Eunuch Mo leave anything behind?"
Huo Dao said, "According to your wishes, he has been stopped outside the palace."
Eunuch Mo was a close attendant to the emperor. Jing Cang was not in a position to ask him for the marriage proposal secretly, so Huo Dao went to meet him instead.
"Eunuch Mo, our prince wants to take back the marriage proposal. Can you please make it easier for him?"
Eunuch Mo looked at Jing Cang in surprise. Huo Dao whispered, "This involves the relationship between a son and a daughter. Your Highness wants to keep it as a commemoration. It is inconvenient to disturb His Majesty over these trivial matters."
Eunuch Mo understood and smiled, "No problem."
Not long after returning, someone delivered a memorial.
Jing Cang took a look and saw that the signature was Yu Fei's clumsy imitation of his name, and the prince's red seal had blurred the paper.
The head of the East Palace was efficient in his work. As soon as he returned to the courtyard, the head of the palace dragged a palace maid over and said that this person helped Yu Fei to buy saffron from the Imperial Hospital.
He ordered people to search her residence, and indeed found a packet, half of which had been used.
Jing Cang wanted to know how she would explain it when he threw the marriage certificate with her handwriting and the contraceptive herbs in front of her.