Night deepened, and the moonlight shone like silver. The streets flowed like a calm, still river, and the only sound as horse-drawn carriages passed by was the rustling of leaves.
Shen Yunjiao leaned against the soft couch inside the carriage, her willow-leaf eyebrows tightly furrowed.
She closed her eyes, took out the silk she always carried, casually pulled out the silver needles inside, and without even looking, stuck them into her Guanchong acupoint.
The dizziness and discomfort caused by drunkenness immediately decreased significantly.
Drinking alcohol leads to trouble!
Shen Yunjiao sighed deeply. Fortunately, she wouldn't have to face His Highness the Crown Prince anymore, otherwise she really wouldn't know what to do.
Although Xiao Huaijin was exceptional in both appearance and personality, his problem was that he was the Crown Prince.
Putting aside the fact that his father attempted to assassinate him, his status as the crown prince alone destined him to never be able to have a lifelong monogamous relationship.
However, it's possible that they were just drunk and confused, which is why they did that.
Anyway, alcohol is no good thing, so from now on I'll have to drink it secretly at home!
The carriage slowly came to a stop at the Pei residence.
Back in her own courtyard, Shen Yunjiao didn't even bother to take a bath. She simply lay down on her canopy bed and fell into a deep sleep.
——
After Shen Yunjiao left, Xiao Huaijin embarked on his journey back to the palace.
He deliberately made himself dirty and disheveled, and returned to the palace alone.
When the guards saw the Crown Prince suddenly appear outside the city gate, they were terrified. They split into two groups: one group ran to report to His Highness, while the other group escorted the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Palace.
Xiao Fuzi, who had been serving him, was nowhere to be found. According to the new eunuch, it was because he had stolen Zhang Zhaoyi's gold and silver jewelry and was caught red-handed taking it outside the city. He was then sentenced to death by the Noble Consort Shu.
Xiao Fuzi is probably innocent.
A cold glint flashed in Xiao Huaijin's eyes.
He looked at the newly arrived eunuch and asked casually, "Has anyone else lived in the Eastern Palace before?"
The young eunuch stammered, not daring to tell His Highness that he had happened to pass by and seen a man of similar build to His Highness.
Xiao Huaijin gently lifted his eyelids and saw the little eunuch's appearance; he knew the answer.
As Xiao Huaijin waved him out, a voice announced from outside, "His Majesty has arrived."
A group of eunuchs escorted a man dressed in a bright yellow Taoist robe and holding a Bodhi seed into the hall.
Although the man was thin, he was handsome, and without a close look, one might mistake him for a handsome young man in his early twenties.
Upon seeing that it was his father, Emperor Xiao Huaijin's expression immediately became respectful and submissive.
He hadn't changed his clothes yet, and at that moment he looked as if he had gone through many hardships.
In particular, the bruises around the eyes have not completely disappeared.
When Emperor Zhaowu saw his emaciated and haggard son, a pang of guilt flashed through his heart.
Upon learning that the Crown Prince had been assassinated and was missing, and thinking that he had no hope of survival, Consort Shu asked the Consort to find someone who looked similar to the Crown Prince to take his place.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Huaijin was able to return alive.
"Father."
Xiao Huaijin interrupted his thoughts.
Xiao Huaijin knelt down and bowed deeply to Emperor Zhaowu: "Your subject has failed in your mission, Father, and has failed to go to the Northern Hu. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
Emperor Zhaowu waved his hand, and his trusted eunuch immediately dismissed the servants.
He stood in front of Xiao Huaijin and helped his son up.
"It's good that you're back."
Emperor Zhaowu's words were feigned concern: "While you were away, I sent people to search for you day and night, and I was so worried that my hair turned white."
Xiao Huaijin looked at the feigned concern on Emperor Zhaowu's face and felt extremely ironic.
The smell of medicinal pills emanating from him was so strong that Xiao Huaijin felt nauseous and took a half-step back without making a sound.
He lowered his head and said, "It is all my fault, Father Emperor, that I have caused you worry."
"I have investigated the cause of your attack. It was the work of river bandits, and I have wiped them out for your sake." Emperor Zhaowu patted Xiao Huaijin on the shoulder.
Xiao Huaijin's expression changed slightly, then he replied obediently, "Thank you, Father."
"There's no need for thanks between father and son," Emperor Zhaowu said slowly, his narrow phoenix eyes fixed on Xiao Huaijin like a venomous snake flicking its red tongue.
After a moment of silence, Emperor Zhaowu continued, "In a few days, during the sacrificial ceremony, I originally intended to find someone to impersonate you. After all, if the court and the public were to learn of the Crown Prince's disappearance, the empire would be in grave danger."
"I had no choice but to do this. I hope the Crown Prince won't blame me?"
Xiao Huaijin suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart.
When a father's biological son dies, the first thing he does is find someone to replace him as the crown prince.
How pathetic and laughable!
"Your Majesty, I understand your intentions."
Although Xiao Huaijin was heartbroken, he maintained his usual submissive demeanor.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaowu smiled with satisfaction and said, "You've been sensible since you were a child."
Having played the role of a loving father enough, he gave Xiao Huaijin a few words of advice and then hurried back to continue spending time with his Consort Shu.
The moment Emperor Zhaowu turned to leave, Xiao Huaijin dropped his feigned gentleness.
His father, the emperor, has been deposed.
He consumed so many elixirs, indulged and doted on his concubines, and placed immense trust in powerful ministers.
If this continues, Dayong will be ruined in his hands.
——
Early the next morning.
"Miss, Miss. Wake up." Granny Lin gently called Shen Yunjiao's name. "Fuxia, is the hangover soup ready?"
When the young lady returned last night, she smelled faintly of alcohol, and Lin Mama guessed that she must have been secretly drinking again.
Strangely enough, the girl, who used to be a teetotaler, started having a small drink several months ago.
"I've put it on the table, Granny," Fu Xia said as she came over and lifted the curtain. "Miss, Miss, you just woke up."
Shen Yunjiao had a splitting headache, but Fu Xia helped her sit up.
"Let me sleep a little longer."
"Absolutely not, young lady. Someone from Ci'an Hall just came to tell you that they want you to come and serve them."
"Cian Hall?" Shen Yunjiao slowly opened her eyes, and after adjusting to the light for a while, she asked again, "Don't I not have to pay my respects to my parents at dawn and dusk?"
Granny Lin brought over the hangover soup and served it to Shen Yunjiao: "The Ci'an Hall said that times have changed. Since my mother-in-law is seriously ill, it is my duty as her daughter-in-law to go and take care of her."
Shen Yunjiao said casually, "I think she's recovering too quickly and wants to stay in bed a few more days, right?"
"Young lady!" Granny Lin quickly covered her mouth. "You mustn't say such things."
Lin Mama also really disliked this Duchess. Xu Shi didn't openly make things difficult for the young lady, but she was ruthless in her underhanded ways in the inner quarters and had no kindness whatsoever as a mother-in-law.
After the girl got married, she suffered a lot of torment from Xu Shi. Not only did Xu Shi make her copy Buddhist scriptures and weave embroidery from time to time, she also often spoke ill of the girl behind her back.
But for the sake of her son-in-law, the pampered girl at home had already endured two years of humiliation.
"Miss, is Madam going to make things difficult for you again this time?" Fu Xia asked with some concern.
"It's alright. Since she wants me to serve her so much, I'll go."
Her apparent service was a pretense; her true intention was to make things difficult for her. Although Shen Yunjiao didn't cause trouble, she wasn't afraid of it either.
Since Xu is so ungrateful and wants to run into her trap, then she might as well teach her a lesson and vent her anger for the original owner of this body!
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