The study in the Eastern Palace was as silent as a tomb. On the massive sandalwood desk lay piles of memorials awaiting imperial approval; the bright yellow silk surfaces reflected a cold luster in the candlelight, like heavy bricks of gold, pressing down on one's very being. The air was thick with the scent of ink and a musty, dusty smell of power.
Xiao Chengjing sat upright behind his desk, holding his brush with his wrist suspended, the ink from the tip spreading a small, dark stain on the Xuan paper. The memorial before him was a detailed report on the salt tax deficit in Jiangnan Province, every word and sentence involving the lives and fortunes of countless officials, which should have firmly captured his entire attention.
However, his gaze pierced through the dense, tiny seal script, landing on a void. The faint, almost illusory, milky scent lingering on his fingertips—the trace of his daughter's tiny fist in his dream—surged up again without warning, a sharp, bitter pain stabbing deep into his heart. Then came the cold, stiff touch of the stillborn infant, and Shen Yuewei's final eyes, brimming with unforgettable hatred and despair!
"Ugh..." A suppressed groan escaped his throat. Xiao Chengjing abruptly closed his eyes, his knuckles turning white from the force, almost crushing the pen in his hand. The veins on his forehead throbbed uncontrollably once more. For the past few days, that nightmare had gnawed at him like a leech, relentlessly assaulting him day and night. Each time he closed his eyes, the extreme shifts between ecstasy and despair felt like being repeatedly thrown into extremes of ice and fire, leaving him utterly exhausted. What troubled him even more was the inexplicable, almost uncontrollable urge to know about Shen Yuewei's current situation.
How is she? The youngest daughter of the Shen family, who hates him to the core in her nightmares but has yet to have any interaction with him in reality? More than a month has passed since that distant glimpse at the palace banquet. Is she still as innocent and naive as I remember? Or... has that cold, hateful gaze from my dreams already begun to sprout in reality?
Once the thought arose, it grew wildly like weeds, carrying a dangerous allure. Reason told him that a young lady from a secluded family, the beloved daughter of Minister Shen, should not have too much interaction with him, the crown prince. Especially at a time when his power base was not yet secure and various forces were eyeing him covetously, any unnecessary attention could invite speculation and turmoil.
But the emptiness in his heart, the immense pain of loss in his dreams, the eyes of Shen Yuewei torn apart by hatred... were like countless invisible hands, pushing him, pulling him, making it impossible for him to sit peacefully in this cold Eastern Palace any longer.
"Your Highness," the trusted chief eunuch Gao Dehai appeared silently in front of the desk, his voice low and filled with a habitual respect, "Minister Shen Wenqing of the Ministry of Justice has sent a letter of thanks, along with several newly acquired Duan inkstones, saying that he is grateful for Your Highness's previous care for his brother Wensong at the Imperial Academy." Gao Dehai presented a delicate sandalwood box with both hands.
Shen Wenqing? Shen Yuewei's older brother?
Xiao Chengjing abruptly opened his eyes. The turbulent emotions surging within them were instantly suppressed, leaving only a deep, unfathomable pool. He didn't look at the inkstone; his gaze, sharp as a hawk's, landed directly on Gao Dehai's lowered brows and eyes. His voice was unreadable, yet carried an undeniable air of authority:
"Has anything happened at the Shen residence lately? How is Minister Shen's beloved daughter?"
Gao Dehai's heart skipped a beat. His Highness the Crown Prince rarely inquired about the children of his subjects, especially not so directly about the reclusive young lady of the Shen family. He dared not hesitate for a moment, immediately bowing and reporting in detail the information he had already ascertained: "Your Highness, everything at the Shen residence is as usual. Minister Shen and his wife are loving and the residence is peaceful. As for Miss Shen... I heard that she seemed to have suffered some fright a month ago, and she was often restless at night. Madam Shen personally took care of her for several days. She has only recently recovered somewhat, but I heard... she has a poor appetite and has lost some weight."
Were you frightened? Had a restless night? Have you lost weight?
Each word was like a pebble thrown into Xiao Chengjing's seemingly calm heart, stirring up dangerous ripples. This description was so similar to his state of mind—waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare! Could it be… that she too was bewitched by something? Was it related to her? Or… to him?!
An indescribable restlessness, mixed with a deeper curiosity, clung to him like vines. These cold, layered reports were utterly insufficient to quell the inexplicable, almost bursting agitation within him. He needed to see her with his own eyes! To see what the girl who hated him to the core in his dreams, yet had no connection to him in reality, truly looked like now! To see if her eyes… truly held the icy coldness he saw in his dreams?
"Prepare a gift," Xiao Chengjing's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Gao Dehai's report and breaking the suffocating silence of the study. He put down the pen he had almost broken, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the cold rosewood tabletop, making a soft, resounding sound, with an undeniable decisiveness, "No need for fanfare, a simple visit will suffice. Just say..." His eyes flickered slightly, instantly finding a plausible and impeccable reason, "I am grateful for Minister Shen's hard work for the country and Vice Minister Shen's diligence in his duties, and I would like to take this opportunity... to visit the Shen family's third son, Wensong, who is studying at the Imperial Academy, and encourage him to study diligently and make progress."
"On the way?" Gao Dehai's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly beneath his lowered eyelids. When had His Highness, the Crown Prince, become concerned with the young son of a minor official of the fifth rank who had not yet received any official rank? The meaning behind the word "on the way" was crystal clear. But he dared not show the slightest change on his face, only bowing even deeper: "This servant obeys. When did Your Highness..."
“Tomorrow afternoon.” Xiao Chengjing uttered four words with unwavering certainty. He needed to verify it with his own eyes immediately. The immense doubts and inexplicable pull that had been weighing on his heart, stemming from nightmares and the shadows of his past life, could only find a sliver of answer, or perhaps… lead to a deeper descent, by seeing the living, breathing Shen Yuewei.
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