Chapter 79 "My feelings for Cousin Zhi..."
Cui Huai recuperated at Shen Yunzhi's residence.
He did not return to the Chu King's residence, treating everything as commonplace.
Shen Yunzhi was initially worried about the unrest in the capital, but after a couple of days she stopped worrying unnecessarily.
There's no point in thinking about things that are beyond your control.
The spring rain was persistent and drizzling. The flowers and trees in the courtyard were washed fresh and tender by the rain. Shen Yunzhi walked to the window and saw Cui Huai holding an umbrella in one hand and a few rain-soaked peach blossoms in the other, walking slowly towards the corridor.
The misty air made his face appear somewhat indistinct, but his eyes, which were looking at her, were extremely bright.
After Cui Huai approached, Shen Yunzhi asked, "You said you had something to do, so you went to pick flowers?"
Fortunately, there are still a few branches that are still worth seeing.
Cui Huai smiled, handed the umbrella to the servant under the eaves, took the flower branch and left the window, then went inside.
Shen Yunzhi looked Cui Huai up and down a few times.
Not only was his hem soaked by the rain, but there were also obvious dark smudges of water on his sleeves and shoulders.
Under Shen Yunzhi's watchful gaze, Cui Huai placed the flower branch on the table, then obediently said, "I'll go change into some clean clothes first." He then went out again, and when he returned later, he was wearing a sandalwood-colored robe.
Shen Yunzhi was standing by the table, intently pruning the flower branches.
Cui Huai stepped forward, about to speak, but then turned his face away and coughed a few times.
"Why go out in the rain if you need to recover from your injury?"
"Does it sound nice to say that the Crown Prince of Chu died in the home of Princess Huihe?"
Shen Yunzhi didn't look at Cui Huai, her voice tinged with a lingering somberness. Cui Huai moved closer to her, clinging to her affectionately, gently resting his chin on her shoulder. He then took her hand holding the flower branch and helped her prune it: "I thought I'd have some free time this time to go to Jianchun Pavilion with you to admire the flowers, but it's been raining for days on end, so I could only pick a few branches for you to enjoy."
"What are you arguing about now?"
Shen Yunzhi frowned, and it took her a while to recall the time she went to see Chunting and met someone for a consultation.
She couldn't remember what the person looked like, but vaguely remembered that he was from the Zhou family.
Cui Huai, however, still had his own thoughts and calculations.
Shen Yunzhi then remembered that day when she went to meet the fortune teller, she had extremely bad luck and the carriage broke down, forcing her to stop halfway.
Then Cui Huai appeared in a carriage.
"Young Master Zhou?" Shen Yunzhi chuckled lightly. "I remember that time you took me to Jianchun Pavilion to meet Young Master Zhou, and you insisted that I ride in your carriage. Why are you so unwilling now?"
Helpless, Cui Huai said, "It's all my own fault."
Shen Yunzhi laughed even harder, remembering what had happened back then, and decided to interrogate her: "You had an appointment with the Liang siblings that day? Why didn't you keep your appointment?"
Cui Huai explained, "It was an agreement with Jingzhi, not with his siblings."
Seeing that he was avoiding the main point, Shen Yunzhi glanced at him sideways, and Cui Huai lowered his voice slightly, "I've already told you that."
Shen Yunzhi tried hard to recall, and finally remembered that he had said he couldn't control himself just by smelling her fragrance.
At the time, she was too annoyed by the twists of fate between them, but now, when the topic comes up again, she finally understands just how incomprehensible Cui Huai's so-called "lack of self-control" really is.
Could it be that he... was in the carriage at that time?
Shen Yunzhi was taken aback. She subconsciously wanted to look at Cui Huai, but quickly looked away when her gaze fell on his face.
That's absolutely insane.
Shen Yunzhi felt extremely embarrassed and annoyed, but her cheeks were burning hot.
“This is also my own fault.” Cui Huai looked down at Shen Yunzhi and deliberately leaned close to her ear, “I couldn’t be honest and face my feelings before, but I won’t be anymore, Cousin Zhi, I will tell you everything.”
Who wants to hear this!
Shen Yunzhi bit her lip, feeling annoyed, but the burning sensation on her cheeks wouldn't dissipate.
Rarely speaking of Liang Zhengting to Cui Huai, Shen Yunzhi recalled Cui Xuan's admiration for Liang Zhengting back then, and wanted to change the subject, so she said, "If Cui Xu has the last laugh this time, Cui Xuan's status will only become more noble. She and Li Zhu are not on good terms, and she once admired Prince Liang. I wonder what she will do."
“Jingzhi knows what he's doing.”
Cui Huai took the scissors from Shen Yunzhi's hand and began trimming the flower branches while recounting how Liang Zhengting had come to find him earlier.
On the Lantern Festival, after meeting Cui Xuan, Liang Zhi went to find Liang Zhengting.
After that, Liang Zhengting approached Cui Huai.
Although Cui Huai was fully aware of all this even without Liang Zhengting's reminder, as the heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Liang Zhengting's actions did not represent only his own thoughts. Therefore, Cui Huai also told Liang Zhengting that there was no need to take sides—Cui Xu was not a good choice, nor were the others.
"How could Miss Liang bear to see you fall into the mud?"
Shen Yunzhi carefully placed the trimmed flower branches into the vase, arranging them gently. "Your marriage is indeed an excellent choice for both of you."
Their family background, appearance, and talent were all considered a perfect match in the eyes of the world.
Even though Cui Huai rejected her marriage proposal, Liang Zhi did not harbor any resentment, which shows her true feelings.
"Why is my cousin jealous of her? I have never had any entanglement with her, let alone any ambiguous or intimate behavior."
Cui Huai was puzzled and turned her body around.
Shen Yunzhi's gaze remained fixed on the flower branches: "Am I wrong?"
“You know me.” Cui Huai didn’t explain further, but before she could say anything more, he lowered his head and sealed her lips with his.
A gentle kiss gradually turned fierce after a moment.
Shen Yunzhi was carried by Cui Huai to sit on the table. He stood in front of her and lowered his head to kiss her collarbone.
"Cousin Zhi, I belong only to you."
"Don't doubt me, and even more so, don't doubt yourself."
...
The unusual activity in the capital lasted for seven days.
But all these disturbances were kept outside of Shen Yunzhi's residence.
During this time, Cui Huai never left this little world, wishing he could be with Shen Yunzhi every moment. Apart from Lin Yue, who would come and go from the house on weekdays, no one else disturbed them.
Not much news reached Shen Yunzhi's ears, and she only cared about a few people. When asked about her aunt and Cui Lizhu's situation at the Chu Prince's residence, Cui Huai was certain they were safe. She thought that the Chu Prince's residence had guards, and with the Chu Prince himself there, she wasn't too worried about their safety.
Until everything returns to a brief period of peace.
Lin Yue brought back news that the Eighth Prince had been defeated and had lost his life in the palace coup.
In Shen Yunzhi's view, this was the worst possible situation.
In contrast, Cui Huai remained unconcerned, as if he were merely listening to Lin Yue remark on the weather.
"It seems things won't end here."
Instead of pressing Cui Huai about his intentions as before, Shen Yunzhi only asked, "And then? How long will it take for things to settle down?"
Cui Huai said, "I won't keep my cousin Zhi waiting too long."
"You don't know either, do you?" Shen Yunzhi sighed softly. "If it's not you, then... who will step in to take control of the situation?"
This time, Cui Huai answered decisively: "Uncle Emperor."
Shen Yunzhi was surprised for a moment, but then realized that this was not surprising at all.
"Your Majesty was actually fine all along? Then why did you let it turn into such a tragic situation?" Shen Yunzhi asked, puzzled. Although it was not uncommon for princes to fight each other for the crown prince position, was it too cruel and cold-hearted to just watch all this happen without doing anything? Moreover, judging from Cui Huai's tone, Cui Xu might not be the successor that His Majesty preferred.
In a daze, many old memories flashed through my mind.
Shen Yunzhi then asked Cui Huai, "You said before that how they fought was none of your business, but what about now? Is it still none of your business?"
“Cousin Zhi, I…” Cui Huai was about to explain to her when Shen Yunzhi raised her hand and covered his mouth.
Shen Yunzhi's thoughts were a bit mixed: "Never mind, don't tell me anymore."
She suddenly felt afraid.
It wasn't that he was afraid something would happen to himself or Cui Huai, but rather that he was afraid of what His Majesty the Emperor truly wanted to do.
His Majesty the Emperor's previous illness and absence from public view had aroused much suspicion.
But it turned out to be intentional.
He allowed his princes to kill each other, coldly watched everything unfold, fulfilled Cui Huai's demands and took the late Princess Chu's will from him, and... before the late Princess Chu passed away, His Majesty the Emperor had visited her outside the palace. Everything seemed to silently point to the same truth.
Cui Huai removed Shen Yunzhi's hand from his lips.
"Don't be afraid." Seeing Shen Yunzhi's unease, Cui Huai held her hand tightly.
Shen Yunzhi lowered her eyes, unsure how to respond to Cui Huai's words.
After a while, she finally spoke, saying only, "I want to go to the Prince's Mansion to see my aunt."
Cui Huai accompanied Shen Yunzhi to the Chu Prince's Mansion.
They had traveled by carriage all the way here, and even so, they could still clearly sense that the once bustling and lively capital city was desolate and bleak, even in the spring.
Almost all the shops on both sides of the long street were closed.
Those who are willing to do business only open a small door, and the few pedestrians who do come all seem to be in a hurry.
As Shen Yunzhi had expected, the Chu Prince's mansion had guards responsible for protecting the safety of everyone inside.
Princess Chu, Cui Lizhu, and Cui Hong are all safe and sound.
But the King of Chu was not in his residence.
Shen Yunzhi learned from her aunt that the Prince of Chu had not returned to the palace for ten days.
At first, they thought the King of Chu was busy running around trying to get Cui Huai imprisoned. Later, with the unrest in the capital, they couldn't act rashly and had nowhere to get information. Now that everything has settled down and Cui Huai is safe and sound, the King of Chu has not shown his face.
Cui Lizhu was worried about the safety of the King of Chu, but she had no way to help him.
The Queen Consort of Chu did send people out to investigate, but they found nothing, so she stopped pressuring the matter.
Cui Huai was not very clear about the King of Chu's movements, and Shen Yunzhi did not care much about the King of Chu.
However, many things related to Cui Huai were closely connected with the King of Chu, and his concern for Cui Huai's situation was nothing more than concern for what might happen next.
But before Shen Yunzhi left the Chu Prince's residence, someone from the palace came.
The chief eunuch of Emperor Jiaping personally visited the Chu Prince's residence to invite the Chu Princess, Cui Huai, Cui Hong, and Cui Lizhu to the palace.
The chief eunuch took it very seriously, and no one dared to be negligent.
Since Shen Yunzhi could not go with them, Cui Huai asked her for her opinion, and she chose to stay at the Chu Prince's residence to wait for him.
Cui Huai and his aunt and several others hurriedly entered the palace.
Shen Yunzhi left the main courtyard, with Lin Yue and the deaf-mute maid following her.
Having moved out of the Chu Prince's residence, she had taken all her belongings with her to Yunxi Courtyard, leaving the courtyard empty. Therefore, she didn't go to Yunxi Courtyard, but instead went to Cui Huai's Qiyun Residence. Cui Huai's study was the same as when she last visited, still filled with her portraits, and several new ones had been added at some point. One of them depicted the scene of her angrily locking Cui Huai out.
Feeling restless and with nothing to do, Shen Yunzhi decided to take a closer look at Cui Huai's paintings.
Every painting is done with the same level of care and attention, without any perfunctory work; each stroke meticulously outlines her features.
She remembered the chills she felt when she first saw Cui Huai's paintings.
Only after the fear subsided did I begin to see other things.
Shen Yunzhi's fingers traced the paintings, recalling Cui Huai's words that he initially started painting because he was afraid of forgetting her and wanted to remember her. Later, he said it was because he couldn't sleep and used it to get through the long nights. It was an emotion she couldn't understand. She had wanted to escape countless times, yet she had become so entangled that she couldn't let go of Cui Huai. Perhaps she had gone mad too.
"Princess! This humble servant requests an audience with Princess Huihe!"
Suddenly, a commotion came from outside the study, pulling Shen Yunzhi back to her senses, but she couldn't tell whose voice it was.
But Shen Yunzhi came out of the study.
As they walked under the corridor, they saw Lin Yue stop a young woman with a charming figure and alluring eyes.
Upon seeing her, the other party immediately curtsied and said, "Aunt Liu greets Princess Huihe!"
Shen Yunzhi remembered that there was indeed a concubine named Liu in the Chu King's harem.
"You want to see me?" Shen Yunzhi asked, frowning.
Aunt Liu said humbly, "There is an important matter I would like to report to Princess Huihe."
Shen Yunzhi didn't understand why Aunt Liu would come to her.
Even if you know her true identity, you shouldn't always seek her out for help.
After a moment's hesitation, Shen Yunzhi nodded in agreement: "Go ahead."
Although I don't know why she approached me, she must have her own plans, so I might as well listen to what it is.
Shen Yunzhi signaled to Lin Yue to release the people.
Aunt Liu hurried over to her, then hesitated for a moment: "Should we say it here?"
Shen Yunzhi then asked, "Can't we say it here?"
Aunt Liu waved her hand in denial, but leaned forward and lowered her voice: "Some time ago, I saw the Second Young Master meeting with the Fifth Prince."
Did Cui Hong and Cui Xu meet?
Shen Yunzhi frowned and asked in a deep voice, "What day was 'a few days ago'? And where did you meet him?"
Aunt Liu looked troubled.
After hesitating for a long time, she seemed to harden her heart and gritted her teeth to confess.
The sudden commotion in the capital and the abrupt imposition of martial law on the Chu Prince's residence, surrounded by guards, made even a mere woman from a secluded household realize that something serious must have happened. Despite having once enjoyed the Chu Prince's favor, she was ultimately just a concubine; no one would care whether she lived or died.
She had accumulated a considerable amount of wealth thanks to the favor she had previously enjoyed with the King of Chu.
Fearing being implicated in a terrible affair, he decided to take this opportunity to escape the palace and flee the capital.
The meeting between Choi Hong and Choi Wook was witnessed after Choi Hong's escape.
Aunt Liu said, "The Fifth Prince has visited the mansion before. I saw him from afar a few times, so I recognize him... I should not have mistaken him for someone else."
Shen Yunzhi remained noncommittal and asked her, "Why did you tell me about this?"
"I wanted to tell His Highness the Crown Prince, but I didn't have time." Aunt Liu glanced at Shen Yunzhi and whispered, "Does the County Princess remember when I congratulated you, only to be met with your disdain? Today, I still say the same thing: I only hope that when the County Princess has great fortune in the future, she can take care of me."
Shen Yunzhi remembered the old stories related to this Aunt Liu.
At that time, Cui Huai refused to be engaged to Liang Zhi. When she went to pay her respects to her aunt, she met Aunt Liu, who inexplicably congratulated her.
Aunt Liu did indeed tell her that when she became the heir apparent of the Chu Prince's mansion, she should take care of her.
And now he says these things to her.
"If you escaped, why did you come back?" Shen Yunzhi continued to ask.
Aunt Liu sighed helplessly, her brows furrowed: "At that time, the outside was full of generals, and the city gates were closed, so there was no way to escape."
Shen Yunzhi didn't say whether she believed Aunt Liu's words or not, but simply told her to go back first.
But she already had a general idea in her mind.
Aunt Liu's escape attempt failed, and she returned to the Chu Prince's residence. If she were to actually witness Cui Hong and Cui Xu meeting, she would undoubtedly make inquiries in private. Even if she couldn't find out many things, the power struggle between the Fifth Prince and the Eighth Prince wasn't exactly a big secret.
Once Aunt Liu learns of the Eighth Prince's defeat, how could she not recall that incident?
Cui Huai had only accompanied her back to the Chu Prince's Mansion today. Aunt Liu had indeed not had the opportunity to inform Cui Huai before, so she turned to her instead, but it was a second-best option.
Aunt Liu was betting on something.
If Cui Huai knew about Cui Hong's meeting with Cui Xu, everyone would be overjoyed. If Cui Huai was unaware, this inside information might come in handy, and Aunt Liu would certainly benefit from it. Given the current situation, hoping to secure a better future for oneself is not wrong.
Shen Yunzhi returned to Cui Huai's study.
She sat down behind her desk, but Cui Huai and his aunt did not return to the palace until dark.
Shen Yunzhi wasn't too worried that the people invited by the emperor's chief eunuch would get into trouble.
But one can't help but wonder what major event has occurred that has caused this delay in his return.
Around 9 PM, the once quiet Qiyun Residence finally began to stir with some other noises.
Shen Yunzhi, who had been lingering under the corridor for a long time, watched Cui Huai come through the darkness, his tall figure gradually appearing in her sight.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and stepped out onto the corridor.
Cui Huai noticed Shen Yunzhi waiting and strode towards her, asking, "Why didn't you rest?"
"I'm waiting for you."
Shen Yunzhi answered frankly, talking about Aunt Liu coming to find her.
Cui Huai said, "I am aware of this matter."
He took Shen Yunzhi's hand and noticed that her palm was slightly cold, so he said, "It's still cold at night. Even if you want to wait for me, you can wait inside."
Shen Yunzhi didn't want to discuss these matters with Cui Huai, and instead pressed him for details: "Did Cui Hong really see Cui Xu a few days ago?" She paused, then asked, "What was he planning to do? Did he intend to join forces with Cui Xu?"
Cui Huai instructed a servant to bring hot water before saying to Shen Yunzhi, "If he still covets you, there aren't many ways he can take you away from me." Entering the room, he frowned upon seeing the food still on the table. "Why hasn't anyone eaten a bite?"
"I have no appetite," Shen Yunzhi shook her head.
Cui Huai remained silent, released her hand, and then went to instruct her to prepare again.
Lin Yue had instructed the kitchen to prepare late-night snacks at any time, so the staff quickly brought over several hot dishes. Cui Huai ate some with Shen Yunzhi, and hot water and clean clothes for them to change into were also prepared.
Even after being stuffed into the bathtub by Cui Huai, Shen Yunzhi still couldn't learn from him why His Majesty the Emperor had summoned them to the palace that day.
I thought he would bring it up on his own, but in the end I had to ask him myself.
I'd like to tell you later.
Cui Huai's words puzzled Shen Yunzhi: "Why later?"
Without receiving further explanation, she gave up asking and prepared to leave the bathroom after her bath. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cui Huai using the water she had just bathed in, without waiting for the servants to come in and change the hot water…
Shen Yunzhi: "..."
Cui Huairen was already in the bathtub, so scolding him was useless. He could only leave quickly to avoid seeing him.
But just as she was figuring out how to warn Cui Huai against doing such things again, Cui Huai, who had finished bathing, came up to her and hugged her. Before she could speak, he said, "My father has passed away, so my imperial uncle has summoned us to the palace." These words left Shen Yunzhi speechless, staring at Cui Huai in disbelief.
...
The Eighth Prince's death caused fires in several palaces.
When things finally calmed down and order was restored, the palace staff carried a corpse out of Zhaoyang Palace while cleaning up.
Along with the body, a jade pendant and palace plaque symbolizing the King of Chu were also discovered. Zhaoyang Palace was a residence bestowed upon Cui Huai by the emperor. Although the body was charred and unrecognizable, it was determined to be the body of an adult male, so Emperor Jiaping accepted him as the King of Chu. Thus, he sent his chief eunuch to the King of Chu's residence to invite him.
After the Queen Consort of Chu and Cui Huai and others entered the palace, they recognized two of the King of Chu's personal belongings that had not been burned.
The corpse was then truly identified as the King of Chu.
That's why they haven't returned home yet.
The Chu King's Palace is currently working through the night to set up a mourning hall for the Chu King.
Shen Yunzhi had experienced the sudden death of a loved one, but Cui Huai had also experienced the loss of his mother. His relationship with the Prince of Chu had always been cold, and although they were father and son, there was little affection between them. She didn't know how to comfort him.
Cui Huai saw through her thoughts and said softly, "It would be good if Cousin Zhi could keep me company for a while."
Shen Yunzhi leaned against Cui Huai and nodded slightly.
At this time of day, Shen Yunzhi would usually have already gone to bed.
I stayed up all day waiting for Cui Huai, and I was already exhausted, my eyelids so heavy I could barely lift them.
The two embraced silently, and in the quiet, she couldn't help but drift off to sleep in Cui Huai's arms. Cui Huai looked down at her, tightened his arms around her, and gently kissed her cheek before closing his eyes to let her rest.
When the King of Chu passed away, guests flocked to his palace to pay their respects.
Emperor Jiaping even brought his crown prince with him.
Shen Yunzhi accompanied her aunt in the mourning hall. After respectfully paying her respects, she secretly glanced at the emperor. He was indeed in good spirits and showed no signs of illness.
Crown Prince Cui Xu, who came with the emperor, was also radiant and riding high on his success.
However, with Emperor Jiaping present and the emperor having come to offer condolences to the Prince of Chu, Cui Xu ultimately dared not act recklessly.
Just before leaving, he glared fiercely at Cui Huai.
The death of the King of Chu was the biggest blow to Cui Lizhu.
Even though father and daughter rarely saw each other, and Cui Lizhu was not close to the King of Chu, she always respected him and found it difficult to accept this sudden separation by death.
For several days, Choi Yeo-joo kept vigil, crying uncontrollably in the mourning hall almost every day.
That day, after the guests who had come to pay their respects to the King of Chu had left, Shen Yunzhi and her maid helped Cui Lizhu back to rest. Hot water was brought in, and after washing Cui Lizhu's face, Shen Yunzhi coaxed her to rest before preparing to leave. However, Cui Lizhu couldn't fall asleep. Suddenly, she grabbed Shen Yunzhi's sleeve and, as Shen Yunzhi turned to look at her, asked, "Zhiniang, were you ever in this pain before, and I showed no compassion? Don't you resent me?"
No, it won't.
Shen Yunzhi took Cui Lizhu's hand with her other hand and said, "We are not related by blood, we are just strangers. You don't have to take care of me."
Choi Yeo-joo silently shed tears.
Shen Yunzhi comforted her for a while, and only left quietly after Cui Lizhu had truly fallen asleep.
Cui Huai had followed them over and was waiting under the eaves at some point.
Upon hearing Shen Yunzhi's footsteps, he immediately turned around, walked slowly forward, and naturally took her hand.
"Cousin Zhi, I need to go to the palace." Cui Huai led Shen Yunzhi out.
Shen Yunzhi glanced at the sky; it was already nearing evening, and it would be dark soon: "At this hour? Is something important?"
Cui Huai responded with an "Mmm".
Shen Yunzhi asked again, "Can you come back tonight? If you can't come back tonight, will you be able to come back safely later?"
“Nothing will happen,” Cui Huai told her calmly.
Shen Yunzhi nodded, understanding in her heart. Without saying much, she saw him off to take a carriage to the palace.
Less than a quarter of an hour after Cui Huai left the Chu Prince's residence, someone came to invite Shen Yunzhi—it was the emperor's chief eunuch. He said to Shen Yunzhi, "Princess Huihe, His Majesty has ordered me to come and invite you to the palace."
...
Emperor Jiaping's actions made Shen Yunzhi extremely uneasy.
The fact that the chief eunuch appeared right after Cui Huai left the palace was no coincidence; it was a deliberate arrangement.
The matters concerning Emperor Jiaping and Cui Huai undoubtedly involve royal secrets.
Shen Yunzhi didn't think it was necessary for her to be present, no matter what, but she was brought to the Taihe Hall by the chief eunuch of Emperor Jiaping.
But Shen Yunzhi did not see anyone.
The head eunuch led her to a room, gestured for her to wait there, and then withdrew.
The room was simply furnished with only a small table and two rose chairs.
On the table, the tea was still steaming, and several tall white jade plates held snacks and fruits.
Shen Yunzhi had no leisure to drink tea, nor did she touch the pastries or fruits.
She stood there for a short while, and then, just a wall away, Cui Xu's voice came through clearly.
"Father, is this true?!"
"Mother...was it actually Father who poisoned her, not the Eighth Prince?"
Then came the sound of Cui Xuan crying.
"Fifth brother, stop talking... How could Father Emperor treat Mother like this..."
"It was I." Emperor Jiaping's authoritative voice silenced the Taihe Hall. Cui Xu and Cui Xuan fell silent, and Emperor Jiaping said in a deep voice, "She secretly changed my medicine and poisoned me. Did she think I didn't know? How could I tolerate the crime of regicide?"
"Does Father Emperor mean to say that this treatment of Mother is all for my own good?"
"Your Majesty, my eighth brother and I turned against each other because I mistakenly believed that he was plotting to harm our mother. Wasn't it because Father Emperor instigated this?"
Emperor Jiaping's voice rang out once more: "What do you want to say?"
Cui Xu said, "Your Majesty, I only want to know what your purpose is in deliberately sowing discord between me and my Eighth Prince?"
Emperor Jiaping did not answer. Cui Xuan begged Cui Xu not to speak further, but was instead reprimanded by Cui Xu. Then Cui Xu asked, word by word, "Is it possible that Father Emperor has other princes who are still living away from home?" He suddenly raised his voice, "Did Father Emperor set up this scheme to push that person to the throne?!"
"That person—is it Cui Huai?!"
A resounding sentence plunged the Hall of Supreme Harmony into a brief silence, just as it had before.
It was Cui Xuan who broke the deadlock.
She asked in shock, "Fifth brother, is what you say true?" After a pause, she continued, "Cousin, you are actually Father's..."
Cui Xu added, "Most of those who knew about what happened back then are no longer alive."
"But I suppose the Empress Dowager is not entirely unaware of this."
Then came the voice of Empress Chen.
As the confrontation continued, Shen Yunzhi's heart pounded in her chest, her mind in turmoil knowing that Cui Huai was inside the hall. She pieced together old stories and the secrets surrounding Cui Huai from the words of Cui Xu and the others.
Twenty-four years ago, the King of Chu married the former Queen Consort of Chu.
Emperor Jiaping, however, coveted his own brother and sister-in-law, and took advantage of the fact that the Prince of Chu was not in the capital to go to great lengths to forcibly take them.
A year later, the Queen Consort of Chu gave birth to Cui Huai.
The pregnancy with this child left the late Princess Chu feeling depressed and joyless. After giving birth, she developed a hidden illness and her health never fully recovered.
After returning to the capital, the Prince of Chu learned that his queen had been forced into marriage by his brother. He was filled with rage, but was powerless to resist due to the oppressive power of Emperor Jiaping. In his anger, he could only vent his frustration by acting recklessly. To exact revenge, he frequented brothels and brought Aunt Xue and Cui Hong back to the Prince of Chu's residence.
Later, the late King Chu's wife passed away.
But Cui Huai grew up safely and healthily as the crown prince of Chu.
"How can someone with such an unclear bloodline be qualified to succeed to the throne?"
After confronting Emperor Jiaping, Cui Xu revealed his true intentions and said to Emperor Jiaping, "I hope that Father will swear today that he will never have such thoughts."
"Have you finished speaking?"
After a long silence, Emperor Jiaping spoke calmly, revealing no trace of anger or embarrassment.
"Come out."
Emperor Jiaping was speaking to someone unknown.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunzhi subconsciously looked towards the door, but no one came to invite her. Instead, several deep, resonant voices rang out from inside the Taihe Hall, followed by a series of "Yes, sir." Emperor Jiaping then revealed their identities one by one; they were all influential senior officials in the court.
"Do you all agree with what the Crown Prince said?" Emperor Jiaping asked.
His response was filled with sincere and loyal words, but no one echoed Cui Xu's sentiments.
This situation was not what Cui Xu had expected.
At this very moment, Emperor Jiaping did not give Cui Xu any more chances and directly ordered: "The Crown Prince has committed treason and rebellion, and is hereby confined to the Eastern Palace from this day forward."
Amidst Cui Xuan's pleas, Cui Xu was taken away.
Not long after, Emperor Jiaping dismissed everyone else and left Cui Huai alone.
It was at this same time that Shen Yunzhi saw the chief eunuch beside Emperor Jiaping once again.
He said respectfully, "Princess Huihe, His Majesty summons you."
Shen Yunzhi followed the head eunuch into the main hall of Taihe Hall. The moment she looked up, she caught sight of Cui Huai. Upon seeing her, Cui Huai showed surprise, then his brow furrowed, revealing his displeasure. Emperor Jiaping seemed to know his displeasure and said, "These things about you are indeed not for others to know, but the person who will accompany you for life should know. You should not hide them."
Cui Huai did not respond to Emperor Jiaping's words. He walked up to Shen Yunzhi and asked, "When did you arrive?"
Emperor Jiaping answered for Shen Yunzhi: "She heard everything."
Shen Yunzhi shook her head at Cui Huai, barely visible, and then stepped forward to greet the emperor.
Cui Huai caught up with her in two steps, helped her up, and then held her hand tightly as they stood side by side in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Looking at them, a hint of affection appeared in Emperor Jiaping's usually stern and imposing gaze. He said to Cui Huai, "It is I who owe you and your mother. Since it is her last wish, I will fulfill it." After dismissing Cui Huai and Shen Yunzhi, he ordered the chief eunuch to summon the ministers who had been there earlier.
After leaving the palace and returning to the Chu Prince's residence, Shen Yunzhi's emotions remained unsettled for a long time.
Cui Huai, in particular, had a calm and composed expression, as if nothing had happened.
But instead of comforting Cui Huai, Shen Yunzhi was more concerned about something else: "Did you already know?"
He grasped Shen Yunzhi's hand, his fingers tightening: "Mmm."
Shen Yunzhi asked, "Since when?"
“After my mother passed away, my father once told me the truth when he was drunk,” Cui Huai said. “After that, my father was often away from the capital.”
When was that?
Shen Yunzhi vaguely knew that after her aunt married into the Chu Prince's mansion, it was normal for her to be separated from the Chu Prince most of the time.
At that time...
Cui Huai was no more than a child.
Shen Yunzhi asked in a low voice, "Have you been pretending you didn't know all these years?"
“It’s not a matter of pretending.” Cui Huai smiled and said, “The truth that is not cared about is naturally meaningless.”
Shen Yunzhi hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
"It's because of Cousin Zhi that I want to reveal the truth. Killing Cui Xu might put your mind at ease, but there will still be obstacles between us," Cui Huai said slowly. "Besides, this way I can give you something better, and I think you'll like it."
So this was what Cui Huai had told her before, that he would definitely make it up to her even better.
He had made up his mind from the very beginning.
Shen Yunzhi asked, "Why did you ask me out of the blue if I wanted to have a child with you?"
“It’s not unreasonable to think that having a child to inherit the throne for me in the future would be a good idea, but then you wouldn’t be able to be the empress,” Cui Huai said.
"Cousin Zhi, will you despise me?" Shen Yunzhi's silence prompted Cui Huai's question, "Will you despise my unclear bloodline, will you despise my shameful past?"
Do you despise it?
Because that person is the emperor, he can do everything in his power to support his ascension to the throne and will not allow anyone to question him.
Shen Yunzhi pursed her lips: "This isn't something you can choose."
Cui Huai chuckled, and the carriage came to a smooth stop. They returned to Qiyun Residence, and Cui Huai helped her down from the carriage.
"It doesn't matter if my cousin Zhi dislikes me."
"My love for my cousin Zhi will never change."
Their eyes met, and seeing the unchanging, undiminished madness in Cui Huai's eyes, Shen Yunzhi looked away in panic. His words about unchanging affection were nothing more than a way of telling her she could no longer escape. He hadn't let her go before he was the heir to the Chu King, and if he were to ascend the throne, he could act without restraint, easily manipulating a mere woman like her.
"You really want to..." Shen Yunzhi couldn't bring herself to ask the question.
Without even asking, Cui Huai knew what she wanted to say.
Cui Huai did not answer directly.
He simply asked her, "Cousin Zhi, would you be my Empress instead of my Crown Prince's consort?"
...
As Cui Huai said, the person who truly controlled the situation was Emperor Jiaping.
Cui Xu's questioning was also part of his calculations. He intended for Cui Xu to uncover the long-buried truth so that he could later recommend Cui Huai for the position.
However, the truth about Cui Huai's background will not be revealed to the world.
Emperor Jiaping acted ruthlessly in this matter, killing a group of palace servants to silence them, and arresting anyone involved if rumors spread outside the palace. Those who attempted to spread rumors to incite controversy were mostly Cui Xu's men, but the emperor was merciless and ruthless, and after making an example of them several times, no one dared to provoke him.
Cui Xu was made crown prince, and he was riding high with a bright future ahead of him.
However, his triumph was short-lived. His mother encountered an accident, a change occurred in the palace, he fought a battle with the Eighth Prince, and suffered a great blow from Emperor Jiaping.
He became the one who fell from a great height into the mud.
But unwilling to be a stepping stone for Cui Huai, and even less willing to sit and wait for death, Cui Xu still had the will to struggle and resist.
On the third day of Cui Xu's confinement, news spread in the palace that Emperor Jiaping had been assassinated.
Following this, memorials impeaching the Crown Prince piled up like snowflakes on the Emperor's desk. Three days later, Emperor Jiaping issued an edict deposing the Crown Prince, Cui Xu, who was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in Yuezhou, never to set foot outside again.
The assassination attempt in the palace implicated quite a few officials in the court.
Cui Xu's uncle was also arrested and imprisoned, and that very night he committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment.
In just over a month, the situation in the court has undergone a complete transformation.
The court officials noticed that several highly respected senior officials remained calm and composed, and they all suppressed their various thoughts.
In March, Emperor Jiaping ordered Cui Huai to be escorted away from the capital to Yuezhou.
Cui Xuan ignored everything and went to see him off. She cried until her eyes were red and swollen. When she returned to the princess's residence, she bumped into the consort Huo Ming, who was returning from his morning training at the martial arts field.
Are you satisfied now?
Staring at Huo Ming with venomous resentment, Cui Xuan gritted her teeth and said, "Don't think I don't know that you're partly responsible for my fifth brother's current predicament! You traitorous dog!"
Huo Ming remained unfazed: "We have never been family, so how can you accuse me of betraying you?" He walked past Cui Xuan and said indifferently as they passed each other, "Wasn't it you who assassinated Zhi Niang? If you have time to spare, Seventh Princess, you should think about what to do in the future."
Cui Xuan was shocked, her face changing drastically: "You...!"
Huo Ming ignored her and strode away under her angry glare.
Shen Yunzhi learned from Cui Huai that Cui Xu had been ordered by Emperor Jiaping to be escorted to Yuezhou.
She never wanted Cui Xu to ascend the throne, and although she hadn't expected this outcome, now that he had been demoted to a commoner, she could only rejoice. Besides, much of the suffering she had endured in this life was largely due to Cui Xu.
"You should have told me sooner, so we could have seen him off."
Cui Huai explained to Shen Yunzhi in a serious tone, "I originally wanted to tell you, but seeing that you were sleeping so soundly, it's really not worth disturbing your peaceful dreams for him."
Shen Yunzhi pouted: "Once this opportunity to see him make a fool of himself is missed, it's gone forever."
Cui Huai smiled and gently pinched her cheek.
"Today I made the decision on my own, and I will never let my cousin Zhi miss out on such a good thing again."
Before the peach blossoms had all fallen, Cui Huai took Shen Yunzhi to the ten-mile peach grove at Jianchun Pavilion. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting shadows on the faces of the people strolling hand in hand beneath the trees. It was no longer the season for peach blossoms to be in full bloom, so there was no longer the scene of blossoms clustered on the branches like clouds and mist.
Cui Huai said with a gentle smile, "We'll come again next year."
Seeing his unwavering persistence, Shen Yunzhi scoffed, "Isn't it said that pain and joy belong solely to us, and that you enjoy both? Why must you be the same as others?"
Cui Huai said, "It would be fine if my cousin Ruozhi only remembered things related to me."
He wanted to occupy all of her memories, so that no matter where she was or where she went, she would only think of him.
"If you hadn't come, so be it. But your presence here today reminds me that Prince Liang saved me here once, and the flower tea he personally brewed was also..." Before Shen Yunzhi could finish speaking, Cui Huai sealed her lips with a fierce kiss, forcefully shutting down all the words he didn't want to hear.
...
The Third Prince and the Eighth Prince passed away one after another, Cui Xu was demoted to a commoner, and the wounds on Cui Huai's body gradually healed and the scars faded.
However, Emperor Jiaping's health was not as good as before.
By May, after the Dragon Boat Festival, Cui Huai frequently entered and exited the palace.
Shen Yunzhi couldn't help but ask about Emperor Jiaping's condition. He frowned and said only four words: "His days are numbered."
Emperor Jiaping died before May was over.
He had already made arrangements for his affairs after his death. After his passing, Empress Chen, the Chen family, and several important officials would support Cui Huai. In addition, Cui Huai was highly renowned. As of now, there was no suitable successor among the princes. It was customary to recommend a suitable candidate from the royal family to succeed to the throne. The court officials, knowing the situation, recommended Cui Huai to sit on the throne.
A country cannot be without a ruler for even a day.
Before June arrived, Cui Huai ascended the throne as emperor amidst the throngs of his ministers.
Despite the stark reality before her, Shen Yunzhi was still in a daze. This was so different from her previous life, it was truly unpredictable. Especially when Cui Huai knelt on one knee before her, lowered his head to kiss the back of her hand, and solemnly asked her, "Cousin Zhi, would you be willing to be my empress?"
Shen Yunzhi's throat tightened.
Cui Huai added, "I promised you that I would keep my promise to you for the rest of my life, no matter what my status or my circumstances are."
"From now on, no one will be able to bully you anymore."
Those who looked down on you will never even have the right to look you in the eye again.
When she returned to Beijing with Cui Huai, she was tempted by the prospect of no longer being manipulated by Cui Xu and Cui Xuan. Now, hearing such words again, Shen Yunzhi had to admit that she couldn't resist the temptation.
"And what about you?" Shen Yunzhi puffed out her cheeks and asked.
Cui Huai said gently, "You will have power and status..." He slowly said, "Including me, no one will be able to bully you anymore."
"Is it okay?" After waiting for a long time, Cui Huai asked again.
Shen Yunzhi looked away, then quickly looked at Cui Huai, met his gaze, and nodded: "Okay."
The new emperor's wedding was a solemn and grand affair, intended to dispel the somber atmosphere within and outside the court. Cui Huai had personally overseen all the arrangements, so he was well aware of the intricacies of the rituals. However, since Huo Ming, Chen Zhaoyu, and Cui Hong would be attending their wedding banquet, he wanted them to see clearly that Shen Yunzhi was his empress, not a concubine they could covet. Therefore, he preserved all the traditional imperial wedding ceremonies.
The elaborate rituals left Shen Yunzhi exhausted on her wedding day.
Cui Huai felt sorry for her again. After the necessary ceremonies, he ordered someone to take Shen Yunzhi to rest first.
No one will disturb the Queen's wedding night.
But later, Choi Yeo-joo and Choi Hong came to see her together.
Having gone through so much, looking at Shen Yunzhi in her bright red wedding dress, Cui Lizhu struggled to utter the words "Imperial Sister-in-law" after several attempts. In contrast, Cui Hong appeared poised and elegant, not only addressing her as "Imperial Sister-in-law" but also smilingly congratulating her and Cui Huai on their long and happy marriage.
"Lizhu and I would like to offer a toast to the Empress Dowager."
Cui Hong walked to the table covered with a bright red wedding cloth, picked up the wine pot, filled three cups with wine, first handed one to Cui Lizhu, then to Shen Yunzhi, and finally picked up a cup for himself.
The three of them then raised their cups together and drank the wine in their cups in one gulp.
After that, Choi Hong and Choi Yeo-joo left.
Shen Yunzhi remained in the inner hall.
The wedding candles were lit, their red glow shimmering. She dismissed the palace servants and changed out of her dress.
She didn't drink a drop of the wine Cui Hong poured; instead, she used her wide sleeves to cover herself and poured it all into her robe.
Having experienced what happened in her past life, she truly dared not drink the wine that Cui Hong offered.
But more so because since her return to the capital, aside from being told by Aunt Liu that Cui Hong had been in contact with Cui Xu, Cui Hong hadn't made any other moves. Seemingly well-behaved, yet clearly harboring ulterior motives, she couldn't help but be wary.
Unable to put his mind at ease, Cui Huai took a break to check on Shen Yunzhi.
Having already changed her clothes, Shen Yunzhi handed the robe stained with wine to Cui Huai, asking him to summon a trusted imperial physician to examine it.
Cui Huai asked, "Who has been here?"
Shen Yunzhi would not hide it from him: "It was Cui Hong who poured the wine for me."
They received the results in less than half an hour.
That was a cup of poisoned wine; the drug in it was enough to kill someone with just one cup.
Recalling her own fate in her past life, Shen Yunzhi finally understood Cui Hong's intentions. Helping her escape was to cause Cui Huai pain, and the fake poisoned wine was the same. Including the cup of poisoned wine at her wedding with Cui Huai today, it was all an attempt to plunge Cui Huai into an abyss of no return.
"What do you want to do with him?"
Shen Yunzhi tugged at Cui Huai's sleeve and asked.
“Once a move is made, there’s no going back. Since he committed the act of trying to kill you, he should pay the price for his actions.” Cui Huai spoke calmly, but Shen Yunzhi could hear the anger hidden beneath his calm tone, and she sighed softly. She had no intention of letting Cui Hong off the hook, not even to avenge her past self. Therefore, she only whispered to Cui Huai, “So much has happened in the past six months. Aunt’s mood has only just improved. I don’t want her to worry again.”
"good."
Cui Huai understood Shen Yunzhi's meaning and nodded, saying, "I'll listen to you. We'll deal with him in a few days."
He called Lin Yue in and gave him a few instructions.
Lin Yue accepted the order and left. He then kissed Shen Yunzhi's forehead and said, "Cousin Zhi, I'm not leaving. I'll stay here with you."
Shen Yunzhi didn't want to ask the guests what they were going to do.
She reached out her hand to Cui Huai, extremely arrogant: "Perfect, serve me a bath."
Cui Huai smiled.
Without the slightest hesitation, he embraced Shen Yunzhi tightly.
The sleeping clothes prepared by the palace servants were never used.
Halfway through the bath, Cui Huai put his hand on Shen Yunzhi's waist, letting her cling to him, the two of them pressed tightly together.
Suppressing oneself for too long makes it even harder to control oneself once indulged.
But looking at Shen Yunzhi sleeping soundly in his arms, Cui Huai felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
She belongs only to him.
From this day forward, everyone will know.
"Yunzhi..."
"This is the strongest cage I can build for you."
Cui Huai kissed Shen Yunzhi's lips, whispered in her ear, and then finally held her and fell asleep peacefully.
He knew he would have sweet dreams tonight.
-----------------------
Author's Note: This concludes the main text. The following chapters will continue depicting daily life after marriage. [Let me see!]
This was a very difficult and hard-earned post to write. I'll give away a small red envelope in the comments. Thank you all for your continued support! [hugs]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com