Chapter 8
Inside the Cining Palace, Wei Luo's "madness" has been cured.
The emperor ordered a large-scale search of the palace, and finally found a strange wooden box under Shen Yao's bed. The palace servants presented it to the emperor, who was so frightened that he almost lost his soul, and the emperor's face turned extremely pale.
If it was indeed Shen Yao who did it, even the emperor might not be able to protect her, let alone Consort Shen.
Wei Luo's goal was to severely damage Consort Shen, ideally eliminating her entirely.
Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes. He pretended to be crazy for a long time, but who would have thought that his name was not in the wooden box?
Wei Luo's face darkened. He was unwilling to accept this and looked up at Liu Heng to confirm again, "Is there really only Xu Xuan and Liu Ru in the wooden box, and not me?"
"No. Your Highness is the Crown Prince. No matter how much the Emperor favors Shen Yao, it cannot supersede your safety."
"Is that so?" Wei Luo scoffed, unconvinced. "His Majesty probably wishes I were dead so that he could make room for his good son."
Liu Heng lowered his head slightly, not daring to reply. However, Wei Luo did not continue the topic. Instead, he asked, "Xu Xuan is Shen Yao's husband. She has always loved him dearly. Why would she use witchcraft to curse him?"
Liu Heng was also puzzled by this question.
It's common knowledge that Shen Yao likes Xu Xuan, which doesn't make sense logically or emotionally, but the evidence is conclusive. So many eyes have seen it, and the box does indeed contain Xu Xuan.
Liu Heng frowned and asked, "Could it be that love has turned into hatred?"
More than half a month ago, Shen Yao sent someone to push Liu Ru into the water, and she was punished with fifty lashes. After that, she stayed in Yikun Palace, but Xu Xuan didn't even ask her a question. It is likely that he was heartbroken and hated the two of them, which is why he did such an absurd thing.
Wei Luo agreed, nodded, and said, "Send someone to investigate again."
*
Inside Yikun Palace, Shen Yao wiped away her tears and felt a little relieved. Although she didn't know which deity had appeared to her, at least she wouldn't be executed by slow slicing.
It feels so good to be alive. She silently vowed to herself that she would turn over a new leaf and start anew.
The emperor then asked, "Why did you curse Xu Xuan?"
Shen Yao swallowed hard, giving her time to think about how to fabricate a story. After a long while, she slowly said, "I hate them. I almost died from the whipping, but Xu Xuan was extremely indifferent. People like that don't deserve to be loved, so I curse them..."
Silently lowering her head, Shen Yao thought to herself: "The excuse of 'love turning into hate' should be enough to fool me!"
She didn't dare to look up, afraid that the emperor would slap her again; her face still hurt!
The emperor lifted his eyelids, listened, and his lips twitched. He slowly walked up to the head of the hall and sat down. The imperial concubine also sighed and followed him.
Only when she realized that the two mountains in front of her had moved away did Shen Yao dare to raise her eyes. At the same time, the emperor's voice came, "Get up."
Shen Yao was overjoyed and quickly stood up.
The emperor continued, "Do you know that the crown prince is now seriously ill because of your curse?"
Shen Yao looked directly into the emperor's eyes, biting her lip. She couldn't admit to this under any circumstances, so she could only lie through her teeth, saying pitifully, "But I didn't curse the Crown Prince..."
The Imperial Concubine spoke gently from the side, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. You watched A-Yao grow up. She wouldn't dare to curse the Crown Prince. This matter definitely has nothing to do with A-Yao."
The Imperial Concubine then gave Shen Yao a meaningful look.
Shen Yao, with her sharp eyes and clear mind, quickly stepped forward and knelt beside the emperor's legs, wailing loudly, "I really didn't curse the crown prince, Your Majesty, you must investigate thoroughly and not wrong an innocent person!"
"A good person?" The emperor sneered. "You're good at putting on a good face. Once you've recovered, go home as soon as possible. Don't stay in the palace all day and cause trouble for your aunt."
Shen Yao hummed in agreement and silently lowered her eyes.
The Imperial Concubine said, "Since this matter has nothing to do with A Yao, then what exactly is wrong with the Crown Prince's illness? The palace servants all say that the Crown Prince... has gone mad."
"Shut up." The emperor suddenly stood up and sternly rebuked the concubine for her inappropriate words. "It's all hearsay. The crown prince is just delirious from a fever. How could he be insane? From now on, anyone who dares to make baseless accusations or spread rumors will be severely punished by me."
This was considered the emperor's confirmation of the crown prince's illness, giving an explanation to the palace servants, eunuchs, and civil officials of various departments.
It was quite a coincidence that someone from the Eastern Palace arrived just after the emperor finished speaking.
"This servant Liu Heng pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"How is the Crown Prince's illness?"
Liu Heng said, "This servant has come to inform Your Majesty that Your Highness has regained consciousness and is in much better health."
The emperor's expression instantly brightened, and he asked again, "Are you telling the truth?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
The palace servants and eunuchs all knelt down and shouted, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
As congratulatory greetings spread, the oppressive atmosphere in the hall vanished, and smiles returned to everyone's faces, except for Shen Yao.
Suspicion clouded her mind. With a woman's sixth sense, she intuitively felt that this matter was not simple, like a conspiracy targeting her and the Imperial Concubine.
Consort Shen shared the same feeling. The two exchanged a glance, and Consort Shen smiled and said, "It is a joyous occasion that the Crown Prince is in good health. However, A Yao should be punished for her mistake. Why not let her copy scriptures to pray for the Crown Prince?"
"oh?"
The emperor's eyes were sharp as he looked at Shen Yao and asked, "What do you think?"
Shen Yao looked up in surprise, then responded enthusiastically, "I'm willing to do it."
"Alright, after you finish copying the scriptures, personally deliver them to the Eastern Palace and apologize to the Crown Prince properly."
After speaking, the emperor shook his head and left.
Liu Heng and Shen Yao, who were following behind the emperor, exchanged a glance. Shen Yao smiled and said, "I will copy it in a few days and send it to Your Highness."
Liu Heng nodded and left.
Biluo came forward and asked, "Are you in a bad mood, young lady?"
"Um."
Shen Yao was completely listless. The two walked towards the warm pavilion. Once inside, Shen Yao couldn't wait to ask, "What exactly is going on with that box?"
The truth has come out, and there's no need to hide it anymore. Biluo honestly confessed, "I changed my name... I was afraid there would be a conflict between the two."
"……ah?"
After a long while, Shen Yao patted her hand and forced a smile, saying, "Good job changing it, but why did you think of Xu Xuan?"
She's incredible.
“I feel sorry for you. You married Xu Xuan and did so much for him, but he favored his concubine over his wife. When has he ever paid any attention to you? Xu Xuan is a heartless man. Wake up, girl.”
As someone from the 21st century, Shen Yao knew the original owner's fate: her family was destroyed, and she herself was strangled by her husband—a typical cannon fodder destined for death.
She didn't want to get involved with someone like Xu Xuan at all. "You're right. We'll stay away from him from now on."
"Young lady, are you telling the truth?"
"nature."
Shen Yao remained calm and composed, giving an affirmative answer.
Biluo breathed a sigh of relief.
Outsiders all say that when Xu Xuan passed the imperial examination and became a third-ranked scholar, Shen Yao fell in love with him at first sight and went to the palace to ask the emperor for a marriage decree. In fact, their fate had already been intertwined long before that.
Xu Xuan's father was in charge of horse breeding and managing the horses in the Shanglin Garden. Therefore, Xu Xuan often took advantage of his father's position to ride horses and hunt in the Shanglin Garden.
Once, Shen Yao hunted a wild boar, but unexpectedly, she drove the boar into a rage, and it charged straight at her. Just then, Xu Xuan shot an arrow that instantly pierced the boar's neck, saving Shen Yao.
Before Shen Yao could react, Xu Xuan had already turned his horse around and left gracefully, leaving behind only a tall and imposing figure that would be unforgettable.
The two met again when Xu Xuan passed the imperial examination and paraded through the streets. Shen Yao finally got her wish and saw the lover she had been longing for. At that time, one was unmarried and the other was unmarried. They were a perfect match, a match made in heaven.
Little did they know that the events that followed would gradually push their marriage towards its doom...
*
By the time Shen Yao finished copying a scroll of scripture, it was nearly 9 PM.
She put down her pen and looked out the window. The night was as dark as if splashed with thick ink, with shadows looming everywhere.
In the stillness of the night, I always feel an overwhelming longing for home, my home in the 21st century.
I ended up here for no reason, and I don't even know how my parents are doing over there.
Shen Yao felt silently sad.
The curtain rustled slightly, and footsteps approached. When Shen Yao turned around, Bi Luo skipped in, excitedly saying, "Miss, Master and Madam have written a letter."
Shen Yao was delighted and quickly took the letter to open it. It contained affectionate words from her parents to their daughter. This was the fifth letter she had received this month. Although she was not the original owner of the body, the touching words could transcend time and space, allowing her to feel the deep affection of her family.
Shen Yao's nose tingled slightly.
After closing the letter, Shen Yao lit a corner of it on the candle flame. The white Xuan paper instantly rolled up, turned yellowish-brown, and then turned completely black, turning into ashes.
Biluo asked, "Should we reply?"
"No, I'm all better now. I'll go back in a few days to let you know I'm safe."
She also wanted to see her family, but right now, she had to deal with Wei Luo's matter first.
Trying to kill Wei Luo with a curse using metaphysics won't work. As for poisoning or other methods of killing, forget about it. If that were really possible, the Imperial Concubine would have done it long ago, and she wouldn't be in such a passive position now.
So the only viable option now is to seek refuge with him.
Since we can't win, we might as well join the enemy side to survive. There's no shame in doing anything.
Moreover, although Wei Luo has been made crown prince, Consort Shen in the inner palace still enjoys his favor, so his position as crown prince is still unstable.
As if facing an abyss, as if walking on thin ice, this perfectly describes Wei Luo's situation.
*
Inside the Ciqing Palace's sleeping quarters, candlelight shone brightly, and the faint scent of plum blossoms lingered around a wooden plaque inscribed with "The Spirit Tablet of the Compassionate Mother, Lady Wang."
Wei Luo knelt quietly on the prayer mat and threw the gold and silver ingots in his hand into the fire.
A flame burned in his eyes.
"Mother, I've come to see you. Are you doing well down below? I'm fine. Being the Crown Prince is indeed different from being a prince. Father has started to care about me and has been inviting me to dinner often lately. Our relationship has become harmonious. I guess you could say it's... a loving father and a filial son."
Wei Luo gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"Consort Shen has been behaving herself lately and hasn't bothered me anymore. I've started to retaliate against her, but I was one step behind and the plan failed. Isn't my son stupid? He doesn't even know how to harm someone."
"Mr. Guo always said that one should be upright and honest, especially the crown prince, but I can't do it. Since your death, apart from Liu Heng, I have no one else in the palace I can trust. Now, although I have been made crown prince, I am still insecure. My father can depose me with a single word, and I have no power to resist... When will this life of having my fate controlled by others end?"
"If you are watching from heaven, could you please tell me in a dream how much longer I have to wait—"
Only then can one ascend the throne.
After the last few pieces of paper offerings in the brazier burned out, Wei Luo kowtowed, and Liu Heng came in to tidy up the belongings.
"Your Highness, it is already 9 PM. You should rest now, as there is morning class at Wenhua Hall tomorrow."
"What morning class?" Wei Luo frowned, puzzled. "I'm feeling better today, shouldn't I rest for a few days?"
"His Majesty just sent word that you should attend a lecture tomorrow, saying that you must not neglect your studies..."
Liu Heng glanced at Wei Luo's cold face and his tone softened. He didn't know what the emperor was thinking, but he insisted on making Wei Luo attend class while "sick".
Wei Luo sneered, "What a good father."
After saying that, he lifted the bed curtains and crawled inside, lying face down and remaining silent.
Liu Heng sighed softly, tidied up the brazier, and walked out, muttering to himself, "What a strange father and son."
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