Chapter 53. Things have changed, people are gone; it's all just a fleeting dream.
Sun Cheng was genuinely startled when he saw the woman beside the Crown Prince, but the prince did not give any further instructions, only telling him to take people to serve her, and he dared not say anything more.
He walked ahead of Shen Mi, leading the way, glancing back at her every now and then, but not daring to linger his gaze on her face for even a moment longer.
At first, he thought that His Highness had gone south to Huizhou to quell the rebellion and had met a woman who looked nine-tenths like the deceased Consort Shen, so he brought her back to the East Palace. At this time, he thought that His Highness missed Consort Shen too much. However, when he saw Cuiwei following behind Shen Mi, his face immediately turned pale.
As everyone knows, Consort Shen had long since perished in the great fire at Qingluan Palace. Because the fire burned for so long on a winter night, Consort Shen was completely burned to ashes. Even the tomb erected for her later was merely a cenotaph. Yet now, four years later, she stands before him, perfectly intact.
He couldn't believe that Consort Shen and Cuiwei had truly come back to life.
Seeing Sun Cheng's evasive gaze, Shen Mi guessed his thoughts and said softly, "Eunuch Sun, there's no need to be afraid. The events of that year are too complicated to explain in a few words. I also did not perish in that fire."
She closed her eyes briefly after she finished speaking.
She had been rocked on the ship for seven days. Before she could recover after disembarking, she was put into a carriage to return to the Eastern Palace. It just so happened that it was market day in Bianjing, and the streets were crowded with people. The carriage kept stopping and starting. What usually takes half an hour took almost an hour to reach the Eastern Palace.
Therefore, she was already exhausted at this point.
Cuiwei, on high alert, saw Shen Mi close her eyes and quickly supported her arm, saying, "My lady, be careful, there's a way out."
"I know." Shen Mi lifted her skirt and stepped onto the stairs with remarkable composure.
She had walked this corridor connecting the Hall of Diligent Governance and the rear courtyard of the East Palace countless times four years ago, and knew it by heart. At that time, her heart and eyes were still full of Gu Zhan. Every time, she and Cuiwei would carry lanterns and wait for Gu Zhan to return home late, not far from here. She knew exactly how many steps to take, how many turns to make, and where the steps were.
Even after arriving in Runzhou, she tried to forget her past experiences in the Eastern Palace, but she would still dream about them from time to time. Now that she has returned to the Eastern Palace, those long-sealed memories have resurfaced.
Sun Cheng saw the intersection ahead and hesitated, unsure which way to lead Shen Mi.
The left and right sides lead to different halls in the backyard of the East Palace. One side is the Qingluan Hall, where Consort Shen used to live, and the other side is the Danfeng Hall.
Previously, His Highness had sent a message asking him to have Danfeng Palace, which had always been the residence of the Crown Princess, cleaned up. At the time, he thought that it was only four years and His Highness had finally come to his senses and decided to marry someone else. So he personally watched the servants clean and tidy up the place, sweeping and adding furniture as needed. But he never expected that His Highness would bring back Consort Shen.
After hesitating for a moment, Sun Cheng asked, "Lady, would you like to rest at Danfeng Palace, or return to Qingluan Palace?"
Shen Mi was stunned for a moment.
Gu Zhan had told her about Danfeng Palace when he was in Runzhou; it was very close to his sleeping quarters, Qinzheng Palace.
She didn't want to get too close to Gu Zhan. Although she knew very well that she had been taken back to the East Palace and was under his control no matter how far away she was from him, she still felt that she should stay as far away from him as possible.
After pausing for two steps at the entrance of the corridor, Shen Mi turned to her right, towards the direction of the Azure Phoenix Palace.
Sun Cheng didn't dare to say anything more and could only lower his head.
He could sense that Consort Shen was very different from before, and he didn't know what had happened in the past four years, or what had happened after she reunited with His Highness, to make her such a listless person.
But these were all matters concerning his master, and he couldn't say a word. He could only tell himself over and over again on the way to forget the fire from back then and pretend that it was just a conflict between His Highness and Consort Shen.
Relying on her memory, Shen Mi made her way to the front of the Qingluan Palace.
The palace before her was exactly the same as she remembered, except that the people serving in front of the palace were all unfamiliar faces, no longer the palace servants of yesteryear.
Sun Cheng gestured to the palace servants to open the palace doors and respectfully invited her in.
Just as Gu Zhan said, all the furnishings in Qingluan Palace were no different from before, and the color of the curtains was also her favorite color. It was as if she had not really left the East Palace for four years, but had only taken a long trip. Those four years in Runyang were as beautiful and unreal as a dream.
Suddenly, eight words popped into her mind: "Things have changed, people are gone; it's all just a dream."
There was only one difference. In the inner hall, Gu Zhan had placed a small square table made of purple sandalwood, on which sat a memorial tablet that had been covered in dust. The tablet was inscribed with the words "My wife, Shen Shi Mi, offering this." In front of the tablet were three exquisite gilded incense burners, the incense inside of which had burned out, leaving only ashes.
Shen Mi lingered in front of the square table for a long time without moving.
Sun Cheng was outside instructing the palace servants on matters when he came in and saw Shen Mi staring at his memorial tablet. He was horrified.
He hurried forward, taking three steps at a time, intending to remove the memorial tablet. He then called in palace servants to remove the incense burner from the square table and the prayer mat on the ground in front of it.
Shen Mi said, "No need to take it down, just leave it there."
Sun Cheng was caught in a dilemma. "This... I'm afraid it's not appropriate."
After all, who in the world would still have a memorial tablet enshrined in their residence while they are still alive? His Highness hadn't mentioned bringing Consort Shen back, nor had he instructed anyone beforehand to remove the memorial tablet, incense burner, and other items from inside.
With Cuiwei's help, Shen Mi sat on the edge of the bed, took a breath, and said, "There's nothing wrong. I'll handle His Highness's side. He won't take his anger out on you."
Sun Cheng's concerns were dispelled by Shen Mi's words. He then dismissed the palace servants who had hurriedly come in and carefully placed the memorial tablet on the square table.
Shen Mi noticed that there were still some unburnt incense sticks neatly placed next to the square table, and asked, "These incense sticks look a bit damp."
Sun Cheng lowered his head and replied, "After that incident, His Highness initially came to Qingluan Palace to offer incense frequently, but later he stopped coming and forbade the palace servants to mention the matter. Qingluan Palace was cleaned up by His Highness after he sent a message back to the East Palace a few days ago. Perhaps they haven't had time to change the incense yet."
Shen Mi gave a soft "oh," but was not moved. She only felt that Gu Zhan's behavior was very hypocritical.
Why did they stop coming later? It's because they'd had enough of the "missing loved ones" act, so they didn't need to come back against their will.
If Gu Zhanruo truly regretted "her passing away," he wouldn't have completely disregarded her wishes and forcibly brought her back to Bianjing.
Sun Cheng couldn't understand Shen Mi's meaning. After glancing at her, he said, "You must be tired from your journey. I just asked the cook to prepare some congee and side dishes. Would you like some?"
Shen Mi slowly shook her head, "No need. Tell them all to leave. I'll just leave Cuiwei here. Eunuch Sun, go and attend to other matters. Don't worry about me."
Sun Cheng agreed, led his men away, and closed the door of Qingluan Palace for Shen Mi.
On the other side, after Gu Zhan drafted the memorial requesting that Shen Mi be made the Crown Princess, he changed his clothes and took the memorial to the palace to see the Emperor at the Funing Hall, both to report back to the Emperor and to request his decree.
However, upon arriving at Funing Palace, they were informed that the Empress had recently fallen ill and that the Emperor was not at Funing Palace, but had gone to Kunning Palace to visit the Empress.
Although Gu Zhan didn't really want to see the Empress, he still had to put on a show, so he led Yang Qing to the Kunning Palace.
Those who weren't his close confidants had no idea about the true identities of Yang Ping and his son Yang Qing. When he went to Yangzhou to find Yang Ping, Yang Ping was a failed candidate in the imperial examinations and worked as a clerk in the Yangzhou government. He took him directly back to the Eastern Palace and gave him a minor, unranked position there. Yang Qing, on the other hand, had entered officialdom through the proper imperial examinations. After speaking with the Minister of Personnel, he placed Yang Qing in a position in the Eastern Palace. Even though Yang Qing had been by his side for four years, no one ever suspected the relationship between the two men and Consort Yang in the imperial tomb.
When Gu Zhan arrived at Kunning Palace, the Empress was reclining on a soft couch in the Emperor's arms. The Emperor was gently massaging her temples while asking her how much pressure she was applying.
Although he didn't want to see it, he had to admit that the emperor and empress were loving and harmonious.
However, after he and Shen Mi have a proper and formal wedding, Shen Mi will be his rightful Crown Princess. Many years later, when he ascends the throne, his relationship with Shen Mi will surely be even more loving than that between the Emperor and the Empress.
Because at that time, his harem would only have Empress Shen Mi, no imperial concubine who gave birth to the eldest son, and no beauty guarding the imperial mausoleum.
When the Emperor and Empress were alone, they would always dismiss all the servants around them. Gu Zhan was used to the fact that no palace servants would announce their arrival.
He withdrew his gaze from the Emperor and Empress, bowed, and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty and Empress Dowager."
Upon hearing Gu Zhan's voice, the Empress opened her eyes, straightened her clothes, and sat up straight from the Emperor's embrace.
The official nodded in response and asked, "When did you return from Runzhou?"
"I arrived at noon today, and after a long and tiring journey, I will take a bath and change my clothes before going to the palace to report to the Emperor."
The Emperor picked up a teacup from a small table and used the lid to skim off the foam. “You handled the Huizhou matter very well. I have already read your memorial. You had experience from your previous disaster relief efforts in Dingzhou, so this time it went smoothly as well. However, you previously submitted a memorial stating that you were attacked by bandits in Runzhou and were injured. What happened?”
Gu Zhan answered with ease: "After quelling the rebellion in Huizhou, I originally intended to return to the capital by land after reorganizing. However, it is now almost September, which is the season for harvesting late rice in the Huainan area. There are many farmlands along the way, and I was worried that it would delay the people's normal rice harvest. Therefore, I planned to take the waterway north along the Grand Canal back to Bianjing. However, the nearest port to Huizhou is Yangzhou. So I led my men from Huizhou along the mountain road to the Runyang area. Unexpectedly, we encountered bandits and were injured by them. We could only rest briefly in Runzhou. This was also due to my oversight, which caused the delay in our return. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
The official took a sip of tea. "It's kind of you to be so considerate of the people's feelings. This is a good thing. Encountering bandits along the way was an accident, and you can't be blamed for it."
Gu Zhan knew his reasons were perfectly legitimate, and Qian Zhen, the prefect of Runzhou, was eager to curry favor with him so he could be transferred back to Bianjing. He would naturally cover for him. As for Su Xingjian, if he still wanted his career, he would not expose this matter. Therefore, he was able to handle the official's questioning with ease.
"Your Majesty's purpose in coming here is to appease the people, and I would certainly not allow the people to harbor any resentment towards Your Majesty." He always maintained proper etiquette in front of the Emperor and the Empress.
Now that the Emperor intends to recall Prince Wei to Bianjing, at such a critical juncture, he cannot afford to lose even a shred of imperial favor. He is all too aware that throughout history, very few emperors have been able to ascend the throne smoothly from the position of Crown Prince, and the deposition and installation of Crown Princes is a common occurrence. Moreover, Prince Wei is the eldest son of the Emperor, backed by Prime Minister Li and his many protégés in court. If he were to truly return to the capital, there would be no shortage of supporters for Prince Wei.
Although he was raised by the Empress from a young age and was considered her legitimate son, the Empress's background was not as good as that of Consort Li. The Empress was originally from a rural background, not a noble lady from Bianjing with a prominent family. She was made Empress by the Emperor against all odds because she "gave birth to" him. Although her father and brothers were granted titles by the Emperor after she was made Empress, it was only to save face for the Empress and make her background seem more respectable. In reality, the Empress's family did not help him at all. He was able to get to where he was today entirely because of his years of hard work and cultivation in the court.
If the King of Wei truly intends to compete with him for the throne after returning to the capital this time, he may not necessarily have an absolute advantage.
Seeing that the Emperor had finished asking him about official matters, the Empress said, "Zhan'er, I heard that you brought back a woman from Runyang on your trip? Has she been settled in the Eastern Palace? Ever since Xiao Mi left four years ago, the Emperor and I have repeatedly said that we should choose someone else to serve you, but you were unwilling. How come you changed your mind after going to Runyang? However, if that woman has a clean background, it would be good for her to stay in the Eastern Palace to serve you in your daily life."
Gu Zhan lowered his eyes and suddenly knelt before the Emperor and Empress. "The woman I brought back from Runyang is none other than Shen, who perished in the fire years ago."
"You mean, Xiao Mi?" The Empress was shocked. She glanced at the Emperor before continuing, "How could it be her? The dead cannot be brought back to life. The Qingluan Palace was burned to the ground back then. Even if you miss Xiao Mi dearly, you cannot mistake a woman who looks like her for her."
The official also frowned and looked at Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan did not get up and said, "What happened four years ago was due to someone with malicious intentions. Knowing that I and Zhi Niang were deeply in love, they wanted to kidnap Zhi Niang to coerce me. Zhi Niang had already been kidnapped from the East Palace before that fire. However, Zhi Niang was intelligent and refused to betray me. She fought a desperate battle with the villain on the way and jumped into the river to escape. She ended up in Runzhou, where I happened to be recuperating. By fate, I was able to reunite with Zhi Niang and bring her back to the East Palace."
The Empress looked troubled. At that time, she had been telling the Emperor to select a woman from her mother's family with a clean background to enter the Eastern Palace. Even if her background was not suitable for the Crown Princess, it would be good for her to be a concubine, just like Shen Mi had been.
After all, ever since the King of Wei was forced to leave the capital, she has seen Gu Zhan become more and more like a monarch and more distant from her. Controlling Gu Zhan through "family ties" is already extremely difficult. It would be better to select a young woman to enter the Eastern Palace. This way, she can keep an eye on Gu Zhan for her, and if she is fortunate enough to be favored, it will also greatly benefit her maternal family.
At that moment, Gu Zhan told him that he had found Shen Mi and brought her back.
The Emperor had initially agreed to let her select a few women and send in their portraits for her to choose from. However, now that Gu Zhan had brought Shen Mi back, he was afraid that Gu Zhan would not easily accept anyone else. She could see Gu Zhan's obsession with Shen Mi. Since Shen Mi left, Gu Zhan had returned to a state of focusing solely on politics and not being interested in women.
But in order to fulfill her role as a virtuous wife and loving mother, the Empress still pretended to be worried: "How is Xiao Mi now? She was kidnapped by villains for four years, and everyone thought she had passed away. Now that she has been found again, it may damage the face of the imperial family."
She was speaking to the Emperor. Four years is not four days or four hours. Who can say for sure what happened during that time? Gu Zhan is the Crown Prince. If he brings a woman who is suspected of having lost her innocence back to the Eastern Palace, how will the people of the world view this Crown Prince?
Gu Zhan spoke calmly: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I once regarded Zhi Niang as a wife to spend my life with. Before that incident four years ago, I planned to submit a memorial to make her the Crown Princess. Now that Heaven has taken pity on me and allowed me to find Zhi Niang again, I am overjoyed. As for what happened in the past four years, I do not care." He took out a written memorial from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. "This is my memorial requesting that she be made the Crown Princess. I hope Your Majesty will take a look."
The Emperor did not accept the memorial. He told Gu Zhan to stand up, put down his teacup, and sighed softly: "I can see your intentions, but the dead cannot be brought back to life. If you really have feelings for her, help her to create a new identity and keep her in the Eastern Palace. As for restoring her name, let it go. Your mother is also concerned about your important affairs. She just told me that she would pick out a few women with clean family backgrounds for you to choose from. If you find one you like, marry her and bring her back to the Eastern Palace."
Gu Zhan's gaze lingered on the Empress for a moment before he suddenly understood her meaning.
However, he would never allow the Empress to interfere in the affairs of his Eastern Palace again, otherwise, once he ascended the throne, the Empress's relatives would become too powerful and eventually cause trouble.
He quickly withdrew his gaze and continued to speak to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, in my heart, I have long regarded Lady Shen as the only person with whom I can spend my life and grow old together. I would never marry another. Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager are very loving, and I am sure you can feel the same way as me."
The official was taken aback upon hearing this.
He suddenly remembered that when he ascended the throne at a young age, he brought his empress back from the countryside when she was about the same age as Gu Zhan.
At that time, the Empress was still someone else's wife. He used his power to make that person recognize his wife as his sister. At first, he made the Empress a concubine, and later skipped the title of Lady of the County and promoted her directly to Consort Zhao. Later, he wanted to make her the Empress, and even gave her the child born to that concubine Yang to raise. He only said in public that Gu Zhan was the Empress's child. He overcame all objections and successfully made her the Empress. Many years have passed. Although they occasionally quarreled, he and the Empress were still as loving as ever.
His son is right; didn't he go through the same thing himself?
The emperor looked at Gu Zhan and suddenly realized that his son was somewhat similar to him in his infatuation with love.
After a long while, he took the memorial from Gu Zhan's hand, looked at it, and found that it was indeed written by Gu Zhan himself, not by anyone else, and the words were sincere.
The Emperor's thoughts were somewhat complicated. He closed the memorial and said, "I know what you are thinking. I will consider this matter. After all, the selection of the Crown Princess cannot be taken lightly."
Gu Zhan knew that the Emperor had already relented, so he didn't press the matter. He knew when to stop and knelt down to express his gratitude.
The Emperor wanted to ask more about the specifics of the disaster relief efforts in Huizhou, but seeing that the Empress looked unwell, he patted her hand and said, "I have some other things to discuss with Zhan'er, so I won't bother you in Kunning Palace. I'll come to see you later."
Although the Empress was displeased, she could only agree and watch the Emperor and Gu Zhan leave.
Gu Zhan followed the Emperor from Kunning Palace to Funing Palace, answering some detailed questions about disaster relief and other matters of state. By the time they came out of Funing Palace, it was already evening.
He walked down the steps and casually asked Yang Qing, "How is the situation at the Eastern Palace? Has Sun Cheng sent someone to report?"
Yang Qing relayed Sun Cheng's message to Gu Zhan verbatim: "As soon as Your Highness entered Funing Palace, word came from the East Palace that Madam Shen did not cause much trouble. After returning to Qingluan Palace, she rested and sat without speaking. Apart from Cuiwei, she did not allow anyone to approach her. She also did not have the memorial tablet in Qingluan Palace removed."
Gu Zhan's heart tightened upon hearing this, "Has she been eating properly?"
"The message from the East Palace is that after lunch was served, Madam Shen didn't touch a single bite, saying it wasn't to her liking, and ordered it to be taken away untouched."
Gu Zhan quickened his pace.
*
Cuiwei saw Shen Mi sitting by the window, gazing out the window, and wondered what she was thinking. She looked melancholy. After Cuiwei asked her a question, Shen Mi took a long time to answer.
Cuiwei felt sorry for her and advised, "My lady, you should eat more. If you keep going like this, your body won't be able to take it."
Shen Mi's eyes were dull and lifeless. She didn't respond to Cui Wei's question. "Do you think I'm going to be trapped here for the rest of my life? Trapped in this four-sided sky, enduring his unpredictable temper. If he's happy, he'll reward this person or that person. If he's unhappy, he'll lock me up until I obediently admit my mistakes."
Cuiwei choked up, unsure how to answer. She had once thought that she and her wife would surely escape, but they were still caught and brought back.
This time, trying to escape again would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Shen Mi closed her eyes and said to herself, "But if I just listen to him, will he stop making things difficult for Ziyou?"
Cuiwei pursed her lips, looked at the figure in black entering the courtyard, and said, "My lady, His Highness has returned."
Shen Mi felt a chill run down her spine. She opened her eyes and saw Gu Zhan walking hurriedly toward her through the window.
However, she couldn't focus her gaze for a moment and couldn't see his expression clearly.
She moved her lips and told Cuiwei to go down first.
Although Cuiwei was worried, she could only do as she was told. Just as she was about to leave, she bumped into His Highness the Crown Prince. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that His Highness looked anxious.
Gu Zhan saw Shen Mi sitting quietly by the window, her figure thin and her face pale, and couldn't help but ask, "Zhi Niang, I heard you haven't eaten all day. Do you not like the dishes for lunch?"
Shen Mi rose from the soft couch and bowed to Gu Zhan: "What Your Highness has prepared is naturally excellent, and I dare not complain."
Upon hearing her words, Gu Zhan felt a pang of bitterness spread through his chest.
Shen Mi was as obedient as he had hoped, and did not talk back. However, he was not as happy as he had imagined. Instead, he felt that Shen Mi in front of him was so unfamiliar.
Then he saw with his own eyes that Shen Mi took off her jacket in front of him, the soft satin falling to the ground, and then the woman's hand touched the sash of her skirt at the waist.
He immediately stepped forward and pressed the man's hand down: "What are you doing?"
The woman looked up at him and said, "Your Highness came to find me, isn't it for something like this?"
Gu Zhan opened his lips, and his throat felt hot.
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Author's Note: I'm so sorry, I was just too busy today. I was trying to reach 6000 words, so I'm late. I'm sending out red envelopes to make up for it! [Pity][Pity]
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