Chapter 67 The Deposed Crown Prince
On their wedding night, it was Gu Zhan who left her alone in her room;
Later, on a snowy night, it was Gu Zhan who called her to wait anxiously outside the Moon Pavilion in the palace, holding her cloak;
It was Gu Zhan who said he wasn't interested in her past;
When she was young, Zhou Fanyin framed her for faking a pregnancy, and the first person to suspect her was Gu Zhan;
It was Gu Zhan who, for the sake of power, watched as Zhou Fanyin was pushed into the Taiye Pool.
It was Gu Zhan who imprisoned her several times and drove her to her death.
This heartless and fickle person, who has repeatedly betrayed her, now claims he will never let her suffer again.
How could she believe it?
Shen Mi felt increasingly aggrieved as she thought about it, and her eyes filled with tears.
Gu Zhan held her in his arms, and even through the thick robe, he could feel the woman's shoulders trembling slightly.
He released her and reached out to wipe away her tears. "Don't cry."
Shen Mi recalled those past events and did not want Gu Zhan to touch her, even though she knew that she could not escape her current situation no matter how hard she tried. She still wanted to avoid it as much as possible.
So she gently looked away and wiped away the tears that were sliding down her face.
Gu Zhan released her and said, "Some time ago, I asked Cheng Lin about your medical records. He said your health is still not good, and the illness is in your heart. You should smile more often. If there is anything you are lacking, just tell me, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi was stunned for a moment.
She shifted her feet, causing the gold chain binding her to tremble. All she wanted now was for Gu Zhan to release the chain that bound her, but she knew that Gu Zhan would never release her. Even if she asked, she would only be rejected. And the gold, silver, jade, and rare treasures that Gu Zhan gave her were not what she wanted.
Having figured this out, Shen Mi simply nodded and said, "Okay."
Gu Zhan's fingertips traced the pearls on the wedding gown on her shoulder as he said, "Is there anything wrong with this wedding dress? If it doesn't fit, or if you don't like any of the patterns, just ask the Imperial Wardrobe to alter it. Our wedding must not have any mistakes." He looked at Shen Mi quietly, "You know, I want to give you the best of everything I can, as long as you stay by my side."
After catching her breath, Shen Mi replied, "Everything is fine. Your Highness's dedication has inspired your subordinates to act perfunctorily."
Gu Zhan smiled, his eyes crinkling with laughter, and suddenly asked, "And what about you?"
Shen Mi frowned, a hint of bewilderment appearing between her brows. "Your Highness?"
"Are you just going through the motions?" Gu Zhan placed his hand on her waist.
Shen Mi felt a little guilty under his gaze. How did he know that she had been just going through the motions lately?
However, she didn't speak for a moment, and Gu Zhan's hand on her waist tightened noticeably. He didn't say anything, but his actions told her that he was urging her for an answer.
Realizing this, Shen Mi quickly banished all her panicked thoughts and simply looked up at him, saying, "Your Highness is joking. How could I possibly be so evasive?"
Gu Zhan stared into her dark eyes and said, "You hesitated, and your eyelashes are trembling."
Shen Mi was startled and her eyelashes fluttered. She quickly lowered her eyes, not having time to tell whether Gu Zhan had really discovered her little thoughts or whether Gu Zhan's words were a test. She simply moved her hand to the hand with distinct knuckles that was holding her waist and said, "It's Your Highness who has been holding my waist. It hurts a little."
Gu Zhan loosened his grip slightly, but didn't let go completely. He leaned close to her ear and softly said, "Is that so? I thought Zhi Niang was making up excuses to lie to me again."
Shen Mi lowered her head. "No."
Fearing that Gu Zhan might do something even more shameful in broad daylight, she turned her gaze to the window and reminded him, "Your Highness, the ladies-in-waiting from the Imperial Wardrobe are still waiting outside. It's very cold."
"Mmm." Gu Zhan's thumb brushed against her snow-white, slender neck before he finally released his hold on her.
Shen Mi stood still, and heard Gu Zhan and Danju instruct: "Tell them that the Crown Princess said there is nothing that needs to be altered in the wedding dress, and that they can go back now."
She finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the soft couch to the side.
Danju accepted the order and went out to relay Gu Zhan's message to the female official of the Imperial Wardrobe. She also gave him a generous reward. The female official accepted the reward and led the other palace maids she had brought with her to leave the East Palace.
Shen Mi sat on the soft couch, watching the female official's receding and blurry figure through the window paper, while her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the chain on her ankle and Gu Zhan's tall and straight figure.
She didn't know when she would be able to break free of these chains, or when she would be able to leave the Qingluan Palace and the East Palace.
However, judging from Gu Zhan's current behavior, if she continues to be so "stubborn," it will be extremely difficult for her to break free from the chain on her ankle. Gu Zhan once said that the chain is made of the most refined black iron. Not to mention that Gu Zhan has gone through what happened before, she will not allow any sharp objects in her range of movement. Even if she had scissors or daggers in her hand, she probably wouldn't be able to break the chain.
The only way to break this deadlock lies with Gu Zhan.
Since he said the chain was connected to a mechanism, there must be a corresponding key. If she could get the key, she could break free from this restraint.
However, Gu Zhan was quite suspicious. To get the key, she had to first make him lower his guard so that she could then seize the opportunity to escape.
Thinking of this, Shen Mi couldn't help but sigh.
Gu Zhan saw Shen Mi staring intently out the window, her brows furrowed, as if she were lost in thought.
He had intended to change out of his heavy wedding attire, but upon seeing that Shen Mi was also wearing a wedding dress, he let go of the jade belt around his waist and instead sat down next to her.
He sat down next to Shen Mi and said, "You seem quite concerned about those female officials in the Imperial Wardrobe."
Shen Mi's back stiffened.
Why did this person walk so silently? Perhaps it was because her mind had been wandering for too long, but she didn't even realize that Gu Zhan had already sat down behind her.
But since he had already asked, Shen Mi could only go along with him and say, "Perhaps it's about putting yourself in someone else's shoes. After all, I have suffered the torment of waiting in the wind and snow before, so I can empathize to some extent."
Gu Zhan noticed that the woman beside him didn't look at him, but simply lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously clenching the sleeves of her wedding dress.
Wearing her wedding dress, Shen Mi looked at the snow falling outside and suddenly thought of the time six years ago when she was about to marry into the Eastern Palace as a concubine.
Thinking this, she said it aloud, "Back then, the palace sent instructors to teach me etiquette. I practiced the palace etiquette again and again in the corridors of the Shen family mansion, wearing only thin clothes, until my wedding day, and I still wasn't quite there..."
Gu Zhan was quite taken aback when he heard this. "Zhi Niang, you have never mentioned this to me before."
Shen Mi realized that she was just being moved by the scene and hadn't thought about what to say.
How could she have unintentionally revealed her feelings to Gu Zhan like that? Even in a complaining tone.
Seeing that she seemed about to open her mouth but didn't say a word, and that her eyes were drooping, Gu Zhan assumed that she was thinking about the past and inevitably felt wronged. His chest also felt tight.
He took Shen Mi's hand, holding her entire hand in his, and said, "There are only a few female officials in the palace who teach etiquette. Do you remember her surname?"
Shen Mi instinctively wanted to pull her hand away from Gu Zhan's, but then she remembered that she needed to lower Gu Zhan's guard so that she could get the key to unlock the chains on her ankles and escape. So she didn't pull her hand away, but just went along with what he had said before, "No need. It's been too long, and I don't remember very clearly. Besides, it's human nature to fawn on the powerful and bully the weak. I've always been alone and helpless. Back then, I wasn't officially married to His Highness as the Crown Princess. I was just a concubine. It's only natural that the palace servants would observe His Highness's attitude towards me."
Gu Zhan's Adam's apple bobbed.
Shen Mi's words were indeed true. When the wedding clothes sent to the Eastern Palace were delivered, he didn't even glance at them before instructing Sun Cheng to accept them. He also didn't look at the portrait of Shen Mi that was sent to him until the night of their wedding, when he used a scale rod to lift her veil and finally saw what she looked like.
By then, he had seen too many beauties, both plump and slender, and he was not moved by Shen Mi's appearance. When he saw that she was sick, he simply turned away and left.
Looking back now, if he had shown more care for Shen Mi back then, perhaps there wouldn't have been so many obstacles between them.
He gripped Shen Mi's hand tighter and said, "It won't happen again. This kind of thing will never happen again."
Shen Mi responded softly, without saying anything more.
She didn't know if there would be a future between her and Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan put his other arm around her and let her lean on his shoulder. "Once we resolve our internal and external troubles, I will untie the chain on your ankle. The zither I gave you back then had a bad omen, so I have already sent someone to find the finest paulownia wood to make another one in the style of the ancient Green Jade Zither. When we get married, I will include it in the betrothal gifts I give you."
Shen Mi blinked gently, finally turning her head to look at Gu Zhan and asking, "Internal and external troubles?"
She could understand the internal troubles, which were the unresolved issues between her and Gu Zhan. But what about the external threats? If it was just that the Empress intended to add people to the Eastern Palace, as long as Gu Zhan didn't agree, it shouldn't be considered an external threat, right?
She asked tentatively, "Is it because of the Shen family?"
Based on Gu Zhan's busy schedule, the name Cai Changmao that she had heard many times, and the close relationship between Cai Changmao and the Shen family, she had vaguely guessed that these things were related to the Shen family, but she never had any more opportunities to get other answers, so she had to give up.
Gu Zhan was also startled. How did Shen Mi guess it?
But he answered without changing his expression, "Of course not, but I will take care of it."
In the case of Cai Changmao, he and Gu Shen were actually evenly matched due to the Emperor's deliberate weighing of the situation. He still needed to find a new way to break the deadlock.
Looking at Gu Zhan's expression, Shen Mi knew she wouldn't be able to get any more information from him, so she temporarily suppressed her doubts and put on a docile look that Gu Zhan liked, "Alright, I was asking too many questions."
Gu Zhan wanted to change out of his heavy wedding attire and spend some more time with Shen Mi, but Sun Cheng announced from outside that the Emperor had summoned him to the palace.
He had no choice but to give up, and simply changed into the casual clothes he usually wore when entering the palace. Looking at the jade belt he had casually placed on the tray, a thought struck him, and he handed it to Shen Mi.
Shen Mi took the jade belt from his hand, and this time she did not show any resistance to having the jade belt tied on for him.
Since she wanted to get the key to unlock this chain from Gu Zhan and to find out from him what the so-called "external threat" was, there was absolutely no need for her to go against Gu Zhan's wishes.
Gu Zhan watched her movements, smiled, and brushed the hair off Shen Mi's shoulder. "That's good. I'll come back soon."
Palace servants had already prepared a cloak outside, and as soon as Gu Zhan came out, they draped it over his body.
On the way to the palace in a sedan chair, Gu Zhan kept wondering why the Emperor had suddenly summoned him, but he did not get an answer.
When he arrived at Funing Palace, the smell of medicine still lingered in the air, but this time the Emperor was sitting in the front hall reviewing documents, and did not summon him to the back hall as he had done before.
The Emperor took a sip of tea, not even raising his eyes, but staring at the document in his hand, and asked him, "I heard from your mother that the Crown Princess has been seriously ill recently, so she sent some portraits of other noble ladies from Bianjing to the Eastern Palace, but you rejected them all?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will only have Zhi Niang in my life and will never marry anyone else." Gu Zhan was very surprised that the Emperor had summoned him to the Funing Palace just for such a trivial matter.
Shouldn't his feelings for Shen Mi have been clear to everyone in Bianjing when she "died in the fire" four years ago?
The Emperor slammed the edict in his hand heavily on the table. "Recently, you have repeatedly lost your composure for the sake of a woman. Do you still have even a trace of the demeanor that a crown prince should have?"
Gu Zhan sensed the Emperor's anger and immediately knelt on the ground, bowing deeply to the Emperor: "I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
The emperor looked up at Gu Zhan, who was kneeling on the ground, with considerable impatience. A beam of light from the window blocked the view between them.
He had always thought that the prince, who had been raised by the empress since childhood, should be the most proper and polite. Over the years, the crown prince had always adhered to etiquette. Even when Lady Shen "passed away" and he was in a state of decline for seven days, he returned to normal as if Lady Shen had never existed.
But now that Shen has "come back to life," he has repeatedly lost his sense of propriety in his actions.
"Look up," the official commanded Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan saw the Emperor pointing to a pile of documents that he had specially arranged beside him, his face showing undisguised annoyance.
The Emperor said, "Do you see this pile of memorials? They all accuse you, as the Crown Prince, of not only failing to avoid suspicion in matters concerning the Crown Princess, but also interfering multiple times. Even if I intend to protect you in court today, can I stop those officials from speaking in court, or can I stop the memorials they submit?"
“Your Majesty, Zhi Niang is my wife, and Shen Yu and Shen Cong are loyal ministers and generals who sacrificed their lives for the country. Whether as her husband or as the crown prince of the Great Qi, I cannot stand idly by in this matter.” Gu Zhanfu lowered his head.
Of course, the deeper reason is that the Shen residence is where Shen Mi grew up, and he would never allow the home that Shen Mi cherishes to be destroyed by someone who deliberately framed him.
The Emperor pressed his temples. “This time, you found evidence that could protect the Shen family’s innocence, and Guo Feng did indeed intend to commit perjury. If Guo Feng had only conducted a normal search, you, as the Crown Prince, not only interfered with the Ministry of Justice’s handling of the case, but also privately mobilized the Imperial Guards, which is tantamount to conspiring to commit treason. You have lost your mind for love to this extent. As the Crown Prince, do you still want to be the Crown Prince?”
Gu Zhan remained silent.
All he had ever sought was to secure his position as heir apparent and prevent the Prince of Wei from having any chance of taking it away. Once he had successfully ascended the throne from the position of crown prince, he would bring his mother, who had suffered in the imperial mausoleum, back to the palace to live out her remaining years in peace. Therefore, in the previous twenty-nine years, he had never done anything that would be detrimental to his position as heir apparent. In the past, he might have severed his ties with the Shen family from the very beginning and would never have given the Prince of Wei any opportunity to use this matter to attack him.
Many people had warned him about this from the very beginning. Yang Ping, the other officials he trusted in the Eastern Palace, and the Emperor himself all told him the simplest way to break the deadlock, but he didn't choose any of them. He chose the most difficult and riskiest one.
He admitted that everything he did this time was for Shen Mi from the very beginning.
He wanted to spend his life with Shen Mi, so he wouldn't allow anyone to use her deceased father and brothers to attack her.
At this moment, he also wanted to ask himself a question: which is more important, the position of heir apparent or Shen Mi?
Five years ago, he lost his first child with Shen Mi in pursuit of power. At that time, he thought they would have more children together, but he and Shen Mi drifted further and further apart, and to this day, their relationship has not been completely mended.
Seeing that he remained silent, the emperor looked at the crown prince kneeling below the steps, and for the first time, his eyes revealed disappointment.
He didn't say anything else, only saying, "During this time, you should also think it over carefully. I don't want the upbringing and high regard I have given you since childhood to be ruined in an instant." He coughed twice to the side, "The most taboo thing for a ruler is to let emotions cloud his judgment."
Gu Zhan took a deep breath, realizing that the Emperor intended for him to step down, and kowtowed again, saying, "Your subject will remember Your Majesty's teachings."
As soon as the Crown Prince stepped down, the Emperor began to cough violently.
His health had been deteriorating lately, but the Crown Prince, whom he had always favored, rarely came to the Funing Palace to inquire about his health, except to report on official business. On the other hand, the eldest prince, Prince Wei, whom he had not paid much attention to since childhood, often came to serve him and frequently sent his two young princesses to the palace.
It is said that the eldest son should be chosen as heir, not the most virtuous. Although the Crown Prince was raised by the Empress, he was actually born out of wedlock. On the other hand, the eldest son of the Emperor, Prince Wei, had spent five years reflecting on his actions in his fiefdom after what happened five years ago, and he seemed much more mature and composed.
In addition, with the recent impeachment of Gu Zhan, some people have naturally suggested making the Prince of Wei the crown prince. He was aware of all this, but Gu Zhan was made crown prince at a young age. If it weren't for this incident, he wouldn't have considered it.
The emperor took the cough-suppressing pills handed to him by the eunuch and soothed his throat with tea before he felt better.
After being "warned" by the Emperor, Gu Zhan had many tasks that were originally his responsibility delegated to several ministers in the court, while a small portion was handed over to the Prince of Wei.
He also had a rare moment of leisure, spending time by Shen Mi's side, as if this could make up for the many years they had missed together.
While the King of Wei appeared to be making no moves, he actually chose a pleasant, breezy day to bring Cai Yun, who had been kept in the King of Wei's residence, into the palace.
Bianjing will remain cold for a while after the New Year. The Emperor, already seriously ill, has caught a cold and has been confined to his bed for much of the time. He has little energy left to read memorials, so he asks trusted people to summarize the contents of the memorials and read them to him. Sometimes it is the Empress, and sometimes it is the Prince of Wei.
Therefore, he was not surprised to see the King of Wei arrive. He simply nodded and said, "You've come. Come over and continue reading the memorial to me. I see that you have made great progress in handling government affairs recently."
The Wei Dynasty emperor bowed and said, "Thank you for your high regard, Your Majesty. However, I have come today to report something to Your Majesty."
The official, with soft pillows behind his back and leaning against the headboard, didn't open his eyes and casually asked, "What is it?"
The King of Wei knelt on the ground. "It concerns the matter of the Crown Princess, Consort Liangdi, falling into the Taiye Pond five years ago at your birthday banquet, resulting in a miscarriage and the loss of her unborn child."
"At the time, public opinion was overwhelming, and everyone pointed the finger at Yinyin, believing that she had pushed the Crown Princess into the water. However, this was not the case. It was His Highness the Crown Prince who did it on purpose."
This concerns the imperial heir. The Emperor widened his eyes and looked in the direction of Prince Wei, his gaze turning cold. "This concerns the imperial heir and the reputation of the Crown Prince. Prince Wei, be careful with your words and actions."
The King of Wei said, “Yinyin has always been well-mannered and her relationship with the Crown Princess was not bad. She never intended to make things difficult for the Crown Princess. In fact, she was worried that the Crown Princess would be shy after marrying into the Eastern Palace, so she sent a visiting card to the Eastern Palace many times. It is absolutely impossible for her to push the Crown Princess into the water in front of everyone. I did not believe this at the time, but I did not find any evidence. However, I have never given up on this matter over the years. Finally, I found the person who pushed the Crown Princess into the water back then. It was this palace maid.”
The Emperor's gaze shifted from the Prince of Wei to Cai Yun, who was kneeling behind him. "You audacious, lowly servant! How dare you plot to harm the imperial heir!"
Caiyun pressed her head against the floor of Funing Palace. “This servant knows that her sins are unforgivable. However, when I served in the Eastern Palace, my life was entirely in the hands of His Highness the Crown Prince. I dared not disobey His Highness’s orders in the slightest.”
The official remained silent.
King Wei gestured for Caiyun to continue.
Caiyun spoke tremblingly, "It was Your Highness. Your Highness ordered me to push Consort Shen, who was pregnant at the time, into the water during the grand banquet when there were many people. He also told me to shout for help, claiming that it was Princess Wei who pushed Consort Shen, who is now the Crown Princess. Not long after, I was sent out of the palace. Since then, I have been constantly uneasy and dare not tell a single lie..."
Upon hearing this, the official immediately began to cough violently, unable to utter a single word. He opened his mouth wide to breathe, but could not manage it. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his chest heaved violently.
The eunuch serving him quickly took the cough medicine that the imperial physician had given to the emperor, fed it to him, and shouted outside, "Summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician quickly!"
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, the King of Wei was well aware of the situation, but on his face he only showed worry and concern for the Emperor. He scolded Cai Yun, "You have offended His Majesty, why don't you step down!"
Caiyun had never seen such a scene before, so he naturally dared not linger and retreated with the others brought by the King of Wei.
Her family was in the hands of the King of Wei. In order to protect her family, she could only say whatever the King of Wei told her to say.
The King of Wei stepped forward to help the Emperor up, his words filled with concern.
The emperor's mind was no longer clear. He breathed heavily as he said, "Gu Zhan, this is utterly rebellious and has the ambition of a wolf!"
How can such a person who disregards human ethics be worthy of being the crown prince of the Great Qi?
Cheng Lin, the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau, was Gu Zhan's confidant. There were also people arranged by Gu Zhan serving in the Funing Palace. When he saw that something was wrong, he immediately reported the matter to the Crown Prince.
Gu Zhan was accompanying Shen Mi in practicing calligraphy when someone passed this message to him. He then looked at the chain on Shen Mi's ankle.
Shen Mi noticed his expression and looked up to ask, "Did something happen?"
Gu Zhan quickly regained his composure, but asked Shen Mi, "Zhi Niang, if I die one day, what will you do?"
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Author's note: Sending out red envelopes [pat on the head][pat on the head]
In the next chapter, the chain on Mei Bao's ankle will be untied~
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