Chapter 68 The chains were opened.
Upon hearing this, Shen Mi heard a buzzing sound in her ears, and the pen she was holding fell onto the table, leaving an abrupt ink mark on the Xuan paper with its flowing characters. Soon, the ink on the pen spread more and more on the paper, but she had no intention of picking it up.
She had never heard such a strange question from Gu Zhan before. Gu Zhan was always the most arrogant and conceited person, considering himself second only to one person. How could he suddenly die?
Shen Mi was completely unprepared for Gu Zhan's question.
Gu Zhan saw the woman in his arms with her mouth slightly open and her almond-shaped eyes wide open, her face showing undisguised astonishment, and his throat tightened.
I should have known better than to ask her.
His gaze fell down and he saw the brush that Shen Mi had accidentally dropped on the paper. He reached out and picked it up, placing it on the brush holder to the side. He then carefully put away the ink-stained calligraphy for her and tossed it into the wastepaper basket beside him. With remarkable composure, he laid out a brand new sheet of Xuan paper for her.
Fang Yu whispered gently in Chen Mi's ear, "That piece of paper is dirty. I'll get you a new one."
When the paper was laid out in front of her, Shen Mi regained a little of her senses. Her lips moved for a moment before she said softly, "Isn't Your Highness the Crown Prince? Hasn't he always held the power of life and death? How could you capture me all the way from Runyang back to Bianjing, and then lock me in the Qingluan Palace with this Xuan Tie mechanism? The question you asked just now was truly unbelievable."
This was definitely another one of Gu Zhan's impromptu attempts to test her, and she wouldn't give a direct answer.
Gu Zhan was not annoyed by Shen Mi's answer, nor did he show any extra emotions on his face.
He was indeed the crown prince, but the crown prince was not the emperor. He was constantly eyeing the position of crown prince, hoping to take it over at any time; the emperor was vaguely dissatisfied with him; and there were censors in the censorate. Since ancient times, it has been extremely difficult to be a "qualified" crown prince, even more difficult than to be a wise and virtuous monarch.
However, Shen Mi didn't need to know any of these things. She just needed to stay quietly in the East Palace like today and do what she wanted to do. That would be the best thing for her.
Gu Zhan paused for a moment and chuckled softly in Shen Mi's ear: "It is indeed unbelievable, but it was just a casual question. Zhi Niang, don't take it to heart."
As he spoke, he took Shen Mi's hand again, and had her pick up the pen from the pen holder, asking, "Do you want to write again?"
Shen Mi slowly shook her head and said, "I'm a little tired, I don't want to write anymore."
Although Gu Zhan readily admitted that he had only asked casually, Shen Mi still couldn't help but feel a strange sense of panic. She couldn't tell whether it was worry or irritation.
Gu Zhan didn't force her. He put down his pen, turned around and went to wash the handkerchief he had prepared in the copper basin. He then came over and wiped the ink off Shen Mi's fingertips and hands. "If you don't want to write, then don't."
Shen Mi let him do as he pleased. Lately, she felt that Gu Zhan was much gentler towards her than before, so gentle that it was as if he had suddenly become a different person. She looked up at Gu Zhan's eyes and found that his eyes were as calm as ever, and his pupils only reflected the fingertips of her fingers that he held in his hand.
There is nothing else besides that.
Shen Mi suddenly had a thought and she tentatively asked Gu Zhan, "Your Highness, I'm confined in this palace every day, it's very stuffy, I want to get some fresh air."
Gu Zhan paused in wiping her hands, but did not answer immediately.
Seeing his silent reaction, Shen Mi knew that Gu Zhan would not agree. If Gu Zhan was willing to untie the chain on her ankle, he would have done so long ago. Why wait until now? And why would he loosen his restraints on her just because she said she wanted some fresh air? After all, this man had never even untied the chain on her ankle when she was bathing before, and even went to great lengths to make the chain into a mechanism to control its length.
Gu Zhan clearly saw the woman's eyes gradually dim and lose their light, and the persistence in her heart also dissipated a little.
Then Shen Mi heard Gu Zhan utter a single word, "Okay."
She looked up at Gu Zhan in utter shock. Gu Zhan released her hand, casually draped the handkerchief over the edge of the copper basin, and walked leisurely to the bedside. In front of Shen Mi, he took out a key from his pocket and used it to open a mechanism on the wall.
Shen Mi subconsciously lifted the hem of her skirt and looked towards her ankle. The chain that had bound her for months was now easily untied.
She was stunned for a long time before lifting her leg to stretch for a while, and then kicked the chain a little further away. She realized that it was not her imagination, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Gu Zhan put the key back into his pocket, walked over to her again, took her hand, held it tightly in his palm, glanced out the window, and said, "The weather is nice today, want to go out?"
Shen Mi's smile hadn't faded yet; she looked at Gu Zhan with her eyes crinkled, "Is it alright?"
Gu Zhan felt as if his heart had been gently brushed by a goose feather, or as if small ripples had spread across a lake.
He nodded and said, "Yes."
Since he had agreed, Shen Mi had no reason to refuse and let Gu Zhan lead her outside.
The palace servants serving outside the Qingluan Palace were also surprised to see the Crown Prince and Crown Princess come out together. However, these were matters between their masters and not something they, as ordinary palace servants, could concern themselves with. So, they all just glanced at them and then lowered their eyes in an orderly fashion.
The weather today was not good. It had been snowing for nearly ten days and then stopped around noon. Gu Zhan did not have the palace servants sweep the snow away, leaving it in the courtyard paved with white marble.
The clouds dispersed, the snow cleared, and the sky brightened with vibrant colors.
Shen Mi hadn't breathed such fresh air in a long time. It was clean and had a hint of chill, reminding her of her childhood in Yanzhou. Whenever there was a heavy snowfall, her brother would take her horseback riding outside the city after the snow stopped.
At that time, the horses' hooves pounded through the thick snowdrifts, splashing up snow foam, and the horses snorted. The whole world was filled with her and her brother's laughter.
She casually scooped up a handful of snow from the ground, imagining having a snowball fight like she did when she was a child. But when she turned her head, the person she saw was not her brother, but Gu Zhan.
Shen Mi recalled Gu Zhan's words from several years ago, spoken in an extremely indifferent and cold tone: "I have no interest in your boring past."
She froze on the spot, the snowball melting slowly in her palm.
Gu Zhanben stood not far away, watching Shen Mi bathe in the sunlight. Her face was adorned with a bright smile, like a swallow in spring, her figure graceful and relaxed.
He couldn't remember when he last saw Shen Mi smile like that. If he remembered correctly, it should have been shortly after her nineteenth birthday. He had invited Lu Lin from the Eastern Palace to give her a kite, and she begged him to allow her to fly the kite in the suburbs.
Therefore, he was very fond of the smile on Shen Mi's face.
However, when Gu Zhan saw the smile on Shen Mi's face gradually cool down, and she, who seemed to want to have a snowball fight, froze on the spot without saying a word, his breath hitched.
He stepped forward and asked gently, "Do you want to have a snowball fight? You don't have to hold back when I'm with you."
Shen Mi turned her gaze away from Gu Zhan and denied it: "No."
Gu Zhan indeed remained silent.
A wave of loneliness washed over Shen Mi again.
The next moment, a snowball was thrown onto the hem of her skirt.
Shen Mi looked over there and saw Gu Zhan squatting not far away, his clothes covered in snow.
There was no one else around. Who else could have thrown the snowballs at her but Gu Zhan?
Shen Mi was taken aback and exclaimed, "Your Highness?"
Gu Zhan didn't seem to care, and rolled up another snowball. "Didn't you want to have a snowball fight?"
Another snowball was thrown at her feet.
Shen Mi's heart stirred slightly, and she tentatively threw the snowball that hadn't completely melted towards Gu Zhan.
At first, the two were testing each other, but later, seeing that Gu Zhan seemed genuinely not opposed, Shen Mi gradually became bolder. Before long, the two were evenly matched in their fighting.
She was exhausted and stood there breathing softly.
Gu Zhan glanced at Danju, who was serving not far away. Danju understood immediately, took the hand warmer she had been keeping and handed it to Gu Zhan, then retreated to a place where the Crown Princess would not notice.
Shen Mi hadn't felt so carefree in a long time. When she was still Consort Shen, she didn't dare to be so "outrageous" in front of Gu Zhan. Later, she stayed in Runyang for four years. Although it snowed in Runyang, it was only light snow and didn't stay on the ground. So, she couldn't have a snowball fight. She never expected that the first snowball fight she would have after returning to Bianjing would be in the East Palace, and with Gu Zhan.
She was lost in thought when a warm object was placed in her palm.
She looked down and saw Gu Zhan placing a delicate hand warmer into her palm, while his own hand covered the outside of her hand to shield her from the biting cold wind.
Are you cold?
Shen Mi pursed her lips but didn't reply.
In her memory, after a snowball fight with her brother, he would ask her the same question.
A sudden pang of sadness welled up in her heart. She looked up at the sky not far away and discovered a faint rainbow on the horizon.
She turned to look at Gu Zhan, pointing at the rainbow-like figure with one hand, and said, "Your Highness, it's Xue Hong."
Gu Zhan followed her gaze and indeed saw a hazy, colorful shadow. His gaze quickly shifted to Shen Mi, and he asked, "Xue Hong? This is the first time I've heard of this term."
Shen Mi tilted her head slightly. "It's probably rare for Bianjing to have such heavy snow. Your Highness is also very busy with state affairs, so it's understandable that you haven't noticed it before. During my years in Yanzhou, I often saw it. At first, I called it a 'rainbow,' but my brother said it was different from a summer rainbow. The colors were paler, it was rarer, and it dissipated more easily. He called it a 'snow rainbow.'"
When her brother was mentioned, Shen Mi's expression clearly became melancholy.
Gu Zhan reached out and brushed away a speck of snow that had somehow gotten stuck in her hair, then lowered his head and asked, "What's wrong? Are you missing your brother?"
Shen Mi lowered her eyes and softly hummed in agreement. "When I thought of my brother passing away, he was about my age. I feel a little homesick."
Gu Zhan gently patted her shoulder and said, "Zhi Niang has a home, isn't the East Palace your home?"
At this moment, he was extremely fortunate that he had not listened to everyone's advice in the Shen family case, had not severed ties with the Shen family, and had instead chosen to protect Shen Mi.
Shen Mi sighed softly, "Perhaps."
Gu Zhan didn't press the matter. He walked towards a magnolia tree not far away, broke off a magnolia branch from the top of the tree, returned to Shen Mi's side, and tucked it into her hair.
"The magnolia blossoms in the wind, and it suits you perfectly."
Shen Mi raised her hand and touched the flower bud, then withdrew her hand.
She remembered that she had never told Gu Zhan that she liked magnolias, and she didn't know how Gu Zhan knew.
Perhaps it was just that there happened to be a magnolia tree in this courtyard, and he simply broke off a branch at will.
When the snow melted, the weather was a bit cold, so Gu Zhan didn't let her stay outside for too long. He put his arm around her waist and took her back to her bedroom.
The hall was connected to an underground heating system and had a charcoal brazier burning inside, making it a completely different world from the outside.
But as soon as he got back, Gu Zhan put the chain back on her ankle.
She looked down at the chain tied to her ankle, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips.
She thought Gu Zhan had changed his ways, but it turned out he still treated her like a caged bird, allowing her to go out and roam, but not allowing her to stay out for too long. Once she returned to the cage that "kept" her, her situation was no different from before.
So be it, she's already been locked up for so long, one more time won't make a difference.
Gu Zhan is just that kind of person.
Gu Zhan seemed oblivious to her change in mood. He simply pulled her to sit in front of the bronze mirror in front of the dressing table, casually pulled an embroidered stool from the side table, sat down, picked out a snail-shell eyebrow pencil from the dressing table, and said to Shen Mi, "I want to draw Zhi Niang's eyebrows again."
Shen Mi frowned slightly, but thinking it was just drawing eyebrows, she didn't refuse.
Gu Zhan turned her face around, placed his thumb and forefinger on her chin, and stroke by stroke, drew a delicate, arched eyebrow for her.
The incense burner not far away still held the familiar scent of spring in the snow, making time seem to pass extremely slowly, but without causing any anxiety or fear.
After Gu Zhan finished drawing her eyebrows, Shen Mi looked at him and softly asked, "Why?"
Why do we need to do these things?
Gu Zhan's behavior today was really strange. Ever since Sun Cheng came in to deliver the message, he has become quite abnormal.
He unlocked the chains on her ankles in front of her; he let her go out for some fresh air; he took the initiative to play a snowball fight with her; and he adorned her hair with her favorite magnolia blossoms.
As he was drawing his eyebrows, Shen Mi thought of many reasons, but she couldn't figure out why he was doing this.
Gu Zhan put down the snail-shell eyebrow pencil in his hand and said, "When I was in the Empress's Kunning Palace, this was how the Emperor treated the Empress. He would pick a flower on his way to the Kunning Palace and put it in the Empress's hair. I also heard from the palace maids who served the Empress that sometimes after the Emperor finished court, when the Empress was just getting up and doing her hair, the Emperor would take the snail-shell eyebrow pencil from the maid and draw the Empress's eyebrows, just like I draw the eyebrows for Zhi Niang." He paused and then said, "That palace maid also told me that when the Emperor got up to go to court, if the Empress woke up early, she would personally help the Emperor put on his court robes and tie his jade belt."
The Emperor and Empress were the only loving couple he had ever seen.
His speech was slow and steady. Shen Mi recalled a few months ago in Yanzhou when Gu Zhan, in that small courtyard, embraced her and told her about his true background. At that time, his tone was just like this now. Even though it was something related to himself, he spoke as if he were narrating someone else's story, without any emotion.
No wonder Gu Zhan insisted that she tie his jade belt for him.
Shen Mi's feelings suddenly became complicated. She couldn't quite describe what kind of feeling it was; perhaps it was pity?
She wasn't sure.
She lowered her eyes and saw the chains on the ground. Her emotions instantly dissipated, and she remained silent for a long time before asking Gu Zhan, "Would the Emperor chain the Empress like this?"
This time, Gu Zhan fell silent. He looked at the chain and said, "It's only a matter of time. I won't lock you up for a lifetime."
He had said this countless times. At first, Shen Mi still had some expectations, but now she had little expectation left and did not respond, taking it as just a way of fobbing her off.
When we went to have a snowball fight, it was already evening. In winter, it gets dark very quickly, and the sky outside the hall was already dark.
As usual, Shen Mi dragged her chains into the hot spring in the dark room to bathe. She thought Gu Zhan would do those unspeakable things as usual, but he didn't today. He just accompanied her to bathe and did nothing else outrageous.
After bathing, Shen Mi lay on the couch, unusually not feeling sleepy. Perhaps it was because Gu Zhan hadn't changed the incense in the burner tonight, but even with her eyes closed, her mind was incredibly clear.
She couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart as she imagined Gu Zhan taking a key from his clothes and unlocking the chain on her ankle during the day.
If she can get that key, she will have a chance to break free from these chains.
But how could she obtain the key without Gu Zhan's knowledge?
Shen Mi moved her chained ankles, and in the quiet night, the chains rattled clearly as they vibrated.
At this moment, Gu Zhan suddenly asked in her ear, "What are you thinking about? How do you want to break free from these chains? I said that when it's time to let you go, I will let you go. Tonight, just stay with me like this."
Shen Mi's heart skipped a beat.
She didn't even open her eyes or say a word. Gu Zhan was just holding her, so how could he have sensed her thoughts?
She didn't know how to respond, so she just kept her eyes closed and pretended to be asleep.
Gu Zhan's hand around her waist suddenly tightened, and he kissed her neck. "Don't pretend to be asleep. I know best whether Zhi Niang is asleep or not. When you're asleep, your breathing isn't like this."
With her pretense exposed, Shen Mi stopped pretending and simply said in a low voice, "I didn't have such thoughts."
"That's good." Gu Zhan held the girl in his arms, feeling that he had never been so attached to the warmth of Shen Mi's embrace.
After a day of activities outside, Shen Mi was quite tired and quickly fell asleep, unaware that Gu Zhan had not closed his eyes and was watching her from behind under the light of the luminous pearl.
After confirming that Shen Mi had fallen asleep, Gu Zhan kissed her forehead, then released her and got up to change.
Earlier, the Imperial Medical Bureau sent word about what happened in the Funing Palace. The Emperor was so angry that he fainted. For a moment, he wanted to go to the palace immediately, but he quickly calmed down. If no one from the palace had officially informed him, his rash entry would confirm that he had spies in the palace. He was already in a precarious situation, and if the Prince of Wei's faction seized on this, things would become even more difficult.
The men he had sent to investigate Caiyun's whereabouts returned and told him that Caiyun had been dealt with by the King of Wei's men, killed violently and thrown into a mass grave. As for her family, they were nowhere to be found. At first, he didn't believe it and sent people to investigate again and again. Only after confirming that Caiyun was dead and that the matter wouldn't escalate further did he feel relieved. The King of Wei didn't dwell on the matter much, as if he was just trying to alienate Shen Mi from him. In addition, he was later entangled in Wang Chengxian's case, so Gu Zhan didn't think much about it. But now it seems that he was tricked by the King of Wei.
He put on his clothes, glanced at Chen Mi again, then walked around the screen and left the Qingluan Palace.
Sun Cheng, who was serving outside the palace, said, "Your Highness, the Empress just sent a message saying that His Majesty is seriously ill and that Prince Wei is already in the palace. She wants you to come to the palace as soon as possible."
"I understand." Gu Zhan fastened the sash of his cloak, exchanged a few words with Sun Cheng, and rode into the palace in a sedan chair.
The Eastern Palace remained as tranquil as ever, but inside, the scene was quite different.
The Emperor fainted on the spot due to the provocation of Cai Yun's words, and the Prince of Wei summoned many imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau for a consultation.
The Emperor had been ill for a long time, as all the imperial physicians knew. Since the beginning of last year, the Emperor's health had deteriorated month by month. All mild medicines had long since lost their effectiveness on the Emperor's body. However, the Emperor's health was of utmost importance. The imperial physicians did not dare to use overly strong medicines. After several discussions, they finally decided to try slightly increasing the dosage and supplementing it with acupuncture, which finally made the Emperor wake up in the evening.
When the Emperor awoke, not only was Prince Wei present in the Funing Palace, but also the Empress and Consort Li, who had rushed there upon hearing the news, along with a large group of imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau, crowding the Funing Palace.
"You unfilial son!" Gu Zhan opened his eyes, shouted this, and then coughed violently.
The Empress was already quite sleepy, but upon hearing this, she immediately woke up. She poured a cup of warm water, sat down beside the Emperor's bed, and gestured to the eunuch serving him to help him up. She then placed a cushion behind the Emperor before handing him the hot water: "Your Majesty is awake? Drink some hot water first to soothe your throat."
Upon seeing this, Prince Wei and Consort Li also came closer, but due to their status, they only stood by the Emperor's couch, their faces full of worry.
Before the Empress arrived, she already knew what had happened in the Funing Palace, so she immediately ordered someone to summon Gu Zhan to the palace. Judging by the time, he should be arriving soon.
She gently advised the Emperor: "Those things are only the palace maid's side of the story. Your Majesty must not believe them completely. I have already ordered someone to summon Zhan'er to the palace. Zhan'er would never do such a rebellious thing. After all, that is Zhan'er and Xiao Mi's own flesh and blood. I hope Your Majesty will not be deceived by the words of a villain."
Even though she had harbored some resentment towards Gu Zhan for many years because he was not her biological son, and her relationship with Gu Zhan was not like that of Consort Li and Prince Wei, a biological mother and son, she knew that no matter what the circumstances, she had to protect Gu Zhan at this moment.
She could tell that the Emperor had been quite dissatisfied with Gu Zhan lately because of various things. If this incident was true, Gu Zhan's position as Crown Prince would be in jeopardy. After all, the Crown Prince of Daqi would never allow someone of questionable character to hold the position. Even if Gu Zhan was framed, it would still plant a thorn in the Emperor's heart.
The Emperor took a few breaths, glanced at Prince Wei and Consort Li standing beside him, but did not get angry. He simply drank the warm water handed to him by the Empress and said, "Then let's wait for him to enter the palace. The imperial heir is of paramount importance in the imperial family. If it is an accident, so be it. But if someone is deliberately trying to do it, I will not let them off lightly."
The Empress finally breathed a sigh of relief, waiting for Gu Zhan to enter the palace.
The Eastern Palace.
Perhaps because the calming incense hadn't been lit in the palace last night, Shen Mi didn't sleep very soundly. She woke up not long after dawn.
When she lifted the covers, she discovered that the chain that had bound her was gone, and there was nothing on her ankles.
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Author's note: Here I am! I haven't been feeling well lately, always late. I'll try to be on time tomorrow. [pleading emoji]
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