Chapter 23 Cold Night's Intrigue (Part 5) "Lan Huaien's reminder, betrayal..."
Yan Chao lowered his eyes, his gaze shifting to the bowl of white fungus and lotus seed porridge, and asked calmly, "Why did Ying Niang suddenly bring porridge at this hour?"
"Your Highness ate very little for breakfast this morning, and there's still a long time before lunch. I'm afraid you might be hungry, so let's have something to eat first."
Yan Chao glanced at her secretly, but she remained gentle and composed, her tone completely calm.
The only unusual thing was her two hands, which were folded in front of her. She would unconsciously rub them together as she spoke, and they seemed to be clenched rather tightly.
Seeing her reach for the spoon, Madam Ying said in a low voice, "Your Highness has just recovered from a cold and should not eat longan. I added extra red dates to nourish your spleen and stomach."
"You're so kind, Yingniang," Yan Chao nodded slightly, took a few sips of his drink, and casually asked, "I remember your mother wasn't feeling well a while ago, how is she now?"
Ying was taken aback, seemingly not expecting her to care about her family's trivial matters. She bowed and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. A doctor has been called to the house, and my mother is now much better."
Yan Chao stared at the red dates in the bowl, her eyelashes slightly lowered. As the spoon gently touched the side of the bowl, her heart seemed to stir. She said softly, "The New Year is approaching, a time for family reunion. You have worked hard by my side all these years, unable to even fulfill your filial duties. There is nothing urgent at the Eastern Palace right now, so why don't you go home this year, Mother Ying? I'm sure your mother misses you very much."
Ying looked up suddenly, staring at her blankly.
Since she had been by the Crown Prince's side, it seemed she had never been far away. It was as if a long time ago, Yan Chao had indeed been grateful for her hardships and allowed her to go home to visit her mother. But to let her leave at this time was unprecedented.
She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or what, but something felt off. Biting her lip, she hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.
“Your Highness, I have people at home taking care of me. I sent a message to the palace yesterday saying that everything is fine and that I don’t need to worry and can focus on my duties. I’ve watched Your Highness grow up, and I’ve been by your side every year during the holidays. If I were to leave this year, I would feel uneasy…”
He choked up a little as he finished speaking, and Ying looked extremely sad. His nose tingled and he almost burst into tears.
Yan Chao sighed softly, offered a few words of comfort, and stopped insisting. He simply instructed Liang Lu to fetch some silver as a reward for her, and also sent some to her family.
Duan Shou's gaze towards Ying Shi held a hint of scrutiny, which he quickly withdrew without showing it. He couldn't help but harbor suspicions, but he dared not voice them.
Ying took the bowl out and met Liang Lu on the way. Liang Lu noticed that she looked somewhat depressed and couldn't help but ask her what was wrong. After Ying gave a brief description, even Liang Lu sighed.
“You’ve been with His Highness the longest, so there’s no need for you to miss this opportunity. Family reunions are so rare, and you at least have an elderly mother. I’ve lost everything in my life. His Highness knows your loyalty, so there’s no need for you to give up this good opportunity.”
He thought she was trying to show her loyalty.
Madam Ying lowered her head and said, "My mother has a bad temper. I should have told you about it before. She likes the maids around her more than I do. I've gotten used to it over the years. I send some money back home every month. As long as she has enough to eat and wear and is happy, that's enough for her. Going back would only upset her. Besides..."
Madam Ying turned slightly to the side, glancing towards the study. Her voice was slightly hoarse: "I am His Highness's wet nurse. Over the years, I have come to regard His Highness as my closest relative. The New Year is a time for family reunion; my presence with her is a form of reunion."
These words softened Liang Lu's heart and moved him deeply. He had probably never felt this way before, yet he could clearly sense her boundless compassion.
But when he learned what had happened from Duan Shou, he couldn't believe it. On one hand, he felt that Ying's feelings for His Highness were genuine, but on the other hand, he was afraid that she might really have ulterior motives. He was very conflicted.
.
When Shen Wei requested an audience with the Crown Prince alone, it was already past her shift's end time. Yan Chao and He Shu, among others, were still discussing matters in the Wenhua Hall. By the time she came out, Shen Wei had been standing in the cold wind for a long time, trembling all over, her face pale.
Yan Chao was slightly surprised and asked him, "If you have something to do, you can wait in the side hall. If it is an emergency, you can go directly into the main hall. Why suffer like this?"
He is the Junior Chamberlain; there is no need for him to be so humble.
As she spoke, she was about to invite him into the hall when she saw Chen Wei stiffly shake his head: "Your Highness, I...I have private matters to attend to..."
Yan Chao saw him gritting his teeth, unable to even finish his sentence, and frowned almost imperceptibly. He glanced at the sky behind him, which was just beginning to darken. The outline of his figure was somewhat blurred, and the hem of his robe, fluttering in the wind, was taut, adding to his desolate appearance.
She roughly estimated the time in her mind and said, "Then we'll discuss it in detail at the East Palace."
Shen Wei nodded slightly, raised his hand in a bow, and replied, "Yes." As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that everyone in the hall had already walked to the corridor. He silently bowed again, turned around, and stepped aside.
After bidding farewell to the Crown Prince, everyone left one after another. Shen Wei remained silent throughout, but Xu Zhen glanced at him as he passed by, his gaze carrying a hint of suspicion.
Yan Chao didn't notice these details. He turned around and gave Liang Lu a few more instructions before returning to the East Palace, with Shen Wei following closely behind.
There was still some time before the palace gates were locked, and many palace servants passed by along the way, all walking calmly and methodically.
Liang Lu followed closely behind the carriage, glancing at Shen Wei every now and then. Seeing that Shen Wei seemed extremely nervous, Liang Lu couldn't help but wonder. Something that could make him so flustered must be more than just a simple matter.
Yan Chao and Shen Wei did not go to the front hall, but went straight into the study.
Liang Lu instructed someone to serve tea and then withdrew, just in time to see Xiao Jiu standing outside the door, looking hesitant.
Liang Lu asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
"Your Excellency, Lan Huai'en requests an audience with His Highness."
Liang Lu gestured towards the hall with his chin: "Keep a close watch on the person for now, and I'll report it after Your Highness and Lord Shen have finished speaking."
Xiao Jiu nodded.
.
Inside the hall.
On the sandalwood desk lay several pages of yellowed letter paper, withered plum blossoms and broken branches scattered on the paper from the vase in the corner of the table. The dim, flickering lamplight added a touch of old-fashioned warmth.
The letter was densely covered with writing, the ink slightly heavy, but the words were still clearly visible. Upon closer inspection, traces of water seepage could be seen.
Yan Chao glanced at only a few lines of text before silently looking away, unwilling to read any further.
She reached out and moved the vase that she had just casually straightened to the corner of the wall, then turned to trim the glaring candlelight.
The entire movement was slow and graceful.
Shen Wei knelt on the ground with his head bowed. Suddenly, he noticed that the light in front of him had become a little brighter. Then he heard Yan Chao speak in a calm tone.
"Tanze has been in officialdom for seven or eight years now. I never knew you had such a delicate mind."
She smiled lightly, not blaming him for hiding it, but rather expressing a slight sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and regret). She suspected that very few people in the entire capital knew which girl truly held in his heart, despite his years of using various excuses to avoid marriage.
The letters before her were actually love letters exchanged between Shen Wei and Cui Lanruo a few years ago.
Yan Chao neatly arranged the letter and placed it on the corner of the table. He asked him softly, "What does Tan Ze mean by showing me these?" Before he could answer, he added, "If you have something to say, get up and speak."
Shen Wei said, "Your Highness, I beg you for a favor."
"you say."
Shen Wei looked up at her and said, "Send these letters out from the East Palace."
Yan Chao was taken aback. After a moment of silence, still puzzled, he asked in a low voice, "What do you want to do?"
This matter is entirely detrimental. Not to mention that Shen Wei has abandoned his future, even knowing how much he cares about Cui Lanruo, how could he possibly ruin her reputation after her death?
Furthermore, if the Junior Chamberlain's private affairs were to be exposed and he were impeached, it would naturally implicate the Crown Prince's Palace.
Shen Wei is always meticulous, so he wouldn't have overlooked these things.
“These letters have been kept very well hidden in my home, and I only discovered that some of them were missing in the last few days. I searched the place thoroughly, and the only person I suspected, my personal attendant, mysteriously fell into the pond and drowned yesterday. Upon further investigation, I found that he had some connection with the Li family, but otherwise, I know nothing.”
“The Li family…” Yan Chao pondered for a moment, his eyes finally darkening. “They’re using this letter to bring you down. If you think about it more deeply, the Cui family has been away from the capital for nearly ten years. You’re from the Eastern Palace. If you have any connection with the Cui family, it can implicate me in having ulterior motives.”
"Yes. It was my oversight, Your Highness. I dare not implicate Your Highness. Therefore, it would be best if Your Highness were to expose this matter..."
"What did the deceased Cui Lanruo do wrong... Do you really think it's that simple?"
Yan Chao glanced at him indifferently, his expression grave. Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, he sighed inwardly, then raised his voice and said in an unquestionable tone, "Get up."
Shen Wei rose slightly, his tone somewhat bitter as he spoke: "I know it's not that simple. But usually, Li Ge Lao's son, Compiler Li, has indeed made many overtures to me, intending to invite me to the Li family as a guest. However, I have always avoided such situations, using the excuse of being too busy to decline them all."
He looked up at Yan Chao and noticed that she was also deep in thought, her brows furrowed with a hint of difficulty. After a moment of silence, he said, "I am afraid that the Li family will use this as leverage to force me to do something."
Yan Chao immediately recalled Lan Huaien's words of warning: betrayal.
Fortunately, Shenwei has told her now.
"So you want me to help you turn the tables, aren't you afraid they'll take advantage of the situation and risk their own future?"
"Your Highness is my loyal subject, and my future is in Your Highness's hands." Therefore, he would not allow himself any chance to betray Your Highness.
Yan Chao gently shook his head: "Using or discarding is up to you, and your actions are up to you. I can't even control my own path, so how can I determine yours?"
Shen Wei was different from her. He still had so many hopes, with thousands of words at his fingertips and countless books in his heart, his ambition was to bring about a peaceful and prosperous reign for the emperor.
"Now that someone has already seized the opportunity, there can be no second time, not even against me."
Shen Wei was slightly taken aback, not understanding what she meant for a moment.
But Yan Chao had already taken the few pages of letter, walked a few steps to the candlestick, turned to look at him, and said in a low voice, "I will not grant your request. These things are now in my possession, which is a kind of leverage... Shall I burn them?"
Shen Wei's expression was still somewhat blank, and he nodded almost imperceptibly: "The person is gone... Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."
His words were strange. Was it to fulfill his wish and ultimately go with Lan Ruo, or to uphold his loyalty in the present moment?
The letter burned quickly, the flames seeming to flash before his eyes for a moment before going out. Even several steps away, he could still feel the slight heat near his ear. He looked at Yan Chao's profile, so calm that it seemed somewhat out of place with the warmth around him.
Those memories in my heart were also silently buried with the ashes in the lingering smell of burning, about to disappear without a trace as soon as I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then, Your Highness, what should we do now?"
Yan Chao's eyes darkened: "Let's turn the tables on each other."
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