Prince Yan felt a twinge of unease in his heart. Suppressing his impatience, he returned to his study.
The princess consort followed closely behind, placing the witness Zhang Yue and the unearthed evidence on the desk.
It was a small, worn-out wooden box, about the size of a palm, crudely made. Inside the box lay a tiny wooden figurine.
The figurine had an eerie appearance, with the name "Li Yuanjing" carved into its chest, followed by his birth date and time.
On the back of the figurine, the name "Shen Wei" was carved, along with her birth date and time. Both names were stained with dark red blood, and two red threads were tightly wound between them, creating a bizarre and unsettling sight.
Prince Yan picked up the small wooden figurine and recognized the crooked handwriting—it was Shen Wei's!
Zhang Yue knelt down with a thud, trying to make her presence known. "Your Highness, I happened to discover this figurine. Concerned for your safety, I dared not conceal it and thus reported Shen Wei's wicked deeds to the princess consort."
She looked up at Prince Yan with pleading eyes, hoping he would remember her face. Zhang Yue was confident that with her delicate and refined appearance, she would soon win Prince Yan's exclusive favor.
But when she saw the figurine in Prince Yan's hand, Zhang Yue's expression turned strange—this figurine seemed different from the one she had placed in the box!
To frame Shen Wei, Zhang Yue had secretly carved a figurine herself, inscribing Prince Yan's name and some evil curses on it.
But the figurine in Prince Yan's hand was completely different. Why was there blood on the chest? Where did the red threads come from? And the birth dates and times?
Prince Yan's handsome face turned cold. The crooked handwriting was undoubtedly Shen Wei's, carved stroke by stroke.
A dull pain settled in Prince Yan's heart. He asked himself, hadn't he treated Shen Wei well?
He loved Shen Wei's alluring figure, her meticulous care, and the vibrant energy she exuded. When Shen Wei was caught up in the ghostly rumors, he had immediately moved her to a new residence.
And yet, this woman had secretly cursed him!
Could it be that Shen Wei had been deceiving him all along? Were all her displays of deep affection and devotion just an act?
"To the Glazed Pavilion," Prince Yan said, his face darkening. His thin lips pressed into a cold, straight line as he strode toward the Glazed Pavilion.
Zhang Yue watched Prince Yan's tall figure disappear into the distance, secretly relieved, and then smugly thought to herself that her days of favor were finally about to begin.
...
Prince Yan arrived at the Glazed Pavilion, his face filled with rage as he stormed into Shen Wei's chamber.
Shen Wei was at her desk, practicing her calligraphy. Stroke by stroke, she carefully copied "Spring Feast," her expression focused, her profile fair and beautiful.
Hearing the commotion at the door, Shen Wei looked up joyfully. "Your Highness, you're back!"
Prince Yan walked over to the desk with a dark expression, snatching up the sheets of paper to examine.
"Spring Feast, a cup of green wine, a song sung once..."
Shen Wei had written several copies, her handwriting still uneven but showing improvement. Prince Yan clenched the paper in his hand and slammed the box containing the wooden figurine onto the desk.
The box opened, revealing the strange-looking figurine.
Shen Wei's delicate face showed shock.
Prince Yan glared at Shen Wei coldly, his ink-black eyes filled with anger and resentment.
He grabbed Shen Wei's slender wrist and demanded through gritted teeth, "Shen Wei, I have treated you well. Why would you curse me?"
Shen Wei's face froze, as if she had just heard some absurd fairy tale. Tears welled up in her bright eyes as she stammered, "N-no, it's not like that..."
Seeing her pitiful expression, Prince Yan felt an inexplicable pang in his heart. He asked, "The handwriting on this figurine is yours. Do you still dare to deny it?"
Shen Wei's handwriting was unique.
Ugly and peculiar, impossible for others to imitate.
Tears of injustice welled up in Shen Wei's eyes, falling like crystal drops as she choked out, "The handwriting... it is mine... but... but it's not what you think..."
Hearing Shen Wei admit it herself, Prince Yan's heart was filled with a dense, suffocating pain.
He had thought he had finally found a flower that belonged solely to him, a flower that understood him. But who could have guessed that this flower hid thorns, venomous and deceitful?
Prince Yan's anger burned fiercely. "The evidence is clear, and yet you still try to lie! Shen Wei, was there even a shred of truth in the affection you showed me?"
Shen Wei's almond-shaped eyes widened.
She seemed shocked that Prince Yan would doubt her love. Her temper flared, and for the first time, she lashed out at Prince Yan. "Your Highness, how could you doubt my feelings for you? You... you're going too far!"
Tears the size of beans streamed down her face as Shen Wei seemed overwhelmed with grief. She turned away in frustration, leaning on the desk and sobbing.
Prince Yan's anger only grew.
This woman, having done wrong, dared to throw a tantrum at him!
"Guards, seal the Glazed Pavilion. Without my order, Shen is not to take a single step outside!" Prince Yan ground his teeth. If it were any other concubine who had committed such a grave crime, she would have been given a white silk scarf long ago.
But Shen Wei...
Though Prince Yan was furious, he couldn't bring himself to kill her. The inner court of the palace was a stagnant pool, and it had been so long since he had found a woman who pleased him. He couldn't bring himself to end her life.
"When you realize your mistake, come to me and confess!" Prince Yan spat out the harsh words and stormed off.
Behind him, Shen Wei's pitiful sobs echoed. Prince Yan reached the door and couldn't help but glance back. Shen Wei's pale face was soaked with tears, her sorrowful cries like broken strings of pearls falling onto the paper on the desk.
She looked utterly pitiful.
Prince Yan suppressed the ache in his heart and left with a cold sweep of his sleeve.
The moment he stepped out of the Glazed Pavilion, Shen Wei's tears stopped abruptly. Her fair fingers brushed the corners of her eyes, wiping away the lingering tears.
Shen Wei yawned, rubbing her wrist where Prince Yan had gripped her too tightly, and asked Nanny Rong, who had just entered, "Have you spoken to Eunuch Fugui?"
Nanny Rong handed her a cup of hot tea and smiled. "Don't worry, mistress. Eunuch Fugui was quite fond of that snuff bottle."
...
