The sound of the paddle striking flesh was not crisp but rather a dull, heavy thud.
"Your Majesty." Liu Zhongbao stepped forward to advise, "You've been working tirelessly for an entire day and night. Please take some rest."
"No need." Emperor Longfeng stood by the window, watching his two sons endure the punishment, his voice low. "I will watch until they finish."
The room fell into a deathly silence. He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, they were clear and composed—the eyes of a sovereign. "Once they're done, summon the imperial physicians to tend to their wounds. Ensure no lasting ailments remain."
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. The physicians have already been summoned." Liu Zhongbao supported the emperor's arm.
"What have Zheng Family's servants confessed?" Emperor Longfeng asked only after watching his sons being carried away on palanquins before finally closing the window.
Liu Zhongbao's expression shifted slightly as he retrieved the confessions of the two fugitives from his robe. "These have yet to be verified by the Imperial Dragon Guards. Their authenticity remains uncertain."
Servants turning against their masters was not unheard of, so he dared not guarantee how much of these horrifying confessions were true—or false.
"Let me see them." Emperor Longfeng took the documents and read carefully, his face darkening with every line.
"In the fifth year of Longfeng, in Lingzhou…" The emperor let out a cold laugh. "The Zheng Family plotted well. No wonder they sought to silence witnesses."
That year, he had toured the southern regions to reassure officials and commoners alike.
After that journey, he had consolidated all military power under his rule, steering the Great Cheng toward the future he envisioned. Yet he had never imagined a conspiracy had targeted his beloved consort and son back then.
"Everything was flawlessly planned." The Scar-faced Man repeated the same answers to the same questions. In just a day, he had grown gaunt, his spirit broken, answering the Imperial Dragon Guards with numb obedience.
"To assassinate Consort Su and her son, we devised countless seamless schemes." His voice was hoarse. "But the plan I was part of... met an unexpected setback."
"What setback?" the Chief demanded.
"A child." The Scar-faced Man licked his cracked lips, his tone laced with hatred and regret. "A damned little girl appeared out of nowhere. She saw us."
The Chief's grip on his brush tightened, anger seeping into his voice. "So you killed her?"
The Scar-faced Man didn’t deny it. "That brat was freakishly strong—she nearly escaped. If she had, we’d all be dead. We had no choice but to end her."
"She heard what she shouldn’t have, saw what she shouldn’t have." Speaking of the girl he’d murdered, he showed no remorse. "Pity we couldn’t just slit her throat. Had to tie her up, gag her, and toss her into the river instead."
"You vile beast!" The Chief snapped his brush in half, snatching a barbed whip from the wall and lashing it across the Scar-faced Man’s back. "A clean death would’ve been mercy!"
In that freezing cold, bound and mute—how much agony and despair had that child endured before death took her?
"Sir, what choice did we have?" The Scar-faced Man writhed in pain, glaring at the furious Chief. "I was younger than that drowned girl when I was sold to the marquis’ household. Did anyone pity us then?"
The Chief stared at this man, who had long lost his humanity, before returning to his seat with a grim expression. "Continue. Why did your plan fail?"
"I don’t know why. Consort Su and her son never went to that restaurant as planned. All our preparations were wasted." His voice weakened. "The marquis suspected a traitor among us. Several suspicious men were executed. After that, I was never sent on another mission."
"Why didn’t Consort Su go as expected?"
"I don’t know." The Scar-faced Man convulsed in pain. "I don’t know."
Seeing no further use in interrogation, the Chief ordered the man dragged away in disgust. He then summoned his subordinate. "Have you uncovered Consort Su’s whereabouts in Lingzhou?"
The subordinate hesitated. "Chief, Consort Su has the emperor’s Shadow Dragons guarding her in secret. When those two women found out we were investigating, they nearly started a fight with our men."
All were Imperial Dragon Guards under the emperor’s command—why were those two so ruthless?
"Leave Consort Su’s affairs for now. I’ll report to His Majesty first." The Chief’s expression hardened. "I never imagined the Zheng Family had committed so many atrocities."
"Princess Consort, His Highness has been carried back."
"What happened?" Sun Caiyao stood abruptly. "Wasn’t His Highness meeting His Majesty?"
"This servant doesn’t know the details. His Highness was punished with caning—his lower body is covered in blood." The palace maid trembled. "The eunuchs from Taiyang Palace refused to explain."
"I’ll see him." Her heart pounded as she rushed into Prince Qi’s chambers. The metallic tang of blood hung thick in the air. She grabbed a eunuch who had escorted the prince. "How was His Highness injured? What happened?"
"Princess Consort, please compose yourself." The eunuch bowed. "His Majesty has already sent imperial physicians. The wounds are superficial—no bones or tendons were damaged. He will recover with rest."
Princess Consort?
Since when was she a Princess Consort?
Sun Caiyao released the eunuch in stunned silence, staring blankly at the man on the bed. The man she loved—how had he been demoted to Prince of Qi County?
"Please tend to His Highness well. The edict regarding his title will be issued shortly." The eunuch kept his head low, not daring to meet her eyes. "If there’s nothing else, this servant must return to Taiyang Palace."
"Thank you for escorting His Highness… the Prince of Qi County… back." Sun Caiyao pressed a silver note into the eunuch’s hand. "It’s a relief His Highness is unharmed."
"This servant takes his leave." The eunuch pocketed the note and hurried away.
Sun Caiyao sat numbly by the bed, dabbing the sweat from Yun Yanze’s brow with a handkerchief, her eyes reddening.
In her dreams, His Highness had never suffered such misfortune. Why had reality diverged?
She thought avoiding Ming Jiuzhu would spare him his tragic fate. Yet now, without Ming Jiuzhu’s involvement, everything was unraveling.
Where had she gone wrong?
Had the dream deceived her—or was her presence with His Highness making everything worse?
"Your Grace, His Highness has sent you a box of pearls." Xiangjuan presented a lacquered case. Consort Su opened it to find several pearl necklaces inside.
"How exquisite." Xiangjuan admired them. "His Highness is so thoughtful."
"Thoughtful?" Consort Su held one against her neck. "Count how many there are."
Xiangjuan tallied them—eight.
"Eight in the box, one in my hand—nine pearl necklaces in total." Consort Su placed the necklace back into the box. "This isn’t about giving me jewelry at all. It’s clearly about his future wife. Too proud to ask directly, so he’s hinting at me, his mother, to invite Jiuzhu into the palace."
"You’re as sharp as ever, Your Highness." Xiangjuan chuckled. "I was too dull to see it."
"Not dull—just that a mother knows her son best." Consort Su smiled as she picked one necklace to wear. "Since I’ve taken his bribe, I might as well help him out. Take my invitation to the Ming family now and fetch Jiuzhu. Tell her I’d like her to stay in the palace for a couple of days."
"Right away, Your Highness." Before leaving, Xiangjuan teased lightly, "You must be missing Miss Ming too, aren’t you?"
Consort Su stroked the pearls and laughed. In the mirror, her striking features softened with tenderness.
Prince Chen idly flicked a pearl across the table before impatiently sweeping all of them back into the box.
Had his mother understood his hint?
If not, should he make it clearer?
But wouldn’t that make it seem like he was desperate to see Ming "Little Pig"?
He paced the courtyard twice, then kicked a tree root. As a County Princess, Ming "Little Pig" could request an audience herself. If she hadn’t come, it meant she hadn’t thought of him at all.
Fine. It wasn’t like he’d been thinking much about her either.
After two more rough kicks to the tree, he stormed out of the courtyard.
"Your Highness, where are you going?"
"To visit Fourth Brother."
When in a foul mood, nothing cheered him up like seeing his brothers worse off.
A eunuch hurried after him, worried His Highness might accidentally provoke Prince of Qi County to an early grave.
"Miss?" Chunfen watched, puzzled, as Jiuzhu stuffed all her silver and several gold hairpins into a box. "Why are you bringing so much treasure into the palace?"
"Shh." Jiuzhu hugged the box tightly, hiding it under her cloak. "Dear sister, keep your voice down. Don’t let Auntie from the palace hear."
"Miss Ming." Xiangjuan noticed Jiuzhu carrying something heavy. "Let me help you with that."
"Thank you, Auntie." Jiuzhu clung to the box. "Just some trinkets. I’ll manage."
"Of course." Xiangjuan nodded and helped her into the carriage with a smile.
"Auntie," Jiuzhu whispered, bundling the box securely under her cloak, "can we visit where His Highness lives now?"
"Certainly." Xiangjuan glanced at the hidden item. "We’ll enter through the Vermilion Gate to the Rising Sun Gate, which leads to His Highness’s residence in Zhangliu Palace. Shall we take a detour there later?"
"Yes, please!" Jiuzhu nodded eagerly, her dragonfly hairpin fluttering adorably with each movement.
Freshly invigorated after leaving Yun Yanze’s quarters, Prince Chen spotted a familiar figure bobbing near the main gate. The moment she saw him, the girl began hopping excitedly. "Your Highness! Over here!"
His lips curled up. Hands behind his back, he sauntered over, chin lifted. "What brings you here?"
"Your Highness, come!" Jiuzhu grabbed his sleeve, then grinned at Xiangjuan. "Auntie, I need a word with His Highness in private."
Without waiting, she dragged him away, stopping only when they reached a secluded corner. She crouched down. "Your Highness, don’t stand—quick, squat!"
Prince Chen glanced around, then at Jiuzhu’s conspiratorial expression. Resigned, he crouched beside her. "What is it?"
Ah well. No need to mention the guards watching their every move.
Jiuzhu’s face practically glowed with mischief as she stealthily opened her cloak.
"Liu Zhongbao." Emperor Longfeng paused, staring at the two figures huddled at the wall, heads pressed together. "Isn’t that my son and the Ming girl?"
What were they doing?
Playing in the dirt like toddlers?
"Your Majesty, it is indeed His Highness and County Princess Ming," Liu Zhongbao confirmed, bemused. Zhangliu Palace was swarming with guards—there was no need for such secrecy.
Emperor Longfeng began to worry his son had actually taken the girl to play with mud.
