Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 69

With Puyang seemingly convinced, the Emperor was greatly pleased. He had Puyang stay to dine with him before assigning four palace attendants to serve the Princess as she went to the Hall of Containing Light to rest.

As soon as the Princess left, the Emperor glanced at the two eunuchs by the door. They were sturdily built and powerful, not the usual attendants of the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue. The Emperor waved a hand, signaling for them to withdraw.

The two moved in unison, bowing silently before turning to leave. But then, the Emperor changed his mind.

These two eunuchs had been specially selected from the Directorate for Palace Attendants by Dou Hui, originally intended to be used in case Seventh Lady lost her head and refused to obey his command. As it turned out, Seventh Lady understood the greater good, so these two strongmen were naturally no longer needed.

However, since they had already been chosen, it would be a waste not to use them. It would be better to have them monitor Seventh Lady to see whether her words just now were a temporary expedient or if she truly understood his painstaking efforts.

The Emperor spoke up, “Wait! You two, take ten palace attendants and go serve in the Hall of Containing Light. For the next few days, do not let the Princess out of your sight, day or night.”

The two acknowledged the order and departed.

Dou Hui stood respectfully to the side, not uttering a word. Only after the Emperor had finished giving his orders did he step forward to report, “Your Majesty, all the matters you instructed have been arranged.”

The Emperor smiled, his expression full of self-satisfaction. “Everything is ready. I shall simply sit back and watch how things unfold.”

For the Chief Scribe to be so terrified, something major must have happened.

Wei Xiu glanced at A Rong, who understood and opened the door to the inner chamber. The Chief Scribe walked over. His reason still intact, he saw the situation and dismissed the young servant holding the lantern, following Wei Xiu inside to speak.

Once in the inner chamber, before Wei Xiu could even ask, the Chief Scribe spoke first. “Sir Wei, something is amiss in the palace tonight.”

If it were merely something amiss, he would never be this panicked. It must be related to the Princess.

Wei Xiu looked over, her gaze deep and somber. “Please explain in detail, my lord.”

The Chief Scribe was normally a steady and dignified man. Hearing the terrible news had momentarily thrown him off balance, causing him to lose his composure. Now, seeing how calm Sir Wei was, he too began to steady himself. “This subordinate followed your orders, Sir, and sent someone into the palace to inquire whether Her Highness would be returning to the mansion tonight. As you know, Sir, there are several eunuchs in the palace who have received Her Highness’s favor and run errands for her—we relied on them this time.”

He rambled on, but Wei Xiu did not interrupt, listening intently.

Given Puyang’s status in the palace, it should not have been difficult to find out her whereabouts. Passing a message or two, as long as it did not reveal forbidden palace conversations, should have been simple. The imperial palace was heavily guarded, but not to the point of being so unreasonable.

However, this time…

“We couldn’t find out anything!” The Chief Scribe’s anxiousness returned. “The area around the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue is under heavy guard. Those few eunuchs didn’t dare get close. After making some inquiries in the vicinity, they heard that Her Highness Puyang had defied His Majesty, that His Majesty was furious, and that he has confined her to the Hall of Containing Light!”

Wei Xiu’s head snapped up. She pressed him, “Is the information reliable?”

Hearing her question, the Chief Scribe finally remembered that news from the palace was not always accurate. The various princes were fighting in a chaotic mess at court. Although His Majesty presided over the palace, the abilities of the consorts in the rear palaces were not to be underestimated. Who knew if there was some treachery afoot, using this to frame Her Highness? If this was a trap, their failure to remain steady would be what harmed Her Highness.

The Chief Scribe shot up from his seat, making a swift decision. “This subordinate will send someone to investigate again.”

With that, he was about to rush off, but Wei Xiu stopped him. “The palace gates have already been locked for the night. Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow morning.”

With Her Highness trapped in the palace, the mansion had suddenly lost its backbone. This was the first time the Chief Scribe had encountered such a situation, and he had lost his sense of proportion. Hearing Wei Xiu’s instruction, he hesitated, wondering if he should gather the other strategists in the mansion to discuss countermeasures.

A dark cloud hung between Wei Xiu’s brows. She looked over, her gaze deep and somber, and said, “A slower approach leads to a better outcome.”

If Her Highness was truly in trouble, acting so rashly would only make things worse!

The Chief Scribe felt a chill and bowed deeply. “Yes!”

It was dark, and the palace gates were closed. Trying to gather information now would not only yield nothing but might also give others a handle against them.

In plotting a great enterprise, one could not avoid risks. The more critical the situation, the more one needed to calm down.

Wei Xiu focused her thoughts. The past few days had been very peaceful. Apart from the princes’ incessant squabbling, there had been no major events at court. Troops had just been deployed to the border, but there was no news yet from Qi or Song. As for the palace, it was the place Her Highness valued most, and she had connections built up since childhood. If something had gone wrong in the palace, it was impossible that not a single whisper would have leaked out.

Not the palace, not the court, not the border. If it was unrelated to these three, then the conflict between Her Highness and the Emperor was likely not about state affairs.

If it was not about state affairs, then no matter how angry the Emperor was, he would show some restraint. As long as they handled it properly, Her Highness should be fine.

The most crucial thing right now was to first find out why Her Highness had defied the Emperor, and why the Emperor had become so enraged.

Wei Xiu walked the Chief Scribe to the courtyard gate. She looked up; there was no bright moon, and the sky was pitch-black. It was impossible to tell if tomorrow would bring snow or clear skies.

She lowered her head and opened the box in her hands. The jade of the crown was warm and exquisite, glowing with a soft luster in the darkness. No matter what, she only hoped the Princess was safe and could return peacefully.

As she was thinking of Puyang, Puyang was also thinking of her. She wondered how His Majesty would test Sir Wei, and whether Sir Wei could resolve the crisis.

She knew she would not be able to leave the palace for the next few days. The Hall of Containing Light was surrounded by guards sent by His Majesty. That was one thing—after all, if he was going to set a trap, he had to make it look convincing. But he had even sent people to monitor her inside the hall, leaving her without a single moment of privacy.

No matter where she went, two people followed. Even if she found a reason to send them away, new ones would immediately take their place. Even when she retired to her bedchamber to rest, a palace attendant would be watching by her bedside.

How was this any different from imprisonment!

Puyang grew ever more resentful. She already possessed some power, but when facing His Majesty, she was like an ant, completely at his mercy with no room to fight back.

Everything His Majesty said was right. Those who harbored malicious intent should indeed be eliminated first to prevent future trouble. But he had forgotten one thing: Sir Wei was her person. If her person had committed a fault, it was for her to handle, not for someone else to overstep their bounds and act in her stead!

The angrier Puyang became, the gentler and calmer her expression grew. In the darkness, her eyes, like black jewels, retracted their brilliant light, becoming reserved and warm. The palace maid sent by the Emperor followed her every step. She smiled and said, “You must be tired. Go and rest.”

The palace maid lowered her head and said, “This servant attends to Your Highness and dares not speak of fatigue. Please rest well, Your Highness. This servant will keep watch here.”

Puyang smiled, as if not minding at all, and said casually, “As you wish.”

One day, she would not be constrained by anyone. And she would absolutely never let herself fall into such a predicament again!

She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. Every movement was so calm, but within her heart, the craving for power surged like tumultuous waves, crashing against the depths of her desire.

She couldn’t wait to ascend to the heavens in a single step, to become someone to whom no one could say no.

There were many people in the hall, yet it was as silent as a tomb.

Puyang felt an unprecedented agitation and vexation.

She closed her eyes but could not find any peaceful sleep.

She thought of Wei Xiu. Wei Xiu’s figure appeared in her mind. Dressed in a green robe, she sat in her wheelchair, her hair as black as a raven’s feather tied back immaculately, the very picture of a meticulous person. She was looking over, and as their eyes met, her placid face instantly softened, the corners of her lips lifting into a gentle, tolerant smile.

Her agitated mood suddenly calmed, replaced by an indescribable heartache. Sir Wei still didn’t know what had happened. She hadn’t returned today; Sir Wei must be worried.

She had given her too little, and now, she had to let her face this predicament alone. Had she known, she would have placed the jade crown on Sir Wei’s head with her own hands before entering the palace.

To love someone is to have a weakness; to love someone is also to have armor.

Puyang’s heart grew calm, no longer agitated, no longer rash. But she was also more eager than ever before to obtain that position.

After a restless night, Wei Xiu immediately dispatched people at dawn to find out why the Emperor and the Princess had argued.

To her surprise, they found nothing!

“This shouldn’t be.” The Chief Scribe paced anxiously. “So many eyes are watching the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue. How could not a single whisper get out after such a major event yesterday?”

Everything about this was bizarre.

Wei Xiu closed her eyes in deep thought. The Chief Scribe dared not disturb her and could only wait with anxious eyes.

After a long moment, Wei Xiu opened her eyes. Her gaze was perfectly clear.