Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 71

Wei Xiu had followed Puyang into the capital for the sole purpose of revenge. She was now twenty-two. For seventeen long years, ever since that spring day when she was five, everything she had done was for revenge.

The words “revenge” were written all over her past.

The Emperor had slaughtered her entire family, exterminated her whole clan. She wanted the Emperor’s entire family to die unnatural deaths in return, and she wanted to destroy the dynasty he cherished and valued most.

She had chosen Puyang initially because the princes were far too incompetent. Not only were they incapable of achieving anything, but they were also a liability. The princess, on the other hand, had revealed details during her convalescence that earned Wei Xiu’s great admiration. This was a person with whom she could conspire.

But no matter how intelligent or forbearing the princess was, no matter how capable she was of seeing the bigger picture and accomplishing great things, it could not make up for the shortcoming of her being a woman. Wei Xiu was confident she could support her ascent to the throne, but it might take countless years. By then, the political situation would have changed dramatically, and things would be different. The princess would inevitably gain more control with each passing day, and the state of Wei would become harder to shake.

The Imperial Grandson was different. In five or six years at most, he would be able to secure a place at court and gradually reveal his formidable talents. The Emperor, dissatisfied with his own sons, would surely notice his grandson. The Imperial Grandson’s father was already gone, so there was no one to hold him back. Given time, the Emperor would likely see him as a lifeline and pass the throne to him. More importantly, the Imperial Grandson would be easier to control. If she could become a tutor in the prince’s residence, she would have ample opportunity to make him completely devoted to her.

If the princess were to be buried in the depths of the palace, no one would ever know what Wei Xiu had done for her over the past year. Throwing her lot in with the grandson’s faction was undoubtedly the wisest choice.

Besides, before she had met the princess, her original intention had been to support the Imperial Grandson. Now, it was merely a return to her original path.

Despite all these reasons, there was truly only one thing that made Wei Xiu waver. She was ashamed to admit it, but the truth was, she was growing soft because of the princess. Her concern for the princess was already like a wildfire, impossible to stop. The princess’s love, and her own inability to restrain her feelings, would one day become a cage, binding her hands and feet.

It would be better to make a clean break now!

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Wei Xiu’s mind. The various advantages made her hesitate. Yet, instead of the joy of finding a clear path, her heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife.

The Emperor smiled, seemingly possessing infinite patience as he waited for her to think it through. His seemingly gentle gaze was fixed on Wei Xiu, not missing a single glint of light in her eyes. But no matter how he looked, Wei Xiu showed neither the eagerness of someone anxious to switch allegiance, nor the resistant forbearance of one whose heart was tied to the princess.

This was consistent with her cunning, which was as deep as a cold abyss. If she were to show her thoughts on her face, the Emperor would instead suspect she had ulterior motives.

Wei Xiu slowly opened her mouth. “May I be so bold as to ask what mistake the princess has made to incur Your Majesty’s wrath to this extent?”

The Emperor waved his hand. “This has nothing to do with you. Do not ask again.”

Wei Xiu smiled faintly and, true to her word, did not ask again.

The hall was oppressively silent. When the two of them did not speak, no one else dared to. Dou Hui glanced at Wei Xiu frequently. Wei Xiu was struggling internally. For so many years, she had never sought the best, nor comfort, nor happiness in her actions. She sought only what was correct, what would allow her to take another step on the path of revenge. There was nothing she could not abandon, nor had she ever truly possessed anything.

But Puyang… Puyang was different. She was the only bright color in the seventeen gray years of her life. When truly faced with the choice, she found she could not bring herself to be ruthless.

After another moment, Wei Xiu still had not spoken, nor did she betray the slightest hint of her inner turmoil. She was not arrogant, not anxious, not discouraged. It was as if she had seen through everything, or as if victory was already in her grasp.

Suddenly, the Emperor grew somewhat irritated. Seventh Lady was still in the Hall of Containing Light. If this Wei Xiu truly had other designs—if she could place herself in peril, forsake fame and fortune—then what she plotted was likely no small matter. He absolutely could not let her live. Although Seventh Lady understood the greater good, she had invested true feelings. A rift would form between them, father and daughter. But that was of no consequence. The realm was what mattered, the court was what mattered. Everything else could be sacrificed.

But if that were the case, was there someone else hidden even deeper behind Wei Xiu? And what did they want?

The matters that would follow were even more troublesome than the present situation.

“The Grandson is studious and intelligent. He will certainly not tarnish Sir Wei’s reputation,” the Emperor spoke again, his tone sincere, but it could not help but betray a hint of impatience.

Wei Xiu lifted her eyes to look at him. Seeing the flash of impatience that crossed his eyes, in a spark of insight, the layers of fog seemed to suddenly disperse. Wei Xiu’s mind became crystal clear.

If he truly intended to hire her as a tutor, why would he wait until the princess fell from grace? This was clearly a test for her!

What a fine piece of bait.

If she had agreed with the Emperor, she would likely have died without a burial place.

Wei Xiu sneered twice inwardly, but she had already devised a countermeasure. She sighed and said, “I am afraid I must disappoint Your Majesty.”

The Emperor raised his brows. “What? Is Dewen not worthy of your consideration?”

“It has nothing to do with the Prince. It is just that the princess has treated me with great kindness. I do not know why she is now confined in the palace, and I cannot concern myself with my own future at this time.”

The Emperor said, displeased, “You do not wish to serve in office, and I cannot force you. Today, I am merely asking you to change your place of residence, yet you refuse again. Are your words born of genuine concern for the princess, or are they merely an excuse to decline?”

Wei Xiu said calmly, “Why would I decline? As Your Majesty said, I have no ambition for an official career. What difference does it make where I reside?”

“Then I will be frank with you, Sir. Puyang can forget about ever stepping out of the palace gates for the rest of her life!” The Emperor narrowed his eyes, which burned with rage, as if he had come to utterly despise Puyang.

Even though she was certain that imprisoning the princess in the palace was a ploy to test her, Wei Xiu’s heart still clenched. She took a deep breath, and an irrepressible anger surfaced on her face. But she quickly seemed to realize her current situation, suppressed it again and again, and softened her tone. “Her Highness ought to be serving Your Majesty with filial piety. There is nothing wrong with her staying in the palace. But if it is a punishment, that seems unreasonable. Besides, what cannot be resolved between a father and daughter? Why does Your Majesty not speak with Her Highness in detail?”

Seeing that Wei Xiu’s every sentence was about the princess and that she showed no intention of leaving, the Emperor’s heart gradually settled. But he was still not fully convinced and tested her again. “This has nothing to do with you. You no longer have a place to stay. If you are unwilling to go to the Prince of Donghai’s residence, I have several other imperial grandsons. Is Sir Wei interested in any of them?”

To lay out the imperial grandsons for Wei Xiu to choose from was already a tremendous honor, and behind the grandsons were their fathers.

Wei Xiu still refused. “The imperial grandsons have their own teachers and friends; it would not be right to change them lightly for my sake. I have resided in the princess’s estate for over a year. Now that I can no longer live there, I ask that Your Majesty allow me to see the princess one last time.”

After being refused several times, if the Emperor had been sincere in hiring her as a tutor for his grandsons, he would likely have flown into a rage out of humiliation by now.

Fortunately, he was not.

Only then did the Emperor show a truly genuine smile. “Since you insist, Sir, I shall grant your wish this once!”

With that, he turned and gestured to Dou Hui. A smile also bloomed on Dou Hui’s face. He bowed and walked out.

A moment later, the dark shadows at the hall’s entrance receded like a tide. The armored soldiers had come without a sound, and they dispersed just as silently.

The test was over, and he had lost the bet. Thus, it was time to fulfill his promise to Puyang. The Emperor spoke to Wei Xiu with great interest, “Every word from you, Sir, is about the princess. I wonder why you care so much for Seventh Lady?”

Once the test was over, she was no longer the cold “Puyang,” but the amiable “Seventh Lady.”

Wei Xiu knew this full well but did not expose it. The danger had passed, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She had been lucky to see that this was aimed at her, but she had not yet had time to ponder why the Emperor had suddenly used Puyang to test her.

“Humans are not unfeeling plants. After knowing someone for over a year, no one could be so heartless as to disregard them,” Wei Xiu answered casually, waiting only for the princess to arrive so she could take her back and ask in detail what had happened these past two days.

Where did this test come from? Could it be that someone in the residence had betrayed their master and leaked some information? If so, a thorough investigation was in order.

Just as she was thinking this, the Emperor’s smiling words exploded like thunder by Wei Xiu’s ear.

“Sir, there is no need to hide it any longer. I know everything about you and Seventh Lady.”

The staff in the Hall of Containing Light had been replaced with the Emperor’s people. Puyang could hardly find a moment alone, let alone send out a message or inquire about news. After an entire morning of anxious waiting, she saw Dou Hui suddenly appear.

For him to come personally, there must be a result.

Puyang immediately sat up straight, her gaze fixed on him. But before she could even let her heart leap into her throat, Dou Hui’s celebratory smile met her eyes.

“Your Highness has been waiting long,” Dou Hui said with a smile after bowing.

A wave of joy surged up, and her heart filled with emotion. A smile suddenly bloomed on Puyang’s face. She was about to blurt out, “Has Sir come?” but her actions preceded her words. She stood up and walked toward the outside of the hall.

Dou Hui also smiled kindly and hurried to follow her.

In all her life, across two lifetimes, Puyang had never been in such a hurry. She walked swiftly, leaving the layers of halls and palace walls behind her.

By the time she reached the Hall of Proclaimed Virtue, she was panting slightly, but the joy on her face was dazzlingly brilliant.