Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 9

At this point, regret was futile. The important thing was how to overcome this crisis.

Seeing that the Prince of Jin was swayed, Sir Ye hurriedly explained, “Although Minister Zhang has already reported to His Majesty, Your Highness is not without a defense. It’s merely some peripheral evidence; Your Highness can just claim ignorance. As for the Princess, even if she doesn’t know what Your Highness has done now, she will once she returns to the capital. At that time, she will surely see Your Highness as an enemy.”

The Prince of Jin’s expression sharpened, and he fell into silent contemplation.

“In my observation, the Princess is not someone to be trifled with. If she sees Your Highness as an enemy, she will certainly make things difficult for you at every turn in the future. His Majesty dotes on the Princess, listening to her every word. When that time comes, Your Highness will be in peril!” Sir Ye spoke with great fervor, and the advisors behind him all nodded in agreement.

How the Emperor treated the Princess was plain for all to see.

The Prince of Jin’s dark gaze grew heavier, and he was slowly being swayed.

Sir Ye sighed again. “Furthermore, the Princess is His Majesty’s daughter, but Your Highness is also His Majesty’s own son. Having already lost a daughter, His Majesty will be heartbroken. Your Highness need only deny it, and then have the court officials submit memorials to vouch for you. Could His Majesty truly bear to cruelly cast aside a son as well?”

Was the pain of losing a daughter heart-wrenching, but losing a son was not? The Emperor had always been lenient with his children. Besides, for now, it was only the word of Zhang Daozhi. Nothing was set in stone; there was still room to maneuver.

The advisors also chimed in with their agreement.

The Prince of Jin was greatly tempted. He was about to send men to do it at once, and along the way, dispose of the young man who delivered the letter, acting as if he had never received this personal note. But just as he took a step, he thought, Sir Ye’s words were reasonable, but all of this was based on the assumption that Puyang had no other moves.

The Prince of Jin retracted the foot he had put forward.

Sir Ye was puzzled. Assassinating the Princess was improper from the start, and he had opposed it initially. But His Highness had insisted, and many advisors had claimed it was feasible. The Princess had no one of her own to command; a sudden assassination attempt, attacking the unprepared with full preparation, would guarantee victory. He had thought so too. Although the Princess’s armored guards were all elites drawn from His Majesty’s Imperial Guard, their numbers were ultimately limited. After killing her, they could even frame the Prince of Zhao—killing two birds with one stone.

But who could have expected the Princess to be so resourceful that she escaped even after her guards were completely wiped out?

What was to be done with the mess left behind? The only choice was to see the matter through to its brutal end. Otherwise, should they just wait for the Princess to return and take her revenge?

Sir Ye asked in confusion, “Why does Your Highness hesitate?”

The Prince of Jin said pensively, “What if Puyang has another way out? What if Mount Mang is just a trap?”

Seeing him still hesitating, Sir Ye grew anxious and stomped his foot. “Your Highness! The Princess is in the palace, dependent on His Majesty, with no one of her own to command. Having fallen into such peril, her letter asking Your Highness for aid must be a genuine plea for help!”

But the Prince of Jin grew even more thoughtful.

“That Puyang… one cannot be deceived by her youth, nor can one underestimate her just because she relies on His Majesty. Just look at how she escaped from an inescapable trap—it shows how cunning she is…” The Prince of Jin was at first explaining this to Sir Ye and the others, but by the end, he was muttering to himself. “What’s more, why didn’t she ask the Prince of Zhao for help? Why come to me instead… Could there be some friction between them, making Puyang believe the Prince of Zhao sent the assassins? That would be to my advantage…”

Hearing the Prince of Jin’s words, Sir Ye became frantic. He quickly moved to stand before the Prince of Jin and bowed deeply. “Now is not the time for careful deliberation. Even if she doesn’t know now, she will once she returns! Your Highness, Princess Puyang cannot be left alive! Sparing her life will surely become a great disaster!”

Indecisiveness will only lead to disaster! The person sent by the Emperor to summon him should be arriving soon. There was little time left to act. Princess Puyang must not be allowed to live! For some reason, Sir Ye was extremely wary of this Seventh Highness. He had often heard in the past that she was arrogant, yet she was always protected by the Emperor. Looking at this incident, she was clearly both brave and resourceful. Such a person… if not eliminated quickly, would you keep her around to be your enemy?

Sir Ye pleaded with earnest persistence. The Prince of Jin turned his eyes to him, even beginning to wonder why he was so adamant about putting Puyang to death. Could he have some other motive?

He showed a hint of hesitation. Sir Ye was about to persuade him further when the Prince of Jin suddenly made his decision. “You need not say more! With Puyang’s letter, I can resolve my current predicament. As for her becoming a threat in the future…” The Prince of Jin gave a faint smile. “There will be plenty of time for that.”

There would always be another chance to strike. The important thing now was to get out of this trouble first.

The handwriting on the letter was indeed Puyang’s. Puyang’s calligraphy was quite unrestrained and varied; the structure of her strokes was difficult to grasp. Although this was deliberately neat, the style etched into its very core had not been worn away in the slightest.

The Prince of Jin read it over again and suddenly thought, could he drag the Prince of Zhao completely into this?

His mind was made up, and Sir Ye and the others could not persuade him. Without waiting for the eunuch to arrive with the summons, the Prince of Jin went to the palace first to present the letter to the Emperor.

She had arrived on the Shangsi Festival. After a stay of several days, the Grain Rain was now approaching.

The poplar catkins had all fallen, and the cuckoos were crying. In another ten days or so, the first fragrance of summer could be felt.

Puyang sat under the eaves, gazing at a cuckoo perched on a branch in the courtyard, its calls mournful.

Wei Xiu approached slowly, a young boy pushing her wheelchair. Hearing the sound, Puyang turned to look. Wei Xiu held a xiao flute, her pair of jade-like hands hidden beneath wide sleeves. A moment later, Puyang rose to greet her.

This thatched cottage had been built by Wei Xiu, and every aspect was designed for her convenience. The paths were all smooth, with no thresholds or steps, making it easy for the wheelchair to move.

In a short moment, she was before Puyang. Wei Xiu made a bow, and Puyang bent to return the courtesy.

“‘The mountain woods on both sides meet, and all day long the cuckoos cry.’ Is Your Highness thinking of returning home?” Wei Xiu asked, looking at the bird beside Puyang.

The bird’s feathers were vibrant, with red markings. Its eyes, the size of beans, were dark and bright. Not long after Wei Xiu’s words fell, it flapped its wings and flew away. The mountains were quiet, and cuckoos were everywhere. This one had left, but a new one would come.

Puyang withdrew her gaze from the branch. “It’s not that I’m thinking of returning.”

As someone who had been reborn, she had a much more detached view of the world. Her family was large, but aside from His Majesty, there was no one who occupied her thoughts.

She was merely thinking about where her future path lay.

“If not of returning, then why is Your Highness so melancholy?” Wei Xiu asked again.

Puyang turned to look at her, then suddenly smiled and said, “I am melancholy, naturally, because you, Sir, cannot accompany me.”

With her smile, the gloom in her eyes was swept away, revealing bright, captivating eyes that shone with radiance. Puyang once again invited Wei Xiu, “I have stayed here with you, Sir, for many days and feel I have benefited greatly. There are many things I do not understand and wish to ask for your guidance. It is just a pity that there is not much time left.”

The letter had been sent. As expected, the people coming to escort her back to the palace would arrive tonight at the earliest, or tomorrow at the latest. At that time, she would have to leave this place and would not be able to see Wei Xiu for a while.

Puyang had found her, and no matter what, she could not rest easy with her remaining here, fearing someone would come and snatch her away.

“Sir, you spend all your days in the mountains and are accustomed to their quiet scenery. Why not accompany me to the capital and see the hustle and bustle of the Wei metropolis?” Puyang said, stealing glances at Wei Xiu’s expression. Seeing her as still as a mountain, she added, “‘The greatest hermit hides in the city.’ There is also a Dao to be found in the bustling places. Sir, you should go and see. If you don’t like it, you can always come back.”

She spoke with sincerity, very much wanting to lure Wei Xiu away, but in her heart, she was not confident. Puyang had already made up her mind: if she couldn’t persuade her this time, she would come back to persuade her after settling matters in the capital. If Xiao Dewen could have Wei Xiu, why couldn’t she?

Because she held little hope, Puyang’s tone was very gentle, and even faintly conveyed a solemn respect. Who would have thought that upon hearing this, Wei Xiu would give a small smile and ask, “If I don’t like it, can I really come back?”

It was as if she could see through people’s hearts. It was a short sentence, seemingly containing nothing, yet it felt like an interrogation of Puyang’s heart. Puyang felt a little uncomfortable. She pursed her lips, about to say “Of course you can,” but then she realized that if Wei Xiu truly went with her, she would be unwilling to let her return here. When the time came, even if she had to force it, she would keep her by her side.