Chapter 236: Caught Red-Handed
At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the Eastern Palace was shrouded in a fine drizzle, the glazed tiles blurring into a hazy shade of grey.
Guo Yunrong clutched a silk coin purse embroidered with auspicious cranes and swirling clouds, pacing back and forth beneath the white jade steps outside the Chongming Gate of the Eastern Palace for a full three rounds, her skirt hem damp with tiny water droplets.
She gazed at the cold bronze beast heads on the vermilion lacquered main gate, her throat tightening, as if a frantic little deer were about to leap from her chest…
This was her first time seeking an audience with the Crown Prince alone.
“Third Miss Guo…” the young eunuch on duty hurried out, sizing her up, bowing respectfully and properly, his tone obsequious yet distant.
“Your Highness is currently in discussion with the Grand Master of the Palace and has no time to receive guests…”
As expected, she was refused.
Guo Yunrong’s hands, hidden in her sleeves, were so tense she almost snapped the silk threads of the coin purse.
She wasn’t surprised by Li Zhao’s attitude.
She should have retreated, but thinking of Xue Sui suffering in prison, she still wanted to try again.
So she mustered her courage, her cheeks flushing crimson.
“Please, Eunuch, could you announce me again? Say that Yunrong has an urgent matter to see the Crown Prince about, a matter of life and death…”
“Miss, please don’t make things difficult for this humble one…”
The young eunuch, thinking of the Crown Prince’s temper, showed even more distress than Guo Yunrong.
Guo Yunrong bit her lower lip, her eyes reddening.
“Then, I’ll wait outside…”
The young eunuch shook his head helplessly and slowly closed the palace door.
The long wait seemed to have no end…
Finally, the palace door opened again.
A steady and rhythmic sound of footsteps approached.
Two rows of Imperial Guards, long sabers at their waists and clad in armor, emerged from the main gate with solemn expressions, their steps orderly as they lined up…
Li Zhao strode out of the palace gate, his robes sweeping over the threshold, his cape billowing like dark clouds. His stern face was chiseled like a knife, exuding a powerful aura that, on this rainy day, appeared even more sharp and imposing.
Li Zhao glanced at Guo Yunrong’s reddened nose tip, his brow furrowing slightly.
“What is going on?”
The young eunuch trembled and stepped forward, cupping his hands.
“Your Highness, Third Miss Guo insisted on waiting here, and this humble one could not stop her…”
Li Zhao’s gaze slowly swept over her, cold and impatient.
Guo Yunrong hastily curtsied, clutching the coin purse tightly in her hand, not daring to take it out, her voice almost breaking…
“Crown Prince, I visited the prison yesterday and found Consort Xue gravely ill…”
“Third Miss Guo has come to the wrong temple.” Li Zhao cut her off, casually fiddling with the jade belt at his waist. “The Ministry of Justice will send people to treat the serious offenders imprisoned there. At worst, it’s a family matter for Prince Duan’s Mansion; why should the Eastern Palace concern itself?”
Guo Yunrong, met with a cold reception, her pretty face instantly flushed crimson.
“Your Highness, please understand, Prince Duan is too preoccupied with the Imperial Consort’s passing to attend to it. However, the dampness and cold of the dungeon are bone-chilling and truly not conducive to Consort Xue’s recovery…”
“Third Miss Guo should worry more about herself.”
Li Zhao glanced at the carriage waiting outside, his expression showing he had no patience to listen further.
With a flick of his cape, he strode towards the carriage.
The fine rain slanted onto Guo Yunrong’s eyelashes. The scent of snow pine from the cape, mixed with the cold, seeped into her collar, causing Guo Yunrong to involuntarily shiver.
“Your Highness…”
She watched as the Crown Prince’s golden-embroidered black boots stepped onto the carriage step. Recalling how Xue Sui had coughed so hard she could barely breathe in prison yesterday, she suddenly raised her voice.
“Consort Xue once risked her life to save Consort Wan and Princess Wen Jia, and she has also shielded you from disaster. She is a person of great righteousness… Can Your Highness truly bear to watch her fall ill and die in prison before she has even been convicted?”
The carriage curtain was abruptly lifted.
Li Zhao turned back, a surge of bloodshot color in his eyes. His handsome face was as cold as ice shards congealed in a thousand-year-old frozen pond, but upon meeting Guo Yunrong’s frightened gaze, he abruptly turned his face away.
“I have no personal relationship with Xue Shi; her life or death has nothing to do with me?”
The carriage rumbled over the blue stone slabs and sped away.
The raindrops suddenly intensified, striking the glazed tiles behind her with a clattering sound.
Guo Yunrong watched the Eastern Palace procession disappear into the rain curtain. The coin purse in her hand fell to the ground with a thud…
Mother said that once she wore her wedding dress, she would be the most noble Crown Princess in the world, and in the future, she would live in harmony with the Crown Prince, sharing joys and sorrows, and enjoy all the glory in this world.
But at this moment, looking at the raindrops dancing freely under the lead-grey sky, she suddenly felt a sense of bewilderment and helplessness…
Love and affection in the imperial family were, after all, just wishful thinking…
The Crown Prince wouldn’t even spare her an extra glance; how could there be shared joys and sorrows, or a harmonious life together?
—
The overcast sky grew increasingly oppressive and heavy.
As dusk approached, a thin layer of frost had already accumulated on the blue stone slab road.
Before night had fully descended, the Hu Ji wine shops in the West Market were already as boisterous as daytime.
Amidst the tinkling of the Hu Ji’s golden bells, Gu Jie clenched the silver teacup in his hand, his peripheral vision occasionally sweeping over Princess Ping Le, who was indistinct behind the gauze curtain.
The room was silent, only the shadows on the wall twisting restlessly.
Suddenly, the sound of a door knocker echoed.
Nanny Zhou pushed open the door, bringing in a gust of wind that made the candlelight flicker violently, nearly extinguishing it, and the light instantly dimmed.
“Princess, they have arrived.”
Princess Ping Le tapped her fingertips on the sandalwood desk, glancing indifferently at Gu Jie.
“Are they truly willing to cooperate with this Palace and provide irrefutable evidence to bring down the Crown Prince?”
Gu Jie lowered his gaze. “Princess, think about it. The court is currently issuing widespread warrants, and they are cornered, constantly on the run. Who caused this? They also detest Li Zhao to the core. As long as the Princess steps forward and offers them sufficient benefits, they will be like fish on a chopping block, at the Princess’s mercy…”
Princess Ping Le’s fingers unconsciously tightened on the armrest of her chair.
Currently, Old Master Lu and Grand Tutor Lu were pressing her step by step, and accusations against her in the Imperial Court were incessant; her situation was becoming increasingly difficult.
With that evidence, even Imperial Father was no longer doing his utmost to protect her…
She had to rely on herself!
As long as she obtained irrefutable evidence of Li Zhao’s illicit affair with Xue Liu and their collusion with the Old Mausoleum Swamp and Xizi, she could counterattack and reverse the unfavorable situation…
She raised her chin and subtly signaled Nanny Zhou.
“Please invite them in!”
The door hinges let out a piercing creak.
A strong scent of agarwood mixed with the smell of sheep made her throat dry and her chest feel heavy.
A cold wind swept in, and two dark-skinned Xizi men strode into the inner room. They wore coarse, dark brown linen robes with slanted collars, wolf-head jade pendants hanging from their waists. Their amber eyes reflected the flickering candlelight, resembling hungry wolves on the snowfield.
“I am Altai, Vanguard Officer of the Xizi Wolf Guard, paying respects to Your Highness the Princess…”
Princess Ping Le lifted her hood and slowly emerged from the tent, gracefully moving to the main seat. The Eastern Pearls adorning her fox fur collar clinked crisply.
“Have you brought what this Palace requires?”
The Xizi man at the head bowed slightly, his arm crossed over his chest.
“Have you brought what we require, Princess?”
Princess Ping Le gestured to Nanny Zhou behind her.
Soon, two attendants carried in a long, narrow wooden box wrapped in black silk and placed it heavily on the ground.
Inside were neatly stacked hundred-tael official silver ingots, their bright silver light spilling out, with some gold leaves scattered beside them…
The Xizi man was very satisfied and signaled his subordinate.
The man untied the leather pouch at his waist and poured out a piece of sheepskin scroll he had kept close.
Gu Jie bowed and took it, then handed it to Princess Ping Le’s desk.
“Princess, please look. This is the blueprint for the Shen Bi Crossbow mechanism obtained from the Old Mausoleum Swamp.”
On the yellowed sheepskin scroll, the ink depicted an exceptionally ingenious mechanism, with a skull emblem of the Old Mausoleum Swamp stamped in the corner.
Princess Ping Le’s fingertips brushed over the seal, and she let out a cold laugh.
“With just this fragment of a map, it’s not enough to exchange for this much real silver and gold. If you don’t produce Xue Liu’s secret letter and the Crown Prince’s treasonous decree, this deal cannot be made…”
The Xizi man, Altai, bowed his head, placing his palm heavily on his chest.
“Please rest assured, Princess. Altai swears by the Sacred Mountain that as long as the Princess ensures our safe departure from the capital, we will present the irrefutable evidence of the Crown Prince’s treason…”
Before he finished speaking, the sound of tiles shattering came from outside the window.
“Who!”
A flash of cold light streaked past.
Several guards burst through the window, drawing their sabers and giving chase.
The sound of weapons clashing echoed from the eaves.
When Gu Jie rushed to the window, he saw two dark figures darting over the rooftops like kites.
Princess Ping Le slammed down her silver cup, the wine spilling and dripping down the wooden desk.
“Useless! You can’t even catch a eavesdropping pest!”
At this moment, the drum tower in the West Market suddenly sounded the alarm, and the sound of horses’ hooves exploded like thunder.
“Princess!” A guard burst through the door, cold sweat beading on his forehead. “The Jinwu Guard has sealed the streets with an imperial decree, and a large number of Imperial Guards are heading this way…”
Princess Ping Le’s expression changed.
She lunged to the window and peered out.
At the end of the long street, crimson banners fluttered like blood—
It was indeed the Jinwu Guard.
“Damn it, what are they doing sealing the streets and searching at this hour…”
If those Xizi men were caught on the spot and fell into the hands of the Imperial Guards, it would be disastrous.
Gu Jie walked to her side, glancing anxiously yet subtly at Altai.
“The Princess’s carriage is parked in the dark alley by the west corner gate. No matter how audacious the Jinwu Guard is, they wouldn’t dare to stop the Princess’s imperial carriage…”
Princess Ping Le took off her fox fur cape, took a deep breath, and calmed herself.
“Have them change into guard uniforms and leave with this Palace’s carriage first. As long as they aren’t caught and there’s no concrete evidence, even if the Jinwu Guard Commander arrives, he can’t do anything to this Palace.”
Gu Jie asked, “Isn’t the Princess accompanying them?”
“Foolish! How could this Palace accompany them and give people cause for gossip? Hurry!”
The Xizi men nodded, changed their clothes as instructed, disguised themselves as guards, and followed Princess Ping Le’s carriage downstairs, slowly departing from the dark alley by the west corner gate.
The carriage shaft was adorned with gilded phoenix-patterned copper bells, and the Princess’s palace emblem was engraved beneath it. As the carriage bumped along, it produced clear ringing sounds.
Unexpectedly, as it rolled over the mottled blue stone slabs of Wanshang Street, it jolted to a halt…
A three-edged arrow pierced the carriage curtain and lodged itself in the carriage shaft. The ribbon tied to its tail feather—
was the unique emblem of the Eastern Palace.
In front, black armor filled the sky, and a hundred riders with silver spears formed a dense forest, completely surrounding the carriage…
The Jinwu Guard Commander might not be able to do anything to Princess Ping Le…
But the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace could.
—
“Princess—” A guard burst through the door, blood still trickling from his forehead.
“The Eastern Palace Guard Commander has surrounded the Hu Ji wine shop and is searching room by room for Xizi death warriors.”
Princess Ping Le’s expression changed. Without time to think, she quickly grabbed the Shen Bi Crossbow mechanism blueprint and was about to throw it into the burning brazier when a dagger flashed past her ear like lightning.
That dagger was for Princess Ping Le’s self-defense, usually tucked into the soft leather at her waist.
“Princess, please sit down. The tea is not yet finished, and the wine is not yet warm. Isn’t it a bit too hasty to destroy the evidence so quickly?”
The sharp blade pressed against her nape, and the person’s voice was as cold as frost.
Princess Ping Le looked back in disbelief, seeing Gu Jie’s face as taut as ever.
Yesterday, he had been murmuring on her bed, “I am willing to go through fire and water for the Princess,” but now his eyes were filled with bone-chilling coldness.
“What are you doing?” she asked in great surprise.
Gu Jie’s wrist trembled slightly, but he pressed the blade tighter. “Princess, you are well-versed in power struggles; don’t you understand best that loyalty has a price?”
“You dog slave!” Princess Ping Le looked at Gu Jie’s cold, gleaming short blade, her face contorted with ferocity.
“Last night, you swore eternal love on my bed, saying you would be my lapdog, and today you’ve become Li Zhao’s fang. What did Li Zhao give you?”
As she spoke, she dug her nails into Gu Jie’s hand, her meticulously maintained nails almost breaking.
Drops of crimson blood seeped from between her fingers.
Gu Jie’s expression was blank, as if he felt no pain.
“Princess, only when you too become a pawn, reviled by all and estranged from your loved ones, will you understand why I am doing this, and why Xue Liu is doing this…”
“You ungrateful, profit-seeking mad dog, try touching me and see…”
Princess Ping Le pushed him away with all her might.
“His Highness has ordered! Arrest the traitors! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach. Anyone who dares to obstruct will be killed without mercy, and those who harbor rebels will be punished as accomplices!”
Suddenly, the sound of battle boots stomping on the ground echoed like rolling thunder.
The clouds outside the window churned like splashed ink, signaling an impending storm.
The sounds of clashing metal gradually faded. The Eastern Palace Right Guard had already surrounded the courtyard of the Hu Ji wine shop, making it impossible to escape…
Princess Ping Le gritted her teeth and turned to flee, but the sound of black boots ascending the stairs came from below.
Clutching her skirt hem, she had just climbed onto the window frame when the door burst open.
Li Zhao walked in leisurely, hands behind his back, his python robe and wide sleeves falling like ink, a light, mocking laugh emanating from him.
“Where is Imperial Sister going? The door is this way—”
The curtain was suddenly lifted by a strong gust of wind.
A blueprint fluttered down with the wind, landing precisely under Li Zhao’s foot.
Li Zhao bent down to pick it up. On the yellowed, tattered sheepskin scroll was a diagram of the Shen Bi Camp’s crossbow mechanism, with the unique skull emblem of the Old Mausoleum Swamp stamped in the corner.
He let out a light chuckle.
“Colluding with Xizi, colluding with the Old Mausoleum Swamp. Imperial Sister, your move was truly audacious. Are you truly so spoiled that you dare to defy the world?”
“Li Zhao! You’re slandering me!” Princess Ping Le roared.
Li Zhao put away the blueprint, his expression darkening, his voice as cold as ice.
“Guards! Escort Princess Ping Le to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to await Imperial Father’s judgment.”
Several Imperial Guards swarmed forward like wolves, their iron-like grips seizing her wrists with brutal force—
Princess Ping Le struggled in anger, stumbling as she turned to look at Gu Jie. Seeing him standing calmly beside Li Zhao, his face as serene as a dead man’s, completely indifferent to her plight, she suddenly felt a sweet, metallic taste surge in her throat…
The pain was unbearable.
The warmth of the gentle scholar who had warmed her feet last night was still there, yet today he had become the cold shackles that would lock her in prison…
So it was true that in these nine heavens, there was no genuine heart.
This chapter is a combined one~~
There will be another update tonight, muah~~
