Chapter 41

What does it mean… “someone who touched him”?

Yiling had initially believed that everything Xie Hengzhi did today was to clear obstacles for the Eastern Palace. Regardless of the methods, it was all a matter of time.

After all, there could only be one emperor. The Crown Prince and the Elder Prince had been secretly and openly vying for power for years, and in the end, one of them was bound to meet a grim fate.

But from the way Xie Hengzhi spoke, it seemed there was also a personal vendetta involved?

That made the situation even more chilling.

“Who did he touch?” Yiling asked softly. “Your mother?”

Xie Hengzhi glanced back at her but didn’t respond.

“Could it be Xie Xuan?”

Yiling waited anxiously for Xie Hengzhi to answer, but he only stared at her intently without offering an explanation.

“Who was it?”

She pressed further. “Was it one of your subordinates?”

Faced with Yiling’s questions, not only did Xie Hengzhi remain silent, but he also gazed at her for a long moment before letting out a faint, mocking laugh and turning to leave.

As he stepped out of the private room, he gave an order: “Dao Yu, escort Madam back to the capital.”

What did that mean?

Yiling couldn’t make sense of it and could only watch Xie Hengzhi’s figure disappear into the distance.

Gradually, the uneasy feeling of impending danger crept back over her.

Although Xie Hengzhi hadn’t explicitly said what personal grudge he held against the Eldest Prince, there was no doubt he was a vengeful man—one who dared to do anything, no matter how reckless.

Faced with such a man, Yiling couldn’t help but reevaluate her own position.

Could she really wait until the day she could avenge her grievances?

Xie Hengzhi dared to openly frame a prince in front of the Emperor himself. What could she possibly use against him? Her stash of gold and jewels?

“Madam.”

While Yiling was lost in thought, Dao Yu entered and called her name. “It’s time to prepare for the journey back to the capital.”

Turning her head, she noticed Dao Yu’s composure, so similar to Xie Hengzhi’s.

Yiling became even more puzzled. Were none of them concerned about the consequences of their actions?

This time, they had conspired against the Eldest Prince and used the grand Luo Tian Great Ceremony as their stage. If the plot were exposed, how many heads in the Xie household would be enough to appease the punishment?

At that time, as Xie Hengzhi’s legitimate wife, wouldn’t she undoubtedly be buried alongside him?

“Who on earth is it?”

Yiling blurted out, “Who is worth Xie Hengzhi risking so much to take revenge on the Eldest Prince?”

Dao Yu didn’t immediately answer. She merely gazed at Yiling calmly.

Recalling Xie Hengzhi’s specific instructions for Dao Yu to escort her back, Dao Yu considered for a moment before speaking: “The Master has few close relatives. Madam can surely deduce it with a bit of thought.”

“I have thought about it.”

Yiling extended her hand and curled her thumb inward. “Above him, there’s only his mother, the Mrs. Xie.”

Then she bent her index finger. “Below him, there’s his younger sister, Xie Xuan. Other than that, there’s no one—”

At this point, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She raised her eyes in shock.

Dao Yu’s gaze remained fixed on Yiling, the answer unmistakably clear.

Yiling raised a finger to her own nose.

“Could it be me?”

The Luo Tian Great Ceremony had turned into a complete disaster, with no reason to continue.

The Emperor and the Queen Mother’s health had deteriorated, and the Queen hurriedly arranged for their return to the palace. She instructed Xie Hengzhi to escort the Eldest Prince, while other nobles and officials made their way down the mountain independently.

It was as if Daluo Mountain had been reduced overnight to barren, lifeless branches.

Yiling sat in the carriage on the way back, far more silent than when she had come.

Seeing her like this, Mallow and Mama Cao, who sat across from her, didn’t dare to move.

The carriage was so quiet that Yiling couldn’t suppress her wandering thoughts. Dao Yu’s words kept echoing in her mind.

In truth, Dao Yu hadn’t said much. She had merely mentioned, “The culprit behind the incident at Xishan was the Eldest Prince.” Yiling didn’t need her to elaborate further to piece together the rest.

Princess Yu’an, born of the Queen, was the Crown Prince’s full-blooded sister. If Yiling had died at her hands, it would have sown discord, if not outright enmity, between Xie Hengzhi and the Eastern Palace.

Yiling had initially thought that Yiyun was being manipulated by Princess Yu’an. She never expected the real orchestrator behind the scenes to be the eldest prince.

Nor had she realized that she had unknowingly become a pawn in the Eldest Prince and the Eastern Palace’s power struggle, nearly turning into a stepping stone for others.

It turned out that when Xie Hengzhi said he would give her an explanation, he hadn’t just been placating her.

Recalling all this, Yiling didn’t know whether it was due to shock or something else, but her heartbeat refused to settle.

In all her years, she had never been so blatantly protected by anyone before.

Even her own parents had chosen to abandon her after weighing the pros and cons, let alone avenging her against someone as powerful as a prince.

It was like someone used to walking alone through a frozen wasteland suddenly finding shelter beside a roaring bonfire.

But the source of that fire was blisteringly hot.

Closing her eyes to calm herself, Yiling suddenly opened the window of the carriage, letting in the biting cold wind.

The carriage procession descending the mountain parted ways as it entered the capital city.

The royal entourage and the carriage carrying Xie Hengzhi proceeded in an orderly fashion toward the imperial palace, while the Xie family’s carriage veered off in another direction.

Mrs. Xie, who hadn’t endured such a taxing journey in years, complained of aches and pains the moment she stepped out of the carriage, quickly retreating to the Cicin Palace to rest.

Yiling moved more slowly. It wasn’t until she had entered the Xie residence for some time that she realized it was already late.

Initially, the servants who accompanied the group to the solemn Luo Tian Great Ceremony at Daluo Mountain had been brimming with excitement.

However, upon returning, they were all tight-lipped, not daring to mention anything about the ritual.

The atmosphere in the Xie residence was noticeably more subdued than usual.

As the only person aware of the events and directly involved, Yiling was even more uneasy.

The fact that the Sun and Moon Lamps had burned on the Jiaotan (altar) in plain view was undeniable.

Yet the Emperor had not yet pronounced judgment on the First Prince.

The queen had also decreed that Xie Hengzhi escort the First Prince back to the capital, seemingly sealing his fate.

As long as the matter remained unresolved, Yiling couldn’t let her guard down.

Winter nights always seemed to arrive in the blink of an eye.

After merely changing her clothes, she found the dim moonlight spilling over the courtyard.

Mama Cao, knowing that Yiling had been shaken and hadn’t rested since returning, busied herself brewing calming medicine and instructing the kitchen to prepare a feast of her favorite dishes.

Unfortunately, Yiling had no appetite.

Though she understood that such a significant event would likely keep Xie Hengzhi detained at the palace for some time,

She couldn’t help but glance toward the window while dining, reacting to every little sound.

After some time, the table’s dishes were reheated twice, and finally, there was movement within the Xie residence—

It seemed someone had returned.

Yiling immediately put down her chopsticks and stood. Just as Mallow entered the room, she asked, “Is the master back?”

“No,” Mallow shook her head. “It’s Li Chun.”

Yiling’s gaze shifted slightly as she donned a coat and stepped outside.

She encountered Li Chun just as he was leaving Xie Hengzhi’s study, holding a black box to be delivered to the palace. His head was lowered as if deep in thought.

When Yiling called to him, he paused momentarily before bowing and asking, “Madam, is there something you need?”

“What happened at the palace?” Yiling asked directly.

“Nothing significant,” Li Chun replied.

“And the First Prince?” Yiling pressed further.

Li Chun answered, “I just escorted him to his residence for supervision.”

It seemed there wouldn’t be any sudden developments.

Yiling sighed in relief, then took a closer look at Li Chun and noticed an inexplicable smile on his lips.

“What are you smiling about?” She asked.

“Oh?” Li Chun hadn’t even realized he was smiling until she pointed it out. Embarrassed, he scratched his head. “It’s nothing. It’s just that when I was escorting the First Prince, he was extremely disrespectful, cursing at the master with vile words that were unbearable to hear!”
Yiling was puzzled.

“And this is what makes you so happy?”

Li Chun: “…”

He immediately wiped the smile from his face, too embarrassed to explain further: when the First Prince insulted the master, I scolded him harshly.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d get a chance to reprimand a prince.

Judging by Li Chun’s demeanor, Yiling deduced that the situation was stable, so she decided to rest.

As she turned to leave, Li Chun called out to her again.

“Madam, I have something else to report.”

“What is it?” Yiling asked.

“When I was retrieving items from the master’s study earlier, I noticed that the master’s wound salve hadn’t been used much.”

He sighed and added, “The master was already unwell, and with the injuries from the past few days, he keeps forgetting to take his medicine. If this continues, it will take a toll on his health.”

Seeing Yiling remain silent, he continued, “The master often forgets to eat when he’s busy. I wouldn’t dare say more, but I hope you can remind him regularly.”

Is this what he calls not saying much?

Hearing this, Yiling grew irritated and started toward her quarters.

Li Chun, however, followed her, still chattering away: “Yesterday, I noticed that the cloak the master wore to Daluo Mountain was an old one from years ago. It’s no longer warm enough.

Madam, if you could—”

“That’s enough,” Yiling interrupted, unable to hold back. “You’re so attentive; why don’t you just become the madam of the house yourself?”

Li Chun: “…”

By the time midnight had passed, Xie Hengzhi finally returned to the Xie residence.

On most nights, if he came back this late, the Linfeng Yuan would be silent, with even the night-shift servants moving discreetly to avoid disturbing Yiling’s rest.

Yet now, the residence was still lit, with maids bustling in and out, clearly occupied with something.

Without making a sound, Xie Hengzhi stepped lightly into the bedroom.

Yiling, dressed in her nightwear, was still sitting on the couch.

When she saw him return, her gaze immediately lifted, meeting his for a brief moment before she averted her eyes.

The room was silent.

Yiling kept her head down, saying nothing.

She had waited all night, wanting to hear from Xie Hengzhi himself that the situation was under control so she could be at ease.

Yet for some reason, the moment she saw him, she felt a faint trembling in the quiet air, as if an invisible string had been plucked.

She couldn’t bring herself to ask the questions on her mind, nor did she know what to say.

Xie Hengzhi didn’t speak either.

As he approached the couch, he noticed a bowl of chicken soup left on the table.

The soup was simmered to a clear, bright consistency, with a faint layer of oil beads still floating on the surface, indicating it was freshly hot.

Thus, Xie Hengzhi took the opportunity to sit down.

A small desk separated the two of them, but Yiling still felt as if she was enveloped by his presence. Every breath he took seemed to echo in her ears.

She remained completely still, as if rooted in place.

Xie Hengzhi, sitting beside her, said nothing either. He picked up the soup bowl and began sipping it slowly and methodically.

In her peripheral vision, his face remained flawless, like a piece of flawless white jade. His refined and gentle demeanor made it difficult to imagine the ruthless, vengeful nature lurking beneath—a nature that ensured swift and deadly retribution.

Sensing Yiling’s stolen glances, Xie Hengzhi suddenly looked up, catching her off guard as their eyes met.

Her breath caught for a moment. Yiling blinked, forgetting to avert her gaze.

As their eyes locked, Xie Hengzhi asked softly, “Did you save this soup for me?”

After a moment of silence, Yiling replied expressionlessly, “It’s what’s left over.”