Chapter 320: Schemes

A false alarm.

The other ministers all let out a breath of relief.

The Grand Secretary cast a complicated glance at Gu Huaizhi—no wonder he had remained so calm. So, he had altered the imperial edict.

“From this day on, I must trouble all of you to assist the Crown Prince well,” the Empress said, offering a formal bow.

The ministers hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, we shall carry out our duties with utmost loyalty, serve Great Zhou faithfully, and assist His Highness the Crown Prince.”

The Empress exchanged a glance with Gu Huaizhi and gave him a slight nod.

The group dispersed.

Only the chief eunuch remained.

“From now on, you will serve the Crown Prince,” the Empress said. Her words brought a sigh of relief to the chief eunuch, who knelt to the ground and said, “Your Majesty, a wise bird chooses a good tree to perch on, and a loyal subject chooses a worthy lord to serve. Now that I have found a wise master, I am willing to follow him unto death without regret.”

The Empress did not respond but turned her gaze toward Gu Jingyun.

Gu Jingyun pressed his lips tightly together, feeling terribly nervous inside, but he knew he could not shrink back.

After a long moment, he mustered up his courage and spoke in a clear voice, “Rise. You were my father’s trusted attendant. I shall treat you well.”

After speaking, he quickly looked toward the Empress.

The Empress’s gaze was gentle. She gave him a slight nod, as if quite satisfied with his response.

Gu Jingyun looked at the chief eunuch who was expressing his gratitude, and finally loosened his tightly clenched fists. A layer of cold sweat had dampened his palms.

The Empress led Gu Jingyun to perform the initial rites for the late Emperor’s body. The chief eunuch followed behind.

He chose to follow Gu Jingyun for two reasons. First, the boy was still young—if he served him well now, his future prospects would be bright. Second, the power backing Gu Jingyun would undoubtedly crush the Empress Dowager’s faction.

He had climbed to his current position in the palace by navigating its treacherous currents and building a strong network. He had long caught wind of the Empress Dowager and Cao Guangyi’s actions. The scale that had once wavered in hesitation now tipped decisively because of this incident, prompting him to firmly grasp the olive branch the Empress had extended.

Even if the deposed Crown Prince were to regain power, he would not hold him in high regard.

But this young Crown Prince’s words made him feel that he had made the right choice.

——

The Empress Dowager did not send anyone but personally went to the Imperial Clan Court to fetch Ji Wufeng.

Ji Wufeng had been held in the Imperial Clan Court for over half a year. When the Empress Dowager had been staying at the temple, she was unable to protect him, and his days there had been harsh. It was only after she returned to the palace that his situation began to improve.

But from once being a dragon among men, a favored son of the heavens, he had fallen in a single day to become a prisoner in chains.

The psychological blow to Ji Wufeng was immense. He was nearly consumed by despair and subjected to mental torment. Even though the Empress Dowager offered him hope, he could no longer return to who he once was.

His figure was gaunt, and once he changed into mourning robes, the despondent Ji Wufeng appeared all the more bleak, exuding a heavy air of gloom. In his deep-set eyes flickered a chilling, savage gleam.

The Empress Dowager furrowed her brows and said coldly, “You must adjust your mindset as soon as possible. Right now, there is only one chance. The late Emperor will be buried in Xiaoling seven days from now. If you miss this opportunity, you will have to lie low and wait for the next one.”

She paused, then said quietly, “As for when that next time will come—no one knows. What I can tell you is this: the longer you give them, the more they will strengthen their hold on the throne even as you grow. I’m afraid that chance may never come again.”

A mocking look appeared in Ji Wufeng’s eyes. He could wait—but the Empress Dowager could not.

“Grandmother,” Ji Wufeng said, his gaze dark and heavy, “your people have all been lost, and Cao Guangyi is now behind bars. We have no one left to use, while that younger brother of mine already has the court’s top ministers pledging allegiance to him. What do we have to fight back with?”

His lips curled into a cold smile. “Cao Guanglin?”

“This matter is not for you to worry about. I have my own plans,” the Empress Dowager replied, her gaze sharp and chilling as she looked at Ji Wufeng, who was showing her no respect. She warned, “If you wish to guard the imperial tomb for the rest of your life, then by all means, ignore my words.”

Ji Wufeng’s expression changed abruptly, and a cold, sharp aura radiated from his entire body. “Now that I am nothing but a cripple, I can only rely on Grandmother. Naturally, I will follow your arrangements. However…”

He ground his teeth and said, “I want Tingyuan’s life.”

“That will depend on your own ability,” the Empress Dowager replied, leaving Ji Wufeng behind as she turned and departed the Imperial Clan Court with her attendants.

Ji Wufeng stood outside, raised his hand, and let the sunlight stream through his fingers. Only then did the feeling become real—he had finally stepped out of his prison.

He didn’t need the Empress Dowager’s reminder—he would take back what was rightfully his. He could not bear to see the one who had taken everything from him, leaving him in such a wretched state, now living in glory and ease.

“Your Highness,” a man dressed as a palace attendant approached Ji Wufeng and lowered his voice. “The Crown Prince’s weakness lies in the Gu family. Su Wan has been granted the title of Commandery Princess and is scheduled to enter the palace to mourn. There are only an old woman and a child left at the Gu Residence.”

A strange glint flickered in Ji Wufeng’s eyes. He gave no reply and made his way to the Yangxin Hall.

The attendant took his silence as an answer and immediately went to make arrangements.

——

The mourning ceremony lasted for seven days.

Su Wan, along with a group of officials and noblewomen, spent five days weeping at the Sishan Gate. But she couldn’t shed a single tear naturally, so she hid ginger in her sleeves to irritate her eyes and force out tears. After a few days of this, her eyes stung unbearably.

Mother Gu was distressed. She and Gu Baozhu, seeing Su Wan growing more and more exhausted and haggard, gradually pulled themselves out of their sorrow for Gu Jingyun and began to spend their days fussing over Su Wan instead.

Tomorrow was the burial. Su Wan still had to enter the palace, and now she sat listlessly beneath a banyan tree, simply waiting for the officials and noblewomen to leave so she could secretly meet with Gu Jingyun and Gu Huaizhi to ask if they had any further plans before returning to the residence.

A maid was massaging her sore legs as she applied ointment around her eyes. The coolness of the medicinal balm eased the pain, and she relaxed against the tree trunk, feeling a bit of relief. Then a shadow fell over her.

Su Wan opened her eyes and saw Ji Wufeng, dressed in mourning robes. Her expression immediately turned cold.

“Wanwan, it’s been a long time,” Ji Wufeng greeted her gently, as if they were old friends and the grudges between them no longer existed. “You’ve lost weight. Has he not treated you well?”

Goosebumps rose on Su Wan’s arms. His gaze made her deeply uncomfortable—like a venomous snake slithering over her skin, damp and sticky, flicking its tongue and baring its fangs, waiting for the perfect moment to sink them into her neck. That dangerous aura made her instinctively want to put distance between herself and Ji Wufeng.

She stood up, only to hear Ji Wufeng let out a soft laugh, as if he had seen straight through her thoughts. “You’ve changed. You’re afraid of me now.”

His cold fingers tried to brush against her cheek, but Su Wan turned her head to avoid him. His fingertips slid across her chin instead. That warm, delicate sensation stirred a trace of longing in him, and his gaze grew even softer. “You used to rely on me. Even when you held resentment later on, you were never afraid of me. No matter what, I would never hurt you.”

Su Wan’s eyes were filled with disgust. She forcefully wiped her chin with her sleeve and said coldly, “I thought you had come to your senses. I didn’t expect you to regress the longer you lived.”

“Wanwan, there’s no need to provoke me. No matter what you do, I won’t get angry with you.”

A faint smile played at Ji Wufeng’s lips. The way he looked at her was exceedingly tender, as if gazing at his lover. He leaned in slightly, bringing his mouth close to Su Wan’s ear. “After everything ends tomorrow, I’ll be waiting for you here…Mm—”

Su Wan grabbed his hand, twisted it sharply, and kicked him squarely in the groin. Ji Wufeng doubled over in pain. At that moment, Su Wan caught sight of Gu Huaizhi, his face dark as thunder, striding rapidly toward them.