Chapter 26

Upon hearing that the Queen Mother had sent rewards, everyone in the Xie residence came out to welcome them.

After the palace servants had placed everything in order and the household expressed their gratitude, Yiling’s face had turned as red as a ripe apple, though she still had to feign composure as if nothing had happened.

The palace servants bid farewell courteously. Before leaving, the leading eunuch deliberately said to Xie Hengzhi, “Lord Xie, the Queen Mother is mindful of your hard work. In a couple of days, she will specially arrange for an imperial physician to help nurse your health, ensuring you will be as vigorous as ever.”

Yiling’s heart skipped another beat when she heard this.

The Queen Mother certainly didn’t need to put things so bluntly. Even the maids nearby seemed slightly flushed.

Yiling stole a glance at Xie Hengzhi. He remained calm and composed, smiling as he watched the Queen Mother’s people leave without showing any sign of unusual emotion.

Yiling let out a quiet sigh of relief. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying her much attention, she hastily bowed to the Mrs. Xie and said casually to Xie Hengzhi, “Then, I’ll—”

“Jin Xuan—”

She and the Mrs. Xie spoke at the same time.

Yiling’s voice lacked confidence and was naturally drowned out by the Mrs. Xie’s volume.

No one noticed Yiling’s attempt to slip away. Instead, they only heard the Mrs. Xie ask with concern, “Are you feeling unwell? The Queen Mother actually sent so many things over.”

Yiling’s eyelid twitched slightly. She dared not linger any longer and quietly lowered her head, inching stealthily toward the door.

Just as her foot was about to step over the threshold, Xie Hengzhi’s voice rang out:“The weather has been cold lately. I caught a chill in the morning, but it’s nothing serious. Mother need not worry.”

Xie Hengzhi’s calm tone reassured the elderly Mrs. Xie. She turned toward Yiling, who was halfway out the door, and said:“The climate in the capital is not as warm as Jiangzhou’s. The winter here is dry and bitterly cold. Yiling, your constitution is delicate, so be sure to keep warm.

If you feel unwell, don’t hesitate to call for a physician.”

In an instant, all eyes were on Yiling, whose foot was already halfway over the threshold.

Yiling: “…”

She had to hand it to Xie Hengzhi’s mother; it was as if the woman had eyes all over her body.

Yiling silently pulled her foot back and, gritting her teeth, walked back to bow before the elder Madam.“Thank you, Mother, for your concern. I will take care.”

Mrs. Xie, as usual, didn’t meddle too much in her daughter-in-law’s affairs. After expressing her care, she simply nodded. Xie Xuan, standing nearby, received a signal and obediently helped the elder Madam leave.

As Mrs. Xie left with Xie Xuan and her maids, the front hall suddenly felt much emptier.

Now, only Yiling and Xie Hengzhi remained in the spacious and quiet room. The atmosphere turned cold and heavy.

Xie Hengzhi didn’t press Yiling further.

With such an array of gifts—each meant to replenish a man’s vitality—what was there to ask? All he needed was to interrogate.

Hands behind his back, Xie Hengzhi leisurely scanned the dazzling collection of tonics before turning to look at Yiling.

“This is how you silenced the Queen Mother?”

Yiling suddenly felt as if a knife had been placed against her neck.

Though inexperienced and not particularly well-read, Yiling had consumed enough storybooks to understand that men—especially those like Xie Hengzhi, with power and influence—cared deeply about their reputation.

“At the time, I…” Yiling kept her head down, her eyes darting nervously as she stammered. “I only said that my lord works hard, and usually—”

Before she could finish, Xie Hengzhi suddenly picked up one of the tonic pills and, without a word, popped it into Yiling’s mouth.

Though the movement was abrupt, his touch was gentle, as if feeding a child. His fingertip lingered against her soft, warm lips, silencing whatever she had been about to say.

Yiling froze, her mouth half open, staring blankly at him. Then she heard his stern warning.“Do not let this happen again.”

Yiling knew that the only reason she was still standing in one piece today was that Xie Hengzhi couldn’t be bothered to argue with her.

Otherwise, given the nature of the insult to his reputation, her fate might not have been much better than those in the dungeons.

But Yiling had always been someone who healed and forgot the pain. Since Xie Hengzhi hadn’t said much about it, she didn’t dwell on it either. She ate and drank as usual, staying in her room to study military texts and plot her revenge.

Thus, the residence had been unusually peaceful these past few days.

However, as the residence of the most powerful minister in the court, the Xie estate, entangled in countless political relationships, was constantly under scrutiny.

How could it ever truly be at peace?

Take this moment, for instance: a plainly dressed man carrying a shoulder pole passed by the Xie residence. Glancing discreetly at it, he then turned down a nearby alley.

Once out of sight, his pace quickened. He weaved through streets and alleys until he arrived at an abandoned courtyard. Bowing, he approached a richly dressed woman in the grass pavilion.

“Princess, the Mrs. Xie has not left the residence again today.”

As expected.

Princess Yu’an waved her hand, and the man immediately withdrew to wait silently outside the pavilion.

She paced back and forth in frustration, her brows knitted tightly together. Catching sight of Yiyun in the corner, her irritation only grew.

Yiyun leaned lazily against a pillar, arms crossed, a blade of grass hanging from his mouth. His casual demeanor and flippant tone were grating.“I told you this wouldn’t work. She’s Xie Hengzhi’s wife. How could my petty tricks seduce her?”

“Now look what’s happened—she won’t even step outside the door anymore. What are we supposed to do?”

Hearing his attempt to shirk responsibility, Princess Yu’an was livid. She turned to snap at him:“She’s Shang Yiling! Do you think she’s some naive girl who’s never seen the world?”

Yiyun bristled at her rebuke.“Fine, fine, you’re always right. So, what do you want me to do?”

Anger pushed Princess Yu’an to an eerie calm. She gazed at the darkening sky and muttered to herself:“Ordinary methods won’t work on someone like Shang Yiling.”

Turning to Yiyun, she suddenly smiled with confidence.“Young Master Yi, have you ever heard of ‘a hero saving a beauty’?”

“What do you mean?” Yiyun asked, wary. “What plan do you have now?”

“We don’t have time to drag this out. It’s time for drastic measures,” Princess Yu’an declared, her eyes gleaming in the twilight.“If she faces mortal danger and you swoop in to save her, even if she doesn’t fall for you, she’ll at least see you as her savior. Won’t that make it easier to extract information from her?”

Yiyun thought about her words for a long moment. Then his mouth fell open, and the blade of grass dropped to the ground.

“Me?”He pointed at himself, stunned. “A hero?”

“You? A worthless fool who’s the farthest thing from a hero?”

Princess Yu’an adjusted her hairpin and gracefully walked out, her voice trailing behind her in a drawl.“Don’t worry. This princess has a brilliant plan.”

That Night

Because the Crown Princess liked to read and practice calligraphy at night, she disliked noise and preferred a dimly lit environment.

Thus, the Eastern Palace was illuminated by only a few scattered lamps, and the palace maids moved quietly, not daring to make a sound.

If not for the faint outlines of jade steps and crimson eaves visible in the night, one might mistake the palace for an abandoned, desolate corner of the imperial grounds.

A palace maid brought in tea. Princess Yu’an lightly sipped it and nearly burned her tongue from the bitterness.

Why had they served her bitter tea?

Didn’t the Eastern Palace know she couldn’t stand bitter things?

Full of complaints, Princess Yu’an was just about to ask for a replacement when Shen Shufang, who had been silent for a long while, suddenly lifted her gaze and asked, “Is that a new outfit, Princess?”

At the mention of this, Princess Yu’an immediately forgot about the tea. She raised her arms proudly, displaying the intricate embroidery on her cuffs.

“Yes! The fabric is newly imported Shu brocade this year, and I specifically added white fox fur to the cuffs. It was delivered to my chambers just today. Sister-in-law, if you like—”

“So, it is a new outfit.” Shen Shufang withdrew her gaze and picked up her teacup, blowing on the foam. She didn’t drink, merely staring at the floating tea leaves as she spoke calmly: “The wardrobe department took less than a month from measurements to tailoring. Yet, it seems the waist has grown tighter. It seems the Princess has been living quite comfortably lately.”

Princess Yu’an: “…”

Was she calling her fat?

Before the princess could process why Shen Shufang had so casually mocked her, footsteps echoed from outside.

Hearing the palace staff greet someone, Princess Yu’an turned excitedly. “Brother!”

A maid lifted the curtain, and the Crown Prince entered.

Seeing Princess Yu’an, he appeared slightly surprised.

“Why are you here so late?”

Princess Yu’an was about to explain her visit when Shen Shufang stood up and said, “You two siblings talk. I’ll retire first.”

“It’s cold—make sure all your windows are shut tight,” the Crown Prince said. Though his words were directed at Shen Shufang, he didn’t glance at her once. His attention instead lingered on the fur trim of Princess Yu’an’s cuffs.

Shen Shufang, used to this, nodded slightly and left without a word.

Princess Yu’an, however, was frozen in place, staring at her sister-in-law’s retreating figure in a daze.

She had always known her brother and his wife had a lukewarm relationship, but they maintained mutual respect.

Yet now it seemed their bond was like a stagnant pool, devoid of any ripples.

From their earlier words, they even slept in separate chambers.

When the Crown Prince took a concubine into the Eastern Palace, wouldn’t her sister-in-law’s situation become even worse?

“What are you staring at?”

The ornamental hairpin in her hair was suddenly flicked. Startled, Princess Yu’an snapped back to reality, shivering slightly.

The thought of living as a lonely wife was too frightening.

She mustn’t end up like Shen Shufang. She had to find her beloved Wang Lang and marry him no matter what.

With this thought, Princess Yu’an looked up at her brother and gave him a coquettish, flattering smile. “Brother, let’s go hunting!”

The Crown Prince’s sudden interest in hunting caused a stir among the capital’s aristocracy. Young men across the city eagerly prepared, hoping to gain favor and luck before the year’s end.

The young women, meanwhile, dressed up as much as they could. Once the first snow fell, they would be confined indoors, with no chance to go out.

Only Yiling was completely unenthusiastic about the outing.

Hunting was a stage for men, and she would only be there to cheer from the sidelines—how boring.

She also dreaded the women’s inevitable challenges, asking her to recite poetry and compose verses. She couldn’t feign fainting every time.

Besides, the freezing mountains were no match for the warmth of her estate. It was sheer self-torture.

But the Crown Prince had ordered her attendance, and Xie Hengzhi insisted she go. How could she refuse?

Once everything was packed, Yiling had no choice but to set out.

As she stepped out of the Linfeng Yuan, she noticed the rare, clear skies of the day.

Such a beautiful day, yet she was forced to endure hardship in the mountains—everything annoyed her.

“The roads to Xishan are rugged. Sitting in a carriage for hours will leave me sore and shaken.”

Mama Cao suggested, “Shall I prepare a sedan chair for you, Madam?”

“What a great idea! By the time I’m carried up to West Mountain at a leisurely pace, I’ll be just in time to enjoy the spring scenery. What a delight.”

Just as she finished speaking, there was a sudden commotion behind her.

Turning around, Yiling saw Xie Hengzhi striding toward her.

She had expected him to don armor or a riding outfit for the hunt, but instead, he wore a plain white brocade robe. Even his hair was simply tied with a jade bamboo pin, understated to the extreme.

As he approached, a gust of cold wind blew past, carrying the faint, crisp scent of snow from his person.

It seemed Xie Hengzhi had no intention of participating in the hunt.

As a civil official, he dealt in strategy and wielded power in court. His ink-stained hands had never openly been bloodied.

He maintained his polished and gentle image, uninterested in competing in horseback archery, embodying the ideal refined nobleman.

No one would ever imagine him raising a bow to pierce Yiling’s chest with an arrow.

…
Her thoughts drifted far, and when Yiling came back to herself, Xie Hengzhi had already passed her and was walking outside without saying a word.

However, as they brushed past, he seemed to glance at her.

What did that mean?

Dragging her feet to the gates of the Xie residence, Yiling looked around. There was neither a carriage nor a sedan chair in sight.

Among the crowd, only a gleaming silver-maned horse stood at the forefront.

Still puzzled, Yiling noticed Xie Hengzhi casually brushing the creases from his robe as he said indifferently, “Didn’t you say the carriage was too bumpy and the sedan too slow?”

So she was just supposed to ride the horse on her own?

Yiling laughed coldly.

No wonder he had looked at her strangely just now; this man was even throwing a tantrum at her.

One would think the Xie family had two young ladies.

A moment ago, Yiling had been listless, but now she suddenly felt a surge of determination. She lifted her skirts and stepped down from the platform.

Though she wasn’t particularly interested in hunting, if she could ride a horse for a while, she would be more than happy.

She had someone bring over a mounting block and asked Mallow to help her up. With excitement, Yiling was ready to get on the horse.

However, just as she raised one leg, she heard Xie Hengzhi’s voice from behind: “I didn’t know; when did the madam learn to ride a horse?”

As soon as Xie Hengzhi’s words fell, Yiling’s joyful heart instantly sank, and her entire body froze in the cold wind.

Her leg, suspended in mid-air, suddenly didn’t know whether to lift or lower.

Without turning around to look into Xie Hengzhi’s eyes, Yiling could already sense the dangerous atmosphere suddenly descending on her.

Although women in the Great Liang Dynasty were more focused on poetry and moral conduct, riding and archery were part of the six arts, and many well-born young ladies were skilled in horsemanship.

But no one is perfect—some women were not good at poetry, and others were not good at horsemanship either.

Clearly, the Shang family was one of those who couldn’t ride.

Yiling didn’t know this, but Xie Hengzhi was well aware.

From Xie Hengzhi’s words, Yiling could only infer that Shang’s family didn’t know how to ride.

In Yiling’s silence, Xie Hengzhi slowly descended the steps and walked behind her.

At this point, Yiling couldn’t afford to think too much. The only thing that came to mind was that Shang’s family had an older brother who was also known for his talent, though he was somewhat less capable than his sister.

This would have to suffice to distract Xie Hengzhi, and she hoped it would be enough to get through this situation.

“My older brother said that women from the capital are good at riding and archery, so he taught me a little before I got married.”

Before Xie Hengzhi could respond, Mama cao, standing nearby, suddenly shuddered, her eyes nearly popping out.

But Yiling paid no attention to Mama cao. Her eyes anxiously watched Xie Hengzhi.

His expression still showed no change, so it was hard to tell whether he believed her or not.

Without speaking, he took a step closer to her, reducing the distance between them to only a step. Then, in a low voice, he asked, “Did you forget that your brother is weak and sickly and can’t even hold the reins?”

Yiling: “…”

Heaven was out to get her.

Why did he have to mention her brother?

Unable to think of any other excuse, she closed her eyes, feeling like she was about to cry.

At that moment, Xie Hengzhi was still moving closer.

When their clothes brushed against each other, Yiling felt as if she had been burned, and she instinctively took a step back.

But before she could move, Xie Hengzhi yanked her back, almost pressing her against his chest.

His grip was firm, and Yiling winced from the pain. She grew even more frightened, her whole body trembling.

She looked up and saw Xie Hengzhi’s eyes lowered, looking down at her from above. With a voice only they could hear, he asked, “So, is he your real brother, or your lover?”