Chapter 5

Over the past few days, Su Jingyao’s leg injury had fully healed. She was now calmly practicing her calligraphy in the study at Xiyan Palace.

“Madam, the Empress’s attendant, Jin Hua, is here. She’s waiting for you in the main hall,” Miaoyun said as she entered, looking slightly worried.

Su Jingyao paused, her brow arching slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. Finally, the Empress had called for her. Any longer, and her plans wouldn’t have progressed.

“Alright, let’s go,” Su Jingyao said, putting down her brush and rising gracefully. She headed to the main hall at a steady, unhurried pace.

In the hall, Jin Hua stood firmly in the center, her expression serious. When she saw Su Jingyao, she immediately bowed respectfully.

“Greetings to Side Consort Su,” Jin Hua said.

“Please rise. What brings you here today, Madam Jin?” Su Jingyao asked, her voice calm. She wore a light pink gown that trailed elegantly behind her, her beauty soft yet striking.

Jin Hua couldn’t help but admire her charm for a moment but quickly returned to her formal manner.

“Side Consort Su, it has been ten days since your marriage into the Eastern Palace. The Empress has a moment of free time today and wishes to meet you at Kun Ning Palace,” Jin Hua explained.

“Understood,” Su Jingyao replied softly, then followed Jin Hua to Kun Ning Palace.

Kun Ning Palace was grand and imposing. The Empress sat at the top of the hall, her presence dignified and authoritative. Su Jingyao entered the hall gracefully. When she reached the center, she performed a small bow and greeted the Empress with a warm smile.

“This concubine greets Your Majesty, the Empress. May you always be in good health,” she said gently.

The Empress picked up a cup of tea, sipped it lightly, and placed it back down. Her gaze lowered as she looked at Su Jingyao with calm yet commanding eyes, her presence radiating authority. The Crown Prince chose the daughter of a general to be his Crown Princess, a decision that the Empress didn’t like. The Crown Princess, raised on the frontier, had no formal training in etiquette. After two years of marriage, she hadn’t borne any children and insisted the Crown Prince take no other wives. However, the Empress deeply loved her only son and didn’t want to strain their bond over a woman. If this was the Crown Prince’s choice, she reasoned, so be it. Besides, she didn’t believe he would stay devoted to the Crown Princess forever.

The Empress had initially hoped Su Jingyao, the Chancellor’s daughter, would become the Crown Princess. Raised in an influential family, Su Jingyao was well-educated, graceful, and pure-hearted—everything the Empress wanted. She had planned to ask the Emperor to arrange the match once Su Jingyao was older. But to her surprise, the Crown Prince fell for a bold and free-spirited woman during a military campaign. To avoid upsetting her relationship with the Crown Prince, the Empress reluctantly accepted his choice, expecting his feelings for the Crown Princess to fade with time.When the Crown Princess failed to conceive after two years, the Empress saw her chance. She asked the Emperor to grant a second marriage for the Crown Prince, choosing Su Jingyao as the new consort. The Empress admired Su Jingyao’s gentle nature and striking beauty, confident the Crown Prince couldn’t resist her.

After Su Jingyao married into the palace, the Empress waited for ten days. But her spies reported that, aside from the wedding night, the Crown Prince hadn’t visited Su Jingyao again. This wouldn’t do. As the heir to the throne, the Crown Prince needed children to secure his position and stabilize the dynasty.The Empress summoned Su Jingyao and observed her closely. Su Jingyao was even more beautiful than she had expected—her delicate features could captivate anyone.

“Rise. Do you know your mistake?” the Empress asked coldly, her tone sharp and commanding.

Su Jingyao, kneeling for some time, trembled in fear. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong but quickly knelt again, frightened.

“Please guide me, Your Majesty,” she said nervously.

“Why did you marry into the palace?” the Empress asked, her gaze sharp.

“To serve His Highness and bear his children,” Su Jingyao replied, biting her lip and lowering her head. These were the words in the imperial decree, but how could she force the Crown Prince to have children with her?

Feeling wronged, Su Jingyao thought to herself, Why don’t you talk to your son about this instead?

The Empress’s next question cut straight to the point.

“I hear the Crown Prince hasn’t visited you since the wedding night?”

Su Jingyao’s face turned red with embarrassment. This was such a private matter, and now it was being discussed so bluntly. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. At home, she had always been her parents’ precious daughter, shielded from harshness. Now, being reprimanded so publicly, she felt humiliated and upset.

“Your Majesty, His Highness and the Crown Princess are very much in love. He has many responsibilities during the day, and as long as he’s content, I don’t mind whether he visits me or not,” Su Jingyao said softly, holding back tears. Her gentle tone and teary eyes made her look pitiful.

The Empress had expected Su Jingyao to be meek, but she hadn’t anticipated this level of passivity. Su Jingyao wasn’t even trying to win the Crown Prince’s favor, content to stay in her quiet corner of the palace.

“The Crown Prince has a duty to produce heirs. Without children, how can he lead the nation and gain the ministers’ trust?” the Empress said firmly.

“You will stay in Kunning Palace and copy The Code for Women ten times before you return.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Su Jingyao replied, bowing in agreement.

After leaving, Su Jingyao was led to a side room where everything was prepared for her to start copying. By the time she finished, night had fallen, and her wrist ached terribly.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince had spent the entire day in the imperial study. He and his father, the Emperor, had been working on solutions for a drought affecting cities in the south. Discussions covered disaster relief, tax cuts, grain distribution, relocating victims, building water systems, and calming public unrest. When the day’s work finally ended, the Crown Prince sighed in relief, stood up, and prepared to bow and take his leave.

Unexpectedly, Grand Eunuch Dehai entered the room.

He knelt down and greeted them respectfully, saying, “Your servant greets Your Majesty and the Crown Prince.”

“Stand up. What brings you here?”

The Emperor, Jing Shengdi, sat on his throne, his commanding gaze still fixed on the documents they had been discussing. His voice carried authority without effort.

“Your Majesty, Jin Hua, a maid from the Empress’s palace, requests an audience.”

The Crown Prince felt a pang of concern. Someone from his mother’s side? Could she have something important to say?

Doubt flashed in his eyes.

“Let her in,” the Emperor ordered.

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

Jin Hua entered, bowing respectfully to both the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and then explained her purpose.

“Your Majesty, the Empress knows you and the Crown Prince have been busy with state affairs all day and didn’t want to disturb you. However, regarding the Crown Prince…”

Jin Hua hesitated, glancing at the Crown Prince as though reluctant to continue.

The Emperor frowned slightly. “What about the Crown Prince?”

He had a good idea of what the Empress might want.

“The Empress asks Your Majesty to guide the Crown Prince. She believes that continuing the royal bloodline is a matter of utmost importance.”

Once Jin Hua finished, she lowered her head, not daring to meet their eyes.

The Crown Prince’s expression darkened. His mother was openly complaining about him to his father, right in front of him! The Emperor, however, seemed unbothered. He sighed inwardly. Empress, you’re really giving me more work to do.

“Very well, I understand. You may leave.”

After Jin Hua quietly left, the Crown Prince stepped forward to the center of the hall.

“Father, I…”

“Enough, Crown Prince.”

The Emperor’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried immense authority. He raised his head slightly, his sharp gaze fixed on Jun Zichen.

“Your mother wasn’t entirely satisfied with the Crown Princess at first, but since you cared deeply for her, the Empress didn’t oppose your choice. However, it’s been two years, and she still hasn’t had a child. Your mother has asked me to arrange a marriage for you with the Su family’s daughter. Do you feel resentful about this?”

Jun Zichen bowed low and answered respectfully, “I dare not. I understand my mother’s concern.”

The Emperor’s eyes showed approval as he nodded. The Crown Prince had always been exceptionally talented, standing out among his siblings. Looking at his son, the Emperor felt proud. His tone softened. “Your decisions in state affairs are already almost on par with mine.”

“Father, I wouldn’t dare compare myself to you,” Jun Zichen replied, his expression filled with respect.

“Do you know why I sent you to the battlefield when you were seventeen?”

“As a man, it’s my duty to fight for the country and protect its people,” Jun Zichen answered firmly, his voice resolute. He stood tall, his gaze unwavering.

“Haha, true. But there was another reason.”

The Emperor’s gaze grew distant, as if he were recalling the past.

“You grew up in the palace, and your mother didn’t hide the inner court’s schemes from you so you could learn how cruel people can be. When you joined the court, you were exposed to even more plots and conspiracies. As a boy, you probably hated all of it.”

Hearing this, Jun Zichen’s face showed surprise. He hadn’t realized his father understood him so well.

He wanted to respond but didn’t know what to say.

“You’re still young and shouldn’t be weighed down by endless schemes. As the Crown Prince, you must navigate them but also keep a broad perspective and focus on the greater good.”

“I sent you to the battlefield so you could see the horrors of war—corpses everywhere, displaced people—and understand what a nation’s strength truly means.”

“And you.”

The Emperor locked eyes with Jun Zichen, his voice firm and commanding.

“As the Crown Prince, your responsibility is to the nation. Even if you have someone you love, in the face of the country, you must be willing to give up that person, your desires, and even yourself.”

“Father, I understand. The nation is my top priority. I will devote myself to its service, even at the cost of my life,” Jun Zichen replied sincerely.

“Minister Su is a key figure in the court. By neglecting his daughter, your concubine, you risk alienating a loyal minister. When I arranged your marriage, you didn’t refuse. So now, you must fulfill your responsibilities as the Crown Prince.”

“If not Lady Su, there will be others—concubines, court ladies. Do you plan to keep them all as ornaments in the palace?”

Jun Zichen’s expression shifted, and he replied earnestly, “I was wrong. I’ll treat Lady Su better from now on.”

“Good. You may go.”

“Yes, Father. I’ll take my leave.”

Jun Zichen left the study, his face grim. His measured steps carried a faint anger as he walked toward the Eastern Palace.

After a busy day of state affairs, his mother’s complaint and his father’s reprimand weighed heavily on him. He felt a storm of frustration brewing inside.

“Anshun, what has the concubine been up to today?”

Jun Zichen’s voice was icy, and his gaze was as cold as frost. He stared straight ahead, as if his eyes could freeze everything in his path.

Anshun followed carefully behind him and answered softly, “Your Highness, the concubine visited the Empress in Kunning Palace today.”

Hearing this, Jun Zichen’s heart sank.

He had thought Su Jingyao, who had been quiet in the Eastern Palace for ten days, was a simple and harmless woman.

But now it seemed she was far more calculating than he’d imagined. Knowing she couldn’t win his favor, she’d gone to curry favor with his mother instead, trying to secure her position.

His fists clenched tightly, and anger burned fiercely in his eyes.

Jun Zechen walked quickly with an air of authority, heading straight toward Xiyan Palace in the Eastern Palace.

Anshun, struggling to keep up with his small, hurried steps, felt exhausted and frustrated.

Ah, His Highness the Crown Prince—why doesn’t he show some mercy to an old man like me?

---

At Qiluan Palace.

Ling Yue felt a flash of happiness when she heard Jun Zechen had returned to the Eastern Palace. She eagerly instructed the servants to prepare dinner, unable to hide her anticipation.

Meixiang hesitated, her expression uneasy, as though she wanted to speak but held back.

Seeing how happy her mistress was, Meixiang felt reluctant to ruin her mood, but she didn’t want her mistress’s efforts to go to waste.

Finally, she took a deep breath and said gently, “Mistress, after His Highness returned, he went straight to Xiyan Palace.”

Ling Yue froze for a moment, her smile fading. Surprise flickered in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

She said softly, “Ah Ze must have something important to handle at Xiyan Palace. Keep the dinner warm.”

But her trembling eyelashes and the handkerchief tightly gripped in her hand revealed her unease.

Ling Yue sat down slowly and waved for Meixiang to leave.

Left alone, her beautiful face gradually clouded with sadness, and the light in her eyes dimmed.

Ah Ze hadn’t visited Su Jingyao for ten days. Maybe his visit to Xiyan Palace today really was for an important reason.

But no matter how much she tried, Ling Yue couldn’t calm her heart. It felt as though something unseen was stirring up her emotions.

Images of Su Jingyao’s delicate and lovely face kept flashing through her mind.

Su Jingyao was a noblewoman from a prestigious family, graceful, stunningly beautiful, and kind—a perfect side consort for the Crown Prince. It made sense for him to visit her.

But…

Even Ling Yue, as a woman, couldn’t help but be amazed by Su Jingyao’s beauty. How could the Crown Prince not be moved?

This thought deepened Ling Yue’s anxiety. She didn’t want the Crown Prince spending too much time with Su Jingyao.

Yet, she couldn’t share her worries with anyone. All she could do was bury them deep in her heart.