"Let CY in," ChengSangJY ordered.
Footsteps sounded from outside the room as ShangGuanCY, who had come to inquire about JY's condition with LiLuoning, hurried inside. He habitually looked towards the bed, only to see JY leaning there, pale and weak, smiling at him.
"JY, you're awake. How are you feeling? Is there still any discomfort?" CY asked, his concern evident.
JY gently pushed away CY's hand from his forehead and softly said, "Brother CY, I'm fine."
"You better be. At such a young age, you fainted from extreme stress. You really need LiLuoning to properly treat you," CY scolded, unable to hide his worry.
"I'm really fine, Brother CY. Thank you for coming to see me," JY comforted him with a gentle look.
CY sighed deeply, taking JY's hand in his. "You suddenly fell ill; how could I not come? JY, about your mother... the Empress... you mustn't concern yourself with it."
CY was worried that JY might impulsively go and confront the Emperor again, but JY simply lowered his head calmly and nodded, pulling his hand back. He softly said, "Treason is a capital offense. Though she is my biological mother, the harem must not interfere in state affairs, let alone plot to become Emperor herself. This is no longer a family matter but a national issue. Father has not allowed me to participate in court affairs. State matters are not my concern. Even if I wanted to protect her, it would be beyond my power. 'One cannot act in self-interest and still achieve greatness; knowing when to step back is wisdom.'"
With the entire Xiao family exterminated, all those promoted by Xiao Yongnian were replaced by ChengSangKing. The court was undergoing a major reshuffle, with CY and ChengSangMo covertly clashing to install their own people.
CY noticed something and paused his actions, his eyebrows furrowing as he glanced at JY on the bed. For some reason, he felt that JY had become distant after waking up.
CY pondered, pressing his lips tightly together. He softly said, "Just focus on recovering your health. Don't think about anything else."
JY obediently nodded. CY affectionately patted his head before standing to leave.
"Brother CY," JY suddenly grabbed his sleeve and quietly asked, "Can you help me spare her life? Consider it repayment for her raising me."
CY gently patted JY's hand, which was gripping his sleeve, and said, "I'll do my best."
Only then did JY release CY's sleeve.
"LiLuoning, may I have a word with you?" CY asked.
LiLuoning nodded and walked towards the door. CY followed, pausing to tap LinHuaichu's head with his fan as he passed by.
"Ah! Who hit me?"
LinHuaichu, who had been sleeping soundly, woke up in a daze, looking around. Seeing JY sitting up on the bed, he instantly woke up fully.
"JY! You're finally awake." He completely ignored CY and rushed to JY's bedside.
In the courtyard, LiLuoning and CY sat across from each other in the pavilion.
"May I know why the Duke wishes to speak with me?" LiLuoning asked.
"Master Li, you are well-versed in medicine. Have you ever heard of a herb called: Cistanche?" CY inquired.
LiLuoning nodded, replying, "Indeed, such a herb exists. However, it is quite rare and mostly found in remote mountainous areas. It is seldom encountered by ordinary herbalists and is scarcely used in medical practice."
"What are the effects of this herb?" CY pressed further.
"To call Cistanche a medicinal herb is somewhat misleading. I would rather call it a poison," LiLuoning explained.
"A poison?" CY was puzzled.
LiLuoning continued, "Cistanche is rarely included in any prescriptions because its primary function is to induce sterility."
"Induce sterility!" CY's teacup fell from his hand and shattered on the ground.
LiLuoning was taken aback by CY's reaction. Given CY's usual composure, this was highly unusual. He asked, "Is there someone in your household who has mistakenly ingested this herb?"
CY coughed, waving his hand dismissively and sending the eunuch who came to clean up away. He finally composed himself and said, "No, no. I just happened to hear someone mention this herb and was curious, so I came to ask for your guidance. Is there any antidote for Cistanche?"
"Based on my current knowledge, there is no antidote for Cistanche," LiLuoning replied.
A month later, on the third day of the lunar month,
The palace was filled with the sounds of music and laughter, the grand birthday celebration in full swing. Guests exchanged toasts and compliments, and the atmosphere was lively and festive, as if no one remembered what had transpired just a month before.
ChengSangMo felt suffocated and stepped outside for some fresh air.
Under the moonlight, the lotus pond mirrored the stars in the sky, reminding him of that night.
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see ChengSangJY, dressed in a dark orchid brocade robe. Since waking up, JY had changed significantly, becoming more silent and losing a noticeable amount of weight. In ChengSangMo's memory, JY rarely wore such dark colors. The brocade shimmered faintly in the night, making JY look especially melancholic.
"MoLan prince."
JY called softly, nodding slightly as he passed by ChengSangMo.
This simple "MoLan prince" felt like a silent, sharp sword piercing ChengSangMo's heart. He had thought that without the Empress, his relationship with JY might return to its former closeness. But even before, JY had never spoken to him with such coldness and detachment. The JY before him now seemed distant, cold, and unfamiliar.
JY walked to the lotus pond and sat on the rock where he used to sit often, gazing thoughtfully at the moon reflected in the water.
ChengSangMo was about to leave but couldn't help turning back to look at him, his actions hesitant.
JY seemed to anticipate that ChengSangMo wouldn't leave just yet. Without turning around, he began to speak,
"The court is ever-changing, memories of old friends linger. The moon's reflection is as cold as my heart. MoLan prince, I should have realized long ago, since that spring hunt, we can never go back to the way we were."
Looking at JY's back, ChengSangMo couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. In just a month, JY had gone from being praised by everyone to becoming the biggest joke in the palace. Now, everyone in the palace whispered about him, saying his grandfather plotted treason and his mother was ambitious. Some even believed he would eventually commit patricide. If it weren't for the limited number of royal heirs, JY would probably already be in the dungeons with the Empress.
"JY, I..."
ChengSangMo's heart was conflicted. The person before him was someone he had once vowed to protect. And it was precisely because he wanted to protect him that he had distanced himself during his most powerless times, not wanting to drag him into the fray. Now, with the Xiao family fallen and the Empress imprisoned, almost everyone in the court was trying to curry favor with him, the Crown Prince. He now held military power, and his influence was growing. But the person he once wanted to protect was now so estranged and distant.
"Brother Mo, what good is it to be the Emperor? This so-called title of Crown Prince, can I not have it?" JY suddenly asked, his voice soft, as if he had returned to the innocent little prince he once was.
Everyone knew that JY was not suited to be the Crown Prince. The court officials believed he was too kind and gentle to be an effective ruler; the common folk feared he would become a tyrant because he was the Empress's son. With the Xiao family now disgraced, even the Emperor avoided him. In the palace, everyone shunned him, and his deposition seemed inevitable.
While bedridden, JY had constantly replayed all the events in his mind. His mother, the Empress, and the Xiao family couldn't have lost their power and influence from just one incident. He had initially thought that CY and ChengSangMo were merely targeting Xiao Yongnian's actions and urging the Emperor to punish him. But with Xiao Yongnian imprisoned and his mother's quarters searched immediately afterward, revealing evidence of treason, it all seemed too coincidental. And finding the Imperial Seal without any questioning, immediately imprisoning his mother—these actions suggested the Emperor had long wanted to remove her.
Although JY didn't understand much about court politics, he was intelligent enough to piece things together. Considering these events, it wasn't hard to discern the truth.
Now, if the Emperor truly decided to depose him, he would become a discarded prince, trampled by everyone. He didn't know how those around him would treat him when that day came. Now, he couldn't easily trust anyone. If these people could so easily bring down the Empress, the mother of the nation, then he, a powerless Crown Prince, was even less significant.
"ChengSangJY! Do you know what you're saying?" ChengSangMo sternly questioned.
JY nonchalantly glanced at ChengSangMo and sighed, "If I weren't born into this imperial family, my life could have been wonderful. I could have been a wandering storyteller,
a healer saving lives; or even a recluse farmer living peacefully in the mountains. Anything would have been better. At least I could have had both parents alive and enjoyed their love. I've never desired that throne, nor have I ever wanted it."
ChengSangMo suddenly froze. For a moment, he felt like he didn't recognize the person before him. The look in JY's eyes was different from before, not only filled with sorrow but also a hint of resoluteness and an elusive coldness.
"What are you doing out here so late?" CY's voice came from behind them.
"MoLan prince." CY had come out to find JY, worried after noticing he had been gone for a while.
"Duke." ChengSangMo greeted him expressionlessly.
"The night air is chilly. You just recovered from a serious illness. You shouldn't stay by the pond for too long. What if you fall in?" CY draped a light cloak over JY, gently scolding him.
JY let CY adjust the cloak on him, glanced at the lotus pond, and said, "It's alright. The water isn't deep anywhere in this pond."
ChengSangMo clenched his fists behind his back, thinking, "Did he check the entire bottom of the pond that day?"
After securing the cloak, CY turned to ChengSangMo and said, "Today's banquet is specifically for the MoLan prince. Why are you out here gazing at the moon, leaving the guests behind? Isn't that a bit improper?"
"I just came out for some air. There's no need for the Duke to concern himself," ChengSangMo replied coldly, turning to leave.
"MoLan prince, JY had a bit of wine today. If he said anything foolish, please don't take it to heart," CY suddenly called out.
ChengSangMo didn't turn back, merely responding coldly, "I understand."
Seeing ChengSangMo walk away, ShangGuanCY turned and sat beside ChengSangJY, looking up at the moon. He sighed, trying to lighten the mood, "The moon is beautiful tonight, JY. You sure know how to pick a spot. The lotus pond, the night sky, the moon's reflection—there's something special about it."
For the past month, CY had been trying various ways to console JY. Despite feeling the growing distance and silence from JY, he didn't mind. After all, considering everything that had happened, JY's reaction was understandable.
JY didn't lift his head, his gaze fixed on the moon in the water. He calmly replied, "No matter how beautiful the moon trapped in the pond is, it's just a fleeting, insubstantial reflection."
As ChengSangMo walked down the path, he overheard two palace maids whispering not far away,
"Why did the Emperor suddenly want to celebrate MoLan prince's birthday in the palace this year? Didn't he always let him celebrate in North Mo before?" one maid asked, puzzled.
"It's because of Empress XiaoRui's influence all these years. With the Xiao family's hold on military power, the Emperor had to tolerate them. Now that the Xiao family's influence has waned, the Emperor might be considering elevating MoLan prince as the Crown Prince," the older maid speculated.
"That's right. MoLan prince was always destined to be the Crown Prince—gifted in both literature and martial arts. He was even born three months earlier than others yet still healthy and robust. If not for Empress XiaoRui's schemes back then, the Crown Prince position wouldn't have gone to our weak and incapable current Crown Prince. Now that Empress XiaoRui is no longer around, the dethroning of the current Crown Prince is just a matter of time."
The maids' conversation reached ChengSangMo's ears. Most of it didn't particularly catch his attention, except for the mention of him being born three months early. This, combined with the early gift from Nanzhu, made ChengSangMo uneasy.
On his way back to the mansion, CY pieced together the clues in his mind.
"Empress XiaoRui ingested Cistanche before entering the palace. After the Amish people saved JY, Xiao Yongnian took extreme measures, like slaughtering a village, to keep his secret. He didn't anticipate that the reach of the Shadow Moon Pavilion could stir such turmoil in the harem. If Empress XiaoRui entered the royal family after ingesting Cistanche, it means the Xiao family's support for the Emperor's ascension and the marriage to their sole daughter was a condition. This implies JY isn't Empress XiaoRui's son. Given how Empress XiaoRui treated JY all these years, it's likely the Emperor doesn't know, but Empress XiaoRui always did! So, who is JY's biological mother?"
Suddenly, something clicked for CY. He knocked on the carriage wall and ordered,
"Take me to the dungeon."
In the dungeon,
Empress XiaoRui sat on the ground in disarray, her shadow stretched long by the flickering flames.
The cell door opened, and CY walked in.
Empress XiaoRui's vacant eyes flickered with a hint of awareness. She straightened herself, trying to maintain her regal demeanor, and asked with her familiar arrogance, "What brings you here?"
CY's face was uncharacteristically stern, his eyes cold as he looked down at her. After a long pause, he asked,
"Did you ingest a herb called Cistanche before entering the palace?"
At this question, Empress XiaoRui's composed demeanor shattered. Her eyes widened in panic as she demanded,
"Who told you that? Who? Are any of the Amish people still alive? Or... or..."
Empress XiaoRui frantically tried to grab CY's sleeve to get answers, but he stepped back in disgust, avoiding her touch.
She didn't give up, desperately reaching out again, only to be kicked down by a guard.
Knowing Empress XiaoRui wasn't JY's biological mother, CY's already minimal affection for her turned into deep-seated hatred. Thinking about how she had treated JY all these years, he wanted nothing more than to tear her apart. But he needed to uncover the truth.
The guards lifted Empress XiaoRui, holding her steady. CY approached her, bending down to look directly into her eyes. His voice was icy as he asked,
"I'll ask you only once. Who is JY's biological mother? Is he truly a royal heir?"
Empress XiaoRui stared at CY's face, studying him for a moment. Her expression shifted from panic to malevolence, and she began to laugh maniacally,
"Why should I tell you? You, ShangGuanCY, always so capable, why don't you find out yourself? I'm already a dead woman; whether I tell you or not makes no difference to me. Hahaha, ShangGuanCY, you care so much about ChengSangJY. What do you think will happen when he learns the woman he tried so hard to please for over a decade isn't his real mother but possibly his enemy? What do you think your weak, useless brother will do then?"
Realizing something, CY grabbed her throat, furious,
"What have you done to JY?"
Empress XiaoRui, now fully deranged, seemed oblivious to the tightening grip on her throat, laughing maniacally.
"Stop laughing and answer me! What did you do to him?" CY wanted to crush her throat right then and there. He had a terrible feeling that she had left some sort of malicious trap for JY.
"I can't let JY find out about this," CY thought. He then forced a red pill into Empress XiaoRui's mouth.
Empress XiaoRui, who had been laughing hysterically, fell silent as soon as she swallowed the pill, clutching her stomach in pain.
"I promised JY I would spare your life. But you will keep this secret forever. This pill will silence you but won't kill you. However, each month, you'll endure this excruciating pain until midnight. I won't kill you, but you'll live in torment," CY said coldly, leaving the cell with a final word. Empress XiaoRui writhed on the ground in agony.
No sooner had CY left, a shadowy figure entered Empress XiaoRui's cell. With muffled cries and sounds of struggle, soon there was silence.
In the Imperial Study,
"Your Majesty, news from the dungeon. Empress XiaoRui... hanged herself last night," reported Liu Gonggong.
ChengSangKing frowned, surprised,
"Dead?" He knew XiaoRui's nature well; suicide didn't seem like something she'd do. There had to be more to it.
"Did anyone visit the dungeon yesterday? What did they say to her?" he asked.
Liu Gonggong hesitated before slowly replying,
"Only the Duke visited the dungeon last night."
"ShangGuanCY?"
In the Crown Prince's residence, ChengSangJY stared blankly out the window.
The courtyard was once again filled with his favorite flowers. Blossoms were in full bloom, and the greenery was lush. A peach tree, his favorite, stood in the corner. Everything seemed beautiful and peaceful, except for the emptiness in his heart.
"He promised he would spare my mother's life," JY murmured, looking at the distant peach tree.
The tree was a gift from ShangGuanCY, carefully chosen and planted in the courtyard. It was JY's favorite, with white and pink blossoms.
"JY, JY, look who's here!" LinHuaichu ran in excitedly from outside.
JY turned his head slowly, his gaze cold. When he saw who was at the door, a spark of light returned to his dull eyes.
Huazhiyue stood there, wearing a light pink brocade dress, her hair adorned with a familiar hairpin. She smiled and waved at JY.
JY stared at Huazhiyue, speechless. LinHuaichu, noticing the shift in JY's expression, wisely took a few steps back and said,
"I have something to do. You two talk." He then left the room, closing the door behind him.
Feeling awkward under JY's intense gaze, Huazhiyue averted her eyes and asked,
"Aren't you going to invite me to sit?"
JY snapped out of his daze, quickly motioning for her to sit and pouring her a cup of tea.
"Master said you were ill, so I came to see you. How are you feeling?" Huazhiyue asked.
JY nodded, "I'm better."
"You look much thinner. Have you been resting well?" she continued.
"Yes, well," JY nodded again.
"Would you like to go out for a walk? I'll accompany you," Huazhiyue offered.
"Yes, alright," JY replied, his mind elsewhere, repeating the same answer.
"Are you going to agree to everything I say?" Huazhiyue teased, noticing his distraction.
"Yes, alright," JY replied again before realizing what she said. He quickly corrected himself, "You... you look beautiful."
Huazhiyue laughed, moving closer and looking into his eyes with a playful sparkle,
"Not dumb after all. I thought you might have gone mad after what Master told me about your condition."
Feeling embarrassed, JY scratched his head and smiled. But then he hesitated and asked,
"Did Master tell you to come?"
Huazhiyue rested her chin on her hands, her expression adorably cute,
"Yes, and no. I heard you were ill, so I came to see you. But it was Master who
told me about your illness."
"Oh," JY responded, lowering his head again.
Huazhiyue, unable to stand his lifeless demeanor any longer, stood up and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the door,
"Come on, don't stay cooped up in here. Let's go out for some fresh air."
"But today isn't the day I'm allowed to leave the palace," JY hesitated, dragging his feet.
"Don't worry. The court is in chaos right now. No one will notice what you're doing!" Huazhiyue said, pulling him along.
"Yes, now, no one cares about what I'm doing," JY thought.