Chapter 14: Liu Hanjiang

Chapter 14: Liu Hanjiang.

Yuxi Palace was quite a distance from Yiqiu Palace. Tang Zhuozhuo had changed her clothes and was lightly waving a hibiscus-colored round fan; since it was early and the sun wasn’t yet strong, she didn’t find the heat too bothersome.

Behind her, Li Desheng followed with a bitter expression, wiping layer after layer of sweat from his brow, his face a picture of unspoken misery.

I should have let those young rascals deliver the items, he thought. Now the goods are delivered, but I can’t exactly leave.

Even if Zhong Liangdi was currently out of favor, she was still a mistress of the palace on paper. Who could say what the future held? At the very least, once the Prince ascended the throne, her family background practically guaranteed her a high consort rank, certainly not someone a servant like him could afford to offend.

Despite these thoughts, Li Desheng didn’t dare say a word, treading on his tiptoes as he followed Tang Zhuozhuo.

“A wise man submits to circumstances.” Having served the Prince since childhood, he was a master at deciphering Huo Qiu’s thoughts. It was clear the Prince had placed the Crown Princess at the very center of his heart; Li Desheng simply had to read the situation correctly.

When forced, he knew exactly which side he had to offend.

Tang Zhuozhuo was well aware of his inner calculations. The man was a “human spirit”—shrewd and slippery. Fortunately, this particular spirit was exceptionally sensible.

After turning a corner, the group arrived at the gates of Yuxi Palace. Two palace maids were on guard; seeing her, they scrambled to their knees to offer greetings.

Tang Zhuozhuo used her fan to shield her head slightly, casually joking with An Xia at her side: “How strange. I can enter without a formal announcement to Zhong Liangdi today?”

The two maids trembled. Fortunately, Tang Zhuozhuo only spared them a brief glance before leading her entourage into the inner hall.

Zhong Yuxi had been confined to her palace. Initially, she had been gnashing her teeth in rage, but then she remembered the mess her elder brother had caused. Between her grief, anxiety, and the oppressive heat, she had developed painful sores in her mouth.

The throbbing pain had forced her to settle down, and she spent her days sitting in the hall embroidering handkerchiefs and clothes.

When Tang Zhuozhuo entered, she saw Zhong Yuxi holding a moon-white garment. Her hands moved rhythmically. As Tang Zhuozhuo drew closer, she realized it was a man’s sleeping robe.

As for whom it was intended for, everyone present knew the answer.

Zhong Yuxi’s profile looked pure and gentle, untouched by the common world. Standing a dozen paces away, Tang Zhuozhuo’s gaze momentarily drifted. In that silhouette, she finally saw the shadow of the “Consort Zhong” from her previous life, the woman who had enjoyed unending imperial favor.

That version of her had been a master of appearing detached and ethereal, far more skilled than the current Zhong Liangdi who resorted to kneeling and begging for her brother’s sake.

Hearing footsteps, Zhong Yuxi looked toward Tang Zhuozhuo. Her face registered a flash of surprise that quickly faded. She set aside the robe and performed a respectful bow. “This consort offers greetings to the Crown Princess.”

Tang Zhuozhuo nodded slightly. Her gaze swept over the finely crafted garment. Her voice was light and cheerful, yet carried an undeniable edge of mockery.

“Zhong Liangdi is in quite a refined mood. Are you sewing a sleeping robe for His Highness?”

Zhong Yuxi pressed down the gloom in her eyes and replied submissively, “This consort was ignorant and offended His Highness. I feel great trepidation and only wish to do something to soothe His Highness’s anger.”

Tang Zhuozhuo let out a short laugh. She didn’t sit down; instead, she stood there fiddling with her decorative nail guards. After a long pause, she spoke: “I fell ill at an inopportune time recently, which I fear disrupted the private time between the Prince and Liangdi.”

Zhong Yuxi tightened her grip on her handkerchief, her face a mask of humble fear. “May Your Ladyship forgive me! How would I dare think such a thing? I have been confined to this palace; no one but His Highness may enter, so I could not visit Your Ladyship. I hope Your Ladyship can forgive me.”

The words were seamless, yet they carried a hidden sting, reminding Tang Zhuozhuo that the confinement was Huo Qiu’s order, and even as Crown Princess, she shouldn’t technically be here without his permission.

Tang Zhuozhuo gave a low laugh, her slender fingers brushing the silver-sheened robe. “Liangdi has certainly gone to much trouble.”

“Today, I heard the Prince mention that the son of the Zhong family is to be sent to the distant border. I asked for a favor from His Highness so I could bring you some good news.”

Zhong Yuxi closed her eyes briefly, then glanced at the shrinking figure of Li Desheng. She knew then that Tang Zhuozhuo had indeed come with Huo Qiu’s permission. No matter how angry she was, she had to force a smile. “It is my brother’s lack of talent that has troubled His Highness and burdened Your Ladyship.”

Tang Zhuozhuo narrowed her beautiful almond eyes and stepped closer.

“Previously, the Prince told me that you felt your brother was wronged and framed. I thought about it and felt you had a point. Thinking of the words you spoke while kneeling in my hall that day, I was moved, as they reminded me of my own brother.”

Zhong Yuxi was stunned. She had no idea what Tang Zhuozhuo was playing at. And… had the Prince really spoken of her to Tang Zhuozhuo in that way?

Satisfied with her reaction, Tang Zhuozhuo smiled. “So, the good news is: the Prince has decided to let the Zhong son remain in the capital. Though he is stripped of his official rank for now, at least he can remain with the one he loves. Liangdi should feel much comforted.”

Tang Zhuozhuo’s eyebrows arched playfully.

Zhong Yu was a simple-minded man. Huo Qiu had originally intended to exile him to the border, but plans changed. With the Empress Dowager’s birthday approaching, the court needed military officers who could move openly.

Huo Qiu made the decision, but Tang Zhuozhuo was the one who volunteered to be the “messenger” to needle Zhong Yuxi.

Didn’t you want to drag me into pleading for your brother? Tang Zhuozhuo thought. As the ‘arrogant and unlikable’ Crown Princess, I must fulfill the wishes of a ‘tender blossom’ like you.

As expected, Zhong Yuxi’s forced smile turned deathly pale. She felt a sense of utter powerlessness. “Your Ladyship means… my brother has been stripped of his rank?”

Tang Zhuozhuo’s smile only brightened, stinging Zhong Yuxi’s eyes. “Though he is stripped of rank, there is always a chance for reinstatement. You should speak some ‘sweet words’ to the Prince; a pillow-talk breeze is more effective than anything else.”

She whispered that last part, her face as radiant as the sun. It was only then that Zhong Yuxi realized: Tang Zhuozhuo had come solely to watch her suffer.

The Prince hadn’t even come near her bed; what “pillow-talk” could she possibly offer?

Tang Zhuozhuo, having achieved her goal, didn’t want to linger. She raised her dark brows with her usual haughtiness. “The Prince told me that the people around Liangdi are quite ‘obedient,’ guarding this palace so tightly not even a fly could enter. Just be careful not to violate the rules of propriety.”

Even in noble families, which concubine’s maid would dare block the primary wife’s servants? Much less in the Imperial Palace. No matter her status before entering, a Liangdi was still a concubine, and a concubine must know her place.

Zhong Yuxi understood the implication perfectly, and it felt like a thorn in her throat. Was the Prince saying her lack of discipline had broken the rules? Is that why the confinement order was so absolute?

Tang Zhuozhuo spared her one last look. As she reached the door, her eyes fell on the silver robe again. “As for this robe, you shouldn’t bother sending it to the Prince.”

Both An Xia and even the veteran Li Desheng were startled. This was a gift of affection; it was quite bold to interfere with it.

Tang Zhuozhuo continued with a sharp tongue: “I have several similar robes hanging in my hall right now. The Prince won’t touch them. I was wondering why, but today I realized, it’s because they were embroidered by you.”

Each word was like a needle piercing Zhong Yuxi’s heart. She bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood to keep from screaming.

As Tang Zhuozhuo brushed past her, Zhong Yuxi whispered a single sentence that only the two of them could hear: “Can Your Ladyship truly forget Wang Yi?”

Tang Zhuozhuo’s pupils shrank, and her eyes filled with disgust. But to Zhong Yuxi, that reaction was a source of twisted pleasure.

She can’t forget. Tang Zhuozhuo can’t forget that man. That is my ultimate advantage!

Later, Li Desheng reported every word to Huo Qiu.

The Prince sat in his agarwood chair, his brow furrowed, exuding a powerful pressure even in the shadows.

“She said that?” Huo Qiu could almost picture his “spoiled brat” refusing to take a loss. A faint tug appeared at the corner of his mouth, and a smile touched his eyes.

Li Desheng chuckled. “Her Ladyship even told Zhong Liangdi not to send the robes, saying Your Highness never wears them anyway.”

Huo Qiu laughed deeply, his chest heaving as he rubbed his large jade ring. “She truly has a temper that refuses to suffer a disadvantage.”

The fact that she felt comfortable enough to throw a tantrum by his side was the best outcome he could have imagined.

“Hahaha, has Your Highness not known the Crown Princess’s temperament for a long time?”

A warm male voice drifted from a hidden passage behind the bookshelf. A tall figure stepped into the light.

Huo Qiu rose, a rare genuine smile on his face. “Han Jiang, I calculated it was about time for your return.”

“The matters in Jiangbei are settled. I feared things might go awry here, so I hurried back.”

The dim candlelight revealed the face of the newcomer: Liu Hanjiang (柳韓江).