Two days later, at dusk, Princess Jinnan barely touched her dinner, having little appetite. Before long, Prince Jinnan entered from outside. The princess hurried to meet him and asked, “Is there any news?”
She couldn’t believe that in the capital city, their princely residence would have no news at all about finding a single person. She wanted to uncover who exactly had the audacity to abduct someone from the Jinnan Prince’s residence!
Prince Jinnan’s gaze was slightly dark. He didn’t respond to the princess’s question but walked slowly towards the inner room. The princess, noticing his expression, waved her hand to dismiss the maidservants in the room. She followed Prince Jinnan inside and sat beside him on the luohan bed.
“We found her,” Prince Jinnan said.
The princess breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately asked with a hint of anger, “Who was behind this? How is she? Why haven’t we brought her back?”
Prince Jinnan’s fingers gently tapped the small table, contemplating how to explain.
The princess, observing his demeanor, couldn’t help but stand up in urgency. “If it weren’t for her rushing into the fire to save me that day, I might not be here today! Regardless of anything else, I have to ensure her safety! Who exactly took Yuji? Who could put the prince in such a difficult position? Could it be someone as powerful as the emperor himself?”
“It was the Crown Prince,” Prince Jinnan said in a deep voice.
The princess was stunned.
The Crown Prince?
After a moment, the princess slowly sat down with furrowed brows, incredulously saying, “How could we not have seen that the Crown Prince was such a lecher? Even though Yuji is indeed extraordinarily beautiful, she is, in name, still his niece-in-law!”
“This is exactly what I can’t understand. Fourth Brother was just banished to his fief, and Third Brother is now staying behind closed doors every day. Everyone in the court knows that the position of the Crown Prince will change after the New Year. How could Eldest Brother cause such a scandal at this time? If someone exposes him, he, as the Crown Prince, would be deposed for improper conduct and forcibly taking his niece-in-law. Wouldn’t that give others the perfect excuse to dethrone him?”
The princess immediately said, “He’s never been a smart man, otherwise he wouldn’t be struggling to keep his position as Crown Prince despite being the eldest legitimate son and never gaining the emperor’s favor. It’s no surprise he’d do something so foolish driven by lust!”
Prince Jinnan listened to the princess’s words silently, though he didn’t quite agree. Indeed, Eldest Brother wasn’t particularly clever. But would he really do something so outrageous at such a critical moment?
Prince Jinnan still felt there was something odd about this matter.
The princess continued her angry rant, “Usually, he seems so weak and gentle, but now he’s forcibly taking his niece-in-law at his age! His grandson can already call him grandfather, and he’s still shamelessly acting like this? What a disgraceful old fool!”
“Watch your words,” Prince Jinnan habitually interrupted the princess’s criticisms of the Crown Prince, though his tone carried a hint of contempt, clearly not taking the Crown Prince seriously either.
The princess placed her hand on Prince Jinnan’s wrist and gently shook his sleeve, saying, “There are so many people eager to pull the Crown Prince down. Why not hand this matter over to those who need it?”
Prince Jinnan smiled slightly and said, “You do care about the You family.”
“Revenge for grievances and gratitude for favors. Isn’t this the basic principle of being human?” the princess retorted.
Prince Jinnan pondered for a while and said, “Let’s wait a bit longer.”
“Wait for what?” the princess asked urgently.
Prince Jinnan sighed and said, “I still don’t believe the Crown Prince is a lecher. There’s likely more to this. Fourth Brother has already set off for his fief at this point. His case is a cautionary tale. If we don’t clarify things and recklessly expose this matter, who knows if I’ll be the next Fourth Brother.”
The princess calmed down from her initial anger and carefully considered Prince Jinnan’s words. Although she was anxious to rescue You Yuji, she also understood that as a member of the royal family, every step had to be taken cautiously, as if walking on a cliff’s edge. If they weren’t careful and thorough, they might fall into someone else’s trap.
“I know you’re concerned about the You family’s safety. Although separating from the You family brings no benefits to the Jinnan Prince’s Residence, I once thought it would have been better if she had died in the residence. But one thing is for sure, since she saved you, I won’t disregard this debt of gratitude.” Prince Jinnan patted the princess’s hand. “Rest assured. The Crown Prince went to great lengths to abduct her; she won’t be in mortal danger for now. As for other things…”
Prince Jinnan paused, not finishing his sentence.
The princess understood the implication. You Yuji’s beauty was renowned in the twelve kingdoms. If a man abducted her, even if he had other motives, he wouldn’t neglect her.
The princess sighed again, almost to herself, “I only hope Yuji values her life above all else.”
She then thought about how resolute You Yuji had been in the matter of the separation, leaving no room for reconsideration and seemingly indifferent to the repercussions on her reputation. This comforted the princess somewhat, making her believe You Yuji wouldn’t foolishly seek death.
—
At Pinghuai Prince’s Residence.
“What?” Chen Qi’s face turned pale as he took two disbelieving steps forward, looking at his father.
Behind the desk, Prince Pinghuai frowned, equally baffled by the Crown Prince’s actions. Just now, he had informed Chen Qi of the Crown Prince’s abduction of You Yuji into the Eastern Palace, seeking his son’s opinion because he couldn’t make sense of it himself.
Chen Qi had no opinion to offer; he stood there in a daze. His mind was filled with worries about You Yuji’s safety at that very moment. Had the Crown Prince bullied her? Was she scared and sad? With her temperament, would she fight to the death to kill the Crown Prince?
Chen Qi’s thoughts were in disarray.
“Qi’er?” Prince Pinghuai called out twice more before Chen Qi snapped back to reality.
Chen Qi struggled to compose his expression and forced himself to speak in a normal tone, “The Crown Prince’s actions are unworthy of his position as heir! Father, you should report this to His Majesty immediately!”
If the Crown Prince were brought down, only then could he rescue her…
Chen Qi knew that doing so might damage You Yuji’s reputation. But compared to her reputation, he believed that being imprisoned was far more unbearable for her.
“No!” Prince Pinghuai’s face was stern. “When did you become so reckless?”
Chen Qi opened his mouth, swallowing the words he wanted to say. He knew that this was indeed reckless and likely a trap. But his worry for You Yuji made him lose his composure.
He hadn’t been able to save her from the marriage arranged by the Western Empress back then, which bound her to Chen Anzhi. Now that she was in danger again, he couldn’t bear to be a coward any longer; he would do whatever it took to rescue her!
Before leaving the study, Prince Pinghuai reminded him twice not to act rashly. Chen Qi knew his father’s decision was final, so he reluctantly nodded and outwardly agreed.
On his way back to his courtyard, Chen Qi frowned, thinking about how to rescue You Yuji from the Eastern Palace. Tomorrow was the Lantern Festival, and there would be a banquet in the palace. He could use this opportunity to find a way to the Eastern Palace.
—
At this time, Prince Shengxiang, Chen Che, and his family were leaving the capital for their fief. One of his trusted aides rode quickly to him and whispered in his ear about the Crown Prince abducting the consort.
Prince Shengxiang merely chuckled upon hearing this, completely unconcerned unlike the other two princes. He gazed at the endless sky and said, “A turbulent spring.”
The Crown Prince had gone to great lengths to hide the abduction of You Yuji, but his brothers had all learned of it one after another. This was enough to prove that the Crown Prince was indeed not a clever man.
—
Several days had passed, and the poison in You Yuji’s body continued to trouble her. The feeling of being weak and powerless all over was truly frustrating. She couldn’t tell whether it was the residual effects of some unknown poison in her system or if her daily meals were being continuously drugged. If it was the latter, there was nothing she could do; she couldn’t starve herself to death.
She and Zhenxu had no choice but to reduce their food intake and eat less.
“Madam, would you like to eat a bit more?” Baifu asked respectfully.
You Yuji shook her head instinctively, then quickly looked up at Baifu and asked, “Can I order some food from outside the palace?”
Baifu replied with a smile, “Of course, Madam. The servants can go out and procure it for you.”
You Yuji was a bit surprised. After a moment of silence, she said, “I want some soft candied fruits from Baimi Shop, roasted fish from Drunken Alley, meat buns from Furong Lane, two skewers of candied hawthorns, and two bags of sugar-roasted chestnuts.”
Baifu kept her polite smile and bowed properly, replying, “It’s already dark. Should we have the servants buy them tomorrow, or do you want them as a midnight snack now?”
“Tomorrow,” You Yuji replied weakly.
She rose from the dining table and walked with unsteady steps toward the inner room. By the time she reached the dressing table and sat down, her face was flushed and she was slightly out of breath.
Looking at her frail reflection in the bronze mirror, You Yuji felt a surge of anger.
Zhenxu, sitting on a nearby embroidery stool, asked, “Madam, would you like to rest?”
Before You Yuji could respond, footsteps and the palace maids’ orderly greeting of “Welcome, Your Highness,” made her press her lips together.
Crown Prince Chen Lu seemed to be in a good mood today, his face glowing with happiness. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed all the palace maids outside and pushed open the inner room’s door, stepping inside. He squinted slightly, looking at You Yuji sitting at the dressing table, and said with a smile, “Last time, you stood up to greet me. This time, you don’t even bother to turn around. Where are your manners?”
Manners?
You Yuji found the word extremely ironic. She continued to sit upright, her back to the Crown Prince, and said with dignity, “Your Highness, I hope you will follow proper etiquette and return your niece-in-law to the Jinnan Prince’s residence soon.”
“Niece-in-law? What niece-in-law?” The Crown Prince chuckled, fiddling with the jade ring on his thumb as he walked towards You Yuji. He stood behind her, looking at her reflection in the bronze mirror for a while.
You Yuji’s grip on the horn comb tightened slightly. Despite her effort, she had no strength, and her hand holding the comb didn’t appear to be gripping tightly at all.
“Yuji, do you have a courtesy name?” the Crown Prince asked.
You Yuji remained silent, her lips pressed together tightly.
The Crown Prince didn’t mind and continued, “Bai Nanshuang and Tu Zhiyu—do you prefer one of these names?”
Although she didn’t respond to the Crown Prince, You Yuji pondered his words carefully. What did he mean by this? Was he planning to give her a new name?
Wait…
Tu Zhiyu?
The name sounded familiar.
You Yuji tried hard to recall and finally remembered. She had heard the maids gossiping about Tu Zhiyu. The Marquis of Kanglong had a legitimate daughter, raised in Jiangnan, who was supposed to come to the capital for an engagement this spring. The maids discussed Tu Zhiyu because her engagement seemed to have run into trouble. As for the details, You Yuji didn’t know. She had no interest in other people’s affairs and had only listened because the surname Tu was quite rare.
Since Tu Zhiyu was a real person, could Bai Nanshuang also be a name that the Crown Prince didn’t make up?
What was the Crown Prince planning?
You Yuji carefully pondered every word the Crown Prince had spoken since entering the room. She guessed that the Crown Prince intended to give her a new identity, no longer making her You Yuji. This way, he wouldn’t bear the stigma of forcibly taking his niece-in-law.
However, since Tu Zhiyu was a marquis’s daughter, it meant the Crown Prince was assigning her a high-status identity. If that were the case, then the Crown Prince didn’t plan to keep her imprisoned in the shadows forever!
Thinking of this, You Yuji’s heart started to beat rapidly.
The Crown Prince, whose face had been gentle and smiling, suddenly turned grim. He grabbed the back of You Yuji’s chair and forcefully spun her around.
“Look at me,” he commanded.
