The Emperor had been deliberately shielding him from certain matters, fearing that understanding them too early might harm his development. If the Emperor detected any hints of this, it was likely they wouldn’t be able to see each other for a while.
That might not be a bad thing, Gao Yuexing thought. At this rate, she was already starting to feel overwhelmed.
If she couldn’t manage it, she might as well leave it to the Emperor to handle.
Meanwhile, Chen Jingchen turned to lead Gao Jing toward the door but hesitated just before entering.
He pondered aloud, “And the memorial that will be submitted later?”
Gao Jing replied, “Naturally, it will be written truthfully.”
Chen Jingchen nodded repeatedly. “Of course, of course… it must be truthful.”
Gao Jing let him linger and stall outside the door. The day had yet to turn dark, and with his prey already trapped, he had plenty of time and patience.
This lack of urgency on Gao Jing’s part only emboldened Chen Jingchen to try pushing his limits further.
Upstairs, Li Fuxiang and Gao Yuexing had finished their playful banter. Turning back, they saw that the pair downstairs were still loitering outside the threshold.
Refilling their teapot, the observant waiter discreetly brought over a few more plates of tea snacks.
The distinguished guests had been sitting idly for half a day. Surely, they couldn’t just keep drinking tea—they must be hungry by now.
Gao Yuexing used a freshly steamed piece of cloud cake to silence Li Fuxiang, making him settle down and stop with his incessant questions.
Li Fuxiang took a bite of the pastry, chewed twice, and had yet to swallow completely when—
Inside the Chen residence, Miss Chen’s second daughter suddenly burst out, sprinting towards the doorway. Spotting Chen Jingchen’s figure, she shouted as she ran, “Father—!”
Her sharp voice made everyone’s ears tense.
Chen Jingchen hurriedly stepped forward, his mouth opening and closing before he finally steadied his voice. “Wh-what is it?”
Miss Chen’s second daughter, eyes filled with panic, gasped for breath, steadying herself with great effort before muttering in a daze, “Father… inside, the Jinyiwei…”
The arrival of the Jinyiwei spoke volumes without needing explanation.
Chen Jingchen whipped his head around and roared, “Gao Jing! You dare play me for a fool!”
Gao Jing clasped his hands behind his back and took two innocent steps backward.
“Master Chen, mind your words. Who would dare to trick you?”
A sudden voice interjected, startling Chen Jingchen. He turned his head in the direction of the sound.
In the dim twilight, as night approached, Li Fuxiang stood silently and alone at the entrance of Chen’s residence. His gaze first lingered on the solemn stone lions flanking the doorway, then shifted to the dark, somber plaque above the entrance, engraved with the words “Chen Residence.”
Chen Jingchen hesitated. “…Prince Xiang?”
Li Fuxiang carried his sword, Shenwu, at his back, with a yellow silk cord hanging from his wrist. Tied to the cord was a small white jade seal that he idly fiddled with in his hand.
His appearance felt like the conclusion to this farce—or perhaps the true storm was only just beginning.
Gao Jing, standing closer to him, turned his head for a glance, and his gaze froze.
On the cheek of their esteemed Prince Xiang was a speck of pastry crumb.
…
Gao Jing looked up at the bamboo blinds swaying gently in the breeze from a window of the Juxian Pavilion across the street.
Frowning, he rubbed at his own cheek when he caught Li Fuxiang’s gaze, hoping the latter would understand.
As Gao Jing had hoped, Li Fuxiang caught on quickly.
With an air of complete composure, Li Fuxiang raised his hand, took the remaining half of the cloud cake he had brought with him, and elegantly stuffed it into his mouth. Then, using the back of his pinky, he wiped his cheek.
His face was clean now, but his cheeks bulged with the cake.
Gao Jing: “…”
The thought of someday marrying his daughter to this man made him feel a knot of unease in his chest.
Chen Jingchen, however, had no spare attention for these trivialities.
Because at that moment, the Jinyiwei emerged from his residence.
The commander of the Jinyiwei, personally present, strode out with a thick stack of letters in hand, his other hand resting on his sword. Without sparing a glance to anyone else, he stopped before Li Fuxiang and said, “The letters have been found. Your Highness, please take a look.”
Li Fuxiang chewed carefully, swallowing the pastry before opening the top letter. He skimmed it briefly.
Chen Jingchen was already slumped on the ground, leaning against the doorframe for support.
Li Fuxiang raised his hand slightly, loosening his grip, allowing the small white jade seal to dangle from its cord. He spoke clearly: “Jinyiwei, hear the imperial decree. Chen Jingchen, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, is guilty of treason. The evidence is irrefutable. The Jinyiwei are hereby ordered to enforce the law accordingly.”
Xi Heng turned on his heel.
As the Jinyiwei stepped over the threshold, they casually yanked Chen Jingchen off the ground and dragged him away without hesitation.
The Chen residence was to be sealed, and all family members placed under house arrest pending the Emperor’s decision.
Miss Chen’s second daughter witnessed everything. She tried to chase after her father but was coldly restrained by the Jinyiwei and thrown back inside.
The spectacle concluded.
A drum sounded once more.
This time, Gao Yuexing saw the source clearly: Li Fuxiang had used his divine sword, Shenwu, to strike the copper pot that sat outside Juxian Pavilion, the one used daily for distributing porridge.
When the crowd outside began dispersing, Gao Yuexing finally made an appearance.
The grand Chen residence fell into desolation in an instant. The Jinyiwei, swords in hand, moved in and out, sealing the gates and affixing official seals.
The coachman had already driven the carriage away.
As Gao Yuexing turned, she heard someone call out, “Miss Gao.”
She turned back to see Miss Chen’s second daughter standing at the doorway, watching her intently.
She could no longer leave through the gates of the Chen residence.
Gao Yuexing took a few steps forward, stopping near the threshold. “You called me? Is there something you wish to say?”
Miss Chen’s second daughter replied, “My father is not a fool. Why would he abandon the comfort of his high-ranking position to engage in treason and risk losing his head? He was forced.”
Gao Yuexing looked at her with a hint of pity. “Telling me this won’t change anything.”
Miss Chen’s second daughter said, “I know. It’s too late to tell anyone now. But you’re the only one who’ll listen.”
Gao Yuexing replied, “I’ll listen if you think saying it will help you feel better.”
Miss Chen’s second daughter knelt at the threshold. A passing Jinyiwei paused near her but, seeing Li Fuxiang gesturing dismissively from behind Gao Yuexing, lowered his head and moved on.
Miss Chen’s second daughter began, “Do you all think that our entire Chen family conspired to murder my sister?”
Gao Yuexing asked, “Didn’t you?”
Miss Chen’s second daughter nodded, then raised her face defiantly. “Yes, but she deserved it.”
Gao Yuexing detected the bitterness and hatred in her tone and became intrigued. “What did she do?”
Miss Chen’s second daughter said, “My sister secretly consorted with Prince Wen’s heir, exchanging letters and dragging the Chen family into a pit from which we couldn’t escape. Tell me, who in the family wouldn’t hate her for that? She grew up pampered under our father’s protection, enjoying a life of comfort. While the Chen family teetered on the edge of ruin every day, why should she be allowed to feign madness and try to escape this mire alone?”
Gao Yuexing’s doubts vanished. So, that was the truth.
Miss Chen’s second daughter said, “Lady Jiang was someone Prince Wen planted in our household to monitor my father and the family. Two years ago, when my sister made a fuss about wanting to marry Prince Xiang, my father genuinely considered sending her away. If one member of the Chen family could be saved, it would be worth it. It was truly the heavens’ mercy that Prince Xiang ignored her. She once dreamed of becoming a princess, and now she’s scorned even when she offers herself as a concubine. That’s karma.”
Gao Yuexing vaguely remembered that this Miss Chen was a year younger than herself.
She was on the verge of madness—or perhaps already mad.
Gao Yuexing said, “The mistakes men make ultimately bring disaster upon their wives and children, which is indeed frustrating. However, a family is like a tree with tangled and intertwined roots. Living under its shade, you must also weather the storms together.”
Miss Chen’s second daughter replied, “You’re right. That’s why my sister had to die in the Chen family. Neither I, my mother, nor my brother would have allowed her to walk out of the Chen residence alive.”
Miss Chen’s eldest daughter also understood this. She knew the only one who could save her was the Emperor, which was why she set her sights on Li Fuxiang.
If Li Fuxiang was willing to save her, then the Emperor might be willing to intervene.
But alas, her careful struggle for survival ended with her falling victim to the consequences of her own actions.
As the Jinyiwei prepared to wrap up, Gao Yuexing turned to leave.
Miss Chen’s second daughter was taken back to the rear courtyard by the Jinyiwei, while the Chen residence remained under heavy guard.
Li Fuxiang was waiting for her.
When Gao Yuexing boarded her carriage, this time, Li Fuxiang politely asked from outside, “May I come up?”
Gao Yuexing lifted the curtain to let him in. “Shall we drop you back at the palace first?”
Li Fuxiang shook his head. “Just head home; don’t mind me.”
Seeing his distracted demeanor, Gao Yuexing suspected he was still brooding over something. She asked casually, “You’ve heard the whole story about Miss Chen’s death. What do you think?”
Li Fuxiang replied indifferently, “That woman… perhaps she was just foolish.”
Gao Yuexing murmured, “Perhaps the girl was deceived by Prince Wen’s heir. After all, she was only in her teens…”
Li Fuxiang listened to her musings in silence, then spoke in a low voice from within the carriage, “In this world, weakness and stupidity are sins.”
Gao Yuexing pondered his words, surprised that he could say something so profound. She gazed at him quietly and asked, “When did you start thinking like this?”
Li Fuxiang replied, “It has been etched into my bones since the moment I was born. Everything I’ve experienced as I grew to understand the world has constantly reinforced this belief.”
Li Fuxiang’s survival in the Xiaonan Pavilion wasn’t just due to luck. Yagu was his benefactor and the greatest support for his survival, but not the sole reason.
He knew exactly how to make Yagu unable to let him go, ensuring that even if she left the palace, she would constantly worry about him.
He knew how to curry favor with the right people, from Lady Xu Zhaoyi to Ding Wenfu to the Emperor. The favors they granted him might have been insignificant to them, but they were invaluable to him.
He knew even better how to protect his life. When spies from the Fox Tribe tortured him by pulling out his fingernails, he endured the pain without uttering a sound.
When snacks arrived unexpectedly from Consort Xian, no matter how tempting, he didn’t dare touch a single bite.
The day the outer wall of the Xiaonan Pavilion collapsed, he hid at the bottom of the courtyard well. Despite the winter snow and the bone-chilling water gnawing at his body and bones, he didn’t dare surface. He knew the well led to a passage, and he was ready to hide deeper at any moment, somewhere no one could find him.
The first time the Emperor took his hand, he already knew his life was secure.
Forget about who raised or abandoned him. Forget about hate or love. None of it mattered anymore.
Li Fuxiang harbored no thoughts of familial affection or filial piety.
To him, anyone who treated him genuinely well was a benefactor of the highest order.
The Emperor had once been deeply troubled because he could never fully open Li Fuxiang’s heart. The Emperor regarded Li Fuxiang as his son, bound by blood, yet Li Fuxiang only saw him as a powerful figure trading in warmth. You give me the most, so I am closest to you.
That was Li Fuxiang’s reality for ten years.
Gao Yuexing gently stroked his face, her heart aching for him.
Leaning against her knee, Li Fuxiang asked, “But why is your treatment of me so different from theirs?”
In his world, the only special existence was Gao Yuexing. Even he couldn’t pinpoint what made it different. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure it out.
Gao Yuexing pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and sighed, “Because you are the culmination of my longing, my tether, across past and present lives…”