By the time the Prince of Jinnan returned home from the Crown Prince’s residence, it was already the hour of Hai (9-11 PM). As he stepped into the mansion, he walked forward with large strides, his face stern as he ordered Chen Anzhi to meet him in the study.
Chen Anzhi, still groggy from leaving Tanxiang Yingyue, was immediately summoned to the Prince of Jinnan’s study.
“Father, you wanted to see me. Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be back tonight…”
Before Chen Anzhi could finish, the Prince of Jinnan slapped him hard, causing him to stagger backward. He barely managed to steady himself, but in the process, he knocked over a stand of potted plants, shattering a valuable porcelain vase into pieces.
Chen Anzhi was momentarily blinded by the blow, tasting blood in his mouth.
The Emperor Chen was fond of martial arts and had rigorously trained his sons from a young age. Although the Prince of Jinnan now spent his days leisurely drinking tea and playing chess, he had indeed fought alongside the Emperor on the battlefield for nearly two decades. Such a slap was not something the frail Chen Anzhi could withstand.
“Ingrate! Do you want to bring ruin upon me?”
The princess consort had been anxiously waiting for the Prince of Jinnan at home. Upon learning of his return, she hurried over and, as she reached the study door, heard his furious exclamation.
Since an unfortunate incident many years ago, the Prince of Jinnan had shed his armor and gradually become more amiable. It had been many years since he had shown such anger.
The princess consort pushed the door open and entered.
Chen Anzhi looked at the princess consort for help, but she did not meet his gaze, instead carefully observing the Prince of Jinnan’s expression.
The Prince of Jinnan pointed at Chen Anzhi, his voice harsh: “If you cause trouble for me again, the position of heir is not necessarily yours! As the legitimate son, you are not even half as good as your half-brother!”
Chen Anzhi was terrified.
There was nothing more severe than these words.
His knees gave way, and he knelt down.
The princess consort asked, “Did the Crown Prince say something, or was it His Majesty…”
“And you!” The Prince of Jinnan pointed at the princess consort.
She was startled, instinctively stepping back half a step. Even she feared the Prince of Jinnan in his rage. She frowned and softly said, “I have indeed been too preoccupied recently and have not managed things well.”
The Prince of Jinnan took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. He looked at Chen Anzhi again and commanded, “Behave yourself!”
Chen Anzhi kept his head down, not daring to talk back at this moment.
The Prince of Jinnan took another deep breath, gradually softening his tone: “You just got married, yet you neglect your legitimate wife and only think about taking concubines. Is this appropriate? Doctor Hu prescribed a remedy for Madam You’s mother that requires umbilical cord blood from a close relative. You should prepare to have a legitimate son soon, to achieve both goals.”
“But, but… I’ve divorced her…” Chen Anzhi mumbled softly.
The Prince of Jinnan turned to him in shock, his temper flaring up again.
The princess consort was equally stunned: “What are you talking about?”
Chen Anzhi kept silent.
The princess consort, still in disbelief, walked over to him and questioned, “When did this happen? Divorce is a complex matter. Who witnessed it? Who handled the paperwork? Do you think you can divorce just by saying so?”
“J-just now…” Chen Anzhi, fearing his father, looked up at the princess consort for help, “She forced me…”
“She could force you? You, the dignified heir, the emperor’s own grandson, what could she possibly use to force you?” The princess consort angrily raised her voice.
Chen Anzhi slumped in defeat, “She deliberately provoked me with her words. I was so angered that I signed the divorce paper she gave me.”
He quickly added, “She said she wouldn’t move out immediately. She would wait until the Empress Dowager returns to the capital and take the blame herself…”
The Prince of Jinnan was almost amused by his own anger.
The princess consort began to feel a headache coming on, “Dear An, your grandfather, the emperor, has become increasingly suspicious in his old age these past few years. Do you really want to make him dissatisfied with your father?”
The Prince of Jinnan, however, slowly calmed down. He sat down in a chair, pondering for a long time, then said, “A woman’s impulsive actions out of grievance shouldn’t be taken seriously. There’s still some time before the Empress Dowager returns at the end of the year. Before she returns, you must make sure she is pregnant with your legitimate child.”
The princess consort looked back at the Prince of Jinnan, worried. She sighed lightly and said, “I will try to persuade her.”
The Prince of Jinnan said no more.
A man capable of slaughtering a city was never a kind person.
When Gu Momo came to summon You Yuji, she was seated at her dressing table, placing a purple jade hairpin in her cloud-like hair. She wasn’t at all surprised that the princess consort had summoned her.
She suddenly recalled a saying she overheard from the coarse-tongued servant women below: “The barefooted are not afraid of the shod.” Though crude, it somewhat fit her current situation.
Her marriage to Chen Anzhi was fraught with political implications. It was part of Emperor Chen’s plan to gradually unify the various nations through bloodline integration and a reward to the surrendered ministers.
With her father dead in battle and herself a martyr’s orphan, she had far fewer concerns than the Prince of Jinnan’s household. Her younger brother was still small, and no one in her family cared about fame or fortune at this time.
She had indeed deliberately provoked Chen Anzhi with her words, tricking him into signing the divorce paper. She knew that if the matter were handled openly, there would be many obstacles, and the procedure would be complex and time-consuming. She didn’t want to waste time on such trivial matters.
Even though it wasn’t done according to proper protocol, both their names were already on the divorce paper.
It was settled.
Though she was in a hurry, she wasn’t reckless. Having Chen Anzhi sign now was to give her peace of mind. Later, she would wait until the Empress Dowager returned to the capital, during the new year amnesty, to make this divorce paper public at the most opportune moment.
You Yuji stood up and followed Gu Momo to see the princess consort.
She moved gracefully, neither hurried nor slow.
When You Yuji arrived at the study, the Prince of Jinnan was no longer there. The princess consort was sitting in a chair, holding her head, while Chen Anzhi stood beside her with his head down. The mess of broken porcelain and scattered dirt had already been cleaned up.
“Princess Consort,” You Yuji curtsied slightly.
The princess consort suddenly remembered that You Yuji had started calling her “Princess Consort” instead of “Mother Consort” a few days ago. Observing You Yuji’s expression, she vaguely guessed that what the Prince of Jinnan said might not be accurate and that You Yuji’s actions were probably not just impulsive.
The princess consort said, “The matter of making her a secondary wife is impossible. The Jinnan Mansion cannot do such an absurd thing.”
Chen Anzhi looked up at his mother, then lowered his head sadly. He understood that he could no longer insist on making his cousin a secondary wife; otherwise, he might not even retain his position as heir.
Thinking of how he had ultimately wronged his cousin, he felt a pang of sorrow. The thought of how heartbroken she would be upon learning the news made him even more reluctant.
The princess consort observed You Yuji’s expression and tentatively asked, “In a few days, it will be Anzhi’s coming-of-age ceremony. Is everything ready?”
You Yuji replied gently, “The steward reported to me a couple of days ago. Everything has been arranged perfectly, so you can rest assured, Princess Consort.”
Chen Anzhi looked at You Yuji, his brow furrowing. He couldn’t understand why You Yuji was still willing to take care of his affairs.
He found that he couldn’t see through this woman at all.
The princess consort was also uncertain. She continued, “Anzhi just told me about the divorce papers. Sharing a bed is a fortune earned over a hundred years, and a marriage is a fated bond. People have vastly different personalities, and it’s hard to get along comfortably from the start. Anzhi was pampered and spoiled growing up, and I am to blame for indulging him. They say a woman can manage her husband, so you should take control of him more often.”
You Yuji stood gracefully and listened obediently. She nodded and said softly, “You are right, Princess Consort. I will think about it carefully.”
Chen Anzhi was stunned and looked at You Yuji with even more confusion in his eyes.
You Yuji spoke gently, “It’s very late. Princess Consort, you should take care of your health and rest early.”
The princess consort was silent for a while before nodding, “Everyone may leave now.”
You Yuji performed a proper courtesy and wished her well, then turned to leave.
Chen Anzhi watched You Yuji’s departing figure in a daze before following suit to leave.
The commotion in the palace today had been quite significant, and although it was late, no courtyard was unaware of the news.
As You Yuji walked past the Rose Gate, not far from Tanxiang Yingyue, Chen Anzhi couldn’t help but catch up and call out to her.
“Were you serious about what you said just now, or were you just trying to appease my mother?”
You Yuji did not immediately answer. Her gaze went past Chen Anzhi and fell on Fang Qingyi in the distance. Chen Anzhi followed her gaze and, seeing his cousin, felt a turmoil inside.
He quickly walked towards Fang Qingyi.
The word “cousin” was filled with endless emotions.
Fang Qingyi, with tears on her eyelashes, tried to muster a smile and said tremblingly, “I understand the outcome now. I made it difficult for you, cousin. It’s all my fault…”
Suddenly, there was a faint meow.
Chen Anzhi and Fang Qingyi were deeply gazing at each other and didn’t notice the faint sound. But You Yuji heard it. She turned her head and saw Si Que standing in the shadow of the plum grove, not knowing how long he had been there.
“No, it’s not your fault; it’s mine. This is all my fault. I have let you down. Even though my father and mother don’t agree with the secondary wife arrangement, I don’t want to wrong you. At least, I’ll welcome you as a concubine. We are deeply in love, and no one can separate us.”
“The heir is deeply in love with whom?” Si Que asked coolly. His voice, like a handful of moonlight filled with chill, reached their ears.
The clear, resonant voice froze Chen Anzhi in place, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.
In private conversations, men often lamented that although Princess Que of the Si Kingdom had divine beauty, her voice lacked the soft, gentle qualities of a woman. However, Chen Anzhi found Princess Que’s voice truly beautiful, as if it belonged to a goddess in the heavens with such a lofty and proud tone.
Chen Anzhi turned around slowly, his body stiff, and looked at Si Que standing under the plum tree.
Dressed in white, Si Que’s slender and aloof figure was accentuated. He lowered his eyes, holding a small black kitten in his arms. His long fingers gently stroked the kitten’s neck to its back, over and over again.
Watching Si Que’s fingers caress the little black kitten, Chen Anzhi felt a tingling sensation down his spine and wished he could become that little kitten.
Si Que suddenly stopped his movements. He raised his eyes, and the mottled moonlight filtered through the branches into his pupils. He slowly curled his lips into a faint smile.
“No…” Chen Anzhi wished he could bite off his tongue, as he didn’t know how to explain.
Si Que took a step forward, gradually emerging from the shadows of the plum grove. Halfway through, he stopped and looked at a patch of snow obstructing his path on the stone floor.
This was the first time Fang Qingyi had seen Si Que’s appearance. She bit her lip hard. Although You Yuji was also extremely beautiful, she knew her cousin did not like glamorous women, and the elegant Si Que in front of her clearly possessed the refinement her cousin favored.
Chen Anzhi quickly walked over, taking off his outer robe as he approached. He knelt before Si Que and used his robe to brush away the snow.
Si Que leisurely petted the kitten and glanced down at the kneeling Chen Anzhi, saying, “The heir doing this, won’t it upset your cousin?”
Fang Qingyi watched Chen Anzhi’s actions, the color draining from her face.
Si Que looked at her casually, “Your cousin’s dress today looks quite similar to mine.”
You Yuji looked at Si Que strangely, wondering what he was doing. Was he vying for favor?
The last trace of color drained from Fang Qingyi’s face. She felt as if she had fallen into a dark, icy abyss, continuously sinking.
—That dress was a gift from her cousin.
Many past events suddenly pointed to one conclusion. Overwhelmed with shame, Fang Qingyi turned and ran.
Obviously, Chen Anzhi couldn’t attend to Fang Qingyi now. He looked at Si Que, “Why is the princess here?”
“To talk with my sister. I won’t see you off,” Si Que replied, lowering his eyes.
Chen Anzhi glanced at You Yuji, nodded, and left reluctantly, looking back every few steps.
Once Chen Anzhi was far away, You Yuji frowned and asked, “Why did you say those things?”
—He should avoid trouble while disguised as a woman.
“Because,” Si Que’s dark eyes, shimmering like fragmented moonlight, looked over, “she bullies you, sister.”
