"At this point, Fifth Imperial Sister, even if you deny it, it no longer holds any weight."
Assuming Yun Shu was making a final, desperate struggle, the Crown Prince let out a dismissive snort, fully prepared to lay out her supposed crimes one by one. Yet before he could speak, Yun Shu was the one to interrupt, turning his accusation on its head.
"Crown Prince Imperial Brother, you repeatedly claim I leaked the exam questions and tampered with the system. That strikes me as strange."
Her gaze was calm, voice clear. "The Spring Examination only just concluded. How, may I ask, did Imperial Brother come to know the content of this year's exam so swiftly? Unless... Imperial Brother somehow obtained it in advance?"
Under the Tian Sheng dynasty's rigorous safeguards against cheating in the imperial examinations, the topics for both the Metropolitan and Palace Examinations were personally selected by the Emperor. Even the chief examiners would only learn of the questions on the very morning of the exam.
Yun Shu's veiled question was as good as a direct challenge. She had all but accused the Crown Prince of the very misconduct he attributed to her.
Naturally, the Crown Prince would never admit to such a thing. He scoffed, "I merely heard a report from a servant. A candidate, who finished early, claimed that this year's exam questions were identical to those you previously made public at Tian Waitian Restaurant."
Yun Shu tilted her head, genuinely curious. "Which servant? Which candidate?"
"Why do you ask?" The Crown Prince's expression turned cold, clearly unwilling to engage.
"Surely you are not thinking of retaliation?"
Yun Shu's laughter rang out.
"Imperial Brother must be jesting. Even if someone were to seek revenge, it should not be me. After all, it was you who were deceived, not I. What grievance could I possibly have?"
The Crown Prince's face froze.
Deceived?
That word struck him like ice water. He began to realize something was amiss. Indeed, he had dispatched men from the palace earlier that day, hoping to obtain the exam topics as quickly as possible, so he could accuse Yun Shu before Imperial Father. But strangely, his men never returned.
Just as he was considering abandoning the matter, he overheard a guard mentioning a disturbance outside the examination compound. Apparently, to prevent an escalation, Princess Sheng An had even detained several bystanders.
He had taken that as a sign that his plan was unfolding as expected—that Yun Shu had merely intercepted his agents.
Fearing delays might give her a chance to escape the situation, he had rushed to the Imperial Study without confirming anything.
But now…
Forcing himself to remain composed, the Crown Prince asked coldly, "What deception are you referring to?"
"Why, the matter of the leaked exam, of course."
With utmost seriousness, Yun Shu recited the actual Spring Examination topic aloud before both Emperor Xuanwu and the Crown Prince. Then, she produced a sheet listing all the mock questions she had published earlier and handed it to Emperor Xuanwu.
As the Crown Prince's face twitched with rage, Yun Shu looked up with a wounded expression.
"Father Emperor, please look. There is not the slightest resemblance between the real exam and the questions I shared. And yet, I am accused of leaking the topics. This is truly an injustice."
Emperor Xuanwu gave the page a cursory glance, then flicked it lightly toward the Crown Prince. His tone was cool.
"And what does the Crown Prince have to say?"
"This son..." The Crown Prince faltered. The words caught in his throat like splinters.
What could he say? That the exam topics had been changed, and they no longer matched the questions he had acquired? That would be tantamount to declaring his own misconduct.
It would be suicide.
He took a deep breath and knelt, bowing in remorse.
"This son was wrong to place faith in rumors and doubt Imperial Sister. I beg Father Emperor's—"
Boom!
A sudden, muffled drumbeat echoed through the hall, cutting off his words.
From behind the imperial desk, Emperor Xuanwu's head snapped up.
The Crown Prince, still kneeling, looked confused. But Yun Shu, standing to the side, arched her brow in amusement.
"Oh? The Drum of Appeal?"
Emperor Xuanwu narrowed his eyes.
That little brat!
Could he not see what was happening? This entire commotion clearly had her fingerprints all over it.
He had thought her earlier maneuvers were the extent of her plan. Yet she still had another card to play.
She had taken him by surprise again.
Scowling, Emperor Xuanwu gave her a cold snort.
"Enough. Withdraw for now. Do not forget the morning court."
"Yes, Father Emperor."
According to Tian Sheng law, one who struck the Drum of Appeal would receive thirty strikes of the rod, but was granted the right to present grievances before the Emperor and the court of officials.
Even if the matter had nothing to do with Yun Shu, she would still be required to appear. In this case, however, it was clearly connected.
As she walked out of the Imperial Study alongside the Crown Prince, they saw the Preceptor waiting at the door.
Yun Shu greeted him with cheerful warmth. "Still here, Daren?"
The Preceptor did not respond.
The Crown Prince's composure cracked the moment they stepped outside. No longer constrained by the Emperor's presence, he turned on her with open hostility.
"I underestimated you."
His expression twisted. "But do not be too proud of yourself."
Yun Shu only smiled.
"Imperial Brother, you wound me. I did nothing but clear my own name. What is there to gloat about?"
Feigning ignorance, she waved her hand with a bright smile.
"Nine days in the examination compound yielded results, but it was exhausting. You two talk as you wish. I shall return first."
The Crown Prince clenched his teeth. Rage boiled within him, barely held in check.
Fortunately, he remembered where he stood, and the Preceptor at his side whispered a reminder.
Only after returning to the Eastern Palace and confirming that they were alone did he finally let loose. He smashed everything within reach, venting his fury.
"Were We not told there would be no issues? Was it not said that everything was proceeding smoothly?
You saw the look on that bastard Yun Shu's face, did you not? How pleased she was with herself!
She dares to mock Us—We, who were born of the main wife, the rightful Crown Prince of Tian Sheng!
And she? What is she but the low-born daughter of a Noble Lady? A girl with no mother to speak of, no noble clan behind her, no standing in court, no power, no weight—nothing!
And yet she dares to sneer at Us?
On what grounds does someone like that presume to challenge Us?"
"Your Highness, please quell your anger…"
"We cannot!"
The Crown Prince's voice rose in near hysteria.
The Preceptor fell silent, knowing no words would reach him now. He waited patiently for the storm to pass.
Only after the Crown Prince's anger began to ebb did he speak again.
"Then… Your Highness suspects that the guard you overheard may have been one of Princess Sheng An's men?"
A glint of sharp understanding flashed in the Preceptor's eyes as he caught a critical detail.
"Did Your Highness mention this to His Majesty?"
===
I want to tell you something about this chapter. In the original text:
那个云舒有多得意你刚才也都看到了吧?她在嘲笑孤!
她区区一个没有母族助力,没有朝中势力什么都没有的庶出公主竟敢嘲笑孤这个正统的太子!
她凭什么!"
That can be translated as (using google translate):
You just saw how proud Yun Shu was, didn't you? She was laughing at me!
How dare she, a bastard princess with no support from her mother's family, no power in the court, and nothing, laugh at me, the legitimate crown prince!
What right does she have! "
Bastard in here refer to '庶出' (shùchū).
庶 (shù): In ancient Chinese, this character refers to the secondary or lesser status—often used to describe concubines (庶母), and their children (庶子 / 庶出).
出 (chū): Literally means "to be born from" in this context.
So 庶出 literally means: "born of a secondary wife or concubine". That is, not born of the main wife (嫡妻 díqī).
Contrast with 嫡出 (díchū)
嫡出 = born of the official, legal wife (the main wife), and considered the legitimate heir.
庶出 = born of a concubine, and although legally acknowledged by the father, has lower social and inheritance status.
In English, bastard originally referred to: A person born outside of lawful marriage, especially one whose birth renders them ineligible for inheritance or succession.
This is conceptually similar to 庶出 (shùchū), though:
In Chinese law, 庶出 children were still legally acknowledged if the father recognized them.
In Western traditions, illegitimate children were often denied legal recognition unless legitimized later.
However, when used insultingly, both "bastard" and "庶出" (shùchū), can imply: Lower status; Lack of proper lineage; Shame or stain on one's origin
So in fictional contexts, especially in royal court dramas or when emotions run high, translating 庶出 as "bastard" can be accurate if the speaker is using it to insult, diminish, or attack someone's legitimacy.
Based on all of that, I've decided to use a mix of "bastard" and shùchū (庶出) in the translation. This combination helps convey both the literal meaning and the social weight of the term in context.
I also chose to highlight the Crown Prince's insult more clearly by expanding on Yun Shu's birth origin. His comparison hinges on hierarchy—he was born of the Empress, the highest-ranking woman in the imperial harem, while Yun Shu was born of a Noble Lady, who holds the lowest rank among imperial consorts. I wanted to ensure that this disparity in maternal status came across with the appropriate weight in English, as it directly informs the sharpness of his insult and the underlying power dynamic between them.
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In ancient China, most people, particularly the peasantry or lower classes, had little direct access to the magistrate or local official, who was the ultimate authority in the region. In order to be heard, they would beat the drum placed outside the yamen's main gate to attract attention. The loud, resonating sound of the drum could be heard from a distance, alerting the officials and signaling that someone was seeking justice. This action was a direct call for the magistrate or his deputies to hear the complaint.
Although the act of beating the drum was not legally required in every case, it had become an established tradition. However, it was not taken lightly. People who beat the drum had to be prepared to defend their case in front of the magistrate. False accusations or frivolous complaints could result in punishment, so it was generally used when the complainant was certain of the injustice they had suffered.
For more information about this 'drum beating', you can visit link that I put on the comment section of the chapter: Heads Up (=`ω´=)