Seasonal rain fell in sheets, drumming on the earth like a warbeat.
It took quite some time for Ji Yongtian to finally stop trembling and gather his wits. Then, as if mustering all the courage he had, he turned to Yun Shu and said, voice barely above a whisper, "I… Your Highness, might I have a word with you alone?"
He truly had something important to say?
Yun Shu arched a brow and, without a word, turned to walk toward a secluded corner where no one else was near.
"Come along."
Ji Yongtian pursed his lips nervously at her command, but nodded stiffly and trailed behind her in awkward, jerky steps, arms and legs nearly moving in sync.
"What is it? Speak."
Seeing Ji Yongtian walking as if he'd forgotten how to use his legs, a flicker of curiosity flashed through Yun Shu's eyes. But Ji Yongtian, heart pounding in his chest, was far too overwhelmed to notice anything unusual in her gaze.
Clutching the sides of his robe, he stammered out a reply.
"Your Highness knows that I… this humble one, when idle, often finds amusement in watching my elder brother."
He cast a guilty glance up before continuing.
"Especially after that fiasco at the poetry gathering. He was personally dismissed by His Majesty as unfit for great responsibility. Then, to make matters worse, he ranked last in the third tier of the palace examination and was appointed to some obscure post with no real authority. With his future in shambles, this humble one found even more reason to observe him."
Yun Shu stared at him for a moment.
That, she could understand.
Who wouldn't enjoy watching someone they disliked fall from grace?
She herself quite enjoyed watching the Crown Prince suffer.
She nodded with an air of calm understanding. "And?"
Ji Yongtian took a shaky breath. "Until recently, everything was as usual. My brother was gloomy all the time, as if the entire world owed him money. His face was always dark, and if he ever caught sight of me, he looked thoroughly annoyed."
"But…"
At that word, Ji Yongtian's already pale face turned even more bloodless.
"These past few days, his mood has shifted. Drastically. It's not just an improvement—he walks around as if the world lies at his feet.
It's just like when he first passed the provincial exam and earned the title of Gong Shi.
This humble one thought it strange. Then, two nights ago, I happened to see him leaving the manor through the back gate, all bundled up and sneaking about."
Now, if Ji Yongtian had one gift, it was an uncanny ability to recognize faces. Back at the poetry gathering, he had accurately identified every single person in a crowd, even through masks and cloaks.
So recognizing Ji Yongxing this time had been effortless.
With his brother acting so secretive, Ji Yongtian had assumed he was hiding something shameful from their parents. Delighted by the chance to catch him in the act, he had followed in secret, eager to collect some leverage.
And what he found…
"This humble one followed him all the way to Zuihong Tower. He was meeting with the Right Prime Minister's nephew. I overheard them speaking and…"
As Ji Yongtian recounted what he had heard with his own ears, Yun Shu's expression slowly shifted from casual interest to grim concern.
She said nothing when he finished.
Around them, the din of disaster relief efforts continued, mingling with the roar of the storm, but Ji Yongtian could hear nothing beyond the thunderous pounding of his own heart.
After a long, suffocating silence, he finally asked, voice weak, "Your Highness…?"
Yun Shu inhaled deeply, then looked him in the eye.
"From this moment on, you know nothing."
Her tone was slow, deliberate, and heavy with meaning.
"You and your elder brother do not get along. You have no interest in his affairs. You noticed nothing unusual in his behavior, and you most certainly did not follow him to Zuihong Tower that night.
You only came here today out of curiosity—to witness the relief efforts firsthand. Is that clear?"
"This humble one understands!" Ji Yongtian blurted, nodding frantically.
"Then go."
She watched his retreating figure until it disappeared down the path before returning to her station beside Zhuo Fengxin, continuing her supervision of the rescue work as if nothing had happened.
Later that afternoon, after all tasks were completed, Yun Shu even smiled and personally ordered several chests of silver to be brought out. She distributed generous rewards to everyone who had helped.
Only after the silver had been handed out did she return to the palace. She did not even pause to change her half-soaked clothes and made straight for the Imperial Study.
No one found this unusual.
After all, the rescue operation had lasted for days and ended in success. It was perfectly reasonable for her to report back and perhaps seek a bit of recognition.
Even her staying behind to dine with Emperor Xuanwu in the study was not out of the ordinary.
Everyone knew Emperor Xuanwu favored Princess Sheng An.
Beneath this calm surface, however, storm currents swirled unseen.
In the days that followed, Yun Shu remained quietly nestled within Fengyang Palace, resuming her peaceful and leisurely routine.
The heavy rains continued on and off for over twenty days, but thanks to the newly reinforced embankments, which held firm, and the early evacuation of the residents, the flooding caused minimal damage.
When the waters finally receded and the officials completed their damage assessment, they were astonished to find that fewer than one hundred civilians in the capital had been injured or killed.
A miracle.
Naturally, Yun Shu was honored for her role in making it happen.
But since she already held a noble title and her own fiefdom, there was no further title that could be conferred upon her. Emperor Xuanwu instead bestowed upon her a mountain of priceless treasures.
Even so, that did not stop jealous officials from seeking to undermine her by showering her with excessive praise in court, hoping to destroy her with compliments.
"To think Her Highness possesses such divine foresight. With her guiding hand, the people of our Tian Sheng dynasty shall never again be displaced by calamities."
"May Her Highness offer the nation her wisdom. Might we ask, shall the latter half of the year remain peaceful?"
"Her Highness is indeed the daughter of a true dragon. This official believes she should be named the Holy Maiden of Tian Sheng, that she might pray for our nation's continued fortune."
A Holy Maiden, bound by rites and prayers, could never contend for the position of Crown Heir.
Such clever poison hidden within flattery.
Yun Shu, without missing a beat, had their statements and their true implications printed in full in the Capital Weekly.
A virtuous one need not speak for herself—the people will rebuke injustice in her stead.
The officials who found themselves cursed and mocked by the citizens: "…"
Princess Sheng An, how can you be so unprincipled?
Schemes and counterschemes are only natural in court.
We all walk through blades and arrows to get where we are.
But why are you the only one allowed to call for reinforcements from the outside?