When Murong Jin returned to the front hall, Xue Liulan was already gone, having left for the palace with Guo Shangzhong and Little Dingzi. She had a bad feeling about the summons.
"Ning Bi," Murong Jin called to the maid at her side. Xue Liulan had assigned the girl to her when she first arrived.
"Yes, my lady."
"Go tell Captain He to post some men outside the palace gates. I want to know the second the Fifth Prince has any news."
"Yes, my lady."
As the maid left, Murong Jin felt a fraction of her anxiety ease. She sat down, her gaze falling on a dark stain on the floor. Spilled tea leaves.
"What's this mess?" she asked another servant.
"His Highness spilled it this morning, my lady."
"He spilled it?" She frowned. "Was he angry?"
"Oh, no, my lady. It was the tea that had been served to Eunuch Guo. His Highness said the tea was an insult to the Eunuch and had Little Dingzi pack some of the new Yu Maofeng for him. He said good tea is for those who can appreciate it."
So, she thought with a cold smile. He still doesn't trust me.
After dismounting, Xue Liulan left Little Dingzi at the palace gates and followed Guo Shangzhong toward the Imperial Study.
Suddenly, the eunuch stopped. "Your Highness, a moment."
"What is it, Eunuch Guo?"
The old eunuch smiled. "This old servant just remembered something that Your Highness ought to know."
"I am grateful for your care."
Guo Shangzhong stepped closer, his voice a whisper. "The Emperor is in a royal rage today. Your Highness should be careful."
Xue Liulan's lips curved slightly. He took a step back and bowed. "Thank you for the warning, Eunuch. I am in your debt."
"Not at all. This old servant has watched Your Highness grow up. One must look after one's own, wouldn't you agree?"
Xue Liulan nodded and continued walking. Guo Shangzhong was the Emperor's shadow. In this court, the power of the eunuchs could not be underestimated. For now, he was a useful ally.
"Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince has arrived," Guo Shangzhong announced, kneeling inside the study.
"Let him enter."
Outside, Xue Liulan paused. His father's voice was thick with fury. Someone is in for it, he thought. And I have a feeling it's going to be me.
"Your son greets the Imperial Father," he said, kneeling before the desk. He bowed his head, but the customary command to rise never came.
"Look up," the Emperor snapped.
Xue Liulan raised his head, and a stack of paper memorials slammed into his face. He didn't flinch, remaining perfectly still as the scrolls rained down on him.
"Father, calm your anger."
"You still know I am your father?" the Emperor roared, rising from his dragon throne. "Did you think of me as your father when you incited those ministers to write these memorials?"
What? Xue Liulan's mind raced. "Father, I did no such thing. I beg you, investigate this matter clearly."
"Investigate? Hah!" The Emperor collapsed back into his chair, pointing a trembling finger at the scattered scrolls. "See for yourself."
Xue Liulan picked up a few. He unrolled them, his expression growing darker as he read. Ministers, officials, commanders… all of them, writing to say the empty Crown Prince seat was a threat to the kingdom's stability. All of them, unanimously recommending him, the Fifth Prince Xue Liulan, as the new heir.
To a father who had just lost his firstborn son, these letters were daggers to the heart.
"Father, I did not incite them," he repeated, still kneeling.
"You didn't?" the Emperor sneered. "Or are you trying to tell me your reputation is so sterling that the entire court flocks to your banner?" He let out a bitter laugh. "Your brother's body is not yet cold in his grave. How could you be so cruel at a time like this… you… cough, cough."
"Your Majesty, you must care for your health!" Guo Shangzhong cried, rushing to his side.
"Please, Father, take care of your health," Xue Liulan echoed.
"Perhaps my death is exactly what you are hoping for!"
There was nothing he could say. Xue Liulan fell silent, kneeling on the hard floor, waiting for the storm to pass.
After a long time, the Emperor's voice came, cold and hard. "Guo Shangzhong, take this down."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"The Fifth Prince, for his insolence to the Empress and his coveting of the throne, is to receive fifty strokes of the staff. He is to be confined to his residence for three months and is forbidden from entering the palace without a direct summons."
Guo Shangzhong wrote, his eyes flicking to the prince. Xue Liulan remained perfectly still, accepting his fate. A smart man. He knew any explanation now would only add fuel to the fire.
"Take him away," the Emperor said with a weary wave.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Father, take care of yourself. Your son takes his leave," Xue Liulan said, bowing his head to the floor one last time before he was led away.
The Emperor watched him go, then slumped back in his throne with a long sigh. "You were virtuous your whole life," he whispered to the empty room. "You only ever asked two things of me. Now, I have fulfilled your wish."
When the news reached the Fifth Prince's residence, the teacup in Murong Jin's hand nearly slipped from her fingers.
"What did you say? Fifty strokes of the staff?" she demanded of the guard, Captain He.
"That is the news from the palace, Your Highness. The prince has already been taken to the Court of the Imperial Clan to receive his punishment."
"Why?"
"Something about the memorials, Your Highness. The reports are unclear."
"I see. Go to the court and bring him home when it is done."
"My lady," Ning Bi whispered at her side. "Should we send for an imperial physician? Fifty strokes… the wounds will be severe." As a maid who had served him for ten years, she was genuinely worried.
"No," Murong Jin said, shaking her head. "Go into the city and hire a common doctor."
"What?" Ning Bi stared. A city doctor? How could they compare to the physicians of the Imperial Hospital? Has Her Highness gone mad with worry?
"What are you waiting for?" Murong Jin asked, turning to her. Her gaze was so sharp it sent a chill down Ning Bi's spine. It was the look of a general, a look that promised death for disobedience.
The entire household bustled with preparations. Murong Jin stood at the entrance to the main hall, her eyes fixed on the main gate, her expression clouded with a deep, unfamiliar worry.
When Xue Liulan awoke, he was lying face down in his own bed. He shifted, a groan escaping his lips. His back still ached, but the searing pain had dulled to a throb. Not far away, Murong Jin was asleep in a chair, her head propped on her hand. It looked as if she hadn't slept all night.
A sudden lurch as her head slipped from her hand woke her. She blinked, her eyes focusing on Xue Liulan.
"You're awake?" she said, rushing to his bedside. "How do you feel?"
"Better," he answered with a weak smile. He looked at her face. "Your eyes are so red, like a rabbit's. Crying, or just no sleep?"
"From lack of sleep, of course," she said, rubbing them. "You were unconscious for three days, burning with a fever. No one in this household dared to sleep."
"Thank you for your hard work." He reached out to take her hand.
She flinched away. She walked to a nearby table and began arranging several porcelain bottles. "This is the Golden Sore medicine I brought from the frontier. It is the best for this kind of injury. Remember to take it on time."
"Hm?" He didn't understand her coldness. Then he saw a familiar figure standing in the doorway, just beyond the screen.
"Die Man?" he asked, unsure if he was seeing things.
"Please come in, Lady Die Man," Murong Jin called out.
The courtesan entered and walked to his bedside, her own eyes swollen from crying. "You're finally awake."
Xue Liulan patted her hand, his gaze fixed on Murong Jin, a question in his eyes.
"You called her name in your delirium," Murong Jin said, her back to him, her voice flat. "So I had Little Dingzi bring her here. You are confined for three months. I thought you could use the company."
He frowned, sensing the ice in her words.
"With two beauties to keep me company, the next three months will surely not be lonely," he said, his tone deliberately light and lazy, a perfect match for the mask he always wore.
Murong Jin's lips curved into a faint smile. "I am curious, Xue Liulan. Since you bought the loyalty of Guo Shangzhong, did he not give you any warning of this disaster?"
"A single packet of tea is a cheap price for a man's loyalty, don't you think?"
"True," she said with a slight arch of her brow. "I hope you have this matter resolved by the time I return."
His eyes narrowed. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to Wuchuan."