Chapter Ten: He Is On Your Side

This dream was the best among countless chaotic ones.

In the dream, Xiao Yuanchi was being brutally beaten by her. He scurried about, shielding his head, crying and pleading as he fled.

"Spare me, Your Highness! Don't hit me anymore! I know I was wrong! I'm a scoundrel, a heartless wretch! I swear I will never be fickle or cause you heartache again!"

Yin Jiaojiao stood with her hands on her hips, her figure swelling until she touched the heavens. She laughed wildly, "It's too late to beg for mercy now!"

With that, she stamped her foot, causing the earth to shake and the mountains to tremble. Xiao Yuanchi was knocked to the ground, rolling about and vomiting blood incessantly.

Yin Jiaojiao was overjoyed. She swayed her head and boasted, "Today, I’ll show you what a true God of War of the Great Yong looks like!"

She didn't know how long this bliss lasted before she finally opened her eyes.

The room was bright with daylight. Qiu Ming was leaning over the bedside; hearing movement, she quickly stood up to check on her.

"Your Highness, you’re awake!"

"What time is it now?"

"The third quarter of the Chen hour."

Yin Jiaojiao looked around. The palace chamber was spacious and elegantly furnished, but it was not her own residence. She snapped to full consciousness.

"Am I in the palace?"

"Yes."

"Where is the beauty?"

"What beauty?"

Yin Jiaojiao rubbed her forehead and sighed, "Qiu Ming, what exactly happened?"

Qiu Ming gave a brief account of yesterday's events. At the end, she added gleefully, "After you fainted, Your Highness, the Prince carried you all the way back to the Qingning Palace, and he has been caring for you ever since without even undressing to rest! On the way back, he didn't even glance at Lady Sun!"

He certainly would have liked to look and to hold her, but they were in the palace, and the Emperor was watching from above; no matter how much he wanted to, he had to restrain himself.

Yin Jiaojiao gave a noncommittal "oh," showing no signs of joy.

Qiu Ming grew anxious.

"Your Highness, really, I’ve been thinking—the Prince arrived so promptly that he must have been nearby even when you pushed Lady Sun."

Yin Jiaojiao was bewildered. "You mean..."

"Perhaps the Prince saw the whole thing from the start, but when I was arguing, he didn't say a single word. What does that tell you?" Qiu Ming clapped her hands. "It means the Prince intends to protect you! He is on your side!"

If that were the case, Gu Xuezhi’s initial scheme must have been staged for someone’s benefit. She had assumed it was the palace servants, but could it have been Xiao Yuanchi?

That would make sense. Gu Xuezhi must have acted on impulse upon seeing Xiao Yuanchi. She hadn't expected to be outmaneuvered; in her shock, she must have been delighted, believing that Xiao Yuanchi, having witnessed everything, would surely uphold justice for her. That was why she had been so righteous in her accusations.

"You’re just guessing," Yin Jiaojiao said, looking away in a panic. "The Crown Prince also arrived very quickly. Could it be that he was watching from the sidelines too?"

Qiu Ming was rendered speechless.

Yin Jiaojiao took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves.

She had forgotten about him.

The Crown Prince, Xiao Yuanxi, would become Xiao Yuanchi’s greatest political rival. If one wanted to use a knife to kill, there was no better blade than the Crown Prince. But...

Yin Jiaojiao did not have a deep impression of the Crown Prince. From childhood, she could count the number of times they had met on one hand. Even when they did meet, they would exchange a few words, offer a bow, and that was it—no further connection. In her previous life, Xiao Yuanxi was Xiao Yuanchi’s mortal enemy. She had wished to cast spells and stick needles into effigies of him every day. In this life, that disgust and hostility could not be dispelled so easily; the mere thought of his face made her mood complex.

Never mind, she shouldn't dwell on such messy things. The beauty assassin was the top priority!

The news of the Princess of Qin’s recovery soon spread throughout the Qingning Palace. Xia Lan came to report that Xiao Yuanchi wanted her to meet him at the Buddhist shrine in half an incense stick of time.

Yin Jiaojiao was drinking her medicine and asked casually, "Half an incense stick? Where is he right now?"

Xia Lan’s eyes darted away, and she began to stammer.

"Just tell the truth."

"Your Highness, the Prince went to visit Lady... Lady Sun, and has not yet returned."

So, the reason he was nowhere to be seen all morning was that he was lingering with his beloved. Of course. Gu Xuezhi had been pushed into the water by her and had lost the advantage of playing the victim. How could she let it go? Looking at it this way... summoning her to the Buddhist shrine was likely to demand an explanation for his beloved.

She gave a soft "hmm" and didn't press further. Xia Lan thought she was heartbroken, but as soon as the medicine was finished, Yin Jiaojiao became energetic again, bustling about to go out.

Xia Lan asked curiously, "The time hasn't come yet; where is Your Highness going?"

"To visit Lady Sun."

Lady Sun had her own small courtyard in the Qingning Palace. As the adopted daughter of Consort Shu, her courtyard was private and independent, complete with a stone plaque above the gate inscribed with "Xuezhi Cottage," clearly telling everyone that she was the mistress here and one of their own.

Before Yin Jiaojiao even stepped inside, she heard laughter from within.

"Seventh Brother, do you still remember this little garden? You helped me fix it back then."

"I remember. You had your eye on the peonies in the Empress’s palace and insisted on planting them, so Mother let you open a garden here to amuse yourself. I happened to be free, so I lent a hand."

"Those little eunuchs have clumsy hands and careless hearts; the garden they made was terribly ugly. It’s not like you, Seventh Brother, who knows my heart so well. In a few days, these peonies will bloom. When they do... would you like to come back and appreciate them with me?"

Xiao Yuanchi smiled. "I will."

Seeing the mood was right, Gu Xuezhi changed the subject. "From childhood until now, you have always appeared whenever I needed you most. Yesterday, you arrived so quickly and so timely. Was it because you saw me from the start?"

The smile on Xiao Yuanchi’s lips did not fade.

"What are you suspicious of, Xuezhi?"

Gu Xuezhi’s long eyelashes trembled. "I have never doubted you, Seventh Brother. I only worry if I acted improperly yesterday, forcing you to turn a blind eye just to maintain the dignity of the Prince’s residence."

Yin Jiaojiao, who had been twisting her handkerchief outside, stiffened upon hearing this. It turned out that not only was Qiu Ming suspicious, but Gu Xuezhi had also thought of this.

Partiality and shielding always imply favoritism and indulgence. This favoritism from Xiao Yuanchi had always been exclusively enjoyed by Gu Xuezhi. If this were true, it meant the scales in his heart had shifted.

Yin Jiaojiao sneered inwardly. Even if the scales had tilted, it was only by a fraction, and perhaps only for the sake of the Prince’s residence. She didn't know why Gu Xuezhi was so nervous, but the deepest agitation in her heart made her unable to help but prick up her ears and listen more closely.

"You mean to say I arrived early, saw Yin Jiaojiao push you into the water, and chose to ignore it, playing deaf and dumb rather than upholding justice for you."

He was right, but Gu Xuezhi could not admit it. She said, "It wasn't that serious. It was just a small spat between sisters; it didn't require you to step in to uphold justice. It’s just..." She looked at him, "Seventh Brother, do you have different feelings for the Princess?"

Xiao Yuanchi was silent for a moment. He looked toward the peony branches in the small garden that had yet to bud. They swayed in the wind, waiting for an answer.

"As for Yin Jiaojiao," Xiao Yuanchi’s mouth curled into a slight arc, "beyond the duties of a husband and wife, there is nothing more. There never was, and there never will be."

"Then..."

"Your worries are entirely superfluous. If it is proven that she truly pushed you into the water, I will punish her severely. I will never shield her!"

He was righteous; he was iron-clad. Yin Jiaojiao heard Qiu Ming gasp beside her. She heard the rustling of the wind through the leaves, and she heard Gu Xuezhi’s satisfied, coquettish tone. Every word pierced her ears, every word was ice-cold, chilling her to the bone and marrow.

In truth, these words were within expectations. She had heard them before; she should have been used to it, she should have had no hope. But why, then, did it still hurt so much?

Yin Jiaojiao retreated subconsciously, blinking rapidly, trying to suppress the damp heat rising in her eyes.

"Your Highness," Xia Lan said suddenly and loudly, "are we not going in?"