Chapter 122: As One Trouble Subsides, Another Arises (Part 1)

Chuxiu had never expected the calamity she feared to come so soon. Only three months had passed when the situation took a sudden turn for the worse. The so-called “rebellion,” in which the Fourth Prince, Prince Fu, had initially held the upper hand, ended in failure.

Chuxiu, being in Yanlan City, did not know the details of what had happened. According to the confidential reports delivered by the secret guards, Prince Fu had raised the banner of “Brothers stirring up chaos among themselves—why such haste to destroy one another?” In theory, he should have attacked Fangzhou first to deal with Prince Mu. Instead, he had impatiently led his forces straight toward the imperial capital, Jingzhou.

It was a disastrous move. It exposed the hollowness of Prince Fu’s supposed intentions and utterly destroyed the reputation for benevolence he had spent years cultivating.

At the same time, as the world’s doubts about Chuxiu grew increasingly fierce, Prince Mu launched a counterattack. With one decisive push, he stormed the fief of Prince Fu, Quzhou. Using Prince Fu’s “rebellion” as justification, he acted first and reported afterward, executing every one of his wife, concubines, and children without leaving a single survivor. Naturally, Shen Yu’s elder sister, Shen Xuan, did not escape this calamity.

When the news arrived, Prince Fu was directing the fighting near the imperial capital. He nearly fainted upon hearing it. Who could have imagined that Prince Mu would strike from both sides? He had sent one army to Quzhou to deal with Prince Fu’s family, while personally leading another force southward. Victory followed him all along the way, and he advanced straight toward the imperial capital beneath the banner of “Protecting the Emperor and Saving the Nation.”

In terms of momentum, Prince Fu had clearly lost. What was more, Prince Mu had left his fourth elder brother no way out, slaughtering his entire household. Such methods were indeed ruthless enough to make the blood run cold.

After that, the tumult finally began to resolve itself. On the nineteenth day of the sixth month, Prince Mu routed Prince Fu’s forces and stormed into the imperial capital of Jingzhou. In the main hall of Yingyuan Palace, Emperor Nie was forced to choose between his two sons—seventh over fourth. Overcome by grief and rage, the Fourth Prince, Prince Fu, slit his own throat and died in the hall.

Afterward, Prince Mu obtained Emperor Nie’s abdication edict, yet he did not immediately ascend the throne in Jingzhou. Instead, he set out for his own fief, Fangzhou, assuming the posture of a loyal and filial son who had “won victory under the imperial banner.” However, the news had come through the secret guards of the Yun clan. Whether Prince Mu had truly obtained the abdication edict remained a secret yet to be verified.

But the outcome had already been decided. The heir to Nanxi was Nie Peihan. Even without the title of Crown Prince, he had won the realm of Nanxi. Perhaps his next ambition would be to unite the two kingdoms, north and south.

At that moment, however, Chuxiu had no time to celebrate Prince Mu’s victory, still less to take pride in her own foresight. All her thoughts were focused on the Marquis Wen Chang’s household.

Since Prince Mu had been so ruthless as to execute Shen Yu’s sister, Princess Shen Xuan of Prince Fu, Chuxiu could almost imagine what fate awaited the entire household of Marquis Wen Chang...

“Mother, I must save the Young Marquis.” Chuxiu went to Rongjin Hall and spoke earnestly to the Grand Dowager. “Prince Fu has been defeated, and his consort has been executed by Prince Mu. The Marquis Wen Chang’s household is in grave danger!”

The Grand Dowager cast her a light glance. “Why are you so anxious? Shen Yu’s elder brother is no simpleton. He has surely already found a way to protect himself.”

“Prince Mu forced even Prince Fu to slit his own throat. How could he possibly let the Marquis Wen Chang’s household off easily?” Chuxiu hastily denied it. “In any case, he has already earned enough renown and no longer fears being called ruthless. What if he intends to bury the Marquis Wen Chang’s household with Prince Fu...?”

At that, Chuxiu’s expression changed completely.

The Grand Dowager let out a helpless sigh. “Chuxiu, your words and actions have now gone beyond the bounds of your position as mistress of the Yun clan. You chose to support the Seventh Prince and spent a fortune assisting him. Now that he has succeeded, this is precisely the time when our Yun clan should win his favor. Since you already know what sort of man the Seventh Prince is, you should also understand that one day the Yun clan may be the rabbit slaughtered after the hounds have done their work. At this critical moment, you cannot protect Shen Yu. If you defy the Seventh Prince once more, the entire Yun clan may be ruined.”

“Mother!” Tears instantly filled Chuxiu’s eyes. Shen Yu’s death seemed to stand before her. “You once told me that if I wanted to protect Shen Yu again, I should not secretly scheme behind the scenes, but ask Prince Mu directly for this favor.”

The Grand Dowager sighed again. “I said that three or four months ago. At the time, I never imagined that the Seventh Prince would be so ruthless as to exterminate the wives and children of the Fourth Prince...” She looked at Chuxiu with regret. “We must abandon Xiangrong as a piece on the board.”

Abandon her?

Chuxiu’s heart gave a violent jolt. To abandon Yun Xiangrong was the same as abandoning Shen Yu.

“Mother!” she pleaded again, desperate to make the Grand Dowager change her mind.

The Grand Dowager waved her off. “You are now the mistress of the Yun clan. Every word and action of yours represents the Yun clan’s position. I cannot let you act recklessly for the sake of an outsider and sacrifice the clan’s honor and future.”

“Perhaps Prince Mu is in high spirits now. If we choose an auspicious day to bring up Shen Yu’s case, perhaps he will agree?” Chuxiu refused to give up. “Please let me try.”

“Oh? And how do you intend to try?” the Grand Dowager asked with apparent curiosity.

Chuxiu herself had no certainty, and her thoughts were in utter confusion. She could only blurt out, “I want to seek out Luan Su, Prince Mu’s secondary consort.”

“Have you not had enough dirty water poured over you already?” the Grand Dowager exploded, rejecting the idea at once. “You want to seek Luan Su out, cultivate her friendship, and ask her to intercede on Shen Yu’s behalf. What will the Seventh Prince think? He will certainly believe that you are using Luan Su! She is the woman he loves most. If you use her, how could the Seventh Prince let it go? Besides, Luan Su may think that you and Shen Yu are having an affair. She is famous for being suspicious and prone to overthinking!”

The Grand Dowager had never met Luan Su, yet she had learned her temperament thoroughly. Chuxiu had indeed met Luan Su several times and heard a few things about her. She thought Luan Su was quick-witted and eloquent, but not particularly ambitious. Still, Prince Mu liked her—very much.

Chuxiu’s mind descended into chaos. At last, she could bear it no longer and fell to her knees with a heavy thud.

“Mother! You know that Young Marquis Shen is my benefactor. In the Drunken Flower Pavilion of Jingzhou, I would have died in the flames if he had not rescued and sheltered me! He helped me repeatedly afterward as well... And Xiangrong is also a daughter of our Yun clan. How can I stand by and watch her die? Even if this is not merely a matter of my personal wishes, do you truly want the world to say that the Yun clan could not even protect its own daughter and son-in-law?”

The Grand Dowager had valued honor and reputation all her life. Upon hearing Chuxiu’s final words, she fell silent.

After a moment, she said, “You are right. If the entire household of Marquis Wen Chang were executed and both Xiangrong and Shen Yu died, the world would certainly say that our Yun clan was incompetent and could not protect its own daughter and son-in-law. What is more, once our relationship with the Seventh Prince becomes public, people may criticize us for sacrificing a concubine-born daughter to secure glory for the entire clan.”

“That is exactly what I meant,” Chuxiu quickly agreed.

“I was careless. I failed to consider that.” The Grand Dowager seemed weary. She rubbed the space between her brows and continued, “I am old. I no longer think matters through as thoroughly as I should. If you wish to try, then go.”

At that, the Grand Dowager grew even more melancholy.

“If Ci’er were still alive, he would certainly have found a way to satisfy both sides... But he left this world and dumped the whole mess in my lap. Did he ever consider how it feels for an old woman to bury her own son? Did he ever consider whether I still have the strength to toil for the entire clan?”

By the end, resentment colored her voice—resentment toward her only son, Yun Ci.

At the mention of Yun Ci, the tears Chuxiu had been holding back finally spilled down her cheeks. Yun Ci and Shen Yu were the two most important men in her life—one her beloved, the other her benefactor. She did not want to watch both of them die before her eyes.

Perhaps the rumors circulating among the people were true. The men who became entangled with her seemed never to meet a good end.

Still kneeling, Chuxiu wiped away her tears and promised the Grand Dowager, “Do not worry. I will surely protect the Yun clan on the Marquis’s behalf. His spirit in heaven will certainly bless our entire clan with honor.”

Whenever she thought of the reason Yun Ci had died, and of how heartlessly she had cast aside their love before his death, Chuxiu felt that life held nothing worth clinging to. She had misunderstood him and hated him, never knowing the depth of his devotion—how he had exchanged his life for hers...

By the time Chuxiu finally understood, they had already been separated by life and death. If not for the need to avenge Yun Ci, and if not for the need to protect the Yun clan, she truly would have followed him to the underworld. Even now, that thought had never entirely left her. From time to time, it still circled through her mind.

“If the Marquis were alive, he certainly would not stand by and watch Xiangrong and Young Marquis Shen die,” Chuxiu said through her sobs.

“You are wrong.” The Grand Dowager could not conceal her own grief. “If Ci’er were alive, he would put the interests of the clan first. That is his duty as Marquis Lixin.”

The dead were gone, and no one could say with certainty what attitude Yun Ci would have taken. But Chuxiu had now made up her mind to save Shen Yu.

To reassure the Grand Dowager, Chuxiu hesitated for a moment before telling her how she had come to know Prince Mu, Nie Peihan. She and Prince Mu were old acquaintances. Perhaps, for the sake of that past connection, he might show her a little leniency.

Sure enough, after learning that Chuxiu and Prince Mu were old acquaintances, the Grand Dowager merely said, “Hearing that makes me feel somewhat more at ease. Go, then—but remember to place the Yun clan’s interests above all else.”

*****

With the Grand Dowager’s permission, Chuxiu spent her days overseeing the household accounts and pondering how she might persuade Prince Mu. She even neglected the lessons of the heir, Yun Cheng.

Yet the longer she waited, the more anxious she became. She had assumed that Prince Mu would return to Yanlan City after obtaining the abdication edict. Who could have known that he would go straight to Northern Xuan instead— secretly, no less?

Had Yun Tan, Yun Cheng’s biological father, not sent someone to inform her, Chuxiu would never have learned of it. It seemed that Prince Mu’s methods had grown increasingly sophisticated; he could now evade the Yun clan’s informants stationed throughout the various regions.

Time slipped away bit by bit as she waited. By the time Prince Mu returned from Northern Xuan to Yanlan City, it was already the middle of the tenth month of that year.

Chuxiu sent a formal invitation requesting an audience, but this time she had to wait two days before receiving a reply—for too many people had come to pay their respects to Prince Mu.

Times had changed. Prince Mu, Nie Peihan, was after all the future emperor. Anyone with even the slightest connection to him came forward at that moment to add flowers to brocade and curry favor with the powerful.

For a time, the gates of Prince Mu’s residence were crowded with visitors. Still, Prince Mu was willing to show the Yun clan some consideration. He summoned Chuxiu after only five days, setting the date for the twenty-first day of the tenth month.

Early that morning, Chuxiu had just prepared to leave. She had not even crossed the threshold of the Yun residence when the steward, Yun Zhong, hurried over with a letter in his hand.

“Madam, something terrible has happened! Third Master has been imprisoned in Jingzhou!”

“Imprisoned?” Yun Xian had always conducted himself with caution. How could he possibly have committed a crime serious enough to land in prison? Chuxiu hurriedly asked, “What happened?”

“Third Master was in Jingzhou... visiting a pleasure house. He got into a fight with someone over one of the courtesans, and accidentally beat the man to death. At first, we thought we could settle the matter... Later, we learned that the dead man was named Ming Cui. He was the second son of the current Right Chancellor and the Empress’s nephew. The Ming family refused to let the matter rest, and the Empress went before Emperor Nie to weep and plead her case. That was how Third Master ended up in prison...”