The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 166 - Pleading

Six days had passed since the incident, yet the temporary palace remained eerily calm. The stillness felt like the calm before a storm, a suffocating quiet that blanketed the entire grounds. For the first time, Noble Consort Xian found the days unbearably difficult, even more than when she had endured hardship with Emperor Jianzhang back in the Crown Prince's residence. She was angry at Prince Duan—angry at his overreaching ambition and his downfall over an internal matter, allowing others to seize an opportunity. She was equally furious at Qin Zhi, seeing her as an utterly useless woman. Not only could she not produce a legitimate heir, but she also refused to allow anyone else to do so. Worse still, she maliciously ended two lives, sending her own cousin straight to the afterlife... each of these offenses touched upon Emperor Jianzhang's deepest taboos.

But it wasn't these issues that filled her with such fear; it was the Emperor's attitude.

Having been by Emperor Jianzhang's side for many years, she understood him better than he might understand himself. When he was truly angry, he didn't explode in rage or mete out harsh punishments. Instead, he would fall into a long silence. And that silence... she dreaded what it could mean.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind, thinking that perhaps she was overthinking. Though Prince Duan had indeed committed taboo offenses, this was ultimately a family matter. Emperor Jianzhang had also been overwhelmed with urgent reports from Fujian these past few days and might simply not have had the time to address Prince Duan's issues.

After reassuring herself, she lay in bed, unable to sleep, tossing and turning until she finally got up and wrapped herself in her robe. The stars at the palace shone far brighter than those in the capital. When she opened the long window, starlight flooded her vision. Restless, she held her tea, staring into the distance, when she heard the door creak open.

But it wasn't a servant who entered—it was the Ninth Princess, barefoot with red-rimmed eyes. Startled, Noble Consort Xian hurried over to her, wrapping her in an embrace while scolding, "What are you doing coming here in the middle of the night? Although summer is near, it's still chilly these days. You should know better than to walk around without shoes. Where are your attendants?"

The Ninth Princess, looking dazed and as though she hadn't heard a word, clung to her mother's hand before breaking into terrified sobs. "Mother, something terrible has happened! Something terrible!"

Noble Consort Xian's brow twitched, followed by her right eyelid, which began twitching incessantly as she pulled the Ninth Princess to sit down beside her and tried to remain calm. "What nonsense are you spouting? What's this about something terrible?"

Since her race with Song Chuyi, the Ninth Princess had been sulking in her room, refusing to come out despite repeated attempts to console her. Spoiled to excess, she was waiting for her father, the Emperor, to seek justice on her behalf, convinced that if she sulked long enough, he would pacify her by dealing with Sixth Miss Song, just as he had in the past.

But instead of comfort, she'd only seen her mother's increasingly strained face and heard disturbing news from her brother's princely residence. At least she had expected Song Chuyi to eventually suffer some consequences—as promised, the troublesome Eleventh Princess would be sent as a marriage alliance to Japan, and Song Chuyi would accompany her. Ideally, she thought, both would die far away in Japan.

Today, however, she realized even that small hope was likely gone.

Gripping Noble Consort Xian's arm with all her strength, her tear-filled eyes looked pleadingly into her mother's. "Mother! Do you know what urgent news has come from Fujian? It's the Japanese pirates—they've attacked Fujian! The Emperor would never consider a marriage alliance now that there's a war! Haven't you noticed that there's been no word from the Japanese envoys for days?"

Noble Consort Xian took a step back in shock, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind.

Indeed, something felt off. When she'd gone to complain, the Emperor had only given her a cold face but hadn't humiliated her outright, even gifting her a fine fox pelt later that evening. But after that night's urgent report, everything changed...

Snapping to attention, she grabbed the Ninth Princess's shoulders. "How did you find out about this?"

In a fit of hysteria, the Ninth Princess jumped up, shouting, "At a time like this, does it matter how I found out? Send a message to my brother!"

Her words faltered as she met her mother's cold gaze. Gradually regaining her composure, she lowered her head and spoke truthfully. "I heard it from Chen Mingyu. Grand Secretary Chen has received orders to return to the capital tomorrow with Grand Secretaries Song and Du."

And there was no question why these three were heading back to the capital—to continue the investigation into the Yangzhou case. Emperor Jianzhang had previously seemed inclined to suppress the matter...

Noble Consort Xian shivered, feeling a chill creeping up her spine. After a long silence, she finally exhaled.

Her lack of response only made the Ninth Princess more anxious. After a moment's hesitation, she seemed to reach a decision. "I'll plead with Father!"

As a prince, Prince Duan's interference in the Yangzhou sea and salt trade was a serious offense. If it hadn't come to light, she might have been able to plead with Emperor Jianzhang for leniency, and he could have handled it quietly. But now, it was clear the matter was out in the open...

Noble Consort Xian's hands were ice-cold. She felt as though she was walking on air, weightless, until the initial shock subsided, and she pulled the Ninth Princess back. "Don't be reckless! This isn't something for us to interfere in..."

No one knew the extent of the situation, but the Emperor's summoning of all three Grand Secretaries back to the capital indicated the gravity of it. If things were truly as bad as they seemed, pleading wouldn't help—in fact, it would only drag them down.

She still had her son, Prince Lu, to think about. Prince Lu was always obedient and had long been in the Emperor's good graces. As long as she and the Ninth Princess remained uninvolved, Prince Lu's status could still provide them with some security...

Outside, the wind picked up, rattling the windows. The sudden noise brought Noble Consort Xian to full alertness. She clung to the Ninth Princess, preventing her from leaving, and whispered urgently, "This is not the time to act spoiled or to show off your favor with your father. Behave yourself... at least until we return to the palace and see the outcome."