Chapter 34

Outside the majestic imperial city, ten miles of festive red.

Although the Prince’s marriage was rushed, the road was still lined with red silk, with ceremonial guards and grand carriages.

The prestige of the Feng family’s army was extremely high. When the daughter of General Feng was married, the sons and soldiers guarding the cold land were sent by the generals themselves. Each of them rode tall horses with imposing manners.

As they slowly approached, they were greeted by crowds of imperial subjects along the way. When they saw that General Feng’s daughter was getting married to the Prince, they all bowed down in congratulations to the auspicious occasion.

Outside, drums and gongs resounded, and the sound of horses’ hooves filled the air. Inside the golden-red carriages, Feng Yuexian sat calmly, with closed eyes resting.

She wore a black robe with gold borders, her skin as fair as frost and snow, her face as beautiful as spring flowers, naturally wearing a smile on her lips.

But when she opened her eyes, there was a hint of coldness, extinguishing the fragrant peach blossoms, leaving only a sense of solemn beauty.

Faintly, the music ensemble could be heard, indicating that they had reached the gate of Chengtian.

The carriage stopped.

Then a man’s voice rang out, “I am here to welcome on behalf of His Majesty. Please, Lady Consort, step down from the carriage.”

The Feng Family could only escort her this far.

Feng Yuexian raised her eyebrows indifferently and followed the protocol to step down from the carriage. Outside stood the only prince of the current Great Li, the Second Prince Song Qu.

Song Qu had a handsome face, wearing the same colored ceremonial robe. Seeing Feng Yuexian coming in grand attire, her beauty captivating, he forgot the etiquette and reached out to her:

“Lady Consort, I—”

Feng Yuexian raised her head high and walked past him directly. With a flick of her black sleeve, she forcefully knocked away Song Qu’s hand, not even sparing him a glance.

Song Qu’s face darkened instantly.

None of the officials who accompanied him dared to make a sound, pretending ignorance, but secretly thinking that the Feng Family’s power was indeed immense, not even giving face to the Second Prince.

The Crown Prince was weak, and originally, it was the Second Prince who held sway in the court. After all, you never knew when the Crown Prince might be gone, so it was important to live beautifully for as long as possible.

But now that Feng Yuexian had become the Crown Prince’s Consort, perhaps in the future—

Once this wedding was done, the situation in the court… was likely to change.

Although it was the Crown Prince’s grand wedding, there was no atmosphere in the Eastern Palace, no joy, but rather a sense of decay, even the ubiquitous red lanterns and red silk seemed to be tinged with a sense of decline.

Song Pianxian followed Xue Qing to the west side hall, where two particularly silent guards were standing outside the door, only making way when they saw Xue Qing.

Sitting on the round stool carved from pearwood in front of the mirror, Song Pianxian saw Xue Qing open a sandalwood box and start mixing things.

Glancing at it, she couldn’t recognize what it was, so she didn’t bother to look further. Pretending to be tired, she let out a fake yawn, closed her eyes, and immediately began to receive information.

Now in the eighth year of Yuanchen, the imperial power of Li was in turmoil. Song Pianxian’s identity was that of the only legitimate Princess of Li, born as a twin to the Crown Prince, Song Yu. She was the offspring of the late Empress and Emperor.

The Emperor was incompetent and easily influenced, blindly trusting his younger brother, King Chu. King Chu, ambitious and cunning, first conspired to poison the Empress, resulting in the Crown Prince and Princess being born with congenital deficiencies and weak health. After the Empress lingered on the sickbed for half a year, she passed away.

The family of the General of the State was descended from a founding hero, guarding the country’s gate for generations, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they were the key to the stability of Great Li. Provoked by King Chu, the Emperor became wary of the General’s family, forcing the old General to retire in glory, only to be harmed by King Chu and suffer a stroke in bed.

Though the old General’s vigor diminished, his legitimate daughter, Feng Yuexian, was deeply scheming and had remarkable abilities. She rallied and consolidated the military forces, like another hidden predator in the forest, biding her time.

The Crown Prince was already physically weak, struggling to govern as regent and handle state affairs. King Chu was watching him closely, and he was constrained at every turn, with his heart full but his strength lacking.

Just a fortnight ago, despite opposition from the court, the Crown Prince insisted on marrying Feng Yuexian, the legitimate daughter of the General of the State’s Manor, as his principal wife. However, on the day of the wedding, everything fell apart.

In the original course of events, after the Crown Prince’s death, the Princess was brought in to replace him, but she failed to gain Feng Yuexian’s trust, and animosity grew between them.

The series of changes in the former palace harem need not be elaborated on. In short, the two did not form a team, and their cooperation was basically zero, relying entirely on Feng Yuexian to carry the whole scene alone, strategizing. King Chu’s affairs failed.

Everyone thought that even if Great Li did not change his surname to Feng from then on, the Emperor would still be born from Feng Yuexian’s knees. However, she supported the collateral imperial descendant, Song Ziyi, to ascend to the throne, deliberately avoiding her brother-in-law. Since then, the name of the loyal minister had returned to the General’s Manor.

But Song Ziyi’s ambition grew rapidly alongside his stature. As soon as he matured, he became wary of the Feng Family. Feng Yuexian had nurturing feelings for him and didn’t realize his threat at first, which led to Song Ziyi’s plot against her.

After Song Ziyi plotted against Feng Yuexian, he immediately set fire to the General’s Manor, eliminating the major threat.

But he had the ability to strike but not to take over, resulting in public outrage and the rebellion of vassal kings, leading Great Li into continuous warfare and fragmentation.

“The destiny of the Great Li Dynasty is not yet exhausted. Your task is to preserve the orthodox bloodline of the Royal Family and stabilize imperial power.”

“More detailed information has been transmitted to you to activate your auxiliary function. Special reminder, to help you achieve the disguise effect, your voice can be changed to a male voice after disguising.”

“Mm.”

Song Pianxian quickly went through the plot in her mind, finding the most needed information for herself at the moment—

First, whether the Eastern Palace was truly as safe as Song Yu claimed it to be.

Second, she was about to meet Feng Yuexian, but she didn’t know their relationship, which was crucial for her to successfully ally with the Feng family.

After reading the result of the first question, she started to calculate in her mind.

As for the second question…

The Princess rarely appeared in public, but she had two or three close friends, among whom the Pure Spirit Princess had once said outside that since childhood, the Princess disliked weapons and had reproached Feng Yuexian for her lack of manners on multiple occasions.

Furthermore, upon learning that Feng Yuexian was to become the Crown Prince’s principal wife, she was shocked on the spot and almost fainted. After regaining consciousness, she shed tears of grievance in front of her elder brother.

The news spread throughout the capital through the Pure Spirit Princess’s mouth.

Song Pianxian: “…”

No wonder they couldn’t form an alliance. With Feng Yuexian’s temperament, it would be considered fortunate if they didn’t become enemies.

Although the Crown Prince’s wedding was a major event for the country, the Crown Prince’s condition could no longer support complex rituals, which were more symbolic than substantive.

Especially on the day of the wedding, the Crown Prince was too ill to get out of bed, so he had to let his younger brother, Song Qu, represent him. At this moment, Song Pianxian, disguised as the Crown Prince, only needed to wait in the Eastern Palace.

Xue Qing was indeed born from the ranks of the secret guards, with extraordinary skills. Somehow, between her eyebrows, there was no longer the tenderness of Song Pianxian, but a bit of Song Yu’s toughness and gentleness.

Thinking of Song Yu, whom she had just seen and would never see again, Song Pianxian couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Xue Qing asked, “Princess, is there anything you’re not satisfied with?”

“Not really, let’s go to the main hall.”

Xue Qing suddenly widened her eyes. “Princess, your voice—” was just like the Crown Prince’s!

Song Pianxian smiled slightly, with a hint of girlish melancholy, instantly adding a feminine touch to her face that was indistinguishable between male and female, but her voice remained male:

“Brother is busy with state affairs. I rarely get to see him. When I have nothing to do, I imitate his way of speaking, and surprisingly, I’ve learned to resemble him by seven or eight points.”

Xue Qing’s eyes lit up. “What a pleasant surprise! In that case, everything will be seamless.”

Song Pianxian returned to the main hall with Xue Qing. When she saw Xu Jing and learned about it, Xu Jing was also pleasantly surprised. He said that the heavens had eyes and that there must be arrangements in the dark.

Song Pianxian didn’t refute. She asked first:

“Where’s Brother?”

“He’s been sent out of the palace through a secret passage. The Prime Minister sent someone to pick him up and will properly bury the Crown Prince.” Xu Jing’s eyes dimmed as he spoke. To fall from being the Crown Prince of a dynasty to this state was truly lamentable.

The late emperor’s wife came from the Prime Minister’s family, and the Prime Minister’s mansion was the in-laws’ house of the Crown Prince and the original body. They would handle it properly.

Song Pianxian nodded in relief. She had already learned this part from the system, so she asked with a hidden purpose.

“A secret passage? Why wasn’t I aware of it?”

“This is a secret of the palace. Even in your palace, there are secrets.”

“Are there people in the secret passage now?”

“It will probably take a while for them to return—” Xu Jing was interrupted as three or five figures returned from outside to report. The people behind them walked steadily, likely born from the ranks of the secret guards.

“Princess, everything has been taken care of.”

“Very good.” Xu Jing sighed. “Alright, you can go down and call someone back to stand guard.”

“Yes.”

“Hold on.” Song Pianxian stopped them and calmly asked, “Who is this? Why haven’t I seen him before?”

She spoke with a female voice.

Without much thought, Xu Jing assumed the Princess was uncomfortable with her disguise. Since the people in the hall were all trusted individuals, he replied frankly:

“This incompetent one is my apprentice, Xu Li. The rest are members of the secret guards.”

Xu Li immediately nodded and bowed, saying, “This humble one is insignificant. How could the Princess remember me?”

The apprentices of eunuchs in the palace were basically treated like adopted sons and were highly trusted by Xu Jing.

Song Pianxian nodded lightly. “You have an interesting way of speaking. Stay here in the hall and keep me company.”

“Oh, to receive praise from the Princess is a blessing earned over several lifetimes,” Xu Jing remarked immediately.

While Xu Li hesitated internally, he dared not refuse on the surface, immediately showing an overwhelmed expression and saying some amusing words.

Afterward, all the secret guards of the Eastern Palace disappeared, and the regular palace attendants and the Crown Prince’s personal guards began to move around the palace. Since Song Pianxian could mimic such a similar voice, to avoid arousing suspicion from Feng Yuexian, the palace attendants were also asked to wait in the main hall.

Xu Jing had planned meticulously. He had replaced the original canopy bed with a redwood canopy bed featuring grapevine patterns symbolizing many children and blessings.

Xu Li had volunteered to lead the men for this task, but Song Pianxian had stopped him neither firmly nor softly, preventing any movement from the Eastern Palace.

He harbored a slight doubt.

Could the Princess have discovered something unusual about him?

But that was impossible, he immediately denied. The Princess had probably never even noticed him, let alone spotted his deception with a glance.

Right now, all he wanted to do was to quickly get the message out—

The Crown Prince had passed away, the Princess was taking over, and there was a secret passage in the palace. As long as these messages were spread, there was no doubt that the great cause of his Master would succeed!

When Feng Yuexian arrived at the Eastern Palace, she saw the Crown Prince reclining halfway on the bed, with a soft pillow under his waist.

The red candles flickered.

A palace attendant knelt at the end of the bed, gently massaging his legs with a jade hammer. Standing beside him was a young eunuch, Xu Jing, the eunuch who never left the Crown Prince’s side.

The Crown Prince wore a snow-colored robe, but his complexion was even paler than the robe, making his lips and the corners of his eyes appear particularly rosy.

It was an extremely beautiful face.

It was only this face in the Royal Family that was worth looking at.

The palace attendants who accompanied Feng Yuexian were stopped outside the Eastern Palace, but she didn’t mind. She walked in alone.

Her steps were steady, and her dress was immaculate.

Seeing her future husband, she first assessed him, then kneeled and saluted meticulously, her voice cold:

“May the Crown Prince be well.”

“No need.”

Song Pianxian watched the people below. Feng Yuexian’s etiquette was impeccable, but at the same time, Song Pianxian could sense her indifference.

She was only being careful not to make any mistakes.

Of course, someone who could almost overthrow a dynasty would not willingly bow down.

Xu Jing and a few others saluted:

“May the Crown Prince’s Consort be well.”

“You may rise.”

Xu Jing was about to smile and speak for the Crown Prince, intending to inform Feng Yuexian that the Crown Prince was unwell and it was late at night, so she should rest in the side hall first—

Even if they were to form an alliance, they couldn’t let Feng Yuexian realize that this was a fake Crown Prince.

As for more details, they could discuss them tomorrow.

The Princess’s only task was to make Feng Yuexian believe that the Crown Prince was still alive. He didn’t expect the Princess to do anything more, as they had their own people to handle the rest.

But before Xu Jing could speak, he heard a voice from the bed:

“You may leave.”

“This…”

Xu Jing instinctively wanted to persuade the Princess, but when he saw Feng Yuexian’s gaze fixed on him like two sharp needles as if she could see through his inner turmoil and hesitation, he couldn’t help but tremble and dared not reveal his hand:

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Song Pianxian’s gaze shifted to Xu Li for a moment, then moved away, and she smiled.

“You are old, rest early. Xue Qing and Xu Li are waiting for my instructions outside.”

“I’ll take my leave.”

After the three of them, along with the palace attendants, withdrew, Xu Jing closed the door. Feng Yuexian’s gaze lingered on Song Pianxian’s face.

Her gaze easily conveyed a sense of oppression, and she said lightly:

“The Crown Prince indeed treats his subordinates very well, he’s a meticulous person.”

“Lying on the sickbed for a long time, I had to cultivate a good temperament, please forgive any shortcomings you see.”

Feng Yuexian paused, “Yuexian dare not.”

“You are already the Crown Prince’s Consort, there’s no need to be so formal,” Song Pianxian said, pausing to catch her breath before continuing, “If we consider the current situation in the palace, our relationship is the most solid.”

The figure on the bed had a slender waist, as if it could break with a slight bend. Black hair cascaded down, with the ends trailing around the waist, complementing the small face, which was only the size of a palm. As she breathed softly, she resembled a cat.

Although the Crown Prince’s appearance was truly ambiguous, when could she have felt so strange about it?

Feng Yuexian remained composed, arching a graceful eyebrow, seemingly surprised by the Crown Prince’s directness, but also showing a hint of sincerity.

“Your Highness jests. You are the ruler, and Yuexian is the subject. Our relationship is already unbreakable.”

“There’s some truth to that, as you know, and as I know,” Song Pianxian chuckled, “You’ve already received the news, haven’t you?”

“What news?” Feng Yuexian was as composed as ever.

“The Crown Prince’s condition is worsening, the fact that he has been unable to leave his bed for half a month.” Song Pianxian sighed in relief, “Palace affairs cannot be hidden from you.”

“Otherwise, you would never have agreed to marry here,” she concluded, sitting on the bed and looking at Feng Yuexian standing in front of the hall.

Feng Yuexian’s gaze was firm, with a hint of coldness.

Song Pianxian didn’t evade, her eyes clear and calm, shimmering with a watery light.

Feng Yuexian suddenly smiled, her expression as gentle as blooming flowers, but her eyes revealed the vigilance of a predator as if anticipating her prey’s escape:

“Indeed—Who are you?”

“Someone who bears such a resemblance to the Crown Prince, have you already reached a conclusion?” Song Pianxian smiled lightly.

Feng Yuexian sneered, “There is a candidate indeed, but I have heard that person is utterly unbearable, quite unlike what I see today.”

Song Pianxian almost retorted “The Princess is a little fool,” even though she was not the original person, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at this moment.

She pursed her rosy lips and was about to lift the brocade quilt before getting off the bed.

It was impolite to converse with someone while lying on the bed. If Xu Jing and the others hadn’t insisted on her pretending to be the Crown Prince and staying in bed, she wouldn’t have done so.

“You better stay lying down,” Feng Yuexian suddenly said, stopping her movement.

Approaching, she stood in front of the bed, lowered her eyes, and looked down at her petite figure, her eyes circling over her:

“I’ve heard that the Princess’s constitution is not much better than the Crown Prince’s. On the night of the wedding—don’t faint.”

Song Pianxian fell silent for a moment.

“That’s indeed the case. If not for the burden of state affairs, the Crown Prince wouldn’t have…”

“And the Crown Prince?” Feng Yuexian asked, her tone devoid of doubt.

If the Crown Prince were well, with his gentle demeanor, he would never have pushed Little Sister to the forefront.

With Feng Yuexian’s intelligence, how could she not guess?

“He has been properly escorted out of the palace,” Song Pianxian fluttered her eyelashes and softly replied.

From Feng Yuexian’s perspective, all she could see was her hair, like raven feathers, cascading down from her rounded shoulders, making her slender figure appear even more delicate and lonely.

She raised her hand to touch her forehead, breaking the silence:

“The Crown Prince has toiled for half his life, and now he can finally rest.”

Song Pianxian looked up at her, her petite face, the raven feathers falling behind her head, her neck whiter than snow, delicate collarbones holding tiny pools of spring water.

“Since the Crown Prince has passed, let me inherit his wishes, and I hope Yuexian will help me preserve the kingdom.”

“The Princess overestimates,” Feng Yuexian said lightly.

She stepped back, her gaze sweeping over the flickering candles, and said proudly:

“The Feng Family is just an ordinary noble family stripped of its official titles. My father is old, my brother only knows how to guard the borders, and cannot bear this heavy responsibility.”

“And there’s you, Yuexian.”

Feng Yuexian smiled, with a hint of leisure, but the coldness in her eyes remained, as she insincerely declined:

“I am already married, and from now on, I am a member of the Royal Family, not the Feng Family.”

“If speaking of marriage, the Princess is not my husband, and I cannot take orders from you.”

She glanced at Song Pianxian, teasingly, “But the Princess must address me as sister-in-law.”

This person was truly difficult, stubborn and slippery. Song Pianxian leaned against the brocade pillow, her eyes calm, and she smiled along:

“It is said that the elder sister-in-law is like a mother—”

“I’m afraid you, Yuexian, at such a young age, cannot bear such a heavy responsibility.”

Feng Yuexian paused, looking into Song Pianxian’s eyes.

The two stared at each other again, neither backing down.

Song Pianxian said, “Now I am destined to bear the title of the Crown Prince, occupy his position. With him gone, the position of Crown Prince.”

Song Pianxian pointed to the brocade quilt, “This is the Eastern Palace.”

Then she pointed to the sky, “And even this world will fall into someone else’s hands.”

“You don’t want to see that happen, do you?”

Feng Yuexian’s gaze deepened slightly, “And who might this other person be? Song Qu?”

Song Pianxian shook her head.

Feng Yuexian’s eyes deepened, and she smirked, “If that’s the case, why not grant me the Feng Family? It will surely bring peace and prosperity to Dali, ensuring the country’s prosperity and the people’s well-being.”

Song Pianxian felt like sighing again.

Feng Yuexian was overly suspicious, still testing her.

“It’s King Chu.”

“King Chu is ultimately surnamed Song. With your Song Family fighting amongst yourselves, my Feng Family can benefit.”

Song Pianxian said leisurely, “Yuexian, you forget, you are already married, and from now on, you are a member of the Royal Family, not the Feng Family.”

She actually returned Feng Yuexian’s words to her unchanged.

Feng Yuexian was momentarily speechless, and Song Pianxian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But the outcome of a momentary verbal contest couldn’t solve the problem. The Royal Family was in decline, ultimately needing others’ help.

It was like a boss who previously made a series of wrong decisions, scolding the most capable employee and demoting them.

Now, they wanted to coax the same employee into working hard again with just a few words. If the employee hadn’t been extremely loyal to the company, they would have fired the boss long ago.

Fortunately, the Feng Family was full of loyal members.

Even though Feng Yuexian seemed rebellious, she still harbored loyalty and righteousness.

Now, to make the employee love the company again, the boss couldn’t act high and mighty.

Song Pianxian got off the bed, seeing Feng Yuexian’s gaze shift slightly, seemingly very concerned about her, which made her more confident.

It seemed that Feng Yuexian’s loyalty was greater than she had estimated, even worrying about the original body’s health issues.

Song Pianxian stood gracefully, her white inner garment dazzling.

She gracefully bowed, performing a squatting salute. She caught a glimpse of Feng Yuexian’s slight movement to avoid her, subconsciously wanting to dodge, but then firmly held her ground, accepting this gesture.

It was enough that she was willing to accept.

Song Pianxian felt a slight relief in her heart, maintaining her squatting posture and reverting to her true voice:

“If there were any past wrongdoings, Pianxian apologizes here. It was my youthful ignorance.”

“From now on, I hope Yuexian will assist me, assist Dali.”

Her voice was as soft as a cat’s meow.

For a moment, Feng Yuexian was distracted, but quickly regained her composure.

A few disparaging remarks had made the Princess, who was discussed in the capital, the lofty Princess, lower her noble head to herself.

The golden branches and jade leaves bent down with slender waists, showing her proud bones towards her.

She could even see her tiny hair coils.

—But was this enough?

Feng Yuexian was not someone who could be swayed by a few words.

“You don’t have to do this—”

Her words abruptly stopped halfway when the person in front of her suddenly swayed, then lost her balance and fell down as if a willow had been swayed by the wind, graceful but unstable.

Feng Yuexian reached out her arm, hooked it, and pulled the person into her arms, half embracing her to stabilize her.

She frowned, puzzled by what was happening.

But then, her body reacted before her mind did. She felt the warmth of the body under the inner garment.

The thin layer of clothing was ineffective, merely a faint barrier. The warmth from the other side quietly transmitted, shy and timid.

Even though her body temperature was higher, she recoiled her hand as if scalded.

Luckily, Song Pianxian had already regained her balance.

“My health is not very good…”

Because of the original body’s physical condition, Song Pianxian’s apology was futile. Instead, she owed Feng Yuexian a small favor, feeling helpless and even amused.

“Thank you.”

Feng Yuexian said coldly, “If your health is not good, then refrain from doing such things to avoid troubling others.”

Song Pianxian pursed her lips and nodded.

Seeing her obedience and not arguing back, Feng Yuexian refrained from further lecturing. Instead, she felt somewhat unsatisfied.

She felt like her mind wasn’t quite right today.

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Ruu

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