Chapter 3: Demon

“The Crown Prince’s health had been improving, hadn’t it? Why did it suddenly worsen again?”

“I heard that today the little princess secretly took the little prince out to play wildly, even letting him climb trees for fun. The Crown Prince caught a chill from the wind and came back burning with fever, unconscious.”

“Alas, the Crown Prince is truly pitiful. They were born as twins, yet their appearances are identical. Why is it that our Crown Prince has a weak constitution?”

“Don’t you know? When the Empress gave birth, the Crown Prince was born smoothly, not crying or making a fuss. But the little princess was difficult, causing the Empress to suffer for most of the night… They say the little princess must have been destined for misfortune, feeding on her twin brother’s vitality in the womb. Otherwise, how could the Crown Prince be born weak, while the little princess is robust, never experiencing even minor illnesses?”

“Now that you mention it, it’s true. No wonder the Empress keeps her distance from the little princess!”

“Exactly! If only the healthy one were our Crown Prince.”

The palace maids chatting with tea trays and fruit platters departed.

The spring chill was biting. Xiao Zhaoyan wiped her eyes fiercely, her face flushed with anger, kicking away the pebbles beneath her feet. The pebbles hit a pair of embroidered boots with dragon patterns, bouncing back with a clatter.

Looking up, Xiao Zhaoyan saw Zhao Yan approaching quietly, having heard the commotion, and coming to her quietly.

Xiao Zhaoyan clenched her fists, about to turn and run, when she heard Zhao Yan call out in a short breath, “Yan’er, wait.”

His voice was soft, almost like a girl’s, and he coughed as soon as he spoke, unable to bear it. Probably not wanting anyone to hear the sound, he forcibly suppressed the cough in his throat, his small shoulders trembling, looking pitiful.

Xiao Zhaoyan could only stop reluctantly, lowering her head and twisting her sleeves. Zhao Yan smiled gently, taking out something from behind him and carefully handing it to his sister.

It was a badly damaged paper kite—the one they had flown together in the garden that morning. The damaged frame had been carefully repaired, with some wet glue still sticking to it.

“This kite… cough, I picked it up for Xiao’er.”

Zhao Yan lifted his head, panting, and smiled weakly, “Next time, let’s play together again, okay?”

Xiao Zhaoyan was astonished. He had climbed the tree secretly just to retrieve her favorite paper kite before anyone found it…

For the sake of a paper kite, he caught a high fever that wouldn’t go away. For this thing, she was unfairly punished by the Empress.

The anger from the maids’ gossip and the injustice from her mother’s punishment surged through her, and Xiao Zhaoyan snatched the kite and threw it down, shouting, “Zhao Yan, I hate you the most!”

The palace of Huayang resonated with thunder, the exquisite golden hairpin box cracked open, and the handsome youth in the misty rain gradually faded away…

The unfamiliar curtain fluttered, and the lingering light scent of medicine floated in the air. This was the Eastern Palace of the Imperial City, not the Huayang Palace thousands of miles away.

Xiao Zhaoyan hugged the quilt, her chin resting on her knees, her downcast hair covering half of her face. She breathed slowly, taking out a jewelry box from under the pillow. The exquisite sandalwood box, inlaid with mother-of-pearl carvings, was still crackly repaired if you looked closely.

Opening the lid, inside was a dazzling golden hairpin.

It was Xiao Zhaoyan’s fifteenth birthday, and Zhao Yan, who returned to the capital to escape the summer heat, secretly changed his route to visit her in the exiled Huayang Palace. Zhao Yan presented her with a birthday gift he had prepared in advance, a golden hairpin he had designed and crafted himself.

His clothes were already soaked, but he seemed oblivious, smiling as usual and congratulating his sister on reaching adulthood. Six years away from the palace, seeing Zhao Yan’s pale face as he came to visit, Xiao Zhaoyan’s pent-up grievances and resentments burst forth like a flood.

Since childhood, every time Zhao Yan came to show goodwill regardless of danger, it was she who suffered punishments and scoldings!

Dressed in a pomegranate-colored robe, Xiao Zhaoyan stood stiffly, like a firecracker about to explode, shouting at the youth in the snow-white shirt in the rain, “Zhao Yan, I don’t need your pity.”

She couldn’t remember what expression her brother had at that moment.

She only remembered the end of summer, the heavy rain that day, and her brother standing in the rain for a long time. She even forgot that it was Zhao Yan’s fifteenth birthday that day.

Xiao Zhaoyan didn’t expect that to be the last time she would see Zhao Yan. The parting in the palace was unexpectedly final. Xiao Zhaoyan was no saint, unable to save the world. Returning to the Eastern Palace in disguise, she just wanted to figure out why Zhao Yan had died.

She couldn’t understand why that idiot Zhao Yan never learned to protect himself!

Xiao Zhaoyan tightened her grip on the golden hairpin, as if only by doing so could she suppress the regret and remorse that lingered in her heart. When she opened her eyes again, she had regained her composure. She put the sandalwood box back into the hidden compartment and shook the golden bell on the bedside.

The stewardess, Liu Ying, quickly entered with prepared clothes, alone.

Liu Ying deliberately dismissed all the palace servants when attending to the “Crown Prince’s” daily life. Even so, she was startled by the scene before her, her eyelids twitching, and quickly turned to close the palace door.

The beauty woke from a deep sleep, her ink-black hair cascading down to her waist, her revealing clothes loosened. The chest wrap she had tied before sleeping had already come loose, and with a lazy stretch, her snow-white curves were faintly revealed, like a budding lotus, exuding extreme charm.

Liu Ying let down the curtain to conceal the scene, calmly saying, “Your Highness, please behave yourself when sleeping at night, otherwise, the hundreds of people in the Eastern Palace won’t be enough to be beheaded.”

As she spoke, she grabbed Xiao Zhaoyan’s loose chest wrap and quickly wound it around, pulling it tight, molding her voluptuous peaks into a smooth plain.

Xiao Zhaoyan couldn’t catch her breath, holding her chestbone in pain and murmuring softly, “The charcoal fire in the sleeping hall is too strong, making it hard to sleep well. It must have been rubbed off while rolling around.”

Liu Ying showed no mercy, tying the clothes securely for her, “The Crown Prince has always been cold-natured, so the charcoal fire naturally needs to be stronger. The clothes should not be reduced, firstly, to avoid arousing suspicion, and secondly, to conceal the Crown Prince’s original figure.”

Supporting her chin, Xiao Zhaoyan glanced at the pensive stewardess in the bronze mirror.

After the Crown Prince’s incident, the Empress swiftly replaced all the attendants with ruthless measures. With that change in the Eastern Palace, Liu Ying was the only trusted confidante left.

She had served the Crown Prince intimately for many years, acting with stability. She was probably the person who understood Zhao Yan the most in the world.

During Xiao Zhaoyan’s time in the Eastern Palace, Liu Ying had been responsible for correcting and teaching her behavior, imitating the behavior of the former Crown Prince, diligently replicating this imitation of the Crown Prince.

It was called “teaching,” but sometimes it seemed more like the eyes and ears sent by the Empress to monitor her. After all, there were separatists outside, factions within, and the powerful Prince Su, who had the power to sway the court, watching closely. A slight misstep would lead to total failure.

Glancing at the clothes prepared on the tray, Xiao Zhaoyan said with little interest, “Who do I have to deal with now?”

“Does Your Highness forget? Starting today, you have to go to the Chongwen Hall for study.”

“Ah…”

Xiao Zhaoyan collapsed back into the bedding, furrowing her brows and mumbling, “You could have someone report sick on my behalf anyway. Since the Crown Prince is weak and cannot afford to catch a cold, no one will suspect.”

Liu Ying said, “This is His Majesty’s decree, and the Empress has no choice.”

Xiao Zhaoyan rolled over, covering her ears and continued to follow in her thoughts.

Liu Ying said “I apologize” coldly, making a firm decision.

The brocade quilt was lifted, and Xiao Zhaoyan immediately curled up from the cold, opening her eyes angrily, “Liu Ying!”

Liu Ying knelt by the bedside with clean clothes, expressionless, and said, “Please change, Your Highness, and move to Chongwen Hall for study.”

Xiao Zhaoyan lost all her temper, grabbed the neatly folded clothes from Liu Ying’s hands, and patiently put them on layer by layer. Liu Ying approached to help, her reserved gaze constantly scanning Xiao Zhaoyan’s face.

In fact, the little princess and the Crown Prince were not exactly alike. Liu Ying couldn’t help but think. If the Crown Prince was like a bright moon in the sky, pure and dustless, then Princess Changfeng was more like the scorching sun in midsummer, dazzling and beautiful.

The same face, but completely different temperament.

“Why do you always stare at me? Do you have something to say?” Xiao Zhaoyan rubbed her sleepy eyes lazily and yawned.

Liu Ying subconsciously looked away, lowering her eyes.

After a moment of silence, she said seriously, “The Crown Prince is a model for all gentlemen, dignified in behavior, and never engages in such vulgar behavior.”

Here it comes again, the daily correction!

Xiao Zhaoyan’s bending movement paused abruptly, and she had to put down the hand that was following the rules, letting it hang by her side, and then walked towards the palace door.

“The Crown Prince never walks hastily,” Liu Ying’s voice floated over behind her.

Xiao Zhaoyan slowed down her pace, enduring her impatience.

“The Crown Prince is gentle in nature and should smile,” the voice of the woman beside her continued uninterrupted.

Xiao Zhaoyan placed her hand on the door panel, unable to bear it anymore. After twitching her mouth for a while, she pushed open the door, lifted her head, and put on a warm and decent fake smile.

That’s why she hated Zhao Yan, that idiot!

As the snow cleared, everything was white.

In the carriage heading to the Chongwen Hall, Xiao Zhaoyan glanced at the quietly seated Liu Ying beside her.

“Why are you so quiet now?” 

Dressed in a snowy white robe embroidered with golden threads, Xiao Zhaoyan asked with confusion, “Do you not need to remind me of the details of how to get along with the teachers like the previous few times?”

Liu Ying replied bluntly, “Not necessary.”

Zhaoyan was surprised, “Why?”

Liu Ying thought for a moment before saying, “Your Highness will understand once you go.”

After a stick of incense’s time, they arrived at the Chongwen Hall.

Zhaoyan watched as an elderly man with trembling hands leaned against a red lacquered pillar and bowed repeatedly, finally understanding what Liu Ying’s “not necessary” meant.

Master Wen, the Crown Prince’s tutor, was over seventy years old, with severe eye problems. He couldn’t distinguish between men and women beyond three steps, nor could he tell humans and animals apart beyond ten steps.

With such eyesight, naturally, he couldn’t distinguish whether the person standing in front of him was the real Zhao Yan or the fake Crown Prince.

“Teacher, please rise, this way.”

Zhaoyan suppressed a smile and helped the old man up, leading him in a different direction. The Chongwen Hall was not large, but it was quiet, with the fragrance of ink floating in the air.

Zhaoyan held a gilded hand stove and casually flipped through a few pages of books. The remnants of the sages who rectified themselves, their families, governed the country, and brought peace to the world seemed to span thousands of years and spread out before her like a vast ocean.

It turned out that being a man had such advantages. One could learn about strategy, court politics, instead of being confined to the inner chambers like women, unseen and unheard.

This world was truly unfair.

Ahead, Master Wen held a crystal lens, enlarging each character of the “Mencius” and explaining it vividly, shaking his head and losing himself in it. His speech flowed like a river, and unexpectedly, he saw the little Crown Prince, with his gaze fixed out of the window, lost in thought.

Master Wen cleared his throat and said tactfully, “Your Highness seems distracted. Is it because my teaching is not thorough enough?”

Zhaoyan withdrew her gaze and smiled softly, “Teacher, please don’t blame me. I was just pondering over a few sentences that I didn’t quite understand, and I inadvertently became lost in thought.”

Seeing the Crown Prince’s eagerness to learn, Master Wen was quite pleased, nodding repeatedly, “Which few sentences?”

“‘To be obedient is the way of a woman,’” Zhaoyan pointed to a column of characters in the book, “Why can a man’s ‘way’ stand tall and fearless of royal power, while a woman’s ‘way’ is to stay at home and obey her husband?”

“Well…” Master Wen’s expression turned serious as he twirled his white beard, “Men are responsible for external matters, while women are responsible for internal matters. The husband is the backbone of the wife. This has been the case since ancient times.”

Zhaoyan lightly scoffed, “Who set these norms? Who defined these customs?”

Master Wen clasped his hands toward the empty air, reverently saying, “These were set by our ancestors and the words of the sages.”

Zhaoyan continued to ask, “Compared to the words of the sages, which is more important, ‘loyalty’ or ‘filial piety’?”

“Of course, loyalty and filial piety are both important.”

“Alright.”

Zhaoyan rested her chin on her hand, extremely serious, “If I hope that women throughout the world can study and understand things like men, and if my mother hopes that she can leave the inner chambers and achieve great deeds, will you follow or not?”

“Well…”

Master Wen was momentarily speechless.

Zhaoyan’s eyes curved like peach blossoms as she came to a cunning conclusion, “If you don’t follow, wouldn’t Teacher be considered disloyal and unjust?”

“…”

Master Wen, who was knowledgeable in various fields, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, unable to come up with an answer. This was a problem he had never considered before. Truly worthy of the Crown Prince, who was intelligent and quick-witted!

After the half-day lesson, Liu Ying followed behind Zhaoyan and said frankly, “Your Highness should be generous and benevolent. You shouldn’t have contradicted Master Wen like that.”

Zhaoyan seemed refreshed and indifferent, saying, “Guiding and enlightening is the duty of a teacher. How can it be considered contradiction?”

The carriage from the Eastern Palace stopped outside. Zhaoyan rolled up her sleeves and walked forward, noticing a figure standing under the Changqing Gate ahead.

Dressed in a crimson official robe, tall and straight, with a dark blue cloak fluttering in the wind, he outlined the most stunning scene in the snow-covered palace. Zhaoyan recognized this figure and couldn’t help but be surprised.

What a coincidence! Last time in the Warm Pavilion, she hadn’t been able to find out his identity.

“Your Highness, please stop.”

Liu Ying looked somewhat apprehensive towards the palace gate, her voice unusually hoarse, “Let’s take another gate.”

“Why?”

Zhaoyan was puzzled. Just as she stopped, she saw a sudden splatter of crimson gushing out from under the Changqing Gate, staining the white snow beneath the man’s feet.

Zhaoyan’s faint smile froze on her lips, her pupils contracting in horror.

A white, fat court official in crimson court attire fell face down, his blood spreading rapidly beneath his bloated body, soaking a large area in an instant. Meanwhile, the killer remained unperturbed, calmly accepting a handkerchief handed over by his subordinate, meticulously wiping his fingertips clean.

With a gentle release of his hand, the handkerchief fluttered down, softly covering the terrified face of the lifeless man.

It was Zhaoyan’s first time witnessing death with her own eyes, and it happened under the solemn palace gate. A chill ran down her spine as she staggered back, grasping Liu Ying, who was equally tense.

Zhaoyan instinctively wanted to leave, but it was already too late.

The man under the palace gate noticed her presence and turned around leisurely, walking towards her. 

The interplay of the red robe and the white snow made it impossible to distinguish whether he was a celestial being or a demon.

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