The name has been updated from ‘Wen Renlin’ to ‘Wenren Lin.’ Apologies for the error.

Chapter 72: Night Study

In Kunning Palace, beside the antique shelf hung a hand-calligraphed *Hundred Longevity Chart* by Marquis Ningyang, Wei Yan, its strokes bold and ink rich, each character exquisitely crafted.

Zhao Yan stood beside the Fourth Princess, Zhao Xuan, while Consort Xu sat in a chair, sobbing with tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain.  

“At the Mid-Autumn Banquet, His Majesty praised Maoyun, and under such imperial favor, how could Maoyun dare commit the grave sin of disrespect? There must be some misunderstanding. I beg the Empress to seek justice for me.”

Empress Wei’s gaze shifted to Zhao Yan before returning to Consort Xu, calmly stating, “This matter has been judged by the Emperor. The inner palace has no say in it. You’ve come to the wrong person, Consort Xu.”

“That’s true, but I feel so wronged on my nephew’s behalf. I dared not trouble His Majesty, so in my desperation, I could only turn to Your Majesty for help.”  

As she spoke, Consort Xu dabbed at her eyes, glancing at Zhao Xuan. “Maoyun is an honest child. With his betrothal to the Fourth Princess approaching, they often discussed poetry together. The other day, they mixed up their papers and ink, and Maoyun accidentally took the Fourth Princess’s poem, leading to this misunderstanding…”

This was clearly an attempt to shift all blame onto Zhao Xuan.

Empress Wei looked at the silent Zhao Xuan and asked, “Fourth Princess, is this true?”

“I…”  

Zhao Xuan’s face paled, and she instinctively covered her right ear.  

Consort Xu spoke so quickly and urgently that she never considered Zhao Xuan’s hearing impairment. Whenever Zhao Xuan grew overly anxious, her disabled ear would throb with sharp, needle-like pain.

Consort Xu pressed on shrilly, “Fourth Princess, speak! Say that the Taoist poem was yours, and His Majesty blamed the wrong person.”

“But Consort Xu, why would Fourth Sister write a Taoist poem out of nowhere? And for whom was she writing it?”  

Unable to listen any longer, Zhao Yan feigned confusion. “Even if Fourth Sister wrote it, their writing styles and handwriting are completely different. It was a full day between the poem being taken and presented—how could there be a mistake?”

Consort Xu, unable to respond, raised her sleeve to wipe her tears, lamenting, “People make mistakes. At most, my nephew should be charged with negligence, not have his entire career ruined.”

Zhao Yan, adopting the Crown Prince’s gentle demeanor, said slowly, “Whether Editor Xu mixed up the poems by mistake or on purpose, presenting someone else’s work to His Majesty is a crime of deceiving the Emperor. Consort Xu, think carefully whether you’re pleading to save his career or his life.”

Coming from anyone else, these words might have sounded like a threat, but the “Crown Prince” was known for his noble and upright character, making his words inexplicably convincing.

“This… what am I to do?” Consort Xu immediately stopped crying, frightened.  

In her haste to complain, she’d overlooked this. She knew the Xu family was merely a pawn reliant on others, and their rise had been hard-won. Even a pawn wanted to survive.

Empress Wei set down her teacup and spoke at the right moment, “This matter will be decided by His Majesty’s will. Consort Xu, don’t be overly anxious. Focus on nurturing the imperial heir.”

Right, she still had the child in her womb.  

That child was her greatest asset.

“Thank you for your comfort, Your Majesty. I was rash.”  

Consort Xu suppressed her emotions, supported by a palace maid as she rose to leave. She turned to Zhao Xuan, “Let’s go, Fourth Princess.”

Zhao Xuan pursed her lips, gave a polite curtsy, and left the hall.

Zhao Yan glanced back with concern, only to hear Empress Wei say from her seat, “The Fourth Princess loves literature but has always been gentle and honest. Did you have a hand in today’s events?”

Zhao Yan knew she couldn’t hide it and nodded. “Yes. Xu Maoyun is backed by the Divine Light Sect. Allowing him to gain a foothold in court would be a great hidden danger.”

Empress Wei frowned. “How do you know he’s connected to the Divine Light Sect?”

Zhao Yan didn’t mention the conversation she overheard under the side hall window during the night banquet, instead countering, “I’ve tested Xu Maoyun’s talents—they’re mediocre at best. Without someone backing the Xu family, how could he rise so quickly?”

Empress Wei fell silent.  

Concubine Zhen, ranking first among the four consorts, was nearly on par with the Empress in the Emperor’s favor. Now, with Consort Xu growing bolder due to her pregnancy, if she bore a prince, who knew what might happen? A little discipline wouldn’t hurt.

Noticing Empress Wei’s expression, Zhao Yan hesitated, “There’s one more thing I’d like Mother’s help with.”

Empress Wei saw through her intentions. “You want me to step in and protect Zhao Xuan?”

“Yes. I promised to be Fourth Sister’s support, giving her the courage to… I’m worried Consort Xu will punish or harass her.”

“Zhao Xuan is betrothed to Xu Maoyun and has been raised by Consort Xu for years. I have no grounds to interfere in Guixia Hall’s affairs.”

“It’s not difficult. Isn’t Consort Xu accusing Fourth Sister of defiance? Mother could keep Fourth Sister by your side under the pretext of discipline, and Consort Xu would have no grounds to object.”

Zhao Yan gave a faint smile, folded her sleeves, and bowed. “I thank Mother in advance.”

Before the words settled, she hurried out of the hall, as if afraid the Empress might change her mind.

Watching the young figure depart, Empress Wei’s red lips parted in a soft sigh. She instructed her attendant, “Prepare the Western Pavilion and assign a few loyal maids for the Fourth Princess.”

As Zhao Yan left Kunning Palace, she saw Zhao Xuan in a plain dress, standing at the steps, lost in thought as she gazed at the cloud shadows on the tiles.  

A sharp-faced palace maid frowned, urging, “Fourth Princess, go apologize to Consort Xu. What is this behavior?”

Lady He, hands clasped, approached the maid. “Inform your mistress that the Fourth Princess is young and may have offended Consort Xu. Thus, the Empress will personally discipline her. Henceforth, the Fourth Princess will stay in Kunning Palace for instruction, so your mistress can focus on her pregnancy.”

The maid quickly agreed and left to report.

Zhao Yan stepped forward to the dazed Zhao Xuan, saying, “‘Discipline’ is just an excuse. Fourth Sister needn’t worry about being controlled anymore.”

Only then did Zhao Xuan react, her eyes rimming red as she softly thanked her.

Zhao Yan smiled, signaling Lady He to arrange for Zhao Xuan’s personal items to be moved to Kunning Palace. Turning back, she said, “Shall I walk with Fourth Sister for a bit?”

Zhao Xuan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded solemnly.

“Crown Prince… why help me?” Zhao Xuan asked after a long silence.

“I didn’t do much. You took this step yourself. The one who truly helped you was you.”  

Zhao Yan smiled. “If I must give a reason, there are many brave souls like Fourth Sister in this world, waiting to act for themselves against injustice. I hope when they raise their voices, someone stands by them, facing injustice together.”

If more such people existed, with hearts as a shield against the storm, the lamp of Jingjian Tower might burn brighter and longer.

They wandered aimlessly along the palace path. At Taiji Gate, they saw Xu Maoyun, looking like a dead pig, dragged out by two eunuchs.  

His editor’s post had been stripped, his official robes torn off, his back and thighs marked with bloody welts from a beating. Trembling and gasping, he groaned faintly.

Consort Xu, waiting at the gate, rushed forward, her raised hands unsure where to touch, finally pressing her chest as she sobbed.

“Aunt, Aunt…”  

Xu Maoyun struggled to open his sweat-glued eyes. Spotting Zhao Xuan, he shakily pointed at her. “It was you! You deliberately wrote that treasonous poem!”

Zhao Xuan froze, instinctively stepping back.

Xu Maoyun, trembling, wailed, “I’m wronged! I don’t know how I offended you to suffer such a trap…”

“Master Xu, mind your words.”  

Zhao Yan stepped forward calmly, shielding Zhao Xuan. “Crying injustice before Taiji Hall—are you dissatisfied with Father’s judgment?”

Zhao Xuan stood rigid, eyes trembling shut.  

From childhood, she was the most overlooked, insignificant royal child, long accustomed to enduring in silence.  

But did being used to it mean she deserved to be manipulated and bullied?

“Fourth Sister, you can be shy, but when it’s time to stand up, never shrink back. When it’s time to speak, never stay silent.”  

The Crown Prince’s words from that day echoed in her ears. Even a sixteen-year-old saw more clearly than she did.

“Wait.”  

As she passed Xu Maoyun, Zhao Xuan spoke hoarsely.

Thinking she would apologize, Xu Maoyun weakly raised his head.

Zhao Xuan took a deep breath, summoning her greatest courage. She gripped the jade ring at her waist, yanked it off, and smashed it against the palace wall.  

With a clear chime, the ring cracked, fine jade dust scattering.

Before Consort Xu’s shocked gaze, Zhao Xuan held the broken ring out to Xu Maoyun, her breath shaking as she said, word by word, “I’m giving it back.”

Xu Maoyun’s gaze fell on her palm, his face paling.  

That jade ring was the betrothal token he’d given her. Now, with a crack, it resembled a *jue*—a symbol of severance.

The Fourth Princess was… cutting all ties with him!

“Fourth Princess, what are you doing!” Consort Xu nearly screamed.

“It’s yours. I’m returning it.”  

Zhao Xuan repeated, “I won’t… marry you.”

She crouched, placed the broken jade on the ground, gave Consort Xu a deep bow, and walked away.

“Wait… Fourth Princess! Fourth…” Xu Maoyun’s earlier bravado vanished. Panicked, he tried to raise his arm to stop her, but the movement tore at his wounds, and he coughed in agony, utterly wretched.  

Stripped of his post, he’d pinned his hopes on becoming a prince consort to restore his family’s glory. Though the Fourth Princess was of low status, she was still a princess, with a dowry that wouldn’t be meager. He couldn’t let this slip away!

“Fourth Princess, don’t act rashly.”  

Consort Xu’s delicate face twisted coldly. “You think anyone else will want you after breaking this betrothal?”

Zhao Xuan’s steps faltered but didn’t turn back.

At the end of the palace path, rounding the corner, her rigid spine suddenly softened. She stumbled, clutching the wall.

Her maids, Liu Ying and another, hurried to support her, guiding her to sit on the steps.

As if drained of her last strength, Zhao Xuan hugged her arms, murmuring, “Did I do wrong…?”

“No, Fourth Sister did well,” Zhao Yan said, crouching to meet her gaze.

“Consort Xu said Xu Maoyun is my fiancé, and helping him helps me… that contributing to my husband’s family is a woman’s greatest worth.”  

Zhao Xuan closed her eyes, as if judging herself, her voice halting. “I wrote it on purpose… left it under the paperweight. He took it secretly and claimed it as his own.”

Zhao Yan replied, “If he hadn’t schemed, nothing would’ve happened. He brought this on himself.”

Zhao Xuan shook her head. “I broke the betrothal without permission. Father will surely be furious.”

At the thought, her frail frame trembled slightly.  

A neglected girl was always fragile, a single comment or glance enough to fill her with dread.

In Fourth Sister, Zhao Yan saw her own past self. The difference was, that little girl had fought back with claws bared.

On the sedan back to the Eastern Palace, Liu Ying, seeing Zhao Yan lost in thought, comforted, “Don’t worry, Your Highness. Xu Maoyun’s crime of disrespect disqualifies him as a consort. His Majesty will likely cancel the betrothal and not punish the Fourth Princess too harshly.”

“That’s not my only concern.”  

Zhao Yan propped her chin, her long lashes hiding the mole at her eye’s corner. “For a woman to be remembered, she often needs her husband’s name. Even I, to do what I want, must borrow my brother’s identity… Sometimes I wonder, why is this world so unfair, so unreasonable?”

“Your Highness…”

“I know, that’s how the world is. Thinking too much can be cruel to oneself. But since I’ve thought it, I must do something.”  

Perhaps she could establish a women’s academy outside Mingde Hall, so women could study and claim a rightful place in literature.  

But she knew how daunting even this small idea was. Beyond the constraints of Confucian ethics, family opposition, or societal scorn, the sheer cost alone was headache-inducing.

The Eastern Palace, like Zhao Yan herself, was pristine, untainted by even a single illicit gift, relying solely on imperial grants, annual stipends, and estate yields.

Under the slanting sun, with clouds ablaze, Zhao Yan sighed, feeling the weight of her ambitions, her sleeves filled only with the breeze.

Entering the Eastern Palace, a lively figure in goose-yellow darted forward, calling, “Brother Crown Prince!”

Zhao Yan’s eyelid twitched. Truly, enemies meet. She’d forgotten about the clingy Huo Zhenzhen.

“Princess Changle.”

“No ‘Princess Changle,’ just call me Zhenzhen.”  

Huo Zhenzhen grinned, her beaded necklace jingling. “I didn’t see you after the lecture. Where’d you go?”

“To Kunning Palace to see Mother.”

Zhao Yan entered the hall, noticing Huo Zhenzhen follow. Subtly hinting, she asked, “When does Aunt return to her fief? Has the date been set?”

Huo Zhenzhen pouted, sulking, “Next month, after the Start of Winter.”

The clingy girl was finally leaving. Zhao Yan suppressed a smirk, about to feign regret, when Huo Zhenzhen dropped a bombshell.

“But before returning, I’ll probably visit Huayang. Mother says I haven’t seen Grandmother in years, and she’s been unwell. I must show filial piety.”

Huo Zhenzhen puffed up proudly. “I’ll also check on Zhao Yan in Huayang. Who knows what state she’s in? I’ll mock her thoroughly, head to toe!”

*Cough, cough…*

“Brother Crown Prince, what’s wrong? Is your old illness back? Why’s your face so strange?”

Zhao Yan waved it off, clutching her chest before forcing a warm smile. “Why not stay in the capital longer, Princess? The New Year fireworks and Lantern Festival are grand sights. It’d be a pity to miss them. Stay until after the New Year.”

“Really?”  

Huo Zhenzhen’s eyes lit up, leaning closer. “Will you watch them with me?”

“Uh… of course.”  

Zhao Yan sipped her tea guiltily. “With Yingchuan’s young lord and Pei Sa, too.”

“Great!”  

Huo Zhenzhen, oblivious to the extra company, thought it’d be livelier. She hugged Zhao Yan’s slender arm. “You’re the best, Brother Crown Prince!”

Feeling the girl’s soft frame press close, Zhao Yan muttered “sinful” and tried to pull away, only to spot someone at the hall’s entrance.

“Grand Tutor?”

Zhao Yan froze, sitting upright.

Wenren Lin strolled in, hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over Huo Zhenzhen’s grip on Zhao Yan’s arm. He nodded courteously. “I’m here to assist Your Highness with night reading. Please, Princess, excuse us.”

Huo Zhenzhen blinked, asking Zhao Yan, “Do you still study at night?”

Occasionally, but those books…  

Zhao Yan avoided his gaze, mumbling, “Mm,” as she ground ink and spread paper.

“That’s tough.”  

Huo Zhenzhen let go, standing. “I’ll go discuss staying in the capital. I won’t disturb you.”

She clapped her hands and skipped out.

With a faint scrape of wood on tile, Wenren Lin pulled a chair across from Zhao Yan. One elbow propped his forehead, the other hand rested on his knee, concealing a bulge in his sleeve.

In an interrogative tone, he smiled gently. “Who was Your Highness going to watch lanterns with?”

“…”

“Yingchuan’s young lord, Pei Sa… and who else?”

Each name made Zhao Yan’s heart skip.

“And… Huo Zhenzhen?” she ventured hesitantly.

Wenren Lin’s eyes narrowed, his demeanor leisurely yet dangerous.

Zhao Yan laughed, her bright, clear eyes meeting his. Tapping her chin with her brush, she softly asked, “Will you watch the lanterns with me, Grand Tutor?”

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