Chapter 13: The Madly Passionate Prince x The Pampered and Spoiled Princess (13)
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She raised a hand, signaling Wan Tao to come closer.
Wan Tao blinked. “Does Your Highness have another order for me?”
“Go and investigate someone for me.”
Shu Yao lowered her voice. A nearly imperceptible chill flashed through her beautiful eyes.
Wan Tao could not understand why the princess wanted her to investigate Canzhi.
She had always trusted Canzhi, for Canzhi had been bestowed upon her by the Emperor. What had happened today?
Wan Tao had a vague feeling that Canzhi had something to do with the princess’s punishment.
She did not delay and immediately went to carry out the order.
Zhangtai Palace stood in a secluded place, and few people ever set foot there.
As usual, the eunuch delivered spoiled food into the hall, spat angrily at the palace doors, and left.
Cen Mo leapt down from the rafters. He glanced at the food on the ground and laughed in fury.
“Stale buns and floodwater. This lot truly believes our master is easy to bully.”
Cen Yan rubbed his forehead helplessly, too lazy to answer him. Instead, he reported everything he had witnessed to Shen Jingmu.
“She knelt all night?”
The young man did not even raise his head. The rice paper in his hand made a soft rustling sound as he turned it.
Cen Yan cupped his hands. “Yes. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Last night, during the hour of the Dog, that damned emperor’s personal eunuch went to Qiw Palace himself to summon Princess Jianning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. She remained there for four hours.”
“It was not until the hour of the Rabbit that Princess Jianning emerged, supporting herself by the knees. Soft cushions were still tied around her legs. Judging by her complexion, she must have knelt the entire night.”
Shen Jingmu’s fingers paused over the page. He lifted his eyes, as though weighing the truth of the report.
Cen Mo spoke first. “How could that be? Everyone says that damned emperor dotes on Princess Jianning more than anyone. We have all seen just how much he favors her. How could he possibly make her kneel?”
Cen Yan found it equally strange. The matter was simply too absurd, yet he had witnessed it himself.
And still, the strangest part had yet to come.
He continued, “That is not all. Our people discovered that the reason Emperor Chu’an punished her was because a wolf cub scratched Princess Jianning’s finger.”
Cen Mo’s brows drew tightly together. He reached up and scratched his head.
“A wolf cub? Could it be the one she snatched from Princess Zhaoyang?”
Cen Yan nodded. “But even if she was injured by a wolf cub, the creature should have been punished. Emperor Chu’an must have another motive.”
Shen Jingmu lowered his eyes, his long fingers rubbing across the surface of the paper.
“What happened to the beast?”
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Cen Mo said, “They say it was skinned and made into a fur collar. Since you gave no orders, we did not have anyone follow it.”
He lowered his head guiltily, not daring to meet Shen Jingmu’s gaze.
Cen Yan analyzed the situation. “Princess Jianning has been punished, yet she has no power behind her. The damned emperor has always been stingy. For him to indulge her so excessively, there must be another reason.”
Without thinking, Cen Mo blurted out, “Does he have something to gain?”
The words had barely left his mouth before he shook his head. “No, no. Since Princess Jianning has no forces backing her, there is nothing about her that Emperor Chu’an could exploit.”
A moment later, Cen Mo’s eyes suddenly widened. Pointing excitedly at Cen Yan, he cried, “I know!”
Cen Yan sighed. “What do you think you know now?”
“Her face! It must be her face!”
Cen Yan found the idea utterly absurd. Beautiful women were everywhere in the imperial palace. Could a mere pretty face truly make Emperor Chu’an favor her above all others?
Shen Jingmu said, “Go on.”
Cen Mo felt that he was on the verge of uncovering the truth.
“Think about it, Master. Princess Jianning is notorious for her arrogance and cruelty, and for her unpredictable temper. Countless palace servants in Qiw Palace have been beaten to death by her. At the same time, she is also famous for being…”
Shen Jingmu raised his chin, indicating that he had to finish.
Before Cen Mo could say the word, Cen Yan understood and supplied it.
“Beautiful?”
“Exactly! Beautiful. There are many beautiful women in the imperial palace, but I have never seen one whose beauty was so brazenly dazzling.”
“That face is Princess Jianning’s bargaining chip—the reason Emperor Chu’an favors her above all others. That damned emperor must also be relying on that face to help him accomplish something important. Most likely, he intends to offer her up in exchange for greater power.”
“He is already seated upon the throne. Ordinary people would be scrambling to curry favor with him. The only thing that could make him go this far is a marriage alliance.”
When two nations wished to establish friendly relations and advance through cooperation, there was no better method than a marriage alliance.
Cen Mo felt he was nothing short of a genius. Even Cen Yan, who had always looked down on him, now found his reasoning somewhat convincing.
“If what you say is true, then the damned emperor is keeping Princess Jianning for the sake of power. In that case, our plan to use her as an entry point to gather military intelligence cannot proceed, because she has no access to any of it.”
The moment Cen Mo heard this, he grew anxious. “Then our master took those beatings for nothing?!”
Shen Jingmu pressed his aching brow. “Be quiet.”
The shouting was giving him a headache.
Cen Yan cupped his fists. “Master, should we do something?”
Shen Jingmu said, “Stay put and closely monitor Princess Jianning and the movements of the court.”
That was all?
Cen Yan cautiously raised his eyes. “What about Princess Zhaoyang? Does our cooperation with her still stand?”
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With the First Prince and the Fifth Prince meeting disaster at the same time, Princess Zhaoyang had undoubtedly played a part in it.
Who would have thought she could go so far?
Shen Jingmu curved his lips indifferently. “Of course it stands. Why wouldn’t it?”
“She has already presented her pledge of allegiance, so there is no harm in continuing. If she harbors any ulterior motives, send her straight to her death.”
His tone was utterly unconcerned. He sounded less as though he were discussing a human life than slaughtering a pig.
No—crushing an ant.
“Yes.”
Once the two men had vanished, Shen Jingmu lifted the yellowed sheet of rice paper. Two large characters had been outlined on it in ink: Jianning.
Shen Jingmu extended a hand and brushed the pad of his finger across the paper, staining it with the ink that had not yet dried.
Beautiful?
He certainly did not think so.
Despite himself, the scene from the birthday banquet rose in his mind.
Chu Mingjue had drawn his bow, filled with malice, and tried to shoot straight through his eyes.
He had always enjoyed making things difficult for Shen Jingmu, so Shen Jingmu had long since prepared a way to deal with him.
The problem had been that woman.
Before he could make his next move, she had stepped forward, imperiously ordering him to leave and attend to her.
Though it had been another act of harassment, she had indirectly saved him once—and had consequently offended Chu Mingjue.
Did she truly possess not the slightest bit of sense, her viciousness having reached the point of sheer stupidity?
Shen Jingmu did not think so. Yet after another thought, she had had no reason to save him.
After all, half the scars covering his body were thanks to her. Whippings and beatings had long since become an ordinary part of his life.
Then perhaps she really was simply too stupid to understand the situation.
The damned emperor actually intended to send such a foolish woman into a marriage alliance. Would she not ruin the relationship between the two nations?
With a smile, Shen Jingmu tore the rice paper apart and held it near the candle flame until it burned away.
Reflected in the firelight was a pair of green eyes brimming with anticipation and excitement.