Chapter 23: The Obsessive, Lustful Hostage Prince and the Doted-Upon, Wilful Princess (23)

The imperial palace was silent at midnight. As the watchman’s calls faded, the faint cooing of birds could be heard from the branches.

Shu Yao’s sleep was far from peaceful.
The imperial court was in turmoil, flames raged everywhere.
Blood...
There was blood everywhere.
She was dressed in a bright red wedding gown, pursued and cornered by thousands of Liao soldiers. The long palace corridors seemed to have no end.
"Don't let her get away! Charge!"
"Kill the princess of the previous dynasty! His Majesty will reward us handsomely!"
"After her!"

The biting cold wind surged into her chest, and even breathing was agonizing. Yet, Shu Yao dared not stop; what awaited her was a bone-chilling death.
The Liao soldiers were closing in. Shu Yao ran with all her might, but she could never shake them off.
Finally, she was trapped within the Great Ancestral Temple with nowhere to retreat.
Behind her stood the spirit tablets of the late emperors and ancestors. The flame of the eternal lamp was snuffed out by the hand of a Liao soldier.
Then, from the dense crowd of enemy soldiers, a familiar and terrifying figure emerged.
Shen... Shen Jingmu.
The man was drenched in blood, his silver armor stained deep crimson. He stared at Shu Yao, his sinister, hateful gaze as if he wished to devour her bones.
Had she... had she already completed the mission?
Shu Yao closed her eyes in excitement, calling out to the System in her mind.
*Puchi!*
A long sword pierced through her chest. Agony that felt as if it were splintering her bones swept over her entire body, and her vision began to blur with a crimson mist.
The man’s eyes flickered in the dim light.
He leaned in, gripping the back of her neck, and drove the sword deeper without hesitation.
"Ugh!"
Her body was run through, and the howling wind rushed into the wound, tearing at the bloody flesh.
Shu Yao felt herself being hoisted high and then falling heavily, blinding blood gushing out from beneath her.
The bright red wedding dress turned even more vivid.

"No... no!"
Shu Yao jolted awake, greeted by the sight of the resplendent palace.
The calming incense in the burner had burned out, leaving only a lingering warmth.
Shu Yao touched her forehead; her palm was slick with cold sweat.
What a strange nightmare. Was this the ending of the supporting female character from the original book?
Her heart still raced, as if trying to leap out of her chest, accompanied by a pounding rhythm in her ears.
Her thin sleeping robe was soaked with sweat and clung to her skin, feeling incredibly uncomfortable.
Shu Yao threw off the quilt, wrapped herself in a thick cloak, and stepped off the bed.
Outside the bedchamber, Wantao’s voice drifted in.
"Your Highness, what is wrong?"
"Nothing, just had a nightmare."
Unable to sleep, Shu Yao yawned, dug out a storybook, and sat before the candle to read leisurely.
The yellowed rice paper turned a deep red under the candlelight, and Shu Yao became lost in the pages.

Suddenly, she heard a sound outside the wooden window.
*Scritch—*
The sound was sharp, like someone scratching at the window with their fingernails.
Shu Yao couldn't help but shiver, pulling her cloak tighter.
*Scritch—*
The sound grew abruptly louder, and Shu Yao’s hand shook, causing the storybook to drop to the floor.
She pinched her palm as countless terrifying images flashed through her mind.
In this massive imperial palace, could it be haunted?
So many people had died here; the resentment must be heavy.
No, it couldn't be. It must be imagination and illusion.
Summoning her courage, Shu Yao walked slowly toward the window. As she neared it, the grating sound vanished.
Finding it strange, she placed her right hand on the window and pushed it open abruptly.
Two bloody human faces swayed outside the window, their eyeballs swollen as if they were about to burst from their sockets.
"Ah!"
Hearing the scream, Wantao kicked open the door and rushed in, shielding Shu Yao in her arms.
Her gaze turned fierce as she glared out the window, and even she couldn't help but gasp.
Two corpses were hung upside down outside the window, the blood flowing from their mouths and noses soaking the flowerbed, looking exactly like two vengeful ghosts seeking a soul.

This news spread through the palace once again. Shu Yao was so terrified that she fell into a persistent high fever, confined to her sickbed.
Some even speculated that Princess Jianing was usually cruel and ruthless, killing without blinking an eye.
Even the Heavens could no longer stand it and had sent vengeful ghosts to come and claim her.
Perhaps the assassins from before were ghosts too; otherwise, how could there be no clues at all?
It was simply retribution.
"Cough... cough..."
From within the chamber came the woman’s thin, weak coughing. Wantao carried a bowl of steaming medicinal soup, coaxing Shu Yao to drink.
"It won't be bitter, Your Highness. If you don't drink it, how will your illness improve?"
"The medicine prescribed by Imperial Physician Zhang must be very effective."
Shu Yao covered her mouth in discomfort, unable to stop coughing, her lungs feeling as if they were being torn apart.
Wantao frowned, quickly setting down the medicine bowl to pat Shu Yao’s back.
"Which heartless wretch is this, daring to dump corpses to scare the Princess? Truly vicious!"
Seeing Shu Yao’s weak state, she couldn't help but curse.
Just then, a eunuch entered to report that, according to the Imperial City Guard's investigation, the two deceased were eunuchs from the Qiwu Palace, both having died from a single sword strike to the throat.
Killing was one thing, but hanging the bodies specifically by Princess Jianing’s window—that act carried deep implications.
The palace had been unsettled lately, with one incident after another.
The Imperial City Guard was already overwhelmed investigating the assassins who had targeted the First and Fifth Princes, and Princess Jianing had almost been assassinated while bathing.
The Emperor was already furious, ordering a full investigation to be completed within a month.
And now this. Not only had they found no leads, but this event had occurred.
They were all walking on eggshells.
"That’s enough. If you haven't found anything, get out. You’re disturbing the Princess’s rest."
Wantao had no patience for this group of useless men. She scooped up a spoonful of medicine, blew on it until it cooled, and brought it to Shu Yao’s lips.

"Your Highness, please just take a sip. I beg you."
"You didn't drink your medicine properly last time you had a headache and nearly fell ill. You mustn't take this lightly."
Shu Yao was still thinking about the two corpses from last night.
Although she was terrified, she had clearly seen their faces, and the Imperial City Guard had confirmed they were eunuchs from her own palace.
She had a rough idea of the culprit, but she still needed evidence.
As she thought this, an intense itch rose in her throat again.
Shu Yao coughed until tears streamed down her face, a thin, crimson flush blooming at the corners of her eyes.
Her forehead was burning hot, and her mind felt hazy, as if a pot of boiling water were continuously simmering inside, ready to spill over.
"Wantao..."
Her voice was hoarse, thick with a heavy nasal tone.
"Find some candied fruit. This medicine is simply too bitter; I cannot get it down."
Good medicine is bitter to the tongue, and after boiling a dozen herbs into a small bowl, the taste was acrid and overwhelming.
Wantao sighed helplessly: "Yes, Your Highness. I will go find the candied fruit for you right away."
Shu Yao lay back on the couch, touching her forehead. The searing temperature made her feel as though she were touching pig skin boiled in scalding water.
"This is killing me..."
She felt utterly drained, waves of drowsiness washing over her.
The high fever was half from the nightmare and the chill, and half from the sheer terror.
She vaguely recalled that those two corpses were the very eunuchs who had whipped Shen Jingmu during the day.
Could he be the one who killed them?
It was very likely.
To kill them and then use their bodies to scare her in an act of revenge—very well played.
Next time, she would definitely give him two more lashes!
She would whip the skin right off him!
After dreaming of her own miserable end, Shu Yao became even more determined to make Shen Jingmu suffer.

Wantao was carrying the candied fruit when she happened to run into Empress Xiaode, who had brought Princess Anle to visit.
"Greetings to the Empress, greetings to the Princess."
She curtsied, holding the candied fruit steadily.
Anle ignored her, but Empress Xiaode nodded and asked gently, "Is Jianing doing any better?"
"Replying to the Empress, Her Highness still has a high fever and refuses to drink her medicine, clamoring for candied fruit."
Empress Xiaode frowned and chided, "This child, always so gluttonous, never paying attention to her health."
"I will go see her myself."
With that, she stepped into the hall, with Anle following reluctantly.
They had already said Jianing was ill; why did Mother have to come see her? What if she got infected?
The moment she saw Shu Yao, she quickly hid her displeasure, replacing it with a look of worry and concern.
"Jianing..."
Here we go again.
Shu Yao rubbed her temples.