CH 29

In the following few days, Ye Zi continued to ignore him. But at dusk, someone had sent a message that Commandery Princess Changning had woken up. 

Gu Yan asked: “What did she say? Did she say this Prince pushed her in?”

The person who came to deliver the message was the eunuch serving Empress Dowager and upon hearing this, he almost fell to his knees in shock: “No, the Commandery Princess didn’t say that. The Commandery Princess hasn’t said a word since she woke up, no matter what others ask, she……..she wouldn’t respond.” 

Gu Yan was a little surprised since he was ready to take the blame. However, he didn’t expect this blame to never come.  

What was that person thinking?

Gu Yan sent away the little eunuch and headed back into the inner room.

Ye Zi’s flower pot was placed on the small table behind the screen so that he could hear their words just now.

Gu Yan sat down at the table and looked at him with his chin propped up: “You still don’t plan to talk to me?”

Ye Zi struggled a bit before obediently answering: “……What do you plan to do?”

Gu Yan didn’t take it to heart: “What else can I do, since Changning didn’t accuse me, then the matter has nothing to do with me. Why should I still think about what to do next?”

Ye Zi lowered his head and said nothing.

Sometimes he couldn’t figure out what Gu Yan’s real thoughts were; why did it look as if he didn’t care about anything? 

If it was the person he remembered, there was absolutely no way he could have held his tongue like this.

Ye Zi asked again: “How is it in Chang’an?”

Gu Yan smiled contemptuously: “I heard that Wen Yi was so angry that he almost came from Chang’an to fight me, but was stopped by his father. There is no news from the palace, they are probably still waiting and watching.”

Now the focus was all on Changning alone, everyone was waiting for her decision.

But, she didn’t say anything.

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The more silent, the more unsettling. Ye Zi pondered for a moment, vaguely realizing something.

As the night was getting darker, Gu Yan went to rest early. After the man fell asleep, Ye Zi crawled out of the flower pot and quietly jumped out of the bedroom window.

He avoided the guards and quickly found the Empress’s bedchamber.

As there were many guards outside the Empress’s bedchamber, Ye Zi leaped onto the beam of the room and felt his way into the chamber through a gap in the beam.

As expected, there were no palace attendants in the bedchamber.

Ye Zi leaned over to look into the inner room and could vaguely see a thin figure lying on the bed and beyond the curtains. Wen Zhi opened her eyes, staring blankly at the curtain above her head, and the last vibrancy in her eyes had disappeared.

Ye Zi was about to get closer when the person on the bed suddenly turned her head to look in his direction. Ye Zi hurriedly retreated to the beam in fright.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from outside the main hall.

“Zhi’er, have you thought about it yet?” The Empress came out from the shadows.

It was already late at night and she was still wearing a gorgeous palace dress with exquisite makeup, contrasting with the haggard person on the bed who had no makeup.

The Empress walked up to Wen Zhi, held her hand, and said in a warm voice: “Auntie knows that your father and I had pushed too hard earlier and it was our fault. Auntie can choose to ignore your disobedience, but why do you refuse to listen to us?”

Wen Zhi inclined her head to look at her for a moment and closed her eyes without answering.

A flash of anger appeared in the Empress’s eyes: “Who are you showing this look to? We just want you to get close to Gu Yan. He is a Prince conferred by the late Emperor and has a high status. Why do you feel wronged by marrying him? Furthermore, it’s not like you don’t have feelings for him, you……”

Wen Zhi suddenly laughed softly.

It was like she had heard a very funny joke and she couldn’t stop laughing. Her laughter echoed in the empty bedroom for a while, which made the Empress a little scared.

The Empress couldn’t stand it anymore: “Stop laughing!”

“Why can’t I laugh?” Wen Zhi opened her mouth, her voice was low and weak, “Aunt, don’t you think it’s funny?” 

Wen Zhi continued: “Yes, I was once interested in Prince Rui. So I should have listened to you guys, approached him in every way, seduced him, and used my own reputation in exchange for the qualification to marry into the Prince Rui manor, right?”

Wen Zhi raised her head, her gaze looking as if she was staring off into the distance: “But Aunt, I grew up learning from the Grand Tutor. Although I don’t seek the most holy way, I do understand what to do and what not to do.”

“I’d rather die innocently than……lose my reputation and get a husband who hates me to the bone.”

The Empress rose haughtily: “What do you know? That’s exactly how the harem is. He might not like you know, but there is no guarantee that he will not like you after you marry him. Have you seen his Princess Consort? He’s only a plaything at best, unable to continue the bloodline for him. What qualifications does he have against you? As long as you can marry him……”

She seemed to realize that she had lost her composure and suddenly stopped talking.

The Empress took a deep breath and softened her voice: “Zhi’er, you are still young and there are many things you still don’t understand. Auntie won’t force you. Auntie has already told you, as long as you are willing to come out and put the blame on Gu Yan, saying that he had molested you and that you refused his advances so you were forced to throw yourself into the lake.”

She paused and said enticingly, “As long as you are willing to speak, Auntie and your father will help you take care of everything and let you marry into the Prince Rui manor in style.”

The Empress patted the back of Wen Zhi’s hand and smiled: “In the struggle for power, women are supposed to be sacrifices, what do we need those illusory feelings for? Only the things that we can grasp into the palm of our hands can make us live in true peace. Think about it.” 

After saying these words, the Empress turned and left the bedchamber.

Once the door of the bedchamber was closed, the hall returned to being cold and silent.

Ye Zi sighed lightly and suddenly heard Wen Zhi speak: “Are you still there?”

Ye Zi was stunned and his body froze.

Wen Zhi had already sat up from the bed. She leaned against the bed and calmly looked in Ye Zi’s direction. Ye Zi hesitated for a moment and walked out.

Wen Zhi quietly watched the little green plant walk to her bed and didn’t show too much surprise.

She smiled and whispered: “I saw you in the garden yesterday.”

Wen Zhi said: “You followed me and His Majesty Prince Rui and hid in the grass, am I right?”

Ye Zi looked up at her by the bed but didn’t answer.

Wen Zhi tilted her head in doubt: “You can’t speak?”

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t speak, just lend me an ear.” Wen Zhi smiled palely, “I’m sorry for letting you hear that just now. Do you think I’m ridiculous?”

Ye Zi whispered: “No.”

Wen Zhi was a little surprised, not even noticing that Ye Zi’s voice was somewhat familiar: “So you can speak.”

Ye Zi didn’t dare to say too much in front of her so he only responded softly.

“I thought I would die.” Wen Zhi’s eyes drifted away as she said sadly, “How good it would have been if I had died, I wouldn’t have to live to face this. Why did he have to save me?”

Ye Zi couldn’t help but say, “In that situation, it was impossible for him not to save you.”

Ye Zi asked again, “Did you deliberately throw yourself into the lake in front of Prince Rui in order to stir up conflict between him and the Duke of Protection?”

Wen Zhi looked at him with some surprise.

Ye Zi continued: “If you really did die, the Duke of Protection and the Empress will definitely not let it go. But there would be no evidence and the truth would remain unknown, so they wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on Prince Rui. It may seem like a dead end, but in this way, the possibility of cooperation between the Prince Rui manor and the Duke of Protection was completely cut off.”

Ye Zi paused and said in a low voice: “This is your real purpose, isn’t it?”

Wen Zhi smiled lightly, adding some vibrancy to her haggard face: “Little Plant Fairy, you are very smart.”

Ye Zi still didn’t understand: “But why did you……”

“There is no reason.” Wen Zhi lightly said, “I just didn’t want everyone to be uncomfortable.”

Wen Zhi continued: “If I die in a deserted place, all I can leave behind are white bones, but the people I hate will still be alive and well and I can’t stand that.” 

Her voice was extremely soft and he couldn’t hear any emotion behind them, it couldn’t help but send chills down Ye Zi’s spine.

“From the time I was born, I was taught that my parents’ orders cannot be disobeyed, but if my parents’ orders are wrong, do I still have to obey them?” Wen Zhi smiled bleakly, “Little Plant Fairy, do you know what would have happened next if I hadn’t jumped yesterday?”

“After our tour of the garden, the Empress Dowager will set up a dinner party. During the dinner, Aunt had already changed Prince Rui’s wine and when Prince Rui was drunk, she would put me in one place with him.”

Wen Zhi’s voice trembled and she gently closed her eyes: “A man and woman left alone for one night, even if nothing happened, the onlookers wouldn’t believe it.”

There was a chill in Ye Zi’s heart.

If that were really the case, Gu Yan would certainly be forced to marry Wen Zhi.

The corners of Wen Zhi’s mouth curled up slightly: “They used me and used me as a pawn. I can’t benefit myself and I can’t escape this fate. If that is the case, why don’t I find my own way to die, to make my death worthwhile.”

She was unwilling to succumb to her fate but nor could she disobey so she wanted to use her own life to ruin the elaborate plans of the Empress and the Duke of Protection.

But she didn’t expect that she would be rescued by Gu Yan in the end.

Wen Zhi sighed: “I know this is unfair to His Majesty Prince Rui, but that was the only way I could think of. I’m the one who should apologize to him, it was me who gave him trouble.”

Ye Zi didn’t answer.

It was a while before he asked in a low voice: “What do you plan to do next?”

This was the purpose of his visit.

Now all the focus was on Wen Zhi and one word from her could determine the direction of everything, so Ye Zi wanted to find out what was in her mind.

Wen Zhi seemed to be in a dilemma and she shook her head: “I don’t know. You just heard, Aunt wants me to frame Prince Rui, but I can’t do it. So I can’t just die now, if I die, Aunt will recklessly release the news that Prince Rui molested me and then I will have completely harmed Prince Rui.”

Wen Zhi lowered her eyes and smiled bleakly: “After half a day of tossing and turning, I ended up digging a hole for myself. There is probably no one in this world who is more stupid than me.”

Ye Zi couldn’t bear it in his heart. He stretched out a small stem and patted the back of Wen Zhi’s hand comfortingly.

Wen Zhi tilted her head to look at him and asked cautiously: “Can I touch you?”

Before Ye Zi could answer, she turned her gaze away uncomfortably: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’ve read a lot of bizarre stories and feel that there are many wondrous things in the world. I never thought I could really meet one so I’m a little curious.”

For the first time, Ye Zi saw the shyness and innocence of a girl in her teens on her face.

Ye Zi jumped on the bed, went to Wen Zhi’s hand, and gently embraced her hand with his leaves.

“Live.” Ye Zi whispered, “There will be a way.”

Ye Zi left the Empress’s bedchamber only to feel uncomfortable in his chest. He got the answer he wanted, Commandery Princess Changning would not trap Gu Yan in injustice, but he couldn’t feel happy no matter what.

The little green plant, with his flower bud hanging down, walked lethargically into the court where he and Gu Yan lived when suddenly someone grabbed him by his stem and lifted him up.

Ye Zi was startled and lifted his head to look.

Gu Yan lifted him up with a smile that couldn’t reach his eyes: “My beloved consort, where have you been to at this late hour?”