Chapter Ninety-Four: Not a Word Spoken

The Crown Prince asked, “How is the Princess’ spirit now that she is awake?”

“She’s doing fairly well, though she has only just been cured of the poison. The illness left her body very weak. During the day, Her Majesty the Empress fed her nourishing soups and medicines, and only then did her complexion regain some color. But she could hardly hold on any longer and has now fallen asleep.”

Hearing this, the Crown Prince did not dare disturb Guli’s rest. She had suffered through the torment of poisoning for more than twenty days; her body must be terribly frail. How could he bear to wake her from such a rare, peaceful sleep?

He had no choice but to lead his retinue back to the Eastern Palace.

The next day, after attending to state affairs, the Crown Prince made straight for the Palace of Clouds and Mist. To his surprise, the Emperor and Empress were both there.

He dared not enter, suppressing his anxious longing, and once again returned with his attendants.

That day, the Empress remained at the palace, tending to the Princess, and did not leave until deep into the night.

The Crown Prince was near madness with impatience.

He strongly suspected his mother was doing this deliberately.

Unable to endure any longer, he wrote a letter and handed it to Xiao Ji, instructing him to secretly deliver it to Jasmine and have her give it to Guli while the Empress was away.

But just as the letter reached Xiao Ji’s hands, the Crown Prince snatched it back and burned it over the candle flame.

Xiao Ji, utterly bewildered, stamped his feet in frustration. “Your Highness, why did you burn it again?”

“No, it’s too risky. I must speak to Guli myself.”

The palace was teeming with watchful eyes. If the letter were to fall into the wrong hands, it would spell trouble. The Crown Prince refused to take such a risk, and so forced himself to wait another day.

On the third morning after Guli awoke—also the fifteenth day since Lie Chang’an’s return from Mount Wangyao—the Crown Prince attended court, then, without even changing out of his ceremonial robes, hurried straight to the Palace of Clouds and Mist.

Yet, upon arriving, he was dismayed to learn the Empress was there once again.

He was speechless. His mother’s love for Guli ran deep through her bones—court had only just ended, and surely the consorts and concubines were waiting in the Phoenix Hall to pay their respects, but the Empress had come directly here instead.

Seeing the Crown Prince hesitate yet again, Xiao Ji was beside himself with worry. If His Highness did not visit the Princess and see General Chang’an, the general truly might not hold on much longer.

“Your Highness, are you not going in?”

“I am.”

“But Her Majesty…”

“Mother is guarding against me, that’s all.”

The Crown Prince understood that waiting any longer was futile; time was slipping away. He had to see Guli today, no matter what.

Gritting his teeth, he cast aside all hesitation and strode boldly into the Palace of Clouds and Mist.

After Guli awoke, her first thought was to learn what had become of Lie Chang’an—where he was, and whether he was safe. Jasmine had told her that the arrowhead had been laced with poison, and she herself had lain unconscious for over twenty days before waking only after being cured.

But when she asked how she had been healed, or who had helped her, Jasmine only stammered evasively, skirting the truth.

Jasmine would not say, the Empress was equally silent, and the other palace maids claimed to know nothing. Guli could not discover any details.

In truth, it was not that Jasmine was unwilling to speak, but the Empress had issued a strict order: if anyone uttered a single word more than they should, they would all be dragged out and given thirty heavy strokes, and then sent to the hard labor bureau.

With no useful information, Guli could only pin her hopes on her Crown Prince brother. Yet ever since she’d awakened, she hadn’t seen even a glimpse of him.

She was beside herself with worry, but feared her mother would notice and so could only keep her anxiety hidden.

Until today—finally, at long last, her brother the Crown Prince arrived.

At the sound of the young eunuch announcing his presence outside, Guli’s face lit up with joy. She cried out in excitement, “Mother, my Crown Prince brother is here to see me!”