Chapter 12

The aloof crown prince's nemesis

Rumors about the Shen Family's old case grew fiercer and fiercer in Capital City.

At first, they were only whispered privately among aristocratic families and nobles, but within days, word seeped into the imperial court. Many senior ministers quietly took notice after hearing the rumors, and one veiled gaze after another had already settled on Shen Zhiwei, who was staying at the Eastern Palace.

That day, after morning court ended, several conservative senior ministers did not leave immediately. Instead, they gathered on a palace path and stopped Xiao Heng as he was about to return to the Eastern Palace.

The white-haired chancellor at their head wore a solemn expression as he cupped his hands and spoke.

"Your Highness, rumors have spread throughout Capital City lately, claiming there is more to the Shen Family's case than was revealed. Now that Shen Zhiwei, the daughter of a convicted official, resides in the Eastern Palace, both the court and the public are abuzz. This grievously damages both your reputation and the dignity of the Eastern Palace! I implore Your Highness to move this woman out at once and silence the wagging tongues!"

As his words fell, the ministers beside him voiced their agreement. Their appeals were earnest, every sentence urging Xiao Heng to abandon Shen Zhiwei.

Sunlight spilled across the blue stone slabs of the palace path. Dressed in black court robes, Xiao Heng's features were veiled in frost.

He stood where he was, his back straight as a pine, his presence so oppressive that even the surrounding air seemed to stagnate.

"The Shen Family's old case has yet to be retried, and right and wrong have yet to be determined. Would you condemn a woman on the strength of a few street rumors alone?" Xiao Heng's voice was not loud, but it carried an authority that brooked no argument. "I will not drive out an innocent person merely because of rumors. Do not raise this matter again."

With that, he swept his sleeve aside and strode away, leaving the ministers exchanging bewildered looks on the palace path.

The news soon reached Su Wan.

Su Wan sat by the window in her boudoir, listening as her maid finished reporting the confrontation after morning court. Her slender fingers held a pearl, rolling it back and forth.

"Xiao Heng actually defended her in public." Su Wan's brows drew together slightly, jealousy surging in her eyes. Then a calculating smile slowly curved her lips. "Very well. If a head-on clash won't work, I'll play the good person."

She would be that gentle, kindly white lotus, pretending to plead on Shen Zhiwei's behalf while digging a pit with every word, making the entire court all the more convinced that Shen Zhiwei was a source of calamity who would drag the crown prince down.

The following afternoon, Su Wan specially prepared some pastries and scented balms, then took a carriage to the Eastern Palace under the pretext of paying a visit.

At the time, Shen Zhiwei was reading beneath a flowering crabapple tree in the Eastern Palace courtyard. The spring breeze scattered pink-and-white petals onto the pages of her book.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Shen Zhiwei looked up and saw Su Wan walking slowly toward her in a pale mauve gown, a gentle, kindly smile on her face and not the slightest trace of hostility.

"Dear Zhiwei," Su Wan said softly. She sat beside the stone table and ordered her maid to present the gift boxes. "I heard that all these rumors have been troubling the capital lately. I've been worried about you, so I came especially to see you."

Alarm bells rang in Shen Zhiwei's heart.

She knew perfectly well that the woman wearing this gentle expression was the one stirring up the storm over the Shen Family's old case. But Su Wan had left no evidence against herself. However suspicious Shen Zhiwei was, she could not accuse her outright.

Shen Zhiwei suppressed her wariness and gathered her skirts to bow. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Su."

"There's no need to be so formal with me." Su Wan reached out, making a show of intimacy as she tried to take Shen Zhiwei's hand, though a flash of malice passed through her eyes. "The ministers are submitting memorials one after another, demanding that His Highness drive you out of the Eastern Palace. I know you must be frightened and uneasy."

She paused briefly, then sighed, her tone sounding as though she truly had Shen Zhiwei's interests at heart:

"In my opinion, to preserve the crown prince's reputation, you would be better off asking to leave of your own accord and staying away from the Eastern Palace until the storm passes. Once things have settled and the dust has cleared, you can return. Wouldn't that give us the best of both worlds?"

Her words were cloaked in lofty righteousness.

But if Shen Zhiwei voluntarily left the Eastern Palace, she would indirectly confirm the claim that she carried trouble with her and should not remain there. By then, returning to Xiao Heng's side would be harder than scaling a thousand mountains.

Shen Zhiwei understood clearly. Her hand at her side quietly tightened around her sleeve, while her expression remained calm. "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Su. But the truth of the Shen Family's case has yet to be established. If I leave to avoid the matter, it will look as though I have a guilty conscience, confessing without even defending myself. I should follow His Highness's arrangements in this matter."

Su Wan had not expected Shen Zhiwei to refuse the bait. When her persuasion failed, displeasure flashed in her eyes.

Just then, footsteps sounded from the covered walkway.

Xiao Heng had returned after finishing his official duties and spotted the two women sitting opposite each other beneath the crabapple tree from afar.

Hearing his footsteps, Su Wan immediately changed her expression. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she rose to greet him, looking as though she had earnestly tried and failed to reason with Shen Zhiwei.

"Your Highness, you're back. I simply couldn't bear to see you subjected to the ministers' accusations because of these rumors, so I advised dear Zhiwei to leave for a while to avoid trouble. Who would have thought she would refuse to heed my advice..."

She feigned hurt, deliberately implying that Shen Zhiwei coveted the splendor of the Eastern Palace and insisted on staying to burden the crown prince.

Her act of retreating in order to advance was so flawless that not a drop could slip through.

Shen Zhiwei looked up at Xiao Heng. Rather than hastening to defend herself, she stood quietly amid the drifting shower of crabapple blossoms.

Xiao Heng's gaze passed over Su Wan's tearful face before returning to Shen Zhiwei. He saw through Su Wan's trick at a glance.

He made no attempt to comfort Su Wan. Instead, he walked straight to Shen Zhiwei and reached out, shielding her behind him.

His cool gaze settled on Su Wan, and his voice was detached and distant, without a trace of warmth:

"I appreciate this 'kindness' of yours, Miss Su. Zhiwei is someone I intend to protect. Whether she stays or leaves is not for others to advise. From now on, unless I summon you, there is no need for you to visit the Eastern Palace again."

With a single declaration, he had ordered her to leave.

Every trace of color instantly drained from Su Wan's face.

The kindly facade she had so painstakingly crafted was mercilessly torn apart by the crown prince in front of everyone. The palace attendants nearby all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe too loudly, yet they heard every word of the exchange.

Su Wan stood frozen, so humiliated that she wished the ground would swallow her. Her fingertips dug fiercely into her palms, her nails biting into her flesh.

She struggled to preserve her dignity and bent her knees in a curtsy, her voice wavering slightly. "...Yes. I will remember Your Highness's instruction."

With that, she turned and hurried away.

Only after she left the Eastern Palace gates and climbed back into her carriage did the gentle facade she had maintained completely collapse. Su Wan clenched her fists, her eyes filled with towering hatred.

Xiao Heng had openly shielded his own, refusing to spare even the slightest consideration for me!

If gentle methods won't work, force is the only option.

"Attend me." Su Wan summoned her personal maid through gritted teeth, her voice icy. "Notify them to submit the fabricated evidence against the Shen Family to the Censorate! This time, I'll make certain Shen Zhiwei never has a chance to rise again!"

In the Eastern Palace courtyard, crabapple petals drifted softly down.

Once the commotion faded, only Xiao Heng and Shen Zhiwei remained in the courtyard.

Shen Zhiwei gazed at the crown prince's tall, straight back, emotions surging within her.

Xiao Heng turned and raised his hand, gently brushing away a crabapple petal caught beside her temple. His eyes were tender and lingering, his voice low and assured:

"Don't be afraid. Whatever storms the Censorate stirs up next, as long as I'm here, I won't let anyone condemn you at will."

But both of them knew full well that Su Wan was preparing to produce fabricated evidence, and an even greater storm was about to sweep over them.