Chapter 24

"Nemesis of the Aloof Crown Prince" Chapter 24

The night was deep and heavy, a cold moon hanging above the eaves of the Eastern Palace.

Ever since the guard reported the matter of the Su Family privately meeting a pugilist, guards all over the Eastern Palace suddenly became several times stricter. Secret guards lurked day and night outside the doors of the Quiet Reflection Pavilion, guards patrolled back and forth openly, and every courtyard gate was thoroughly inspected upon entry and exit.

Yet the tighter the layers of defense, the more intense the unease in Shen Zhiwei's heart grew.

These past few days Xiao Heng was busy with court affairs, and the Su Family secretly contacted a group of old officials, creating obstacles for him everywhere in the court. Many memorials, both overtly and covertly, argued endlessly about the crown prince choosing his consort, saying that Shen Zhiwei came from humble origins and lacked the moral character to be the mother of the Eastern Palace.

Rumors flew across the court, and all the pressure pressed down upon Xiao Heng.

That evening, Shen Zhiwei stood in the corridor, gazing into the heavy dusk, burdened with worries. A maidservant walked forward carrying a bowl of medicinal soup, speaking softly, "My lady, lately you always have trouble sleeping in peace, and your stomach is also a bit weak. The imperial physician specially prescribed a calming medicinal soup, drink it while it is hot."

The medicinal soup inside the porcelain bowl gave off faint heat, and a bitter medicinal fragrance slowly drifted out.

Shen Zhiwei did not think much of it; her mind had been restless for days and she often tossed and turned unable to sleep at night. She had already drunk the imperial physician's calming decoction a few times before. She reached out to take the porcelain bowl and was about to lower her head to drink when a sudden evening breeze blew past. A pot of sweet osmanthus in full bloom by the corridor was stirred by the wind, and a few petals drifted leisurely down, landing squarely in the medicinal soup.

The moment the petals fell in, the originally dark petals actually faded to a pitch-black color at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Wait!"

Shen Zhiwei's pupils abruptly constricted, her hand shook violently, and most of the bowl of medicinal soup crashed onto the bluestone ground with a clang. The porcelain bowl shattered, and the brown medicinal juice splashed everywhere.

The maidservant turned pale with fright and dropped to her knees with a thump, "My lady! What is wrong with you!"

Still shaken, Shen Zhiwei lowered her head to look at those blackened sweet osmanthus petals on the ground, a thin layer of cold sweat breaking out across her back. If she had drunk the medicinal soup in one gulp just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

"This medicine has a problem." Her voice trembled slightly.

Daring not to make a commotion over this matter, Shen Zhiwei immediately sent away the rest of the maidservants by her side, leaving behind only Wanqing, the personal maid she trusted most on ordinary days, to quietly go outside the palace and report the matter to the confidant secret guards at Xiao Heng's side.

The secret guard rushed over to inspect the medicine dregs and indeed discovered a chronic mesmerizing drug inside the medicinal soup. This drug would not instantly take a person's life, but if taken for a long time, it would slowly wear away a person's consciousness, leaving them in a daze, physically weak, and frail. Once some time passed, Shen Zhiwei would grow increasingly withered and deranged, and by then everyone would only think that she lacked good fortune, was unable to bear the title of crown princess, and had suffered a mental breakdown from the blow of the rumors.

What a sinister and vicious scheme! Without spilling blood or leaving a scar, they could quietly destroy her.

"Where is the palace maid who delivered this medicine right now?" the secret guard asked in a deep voice, pressing for answers.

Wanqing shook her head, "The one who brought the medicinal soup was a junior palace maid temporarily transferred from the outer courtyard. She hurried away as soon as she finished delivering the medicine. When we went to look for her again, the person had already vanished without a trace."

Clearly the other party had long since thought of a way out, hiding away once the deed was done without leaving a single living witness.

Wanqing was both angry and terrified, "My lady, it must be the Su Family making trouble! On the surface the Su Family returned gifts of apology pretending to reconcile, yet behind our backs they still refuse to let you go!"

Shen Zhiwei supported herself against a corridor pillar, her emotions turbulent.

"Only now we have not caught that maidservant, leaving no living witnesses. Even if we know it was the handiwork of the Su Family, we cannot produce evidence." Her brows were locked in a tight frown, "Su Wan is still grounded in the estate, and everything is being plotted behind the scenes by the head of the Su Family. He calculated precisely that we lack solid proof, which is why he dared to act so unscrupulously."

When the night grew deep, Xiao Heng finished discussing official business in the palace and hurried back to the Quiet Reflection Pavilion.

The moment he stepped into the courtyard and saw Shen Zhiwei's pale face and absent-minded expression, his heart tightened. He strode forward and immediately pulled her into his embrace.

"I heard about the medicinal soup matter at dusk, did it frighten you?" Xiao Heng's voice was full of deep affection as his palm gently stroked her back.

Shen Zhiwei buried her face against the lapels of his robe, her nose stinging as she slowly recounted everything that had happened at evening.

After listening to the beginning and end, the temperature all over Xiao Heng's body instantly plummeted, and biting anger surged in the depths of his eyes. He never imagined the Su Family could be so insidious and treacherous. Open spears are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against; instead of sending assassins to poison and take her life, they had resorted to chronic drugs, wanting to destroy Zhiwei's sanity and reputation.

"Such a fine Su Family." He bit down on his back teeth, his voice low and cold, "Again and again, step by step, pressing closer."

Shen Zhiwei raised her gaze to look at him, gently tugged at his sleeve, and persuaded him softly, "Your Highness must not give in to anger. Right now we lack human witnesses, and if we rashly launch an attack, the Su Family's faction of partisans will surely join hands to attack in the imperial court, which would be unfavorable to you."

Xiao Heng lowered his head, looking at the gentle yet lucid features of the person in his arms, his heart aching and full of admiration. Even though she repeatedly fell into perilous situations, she still understood how to assess the situation and think things through thoroughly.

"You don't need to urge me to endure in silence." Xiao Heng grasped her hand, his gaze firm, "I will not passively defend anymore. Starting today, I will gather all the evidence of the Su Family's corruption and private scheming. Since they refuse to stop, then this game of chess should be for me to make the first move."

Outside the window the night wind howled, and an even greater game of strategy officially began.