Chapter 4

Jealousy stirred, protection offered in secret

Autumn sunlight filtered through sparse branches, spilling faintly across the blue flagstones of the residence. The wind swept fallen leaves along the corridor, and all was quiet save for a few soft whispers of wind.

Ever since word spread that the crown prince had bestowed silk and pastries on her alone, the mood throughout the residence had quietly shifted.

Before, they had pitied one another for sharing the same fate and offered each other comfort. But with such a stark difference laid before their eyes, envy gradually turned to jealousy.

They were all women of the fallen Shu Kingdom, all captives of a defeated nation. Everyone lived cautiously, passing each day in fear, and none had received the slightest preferential treatment. Yet Du Yizhen, who possessed neither extraordinary abilities nor any inclination to curry favor, had won the unique compassion of Great Qi's crown prince simply by appearing fragile and meek.

Many of them could not reconcile themselves to it.

At midday, the women gathered beneath the courtyard flowers, sitting in little groups of two or three. Their conversation seemed idle, but every word carried a thorn.

The speaker was Su Wanrou, daughter of a former vice minister of the Shu Kingdom.

She was delicately pretty and gentle in appearance, had always prided herself on being a talented woman, and held lofty ambitions. Back in Shu, she had compared herself with Du Yizhen in everything, only to be overshadowed in both family standing and beauty. Now that their kingdom had fallen, she had thought they were all duckweed adrift in calamity, with noble and lowly alike reduced to the same station. Yet Du Yizhen remained favored by fortune and had caught the crown prince's eye.

Holding a teacup, Su Wanrou cast a casual glance at Du Yizhen, who sat quietly beneath the corridor. Her voice was not loud, but it was just loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

"Some people are simply born lucky. Even after their kingdom falls, they still receive special attention from His Highness the Crown Prince. But I hear His Highness has always despised women who affect weakness. Miss Du looked so pitiful when she cried yesterday-surely she wasn't putting on a show for His Highness?"

As her words fell, the surrounding conversation went silent for a moment.

Another woman immediately chimed in. "No wonder she alone lost her composure yesterday. So she was scheming all along. She looks innocent and harmless, but her calculations run deeper than anyone's."

"We mind our manners and know our place, yet that apparently does less good than playing weak to win pity."

Scattered taunts and deliberate suspicions fell into the wind, drifting toward the corridor one after another.

Qinghe's face filled with indignation. Clenching her sleeves, she wanted to step forward and argue, but Du Yizhen gently raised a hand to stop her.

Du Yizhen lowered her eyes, her fingertips brushing lightly over the pages of her book, her expression calm and undisturbed.

She had heard every word.

But she knew that she was living under another's roof, powerless and vulnerable; the more she said, the more mistakes she might make. If an argument broke out, the others would only insist more fiercely that she was feigning weakness and growing arrogant on favor, giving them something to use against her.

"Pay them no mind," she said softly.

"But miss, they've gone too far! You aren't that sort of person at all!" Qinghe whispered, aggrieved.

Du Yizhen raised her eyes, her gaze clear and gentle, with a trace of helpless softness. "Right and wrong have their own justice. If I do not quarrel, they can find no fault in me."

She had always been timid and fearful. Her frightened tears yesterday had been genuine; she had never thought of winning anyone's favor. The crown prince's gifts were already a grace beyond her station. How could she dare use them to flaunt herself?

Yet the more quietly she endured, the more Su Wanrou saw her as putting on lofty airs and pretending innocence.

Su Wanrou rose and slowly approached the corridor, a faint smile on her face but an aggressive edge to her voice. "You are so composed, Miss Du. Are you truly that certain His Highness favors you? Well, anyone who received such exclusive gifts would grow proud. But do not forget, miss-we are all daughters of officials from a fallen kingdom now. Drawing too much attention may not be a blessing."

At last, Du Yizhen looked up, her gaze clear and soft.

"Miss Su, I have never harbored the slightest arrogance, nor have I deliberately sought attention. Yesterday, I lost my composure out of genuine fear. Today, I am merely behaving as I ought. His Highness treats everyone generously. That he showed me a little more consideration was only happenstance, not the result of any scheme of mine."

She spoke softly, her manner respectful and gentle, neither servile nor overbearing.

But Su Wanrou had long since formed her prejudice. How could she listen?

She gave a mocking laugh and was about to speak again when steady footsteps suddenly sounded beyond the courtyard gate.

An accompanying palace attendant stepped forward, his expression solemn, and announced loudly, "An oral decree from His Highness the Crown Prince: the women of this residence need only live peacefully and conduct themselves properly. Spreading malicious gossip in private and provoking trouble are strictly forbidden. Anyone who stirs up trouble without cause or maliciously slanders another will immediately be removed from this favored residence and dealt with separately."

The instant those words fell, deathly silence gripped the courtyard.

Every face turned stark white.

None of them had imagined that a few private remarks would reach the crown prince's ears.

Still less had they imagined that the crown prince, who never concerned himself with disputes in the inner quarters, would issue a special decree over something so small. He was clearly-deliberately protecting Du Yizhen.

The attendant swept an indifferent gaze over them. "His Highness understands the hardship of your misfortune and has therefore treated you with particular generosity. But generosity is not indulgence. Anyone who causes further discord will not be spared."

All color instantly drained from Su Wanrou's face. Her limbs stiffened, and she was so mortified she wished the earth would swallow her.

Every word she had just spoken had targeted Du Yizhen. Now it was as though she had been slapped across the face before everyone. Humiliated beyond measure, she dared not utter another word and hurriedly lowered her head and retreated.

The others fell silent as cicadas in winter, no longer daring to voice the slightest criticism.

Having delivered the decree, the attendant turned and left.

The courtyard was so quiet that a falling pin could have been heard.

Only after a long while did the women slowly recover, and the way they looked at Du Yizhen had changed completely.

Jealousy and suspicion were gone, leaving only profound wariness.

At last, they understood fully-

This Miss Du, seemingly so fragile, timid, gentle, and harmless, truly held a different place in the crown prince's heart.

Anyone else could be criticized or bullied, but not her.

Qinghe's eyes widened, surprise and delight blooming within her. She quietly leaned toward Du Yizhen's ear. "Miss! His Highness... he's protecting you! He must have heard that they were bullying you!"

Standing beneath the corridor, Du Yizhen stared blankly toward the courtyard gate.

The autumn breeze stirred the hair at her temples, and something trembled softly in her heart.

He was so cold and unfeeling, so decisive in matters of life and death, never offering the world any unnecessary warmth. Yet he was willing to shield her silently from gossip and discord where no one could see, preserving her peace and safety.

She had never begged him or sought to attach herself to him.

Yet he kept making exceptions for her, time and again.

Du Yizhen lowered her eyes, a faint warmth and aching tenderness rising in her heart.

So the coldest crown prince in the world had given her the quietest, most reassuring tenderness.

Meanwhile, on the tree-lined path outside the residence.

Zhao Xuan stood beneath a tree, the autumn wind stirring his ink-black robes, his profile cold and noble.

Lin Sui stood beside him and reported softly, "Your Highness, the decree has been delivered. No one will dare speak ill of Miss Du again."

Zhao Xuan's indifferent gaze rested on the corner of the residence's eaves. His voice was low and even. "She is mine. Others have no right to pass judgment."

Those few words were resolute and commanding, permitting no defiance.

He had not wanted to flaunt his favor. He had only wished to keep her safe in silence.

But his little girl was too obedient, too gentle, and far too unaccustomed to standing up for herself.

Since she could not protect herself, he would protect her.

From this day onward, every rumor in the city, every act of harassment, every condemnation the world cast upon her-

He would stand against them all for her.

He was the coldest crown prince beneath heaven, yet for her alone, his favor knew no bounds and no exceptions.