The pastry in Chen Qingyuan's hand stopped in mid-air; she didn't put it in her mouth.
She first thought of her sister's days in the Eastern Palace.
That burn scar, those neglected nights, and the sound of a cup being smashed coming from the direction of the main hall.
Her sister never explained it to her in detail, but she wasn't someone who couldn't hear rumors.
The charcoal fire in the warm room was burning brightly, and she put the pastries back on the plate, having lost her appetite.
"Then... what should I do?" Her voice was a little weak.
Gu Moli pushed the teacup forward.
"In my opinion, you should still go to the palace as before," she said. "You should still talk to the Fifth Prince as before, and pretend you don't understand those auspicious words as before."
"Accept whatever the Empress bestows upon you, express your gratitude, and accept the blessings as they are."
"But there's one thing," Gu Moli looked at her, her tone suddenly turning serious, "Don't respond to a single word any of the nannies whisper in private. The Chen Family cannot give their opinion beforehand, not even a single step."
Chen Qingyuan bit her lip and nodded, but she didn't fully understand the weight behind those words.
Looking at her younger sister's bewildered expression, Chen Qinglan felt a mix of relief and sadness.
She looked down at the handkerchief in her hand; the wrinkles were so deep they couldn't be smoothed out.
The Empress's jade bracelet was lying at the very bottom of her dressing case, with the word "endure" written on it.
But this time, the hand reaching out to the Chen Family wasn't just reaching out to her alone.
Clutching her handkerchief, she was momentarily at a loss for what else she could use to shield herself.
The next day.
The snow has stopped, and a thin layer of white covers the palace path, making a rustling sound when you step on it.
Gu Moli, wearing a thick cloak, entered Hanzhang Hall.
The hall was filled with warm incense. Noble Consort Chen leaned against a soft couch, her complexion better than a few days ago. When she saw her enter, she simply raised her hand to signal for tea to be served.
Gu Moli didn't sit down; instead, she recounted what had happened in the warm pavilion on the last day of the lunar year, sentence by sentence.
Chen Qingyuan mentioned that the Fifth Prince had given her some food and a copper whistle, and the old woman's saying, "A woman three years older than her husband is like holding a gold brick."
She described in great detail how Chen Qinglan clutched the handkerchief, not daring to touch the tea.
After hearing this, Noble Consort Chen did not touch her teacup, but her eyes darkened.
"The Empress is certainly not idle," she said. "The Crown Prince hasn't been deposed yet, and the succession is still undecided, and she's already paving the way for a nine-year-old child."
"What do you think she's capable of?" Gu Moli asked.
Noble Consort Chen put down her teacup, her voice very low.
"If the Crown Prince falls, the path to the Eastern Palace will be cut off."
She's lived off her position as Empress all these years. If she doesn't have someone to support her, who in the palace will take her seriously in the future?"
"The Fifth Prince is young and easy to teach, and he is also raised by her. The Censor-in-Chief's family has a reputation for integrity and can certainly keep things under control."
"I just didn't expect that after all her choices, she would still choose the Chen Family. It seems the Empress doesn't have many options left."
Gu Moli raised an eyebrow as she listened.
"The crown prince hasn't been deposed yet; isn't it a bit too hasty for her to act now?"
"It's precisely because the Crown Prince hasn't been convicted yet," Noble Consort Chen said, "That she wants to pave the way for a new path before the verdict is decided."
"If she waits until the Crown Prince really falls before making her move, it will be too late."
The hall was quiet for a moment, with only the occasional crackling of sparks from the charcoal brazier.
Gu Moli recalled Chen Qinglan's hands clutching the handkerchief, and couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart—it was sympathy or something else entirely.
"What does Mother intend to do?" she asked.
Noble Consort Chen did not answer immediately, but instead called in Eunuch Zhang.
"This matter doesn't require our involvement," she said to Gu Moli. "Just treat it as idle gossip in the palace and pass it on to Gao Fu."
Eunuch Zhang bowed and agreed.
"Will Gao Fu pass it to Father's ear?" Gu Moli asked.
"Yes," Noble Consort Chen said, "He knows what should be presented and what shouldn't. He's very discerning about these things."
Gu Moli nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
I rose to take my leave, and as I walked out of the Hanzhang Hall, the wind whipped up snowflakes that stung my face; they were quite cold.
She glanced back at the Hanzhang Hall.
But she knew that within three days, this "palace gossip" would be on the emperor's desk.
She could also get the news to the ears of the abandoned prince in the Eastern Palace.
My dear brother, what will you do?
Gu Moli smiled and slowly walked away.
evening.
The wind on the riverbank is much stronger than in the city.
Gu Moran stood on the makeshift wooden frame, her sleeves billowing in the wind.
He reached out and grabbed the rope on the edge of the frame, his fingertips touching the hemp thread, and silently did some calculations in his mind.
If the angle of the bamboo tube off the ground is even one inch off, the landing point will be off by three zhang (approximately 10 meters).
"The wind is too strong!" he shouted down. "Retract the launch pad by half a foot, and lower the tilt angle by two points!"
Xue Huan responded and led a few people to readjust the wooden frame.
Their movements were swift and skillful, clearly indicating that they had practiced beforehand; the sound of bamboo tubes being inserted into the slots was crisp and clean, one after another.
Yun Shuyue jogged along the riverbank, her footsteps so light they didn't disturb the sand.
She moved closer to the launch pad and craned her neck to look into the bamboo tube.
"How high can this thing really fly?" she asked, her eyes shining.
"Higher than you think." Gu Moran answered casually, and was about to tell her to stay away when Shen Ling'er's voice came from behind.
" Yun Shuyue, what are you doing standing in the wind?"
Shen Ling'er approached, carrying a medicine chest, her face showing some displeasure. "Come here, wrap your outer garment tighter."
Yun Shuyue shrank back, muttering, "I'm just looking, I'm not going to touch it."
"You can't even look." Shen Ling'er tossed a thick cloak over, the movement neither too light nor too heavy, and it landed perfectly on Yun Shuyue's shoulders.
Gu Moran watched from the side without saying a word.
He knew in his heart that although Shen Ling'er was fierce, she actually treated Yun Shuyue as one of her own and disciplined her, just like when she forced him to drink medicine.
He had no intention of getting involved in this "mother hen protecting her chicks" drama, and turned to look at the seal on the bamboo tube.
At this moment, Uncle Fu came up from the bottom of the slope, holding a sheet in his hand, with a somewhat troubled look on his face.
"Your Highness," Uncle Fu bowed, his voice low, "Most of the merchants in the city have heard the news that fireworks can go up into the sky, but not many believe it."
"I asked seven or eight families, and they all said they would only sign the contract after seeing it in person."
Gu Moran took the order and glanced at it. Several familiar business names were written on the order, but the rest were blank, without any signatures.
It's understandable that these people are unwilling to pay upfront.
Fireworks going up into the sky? Unheard of! Who would want to be ripped off again?
"What about the Gan Family?" he asked.
Uncle Fu's expression became more cautious.
" Master Gan said he'd send a steward to guard the outer edge of the riverbank. This old servant thinks the steward is just there to watch the spectacle."
Gu Moran didn't reply.
He looked up at the sky, then at the few figures that were beginning to gather in the distance, and he already had a sense of what the situation would be like tonight.
Having suffered a loss at the prefectural court hearing, the Gan Family is now holding their breath and hoping the fireworks display will be a disaster, so that Prince Yi will lose face in front of all the merchants in the city.