Great Wei did not exclude women from sacrificial rites.
So on the day of the Qingming rites, the empress and some of the higher-ranking consorts would accompany the procession.
Noble Consort Shu was naturally among them.
What was more, she still held the empress's seal, and even the empress could not interfere with her choice of attendants.
This gave her the perfect opportunity to help Zhao Hai slip into the procession.
But though she had decided to do it, she was afraid and had not slept well for several nights.
On the day of Qingming, her face was deathly pale. Only after she had her maid Qiaohe apply another layer of powder did she manage to conceal her haggard appearance.
After Noble Consort Shu was punished and trouble befell the Zhao Family, Wei Chengye had lost some of his edge.
He knew nothing of the substitution Noble Consort Shu and the Zhao Family had arranged. Seeing how poorly she looked, he stepped forward to comfort her. "Mother, there was nothing you could do about Cousin Hai. You've worked hard enough these past days. After Qingming, please get some proper rest."
Hearing Wei Chengye show such rare consideration, Noble Consort Shu felt a flicker of relief, but her brow grew more troubled.
She worried that if the scheme came to light, Wei Chengye would be implicated.
After all, no matter how dearly she loved Zhao Hai, he was not her own son.
A trace of regret rose in her heart, and Noble Consort Shu tightened her grip on her handkerchief. Then Qiaohe said beside her, "Your Highness, Commander Zhao is ready and waiting outside the palace. We should go to His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress as well."
Noble Consort Shu came back to herself. She knew that Wei Chengye's future depended on the Zhao Family's support.
Zhao Junze was her own younger brother. If she stood by and did nothing this time, it would do Chengye no good in the future.
She could only pray that the scheme would not be exposed.
With that thought, Noble Consort Shu steadied herself and said, "Let's go."
Meanwhile, in the Ministry of Justice prison, Kou Yuan had found a pretext to clear out the guards.
He opened Zhao Hai's cell and shoved a filthy, disheveled young beggar inside.
The boy bore some resemblance to Zhao Hai. He did not struggle, but simply found a corner and sat down, watching everything around him with indifference.
"Are you here to save me?!" As though he had seen his savior, Zhao Hai rushed forward and grabbed Kou Yuan's official robe. Almost mad with desperation, he said, "I'm the eldest young master of the Zhao Family! My father is the commander of the Imperial Guard, and my aunt is the noble consort, the most favored woman in the harem. If you save me, they'll all be grateful to you!"
"Take me out! Hurry, take me out!"
Seeing this, the young beggar gave a mocking laugh.
Kou Yuan said, "Eldest Young Master Zhao, I have indeed come to save you."
"But you must cooperate with me."
"I will, I will! I'll do whatever you ask!"
After nearly a month in prison, Zhao Hai was close to going mad.
Now that he knew someone had come to save him, he naturally did as he was told.
Kou Yuan had him lie down in a chest filled with the five grains.
The chest bore a palace seal, something only the imperial harem could use.
Noble Consort Shu had taken the opportunity to send it out of the palace while preparing the offerings some days earlier.
Before closing the chest, Kou Yuan said, "Eldest Young Master Zhao, remember: no matter what happens, you must not make a sound!"
Zhao Hai nodded.
Kou Yuan closed the chest.
He ordered men to carry it out of the prison.
They avoided the crowds and traveled in secret, heading toward the imperial palace.
Little did they know that, from the moment they left the Ministry of Justice, two groups of men working under Feng Chenyi and Yun Shen had been watching them.
Outside the imperial palace, Empress Feng was dressed in plain clothes and riding in the same carriage as Wei Zhao.
According to protocol, Noble Consort Shu was supposed to ride in one of the carriages behind them with the other consorts.
But now, in front of all the officials, Wei Zhao summoned her into his own carriage.
"Yunniang, you've worked hard managing the harem's preparations for the rites these past days. My carriage is more comfortable, so ride with me."
After saying this, Wei Zhao glanced at Empress Feng.
He did this, first, because he knew that in the Bai Family matter some time ago, he had had no choice but to let Zhao Hai be sentenced to death, with the execution due in a few days.
This was a tremendous blow to the Zhao Family.
So he needed to placate them.
Second, he wanted to goad the empress into making a mistake and defying him.
That would give her a reputation for jealousy.
It would make it easier for him to take action against her later.
But Empress Feng merely lifted her eyelids and smiled calmly.
"Although Great Wei has never had a protocol allowing a consort to share a carriage with the emperor and empress, since Your Majesty has said so, and you are Great Wei's emperor, I shall naturally obey."
With that, she even made room for Noble Consort Shu.
"Sister, it's windy outside. Come in quickly."
Yet her actions did nothing to improve Wei Zhao's expression.
Instead, his face grew cold, and his smile vanished.
After all, her words sounded like acquiescence, but they were a veiled rebuke.
They were like a soft blade that stabbed without drawing blood.
The officials watched from the side, their expressions varied. Some frowned, while others suppressed smiles.
Zhou Ye was one of those suppressing a smile.
Feng Chenyi glanced at him and said quietly, "I never knew you were so fond of watching a spectacle, Brother Zhou."
"Now you do, don't you?" Zhou Ye smiled at him.
But his gaze passed over Feng Chenyi toward the area outside the palace. "Things will get a little chaotic later. If you can spare the effort, Brother Feng, you must do everything you can to protect that person."
Feng Chenyi knew only that Zhou Ye's plan involved an assassin appearing to kill Wei Zhao.
He did not know that the assassin was Yun Shen, much less Yun Shen's true identity.
Over the years, he had appeared utterly loyal to the emperor, but in truth, more than once, Wei Zhao's cold treatment of his sister and his past cruelty toward the Zhang Family had stirred a rebellious impulse in him.
If not for his family, he might already have embarked on a path of no return.
Now that his sister and father had finally agreed to join the Zhou Family's plot, he would naturally give them his full support.
Hearing Zhou Ye's instructions, he said solemnly, "Rest assured, Brother Zhou. I'll do everything I can to help him escape."
Once the consorts and princes had all boarded their carriages, the grand procession set out from the imperial palace and made its way onto the capital's streets.
Zhao Junze led the Imperial Guard along both sides of the procession, while Feng Chenyi led the Patrol Camp ahead, clearing the people from the streets to make way.
During the journey, Deputy Commander Nan Yu came to tell Feng Chenyi that Kou Yuan was bringing a chest and intended to slip it in among the sacrificial offerings prepared by Noble Consort Shu. He asked what they should do.
"Pretend you didn't see it. Have the men of the Patrol Camp all move up front, and give them time to slip the chest in."
Once the Patrol Camp left, only the Imperial Guard would remain with the procession. They were all Zhao Junze's men and would naturally obey his orders.
That would allow Noble Consort Shu and Zhao Junze's scheme to succeed.
"Yes." Nan Yu departed.
Feng Chenyi rode forward, directing the people to clear the way, when his horse suddenly brushed past a figure in a black robe.
Feng Chenyi's hand accidentally knocked the hood off the person's cloak.
He turned to look and met the eyes of Yun Shen, who was in disguise.
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