"You heard what Father Emperor said today. From this moment forward, there is no need for you to concern yourself with matters of the Eastern Palace. Simply rest and focus on carrying this child safely."
"Yes."
Shen Jingshu had never imagined her fate would take such a turn.
Watching the Crown Prince's expression soften once more, she knew full well that his kindness was not born of affection. It was all about benefits, calculated to the last detail. Even so, she offered a gentle smile, her hand caressing her still-flat belly.
"It is fortunate that Your Highness has won His Majesty's favor. Otherwise, I truly would not know what I could have done today."
"Father Emperor..."
Mentioning Emperor Xuanwu made the Crown Prince's expression twist with complex emotion.
To say the emperor favored him seemed laughable—had he not publicly scolded him before the court, calling him disloyal, unfilial, heartless, and unwise? Today, he even flung the idiom 'a dog biting Lü Dongbin' at him, practically pointing at his nose and calling him a dog.
And yet... to say he bore no affection at all? Today's outcome had surprised even him. He had been certain punishment was inevitable.
But His Majesty had let him off with barely a rebuke. Not only that, he had openly shown his support.
The ministers in court always weighed the emperor's attitude before choosing sides. With today's show of imperial favor, what could the Eldest Prince and that Yun Shu possibly use to challenge him?
His position as Crown Prince was now as steady as Mount Tai.
However...
The Crown Prince let out a cold laugh. "I truly underestimated that fifth sister of mine. She clearly planned this long in advance. Perhaps she even knew about your pregnancy before we did."
"Does Your Highness mean to say Princess Sheng An has a spy in the Eastern Palace?"
Shen Jingshu's heart leapt. Her hands, still resting on her belly, froze mid-motion.
"Then what of this child I carry—"
"Could not have been leaked from the Eastern Palace."
He walked unhurriedly to the main seat and sat down, lifting a cup of warm tea and taking a sip.
"Very few people within the Eastern Palace know of your condition. Aside from myself, only Eunuch Liu is aware. And he is my most trusted man. He would never betray me. Which means... the leak came from the Prime Minister's Manor."
"But there are few who know even there."
Shen Jingshu frowned tightly. "This concerns my reputation. I dared not risk it. Other than myself and Grandfather, only..."
Her gaze slowly shifted to the only person who had accompanied her into the palace today—her personal maidservant. Before she could speak, the tea cup in the Crown Prince's hand struck the table with a loud crack.
"Guards! Seize that treacherous maid!"
"Please wait, Your Highness!"
Not expecting such a sudden turn, Shen Jingshu quickly stepped forward.
"Cui He grew up with me. Her loyalty is beyond question. She would never betray me."
"Yet she is among the only ones who could have known."
The Crown Prince was unmoved. He waved dismissively at the guards, signaling them to proceed.
"If it was not you, and it could not have been the Prime Minister, then it must be her."
"It is also possible there was no spy at all!" Seeing the guards already laying hands on Cui He, Shen Jingshu cried out in desperation.
"Perhaps Princess Sheng An merely guessed. After all, even as your side consort, I still held some value. Though the wedding was canceled, I ought to have retained some measure of dignity.
Yet today I was summoned into the palace so suddenly, with no formalities, no ceremony... as if I were a discarded pawn."
"Is the Crown Princess expressing dissatisfaction with me?" The Crown Prince tapped his fingers lightly against the table. His tone remained calm, even gentle, but the chill in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Do you seek compensation, then?"
"I would not dare."
Realizing that in her panic, she had spoken as she once would have in more favorable days, Shen Jingshu felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. She lowered her head in contrition.
"I only feel that Cui He is innocent."
"Then it is your fault she suffers."
The Crown Prince cut her off without mercy, the corners of his lips curling in mockery.
"From the day you proposed the plan involving the Tian Waitian Restaurant, you should have considered the consequences of failure.
You were lucky today. Though your scheme to frame Yun Shu with a miscarriage did not succeed, you turned things around thanks to this child.
Otherwise, your end would be no better than hers.
That maid is yours, not mine. I do not trust her.
If there is even the slightest suspicion, better to kill than to risk it. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I understand."
"Good."
He rose and approached Shen Jingshu, giving her cheek a few gentle pats. A warm smile reappeared on his face, though the warmth never reached his eyes.
"Do not worry. I will ensure Yun Shu cannot rise again. But such matters take planning. For now, behave yourself and focus on your pregnancy. Do not make me waste any more effort on you."
With that, he turned and walked out of the main hall.
As he passed by Cui He, he made a casual gesture toward the guards—one that clearly signaled death.
The guards nodded slightly, covering Cui He's mouth to stifle her screams. Without hesitation, they dragged her out of the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince disliked bloodshed within the palace walls. He considered it inauspicious.
"Mmmph... mmmph!"
All living creatures cling to survival. Cui He was no different.
Dragged from the hall, she still clung to a final sliver of hope—that Shen Jingshu would save her. Ten years of shared life as mistress and maid had not been an illusion.
Had that not been the case, she would never have followed Shen Jingshu into the palace today, knowing she was already a discarded pawn.
She had been ready to suffer alongside her.
But Shen Jingshu had given up on her without a second thought. When Cui He looked at her in desperate appeal, Shen Jingshu turned away, refusing even to meet her eyes.
The deeper Cui He's despair, the greater her hatred of Shen Jingshu's cruelty.
She struggled with all her strength, praying someone—anyone—would intervene before the guards took her life.
"Mmmph!"
"Did you hear something just now?"
Having just escorted the Third Prince out of the palace, Yun Shu and Yun Chuhuan were returning when they happened to pass near the Eastern Palace.
Yun Shu had been half-listening to Yun Chuhuan grumble about how Imperial Father treated the Crown Prince far better than him, when suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.
"What was that?"
Yun Chuhuan paused as well, glancing around.
"I hear it now too. Sounds like a maid being smothered!"