The unease that had clung to Yun Shu finally turned cold and still.
She should have known. Who would go to such trouble to secretly poison General Wei Yuan with something like Itch Dust, without rhyme or reason?
So it had not been about him at all.
The real target… was her.
Most likely, that so-called "rumor" had been deliberately fed to General Wei Yuan. The person behind it had already calculated that, upon hearing it, the general would surely seek her out to question her in private.
The real question now was this: why had the person behind the scenes, most likely the Eldest Prince, gone through so much effort to douse her with a mere handful of Itch Dust?
What purpose did it serve?
Yun Shu frowned, deep in thought. Then, without a word, she rose to her feet and strode straight toward the palace gates.
"Prepare a horse."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The order of the Crown Princess was absolute. No one dared to delay.
Just as Yun Shu reached the gates, a horse had already been brought to her side.
At that very moment, Minister Liu had only just exited the palace. Halfway down the road, he suddenly remembered something urgent and turned back to report it to Emperor Xuanwu.
He happened to glance up—and froze.
Yun Shu had already mounted her steed in one swift motion, her figure upright and still as a drawn bowstring. Without even glancing back, she spurred her horse forward and charged off like a released arrow.
Minister Liu's face changed dramatically. Quickening his steps into a near run, he made straight for the imperial study.
That scene… he recognized it too well.
The last time he had seen Her Highness ride off in such a fashion was the day the Prince of Bei Xiang's heir lost his… particular defining feature.
He could only wonder what might happen today.
Inside the imperial study, Minister Liu breathlessly relayed what he had just witnessed to Emperor Xuanwu.
Meanwhile, outside the palace walls, Yun Shu had already intercepted the Eldest Prince's carriage in the middle of the street, arriving just before he entered his residence.
"What is the meaning of this?"
At that moment, the Eldest Prince was still indulging in his triumph, thinking Yun Shu would surely fall into the trap he had set for her.
He had even begun to fantasize. Once Yun Shu was removed, no matter how enraged Imperial Father might be, for the sake of the empire, the throne of Crown Prince would be his.
But the carriage's sudden halt shattered his pleasant dream.
He scowled and was just about to give his servants a tongue-lashing when he heard a cry from outside.
"Long live Her Highness the Crown Princess!"
Why was Yun Shu here?
Could it be that General Wei Yuan had not gone to confront her as expected?
If so, then everything he had planned…
Suppressing his growing unease, the Eldest Prince parted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage.
In the distance, Yun Shu sat tall upon her horse, her expression unreadable. The sight of her only deepened the furrow between his brows.
"Your Highness, has something urgent occurred?"
"Not particularly."
Yun Shu dismounted and approached, her tone solemn.
"General Wei Yuan came to see This Princess just now. He said…"
She looked around as if just realizing they stood in the middle of the street. Leaning in, she lowered her voice and said quietly,
"He said you are a blockhead."
The Eldest Prince blinked.
Had Yun Shu just insulted him?
He could not comprehend it. Yun Shu had left the palace without even changing out of her court robes, ridden all the way here, and stopped him in public—just to say… that?
He was stunned for a full two seconds.
Just as he gathered breath to lash out, Yun Shu gave his shoulder a heavy pat and said with grave sympathy,
"But do not take it too personally. It is not a serious matter. You know what kind of person General Wei Yuan is. Straightforward to a fault, never one for scheming. He simply cannot keep things bottled up."
"…So he was merely telling the truth?"
This time, the Eldest Prince only needed a moment to realize he had been insulted once again.
"You—"
"Enough."
Yun Shu cut him off without hesitation. Turning away, she mounted her horse once more.
"This Princess knows you and General Wei Yuan share a close bond. It would not do to let something so trivial cause a rift between you. What has been said is said. Let us not speak of it again."
"I…"
The Eldest Prince stood there, caught off guard. His mind scrambled to catch up, trying to grasp what Yun Shu's real purpose could be.
She could not have come all this way merely to scold him.
He opened his mouth to respond, but only one word escaped before Yun Shu flicked her reins and galloped back toward the palace without once looking back.
The Eldest Prince stood frozen.
If there was no scheme hidden behind that act, he would gladly write his name backwards.
Furious, he flung his sleeves and stormed into his residence. The first thing he did was summon his strategist to analyze what exactly Yun Shu's ambush had been about.
And sure enough, the strategist did not disappoint. After quickly calculating the timing, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed,
"Trouble! The Itch Dust must have taken effect on General Wei Yuan in front of Her Highness the Crown Princess!"
He stood up in agitation, speaking rapidly.
"Even if Her Highness has not uncovered the entirety of our scheme, she has at least grasped part of it. Your Highness, is there still time to call back the agents sent to spread the rumor? If not…"
Knock, knock, knock.
The strategist stopped mid-sentence as a knock sounded at the door. He quickly sat down and fell silent.
"Enter," the Eldest Prince said, voice low and grim.
The man who stepped inside, by sheer coincidence, happened to be the very one tasked with spreading the rumors.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, he shrank into himself and spoke cautiously.
"The matter Your Highness ordered… has been handled."
The Eldest Prince fell silent.
"Get out."
Useless fools. Why had none of them ever been this efficient before?
All of them, Yun Shu included, were nothing but a thorn in his side.
"Do not be angry, Your Highness," the strategist said, visibly exasperated.
It seemed that ever since their faction came into conflict with the Crown Princess, nothing had gone smoothly.
But there was no turning back now. He had pledged his allegiance. The only thing left was to help the Eldest Prince succeed at all costs.
"There may have been an unexpected twist, but it matters little. So long as the outcome is what we desire, the plan can still be counted a success."
"You are right," the Eldest Prince said slowly, his expression darkening.
"Whether it is true or false, as long as it becomes reality in the end, it shall be treated as truth."
…
As for what the Eldest Prince would do next, Yun Shu neither knew nor cared.
She had just returned to the palace gates when she saw Li Dehai pacing anxiously at the entrance.
"Eunuch Li?"
Yun Shu dismounted and handed her reins to a nearby guard, surprised to find the old eunuch waiting there.
"Why are you not attending to Father Emperor? What are you doing here?"