Chapter 9
Edward Quan ·
The emperor strode into our wrecked courtyard with his guards.
One glance showed him the needle-covered doll on the ground and the overturned chests. His brows tightened.
“What is this?”
Trembling, the deputy commander prostrated himself and reported the Noble Consort’s order and the discovery.
The emperor looked at the doll, then at Heng and me, kneeling.
“Consort Shen. Speak.”
I pressed my forehead to the ground.
“Your Majesty, I would never commit the treason of cursing the imperial family. Our gate is closely watched, but bribing a servant who sweeps the courtyard to hide something beneath a bed would hardly be difficult.”
I looked up.
“Today, the guards came and attempted arrests on the Noble Consort’s word, without reporting to you. Had you not arrived in time, would His Highness and I simply have been convicted and dealt with?”
His gaze darkened. He turned and spoke quietly to his attendants, immediately sending for our sweeping servant.
The man was soon brought in.
Under interrogation and torture, he confessed everything.
The Noble Consort’s trusted matron had paid him a large sum to slip in at night and put the cursed doll beneath the side chamber’s bed, framing us.
The truth was clear.
Furious, the emperor ordered the matron beaten to death on the spot. But to preserve the Noble Consort’s dignity, he confined her for only three days.
I understood.
He knew perfectly well who was behind it. But her maternal family’s power ran deep. He couldn’t strike decisively without damaging other things he wished to protect.
### Part 12
Five years passed in a blink.
The thin boy grew into a tall, composed young man.
In the autumn when he was sixteen, urgent news reached the capital.
A hundred thousand foreign cavalry had invaded. The frontier commander had lost three cities, retreating in defeat again and again.
The court erupted.
The emperor issued three successive decrees for reinforcements, yet could not settle on a commander.
An experienced general might be too senior to control. A newcomer might lack experience.
Someone suggested a prince lead the army: to raise morale and display imperial prestige.
Yu was the first to object.
“Father, I would dearly like to go, but I’ve been frail since childhood. A few hours on horseback leave me breathless. At the frontier, never mind fighting—I might not even survive the journey.”
He gave two affected coughs.
“My brother is strong and has trained for years. Why not send him?”
The court murmured.
Everyone heard what he was doing: pushing Heng into the fire.
The frontier was a battlefield. Blades spared no one. Whether the Seventh Prince would return alive was uncertain.
Yet after a long silence, the emperor said, “Summon him.”
The decree arrived at Qinghui Courtyard on a cold, rainy day.
Beneath the eaves, the eunuch read it aloud: Heng was to proceed immediately to the northern frontier and assist the army in military affairs. No delay.
I stood in the courtyard, my hands and feet icy.
He came out to accept it, his face calm.
Once the eunuch left, he approached me.
“Let’s talk inside, Mother.”
Chuntao brought hot tea and withdrew.
The instant the door shut, I could no longer contain myself.
“What is your father thinking? Yu plainly wants to harm you. Can’t he see it? You’re only sixteen. Sending you to war—”
“Mother.” Heng interrupted, his voice steady. “I asked to go.”
I froze.
“Three days ago, Father asked whether I was willing. I said yes.”
“You’ve gone mad!”
“No.” His eyes were calmer than I’d imagined. “To the Noble Consort’s faction, my existence is a thorn. A sorcery charge today, poison tomorrow—who knows what comes next? I can escape once, not forever.”
He paused.
“But at the frontier, with military command and achievements, things will be different. Before she touches me, she’ll have to consider the consequences. I’ll have a blade. She’ll have only words.”
I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak.
He was right. My heart still ached.
“The frontier is so far away. If anything happens…”
“Mother.” He took my hand.