Chapter 20 The Missing Princess
The lady longed to escape day and night, but that dog Gu kept a tight watch. From the front courtyard to the main residence where the lady lived, one had to pass through a heavily guarded large garden, then three ornamental hanging flower gates, along a winding path leading into seclusion... and inside, there were many female guards—tall, steady on their feet, none of them ordinary.
In extreme anger and panic, Yao Er’s words became clearer than ever before. Unfortunately, the Marquis’ residence was tightly secured. Once she entered the rear courtyard, she never came out again, only vaguely remembering the general route. Gu Yan strictly separated the front court from the rear residence, never conducting official business in the inner quarters. Sometimes, when overwhelmed with work, maids often saw him, after the lights in the main residence had gone out late at night, put on his outer robe and head to the front courtyard to review documents.
Under Yan Xuerui’s supervision, aside from that one time serving tea, Yao Er had never seen Gu Yan, let alone gathered any information. She could only share scattered details about the affairs of the rear residence. Fang Zhixu did not interrupt her, waiting until Yao Er grew thirsty and licked her lips, then felt somewhat guilty.
"Godfather, Yao Er is truly incompetent—only knowing this much."
After a long silence, so long that Yao Er grew anxious, fearing her godfather had seen through her deception, she finally heard Fang Zhixu say, "It’s alright."
"Senior Tutor Gu, who still holds great influence at court, for you to have escaped him with your life is already fortunate."
His voice was clear and gentle. He lowered his head and asked Yao Er about the Marquise’s well-being, what she did in her spare time, how her meals were, whether she still loved eating lotus seeds as she did in her youth, and if she still feared the cold in the mornings and evenings.
Yao Er secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Fang Zhixu had asked about the daily interactions between Yan Xuerui and Gu Yan, one lie would have required countless others to cover it, forcing her to improvise on the spot. But since the questions concerned only Yan Xuerui, she could speak more freely.
Stammering through her answers, she couldn’t help glancing up at Fang Zhixu’s face. Her godfather had cultivated his arts for many years; his followers, from Yangzhou to the capital, were too numerous to count. Whether facing high officials or beggars on the street, he always treated them equally, his eyes filled with compassion—like an impassive deity in a painting.
Now, she saw her godfather’s gaze distant as mountains, his pale, thin hand tightly gripping the armrest of his wheelchair, veins standing out on the back, clearly not as calm as he appeared.
Yao Er suppressed the resentment in her heart. No matter what she thought, in front of her godfather, she dared not speak ill of the woman he cherished.
Her godfather had adopted their group of beggars, fed and clothed them, patiently educated them. They regarded him as a deity, willing to go through fire and water for him, even at the cost of their lives.
Now that her godfather was secretly heartbroken over a woman, they, as his children, should also fulfill their filial duty.
Yao Er convinced herself and tentatively suggested, "Godfather, the lady already recognizes me. You often say one shouldn’t serve two masters; since my elder brothers and sisters are occupied, leave the matter of the Marquis’ residence to me."
"There is an eldest young master in the Marquis’ residence named—"
Before she could finish, Fang Zhixu calmly interrupted her, "You’ll accompany me into the palace."
"What? You’re entering the palace?"
Yao Er was utterly shocked. The Virtuous Prince had invited her godfather three times, persuading him to emerge from seclusion. She had originally thought the capital was a good place, but upon arrival, she realized the Virtuous Prince was practically leading her godfather to his doom.
The emperor was preoccupied with quests for immortality and Daoist practices, even going so far as to construct a Daoist altar within the palace. This wasn’t particularly strange; throughout history, emperors wielding great power, as they aged and weakened, often turned to mysticism in pursuit of longevity—a common sign of folly in historical records.
Nowadays, no admonishing ministers threw themselves against the coiling dragon pillars of the Golden Hall. Firstly, because the struggle between the Virtuous Prince’s faction and the Crown Prince’s faction was intensifying, both hoping the emperor would grow increasingly negligent so their master could ascend. Secondly, because this emperor was different from past foolish rulers; he neither sought eternal life nor built furnaces to concoct elixirs.
The emperor wanted the Daoists to use the Liu Ren method to find someone.
It was said to be a princess born to a favored consort, who had accidentally been lost among the common people, her whereabouts unknown. That consort had been uniquely beloved in the harem during her lifetime; the emperor had once regarded all other beauties as nothing for her sake. Who would have thought such a beauty would meet a tragic fate, passing away shortly after giving birth to a princess?
That same year, the emperor deposed Empress Xu and carried out extensive purges in the former court and harem. That year, people lived in panic; the blood at the execution grounds never dried, with thousands involved in family confiscations and exiles, taking two or three years to settle. After this, the emperor forbade anyone from mentioning that favored consort, and the court diaries were destroyed by the emperor, leaving no written trace. Everyone avoided this palace secret, only vaguely knowing the emperor had always been searching for that lost princess.
Having nearly turned the capital upside down without success, he now pinned his hopes on spiritual and mystical means. Was the emperor easily fooled? His patience lasted at most half a year; failure meant the crime of deceiving the sovereign, punishable by death.
Over the years, many so-called "immortal masters" seeking fame had been executed. Though Yao Er truly believed her godfather was a genuinely enlightened person, still... he was mortal, not a real deity. Over thirty years had passed; perhaps that princess was long dead.
For the Virtuous Prince to recommend her godfather’s entry into the palace—wasn’t that endangering him?
Yao Er murmured, "Godfather, why…"
She suddenly choked, her face turning pale. Why? All for that woman! Now Senior Tutor Gu wielded overwhelming power; even the Virtuous Prince could do nothing against him. The only one in the world who could overthrow that dog Gu was the emperor!
Yao felt as if drenched in cold water. Though she had selfish motives, she didn’t want her godfather to come to harm. She almost immediately spoke the truth, but suddenly, the man’s thin, pale hand rested on her head.
"Good child, you’ve worked hard."
"Your pulse is weak and floating; you must have internal injuries. Have a physician examine you and rest well."
Yao Er’s nose stung with emotion; the words on her lips hesitated to come out.
She was a "good child"; how could she deceive her godfather?
Fang Zhixu called the servant in blue to help Yao Er up, then pushed his wheelchair to the Yin-Yang Taiji diagram, gazed at it for a long time, and softly said, "Invite the prince over."
***
On one side, the "Daoist master" whom the Virtuous Prince had sincerely and respectfully invited finally relented, willing to join in his grand endeavor. The two talked through the night, leaving a worried Yao Er guarding the door outside. On the other side, in the court, the Virtuous Prince’s faction increasingly suppressed the Crown Prince’s faction. Delving deeper, the Ministry of Justice’s cases were originally the Crown Prince’s fault. Coupled with Gu Yan’s "feigned illness," morale was unstable. Only then did the Crown Prince understand Gu Yan’s intention.
He saw clearly: the core of the Crown Prince’s faction was never the Crown Prince himself. Back then, he was too young; Gu Yan had used his name to gather factions and cultivate loyalists, all promoting Gu Yan’s own people!
He was too young and too obedient to Empress Xu and Senior Tutor Gu. Those people outwardly obeyed but privately few dared truly follow the "Crown Prince’s" orders.
Besieged on all sides, plus Empress Xu’s daily admonitions, the Crown Prince held out for over a month. Empress Xu even personally stormed the Eastern Palace. Under his mother’s watchful eye, the Crown Prince removed his court robes—symbols of his status—raised his arms, and "bore the punishment" before Senior Tutor Gu.
Gu Yan made him wait a long time but didn’t make it too difficult. He drank the apology wine offered, said a few words of encouragement, finally ended his sick leave, and began attending court.
The court’s disturbances and bloody storms never reached Yan Xuerui. Having sent Yao Er away, she settled one worry but didn’t feel much lighter. Her three children were each troublesome.
The youngest cried at will, driving one to frustration. Ming Wei returned from the academy once, frowning, her face no longer carefree as before. When asked, she was unwilling to share secrets with her mother. She stayed only two days before hurriedly returning to the academy, seemingly eager to see someone.
And Ming Lan—after the Yao Er incident—she really should find a new bride for him. Now with spring in full bloom, various mansions’ Flowerviewing Banquets were in full swing. Paintings were no substitute for seeing in person; she needed to follow her mother-in-law out to see for herself.
Ordinary women from deep chambers leaving home only required the housekeeper’s tally. Now the Marquise’s household was managed by the elder lady, who wouldn’t say anything, but she was different; she needed Gu Yan’s approval to go out.
This was Ming Lan’s major matter. She had completely settled her heart now, truly wouldn’t run away again. She prepared to discuss it properly with Gu Yan, but he suddenly ended his sick leave and became extremely busy.
During Gu Yan’s "feigned illness," much official business had piled up. He also had to clean up the Crown Prince’s mess, receive guests, socialize—often returning to the residence late at night, carrying the scent of alcohol. She slept lightly; afraid of disturbing her, he often slept in the study.
Yan Xuerui hadn’t seen Gu Yan for many days. At first, she understood he was busy. But after several days, she gradually sensed something was wrong.
He was avoiding her.
Before, no matter how busy, he always found time to return to the room, to share a meal—there was always time. Now, there was no sign of him. She also recalled Gu Yan’s unusual behavior recently; everything seemed strange.
After much thought, one evening when servants reported the Marquis was resting in the study, for the first time ever, she brought a group of maids in full force to the study to confront him.
Gu Yan’s study was heavily guarded. She rarely ventured to the front courtyard before; the guards at the door, uncertain of protocol, stopped them and went to report.
Hearing the lady sought an audience outside, Gu Yan was stunned, the wolf-hair brush in his hand snapping under pressure. He looked up and asked, "Who did you say?"
"Reporting, Marquis, it’s the lady—"
Before the speaker finished, Gu Yan quickly pushed open the door, strode to Yan Xuerui, and grasped her hand.
"Why have you come? Are you cold? You should have had someone bring an extra layer."
After the lingering chill of late spring, the blossoming flowers now heralded warmer days, making even the nights less frigid. Yet Yan Xuerui's constitution was naturally cold, her hands and feet perpetually icy. Whenever they were together, Gu Yan would clasp her hand firmly—partly to indulge his own possessive nature, and partly to share his warmth with her.
Yan Xuerui didn’t struggle. She glanced at him sidelong and said, "The Marquis is busy with official matters; your humble wife came to see, to serve tea and water, to attend to your side."
If another woman said this, it would be virtuous and kind; coming from Yan Xuerui, it was completely sarcastic. When had she ever been so diligent? Serving her husband, wifely duties—she had never cared for any of that.
Gu Yan rubbed his temples, dismissed everyone, and brought her into the study. Facing his wife’s silent accusation, a trace of helplessness flashed in Gu Yan’s weary, gloomy eyes.
He indeed was avoiding her.
Unable to obtain the heart-blood, Mr. Gao had a set of acupuncture techniques that could temporarily suppress the cold syndrome in her body. Even if it were an elderly, dim-sighted man, Gu Yan was unwilling to let another man see her body. Fortunately, having practiced martial arts for years, he was familiar with the body's acupoints, and learning a set of acupuncture techniques was not difficult for him.
The real challenge came later with a remark from Mr. Gao: "This old man observes that the lady's pulse is faint, thin, and weak, indicating a depletion of kidney-water. It is likely due to excessive marital duties, which have overtaxed the lady, consuming her vital energy and blood."
"It would be best to allow the lady to rest and recuperate peacefully, combined with this set of acupuncture techniques, to regulate her body, fortify her root and nourish her primal qi. This would achieve twice the result with half the effort."
Recalling the recent days of indulgence, Gu Yan knew he was at fault and also wanted to let her rest for a few days. He had thought that after years of marriage, carnal matters were no longer paramount, and that spending some time apart would not be a big deal.
He had overestimated his own endurance.
Her garments were half shed, her skin as smooth as snow, her dark, silky hair cascading down over her fair, rounded shoulders. She... she was even tempting him!
To see but not to partake—since when had the ever-willful Senior Tutor Gu endured such hardship? After several such instances, Empress Xu happened to extend an invitation, and he seized the opportunity, immersing himself in court affairs and directly resting in his study.
He never expected her to come looking for him—truly a rare occurrence.
Gu Yan sighed softly, squeezing her delicate, boneless hand, and was about to explain when Yan Xuerui cut straight to the point: "Your Lordship, you've called off those guards. I need to go out and move about."
Gu Yan paused, his previously gentle gaze suddenly turning sharp and profound.