Yan Qi knew all too well who Zhang Qide was. At this critical juncture, the Crown Prince summoning Zhang Qide back left little doubt about his intentions. Realizing this, Yan Qi no longer cared how Yan Chi had managed it. He immediately returned to Prince Cheng's residence and summoned his chief secretary along with several advisors to discuss matters in his study.
That very evening, all the information Yan Chi wanted was delivered to him.
"This is the fortune slip Hu Shi presented to the Empress Dowager. It's said to be from her visit to Huayan Temple outside the city. But our investigation confirmed that while Hu Shi did leave the city that afternoon and visit Huayan Temple, her visit was rushed both ways. The fortune slip she obtained wasn't this one. After she presented this slip to the Empress Dowager, Her Majesty immediately sent Mammy Chen to the Imperial Observatory. The prediction issued by the Director of the Imperial Observatory matched exactly what Hu Shi had presented. That's when the Empress Dowager began to worry."
"Yesterday morning, when Hu Shi and the Marquis of Zhongyong entered the palace, they were all smiles and fully supported this marriage alliance. After leaving the Longevity and Health Palace, they went directly to the Eastern Palace. They stayed there for less than an hour before departing - Hu Shi returned to her residence, then left the city an hour later. If I'm not mistaken, this matter must be connected to the Crown Prince."
Without the Eastern Palace's instruction, given Qin Shu's temperament, why would he suddenly create obstacles? After all, this marriage appeared most favorable at present. Yan Chi's brow furrowed slightly.
Outside the window, the night was deep. In the late autumn of the north, the chilly wind already carried a biting cold. Yan Chi's expression seemed tinged by this chill, his entire demeanor growing stern and cold. His dark phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as he understood perfectly what the Eastern Palace intended.
The news of his father's accident was still being suppressed. By delaying the wedding date, this marriage would remain uncertain. When his father's death was eventually announced, he would enter mourning. With the collapse of Prince Rui's household, this marriage would likely become as unattainable as the moon reflected in water.
The Eastern Palace's intentions were twofold: first, unwilling to involve the Marquis's household in Prince Rui's affairs; second, that highly positioned Crown Prince Yan Che harbored ulterior motives. Being a man himself, Yan Chi understood Yan Che's thoughts all too well.
Yan Che, with his high position and power, could normally obstruct a marriage easily. But he had chosen to confront Yan Chi.
Yan Chi's voice was deep, "You personally handle the Director of the Imperial Observatory." Tomorrow, I want Her Majesty to be at ease."
Bai Feng nodded, "Understood, my lord."
Yan Chi sat sternly behind his desk for a moment before asking, "When will Yu Qi's message reach the capital?"
"We should receive news in two days. Master Qi and Gu Ling are already safe, so Yu Qi's mission will surely proceed smoothly. Your Highness need not worry. However, we likely won't receive Xiao Cheng's message for another three days - Liangzhou remains under strict martial law."
Yan Chi's expression turned cold as still water. Years of battle in the Northwest Frontier had tempered his heart like steel. Yet regarding this matter, he could barely suppress the raging fury rising within him. Born into the Yan clan, he shouldn't have borne responsibility for the hundred thousand soldiers and civilians of the Northwest Frontier. But his father had devoted himself to this Path, and that determination had become part of Yan Chi's very blood and bones. In the Northwest Frontier, there were only enemies and life-or-death battles - blades entering white and emerging red, where one either killed or was killed. Though extremely dangerous, it was straightforward and satisfying.
But the soldiers of the Northwest Frontier would never imagine that the treachery of human hearts surpassed the danger of blades ten thousandfold."How is Fan Xin?" Yan Chi suddenly asked.
Bai Feng frowned and shook his head, "Not well. He was already severely injured, and making it to Luozhou was pushing himself to the limit."
Yan Chi's eyes flickered slightly before he quickly said, "Bring him to the capital."
Bai Feng hesitated, "Your Highness, with the incident in Liangzhou, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and Prince Cheng are surely watching the royal residence closely. The slightest misstep could..."
"Send him to Xun Niang. Arrange it quickly."
Yan Chi's tone brooked no argument. Bai Feng's eyes reddened slightly as he promptly acknowledged the order.
...
...
Early the next morning, just as Song Yan, the head of the Imperial Observatory, opened his duty room, he noticed an inconspicuous small box placed on his desk. Frowning, Song Yan couldn't recall owning such a box. After a moment's hesitation, he approached the desk and opened it. Inside lay a single sheet of paper.
Growing more puzzled, Song Yan instinctively unfolded the paper.
After reading just the first two lines, his composed expression shifted dramatically!
He swiftly glanced around, and seeing no one, hurriedly finished reading the contents. Then, crumpling the paper into a tight ball, he hesitated over where to dispose of it before ultimately swallowing it.
Still unsettled, his young apprentice hurried to the doorway, "Master, Mammy Chen is here again. She requests your presence in the front hall."
Song Yan shuddered, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and stepped out.
Upon meeting Song Yan, Mammy Chen delivered her instructions. After waiting half an hour, she finally saw Song Yan emerge, pale and shaken. The result of the marriage compatibility reading was ready. In a weak voice, Song Yan said, "Mammy, I've exhausted all my efforts to obtain this. It cannot be wrong."
Not daring to look at it herself, Mammy Chen nodded and left the Imperial Observatory.
As soon as she was gone, Song Yan collapsed to the floor. His apprentice was baffled—conducting a marriage compatibility reading was a simple task; why had it left his master so exhausted?
Gasping for breath, Song Yan quickly scrambled up and rushed back to his duty room.
Mammy Chen returned to the Longevity and Health Palace with the thin paper in hand, her heart still racing anxiously. When she saw the Empress Dowager, she remained visibly agitated.
The Empress Dowager urgently asked, "Well?"
Mammy Chen shook her head, "I didn't dare to look. Please examine it yourself."
Assuming a solemn expression, the Empress Dowager carefully took the paper stamped with the Imperial Observatory's seal. She took a deep breath before unfolding it. Scanning the contents rapidly, she suddenly laughed, "I knew it! I knew it! All that divination was nonsense! The marriage compatibility reading is what truly matters. I always knew Wan Yatou and Yan Chi were a match made in heaven!"
Hearing this, Mammy Chen's tightly wound nerves instantly relaxed.
However, the Empress Dowager folded the paper and declared, "Originally, I thought a wedding before the New Year would suffice. But after that divination stir, I want their engagement settled sooner. Summon Tao Yongcheng from the Ministry of Rites and also call for Yuan Qing. I have instructions for them to begin preparations early—ideally, complete everything by the winter month. Then, have the Emperor issue an urgent decree to the northwest, ordering Yan Lin to prepare for his return journey..."
Mammy Chen listened cheerfully to the Empress Dowager's rapid-fire commands and immediately went to relay the orders.
...
...When the news reached the Eastern Palace, Yan Che was discussing the repair of the southern canal embankments with several senior officials. Tang Fu, aware of Yan Che's instructions, grew anxious upon receiving word from the Longevity and Health Palace. He waited until the officials had left the side hall before entering with trepidation. "Your Highness, Song Yan's task... was not accomplished."
Yan Che immediately knew something was wrong and frowned. "What happened?"
"This morning, Mammy Chen brought the birth charts of the heir apparent and Yongci County Princess to the Imperial Observatory. Song Yan concluded they were highly compatible. The Empress Dowager was overjoyed and completely unaffected by the divination slip. Now, the Minister of Rites and Eunuch Yuan have gone to the Longevity and Health Palace—it seems Her Majesty intends to expedite the marriage arrangements."
Yan Che's face darkened instantly. "Where is Song Yan now?"
Tang Fu shrank back. "He... he just submitted a memorial to the Emperor begging to retire on account of his faults... The Emperor, considering his advanced age and mediocre performance at the Imperial Observatory these past two years, granted the request. He appears to have already left the palace."
Retirement?! Yan Che's brow furrowed deeply. Song Yan was notoriously greedy—why else would he have served Yan Che? Yet now he suddenly sought retirement? And after accepting Yan Che's orders, why this sudden change of heart?!
"That cunning Song Yan. Send He Yin to investigate why he betrayed us and resigned."
Frustration welled in Yan Che's chest. Not only had the divination slip failed to sow doubt in the Empress Dowager, it had instead spurred her to hasten Qin Guan and Yan Chi's marriage. Clenching his fists, he initially considered further commands but abruptly realized his schemes kept backfiring. If the Empress found out...
Yan Che shut his eyes briefly, reopening them with cold composure. "Set this aside for now. Report to me immediately when Zhang Qide replies."
As Tang Fu acknowledged the order, Yan Che felt suffocated and stood to leave.
Autumn's bleakness deepened daily, casting the palace skies in ashen hues. Standing before the silent hall, Yan Che unexpectedly missed his chattering golden finch. The Eastern Palace was too quiet—sometimes unnervingly so. While buried in piles of memorials, he hardly noticed, but in moments of weariness, the silence became inescapable, amplifying his loneliness.
Qin Chaoyu approached from the Picking Fragrance Hall and spotted Yan Che's profile. He stood at the entrance, gaze fixed on a distant gray cloud. Pausing, she recalled Moyun's words from that morning.
Yan Che's affairs had proceeded normally lately, with the Northwest Frontier Army provisions case and southern canal being his top priorities. Why then would he obstruct Yan Chi and Qin Guan's marriage? Even if Prince Rui someday no longer commanded the Northwest Frontier Army, the heir alone could rally half the Zhou military.
Having such a person aligned with the Crown Prince's faction would be ideal.
Qin Chaoyu pressed her lips together, a faint smile forming as she walked toward Yan Che.If she were still in the Marquis' residence, upon hearing such news, she would likely fly into a rage and grow suspicious. But now, as the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace, the only woman who could stand by his side, even if she felt discontent, she had to suppress it. Moreover, the truth of the matter still required patient observation.
...
...
Qin Guan emerged from the palace, her anxious heart finally settling. Hu Shi's words were certainly not without cause. Qin Guan had initially worried that her marriage with Yan Chi would face obstacles, but she never expected the Empress Dowager to summon her into the palace so soon, beaming with joy.
Upon entering the palace, Qin Guan learned that their birth characters had been matched and were deemed a heavenly union.
Relieved, Qin Guan listened as the Empress Dowager expressed her desire for them to marry as soon as possible. Naturally, Qin Guan did not object. After their discussion, when she left the palace, she felt entirely at ease. Yan Chi had not come to the palace today, and the Empress Dowager had not specifically summoned him to discuss the matter. Qin Guan found herself missing him. The capital was now on the brink of turmoil, and Yan Chi stood at the center of the storm. The previous night, she had tossed and turned, almost considering a midnight visit to Prince Rui's residence.
"Let's go to the Ministry of Justice offices..."
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she voiced the instruction. Outside, Baiying drove the carriage, skillfully navigating the familiar route to the Ministry of Justice.
As usual, Baiying approached the guards at the entrance to inquire, only to learn that Yan Chi was not at the office.
Qin Guan immediately said, "Then let's go to the royal residence."
Baiying drove the carriage, heading toward Prince Rui's residence.
As they made their way, Qin Guan's heart grew heavier. She understood the kind of grief that others could not alleviate—even she could offer no help. When she had seen Yan Chi in the palace, his expression had been unmoved, yet Qin Guan vividly remembered his hoarse, trembling voice from that day. Yan Chi had never shown vulnerability in front of her before; that was the first time.
Lost in her thoughts, Qin Guan soon found the carriage arriving at Prince Rui's residence.
The alley remained as quiet as ever. Baiying went forward to knock, and the same gatekeeper as last time answered the door.
Seeing Baiying, the man no longer wore the cold expression from before but instead spoke respectfully, "His Highness is in the residence."
Qin Guan hurriedly stepped down from the carriage. As she entered the gate, she wondered if her sudden visit might seem abrupt to Yan Chi.
Although they had long confessed their feelings to each other, this was only her third time visiting the royal residence—the first time, she hadn't even made it past the gate.
After walking a short distance, she spotted Yan Chi striding toward her along the corridor ahead. He had received word of her arrival and came to greet her. At the sight of him, Qin Guan's eyes softened. When he reached her, Yan Chi took her hand and said, "Why aren't you wearing a cape?"
It was a cloudy day, with a cool breeze.
Qin Guan smiled slightly. "I just came from the palace. I'm not cold."
Glancing toward the inner part of the residence, she faintly saw several figures. During her last visit, Prince Rui's residence had been desolate, with hardly any servants in sight. Qin Guan asked, "Am I interrupting your important matters?"
Yan Chi shook his head and, holding her hand, led her along the same path as before. "I have to meet a few people today. Let me take you to the pavilion where I stay first. You'll need to wait for me a moment."
Qin Guan naturally agreed. After walking a few steps, she could clearly make out the figures ahead.Several young men armed with sabers exuded a stern and murderous aura. Though they appeared youthful, their faces bore a colder, more severe ferocity than ordinary people. Seeing Yan Chi leading Qin Guan by the hand as they approached, they promptly lowered their heads in deference.
Yan Chi did not speak to them, instead guiding Qin Guan toward the waterside pavilion. As they passed by what seemed to be the main courtyard—a spacious compound—Qin Guan vaguely glimpsed several shadowy figures. She took a soft breath and turned her gaze to Yan Chi. His expression remained composed and steady, yet the line of his jaw seemed sharper than usual. In just a few short days, he had already grown thinner. And she knew with profound certainty that though a storm was brewing, the one holding her hand would never be broken by the tempest.
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