The man driving the carriage for Ling Buyi was a mixed-blood of Han and Hu descent surnamed Jin, whom Ling Buyi had rescued at the age of fifteen during his time at the border fortress. He was exceptionally skilled in all matters related to horses, capable of driving as smoothly on rugged paths as if traversing flat ground.
Shao Shang maintained a smile on her face, but her tone turned icy: "That day, Wen Xiujun said, 'It's because Wang Chun could never conceal things properly that I ended up in this state.' In other words, Wang Chun had known about this matter long ago. Given Wang Chun's habit of seeking your help in everything, how could he not have begged you to save him once he knew?"
"Just now, Wang Chun told me that he only learned about the conspiracy involving Peng Zhen using his name after Cui Hou's army had already set out. He immediately placed Wen Xiujun under house arrest and sent trusted aides to chase after the army, hoping to find you and beg you to swiftly eliminate Peng Zhen, then be the first to charge into Shouchun and burn the Peng residence to the ground. Unfortunately, by the time his men caught up, you had already left Cui Hou's army and were patrolling the surrounding areas, making it impossible for them to locate you."
—This had been Wang Chun's original plan. But failing to find Ling Buyi, he could only wait until Peng Zhen was escorted to the Capital City, then secretly sought someone to plead with Peng Zhen not to reveal the truth, promising to take care of the Peng family in the future. Unexpectedly, Peng Zhen completely refused to believe him.
"How could this be?" Shao Shang tilted her head to look at the man. "Someone like you, who even knows how many concubines the Crown Princess's cousin managing the Secluded Residence has—how could you possibly leave the army without leaving behind any personnel? What if Cui Hou was injured and unable to manage affairs? What if the army suffered heavy casualties from an ambush? Wouldn't you need to rush back to assist? I don't believe a single word of Wang Chun's reasoning."
"If someone couldn't find you, there's only one possibility—you didn't want to be found," she said deliberately, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the young man before her.
Ling Buyi looked at his slightly clenched fist, then slowly extended each slender finger before resting them on his knees: "These are all your conjectures, but let's assume they're true. Then why do you think I would act this way?"
Shao Shang's smile remained unchanged, though only she knew her cheeks had begun to ache slightly—this was how she feigned composure when truly afraid.
"I couldn't figure it out at first, until that day when I saw the Crown Prince standing alone on the steps of the Eastern Palace, with only you by his side. Then it suddenly became clear—why you insisted on clearing the name of Copper Bull County Magistrate Yan Zhong regardless of cost, why you turned a blind eye to Wang Chun's name being used in the conspiracy. In the end, it was all about eliminating rivals!" Her anger gradually surfaced.
Ling Buyi raised his head, a faint smile playing at his lips: "Both Minister Lou and Minister Wang and I serve the Eastern Palace wholeheartedly. How can you call them rivals?"
Shao Shang faltered momentarily before raising her voice: "Even if they're not rivals, they're still stumbling blocks on your path forward!"
Ling Buyi neither confirmed nor denied this.
"People outside say the Crown Prince treats you like a brother and follows your advice unquestioningly, but I know the truth—the Crown Prince actually listens more to Lou and Wang. Not because they're particularly capable or powerful, but because one is his childhood tutor and Junior Mentor of the Heir Apparent, while the other is an elder from his maternal clan. I remember once complaining about Wang Chun's negligence due to drinking, and His Highness said that when he first entered the military camp as a teenager, he was slighted by others. It was Wang Chun who swallowed his pride and smiled through it, protecting him from start to finish. By extension, I imagine Lou Jing is no different.""He has over a decade more experience than you. No matter how brilliant or capable you are, your youth is ultimately a disadvantage—when His Highness was marrying and taking concubines, you were still rolling in the mud. When His Highness first oversaw state affairs by imperial decree, you were still a young boy with your hair in childish braids. And unfortunately, His Highness is the most rule-abiding person of all!"
"Every time your advice was correct, every time your predictions hit the mark without fail, yet His Highness would hesitate repeatedly and ultimately always listen to Lou and Wang... For instance, regarding the Crown Princess's marriage, I only now realize it was Lou Jing who advised the Crown Prince to honor the betrothal back then."
Shao Shang abruptly stood up in the carriage, her body trembling slightly with anger. "Though they aren't adversaries, I suspect you detest them even more than you do your enemies. With adversaries, you can scheme openly or covertly, but with these two senior ministers who have long supported the Eastern Palace, you can't lift a finger against them. Instead, you must constantly endure and clean up after them! Now I must congratulate you—the Crown Prince's two right-hand men, one civil and one military, have been stripped of their posts, one demoted to his hometown and the other exiled to Jingnan. From now on, His Highness will have no choice but to listen to you! Ouch—"
Somehow, the carriage jolted violently. Shao Shang, caught up in her tirade and completely unprepared, lost her balance and tumbled forward in an undignified sprawl. Ling Buyi didn't even need to rescue her—he simply opened his arms in mild surprise, catching the girl neatly against his chest.
Ling Buyi's embrace enveloped her completely, and Shao Shang flushed crimson. The interruption shattered her momentum—how could she continue her righteous interrogation now? Furious and embarrassed, she shoved his arms away and pounded on the sliding window in the carriage wall. After opening it, she shouted outside, "Old Jin! What kind of driving is this? What road did you pick? It's so uneven!"
Liang Qiu Fei, riding alongside on horseback, remarked in surprise, "This is the same road we took coming here—short and easy. Didn't we tell you before that there are two ditches here that haven't been filled yet... Oh dear, here comes the second one—Female Lord, hold on tight—"
The carriage jolted again, and Shao Shang landed squarely on her backside, perfectly positioned to fall right back into someone's arms.
Ling Buyi held the fuming girl, his broad chest shaking slightly with silent laughter. Shao Shang pushed him away forcefully, scrambling back to the opposite seat and trying to compose herself with dignified posture.
"Finished?" Ling Buyi said calmly. "Then it's my turn." He steadily closed the window, shutting out the howling mountain wind, the gurgling water in the ditches, and the shouts of the mounted guards.
Inside the carriage, dimly lit by the golden-red glow of a small brazier, the girl's delicate, innocent face was lovely and sweet—except for the displeased frown creasing her brow, like a child robbed of candy, her eyes filled with hostility and wariness, determined to hold the scheming villain accountable.
"In truth, it was only four years ago that I was ordered by His Majesty to frequent the Eastern Palace. His Majesty even assigned me command of thirty percent of the Eastern Palace Guard, intending for me to assist the Crown Prince," Ling Buyi said, bending down to pick up the fox-fur blanket Shao Shang had dropped when she stood up angrily. He gently draped it back over her knees. "Within just a few months, I realized the situation in the Eastern Palace was dire.""Your Majesty established the Crown Prince when Consort Yue had not yet borne any children. At that time, the court had few soldiers and little land, surrounded by powerful enemies. His Majesty himself had to campaign east and west, personally leading battles. But weapons are blind, and no one could guarantee there wouldn’t be an accident. So His Majesty quickly established the Crown Prince, who was still learning to walk, to secure the nation’s foundation—this was something even ministers who had grievances with the Qian’an faction couldn’t criticize."
Ling Buyi picked up the bronze tongs beside the brazier and stirred the embers. "But later, times changed. The court grew strong with ample troops, the situation stabilized, and people’s hearts began to stir. If the Crown Prince did nothing, some would criticize him for being dull and untalented. If he acted, even more would find fault. His Majesty appointed three Crown Prince tutors in total. The first was Yuhou..." He paused briefly in his stirring.
Shao Shang clutched the fox-fur blanket tightly and murmured, "His Majesty wanted the Crown Prince to be close to the meritorious officials.""
Ling Buyi set down the tongs and smiled. "Exactly. Unfortunately, within half a year, Yuhou deliberately made mistakes and pleaded guilty, claiming he was 'unworthy and incompetent for such a heavy responsibility.' There’s no point in forcing such matters, so His Majesty permitted it. Later, His Majesty sought two elderly and virtuous scholars of great repute to serve as Crown Prince tutors. Both were excellent in character and learning, but one died early from illness, and the other retired due to frailty—only Lou Jing’s position as Crown Prince’s junior tutor lasted the longest."
"So, those who were vigorous, powerful, meritorious, and prestigious all refused to support the Crown Prince?" Shao Shang was inwardly shocked.
Ling Buyi chuckled. "Well said. Those who were vigorous, powerful, meritorious, and prestigious were either part of the Jing Sheng faction or unwilling to oppose them. Take the father of the eldest princess’s husband—he came from a prominent family and had the merit of leading his troops to join the court. He later served as Left General and Grand Master of the Palace, and now he’s become a high-ranking regional official... truly a man who excelled both in civil and military affairs, guarding a region. That year, His Majesty wanted him to be the Crown Prince’s tutor, but he feigned illness and avoided court for half a year. Again, there’s no point in forcing such matters."
"The Crown Prince was appointed by His Majesty. They’re defying His Majesty!" Shao Shang slammed the carriage wall in anger.
Ling Buyi said, "In short, the ones who stayed by the Crown Prince’s side the longest were Lou Jing and Wang Chun. You can imagine how much trust and reliance the Crown Prince placed in them."
Shao Shang fell silent, then said coldly, "So, you had to eliminate them both?"
Ling Buyi closed his eyes briefly and leaned back against the carriage wall. "Wang Chun is self-explanatory—his household is in disarray, and the corruption of his family members is plain to see. But Lou Jing is no better. The Crown Prince often praises him for his virtue and ability—hah, more like envy and obstruction. His younger brother Lou Ji is capable and talented, yet Lou Jing kept him stuck in the position of a mere commandery aide for nearly a decade!"
Shao Shang suddenly understood. "You deliberately befriended the Lou family’s younger generation to gather information about them?" No wonder Lou Yao had spoken so highly of Ling Buyi back then, saying he had repeatedly helped their family.
Ling Buyi clearly thought of Lou Yao too, giving her a faint glance. Shao Shang shivered slightly and shrank back uneasily."Just like that, a bumbling and incompetent drunkard and a self-righteous hypocrite—because of their long-standing relationship, the Crown Prince has always relied on them," he said. "Your Majesty constantly urges me to support the Crown Prince, but how? By cleaning up his messes year after year? If this continues, even if the Crown Prince isn’t wrong now, he will be, and the mistakes will only multiply."
"Did you know that the late Minister Han Qing was not part of Jing Sheng’s faction and had no connections with the Yue family? He simply disapproved of the Crown Prince’s favoritism."
Shao Shang was startled: "Then Your Majesty practically forced a... loyal minister to his death?!"
"Yes, and Your Majesty deeply regrets it," Ling Buyi said. "But Han Qing lacked tact. He often clashed with His Majesty during court discussions. In fact, he had previously suggested that Your Majesty issue a reprimand to the Crown Prince. His Majesty summoned him to console and persuade him, but then he brought it up again during a minor court assembly—right in front of everyone. That’s why Your Majesty lost his temper."
Shao Shang sighed regretfully but refrained from further comment.
Ling Buyi decided to lay everything out: "That’s right. I knew Wen Xiujun was conspiring with Peng Zhen even before Wang Chun. And yes, I deliberately avoided Wang Chun’s messenger—this time, I didn’t want to help clean up his mess again. As for the Lou Ben case, that truly was a coincidence. But once I insisted on pursuing it, I can’t say I had no ulterior motives. Still, how can precious flowers thrive without first clearing away the weeds?"
"...So you’re saying you acted solely for the public good? I’ll go tell the Crown Prince to thank you properly for removing two major parasites from his side!" Shao Shang’s tone was laced with sarcasm.
Ling Buyi frowned. "No need for harsh words. Speak properly."
Shao Shang was left speechless and sneered, "Fine, I’ll put it this way. With Lou and Wang gone, you’re now the Crown Prince’s most trusted confidant. Not only will he obey your every word today, but in the future, you’ll stand above all others, second only to one!"
Ling Buyi replied coolly, "Whether second to one or above all others, life is bitter either way. It’s far less interesting than wandering the wide world with Lou Yao."—Well, now he was the one being cutting.
Shao Shang’s chest ached with anger. She abruptly stood up, but after only two steps, she reached the carriage door and had no choice but to stop, seething.
Seeing her helpless, fuming expression, Ling Buyi’s heart softened unexpectedly. He reached out with his left arm and pulled her toward him, intending to seat her beside him. But Shao Shang resisted, and in the struggle, they tumbled onto the floor, half-kneeling, half-sitting on the soft fur rug.
Ling Buyi placed his hands on her shoulders. "Shao Shang, I am not a man with ill intentions."
Shao Shang refused to look up. "Mm-hmm, you have the best intentions. Happy now?"
Ling Buyi lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, and repeated, "I am not a man with ill intentions."
Trapped, Shao Shang had no choice but to look at him.
Nose to nose, their eyes locked. She felt as though she had been plunged into an amber-hued, cool lake. The young man’s presence was crisp and pure, carrying a faint hint of herbal fragrance.
She had always known she didn’t understand him, but after spending so much time together, she had inevitably grown familiar with some of his habits.As long as he wasn’t in inconvenient places like military camps, he would bathe three times a day. It wasn’t due to any obsession with cleanliness, but rather to prevent others from deducing anything from his scent.
Take Zhai Nanny, for instance. If she carried the aroma of food, she must have just come from the kitchen. If she smelled of camphorwood, she had likely been to the storeroom. And if she bore the delicate fragrance of orchids, she had surely just left the Empress’s Inner Chamber.
But Ling Buyi always carried that crisp, cool scent of herbs—a medicinal bath recipe concocted years ago by a reclusive master physician, originally intended to strengthen his bones and muscles while dispelling fatigue.
His fingers were fair and smooth, slender as jade, more exquisite than the finest carved mutton-fat white jade. When he held a brush, he looked even more refined than when wielding a sword. Dressed in a scholar’s robe, he might have seemed more bookish than even Yuan Shen. Yet, he wielded the deadliest weapon in the mortal world, his blade leaving trails of blood wherever it pointed.
When idle, he could remain silent for an entire day. When necessary, he could eloquently explain and patiently clarify—though he was also capable of sharp words. Yet few ever criticized his biting remarks, for those who earned his cold retorts often vanished swiftly from the Capital City’s social circles. Like the Fifth Princess… and Wen Xiujun.
Shao Shang’s gaze drifted to the sharp, defined line of his throat, shifting slightly against his pale, slender neck. A sudden impulse seized her, and as if bewitched, she reached out to touch it, then slowly traced her fingers up to his face. The skin of a young man carried a faint, vigorous roughness, and as her soft fingertips brushed against him, Ling Buyi shuddered, gripping her small hand firmly before lifting it to his lips and pressing a kiss to her delicate palm.
“Truthfully, I don’t care at all about Lou Jing or Wang Chun, nor whether the Crown Prince fares well in court. If it comes to it, even excluding the Second Prince, Her Majesty still has three other sons. His Majesty is in robust health—who knows what the future holds?”
Shao Shang felt her body weaken, her breath quickening, her palm burning where his lips had touched. In the depths of his smoldering amber eyes, she saw her own flushed cheeks reflected.
“I just want to know what kind of person you are,” she said, her voice trembling with both fear and resentment. “How can you act so composed before the Crown Prince and Her Majesty, yet scheme against everyone behind their backs?”
Ling Buyi buried his face in the warm, delicate curve of her neck, murmuring, “You used to say you didn’t understand me, but you never cared before.”
Shao Shang cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze as she pleaded sorrowfully, “But now I want to understand you. I want to know what kind of man I’ll share a bed with, bear children with.”
Ling Buyi froze for a moment, staring into her large, clear, dark eyes as if lost in a dream. Softly, he whispered, “That night, you stood alone in the lantern market, so solitary. I thought to myself, ‘Whose little lady is this, so lovely? If she has no family, I’ll take her home with me.’”
Suddenly, tears welled in Shao Shang’s eyes. She pressed her lips fiercely against his slightly cool mouth, kissing him with desperate fervor, as if clinging to a lifeline. It was the first time in her life she had resigned herself to fate—Ling Buyi was her inescapable destiny, a torment she could neither flee nor evade. All she could do was kiss him clumsily, bite him recklessly, pouring all her helplessness into the embrace!Ling Buyi seemed jolted awake from a dream. Just as he was about to respond, he suddenly felt an intense stinging pain on his lips, followed by the heavy metallic taste of blood flooding his tongue.
Shao Shang pushed him away forcefully, her face streaked with tears, her lips stained with blood.
The fury in her glare was so fierce that Ling Buyi felt as though his entire body had been set ablaze. His chest burned with heat, his lips cracked and bleeding. Amid the pain was an indescribable sweetness—a heart-stirring sensation beyond words.
At some point, the carriage had come to a stop.
Shao Shang cast him a haughty glance, kicked open the carriage door, and leaped out. Ling Buyi reacted a beat too late and hurried after her, only to find they had already arrived at the palace gates. The moment he stepped out, he was surrounded by guards and attendants swarming in from all sides.
Shao Shang sprinted forward desperately, not even pausing to call for Lian Fang or Sang Guo. Behind her, she faintly heard Liang Qiu Fei’s shrill exclamation—"Young Master, what happened to your mouth?! Heavens, heavens, you're bleeding! Fetch the Imperial Physician, quick, someone help!"
"A Fei, shut up!" That was Liang Qiuqi’s voice.
She didn’t dare look back. The wind roared in her ears, and even if her lungs felt ready to burst from running, she refused to stop.
...
Shao Shang had bitten him with full sincerity. If Ling Buyi didn’t want to attract attention, he had no choice but to feign illness and stay home.
At first, the Emperor thought his adopted son’s old injuries had flared up and hastily dispatched the Imperial Physician. But when the physician returned with his report, the Emperor was instantly furious. Unable to vent to anyone else, he went to complain to the Empress.
"That Shao Shang, she really bit him hard! Zisheng won’t be able to show his face for days!" the Emperor grumbled. "She’s clever, though—knowing she caused trouble, she immediately begged you for leave to lay low for a while!"
Only then did the Empress learn the truth. Recalling the girl’s awkward and uneasy demeanor when she had asked for leave, she couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Whether in passion or anger, there should be limits. She could’ve bitten him somewhere less visible!"
The Emperor, eager to impart his worldly wisdom to the young couple, earned himself an eyeroll from the Empress.
As the center of the gossip, Shao Shang was also deeply unsettled. She wished she could bury herself in a deep sandpit to hide from the world, concealing her mix of shame and terror.
When she had first learned she was to marry Ling Buyi, it had felt like walking a path where she already knew the dangers. She knew Ling Buyi was domineering by nature, knew she would be tightly controlled in every way... Though reluctant, she had prepared herself to face it all.
But now, it was as if she had stepped into unknown, terrifying territory—just what kind of man was Ling Buyi?
With no one to confide in, Shao Shang wandered aimlessly at home before finally seeking out her eccentric elder brother.
"...I truly don’t understand Ling Buyi," she murmured, crouching beside Cheng Shao Gong’s meticulously arranged sand tray. "How can I marry someone I know nothing about? Who can understand my feelings now?"
"I know, I know," Cheng Shao Gong muttered, tracing patterns in the sand.
"What do you know?!" Shao Shang snapped irritably.
Cheng Shao Gong lifted his head and said coolly, "Lately, the court has been in turmoil. You must have witnessed some of Ling Buyi’s methods, and now you’re terrified, questioning his character, wondering if you should marry him... Am I wrong?"
Shao Shang froze. The eccentric had actually guessed right.Cheng Shaogong said smugly, "There's a reason the heavens made me come out of our mother's womb before you. I say you shouldn't trouble yourself over this—whether you marry or not isn't up to you anyway. Look on the bright side, if Ling Buyi can turn his hand to anything with ease, it shows he's capable!"
"And what if we have a falling out in the future? What should I do if he turns that ability against me?"
Cheng Shaogong glanced at his younger sister and teased, "I think it'd be more useful for you to consider how you'll manage living under his thumb for the rest of your life if he never has a falling out with you."
After the siblings exchanged some playful banter, Cheng Shaogong invited his little sister to visit South Mountain outside the city the next day.
"The snow hasn't even melted yet. What would we do up there? There aren't any prey to hunt either." Shao Shang frowned delicately.
Cheng Shaogong said, "When have you ever seen me excited about something like hunting? It's Xiao Hou Ban who wants to go up the mountain to find a medicinal herb for his uncle's leg. That herb can only be found when winter is nearly over. Xiao Hou Ban is too timid to go alone with his servants, and he doesn't have many friends, so he had to beg me to accompany him."
Shao Shang asked curiously, "Third Brother, you're usually so lazy, yet this time you're so eager to help someone fulfill their filial duty?"
"Eager? I lost a game of chess to Xiao Hou Ban."
"Then why should I go? I didn't lose any chess game."
"To relax! Staying cooped up in the palace all day, you're starting to resemble a secluded palace woman—narrow-minded and resentful. Go out for a walk, see the glittering snow on high mountains, the clear sky and white clouds, and all your worries will melt away. So what if you married the wrong person? Some people are even born into the wrong family!"
Shao Shang thought it made sense and clapped her hands. "Alright, I'll go!"
—Not long after, Cheng Shaogong would deeply regret this suggestion, his guts twisting in fear.
Author's note: Don't even think about saying there's no evidence for suspicion—because there's nothing to suspect in the first place!
Look clearly, everything stays above the neck. Anyone who reports this will have sons without XX and daughters with upturned noses!
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