Love Like the Galaxy

That night's birthday banquet could truly be said to have delighted everyone.

The Emperor supported the half-drunk Empress as they walked toward Everlasting Autumn Palace, while Ling Buyi tried to escort the slightly tipsy Shao Shang back to his own residence, only to be stopped midway by the sharp-eyed Emperor who forcibly separated them. Thus Ling Buyi had to settle for second best, proposing they could stay in his childhood quarters at Everlasting Autumn Palace. Yet the Emperor still refused, ordering Shao Shang to sleep in Everlasting Autumn Palace while Ling Buyi was banished to the outer halls of the South Palace to keep company with old Chu, the Left Imperial Censor on night duty.

"Your Majesty, in truth, this subject has already reconciled with Shao Shang," Ling Buyi said with solemn dignity.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You quarreled with Shao Shang? This Emperor was unaware."

Ling Buyi bit his lip, conveying displeasure through his gaze, but the Emperor pretended not to notice and walked off with a graceful wave of his sleeve.

When Ling Buyi had originally sought to keep Shao Shang in the palace, he naturally hadn't bluntly told the Emperor "I quarreled with my fiancée, please help me vent my anger," but had instead spun some tale about "diligent study and daily improvement." Though the Emperor hadn't known what truly happened at the time, he'd pretended complete ignorance and readily agreed. Now he took some satisfaction in deliberately provoking his foster son.

The Fifth Prince kept sneaking furtive glances their way with a rather suggestive expression. Shao Shang didn't know how many people had witnessed her earlier rush into Ling Buyi's arms, but the Fifth Prince had certainly been among them. Given this prince's notorious loose lips, by morning half the palace would likely know that Ling Buyi and his fiancée had been caught kissing at the Empress's birthday banquet.

Before they parted ways, Shao Shang hurriedly informed Ling Buyi about this. He merely asked, "So what?" Shao Shang fretted, "It concerns my reputation. People will say I'm improper."

"How could such minor behavior be considered improper? If so, wouldn't the Second Prince Consort have to hang herself by now?"

Earlier, when the Second Prince had drunk until his ears turned red and his face flushed with sweat, his consort had personally wiped him down with a towel, reaching inside his robes to dry him thoroughly from chest to back. Only the Crown Princess had made some sour remarks about it. Indeed, by the later stages of the banquet, everyone had become rather uninhibited—the Princess Consort of Ruyang and Lady Qianhou had even been drinking arm-in-arm with their respective husbands.

Shao Shang sighed helplessly. "It's still not a good reputation to have."

Ling Buyi countered, "Officials need reputations to maintain their positions, merchants need them for prosperous business, young maidens need them to marry well... You already have me. What use is such a reputation to you? Have you ever seen a married lady care about such things?"

Finding the man utterly impossible to reason with, Shao Shang abruptly shook off his hand and hurried after the Emperor and Empress toward Everlasting Autumn Palace.

The older princes watching this exchange from behind offered various opinions—

The Crown Prince sighed. "Zisheng, Shao Shang is quite good enough. You should be more gentle and considerate." Unlike his own Crown Princess, who maintained a facade of gentle virtue while actually being petty and fault-finding—everything was always someone else's mistake, and even her own errors were forced upon her by others.

The Fifth Prince, recalling how he'd been tricked before, sought to voice a dissenting opinion: "This younger brother believes..."The Second Prince cut in, boasting, "Marriage is predestined by heaven—a pot finds its lid, Zisheng, so you might as well accept it. If you were to change to another, she might not even compare to Lady Cheng." A man's fate is decreed by the heavens. Take his own consort, for example—noble lineage, stunning beauty, cheerful and capable, even her petty jealousy over concubines was endearing. It was worth all the effort he had put into pursuing her back then. With the Crown Prince's soft and indecisive nature, even if he were reborn ten times, he wouldn’t have such luck!

The Fifth Prince, recalling how the Second Prince Consort had always treated him and Consort Xu kindly without any discrimination, wanted to voice his support: "I quite agree—"

The Third Prince, swaying drunkenly and leaning on a eunuch, declared arrogantly, "A true man should aspire to greatness—how can he let his emotions be swayed by a woman?" That was why he only took concubines and never married a principal wife. All household matters were managed by professionals—how harmonious, how peaceful.

The Fifth Prince, somewhat intimidated by his third brother, quickly added, "Third Brother speaks wisely—"

The Fourth Prince, who had just returned from vomiting by the wall, immediately chimed in, "Third Brother, you may not want to marry, but I do! Yet Mother insists on observing seniority—isn’t this just delaying me?" Some aimed for greatness, others for marriage and children—to each his own, wasn’t that fair?

The Fifth Prince sympathized deeply. If the Third and Fourth Princes didn’t marry, when would it ever be his turn? "Exactly—"

"Thank you for your concern over my trivial matters," Ling Buyi said expressionlessly. "However—" He turned to the Crown Prince and cupped his hands. "Crown Prince, leniency should be used selectively. I advise you to employ it sparingly."

The Crown Prince, remembering the trouble the Crown Princess had caused Ling Buyi, chuckled awkwardly and fell silent.

"Second Prince, I’ve heard that a man’s fortune in life is fixed. If one’s luck is too good in one aspect, misfortune will strike elsewhere. Your luck in marriage is unmatched among the imperial clan, but as for other things—"

The Second Prince’s face darkened. "Other things what?!" What nonsense! Hadn’t His Majesty enjoyed both the throne and beautiful women—double the fortune?

Ling Buyi ignored him and turned to the Third Prince. "Third Prince, Teacher Shangguan once lamented that in life, one should avoid excess—neither in deeds nor in words. If one day you find your emotions entangled by a woman, what then?"

The Third Prince sneered. "You can’t even be sure your own beloved is steadfast, yet you mock me. Fine! If that day ever comes, for every child you have, I’ll gift you a hundred taels of gold!"

"Then it’s settled—"

"Wait, no—that’s not fair!" The Fourth Prince swayed his head and protested loudly. "Third Brother has staked his gold, but Zisheng hasn’t put up any wager. What if Zisheng loses—what then?"

Ling Buyi raised an eyebrow. "Fourth Prince, just the other day, when His Majesty mentioned my marriage, I advised that priority should be given to selecting a consort for you, while the Third Prince could wait until he found someone to his liking. It seems my words were unnecessary."

"..." The Fourth Prince turned away. "Well, Crown Prince, Third Brother, it’s late—we should hurry back."

The Second Prince fumed. "I’m also your elder brother—why leave me out?!"

The Fourth Prince pretended not to hear.

The Crown Prince shook his head and smiled.He noticed Ling Buyi was in an unusually good mood tonight, with a hidden joy that softened the edges of his brows and eyes. Otherwise, given his reticent and indifferent nature, he wouldn't have spoken so much trivial chatter. After all, he was about to be married—soon he'd discover life wasn't just about trials and hardships, but also joy and tenderness. The Crown Prince silently rejoiced for Ling Buyi.

Then, taking the indignant Second Prince by the arm, he led the way forward. The Third and Fourth Princes went their separate ways with Ling Buyi, leaving only the Fifth Prince standing alone in the cold night wind.

...

Early the next morning, when the faint dawn light had yet to brighten, palace maids and eunuchs worked by lantern light in the indigo mist. Shao Shang was already up, wrapping herself in a fur cloak before striding out. After a few steps, she hesitated and turned back: "A'ao, are you really coming?"

Zhai Nanny replied, "You were sleeping so soundly earlier—I was the one who woke you. If you don't take me, I'll start shouting."

With no choice, Shao Shang had to bring her along.

Under cover of darkness, the two carried out their shadowy business in the garden beside Consort Yue's palace, slipping back to Everlasting Autumn Palace before the Empress arose. While attending to the Empress's morning toilette, the Empress noticed Zhai Nanny's occasional suppressed giggles in the mirror and asked the reason. Of course, Zhai Nanny dared not tell the truth and could only offer vague excuses.

Meeting Shao Shang in the palace corridor as she headed to the Empress for her daily lessons, Zhai Nanny couldn't help whispering: "It's broad daylight now—why hasn't anything happened yet? Are your contraptions even going to work?"

Shao Shang lowered her voice: "Don't worry, A'ao, I'm completely confident in those mechanisms..." She'd used them countless times in her past life, from primitive brush versions to later iterations involving foot-washing water. Even before taking engineering mechanics, she'd mastered these prank devices through sheer instinct.

"Besides, isn't it perfect that they all share a room? It's like heaven itself wants me to take revenge!" This wasn't coincidence—those little vipers liked hanging out together, so naturally they'd choose to live together too.

Zhai Nanny nodded, barely containing her laughter.

Perhaps misfortune had reached its limit and turned to joy. Carrying heavy bamboo scrolls into the inner chamber, Shao Shang was astonished when the Empress smilingly informed her she could return home today. Overjoyed, Shao Shang kept asking "Really? Truly? Honestly?" nearly shaking the Empress dizzy. Upon learning the Empress had already arranged this with the Emperor long ago, she was so happy she didn't know what to do except grab the Empress's hand and plant a loud kiss on it.

The Empress couldn't help laughing at the girl's antics, teasing: "So happy just to go home! You'd think this was a dragon's den or tiger's cave, when countless people outside would fight tooth and nail to enter the palace!"

Shao Shang clasped her small fists above her head in repeated bows of apology, claiming she just missed her parents and siblings.

"Your Highness, why didn't you tell me earlier!" Shao Shang leaned against the Empress, beaming. "Had I known I could return so soon, I wouldn't have made up with Lord Ling so quickly!"

"If you're so brave, say that to His Majesty—always quick with your tongue around me," the Empress tapped the girl's tofu-soft forehead with a finger. "As if I didn't see you with Zisheng yesterday—sweeter than malt sugar."

Blushing, Shao Shang retorted stubbornly: "You don't know how infuriating Lord Ling is, always relying on His Majesty's backing..."Before she could finish speaking, a clamor of hurried footsteps and shouts erupted outside. Without waiting for the palace maids to announce her, the furious Fifth Princess barged in and immediately pointed at Shao Shang from the doorway, screaming, "You little wench! Bitch! I’ll kill you!"

The Empress’s face darkened instantly. She slammed her palm on the table and snapped, "You insolent brat! How dare you raise your voice in the Everlasting Autumn Palace! What do you take this place for?"

Seeing her mother’s displeasure, Fifth Princess quickly knelt and pressed her forehead to the ground, repeatedly apologizing for her rashness before hastily explaining the reason for her outburst.

It turned out that the young ladies she had brought along had been lazy and slept in until broad daylight. But the moment they stepped out of their rooms and walked along a vine-covered corridor, a torrent of foul liquid suddenly rained down upon them from above.

—Shao Shang’s mechanism had been ingeniously set up. If she had merely placed a bucket of waste above the doorframe, it would have only splashed one or two people. Instead, she had positioned several such buckets along the vine-covered corridor. One end of the corridor led to the young ladies’ quarters, while the other had a small wooden gate secured by a latch. The first girl to arrive found the gate stuck and called the others to help push it open. Only when all of them gathered and shoved together did the gate finally give way—triggering the mechanism and unleashing the deluge of filth from above, drenching them like a foul rain.

This way, even if not everyone was caught, most would be unable to escape.

It was a disgustingly effective prank. Though none of the young ladies suffered any physical harm, even after immediate bathing and changing, the stench would cling to them for days.

Fifth Princess was livid. Recalling the mocking and disdainful looks from Consort Yue’s attendants earlier, she felt utterly humiliated. Clenching her fists, she pounded the floor and cried out, "Mother, these girls were brought into the palace by me! They worked hard to prepare a dance for your birthday celebration, and now they’ve suffered such disgrace! A noble may be killed but not humiliated! Mother, you must uphold justice for me!"

The Empress resisted the urge to glance at Shao Shang and replied impassively, "Oh? So you’re saying they should commit suicide over a little liquid manure? Even if they wished to, why come to me about it?"

Fifth Princess choked on her words before raising her voice again. "Mother! This was Cheng Shaoshang’s doing! I’ve questioned the people in Jade Garden—they said Cheng Shaoshang went there before dawn this morning!"

"Hmm. Did anyone actually see Shao Shang setting up the liquid manure?"

"Even if no one saw her, who else could it be? Mother, are you shielding Cheng Shaoshang?" Fifth Princess’s voice was shrill, as if she wished to condemn Shao Shang on the spot.

"Your Highness, may I ask a question?" Shao Shang suddenly interjected. "Why must it be me? Why would I go to such lengths to carry out such a scheme?"

"Because they—" Pushed you into the lake— Fifth Princess bit her lip hard. If she admitted that, not only would Cheng Shaoshang be innocent, but her mother might even punish those young ladies instead.

Shao Shang smirked faintly at the princess. "Your Highness, I bear no grudges against those young ladies—no past grievances, no recent conflicts. Why would I harm them for no reason? Just because I visited Jade Garden at dawn doesn’t mean you can pin this on me. That’s hardly convincing!"

Fifth Princess’s gaze turned venomous. "Throw you into the Court of Justice, and you’ll confess everything within three hours! Let’s see how smug you are then—"

"Get out!"The Empress suddenly flew into a rage, standing up and hurling an inkstone stand with force. "Get out! Get out of my Everlasting Autumn Palace, get out of the North Palace, go back to your princess manor! If you wish to preserve even a shred of mother-daughter affection, then get out this instant!"

The Fifth Princess touched her bruised arm in disbelief. "Mother!"

Zhai Nanny, who had followed them in, sensed the situation was amiss and quickly directed palace maids to assist the Fifth Princess, attempting to 'escort' her out. The Fifth Princess slowly rose, shooting Shao Shang a venomous glare. "You just wait!"

These five words were spat out through gritted teeth. Shao Shang frowned, but before she could form another thought, the palace maid guarding the door outside suddenly announced loudly: "Consort Yue has arrived!"

The first unspoken rule of the palace was that unless absolutely necessary, the Empress and Consort Yue avoided meeting—everyone in the hall exchanged uneasy glances. Zhai Nanny was utterly bewildered, while the Empress slowly sat back down. Only Shao Shang noticed a peculiar mix of triumph and satisfaction flash across the Fifth Princess's face.

Consort Yue strode in with a dark expression, followed by a retinue of tall, sturdy palace maids and eunuchs. Bringing up the rear was none other than Ling Buyi. Unlike the grave expressions of the others, he appeared no different from usual—calm and detached as ever. When his eyes met Shao Shang's, he gave her a gentle smile, as if reassuring her not to be afraid.

Consort Yue did not sit upon entering. After hastily paying her respects to the Empress, she said, "Your Majesty, please come outside and see."

Seeing her solemn expression, the Empress allowed Zhai Nanny to help her up, and they quickly walked out of the hall. In the courtyard lay a stretcher covered with a white cloth, the outline beneath unmistakably human—a corpse.

At Consort Yue's signal, a eunuch lifted the cloth, and the crowd gasped in shock. The corpse was none other than the plump girl who had accused Ling Buyi of assault two days prior.

She appeared to have been dead for some time, her body stiff, limbs twisted, hair disheveled, and clothes torn—clear signs of a struggle before death. A gleaming gold hairpin inlaid with emeralds, shaped like a cloud, was embedded in her throat. Most horrifying of all was her wide-eyed expression, frozen in shock and resentment.

At the sight of the hairpin, Shao Shang's heart sank. She quietly stepped back and whispered instructions to a familiar young palace maid beside her. The maid nodded and swiftly slipped away while everyone was still stunned.

Seizing the silence, the Fifth Princess stepped forward and declared loudly, "Cheng Shaoshang, you can't deny this now! If I recall correctly, this hairpin was a gift from Mother. I saw you wearing it at the palace banquet two months ago. A life has been lost—now you can be sent to the Court of Justice. I hope you enjoy the variety of torture instruments there..."

"Your Highness, restrain yourself," Consort Yue interrupted coldly. "The corpse isn't going anywhere, and neither is she. There's no need for such haste in condemning someone!"

The Fifth Princess sneered arrogantly. "Consort Yue, this is the Everlasting Autumn Palace, not your domain. My mother hasn't even spoken yet—why are you interfering? With both witness and material evidence present—"

"You ill-mannered brat!" Consort Yue snapped without hesitation. "Whether it's Her Majesty's Everlasting Autumn Palace or His Majesty's Bright Hall, I'll say what I please! If you don't believe me, I'll drag you before His Majesty right now and see if I'm allowed to reprimand you!" She gestured as if to summon someone to seize the Fifth Princess.

The Fifth Princess faltered, turning to the Empress for help. "Mother...""What's all this shouting about! When you disliked the Empress's discipline, you ran far away to your princess manor to enjoy yourself, never showing filial piety by her side. Now that you need the Empress to back you up, you suddenly remember to call her 'Mother'! Today, I'll teach you a lesson—eyes above mouth. Before you speak, open your eyes and see whether the person before you is someone you can afford to provoke!" Except for occasions requiring pretense, Consort Yue had never known the meaning of 'restraint' in her life.

In front of the many palace maids and eunuchs in the courtyard, Fifth Princess was thoroughly scolded, her face burning with shame. If not for something she had long schemed for, she would have fled in humiliation long ago.

After berating Fifth Princess, Consort Yue waved her hand to dismiss the palace maids and eunuchs. Then, with a graceful lift of her arm, she invited the Empress into the hall to speak. Ling Buyi waited quietly to the side. As everyone filed into the hall, he suddenly pulled Shao Shang over and pressed her to sit beside him.

The Empress, pale-faced, leaned on Zhai Nanny's arm as she slowly sat down. "You speak first, sister."

Consort Yue nodded and began succinctly, "It's nothing major—just the death of a shameless wretch. Given her false accusations against Zisheng yesterday, she deserved to die. But since she died in my Jade Garden and was entrusted to me by the Empress, I must clarify matters."

"I've caused you trouble," the Empress said softly.

Consort Yue replied, "Back then, I sent my children one after another to your palace, making you worry for years. When I returned, they were all plump, lively, and clever. If we're talking about trouble, what the Empress has entrusted to me is nothing in comparison."

The Empress said bitterly, "I don't know how to raise children. It's fortunate you took them back early. Left with me, they might have turned out poorly."

Consort Yue countered, "Empress, don't shoulder all the blame. Since ancient times, there's been the saying that even the finest bamboo can produce rotten shoots—even immortals and ancestors aren't spared from unworthy wives or unfilial sons. Take Yuhou, for example—a man of both civil and military prowess, steady and reliable. He never speaks out of turn or takes a misstep before His Majesty. Yet recently, one of his many sons trampled two people to death while galloping in their hometown. When investigated, it turned out it wasn't even the first time. Now he's tangled in a dispute with that old fox Ji Zun."

The Empress nodded with difficulty.

Consort Yue turned to the others and summarized the events: "This morning was quite eventful—several incidents occurred. First, the person delivering breakfast discovered the corpse. Then, Luo Niangzi reported that her personal maid had been missing since last night. After enduring it for a while, she had no choice but to inform me. Considering her usual prudence and diligence, and with her marriage approaching, it wouldn't do for her to be involved in such matters. So, I had her escorted home."

Shao Shang lowered her head, clenching her right fist tightly. Chuntiao was missing—but was she truly 'missing'? Or had she already...

Ling Buyi glanced at the girl, took her clenched right hand, and gently unfolded it to hold.

"You did the right thing," the Empress said. "I shouldn't have summoned Jitong into the palace. She's about to marry..."

Consort Yue raised an eyebrow, clearly disagreeing. Just as she was about to speak, Ling Buyi interjected first.

"Soldiers are trained for a thousand days to be used in one. Over the years, Empress, you've treated Luo Niangzi and her family with kindness, as everyone has witnessed. What was the purpose, if not to hope she would properly guide Fifth Princess and reform her character... Some things are beyond control, but for your birthday banquet, having her lend a hand—what's there to debate about 'should or shouldn't'?"The Empress looked at Ling Buyi with eyes full of approval. Shao Shang twitched her fingers and gave his hand a light squeeze in return.

The Fifth Princess opened her mouth several times to speak but restrained herself out of fear of Consort Yue. She desperately wanted to question Ling Buyi about what he meant by "changing one's heart and cultivating one's nature," but ultimately held her tongue.

Consort Yue continued, "Actually, the body was discovered quite early. The palace maids found it when they went to deliver breakfast, but I ordered them not to make it public and secretly summoned someone to examine the corpse."

"The cause of death was that wound on the throat—a single fatal strike. By the time it was discovered, the victim had been dead for at least four hours, possibly even five or six. Even I could tell that much. Anyone who's seen enough dead bodies would recognize it."

"Due to this woman's improper conduct and slander against Zisheng, I had her confined the day before yesterday, intending to deal with her after Consort Yue's birthday banquet. Yesterday evening, dinner was delivered at the beginning of the Hour of the Rooster, and she was still fine then. Calculating back four, five, or six hours from the time the body was discovered this morning means that..."

"Which means Cheng Shaoshang sneaked into Jade Garden last night to commit murder," Fifth Princess finally couldn't restrain herself and cautiously said. "No matter what, that golden hairpin is still hers."

Consort Yue looked at her disdainfully. "Just because the hairpin belongs to someone doesn't mean they committed the murder. The Everlasting Autumn Palace has been bustling with people these past two days. Stealing a hairpin wouldn't be difficult—such tricks are hardly rare."

Fifth Princess bit her lip in frustration. The 'evidence' she had carefully prepared was so easily dismissed by Consort Yue.

"Using one's own hairpin to kill someone—what a brilliant plan," Ling Buyi remarked. "Almost as if afraid others wouldn't guess who did it. Nearly as clever as Your Highness."

Fifth Princess caught the sarcasm in his words and retorted angrily, "...Perhaps Cheng Shaoshang anticipated this and deliberately used her own hairpin to kill, then argued how unlikely it was she'd act this way, thus evading suspicion."

Ling Buyi replied calmly, "Then why not use another weapon from the start and avoid any suspicion altogether?"

Fifth Princess raised her voice. "Because Cheng Shaoshang knew that if this woman died, she would be the prime suspect!"

Shao Shang finally felt a spark of interest. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Because she slandered Eleventh Master the day before yesterday, so you held a grudge!"

Shao Shang leaned back slightly, as if thoroughly defeated.

Ling Buyi glanced at her and said coolly, "I don’t think her feelings for me run that deep."

Consort Yue turned her head and stifled a laugh, while Shao Shang's face turned ashen.

"There’s something Your Highness might not know," Shao Shang straightened up, fixing Fifth Princess with a firm gaze. "Consort Yue has been sealing the garden at dawn and dusk since the day before yesterday. Last night, after the young ladies performed their dances, Consort Yue immediately ordered the garden sealed, with guards posted at all entrances to prevent anyone from entering or leaving."

Fifth Princess's pupils dilated slightly.

"At the beginning of the Hour of the Rooster yesterday, when dinner was delivered, the woman was still alive. I left the Everlasting Autumn Palace at three-quarters past the Hour of the Rooster to attend the banquet and didn’t leave once the entire time—everyone saw me. After the banquet ended, Consort Yue had already sealed the garden. There was no way I could have entered Jade Garden..."

Fifth Princess interjected urgently, "What about between the beginning and three-quarters past the Hour of the Rooster? That’s nearly an hour—plenty of time for you to go to Jade Garden and kill someone!"

"Fifth Sister, why must you persist like this..."

At that moment, a weak voice suddenly came from the palace entrance. Everyone turned to see Fifth Prince stepping lightly in from behind the door, though it was unclear how long he had been listening.

Shao Shang found it slightly odd, wondering how the little palace maid had run so fast. She glanced at Ling Buyi, who gave Fifth Prince a slight nod, and immediately realized he had summoned him in advance.

Fifth Prince bowed to the consorts, then knelt beside Shao Shang, sitting properly with his robes arranged. Under Ling Buyi’s stern gaze, he recounted plainly, "Yesterday evening, I... accidentally fell into the water. Cheng Niangzi happened to pass by and rescued me. So she couldn’t have gone to Jade Garden..."

"You’re lying!" Fifth Princess erupted in fury, standing and pointing at Fifth Prince, her entire body trembling. She shot a glance at Ling Buyi and shouted, "Did someone threaten you to say this?! Was it Ling Buyi? Is he trying to clear Cheng Shaoshang’s name?!"The Fifth Prince said helplessly, "After I was rescued from the water, I came to the Everlasting Autumn Palace with Cheng Niangzi, and then we set off for the banquet together. If we departed at the third quarter of the You hour, well... a quarter-hour to bathe and change, another quarter-hour to walk here from Little Mirror Lake—then I must have fallen into the water and been rescued around the beginning of the You hour. Everyone in the Everlasting Autumn Palace can testify to that. Whether I say it or not makes little difference. Besides, it takes at least half an hour to walk from Little Mirror Lake to Jade Garden. Yet that woman was still alive at the beginning of the You hour—how could Cheng Niangzi have killed her? By flying through the clouds like an immortal? And it's forbidden to ride horses in the palace—the sound of hooves would have been noticed by everyone."

As he spoke, he turned to Shao Shang and lowered his voice, "Yesterday, you insisted I come to the Everlasting Autumn Palace to bathe and change... because you were afraid I might deny it later, weren't you?"

Shao Shang smiled faintly. "Your Highness overestimates me. I was truly concerned you might catch a chill."

The Fifth Prince gave a bitter laugh. As someone who thrived on stirring up trouble and spectating drama, this was the first time in his life he had ever given such a straightforward account of events.

"So that's how it is..." Consort Yue murmured. "This matter was resolved faster than I expected."

She glanced at Shao Shang again. "You're quite clever. This morning, when the body was discovered, I sent someone to inform His Majesty. Zisheng arrived upon hearing the news, even faster than the coroner. But now it seems my worries were unnecessary..."

Shao Shang felt her right hand being squeezed tightly and quickly added, "Not at all, not at all. My heart was set at ease the moment Lord Ling arrived." Only then did the grip on her hand gradually loosen.

Consort Yue gave them a knowing look, her lips quirking slightly at their clasped hands, then turned to the Empress. "Very well. The rest is for Her Majesty to handle. It's improper for me to linger here any longer—I shall take my leave now."

The Empress, pale and silent, forced a smile and thanked Consort Yue. Once everyone had left, she straightened with effort and said, "Zhai Nanny, summon Grand Steward Cao Cheng. Then inform His Majesty that the Fifth Princess has committed treason and request that he dispatch the Imperial Secretariat to intervene."

Shao Shang was startled. This was only the second time she had heard the word "treason" since arriving in this world—the first was during the desk incident when Director Xiao, pushed to her limit, had blurted it out. She hadn't fully grasped the severity of the term back then, but judging by how frantic her elder brothers had been, it must be an extremely grave accusation.

The Fifth Princess was even more shocked than Shao Shang. Her eyes widened as she shrieked, "Mother, what are you doing?!"

Ling Buyi spoke slowly, his tone laced with mocking pity. "Your Highness, surely you understand by now. The moment I saw that body in Consort Yue's quarters, I knew who was behind it—who set this up." He paused, as if recalling something amusing, then continued, "...if this could even be called a 'setup.'"

"As a royal princess, you couldn't have done the deed yourself—you needed accomplices. Earlier, you kept mentioning the Court of Justice. Now, I'll have everyone around you sent there for questioning. I suspect we'll have answers soon enough."

"The body bore signs of a struggle, so the perpetrator couldn't have escaped unscathed. While we've been talking here, I've already sent people to investigate."

"From the start, the crux of this matter was never about clearing Shao Shang's name—but about how to deal with the true instigator of this crime."The handsome man spoke softly, as if making casual conversation, his expression gentle and refined. Yet Shao Shang inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine, as if catching a faint whiff of blood in the air.

Author's note: Took a short trip over the weekend. The spring scenery during Qingming Festival was lovely. Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or nourished me with nutrient solutions~