Four four

Inside the Phoenix Palace, the Emperor arrived.

The Empress, having removed her hairpins in a gesture of submission, knelt on the floor in plain white mourning robes to address him.

"The witchcraft disaster is the fault of Consort Li alone. She grew resentful after losing favor and sought to take revenge on me. Her heart is truly treacherous. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth and not let the jealousy of one woman lead you to blame the entire loyal Zhangsun clan."

The Emperor stood before her, his expression cold. He knew perfectly well whether Consort Li was guilty, but was his anger today truly meant for her alone? When the Chancellor Zhangsun was alive, the Zhangsun family was a prestigious house. Now that the old Chancellor was gone, the Empress's brothers had achieved nothing of note in the imperial court. He had given them many opportunities to distinguish themselves, yet they had never once satisfied him.

If they lacked the talent, they should have remained content and kept to themselves. Instead, they had colluded with the Crown Prince, spread informants throughout the palace, and even secretly decided the candidate for the Crown Princess.

"The chaos in the inner palace is a sign of your failure as Empress, your lack of virtue and competence. From this day forward, you are to be sent to a temple outside the palace for penance. You are not to return without an imperial decree."

The Emperor’s cold command shattered the Empress’s plans. She was so stunned that she even forgot to kowtow and thank him for his mercy.

"The Crown Prince is your only child. I intend to send him to the temple to accompany you in chanting sutras. What say you, Empress?"

Hearing this, the Empress suddenly grew tense. The Emperor’s decree had not mentioned deposing her, and since the Noble Consort’s two sons were unfit for the throne, as long as the Crown Prince remained in the palace, the Zhangsun family still had a chance to rise again.

She bowed her head, pleading humbly, "The affairs of the inner court have nothing to do with the Crown Prince. I beg Your Majesty to let him stay in the palace. I will chant sutras day and night in repentance and pray for the well-being of Your Majesty and the Crown Prince."

The Emperor remained silent. From his height, looking down at her, his gaze was dark and frigid.

No sooner had he stepped out of the Phoenix Palace than he ordered a decree to be drafted. Half an hour later, most of the staff in the Eastern Palace were taken away, leaving only three close maids and a few guards and eunuchs. Once the head eunuch departed with his men, the imperial messenger arrived to read the Emperor’s newly issued edict.

"The Crown Prince, Pei Heng, has failed to cultivate virtue, colluded with treacherous relatives to perform witchcraft, and defied human ethics, causing me great grief. I hereby strip him of his status as the heir, sentence him to exile in the North, and command him to depart tomorrow at the hour of the Rabbit, never to return to the capital for as long as he lives."

With the Crown Prince deposed and all hope of restoration extinguished, the palace servants who had been placed under house arrest felt their hearts turn to ash. Since the Crown Prince was being exiled, they would meet no better fate; they would either be reduced to slaves or sent into exile alongside him.

As soon as the gates of the Eastern Palace were shut, the crowd went mad, rushing into the main hall to loot everything—vases, ornaments, calligraphy, and tea sets. Anything of value was stripped clean.

Yue Zhi was quick-witted. While the others were busy fighting over loot in the main hall, she slipped into the bedchamber, slid the bolt, and pushed a heavy cabinet against the door, terrified that the greedy servants might turn their aggression toward her and the Crown Prince.

Compared to the claustrophobic confinement of the palace, exile seemed almost bearable. Once outside the palace walls, she had her skills, and the Crown Prince was literate; they might just survive. Her foster mother and brother were both outside the palace, and if she followed the Crown Prince, she might see them again. Thinking of this, Yue Zhi felt a little better.

The effects of the cold medicine had not worn off, and the Crown Prince remained in a deep sleep. Looking at his pale, flushed face, Yue Zhi was glad he was sleeping so soundly. He didn't have to hear the shouting and cursing outside. If he could get a good night's rest, he would suffer less on the road tomorrow.

That night, a familiar sound came from beyond the wall of the western side hall.

Yue Zhi slipped out. Finding the area clear, she ran to the corner of the wall in the narrow alley, moved aside the large jar used for collecting rainwater, and revealed a small hole in the wall.

"I didn't see you come out, and I heard the Crown Prince was exiled, so I prepared some medicine for you. It might come in handy," Su Jingyun whispered, passing a bundle through the hole.

Yue Zhi took it and handed him a parcel in return. "I have nowhere to hide these jewels. It’s better to give them to you than to have them confiscated by the eunuchs when they search us leaving the palace. Having extra money will make things easier for you inside."

Su Jingyun took the bundle, sobbing quietly. "Yue Zhi, I can't go with you, but... I will always keep you in my heart."

"I will remember you too," Yue Zhi said, her voice choked with tears. She knew that once she left, they would likely never have the chance to meet again.

*

At the first quarter of the hour of the Tiger, Pei Heng was awakened. He sat up, groggy, as the memories of yesterday returned, and his mood sank.

"Your Highness, hurry and put on your clothes to eat," a familiar voice urged. He turned and saw it was Yue Zhi.

She wore thick, autumn-weight palace maid robes, her hair devoid of any ornament. A smile that looked no different from usual beamed on her round face as she pulled steaming sugar cakes from her lap and set them on the table.

Pei Heng felt dazed. If not for her simple attire, he would have thought yesterday’s events were merely a nightmare.

Seeing him stunned, Yue Zhi hurried to the bedside to help him dress. "His Majesty issued the edict to depose the Crown Prince yesterday. In less than an hour, the Imperial Guard will come to the Eastern Palace to arrest us and send us into exile in the North."

The Emperor was heartless. Upon hearing his punishment, Pei Heng did not overreact. He only asked, "What about Mother? Does Mother know I have been deposed?"

Yue Zhi shook her head. "I only know that the Empress was sent out of the palace yesterday. I do not know where she was taken."

Pei Heng fell silent.

Seeing him about to wallow in sorrow, Yue Zhi quickly took his shoulders and shook him gently. "Don't think about those things. Come and taste the sugar cakes. I had a fellow villager get them for me; they’re soft and sweet. Eat one, and you won't be hungry for half the day."

"Yes, I must eat," Pei Heng said, regaining his spirits as he put on his shoes and socks. As he ate, he asked cautiously, "You couldn't leave yesterday?"

Yue Zhi licked the sweet syrup from the corner of her mouth and said indignantly, "It’s all the fault of Xiu Yu and Cai Ying for being loose-lipped. Otherwise, the head eunuch would have let me out."

Hearing this, Pei Heng’s eyes dimmed. Before he could say, "It is I who have implicated you," he heard her soften her voice.

"Actually, it's not all their fault. I didn't want to leave the Crown Prince either. You’ve been so kind to me, giving me so many treasures and delicacies—I remember it all."

Pei Heng hung his head, blushing, and took a bite of the sugar cake to distract himself so he wouldn't cry again.

"It's alright. As long as we are alive, there is hope. You are a truly kind person, and I am willing to stay by your side," Yue Zhi said, pouring him a cup of water and playfully poking his hand.

Even at his most wretched, having fallen from the clouds, Pei Heng did not care about the power and wealth he had lost; his heart was filled only with the cheerful, lively Yue Zhi before him. He offered a smile, and under her gaze, his heart was no longer filled with panic.

The morning light was faint, the autumn air cold.

At the second quarter of the hour of the Tiger, the head eunuch led the Imperial Guards to break down the doors. The servants, still in their dreams, were dragged up and taken to the courtyard for roll call. Yue Zhi and Pei Heng walked out of the bedchamber with their bundles.

"Not a single item from the palace is to be taken out!"

The head eunuch and his subordinates searched everyone one by one to prevent any disgraced persons from smuggling out valuables. The items that had been looted the day before were all confiscated. The eunuchs rummaged through the bundles, seizing several sets of clothes that Xiu Yu had tried to take.

Xiu Yu’s eyes filled with tears. "These were bestowed upon me by the Empress. Why can't I take them?"

The head eunuch scolded her, "You are now disgraced slaves. You cannot wear silk, nor can you wear gold or silver jewelry. I am acting according to the rules. If you do not comply, I will call the Imperial Guards to teach you the rules."

Xiu Yu tearfully let go. Beside her, Cai Ying was sensible enough to hand over her gold and silver jewelry and non-compliant clothes, thereby avoiding the eunuchs' rough treatment.

When they reached Yue Zhi and Pei Heng, the small eunuch found no valuables on them or in their bundles, only a bag of bottles and jars of medicine. He didn't know what to do.

Yue Zhi quickly explained, "Please, sir, be discerning. The deposed Crown Prince caught a cold yesterday, and he has not fully recovered. These medicines have been in the Eastern Palace for years; they are old and worth nothing. Please let me take them to save his life."

The head eunuch took the medicine bag and opened each one, finding only common herbs. Looking at the deposed Crown Prince, whom Yue Zhi was protecting at her side—dressed thinly and simply, his face deathly pale, leaning on her for support—he knew she was telling the truth.

The Emperor had only ordered the exile of the Crown Prince, not his death. Leaving a path for others to live was how one survived in the palace for a long time. The head eunuch did not ask further and returned the medicine to Yue Zhi. Glancing at the Crown Prince, he remembered that this master had always been benevolent to those below him and had even once smoothed things over for him in front of the Empress. Softening his heart, he ordered the small eunuch, "Go find a decent cloak. If the Crown Prince freezes before we even start the journey, none of us will be able to bear the consequences."

The small eunuch was clever and found a thick, warm fox-fur cloak to wrap around Pei Heng. The leader of the Imperial Guards saw this breach of protocol but said nothing; after all, if the Crown Prince were to freeze to death on the road to exile, they would have to answer to the Emperor.

After the inspection, the dozen or so people were escorted out of the palace and locked in the Ministry of Justice prison.

At the first quarter of the hour of the Rabbit, those exiled to the North were loaded into crude carriages. Ten people were squeezed into each drafty, broken carriage.

Yue Zhi stayed toward the back, carrying Pei Heng and hiding their gold and silver, waiting for others to board first. As she watched, she found it strange—why were there so many people being exiled today?

When she saw Cui Wenzhu and her daughter in the crowd, their hair disheveled and their faces streaked with tears, she realized that the Zhangsun family had also been implicated in the witchcraft disaster, stripped of their official titles, and exiled to the North.

How quickly things change. Yue Zhi sighed; these people would not sit on high pedestals like statues of Bodhisattvas forever.

Xiu Yu and Cai Ying saw the Zhangsun family as well, but unlike Yue Zhi, they looked back at the sickly Crown Prince and then at Cui Wenzhu and her daughter, who, despite their fall, still wore silk and were surrounded by maids. Without hesitation, they rushed over to curry favor, but before they could speak, a jailer from the Ministry of Justice shouted, "Move quickly! Don't dawdle!"

The prisoners were stuffed into the carriages one by one. Yue Zhi held Pei Heng’s shoulders tightly, fearing he might be dragged away by the jailers and shoved into a carriage with male prisoners.

Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Startled, Yue Zhi turned to see a jailer she didn't recognize.

"Are you Yue Zhi?" the jailer asked in a low voice.

Yue Zhi nodded blankly. "What do you want?"

Seeing her confirmation, the jailer smiled happily and lifted his sleeve to reveal the bracer underneath. "Do you remember? You sewed this for me. Mother had it brought out of the palace, and I’ve been wearing it ever since."

It was indeed her handiwork. Yue Zhi realized, "Are you my foster brother? Zhang Ping'an?"

"It is me," Zhang Ping'an said, delighted. "Mother always talks about you at home, saying how well-behaved you are, and how fair and beautiful you are, like the moon in the water, standing out in any crowd. I recognized you at once."

Yue Zhi was embarrassed by the praise and lowered her head, looking at Pei Heng, whose small face was turned up toward her in ignorance, his cheeks turned red by the autumn wind. She lovingly cupped his cheeks.

She wanted to say more to her foster brother, but there were few prisoners left ahead, and it was almost her turn. With other jailers watching, they had to separate.

"You go on the carriage first. I am among the guards. Once we leave the city, we will discuss this further," Zhang Ping'an said, telling her not to worry as he walked to the front.

Yue Zhi nodded at him and was pushed into the female prisoner carriage along with Pei Heng.

As fate would have it, Cui Wenzhu, her daughter, Xiu Yu, and Cai Ying were all in this carriage. Seeing the two of them board, none of them had a kind look.

"Mother, I'm cold," Zhangsun Huaqing sniffled, tugging at Cui Wenzhu’s clothes, her eyes fixed on the fox-fur cloak Pei Heng was wearing.

When the Zhangsun family was arrested, they were gathered around a stove eating roasted meat, warm with wine; no one had been wearing heavy clothes, so they were caught in their thin, elegant robes.

When Zhangsun Huaqing spoke, Cui Wenzhu did not refuse; instead, she cast her gaze toward Pei Heng. With her leading the way, the other maids of the Zhangsun estate looked on as well, and Xiu Yu and Cai Ying directly reached out to tug at his fox-fur cloak. Their touch was not forceful, but it triggered Yue Zhi’s extreme vigilance.

She curled the cloak up, wrapped it tightly around Pei Heng, and hugged him in her arms, glaring back at them.

"The clothes you are wearing, Madam, could be pawned for a lot of silver. If you are truly afraid of the cold, you could sell them to buy some warm cotton clothes. Why compete with a sick child for his?"

Her words were sensible, but Cui Wenzhu felt insulted and retorted, "Who wants your things? The deposed Crown Prince is benevolent; if he knew his cousin was cold, he would be eager to share. Only a lowly person like you lacks any kindness, using his name to bully others."

"If you believe that 'kindness' means sacrificing one’s own well-being to make others comfortable, then please, Madam, cultivate more of that kindness yourself. I, a mere servant, do not possess such virtue."

Yue Zhi was neither servile nor overbearing, and her rebuttal left Cui Wenzhu speechless with rage. She had thought Yue Zhi was a soft persimmon who would take anything, but it turned out that was all a facade—only her sharp tongue was real.

"Hmph!" Cui Wenzhu crossed her arms and turned away in anger. She did want the cloak for warmth, but she couldn't bring herself to rob her own nephew in front of her servants. If she did that, she would be no different from the beggars and stray dogs fighting for scraps on the street.

Zhangsun Huaqing’s lips were purple with cold. She tried to burrow into her mother's arms, but Cui Wenzhu pushed her away impatiently.

"If you're cold, go find your cousin. If his mother hadn't failed to win over Consort Li, we wouldn't have ended up in this state."

"Disaster has struck, and she escapes to the temple to enjoy peace! Truly the most cunning person under heaven. Only we fools are used and then discarded."

"We are both mothers, yet I can keep you by my side, while the Empress doesn't care for her own son, let alone her own brother. We don't have the Empress's good fortune; we will die in the North sooner or later."

Cui Wenzhu ranted without restraint, and no one in the carriage dared to make a sound.

Yue Zhi sat on the very edge, feeling her chest grow warm and damp. The person in her arms was trembling in distress. She did not let anyone see him crying so wretchedly; she only held his back in a silent, firm embrace.