Murong Yan did not attend the banquet, and Murong Yuan said nothing of it. After all, the King still could not let go of the matter regarding Consort Rong; unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish to see her flesh and blood. That man’s eyes seemed to drip with blood, a sight that filled him with loathing. Since the King did not mention him, the Queen naturally ignored the Second Prince as well. Consequently, the entire palace acted as if he simply did not exist.
Yet, little did anyone know that after Murong Yan’s departure, a monumental event would occur during the royal banquet!
Jiang Sanyi had brought his daughter, Jiang Bilan, to the feast. At the age of thirteen, Jiang Bilan had performed a dance at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet that captivated everyone, and her reputation for beauty had spread far and wide ever since. She was truly the number one beauty of the Great Yan. The Jiang family had spared no effort in cultivating her over the years, and in almost every aspect, things had gone according to their wishes—except for her marriage...
Standing beside her father, Jiang Bilan scanned the room. Seeing no sign of Murong Yan among the guests, she whispered, "Father, why is the Second Prince not here?"
Jiang Sanyi’s face darkened instantly, but seeing his daughter’s distressed expression, he could not bring himself to say more.
When the King of Yan saw her, he seemed to recall something. He frowned slightly but remained silent. In contrast, the Crown Prince, seated beside the King, kept his gaze fixed on Jiang Bilan. That day, her dark hair was coiled in an elegant chignon adorned with a slanted phoenix hairpin. As she moved, the jade pendants at her waist tinkled softly, her grace unrivaled.
As a shrewd and experienced man, Jiang Sanyi immediately noticed the Crown Prince’s gaze. He smiled faintly but did not speak up. Murong Ruo and Murong Yan were close in age. When they were young, Jiang Bilan had entered the palace almost daily to accompany Princess Murong Shu. Both Murong Ruo and his brother had constantly hovered around her. Once, she had secretly gone riding and the horse was startled. As she fell, both brothers chased after her desperately. In the end, it was Murong Yan who had lunged forward, catching Jiang Bilan just as she fell into his arms.
What, truly, is love? Jiang Bilan had recalled the clouds and birds of that day countless times in her midnight dreams. Perhaps love is simply that sudden, singular moment when one wishes to be with another person forever.
Jiang Bilan remained lost in thought. She knew her parents opposed her marriage to Murong Yan. But she loved him; could she truly refuse to marry him simply because he had fallen into such a wretched state?
Perhaps because Murong Ruo’s gaze was too intense, Jiang Bilan finally noticed. She glanced toward the Crown Prince’s seat, and as their eyes met, her face flushed crimson, and she quickly looked away. Murong Ruo felt a sense of longing, but shortly after, an attendant delivered a note to him. He found a secluded spot to open it and saw a line of elegant, delicate handwriting. Someone was inviting him to meet at Nonghua Hall.
He was momentarily stunned. The paper carried a faint, sweet fragrance; clearly, both the script and the note were the work of a woman. Looking up again, he noticed that Jiang Bilan was no longer in her seat.
He clutched the note, his heart racing—could it be that the beauty herself had requested this meeting?
Using the excuse of needing to relieve himself, he left the banquet and headed toward Nonghua Hall. It was a remote location, a palace the King usually used to house ministers staying overnight. When Wen Qi entered the palace, he mostly stayed at Nonghua Hall. Therefore, if no foreign officials were staying there, the hall was almost always empty.
Suspicion flickered in his mind, and he did not even bring his attendants as he entered the hall deep within the winding paths. There was a faint light inside. He followed the glow, passing through deep courtyards where the lush greenery dripped with dew. As he crossed the halls to an inner side chamber, the scent of wine mingled with the fragrance of cosmetics, adding an air of ambiguity to the night.
The Crown Prince knocked softly on the door, but there was no answer. He pushed the door open to find Jiang Bilan sitting by the table, her face flushed deep red. Half a jar of wine sat on the table, still warm. Observing the beauty’s complexion, though his heart was in turmoil, he ultimately picked up the wine and sniffed it.
As expected, there was something strange about the wine—likely a substance meant to stir one's carnal desires. Doubt naturally arose in his mind; this was, after all, his younger brother’s betrothed. Who could have invited her here in the middle of the night? Who would have drugged her? Was it she who had invited him? No, if it were her, she certainly wouldn't have drunk wine with aphrodisiac effects herself.
Then... was it Jiang Sanyi? He understood. Now, Jiang Sanyi was desperate to dissolve his daughter’s engagement to the Second Prince as quickly as possible. A cornered dog will leap over a wall; it wasn't surprising he would resort to such a tactic. He was, after all, the Crown Prince, and he had always been deeply infatuated with Jiang Bilan. This move was brilliant. But as for his younger brother...
Murong Ruo weighed his options, hesitating. But then the beauty was in his arms, her body soft as if she had no bones. Looking at her under the lamp, she seemed like a celestial being. Her cherry lips and snow-white skin were perfect in every way. He leaned down and kissed those full, soft lips; instantly, his mouth was filled with her fragrance. Lust clouded his mind and overwhelmed his senses. He lifted Jiang Bilan in his arms, laid her on the nearby soft couch, and with a flick of his finger, undid the sash at her waist...
Nonghua Hall lay hidden in the darkness like a silent beast. That sliver of lamplight was like the beast’s eye. And where that eye gazed, someone stood in the shadows, half a face revealed with a grim expression.
Not long after, a hundred and thirty imperial guards hurried to surround Nonghua Hall. The commander of the guards kicked the door open. In the flickering candlelight, the silk curtains of the couch were half-drawn. The Crown Prince was in the midst of a beastly act, drenched in sweat, and beneath him was none other than the completely unclothed Jiang Bilan!
The Crown Prince looked up, and upon seeing the intruders, his passion instantly turned into cold sweat. He roared, "Who allowed you to enter?!"
From behind, a voice answered, "I did." Jiang Sanyi’s voice drifted in from the darkness.
The Crown Prince’s lingering lust vanished, replaced by terror. On the couch, Jiang Bilan remained in a drugged stupor. Upon seeing this, Jiang Sanyi immediately burst into tears: "My daughter!! My poor daughter!!"
He rushed forward in a few steps, wrapping Jiang Bilan tightly in a brocade quilt. By now, the Crown Prince’s face was ashen. The commotion had alerted the officials from the banquet, and the Queen, who arrived shortly after, turned deathly pale. The King of Yan’s hands and feet were trembling. The Left Chancellor, Xue Chengjing, stepped forward, picked up the dregs of the wine, sniffed it slightly, and sighed. "Your Majesty... there is something wrong with this wine. I fear Lady Jiang was incapacitated by a drug..."
The King of Yan kicked the table over, shattering the cups and jars. His limbs shook as he pointed at the Crown Prince. It took a long time before he could choke out: "You beast!!"
Murong Ruo had already lost his soul to terror. "Father, someone invited me here! I was framed!"
The King kicked him, sending him rolling. Gasping like a bull, he pointed at the spilled wine on the floor. "Was this filthy thing also a frame-up? You... you wretched son!"
Though Jiang Sanyi was weeping, he managed to say, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Perhaps there truly is a reason. The Crown Prince..."
The King’s fury went to his heart, and he seemed on the verge of collapsing. "A creature with such total disregard for law and morality—how is he fit to be called Crown Prince?! Men!"
Beside him, Consort Li, the mother of the Fifth Prince, could hardly hide the joy in her eyes despite her best efforts. Everyone knew that by the sound of it, the King intended to depose the Crown Prince!
Hearing this, the Queen felt as if she had been struck by a thunderbolt. She knelt heavily before the King. "Your Majesty, it is my fault for failing to educate my son! Now that such a thing has happened, let me atone for this sin with my death!"
With those words, she turned and ran out of Nonghua Hall. In his rage, the King heard someone outside shout, "Disaster! Her Majesty has thrown herself into the lake!"
Startled, he quickly barked, "Save her! Save her at once!"
The imperial guards rushed out to rescue her, and the King followed. The Queen was pulled from the lake, her clothes soaked through. The Crown Prince was also terrified; ignoring the palace attendants' attempts to hold him back, he forced his way into the water. When mother and son were brought back to shore, they held each other and wept bitterly.
The King of Yan stood at the head of his ministers, his heart full of a rage that found no outlet. After a long time, he waved his hand weakly. "Send the Queen back to Qifeng Palace first. Have the imperial physicians attend to her. The Crown Prince is to be confined to Fengdeng Pavilion. He is not to leave without my decree."
The ministers were stunned. Did this mean... he would not pursue the matter further?
The King said no more, nor did he seem to want to hear anyone else speak. He simply left one final command: "Disperse, all of you! Chengjing, walk with me."
Xue Chengjing followed behind him. As the sovereign and subject walked through the imperial garden, the moonlight was like frost, and the plants seemed to show signs of withering. Xue Chengjing was a veteran of the court who had served three generations of monarchs—a true elder statesman.
Now, he asked softly, "The Queen was startled by her fall into the water. Does Your Majesty not intend to visit Qifeng Palace?"
Standing in the moonlight, the King of Yan seemed to have aged overnight, his hair turning white. "Chengjing, Ruo’er, that beast, committed such a monstrous act. If Rong’er were still alive, I wonder how furious she would be."
At the mention of the deceased, Xue Chengjing also sighed. "Indeed. Consort Rong had a straightforward temperament. If she were here, I fear she would have turned the world upside down."
The King smiled, seemingly remembering something, his expression looking like a smile yet appearing as if he might burst into tears at any moment. "A pity she is gone. With the mother gone, even when the son suffers the greatest humiliation, there is no one to say a single word for him." Xue Chengjing was startled. The King sighed again. "The Queen’s temperament... if I truly deposed the heir, she would surely seek death. At that time, I would have yet another child without a mother."
Xue Chengjing finally understood his meaning. "Your Majesty is merciful. However, this matter was witnessed by all the officials. I fear by tomorrow, it will be known to everyone. He is the heir to the throne, yet he has committed the act of a brother usurping his brother's betrothed. How can the people of the world accept such a ruler? Where will the divine majesty of our Great Yan remain?"
The King sighed. "Chengjing, years ago when I ordered Rong’er’s death, I gained a child full of hatred. Now... I... when you have time, go see Yan’er on my behalf."
Xue Chengjing accepted the order. "I will certainly convey Your Majesty’s sentiments to the Second Prince."
The King shook his head and turned toward Qifeng Palace, his steps faltering.
When the news reached the manor from the palace, Zuo Canglang asked twice, "What?" The servant reporting the news also stammered it out twice—the Crown Prince had drugged the wine and defiled Lady Jiang’s virtue. He had been caught on the spot by the imperial guards.
Zuo Canglang turned back. Murong Yan was biting his lip so hard it nearly bled. In the late spring night, he looked like a dying beast.
Xue Chengjing did not wait until the next day. As soon as he left the palace, he went directly to Murong Yan’s residence.
The two sat facing each other. He got straight to the point. "Your Highness surely knows what happened at the banquet tonight." Murong Yan said nothing. The Chancellor continued, "In my humble opinion, while this is a catastrophic event for the First Prince, it may not necessarily be a bad thing for Your Highness."
Murong Yan stared at him and sneered. "Pray tell, Chancellor, how can this be considered a good thing?"
Xue Chengjing dropped the humility he showed before the King and became forceful. "Because of Consort Rong’s death, His Majesty already held a sense of guilt and concern for Your Highness in his heart. And now, Your Highness has lost a beauty, but in exchange, you have gained a father’s pity and compassion for his son! Is this not a good thing for Your Highness?"
Murong Yan locked eyes with him. "So, I should be deeply grateful? I should forget the grudge of my mother’s death and the hatred of my betrothed being stolen?"
Xue Chengjing slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Your Highness! His Majesty is not only your father but also your sovereign! If the ruler wants the subject to die, the subject must die—that is loyalty. If the father wants the son to perish, the son must perish—that is filial piety! How can you speak such disloyal and unfilial words?!"
Murong Yan fell silent. The Chancellor’s tone softened again. "If Consort Rong’s soul is watching from the heavens, would she rather see her beloved Second Prince granted a fiefdom and a lifetime of wealth, or see him turn against his father and brother over her death?"
Murong Yan closed his eyes, appearing to endure a piercing pain. Xue Chengjing patted his shoulder gently. "Your Highness, when one is under another's eaves, how can one not bow their head?"
Murong Yan finally spoke. "Please convey to my father on my behalf that I have understood what he wishes me to understand."
Only then did Xue Chengjing nod and leave the manor. Murong Yan silently watched his retreating back. *Soul in the heavens?* If that woman truly had a soul in the heavens and saw her son granted a mere fiefdom while Queen Li’s son ascended the throne, she would probably beat him to death herself.
The next day, King Murong Yuan of Yan issued a decree, titling the Second Prince, Murong Yan, as the Lord of Hidden Wings. When this decree was issued, everyone was stunned, and even the Queen was somewhat surprised. *Hide one's light to nurture one's wings, and advance with steady steps.* It seemed to be a title imbued with great expectations.
***
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