TGPSAC – Chapter 72

It seemed Her Highness the Grand Princess and the Fuma were having a disagreement. Before departing for Xuanyang Temple, the entire Princess’s Residence maintained a tacit understanding: do not mention the Fuma in front of Her Highness. Everyone ignored the Fuma, just as they had in the beginning.

Chi Wan discovered that, aside from Chun Gui and Xia Qu who still spoke to her, she had become invisible in the Princess’s Residence.

She knew why. The entire residence had seemingly reverted to how it was when her predecessor was around.

Back then, her predecessor had been invisible in the Princess’s Residence—no, worse than invisible. She was like a foul odor that everyone scrambled to get away from.

Chi Wan didn’t mind. The entire residence took its cues from the Grand Princess’s attitude. One could say that Yu Jiuzhou was the weather vane of the Princess’s Residence.

Whoever Her Highness disliked, the entire residence disliked. Whoever Her Highness favored, the entire residence favored.

They were a loyal bunch, so of course, she wouldn’t hold it against them.

Chun Gui seemed to have figured something out. Besides, the Fuma hadn’t done anything to wrong Her Highness, so why would she change her attitude?

After all, Her Highness always brought the Fuma to official discussions. No matter what their private squabble was about, they still had to interact on official matters.

As for Xia Qu, her reasoning was even simpler: the Fuma was her friend. When a friend had a falling out with her master, she should mediate, not pick a side and abandon the other.

And so, on the morning of their departure for Xuanyang Temple, Xia Qu was still trying to persuade Chi Wan. “Fuma, what on earth happened between you and Her Highness? Tell me. Even if it’s Her Highness, I’ll help you get even.”

Chi Wan shot her a sidelong glance. “How do you know it’s Her Highness’s fault, and not mine?”

Xia Qu wore an expression that said she knew everything. “Would you dare provoke Her Highness? With her temper, if you had truly angered her, the entire Princess’s Residence would be frozen solid. But it’s different if Her Highness has angered you.”

Leaning closer to Chi Wan, Xia Qu added, “I’ll tell you a secret. I’ve seen Her Highness wanting to call out to you several times but being unable to get the words out. It must be that she’s the one who upset you.”

Yu Jiuzhou wanted to call out to her? Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. These past few times she had participated in the residence’s discussions, she had left immediately after, never lingering. She voiced her opinions when necessary, never holding back. She could handle official business, but she had no desire to discuss private matters.

How would she know that Yu Jiuzhou had wanted to call out to her? If she wanted to, she could have just called. Why hesitate?

What would she have said or asked her to do? Could she have refused?

Chi Wan looked at Xia Qu. “Stop trying to sound me out. I have my own plans for this matter.”

“Alright, as long as you have a plan. Her Highness is of imperial blood and never bows her head to anyone. Fuma, unless you’ve suffered some monumental grievance, you should probably be the one to apologize first. It’ll make your days in the Princess’s Residence easier.”

Xia Qu was genuinely being kind. Chi Wan was the Fuma. When a Fuma and a princess had a falling out, throughout all the dynasties, unless the Fuma’s family were powerful ministers, a princess had never been the one to bow her head first.

Moreover, no separate Fuma’s residence had been built when they married; the Fuma lived in the Princess’s Residence.

According to regulations, a Fuma’s residence should be built next to the princess’s. When the princess required the Fuma to attend to her in bed, a messenger would be sent to summon the Fuma.

Then, the Fuma would bathe and change before waiting for Her Highness the Princess to finish her business and attend to her.

Her Highness was the Grand Princess, no less. The Fuma ought to serve her well. For the sake of her future, it was better to bow her head first and not let things escalate to an irreparable point.

Listening to Xia Qu’s chatter, Chi Wan said helplessly, “How do you know Her Highness won’t hold it against me even if I take the initiative?”

“Her Highness has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. In the past, when we made mistakes, if she hadn’t protected us, by the palace rules, even three of us wouldn’t have been enough to be beheaded.”

“You’re talking about yourself, aren’t you?”

Chi Wan didn’t believe Chun Gui would be like that. Chun Gui was meticulous in her work, not like the careless Xia Qu, who was reliable in important matters but always made mistakes in small ones.

Life in the palace was not like the outside world; even a tiny problem could be fatal.

Xia Qu was speechless. “Fuma, I’m trying to give you advice here.”

Chi Wan waved her hand. “I know you mean well, but some things can’t be changed just by bowing one’s head.”

One could bow their head, but some things were simply unacceptable. It was like those people kneeling before Emperor Shengyuan—how many of them were truly submissive in their hearts?

At the very least, Chi Wan was the type to be obedient on the surface but hold fast to her principles to the very end.

Xia Qu shrugged. She saw a woman in a red horse-face skirt walking over from a distance. Noble and flamboyant, her posture was as straight as a pine tree, and her steps carried a brisk, dashing air.

Following Xia Qu’s gaze, Chi Wan saw her too. She never expected that Yu Jiuzhou, without her palace robes, could look so heroic and dashing.

Her calm eyes seemed to see through everything, and wherever she went, everyone bowed their heads.

Usually, Yu Jiuzhou wore palace robes, and due to the cold, she would wear fur outerwear.

The robes of Great Zhou had inner layers, and with the addition of fur, they were quite thick and heavy.

Yu Jiuzhou had always been one to think more and move less. Every day was spent either handling memorials or dealing with the succession struggle; it was rare for her to go for a walk.

Her greatest amount of exercise was walking from her room out of Yongning Courtyard, or from outside the cabinet’s meeting hall to the inside.

It wasn’t that Yu Jiuzhou disliked moving. Setting aside her frail constitution, people in the palace who reached a certain rank could all ride in sedan chairs. Though Wang Hai and Cheng Jiao always referred to themselves as humble servants, when not in the presence of the Emperor, Empress, or Princess, they too were carried by others.

It was a kind of etiquette that became a habit over time. It was only after Chi Wan’s diagnosis and advice that Yu Jiuzhou should move more and not stay in one place for too long, as it was bad for her health, that she began to get up and walk around her room more often.

Today, Yu Jiuzhou had changed into a mamian skirt. A sweep of red, her long hair tied up high, a few stray strands dancing wantonly in the wind. Her red cloak billowed behind her as she walked, like a ball of fire, igniting a passion in Chi Wan’s heart that had long been dormant.

A burning flame, it seared its way into her heart, leaving her nowhere to run.

“Fuma, what are you thinking about? We should get going. Are you riding in the carriage with Her Highness, or on horseback?” Xia Qu asked.

Xia Qu was running back and forth between the two locations, serving as the contact arranged by Yu Jiuzhou.

At the same time, Yu Jiuzhou had instructed that they carry fireworks with the unique insignia of the Princess’s Residence. One firework meant all was well; two meant to bring troops for a rescue.

It was only normal to have a contact. Without one, the enemy might suspect it was all a ploy to lure the snake out of its hole.

Chi Wan lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then looked at the horse nearby. She wanted to get into the carriage with Yu Jiuzhou, but the horse had already been brought out.

But she never made choices that went against her heart. So, she followed behind Yu Jiuzhou, preparing to board the carriage.

Sensing the familiar presence behind her, Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved. See? She knew it. Today’s outfit would surely draw Chi Wan over.

Even a red rose with thorns would attract butterflies.

Yu Jiuzhou’s style of dress had always been dignified and noble. It was rare for her to dress so flamboyantly and freely. This particular outfit was one she would only wear once a year during the autumn hunt, when she accompanied the Emperor to the royal hunting grounds.

As for why she wore the red mamian skirt today, she had simply felt a sudden urge to.

Yu Jiuzhou rarely wore red. For court assemblies and discussions, she wore dignified and stately black. Her daily attire leaned toward cooler colors—green, blue, and purple were common. Purple signified nobility, and she would wear magnificent purple robes for grand occasions that were not overly solemn.

This was the first time Chi Wan had ever seen her in a red mamian skirt, and she couldn’t take her eyes off her.

And Chi Wan herself was also wearing red, though hers was a red python robe. The two of them looked like they were wearing a couple’s outfit.

Since they were departing from the capital today, she wore a round-collared red python robe. It wasn’t the formal ceremonial version, so it wasn’t too heavy and was convenient for riding.

The moment she saw Yu Jiuzhou about to board the carriage, she changed her mind and decided to follow her.

After Yu Jiuzhou got into the carriage, she immediately followed.

The spring was still cold. The weather at the end of the second month was quite chilly. Although there was a trend of warming, it was still cold enough to require a layer of cotton clothing.

Chi Wan wore a short-sleeved mink overcoat, while Yu Jiuzhou wore a fox-fur vest. Who could say they weren’t a pair?

There was also a stove lit inside the carriage, making it about ten degrees warmer than outside. It was quite hot.

Once inside, neither of them spoke first. They sat silently facing each other, sipping tea.

It was still early. The journey to Xuanyang Temple would take an hour and a half, with half an hour of that being the mountain climb. They could still make it in time for lunch.

After sitting for a while, Chi Wan felt increasingly hot and simply took off her short-sleeved overcoat.

Her action startled Yu Jiuzhou. “What are you doing?”

“Me?” Chi Wan placed the overcoat to the side. “I’m taking off my clothes.”

Seeing that she had only taken off her coat and then sat back down without any other movements, Yu Jiuzhou finally breathed a sigh of relief.

True, what could one do in a carriage?

One could do many things in a carriage. A carriage like a small room, with a small bed, was perfectly fine for taking a nap.

Yu Jiuzhou turned her head away unnaturally. She had been overthinking things, wondering what Chi Wan intended to do by taking off her clothes in the carriage.

“What did Your Highness think I was going to do?” Chi Wan suddenly asked in return.

It would have been fine if she hadn’t asked. But once the question was out, a suspicious blush crept onto Yu Jiuzhou’s face.

What was wrong?

Chi Wan looked down at her own clothes. There was nothing amiss; she was fully and properly dressed, with only her neck exposed.

Could it be that Yu Jiuzhou had imagined something?

What could one imagine from someone taking off a coat? Surely not. Yu Jiuzhou’s mind was filled with matters of state; she wouldn’t be so… colorful.

Chi Wan dismissed the thought and refilled both their cups with tea.

Since she had spoken, the awkwardness was broken. After a moment of silence, Yu Jiuzhou said, “I didn’t think you were doing anything.”

Chi Wan smiled. She had thought Yu Jiuzhou wouldn’t respond.

It was good that she did. Otherwise, who knew how long this awkward silence would have lasted?

“Your Highness, the Imperial City Division has already submitted all the evidence of Prince Ying’s crimes. The source was Prince Bao’an’s Autumn Water Pavilion. I did not go to the Autumn Water Pavilion.”

Master Lian had suggested she go to the Autumn Water Pavilion again, but Chi Wan remembered the last time, when she was nearly eaten alive. If she went again, she didn’t know if she would come back in one piece.

That Lady Qing Qian had sent people with invitations for her quite a few times, but she had refused them all.

Chi Wan would never have imagined that the moment she and Yu Jiuzhou left for Xuanyang Temple, Lady Qing Qian would arrive outside the Princess’s Residence.

Qing Qian knelt outside the gates, weeping, her every word heart-wrenching. “This servant was born into the world of pleasure. I am grateful that the Fuma did not disdain me. I have redeemed myself and come to beg the Fuma to take me in.”

“This servant was a chaste courtesan, but now the Fuma has taken my body. I no longer wish to entertain guests, so I could only redeem my humble self in the hopes of gaining the Fuma’s pity.”

“Please inform Her Highness the Grand Princess, this servant desires no title whatsoever. I only beg to remain by the Fuma’s side. I will serve as a maid or servant with no complaints.”

Qing Qian’s words sparked a flurry of discussion among the onlookers.

“The Fuma is truly blessed! To attract the favor of such a beauty. Some have spent a fortune at the Autumn Water Pavilion without ever winning Lady Qing Qian’s favor, yet the Fuma gets it without spending a coin. How lucky.”

“Lucky? The Fuma married into the Grand Princess’s residence. Her future children will bear the imperial surname. How dare the Fuma fool around outside? Do you think Her Highness the Grand Princess is a pushover?”

“The Fuma has already taken Lady Qing Qian’s body, so what’s the harm in taking her in? It’s perfectly normal for a Qian Yuan to have three wives and four concubines. Even a princess shouldn’t be so domineering.”

“Why don’t you say that to His Majesty, or to Her Highness the Grand Princess? See if you live to tell the tale.”

“What on earth does Lady Qing Qian see in the Fuma, to go so far as to offend the Grand Princess? Now the Grand Princess is in a difficult position.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Just you watch. If the Fuma takes Lady Qing Qian in, it’s a slap in the Grand Princess’s face. I hear the relationship between the princess and the Fuma is already cold. With this, how will His Majesty get the imperial grandchild he so desperately desires?”

“And if she doesn’t take her in?”

“Heh! Look at how Lady Qing Qian keeps touching her belly. Not take her in? Then it’ll be one corpse and two lives. The Grand Princess will be a jealous shrew, and the Fuma will be a scoundrel.”

“Why do I feel like this is a conspiracy against the Grand Princess?”

As soon as this was said, someone immediately retorted, “What conspiracy? Her Highness the Grand Princess uses her power to oppress people. The Fuma is weak and powerless and doesn’t dare to offend her, so she can only bully someone like Lady Qing Qian who has no backing.”

In short, with Qing Qian kneeling at the gates of the Princess’s Residence, the matter was already more than half successful.

After all, Chi Wan had stayed in Qing Qian’s room for so long. For this not to have erupted for so long, they must have been waiting for a time when they were away and unable to handle the situation promptly.

Moreover, Qing Qian was pregnant. No one could be certain whose child it was, but the Fuma had indeed spent the night in Qing Qian’s room. Besides her, there was no one else, at least not publicly.

With this scene Qing Qian was making, most people in the capital probably thought the child was Chi Wan’s.

By the time Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou received the news, their procession for the prayer ceremony had already reached the foot of Xuanyang Temple’s mountain.

Chi Wan’s eyes widened. What did they mean, she had a child? She didn’t even know how to use pheromones to have intercourse.

As a woman obsessed with medicine, her understanding of the body was such that she could accurately identify any part she touched even with her eyes closed.

But when it came to intimate relations between women, that was a challenge for her, not to mention that in this world, a mark was required for procreation.

She didn’t even know how to mark someone.

Pheromones could be verified. For example, between her and Yu Jiuzhou, her pheromone was a gentle, light medicinal agarwood mixed with an elegant tea scent. Yu Jiuzhou’s was a cold camellia fragrance, fresh and elegant, its pleasant aroma subtle, giving a fresh and natural feeling, yet also carrying the crisp scent of ice and snow—a very unique combination.

If she and Yu Jiuzhou had a child, its pheromone could be either of theirs, or a combination, but it would absolutely not be something else. That was the magic of pheromones. If a pheromone other than the partners’ appeared, one would have to question if the child was biologically theirs.

Upon first hearing the news, Chi Wan was shocked, then furious. It was obvious someone was plotting against her.

She had gone to the Autumn Water Pavilion to gather intelligence. She had cast the bait, and the fish had taken it. But before she could reel in the net, she had been played.

In terms of timing, she had indeed been in the same room with Lady Qing Qian. Nearly two months had passed. If she were truly pregnant, it would be about two months along now, and it could definitely be diagnosed.

Presumably, there would be no issues with the timing. Since they wanted to frame her, they wouldn’t leave any obvious evidence. As for pheromone testing, that could only be done after the child was born. A pregnancy lasted about nine months. With so much time passing, the accusation stuck to her would be impossible to remove. It had to be dealt with quickly.

“Your Highness,” Chi Wan called out.

Yu Jiuzhou’s expression was also grim. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Chi Wan; she was furious that someone was plotting against the Princess’s Residence, against her Fuma.

If Chi Wan said nothing happened between her and Qing Qian, then nothing happened. But for someone to plot against her person, she would absolutely not let it slide.

Her face was dark, and a chilling aura surrounded her.

Chi Wan thought she had misunderstood and immediately explained, “Your Highness, there is absolutely nothing between me and Lady Qing Qian. This is slander.”

“I know.”

“Your Highness, this must be a conspiracy,” Chi Wan said firmly. She had definitely been framed. Upon hearing Yu Jiuzhou say “I know,” she paused. “Your Highness knows?”

“I trust you.”

Just those three words warmed Chi Wan’s heart. It felt wonderful to be trusted unconditionally.

“Then what does Your Highness plan to do?”

“Play along with their scheme.”

Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. “Is Your Highness suggesting I sacrifice my body?”

Yu Jiuzhou was silent.

“You can keep Qing Qian outside. Get the information you want from her. The moment Qing Qian left the Autumn Water Pavilion, she was already a discarded pawn.”

Chi Wan understood immediately. Qing Qian was the top courtesan of the Autumn Water Pavilion. Her daily life was comparable to that of the children of a third-rank official, perhaps even better. Having fallen into the world of pleasure, to be able to live like that was quite good. She could have saved up a sum of money and retired, but instead, she was used as a pawn.

Of course, the people of the Autumn Water Pavilion were all pawns. Some could retire peacefully, while others could only be discarded. Qing Qian was a discarded pawn.

The moment she became pregnant and was used to frame Chi Wan, regardless of success or failure, there would be no good end for her. Success meant death; failure meant dying as a shield. If there had been a way out, Qing Qian probably wouldn’t have chosen this path to her death.

“Your Highness means for me to take Qing Qian in, and then turn her?”

“Turn her?” Yu Jiuzhou raised an eyebrow.

“It means to persuade Qing Qian to become one of our own.”

That was the idea.

Yu Jiuzhou nodded. “Mm.”

Speaking of this, Chi Wan felt quite helpless. “Your Highness, first a Lin Qianduo, now a Qing Qian. How many mistresses does Your Highness intend for me to keep?”

There were faint rumors outside that Lin Qianduo was her mistress. After all, the Jiujiu Wellness Center earned tens of thousands of taels a month, which amounted to hundreds of thousands a year. It was achieving this level of income before the market had even fully opened up. Once the market expanded, the profits would be unimaginable.

Thus, people began to covet the Jiujiu Wellness Center. The restrictions on commerce in Great Zhou were much looser than in previous dynasties, but one couldn’t guard against the greed of the powerful. To fend them off, the word got out that the Jiujiu Wellness Center belonged to the Fuma, and the Lin family was merely managing it on her behalf. No, it wasn’t even management; in reality, the Fuma had taken a fancy to Lin Qianduo and used it as an excuse to bring the Lin family on board.

In truth, the Lin family was just one of the suppliers, providing materials for the medicinal pills. Yu Jiuzhou had so many merchant caravans under her command that the Lin family only supplied a small portion, in addition to providing the chain of shops.

The Lin family had shops in every city in Great Zhou. These existing shops could be put to use after some renovation. The Lin family’s shops were all in prime locations, saving the trouble of purchasing properties.

With the Lin family’s industrial chain already spread across Great Zhou, adding one more shop in each city was nothing, and Yu Jiuzhou’s merchant caravans could also provide a great deal of help.

That was one thing, but in order for the shops to operate smoothly, Chi Wan’s reputation was shot. Keeping a mistress was not a good look.

And one wasn’t enough; now they wanted to add another. They really didn’t want her to be a good person.

Yu Jiuzhou also felt helpless. First Lin Qianduo, now Qing Qian. Not only was the Fuma’s reputation suffering, but she too was losing face completely.

“What do you suggest?”

There was a way, but it was a bit troublesome.

Chi Wan looked at Chun Gui, who had insisted on coming along. “Your Highness, why not have Chun Gui go and dissuade her? Also, His Majesty is already displeased with Prince Bao’an and Prince Ying, though he’s more displeased with Prince Ying. His Majesty must be made aware that it was Prince Bao’an who plotted against me.”

“We must make His Majesty understand that Prince Bao’an does not want Your Highness and me to reconcile. He wants to destroy our relationship. And why would he want to destroy our relationship?”

Naturally, he was worried they would give birth to an imperial grandchild, and Emperor Shengyuan would directly name their child the Imperial Grandson, the Crown Prince. Appointing a successor from the next generation was not unheard of in Great Zhou. The only obstacle would be that the child was the child of a princess, not of an imperial son, so how could they be made the crown heir?

Chi Wan had already said that their child would take the surname Yu. As long as they were recorded in the imperial genealogy, they would be an imperial heir. Anyone who dared to object could be killed. The reason Wu Zetian was able to become a female emperor was because she was ruthless enough. Whoever stood in her way was simply killed.

In any case, the Emperor would surely think of this and become displeased with Prince Bao’an. Prince Ying was about to fall, and Prince Bao’an would become the one with the greatest chance of succeeding as Crown Prince. No, not the greatest chance—in the previous life, it was Prince Bao’an who became the new emperor.

The first step to becoming emperor was to be named Crown Prince. A Crown Prince’s succession was legitimate. If the Emperor did not name him Crown Prince, and if Emperor Shengyuan were to die, the power to choose the new emperor would lie in the hands of Yu Jiuzhou and the Grand Secretariat. This made a huge difference.

Therefore, they had to make Emperor Shengyuan dissatisfied with Prince Bao’an. As long as Emperor Shengyuan did not want to name a Crown Prince, what use was the pressure from all the court officials? They could not bypass the Emperor to appoint a Crown Prince, which would make Prince Bao’an’s claim illegitimate.

After Emperor Shengyuan’s death, Yu Jiuzhou would become the most powerful person in Great Zhou, with no one to challenge her. She could even establish herself as a Kun Ze Empress Regnant.

Chi Wan had already thought through the path ahead. They had to destroy Prince Bao’an’s image of being unambitious in Emperor Shengyuan’s eyes, and destroy his image as a virtuous prince in the eyes of the officials and common people.

Only then could Prince Bao’an be prevented from becoming Crown Prince. Without that title, he would have to lie low and wait for Yu Jiuzhou and the Grand Secretariat to decide who the new emperor would be.

“Your Highness, Qing Qian’s pregnancy is definitely a conspiracy. If I play along, this stain will never be washed clean. I must resolutely reject this slander. I know Your Highness wants the Autumn Water Pavilion’s intelligence network. I know about this.”

At this moment, she once again lamented that it was a good thing she had read the novel from Prince Bao’an’s perspective.

Chi Wan took out a booklet. “This records Prince Bao’an’s trusted aides, as well as several of his important strongholds.”

One day, she had recalled the entire contents of the novel and, combining it with the current reality, had finally been able to analyze it all. After all, it was difficult to match the place names casually glanced over in the novel with their real-world counterparts.

Yu Jiuzhou did not open the booklet immediately. Instead, she explained, “I was not telling you to keep a mistress.”

“Then why did Your Highness say that?”

“Don’t you enjoy Lady Qing Qian’s zither playing very much?”

“Huh?” Chi Wan was completely stunned. “Is Your Highness jealous?”

Otherwise, why would she still be harping on about her listening to Lady Qing Qian play the zither alone after all this time?

Yu Jiuzhou turned her face away and commanded, “Chun Gui, have Qing Qian bound and sent to the Grand Court of Revision. Also, take people to smash the Autumn Water Pavilion.”

“Your Highness, isn’t that too much?”

“Do you feel sorry for her?”

“No, your subject simply feels that smashing the Autumn Water Pavilion is excessive.”

Yu Jiuzhou gave her an indifferent glance. “I am the Grand Princess. If you truly dislike that Lady Qing Qian, then I will naturally act without restraint.”

Chi Wan blinked. “So Your Highness was testing me just now.”

Testing her attitude toward Lady Qing Qian. This woman, and she still claimed she wasn’t jealous.

Yu Jiuzhou closed her eyes. “If I don’t lose my temper, His Majesty might not believe what you said.”

She had always been high and mighty. There was no reason to back down when someone came knocking at her door. Let the world know that she, the Grand Princess, was no pushover.

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