A Stolen Romance - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: A Chilly New Era

The weather, which had been getting hotter by the day, suddenly dropped in temperature. People said that the heavens were no longer smiling, and the gloomy weather only added to the somber atmosphere of the national mourning period.

Besides the imperial family, all civil and military officials had to observe a period of mourning for twenty-seven days. The bells in royal Buddhist and Daoist temples rang thirty thousand times, and the common people were forbidden from drinking alcohol or making merry for one hundred days. Marriage and burial ceremonies were forbidden for a month.

With brothels and taverns closed, the business at tea houses boomed. Although people couldn’t listen to storytelling for entertainment, gathering three or five at a table to chat about the major events in the capital was a good way to pass the time.

In the past few days, there were only three topics of conversation in the capital.

First, Emperor Yuanwen’s final will stated that he was most reluctant to part with his youngest son and wanted Prince Yu to keep vigil over his coffin for the rest of his life, never to leave the imperial mausoleum. Anyone with eyes and ears could tell that “reluctant” was just a euphemism for house arrest. When combined with the second topic, that Emperor Yuanwen had also retracted the marriage decree for Prince Yu and Shi Yuning just before his death, it became a blatant implication that the Emperor had disowned Prince Yu before his passing.

Some more daring individuals claimed that the new Emperor, formerly the Crown Prince, now Emperor Hongjing, was wary of Prince Yu and didn’t want him to have a chance to inherit the throne. There were all sorts of rumors. Despite not being present when Emperor Yuanwen passed, people told their stories with great detail and certainty. Some even claimed that the Crown Prince had forced the Emperor to issue the decrees on his deathbed.

The public’s previous impression of the Crown Prince was that he was a gentle and kind but sickly heir. The fact that he could now be seen as so cunning was all thanks to the third topic. After Emperor Yuanwen passed and the officials welcomed the Crown Prince to the throne, as they were preparing for the new Emperor’s coronation and the Empress’s enthronement, the new Emperor’s first act was to announce a divorce from the Crown Princess.

People had only ever heard of consorts being deposed or banished to the cold palace. This was the first time anyone had heard of a royal couple getting a divorce. The Censorate’s officials voiced their opposition, arguing that Duke Xie was a veteran who had served three reigns, that the Xie family had contributed greatly, and that the Crown Princess had committed no fault. The unspoken meaning was, ‘This family helped you ascend, so how can you depose their daughter as soon as you take the throne?’ No matter how politely the decree was written, claiming it was a divorce, to outsiders it was just a more dignified form of being deposed.

However, the new Emperor seemed determined, refusing to budge an inch and holding firm to his decision.

With this divorce decree, Xie Zhaoran became the biggest topic of conversation and joke in the capital. People had originally been talking about how Miss Shi’s fate was difficult, having had an unprecedented imperial marriage decree retracted. But when the new Emperor’s decree was issued, everyone was shocked. This was not just unprecedented; it would likely never be repeated. In one night, Xie Zhaoran went from being the lofty Crown Princess, just a step away from becoming Empress, to crashing down and becoming a major laughingstock.

Shi Yuning had heard these things a lot in the past few days. Even the old auntie selling radishes from her own farm could chime in with a few words. She said Xie Zhaoran had no fortune and must have committed some heinous crime that outsiders didn’t know about. Shi Yuning was so frustrated for Xie Zhaoran; she was such a good person. Since Shi Yuning couldn’t explain to every single person spreading rumors, nor could she beat them up, she had been too angry to leave the house.

Family Troubles

That evening, at the Shi family’s dinner table, everyone’s faces were filled with worry. They looked at the table full of food, but no one had an appetite.

Tu Chunhua glared at a large plate of braised pork knuckle, angrily poking several holes in it with her chopsticks. “That damned Prince Yu is a bad person and he’s also harmed my Ningning.”

“What kind of mess is this?! Shi Minda, say something! What are we going to do now?”

“Everyone in the capital is saying that Prince Yu must have committed some crime, and our family, having been involved with him, will surely not fare well. That’s not the worst part, though. Those damned people are saying that because our Ningning was once engaged to Prince Yu, it will be hard for her to find a husband in the future!”

Shi Minda also started poking holes in the pork knuckle, no less angry than Tu Chunhua. Being a housewife, Tu Chunhua rarely left the house. Shi Minda had heard far more of the unsavory talk in the past few days.

“Why don’t we go back to the countryside?” Shi Minda firmly stabbed his chopsticks into the pork knuckle, as if he had made a final decision. He looked at Shi Yuning. “How about it, Ningning? Haven’t you always wanted to go back?”

“Huh? What did you say?” Shi Yuning, who had been spacing out, suddenly heard her father call her name and didn’t know what he had said.

Shi Minda, thinking his daughter was sad because of the recent rumors, lowered his voice and said carefully, “I was asking if we should go back to Jiangnan.”

Shi Yuning, still absent-minded, nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine. We should go back and see Grandma anyway.”

Tu Chunhua and Shi Minda exchanged a look. Well, that was a waste of time. The girl wasn’t listening at all. The two of them decided to ignore her and discuss a plan. For the first time, they were in sync, thinking of the Lu family who had come to the capital with them, and of Lu Wenzhou.

Shi Yuning paid no attention to what they were discussing. She was still thinking about the things she had heard people say about Xie Zhaoran during the day. She knew that she had been the biggest joke in the capital, but she couldn’t understand why the Crown Prince would issue such a direct and public decree. It felt rushed, with no room for a second thought, leaving everyone unprepared. Even she, who knew about the letter of divorce between Xie Zhaoran and the Crown Prince, was shocked to hear the decree, let alone the common people.

She wondered how Xie Zhaoran was doing. The thing she had heard most in the past two days was that Xie Zhaoran’s future prospects for marriage were bleak. To be honest, Shi Yuning wasn’t worried about herself at all. She didn’t want to get married, so now she didn’t have to bother finding an excuse. But what about Xie Zhaoran? Shi Yuning felt anxious. Why had she only asked if Xie Zhaoran liked the Crown Prince, and forgotten to ask if she had a truly beloved man? Maybe Xie Zhaoran wanted to get married, just not to the Crown Prince. In that case, her current situation would be very disadvantageous. Shi Yuning wondered what kind of man Xie Zhaoran would like. Since she could give up the position of Empress, she probably didn’t care about power. And if she didn’t care about power, she probably didn’t care about money either. Maybe she liked healthy men? Strong and muscular?

Shi Yuning poked her own arm. Her muscles weren’t as solid as Xie Zhaoran’s. Wait, what good would her strong body be? She wasn’t a man.

It was all so frustrating. She hadn’t seen Xie Zhaoran since Emperor Yuanwen’s death. She wondered how she was doing. Shi Yuning looked up through the window at the moon. The moon tonight was a half-moon, not very bright. Clouds drifted by, occasionally hiding the moon from view. Shi Yuning watched for a while, then sat up straight. If the moon was hiding, couldn’t she just go find it herself?

Shi Yuning quickly went to a pear wood wardrobe, pulled out a neatly folded set of clothes for night-walking from the very back. This was the same outfit Xie Zhaoran had given her the first time they went out together. Shi Yuning thought of her first meeting with Xie Zhaoran, and the palpitations she felt when she saw her bronze mask. The mask on Xie Zhaoran’s face was truly astonishing. Maybe she could get a similar one, so that when they went out together, people would immediately know they were a team. She had to ask Xie Zhaoran where she had the mask made. Shi Yuning thought this was a pretty good excuse. When she saw Xie Zhaoran, she would just say she came to ask where to buy a mask.

Reunited

At Duke Xie’s estate, because of the national mourning, Xie Zhen, who was guarding the border, had returned to the capital with his wife to observe the mourning period. All the men had gone to the palace to accompany the new Emperor, leaving only Xie Zhaoran and her mother, Lin Feiying, whom she only saw a few times a year.

Lin Feiying had followed Xie Zhen to the northern frontier after giving birth to Xie Zhaoran, and she felt guilty about leaving her in the capital. But the circumstances at the time had left her with no choice. Moreover, the Xie family and the Empress had long ago agreed that Xie Zhaoran would marry the Crown Prince. Sending her to the palace from a young age was to help her better adapt to palace life. She never expected that Xie Zhaoran would plot such a thing with the Crown Prince behind their backs, catching them completely off guard.

“Zhaoran, you’ve been clever since you were a child and have never made your family worry, but how could you be so foolish this time?”

“Do you really think that because the Emperor said you are divorced, you will be able to go your separate ways like common folk?”

“It’s ridiculous! Even if the world accepts that you and the Emperor are divorced, you are still the Emperor’s former woman. Do you think there is a second man in this world who would dare to marry you?”

The more Lin Feiying spoke, the more her heart ached. How could Xie Zhaoran make such a foolish mistake?

Xie Zhaoran finished her last bite of rice, took a sip of tea, and then looked up as if she had just noticed someone was sitting across from her. Lin Feiying’s eyes met Xie Zhaoran’s, which were as calm as an ancient well. Her heart skipped a beat, and her gaze wavered. She didn’t know since when Xie Zhaoran had looked at her like that—gentle and polite, but completely lacking a young girl’s emotional dependence on her mother.

Lin Feiying regretted it. She should have cared more about her daughter. But at the time, the situation in the northern frontier was urgent, and she had no choice. Zhaoran must resent her in her heart. She had always been waiting for Zhaoran to ask her why she abandoned her, to cry, to resent, to angrily accuse her, but Zhaoran never did. It was as if she had accepted it very easily and had never mentioned it once, not even a single word. This made it impossible for Lin Feiying to explain herself. When Zhaoran got older and the northern frontier became more stable, she thought about making up for it. She remembered what Xie Zhaoran had said when she tried to show some concern for her studies when she was seven. ‘If you left me to begin with, then how I do in the future has nothing to do with you. Even if I don’t do well, no one will say that Lin Feiying didn’t teach me well, because you never taught me at all.’

Thinking of this, Lin Feiying’s heart ached. She wanted to say something more, but seeing Xie Zhaoran’s emotionless expression, the words couldn’t come out. Xie Zhaoran also saw Lin Feiying’s red eyes, but her heart was calm. She had long passed the age of needing a mother. Seeing that she had quieted down, Xie Zhaoran finished the tea in her hand, stood up, and took her leave. Since she was a child, she had been the only one living in this huge Duke’s estate. Her father, mother, and brothers were all at the northern frontier. She was used to making all her own decisions. It was a pretty good life; she didn’t have to explain anything to anyone, and she was free and independent. A little lonely, though…

Leaving the main courtyard, Xie Zhaoran walked toward her own. Before she reached the entrance, she saw Qiang Di hurrying toward her.

“What is it?” Xie Zhaoran stopped to ask. Qiang Di glanced around and leaned in close to Xie Zhaoran’s ear, reporting in a voice only the two of them could hear.

“The shadow guard watching Miss Shi’s side has returned to report that Miss Shi has left the house wearing a night-walking outfit.”

Xie Zhaoran’s heart skipped a beat. Where could she be going at this hour?

“Tell them to keep a close eye on her. I’ll be there right away.”

After giving Qiang Di the order, Xie Zhaoran hurried back to her room, changed into a similar night-walking outfit, unlocked a box, took out her bronze-headed mask, and was about to put it on when Qiang Di came back to report.

“My lady, the shadow guard says that Miss Shi seems to be heading in the direction of our Duke’s estate…”

Xie Zhaoran’s hand, which was about to put on the mask, froze. After a moment of stunned silence, a smile uncontrollably curved on her lips in the darkness, mirroring the shape of the moon outside.

Shi Yuning regretted her impulsiveness. She had completely forgotten that she had never been to Duke Xie’s estate. It was so big; how was she supposed to find Xie Zhaoran?

“Hey, be careful. This is all for my lady’s late-night snack. Don’t spill any of it.”

Shi Yuning was startled when she heard footsteps. She quickly hid behind a rock in the garden and saw two young maids walk through a moon gate. The two of them were each carrying a black lacquer tray with gold carvings, on top of which were several covered bowls and dishes. It was clearly a good meal. Hearing them mention a late-night snack for their lady, Shi Yuning’s eyes lit up. There was only one lady in this Duke’s estate, Xie Zhaoran. It was like getting a pillow when you’re sleepy. Her luck was great today. On the way, she hadn’t run into a single person, and when she climbed over the wall to get into the estate, she had arrived just as the guards were changing shifts, so she didn’t run into anyone then, either. Her luck was truly excellent today.

Watching the two young maids carry the trays along the winding corridor, Shi Yuning quickly followed. After a short distance, Shi Yuning pouted, feeling a little unhappy. Here she was, worried that Xie Zhaoran was too worried to eat, but Xie Zhaoran had such a good appetite that she was already asking for a late-night snack.

Shi Yuning angrily punched a pillar under the corridor, but she didn’t control her strength and her face twisted in pain. Worried the maids would find her, she quickly hid behind the pillar. After a moment of observation, she saw that she hadn’t been discovered, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that the maids were almost out of sight, Shi Yuning composed herself, crouched down, and carefully followed them.

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