After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Entangled by the Paranoid Eldest Princess - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Upon hearing that the Emperor had issued an imperial decree to be delivered to Prince Xuan’s manor—ordering eunuchs to berate the Prince in front of everyone, stripping him of his official titles, and confining him to his residence for self-reflection—a faint trace of regret appeared on Si Jingyu’s face.

“My ‘good’ Third Brother is truly useless,” he sighed with mock pity, sounding as if he genuinely regretted the outcome.

Pei Huaici glanced at the Fourth Prince across the board and placed a white stone down. “Congratulations, Your Highness.”

Si Jingyu arched a brow, the fake pity on his lips instantly transforming into a sardonic smirk. “How so? My Third Brother has been reprimanded; surely I should be feeling nothing but heartache?”

Pei Huaici looked at the Fourth Prince steadily. “Your Highness, there is no need to spar with words with me. Now that Prince Xuan has been discarded by the Emperor, you have one less rival to contend with.”

Si Jingyu’s eyes flickered. “But this abandonment might only be temporary.” He had always preferred to pull up weeds by the root.

A flash of deep contemplation crossed Pei Huaici’s eyes. It was only later that he discovered the Fourth Prince had once even moved against his own blood sister, the Eldest Princess. Although the poison was not fatal, prolonged exposure would cause the victim to become physically frail and emotionally volatile. In such a state, neither the Emperor nor the court officials would ever consider a person with poor health and an erratic temperament as a successor to the throne.

“However, now is not the right time,” Pei Huaici lowered his voice. “If something were to happen to Prince Xuan at this juncture, the Emperor would certainly be enraged and would proceed to investigate thoroughly.”

Seeing the Fourth Prince remain silent, Pei Huaici added, “Moreover, the Eldest Princess has just cleared the examination hall with iron-fisted methods. If we make any moves now, we risk becoming a target of her leverage.”

At this, a hint of sinister malice flashed in Si Jingyu’s eyes. “Very well, I was merely speaking offhand,” he said, his face darkening. “My Third Brother has never had much of a brain; he is not worth fearing.”

When the position of Chief Examiner for the Metropolitan Examination was still undecided, Si Jingyu had been working behind the scenes. He knew that given the Emperor’s current disposition, the chances of this duty being entrusted to him were slim, so he had operated in the shadows to push for his own candidates. He had not expected the Emperor to issue a decree directly handing the task to his eldest sister.

That night, Si Jingyu pondered for a long time. He vaguely sensed that although both he and his eldest sister were legitimate children and mature royals, the Emperor perceived him as the greater threat; otherwise, the Emperor would not have chosen her for this mission. Yet, just because the Emperor didn’t see the Eldest Princess as a major threat didn’t mean she wasn’t a threat to him among the court officials. Therefore, he had intentionally sent people to bait Prince Xuan into taking action, letting him be the one at the forefront.

The facts proved that his Third Brother was indeed a useless fool. Now, Si Jingyu was filled with vague regrets. Had he known his eldest sister would act so aggressively, he shouldn’t have just used that poison; he should have used something far more lethal…

Seeing the malice surging in the Fourth Prince’s brow, Pei Huaici acted as if he noticed nothing and steered the conversation elsewhere. “Your Highness, there is a matter at hand that could become our turning point.”

Si Jingyu suppressed the murderous intent in his heart and raised an eyebrow at him. “Speak.”

Pei Huaici leaned forward slightly and said cautiously, “There have been unusual movements at the border recently. Northern barbarian scouts are several times more active than in previous years, and there are frequent frictions at the frontier.”

Si Jingyu’s eyes sharpened. “Why is the court so quiet about this?”

Pei Huaici wore a subtle expression. “The Emperor seems intent on suppressing this news. If it weren’t for the fact that the Pei family has military roots and connections in the army, we would never have discovered it.”

The Fourth Prince frowned. He had previously wanted to marry the daughter of the Minister of War to leverage the Ministry’s military authority, but Prince Xuan had intervened, causing the Emperor to grow suspicious and issue a different marriage decree, ruining his plans. He had been looking for a chance to touch military power ever since, but to no avail. Perhaps this was his chance.

Si Jingyu spoke seriously, “Huaici, you must put more effort into this matter. We must get to the bottom of it.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Pei Huaici bowed.

Meanwhile, Wen Chenqing had been wanting to invite Wen Zhaolan to a meal. She had been busy with the exams, and although the Palace Examination was drawing near and required focus, she could still spare half a day. If she kept dragging it out, who knew when it would happen? She had planned to treat Wen Zhaolan at a restaurant, but the girl suggested that she would prefer a simple meal in the courtyard instead of a tavern.

Come to think of it, Wen Chenqing realized, Wen Zhaolan has been here quite a few times, but she has never actually eaten a meal in this courtyard. …I really don’t know how to play host.

Feeling a growing sense of guilt, Wen Chenqing consulted both Lu Mingjuan and Wen Zhaolan to see if they minded eating together. Both said they didn’t mind and would leave the arrangements to her. With that settled, Wen Chenqing ordered a banquet from the best restaurant and, when Wen Zhaolan arrived, sent Yinxing to fetch it.

During the meal, Wen Chenqing noticed that Wen Zhaolan only picked at the two or three dishes directly in front of her. Reaching for the serving chopsticks, she placed some different dishes onto Wen Zhaolan’s plate. “Try this—it’s the restaurant’s signature dish.”

“Thank you,” Wen Zhaolan said softly. She ate what Wen Chenqing had picked for her, offering a joyous smile. “It’s delicious.”

“If it’s delicious, eat more,” Wen Chenqing said, adding a few more portions to her plate. “This meal is intended as a treat for you. The gift you gave me before the Metropolitan Examination took so much effort; thank you.”

Wen Zhaolan shook her head slightly. “It wasn’t much effort. As long as you like it.”

Wen Chenqing did like it. Given how precious the gesture was, she had even placed it in a cabinet, fearing she might accidentally damage it. Today, Wen Chenqing had also prepared some wine—it was low in alcohol and tasted sweet. As the three chatted, the effects of the alcohol and the relaxed atmosphere made Wen Zhaolan appear much more at ease than usual. She joined the conversation occasionally with a soft voice, though most of the time, her gaze lingered on Wen Chenqing’s face.

Wen Chenqing hadn’t noticed at first, until a certain topic came up and she reached out to care for the usually shy Wen Zhaolan, only to unexpectedly lock eyes with her moist, focused gaze. Her brain cleared instantly. She acted as if nothing was wrong and drew Wen Zhaolan back into the conversation, but a storm began to brew in her heart. That look… the more I think about it, the more wrong it feels.

During the latter half of the meal, Wen Chenqing divided her attention between the chatter and observing Wen Zhaolan. She discovered that the girl looked at her many times from angles where she couldn’t be seen, only to rapidly retract her gaze whenever Wen Chenqing turned her head.

After the guests departed, Wen Chenqing stood up to see Wen Zhaolan off. Once the slender figure disappeared into the alleyway, Wen Chenqing closed the gate and turned to face Lu Mingjuan, who was standing a few steps away, smiling and watching the spectacle.

“Tell me… you noticed it a long time ago, didn’t you?”

Lu Mingjuan feigned ignorance. “Noticed what?”

“Don’t pretend.” Wen Chenqing thought back—maybe this person had seen it from the start. No wonder she had said it was “more than that” before.

Lu Mingjuan tilted her head and shrugged. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” She turned and headed into her room.

“…”

Wen Chenqing snorted. Based on that reaction, Lu Mingjuan had definitely seen it before she did. But… when did it even start? Wen Chenqing reflected on her own actions; surely she hadn’t given off any signals that would lead to a misunderstanding while interacting with Wen Zhaolan, had she?

Right, definitely not. Having finished her self-audit, Wen Chenqing sighed in relief. Since Wen Zhaolan hadn’t made any explicit declarations, she would simply act as if she didn’t know. Otherwise, calling it out and then rejecting her would make her seem arrogant and awkward.

Returning to her room, Wen Chenqing thought for a moment and walked to the cabinet where she kept her belongings, reaching out to pull open a drawer.

“?”

Where is it? Wen Chenqing frowned and searched through it again, but found nothing. She was certain her memory hadn’t failed her; she had left it right there. How could it have vanished into thin air?

Wen Chenqing called out: “Yinxing!”

“Are you looking for me, Miss?” Yinxing trotted over.

Wen Chenqing pointed to the cabinet. “Have you seen the gift Miss Wen gave me these past few days?”

Yinxing said blankly, “Didn’t you put it away yourself, Miss?”

Wen Chenqing nodded as if it were nothing. “Right, I did put it away in the room myself. Never mind, it’s nothing. You may go.”

Once Yinxing left, Wen Chenqing’s expression turned dark. She had always tidied her own room. Even if Yinxing entered occasionally, she wouldn’t have touched it, and Lu Mingjuan would never step into her bedroom. How could it be gone? Did it sprout wings and fly away?

This feeling of being watched, of someone moving things without a trace, only made Wen Chenqing think of one person. She took a deep breath to alleviate the suffocating sensation.

Years ago, after being released by Si Jinghua and returning to the villa, Wen Chenqing had discovered how many things their party had swapped behind her back—bedding, clothes, handkerchiefs… everything had been quietly replaced. It was ridiculous that she had sensed something was wrong back then but hadn’t thought it through. But even if she had, she never would have imagined someone so bored they would go to such lengths just to tease someone else.

Wen Chenqing stopped her trembling hands and took another deep breath to calm her mood. She couldn’t understand—she completely couldn’t understand. The zongzi and rice cakes that appeared on the eve of the Metropolitan Examination, and now the missing jade pendant—everything pointed to the person she didn’t want to remember. Only she had the ability and the twisted motivation to invade her life like this.

Was she leaving marks silently to declare her control over her? To show that she knew everything and was everywhere? How vicious and overbearing. Wen Chenqing sneered.

In the dark of night, the lamps in the courtyard were extinguished. In the deep, silent stillness of the night, an uninvited guest arrived without a sound.