Chapter 237: Unperturbed by Favor or Disgrace

After the virtuous consort's recovery, although the emperor bestowed lavish garments and elevated her rank, outwardly displaying the utmost favor, he had not once stayed overnight in her quarters. After all, the palace teemed with many young and beautiful concubines, offering endless choices for amorous indulgence. Yet today, the emperor dined within the virtuous consort's chamber and retired there as well.

Li Ce must have already learned of Yan Shuangxu's slander against the crown prince and his intimidation of Ye Jiao. The emperor personally warned the crown prince but saw no need to summon Li Ce and escalate the matter. A few comforting words to the virtuous consort would suffice to soothe the mother and son.

Dressed in soft, cool sleeping robes, the emperor entered the bedchamber with the consort. He tentatively reached to undress her, but she gently held his hand back.

"Your Majesty has just recovered from a grave illness; your precious health must be preserved. I cannot…" Her voice trailed off, eyes filled with concern.

In the dim light, her once-youthful but exquisitely serene face bore the calm detachment of one who had weathered life's tempests, unmoved by favor or disgrace. Having witnessed countless struggles for power and insincere flattery, the emperor exhaled in relief—like a battered ship finally finding shelter in a tranquil harbor.

He clasped her hand. "These years, you have truly suffered much."

"It is I who have failed, falling ill…" she murmured softly, "Yet Your Majesty bears me no resentment, continuing to care for me as always. For seven years, clothed in silks and nourished in luxury, I have nothing to repay you with."

"You have borne me such a fine son," the emperor interjected, "That alone is the greatest reward."

The consort, overwhelmed by his favor, replied, "Your Majesty leads by example and governs strictly; the Prince of Chu dares not be unruly."

The emperor lifted his arm, inviting her to rest her head, adjusting her position to make her more comfortable. He pondered quietly that he had never held the empress or Bai Zhaoyi so tenderly. Tomorrow, he mused, he might inquire how he had slept with others to confirm that his affection for her was genuine.

"Truth be told, I have seldom disciplined the Prince of Chu," he admitted, "He has guarded the imperial tombs for twenty years, even surviving a near-fatal fall into a thieves' tunnel and poisoning. That he has grown into a child both wise and courageous is truly the fortune of our great Tang dynasty."

"Your Majesty today…" the consort did not offer polite denials, but gently asked, "Why do you so lavishly praise the Prince of Chu?"

"I say this to assure you," the emperor turned to gaze into her luminous eyes, "That I treat all my children equally and hold the Prince of Chu in high regard. I would never permit him to suffer even the slightest injustice."

A sovereign's promise weighs heavier than gold. The consort smiled tenderly.

"How could he have ever been wronged?" she leaned against the emperor, reassured. "With Your Majesty here, our mother and son live in harmony and peace, free from grievance."

But if... closing her eyes, the consort pondered in darkness, what if His Majesty were no longer here?

Outside the chamber, candlelight flickered. Unlike the heavy draperies favored in the palace, the curtains in the Prince of Chu's residence were thin, allowing light to seep through, so the two entwined lovers could discern every subtle expression on each other's faces—slightly parted lips, pearly teeth, shy yet affectionate gazes, furrowed brows, serene joy, or, as now, a pensive bite of the lip.

"The crown prince must be mad to like me, right?" Ye Jiao lay on the embroidered quilt, her smooth back exposed. Li Ce sat cross-legged on the bed, gently applying rose water to her skin, massaging with intent. As if the affairs of the Wei king, Yan Shuangxu, or court matters mattered less than caring for his wife's complexion.

"Yan Shuangxu is the true madman, stirring trouble heedless of others' reputations." For a woman, even being liked by someone could sometimes be a crime.

"What if…" Li Ce suddenly said, "What if the crown prince really likes Jiao Jiao and tries to take you away?"

Ye Jiao spun around sharply, nearly toppling the porcelain bottle in Li Ce's hand. Feeling insulted, she snapped, "Then I'd storm into the Eastern Palace and gouge out his eyes!"

Her body leaned back slightly, then she added plaintively, "Would that warrant the extermination of my entire clan?"

Li Ce stared into the void, smiling—his smile gentle yet unmistakably cold, sharp as frost crystallizing on a blade. Though seeming harmless, any who dared touch it would be cut.

"Sisi?" Ye Jiao gripped his arm, startled by his chilling expression.

"No need for Jiao Jiao to storm the Eastern Palace and gouge eyes out," his gaze softened as it shifted to her face, though his voice still brimmed with hatred, "If he were truly a shameless beast, he wouldn't be crown prince, not my brother, nor even worthy to be called 'human.'"

Ye Jiao's cheeks flushed, her skin smooth, her raven hair loose and vibrant—the most delicate and untouchable presence in his heart.

Li Ce pulled her close with greater force than usual, his words resolute and terrifying:

"If that is the case, I need not heed loyalty to sovereign or filial piety, laws or court order. Even if I fall to darkness, become a despicable demon scorned by all, I will not spare him."

Leaning on Li Ce's shoulder, Ye Jiao felt his arm tighten around her. Her voice trembled, "Not spare him?"

"Yes." Li Ce's hand gently patted her back, soothing like a lullaby, yet his tone was as sharp as a cleaver, "I will kill him."

In that instant, Ye Jiao felt her blood freeze. Though within the Prince of Chu's bedchamber, she glanced anxiously around, fearful that those words might be overheard. Li Ce, usually more cautious than she, now seemed reckless beyond reason.

To kill the crown prince, their heir apparent, was a heinous crime punishable by death, which would doom them all to the imperial dungeon and drag the Duke of Anguo's family into ruin. What would become of her mother, siblings, or the virtuous consort in the palace?

Ye Jiao leapt from Li Ce's embrace and stood by the bed, waving her hands. "Sisi, don't say such things. It hasn't come to that. It's merely Yan Shuangxu sowing discord. Why would the crown prince like me? Every time we meet, we almost fight. Or else—"

She hurriedly searched for ways to make the prince despise and loathe her. Though inexperienced, she knew she must try.

"I'll never see him again," she nodded firmly. "Yes, never again. After our arranged marriage, I no longer work at the Ministry of War; chances to meet him are scarce."

She took a few steps, then hesitated. Normally no meetings, but during festivals and ceremonies, they must dine together.

"If I must see him," Ye Jiao drew a deep breath, "I'll wrap a pillow around my belly and pretend I'm pregnant. No man would desire a pregnant woman, right?"

Li Ce, previously wary, chuckled at her suggestion. Watching Ye Jiao's feigned pregnant gait, he shook his head and beckoned her over.

"Come here."

Nervously, Ye Jiao approached, and Li Ce wrapped her in the embroidered quilt.

"Don't catch a chill."

The murderous gleam vanished from his face, replaced by his usual calm demeanor—unshakable, serene, untouched by worldly strife or desperate struggle. The man who moments ago stood armed in the dark was but a figment of her imagination.

Feeling safe, Ye Jiao nestled like a docile fox in his arms, chin resting on his chest, lifting her delicate nose to whisper,

"It's all just idle gossip. No need to mind it."

"Jiao Jiao," Li Ce smiled deeper, "Even if you were truly pregnant, and a wild boar sprouted from your head before everyone, it wouldn't tarnish your image."

"A wild boar on my head?" Ye Jiao seized those four words, asking seriously, "Would that work? Is there a smaller wild boar?"

Li Ce laughed heartily, all worries vanishing in an instant.

"No way," he shook his head, "I forbid you from doing that."

His wife, ever mischievous, might really pull such a stunt. If it happened, he would stand behind her, steadying the beast, playing the fool beside her.

"Also," Li Ce reminded, "if you pretend to be pregnant and already showing, what will you do when the time comes to give birth?"

"What else can I do?" Ye Jiao nuzzled him, "Drag out a wild boar piglet."

"Who did you call a wild boar?" Li Ce gripped her waist, pulling her onto his lap, lips brushing her neck, threatening,

"You..."

Her voice vanished in the kiss's intensity, melting into softness.

This was truly their night.

Several days later, Prince Li Ce, accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review, presented a verdict on the Wei King's case—forty-nine pages long, implicating over three hundred individuals.

According to Tang law, traitors and regicides are executed by beheading. The Wei King's case involved the Lu and Yan clans; hence, the Wei King was sentenced to death by decapitation, his family and other accomplices hanged; those relatives who did not partake but belonged to the same clans faced confiscation of assets and exile three thousand miles away.

Each sentence was rendered with utmost fairness and justice, illuminating righteous principles and upholding the law.

The emperor flipped through the document, noting the absence of Yan Congzheng's name. His tone darkened as he inquired,

"How has the Prince of Chu judged Yan Congzheng?"

A solemn hush fell over the court officials, all raising their eyes to the kneeling Li Ce at the center...