Xue Liulan opened the door and froze. Murong Yu was standing by the table, her eyes red from crying. Murong Jin stood by the door, her own face an unreadable mask.
Ning Bi said she was visiting her cousin, he thought. Why does this look like a funeral?
"Eldest Sister-in-law," he said, bowing. "Are you settling in well back in Jindu?"
Murong Yu nodded. "Very well. Thank you for your concern, Fifth Brother."
"What are you doing here?" Murong Jin asked, her voice low and hoarse.
"Ning Bi found me at the Hall of Virtuous Governance and told me you were here. I finished my business, so I came to take you home." He smiled, his voice bright.
A common maid, able to find him in the heart of the palace? Murong Yu thought. The court is already bending to his will.
She forced a smile. "Then you should go, Jin. He's clearly worried about you."
Xue Liulan just smiled, not denying it.
Murong Jin looked at her cousin. "I'll come see you again soon."
He put his arm around her as they walked down the stone path. The air was much colder now. She kept her eyes on her feet, peeking out from beneath her cloak. He slowed his pace to match hers, brushing aside low-hanging branches so they wouldn't snag her.
"This is the path to your mother's palace, isn't it?" she asked, stopping. She had been so lost in thought, she hadn't realized where they were.
"You remember," he said, his gaze tender.
He had dragged her here on that first day, to change out of her armor and into one of his mother's gowns.
"I was a scout for a long time. I don't forget paths, even in the dark," she said softly. "Why bring me here?"
"Did Die Man come to see you?" he asked, his voice suddenly serious.
She laughed, but it was strained. "Ning Bi is your girl, through and through. She can't keep a secret from you, can she?"
"What did she say to you?" he pressed, watching her face. "Ning Bi said you were pale."
She looked away. "It was nothing. You're overthinking."
"Was it?" he asked, unconvinced. "If it was nothing, why did you look like you'd seen a ghost? Did it affect the baby?"
At the mention of the child, his own voice tensed. "Should I call the physician?"
"I'm not that fragile," she said, grabbing his arm as he turned to leave. "Don't be so nervous. We're both fine."
"This isn't about being fragile. The wind is cold. Let's go inside and sit."
"Yan'ning Palace?" she asked, surprised. "But the Empress Deng… shouldn't we avoid disturbing her?"
He smiled. "Don't worry. Yan'ning Palace has been empty ever since my mother passed. No one is allowed inside. Except for me."
"Why?" As a memorial?
He just shook his head, a thoughtful smile on his lips. "Come on. I don't want you catching a chill."
Yan'ning Palace was the grandest in the inner court, but it was eerily quiet, maintained only by a few aging servants. The snow from the last fall had been swept from the main path but still lay thick on the rest of the grounds. A few attendants, seeing them approach, hurried to the gate.
"Fifth Prince, Your Highness."
"It's fine. I'm just passing through. I'll be resting here for a moment," he said, and moved to enter.
An older palace maid stepped forward, blocking his path.
"Your Highness, I'm afraid it's not convenient today."
"What do you mean?" he frowned.
"It's not… His Majesty is inside. He's been in there since yesterday. He even took his meals here."
"Father is in there?" Even Xue Liulan was stunned.
Ever since the witchcraft incident, his father had named him regent and retreated into the inner palace. No one knew what he was thinking. He saw no one, not even Guo Shangzhong.
Murong Jin thought for a moment. "Did he give orders not to be disturbed?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Then we should go back," she said, turning to Xue Liulan.
He nodded, and they walked away.
"What do you think he's doing in there?" Xue Liulan asked. My mother was never anything more than a rope to bind the Murong family. I remember her, late at night, sighing in the dark.
She shook her head. "Perhaps he's remembering her. Even without love, there was a bond."
"If there was a bond, she wouldn't have died so young," he said with a bitter laugh. She was too smart. She thought too much. In the end, she was the one who destroyed herself.
"The palace is a deep sea, Xue Liulan. Sometimes I think… if you weren't a prince, if you didn't have to fight for the throne, how much better it would be." The words came out in a weary sigh.
But it was too late. This was the path her family had chosen. This was the reason she had married him.
"Of all the water in the world, I only want one cup." He pulled her tight against his side. He knew Die Man's arrival at the residence wasn't just a simple threat to her safety. It was a threat to her heart.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. So be it. If this was the man she had chosen, she would not let him go.
He saw her back to her courtyard, then made his way to the Yanhong Pavilion. He knew exactly what Die Man must have said to her.
He had married Die Man to appease her, as part of their bargain. He could tolerate her schemes, but Murong Jin was the one person she was not allowed to touch.
"Liulan?" Die Man opened the door, a look of surprise on her face. He just stood there on the threshold, his smile cold. They stared at each other.
Slowly, a mocking smile spread across her face. "What's this? Have you finally decided to grace my pavilion with your presence?"
"Are you comfortable here?" he asked, his voice flat.
"It's not the south, but it will do." She stepped aside. "Since you're here, come in."
He walked past her and sat down, his gaze fixed on her.
She shut the door, hard. She strode over to him and leaned down, her face close to his. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Hm?"
"You marry me, and then you leave me alone on my wedding night." Her hands were clenched into fists.
He just smiled. "What was our arrangement?"
She flinched. "I didn't think you would be so heartless."
"Heartless?" He laughed. "Did you forget who it was that sent Po Jun to betray me? Who used him to save her own skin?"
"Po Jun betrayed Thousand Day Drunk." Her face went pale, her voice trembling. She knew his methods. He never let go.
He slowly rose from his chair, cornering her. "I told you, for the sake of our past, I could overlook what you did. I could even overlook the fact that you cost me Liu and Xing."
He paused. A loud crash echoed from outside the door.