As lanterns lit the evening sky, the two women entered the imperial palace.
The main hall of the Qianqing Palace was magnificent—carved beams and painted rafters, freshly lacquered vermilion pillars, flickering candlelight reflecting gold and jade.
Xie Yu and Shen Changyin arrived slightly late. The empress, the other five princesses, and several high-ranking ministers were already seated.
It was called a family banquet—yet over a dozen powerful ministers were present.
Something felt off.
"Quite a few staunch royalist ministers," Shen Changyin murmured to Xie Yu.
This dynasty had seven princesses and one regent princess. The civil and military officials could form more than twenty political alignments. The situation was more chaotic than a world war.
Yet there remained unwavering royalists.
Not the kind who supported both the empress and Xie Yu as crown princess—no, these ministers supported only the empress herself. Pure loyalists.
Such officials suffered most during a change of reign. Once a new sovereign ascended, they were usually replaced.
Thus, they were the ones who most hoped the current empress would live forever.
They held little affection for Xie Yu, the future successor.
Xie Yu and Shen Changyin recognized several faces. They exchanged a glance, unable to decipher the empress's intentions tonight.
The empress sat smiling upon the raised dais.
"You're here. Sit quickly. The imperial kitchen is waiting to serve."
The empress thoughtfully arranged for the two of them to share the same square table, unlike last time when they had been seated separately at two tables far apart.
Four cold dishes had already been placed on the table, delicate and refreshing.
As soon as Xie Yu and Shen Changyin sat down, the palace maids began serving dishes, and the attendants standing by the table started pouring wine.
There was no singing or dancing at tonight's banquet. Only a few musicians played instruments in the side hall. By the time the sound reached the main hall, it had become soft and slow, faint and distant, like an immortal moon floating among clouds.
Before arriving, both Xie Yu and Shen Changyin had already eaten something to fill their stomachs, so they barely touched the food on the table. Each time a dish was served, they only picked up a bite or two to taste it.
Shen Changyin took a sip of lotus leaf tea, looked at the Second Princess seated opposite, and suddenly said to Xie Yu, "My informant reported the matter about the Tong Lei case."
Following her gaze, Xie Yu lazily lifted her eyelids. "Is it related to the second sister?"
Shen Changyin nodded.
"Do you remember that the Fifth Princess refined Blood Pills at the assassin training ground and supplied Mingyan Pavilion with a colorless, odorless aphrodisiac of extremely high quality? At the time, we suspected she must have had a highly skilled alchemist under her command. Both prescriptions were developed by that same alchemist."
"But when we investigated everyone under the Fifth Princess, we found no one who matched. It wasn't until this Tong Lei case. The informant found a formula in the secret chamber of the Golden Tower. After analysis, it's basically confirmed to be from the same person who made the Blood Pills and the aphrodisiac."
Xie Yu said, "Let me guess. It's connected to the second sister?"
Shen Changyin replied, "It's almost certain it's someone from the Second Princess's residence—very likely one of her lovers. But before the informant could uncover the truth, the clues were completely wiped out."
Xie Yu raised a brow. "The second sister discovered it?"
Shen Changyin shook her head. "Right now, in the capital, there are only three forces capable of working in the shadows: my informants, your special battalion, and one more…"
She glanced toward the empress, who was dining on the high platform.
The empress was clearly a meat lover. She had barely touched the fruits and vegetables on her table. In front of her sat a platter of roasted meat—an entire cut slow-roasted with spices, now piled on the plate like a small mountain.
She had not ordered the imperial kitchen to slice the meat for easier eating. Instead, she held a dagger herself, cutting and eating at the same time.
Yet her expression remained calm and dignified. Even eating something so hearty, she looked as though she were consuming sacred offerings withdrawn from an ancestral altar.
"After all, Her Majesty has operated in the capital for more than twenty years. It's always been rumored that she commands a royal secret guard."
Shen Changyin leisurely placed a piece of deboned fish into Xie Yu's bowl. Xie Yu picked it up with her chopsticks and swallowed it before speaking.
"So you think the empress cleaned up the mess for the second sister. But she didn't clean up for the fifth sister back then. Does that mean she wants the second sister to be the heir?"
Even as she said it, the logic felt strained. "But last time she called me to the study and explained my background and her motives. She put on a whole display of motherly affection, saying she hoped I would become empress."
Shen Changyin replied calmly, "That was before we joined forces to limit her authority. We kept Her Majesty confined within the palace for several days—she couldn't even leave her own sleeping quarters. It's normal if she's now considering changing heirs."
The two discussed it for a long time but reached no conclusion. Meanwhile, the banquet was nearing its end.
The empress raised her cup generously and declared, "Such a fine moon tonight, such good wine, good dishes, good meat. May Great Yong stand for a thousand years, and may every night be like tonight."
The princesses and officials all raised their cups in unison. "Your Majesty is wise."
Xie Yu also took a sip and was surprised to find the taste rather pleasant—slightly bitter, yet with a lingering fragrance.
Looking at the wine in her cup, a palace maid standing beside her hurriedly explained, "This is this year's first batch of Three-Day Drunk. It's medicinal wine, carefully formulated by several of the national masters in the palace. Drinking it can prolong life."
Xie Yu nodded. "Thank you for telling me."
The palace maid was startled by her thanks and quickly replied, "It is my duty."
She stepped backward to her position.
After everyone finished drinking, the empress patiently waited for them to rest a moment before speaking in a booming voice, "I called you all here tonight for this family banquet because I have an important matter to announce."
All eyes turned to her.
"I have been sovereign for over twenty years. Since inheriting this realm and ancestral legacy from my forebears, I have not dared relax for a single moment. I defended against foreign threats, pacified the interior, respected Heaven and Earth, fearing that one misstep would make me a sinner of Great Yong. Fortunately, after more than twenty years, the realm is clear and the people are at peace. I can be considered worthy of my ancestors."
"But I am old now."
Her tone shifted. "This empire must eventually be passed to the young. The earlier I hand it over, the more I can advise from the side and give the young time to grow."
"Third daughter, stand up." She suddenly called Xie Yu's name.
Xie Yu and Shen Changyin exchanged a glance and stood.
Shen Changyin, as Regent Princess, did not have to stand, yet she rose as the Crown Princess's wife, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
The empress voiced no objection.
With a wave of her hand, she pointed toward several staunch royalist ministers. "Come meet your aunts. They are veterans—capable and steady. You must cherish their assistance and treat them well."
As soon as these words fell, every princess except the Second Princess widened her eyes.
Even the royalist ministers looked astonished, as if they had never imagined this possibility.
No one present was foolish. Everyone understood that the empress's words were tantamount to handing real governing power to Xie Yu.
All that remained was for her to choose a retirement date. Xie Yu would then ascend the throne without resistance.
Although other princess factions might still obstruct her, Xie Yu—having absorbed the Jiangnan Navy and now gifted the royalist ministers by the empress —could no longer truly be stopped.
But at the same time, no one understood why the empress would do this.
How many retired empresses were there in history?
Which sovereign did not cling tightly to power until death?
Some even suppressed their heirs in their later years out of fear of losing authority.
The empress's hand remained suspended in the air. The other princesses barely restrained their emotions. Xie Yu stood still, silent.
Until Shen Changyin discreetly nudged her waist with her elbow.
The meaning was clear: a gift delivered to your door should not be refused.
Xie Yu smiled. "I will rely on your guidance in the future."
The veteran ministers were all seasoned politicians. They bowed in unison. "We will devote ourselves wholeheartedly to assisting Your Highness the Crown Princess, serving until death."
The empress laughed heartily, as though genuinely pleased to have arranged her family's affairs. "Very well, very well. Since you are acquainted, sit and continue eating."
The banquet was already near its end. In the remaining time, no one truly tasted their food. Each harbored her own thoughts; the meal felt like chewing wax.
After the banquet dispersed, Xie Yu politely bade farewell to the ministers and personally escorted them to their carriages one by one.
Only after returning to her own carriage did she drop the emotional composure she had suddenly displayed. "What do we do, Shen Changyin?"
Shen Changyin asked, "What do we do about what?"
"About tonight! What if she's plotting something? What then?"
Shen Changyin remained calm, casually picking up an ancient book Xie Yu had given her two days earlier and flipping through it. "When soldiers come, block them. When water comes, dam it."
"The moment she handed power to us, she lost most of her leverage. No matter what schemes she has, we only need to think one step ahead of her."
Xie Yu thought it made sense.
So what if there was a conspiracy?
Could the empress outmaneuver Shen Changyin?
As a novice in political struggle, she only needed to lie flat and enjoy the gains.
Once again reassured in her identity as the pampered wife who could simply reap the benefits, she relaxed, leaned against Shen Changyin, rested her head on her shoulder, and pointed at the ancient text.
"Is it really that interesting? How do you pronounce this character?"
—
The carriage wheels rumbled as they finally returned to the Princess's residence late at night. After washing up, each with a large white towel draped over her shoulders, they returned to bed.
Mosquito-repelling mugwort incense burned in the room, faint and slightly bitter. Decorative fruits on the table added a touch of sweet fragrance, mingling with the scent of mugwort.
The room was extremely quiet, broken only occasionally by the sound of birds fluttering onto trees outside the window.
Xie Yu sat cross-legged while Shen Changyin knelt with bent knees. They quietly dried each other's hair.
Xie Yu said, "Little Flower has started shedding. I can't even hold her now. When I undress for a bath, my clothes are covered in her white fur."
Shen Changyin slid her fingers into Xie Yu's damp hair and gently pressed. "Wait until the kitten grows up. She'll shed even more. You'll have plenty to worry about."
"Oh right—we still haven't named the kitten. Every day we just laugh watching her bully Little Flower."
Xie Yu's eyes turned mischievous. "Let's call her Prosper."
Shen Changyin paused and said seriously, "That's a dog's name."
"Who says? That's a stereotype. Cats can be named Prosper too."
"But Prosper is a dog's name."
They bickered softly, unable to settle on a good name. It wasn't until the latter half of the night that they finally fell into a deep sleep, agreeing to continue the battle tomorrow.
The next morning, Shen Changyin woke first. She lifted her head from Xie Yu's arm and turned to look at her sleeping face.
Xie Yu breathed evenly.
Shen Changyin did not wake her. She lay back down, staring at the bed curtains. Only when the sun rose higher did she get up, quietly change clothes, and wash.
Even by breakfast time, Xie Yu had not woken.
Shen Changyin nudged her. Seeing that she still wanted to sleep, she instructed the kitchen to keep a portion of breakfast warm on the stove for when Xie Yu woke up.
By noon, Xie Yu still had not woken up.
Shen Changyin finally sensed something was wrong. She pushed Xie Yu hard. Xie Yu's upper body swayed back and forth on the bed with the force, yet she never opened her eyes.
Shen Changyin's expression darkened. "Summon Military Physician Zhang and the imperial physicians from the palace. Quickly."
Military Physician Zhang arrived soon. After taking Xie Yu's pulse, she shook her head. "Her pulse is normal and steady, strong and healthy. It looks like she is simply asleep."
But who slept this deeply?
The imperial physician also arrived quickly. After taking her pulse, she asked whether the Crown Princess had drunk alcohol at the banquet the previous night.
Shen Changyin nodded.
The imperial physician let out a breath of relief and smiled. "Then that makes sense. The wine served at last night's banquet was called Three-Day Drunk. It contains many medicinal ingredients and nourishes the body."
"The name Three-Day Drunk comes from the fact that some people, after drinking it, fall into a deep sleep for three days. During that time, their internal organs naturally repair themselves. Once the medicinal effect dissipates, they will wake up."
Shen Changyin said coldly, "I drank that wine as well. Why have I not fallen asleep?"
The imperial physician smiled. "The effect varies from person to person. Most people who drink Three-Day Drunk do not fall into deep sleep, but some are more sensitive to it. For example, Her Majesty. She is currently asleep in her bedchamber. Lady Wang has tried repeatedly to wake her and failed."
The empress was also asleep?
Shen Changyin lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment. She then had the imperial physician respectfully escorted out and sent someone to verify the truth of the matter.
News from the palace soon confirmed that the empress had indeed fallen unconscious due to Three-Day Drunk.
Only then did Shen Changyin relax slightly.
She waited quietly by Xie Yu's side for her to awaken.
But even after three days passed, Xie Yu did not wake.
Even the empress had already awakened.
—
T/N: If you're enjoying this translation, feel free to check out my Patreon. If you're unable to support financially, you can still subscribe for free and receive chapters two hours earlier, along with updates and announcements. Paid tiers offer early access and daily chapters.
Thank you so much for reading!
patreon.com/Baenz