"Shangguan Hong, why are you here as well?" the Crown Prince asked.
"I am your Highness's strategist, naturally, I must share your burdens and solve your difficulties. Seeing your Highness trapped within the palace, unable to leave and with nothing to do each day, was truly pitiful. Therefore, I took the liberty of making a decision for your Highness," Shangguan Hong said with a smile.
"What decision have you made?" The Crown Prince's heart leaped, and he instinctively felt it was not a good thing.
He could faintly sense that the Shangguan Hong before him was vastly different from the one he knew.
Especially looking at his current expression, it was clear he harbored some unfathomable intentions, and those intentions were absolutely not in his favor.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince will know soon enough," Shangguan Hong replied calmly.
The Crown Prince frowned and said, "You are acting unusually today. Have you done something to betray me? Is my being brought to this place also your doing?"
Shangguan Hong chuckled, "It seems your Highness the Crown Prince is not entirely foolish."
"What do you want? What is your purpose in doing all this?" the Crown Prince demanded furiously, his voice laced with hatred.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, have you ever paid attention to your Empress Mother?" Shangguan Hong suddenly changed the subject, answering a question with a non-sequitur. "Though she is no longer young, her charm has not diminished. Think about it, your late Emperor had excellent taste to have taken your Empress Mother into his harem. But your Emperor was also too foolish, which is why your Empress Mother now behaves so disgracefully."
"Shangguan Hong, just say what you have to say, and don't always drag the Empress Mother into this!" the Crown Prince roared.
Shangguan Hong, however, continued to smile, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, do you know which parts of your Empress Mother are the most beautiful?"
The Crown Prince froze, realizing something. He grabbed Shangguan Hong by the collar, "You scoundrel, what have you done to my Empress Mother?"
Shangguan Hong allowed him to grasp his collar, his smile deepening. "In my opinion, the mole on your Empress Mother's shoulder is the most alluring, but she usually wears clothes that completely conceal it."
The Crown Prince gritted his teeth and raised his hand, preparing to punch Shangguan Hong.
However, before his fist could land, Shangguan Hong easily blocked it.
The smile on Shangguan Hong's face had completely vanished. He held the Crown Prince's fist in one hand and grasped the Crown Prince's hand that was gripping his collar with the other.
His movements were powerful, and the Crown Prince was utterly unable to resist.
Shangguan Hong pushed him back a short distance, and a few inches of light bloomed in his palm.
The Crown Prince trembled, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. Finally, he slumped to the ground powerlessly.
Shangguan Hong released him and smiled.
This kind of sorcery required provoking the person to achieve its full effect; it had cost him quite a bit of effort. But at least, the current Crown Prince was now largely under his control.
The palace was quite unsettled at this time.
Xue Ji had nothing to do with the rumors circulating, but she couldn't help but feel afraid. As a princess, she knew that even though these matters didn't involve her directly, being in the palace meant being inevitably implicated.
Most importantly, since the Empress had been sent to the cold palace and the Crown Prince had been killed, the Emperor's temper had been consistently bad.
It was said that a few days prior, in a fit of rage, he had smashed his favorite set of teacups.
To escape her deadly father's wrath, Xue Ji found an excuse to leave the palace, claiming to pray for the country, and went to the Great Qing Temple, the most popular place of worship in the capital.
All the temple attendants stood respectfully to the side. After finishing her prayers, Xue Ji felt a lingering unease.
She gazed at the solemn Buddha statue for a long time before finally gathering the courage to approach it.
As she drew closer, she heard a faint, rustling, unusual sound.
"Your Highness the Princess?" the abbot asked, surprised by Xue Ji's actions.
Xue Ji remained silent and gestured to the abbot, signaling him not to speak.
The abbot obediently closed his mouth.
Xue Ji circled around and walked behind the Buddha statue. There, she indeed found a huddled figure. Judging by its posture, it seemed somewhat familiar.
She crouched down and helped the person up, brushing aside the disheveled hair. Xue Ji's eyes fell upon a familiar face.
"Gu Pan'er?"
Gu Pan'er's body was icy cold, devoid of any warmth.
She should have just left Gu Pan'er there, uncaring, but Xue Ji couldn't bring herself to do it.
She walked out and approached the temple attendants, pointing at two of them. "You, and you, go behind the Buddha statue. There's someone inside who has fainted. Take her to one of the meditation rooms and bring some vegetarian meals and food."
"Your Highness the Princess, our temple's Buddha statue is solemn. How could anyone be hiding there?" the abbot said with a smile.
"You don't believe me? Then send someone in to look," Xue Ji replied.
Two temple attendants went behind the Buddha statue and indeed found Gu Pan'er curled up there.
"Master, there really is someone!"
The abbot was taken aback, but Xue Ji smiled at him.
"And it's a woman!"
The abbot was stunned again, while Xue Ji's smile faded.
She said, "That woman is a friend of mine. Take her to the meditation room first and do as I instructed."
The abbot bowed his head and responded, "Yes, Your Highness the Princess."
The two temple attendants carried Gu Pan'er into a quiet meditation room and laid her down. Soon, someone brought tea and vegetarian food, and a monk skilled in medicine was called to examine Gu Pan'er.
Once everything was arranged, Xue Ji dismissed all those who had lingered to watch the commotion.
The door to the meditation room was closed, and the room fell silent, leaving only Xue Ji and Gu Pan'er.
Xue Ji looked at Gu Pan'er's face, feeling as if she could see the features of another person.
Was this really Gu Pan'er? Yet, her aura felt entirely different.
Xue Ji's curiosity, coupled with an irresistible urge, made her lean down slightly, gradually approaching Gu Pan'er. As she felt Gu Pan'er's breath, Xue Ji's own heart began to race.
What was happening? Strange!
Bi Xi felt as though he had been asleep for a very long time. During this period, his entire body had been ice-cold. Although the outside world had grown quite warm, that warmth could not penetrate his being.
However, amidst the coldness, he felt as though he had been gently held by someone. He was deeply captivated by that gentle touch.
As strength gradually returned to his body, Bi Xi slowly opened his eyes.
The moment he opened them, Bi Xi was startled by a large face looming before him.
How could it be her? How could it be Xue Ji?
"Ah!"
Bi Xi sat up, letting out a cry of surprise.
Then, to his horror, he realized it wasn't his voice, but a woman's voice. Yet, this woman's voice was not unfamiliar; it was...
"Gu Pan'er." Xue Ji, sitting before him, smiled faintly, showing no surprise at Bi Xi's reaction.
Xue Ji felt no shame for her earlier impropriety. Instead, she moved away from him slightly, her expression calm, and said, "Awake?"