Seeing Mu Changxi’s calm demeanor, the Crown Prince felt even more distressed. “Do you know that the Empress wants to kill you?! And the Emperor knew about this all along, yet he tacitly allowed the Empress to do it!”
Now, whatever the Emperor did, Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu felt no surprise, nor even sadness.
“It matters not.”
Instead, Mu Changxi comforted the Crown Prince. “We’ve known the Emperor’s nature for a long time. Your Highness need not feel sad again. In the days to come, as long as Your Highness has unwavering faith in me, that will be enough.”
“I naturally will not doubt you!”
The Crown Prince frowned and looked earnestly at Mu Changxi. “If it weren’t for you, Mu Changxi, where would I be today? I would doubt anyone, but never you. You need not question this!”
With the Crown Prince’s words, everything was enough.
Mu Changxi also looked deeply at the Crown Prince. “Your Highness, I am thinking that once everything is settled, I will take my family and leave the capital. I ask for Your Highness’s permission.”
“You… what are you doing?!”
The Crown Prince naturally understood Mu Changxi’s intentions but became anxious. “I’ve told you, I have never doubted you, nor will I ever. When I ascend the throne, I will surely need to make new arrangements in state affairs. Without you then, wouldn’t I be lacking my left and right arms? Don’t say such things anymore!”
Mu Changxi shook his head and then sighed. “It’s not what Your Highness thinks.”
He turned his head, his gentle gaze falling on Song Chaoyu. “I simply feel that the struggles within the palace these past years have been too much, and I am truly weary. I do not like such a life; Your Highness should understand.”
He held Song Chaoyu’s hand, his tone faint. “I grew up on the estate since childhood and am accustomed to freedom. The riches of the imperial family are good, but I prefer the vast mountains and rivers outside.”
He gave a wry smile, almost pleading with the Crown Prince. “I only wish to be with the one I’ve known since childhood until the end of time, across the seas and mountains. I implore Your Highness to permit me to take Ah Yu and the children away from the court’s disputes.”
Song Chaoyu understood that this was a form of protection for her and the children.
“Alas!”
This was not what the Crown Prince wished, but he also understood Mu Changxi’s character.
He stared at Mu Changxi with a frown for a long time, but Mu Changxi showed no sign of hesitation or retreat.
In the end, it was the Crown Prince who shook his head. “Enough. We can discuss this matter later. The most important thing now is not this, but the present matter!”
He said earnestly, “When I left the palace today, the Emperor seemed… to have made up his mind to abdicate and yield. Next, we have one last ‘battle’ that we absolutely cannot afford to slacken on.”
Was it the last battle?
Song Chaoyu already felt weary and understood that within the palace walls, there was no such thing as a ‘last battle.’
Once the Crown Prince became Emperor, there would be endless matters for them to attend to!
It was a struggle that could never stop, and it was no wonder Mu Changxi had no desire for the title of Prince Chang.
—
After that day, the palace seemed to settle down.
Rumors of the Emperor’s abdication spread throughout the capital.
At the same time, Song Chaoyu was finally able to bring the little monkey and little peach back to her side!
Although only a short time had passed, Song Chaoyu felt she had missed a great deal with these two children.
Girls grew a bit faster when they were young, and little peach had clearly grown.
Upon seeing Song Chaoyu, she stretched out an arm and babbled, wanting Song Chaoyu to hold her, making Song Chaoyu’s heart melt.
The little monkey, however, the ‘heartless little one,’ had not seen his mother for so long, yet he was as usual towards Song Chaoyu.
But when he saw Mu Changxi, he became happy, giggling and wanting to climb onto Mu Changxi.
This made Mu Changxi extremely happy. Holding little peach in one arm and little monkey in the other, he wished he could be with these two little ones every day.
Just as this family was enjoying a rare moment of harmony, an imperial decree came from the Empress, inviting Song Chaoyu to the palace to admire chrysanthemums.
These were likely the last chrysanthemums of the year in the capital. The Empress’s invitation to Song Chaoyu naturally meant she had something to discuss.
Mu Changxi frowned and immediately became vigilant. “Have Xiao Ruizhi accompany you. I fear the Empress’s intentions are not good.”
Song Chaoyu gently shook her head, feeling no fear in her heart. “It’s alright. The Empress, like the Emperor, can do nothing at this point. I will go to the palace by myself; you don’t need to worry about me.”
Mu Changxi trusted Song Chaoyu and understood that having experienced so much with him, she would fear nothing now.
Song Chaoyu changed into palace attire and entered the palace with her head held high.
Upon arriving at the Empress’s palace, she realized that the Empress had invited someone else today.
She entered the main hall, where the Empress was already seated.
Standing beside her was a woman whom Song Chaoyu recognized.
That person was named “Shui Yunyan,” the Empress’s niece from her maternal family.
The Empress’s maternal clan had been very glorious during the late Emperor’s reign, but now it was sparsely populated, with almost no successors.
This Shui Yunyan was considered a distinguished woman of the Shui family, born to the Empress’s younger brother. She had always lived with the Shui family in Chuzhou and had come to the Empress’s side at some point.
Song Chaoyu had not met Shui Yunyan before. Now, seeing her standing beside the Empress in a peach-pink lantern-style palace gown, she was indeed naturally beautiful, gentle, and intelligent.
At this moment, the Empress had summoned Song Chaoyu to the palace but kept this person by her side, and Song Chaoyu had a general understanding of the situation.
However, her expression remained unchanged, and she stepped forward to pay her respects to the Empress. The Empress smiled and said, “Princess Consort Chang, please sit quickly. I summoned you to the palace today to thank the Prince Chang’s manor. Without you, there would be no us and the Emperor today, nor the Crown Prince. Although Princess Consort Chang is a woman, you have always stood behind Prince Chang. You have truly contributed to the Crown Prince and to Great Yue!”
The Empress’s courtesy was impeccable, leaving Song Chaoyu with no room for criticism.
Anyone unaware would think the Empress was speaking from her heart, with no ulterior motives.
The matter of the Empress having Hu Yonghao ambush her and Mu Changxi a few days prior seemed to have vanished as if it never happened.
This was the palace, this was the imperial city!
Song Chaoyu’s eyes flickered, and she smiled without a smile, thanking the Empress.
The Empress then ordered a meal to be served and led Song Chaoyu and Shui Yunyan to the rear courtyard.
The rear courtyard was filled with exquisite chrysanthemums, surrounding a large round table laden with rich and luxurious dishes.