Chapter 54: Identity Revealed

The rain had lessened considerably by midnight. Shen Yu sat awake the whole time, sleepless.

In her mind it felt like two little figures were fighting: one urged Shen Yu that once doubt took root it bred distance, so no matter what she must verify whether Jia Ming was still Jia Ming and whether His Majesty was still His Majesty. The other figure countered, if His Majesty truly was Jia Ming and Jia Ming was truly His Majesty, how ought this matter be handled?

Exactly! How should it be handled?

This was something Shen Yu dared not think through: if His Majesty really was Jia Ming, why would he approach her under the name Jia Ming? Why act like a rogue toward her, and having discovered she was female, why not expose it?

These questions tormented her. No matter how she racked her brains she couldn’t make sense of them.

Until dawn, with a fine mist still falling, the people sent last night by the Grand Guardian’s house to look for Shen Yu and her mother had found them at the City God Temple, but Shen Yu did not once meet Fang Rui’s gaze as she returned to the capital city.

Fang Rui watched Shen Yu’s carriage go and said to Rong Tai at his side, “Rong Tai, have someone investigate who wrote that secret letter.”

Rong Tai responded with a yes, but showed hesitation, asking, “Your Majesty, are we not going to thoroughly investigate those who attempted to assassinate Lord Shen?”

Fang Rui snorted, coldness in his eyes. “Who would have sent people to assassinate Shen Yu? I know the answer to that.” Aside from Wang Zhongyuan, who else could it be?

“Assign more men to protect my beloved aide Shen. There must be no mishap.”

Rong Tai nodded and said, “Your servant understands.”

As he swung onto his horse, Fang Rui’s gaze swept past a slightly open window on the second floor of an inn across the street. Unsurprisingly, someone stood behind that slit. Someone waiting for news.

He was certain that within the next hour, Wang Zhongyuan would learn that it was he who had saved Shen Yu from the assassins.

After mounting, he looked toward the palace and said decisively, “Return to the palace, I will go see the Empress Dowager.”

…

Wang Zhongyuan sprang up from his chair upon hearing the scout’s report, surprise thick in his voice, “What did you say?! His Majesty personally went to save Shen Yu?”

The scout responded, “My lord, this morning I did indeed see His Majesty and Shen Yu’s carriage enter the city together through the South Gate.”

Wang Zhongyuan’s face went blank. He sank back into his chair, stunned for a long moment, seemingly lost in thought, then muttered to himself, “This matter is likely already exposed.”

“Sir, shall we investigate who leaked the secret to His Majesty?”

Wang Zhongyuan looked up at the scout. “This must be investigated. Aside from that, you are to go at once to the Court of Judicial Review. Have Cui Hao immediately hear of the assassination attempt on Shen Yu, and have him restrain himself. Stop doing anything that provokes suspicion.”

The scout responded, “Yes, my lord.”

The scout left the secret chamber immediately, leaving Wang Zhongyuan alone, his face full of suspicion.

Fang Rui personally went to save Shen Yu? This completely surprised him. What position had Fang Rui placed Shen Yu in to compel him to rescue her himself rather than sending others?

At the same time, were all the cases that Shen Yu had been involved in actually all orders from Fang Rui?

What Wang Zhongyuan thought was approaching the truth.

By 9am, Fang Rui rushed back to the palace and dismounted, but did not go straight to Zichen Hall. Instead he first went to Anyi Palace, his steps hurried, his expression severe. Palace attendants and eunuchs halted their salutations upon seeing His Majesty. Fang Rui passed through almost seething with anger, terrifying the confessing officials and eunuchs.

Outside Anyi Palace, a palace maid said, “Your Majesty, I will notify her right away.”

Before she could deliver the message, Fang Rui had already entered the courtyard of Anyi Palace.

A breathless attendant rushed into the hall to report, “Your Highness, His Majesty entered Anyi Palace bearing a face full of anger.”

The Empress Dowager, hearing this, lifted her eyes, raised a hand, and waved, “All of you, withdraw.”

After the palace servants and eunuchs had left the main hall, Fang Rui entered without saluting. He looked at the Empress Dowager and walked step by step toward her. Only the two of them remained in the hall.

The Empress Dowager lifted her eyelids and looked at Fang Rui. “Your Majesty seems hurried. What urgent matter brings you to me?”

Fang Rui glanced at the prayer beads in the Empress Dowager’s hand and suddenly sneered, “Mother, do not take me for a three-year-old child.”

The Empress Dowager’s expression did not change in the slightest. Her tone remained calm, “Why would Your Majesty say that? I have never treated you as a three-year-old.”

“Is that so?” Fang Rui slowly curled his lips into a slightly cold smile. “Mother, when you act, be more restrained. If you prefer being too obvious… My patience has its limits.”

The hand that twirled the prayer beads paused slightly, then resumed. Her gaze gave no hint of change, remaining utterly calm.

Looking at Fang Rui, the Empress Dowager said, “I do not understand what you mean, Your Majesty.”

“Whether you understand or not, Mother, you know in your heart, there is no need for your son to remind you.” With that, Fang Rui did not take his leave but turned and left the main hall of Anyi Palace.

After Fang Rui left, the Empress Dowager set the prayer beads on the tea table, took a deep breath, and called for her steward.

A moment later, Dehai, the steward of Anyi Palace, entered the hall. “Your Highness, what are your orders?”

“Send people out of the palace to find out what exactly has happened.” Fang Rui actually said not to treat him like a three-year-old and to be more restrained. Could it be that he had sensed her plans?

The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes, considering this possibility, yet she showed no surprise. Inwardly she thought: as I suspected, the events of these two months are not accidental. The fallen officials are all deeply entangled figures from the Six Ministries. Fang Rui intends to root out those in the Six Ministries who belong to me.

Just as Dehai was about to leave to have people inspect what had happened outside the palace, the Empress Dowager raised her eyes and asked, “Dehai, how long has His Majesty’s restorative soup been stopped?”

Dehai halted and calculated briefly. “Your Highness, a little over a month.”

A little over a month, the Empress Dowager murmured to herself, showing a trace of doubt that quickly faded.

The Heart Lock poison placed in the restorative soup was colorless and tasteless. Only after it permeated the internal organs could it be identified as a poison. At present, even the most renowned physicians could not tell that Fang Rui was poisoned by the Heart Lock, nor would anyone discover that the restorative soup contained it.

In any case, Fang Rui had been taking it for over two years. Even if it were stopped now, his body would gradually grow frail and sickly. A frail, ill emperor was hardly something to fear.

The Empress Dowager still thought far too simplistically of this son raised by a different woman.

The capital seemed calm, but currents surged beneath the surface.

That night, a figure leapt into the Grand Guardian’s residence.

A faint tapping sounded at the window. Sitting on the bed, Shen Yu looked toward it, took a deep breath, and tapped the headboard lightly.

Fang Rui heard the sound and immediately understood: it meant “come in.”

The window wasn’t latched. Fang Rui eased his movements, opened it, slipped through, closed it behind him, and looked at Shen Yu.

Shen Yu’s face and lips were bloodless. Seeing her poor color, Fang Rui hurried to the bedside, concern in his voice, “Why do you look so ill?!”

Shen Yu looked at Fang Rui calmly and said, “I’m having a fever, of course I look bad.”

Fang Rui froze for a moment. As he raised his hand to touch Shen Yu’s forehead, she tilted it slightly away.

Shen Yu showed resistance, so Fang Rui said helplessly, “Have I offended you again, Young Master Shen?”

Shen Yu said nothing, staring at Fang Rui’s mask as if trying to glean some truth from it.

But it was just a mask, and only one place was cut: the mouth. That single exposed place was where Shen Yu stared at intently.

Fang Rui felt scrutinized and pretended to clear his throat twice.

“Are you delirious from fever?” he said, reaching out again. Shen Yu still tilted her head, but Fang Rui placed his hand on her forehead nonetheless.

The burning heat of her forehead scorched Fang Rui’s palm.

Worry crossed Fang Rui’s face. “How did you get so hot?! Have you called for a physician?”

Shen Yu remained silent, tensing all over at Fang Rui’s hand on her brow, utterly still.

Fang Rui’s concern was fixed on Shen Yu’s fever and he did not notice that something was amiss with her.

“Perhaps the wound is infected.” Saying so, Fang Rui threw back the quilt. “Let me see.”

When he threw back the covers, Shen Yu did not shrink away. A pair of jade feet, only slightly smaller than Fang Rui’s palm, lay exposed before him. He hesitated for a beat but had no thought of taking liberties.

As he pulled up the trouser leg over Shen Yu’s injured spot, she suddenly asked, “How did you know my foot was hurt?”

Fang Rui was taken aback for a moment, sat on the edge of the bed, placed Shen Yu’s foot on his own leg, and as he unbound the dressing he said, “My secret guards told me.”

Shen Yu uttered an “oh,”. Not withdrawing her foot, she continued, “Your secret guards are impressive, so precise as to know exactly where my foot is injured.” When the trap clamped down on her foot there had only been four people present: three assassins and His Majesty. The killers were all slain by His Majesty, and she had told no one the exact spot of the injury. Back at the Grand Guardian’s residence she had applied the medicine and bandaged it herself.

Yet Jia Ming had, without a moment’s hesitation, identified her injured foot and its wound.

Fang Rui had just removed the gauze. Upon hearing this he looked up at Shen Yu, his expression complicated.

“Ah Yu…”

Shen Yu withdrew her foot and looked at Fang Rui with an expression even more complex than his.

Shen Yu stared at Fang Rui without blinking and said without concealment, “I am doubting your true identity.”

Fang Rui stiffened, removed Shen Yu’s calf from his thigh, studied her seriously for a while, then suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.

Shen Yu pushed him hard but to no avail. All she heard was Fang Rui revert to his own voice, a most sincere voice as he spoke earnestly, “Whoever I am, you must believe that my purpose from beginning to end has been just this one: to get close to you, because I cannot control my restless heart.”

His words trembled, as if he were afraid of something.

When Shen Yu heard that voice, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice pit.

Cold ran through her entire body, from inside out.