YUNXUAN STARED OFF into the distance, eyes blanker than I'd ever seen them before. "It's already too late."
Yunhua had only returned from Earl Heng's moments before, and we now sat together in Shangguan Manorâthe Crown Prince had been more than understanding of Yunhua's plight, and he himself must have plenty to deal with considering the events of last night.
"What do you mean it's too late?" Yunhua asked, frowning.
"My maid went out to buy me breakfast todayâI was craving the bing from that stall near the market, you know which one? She came back and told me there's been rumours about the youngest Miss Heng having an affair with the Third Prince."
"Oh no." I rubbed my forehead. "Of course he'd start spreading it the first chance he gets."
"I'm going to fucking kill him," Yunjun snarled, shooting to her feet. "I'll beat up anyone who dares spread these stupid rumours, Yunhua, surelyâ"
"Sit down, Yunjun." Yunhua sucked in a deep breath. "He had it all planned out. Of course he'd start spreading the rumours. How could he not? He wouldn't just hide it because we know the truth, he wasâ"
"He wanted you to know the truth. To know the truth but be unable to do anything about it. If you claim you saw the Third Prince... the Third Prince ruin her, then you'd be serving Miss Heng a death sentence. Confirming that she's already been compromised," Yunxuan finished, fists clenched, "But if you do not stand out, the rumours will crush her. Her father will either have to work with the Third Prince, or Miss Heng will need to die."
"Yunxuan! Nobody needs to die."
The girl glanced at her sister. "Do you really think that? Do you really, really think that, sister?"
"Earl Heng loves his daughters," I offered weakly.
"Earl Heng cannot do much unless he wants to ruin his two elder daughters too," Yunxuan said flatly. "I see it, you all do too. You're just too afraid to admit it."
Silence.
And then, Yunjun: "That bastard, I'll tear him from limb to limb, I'llâ"
"Shangguan Yunjun!" Yunhua's tone was serious. "That is enough. What if someone hears you? Have you no brain?"
"So we just let this happen?" Yunjun cried out, thrusting her hands in the air in frustration. "We just stand by and let this all happen?"
Yunhua turned to her, eyes bleak. "What is there for us to do? Even if we raise this issue to the Emperor, he will only protect the Third Prince. He's his son, after all. Not to mention Imperial Consort Qi. The Qis are powerful too, you know." The Qis were dukes, and their ancestors had a big part in the establishment of the Dan Dynasty and the current imperial family.
No, not even they could stand against that.
"So we just... let Miss Heng be destroyed?"
"We do our best to protect her, but there isn't much we can do in the end. It might be best for her to leave Luoyang for nowâI told the Earl as much this morning. He's rather distraught, and I didn't want to put any more pressure on him and his wife."
"So what now?" I asked. "Do we truly just stand by the side and do nothing?"
"See if we can refute the rumours," Yunhua decided, shaking her head. "Try our best to refute them, try to see if there's a way to put a plug into it altogetherâit might be difficult, but we must try. I'm partially at fault for this."
"Does this mean... does this mean the Third Prince is officially going to compete with the Crown Prince for the position of heir?"
It was Yunxuan who posed that question, staring at us with wide eyes, as if she'd never even considered the possibility. For all her smarts, she was still so young. Of course she had never considered it, but we certainly had.
The Crown Prince was the heir because he was the oldest, and because he was born of the Empress. Those were his advantages. In terms of talent, intelligence, skills, he'd never been especially special among his brothers. The Third and Fourth Prince had always posed a threat to the Crown Prince, and even we could see the animosity between them during gatherings and the like. The Fourth Prince stood slightly less of a chance, since his mother's family wasn't as powerful and he was only around our age. The sixth prince, on the other hand, was still very young.
The Crown Prince's position had never been stable. There'd always been a question of if and when the Third and Fourth Prince would begin to show their own talents, directly challenge their eldest brother for the position of heir. And it was all permitted by the Emperor, because it was always dangerous when one Prince began to become too powerfulâwhat happened when they got impatient? What happened when they decided they could already do a better job than their father, and choose to stage a coup?
It had happened in history before, and it could very well happen again. Before, it might not have mattered to us much.
But with Yunhua the Crown Princess Consort? The Crown Prince had to win. Or our entire family was doomed.
"Yes." Yunhua was the one who replied, her head held high. "But he won't win. He won't stand a single chance." There was nothing but absolute certainty in her eyes, complete and utter faith in her statement. I stared at her for a moment, mesmerisedâhow could she be so sure? Things were always uncertain. Anything could happen. Just because the Crown Prince was the Crown Prince now did not mean he would be the Crown Prince forever. Anything could happen.
But none of those worries seemed to impact her at all.
She flashed us all a reassuring smile. "The Crown Prince and I have already started preparing. Don't worry. For all it's worth, he has both the support of our family and the Imperial Secretary. Luo Xueying is his concubine too."
"But we'll have to be careful," Yunjun pointed out, "if the Imperial Secretary offers far more aid than us, they may far outshine us, which could be dangerous."
"We'll make sure everything stays balanced," Yunhua said with a little shrug. "I have full faith in our abilities. What is there to be afraid of?"
What is there to be afraid of?
There was so much on the line. Our family. Our lives. All our glory and influence. One false step and it would all be good in the blink of an eye. How could we not be afraid?
But Yunjun and Yunxuan seemed to believe her. Wholeheartedly.
Was I the only one who could see how this could go wrong?
I returned to the Prince Duan Manor, still lost in thought on all the things that had happened. When I stepped through the doors, I was met with my mother-in-law, the Prince Duan Consort. I quickly fell into a curtsy. "Good morning, Mother."
"Ah, Minxi," she offered a sweet smile, motioning for me to stand back up. "Have you just returned from the Shangguans?"
"Aye, Mother. Are you off somewhere?"
"Just visiting a few friends... Chiqian told me what happened yesterday night. Horrendous stuff."
I looked away, swallowing. "My youngest cousin... my youngest cousin says word has already gotten out. About..."
"He'll twist it, of course. He cannot say he forced her, he'll twist the truth to make him seem like the victim instead."
"Word on the street is that it was an affair."
"The youngest Heng daughter is only fifteen." She shook her head, rubbing her forehead. "Do you know if she is alright right now?"
"The Crown Princess Consort went to visit her this morning. But she says she was unable to lay eyes on the youngest Miss Heng, for she was completely distraught."
"Men play their silly games of power and use women as the sacrifice. We are the ones who bear the consequences, not them. I always thought the Third Prince was far too cold and ruthless, but this, I did not foresee. Though in hindsight, I should not have been surprised."
"Perhaps... perhaps I ought to visit the Hengs too? Try to see if I can comfort the girl? I'm scared she'd do something... irrational."
"If word has already gotten out, there is no way to solve this. You know this, and so do I." She walked forward, placing my hands in hers. I hadn't interacted with her all that much, but she'd always been so kind to me. Teaching me things I didn't know, and even when I made mistakes when managing the household, she never scolded me. I could see where Chiqian's easy-going personality came from. "I know you want to help her, but you must be careful for your own safety, you know."
If it came down to it, Chiqian would always be on the Crown Prince's side. Which made the Prince Duan family vulnerable too. We could show support, but never too much of itâwe could not risk the Emperor's suspicions. We could not show too much dedication or too much ambition, or we might risk being suppressed and destroyed.
Quietly, I replied, "I know my station."
She nodded. "Go visit if you think it is what's right. I don't suppose you know where Chiqian is?"
"He's gone to visit the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace," I answered quietly. We'd left togetherâI'd been dropped off at Shangguan Manor before the carriage continued on.
"To discuss this situation, I suppose." She sounded disgusted. "Well, as much as we've always hoped to avoid all the politics and treachery, it was inevitable as long as we stayed in Luoyang. And despite everything, we never quite had the heart to move out." That was true. Despite how careful the Prince and Princess Consort Duan had been in the past few decades, they were still eventually roped right back into the politics. Chiqian was friends with the Crown Prince, and the Prince was brother to the Emperor. Neutrality might be even more deadly than taking a side.
"Perhaps one day, Mother." It was strange, having to call her mother. Having to call anyone mother. But it was customary, and either way I'd managed to get myself into the habit by now. His parents were mine, and mine are his. Not that either Chiqian nor I wanted to deal with my father and step-mother. I hadn't seen them since my wedding day, and very much wanted to keep it that way. I had a general idea of what they would demand of me if I ever did see them, and right now, they had no way of forcing me to meet them against my own will. And I was not going to offer myself up to them like a sacrificial lamb, or a plum ripe for picking.
She nodded. "Go visit Earl Heng if you want to, talk to the poor girl. I'll send my carriage to the Eastern Palace to pick up Chiqian, don't you worry about that."
I dropped a low curtsy. "Thank you, Mother. I'll bring some pastries, perhaps, as a gift."
I set off, first heading to the kitchen to collect a box of pastries from the chef, and then arranging for the carriage to set off for the house of Earl Heng. He lived quite some distance away, but it wouldn't take all that long to get there either.
An hour later, I was before the house of Earl Heng as his servant ran to fetch him. A few more minutes later, a middle-aged man strolled out to meet me. He wasn't dressed in great fineries, and if I didn't know better, I'd thought he was mourning. He dipped his head in greeting. "Shizi Consort. What an honour to see you."
"I am afraid it has to be under such circumstances. I wish I'd visited earlier. Is young Miss Heng...?"
"She is quite distraught," the Earl shut his eyes, shaking his head slowly. "Her sisters are attempting to comfort her, but it is not achieving much. I don't suppose you will bring any good news."
"I'm afraid not," I told him apologetically.
"Of course not." He motioned for me to come in, seeming not caring much for formalities today. I could not blame him. "He is the Third Prince. Son to the Emperor. His crimes will not be exposed, and even if they were, my daughters are the one who will suffer."
"Word is already starting to spread."
"By his orders, I presume?"
"I don't know," I told him honestly. "But no one else would know, and it certainly wasn't us who spread it."
Yunhua had wondered, just for a moment, if Luo Xueying was the one who'd spread the rumours. But it made no sense. She was a concubine to the Crown Prince now, and she'd be doing her best to support him too, rather than bring him down.
And the things Luo Xueying had said to me yesterday, when we were alone? No. There was no world she'd be the ones spreading the rumours.
It had to be the Third Prince. This was his entire plan all along.
"He doesn't give my little Pingzhen many choices, then." I'd been led into the sitting room, and he motioned for me to take a seat. One of the servants poured tea into my cup. "We either marry her off to him, or we all live in disgrace."
"It is your choice in the end, my lord," I told him honestly, "I know you love your daughters greatly."
"If he was another man," the Earl told me, voice quiet, "I'd have had him killed the moment I'd heard what happened. But he is a Prince."
"It's not Miss Heng's fault. She shouldn't deserve to be punished over something she herself has no control over."
"Ah, well, this is how society has always worked. No matter whose fault it is, the woman is always blamed in the end. Before, I saw these things happen and I felt nothing but sympathy. Now that it has happened to my own daughter, I am filled with unbridled fury. My wife is furious as well. Wanting my help is one thing. Forcing my hand by destroying my daughter is another. He should have gone for me, like a truly honourable person would have. Instead he goes and harms my daughter and destroys her entire future. I'll try to extract her from this entire ordeal, but it will be extraordinarily difficult."
"Will you? Work for him?"
The Earl glanced at me darkly. "After what he's done to my daughter?"
That was a no. Was that good or bad? Good for us, I supposed, and rather bad for their family. The Third Prince would not let them off unscathed.
"Perhaps... ought I be allowed to speak to the young Miss Heng? Try to comfort her, perhaps."
"I will have to ask her," the Earl frowned. "But I don't suppose it would do much harm, bringing you there. She is refusing to speak to all of us. Come with me, Shizi Consort."
As we stood, though, a servant busted through the doors, wailing behind them. I froze. I knew what that meant. I knew what it meant when a household began wailing. The Earl stood there in the front of the room, his dark eyes studying the servant collapsing onto her knees before him. "My lord... my lord... the youngest Miss Heng has swallowed gold."
Oh.
I was too late.
Why didn't I come earlier?
The Earl's voice was soft. "She swallowed gold?"
"And... and she left a letter." She produced a piece of folded paper from her hand. "My lord... I'm afraid the youngest Miss has left us."
The two older daughters had come in. They must have already heard the news, for one was barely able to stand, leaning on her maid for support. When they saw me, they quickly moved to curtsy, but I shook my head. It was not needed now.
The eldest raised her head. "Father..."
Earl Heng's face had hardened. It was unreadable, and I was unsure what to make of his reaction. There was anguish, definitely. Anger too. But what did he think of his daughter's decision?
Was it the bravest decision or the most cowardly one?
By committing suicide, she ensured her sisters would still have a position in society. This act would, in society's eyes, clear her of the rumours. Yi si zi zheng qing bai. Using death to show her innocence.
It was the most rational choice. In some families, families who cared less for their daughters, they might have forced Miss Heng to commit suicide.
But it was still... horrific to hear. That Miss Heng was just dead. That the girl I'd seen less than a day ago, still so full of life, was now dead.
I wish she could have lived. I wish she had waited. That I'd gone to talk to her earlier, that maybe I'd be able to convince her out of it. To give her hope for a new life. Hiding out in a nunnery until the scandal died over. At least she could have lived.
"Announce to anyone else," Earl Heng announced, slowly lowering himself back onto the chair, "that Heng Pingzhen has died from sickness. That her sickness turned for the worse after she returned yesterday night, and she lost her life peacefully in her sleep this afternoon."
"They won't believe it," the second daughter pointed out. "Not with the rumours running rampant now."
"They don't need to believe it." The Earl rubbed his forehead. "We'll arrange a good funeral for her."
I told them, my voice quiet, "I am so sorry for your loss."
"Being sorry won't do much now," the Earl said. "I'm afraid we won't be able to receive you much further, Shizi Consort. It may be best for you to take your leave now, for we have much on our hands."
"I would not want to add anything more on your hands," I told them swiftly. "We'll find a way to make the Third Prince pay for this."
Silence, for a moment. And then, he said, "If we can ever offer any assistance, do come to find us."
As I walked out, I met the eyes of the two elder daughters. The eldest was around the same age as I, I think. I'd asked Yunhua why it had been Pingzhen who'd been affected rather than her older sisters, and Yunhua had told me it was because both elder daughters already had plenty of men courting them, interested in their hands. The eldest was close to being engaged. The Third Prince wouldn't want to risk offending any other families.
And so, the youngest Pingzhen, fresh in society and with a lack of suitors, was chosen instead.
He was going to pay for this.
He would never take the Crown Prince's position.
As I walked out of the manor, I turned around, staring back at the closing doors.
I'm sorry, Miss Heng. I'll make sure he suffers for this.
This was not just some spat between two families. It was far bigger than that. The earl may be powerless to do anything on his own with his family. I might not be able to do much either. But together, along with the Crown Prince?
The Third Prince ought to be afraid of us.
By taking her own life, Miss Heng had firmly put her family in the camp of the Crown Prince. I felt awful for saying it, but now that I thought about it...
Perhaps it was the best choice.
But it didn't mean it was the right one.
I wish I'd gotten to know her better. I wish I'd known her for something other than her pain and anguish. I wish I'd gotten to see her when she was happy and alive, enjoying life, rather than only truly talking to her on the last day of her life.
But it was too late for any of that now. She was gone. And there was no point acting like there was anything else I could do about it.
I got on the carriage.
As the horses began to move, trotting gently against the ground, I stared out of the window at the sun slowly beginning to fall, a silent tear rolling down my cheek.
I am so sorry, Heng Pingzhen. But I promise with my life, I won't let him do it again.