"I HAVE NOT been out in days," Yunhua sighed, glancing outside the carriage we sat upon before letting the curtains swing back shut. "It has been suffocating being inside my own courtyard all day and night."
Four months into her pregnancy now. Her stomach was visible, and we all took extraordinary care around her. The future of the Shangguans may very well be in her stomach right now. None of us were willing to risk it.
This was one of the few excursions she'd been allowed, mainly because she'd been the person behind this organisation of women from the north who'd followed their husbands here in Luoyang, hoping to create a new life for themselves. So far it had been arduous. Their husbands worked day and night to make a living, and some of them had wanted to help earn some money to support their families as well. And it was useful for the economy, so Yunhua had put herself in charge of this scheme.
Most of the women had been placed on weaving and knitting, making fabrics for clothes. And while I had been going around on her behalf since the scheme had started in passing on commands, Yunhua had to make an appearance eventually.
We'd kept the trip a secret. Not even the women there knew, and we took my carriage, not hers. There were guards with us, just in case for her safety, and Yunjun as well in the carriage.
"You ought to enjoy it while it lasts," Yunjun laughed. "My god, I cannot imagine being trapped inside for so long."
Yunhua was trapped by the four walls of the Eastern Palace, that much was true. But Yunjun had a cage of her own in her unhappy marriage with an inattentive husband who preferred the arms of another. Perhaps it wasn't a physical cage, but certainly, Yunhua's was at least escapable. Yunjun's had so far proven not to be.
She'd gone back to General Feng's manor after her first night's stay in the Shangguan Manor. Apparently he hadn't been all that pleased, but Yunjun hadn't paid him much attention. She was back in Luoyang now. Back in her territory, her family's territory. She had people to stand up for her now.
And General Feng knew that. It was why he was refusing to visit us, to come see any of us. Because he knew what would be in store for him.
"I do not mind it nearly as much as you," Yunhua replied with a little shrug, adjusting her position.
"Be careful not to exert yourself," I warned. "We wouldn't want anything happening to you now."
"I am the epitome of carefulness," Yunhua scoffed. "This is the first time I've left the Eastern Palace in a while."
To which I wanted to suggest that the Eastern Palace was perhaps not the safest place for her either. Some of the concubines wouldn't be particularly fond of the idea of her having a child, especially if they held any fantasy of pulling her down and taking her position for themselves. Which were not many. Luo Xueying was the most likely one, but she'd been so painfully passive in the past few years that it made all the previous preparations for her being a pain seem ridiculous.
Yunhua hadn't been able to understand. I'd attributed it to the things she'd said to me the night of the Bride Selectionâshe'd never wanted to marry the Crown Prince in the first place. She'd been forced to, just another pawn, most likely by her father. They needed someone of high status to act as a counterweight to Yunhua's status in the Eastern Palace, and Luo Xueying was just the unfortunate one chosen.
But while I wanted Yunhua to be careful, I also wanted her to be comfortable. And informing her that she resided in a dangerous place most of the time was perhaps not the best way to do that.
It was the afternoon now, for we'd left the Eastern Palace after we'd finished a wonderful meal of lunch. Yunhua had started craving for sour food, and some of the people around us had started laughing that it was probably a sign the child was a boy. It was an old saying that when a pregnant woman began craving sour food it was because they had a boy, and when a pregnant woman craved spicy food, it was for a girl.
I wasn't sure how true that was, though. I'd known a woman back in Henan who'd started eating a lot of sour food near the end of her pregnancy, but had ended up giving birth to a girl instead. I remembered how disappointed her husband had been.
I didn't want that to happen with Yunhua. If she did give birth to a girl instead of a boy... It wouldn't be the end of the world, but it would mean her fight wasn't over yet.
We were still talking when the carriage abruptly stopped, when the yelling began outside. Instinctively Yunjun shielded Yunhua as she glanced out of the window, her eyes narrowed. "What is going on?"
We got no response. Instead what came next was the jeering of horses as the carriage moved again with a start, but right after the initial jerk, I heard a sickening crunch before the carriage fell back into a still position again. My hand immediately swept out to keep Yunhua in a stable position, my frantic eyes meeting Yunjun's. Without another word, the youngest girl leapt off the carriage with a bark of, "Stay here!"
By this point I'd already more than reacted, sending Yunhua a grim look. "I'm already regretting coming out today, cousin."
Yunhua didn't reply. Her face was chalky white, and she looked far more nervous than I'd ever seen her. Her hand laid on her stomach, and my eyes dropped to her abdomen for a moment before sucking in a breath.
It was up to the guards now. And Yunjun, who was somewhat armed. We were safest here in the carriage. Tugging the curtains tightly shut, I motioned for Yunhua to stay down, just in case there would be any arrows flying, adjusting our seating cushion into a position that was comfortable for her and stationing myself near the door.
I could hear the fight around us. The slash of blades, the cries of men. Something fell against the wall of the carriage and I winced, stealing a glance at Yunhua to make sure she was alright. Her face remained grim, and I could see that her fists were clenched so tightly it had to leave marks. But I didn't say anything, because I was nervous too.
Assassins.
And really, among the three of us, the only one worth assassinating was Yunhua.
Except no one knew that we were heading out with her today. It wasn't public information. Someone must have let that out. A traitor amongst our midst? We ought to check all our servants today. Or someone who'd been lying in wait for a long, long time.
My mind immediately jumped to the Third Prince. Certainly he was the most likely person to organise something like this.
I pushed the curtains slightly ajar so that I had a small slit I could glance outside with, a stream of light instantly coming into the dark carriage. From that slit I could spot Yunjun, locked in combat with two men dressed in black. She already had two gashes on her arms, but it didn't seem to affect her. She was holding a sword and she certainly hadn't brought one with her, so she'd either gotten that from one of our guards or one of our fallen enemies.
With a glance at our surroundings I immediately understood why it had happened now, rather than earlier or later. We were in one of the quieter settlements near the outskirts of Luoyang, where the only people who'd be around at this hour were some of the women, children and elderly. All the younger men would be in the city centre working at this time of the day. The street was all cleared, and the buildings at either side were perfect for an ambush.
We should have chosen a far safer path than this.
Our mistake. One that we had to pay for now.
I reached for my hair, plucking out one of the hairpins. It was the closest thing to a weapon I had, though I knew it would still be absolutely useless. But it was something, and it was sharp enough to draw blood if I used it properly.
And if I died here?
Well, there wasn't much of a point worrying about that. Chiqian would be saddened, definitely, but he'd eventually move on. Would my parents even miss me? Perhaps they'd miss me as a tie to the Shangguans, but that wouldn't disappear just because of my death.
The commotion continued outside, and I held the curtains tightly shut. They'd come to us eventually if the guards were defeated, and I couldn't tell what the situation was outside right now either. It was best to avoid any attention to us, to try to drag this out until reinforcements somehow arrived.
If there were reinforcements.
My hands were sweating and the hairpin in my hands became slippery. With the dimness of the carriage and the scent of our fear in the air, the little space felt suffocating.
Something slammed into the side of the carriage and it almost toppled. Yunhua let out a scream, and I scrambled to the other side, trying to keep it balanced. It was a nerve-wracking movement before I felt the carriage fall back onto the ground, my heart hammering in my chest.
I forced myself to breathe, trying to keep an eye on a shivering Yunhua to make sure she was safe. She was in a foetal position against one of the walls, having been thrown into it by the imbalance. There was a sudden thump on the top of the carriage and the curtain suddenly whisked open, and I instinctively slashed out with the hairpin in some wild attempt to fend off the enemy, only to find myself faced with a familiar face.
"Lord Huo?"
At the name, Yunhua glanced up. Something flickered in her eyes as she studied the bloodied figure of Lord Huo standing before us, his breath staggered, a crimson-coated blade in his hand.
He bowed. "Duan shizi Consort. Crown Princess Consort. I apologise for the late arrival."
"No." Yunhua's voice sounded from the back of the carriage, and with Huo Murong holding up the curtains that formed the door of the carriage, I inched backwards to help her out of the space. "No, Lord Huo, you came just in time."
As we got out, Yunjun immediately rushed over from where she was tying up a few fallen men, all with their faces covered up. Assassins. And all now laid on the floor, defeated. "Oh my god," Yunjun gasped, "are you both alright?"
"We're fine," I told her with a smile, turning away from the blood and gore that surrounded us. "Thank you, Lord Huo. Thank you, Yunjun."
"I was merely doing my duty."
Yunjun turned to the lord. "What are you doing here anyways?"
"I had some business in the countryside, so I just happened to pass by. Good thing I did, I think, or you'd have been overwhelmed." He was injured, but not severely so, and it did not seem to pose any threat to his well being. Yunjun had a few gashes, but she kept one hand on them, keeping pressure, and we quickly told the two of them to clean up their wounds while we planned our next move.
Our trip would have to be cancelled. It was a complete and utter safety hazard. How they knew Yunhua was with us, I had no idea, but clearly some measures had to be taken.
"I don't think my carriage is in travel conditions," I murmured with a frown. "Lord Huo..."
"I'm more than happy to provide mine," he replied swiftly, sweeping a low bow. He'd grown up, I thought to myself. There wasn't much of a sign of that drunkard, broken-hearted boy from a few years ago. "I'll ride on horseback."
"Thank you," Yunhua said, her voice cool but slightly shaky. "It is greatly appreciated."
He eyed her for a moment, but then dropped his head in a nod. "Your wish is my command, Princess Consort."
In the span of a few years they'd gone from Murong and Yunhua to Lord Huo and Princess Consort. There was something oddly tragic about that, even though I knew this was the way things had to be. Even though I knew this was the only way everything would go as we wanted them to. And despite Huo Murong's seeming nonchalance, I did not want Yunhua around him for too long.
Any temptation could be dangerous. And she had felt something for him. Not enough for her to choose him, but something nonetheless.
For the sake of our family...
That was when Yunhua fainted.
And it was that moment I remembered I'd forgotten something important in the midst of all that chaos. Her baby.
Lord Huo immediately moved to catch her, and I immediately rushed forward to assist him. Yunjun began barking orders, and in the noise we quickly moved her to Lord Huo's carriage, moving her into a comfortable position.
I was the one who noticed the blood.
"Oh no, no, no," I muttered as I scrambled forward, trying to check for any other wounds, praying it was from a wound she'd sustained in the mess. But nothing. All her clothes were perfectly intact. And if there had been a wound she'd have told me.
"Minxi?"
We'd already sent Lord Huo to wait outside. As a male it would have been improper for him to stay here while we inspected Yunhua's wounds. Yunjun and I were the only ones in the carriage, and clearly she'd spotted the same thing I had.
"You know what that means, right?" I asked grimly, swallowing.
"The baby."
The future of House Shangguan had just gone down the drain.
â
I WAS STILL in shock by the time I returned to the Prince Duan Manor in one of the royal carriages, since mine had been damaged and abandoned in the countryside. Someone would go collect and clean it up sometime soon, most likely.
I'd sent messages to Shangguan Manor. The Crown Prince and the Emperor and Empress had all been informed. After Yunjun, Lord Huo and I had been ordered to provide accounts of the incident, we'd been allowed to return home, on the promise that we'd return to the Palace the moment we were needed for more information.
This was a pre-planned attack, and an attempt on the Princess Consort's life, and one that caused her miscarriage of the future heir was not going to be taken lightly. I was surprised they allowed us to leave the Palace at all. But clearly, the three of us were trusted.
No one had been allowed to visit Yunhua, who still remained unconscious until shortly before I left. She was stable, the doctors had informed me, but the baby was gone. And no matter what, her body would be severely affected.
It might be difficult for her to have another child.
I felt coldblooded, thinking of her like this. I was grateful that she was safe, but the loss of the unborn baby was a blow to our family like no other. And in my years in Luoyang, I'd already learnt that sometimes, the ruthless concentration on what was good for you rather than what was right for you was the difference between life and death, glory and despair.
No one would be happy tonight. Perhaps with the exception of whoever had ordered the assassination, for even though they'd failed to claim her life, they'd succeeded in casting a painful blow to both the Imperial family and the Shangguans.
Chiqian was waiting for me in the front courtyard, clearly having been pacing around. At the sight of me he stopped, immediately rushing over. "My god, Minxi, the Crown Prince sent word of what happened, are you alrightâ"
"I'm fine." He took my hands in mine and I inched forward, resting my chin on his shoulders. His arm wrapped around mine. "I'm fine. Yunhua..."
"She woke when I left. The baby..."
He let out a sigh and I felt it against my cheek. After a long moment, he let me go. "Let's get you cleaned up, you must be exhausted."
I was. I was scared too. Very scared. It wasn't a cold day, but I could feel my hand shivering even as he led me into our manor. Some servants immediately came out to prepare a hot bath for me, and Chiqian personally helped me undress and bathe, massaging my shoulders as I sat in the bathtub, trying not to cry.
"Everything's okay now," he whispered in my ear. "I'm going to help run the investigations into this, I think."
"Who do you think it is?"
"I don't know."
"They were after Yunhua. But no one outside our household knew she was going out today. And it was our carriage we took."
"Clearly, we have a mole."
"Our household or the Crown Prince's?" I asked, letting my head lay upon his hand. "If not for Lord Huo coming in time, both Yunhua and I might be long gone. As with Yunjun."
He stroked my hair gently. "I'm going to assign you one of my personal guards tomorrow. Just in case. I wouldn't worry about Yunhuaâthey'd definitely assign her better security as well. Don't worry. What was Lord Huo doing there anyways?"
"He says he had business in the countryside."
"Such a coincidence."
"I know. I was thinking about that."
We were both quiet as we considered the implications of that. But we had no evidence, and it wasn't impossible by any means. And Lord Huo had seemed... normal around Yunhua. None of what I'd seen before. And he was married now. Yunhua didn't seem to be particularly interested in talking to him past her gratefulness either, though to be fair, she had been unconscious for much of the time.
He helped dry me up when I left the bathtub, and I put on my night robes before joining him in our bedchamber. His arms wrapped around me and we just sat there for a while.
"She lost her baby."
"She can have another one someday. At least she's alive."
"I hope the miscarriage won't harm her body."
"Did the physicians say anything about that?"
"No. But they were more worried about waking her up."
"I'll go to the Eastern Palace tomorrow. You stay here for now, I think, just in case. Try not to travel out unless it's necessary. You're a sitting duck in the carriages."
"They weren't after me."
"We can't tell for sure." A moment of silence. "And if it's who I think it is, he'll have enough grievance towards you and me he might just target you as well."
"You think it's him again?"
"He's the only one with a motive for such a risky operation."
"We have no evidence yet, so it would be prudent for us to stay quiet."
"The Crown Prince has to at least suspect it," Chiqian murmured. "He's the most obvious suspect. The Emperor might be able to guess it too, but he won't say anything. This is good for him, if anything else, as long as Yunhua doesn't actually die, though he would be displeased at the miscarriage."
"What now?" I asked, crossing my arms as I sat upright. "The Third Prince won't just stop here. He'll continue on with this campaign. It might be us next."
"We'll be on alert," he promised. "I'll go talk to the Crown Prince about it. You need to warn the Shangguans soon, perhaps invite your Grandmother here tomorrow if she is in good health for it."
"I don't think she is. I'll talk to Yunxuan. Oh, what about Yunjun? She might be affected by all this as well." I rubbed my forehead. "General Feng... is he trustworthy? I don't know much about him."
"For all his poor character, I do think he is in the Crown Prince's camp."
"Then Yunjun should be alright. Her injuries were not severe, thankfully." I paused for a moment. "We need to start becoming active too. We cannot simply play defensive forever, and the best defence is a good offence. We have to start attacking the Third Prince's camp."
"Can you strike their social circles?"
"I can try," I told him. "I'll wait for a bit and try to reach out to anyone who hasn't directly stood camp yet. All the ladies, at any rate, and try to see if I can sway them into the Crown Prince's side. You'll have to take the courts."
"I shall. Don't worry about it. Everything will work out."