The night before, when Shu Changyu returned home, he asked about the pastries.
“You were drunk last night, Young Master!” Kongqing told him with grievance written all over his face. “You kept staring at those pastries and insisted I pack them up for you.”
Pastries in Shu Changyu’s room were never kept overnight. If they weren’t finished that day, they were thrown out at night.
From his previous life to this one, Shu Changyu had never eaten overnight pastries, so he had no idea what eating spoiled pastries would do.
Thinking this, Shu Changyu wondered—
Could it be that the pastries he brought yesterday had spoiled overnight, and Jing Mu ate them, causing his stomach pain?
At this moment, the emperor turned to look at him.
“Shu Sanlang, what does the Empress mean by this?”
Beside the emperor, the empress watched Shu Changyu with composed leisure.
Fortunately for her, Furong had reported yesterday that Shu Changyu had privately brought food to Jing Mu.
By now, Shu Changyu had already concluded that Jing Mu’s current condition was caused by him.
Hearing this accusation, he didn’t even think of a defense.
He simply knelt before Emperor Qianning.
“Your Majesty, this subject—”
Before he could finish, violent coughing suddenly came from behind the screen.
Then came rustling sounds, as though Jing Mu was urgently trying to get out of bed.
Shu Changyu immediately turned to look.
Emperor Qianning also frowned and rose, walking around the screen toward Jing Mu’s bedside.
When Jing Mu saw him enter, he remained half-collapsed over the edge of the bed, eyes reddened from pain, breathing heavily.
“Father Emperor…”
His appearance was painfully similar to the way his birth mother had looked before she died.
That sight tugged at a deeply buried knot in Emperor Qianning’s heart.
Frowning, he stepped forward and supported him.
“If Mu’er has something to say, wait until your body has recovered before telling Father Emperor. Right now, Father Emperor will definitely uphold justice for you.”
Jing Mu shook his head.
“Father Emperor… Shifu truly did privately bring a plate of pastries for your son.”
His voice was weak as thread, yet his eyes remained resolute.
“But… your son couldn’t bear to eat them, so I put them away in the cabinet beside the desk. Last night I was hungry and only… only ate one pastry Sister Furong left on the table.”
Furong was the palace maid who usually delivered his meals—the spy planted here by the empress.
Hearing this, Emperor Qianning immediately understood.
The empress had struck first with false accusations, taking advantage of Shu Changyu’s honest and blunt nature.
At once, rage surged in him.
Through the screen, he shot the empress a vicious glare.
A few days ago, rumors had spread in the palace regarding the empress and Noble Lady Yun.
After a brief investigation, the truth of the empress’s actions back then had become clear.
But he had been too lazy to pursue old matters. The empress’s maternal family was deeply powerful. So when she shifted blame onto servants, he allowed it and let the matter rest.
Unexpectedly, the empress had learned nothing.
At that moment, the emperor’s personal eunuch returned carrying a plate of jade-green mung bean cakes from the cabinet beside the desk.
“For just a plate of pastries, you treasured them this much?”
Emperor Qianning glanced at the cakes, then turned back to Jing Mu.
Seeing how weak he looked, his heart softened again.
He sighed.
“You needn’t worry about this matter. Focus on recovering.”
With that, he turned and walked back into the outer hall.
He gestured for Shu Changyu to rise, as if the empress wasn’t even there, and issued his orders:
“Transmit my decree. Second Prince Jing Mu is to move into Zhongli Palace. Increase the palace staff and stipends by ten percent above the standard for the other princes.”
After that, Emperor Qianning continued:
“All servants assigned to Luming Palace are to receive one hundred strokes and be expelled from the palace. As for palace maid Furong, beat her to death in this courtyard.”
The emperor rarely concerned himself with harem affairs. His decisions now were made entirely according to his mood.
The empress stiffened in shock.
But more than that, she caught the hidden meaning in his words.
All princes followed established standards.
Yet Jing Mu was being elevated above all others.
That meant the emperor intended to push him toward the position of crown prince.
Not to mention Zhongli Palace was extremely close to the emperor’s residence and lavishly furnished.
…Jing Mu truly could not be allowed to live.
She should never have softened in the first place. She should have killed him the moment he returned.
But at this moment, she had no energy to think about Jing Mu’s life.
As soon as the decree was announced outside, the courtyard erupted in cries and pleas.
Furong’s voice was the clearest.
She even broke free from the guards and lunged toward the palace gates, screaming:
“Your Majesty the Empress! Save this servant! This servant belongs to Your Majesty! Your Majesty—!”
The empress’s face turned pale.
She sharply ordered the eunuch beside her:
“Are you just going to let this servant spout nonsense? Go shut her mouth!”
The eunuch hurriedly obeyed, scrambling out to silence Furong.
The empress turned shakily toward the emperor.
She found him staring coldly at her.
“Your Majesty…” she began.
She steadied herself, suppressing the panic within, even forcing a calm smile.
“This consort—”
But Emperor Qianning gave her no chance to speak.
“The empress manages the entire harem. There are countless matters to handle. Some oversights are understandable.”
The empress froze.
“Your Majesty…”
“Since that is the case,” Emperor Qianning continued with a smile, “the empress should rest well these next few days and recover her strength.”
He paused.
“Let Noble Consort Hui assist in managing the six palaces.”
Then he turned to Shu Changyu.
“For the next few days, there is no need to continue teaching Mu’er. Once he recovers, go directly to Zhongli Palace.”
Shu Changyu, who had remained kneeling silently, answered at once.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The emperor added:
“Transfer servants from my own palace to attend to the Second Prince. Once he fully recovers, they will assist him in moving palaces.”
After finishing, he glanced coldly at the empress and left with a sweep of his sleeve.
The empress’s maternal family was powerful, and she still had two sons.
She could not be easily shaken.
Besides, Emperor Qianning had no desire to throw the harem into chaos over such a matter and risk destabilizing the court.
Too many people were eyeing the throne beneath him.
His side could not afford disorder.
“This subject respectfully sees Your Majesty off.”
Shu Changyu bowed and watched the emperor leave.
His thoughts remained on Jing Mu’s weak appearance.
After Emperor Qianning exited Luming Palace, Shu Changyu rose, intending to go behind the screen to check on him.
By sheer luck, that boy had finally escaped suffering.
Shu Changyu shook his head inwardly.
In his previous life, he had desperately tried to help Jing Mu, yet somehow kept him trapped in Luming Palace until his ascension.
Now, when he had tried to keep his distance, unexpected changes had triggered Jing Mu’s early escape from misery.
It seems my kindness in my previous life only made things worse.
Just as he took a step forward, the empress’s cold voice stopped him.
“The Second Prince clearly cannot continue lessons today. Since that is so, Minister Shu may return and rest early.”
Shu Changyu paused and bowed.
“Yes.”
The empress looked at his quiet, obedient, restrained appearance and felt anger burn in her chest.
The Shu family—
Every single one of them was like hard, foul-tempered stones.
Rigid and impossible.
Utterly infuriating.
She didn’t want him lingering in front of her and worsening her mood.
Coldly, she said:
“Minister Shu is an outsider. It is inappropriate for you to remain in the inner palace too long. I will not keep you any longer. Please leave.”
It was a clear dismissal.
Shu Changyu did not insist.
After bowing farewell, he turned to leave.
As he turned, he glanced through the screen, catching the faint silhouette inside.
The palace was now full of the emperor’s own people.
Jing Mu should be fine.
Thinking this, he walked out of Luming Palace.
As he crossed the threshold, he unconsciously rubbed the fingers of his right hand.
It was as if his hand was remembering the sensation of that boy’s hand from moments ago.
The courtyard was filled with screams.
Furong had already been beaten to death.
A pool of blood spread beneath her.
Shu Changyu had seen scenes like this countless times.
Without even a glance, without pausing a single step, he walked out of Luming Palace.
Inside, the empress folded her sleeves and watched Shu Changyu depart, letting out a cold snort.
Then she slowly walked behind the screen.
Jing Mu sat leaning against the couch, drinking medicine attended by a palace maid.
The empress stood by the screen, watching his weakened state.
After a moment, she said:
“You still had enough strength just now to defend your Shifu. Yet now you don’t even have the strength to keep him here a little longer?”
Jing Mu smiled faintly.
“Whatever Her Majesty commands, this son dares not disobey.”
The empress laughed.
“You dare not disobey?”
“Today’s strategy of retreating to advance was beautifully done. To frame me, you even harmed yourself. Then you used that servant Furong to pass messages and make His Majesty suspicious.”
“Jing Mu… what is there that you wouldn’t dare do?”
Jing Mu smiled.
“Your Majesty, Jing Mu does not understand what you are talking about.”
The empress snorted.
“Whether you understand or not, you and I both know.”
With that, she turned and left Luming Palace with her attendants.
Jing Mu remained seated, watching her leave.
Then he turned his head toward the empty plate on the table by the window.
Earlier, the emperor’s eunuch had dumped out all the jade-green mung bean cakes.
Only a few crumbs remained on the plate now.
Jing Mu thought—
In this life, he likely would never again eat pastries brought by Shifu.
But from his previous life to this one, Shu Changyu never knew that his daily act of bringing pastries had long ago drawn Emperor Qianning’s suspicion.
Shu Changyu in this life did not know.
Jing Mu did.
Therefore, he would never allow Shifu to risk himself that way again.
To protect him, sacrifices had to be made.
Staring at the empty plate, Jing Mu felt genuine regret.
From that day onward, Jing Mu did not see Shu Changyu for several days.
By the time he saw him again, the willow catkins in Luming Palace had stopped drifting, replaced by fresh tender green leaves.
Jing Mu knew Shu Changyu liked willow trees.
He deeply wished Shu Changyu could see this beautiful scene.
But Jing Mu was moving out of Luming Palace.
And Shu Changyu would never come here again.
Before leaving, Jing Mu looked at the tender green willow branches and thought of snapping one off to give Shu Changyu.
Just as he lifted his head in thought, a small lively creature hopping among the willow branches suddenly caught his eye.