Chapter 5: Unwarranted Greed

Fu Jinxia was also "thinking" of Xiao Xuanyin.

Although she intended to save the Crown Prince from a tragic death, upon careful deliberation, she realized it would be no easy task. The Crown Prince was the heir to the throne, while she was merely the daughter of a court official, leaving them with precious few opportunities to meet. If she were to rashly tell him that he would suffer from a mental affliction in a few months and subsequently die a bizarre death, he would likely dismiss her as a fool or even punish her for such profound disrespect.

Fu Jinxia sighed inwardly. There was no other way; she would have to proceed slowly. She hoped to find a breakthrough by leveraging her father’s position as the Crown Prince’s tutor.

Walking to the door of the study, she found Grand Tutor Fu sitting at his desk, dressed in ink-colored robes, his style elegant and modest. He was deeply engrossed in studying ancient texts and records. Fu Jinxia stood quietly, a sense of grief and indignation rising within her. Her father had loved collecting ancient books all his life, almost to the point of obsession. In her past life, when their home was ransacked, they had burned those books right before his eyes; her father had been shattered, his heart broken, weeping bitterly. They had laughed with extreme arrogance: "So what if you were the Crown Prince's tutor? Aren't you now just a stray dog, left for us to trample and humiliate at will?"

All those charges—treason, murder—were nothing but fabrications of the "plot," trumped-up charges forced upon them. How could she be willing to accept this? How could she not hate them?

"Father," Fu Jinxia said softly.

Hearing his beloved daughter's voice, Grand Tutor Fu immediately set down his book. He rose, his gaze filled with affection: "A-He."

Suddenly, as if recalling something, he hurried to her side, furious: "A-He, why did you return so quickly from the Spring Banquet today? Did that wretch Song Junyao give you cause for grievance again? I will certainly not let him off!"

Fu Jinxia thought to herself that the "plot" was at work again. Her father was a man of immense learning, but when it came to her and Song Junyao, he completely lost his reason, using various blatant methods to vent her frustrations, only to be repeatedly thwarted and suffer the consequences.

She tried to calm his anger: "Father, I was not wronged today..."

After Fu Jinxia recounted what had happened at the Spring Banquet, the air remained heavy for a long time. Grand Tutor Fu was so stunned he could hardly speak: "A—A-He, you, you..."

Fu Jinxia’s eyes were clear, devoid of even a trace of her former affection for Song Junyao. She wove the events of her past life into a dream she had recently had: "Father, I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I was so jealous of the intimacy between Song Junyao and Jiang Manxue that I did many crazy and disgraceful things, leading to my own ruin and death, and even implicating the entire Grand Tutor’s household in a mass execution."

"The nightmare was so vivid that the piercing pain lingered even after I woke. I have finally come to my senses."

"Song Junyao and I had a marriage contract, yet his heart belonged to another; he is heartless and fickle. Even if I were still fond of him, no matter how difficult it might be, I must painfully sever these ties and break off our engagement."

Grand Tutor Fu’s eyes reddened; he could not bear to imagine how helpless she felt in that dream. She was his precious daughter, and he could not bear to see her harmed in the slightest. How dared Song Junyao deceive and hurt her so!

Unable to contain his rage, he said fiercely: "A-He, whatever you wish to do, Father will support you. Tomorrow, I will go to court and petition for the termination of your engagement to Song Junyao!"

"I will also find a way to make him and Jiang Manxue suffer, so they cannot live and cannot die, forcing them to beg for your forgiveness!"

Fu Jinxia felt a warmth in her heart, yet she was also somewhat helpless. Her father truly spoiled her too much, never considering the consequences.

She said gently: "Father, I have already made a decision. Song Junyao is the one at fault, and he must bear the consequences. The late Emperor bestowed this engagement, but he and Jiang Manxue have harbored secret feelings; there will surely come a time when they cannot restrain themselves. We shall catch them in the act and make a public scandal of it."

"They are engaging in illicit affairs without ceremony, defying the late Emperor's decree—they are unfaithful, unfilial, and unjust. Only then can I break the engagement legitimately and remain unscathed."

"The evil they have done must be repaid. I know that you, Mother, and my brother love me deeply, but we must act while ensuring the preservation of the Grand Tutor’s household."

Grand Tutor Fu was stunned, his heart softening completely. His A-He had grown up. He agreed repeatedly: "Good, good, good. Father will listen to A-He."

Fu Jinxia curled her lips, her eyes shining with determination. In this life, her heart was like stone; she would strive to lead herself and her family away from their destined tragic end, clearing away all obstacles. Her fate was in her own hands, not controlled by any "plot"!

...

That night.

The moon was bright, and the paulownia trees outside the window cast slanted shadows. Xiao Xuanyin stood alone, the cold moonlight falling upon his white robes. His features were extraordinary, refined as jade, resembling an immortal of great renown.

"Your Highness, as you expected, Lady Fu and the young General Song had a dispute today. And Miss Jiang of the Hanlin Academy actually wanted to send people to slander Lady Fu’s reputation in the streets."

"Your subordinate has already stopped them and given them a taste of their own medicine," Jiang Yi said respectfully to Xiao Xuanyin.

Xiao Xuanyin’s hair was as dark as ink, his eyelashes seemingly frosted, his entire being exuding an unreachable detachment. He nodded, signaling he understood. Jiang Yi looked at his master’s cold, stern face and sighed heavily in his heart. His Highness was cold and heartless; aside from a sense of closeness to the late Empress, he was indifferent to everyone, including the Emperor.

Yet, somehow, he had developed a deep, inexplicable obsession with Lady Fu. As his personal shadow guard, Jiang Yi had witnessed the Crown Prince’s secret, lingering affection for her for many years. Inside the study were portraits of Lady Fu—the person in the paintings laughing, pouting, angry, or sad, her expressions so vivid that it seemed every smile and every frown was deeply etched into his mind.

Jiang Yi couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness, you have done so much for Lady Fu in silence all these years. Do you intend to never let her know?"

Xiao Xuanyin’s long, jade-like fingers trembled slightly. He pressed his thin lips into a straight line and said nothing. Jiang Yi realized he had spoken out of turn and apologized: "My tongue was loose; I shall go accept my punishment." With that, he stepped back respectfully.

As the wind swept through the corridor, Xiao Xuanyin stood alone. He seemed to look past the heavy palace walls toward the Grand Tutor’s residence, a warmth gradually blooming in his eyes, melting the ice and snow on his lashes.

Ever since he became aware of his own illicit desires, A-He had inexplicably intruded into his dreams. Her hair was fragrant, invading his nostrils, sliding down his throat, and spreading through his very marrow. Her skin was like snow, her features like flowers, and her figure was supple and graceful. She would press against him, her slender fingers tracing patterns until his heart burned and his spine tingled, only to vanish in an instant.

Her lips tasted of pure sweetness. When he kissed her, it was like drinking from a mountain spring, a lingering, endless sensation. When he held her, she felt so light that he could restrain her with one hand. He could not withstand the temptation; he sank into it. When he woke and looked at his bedding, he realized how absurd he had become.

At first, he had loathed these bizarre dreams, and consequently, he had felt a dislike for A-He, angry at her for being "wanton" in his dreams, seducing him and causing him to lose control. He had tried to rid himself of these dreams, but to no avail. She came to him repeatedly, and he could neither resist nor refuse.

Day after day, he became addicted. He fell in love with the taste of indulgence in those dreams, deeply imprinting A-He onto his mind, his heart, and his very soul. Thus, for no reason at all, he became infatuated with her.

Yet, outside his dreams, A-He was deeply, almost crazily, in love with Song Junyao. Every look she gave Song, every tear she shed for him, every smile she offered him was like a blade piercing his heart. He knew exactly how much he loved her, and he knew just as clearly that she could not live without Song Junyao.

One cannot find joy in a hopeless void; flowers do not bloom in barren soil. Therefore, he trapped his greed, anger, love, obsession, and desire for her within a cage, letting them grow wildly. Perhaps in the near future, he would be unable to restrain his inner desires and would snatch her to his side, just as he did in his dreams, to possess her completely and entwine with her until the end of time.