One of Li Jing's arms hung limply outside the carriage door. He struggled to lift his head, gazing up at the woman on horseback. Today, she seemed less fearsome. Was she… worried about him? A shiver ran down his spine—caught between disbelief and grievance, he pointed at Li Ce and asked, "If it were him who hit me, what would you do?"
Ye Jiao dismounted in a swift motion, folding her riding crop and slapping it lightly against her palm. "If it was Prince Chu who struck you," she said solemnly, "then I'd give each of you a good beating. One for being a cowardly elder brother, and one for being a disrespectful younger sibling."
She had no intention of reasoning things out—just a fair fifty strokes apiece.
Li Jing forced a bitter smile and shook his head. "Then forget it. Forget it. It was the Emperor who hit me."
"The Emperor?" Ye Jiao glanced toward the palace. The Imperial Street glowed with torchlight, and the guards stood motionless before Danfeng Tower. In the distance, the grand Daming Palace rested like a divine dragon coiled on the ridge of Longshou Plateau. The countless lanterns were its scales, its solemn aura a breath of awe-inspiring majesty. Silent, yet oppressive.
"So?" Li Jing asked, "You fear nothing anyway. His Majesty favors you. Why don't you… go plead for me? Tell him I'm on my last breath. Help me get some justice."
Ye Jiao parted her lips slightly, unsure how to respond. What could have happened to provoke the Emperor into striking Li Jing? Shouldn't the trouble have fallen upon the Empress and Li Zhang? Though Prince Chu had refrained from formally accusing the Empress on Consort Shun's advice, he had said the Emperor would uncover the truth in time. She looked to Li Ce, who subtly shook his head. His Majesty was still in a fury—speak with caution.
"If the Emperor struck you," Ye Jiao said, tapping the door lightly, "then you probably deserved it."
Li Jing let out a loud, miserable groan, shut his eyes, and began whining again. Doomed—his own father hit him, his brother supervised his punishment, and his beloved Xiao Jiu refused to intervene. Even Xiao Jiu's wife, while less terrifying than before, would not speak up for him.
"I want to go home," he mumbled hopelessly, eyes still shut. "I want to go home."
Surely his wife would side with him?
Unexpectedly, Princess Consort Cui Jin'er was even angrier than Li Ce. Right in front of him, she smacked Li Jing's backside hard. Pretending to be asleep, Li Jing nearly fainted from the blow and roared, "You vicious woman! Why won't you apply some medicine first?"
"I'm here to apply the medicine, Your Highness!" she said as she snipped open his clothes. The fabric clung to his wounds, so she cut carefully. The surrounding area was relatively clean, so she wiped it with mugwort water and sterilized it with burning atractylodes.
Li Jing, alarmed, watched her every move, terrified she'd toss the burning herbs onto him. Thankfully, Cui Jin'er remained composed. But when she saw the extent of his wounds, her temper flared once more.
"No wonder Prince Chu urgently sent for your cloak—he must've known you'd be beaten and tried to shield you. Yet even with his help, you're this badly hurt. If he hadn't… who knows what state you'd be in now?"
Tears welled up in her eyes. Seeing her heartbroken expression, Li Jing murmured guiltily, "I know I was wrong… don't cry. It's just some broken skin…"
Before he could finish, she dumped an entire bottle of wound powder onto him. The medicine stung fiercely, and Li Jing let out a low howl. "Are you venting your anger?"
Cui Jin'er roughly spread the powder across his wounds and scolded, "In this entire city, everyone has a thousand schemes. Even if you're not clever, you should know to avoid trouble. But you—wherever the flames are highest, you leap in. Do you want to get yourself killed?"
The rebuke snuffed out Li Jing's indignation. He muttered, "I was just… worried about Mother and Second Brother."
"Then can't you…" Cui Jin'er's tears streamed down as she grabbed his hand and pressed it gently to her belly. "Can't you worry about us too?"
"What's there to—" Li Jing froze mid-sentence, twisting his head in disbelief. He pressed down slightly with his fingers. "Us? You… you're…"
"You're going to be a father," Cui Jin'er said, swatting his hand away. "I found out this afternoon. I meant to tell you tonight."
"How is that possible?" Li Jing tugged her closer, staring at her belly with wide eyes. "How could it be? All these years, nothing… why this month?"
Cui Jin'er instantly flew into a rage. "What's that supposed to mean, Li Laowu?"
She stood up, flinging her sleeves angrily and making to leave. Li Jing hurriedly pulled her back and admitted fault. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm just… thrilled—so thrilled it's hard to believe! It must've been Xiao Jiu. He invited the imperial physician. What was his name again? I'll give him a big red envelope tomorrow!"
He rambled excitedly, voice rising with joy. Outside the screen, Li Ce and Ye Jiao overheard and stepped in to congratulate him.
"I'm going to be a father!" Li Jing beamed with pride. "I don't need you lot to help me raise kids anymore. Just prepare the full-month gifts and get ready to give my son a younger brother. They'll grow up together and be playmates. Good! My son's older—he'll protect yours. And yours will call mine 'big brother.'"
Cui Jin'er had already drawn the bed curtains, leaving only Li Jing's ecstatic head poking out. He wanted to run around with joy but winced from the pain—smiling alone twisted his face.
He turned to Li Ce and instructed, "Tomorrow, go thank the physician for me."
"I won't." Li Ce refused without hesitation.
Standing beneath the lamp, his eyes were dark as obsidian, glinting like a blade's edge. His voice dropped cold. "No one must know the Princess is pregnant."
Li Jing's grin had yet to fade. "Why not?"
Cui Jin'er, however, understood. "Does Your Highness mean… someone doesn't want us to have a child?"
"How could that be?" Li Jing protested, but unease crept into his expression.
"Who diagnosed the pregnancy today?" Ye Jiao asked.
"The residence physician," Cui Jin'er answered, looking to Li Ce with apprehension. "What should we do?"
"The residence physician is trustworthy," Li Ce replied. "I'll speak to him myself."
With that, he turned and vanished into the night, his dark robe blending into the shadows.
Ye Jiao remained. "Did anyone else find out?"
Cui Jin'er shook her head. "I was overjoyed, but hadn't had a chance to tell anyone. What should we do? I feel a chill down my spine—like my hairs are standing on end."
As the saying goes: it's not the thief you fear, but the thief who covets.
"Don't be afraid," Ye Jiao said, clasping her hand. "You have Prince Zhao and Prince Chu. You seldom go out. Stay home, rest. You won't show until five or six months—by then, the pregnancy will be stable, and no one can harm it."
Despite her comforting words, Cui Jin'er remained uneasy. Ye Jiao pulled a dagger from her sleeve and handed it to her.
"Weapons may be ominous, but take this to protect yourself."
"I can shoot an arrow," Cui Jin'er replied, pushing it back. "You forget—you taught me."
Seeing their unease, Li Jing extended his hand and gripped her arm tightly.
"Don't worry," he said. His eyes, calmer than ever before, glinted with a fierce, quiet determination. "I'll see who dares."
"Exactly—no fear," Ye Jiao echoed. "Just rest. We've got things covered outside."
But the city of Chang'an was steeped in shifting shadows. One wrong step, and they'd be caught in the storm.
Li Ce soon returned, his steps brisk, his face grim.
"His Majesty is gravely ill," he announced as he entered. "The Empress has summoned all imperial sons in the capital to attend him."
"How did Father fall ill so suddenly?" Li Jing tried to rise, but even turning over sapped all his strength. In desperation, he commanded the Princess Consort— "Quick, let…"