Chapter LXXII - The Empire Sees
The prayer hall had never been so silent.
Not during royal funerals. Not during succession disputes.
Not even during previous palace scandals.
Because today—
someone had attempted to murder Princess Rui.
Inside Longevity Palace.
During an imperial ceremony.
And everyone present understood one terrifying fact:
Prince Rui was still standing between them and his full reaction.
Barely.
—
The investigation moved quickly.
Too quickly.
Within an hour, palace guards discovered:
incense records altered,
servant assignments changed,
and one missing attendant connected to Consort Xu's household.
The evidence wasn't complete.
But it pointed in one direction.
Again.
Always the same direction.
The Empress Dowager sat silently while reports arrived one after another.
Each report worsened the atmosphere.
Finally—
one trembling palace official knelt.
"The missing attendant attempted escape through the eastern service gates."
Silence.
"Before capture..."
"...she swallowed poison."
The hall chilled instantly.
Dead again.
Another witness.
Another silence.
Another loose end tied permanently.
Prince Rui laughed softly.
The sound made several nobles lower their heads immediately.
Because everyone recognized it now.
That laugh meant someone's future had just become very short.
—
Consort Xu finally stood.
Elegant. Composed.
Still trying to maintain control.
"This proves nothing."
The Empress Dowager looked at her.
Not warmly.
Not kindly.
Dangerous.
Then Consort Xu continued:
"The attendant belonged to my palace, yes."
"But servants can be bribed."
Reasonable.
Political.
Carefully prepared.
The kind of defense that usually worked.
Usually.
Then Shen Li stood.
And the room changed.
Because over the past months, something remarkable had happened.
People stopped seeing her as:
abandoned fiancée,
noble daughter,
Prince Rui's wife.
Now they saw something else.
A player.
A dangerous one.
Shen Li stepped forward calmly.
Then softly:
"This daughter agrees."
Consort Xu blinked.
The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Shen Li continued:
"Servants can indeed be bribed."
Then she smiled.
Elegant. Gentle.
Terrifying.
"Which means Consort Xu's household lacks proper control."
Silence.
The blow landed perfectly.
Because suddenly the issue changed.
If Consort Xu was innocent—
she was incompetent.
If she was competent—
she was guilty.
Either answer damaged her.
Several ministers visibly reacted.
The Empress Dowager's expression darkened further.
And for the first time—
Consort Xu looked trapped.
Only briefly.
Enough.
Shen Li saw it.
Prince Rui saw it.
Everyone saw it.
—
Then unexpectedly—
the Crown Prince arrived.
Late.
Snow still dusted his robes.
The moment he entered, the atmosphere shifted again.
Because now a side had to be chosen.
The future emperor could not remain neutral forever.
The Crown Prince listened quietly while reports were summarized.
Then silence.
Everyone waited.
Consort Xu. The Empress Dowager. Prince Rui.
Everyone.
Finally the Crown Prince spoke.
"Princess Rui was the intended victim."
Simple statement.
Direct statement.
Official statement.
The room froze.
Because the Crown Prince had just publicly acknowledged the truth.
Then he continued.
"The attack originated through personnel linked to Consort Xu's household."
"Whether by incompetence or intent remains under investigation."
The words sounded balanced.
Fair.
Yet politically—
they were devastating.
Because the Crown Prince had chosen reality over faction.
Consort Xu's face lost color.
Only slightly.
Enough.
Her influence had cracked publicly for the first time.
—
Then Prince Rui stood.
And suddenly—
everyone became nervous again.
Because investigations were one thing.
Prince Rui's response was another.
Far more dangerous thing.
The war prince looked toward the Empress Dowager calmly.
Then toward the Crown Prince.
Then finally toward Consort Xu.
The room felt colder.
Much colder.
Then quietly he spoke.
"This prince has remained patient."
Silence.
"Repeatedly."
No one disagreed.
Because everyone knew it was true.
Poison. Assassination attempts. Conspiracies.
Again and again.
Then Prince Rui's gaze shifted toward Shen Li.
Instantly softer.
Only for her.
Then he looked back at the court.
And the softness vanished.
"This prince will now make something clear."
The room stopped breathing.
Because everyone understood:
Whatever came next would be remembered.
For years.
Maybe decades.
Then Prince Rui spoke.
Calmly.
Clearly.
Without hesitation.
"Princess Rui is not this prince's weakness."
Silence crashed across the hall.
Absolute silence.
Then:
"She is this prince's choice."
Every noblewoman froze.
Every minister froze.
Even the Crown Prince looked surprised.
Prince Rui continued.
"If harming her is meant to control this prince..."
"You misunderstand."
His eyes settled briefly on Consort Xu.
And for the first time—
real fear appeared in hers.
Because Prince Rui's voice never changed.
Not louder.
Not angrier.
Just colder.
"Anyone who touches her..."
"Will discover exactly how dangerous this prince can become."
The threat settled over the palace like winter itself.
No exaggeration.
No drama.
Just certainty.
And somehow—
that was far worse.
—
The Empress Dowager ended the ceremony shortly afterward.
Official investigations would continue.
Consort Xu lost authority over several palace departments immediately.
The Crown Prince gained influence.
And Shen Li left Longevity Palace beside Prince Rui beneath falling snow.
Victorious.
But more importantly—
changed.
Because today the empire finally saw her properly.
Not as Prince Rui's vulnerability.
Not as a political accessory.
But as someone capable of standing beside him.
An equal.
A partner.
—
Outside the palace gates, snow fell quietly around their carriage.
Prince Rui helped Shen Li inside.
Then followed.
The doors closed.
Privacy returned.
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then suddenly—
Prince Rui pulled her into his arms.
Immediately.
No restraint whatsoever.
Shen Li laughed softly.
Tired. Warm. Relieved.
"Your Highness."
Prince Rui buried his face briefly against her shoulder.
And after a long moment—
finally exhaled.
The first real breath all day.
Then quietly he admitted:
"This prince hates this palace."
Shen Li smiled faintly.
"This daughter knows."
Prince Rui tightened his hold slightly.
Then looked down at her.
His dark eyes softer than she had ever seen them.
And very gently—
he brushed a kiss against her forehead.
"Good."
Outside—
the capital disappeared behind falling snow.
Ahead—
war waited.
Separation waited.
Letters. Longing. Battlefields.
And the hardest test their love would face.