The Gilded Cage

The Letter (3.1)

The Prince of Qin

Chu Ning slept lightly and was woken by the chirping of birds in the distance before dawn. 

She got up from her bed and touched her suddenly throbbing forehead to soothe it.
Then, she called in the maid who was on night watch and began to wash and dress.

The Emperor had passed away.
What followed would be complicated funeral proceedings and many customs.
There were numerous rules on the attire and appearances of the late Emperor’s relatives and ministers.
As the Crown Princess, Chu Ning’s dress and adornments were heavy and stifling.

Despite that, her reflection in the mirror was beautiful and delicate.
She seemed like a beautiful flower on a tree, waiting to be plucked.

Her beauty had always attracted attention.

Behind her, the maid was in awe with the beauty of Chu Ning’s reflection, but her expression quickly returned to worry. 

Even the beautiful Crown Princess is in a precarious position in the East Palace, so what more is there to say of me, a mere maid? Since even the nobles could not ensure their survival, us servants would suffer an even worse fate. 

At this thought, her eyes turned red, and her hand, which was carrying a jade hairpin, trembled.

‘Clang!’ The maid accidentally dropped the jade hairpin on the dressing table.
She jumped in shock and immediately bowed her head in apology.
She said while holding back sobs, “Please forgive me, your highness.
I was careless.”

……

Chu Ning looked at her pitiful state and knew what the maid was thinking.
She was not the only one.
There was no one in the East Palace who was not afraid.
Even in the royal court, many were probably too fearful to sleep.

She couldn’t help but sigh.
Then, she picked up the dropped jade hairpin, inserted it into her hair and said, “It’s fine.
You should get a little rest.
There’s no need to be so frightened.”

She wondered whether she had said that to comfort the maid or herself.
She looked at her unpowdered face in the mirror.
She swiped a thin layer of powder with her index finger and applied it to her lips.

Her originally pinkish lips suddenly turned pale and sickly, making her face seem even more startling.

She did not know how much longer she had, so she decided to make the most of her final chance.

…

In Azure Hall, Xiao Yu had also got up to dress.

Chu Ning entered when the maid had just helped him put on a robe and was now holding a belt.
She took the belt from the maid and went to stand before Xiao Yu.
She reached out to wrap the belt around his waist and helped him fasten the jade buckle.

“Ning.” When Xiao Yu saw her, his stern expression softened a little.
As usual, he opened his arms and embraced her, but she turned away and reached for the pills and a cup of warm tea on the table nearby.
She brought them to him and said, “Your Highness, please don’t forget to take your medicine.”

The Crown Prince was sickly since young and frequently needed to take medicine, so this was nothing unusual.
However, Chu Ning knew that the pills in her hand were antidotes that he took daily.

When Xiao Yu was keeping vigil at Taiji Palace, he tasted the poison laced medicine himself to avoid suspicion before feeding it to his father. 

Xiao Yu’s health was weak, so even if the poison did not kill him, it would be enough to cause him pain.
At the time, the pain was just a little sacrifice since it meant that he would ascend the throne sooner.
But now, the pain felt like a mockery. 

Xiao Yu took the medicine and swallowed it with the tea.
Then, he put the bottle of pills in his pocket carefully.
After that, he still did not let Chu Ning go and grabbed her chin.
His gaze travelled down her face and rested on her pale lips.
“Did these few days scare you?”

Chu Ning stopped avoiding him.
She met his gaze and said softly, “Your Highness, I’m a little scared.”

Xiao Yu placed a kiss beside her lips and comforted her, “Ning, don’t worry.
They have not stabilized their power for now, so they won’t do anything to me yet.”

The new Emperor had not ascended the throne, and Xiao Yu had not been removed from the Crown Prince position.
Now that everything was still not official, they would not act rashly.
Any actions towards the East Palace would have to wait until the new Emperor ascended the throne and organized his government.