Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

Inside the East Palace, the candlelight flickered, casting a cold light on the broken porcelain shards scattered on the floor.

After slamming his fist on the dressing table, Zhu Changyu curled up on the bed, filled with remorse and self-blame.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and then, before the eunuch could announce their arrival...

Empress Xu Jingxian barged in, the hem of her bright yellow embroidered phoenix palace dress brushing against the broken porcelain on the floor, making a soft clattering sound.

Her face was so dark it could drip water, and her eyes were filled with suppressed rage.

"evil creature!"

A sharp shout shattered the silence of the Eastern Palace, before Zhu Changyu could react.

With a sharp "smack," a resounding slap landed hard on his face.

The force was so great that Zhu Changyu abruptly turned his head, and a clear finger mark instantly appeared on his right cheek, the burning pain spreading down his ear.

He looked up blankly at his furious mother, his eyes instantly reddening. He instinctively covered his face, stood with his hands at his sides, and his voice carried a hint of confusion and grievance:

"Mother..."

"I'm asking you, what exactly are you thinking!"

Xu Jingxian pointed at his nose, her chest heaving violently, her tone sharp as a knife.

"Lin Daiyu is your uncle's fiancée, and the Princess Consort of Beijing, bestowed upon you by His Majesty. As the Crown Prince, how dare you harbor any covetous thoughts towards her?"

"How could you do such a shameless and irresponsible thing!"

She stepped forward, her fingertips almost poking the prince's forehead, and scolded him with exasperation:

"You and Shui Rong grew up together, like brothers! He is the head of the princes, holds a portion of the military power in the capital region, and is respected by the court officials. He should be your strongest support on the road to the throne!"

"What you did today was quite something. You tried to express your feelings with a poem at the family banquet, only to embarrass yourself in front of everyone. Do you realize that everyone present could see right through your intentions?"

Zhu Changyu lowered his eyes to the broken porcelain on the ground, his throat tightened, and he whispered his explanation:

"Your subject merely...admires Miss Daiyu's talent and beauty, and has no other ulterior motives..."

"Whether you have distracting thoughts or not, you know it yourself!"

Xu Jingxian interrupted him sharply, her tone suddenly becoming more serious, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"The path to imperial power is fraught with thorns; do you think your father's throne came easily?"

"That was truly taken back from your uncle. It was with the help of your maternal grandfather, Xu Jiaju, who held military power in Liaodong, and with Shui Yanchen risking his life to protect you, that we have the peace we enjoy today!"

"Now that your father has been on the throne for over ten years, he has always been wary of the Xu family's control of the Liaodong military. That's why he specifically allocated the Dongping Prince's fiefdom to Liaodong to counterbalance your maternal grandfather's clan!"

She paused, her gaze sharpening as she looked at the Crown Prince, and said, word by word:

"If you continue to be so foolish, losing your composure because of a woman, arousing His Majesty's suspicion, and chilling Shui Rong's heart..."

"Once your maternal grandfather falls from power, and you lose the Xu family's support, what will you rely on to secure your position as crown prince?"

Zhu Changyu was startled; the pain in his cheek was nothing compared to the heaviness in his heart.

He knew perfectly well that everything his mother said was true, but his feelings for her were inexplicable and grew ever deeper.

Today, after a fleeting glimpse behind the screen, Daiyu's image is etched into my very bones, impossible to forget.

He clenched his hands hanging by his sides, his nails digging deep into his palms. The pain brought him to his senses slightly, but he could not suppress the image of that delicate beauty in his heart.

Seeing his expression relax, Xu Jingxian softened her tone slightly, but it still carried a coldness:

"What you should be thinking about now is not how to fixate on a woman you shouldn't be thinking about, but how to find something to hold against Shui Rong."

"His high regard for Lin Daiyu is precisely his weakness!"

"If you could use this incident to your advantage, you could avoid a direct confrontation with him while still keeping him in check and making him more devoted to your cause. Wouldn't that be better than acting so foolishly today?"

"Do you know how the King of Qin and the King of Zhao looked at you at today's banquet?"

"They've always coveted your position as crown prince. By handing them leverage over your weaknesses today, you've given them an opportunity to check and balance you!"

Xu Jingxian's voice was full of urgency.

"After the New Year, your father will send Prince Qin and Prince Zhongshun to visit and comfort the soldiers and civilians of Jizhou, ostensibly to show concern for the border situation."

"The truth is, given your recent rise in power, they want the King of Qin to also control some military power, so they can check and balance you! Aren't you nervous now?"

She looked at her son, whom she was so proud of, her eyes filled with disappointment and helplessness, and sighed deeply.

Zhu Changyu listened silently, his eyes lowered, not daring to refute.

He knew his mother was right; although the Qin king's maternal clan was weak, they were always cunning and shrewd.

Although the King of Zhao was weak and outnumbered, he had formed an alliance with the King of Qin, and the two had long coveted the position of Crown Prince.

Today's events were indeed due to his impulsiveness, and he lost the composure that a crown prince should have.

Seeing that he remained silent, Xu Jingxian, though unwilling, knew that further words would be futile, and could only say in a deep voice:

"It's getting late, I'll be heading back now. You'd better behave yourself; if you dare to do anything even slightly out of line, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

With that, she turned and walked away, her skirt sweeping across the broken porcelain on the ground with a cold, clanging sound.

As she stepped out of the East Palace gate, Xu Jingxian's anger gradually faded, replaced by a calm and calculating expression.

She stopped and whispered instructions to the young eunuch following behind her, who was bowing low:

"Go and convey my decree: have the people from the Eastern Depot secretly keep an eye on the Crown Prince. His every word and action, big or small, must be truthfully reported to me without any concealment!"

The young eunuch quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this servant obeys!"

Xu Jingxian nodded slightly and added, "In addition, I need to go to Yanxi Palace to discuss important matters with Sister Yuanchun."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The young eunuch hurriedly stepped forward and instructed the palace attendants to prepare the carriage.

Xu Jingxian gazed at the fine snow falling from the sky, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.

Jia Yuanchun was meticulous, intelligent, and insightful. At today's family banquet, she was the first to notice the unusualness in the Crown Prince's poem and quietly reminded him.

Now that the Crown Prince has lost his manners, the balance of power among the three princes is becoming increasingly apparent, and Shui Rong is about to head south. With the Lin family, the Prince of Beijing's mansion, and the three princes' forces intertwined, the situation in the court is becoming increasingly complex.

She needed to have a serious discussion with Jia Yuanchun, to both protect the crown prince's position and to balance the various factions.

She also had to guard against the Crown Prince losing his composure again because of Daiyu's affair—on the path of imperial power in the deep palace, one wrong step could lead to utter ruin, and she absolutely could not allow her son to be destroyed by a woman.

Before long, the imperial carriage slowly drove towards Yanxi Palace. The wheels rolled over the snow, leaving two deep ruts that quietly extended into the unknown depths of the chess game amidst the swirling snow.

………………

The carriage crunched softly over the snow, while outside, the wind and snow swirled, but inside, a subtle tranquility prevailed.

Lin Daiyu leaned against the carriage wall, which was covered with a fox fur cushion, and her gaze inadvertently met that of Lin Ruhai opposite her.

She quickly lowered her eyes, her fingertips twirling a plain silk handkerchief, her ear tips slightly reddening.

Seeing his daughter's hesitant expression, Lin Ruhai broke the silence first.

His tone was as relaxed and gentle as possible, with a careful concern hidden in his eyes:

"Daiyu, let me ask you a question: do you like this child, Shui Rong?"

"If you don't like it, don't force yourself. I will resign from my post immediately and take you back to our hometown in Suzhou. We will find a quiet house and live a peaceful life together. No one will dare to wrong you."

"Our Lin family is a prominent clan; we can easily support you for life. It's fine if you don't want to get married."

Lin Daiyu suddenly looked up and met her father's eyes, which were full of tenderness. Her nose tingled and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She had no doubt about her father's words. Since she could remember, her father had cherished her and held her dear.

At that time, most women in the world were illiterate, and private schools did not accept women, but my father insisted on going against the norm.

Not only did he insist on teaching her to read and write, but he also personally lectured her, teaching her not the usual "Admonitions for Women" or "The Plain Girl" that young ladies learned.

On the contrary, it was the Four Books and Five Classics, poetry and prose that men studied.

She was frail from childhood and constantly needed medication, with annual medical expenses amounting to an astronomical figure.

But the father never showed the slightest disdain, only silently seeking out famous doctors and collecting precious medicinal herbs.

This profound fatherly love is her most solid support in this world.

Lin Daiyu sniffed, her voice trembling with a hint of sob and shyness, and replied softly:

"Father, I... I naturally have a strong affection for the Prince."

"But His Highness is a man of deep thoughts and many things are hidden from me. I... I don't know what he is really thinking."

Although she hadn't spent much time with Shui Rong, she could still sense the composure and calculation in his eyes. Beneath that gentle smile, there seemed to be a power struggle and forbearance that she couldn't understand.

Lin Ruhai stroked his graying beard, nodded slowly upon hearing this, and said with a relieved tone:

"As long as there's a good feeling, that's enough. Feelings aren't something that happen overnight; they need to be nurtured and developed gradually. You can't rush it."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Daiyu seemed to suddenly remember something. She looked up at her father, her eyes filled with expectation and unease, and asked softly:

"Father, actually... what I really want is to be with one person for life."

"But His Highness is a prince, and royal rules are strict. He... he definitely won't agree, right?"