Chapter 63: Escape

The two people inside the hall exchanged a glance; one went to report to her superior, while the other hurried to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

The Eastern Palace was not far from the Medical Bureau, and the one who arrived this time was once again Physician Li. "Her Highness is suffering from suppressed agitation and grief. At four to five months, this is a very critical period; Your Highness must take good care of yourself."

Shen Chabai let out a cold snort and deliberately said, "I naturally wish to take good care of myself, but aren't we now living under someone else's roof and forced to bend to their will?"

"His Majesty has not yet issued an official decree of punishment, yet some people are already impatient to take my life. In another two days, Physician Li will likely only be here to collect my corpse." As Shen Chabai spoke, she cast a pointed glance at the imperial guards standing watch before her bed.

The two guards immediately dropped to their knees. "This subordinate wouldn't dare."

Despite her mocking tone, Shen Chabai's gaze swept calmly toward the entrance, and the moment she caught sight of a familiar robe, she instantly heaved a sigh of relief.

"The Emperor's verbal decree: the Crown Princess is summoned to the Taiji Hall for questioning."

Seeing Mu Zhaorong standing before her in crimson robes, Pei Qiuqi instinctively turned to Shen Chabai for help.

Shen Chabai nodded imperceptibly, and Pei Qiuqi immediately took A-Ning's hand and followed closely behind Mu Zhaorong.

Just as they were about to step out of the Eastern Palace, two guards intercepted them. "Wait! Does Lady Mu have a transfer warrant to take these people away?"

Mu Zhaorong turned around. "Since when does this official require a warrant to convey a verbal decree?"

Mu Zhaorong was the Empress's most trusted and capable female official. Most of the time, her presence was akin to the Sovereign's personal arrival. True to her words, no one dared to question her authority; thus, anyone bold enough to jump out and obstruct her at this juncture must harbor malicious intentions.

Cooperating with the moment, Shen Chabai spoke up, "Earlier, it merely seemed like disrespect toward this Highness. Now, it is quite apparent that they hold no regard even for Her Majesty. In light of this, it appears my previous forbearance was entirely misplaced."

Upon hearing these words, the guard who had voiced the challenge broke out in a cold sweat.

Imperial guards carried out military orders, but their ultimate allegiance belonged to the sovereign. Princess Anping's faction had bought off the commander of the guards, yet the subordinates executing the orders all believed they were acting under the Empress's direct command.

Shen Chabai had seen right through this vulnerability, which was why she had sent Chunchan to relay a message to Luzhu and summon Mu Zhaorong to turn the tables. She knew that within the deep recesses of the palace, maids and eunuchs possessed their own channels of communication—and fortunately, she had arrived in time.

Expressions of suspicion flickered across the faces of the guards present, and the questioning guard no longer dared to utter another word, allowing Mu Zhaorong to lead the group away unhindered.

Watching the receding figures of the two, Shen Chabai released a breath of relief, her legs instantly turning to jelly as she collapsed back onto the bed.

***

"Your Highness~" Chunchan's eyes were brimming with worry.

Shen Chabai shook her head. "Act with utmost caution these next few days. The rest depends entirely on His Highness."

If the plan went smoothly, A-Ning and Pei Qiuqi would remain safe, and Li Tinghan would successfully lead his troops back to rescue the sovereign—provided they acted swiftly, given that the imperial palace was already under the control of Princess Anping.

For three consecutive days, Shen Chabai heard not a whisper of news, and her heart gradually sank into an abyss.

"Your Highness, even if you do not care for your own well-being, you must at least consider the little imperial prince in your womb." Kneeling on the floor, Chunchan presented a freshly prepared dish, pleading with Shen Chabai to eat a few bites.

"What are you doing? Quickly, get up." Shen Chabai helped Chunchan to her feet, but the moment the food was brought near her mouth, a wave of dry retching overcame her.

Consumed by anxiety for Li Tinghan outside and fear for her own fate, the intertwining emotions had already killed her appetite, now compounded by severe morning sickness.

Shen Chabai could only comfort herself by thinking that no news was good news; as long as Li Tinghan was still alive, she retained a glimmer of hope. Even if Li Tinghan were dead, regardless of whether Princess Anping intended to seize the throne herself or enthrone another puppet, she would still be forced to show a measure of preferential treatment toward the widow and unborn child of the late crown prince.

Thus, she had to muster every ounce of her strength to endure for the days to come.

Yet... her little A-Ning...

At the mere thought that A-Ning might have already met a tragic fate, Shen Chabai could no longer hold back her tears. Weeping bitterly, she frantically forced the food from the table into her mouth until a heavy sense of fullness finally made her stop.

"Imperial Sister-in-law, I've come to see you." Dressed in bright red imperial court attire, Princess Anping strode straight into her bedchamber with a beaming smile.

Shen Chabai instantly turned pale. She forced a smile to her lips, though from any angle it looked utterly wretched. "I heard Her Majesty is gravely ill; shouldn't Princess be at the Taiji Palace attending to the sovereign at a time like this?"

Resting her chin in one hand, Princess Anping smiled brightly. "With the Crown Princess and my little niece attending to Mother Empress over there, why would I need to trouble myself?"

Shen Chabai's eyelashes fluttered, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest, but she quickly steadied her emotions. "This is merely what A-Ning ought to do. However, Princess is Her Majesty's own flesh and blood; in Her Majesty's heart, you are naturally different."

"Is that so? Then why is she so reluctant to pass the empire on to me?" Princess Anping tilted her head, her eyes filled with genuine incomprehension.

Shen Chabai had long anticipated this ambition and showed no surprise, calmly replying, "I do not know. Princess should ask Her Majesty that question."

Princess Anping smoothly shifted gears. "Then let us change the question. Where is my eldest brother?"

***

Hearing this inquiry, Shen Chabai exhaled a sharp breath of relief, then answered truthfully, "I do not know."

Princess Anping shook her head in disappointment. "Imperial Sister-in-law, I used to admire you a great deal."

"?" Shen Chabai did not understand the sudden remark.

Princess Anping seemed to open the floodgates of her thoughts all at once. "My eldest brother is indecisive, weak, and overly sentimental. A man like him might be considered a decent person by outsiders, but as a family member, he is utterly unqualified."

She had to admit that Princess Anping's assessment of Li Tinghan was spot-on. Li Tinghan never mistreated anyone in his inner courtyard, not even Lu Ruoshuang, who had once filled him with aversion; as time washed away the past, his heart had gradually softened toward her.

Yet precisely because of this, Shen Chabai had never dared to surrender her heart to him completely. Even after guessing the mastermind behind the harm done to A-Ning, she could only orchestrate events so that he would hear the truth firsthand, rather than directly begging him to dispense justice.

"Imperial Sister-in-law, you tell me—can a man like him truly shoulder the burdens of an entire nation?" Princess Anping asked, as if plagued by genuine doubt.

Shen Chabai remained silent. She had spent the greater part of her life sequestered within inner courtyards, and even after moving into the imperial palace, the struggles of the political arena always seemed veiled behind a layer of mist. She could see them and hear them, yet they felt suspended high in the clouds, utterly untouchable. She had no clear concept of what kind of monarch should sit upon the Dragon Throne.

Fortunately, Princess Anping was not truly seeking her opinion. "I always believed Imperial Sister-in-law was a woman who understood the times. A person like you should stop at nothing to survive."

"So, I will give Imperial Sister-in-law one more chance: where is my eldest brother?" Princess Anping arched a brow slightly, her tone turning stern.

Shen Chabai shook her head. "Princess's judgment of people is not wrong, but I truly do not know."

"What a pity." Princess Anping clapped her hands, and instantly two guards strode in, pinning Shen Chabai and forcing her to her knees on the floor.

Struggling defiantly, Shen Chabai raised her head. "The Crown Prince was abducted by brigands; how could they possibly inform me where they were taking him?"