Chapter 175: The Crown Princess's Feigned Death

One day a month later, the Eastern Palace caught fire, and the side hall where the Crown Princess was temporarily staying happened to be the one burning.

When the Crown Prince heard the news and rushed back from outside, the fire was already blazing fiercely, flames shooting up into the sky, turning the night as bright as day.

In a daze, the Crown Prince saw a slender female figure standing in the firelight, giving him only a resolute back, not even willing to glance at him.

The Crown Prince went mad, shouting "A Yu" while ignoring the palace attendants' obstruction, trying to rush into the fire to save her.

"Get out of my way, don't block me—whoever dares to stop me, I'll kill!!"

As soon as the Crown Prince said that, the palace attendants dared not stop him, but just as he was about to reach the door, there was a loud "Boom"—

The crossbeam snapped, and the entire side hall collapsed before everyone's eyes, as fragile as a palace built of gold leaf, easily shattered; the guards promptly pulled the Crown Prince to safety, sparing him injury.

But even after the heavy rain extinguished the fire, the Crown Prince refused to leave, instead throwing himself into the ruins, digging desperately with his hands, his eyes red, his hands bloody and mangled.

As long as he couldn't see her corpse, he refused to believe she was dead. Even when Consort Song came to persuade him, he paid no heed.

Seeing the Crown Prince in this frenzied state, the people of the Eastern Palace finally realized he did have feelings for the Crown Princess—too bad this love came too late, too late.

Finally, the palace attendants found a charred female corpse in the ruins, whose build closely resembled that of the Crown Princess.

Beside it lay the glazed lamp that had often been placed on the bedside at their wedding, now covered in ash and unable to light again.

The Crown Prince knelt before the female corpse, covering his face as he wept uncontrollably, until dawn began to break, when he fainted and was carried away.

……

The Crown Princess had died, but outwardly they could only say she died of illness.

The Emperor ordered a lavish burial.

On the day of the funeral, white banners were hung inside and outside the Eastern Palace, and plain paper money fluttered everywhere in the autumn wind.

The Gongsun family members wore hemp clothing, supporting the coffin as they wept uncontrollably.

Crown Prince Di Yu, dressed in plain attire, walked beside the coffin with a wan expression, as if he had lost his soul.

After walking only a short distance, he staggered, swayed, and nearly fainted, but thanks to the quick reflexes of those nearby, he was steadied and didn't fall to the ground.

"Your Highness, are you all right?" the attendant asked anxiously.

Di Yu shook his head, his face pallid; the palace attendants urged him to rest, but he insisted on seeing the Crown Princess off to the end.

To outsiders, the Crown Princess's "illness-related death" seemed expected, given her perpetual frailty; but to those in the Eastern Palace, her death came too suddenly.

Half a month earlier, the Crown Princess's health had already improved greatly; she could walk around the courtyard, tending to the flowers and plants, and her spirits seemed fine—who would have thought...

The Crown Princess was kind-hearted, and her passing left even the servants of the Eastern Palace grieving.

Not far away, people were murmuring in discussion.

"I've seen the Crown Princess; she's gentle and kind, pleasant to everyone—what a lovely lady, alas, beauty fades early."

"They say the Crown Princess didn't die of illness, but perished in a great fire!"

"Really?!"

"It's undeniable— that night the Eastern Palace blazed so fiercely I saw it from the Cloud Pavilion, and the next day word spread that the Crown Princess had died of illness; that's far too suspicious."

The speaker lifted his head, speaking with conviction: "No joke—I have some connections in the palace, and after inquiring, I found it's indeed true!"

Upon hearing that, others chimed in with agreement, also claiming the Crown Princess died in the fire, boosting its credibility a bit.

But just then someone questioned suspiciously: "The Eastern Palace caught fire and actually burned the Crown Princess to death? That's hardly believable—with all those palace maids and eunuchs around, what are they even doing?"

That person was immediately given a white-eye look.

"You wouldn't understand this, would you? It's said that after the Crown Prince took Consort Song, he grew lukewarm toward the Crown Princess; he wanted to elevate his beloved but didn't want to offend the Gongsun family... You tell me, wasn't this fire awfully convenient?"

"Besides, there's another thing you probably don't know: just a month ago, the Crown Princess suffered a miscarriage, and rumor has it that Consort Song is involved as well!"

Linking the two, everyone's expressions instantly turned subtle, as if they had seen through something.

Once the conspiracy theory surfaced, people overlooked the fire's suspicious aspects, and seeing the Crown Prince's grief-stricken appearance, they all thought he was putting on an act.

No one noticed Xiao Jingyuan and Shen Shuangning amidst the crowd.

The two watched for a while, then slipped away silently.

Today, as the Crown Princess's funeral proceeded, the weather was unusually clear.

No one would know that the true Gongsun Yu was currently staying in the residence next to the Duke of Rongguo's mansion.

This residence had originally been purchased by Xiao Jingyuan for Shen Shuangning to live in; who would have thought Gongsun Yu would be the first to move in?

Upon seeing the two approach, Gongsun Yu immediately offered a deep bow: "Many thanks to the Heir Apparent and Heir Apparent's consort for your help; this great kindness cannot be repaid, I wish to serve as an ox or horse in my next life to repay it!"

Shen Shuangning hurriedly helped her up, saying, "Don't do that—we can't accept such gratitude."

Xiao Jingyuan also said, "Miss Gongsun, there's no need for this."

Gongsun Yu's eyes glistened with tears as she spoke sincerely: "You two have given me a second life; this life of mine belongs to you. I won't speak of thanks for this great favor, and if you ever need me, I will certainly not refuse."

Gongsun Yu wore a light, water-blue dress; her complexion had improved markedly compared before, gaining a hint of rosiness, yet she remained slender and delicate.

On the night the Eastern Palace caught fire, she had slipped away amid the chaos; that female corpse had been prepared in advance, and no innocents were harmed.

As a precaution, only Gongsun Yu and one of her confidantes knew about this plan. That palace maid also faked her death in the fire and now stands beside Gongsun Yu.

Both master and servant felt deeply grateful to them, unsure how to repay the kindness.

Faint sounds of mourning horns drifted from outside, suggesting the funeral procession had drawn near.

Gongsun Yu gazed toward the outer wall and sighed softly: "If I'm dead, he ought to be relieved, right?"

She had not seen the Crown Prince's lost-and-despondent appearance during the funeral, nor did she know that the Crown Prince, fearing her anger, had barred Consort Song from attending the burial.

Shen Shuangning also had no intention of telling her; let the Crown Prince regret it.

At that moment, Xiao Jingyuan handed over the travel documents and household registration papers, his expression solemn: "From today onward, there will be no Gongsun Yu in the world—only Su Wan of Suzhou. Once everything is ready, I will send someone to escort you out of the capital, and thereafter you must never return."

Finally, he added a mild warning: "Once you leave the Eastern Palace, you have no way back."

Gongsun Yu…… no, she should be called Su Wan now.

Su Wan accepted all of Xiao Jingyuan's arrangements.

She was well aware that they were helping her only out of regard for Shen Shuangning's face, and that this was a risky undertaking.

If she had the slightest regret, Xiao Jingyuan would definitely settle her before she could implicate Shen Shuangning.

Su Wan understood Xiao Jingyuan's protective heart toward his wife; she immediately bowed deeply and said solemnly, "Heir Apparent, please rest assured, I am not an ungrateful person—the Eastern Palace, I would never return even if beaten to death."

Xiao Jingyuan gave a slight nod, his tone still indifferent: "Miss Su, stay here to rest; if you need anything, tell the household staff, and don't leave the manor whether you have business or not."

Su Wan nodded: "I understand."

Su Wan cannot leave for now, mainly because Mu Yu is temporarily unavailable, and her illness can only be cured by Mu Yu.

After Xiao Jingyuan finished his instructions, there was nothing more to say to her; he turned his head to look at Shen Shuangning, and his gaze instantly softened considerably.

"I still have matters to attend to; I may not return to the manor until later tonight, so you need not wait for me to eat." His tone was gentle as well.

Shen Shuangning understood his meaning—that she need not wait for him to eat—because these days, in order to deal with Prince Rui, he always returns late, and she always waits for him.

But when she glanced up at Su Wan, the latter obviously misunderstood.

Shen Shuangning wanted to explain, but Su Wan wore an "I understand" expression, as if newlyweds could ever be unloving.

Shen Shuangning had no choice but to stiffly change the subject: "What are your plans from now on?"

Su Wan had not yet decided; after pondering, she curled her lips and said, "First I will recover from my illness, then I will try all the delicacies I have never eaten before; if possible, I will open a restaurant, gathering signature dishes from all over as private dishes, collecting them all together—this way I can instantly taste the flavors of Jingcheng that I miss."

Hearing Su Wan speak so coherently, Shen Shuangning couldn't help but be startled.

I never expected that someone who hardly eats at all would turn out to be a big foodie.