Lady Lu lowered her gaze, turning to leave and give General Wei Yuan a moment alone. She had barely taken two steps when his hoarse voice called out from behind.
"You were right."
Lady Lu stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened, brightening with astonishment and hope. "You've come to your senses this quickly?"
"There was never anything difficult to understand." General Wei Yuan gave a bitter smile. "Deep down, I've always known Her Highness the Crown Princess is far more suited for the throne than the Eldest Prince."
He paused, shoulders weighed by years of loyalty.
"But I let the Eldest Prince's past kindness blind me. I thought of nothing else but backing him. It never even occurred to me to question whether I was making the right choice."
He exhaled slowly, as if shedding a burden.
"It wasn't until just now, when you said I was endangering the realm, that I finally woke up. I saw what a grave mistake I've been making all these years."
He looked at Lady Lu with solemn eyes.
"You were right. I cannot continue down the wrong path."
"I'm glad you've finally understood." The stone pressing on Lady Lu's chest fell away. Her lips tugged into a smile for the briefest moment before she quickly smoothed it away.
Emotional displays had never come easily to her. After saying her piece, she hurriedly turned away again. "It's getting late. I'll go see if the kitchen has finished preparing the meal."
The next morning, court had yet to convene when General Wei Yuan appeared in the Xuan Zheng Hall.
His head was wrapped tightly in layers of cloth, drawing the attention of every official in the room the moment he entered.
"Who is that? What on earth…?"
"No idea. Why's he wrapped up like that? Judging by the robes, he's a military official. Did he jab himself in the face while sparring or something?"
As murmurs spread, General Wei Yuan walked silently to his place in the hall, standing without a word.
The whispers grew louder.
Even the Eldest Prince strolled over with feigned concern.
"What happened, General Lu?"
"Nothing."
From beneath the layers of fabric came General Wei Yuan's rough voice.
"Not a pretty sight."
"That's rich, coming from you," sneered a civil official who had long disliked him.
"You've never been a pretty sight."
"Mind your tongue, Wang Daren," the Eldest Prince said, frowning slightly as he prepared to defend General Wei Yuan—at least in appearance.
But before he could continue, Li Dehai's sharp voice echoed through the hall.
"His Majesty arrives!"
Instantly, the previously disorderly Xuan Zheng Hall fell into perfect order.
After paying their respects, the very same Wang Daren who had mocked General Wei Yuan stepped forward with his hu board in hand.
"Your Majesty, this humble official has a report to make."
"You may speak."
"Your Majesty…"
Before beginning, Wang Daren instinctively glanced toward where Yun Shu usually stood—only to find her absent. Surprised, he shifted the direction of his remarks.
"Your Majesty, may I inquire as to why Her Highness the Crown Princess is not present today?"
"She has taken leave," Emperor Xuanwu replied calmly, as if expecting this question. He cast a brief glance at General Wei Yuan, a faint arch in his brow.
"As for the reason... perhaps General Lu could explain it himself."
The officials turned once more to stare at the man whose head appeared swollen from all the bandages.
This time, their thoughts shifted.
Could it be that General Wei Yuan's injuries were caused by the Crown Princess?
Somehow... that felt entirely plausible.
Under their curious and bewildered gazes, General Wei Yuan slowly unwrapped the cloth around his head.
"Aiyo, my heavens!"
The official standing closest to him, who had leaned in to get a better look, recoiled violently at the sight.
His outburst echoed in the quiet hall as he stumbled backward, momentarily forgetting he stood before the Emperor.
Thankfully, Emperor Xuanwu didn't pursue the slip. He himself was taken aback.
He had known the general had been dosed with "Itch Dust," which caused a rash over the body. But he hadn't realized it would be this severe.
"No wonder Xiao Wu had been so frightened. It truly did look terrifying."
The Emperor cleared his throat and steadied his expression. He knew the cause, so he remained composed.
The others, however, recoiled instinctively. Some looked like they wished they could flee a hundred miles away.
"Has General Lu contracted some kind of illness? Could it be contagious?"
"It is not."
General Wei Yuan answered curtly, eyes forward.
Then he stepped into the center of the hall, dropped to one knee, and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, this subject has erred.
Yesterday, due to my carelessness, I was secretly targeted by a villain who poisoned me with a Dust known as 'Itch Dust.'
This Dust is not fatal, but it causes severe rashes and unbearable itching. The effects will persist for seven days before subsiding.
Unaware of this, I visited Her Highness the Crown Princess yesterday. It is likely that some of the Dust was carried by the wind and inadvertently reached Her Highness.
This subject humbly asks both Your Majesty and Her Highness to forgive this offense."
"'Targeted by a villain?'"
Emperor Xuanwu picked out those four words with a meaningful tone.
"Have you caught the perpetrator?"
"We have, Your Majesty."
General Wei Yuan answered without hesitation.
"His name is Qian Wanqing. He was once a servant gifted to me by the Eldest Prince."
"Oh?"
Emperor Xuanwu raised a brow.
So he named the Eldest Prince outright?
The Emperor was surprised, though his face remained unreadable. He turned to the Eldest Prince with an unreadable tone.
"Oldest Son, have you anything to say?"
"Father Emperor, this matter has nothing to do with Your Son."
The Eldest Prince's heart was in turmoil. He could not understand why General Wei Yuan would drag him into this.
Even if he had deduced the truth and traced the culprit back to Qian Wanqing, he should have feigned ignorance in front of the Emperor.
Could it be that the general resented being used?
Still, this was far too—
The Eldest Prince did not have time to dwell on it. Called out by Emperor Xuanwu, he quickly stepped forward to defend himself.
"It is true that Qian Wanqing was once gifted to General Lu by Your Son, but that was many years ago.
At the time, General Lu expressed interest in the servant, noting his cleverness and diligence. Thinking it a trivial matter, I casually offered him as a gift.
But once he left my service, I never asked about him again, nor did I know he would one day turn against General Lu with that 'Itch Dust.'"
His voice rang with sincerity, as if genuinely aggrieved.
To someone unaware of the truth, he might have seemed deeply wronged indeed.