Chapter Ninety-Nine: Deceive the Heavens and Cross the Sea

Guli knew the Crown Prince was speaking nothing but the truth, and her panic surged at once. "Then what are we to do? I can never simply abandon him!"

"Let us do this, then." The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes and, after a moment's thought, said, "Since it is inconvenient for you to come here, we shall send General Lie Chang'an to your palace."

"What?"

At that, Jasmine on the side widened her eyes. "That will not do. It is far too dangerous. Yanyun Palace is the princess's private residence, and she is still an unmarried maiden. How can she share a sleeping chamber with a man from outside? If word of this leaks out, the princess's reputation will be ruined. And if His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress learn of it, the trouble will be immense. Before General Chang'an is even saved, he may be condemned to death in the Emperor's wrath."

The Crown Prince had long since foreseen every one of these worries.

He nodded and said solemnly, "It is indeed dangerous. But if everything is arranged properly, this is absolutely the only way to deceive all eyes."

"All right, then we will do it."

At this moment Guli could no longer think of anything else, and besides, she trusted her Crown Prince brother. Since he dared propose such a thing, he must already have considered every possible way out.

"Send General Chang'an into Yanyun Palace."

Seeing the princess's resolve, Jasmine glanced again at the general lying on the bed, his life hanging by a thread. Thinking of how he had been brought to this state in order to save the princess, she could not bring herself to object further.

As long as it was what the princess wished, she would support it with all her strength.

The Crown Prince frowned in thought, then slowly said, "Yanyun Palace is large, with many side chambers. Jasmine, you must choose one that the servants rarely enter and place General Chang'an there."

"Yes."

Jasmine nodded firmly.

"And Imperial Physician Hu."

The Crown Prince looked at Hu across from him. He, too, was one of his most loyal confidants, so the Crown Prince trusted him completely.

"You have always been in charge of the princess's condition, and the Empress has already entrusted you with the future care of her health. So from now on, when you come each day to take the princess's pulse and prescribe medicine, try to choose times when the Empress is not present. That way you can take the opportunity to go to the side chamber and treat General Chang'an's injuries as well."

"Yes, Your Highness. I obey."

Imperial Physician Hu bowed respectfully, hands clasped.

"As for Guli, you must find a few palace maids you can trust to attend Lie Chang'an at all times."

The Crown Prince went on, "There are thirty or forty eunuchs and maids in Yanyun Palace altogether. Though no trouble has ever arisen there, there is no guarantee they all belong to us. Jasmine is the chief maid of Yanyun Palace and also the servant you trust most. But precisely because of that, she is the most conspicuous. She must remain at your side constantly to serve you. Otherwise, if the Empress comes to Yanyun Palace and sees Jasmine absent so often, she will surely grow suspicious. So Jasmine will not do. See if there are any other trusted maids you can assign to care for Lie Chang'an."

"There are."

After hearing the Crown Prince's words, Guli had already thought of the candidates. "The other two maids who went with me to Lihai County last time, Xiaoqiu and Xiaoyan. They've been at my side for nearly as long as Jasmine has. They are both steady and capable, and I trust them."

The Crown Prince was finally reassured, and he instructed her earnestly, "Good. In any case, this matter must be kept absolutely secret. The fewer people who know, the less danger there will be. I will find a way as soon as possible for Eunuch Ji to send Lie Chang'an into Yanyun Palace. You and Jasmine should return for now. If you stay too long, I'm afraid the Empress will come looking for you in Yanyun Palace."

Guli knew this was no time for impulsiveness. Though her heart ached and she hated to part, she could only force herself to endure it for the moment.

She looked deeply at the man lying on the bed, and in the end, with red-rimmed eyes, she staggered out of the side chamber with Jasmine's help.