"Since you've heard of her, it will be easier. Our Xuanyuan family has always had many descendants. With the Emperor's health failing and the Crown Prince needing to observe a three-year mourning period, he won't be able to take many concubines in the coming years. To ensure the continuation of the lineage, I've decided to bestow a few secondary consorts and concubines upon him recently. What are your thoughts, Crown Princess?" The Empress looked at her intently. To be honest, she was somewhat envious of Wu Caiwei; the Emperor had once said similar words to her, but ultimately broke his promise.
Although she didn't know how long the Crown Prince would last, at least for the time being, his words and actions conveyed his determination and his importance to the Crown Princess. This was something many women could only dream of.
"Your Majesty, you flatter me. This matter is not for me to decide. We dare not refuse a gift from our elders, but marriage is meant to be a union of love between two people. If they were to enter the Crown Prince's manor and live unhappily, wouldn't it be a betrayal of Your Majesty's good intentions?" Wu Caiwei understood her intention to forcefully push Yao Feiyan onto her and have her brought back to the Crown Prince's manor. She had long prepared herself mentally. If she couldn't refuse, she would have to bring the person back, but whether she could endure the life afterwards would be her own problem.
The Empress faltered, unsure of how to continue. Lately, she found the Crown Princess increasingly displeasing. She wondered how she had taken a liking to her in the first place and had even spoken highly of her to the Emperor. Thinking about it, she felt a pang of regret.
Finally, she found a flimsy excuse and irritably dismissed her. As soon as she left the palace, Wu Caiwei's expression uncharacteristically darkened. She immediately sent people to investigate Yao Feiyan's past, wanting to confirm her suspicions.
The Crown Prince soon received the news and rushed to comfort her, telling her to be patient. At the same time, he voiced his own doubts, "Is there something wrong with that Yao Feiyan?"
"Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed. You will naturally know once I've investigated it clearly," Wu Caiwei said mysteriously. Although she had a feeling, it was better not to let him get his hopes up before the matter was clarified.
The moment Yao Feiyan stepped through the gates of the Yao family, she saw her grandfather's personal maid. She quickly followed the maid to the study.
"I'm sacrificing my old face to beg the Empress, and she will surely grant your wish. You must think clearly. With the Crown Prince's attitude, even if you enter the Crown Prince's manor, you won't have a good life. Entering the palace is not like marrying someone outside; my reach is limited, and you'll have to rely on yourself from now on," Old Master Yao said to her with concern.
Seeing the genuine care in his eyes, Yao Feiyan was moved. With tears welling up, she nodded.
By this time, detailed information about Yao Feiyan had already been placed before Wu Caiwei. There had been no issues in the preceding years. She felt that Yao Feiyan had changed too rapidly in recent times.
"Mu Fei!" One day, as Yao Feiyan was walking down the street, she suddenly heard a familiar voice. She reflexively turned her head, then, as if remembering something, quickly turned back and continued walking.
Although she tried to appear calm, those who were carefully observing her could still see her stiffness. She hesitated for a moment, then looked at the maid beside her. "Did you just hear a woman loudly call out 'Mu Fei'?"
The maid shook her head, looking puzzled. "I only heard the sounds of vendors and hawkers. Besides, I know of Mu Fei. She's the eldest young madam of the Xu family. I heard she was disfigured long ago and ran away. How could she be on the streets of the capital?"
"Are you sure you didn't?"
"I'm absolutely certain."
Seeing her earnest expression, Yao Feiyan breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps she had just imagined it. Only then did she turn back to look at the passers-by. Seeing that everyone was busy and showing no unusual expressions, she felt that she had been dwelling too much on that matter recently.
Wu Caiwei, sitting by the window on the second floor of a building by the roadside, watched her reaction. Although she had no concrete evidence, her behavior just now confirmed her suspicion. She was indeed the long-lost Mu Fei. She only wondered what had happened to the real Miss Yao. Based on her understanding of Mu Fei, the other party was likely already beyond saving. This time, she didn't want to rely on anyone else's help; she had to capture Mu Fei in one fell swoop and prevent her from harming others.
That night, a迷烟 (mí yān - soporific smoke) filled Yao Feiyan's room, and she soon fell into a deep sleep. Wu Caiwei entered cautiously and examined her closely. Her face showed no flaws, but Wu Caiwei believed she must have used some special method to make others unable to discern anything.
The next morning, the Imperial Physician was preparing medicinal herbs for the Emperor when an uninvited guest appeared before him. Upon seeing the visitor's face, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Princess. It is an honor to receive you," the Imperial Physician said, bowing. He looked at her with confusion, wondering about the purpose of her visit.
"I heard that before entering the Imperial Academy, you traveled in the Jianghu and were renowned. Do you know of methods for changing faces?"
"There are such methods, but they are too cruel, and few people use them. Even those who do are often criticized." Although the Imperial Physician was very curious why the dignified Crown Princess would ask such a question, he knew that the less one knew in the palace, the safer one was.
"Oh? I would like to hear the details."
"To perfectly change one's face is not easy. One needs to peel the skin from the face of the woman whose face is to be taken, and carefully refine it until it is as thin as a cicada's wing. Then, it must be applied to another person's face, coated with a special medicinal solution, and allowed to fuse slowly over seven days. Others would be unable to tell the difference, as it would then truly be her skin," the Imperial Physician said calmly, recounting what he knew.
"It seems perfect, but someone else's skin is still someone else's, and it's different from one's own original skin. There must be some flaw," Wu Caiwei probed thoughtfully. If there were no side effects at all, wouldn't women seeking to gain another's beauty or status take the risk?
"Naturally. This face-changing technique, apart from other aspects, is susceptible to dramatic turns of events. If one encounters such a situation, although the face won't fall off immediately, it will clearly reveal the contours of the other person's skin." The Imperial Physician looked at her with admiration, surprised by the Crown Princess's quick wit.
Having learned what she needed to know, Wu Caiwei quickly thanked him.
When Old Master Yao heard that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had come together, he was somewhat surprised. Although countless guesses flashed through his mind, he still hurried to welcome them.
As soon as they were seated, the Crown Prince gestured for Old Master Yao to dismiss the servants. With only a few people in the room, the Crown Prince revealed his and Wu Caiwei's suspicions.
Old Master Yao, being advanced in years, trembled all over and rolled his eyes upon hearing this terrifying conjecture. Wu Caiwei, prepared for this, stepped forward and administered a few acupuncture needles, after which he gradually recovered. He asked shakily, "How confident are you?"