Volume 1, Chapter 19: Subduing the Beautiful Serpent

Clinging to the base of the wall, she moved like a seductive serpent, deftly bypassing all the patrolling guards, and soon slipped beneath the study window.

She withdrew a silver needle as fine as a cow’s hair from her bodice, gently pierced the window paper, and pressed her eye to the opening.

Inside, Crown Prince Li Xuan was slumped over his desk, appearing to have fallen into a deep slumber. The candle flame before him flickered, casting his shadow long and thin. The sandalwood box sat quietly by his hand, within easy reach.

Liu’er felt a surge of joy.

So the intelligence was true! This incompetent Crown Prince had indeed sabotaged himself with his own reckless training!

She did not act immediately. Instead, she patiently observed for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Only after confirming that Li Xuan was truly sound asleep and that there were no ambushes nearby did she withdraw a slender blowpipe from her bodice.

Aiming the blowpipe at the gap in the window, she gave a soft puff, and a wisp of colorless, odorless paralyzing smoke drifted silently into the room.

This was the "Three-Step Collapse," a secret concoction from the Second Prince’s manor; even an internal martial arts expert would fall into a deep sleep for half an hour after inhaling it.

Having done this, she moved like a civet cat, using a specialized tool to gently slide the window latch. With a flash of her figure, she slipped into the study.

A faint scent of medicine mixed with ink wafted toward her.

Liu’er’s gaze locked onto the sandalwood box immediately.

She approached step by step, with extreme caution.

Three steps.

Two steps.

One step.

Her fingertips brushed the cold, hard wood of the box.

A wave of overwhelming joy flooded her heart.

She had it!

Once she secured this roster, she would become a secondary consort in the Second Prince’s manor—a leap to the heavens!

She couldn't wait to flip open the lid—

The box was empty.

Only a single slip of paper lay quietly at the bottom.

Alarm bells rang in Liu’er’s heart, and a chill shot from the soles of her feet straight to her skull!

It was a trap!

Without a second thought, she turned to bolt!

However, it was already too late.

"Since you're here, why the rush to leave?"

A playful, resonant voice echoed from behind her.

Liu’er whirled around to see Li Xuan, who had supposedly been "fast asleep" at his desk, standing up. He was watching her with a smile. His eyes were terrifyingly bright in the candlelight; there was not a trace of weakness in him.

"You..." was all Liu’er could manage to utter.

The next moment, a massive net descended from above, pinning her firmly to the ground!

At the same time, several dark shadows pounced from all sides, and cold blades were instantly pressed against her neck.

Jing Yun dropped from the rafters like a ghost and knelt on one knee before Li Xuan: "Your Highness, the snake has entered the jar!"

Li Xuan walked slowly to the trapped Liu’er. From her face, frozen in shock, he picked up the slip of paper and unfolded it gently.

On the paper were four bold, flamboyant characters:

"Welcome."

...

Inside the study, the candles burned brightly, but the atmosphere was as cold as an ice cellar.

Liu’er was trapped in the specially crafted ox-tendon net, unable to move. Her once pretty face was now filled with terror and despair. She could not fathom where her flawless infiltration had gone wrong.

Li Xuan ignored her, simply waving the "Welcome" note before her eyes before tossing it into the candle flame, watching as it turned to ash.

"My second brother’s methods are still so beneath contempt," he remarked casually, as if he had caught a moth that had blundered into the room rather than a top-tier assassin.

He turned to Jing Yun: "Apart from her, was there any other movement?"

"Reporting to Your Highness," Jing Yun’s voice was hoarse and excited, "Just moments ago, three other parties attempted to infiltrate the East Palace. Two were scared off by the outer traps we set, and the other group was taken down by Tie Niu. They were tough nuts to crack; judging by their techniques, they were retainers from the First Prince’s manor."

"Very good." Li Xuan nodded with satisfaction. "It seems tonight’s harvest is even greater than expected."

Only then did he cast his gaze back to Liu’er in the net, his face still wearing that harmless, gentle smile: "Miss, shall we strike a bargain?"

Liu’er bit her lip until it bled, her eyes filled with venom: "Kill me or carve me up, do as you please! Don't even dream of getting anything out of me!"

"Kill you?" Li Xuan laughed even more heartily. "Killing you would be letting you off too easily, and it would be too kind to my good second brother. He sent you here as a disposable pawn, and you still want to be loyal to him? What a foolish girl."

Liu’er’s body shuddered, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes.

Li Xuan walked over, crouched down to meet her gaze, and spoke in a tone full of seduction: "Think about it. Your infiltration plan went so smoothly—wasn't it a bit *too* smooth? Did you really think the defenses of my East Palace were made of paper?"

He pointed to the rafters: "Jing Yun, the best assassin under my command, had his eyes on you the moment you entered the courtyard."

He pointed to the floor: "You thought your paralyzing smoke was undetectable? Unfortunately, this study has long been fitted with a specialized ventilation system. The smoke you blew in was vented outside before it ever reached me."

Finally, he pointed to the empty sandalwood box: "As for this, it was prepared for you from the very beginning. Even my 'slumber' was a performance for your benefit. Every single step was within my calculations."

Every word from Li Xuan was like a heavy hammer, smashing into Liu’er’s heart.

Her complexion shifted from terror to deathly white, and finally, to the color of ash.

She realized she was nothing but a clown, performing on the enemy's stage from the start, all while foolishly believing she had succeeded.

"What did my good second brother promise you? The position of a secondary consort?" Li Xuan chuckled with disdain. "A tool that can be sacrificed at any moment deserves to be a secondary consort? If you die, he will shed a few crocodile tears at most, then immediately elevate another woman to that position."

"You..." Liu’er’s mental defenses began to crumble bit by bit under Li Xuan’s soul-crushing words.

"I will give you a chance." Li Xuan stood up, looking down at her with deep and authoritative eyes. "A chance to truly live, and to live with dignity. The choice is simple: either die now, be thrown into the mass grave to feed the dogs, and vanish into obscurity. Or, work for me."

He paused, his voice dropping to a whisper: "Return to the Second Prince’s side and continue to be his ace. Do whatever he tells you to do. But you must report every one of his plans to me the moment you know them. You will be my eyes."

Liu’er’s breathing became ragged. Looking at the man before her, she felt a fear that emanated from the depths of her soul for the first time.

This Crown Prince—his schemes and depth of heart were truly monstrous!

"You... you would trust me?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"I don't need to trust you." Li Xuan smiled, revealing white teeth. "I will have you take a 'Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill' specially made by our Bureau of Pacification. Every seven days, I will send someone to give you the antidote. As long as you obey, you will live well, perhaps even better than you did at my second brother's side. But if you harbor the slightest disloyalty..."

He did not continue, but the coldness in his smile said it all.

Liu’er completely broke down.

Caught between the fear of death and the resentment of being heartlessly discarded by Li Zhan, her final shred of loyalty disintegrated.

"I... I agree," she lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum.

"Very good." Li Xuan snapped his fingers.

Jing Yun stepped forward, untied the net, and roughly forced a black pill into her mouth.

Only then did Li Xuan say gently: "Excellent. From this day forward, you are one of my own. Rest assured, I have always been generous to my own people."

He waved his hand, and Jing Yun vanished into the night with the soul-shattered Liu’er.

Once this was done, Li Xuan’s expression instantly darkened.

"Wang Fugui! Pass on my order: immediately summon every servant in the East Palace! Whether they are masters or slaves, they are to gather in the front courtyard within a quarter of an hour! Anyone who is late will be beaten to death!"

His voice was filled with thunderous authority.

"Understood!" Wang Fugui felt a chill in his heart, knowing that His Highness was now playing for real!

Soon, the front courtyard of the East Palace was ablaze with light. Hundreds of servants, maids, eunuchs, and guards gathered, bleary-eyed and trembling, unaware of what great event had occurred.

Xiao Ning-shuang was also startled. Draped in a cloak and accompanied by her maid, she stood far away under the veranda, watching everything with a grave expression.

Li Xuan strode forward with the gait of a dragon, followed by the expressionless Jing Yun and the tower-like Tie Niu. In his hands, Tie Niu dragged several people who had been beaten half to death and bound like rice dumplings—the very same unlucky retainers from the First Prince’s manor.

With a loud "thud," the men were thrown onto the ground, letting out muffled groans.