Volume 1 Chapter 21: The Prey

Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Li Chengye sat upright on his dragon throne, his expression calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. He looked at his son, who stood tall and graceful below, but his heart was surging with turbulent waves.

How could he not have known about the movements in the Eastern Palace last night? When his secret guards presented that bloody list of purges and the resulting actions, his shock was overshadowed by a hidden sense of admiration.

His Crown Prince had finally grown claws, and they were sharper than he could have imagined.

"Xuan'er," Li Chengye said slowly, his voice deep and resonant, "you have managed the servants of the Eastern Palace well."

"My son was lax in his governance, allowing petty scoundrels to run rampant and disturb Your Majesty. I am guilty," Li Xuan said, bowing low, his demeanor extremely humble.

"Hmph, guilty?" Li Chengye let out a faint scoff through his nose. "I see it as a merit! My son, the future successor to the throne, if you cannot even manage your own household, how could you hope to govern the world? You have done very well."

He shifted his tone: "Three days from now, the Autumn Hunt at the Mulan Paddock will take place. All civil and military officials, as well as the princes of the imperial clan, will be in attendance. As the Crown Prince, you must serve as an example to your brothers; do not disgrace the dignity of the imperial house."

"Your son obeys your decree."

"The horse and bow I bestowed upon you—do you like them?"

"I thank Your Majesty for your great grace. Your son will practice diligently to win glory for the royal family at the Autumn Hunt and live up to your high expectations." Li Xuan’s reply was airtight.

Li Chengye nodded with satisfaction and waved for him to withdraw. Watching his son’s retreating back, a complex look flashed in the Emperor’s eyes. He admired Li Xuan’s decisiveness, but that very decisiveness also made him feel a tinge of wariness. This blade was too sharp; he needed to temper it constantly to ensure it remained firmly in his own grip.

Upon returning from the palace to the Eastern Palace, the deference on Li Xuan’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold and solemn gravity.

In the study, Jing Yun and Tie Niu were already waiting.

"Your Highness, Liu'er has sent back the Second Prince's detailed plan." Jing Yun handed over a small note. "He has bribed some of the managers at the paddock. The plan is to lure a black bear—one that has been chemically stimulated for years and possesses a violent temperament—onto your hunting route. At the same time, they will trigger a small-scale landslide on your necessary path to seal off your retreat."

Tie Niu, listening nearby, glared with rage and grumbled, "Your Highness, what are we waiting for! Let me take some men, put a sack over that Second Prince, and beat him half to death!"

"Brute," Li Xuan glanced at him. "Will beating him solve the problem? It will only give him leverage to cry to His Majesty. To deal with my second brother, one must use their head."

He looked at Jing Yun: "Liu'er has done well. Tell her to continue her infiltration. At the critical moment, I will need her to deliver a 'great gift'."

"Understood!"

Li Xuan tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop, his mind racing. Since the Second Prince wanted to make him lose face in public or even suffer an "accidental" death, he would play along and turn this stage into his own.

"He wants to make me the prey, so I will show him who the true hunter is," Li Xuan curled his lips into a cold smile. "However, to perform this play well, I need the help of one more person."

He stood up and headed straight to the training grounds in the backyard.

Xiao Ning-shuang was practicing her swordsmanship. The blade flashed like snow, cold and sharp, carrying a sense of indomitable killing intent.

"The Crown Princess’s swordplay has plenty of lethality, but it lacks a bit of agility," Li Xuan’s voice suddenly rang out.

Xiao Ning-shuang sheathed her sword and stood tall, looking at him coldly: "Does Your Highness have any advice?"

"Advice would be too bold." Li Xuan walked up to her, his gaze falling on the long sword in her hand. "I simply wish to strike a deal with the Crown Princess."

"A deal?"

"That’s right." Li Xuan’s eyes became serious. "Someone wants me dead at the Autumn Hunt three days from now. I need your help."

Xiao Ning-shuang’s pupils contracted slightly.

"You are the daughter of General Xiao; you have studied military strategy since childhood. You must be far more proficient than this half-baked Crown Prince when it comes to troop deployment, tracking, and ambush tactics," Li Xuan said candidly. "I need you to tell me the terrain of the Mulan Paddock—where ambushes can be set, where one can hide, and where the dead ends are. I also need you to teach me the most exquisite tracking and anti-tracking techniques of the Xiao family army."

He looked at her, his tone sincere: "This is not just my affair. You and I are now bound by a common fate; if I fall, your outcome will be no better than mine."

These words were blunt and realistic, yet they were exactly what could move Xiao Ning-shuang. She looked at the man before her. He offered no sweet talk, no hypocritical pretense; he simply laid the most brutal realities of their mutual interests bare before her.

This feeling made her feel... safe.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, her voice still cold: "I need a detailed topographical map of the paddock."

Li Xuan smiled. He knew she had agreed.

"Wang Fugui!" he called out. "Go to the Imperial Household Department immediately. Tell them I am preparing for the Autumn Hunt and require the most precise topographical map of the Mulan Paddock. Have them send it over at once!"

That night, the lights in the Eastern Palace study remained lit until dawn.

A massive map was spread across the table. Xiao Ning-shuang held a brush in her slender hand, circling and marking the complex terrain. Her voice was cool, yet carried an unquestionable sense of expertise.

"...This place is called 'The Thread of Heaven.' It is easy to defend and hard to attack; if you are lured in, you will have no way to fly out."

"...This dense forest has the most wild beasts, but it is also the easiest place to hide one's tracks. The wind direction is the key."

"...When tracking, looking at footprints is for the mediocre. True masters look at broken grass blades, startled birds, and even the scents lingering in the air."

Li Xuan listened with great focus, nodding or asking questions from time to time. Although he was a master of national martial arts in his previous life, he did not have extensive experience with large-scale wilderness survival and military-grade ambushes. Xiao Ning-shuang’s explanation opened a whole new door for him.

The two worked in unexpected harmony, one teaching and one learning. Under the candlelight, their shadows stretched and intertwined, forming a strange sense of harmony.

Not until daybreak did Xiao Ning-shuang put down her brush and rub her sore wrist.

"I have taught you all I can. The rest depends on your own fate."

"This is enough." Li Xuan looked at the red marks on the map, a confident light flashing in his eyes. "Crown Princess, wait and see the show."

Three days later, on the outskirts of the capital.

The imperial procession, with banners fluttering in the wind, stretched for miles. Li Xuan rode his magnificent "Night-Illuminating Jade Lion," dressed in sturdy attire, looking heroic and vigorous, drawing countless gazes.

Not far away, the Second Prince, Li Zhan, sat on his horse, looking at him from afar with a gentle smile, though his eyes were filled with a cold, venomous chill.

Beside him, the First Prince, Li Yuan, made no effort to conceal his jealousy and contempt, letting out a heavy snort.

Li Xuan acted as if he did not see them. He merely reined in his horse, pulled up beside a luxurious carriage in the procession, and smiled slightly at the curtain.

Inside the curtain, Xiao Ning-shuang sat upright, feeling that gaze. Her heart skipped a beat for no reason.

The hunt had begun.

But who was the hunter and who was the prey—at this moment, no one knew.