Volume One, Chapter 24: Li Zhan's Subtle Thoughts

The return journey after the autumn hunt was a world apart from the arrival.

When they had set out, the Crown Prince’s procession, though majestic, had been shadowed by a heavy, ominous uncertainty. Now, however, at the very front of the column, Li Xuan rode his magnificent "Snow-Lion of the Night." Wherever he passed, the common folk erupted into thunderous cheers.

"Long live the Crown Prince!"
"His Highness is a hero; he is the fortune of our Great Zhou!"

The cheers surged like a tidal wave, rising ever higher. Li Xuan wore a perfectly measured, affable smile, waving to the crowds from time to time, his demeanor as a crown prince beyond reproach. Yet, inwardly, he was calculating the political dividends of this grand performance—a spectacle meticulously orchestrated by the Second Prince, but brought to a perfect close by himself. The hearts of the people: a thing invisible and intangible, yet the heaviest weight under heaven.

He reined in his horse and slowed to a trot beside the opulent carriage in the center of the procession.

"Crown Princess, the wind is strong outside. Are you faring well?" His voice, filtered through the carriage curtains, was clear and distinct.

Inside the cabin, Xiao Ningshuang sat upright and composed. She did not look at the roaring crowds beyond the windows; instead, her mind kept returning to the moonlight by the lakeside last night, and the outer robe draped over her shoulders, still retaining his body heat and the faint, lingering scent of dragon-musk incense.

It was a strange feeling, like a hot stone dropped onto a frozen, ice-locked lake, causing cracks to spread in silence.

Hearing Li Xuan’s inquiry, she adjusted her posture almost imperceptibly before replying in her usual cool, detached tone: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. All is well."

Her voice remained cold, but she knew herself that the icy edge had softened, replaced by a complexity she could not fully articulate.

Li Xuan seemed to see through the curtains, catching the subtle shift in her tone, and a faint, hidden smile tugged at his lips. He said no more, simply slowing his pace to ride alongside the carriage.

To those watching with keen eyes, this tiny gesture spoke volumes.

Not far away, the Second Prince, Li Zham, rode his own mount. His usual gentle, polished smile remained, but the gloom in his eyes was darker than the thickest clouds over the hunting grounds. He watched Li Xuan riding beside the carriage, watched the tightly drawn curtains, and a tempest raged within him.

He had failed.

An execution of a plan that should have been flawless had not only failed to harm Li Xuan in the slightest, but had instead provided him with a pedestal of his own making, lifting him to a pedestal of "unrivaled heroism." The Emperor’s praise, the awe of the officials, the adoration of the people... in just three days, Li Xuan had gained more than he had spent years painstakingly cultivating.

Li Zham could not understand where it had gone wrong. That mad bear, catalyzed by secret drugs for days, was deemed invincible by even his own best martial arts masters unless an army was deployed. How had Li Xuan done it? "Subduing the spirit with sound, striking the void with a touch"? Who would believe such myths?

Yet, the truth was laid bare before him.

What unnerved him even more was the subtle, almost imperceptible change between Li Xuan and Xiao Ningshuang.

He had observed this nominal couple more than once. Their wedding night, spent in separate beds, was known to all. In daily life, they were as "icy" to each other as strangers, rarely even exchanging a glance. This had been a state of affairs he welcomed; a Crown Prince with an unstable household was a much smaller threat.

But when had it started to change?

Was it the lightning-fast purge of the Eastern Palace? Or the display of skill at the Ninghua Palace? Or perhaps... last night, when his men reported from afar that Li Xuan had draped his own robe over Xiao Ningshuang’s shoulders.

A man, draping his robe over a woman he despised?
A woman, accepting the care of a man she hated to the bone?

Li Zham’s intuition told him that on this front, the one he thought most impossible to break, a crack had appeared—a crack he least wanted to see. The Xiao family held heavy military power; they were the pillars of the state. Xiao Ningshuang was far more than just a Crown Princess. If she truly defected to Li Xuan’s side, it would be like adding wings to a tiger.

No, he could not allow this to happen.

Li Zham’s gaze shifted from Li Xuan’s back to the silhouette of the carriage. If the hard bone could not be gnawed, perhaps he could strike at this soft underbelly—a piece of ice that seemed firm but might already be melting.

A thought, like a serpent, took root and coiled in his heart.

They returned to the Eastern Palace as the day turned to dusk.

Li Xuan and Xiao Ningshuang stepped off the carriage one after the other. The palace staff had already lined up to welcome them, their faces brimming with pride.

"Welcome back, Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Crown Princess!" Wang Fugui’s voice was filled with an excitement that bordered on triumph.

Li Xuan nodded, casting a glance at Xiao Ningshuang beside him. She was dressed in plain clothes, dusty from the road, with a hint of exhaustion on her beautiful face.

"It has been a tiring journey; get some rest early," he said casually, his tone so natural it was as if they were a perfectly ordinary married couple.

Xiao Ningshuang replied with a soft "Mm," and without further words, walked straight toward her bedchamber. Yet, her pace seemed a fraction slower than usual.

Li Xuan watched her back until the plain-colored figure vanished behind the moon-gate before withdrawing his gaze. He turned to Wang Fugui and commanded, "Have the kitchen prepare a light late-night snack and send it to the Crown Princess’s quarters. Also, draw a barrel of hot water and add some muscle-soothing herbs."

Wang Fugui was stunned, then overjoyed, and hurriedly responded, "Yes! This old servant will see to it at once!"

His Highness was actually starting to care for the Crown Princess! This was truly a monumental joy! The iceberg was melting!

Li Xuan paid no mind to the old steward’s inner thoughts and headed straight for the study. The glory at the hunting grounds was merely an appetizer. The real battlefield lay within this gilded cage. He knew clearly that his second brother was not a man who would easily admit defeat.

After such a crushing loss, what followed would inevitably be a more insidious, more vicious counterattack.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ningshuang, having just returned to her chambers, stood before a bronze mirror, lost in thought. Her maids held warm water and towels for removing her makeup, but they dared not disturb her.

For they saw that their usually icy mistress was gently touching her own lips with her slender fingers. It was as if the taste of the lakeside breeze from last night still lingered there, along with a trace of... the curve of his lips when he said "let us share the joy."

Her heart was in turmoil.

Just then, a maid stepped in quietly, presenting an unsigned letter. It was Cui'er, Xiao Ningshuang’s personal attendant.

"My Lady, someone had this delivered to the gatehouse earlier, saying... it must be opened by you personally."

Xiao Ningshuang regained her composure and took the letter. The envelope was made of fine Chengxin Hall paper, bearing no markings. She opened it to find a single sheet of plain paper, upon which a line was written in elegant, delicate calligraphy:

"Jingxin Teahouse, south of the city, tomorrow at noon. An old friend awaits."

There was no signature, but she recognized the handwriting. It was the Second Prince, Li Zham.

An old friend? Since when had she and he become old friends?

Xiao Ningshuang’s eyes returned to their customary coldness. She held the letter to the candle flame, watching it slowly turn to ash; the curling smoke hovered in her mind like a giant question mark.

Li Zham—what was he planning?

...

The following day, at noon.

The Jingxin Teahouse in the south of the city was, as its name suggested, quiet and elegant. The guests were mostly scholars and literati who prided themselves on refinement, speaking in hushed tones for fear of disturbing the hard-won peace.

On the second floor, in a private room by the window, the Second Prince Li Zham sat alone, savoring a pot of freshly brewed Longjing tea.

He wore a moon-white scholar’s robe, tied at the waist with a high-quality mutton-fat jade pendant. His features were gentle, his demeanor scholarly; he did not look like a prince, but rather like a well-read young master of an aristocratic family.

The door was pushed open gently, and Xiao Ningshuang, dressed in men’s attire, walked in.

She wore a cyan riding outfit, her long hair tied up with a simple jade pin, concealing her peerless beauty and feminine curves, giving her a sharp, heroic air. Even so, the cold, solitary pride that emanated from her bones could not be ignored.

"The Crown Princess deigning to grace me with her presence is my honor." Li Zham stood up and offered a polite, graceful gesture. "Please, sit."

Xiao Ningshuang did not stand on ceremony. She sat opposite him, looking at him calmly, and went straight to the point: "If the Second Prince has something to say, pray speak plainly. I do not like beating around the bush."

"Very well, the Crown Princess is forthright, so I shall not dance around the issue." Li Zham poured her a cup of tea; the tea was clear and bright, and the emerald leaves unfurled in the cup, a lovely sight.

He pushed the cup toward her and sighed, his tone filled with a mix of regret and "concern": "Ningshuang, our families have been friends for generations. I am a few years your senior, so I hope you will forgive my presumption in calling you Ningshuang. Your father, General Xiao, has been loyal and brave his entire life, guarding the borders of our Great Zhou. His merits are unmatched. The Xiao family is a house of loyalty and valor, deserving of eternal reverence. But now..."

He shook his head, his face full of heartache: "Now, you follow a Crown Prince whose temperament has changed drastically and who is moody and unpredictable, staking the century-old reputation of the entire Xiao family on this gamble with an uncertain future. As someone who thinks of you like a sister, how can I not be worried?"

Xiao Ningshuang picked up the teacup but did not drink, instead gently rubbing the warm rim with her fingertips. Her expression remained as calm as a still lake.

Seeing she was unmoved, Li Zham upped the stakes: "Do not be deceived by the glory he has enjoyed these past few days. Ningshuang, think carefully. First, he launched a massacre in the Eastern Palace, ruthlessly purging the eyes and ears the Emperor had planted—that is disloyalty. Then, to cleanse his name, he humiliated the Imperial Guard in front of the entire court at the Ninghua Palace—that is unkindness. At the hunting grounds, he showed his fangs, trampling all his brothers underfoot without a shred of mercy—that is unrighteousness!"

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping lower, filled with seductive intent: "A man who is disloyal, unkind, and unrighteous, no matter how capable he is, will only become a tyrannical monarch once he ascends the throne! Why do you think he treats you well now? It is only because he covets the military power of the Xiao family behind you! Once he sits firmly on the throne, the first thing he will do is eliminate the Xiao family, whose merits threaten his rule! By then, you and your family will be fish on his chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered!"

Every word was a strike at the heart.

Had this been a month ago, the Xiao Ningshuang who hated Li Xuan to the bone might truly have been shaken.

But now...

Listening to Li Zham’s "sincere" persuasion, she felt a sense of inexplicable... amusement.

She recalled how, on Vermilion Bird Street, Li Xuan had turned a personal scandal into a political show of patriotic sentiment.
She remembered their wedding night, how he had been open and honest, establishing the "Ice and Fire Covenant" with her, giving her the most basic respect and sense of security.
She remembered how he had unashamedly displayed his ambition; that pure calculation for power was, in fact, cleaner and more upright than the hypocritical "concern" Li Zham was showing now.
She even thought of the robe he had draped over her shoulders and his words: "Get some rest early."

Li Xuan was dangerous, unfathomable, and willing to use any means. But everything he did was in the open. He never hid his objectives, nor did he ever deign to use this soft, affectionate tone to wrap the dirtiest of schemes.

By comparison, the gentle-as-jade Second Prince before her was more like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

Seeing Xiao Ningshuang remain silent, Li Zham assumed his words had taken effect and threw out the final bait.

"Ningshuang, I know that marrying the Sixth Brother was not your wish. This marriage is a shackle, a humiliation for you." His voice became gentle, his eyes filled with "pity." "As long as you are willing to help me bring down Li Xuan, I promise you: when I ascend the throne, the first thing I will do is issue an edict to annul your marriage and restore your freedom!"

He paused, looking at her intently, and said word for word: "Not only that. I, Li Zham, am willing to offer you the position of Empress, to marry you into the palace with full honors. You will remain the most noble woman in this Great Zhou, and the Xiao family will remain the most glorious. This is the destination you, Xiao Ningshuang, deserve!"

The position of Empress.

These four words were enough to drive any woman in the world to madness.

However, after hearing this, Xiao Ningshuang simply set down her teacup slowly.

With a soft "clink," the sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

She raised her eyes, and for the first time, her cold gaze held undisguised mockery and derision.

"Second Prince," she began, her voice colder than the winter snow outside. "Have you finished?"

The smile on Li Zham’s face stiffened.

"Since you have finished, it is my turn to speak." Xiao Ningshuang slowly stood up, looking down at him as if he were a court jester.

"First, the reputation of my Xiao family was earned by the blood of my father, my brother, and countless soldiers, not by clinging to any prince. On this point, Your Highness seems to be mistaken."

"Second, how the Crown Prince conducts himself is for His Majesty and the people of the world to judge; it is not for you or me to gossip about. At the very least, he has never disparaged his own brother in front of me as you are doing now."

"Third, and most importantly." A cold curve touched her lips. "I will secure my own freedom; I do not need Your Highness to trouble yourself. As for my marriage, good or bad, it was decreed by His Majesty, and it is my own choice. It is not an item to be placed on a table for you to bargain with!"

She took a step forward, staring into Li Zham’s face, which had turned iron-gray, her words piercing his heart like shards of ice.