Volume 1, Chapter 32: Shifting the Blame
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The Second Prince’s Residence.
The stifling scent of medicine mingled with sandalwood, yet it still could not suppress the violence and humiliation hanging thick in the air.
“Crash!”
A fine Ru-ware teacup was hurled viciously to the floor, shattering into pieces.
“Li Xuan!”
Li Zhan sat up from his bed. His face was pale as paper, but his eyes alone burned with blood-red flames.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, he had vomited blood and collapsed in public, becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital. For the past several days, he had shut himself away, yet he could clearly feel the faintly mocking gazes outside the residence stabbing into him like needles.
Humiliation! A humiliation such as he had never known!
The talent of which he had been so proud, the image of the virtuous prince he had painstakingly cultivated—all of it had been crushed to dust by Li Xuan’s sudden masterpiece, “The River All Red.” Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Li Xuan’s bold gesture of raising three cups—to Heaven, to Earth, and to all the people of the realm—and heard those unrestrained words:
“Life is but a dream; let me pour this cup upon the moonlit river.”
He felt like nothing more than a ridiculous clown.
“Your Highness, please restrain your anger. You must take care of your health.”
A gaunt, middle-aged scholar entered without a sound and bent down to gather the shards from the floor. His name was Wei Yong, Li Zhan’s chief adviser, renowned for his deep scheming and ruthless stratagems.
“Restrain my anger? Adviser Wei, how do you expect me to do that?” Li Zhan clenched both fists until his knuckles turned white. “I am now the laughingstock of the entire realm! Meanwhile, that Li Xuan has become some ‘Master of Poetry,’ some ‘star of literary genius descended to earth’! I could eat his flesh and sleep upon his skin!”
Wei Yong discarded the broken pieces and calmly brewed Li Zhan another cup of soothing tea.
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“Your Highness, anger only burns oneself; it cannot harm one’s enemy in the slightest.” His voice was even, yet carried a soothing strength. “The Crown Prince is no longer what he once was. We must acknowledge that.”
“Admit it?” Li Zhan sneered. “Admit that a useless fool has suddenly climbed onto my head?”
“Your Highness, even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it exerts all its strength. We underestimated him too greatly before, which is why we suffered setback after setback.” Wei Yong handed the teacup to Li Zhan. “At the Lantern Festival, it appeared that Your Highness lost in literary talent. In truth, you lost because of the breadth of your vision. With those three cups of wine, the Crown Prince won over the military commanders, reassured the civil officials, and with his final declaration that ‘all people may become dragons,’ he won the fervent devotion of the common folk. He was no longer merely competing with Your Highness in poetry. He was proclaiming his ambitions to the entire realm. If we continue using our old methods against him, we will only repeat our mistakes.”
Li Zhan’s breathing gradually steadied. He had to admit that Wei Yong was speaking the truth. The current Li Xuan was like a hedgehog covered in spines, or a slippery loach impossible to grasp. In a direct confrontation, there was no advantage to be gained.
“Then what does Adviser Wei suggest we do?” Li Zhan asked in a low voice.
A cold, sinister curve appeared at the corner of Wei Yong’s mouth, and calculating light flickered in his eyes.
“Your Highness, since this fire is burning so fiercely, why should we put it out ourselves? Instead… let us divert the floodwaters elsewhere.”
“Divert the floodwaters elsewhere?” A spark lit up in Li Zhan’s eyes.
“Precisely.” Wei Yong lowered his voice and leaned close to Li Zhan’s ear. “Your Highness, do not forget that our eldest imperial brother is no harmless man. He has always been brave but lacking in wisdom, obstinate and self-willed, and unable to tolerate anyone else enjoying greater glory than he does. In particular, he has always proclaimed himself the representative of the military faction, and he was already deeply dissatisfied when His Majesty appointed Li Xuan Crown Prince.”
“You mean…” Li Zhan’s thoughts began to turn swiftly.
“The Crown Prince’s literary reputation now towers over the realm. His next step will certainly be to make an impression in the martial sphere, seeking to become accomplished in both civil and military affairs and secure his position as heir once and for all.” Wei Yong’s analysis unfolded layer by layer. “In Great Zhou, the only arena in which he can do so is military authority. The defense of the capital is especially crucial. Our eldest imperial brother has coveted the post of Commander of the Capital Garrisons for a very long time.”
Li Zhan’s breathing grew hurried.
Wei Yong continued, “All we need do is send people to spread a few rumors. Say that His Majesty was delighted by the Crown Prince’s performance at the Lantern Festival and, having witnessed his impressive martial skills, now intends to involve him in the affairs of the capital garrisons as a form of training. Then we fabricate a few traces to support the rumor—for instance, have people from the Eastern Palace linger near the garrisons, or arrange for a minor clash between the Crown Prince’s guards and the garrison troops…”
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“With our eldest imperial brother’s hot-tempered and impulsive nature, he will surely believe such rumors and fly into a rage!” Li Zhan suddenly slapped the side of the bed and picked up the thread. “He will think Li Xuan is trying to seize his position and destroy his future! When that happens, he will certainly take the initiative and cause trouble for Li Xuan!”
“Your Highness is brilliant!” Wei Yong applauded with a laugh. “The First Prince may be courageous, but he is far inferior to the Crown Prince in strategy. Once the two of them clash, no matter who wins or loses, it will be a tremendous benefit to us. If the First Prince wins, he will have helped us eliminate our greatest threat, while surely angering His Majesty in the process. If the Crown Prince wins, then he will be branded with the infamy of harming his own brother and will likewise lose the Emperor’s favor. We need only sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. Once both sides have suffered grievously, Your Highness may emerge with the bearing of a broad-minded and benevolent prince to restore order. By then, who in this realm could possibly contend with Your Highness?”
Each link fastened to the next—viciously cunning.
Li Zhan listened in growing delight. All his previous frustration, anger, and humiliation transformed in an instant into boundless anticipation for the future and the intoxicating pleasure of a successful scheme.
He looked at Wei Yong as though he were a living immortal capable of turning stone into gold.
“Excellent! What a fine plan to divert the floodwaters elsewhere! What a fine spectacle of watching the tigers fight from atop the mountain!” Li Zhan could no longer contain himself and burst into laughter.
The laughter began with a trace of restraint, then grew louder and louder, echoing through the oppressive room and brimming with diseased triumph and savage pleasure.
“Li Xuan, Li Xuan… You think you have won? You are nothing more than a piece on my chessboard that has temporarily slipped beyond my control. Just wait. The grand drama I have prepared for you has only just begun!”
Poisonous light gleamed in his eyes. He lifted the cup of tea, long since gone cold, and drained it in a single swallow.
The tea was cold, but his heart burned hot.
Within that dim room, a vast conspiracy targeting the Eastern Palace and another imperial prince’s residence was quietly woven into being.
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