Volume One, Chapter Five: Turning Danger into Safety

If this matter truly were a conspiracy orchestrated by the princes to seize the throne, the nature of the situation would be entirely transformed. It would escalate from a question of the Crown Prince’s personal morality into a political struggle capable of shaking the very foundations of the state.

"And your evidence?" Li Chengye asked coldly.

"I have no evidence at this moment, Father," Li Xuan replied candidly. "But as long as you grant me time, I will certainly drag the mastermind behind this into the light!"

"Hmph, empty words—who couldn't say those?" Li Zhan sneered. "In my view, this is merely your way of trying to escape punishment."

"Whether it is or isn't, a thorough investigation will reveal the truth," Li Xuan retorted sharply. "Father, I implore you: have the proprietor of that tavern and all the servants present today taken into custody. Let the Grand Court of Justice, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate conduct a joint trial! Furthermore, I request a comprehensive audit of all recent financial transactions and personnel movements within every prince’s residence in the capital! I believe that if we investigate, we will surely find traces!"

A joint trial! A thorough investigation of the princes' estates!

Li Xuan’s words were resonant and firm, like boulders dropped into a tranquil lake.

The expressions of the First and Second Princes turned grim in an instant. They did not fear an investigation because they had not committed this act. But what they feared was that if the precedent of searching a prince's estate were set, the unsavory secrets they all kept hidden might be unearthed, leading to a loss that far outweighed any gain.

This Li Xuan was ruthless! He intended to drag everyone down with him!

The atmosphere in the Golden Throne Hall became eerie once more.

Xiao Yuan knelt there, silent. He had finally seen through everything. From the very beginning, Li Xuan never intended to explain himself to him. Every word he spoke was meant for the Emperor's ears.

He was using a larger "conspiracy" to cover up his own "scandal."

And he was succeeding.

The Emperor was clearly tempted. Compared to the romantic indiscretions of an incompetent son, he was far more concerned about whether the brutal infighting among his children would threaten his rule.

Li Chengye remained silent for a long time, his deep, penetrating gaze sweeping over the faces of his sons, making them shudder. Finally, his eyes settled on the breathtakingly beautiful woman who had remained silent in the corner.

"Xiao Ning-shuang."

Xiao Ning-shuang’s slender frame trembled as she slowly raised her head.

"You tell me—what exactly happened today?"

In an instant, the weight of the entire situation shifted onto Xiao Ning-shuang. Her answer would determine Li Xuan’s life or death, the honor or disgrace of the Xiao family, and even the future direction of the Great Zhou court.

Li Xuan’s heart jumped into his throat. He had laid so much groundwork and played his part for so long; the outcome rested entirely on this moment. He looked at Xiao Ning-shuang, his eyes devoid of coercion or threats, filled only with a complex, almost imploring gaze.

As Xiao Ning-shuang met his eyes, she saw something deep within those clear pupils that she had never witnessed before. It was not the base desire of a playboy, nor the calculations of a schemer, but rather… a struggle—a desperate yearning to survive.

Her heart ached sharply. She remembered her father’s exhausted, helpless expression on the way here. She recalled the precision with which Li Xuan had dissected the stakes in the tavern. She knew that if she spoke the truth, Li Xuan would certainly die, but the Xiao family would inevitably be dragged into a far more terrifying political vortex. Her father and her entire clan would become collateral damage in the princes' war.

Humiliation, resentment, anger, reason, duty—a thousand emotions churned, tore, and tangled within her.

Finally, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Two lines of silent tears traced paths down her cheeks. When she opened her eyes again, the hatred and struggle had faded, replaced by a hollow, icy stillness.

She bowed slowly before the throne, her voice ethereal and clear, echoing through the silent hall.

"Reporting to Your Majesty... everything the Crown Prince has said is true. Today’s event was indeed a misunderstanding."

When Xiao Ning-shuang’s words fell, the entire hall seemed frozen in time. The muscles in the First Prince Li Yuan’s face stiffened, his eyes widening in disbelief. The folding fan in the Second Prince Li Zhan’s hand clattered to the floor, yet he didn't even notice. They could not fathom why Xiao Ning-shuang, the greatest victim of the incident, would turn against her own side to support Li Xuan’s colossal lie.

Xiao Yuan’s tall frame swayed slightly. He closed his eyes, his weathered face etched with deep pain and helplessness. He knew what kind of sacrifice his daughter had made. For the sake of the family, she had personally pushed herself into a bottomless pit of ruin.

Li Xuan exhaled a long, silent breath, his heart finally settling back into place. The cold, damp sensation on his back reminded him that in those few short moments, he had broken into a cold sweat.

He had won. But it was not an easy victory.

On the throne, Li Chengye looked down at the varied expressions of those before him, a flash of inscrutable light passing through his narrow eyes. Xiao Ning-shuang’s answer was beyond his expectations, yet within the bounds of reason. As an emperor, he saw through the trade-offs immediately. The Xiao family had chosen to compromise and tether their fate to the Crown Prince.

"A misunderstanding?" Li Chengye’s tone remained unreadable. He looked at Xiao Ning-shuang. "If it was a misunderstanding, what of the wound on your neck?"

This question was like a sharp blade, tightening everyone’s hearts once more.

***

Xiao Ning-shuang trembled, instinctively touching her neck, where the stinging pain reminded her of what had just occurred. She bit her lower lip, momentarily at a loss for how to answer.

At this critical juncture, Li Xuan’s voice rang out again.

"Reporting to Father, that wound is my fault."

His voice carried such deep self-reproach and regret—a performance so authentic that even the greatest actor in the world would have felt humbled.

"The situation was dire, and in her attempt to protect me, Lady Ning-shuang was accidentally injured by the villains. I... I feel such guilt in my heart that I cannot face the General, nor can I face Lady Ning-shuang. At that moment, I thought only to end it all, so I snatched the dagger from her hand, intending to take my own life in penance. It was only thanks to the General’s timely arrival that a greater catastrophe was averted."

His words were impassioned and moving. He had not only explained the wound on Xiao Ning-shuang’s neck but also why the dagger had been in his possession. Most importantly, he had successfully crafted an image of a "devoted lover" who was sentimental, capable of admitting his faults, and even willing to die to make amends.

It was seamless!

The First Prince, Li Yuan, was left dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to refute the claim, but found he could not identify a single flaw.

As for Xiao Yuan, he was so enraged by Li Xuan’s shameless rhetoric that he nearly vomited blood. He had lived a lifetime and never encountered someone so brazen! He could turn black into white and dead into living; what was clearly an act of a beast had become, in his mouth, a touching drama of a hero saving a beauty and a vow of devotion.

What a talent! A true talent indeed!

Li Chengye listened quietly without speaking. He merely watched Li Xuan, his gaze as if he were seeing this son for the first time.

After a long while, he spoke slowly: "If that is the case, then since you two have privately pledged your lives to each other and caused such a commotion that the whole city is in an uproar, how should you be punished?"

It was time. Li Xuan knew the final test had arrived.

He took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked steadily at his father on the throne, saying firmly: "Father, I know that today’s actions violated propriety and damaged the reputation of the Imperial House. Lady Ning-shuang and I are prepared to accept our punishment."

"However, I dare to implore you, Father, to grant your blessing to Lady Ning-shuang and me!"

He slammed his head against the cold floor tiles with a heavy thud.

"I implore you, Father, to issue an imperial decree to bestow Lady Xiao Ning-shuang upon me in marriage and name her the Crown Princess!"

A marriage proposal!

He had actually made this request—which everyone deemed utterly preposterous—in the presence of the civil and military officials, before an enraged Emperor, and in front of the aggrieved father and daughter of the Xiao family! This courage and audacity shocked everyone present.

Xiao Yuan’s pupils constricted. The faces of Li Yuan and Li Zhan turned darker than the bottom of a pot. They finally understood Li Xuan’s entire scheme. He wasn't just trying to escape punishment; he was using this crisis to tether the most powerful man in the Great Zhou military to his own chariot! Once the marriage was finalized, Li Xuan—the useless Crown Prince who had been considered the least threatening—would immediately possess the capital to stand on equal footing with any of them!

What a brilliant move to turn a crisis into an opportunity, what a masterful stroke to pull the rug out from under them!

"Father, this must not be!" Li Yuan shouted urgently. "Li Xuan is unfit for his position; how can the pearl of the Xiao family be matched with him? This is too unfair to General Xiao and Lady Ning-shuang!"

"Indeed, Father," Li Zhan echoed. "This matter requires careful deliberation. Perhaps we should first confine the Crown Prince and conduct a full investigation, deciding only after the truth has come to light."

They desperately tried to intervene, but Li Chengye ignored them entirely. His gaze merely shifted back and forth between Li Xuan and Xiao Yuan.

He was weighing the options. An incompetent Crown Prince versus a General with a massive army under his command. An imperial scandal versus a political marriage that would consolidate his rule. The weight of each was clear.

As for the supposed "mastermind," whether they investigated or not no longer mattered. What mattered was that Li Xuan had given him the perfect excuse to make the choice that was most advantageous to him.

"Xiao Yuan," Li Chengye spoke again.

"I am here, Your Majesty."

"Li Xuan asks for your daughter’s hand. What is your opinion?"

The ball was kicked back to Xiao Yuan.

Xiao Yuan felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew that the Emperor’s question already carried an answer in his heart. He only needed the party concerned to utter the word "consent" to complete the final piece of the puzzle.

Could he refuse? No. If he refused, he would be showing disrespect to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, rendering today’s entire performance meaningless. The Xiao family would offend both, and their fate would be even more miserable.

He slowly raised his head and looked at his daughter, who was kneeling beside him, her slender frame trembling slightly. In those icy eyes, he saw a glimmer of entreaty. She was not begging him to refuse; she was begging him to agree, for the sake of the family.

Xiao Yuan’s heart felt as if it were gripped by an invisible hand, painful to the point of suffocation. He had spent his life on the battlefield and had seen every storm imaginable. He could face thousands of troops and smile in the face of death, but regarding his daughter, he felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness.

Slowly, word by word, he squeezed the syllables through his teeth: "I... submit to Your Majesty’s holy judgment."

He did not directly consent, but pushed the decision back to the Emperor. This was his final struggle as a subject, and his last shred of dignity as a father.

Li Chengye nodded, satisfied with Xiao Yuan’s answer. Finally, his gaze landed on Xiao Ning-shuang.

"Xiao Ning-shuang, the Crown Prince asks to marry you. Are you willing?"

This time, Li Chengye did not use a commanding tone, but rather one of inquiry. He gave her the power of choice. But this power was heavier than any command.

Xiao Ning-shuang raised her head, her pale, beautiful face devoid of expression. She did not look at Li Xuan, nor did she look at her father; she simply looked at the man on the throne who held the lives of everyone in his grasp.

After a long silence, she parted her lips, her voice soft yet clear enough for everyone to hear.

"This subject’s daughter... is willing."

After saying these three words, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength. But she was not finished.

"However, this subject’s daughter has one condition."

"Speak," Li Chengye raised an eyebrow.

"After the marriage, the Crown Prince and I shall be husband and wife in name only. I will fulfill my duties as the Crown Princess, but... I ask that Your Highness respect me. Let us live like well water and river water—never encroaching upon one another."

Her voice was cold and resolute, like a sharp blade severing all warmth and possibility. This was her final resistance, the last shred of dignity she reserved for herself.

Li Xuan’s heart sank, but he knew this was the best possible outcome. To save his life and "gain" the beauty—even if only in name—was already a massive victory. As for affection, that was something that could be cultivated slowly. He had that confidence.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengye looked deeply at Xiao Ning-shuang, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes. She was indeed Xiao Yuan’s daughter—courageous and principled.

"Very well," he nodded. "I grant it."

He then looked at the eunuch beside him and said in a ringing voice: "Wang Fu, convey my decree."

Wang Fu bowed immediately, his thin, high-pitched voice echoing through the hall: "This servant is here!"

"Crown Prince Li Xuan and Xiao Ning-shuang, daughter of the Great General, are a match made by fate, and I am much gratified. I hereby decree that an auspicious date be chosen for the wedding, and the Lady Xiao shall be titled the Crown Princess. Furthermore, as the Crown Prince has failed to govern his household with rigor, he is fined one year’s salary and shall be confined to the Eastern Palace for one month to reflect upon his errors. Thus it is written!"

With the decree issued, the dust settled.

The expressions of Li Yuan and Li Zhan were unsightly to the extreme. They knew they had lost, and they had lost utterly. Li Xuan had not been deposed; instead, through his misfortune, he had gained a tremendous ally.

Li Xuan and the Xiao family bowed in gratitude.

"We thank Your Majesty for your immense grace."

When they emerged from the Golden Throne Hall, the sun had fully risen. As the warm sunlight hit him, Li Xuan felt a sense of unreality. He looked back at the towering palace, his heart filled with complex emotions.

This hurdle, at last, had been cleared.