“Since I’ve taken the medicine anyway…”

“What medicine? Is it the antidote?”

Zhao Yān turned around to sit facing Wenren Lin, cupping his face with both hands to examine him from side to side, then asked again, “Is your body all right now?”

A man’s cheeks were not as delicate and soft as a woman’s; on the contrary, his skin was firm and flawless, and her fingertips could feel the deep contours of his bone structure.

The candlelight was blocked by the curtains, making the chamber dim and hazy, so she couldn’t clearly see his complexion at the moment.

Wenren Lin reached out to lower her wrists, one hand gripping her waist, burying his face to nuzzle her neck with the tip of his nose, slowly and meticulously nibbling and kissing.

A tingling warmth spread from her neck, causing Zhao Yān to tremble and grip his clothes tightly, very clear about his intentions.

“Wait, has the poison in your body been neutralized?”

Zhao Yān opened her eyes to regain some clarity, her breathing somewhat ragged as she managed to say, “Something doesn’t feel right. It’s the beginning of the month—shouldn’t we exercise some restraint?”

Wenren Lin kissed her soft earlobe, his voice very deep: “Does Your Highness not want to?”

Zhao Yān trembled involuntarily, feeling as though half of her soul had been drawn away.

…

…

She was indeed wavering. Wenren Lin was an attentive and thorough partner day and night. At first it had been difficult to endure, as if being completely drained and then wholly filled, but in the end it was always exhilarating and addictive.

She unconsciously swallowed, still hesitant: “Did you… Did you bring medicine?”

“This prince has already taken it.”

Along with Wenren Lin’s words came the removal of Zhao Yān’s outer robe.

Zhao Yān found something strange and gave a small grunt: “I’m not talking about your detoxifying pills, but the ones that I… I take.”

“This time I’ve switched to a different medicine. This prince takes it, and Your Highness doesn’t need to.”

Wenren Lin laughed, his eyes particularly enchanting in the darkness. “Before coming, this prince already took it for Your Highness’s sake. Tonight is a perfect opportunity to test it.”

It took Zhao Yān a long moment to process this, asking incredulously: “When you said earlier that ‘the medicine has been prepared,’ you meant this kind of medicine?”

“Correct.”

“Then your poison…”

Before she could finish speaking, she was tipped backward as Wenren Lin flipped her onto the bed, pressing down on her.

Zhao Yān let out a muffled “oh” as her breath caught, but he took advantage of the moment to seal her lips with his own.

In her hazy state, Zhao Yān did notice that Wenren Lin’s breathing and body temperature were slightly higher than usual, warm and hot, presumably due to the effects of the medicine.

The kiss deepened, and Zhao Yān tilted her head back, finding it difficult to breathe. She finally managed to raise her hand against his chest to catch her breath, only to hear his affectionate, smiling voice by her ear: “Your Highness smells so nice and feels so soft.”

“…”

Zhao Yān’s cheeks grew hot, her blood almost scalding through her thin skin, so she simply opened her mouth and bit him back.

“Just this once,” she negotiated, clinging to her last remnants of rationality.

Her only answer was a light laugh of unclear meaning.

In the darkness came rustling sounds, followed by a plop as a cold leather belt fell to the ground. Then an even more burning kiss pressed down, giving her no opportunity to bargain.

The night was cool as water, and moonlight filtered through the clouds, casting shattered, ice-like patterns of light.

By the time the waning moon descended in the west, flower petals brushed over the palace walls, falling to the ground without a sound, as if afraid to disturb those in their dreams.

Zhao Yān seemed to have fallen asleep, yet perhaps she hadn’t. The cool sensation of being washed and cleaned brought back some of her awareness, but she didn’t even have the strength to lift her eyelids.

Three… no, it should be four times.

A feeling she had never experienced before. Zhao Yān wanted to take back her previous comment that Wenren Lin’s “self-control wasn’t as strong as imagined.” Tonight, she learned what he was like without restraint.

Their previous occasional sharing of a bed had perhaps been, for him, nothing more than a light taste to appease a child.

Her eyelashes were damp, her reddened lips parted as she cursed weakly: “Bastard, liar…”

Though her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, Wenren Lin heard it.

“Only a few times, and Your Highness is already turning her back on me.”

He casually tossed the wet cloth into the copper basin, his fingertips brushing away the strands of hair sticking to Zhao Yān’s lips. “Since we’ve taken the medicine, let’s not waste it.”

Wenren Lin’s eyes held a deeply tender satisfaction. With his clothes removed, it was as if he had shed the mask of temperance and self-restraint. When his imposing, aggressive physique completely pressed down, it could even be described as overwhelming.

“My belly still feels a bit swollen…”

Zhao Yān lay face down on the bedding, too exhausted to move, mumbling almost inaudibly as she pitifully commanded the man, “Come here, hold me.”

Wenren Lin gave a soft laugh, lying on his side and pulling up the soft spring blanket to cover her fair, slightly pink shoulders. He leaned down to place a goodnight kiss on the teeth marks on her lower lip.

She had been biting her lip the whole time, unwilling to let out too many sounds for fear of alarming the maids in the adjacent rooms.

“Call my name once more.”

Wenren Lin half-closed his eyes, pinching her earlobe.

“…”

Zhao Yān was somewhat confused. Throughout the night, she had called him “Wenren Lin,” “Grand Tutor,” and various other names, nearly exhausting his full name, style name, and princely title, interspersed with a few broken terms of endearment like “bastard.”… She wasn’t sure which name would be most appropriate.

“Shaoyuan.”

She chose one she liked, dragging out the syllables with a weary, soft voice.

“…Fine.”

Wenren Lin reluctantly agreed, responding in a low, gentle voice, “Shaoyuan is fond of you, too, little princess.”

Zhao Yān’s eyelashes trembled.

The water clock had run dry, and the ink-like darkness on the window lattice gradually faded, revealing the pale blue of dawn.

The incense mist on the small table curled and diffused, and with its enchanting fragrance, Zhao Yān found a comfortable position in Wenren Lin’s arms, resting her head on his arm, almost immediately sinking into sweet dreams.

Wenren Lin gazed at her sleeping eyes in the darkness, suppressing the surging blood in his internal organs after the medicine’s effects subsided, and gently pulled her into his embrace.

Throughout the city, lantern lights faded, and mountain silhouettes silently overlooked the imperial city.

Yuquan Palace.

Empress Wei was still sorting through the supplies brought from the palace and hadn’t had time to extract any information from the Emperor’s mouth when she suddenly learned from a eunuch about the Northern Wu’s collusion with rebels.

She had not slept for half the night and didn’t even have time to remove her evening makeup. Dressed in a true-red wide-sleeved informal robe, she hurried toward the Emperor’s residence, Guanyun Hall.

Just as she reached the terrace, she was blocked by imperial guards with crossed halberds.

Empress Wei looked at the gleaming crossed weapons before her, her expression unchanged as she rebuked them: “How dare you! I am the Empress of the Inner Palace, with the right to attend to His Majesty’s illness and accompany him. How dare you obstruct me!”

The guards lowered their heads in silence, but the partition screen of Guanyun Hall opened from within with a creak, and a beautiful Daoist consort wearing a golden lotus crown stepped out slowly. Her purple gauze and azure robe were immaculate, like a goddess descending to the mortal world.

“Your Majesty, the Empress.”

Concubine Zhen held a horsetail whisk and bowed slightly, smiling faintly: “His Majesty has taken his medicine and retired for the night, ordering that no one is to disturb him except for urgent matters of state. The imperial guards are acting on His Majesty’s command. Please understand, Your Majesty.”

Concubine Zhen’s words were flawless, pleasant to hear, and immediately made the guards who had been scolded by Empress Wei feel more at ease.

Empress Wei slightly frowned her long eyebrows, looking past Concubine Zhen and calling loudly toward the hall: “Northern Wu is colluding with rebels, and the refugee population in the counties is increasing, posing a huge threat! Yuquan Palace and the surrounding counties are interdependent, and once riots break out, this place will be in danger! Now is not the time for rest. This concubine requests Your Majesty to deploy more imperial guards and return to the palace!”

Inside the hall, candles burned brightly, and incense smoldered in beast-shaped censers, but the Emperor did not respond.

At that moment, a few faint lights like falling stars appeared on the horizon, catching the attention of the imperial guards.

Empress Wei also looked up, seeing that the lights grew denser and brighter. These were not falling stars at all, but a swarm of niter-oil rockets.

The firelight illuminated everyone’s alarmed faces. From the outposts at the foot of the mountain came faint screams. The captain of the imperial guards suddenly raised his arm, and a piercing shout broke the stillness before dawn.

“Assassins! Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!”

……

When Zhao Yān awoke, she looked at the thick curtains with faint light filtering through, not knowing what time or day it was.

The space beside her was long empty. She blinked, slowly supporting herself on the bed to sit up, clutching her waist and inhaling sharply.

Perhaps because she was too tired, she hadn’t slept so deeply in a long time, completely unaware of when Wenren Lin had left.

Her undergarments were fully dressed and completely dry; only the soreness and softness of her limbs and the faint marks on her waist reminded her of everything that had happened the night before.

Not having to take those stomachache-inducing contraceptive pills was indeed much more comfortable.

But was that medicine he took all right?

Zhao Yān hugged the quilt and spaced out for a while, recalling bits and pieces of the previous night. Suddenly her cheeks flushed red as snow, and she buried her upturned lips in the soft quilt, cursing “bastard” once more.

Shi Lan lifted the curtain and entered, seeing Zhao Yān sitting on the bed hugging the corner of the quilt in a daze, her skin glowing with a healthy flush, the corners of her eyes still carrying warm smiles. She exclaimed in surprise: “Your Highness, you’re finally awake!”

“What time is it?”

Only when she spoke did Zhao Yān notice her voice was somewhat hoarse.

Shi Lan used a golden hook to hang up the curtain and replied: “It’s noon. Have you caught a cold? Your voice is hoarse.”

Bright light flooded in, making Zhao Yān squint uncomfortably as she murmured vaguely: “Perhaps I kicked off the covers. A cup of water will help.”

Shi Lan handed her a cup of hot tea and thoughtfully asked: “Is Your Highness hungry? This servant will order food from the kitchen.”

“I don’t want to move. Bring it to the bedchamber.”

Zhao Yān took the teacup and sipped slowly, her peripheral vision catching a vase of dewy peach branches on the high-legged small round table. She asked, “Did you arrange these flowers? They look quite nice.”

Shi Lan turned to look and giggled: “It wasn’t me. When I came in this morning to tuck in Your Highness’s blanket, the vase of flowers was already there. Perhaps Elder Sister Liu Ying did it.”

Liu Ying, influenced by Zhao Yǎn, also preferred elegant flowers like green-calyx white plum blossoms and snow-covered pears, and had never arranged peach blossoms. Zhao Yān’s thoughts turned, and she guessed who had left the peach branch.

The peach blossoms were trimmed simply and beautifully, with the branch suddenly bending at the mouth of the vase, jutting out at an angle, charming yet somewhat majestic in appearance.

“Move that vase of peach blossoms over here. I want to look at them closely,” Zhao Yān instructed.

She could almost imagine Wenren Lin returning covered in dew in the dim light of early morning, sitting in a chair methodically selecting and trimming peach branches.

As the smile climbed from the corners of her mouth to her eyebrows, before Shi Lan could notice anything unusual, Zhao Yān fell back onto the pillow, burying her lips and nose in the quilt, as if she could still detect a faint, familiar scent.

The light and shadows by the window gradually slanted westward. As dusk fell, the wind rose, casting large patches of shade.

A blood-soaked imperial guard rode straight through the palace gates. Before he could even stop his horse, he tumbled to the ground, using his last strength to say: “Rebels have surrounded Yuquan Palace! Half of the accompanying imperial guards are dead or wounded! Quickly… quickly go to rescue His Majesty!”

Zhao Yān had been sleeping intermittently throughout the afternoon when the rattling sound of the window being blown by the wind awakened her. For some reason, she felt uneasy.

She put on clothes and got out of bed, walking toward the window to close the annoying window, when she heard hurried footsteps behind her.

“Your Highness, something has happened at Yuquan Palace!”

Liu Ying, who had received the news from the Empress Dowager, rushed over, gasping for breath as she leaned against the doorframe.

The hall was quiet. Liu Ying tried her best to stay calm as she explained the cause and effect in a few words.

Zhao Yān’s heart sank: As soon as her father learned of Northern Wu’s secret dealings with the rebels and was about to take action, the hidden rebels in various places launched an attack at the hour of the tiger (3-5 am).

For news to leak so quickly, there could only be one possibility: there was an enemy spy close to her father.

With internal and external collusion, Yuquan Palace was doomed.

Zhao Yān was now trapped in Penglai Hall. How could she address the urgent crisis a hundred miles away? Unless…

“Liu Ying, go to Hegui Pavilion and ask Prince Su to come see me.”

Even at this moment, the first person she thought of was still Wenren Lin.

Liu Ying obeyed and left, but shortly after, she returned, her brow even more furrowed: “Your Highness, guards have been added to all gates of Penglai Hall. This servant is not allowed to leave.”

Zhao Yān was stunned.

Those imperial guards were only responsible for protecting the Empress Dowager and watching over her, but they had never prohibited her palace maids from coming and going.

Thinking of something, she asked: “Who is leading the guards? Did you see?”

Liu Ying replied: “It’s Vice General Zhang from Prince Su’s side.”

Zhang Cang…

Zhao Yān caught a fleeting thought and sat back in her chair, bewildered. Was this Wenren Lin’s intention?

Back then, a hundred thousand soldiers died on the battlefield. Zhao Yān was certain that Wenren Lin would never collude with rebels who had allied with Northern Wu.

The only possibility, then, was that he was watching the snipe and the clam fight each other, letting her father fall into a situation with no one to rescue him, just like those hundred thousand soldiers who died miserably.

Using the same method to repay him, step by step closing the net, exposing all the muddleheaded deeds the Emperor had done to the public, sending him to an irredeemable place, crushing his bones and scattering the ashes…

Zhao Yān wasn’t entirely sure.

What she was certain of was that Wenren Lin had sent Zhang Cang not to imprison her, but to prevent her from getting involved in this conflict of closing the net.

This was perhaps the reason for his self-sacrifice the night before.

Zhao Yān knew well that following Wenren Lin’s arrangements, staying by the Empress Dowager’s side would be safest, but her mother was still at Yuquan Palace, and Zhou Ji and Left Minister Li were trapped in danger—they had entered this chaotic situation only because they had delivered the message for her.

Her conscience would not allow her to stand by and do nothing.

Under the heavy gray clouds, Zhao Yān forced herself to calm down, pressing her fingers against her forehead to clear her thoughts.

The city gates were like vital gates and could not be left unmanned. Calculating the available imperial guards in the palace, there were fewer than five thousand.

But this group could not all be sent away; half must remain to guard the imperial city. Otherwise, if news of the Emperor being in danger spread throughout the city and the imperial city was left empty, there would certainly be great chaos. Once the capital was in turmoil, the people’s hearts would be unsettled.

As such, the forces that could be mobilized were a mere drop in the bucket. Even if the Empress Dowager issued an edict requesting troops to come to the Emperor’s aid, summoning the tens of thousands of soldiers stationed closest to the southern suburbs, it would take at least three days for them to go back and forth.

Before that, additional forces would need to hold off the rebels, buying those three days.

But she was no longer the Crown Prince. Where would she find such an elite force?

“No… There are still two thousand troops independent of the Emperor’s imperial guards.”

Having found a breakthrough, Zhao Yān’s eyes brightened, and she immediately stood up. “Shi Lan, put on my clothes and stay in the hall in my place to appease Zhang Cang. Liu Ying, stay behind and take good care of the Empress Dowager.”

Liu Ying seemed to think of something and stepped forward: “Your Highness, the two thousand troops you mentioned, do you mean…”

“Correct, I’m going to borrow Zhao Yǎn’s Eastern Palace Guards.”

Zhao Yān walked to the inner chamber, opened the heavy chest, and took out the short dagger from the top cloth bundle—a relic of Zhao Yǎn’s.

She had once used this dagger to protect herself when facing Zhao Yuan’yu at the pavilion for the dead. Now, she wanted to use it to protect the capital.

Zhao Yān changed into a palace maid’s skirt, hung the palace exit token at her waist, then pressed the small mole at the corner of her eye before turning to leave the hall.

In the corridor, an elderly lady with silver hair leaned on a cane, silently watching her.

“Grandmother…”

Zhao Yān halted abruptly, instinctively hiding the short dagger in her sleeve.

Grandmother and granddaughter stood about twenty paces apart, with only the cool breeze passing through the corridor, causing the bamboo blinds to sway.

Finally, the Empress Dowager, holding her prayer beads, said evenly: “It seems you have a way to break through this impasse?”

“Yes.”

Zhao Yān swallowed and said softly, “The enemy army has surrounded Yuquan Palace. We have too few people at our disposal now. Forcibly breaking through the enemy’s lines would only result in mutual destruction.”

“Then why are you still going?”

“I know a secret passage that can bypass the enemy’s main force from the back mountain and provide direct support to Mother inside Yuquan Palace.”

Zhao Yān said firmly, “Only I know this path. Grandmother, I must go.”

After a long while, the Empress Dowager sighed: “Come here.”

Zhao Yān hesitated, then walked over with her head lowered.

She thought the Empress Dowager would scold her for attempting the impossible, but the old lady simply removed the warm prayer beads from her hand and slowly wrapped them around Zhao Yān’s slender wrist.

“Then go. I will guard the imperial city.”

The Empress Dowager’s voice was ancient yet powerful. “Remember, above all else, preserve yourself.”

……

As night fell, Zhang Cang heard reports from his subordinates, furrowed his brow, and knocked on the door of Princess Changfeng’s bedchamber.

“Your Highness, why aren’t you eating?”

He pressed his ear against the door, listening carefully for any sound inside. After a while, he knocked twice more. “Your Highness?”

“I… I’m not hungry.”

From inside came a muffled, unclear voice. “I’m somewhat tired and going to bed now.”

Zhang Cang said, “Oh,” scratched his neck, and turned to leave.

After walking a few steps, he felt something wasn’t quite right. Zhang Cang, with his tiger-like sharp eyes, turned and strode back, pushing open the bedchamber door with one motion.

Shi Lan, dressed in Zhao Yān’s clothes, was sneaking off the bed to drink water and satisfy her hunger when she suddenly saw a burly military official push the door open. She was immediately frightened and let out an “Ah!” as the cup fell to the ground and shattered.

Zhang Cang was also startled, letting out an “Ah!” roar as his tiger-like body trembled.

The two stared at each other.

Shi Lan came to her senses and instinctively tried to cover her face, but it was too late.

Zhang Cang strode over, his bear-like hands gripping Shi Lan’s shoulders, examining her face in the lamplight from left to right.

“That hurts… let go of me!” Shi Lan was terrified by the rugged face before her and struggled continuously.

Zhang Cang released her, turned to look at the bamboo ladder propped against the wall in the courtyard, then back at the face before him that clearly didn’t match, and backed away several steps, his eyes ashen with despair.

“It’s over… It’s all over!”

He ran outside, looking up and crying out in anguish, “His Highness will surely strip me of my position! I, Old Zhang, am going to meet my end today!”