Palace maids lit palace lanterns one by one, their brightness illuminating the wildly dancing snow particles. Inside the hall, candles and lamps glowed brilliantly. Melons, fruits, and dishes had already been placed on the tables—the winter banquet was about to begin.
Behind the golden screen, Li Huan donned ceremonial robes and pearl crown with Xiao Yunru’s assistance, his eyes still heavily focused on the military reports in his hands.
After Zhong Zhou’s first snowfall, the Rong entered a harsh winter where the people suffered terribly—also the time when the Rong had raided for several years. Northern border warfare had already erupted. Military reports delivered to Li Huan’s hands were each one less optimistic than the last.
Seeing that Fuhou City, which he had personally captured years ago, was lost again, with a hundred citizens in the city beheaded, Li Huan forcefully threw the report away: “A mere Second Prince—is there no one who can deal with him?”
The little inner attendant who had just entered was terrified and prostrated himself, shrinking his neck.
“Your Majesty, a fire broke out in the secret chamber of the imperial prison. The Deposed Crown Prince had sewn tinder into his undergarments. Though the fire has been extinguished, the Deposed Crown Prince has also…”
On the self-condemnation edict held in the little inner attendant’s hands was unmistakably Li Xuan’s powerful and vigorous calligraphy.
He admitted his transgression of defying and seizing the palace, along with his crime of trampling the people of the two wards back then. Now having no face to ask for an intact corpse, he only sought quick death.
Li Huan came to his senses, picked up the self-condemnation edict and read it through in one breath, slowly sitting on the couch, amazed at how smoothly things had gone.
In this struggle for power, he had ultimately achieved victory, yet it wasn’t as satisfying as imagined.
Before him, candle flames swayed. The brush rack and inkstone on the desk still retained Emperor Chenming’s former arrangement. The scene of the three brothers standing here conversing with Emperor Chenming was vivid before his eyes, yet everything had become fleeting clouds and smoke.
And the pressure to be borne in this position was also a thousand times more than before.
Xiao Yunru said: “Your Highness, with the Deposed Crown Prince dead, the Crown Prince faction surely can no longer make waves. This consort wishes to seek a favor for the Grand Prince. Why not give this child a status and properly care for him in the palace? When he understands matters in the future, he will also have a grateful heart.”
“Qi Lang has also taken great pains this time. Since he’s willing to raise him, then let him be raised.” With Li Xuan having already abandoned his life, Li Huan was also unwilling to make things difficult for Li Zhang anymore. He closed his eyes and said: “Since winter began, warfare has been a headache. Let’s enfeoff the Grand Prince as Prince Jing for good fortune.”
The little inner attendant kowtowed and left to carry out the order.
Xiao Yunru picked up the military report, looked at it, and said: “If the letter Noble Consort Ruo received is real—that Princess Changping of old Chu didn’t die and is now in the Rong—then the Rong Second Prince’s troops are familiar with Da Chen’s borders and understand Da Chen soldiers’ weaknesses. Winning repeatedly isn’t strange. The plan now is to have someone familiar with the northern border battlefield personally take command.”
Li Huan said: “Among commanders who’ve been on northern border battlefields, besides me and Qi Lang, only one person remains alive. We’ll see if Ling Yunyi is still useful now.”
Before the Emperor and Empress could make their entrance, they heard chaos outside.
Several clothing palace maids exerted tremendous effort to finally restrain a monk in a blue cloth robe.
This monk reeked of alcohol with a completely dissipated appearance. While pulling out his own garments, he smiled ingratiatingly at Yang Fu: “I don’t understand what Your Ladyship is saying. Can’t you see I’ve already taken tonsure and left home for years? What do secular warfare matters have to do with me? If you’re talking about this, just let me go.”
Yang Fu had now been enfeoffed as Noble Consort. Her high coiffure was full of gold and jade, the peonies dyed on her crimson wide sleeves bringing out her devastating beauty. However, her complexion now was slightly flushed with anger: “If General Ling truly had no interest in worldly matters, why did you still enter the palace when I wrote inviting you?”
The monk grabbed wine with one hand and poured it into his mouth, laughing aloud: “Wasn’t that seeing you’re my former wife’s younger sister, and seeing you asking for help, I came to see if you were safe? Since you’re serving with your beauty and doing very well, should I not leave? Do you expect me to cooperate with you all in achieving merit and establishing careers?”
The palace maids beside Yang Fu immediately became furious, ordering him to be silent and scolding him as crazy and deranged. This monk seized the opening and suddenly ran toward the hall entrance, but was grabbed by Yang Fu: “I don’t care what you say, but I remember how the Rong humiliated Da Chen’s subjects back then, making me marry the Khan. His Majesty doesn’t want you charging to the front—just wants you to deploy troops with the battle and assist General Zhang. Just consider it for the common people and soldiers of the northern border. Can you bear to watch them suffer humiliation with your eyes wide open?”
But the monk only cared about running outside. Seeing he couldn’t escape, he actually turned around and suddenly grabbed one of Yang Fu’s hands and caressed it: “Truly old Chu’s greatest beauty. All grown up now, you have an even greater charm.”
Caught off guard, Yang Fu screamed and pulled her hand back. Immediately the monk was kicked down by Li Huan who walked out in great fury: “I at least used to call you teacher. Look at what you’ve become!”
Ling Yunyi was kicked to the ground but felt neither anger nor shame. First he kowtowed. Then utterly unconcerned with the expressions around him, he lay on the ground, laughing as he rolled several times on the ground until reaching the doorway, bumping into someone’s skirt hem.
Looking up, he saw a fair and delicate face. The look in his eyes suddenly changed, as if seeing Princess Changping Yang Yi. Looking more carefully, he realized he’d mistaken the person.
Qun Qing also saw clearly this haggard and swollen face. Her heartstrings hummed, followed immediately by her arm being gripped tightly by Lu Huating as he stepped back several paces.
This monk was Ling Yunyi, Princess Changping’s prince consort back then, and also Fang Xie’s birth father.
Qun Qing surveyed Yang Fu and Li Huan’s expressions, brushed her skirt hem, and looked at Ling Yunyi on the ground: “Is General Ling so afraid of going to the battlefield because you know about that news?”
Ling Yunyi didn’t hear what she said at all. Lying crooked on the ground, spout to mouth, he drank incessantly like a puddle of mud.
“I heard the Rong Second Prince married a new consort who accompanies the army to war. She’s over thirty, a consort inherited from the old Khan. Some say she can speak Han language, like Princess Changping from back then. When Princess Changping jumped into the river to end her life, there was no one to collect and verify the corpse…”
Once these words were spoken, not only did Ling Yunyi freeze—silence fell all around, and Yang Fu also looked at Qun Qing with some surprise.
Several days ago, Yang Fu had suddenly received a letter from Princess Changping Yang Yi, saying she was now in the Rong and would attack Da Chen with the Rong forces, wanting her younger sister’s help to restore Nan Chu. Because Princess Changping had been dead for years, the letter’s authenticity was difficult to judge. Unexpectedly, within a few days, rumors spread from the front lines about seeing a woman whose age and appearance matched Yang Yi—military morale inevitably scattered.
Back then Yang Yi’s attempt to seize power failed, resulting in betrayal by both the Ling and Li families together. She must harbor extremely deep resentment. If she truly was alive and ended up in the Rong, wanting to use Rong hands for revenge, this wouldn’t be ordinary harassment but unending warfare.
For Da Chen, which had just stabilized, this was tantamount to renewed turmoil.
Qun Qing said: “You dare not go to the northern border—are you afraid to face Princess Changping, or are you colluding with her inside and outside, originally she…”
Before she finished speaking, Ling Yunyi’s wine flask suddenly flew at her. Ling Yunyi looked at Qun Qing’s calm face, seeming to extremely hate her provocation. A trace of twisted hatred flashed in his sunken eyes.
“Qi Lang, when did you marry a beautiful new bride?” He hiccupped, pointing at Qun Qing and laughing: “I see you look like an old friend. Your Majesty, thoroughly investigate her identity!”
Qun Qing didn’t move, gazing at his eyes. But Ling Yunyi was the first to look away.
Before Li Huan could say anything, Yang Fu nervously glanced at Qun Qing: “Stop talking nonsense. You were also disrespectful to me just now.”
Fortunately, with Ling Yunyi being so presumptuous at the banquet, everyone around had already decided he was drunk—no one believed his words.
“Enough. Female officials rising to high positions is already difficult. Constantly using rumors to attack others’ appearances all day—how low is that?” Qun Qing turned her head to see Princess Danyang emerge from the crowd, indignation congealing in her spirited brows.
With Princess Danyang defending her thus, Qun Qing’s heart was complicated. She performed a courtesy, but was helped up by Danyang: “Do your duty. Being trapped by rumors can only trap yourself.”
“Making such a fuss for so long without starting the banquet—you’re not hungry, but I am.” Princess Danyang ordered people to help Ling Yunyi up and grant him a seat. Sighing, she said: “These years, rewards and respect for the Ling family have never been lacking. This entire winter banquet was arranged by His Majesty for you. Why won’t General Ling give face?”
Though Ling Yunyi remained casual, he no longer mentioned leaving and allowed palace maids to help him sit at his seat.
Qun Qing sat at the table together with Lu Huating. He slowly lifted the wine pot, rinsed her cup and filled it, asking in a low voice: “Did you know Ling Yunyi before?”
Qun Qing didn’t answer but asked instead: “Has he always been like this?”
“He’s been like this for many years.” Lu Huating took a small sip. “I saw him from afar during campaigns—he was taciturn then. After events were settled, he suddenly became dissipated. First refusing official positions, taking tonsure and leaving home. Looking at his complexion, he must drink constantly with no sober days.”
Qun Qing lowered her eyes: “He wasn’t like this before.”
A bastard son of the Ling family who at fifteen became famous in the army for brave war achievements. It was said he could shoot arrows exceptionally well, could hit a willow leaf from a hundred paces—Rong soldiers heard of him and trembled in fear. He was victorious in every battle.
The day Ling Yunyi returned to Chang’an to receive honors was an extremely lively day. According to Shi Yuming, she was held by her Father to watch, but Qun Qing only had vague memories.
She remembered Princess Changping’s elaborate and magnificent palace dress, gold thread dazzling in the sunlight. That day’s Princess Changping was so beautiful, imposing, and majestic she was almost impossible to look at directly. The silence where a pin drop could be heard seemed to be these soldiers’ admiration for the Princess. In that silence, she held the fish tally and walked deliberately toward the soldiers receiving honors.
Her radiance made them all seem somewhat dim.
In that dimness, that youth stood in the middle, his dark pupils quietly watching the floor tiles. Ling Yunyi in childhood had often been mocked because of his delicate appearance, but now his face bore bruises and bloodstains symbolizing military achievements, making it impossible for his main family to look down on him anymore.
Princess Changping walked before him, looking at his face.
Ling Yunyi raised his eyes, looked at her once, then lowered his eyes again. The ground was dotted with light spots like copper coins. Having just seen that face clearly, he suddenly felt even this marble floor had become extremely rough. It was said this Princess held political power. Her beauty was like the sun—if one looked directly at her, it would burn them.
Princess Changping gave the fish tally to others, but stopped before Ling Yunyi, removed her own jade necklace, and hung it on his neck. The necklace was icy, carrying a faint fragrance.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, then suddenly erupted in tremendous cheers.
Shi Yuming asked Father what this meant.
Father said General Ling would be the Princess’s prince consort henceforth.
Princess Changping had never chosen a husband. No one ever thought she would take a liking to such a youth without any foundation to be her prince consort.
Ling Yunyi looked up in shock, his face flushed red as if plunged into a wine vat. He saw this mature, beautiful, almost dazzling face smile at him, like a hot spring descending from heaven.
Everyone was cheering, almost shaking the entire palace. No one saw that in this youth’s pitch-black eyes was a slight darkness.
If he became prince consort, his official career would be severed. He could never again earn his own future. But who could defy Princess Changping’s choice?