In the span of one afternoon, the Thirteenth Prince’s mansion was raided. Without even holding a trial, all the men in the household were executed on the grounds that they had resisted stubbornly and were killed on the spot. Over forty court followers were arrested, implicating tens of thousands of family members and relatives. The Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and East City Prison were packed to capacity with continuous wailing and crying. News was quietly suppressed, and some military generals under the Thirteenth Prince who were stationed at the borders were urgently summoned to the palace. The military headquarters hurriedly deployed 300,000 troops to guard the imperial city. All of Southern Chu was suddenly filled with the sound of wind and the cry of cranes. The chain reaction brought about by Chu Li’s disappearance for one night was chilling. Everyone in the capital was in constant terror, and the common people stayed in their homes, not daring to venture out.

Taking advantage of this chaos in Southern Chu, the other nations all watched secretly from the shadows, but none dared to act rashly. There was a reason why Chu Li chose this moment to launch his political purge and cleanse the royal faction. Yan Hui from Xichuan, Prince Qi An, tribal elders from Nanjiang, leaders of coastal vassal states, and others were all currently gathered in the capital of Southern Chu, awaiting Chu Li’s coronation ceremony. With these high-ranking and powerful hostages in hand, no country dared to act rashly.

On the very night the city gates were sealed, the Qin envoys finally arrived. All who were supposed to come had arrived. The capital of Southern Chu had momentarily become the most complex and dangerous place in the entire realm.

After settling everything for Qing Xia, Yang Feng carried a pile of bloodied clothes and walked out of the tent. Just as he stepped outside, he happened to encounter Lin Mubo, who had just taken up his new post as Grand Minister of the Privy Council. When Yang Feng was transferred from the Green Standard Army to the Imperial Guard, he had once met Lin Mubo. He greeted him with a light smile: “Congratulations on your promotion, Minister Lin.”

“Oh, it’s General Yang. Are you also staying here?” Lin Mubo wore the robes of a third-rank official and looked particularly spirited, having lost some of his dullness and gained more martial bearing.

“Indeed. What brings you here, Minister?”

“His Highness asked me to check on Guard Xia to see how his injuries are.”

Yang Feng’s eyebrows rose slightly as he said calmly: “The medicine has been applied and bandaging completed. He’s sleeping now.”

“I see. Then I’ll go back and report. I’ll visit you again when there’s an opportunity, General Yang.” After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Mubo turned and left. Yang Feng watched his figure and let out a heavy sigh. Just as he was about to leave, he saw a corner of the tent curtain slowly drop down, and a jade-white hand slowly withdrew.

What is poison in one person’s eyes is honey in another’s. Although the assassination incident caused great upheaval in court and country, stirring up tremendous commotion, there were still one or two who benefited from it.

Yang Feng, due to his composed command in the face of a great enemy, jumped three ranks and became Supervisory Colonel of the Imperial Guard. In contrast, Xia Qing, the greatest hero of this incident, received no substantial rewards – only a promotion from an outer guard of the Black Guards to Chu Li’s personal bodyguard. After three days of rest and recovery, he would officially take up his post.

Outside the tent, Guard Captain Xu led Black Guard soldiers in completely surrounding and guarding the tent. Except for fighting his way out, there was no way to escape. Qing Xia dressed in the uniform of a close Black Guard attendant. Unlike usual, she didn’t apply makeup to her face but walked out with her natural appearance. Xu Quan showed no expression of surprise and led Qing Xia directly into the main command tent.

Chu Li wore white cotton robes. Without the cold steel of armor and weapons, he still carried a trace of blade-like coldness. He was carefully painting a landscape, and even when Qing Xia entered, he didn’t look up. Guard Captain Xu respectfully saluted and withdrew. Qing Xia stood to one side, quietly awaiting the coming storm.

“Are your injuries healed?” A low voice suddenly rang out slowly in the air. Chu Li kept his head down, his ink-black long hair sliding from his shoulders and falling onto the long table. His wide sleeves swept across the desk, the white cotton fabric carrying a softness completely at odds with his temperament.

Qing Xia no longer disguised her voice. While it was simple to change a person’s appearance and voice, it was extremely difficult to change one person’s familiarity with another. After half a day and night of interaction, Qing Xia had long anticipated that Chu Li would investigate her identity. Even if he only had suspicions at the time, after returning to the camp and checking the so-called records of Xia Qing, the truth would immediately be exposed. Her clear voice rang out softly in the warm air of the tent: “Much better.”

“The military camp is noisy and unsuitable for recovery. I found a quiet little residence in the southern part of the city. Go take a look later and see if you like it.”

“Is Your Highness planning to place me under house arrest?” The slender woman slightly raised her eyebrows and slowly lifted her head.

Chu Li chuckled lowly: “Could I possibly confine you?”

“The southern city borders Prince Qi’s residence. Isn’t Your Highness afraid I might collude with him and betray Great Chu?”

“You won’t.” Chu Li said indifferently, as if they were discussing some trivial matter. “If you were going to do that, last night would have been your best opportunity.”

“In three days, it will be my coronation ceremony. All matters will be settled and concluded after the ceremony. You may go now.”

Qing Xia looked at Chu Li in his white cotton robes, feeling that this person was almost two different people from the one in last night’s dense forest. She slowly turned around, lifted the tent curtain, and was about to step out when Chu Li’s voice rang out flatly behind her: “Don’t try to escape again.”

Qing Xia’s eyebrows rose. Just because you say not to escape, should I obediently listen to you?

“Yang Feng is talented and has the makings of a general. Don’t ruin his future.”

A basin of cold water was poured over her head. Qing Xia’s body trembled slightly. After a long while, she strode out.

The lakeside pavilion was a villa belonging to the Prince of Huainan. After the Thirteenth Prince’s downfall, Imperial Noble Consort Xiao fell from grace. If not for being Chu Li’s biological mother, she might have already joined the Thirteenth Prince in death. The Prince of Huainan, as Imperial Noble Consort Xiao’s younger son, had always been weak and sickly and never participated in politics, but he also couldn’t escape being implicated. He was exiled to the remote lands of Luling City. Ostensibly it was to recuperate in a warm place, but in reality he was being driven from the capital and stripped of power.

Everyone in the realm knew that Chu Li and his biological younger brother had never been particularly close. Imperial Noble Consort Xiao had always favored one over the other, several times disregarding her eldest son’s life for the sake of her younger son. Fortune’s wheel turns – now that Chu Li had ascended to power and controlled Southern Chu, Imperial Noble Consort Xiao was under house arrest in the rear palace, the Thirteenth Prince was dead, and this prince who had always hidden under his mother’s wing naturally fell from the clouds into the mud.

The Prince of Huainan hadn’t yet left, but over half of the properties under his name had already been reclaimed by the court. Qing Xia moved into this famous tranquil spot in the capital, leaning in a waterside pavilion with a thick fur coat draped over her, drowsy with sleep.

“Miss, please sleep inside. It’s cold here.” Hong Ying stood nearby. The little maid was only fourteen years old with a very childish appearance. She usually spoke very carefully, never daring to raise her voice. All the servants in this villa were people Chu Li had bought from families with clean backgrounds outside the palace – not one had court connections. On their first day, they were told that if anything happened to Qing Xia, everyone here would be buried with her.

Chu Li was skilled at manipulating people’s psychology and knew what methods would best bind Qing Xia’s footsteps. Tomorrow would be Chu Li’s coronation ceremony. Everything was proceeding quietly behind the scenes. Qing Xia stood up and obediently walked toward the inner hall.

Seeing Qing Xia willing to return to her room, Hong Ying breathed a great sigh of relief and followed behind Qing Xia, carrying the warming brazier, happily trailing behind.

“Get out of the way! Who dares block this princess’s path!” An imperious voice suddenly rang out. Qing Xia frowned as chaotic footsteps rapidly approached.

“Ha ha, I knew it! It’s definitely you, you vixen again!”

Jia Yun looked arrogant in a purple long fur coat that made her appear magnificent and dazzling. She held a riding whip in her hand, waving it while shouting loudly at Qing Xia.

Qing Xia slowly turned her head, her eyes flashing with sharp light as she stared coldly at this Southern Chu princess who had suffered countless setbacks at her hands yet remained unrepentant. Under Qing Xia’s gaze, Jia Yun felt a chill in her heart, retreated half a step, and her face instantly turned snow white.

After glancing her up and down sideways, Qing Xia lost interest in quarreling with a child and turned toward the inner hall.

“Hmph, stop showing off here. Wait until my Crown Prince brother captures all your cronies and has them all beheaded – then let’s see how arrogant you can be!” Jia Yun mustered her courage and shouted, but her voice clearly lacked confidence.

“You…” Hearing this, Qing Xia paused slightly, slowly turned around, looked directly at Jia Yun with both eyes, pondered for a moment, then slowly asked: “What do you mean?”

“You don’t know yet, do you? My Crown Prince brother went to Guardian Temple to pray to the ancestors for blessings, waiting for tomorrow’s coronation ceremony – he’s been there for two days. Your fair-weather friends have all been arrested and sent to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs for severe punishment. Sister Zhu won’t let you off. Just wait to die.”

A hand suddenly struck out, tightly grasping Jia Yun’s neck, saying in a cold voice: “Make yourself clear.”

“Your Highness…”

Zhuang Dianru wore blue cloth clothing, his complexion slightly pale. His thin face had a few long whiskers elegantly trimmed, giving him a somewhat desolate appearance. He sat in a soft chair near the brazier, half-closing his eyes. The hardships of the long journey weren’t much reflected in his appearance, only his voice was slightly hoarse: “What does Prince Qi mean by sending this blank sheet of paper?”

“Hmph…” A cold laugh rang out softly. Chu Li still wore his white cotton robes, his long hair loosely tied, having lost his usual sharp efficiency and gained more of the handsome gentleness of a refined young nobleman. He held that paper thin as cicada wings and said in a low voice: “He’s trying to tell me that this matter is still a blank sheet of paper. However I choose to describe it determines how things will proceed – but everything must be written down in black and white, all brought into the open.”

“Oh?” Zhuang Dianru made a questioning sound and said: “Is he showing goodwill to Your Highness?”

“Eastern Qi isn’t entirely peaceful either. The King of Qi is in good health – his final days are still far off. Do Prince Qi An’s seven brothers really get along as harmoniously as they appear on the surface? Now that his seventh brother is confined by me, if I were to expose to the King of Qi what he and his seventh brother did with the Shangtang people at Juyong Pass, do you think his position as crown prince could remain as secure as it is now? With this leverage in my hands, how would he dare act rashly?”