Chu Li sneered coldly and said in a low voice: “Last time he caused warfare between two nations because of your daughter, which greatly damaged his reputation among the people. Making an enemy of me at this time would truly be unwise. Moreover, King Xuan of Qin just recently quelled the rebellion at Yanmen Pass in the north, driving the Xiongnu three thousand li away. He’s at the height of his power in Qin. Prince Qi An is no fool – if he lets Qin recover its strength, all of us nations will have to follow the old path of the six Warring States. At this time, even if he doesn’t actively show goodwill toward me, I must put an end to this warfare.”

“King Xuan of Qin is truly a remarkable man!” Zhuang Dianru sighed deeply and said: “If our nation had such a war god, the southern frontier lands would have no worries.”

“Having famous generals below requires encountering an enlightened ruler above to have room for development,” Chu Li said dismissively. “Now the Great Emperor of Qin is incompetent and muddled, treacherous ministers control Qin’s court, and King Xuan of Qin alone cannot support the great edifice. With his ailing body, that he’s persisted until today is already extraordinary. You need not worry – now we only need our three nations to unite with the other vassal states and add fuel to the fire, and Qin will surely fall into great chaos.”

“What brilliant strategy does Your Highness have?”

“Flattering the high and stepping on the low is the way of survival,” Chu Li smiled faintly. “Since Qin Zhiyan is now so influential, I’ll follow the trend and add more kindling to make his prestige rise even higher. The Emperor of Qin is quite suspicious by nature – even toward his own sons, he has never shown trust. Let Qin’s internal chaos continue to rage.”

Zhuang Dianru nodded in understanding and slowly said: “No wonder Xichuan is constructing King Xuan temples on a large scale, claiming it’s to thank King Xuan for avenging the Xichuan citizens who died at Xiongnu hands. So this was the underlying intention.”

“Many hands make light work. Yan Hui has always been very skilled at this kind of sowing discord,” Chu Li snorted coldly and said indifferently: “I called you here today because there’s another matter I want to discuss with you.”

“Please speak, Your Highness.”

“At the ceremony, I want to establish an empress.”

Zhuang Dianru’s body trembled slightly, his brow furrowing as he said gravely: “Establishing an empress concerns the nation’s foundation – the basis for imperial bloodline succession. It’s a matter of national importance. But I wonder whom Your Highness favors?”

“Your daughter, Zhuang Qing Xia.”

Chu Li’s words struck like a thunderbolt over Zhuang Dianru’s head. The white-bearded, white-haired old man’s body shook as he suddenly widened his eyes and said gravely: “Your Highness, this absolutely must not be!”

“Heh heh, Minister Zhuang,” Chu Li smiled and shook his head, saying: “Those people outside who constantly impeach you, calling you a spy sent by Eastern Qi, should really hear what true loyalty to sovereign and love of country means.”

“Your Highness,” Zhuang Dianru quickly stood up from the soft chair, knelt prostrate on the ground, and said gravely: “This old minister has never dared claim the title of loyal to sovereign and patriotic. It’s just that Qing Xia has been intimate with Prince Qi An. Over the years, through your and my indulgence and tolerance, a grave error has already been made. Your Highness cannot make such an absurd mistake out of pity for this old minister.”

“Minister Zhuang,” Chu Li stepped forward, his brow tightly furrowed, moved as he supported Zhuang Dianru’s shoulders and said: “Years ago, sir gave me hope in desperate circumstances, brought me away from that den of wolves and tigers. For years you’ve planned for me – without you, there would be no Chu Li today. The bond between us as sovereign and minister, teacher and student, will never change.”

Zhuang Dianru’s eyes brimmed with tears as he said emotionally: “Your Highness is a sage chosen by Heaven. Even without this old minister, you would have turned misfortune to fortune and escaped danger. This old minister was merely a servant who built bridges and paved roads for Your Highness.”

Chu Li gripped Zhuang Dianru’s shoulders tightly, smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying in a low voice: “But sir, my desire today to make Qing Xia empress is not to repay your kindness.”

“Your Highness?” Zhuang Dianru asked in confusion.

“Minister Zhuang, what if I said I’m doing this for myself – would you believe it?” Chu Li stared intently ahead and said with certainty: “I don’t know why, but despite all evidence indicating she’s a spy sent by Prince Qi An, I still believe she is not!”

“Perhaps she was before, but now I can be certain she is definitely not Prince Qi An’s spy.” Chu Li’s eyes flashed with light as he slowly turned his head, his voice gentle.

Zhuang Dianru looked into Chu Li’s eyes and said with a sigh: “Why is Your Highness so certain? If Your Highness guesses wrong, Southern Chu will be placed in a very passive position. After all, the mother of a nation is no trifling matter.”

“Sir, from childhood to adulthood, everything I’ve done has been from the perspective of the greater good, never leaving the slightest flaw. If there was even the tiniest doubt, I would absolutely never take risks. Do you remember Xiao Xiu, who died in Nanguo City during the King of Qi’s forty-fifth birthday year?”

How could he not remember? That year, Chu Li was only thirteen. While accompanying Chu Li in sword practice, Guard Xiao Xiu actually used the Swallow Swordplay of Eastern Qi’s Red Palace Academy. Chu Li secretly noted this. The next day he set a trap, sent Xiao Xiu to Nanguo City, and secretly had him beaten to death with clubs. Actually, at that time, learning a move or two from Red Palace Academy wasn’t such a grave error, nor could it prove Xiao Xiu was a Qi spy. When he went to dissuade Chu Li, he only remembered the thirteen-year-old Chu Li slowly shaking his head and saying gravely: “I cannot take this risk.”

Perhaps being betrayed and sold out had become such a habit that it made him so guarded against others.

“Minister Zhuang, perhaps I was wrong that time, but I don’t regret it.” Chu Li slowly spoke, his voice having the depth of ocean waves. The room was warm throughout, with a huge bronze brazier placed in the center, heating the room like spring. The young emperor in his wide robes and flowing sleeves stared fixedly ahead and said in a low voice: “But I know that if I don’t do this now, I will definitely regret it.”

“Your Highness…”

“Minister Zhuang, don’t stop me. Perhaps this is my last time wanting to truly believe in someone with all my heart. She risked her life to save me in that forest – I don’t believe it was all false sentiment.” Chu Li suddenly stood up and slowly walked toward a side of the military tent. “Even if I’m wrong again, I must try.”

The night moon was large and bright. Zhuang Dianru slowly walked out of the military tent, where his eldest son Zhuang Qinglin stood with bowed head. Seeing his father’s figure, he quickly stepped forward.

“Father, what happened? Why do you look so troubled?”

Zhuang Dianru looked at his only son, suddenly sighed, and said gravely: “His Highness wants to establish an empress at tomorrow’s coronation ceremony.”

“Establish an empress? That’s good news! Which family’s daughter has this honor?” Zhuang Qinglin looked at his father in confusion and slowly asked.

“Your sister.”

“Qing Xia?” Zhuang Qinglin was shocked and said gravely: “How can this be? Qing Xia’s heart is with Prince Qi – His Highness knows this. That she could keep her life is already fortunate – how can she ascend to the empress position?”

“Speaking of it, I’ve wronged her. That she became intimate with Prince Qi An was also under my indulgence and deliberate arrangement. Otherwise we wouldn’t have gained Prince Qi’s trust initially, and escaping Qi wouldn’t have been so simple. But now that we’ve returned, she’s become a traitorous minister – I’ve harmed her.” Zhuang Dianru said with a sigh.

“Father, is there no way to reverse this situation?”

Zhuang Dianru slowly shook his head and said gravely: “We detected yesterday’s sneak attack in advance. Originally it was just to turn the tables and root out the Thirteenth Prince and Prince of Huainan’s followers. His Highness knew it was a trap – with eight thousand troops ambushed outside the city, he was still willing to follow Qing Xia into the dense forest to test her true nature. Do you think there’s still a chance to reverse things?”

“Then Qing Xia…”

“We can only hope she seeks her own fortune.” Zhuang Dianru’s steps were heavy as he slowly walked out the gate of the military headquarters, his aged figure increasingly stooped. Tomorrow would be Chu Li’s coronation ceremony. The ritual officials of the Imperial Observatory worked through the night making various preparations for Chu Li’s ascension. Provincial governors and generals from all regions had returned to the capital, awaiting tomorrow’s court audience. Three hundred thousand troops guarded the capital – everything appeared orderly, busy but not chaotic. At this moment, Chu Li rode his horse with only a few attendants to the lakeside pavilion in the southern city, knocking on Qing Xia’s door.

Clear wine simmered in a small charcoal pot, with several plates of homestyle dishes placed on the desk. Qing Xia pushed aside the travel journals she had been reading, sat on one side of the desk, picked up the wine pot, and poured a cup for Chu Li.

Chu Li still wore that white cotton robe. Having removed his armor, he seemed to have washed away his sharp edges as well. With his wide robes and flowing sleeves, he carried a touch of Chu regional elegance, completely unlike the sharp and decisive heir of Southern Chu. Taking the clear wine from Qing Xia’s hand, Chu Li tilted his head back and drank a mouthful. This wine wasn’t strong at all – it tasted pure with a proper mouthfeel and a clear fragrance. Casually flipping through the travel journals and miscellaneous books on Qing Xia’s desk, he asked in an indifferent voice: “How do you have the leisure to read these?”

“With nothing else to do, I’m just browsing casually.” Qing Xia said softly, lowered her head to tidy up the books, stood up to place them on the bookshelf, then returned to sit by the small table.

After this brush with death, something between them seemed to have changed. The atmosphere was heavy with an indescribable undertone. No longer calculating and performing for each other as before, but without the performance, they suddenly didn’t know what to say. Qing Xia kept her head down, using a small ladle to scoop warm water and gently pour it over the jade-white wine bottle, watching the steam rise between them as her vision gradually became hazy.

“Have you always hated me?” Chu Li looked at Qing Xia sitting nonchalantly before him and suddenly spoke, his voice flat yet carrying a trace of barely perceptible suppression. “Hate that I brought your Zhuang family from Qi to Southern Chu, hate that I took you from Prince Qi An’s side, hate that I prevented you from becoming Qi’s crown princess?”

Qing Xia looked up in confusion, her eyes slightly raised as she glanced at Chu Li. If she were really Zhuang Qing Xia, she should hate him. But what about Tang Xiaoshi? From the first day she arrived here, she seemed to have become enemies with this man, scheming wholeheartedly to escape from his cage, yet she never had a clear reason. In fact, even her own existence in this world lacked a clear purpose – how could there be hate or lack thereof?