The Empress Dowager had just heard the entire verbal exchange between Xia Hou Dan and Tu’er in the ceremonial hall and suddenly realized that this peace negotiation had been secretly orchestrated by Xia Hou Dan from the beginning.
The Emperor had dispatched envoys to Yan Kingdom right under her nose, and she didn’t even know who this Wang Zhao they mentioned was—she suspected that even Prince Duan was unaware.
Despite being severely wounded, he remained calm and collected, using nothing but words to turn the enemy’s forces against them. By sending Tu’er back to contend with the King of Yan, he intended to instigate internal strife in Yan, thus indirectly eliminating the threat of war against Great Xia!
How long had this fellow been playing the fool while being the tiger?
During these years, how many arrangements had he quietly made?
At this moment, Xia Hou Dan had surpassed Prince Duan in Empress Dowager’s mind, becoming the number one dangerous figure. If not for today’s unexpected events, he would have been ready to turn the tables soon, wouldn’t he?
Although he was already poisoned, who could guarantee that he wouldn’t find an antidote after leaving the mountain? If he didn’t die, she would be the one to perish!
Yet Xia Hou Dan, whether suddenly confused or not, had forgotten to kill her and even rescued her alongside the others.
The Empress Dowager trembled silently in the darkness, not from fear, but from tension.
This was the final opportunity heaven had granted her—kill Xia Hou Dan, frame Tu’er, and then use the pretext of war to send away Prince Duan!
She had feigned death and remained dormant until now, finally waiting for Bei Zhou to call out to those outside, when attention was diverted elsewhere, she immediately crawled toward Xia Hou Dan.
But she hadn’t expected heaven’s mercy to be so cheap. Just as she crawled one step forward, she was pinned to the ground by Bei Zhou.
Outside, everything had fallen into chaos, with the leader seeming to direct people to find tools in various places.
Empress Dowager: “How dare you! Who—whose servant are you—”
Bei Zhou firmly stepped on her chest and asked for the second time today: “Dan’er, shall I kill?”
His tone was casual; whether it was the prince of an enemy country or the current Empress Dowager, as long as Xia Hou Dan gave the word, he could crush them like ants beneath his foot.
Xia Hou Dan was silent for a moment.
Yu Wan Yin didn’t know exactly what he was contemplating during this silence. When he spoke, it was simply: “Today’s incident was caused by villainous commoners causing trouble.”
Everyone: “?”
Xia Hou Dan said meaningfully in a soft voice: “Fortunately, you guards protected me with your lives. As for the diplomatic envoys, they were in the capital the entire time, preparing for peace negotiations.”
Along with the first hammer blow falling outside the door, he began giving instructions one by one: “Tu’er, smear some mud and water on your face, and remember to keep your head down later. Guards, take off your outer garments and cover Wan Yin. Wan Yin, tie up your hair and smudge your face.”
Everyone understood and carried out the orders in the darkness.
Xia Hou Dan’s voice grew increasingly weak: “Tu’er, do you still have any poison with you? Something that won’t kill a person within three to five days?”
Tu’er didn’t understand why he asked this, hesitantly saying: “That’s hard to say, I didn’t concoct the poison myself, and I’ve only tested it on chickens.” He reached into his robe and fell around, pulling out a pill which he sniffed, “This one probably isn’t lethal, though the chicken that ate it collapsed on the spot.”
Xia Hou Dan: “Uncle Bei, make the Empress Dowager take it.”
Empress Dowager: “!!!”
The sound of hammering continued, accompanied by faint cracking.
The Empress Dowager spoke urgently: “Emperor, Dan’er, today you… today you’ve shown both wisdom and courage, turning weapons into jade and silk. Mother is deeply grateful… All that Mother has done these years was out of fear that the burden on your shoulders was too heavy, wishing to share your worries… Wait!!” She suddenly turned her head to avoid the pill Bei Zhou was trying to force into her mouth. “Don’t forget you’ve been poisoned! If both of us die, the one laughing in the end will be Xia Hou Bo. Don’t you hate him?!”
Xia Hou Dan replied kindly: “No need for Mother to worry, your son won’t die.”
Bei Zhou pried open the Empress Dowager’s mouth with his bare hands, forcing the pill down amid her chicken-like shrieks.
Xia Hou Dan: “Mother must have forgotten how many poisons I’ve endured over the years, thanks to you and Prince Duan, and how many medicines I’ve taken. Ordinary poisons aren’t very effective on me anymore.”
Bei Zhou gripped her neck and lifted her, shaking her a bit.
The pill had gone down.
Xia Hou Dan: “Mother, rest assured, I will live intact until the peace negotiations succeed, until Prince Duan is defeated until peace reigns across the land. By then, as you cradle your grandson while being roasted in the netherworld’s fires, don’t forget to rejoice for me.”
The Empress Dowager’s moans and pleas gradually weakened, until only hoarse breathing remained.
In the silence, Xia Hou Dan abruptly started laughing.
He laughed until he was breathless: “Do you all remember where we are?”
No one dared answer, so he posed and answered his question: “In the grave I built for her.”
With a tremendous crash, the stone door finally had a hole hammered through it.
After a few more blows, it shattered into pieces, crumbling down and splashing mud everywhere.
The Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards knelt: “Your servant came too late to rescue Your Majesty, please forgive this crime!”
Head bowed, he heard the Emperor’s panicked voice: “Don’t mind me, save Mother first.”
The Deputy Commander was startled, raising his torch to look into the tomb, only to see the Empress Dowager lying on the ground convulsing, her mouth and eyes twisted—appearing to have suffered a stroke.
The Imperial Guards then carried all the wounded out of the mountain, escorting the imperial carriage back to the city.
On the way back to the palace, the rain gradually subsided. After the clouds dispersed, everyone was surprised to find it was already evening. The sunset on the horizon burned like a raging fire as if to incinerate the remaining clouds into flying ash.
As the carriage entered the palace, the Empress Dowager was carried in first.
The Deputy Commander moved to help Xia Hou Dan out of the carriage, but the Emperor ignored him, getting out with the assistance of Bei Zhou, who had transformed back into the appearance of a palace matron.
Discreetly shifting most of his weight onto Bei Zhou for support, he calmly asked: “Where is Zhao Wu Cheng?”
The Deputy Commander stammered, afraid to answer. Xia Hou Dan impatiently said: “Tell the truth.”
Deputy Commander: “Commander Zhao… has disappeared.”
Earlier, the Deputy Commander had been persuaded by Yang Duo Jie to send Zhao Wu Cheng away, steal the military tally, falsely transmit military orders, and lead all those willing to follow him to rescue the Emperor.
Before returning, he had worried that Zhao Wu Cheng might block their path with the remaining troops and carry out the act of regicide. He had specifically sent people ahead to scout, only to discover that Zhao Wu Cheng had vanished as soon as things went south. As timid as a mouse, Zhao Wu Cheng had likely packed his belongings and fled once he realized the plot was exposed.
Xia Hou Dan sneered: “From now on, you are the Commander of the Imperial Guards.”
The Deputy Commander’s heart surged with joy.
Xia Hou Dan: “Transmit my decree: villainous commoners have caused trouble, impose martial law throughout the city. The Imperial Guards failed to protect me properly; Zhao Wu Cheng neglected his duties and fled. Capture him and execute him immediately.”
The Deputy Commander declared fervently: “Your servant obeys!”
He left with his orders, rejoicing that he had bet on the right side at the last moment, not noticing that Xia Hou Dan’s footsteps were somewhat sluggish as he turned to enter the palace.
Xia Hou Dan struggled to walk into his bedroom chamber. As soon as the doors closed, he collapsed on the spot.
“Dan’er!” Bei Zhou cried out in alarm.
Yu Wan Yin, who had been following as a guard, rushed over to help support him, getting blood all over her hands.
Tu’er, who had also been following: “…Quick, call the imperial physician!”
Xia Hou Dan rolled his eyes at him, then looked toward Yu Wan Yin.
He had many things to tell her.
For instance, he wasn’t as confident as he claimed about surviving this ordeal. The reason he took down the Empress Dowager was because if he died, the final victor would inevitably be either the Empress Dowager or Prince Duan, and between these two, the Empress Dowager advocated for war while Prince Duan wanted peace.
He didn’t want to hand victory to Prince Duan, but eliminating the Empress Dowager would at least preserve the achievements of the peace negotiations.
For instance, he didn’t kill Empress Dowager on the spot to confuse Prince Duan, preventing him from rashly rebelling when the situation was unclear. If he survived, this move would buy precious recovery time.
For instance, with the sudden turn of events, Prince Duan would certainly be eyeing the palace covetously. But she need not fear, nor could she afford to. If he fell, she would be the only stabilizing force.
So many things to say.
But he had no strength left.
He could only manage to utter: “Don’t be afraid…”
Yu Wan Yin nodded: “You shouldn’t be afraid either, I can handle this.”
Reassured, Xia Hou Dan lost consciousness.
Bei Zhou carried Xia Hou Dan to the bed. Yu Wan Yin turned to face the palace attendants gathering around.
The carefully trained secret guards were now few, most having perished on Mount Bi. The remainder were still receiving training from Bei Zhou, suddenly thrust from reserves into the starting lineup, each looking more nervous than she was.
Indeed, Yu Wan Yin thought, unknowingly, she was no longer fearful.
If she returned to her original world now, she’d probably be promoted to CEO.
She spoke in a deep voice: “By His Majesty’s command, announce that the Empress Dowager is ill. Tonight, the palace is under curfew, no one may enter or leave. Go summon the imperial physicians… find more physicians to attend to the Empress Dowager, but only one for her.” They needed to guard against Prince Duan’s spies.
Everyone left to carry out the orders.
Yu Wan Yin looked at Xia Hou Dan on the bed. There wasn’t a trace of color left in his face; he looked as gray as death. According to the typical plot in such books, imperial physicians generally couldn’t help much.
She paced back and forth twice: “Uncle Bei, where is A Bai? Where exactly is A Bai? Wasn’t he outside helping His Majesty find medicine?”
Bei Zhou shook his head helplessly; A Bai hadn’t revealed anything to him back then, and Xia Hou Dan hadn’t mentioned it either.
Yu Wan Yin took a deep breath: “I remember someone… oh no, I forgot about her.”
She summoned a secret guard: “Quickly, invite Consort Xie. If there’s danger, rescue her. If all is well, ask her if she knows a talented apprentice at the Imperial Medical Academy, and bring him along.”
Xie Yong Er arrived quickly.
After reporting to Yu Wan Yin that morning, Xie Yong Er had swiftly hidden in her palace, claiming illness and not daring to see anyone. Fearing Yu Wan Yin might not understand her meaning, or worse, that she would understand but react too strongly and alert Prince Duan, she remained cautious. Prince Duan’s attention today should have been focused on the mountain, but who could guarantee he hadn’t left a contingency to deal with her?
As night fell, Xie Yong Er finally waited for a secret guard to come take her for an imperial audience.
Entering the bedchamber, she sighed with relief: “You finally thought of me! I’ve been afraid to touch even the food and water brought by palace servants all day, fearing Xia Hou Bo would kill me…”
Yu Wan Yin poured a cup of tea and handed it to her: “Thank you for your hard work. You should stay here for a while, don’t go out again.”
Xie Yong Er was thirsty and was about to drink, but stopped suspiciously: “Why do you look like this? Is the Emperor still alive? This isn’t a failed mission where you want to drag me down with you, is it?”
Yu Wan Yin: “…”
She led Xie Yong Er into the inner chamber.
The palace servants had already removed Xia Hou Dan’s blood-stained dragon robe and roughly cleaned his wounds. As soon as Xie Yong Er saw the gash on his chest that was still seeping blood, her breathing stopped in shock: “What happened?”
Yu Wan Yin tiredly sat on the edge of the bed and summarized the events within half a minute.
Xie Yong Er froze in place.
After a while, her thoughts slowly began to flow: “…Gun.”
Yu Wan Yin nodded.
Xie Yong Er: “Impressive.”
Yu Wan Yin: “Thank you.”
Xie Yong Er was completely stunned, thinking that at this point, she had to cling to this couple’s protection and never oppose them.
Just three days ago, she couldn’t have imagined herself racking her brains to offer strategies for them: “Disinfect the wound—”
“We used alcohol already.”
“Can he get a blood transfusion?”
“We don’t know his blood type.”
Xie Yong Er: “I’m type O, a universal donor!”
Yu Wan Yin: “You mean you were type O before you transmigrated here, right?”
Xie Yong Er fell silent.
Yu Wan Yin: “We can only use ancient methods now. The most urgent thing is to neutralize the poison. That talented apprentice you know—”
“His name is Xiao Tian Cai. When the secret guard found me earlier, I already sent him a message, asking him to accompany the imperial physician and assist, to avoid drawing attention.” Xie Yong Er frowned, “By the way, how did you know I knew him?”
Yu Wan Yin: “…”
Of course, it was written in the text.
But before Yu Wan Yin could fabricate an explanation, Xie Yong Er figured it out herself: “You’re quite formidable, do you have spies in the Imperial Medical Academy too? Did you know all along when I went to him for abortion medicine? It’s good I didn’t continue opposing you.”
Yu Wan Yin: “.”
Yu Wan Yin: “Thank you.”
The truth absolutely could not be told to Xie Yong Er.
When she turned Xie Yong Er to their side, she initially used their shared identity as transmigrators to create a sense of solidarity. If Xie Yong Er discovered she was a fictional character, the psychological impact would be tremendous, and her subsequent reactions would be unpredictable.
Moreover, putting herself in Xie Yong Er’s position, Yu Wan Yin felt that if she were a fictional character, she wouldn’t want to know it either.
When even free will is negated, what remains to rely on?
The elderly imperial physician arrived with Xiao Tian Cai.
Xiao Tian Cai was only eighteen, with a gentle demeanor, a refined young man. After kneeling in greeting, his eyes kept glancing toward Xie Yong Er, his expression suggesting he had something to say but was hesitant.
While the elderly imperial physician was checking the pulse with cold sweat, Xie Yong Er remembered a new concern and whispered to Yu Wan Yin: “Is Tu’er locked up? We can’t let him move freely before signing the peace treaty. With that straight-line thinking of his, what if Xia Hou Bo’s people get to him and promise that he can kill both the Emperor and the King of Yan at the same time…”
“Don’t worry, he’s already confined,” she replied.
Xiao Tian Cai’s gaze swept over Xia Hou Dan from head to toe. Seeing him unconscious and no one in charge, he carefully moved to Xie Yong Er’s side: “Consort Xie, may I have a word with you in private?”
The two walked away to a secluded spot where Xiao Tian Cai lowered his voice to a whisper, asking with hidden expectation: “Does Your Highness want him to live or die?”
Above them on the ceiling beam, a secret guard’s dagger was already unsheathed.
Xie Yong Er: “?”
Xie Yong Er hurriedly said: “Let him live, let him live.”
Since her transmigration, she had never prayed so earnestly for Xia Hou Dan not to die, with a fervor rivaling that of Tu’er and the new commander of the Imperial Guards.
Xia Hou Dan himself probably didn’t know that this day would mark the historical record for the most people praying for his well-being.
Xiao Tian Cai looked suspicious as if judging whether she had been coerced: “Didn’t Your Highness say that living in this palace was like being a trapped beast, only hoping that Prince Duan—”
Xie Yong Er covered his mouth with her hand: “That was then, this is now. Prince Duan is dead to me!” She couldn’t reveal more to him and couldn’t think of a convincing explanation in such a short time, so she steeled herself, “Actually… His Majesty has always been good to me, but I was blinded and failed to realize my feelings.”
Xiao Tian Cai: “.”
He stared at her for a moment, then turned away: “I understand.”
His departing figure seemed somewhat dejected.
Yu Wan Yin, having read the original text, knew this person was one of the cannon fodder male characters attracted to Xie Yong Er, and could guess eight or nine-tenths of their private conversation. Seeing Xiao Tian Cai return crestfallen, she quickly displayed a kind smile: “Master Xiao, now we can only rely on you.”
The elderly imperial physician who was preparing an apology: “?”
Xiao Tian Cai said softly: “Forgive this disciple’s rudeness.” He walked past him to examine Xia Hou Dan’s wound carefully.
Xiao Tian Cai: “His Majesty seems to have been poisoned with an incurable toxin that prevents qi from containing blood, a most tyrannical poison…”
Yu Wan Yin held her breath, waiting for his life-or-death verdict.
Xiao Tian Cai: “…but the dosage appears to have been small, or perhaps His Majesty’s imperial physique is so robust that the wound already shows initial signs of healing.”
Yu Wan Yin was suddenly stunned and hurried over to look.
She had been afraid to directly view the frightful wound, but now that he mentioned it, she noticed the bleeding had indeed slowed considerably.
She instantly felt as if she’d been brought back to life, asking incredulously: “Really? This isn’t just because the blood is almost drained out?”
Xiao Tian Cai’s mouth twitched: “His Majesty is blessed by heaven and won’t be in danger. This humble servant will prepare a prescription to stop the bleeding.”
At this moment, in the city that should have been under curfew, countless messages were being chaotically transmitted in the darkness.
The Empress Dowager’s faction was urgently inquiring about what had happened today, where the diplomatic envoys had fled to, and what had happened to the Empress Dowager.
Prince Duan’s faction was secretly discussing why the mission had failed, how the Emperor had escaped death, and how to adjust their plans given the current situation.
Yang Duo Jie was writing a secret letter to Li Yun Xi, praising Xia Hou Dan.
Under the solitary moon, a figure fled in panic, feeling his way to one familiar residence of Prince Duan’s faction after another, but unable to get any back door to open for shelter, finally being shot dead by flying arrows in the street.
The new Commander of the Imperial Guards unhesitatingly cut off his head, saying joyfully: “Go report to the palace, the criminal Zhao Wu Cheng has been executed!”
According to the original arrangement, the day after tomorrow was the auspicious day determined by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau for the peace negotiations. If Xia Hou Dan couldn’t attend to observe, it would be tantamount to revealing to Prince Duan: my defenses are completely open, you can strike now.
Every cell in Yu Wan Yin’s body was screaming with fatigue, but she didn’t dare relax. While the palace servants were brewing medicine, she pulled Xie Yong Er aside to go over the palace’s defensive arrangements once more, adding guards to all the places where Prince Duan might find loopholes.
Yu Wan Yin didn’t tell Xie Yong Er where Tu’er was imprisoned.
Bei Zhou was guarding Tu’er in the tunnel beneath their feet. The other end of the tunnel had been sealed off; even if Prince Duan had eyes and hands everywhere, he wouldn’t be able to find him.
If Prince Duan took the step of direct assassination, the tunnel would be their final escape route.
Xia Hou Dan lay in bed, as pale as paper, unconscious, with all the medicine from the spoon sliding from the corner of his lips onto the pillow.
Looking at his tightly closed lips, Yu Wan Yin, having read thousands of web novels, understood what needed to be done and turned to look at Xie Yong Er.
Xie Yong Er also understood and led Xiao Tian Cai away: “Let’s give them some privacy.”
She settled Xiao Tian Cai in the side hall and remembering that Yu Wan Yin was also at the end of her tether and might need someone to take shifts during the night, she walked back.
She saw Yu Wan Yin with flushed lips, putting down an empty medicine bowl and eagerly picking up a porridge bowl, only turning to look when she heard footsteps.
Xie Yong Er stepped back: “Sorry for disturbing you. Please continue.”
Xia Hou Dan woke up the following afternoon.
Having slept too deeply and for too long, he momentarily forgot what day it was, thinking he hadn’t yet gone to Mount Bi. He instinctively tried to sit up, but immediately hissed in pain and fell back onto the pillow.
The wound on his chest still hurt, but it seemed to have stopped bleeding. He tried moving his arms and legs slightly; apart from weakness, there were no other problems.
It seemed he wouldn’t die this time either. Realizing this, his first reaction was surprisingly one of fatigue.
Catching sight of the bedside from the corner of his eye, Xia Hou Dan slowly turned his head.
Yu Wan Yin was leaning on the edge of the bed, eyes closed, her head resting on her arm. She had changed clothes and seemed to have hastily taken a bath, her long hair unbound. Xia Hou Dan reached out and gently touched the top of her head, his fingertips feeling moisture. She had fallen asleep before she could even dry her hair.
Xia Hou Dan rang a bell to summon palace servants, intending to have her carried to the bed, but Yu Wan Yin awoke with a start, asking drowsily: “How are you?”
Perhaps due to weakness, or perhaps because they had just connected emotionally, Xia Hou Dan looked as peaceful as if he had never killed anyone, his gaze toward her as gentle as water, almost making her forget the madman on the mountain: “A little better than I expected. How are things in the palace?”
“There’s no court today. We’ve announced that you’re attending to the ill Empress Dowager, and the palace gates are still closed to entry and exit. But I wanted to intimidate Prince Duan, so I had people prepare the seating arrangements for tomorrow’s peace talks as usual. There hasn’t been any movement from his side yet.”
“And the Empress Dowager?”
Yu Wan Yin climbed onto the bed, shaking her head: “She’s reportedly making a huge fuss, but can’t even speak clearly. Those ministers from her faction have been coming one after another like rescue teams, but I’ve sent them all away.”
Xia Hou Dan smiled: “Sister Yu is formidable.”
Yu Wan Yin lay down heavily beside him, feeling nothing but fatigue beyond her drowsiness: “Remember to eat something before you sleep again. I can’t hold on anymore, I need to rest a bit. Wake me if anything happens…”
“Mm.” Xia Hou Dan held her hand. “Leave it to me.”
With the scent of medicine from Xia Hou Dan’s body lingering in her nose, her tense nerves finally relaxed, and for the first time in days, she fell into a sweet, deep sleep.
But when she opened her eyes again, the space beside her was empty.
The faint conversation reached her ears: “…each guard their territory, with no invasion of the other. Also trade exchanges, initially using silk and porcelain to trade for your fox furs and spices… The detailed list is here, go back and review it first, and if there’s no problem, we’ll wait for tomorrow’s ceremony.”
Night had fallen, and the candlelight was reflecting on the bed curtains. Yu Wan Yin quietly rose and lifted the curtain to look outside. Xia Hou Dan was sitting opposite Tu’er, with Bei Zhou standing beside him.
Tu’er read the peace treaty for a while, then put it down: “I have a question. Under what identity will I ally with Xia? As the new King of Yan? Then I’ll lead Xia’s reinforcements back to Yan to take Zha Luo Wa Han’s head. How is that any different from treason in the eyes of the people?”
Xia Hou Dan replied calmly: “Of course not, aren’t you the envoy sent by Zha Luo Wa Han?”
Tu’er: “?”
Xia Hou Dan: “As soon as the alliance is signed tomorrow, we’ll spread this news throughout our land and to Yan. We’ll say that Zha Luo Wa Han showed great sincerity, sending you, Prince Tu’er, for the peace talks. Xia, appreciating his sincerity, treated you as an honored guest. Now that both countries have finally ceased fighting, the people of Yan who have suffered from the war will also rejoice. By then…”
“By then, if Zha Luo Wa Han reneged on this treaty to start a war, he would be breaking his word and showing himself as an unkind ruler?”
Xia Hou Dan smiled: “I didn’t expect you to understand so quickly.”
Tu’er: “?”
Tu’er: “I’ll take that as a compliment. Based on my understanding of Yan, by that point, before I even return to Yan, my supporters will have already started fighting with Zha Luo Wa Han. I don’t want to see my homeland fall into civil war. To kill Zha Luo Wa Han, we need a swift and decisive victory. How many men can you lend me?”
Xia Hou Dan seemed to make a gesture that Yu Wan Yin couldn’t see from her angle.
Xia Hou Dan: “Provided that you fulfill the contract as soon as you return, transporting the goods to the border for exchange with us.”
Tu’er pondered for a while, then nodded solemnly: “Agreed.”
He stood up: “Can I sleep upstairs tonight?”
“No,” Xia Hou Dan replied without hesitation. “There’s bedding in the tunnel. Bei Zhou will keep you company. Go now.”
Yu Wan Yin thought she heard Tu’er’s teeth grinding: “A man may be killed but not humiliated!”
Xia Hou Dan: “Then would you like to kill me again?”
Tu’er took a deep breath, got down on all fours, and crawled toward the entrance under the dragon bed.
Yu Wan Yin hurriedly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.
After Tu’er and Bei Zhou had gone down, Xia Hou Dan, clutching his wound, lay back down beside her and let out a short breath.
Yu Wan Yin moved closer and whispered in his ear: “Are the men you’re lending him A Bai?”
Her warm breath brushed against his ear and neck. Xia Hou Dan turned his head to look, strangely remembering the texture of those two lips. They were soft and elastic, like strawberry gummies from a distant memory.
He swooped in and pecked her on the lips: “Correct answer, plus ten points.”
Yu Wan Yin’s face flushed, but she pretended nothing had happened: “Is A Bai alone enough?”
Xia Hou Dan pecked her again: “Minus ten points. How many times are you going to mention A Bai in front of me?”
Yu Wan Yin: “…”
Stop teasing, or your wound will open up again.
Yu Wan Yin turned her back to him: “Sleep now. Try to sleep as much as possible before morning, it’s good for your wound’s recovery.”
But Xia Hou Dan wouldn’t be quiet: “Aren’t you hungry?”
“I… lack of sleep kills my appetite. I had them simmer some porridge on low heat; I’ll eat when I wake up later tonight.”
“Mm.”
Yu Wan Yin opened her eyes in the dimness, looking at the bed curtains: “By the way, I have something to ask you.”
In a place she couldn’t see, Xia Hou Dan’s body stiffened.
He hadn’t forgotten that he had promised to be honest with her about something.
At the time, he had thought it would be his last words.
Yu Wan Yin: “How did you know what Shan Yi’s dagger looked like?”
Xia Hou Dan: “…”
He heard his voice, practiced and automatic, escape his throat: “I investigated. The palace maids who collected her body told me.”
“Then…”
Xia Hou Dan’s nails dug into his palm.
“Then after you recognized Tu’er in the hall, shouldn’t you have immediately confronted him? It might have avoided the battle on the mountain.”
After what seemed like an extraordinarily long few seconds, Xia Hou Dan responded: “At that time, he was in a killing frenzy, determined to take my life. Such hearsay without physical evidence, he wouldn’t have listened.”
“But later—”
“Later, he had failed in his mission and was unwilling to accept defeat. I gave him a new object of revenge, a new life goal, so naturally, he was willing to believe.”
In the quiet night, Xia Hou Dan’s cool voice carried a hint of mockery: “You can’t wake someone who’s pretending to sleep, but you can starve them awake.”
Yu Wan Yin sighed: “He killed Wang Zhao, so I don’t want to sympathize with him. But his story with Shan Yi is quite sad too. In this world, just surviving is lucky enough, let alone being able to stay together.”
“We won’t be like that.”
Yu Wan Yin smiled, turning back to hook her arm through his—she had wanted to give him a bear hug but was mindful of his mysterious phobia of physical contact, so she could only progress gradually.
This time Xia Hou Dan didn’t have an acute stress response. Perhaps he was too weak to struggle. But Yu Wan Yin felt she was enjoying special treatment and was satisfied: “In a way, we should be thankful for this incident. Otherwise, with all our circling each other, if one of us had died suddenly, we wouldn’t have had the chance to properly fall in love.”
“Fall in love…” Xia Hou Dan repeated unconsciously.
She felt a bit embarrassed again: “It’s sinful, I’ve ultimately become a romance-minded fool. Witnessing the impermanence of life and death gives one the sudden urge to seize the day.”
Xia Hou Dan fell silent.
Receiving no response, Yu Wan Yin felt awkward and nudged him: “Don’t you feel the same way at all? Oh right, before you went up the mountain, you seemed to set a flag about telling me something?”
“…Aren’t you still tired? Sleep first, we’ll talk another day.”
Early the next morning, as dawn’s light was just breaking, Da Xia’s court officials were already standing outside the main hall in the autumn chill, waiting for the morning court session. They seemed to have arrived earlier than usual, yet no one exchanged pleasantries.
In the silence, a gust of cold wind blew past.
The crowd subtly divided into two groups, both sides covertly observing each other.
Judging by their expressions, the Empress Dowager’s faction was shrinking their necks, each fearing for themselves; Prince Duan’s faction was full of vigilance as if facing great enemies.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Like Mu Yun.
Mu Yun was both shrinking his neck and maintaining vigilance.
He was Prince Duan’s undercover agent in the Empress Dowager’s faction, now bearing double the anxiety.
From the day before yesterday until yesterday, the whole city had been under martial law, and the palace was sealed so tightly that not even a thread of wind could pass through, with no one entering or leaving. After the Imperial Guards temporarily changed commanders, they had patrolled the imperial city five complete times yesterday, frightening merchants into closing their stalls early and making citizens afraid to leave their homes.
Even a pig could sense the rhythm of changing tides.
Mu Yun knew things had gone wrong—he had sent Tu’er to the mountain, but Tu’er hadn’t cleanly eliminated Xia Hou Dan and the Empress Dowager.
From scouts, he heard that the corpses brought down from Mount Bi had formed a small hill, hastily buried overnight. Guards, Yan people, reinforcements sent by Prince Duan—almost none had survived.
What exactly had happened in that inauspicious downpour?
Had the Emperor and Empress Dowager survived? How had they survived?
Mu Yun had tried hard to make amends. Throughout yesterday, pretending to be concerned about the Empress Dowager, he had repeatedly asked people to let him into the palace for an audience but was always stopped. The palace announced that the Empress Dowager had suddenly fallen ill and needed rest.
Moreover, the Emperor himself hadn’t appeared for an entire day.
Mu Yun racked his brain analyzing the situation for Prince Duan: “Most likely both of them are severely wounded, hanging between life and death. Your Highness should seize this opportunity to make your move, don’t let either side catch their breath!”
Before he finished speaking, a scout brought new information: “The palace has arranged seats in the main hall as usual, saying that His Majesty has decreed that peace treaties will be signed with Yan envoys at tomorrow’s morning court.”
Mu Yun: “…”
Mu Yun’s mind went blank.
By releasing this news, Xia Hou Dan was as good as announcing to the world: I am the victor.
If the Emperor was unharmed, why hadn’t he been seen?
And where did these Yan envoys come from? Weren’t the Yan people assassins? Hadn’t they all died? Where did Xia Hou Dan plan to conjure up an envoy delegation? Even if he found people to pose as envoys, if Yan didn’t recognize them, what use would the treaty be?
Unlike the deeply vengeful Xu Yao, Mu Yun was a born strategist. He enjoyed the process of weaving webs in the dark like a spider, delighting in observing prey’s shock and despair when they fell into the net without understanding what had happened.
For the first time in his life, he felt that this time, the prey was himself.
Prince Duan had smiled at the time, asking him consultatively: “For tomorrow’s morning court, do you think I should attend?”
Mu Yun’s scalp tingled: “This… the Emperor might just be creating a smokescreen, pretending nothing’s wrong to stall Your Highness.”
Xia Hou Dan looked at him: “What if he is fine?”
Mu Yun: “…”
To escape from Mount Bi unscathed, what unfathomable trump card did this mad emperor hold?
No one could be certain of his current condition. If his injuries were critical, Prince Duan could gradually close the net and send him to his grave. But conversely, if he truly was unharmed, then after dealing with the Empress Dowager, he would turn to deal with Prince Duan next.
Mu Yun’s forehead broke out in cold sweat: “Your Highness needn’t worry too much. The Emperor has been playing the fool for years, lacking popular support. Even if he has secretly cultivated some power, his foundation in court is still unstable. Now he nominally controls the Imperial Guards, but they are internally divided. If it comes to blows… he doesn’t have much chance of victory.”
Prince Duan had cultivated many elite private soldiers and maintained good relations with military generals. Even without actual military authority, if he called out, many would gather in support. In terms of fighting power, the Emperor indeed couldn’t compare.
Prince Duan nodded: “So if Xia Hou Dan has a brain, he would move swiftly and decisively to deal with me, catching me off guard—and the best opportunity might be tomorrow’s morning court. Don’t you agree?”
Those calm eyes swept over him again, as if truly seeking his opinion.
I’m finished, Mu Yun thought.
Given Prince Duan’s meticulousness and suspicion, since he had botched the Mount Bi affair, he was probably already viewed as a traitor. And the fate of traitors, he had already witnessed with Xu Yao.
At this point, what could he do to save his life?
Mu Yun, who had pretended to stutter in front of the Empress Dowager’s faction for years, genuinely stammered for the first time: “The-there might be a t-trap in the hall… or perhaps not.”
Red-faced and ears burning, he nearly knelt to beg for mercy on the spot.
But Prince Duan didn’t react, nor did he make things difficult for him, and even comforted him kindly: “Don’t blame yourself too much, you did your best.” He made up his mind, “With the situation unclear, I’ll claim illness and not attend.”
Outside the hall doors, the officials soon noticed Prince Duan’s absence.
Prince Duan’s faction looked displeased. Without Prince Duan himself present, they had already lost some momentum.
They had thought that bringing down the Empress Dowager would mean success, never expecting that all these years, the Emperor had been quietly building his power right under their noses.
Prince Duan’s faction gnashed their teeth in hatred, secretly determined to watch the Emperor’s every move during court, like wolves eyeing an aging leader—at the first sign of weakness, they would pounce and tear out his throat.
From a distance came three strokes of the clearing whip.
The hall doors opened wide.
Xia Hou Dan walked to the dragon throne and sat down as if strolling in a garden, his expression no different from usual court sessions—utterly bored.
Until he looked down at the officials bowing when he suddenly revealed a mocking smile. As if amused by the expressions on their faces, he silently ridiculed them.
The officials: “.”
This smile vanished in an instant, and he immediately spoke with deep concern: “Mother Empress has suddenly fallen ill, leaving me truly unable to eat or sleep in peace. Only by quickly establishing the treaty and eliminating the threat of war can I bring this good news to her bedside to put her mind at ease.”
The officials: “…”
You’re afraid she’s not dying quickly enough.
Xia Hou Dan lifted a finger, and An Xian, standing at the side, announced: “Summon the Yan envoys!”
The Yan envoys slowly entered the hall.
Mu Yun looked back and froze completely.
Tu’er had grown a full beard and was wearing luxurious fur robes representing his status as a prince, tall and valiant, his stride-carrying presence. Behind him, symbolically, followed a team of attendants—people Xia Hou Dan had hastily found to pose as such since the real attendants had all perished.
Except for the very few who knew the truth, the officials were shocked at his attire, and whispers arose: “Could that be…”
Tu’er passed through the crowd and bowed to Xia Hou Dan: “Prince Tu’er of Yan greets His Majesty the Emperor of Da Xia!”
The officials went mad.
Under dozens of trembling gazes, Tu’er sat majestically at the peace talks table.
The Minister of Rites, responsible for signing the treaty, also stepped forward, completely rigid, and after a long moment stammered: “I never expected Prince Tu’er would travel incognito and come in person.”
Tu’er turned his head, exchanging a glance with Xia Hou Dan across the layered jade steps.
At this moment, he was truly alone, abandoned by all, stranded in a foreign country, surrounded by hostility. Fortunately, as a veteran of many battlefields, he sat there as steady as a mountain, maintaining his composure: “To be honest, I came on the orders of the King of Yan, but concealing my identity was my own decision. I have fought many battles against Xia, yet never truly set foot on Xia’s soil to observe its customs and people’s way of life.”
Xia Hou Dan said pleasantly: “Oh? And what is the result of your observation?”
Tu’er: “His Majesty the Emperor upheld justice at the Millennium Banquet, clearing our names. It seems that subordinates follow their superiors’ example; with a virtuous ruler and upright ministers, the alliance between our two countries will surely last long.”
He was blatantly lying, but not a single court official dared to challenge him.
On one hand, the dust had settled, and speaking out now would be useless. On the other hand, at this moment everyone was just trying to save themselves, no longer concerned whether Yan was at war or peace.
From the back-and-forth between Xia Hou Dan and Tu’er, they heard only one subtext: I am the victor.
The Minister of Rites said numbly: “The sincerity of the King of Yan and Prince Tu’er is admirable.”
Xia Hou Dan: “Let us begin.”
An Xian held up the peace treaty and began to recite it in the hall: “Heaven values all life; one battle can turn weapons to plowshares…”
Xia Hou Dan sat very straight.
He could only sit this way—his chest was still wrapped in thick bandages, tightly wound around and around to prevent the wound from reopening, making it almost impossible for him to move his upper body.
Before leaving this morning, Yu Wan Yin had applied natural makeup to hide his pallid complexion.
Then she had hurriedly left to check on the palace defenses, the Empress Dowager’s condition, and any movements from Prince Duan.
After Yu Wan Yin left, Xia Hou Dan stood and tried walking a few steps, asking: “Is it obvious?”
Bei Zhou: “Too obvious. You can barely walk steadily now, and as soon as you speak, even a fool can hear how weak your breath is. Listen to uncle, wait a few more days…”
“There’s no more time to wait; the longer we delay, the more can go wrong.”
To help him gain one day of recovery time, Yu Wan Yin had almost taken up the mantle overnight. She was as brave and decisive as he had imagined, but he hadn’t forgotten that she too had just been injured, had killed someone, had witnessed scenes that could be described as a living hell. In modern times, she would need a blanket and a psychologist.
But he couldn’t provide that.
All he could do was ensure her efforts weren’t in vain.
Xia Hou Dan summoned Xiao Tian Cai: “Do you have any powerful medicine that can boost energy and spirit in a short time?”
Bei Zhou angrily said: “Absolutely not! Do you know how much blood you’ve lost? It’s bad enough you’re not resting, but to use such harsh methods—do you still want to live?”
Xia Hou Dan just looked at Xiao Tian Cai: “Do you have it or not?”
Xiao Tian Cai hesitated: “I do have some, but just as Matron Bei says…”
Xia Hou Dan: “Bring it to me.”
Bei Zhou didn’t speak to him until he left.
An Xian: “…each guarding their territory, with no invasion of the other, carefully upholding the treaty, bringing blessings to all people.”
In the hall where a falling pin could be heard, both sides pressed their official seals according to procedure.
The treaty was established. Tu’er raised his head and said, word by word: “May there be no more suffering, no more broken homes and families between our two countries from now on.”
At this moment, news of the successful peace negotiations flew out of the imperial palace, spreading via documents, secret letters, and folk songs, traveling at the fastest speed out of the capital, across the land, and finally reaching the ears of Yan’s common people.
A month later, Yan King Zha Luo Wa Han flew into a rage and denounced Tu’er as a traitor. As for the peace treaty, it was privately signed by the traitor Tu’er impersonating the envoy delegation with Xia, with every clause disregarding the glory of their ancestors. He would adamantly reject it and vow to cut off Tu’er’s head as a sacrifice to heaven, appeasing the anger of their ancestors.
Before Tu’er could return, he would first purge a group of Tu’er’s confidants.
The remaining supporters of Tu’er would explode in silence, accusing Zha Luo Wa Han of breaking his word, being an unkind ruler, and plunging the people into war. They would quickly gather troops to support Tu’er as the new King of Yan.
Two months later, Tu’er would return to Yan with the forces borrowed from Xia Hou Dan, coordinating with his forces internally. After months of fierce fighting, it would end with Zha Luo Wa Han’s death.
At the same time, Tu’er would honor the agreement and establish trade with Da Xia. Merchants would gather at the border areas, gradually bringing prosperity and peace.
Along with large shipments of fox furs and spices entering Da Xia would be cartloads of Yan millet.
At this moment in the court, Xia Hou Dan lowered his gaze, and looking through Tu’er, saw Shan Yi who died with hatred, and Wang Zhao who died in a foreign land.
As far as his eyes could see, both the dead and the living were looking up at him. They were waiting for him to speak.
He spoke: “When I was young before I truly understood this world, I had beautiful dreams of helping those in danger and saving the world. I thought that by reviewing memorials and making decisions, I could ensure this nation’s continuity, make every field yield a good harvest, and every household prosper.”
Meeting everyone’s gaze, he smiled: “You’ve all seen what happened in the years that followed.”
The court officials had never heard him speak so calmly.
They read between the lines: No more acting, time to lay the cards on the table.
This opening was preparing for a post-autumn reckoning! Among the Empress Dowager’s faction, those scholars who had delighted in manipulating the Emperor now found their legs weakening, their eyes darting toward the surrounding doors and windows, calculating the possibility of escape.
Xia Hou Dan could feel the medicine’s effect fading, the warm current in his chest gradually disappearing, and his limbs once again becoming stiff and weak. The familiar pain in his head had returned too, pulling his consciousness downward.
He took a breath: “Some say kill people to pacify people, killing is permissible; use war to end war, even war is permissible. But sitting on this dragon throne, every criminal is still my subject. Between the eight wildernesses, across half the four seas, all suffering is my responsibility. How many more corpses are needed to stabilize the nation, how much more bloodshed to prosper the country—I do not know, yet I must know. This dragon throne, to me, is as if made of thorns.”
Everyone was bewildered by his words.
Xia Hou Dan: “I should not be here. But since I have ascended this throne, it must be that there is a righteous path ordained by heaven and earth. Heaven creates people and establishes rulers; the grand aspirations I had in my youth, I have never forgotten to this day.”
His gaze swept across each face in the Empress Dowager’s faction, then calmly turned toward Prince Duan’s faction. For an instant, Mu Yun’s eyes met his, and feeling as if his pupils were being scorched by fire, he hastily looked away.
The Emperor’s gaze was still as grim as before, yet something had changed. As he spoke these words, the isolation in his eyes seemed like the wrathful gaze of a guardian deity, carrying heaven’s mandate, inspiring awe and fear.
In this mysterious moment, a few sensitive officials had a thought that seemed like divine inspiration—
Perhaps there was such a thing as a true son of heaven.
Xia Hou Dan withdrew his gaze, smiling one last time: “Fortunately, with all my loyal ministers, I am not alone in my path.”
The crowd bowed their heads, shouting “Long live the Emperor.”
Hidden within the Emperor’s speech was a subtle message: Let bygones be bygones; from now on, those who follow me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish.
Later that day, Mu Yun, mingling with a group of colleagues, finally saw the Empress Dowager.
They almost dared not recognize each other.
The woman who just days ago had been in her prime, majestic and noble, now leaned on her couch with a twisted mouth and eyes. Upon seeing Mu Yun, her entire face turned purple, and she began to shout incoherently, vaguely forming the word “die.”
Mu Yun knelt with a mournful face, slapping himself repeatedly: “This minister de-deserves to die! This minister did not an-anticipate that Tu’er would be so cun-cunning, actually con-conspiring with Prince Duan, es-escaping capture…”
The Empress Dowager would not let him get away with just a few self-inflicted slaps. Filled with hatred, her eyes bulging, she continued to shout “Die.”
The ministers kneeling all around pretended not to understand, murmuring that her imperial health was paramount, urging her to calm her anger.
Even her most trusted palace maid stood woodenly at the side.
When the palace maid saw the Empress Dowager “stroke-stricken” with drool flowing, she knew the tide had turned.
Coincidentally, many years ago, that formidable old Empress Dowager had also suffered a stroke and passed away shortly after. Going further back, Xia Hou Dan’s birth mother, Empress Ci Zhen, had also died early in the same way.
Whether this stroke and those previous ones had the same cause, the palace maid dared not think too deeply, nor did she have the heart to guess.
At this moment, she was only thinking about what she needed to do to preserve her little life now that the Empress Dowager had fallen.
The Empress Dowager shouted for a long time, finally with a tearful tone, and the content of her cries changed, seeming to be “save me.” A strange smell permeated the air; she had lost control of her bodily functions.
Several officials squeezed out a few words of comfort, urging her to take good care of herself, then hastily retreated as if escaping.
Outside the palace gates, they looked at each other, their expressions unbearably bitter.
Someone lowered their voice, with hidden hope: “Judging by His Majesty’s words at today’s court, he doesn’t seem intent on settling scores. With Prince Duan as such a formidable opponent, if he wants to establish a firm foothold in court, he’ll need to cultivate his faction…”
“You mean he’ll try to win us over?”
Mu Yun, with half his face still swollen, inwardly sneered at these words while putting on an exaggeratedly fearful expression: “Let’s re-resign quickly. The Em-Emperor isn’t even afraid of mat-matricide!”
Another official hesitated: “You’re right. That one is far from a benevolent ruler. He’s not settling scores now because we’re still useful, but what about after he eliminates Prince Duan? Rather than waiting for him to abandon us once he’s used us, it’s better to retire early—that’s the true way to save our lives.”
So everyone harbored their thoughts as they parted ways. As for how many would flee and how many would seek to pledge allegiance to Xia Hou Dan, only heaven knew.
Mu Yun didn’t know if his performance had been observed by Prince Duan’s spies. He hoped the spies would report truthfully to Prince Duan, clearing him of suspicion of betrayal.
Events seemed to unfold as he wished; Prince Duan summoned him again and shared a new piece of intelligence: “I sent people to check Mount Bi. The ceremonial hall had several bowl-sized holes left in it, from some unknown weapon. The Emperor’s escape must have been due to a contingency plan.”
Mu Yun hastily offered advice: “If that’s the case, confrontation isn’t advisable; we can only strike when he’s unprepared, giving him no chance to counterattack. Does Your Highness remember the plan we discussed earlier?”
Xia Hou Dan was silent.
Silence meant he remembered but was still hesitating.
Mu Yun: “Your Highness, this matter should be handled sooner rather than later. We absolutely cannot allow him to grow more powerful.”
Prince Duan, in his quest for legitimacy, had plotted for so many years, hoping to use Tu’er’s knife to kill but failing, and was now forced into a position where he had to act personally. Even if he succeeded in seizing power, he would be left with an eternal crime to his name.
Mu Yun knew what he was worried about: “Of course, we must have a righteous cause. I’ll first send people to spread rumors among the commoners, saying that the thunderstorm was heaven’s warning because the Emperor committed matricide. In a few days, we’ll act according to the plan, which will correspond perfectly with these rumors. The common people will only think that the tyrant’s death is well-deserved.”
After a long while, Xia Hou Dan nodded slightly.
While the entire court was in a state of constant fear, Xia Hou Dan, whom they viewed as an emerging demon lord, was lying like a corpse in bed.
The powerful medicine Xiao Tian Cai had prepared was just enough to sustain him until the end of the court; once its effects wore off, he was knocked back to square one.
This day was unusually cold; after days of autumn rain, the cold wind from the north brought the breath of winter. Bei Zhou busied himself in and out, directing palace servants to heat the floor dragons and change the silken quilts, but deliberately ignoring Xia Hou Dan himself.
When the others withdrew, he began reorganizing the secret guards on his own.
Xia Hou Dan, half-dead in bed: “Uncle Bei.”
“…”
“Uncle Bei, some water, please.”
With a “plop,” Bei Zhou coldly placed a cup of hot water by the bedside, his movements so large that a few drops splashed out.
Xia Hou Dan: “…”
Outside, Yu Wan Yin still had to maintain the charade, pretending to know nothing about the situation.
After going out, she was pulled aside by other terrified consorts for whispered gossip. Then she followed them to circle outside the Empress Dowager’s chambers, where their attempted greetings were unsuccessful; and to peek around the Emperor’s chambers, only to be advised to leave by the guards.
By the time the whole routine was complete, she was so cold she couldn’t feel her toes anymore. Rubbing her hands, she delivered her final line: “It seems we can’t find out any news. Let’s disperse for now.”
But a pretty young consort caught her arm.
The young beauty smiled charmingly: “Sister Consort Yu, no need to rush, we’ll hear something by tonight at the latest.”
Yu Wan Yin: “Ah?”
The group exchanged knowing smiles. Another person caught her other arm, whispering: “Sister, with the Empress Dowager bedridden, there’s no one sending contraceptive soup now. It’s the perfect time to work hard and leave an imperial seed.”
“Yes, yes, I learned a fashionable peony makeup style the other day, I can apply it for you, sister.”
“What are you talking about? Consort Yu’s beauty is at its peak; heavy makeup would only diminish her beauty! At the Flower Festival Banquet, Consort Xie deliberately applied powder and rouge, but wasn’t she just a joke compared to our sister? But my rose water is quite good, sister, smell it…”
Yu Wan Yin: “…”
She remembered that before the Mount Bi incident, the palace drama had just progressed to the point of her regaining favor.
With the all-powerful Empress Dowager down, not only was the front court experiencing an earthquake, but the rear palace was also trembling.
And so Yu Wan Yin suddenly transformed into the key person to curry favor with.
The young beauty holding her arm had a father and brothers in the Empress Dowager’s faction, and she had previously allied with Consort Shu, joining in the bullying of Yu Wan Yin. Now she was anxious, her beauty waning with worry, fearing that Yu Wan Yin would seize power and whisper into the Emperor’s ear for revenge, even implicating her natal family. So she hurriedly came to make amends.
Yet there were also hardheaded ones who thought Yu Wan Yin was a nobody who had gotten lucky, and sarcastically advised: “The imperial heart has always been fickle. In my opinion, sister, you’d better take it easy.”
Yu Wan Yin remembered again that this was originally supposed to be a palace conflict novel.
But she still couldn’t recall all their names.
Facing the crowd with their varied expressions, the nation-toppling vixen Yu Wan Yin pondered for a long time before squeezing out: “I think that in this palace, there’s always been competition based on looks and family background, creating an unfriendly atmosphere.”
All the consorts: “?”
Yu Wan Yin: “Besides, throughout history, the average lifespan in the rear palace has been too short, which isn’t beneficial for anyone. I have a proposal: in the future, we could introduce something like ping pong, channeling competitive spirit into meaningful activities. Friendship first, competition second—improving physical fitness while taking care of mental health.”
Dead silence.
After a while, the young beauty holding her arm asked: “What is ping pong?”
After everyone dispersed, Yu Wan Yin returned through the tunnel under Xia Hou Dan’s bed.
As soon as she poked her head up, she was startled by the warmth that hit her face.
The floor dragons had heated the inner chamber to feel like spring, and from above came Xia Hou Dan’s low voice: “…if the imperial physicians aren’t up to it, you step in. It’s best if the Empress Dowager can last a full month.”
Xiao Tian Cai: “This servant will do his best.”
Xie Yong Er’s voice arose: “May I ask why?” Her tone carried hatred, still remembering the Empress Dowager’s forced abortion.
Xia Hou Dan: “No.”
Yu Wan Yin, lying under the bed, fell into deep thought.
Over the past two days, the memorials submitted by the Empress Dowager’s faction could have flooded the imperial study—some begging for mercy and offering allegiance, some requesting retirement, some taking the opportunity to report on others and eliminate rivals, truly a chaotic dance of demons. Xia Hou Dan had read each one carefully and scheduled meetings with them in batches.
Analyzing it now, she finally understood that when Xia Hou Dan didn’t kill the Empress Dowager, he had another purpose: to leave a buffer period to smoothly take over the Empress Dowager’s power base.
With Prince Duan as a major enemy and their side weak, the urgent task was to quickly strengthen their forces. And the allies easiest to recruit at this moment were precisely those about to lose their benefits—the vested interests of the collapsing Empress Dowager’s faction.
Moving against them now would be like killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of one’s troops, essentially doing Prince Duan’s work for him. That ideal purge of the court would have to wait for a more gradual approach in the future.
Although Yu Wan Yin had never personally dealt with those ministers, she had seen their descriptions in the text. That group had manipulated and deceived Xia Hou Dan, paying lip service while secretly opposing him, yet outwardly exploiting others layer by layer in the Emperor’s name, lining their own pockets, never ceasing their underhanded tactics. Even as a mere observer, she wished she could fast-forward to the post-autumn reckoning.
But Xia Hou Dan had endured it all.
Whether at the critical moment on Mount Bi when his life hung by a thread, or now when his prestige was at its peak, all the choices he had made, upon careful consideration, turned out to be optimal solutions.
In terms of temperament and vision, he could certainly be considered an excellent ruler.
—Perhaps a bit too excellent.
Who could believe this was just an actor who had transmigrated only a year ago?
Xie Yong Er was silent for a while, belatedly understanding the strategy, and muttered: “Ruthless.”
Ruthless to others, and even more ruthless to himself.
Xia Hou Dan: “Which ones in the Empress Dowager’s faction are Prince Duan’s undercover agents?”
Xie Yong Er: “…”
Xia Hou Dan: “Don’t hesitate, make a list later, and honestly submit it. You’re in the same boat with us now; if Prince Duan doesn’t die in this round, you will. Whatever intelligence you have, be proactive.”
Xie Yong Er swallowed her anger: “Understood.”
Xiao Tian Cai followed behind Xie Yong Er as they took their leave. When they reached a secluded spot, his steps gradually slowed as he stared at Xie Yong Er’s back.
“Your Highness.”
Xie Yong Er turned around.
The half-grown youth hesitated for a long time: “Didn’t you say you were moved by His Majesty’s true feelings?”
Xia Hou Dan’s behavior just now had all but nailed a “tool” label to her forehead.
Xie Yong Er looked at Xiao Tian Cai’s innocent expression, untouched by the world’s suffering, and smiled bitterly: “There isn’t that much genuine feeling in this world. I just changed sides at the critical moment to survive somehow, to live until they determine a victor.”
After saying this, even she found it pathetically embarrassing. Xiao Tian Cai stood there stunned, obviously not knowing how to react.
Xie Yong Er picked up her shattered dignity, and took a breath: “Let’s go.”
From behind came a question: “After they determine a victor… then what?”
Xie Yong Er detected the hidden expectation in his voice.
But she had already lost her spirit and had no heart to maneuver with any man. She shrugged: “I suppose I’ll find a way to escape.”
Xiao Tian Cai fell silent.
Xie Yong Er raised her head in bewilderment, looking at the sky cut into shapes by the eaves: “Isn’t it funny? I’ve been so desperate to possess this empire, yet I don’t even know what it looks like.”
In the inner chamber.
Yu Wan Yin crawled out from under the bed: “Meeting over?”
“It’s over.” Xia Hou Dan was sitting up in bed.
Yu Wan Yin, her limbs warming up, seemed to come alive. She sat on the edge of the bed and took a sip of tea, frowning as she looked at Xia Hou Dan: “Is it my imagination, or does your complexion look worse than this morning?”
Before Xia Hou Dan could answer, Bei Zhou, standing against the wall, suddenly let out a cold snort.
Xia Hou Dan glanced at Bei Zhou. This glance meant: Don’t tell her about the medicine I took.
Bei Zhou snorted even more heavily and left.
Yu Wan Yin: “?”
Xia Hou Dan: “It’s nothing, just the wound healing slowly. The Qiang poison is too powerful; it’s a miracle to survive at all.”
Yu Wan Yin narrowed her eyes, examining him, and drawled: “CEO Dan, why do you always keep things from me?”
Whether this had a double meaning, only Yu Wan Yin herself knew.
Xia Hou Dan smiled stiffly: “Not at all.”
Unknowingly, Yu Wan Yin discovered she could already discern many nuances from his expressions, even his eyes.
Yesterday, having just returned from death’s door, his mental state had been surprisingly calm. But now, those eyes drawn with thick ink had darkened again, as if silently enduring something.
Yu Wan Yin: “Is your head hurting again?”
Xia Hou Dan: “…”
Xia Hou Dan: “How did you know?”
“I know more than you imagine.”
Yu Wan Yin didn’t get the expected reaction. Xia Hou Dan didn’t take the bait at all, just playing dumb with a smile: “As expected of you.”
Yu Wan Yin’s fishing expedition failed, so she had to abandon the topic: “Lie down, let me massage you.”
Massage couldn’t alleviate his headache. But he liked the suggestion and gladly moved his head closer. Yu Wan Yin warmed her palms and fingers, skillfully pressing them to his temples: “Close your eyes.”
Xia Hou Dan obediently closed his eyes, feigning rest.
Outside the window, the wind howled, making the interior seem even more peaceful.
After some time, Xia Hou Dan spoke softly: “Are you alright?”
“Me?”
“Those people who died on the mountain—” He kept his eyes closed, seeming to choose his words carefully, “They would have died no matter what. Even if they had completed their mission, Prince Duan would have silenced them. So, their deaths are not your fault.”
Yu Wan Yin’s movements slowed.
She found it somewhat tragicomic: “Are you giving me psychological counseling?”
Xia Hou Dan opened his eyes to look at her, his gaze indescribable.
“We went through the same experience, you know. If there’s to be counseling, it should be mutual.” She gently patted his forehead, “It’s not your fault either.”
Xia Hou Dan continued to stare at her without blinking, for so long that Yu Wan Yin began to feel strange.
She touched her face: “Is there something on it?”
“No.” Xia Hou Dan finally looked away, “You smell a bit fragrant.”
“Fragrant?” Yu Wan Yin lowered her head to sniff, then smiled, “It’s the rose water those consorts of yours sprinkled on me.”
“Why would they sprinkle that on you?”
Yu Wan Yin recalled the phrase “work hard and leave an imperial seed,” and her face heated: “No reason.”
“Tell me.”
“Is your head not hurting anymore? Then I’ll be going.”
Xia Hou Dan quickly grabbed her skirt: “No, no, no, I won’t ask anymore…”
When the secret guard arrived at the door with a confidential letter, this was the scene he witnessed: the Emperor, severely wounded in bed, playing some tugging game with the vixen consort as if his life depended on it.
The secret guard paused, about to retreat, when Xia Hou Dan caught sight of the figure: “What is it?”
Yu Wan Yin quickly stood up straight.
Secret guard: “A letter from Master Bai.”
Yu Wan Yin: “A Bai?”
The secret guard presented the letter, looking at Yu Wan Yin with surprise. Seeing that she showed no intention of leaving and that Xia Hou Dan hadn’t sent her away, he couldn’t help but wonder. He was specifically responsible for delivering messages to Xia Hou Dan, and each time he returned to the palace after a month’s absence, he found this consort’s status had significantly risen.
What extraordinary qualities did she possess to make His Majesty, who had avoided women for years, lose his mind?
Xia Hou Dan had already opened the envelope and glanced at the letter.
The secret guard heard him explaining to Yu Wan Yin: “I asked A Bai to send people to help Tu’er. He replied saying it’s been arranged.”
“Send people?”
“…His jianghu brothers.”
Yu Wan Yin suddenly understood: “So that was your task for A Bai? The reinforcements you promised Tu’er are just a group of jianghu martial artists? Wait, didn’t A Bai just complete his apprenticeship this year? How did he manage to gather so many people?”
Xia Hou Dan: “…”
Xia Hou Dan was vague: “He has his ways, I suppose.”
Yu Wan Yin: “A Bai is quite impressive.”
Xia Hou Dan pursed his lips without responding, then shook the envelope upside down. As usual, a few pills fell out first, followed by something unexpected.
A silver hairpin, carved in the shape of a bird with outstretched wings, but instead of tassels at the end, there were two long feathers.
This was not meant for the Emperor.
Xia Hou Dan’s lips turned downward: “Skylark.”
He handed the hairpin to Yu Wan Yin: “It’s for you. He says your birthday is coming up, this is a gift.”
The secret guard’s eyes widened. Was this stimulating scene something he was allowed to witness? Giving a gift to the Emperor’s woman right in front of him?
The secret guard anxiously stole a glance at Yu Wan Yin.
Yu Wan Yin was torn between laughter and tears: “He’s truly fearless.”
No, Your Highness, how can you be concerned about someone else’s fear when you should be afraid for yourself?
Yu Wan Yin weighed the hairpin in her hand. Seeing Xia Hou Dan’s expression that clearly said “If you dare wear it, I’ll kill A Bai,” she quickly set it aside and reassured him: “Don’t be angry, he doesn’t have that kind of intention toward me. Jianghu people don’t understand etiquette; he’s just treating me as a friend…”
Xia Hou Dan said darkly: “You’ve only been together for a few days, and already you’re friends.”
Yu Wan Yin found his jealousy amusing, thinking: Why did you pretend to be so magnanimous before? Now you can’t keep up the act anymore.
The secret guard glimpsed her smile and nearly had a heart attack.
Yu Wan Yin leaned down to Xia Hou Dan’s ear: “Your Majesty.”
Xia Hou Dan turned his head as her breath tickled his ear. Yu Wan Yin, like a thousand-year-old fox spirit, persistently clung to him, whispering: “Your Majesty… he’s just my younger sister.”
Xia Hou Dan: “…”
Secret guard: “?”
What did you just say?
Yu Wan Yin continued her demonic whisper: “He said purple is very charming.”
Xia Hou Dan: “………”
Xia Hou Dan: “Pfft.”
The secret guard numbly thought: This must be what it’s like to be bewitched.
Xia Hou Dan lay like a corpse for a day, literally regaining some blood, and finally managed to get out of bed the next day. He immediately put on a proper appearance and went out to engage in verbal sparring with the Empress Dowager’s faction.
Yu Wan Yin enjoyed a long-missed lazy morning in bed. After getting up, she skillfully changed into men’s clothing and left the palace discreetly with secret guards. After confirming no one was tailing them, she quietly went out through the city gate.
In the cemetery outside the capital, a new stone tablet had been added.
The grave pit in front of the tablet had not yet been filled, and an empty coffin stood nearby.
When Yu Wan Yin got out of the carriage, several people were already waiting: Li Yun Xi, Yang Duo Jie, Er Lan, and an elderly couple she had never met before.
The cold wind was more biting than yesterday, blowing everyone’s robes. The elderly couple were hunched, supporting each other, their swollen eyes vacant, as if although their eyes were open, they weren’t aware of their surroundings. Only when Yu Wan Yin approached did the old woman slightly raise her head, mumbling: “Are you all… colleagues of my son?”
To avoid Prince Duan’s spies, everyone had disguised themselves before leaving the city and couldn’t reveal their real names. Even the name carved on the tombstone was only the alias Wang Zhao had used when he entered the court.
Yang Duo Jie stepped forward: “Uncle, Auntie, we are all Wang’s close friends, coming to bid him farewell.”
Truth be told, they could hardly be called friends.
Wang Zhao had been like a little old man, always weighing his words carefully, so steady he was almost dull. No one had seen him open up to anyone. Moreover, shortly after entering the court, he had gone alone to Yan.
Upon hearing this, the elderly couple seemed comforted: “Good, good, at least he has so many friends to see him off.”
The elderly couple tremblingly opened their bundle and placed a stack of clothes in the coffin, arranging them in the shape of a person.
As the guards began to fill the grave, Yu Wan Yin felt something cool on the tip of her nose and looked up. The first snow of the year was drifting down from the sky.
Li Yun Xi had gritted his teeth and bought a pot of good wine that morning. Now he took it out, filled a cup, and began to sing: “Deep, deep river waters with maples above, eyes straining a thousand miles with a wounded spring heart. Soul, return! Soul, return! Alas for Jiangnan…”
The elderly couple began to wail in his hoarse and desolate chant.
Yu Wan Yin stood listening silently, suddenly remembering a day long ago when she had hummed a tune in her untrained voice, overheard by Wang Zhao. After much hesitation, Wang Zhao commented: “Your Highness sings of the hardships of common people.”
That was their only interaction.
What kind of person Wang Zhao was, what his life’s ambitions were, whether he had a lover, what he thought about looking toward the direction of Xia before his death—she knew none of it.
She only knew that the journey was far, and the grave nameless.
After Li Yun Xi finished singing, he poured the wine from his cup onto the grave, saying: “Brother Wang, the heavens are your canopy, mountains, and rivers your hall, the sun and moon your torches, grass and trees your beams. You have returned home.”
The others took the wine pot in turn and poured libations.
Finally, Li Yun Xi poured another cup: “This is from Brother Cen, in your honor.”
Yu Wan Yin left the space for the elderly couple to mourn and signaled the officials to move aside.
She asked quietly: “What happened to Cen Jin Tian?”
Li Yun Xi: “Not good.”
He sighed: “Yesterday when he heard that the Yan millet was secured, he was very happy and arranged to come send off Brother Wang today. But today he couldn’t get out of bed.”
When Yu Wan Yin returned to the palace, Xia Hou Dan had already met with two groups of people and brought back a piece of news: “Junior Minister Yu is trying every way to get a message to you.”
Yu Wan Yin, her mind elsewhere: “Who is Junior Minister Yu?”
“…Your father.”
“Ah. Almost forgot.”
“He’s probably not doing well under Prince Duan and sees an opportunity here, wanting to use your influence for a new path. This person was just an extra in the original work, right? Why don’t we give him a…” Xia Hou Dan’s voice paused.
Yu Wan Yin looked at him.
Xia Hou Dan: “Have you been crying?”
“No.” Yu Wan Yin’s eyes were indeed dry. She couldn’t remember the last time she had cried.
She told him about Cen Jin Tian.
Xia Hou Dan reminded her: “He was originally going to die of illness anyway.”
“But in the original work, he lived at least until summer, dying only when the drought came.”
“That’s because he thought he would see the harvest and was hanging on. Now he knows about the drought, and he knows the people will survive it, so he has no more worries.” Xia Hou Dan’s voice was calm, “For him, it’s a happy ending.”
Yu Wan Yin felt somewhat stifled.
She wanted to say how could this be considered a happy ending. They had promised to let Cen Jin Tian live to see peace throughout the land and prosperous years. Yet when they used these words to gain his loyalty, they already knew full well that time would likely be insufficient, and this vision was destined to remain just a vision.
But before she could speak, Xia Hou Dan, as if anticipating her words, said in a tone one might use to teach a child: “Wan Yin, you must never forget they are fictional characters. If you forget this, you’ll be crushed.”
With the desolate song and wails still lingering in her ears, the word “fictional characters” sounded particularly jarring.
Yu Wan Yin blurted out: “That wasn’t your reaction when you heard about Wang Zhao’s death on Mount Bi.”
Xia Hou Dan’s eyes momentarily sank into stillness: “That’s why I have to remind myself too.”
Yu Wan Yin was rendered speechless.
Xia Hou Dan seemed to consider the topic and automatically concluded: “It’s very dangerous outside recently; don’t leave the palace again. If you want to visit Cen Jin Tian, you can send someone. Oh right, do you want to summon your father to the palace to meet him?”
“No.” Yu Wan Yin took a deep breath, “If I don’t meet him, he’ll forever remain a fictional character.”
Xia Hou Dan: “…”
Xia Hou Dan suddenly remembered that he had once promised her she would never need to change.
He had broken his word.
He didn’t want to see her in pain, so he tried to strip away her right to feel pain.
After several seconds, Xia Hou Dan softly asked: “Would you like hot pot tonight?”
“…Huh?”
Xia Hou Dan smiled: “Didn’t you always want to gather three people for hot pot and play Fight the Landlord? Now we have Xie Yong Er. I can bring Uncle Bei as well, and we can teach him to play cards.”
Yu Wan Yin forced herself to emerge from her emotions: “Your wound isn’t healed yet; you can’t eat spicy food, can you?”
“We can have a split pot.” Xia Hou Dan had an incomprehensible obsession with hot pot.
Darkness fell quickly, and the dim warm light of the palace lanterns illuminated the fluttering white snow.
Yu Wan Yin went to the side hall to find Xie Yong Er. To prevent Prince Duan from silencing her, Xie Yong Er now claimed to be ill and stayed secluded in Xia Hou Dan’s side hall, spending entire days without anyone to talk to.
Xia Hou Dan walked to the courtyard, dismissed the palace attendants holding umbrellas, and turned to look at the door where Bei Zhou was, but his feet remained motionless.
After an unknowable passage of time, he brushed the fallen snow from his shoulders and went forward to knock on the door: “Uncle, would you like hot pot?”
The door opened, and Bei Zhou looked at him expressionlessly.
The reigning tyrant emperor lowered his eyes submissively: “Don’t be angry anymore. Taking that medicine was the only option at the time.”
Bei Zhou sighed silently.
Xia Hou Dan: “…Uncle.”
A weight pressed on his head as Bei Zhou placed his hand on it: “I’ve said before, you are Nan’s child, so you are my child. Uncle has no relatives or family in this world and has gone to great lengths to protect you, not for the sake of country or empire. If you shorten your life once more for this damned throne, uncle will tie you up and take you away, throwing you to the ends of the earth to live out your days. Do you understand? Let’s go.”
Without waiting for his answer, Bei Zhou walked away.
Xia Hou Dan remained standing by the door, head lowered.