Prince Shao lingered at the outer residence in Yandu District for two days, only returning to the royal mansion on the third evening. When he left, he had climbed into the carriage himself, but upon his return, he needed the support of eunuchs and his wet nurse to enter the house.
The maids lit candles throughout the room while the eunuchs carefully helped their master recline on the bed, removing his outer robe and boots. Madam Li repeatedly called out, commanding someone to quickly summon “Qi Lang.”
Li Yuanying looked terrible, with a splitting headache and overwhelming drowsiness. Madam Li helped arrange his pillows while muttering, “In my opinion, she should have been brought along. Just considering my lord’s health, they can no longer be separated.”
Li Yuanying said in a low voice, “Matters concerning the outer residence… I cannot yet trust her.”
Madam Li replied, “She’s a straightforward wanderer of the martial world. Offer her great profit or status, win her loyalty to keep at your side, and never let go. What is there to worry about?”
Li Yuanying remained silent.
Madam Li secretly thought his fate was truly strange. Cui Lingrong often fell ill after marrying him, Yang Fangxie died before even entering the household, and now the only one who could accompany him was this outspoken, absurd character who could neither read nor boast noble birth. But things had come to this point – there really wasn’t much choice left.
“Strange, whenever Qi Lang isn’t present, my lord’s illness worsens. Could there truly be evil practitioners using curse magic in the shadows, requiring an attendant with an extremely strong fate to resist it? There must be something suspicious about this.”
Her thoughts turning, she immediately sent people into the city to inquire about reputable shamans and sorcerers, intending to perform a ritual to drive away evil spirits. Li Yuanying felt it was all nonsense, yet he couldn’t explain the changes in his condition and had no energy to dissuade his wet nurse, so he let her fuss about it.
Huo Qi Lang was hastily summoned by a maid. Upon entering, she saw Li Yuanying looking sickly as he leaned against his pillow. She asked in confusion, “What happened? Didn’t you go happily to meet your sweetheart?”
Li Yuanying made no sound. Seeing his eyes tightly closed, she knew his head wind had struck again. Huo Qi Lang gently removed the jade crown from his head, loosened his hair knot, and let his long hair fall loose. When not bound up, it could slightly relieve the tension.
Huo Qi Lang particularly favored his appearance when stripped of the princely symbols of purple robes and jade crown, with long hair cascading over his shoulders. His features resembled those of an imperial consort in their extreme beauty, yet his temperament was cold and unyielding. Such a face on such a tall frame possessed the ultimate charm of contrasts.
Thinking of his extremely restrained and reserved style even in intimate moments, she wondered when he might show her some passion. Huo Qi Lang couldn’t help but tease with a crude joke: “Could it be that Your Highness overexerted yourself at Madam Jing’s?”
Li Yuanying felt anger surge along with his blood, and he cursed, “The most superfluous thing on your face…”
Opening his eyes, that face crossed by hideous scars came into view, still carefree and spirited, full of smiling warmth.
“…is that damn mouth.” After finishing the latter half of his sentence, Li Yuanying painfully closed his eyes again.
Huo Qi Lang laughingly admitted, “Your Highness is wise! Indeed, quite a few people have said so.”
Zhu Minhe approached holding a medicine bowl with both hands, respectfully presenting it: “This humble one has already tested it. Your Highness has not taken medicine these past few days while away, so presumably not much time has passed.” Huo Qi Lang took the medicine and tasted a little – it was scalding hot, so she set it aside to cool.
Madam Li drove away the physician and other idle people, leaving only two trusted maids to await orders from a distance.
Huo Qi Lang sat on the footstool as company when she suddenly heard Li Yuanying ask in a low voice, “What did the Princess Consort ask you?”
Huo Qi Lang was startled: “Your Highness already knows?”
Li Yuanying said with closed eyes, “This is my mansion. I am at least aware of personnel movements.”
Huo Qi thought to herself: You certainly don’t know the shocked expression on the Princess Consort’s face when she saw the old sleeve. After that incident, she was driven from the inner residence with no one paying her any attention. She had always lived freely and willfully in the martial world, with countless botched affairs and burned bridges, so this didn’t count as any significant disaster.
“The Princess Consort merely wanted to ask about Your Highness’s recent health – whether you can eat and sleep well.”
Li Yuanying said wearily, “When I want to know about someone’s physical condition in Chang’an, I must go to great lengths gathering intelligence, even sacrificing informants. You drank one bowl of her tea and honestly spilled everything.”
Huo Qi Lang asked in confusion, “Shouldn’t I have said anything? Aren’t you husband and wife?”
Li Yuanying said coldly, “Indeed, and that person in Chang’an and I are also father and son.”
Huo Qi was momentarily speechless, secretly reflecting that these people – whether fathers and sons, husbands and wives, or siblings – could turn against each other at any time, with blood spattering on the spot. Seeking trust from close relationships was even more difficult than finding it among trusted ministers. That he could still genuinely care for his blood sister perhaps showed he retained some humanity.
Some conversation could be heard from outside the main gate. Caiwei went to look and reported that the household administrator had come to report on business.
Li Yuanying let him enter. Li Chengyin presented a note, saying, “This is Liu Kun’s letter from today, making final confirmation of the banquet seating arrangements.”
The primary and secondary ranking of seats related to status and power. If handled improperly – placing the honored in secondary seats while putting those of lower rank in front – it could easily cause disputes, so careful arrangement was necessary. Since Surveillance Commissioner Ruan Ziming’s relationship with Prince Shao had improved, Liu Kun had to seriously treat the imperial family’s representative in Youzhou.
Li Yuanying glanced at the note and replied, “Acceptable.”
Li Chengyin continued, “The messenger was a recording secretary from the headquarters staff, not a low position. He vaguely mentioned that the military governor has an unmarried daughter, just fourteen years old. Presumably he was sent by Liu Kun to hint…”
Before he could finish, Li Yuanying impatiently interrupted, “Reply that the Prince and Princess Consort have deep affection and no intention of taking concubines.” He told a dignified lie in front of others, then muttered quietly, “Everyone wants to send little girls back and forth as trading tokens for alliances. I’m truly sick of it. Right now there’s only one young lady I want to see…”
Li Chengyin quietly observed his master’s expression, knowing he was irritable due to his recurring illness and rarely spoke with such emotion. Since Yang Fangxie died of illness, her father Yang Xingjian had said little, but Li Yuanying felt a kind of guilt and regret for not bringing her to Chang’an in time, indirectly causing her to fall ill and die in her hometown.
Of course, he had never expressed this publicly. Only as his trusted old minister could one vaguely perceive this subtle emotion. Moreover, when Princess Wanshou was young and nearly sent to Tibet for political marriage due to the deposed Crown Prince’s schemes, from that time Li Yuanying never again considered any family marriage proposals.
Observing his sickly appearance, Li Chengyin cautiously said, “Your Highness, the banquet will be held in three days. You have recovered considerably recently, but with many troubles and little food, can you really manage to attend?”
Li Yuanying answered with closed eyes, “I can do it. I can manage.” His strained expression clearly showed he was trying to convince himself.
By evening, the main chamber’s lights were extinguished and everyone had withdrawn. After hearing that the night guard patrols were proceeding normally outside, Huo Qi Lang eagerly slipped into the silk bed curtains as usual.
First came kisses. She keenly sensed Li Yuanying’s change – this time he not only responded but had already loosened the ties of his inner garment. The two entwined closely together, their completely different bodies gradually merging into the same temperature, the same rhythm.
This time it was finally not just her own passion. She was extremely delighted and wanted to ask for more while he was still lost in the moment, pleading by his ear, “Sometimes make some sounds – just a little noise. Those on duty outside can’t hear, and I absolutely love your voice…”
Li Yuanying asked in confusion, “What sounds do you want to hear?”
Huo Qi Lang had to offer suggestions to this unromantic person: “For instance, calling my name when moved by passion?”
Li Yuanying’s movements instantly froze. Suppressing his anger, he said word by word, “Do you know you have a man’s name? Even if my throat were cut, I would never call it out.”
“Ah…” Huo Qi Lang had never thought this would be an obstacle. The intimate atmosphere that had been flowing like fish in water immediately became awkward.
Seeing Li Yuanying’s displeased expression and his rare enthusiasm ebbing like a tide, she hastily tried to make amends: “I mean… if Your Highness finds it monotonous, I could also disguise myself as someone else.”
Li Yuanying couldn’t follow her train of thought at all, showing a bewildered and shocked expression.
“For instance, if you let me see Madam Jing, I could impersonate her. Or any stranger – just wearing some clothes, could be male or female, hard to distinguish. Or I could even disguise myself as Your Highness yourself, like facing a mirror…”
Li Yuanying’s already pale face became even more deathly white, with roaring in his ears. After a moment, it turned iron blue. He was so angry his temples throbbed and his eye sockets felt ready to explode. In a rage, he pushed her away and climbed up, running barefoot outside the silk curtains.
Huo Qi Lang was regretting speaking such words too early when she suddenly heard the sound of a sword being drawn outside the curtains. She immediately pulled on her outer robe and leaped up to flee.
That sword, like his jade pendant, was a ceremonial ornament matching his outfit. She had never seen him use it, but today when unsheathed, cold light flashed and it rang with a clear hum – truly a rare sharp weapon in the world.
Huo Qi Lang thought with chagrin that these people really were extremely wealthy – even their idle decorative items had to be the finest. Fortunately, just from his initial stance she could tell he had never learned swordplay, so she relaxed and didn’t flee through the window, instead maneuvering around pillars and furniture in the room.
Both wore only disheveled undergarments, tacitly making no sound. The dim moonlight revealed blurred outlines in the room. Li Yuanying wildly swung his sword in fury – though completely without technique, he was extremely beautiful, making even his posture graceful and elegant. Huo Qi Lang was momentarily entranced, reluctant to immediately disarm him.
Seeing the sharp blade, she carefully retreated while observing. Passing a crescent stool, she kicked it up and tucked it under her arm, afraid he might trip and be injured by the weapon when blinded by rage.
Against her hopes, this wasn’t her first time botching things. Huo Qi thought listlessly – why did she always like provoking hot-tempered men who loved using swords?
The sword’s blue gleam reflected Li Yuanying’s blue-tinged face. Huo Qi Lang saw his nose beginning to bleed, soaking his chest garment in moments. Knowing he was truly enraged to the point of affecting his mind, and that further entanglement might harm his body, she finally circled to the side to disarm him barehanded, threw down the sword, used grappling techniques to restrain him on the bed, and pressed acupoints on his nose bridge to stop the bleeding.
Li Yuanying was so angry he nearly fainted. After that burst of wild slashing, he had exhausted all his energy and could only lie there catching his breath.
In terms of humble apologies, Huo Qi Lang was always most sincere and swift. Though straddling him, her tone was extremely conciliatory: “Old Qi knows her mistake. Please forgive me this time, Your Highness.”
Li Yuanying closed his eyes, pretending he was already dead.
When the bleeding gradually stopped, Huo Qi Lang carefully removed his blood-stained undergarment and wiped clean the blood on his face and body bit by bit, thinking today’s clothing was somewhat excessive – she had to secretly take it away and dispose of it, absolutely not letting Madam Li see it.
She said sincerely, “All I want is Your Highness himself, what I want to do is simple pleasure, what I want to say comes directly from my mouth – nothing beyond this. I hope Your Highness can also speak directly and not hold back.”
Li Yuanying sorted through his chaotic emotions, examining whether this excessive anger stemmed from being offended or from something else. But just as his thoughts touched on his true feelings, he suddenly felt no need to think so clearly.
Unlike case truths and strategic calculations, perhaps some things simply shouldn’t be pursued to the finest detail, or it would be asking for trouble. That his detested appearance could actually gain something truly useful – there was nothing to complain about.
Each taking what they needed was sufficient.
“I don’t want to know what you’ve done in the past, what people you’ve had, the details or styles… Shut up, don’t tell me.” He spoke in as calm and composed a tone as possible.
Hearing these words, Huo Qi Lang revealed a barely perceptible smile. She often lived in a muddled state, but in these subtle emotions, she could always keenly grasp the most important points.
“Yes, this subordinate understands.”
She said no more and bent down to kiss him.