With the truth revealed and the culprit captured, Li Yuanying held the rouge box containing arsenic for a long time before leaving the jade container on the table. Supporting himself on the armrest, he struggled to stand up.
Madam Li stepped forward to help him, examining the coarse cloth clothing he wore. “I’ll have Caiwei and the others rush to make new clothes immediately.”
Li Yuanying’s voice was weary as he said flatly: “Never make the same mistake twice. Maintaining these old customs to avoid Chang’an’s attention is now meaningless. From now on, when clothes get dirty, wash them clean and wear them again.”
Seeing his extremely poor complexion, Madam Li said no more and helped him walk back behind the screen to lie down and rest.
Prince Shao had always governed his household with clear rewards and punishments, balancing leniency with strictness. Once orders were issued, all matters proceeded extremely smoothly. Except for the executioners, unrelated personnel didn’t even know what had happened in the western courtyard. Princess Consort Cui still maintained the dignified treatment befitting the mistress of the mansion.
Everything seemed to return to normal. However, by evening, Li Yuanying developed a fever.
The damage caused by arsenic wouldn’t heal immediately just from removing the poisoned clothing, especially after years of accumulated harm. That Prince Shao had held on until now was due to his originally robust constitution. Though the mystery of the “evil influence” had been solved with the truth of the poisoning revealed, Madam Li still kept Huo Qi Lang by his side on watch, firmly believing this person’s good fortune could ward off more than just toxins.
Following the physician’s instructions, Huo Qi Lang wrapped ice blocks in osmanthus cloth and applied them to the Shanzhong acupoint on his chest to reduce the fever. She suspected this was the backlash of the evil curse. Though Princess Consort Cui was a delicate woman without martial skills, her words were sharper than any weapon. Even listening from the side, Huo Qi Lang couldn’t help but feel wounded by the sword’s edge, experiencing genuine sadness.
The palace servant left by Madam Li to help with care dozed against the wall corner. The dragon-coiled lamp flickered and crackled, but otherwise the room was completely silent—even the crows on the roof had departed.
Li Yuanying lay with eyes closed, pillowed on her lap, breathing shallow and rapid. He couldn’t eat anything and had barely managed to drink some rice water before vomiting it back up. The box of arsenic remained in the center of the main room—since he hadn’t given orders on how to handle it, no one dared touch it.
Everything seemed resolved, yet sleep remained elusive. Li Yuanying asked with closed eyes: “Why haven’t you said a word today? Usually you’d be spouting nonsense and interrupting by now.”
Huo Qi Lang lowered her head: “The Princess Consort’s words were too profound. I’m uneducated and couldn’t understand them.”
Li Yuanying let out a weak, cold laugh: “Another excuse like that.”
Huo Qi Lang repositioned the ice pack and reapplied it. His pale face showed a red flush from the fever, appearing extremely fragile—hard to believe this was someone who held power over life and death. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the right time to kiss him. She had once followed some generals who would become distressed and nauseated because their orders led to subordinates’ casualties.
She said: “I heard the Princess Consort recite a poem. I did understand it, but my heart rebels against it.”
“‘Sending this humble woman’s body to secure the state—who knows where to deploy the general’?”
Huo Qi Lang remained silent. After a long while, she said quietly: “The soldiers already did their utmost.”
Li Yuanying’s mind suddenly flashed with certain thoughts. He abruptly opened his eyes and asked urgently: “Your father and brothers… where are they buried?”
Huo Qi Lang answered flatly: “Lingzhou.”
Li Yuanying was stunned.
Ten years ago, rebels occupied Lingzhou, bringing over a hundred thousand Tibetan and Uyghur troops to invade Tang territory, threatening Chang’an. To protect the capital, Hexi’s elite forces marched out to fight a bloody battle at Lingzhou against the enemy. That battle was fought against overwhelming odds, extremely brutal, with the Hexi army paying the price of near-total annihilation to repel the foreign coalition.
After this battle, the Hexi prefectures were left with depleted forces, only old men, children, and disabled soldiers remaining. Tibet took advantage of this weakness to invade. After capturing cities, the Tibetans habitually pillaged and massacred first, with remaining women and children becoming slaves. Under such tyranny, life was worse than death, so military and civilians united in resistance. But with the elite forces exhausted at Lingzhou, despite fierce seesaw battles, they couldn’t hold out. Twelve prefectures fell in succession. Only then came the peace negotiations.
Li Yuanying suddenly understood—if Hexi hadn’t been so desperately short of troops back then, how could a young woman have been made to don armor?
His expression became extremely complex as he gasped and murmured: “No wonder… no wonder they let you inherit military household status… You’re an orphan of the Hexi army.”
Huo Qi Lang thought this person was too clever—with just a few clues, he could deduce the general picture.
She said frankly: “I had already enlisted by then, so I can’t be considered an orphan—just a defeated soldier. As the Princess Consort said: it’s not about right and wrong, only victory and defeat. Being a soldier and learning martial arts are the same—when you lose, you must accept defeat.”
She touched the burning face of the person in her arms, saying softly: “It’s all in the past. Rest well, Your Highness. Don’t waste mental energy thinking back and forth. There’s a folk saying: ‘Too much cleverness makes long life and fortune difficult.'”
Li Yuanying felt dizzy and weak, unable to think deeply anymore, slowly closing his eyes. Those intangible burdens were too heavy, heavy as the ten thousand pounds of earth covering a tomb, pressing down until he couldn’t move.
Before his eyes appeared the phantom of Princess Dongyi’s departure for marriage.
That day, hadn’t he also been among the send-off procession? That imperial clan woman he’d never met, the irreversible tears in the phoenix carriage, the hatred delayed nearly ten years—all had transformed into poison seeking revenge. Then there was this wandering knight who called herself a defeated soldier… Ten years ago when she was forced to don armor to defend her homeland, she might have been the same age as Li Ciyin.
The Hexi elite died on the battlefield defending Chang’an, Princess Dongyi married far away to Tibet in place of her sister. As a member of the imperial family, he seemed destined to bear certain responsibilities for this.
His head split with pain, penetrating to the bone. He almost wanted to find a length of white silk to end it all and depart with his mother. However, Bao Zhu was still on the road…
Night had deepened. After consuming a basin of ice, Li Yuanying’s high fever still wouldn’t break. Huo Qi Lang fetched another cup of warm water, cradling his head and neck with one hand while feeding him with the other. Li Yuanying’s face showed painful expression as he turned his head in resistance.
“If you also want to revenge your family, be quick about it—stab me dead with one blow…”
It seemed the fever was causing delirium, making him confused. Huo Qi Lang sighed helplessly. Compared to reading, she was better at reading people’s behaviors and actions. Li Yuanying had guessed her identity yet still didn’t call others to replace her night watch, pillowing on her lap through his suffering.
In front of the patient, she drank half the water herself, then brought the cup to his lips.
“Look, no poison. I’ve lived quite happily these years. I don’t plan to make enemies with anyone, and truly can’t think of who to revenge against. I just want to live well.” Her face showed some relief as she spoke.
Her hometown Guazhou had long fallen to Tibet. After coming to the prosperous and magnificent Chang’an, she never thought of returning beyond Yumen Pass where yellow sand stretched for miles. A place without family couldn’t be called home.
Forcing the water down, Li Yuanying coughed a few times and mumbled something indistinctly. Huo Qi Lang only vaguely heard one sentence: “Where has she traveled to now…”
“I guess the princess has passed Luoyang and should nearly reach Xiangzhou.” Huo Qi Lang gently stroked his hair, softly comforting him.
Thus, they passed the night without further words.
The ailing Prince Shao endured another day. The next morning during the chen hour, Yuan Shaobo requested an audience, claiming urgent matters to report. Li Yuanying was clearly awake but remained stubbornly silent and wouldn’t get up.
Madam Li knew yesterday’s incident with Cui Lingrong had hit him hard, but no one could forcibly drag their master from the bed. Madam Li’s pleading gaze once again fell on Huo Qi Lang, whose watch was about to end.
Huo Qi Lang walked behind the screen to see Li Yuanying curled entirely within the brocade quilt, hiding in the depths of the bed without showing even a strand of hair. She intended to coax him with gentle words, but after brief consideration, simply raised her voice and shouted:
“If you don’t get up, we’ll send you to marry a barbarian chieftain!”
Li Yuanying’s entire body shuddered violently, and a pair of resentful beautiful eyes appeared through gaps in the quilt. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to slowly sit up, feeling top-heavy with his eye sockets aching as if they might split open.
Under Madam Li’s shocked and angry gaze, Huo Qi Lang laughed heartily: “Exactly! So many people depend on Your Highness for food and clothing. You must grit your teeth and hold on.”
She pulled her employer from the depths of the bed and efficiently dressed him in cotton clothes newly made by the maids, patting his shoulder: “Today is Old Seven’s day off, so I won’t accompany Your Highness tonight. See you tomorrow.” With that, she turned to leave.
Li Yuanying had roughly guessed why Yuan Shaobo had come, saying quietly: “I should be going to Yandu Ward today. Won’t you come along?”
Huo Qi Lang’s legs instantly stopped. She desperately wanted to go to the outer residence to see Madam Jing’s true appearance, but this person had been severely scolded by his main wife yesterday, burned with fever all night, felt terrible today, yet still wanted to go to his outer residence for a tryst after barely getting up—something seemed quite wrong about this.
A palace servant arranged Prince Shao’s hair and crown. When properly dressed, Yuan Shaobo entered and whispered a few words in Li Yuanying’s ear. He immediately ordered a carriage prepared, and it appeared he truly intended to depart for Yandu Ward.
Huo Qi Lang hesitated, torn between going out to gamble, drink, and enjoy her holiday, and going to glimpse Madam Jing’s true appearance. Li Yuanying finished dressing and walked to the second gate to board the carriage. Guards lined up with halberds, and the procession was about to depart.
Huo Qi Lang made a painful decision, smiling as she squeezed through the crowd, claiming she was late bringing something for His Highness. She stepped on the moving carriage shaft and crawled into the compartment, complaining: “Your Highness is quite good at tempting people.”
Li Yuanying glanced at her coldly, pulled a gold Kaiyuan Tongbao coin from his pouch, and placed it on the small table. “This is payment for working extra shifts. If you don’t want it, you can get off now.”
He paused, then said seriously: “But once we reach our destination, you won’t be able to get off this carriage again.”
Huo Qi Lang’s eyes lit up at the sight of money, not noticing anything unusual. She immediately took the heavy gold coin, thinking that before she had wandered around all day with empty pockets, and now she had money but no time to spend it. If not for Madam Jing dangling ahead as bait, she would have long since run off to the Northern Market for food, drink, and entertainment.
On the way to Yandu Ward, Caifang handed a food box through the carriage window. Li Yuanying had left hastily without breakfast, further puzzling Huo Qi Lang.
He took a bowl of therapeutic lamb lung soup from the food box and ate two spoonfuls, but finding it slightly cold and fishy, he put it aside. Huo Qi Lang waited, and after confirming he really wouldn’t eat more, picked up the bowl and quickly finished it herself.
While eating, she laughed: “How strange—it’s as if Your Highness is tasting for poison for me.”
Li Yuanying’s mouth twitched. He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, ultimately restraining himself from an outburst.
Author’s Note: The fall of Hexi and Longright occurred slowly over twenty to thirty years after the An Lushan Rebellion, not as rapidly as in the story, but the actual battle conditions were only more brutal.
After all, this is fictional—please don’t take it seriously.