Liu Jue followed Prince Anqing toward the study, unsure why, but the solemn, grave look on his father’s face, and the trace of worry deep in his eyes, unsettled him greatly. Somewhere deep down he vaguely sensed something, yet couldn’t quite make it out.

“Anye — from this moment on, if so much as a rabbit runs within twenty zhang of this study, kill it. Anyone lurking about with suspicion in their eyes — kill them.” Prince Anqing gave the order calmly.

Liu Jue looked at his father with alarm. “Father!”

Prince Anqing shut the study door, twisted and turned something, then gave a push — the writing desk slid aside on its own, revealing a hidden compartment. Prince Anqing carefully drew out an imperial edict wrapped in yellow silk. “Prince Pingnan Liu Jue, receive the decree.”

Liu Jue was stunned for a moment, then lifted the hem of his robe and knelt. Prince Anqing unrolled the decree but did not read it aloud — instead he handed it to his son. Liu Jue took it and read, his mouth opening, his eyes going wide. He rolled the decree back up and returned it to his father. His heart churned like a stormy sea — a mountain of trouble was brewing. Prince Ning’s decree not only stated that the Fourth Prince, Liu Fei, was to inherit the throne, but also enumerated the Queen and the Wang clan’s countless heinous crimes in detail. Even the death of the late Chen Queen was laid out clearly. This decree would blow the entire Ning Guo court apart. Before Liu Fei had ascended the throne and secured his position, it would bring nothing but disaster.

“This son obeys Father’s command,” Liu Jue said, making his decision.

Prince Anqing said gravely, “Prince Li is now less than a hundred li from Feng City. He has ten thousand troops with him, but to enter the city for the mourning, he can bring at most five hundred personal guards. If the two sides clash in open battle in Feng City, first, the common people will suffer, and second, all our military strength will be concentrated in the royal city — this battle wouldn’t just gravely weaken Ning Guo’s vitality, it would also hand the other four states a perfect opportunity to strike.”

“So you want me to appear to stand united with the Crown Prince, to minimize casualties and let Prince Li ascend to the throne smoothly?”

“Indeed. Do you truly think we should let a hundred and fifty thousand Southern Army troops, a hundred thousand Right Flank Army troops, and two hundred thousand Eastern Route troops tear each other apart? According to intelligence from both Anqing Manor’s and Prince Li’s networks, the Wang family may still be concealing an elite force somewhere. There have been strange happenings in the Black Mountain Forest to the east these past years, and we suspect this army may be hidden there — how many there are, how strong they are, we simply don’t know. And the royal palace itself is easy to defend and hard to attack. If it comes to an all-out assault, with both sides evenly matched, Ning Guo might well decline from this alone — something neither the late King nor the Liu clan would ever wish to see.”

“So Father’s plan is?”

“I’ve already made contact with Prince Li. On the eighteenth of the third month, at the enthronement ceremony, the late King’s decree will be read aloud before all — the Wang family will be eliminated, and this whole crisis resolved once and for all! There are only twenty days left until the eighteenth of the third month. We must not only fully secure control over Feng City, but also infiltrate the royal palace and fully grasp the Wang family’s movements, so we can capture them all in one stroke. Until then, we cannot let them suspect a thing, or we’ll have no choice but an outright assault!” Prince Anqing laid out the situation clearly. His eyes were sharp as he studied his son — at this moment he was no longer an idle prince at ease, but a commander marshaling a hundred thousand troops; every trace of leisure and pleasure had vanished from him.

“I understand what Father means. Before this, I still need to find an excuse to duel Prince Li, to dispel the Eastern Palace’s suspicion of my household, is that right?”

“Not only that. Your duel with Prince Li is meant to be a small, contained clash — but it also exposes the two of you to danger. The Eastern Palace could seize the chance to make a move first, capture the two of you. With the Southern Army held in check, the Eastern Route Army wouldn’t dare act rashly — but that unfamiliar force we haven’t accounted for could very well appear. So this duel between the two of you serves an even greater purpose — it’s bait to draw out the Wang family’s secret army!”

Liu Jue thought for a moment. “Why not simply raid the royal palace and the Grand Commandant’s residence directly, and place the Queen, the Crown Prince, and Grand Commandant Wang under house arrest?”

“The Wang family has cultivated its power for years. Without publicly exposing their crimes before all and winning the people’s trust, how could we hope to convince the realm? Don’t forget, the Crown Prince is still the legitimate heir to the throne! If we resort to armed suppression without due cause, who knows how many more years it would take to root out the remnants of rebellion. Chen Guo’s surprise attack on Linnan City is a case in point — all four states have their eyes fixed hungrily on Ning Guo, just waiting for the moment our nation falls into internal chaos.”

“And if this army doesn’t appear?” Liu Jue asked, raising a doubt.

“The Crown Prince must wait until Prince Li returns to Feng City and completes the mourning rites before he can act. After the rites are finished, there will only be five or six days left before the enthronement ceremony. Three days before the enthronement, you will challenge Prince Li to a duel — and this is also the best opportunity for the Wang family. They could very well use that hidden army to eliminate both you and Prince Li without anyone the wiser, and wash their hands of it completely. That’s why this army is bound to make an appearance.”

“So — the duel with Prince Li three days before the enthronement is deliberately meant to give the Eastern Palace an opening — to draw out and eliminate that hidden army while they take the bait?”

“If that concealed army isn’t rooted out, and the Crown Prince manages to escape, it will become his greatest asset for a comeback, and the greatest threat to Ning Guo’s stability!”

Liu Jue looked at his father with admiration, impressed by how thoroughly he had planned even for future contingencies. But still — “Father, the Eastern Palace could simply move to subdue us first. Even if we tried every means to win their trust, half-belief is never as reassuring to them as simply eliminating us outright!”

Prince Anqing chuckled. “My son, you must understand — the three gates of Feng City are already in your hands. The Wang family wouldn’t dare make the first move. The southern military strength lies with you and Gu Tianxiang, the western military strength lies with Prince Li — head-on, they wouldn’t dare risk it, fearing mutual destruction. Should they borrow troops from Chen Guo or Qi Guo and drive straight in, even if the Crown Prince secured the throne, he’d struggle to cope with the aftermath. If we can win the Eastern Palace’s trust, the Wang family will believe that Gu Tianxiang commands only the navy, while your hundred and fifty thousand troops could be entirely at their disposal — and if the Southern Army were to defect at the critical moment, it would deal them a fatal blow. Besides,” Prince Anqing smiled, “even if they don’t fully trust us, they’ll have no choice but to rely on us. A hundred and fifty thousand troops is too great a temptation. If truly won over to their side, Prince Li would be doomed to defeat!”

All of this planning — every bit of it was for Liu Fei’s enthronement, for the future stability of Ning Guo. Liu Jue’s own anger at Liu Fei and A’Luo had, it seemed, been merely a pretext all along. His heart eased; the anxiety and heartache of these past days lifted all at once. He glanced sideways at his father, thinking of A’Luo — well now, the two of you teamed up to play me for a fool! Liu Jue’s straight back slackened, and he relaxed back into his usual carefree, unruly manner, a broad smile spreading across his face even as his eyes began to smolder. “This son understands now, Father. Well played indeed — however did you convince A’Luo to deliberately provoke a rift between me and Prince Li by refusing the engagement?”

Prince Anqing’s eyes darted about, already scouting an escape route, his expression shifting evasively. “I merely gave her a little hint, and she understood right away. As for her feelings toward you — well, hah, they’re really not bad at all!”

“Oh, is that so, not bad at all? Well played! How could I possibly allow my own betrothed to bring such shame upon my household? You two really do understand me so well, don’t you?”

“Hehe, my son, wasn’t this also a way to test how A’Luo truly feels about you? Your old father did this all for your own good, didn’t he?” Prince Anqing laughed awkwardly, feeling somewhat guilty inside.

Liu Jue suddenly roared, “For my own good? You let her go off to serve as bait?! Do you have any idea what that means — if the two sides come to blows, she becomes a hostage used to threaten Prince Li! Threaten whom, exactly? Liu Fei, or your own son?!”

“Well now, there’s bound to be some sacrifice involved, isn’t there? Besides, unless things come to an absolute last resort, her life won’t be in danger. And — and her father is the sitting Right Chancellor, after all!” Prince Anqing dared not look his son in the eye.

“And you kept me in the dark about this too? Huh? Who gave her the nerve to do such a thing? Wasn’t it you? I’m telling you plainly — she is not to be dragged into this! This is a matter between men! What’s done is done, but as things stand, the Eastern Palace already knows about the connection between A’Luo and Liu Fei — that’s enough. There’s no need for her to do anything further.”

Prince Anqing’s face darkened. “And if the Eastern Palace demands she be handed over?”

“She is my consort. I can simply refuse — I’ll say she’s unwilling, but I intend to marry her regardless. There’s no need to drag her out into all this.”

“You must understand — if A’Luo doesn’t appear before them, openly breaking with you and refusing the marriage, how could the Eastern Palace possibly believe it?”

Liu Jue was struck silent for a moment — right, A’Luo had spread word that she and Zili shared a deep bond and had pledged themselves to each other. He himself had also put on a show of fury before the Eastern Palace’s people. If they simply believed all that without more, it would mean underestimating the Eastern Palace’s shrewdness. To win their trust, not only would Liu Fei need to cooperate fully, but a convincing performance would need to be staged before them. But — how? A normal man’s reaction upon learning such a thing would surely be blind fury, wanting nothing more than to kill her, wouldn’t it? Killing her was, of course, out of the question — but some display of anger, even laying hands on her, would be unavoidable. How could he possibly bring himself to do it, knowing full well she had put herself in danger for his sake, and still have to steel his heart and go through with punishing her? “So what — am I supposed to strike her in front of them? Aren’t we still supposed to be maintaining good relations with the Left Chancellor?”

“Hmph, I’d wager the first one to strike would be the Right Chancellor himself! At a time like this, if he doesn’t step forward to discipline his daughter, how could he possibly stay out of it?”

Liu Jue’s temper flared. “Whoever came up with this half-baked scheme — if anything happens to A’Luo, I’ll see your entire household wiped out!”

Prince Anqing trembled with fury, his beard bristling. “You wretched boy! Is that any way to curse your own father? Are you really that dense? Don’t you know how to show off our household’s proud tradition a little? Can’t you play the overbearing suitor? Let her fall for whoever she wants — you’re still going to have her regardless, and anyone who tries to stop you, you deal with them! Let her cry and refuse all she wants, pay it no mind, just go grab her and bring her back! How did I end up with such a dim-witted son?!”

Liu Jue stood there dumbfounded for another moment before it dawned on him. “It seems I’ve already made her furious with me — I even struck her earlier today!”

“Then what are you still standing here for? If she’s already stopped speaking to you now, what good will it do you to just drag her back?” Prince Anqing gave him a swift kick in the backside.

Liu Jue rubbed his backside, grumbling, “It’s your fault for keeping me in the dark, not caring at all how I felt! Once this is all over, I’ll settle the score with the both of you!”

“I’m already regretting telling you as early as I did — with a temper like yours! You’d better play this act out flawlessly for me — if you let the Eastern Palace catch even the slightest flaw and ruin my great plan, I’ll personally take a military cane to that backside of yours!”

Liu Jue sighed and walked out of the study, his heart a tangle of joy and worry. He was glad that A’Luo had, in the end, been willing to risk herself for his sake — though she said nothing of it aloud, her deep and true feelings for him were plain enough. Yet he was troubled, unwilling to let her suffer such indignities, fearful for her safety. He suddenly regretted ever finding out the truth — not knowing would have been easier. Now that he knew, it truly made everything so much harder to bear. Thinking back to how roughly he’d treated A’Luo just now at Songfeng Hall, he found himself, for the moment, not daring to go back and face her.