On the fourth day of the third month, Prince Li returned to Wind City from the border with five hundred iron-clad guards. He entered the palace with only two attendants to mourn.
Everything remained the same as before, only now countless layers of white mourning banners fluttered in the cool early spring wind. Zili’s eyes brimmed with hot tears; he quickened his pace, walking straight toward Jade Dragon Palace. As soon as he reached the palace gate, he involuntarily fell to his knees, a grief-stricken cry escaping his lips, trembling as it echoed through the royal city. The ministers and attendants keeping vigil inside and outside the gate couldn’t help but wail in sorrow as well, one after another. Chancellor Gu and Chancellor Li, among the ministers, wept softly and urged: “Fourth Highness, please restrain your grief!”
Queen Wang and the Crown Prince heard Zili’s anguished cry and, for reasons they couldn’t quite place, felt a chill in their hearts—the depth of grief in that voice was unsettling, throwing their thoughts into disarray. The Crown Prince walked out of the palace gate. Three years unseen, the Fourth Prince, his younger brother, dressed in white, wept collapsed on the palace steps. He had, in the end, come back. Word had come that his ten thousand troops were stationed five li outside the western city gate, and the eighty thousand Right Flank Army showed signs of mobilizing—he intended to face him with weapons after all. The Crown Prince hurried down the steps and, choking with emotion, said: “Fourth Brother, you’ve come too late.”
Zili stopped his weeping and bowed to the Crown Prince. “Imperial Brother…” He slowly rose. “I’ve come to see Father.”
He slowly walked into the palace. After three years of tempering in the military, the Fourth Prince had developed a different bearing—the refined courtesy of before had been washed away by a battle-hardened aura of death. If before he had been a beautiful silver blade, now he was a saber that had drunk blood. The Crown Prince watched Zili’s straight back, the commanding presence radiating from his every movement, and found his hand had unconsciously clenched into a fist.
Zili looked at Prince Ning lying in the jade coffin, lifelike as if merely sleeping, and thought that from now on, the last warmth in this palace had also been taken away. Tears, cold as ice, spilled down. He murmured, “Father!” He closed his eyes, wanting to seal that beloved face within his eyelids forever, as if this single gaze had already engraved all his father’s love into an eternal portrait. When he opened his eyes again, they were bloodshot, no more tears visible. The heart-wrenching white mourning banners brought with them the eternal frost of Jade Elephant Mountain’s peak, freezing his heart. From now on, every beat of his heart would struggle within that frozen seal, and gradually he heard the sound of it cracking without breaking.
“Imperial Brother, the coffin may be sealed.” Zili said, flat and drained of strength. His eyes refused to look that way again.
“Yes.” The moment the Crown Prince spoke, he sensed something was wrong. He then gave the order with haughty composure: “Seal the coffin! Seven days of mourning rites!”
By Ning Guo custom, after the Prince Ning passed, once the last prince had paid his final respects, the coffin would be sealed, and all princes would observe seven days of mourning rites, abstaining from meat and oil. After seven days, the coffin would be carried to the royal tomb atop Jade Elephant Mountain. After the mourning rites concluded, the new king’s enthronement ceremony would take place on the eighteenth day.
The selected palace attendants slowly closed the jade coffin. With a click, it severed all of Prince Ning’s ties to the mortal world. Wails shook Jade Dragon Palace, inside and out. Zili thought to himself that these tears mourned not only his father, but also those who would die in the struggle for the throne. The coffin sealing was complete. Queen Wang wiped away her tears and said, “My son, you haven’t returned in three years—your Imperial Brother has missed you dearly. After your long journey, rest early at your princely residence. Come to the palace tomorrow for the brothers to reunite.”
Zili paid his respects to the Empress but did not leave. His eyes coldly settled on Liu Jue. “Prince Pingnan—it’s been years. You seem more spirited than ever!”
Liu Jue had stood the whole time with a grim expression behind Prince Anqing. Hearing this, his mouth twisted, forcing out a faint smile. “Thanks to Prince Li’s blessing, this prince has already recovered the Chancellor’s Third Young Lady, and our wedding will be held soon.”
Zili’s face remained still as water, a faint smile on his lips. “Does Prince Pingnan still remember the agreement made on the grasslands three years ago? This prince most admires Prince Pingnan’s saying that a melon forced won’t be sweet!” Having said this, he bowed to the Crown Prince: “This subject will take his leave first.”
Anger showed openly on Liu Jue’s face. Prince Anqing snorted and muttered, “No sense of propriety!” and swept his sleeve as he too turned to leave. Passing by Chancellor Li, Prince Anqing suddenly turned back and glared at him twice. “What a fine daughter you’ve raised! Hmph!”
Reprimanded by Prince Anqing in front of all the officials, Chancellor Li’s face turned red then pale, his head bowed low. “The old prince’s reproach is entirely justified. This old official will bring her home at once for strict discipline!”
The ministers all lowered their heads. Chancellor Gu, also furious, flung his sleeves and left.
The vast Jade Elephant Palace fell quiet. The Crown Prince suddenly said, “Sister Qingluo really should return to the Chancellor’s estate. Staying at Prince Anqing’s residence invites gossip—it’s simply improper.”
Qinglei answered obediently, “I think my sister is just young and inexperienced, momentarily confused by two handsome and dashing princes. Why not bring her into the palace, so I, as her elder sister, can better understand her feelings? After all, we’re family—we mustn’t let her be too hurt.”
The Crown Prince looked at her approvingly. Wang Yanhui sighed. “I think, well, Prince Anqing’s residence won’t be peaceful for long. Why don’t Your Highness and I go together to fetch our sister? We can’t let Fourth Brother and Prince Pingnan become enemies over her!”
Liu Jue returned from the palace to his residence, entering Pine Wind Hall. A’Luo, seeing him, blushed and lowered her head, absently flipping through the book in her hands. “A’Luo, if tomorrow, if Zili and your father both come to find you at the same time, who would you go with?” Though he clearly knew the answer, Liu Jue still couldn’t help asking.
A’Luo thought, this went without saying—if not with Zili, she’d have to go with Chancellor Li. She looked up at Liu Jue. “Going with Zili would be understandable. Going with my father would be the proper thing to do. Either way, I’d have to leave.”
Liu Jue strode over in one step and pulled her into an embrace. “No one is taking you anywhere. You’re not going anywhere at all!”
“You’re so silly. I can’t very well say… You, have you forgotten what your old fox of a father instructed you to do?” A’Luo laughed softly.
Hearing Zili bring up that night on the grasslands three years ago in the palace, Liu Jue understood in his heart that Zili might not simply be putting on an act. But for now, he still needed A’Luo to keep playing along, while he himself became the shameless one forcing his way in—knowing he had to make the act convincing, he still felt an unpleasant twist in his heart. “Zili’s feelings for you are genuine!”
A’Luo looked at him, wanting to laugh—the feeling of him being jealous over her felt good. She couldn’t resist teasing him further. “That’s right, Zili is handsome, gentle, and truly sincere toward me—hard to find someone like that!”
Liu Jue kissed her domineeringly, refusing to let her continue. After a while, slightly out of breath, he said, “Let me see the two of you all lovey-dovey together—hmph, I’ll entangle myself with you first.” He said and kissed her again, deeply.
A’Luo sighed inwardly, responding passionately, until she heard Prince Anqing clear his throat lightly. The two sprang apart like startled birds. Liu Jue hid A’Luo behind his back, glaring at his father, who wore an ambiguous smile. “Qing Ying!”
“The old prince walked right over your subordinate’s body to get in here!” came Qing Ying’s earnest reply from outside the window.
Prince Anqing waved a hand and sat down. “Alright, you brat, let’s talk business! Tomorrow I expect my residence to be quite lively!”
A’Luo quietly poked her head out and tugged Liu Jue’s sleeve. “Your family’s old fox forced me into it! He said if I didn’t help him, he wouldn’t let me marry you!”
Liu Jue patted her head. “I decide what happens. Ignore him! Tomorrow, no matter who comes, you pretend to be sick and don’t come out.”
“You’ve gone too far, you insolent girl!” Prince Anqing said, both angry and amused, as A’Luo openly incited rebellion against him.
“Liu Jue, look how fierce your father is—if I married you, wouldn’t I just become someone to be scolded all the time? Zili is so much better—he’d never bring himself to scold me!” A’Luo didn’t care, continuing to tease the old fox.
Liu Jue had already caught on and snorted coldly. “No matter how good he is, so what? You belong to me. Even if I treat you badly, you’ll just have to accept it!”
“You wooden-headed fool! Then I really won’t marry you! Besides, you all wanted an excuse to turn against Zili anyway—I’ll just make the fake into reality!” A’Luo said angrily.
“Good, good, excellent!” Prince Anqing laughed and clapped his hands—this was exactly the effect he wanted.
“What’s so good about it?” Liu Jue was furious. How had things flipped again in just a moment? “I’m telling you, from now on you’re not taking a single step out of Pine Wind Hall!”
“Old fox! Get him!” A’Luo began directing Prince Anqing against Liu Jue.
“Brat, the bigger picture, the bigger picture matters most! How many times must I say it?”
Liu Jue, stifled with frustration, sat down heavily, feeling utterly restless no matter how he thought about it. He slowly straightened up, looked at A’Luo’s cunning smiling face, and couldn’t help but smile too. “Kidnapping the bride, then? I suppose this prince is rather skilled at being shameless. Besides, the more people involved, the livelier and more glorious it’ll be!”
Prince Anqing and A’Luo exchanged a glance, watching Liu Jue with some worry.
“A’Luo, actually I know—from the very start you had feelings for Zili. It’s just that back then you were young, thinking only of how to leave the Chancellor’s estate, leave Wind City, and Zili happened to have been granted the marriage arrangement.” Liu Jue said slowly, his eyes brightening, chin lifting. “What’s missed is missed. Liu Fei shouldn’t expect another chance. If it were before, perhaps I would have let go. But now—even if he regrets it, it won’t matter!”
“You need to understand—the one who decides is me. It’s me who won’t give him the chance!” A’Luo said, amused.
“You’re the one who needs to understand—right now, the one deciding is me. It’s me who won’t let you give him the chance!” Liu Jue glared, correcting her.
“Oh? Is that so? Tomorrow I’ll give him the chance myself. You just watch from the side and cool off!” A’Luo answered smugly.
Prince Anqing burst out laughing. “A’Luo, sweetheart, that odd concoction of wine you brewed last time was quite something. Come have a drink with this old man and see how it goes!”
“Sure!” A’Luo laughed.
Liu Jue swept over and pulled her into his arms, restraining her. He said with mock contempt, “So your current state is that you don’t like me, is it? That I’m forcefully keeping you here, is it? You’re happily going off to drink with the old man—how convincing is that act supposed to be? Trying to make me angry? Not a chance! Qing Yi! See the old prince off. Without my order, not even a fly gets let in now. Father, in all things one must consider the bigger picture, isn’t that right?”
Prince Anqing broke into a sly smile. “Yes, yes, indeed, can’t drink with the old man now after all. Ah well, the sheep has entered the wolf’s den, tsk tsk, off to drink now.”
“It’s fine—tomorrow my brother Zili will come fetch me.” A’Luo, unable to break free, rolled her eyes to provoke Liu Jue.
“What did my old man just say? Sheep entering the wolf’s den—this meat is too fresh, can’t not eat it!” Liu Jue laughed softly and kissed her.
In the deepening night at Pine Wind Hall, two figures gradually revealed themselves close together. Liu Jue murmured, “I really am worried, A’Luo, that he’ll take you away from me.”