The clouds shifted lazily overhead, casting dappled shadows on the ground as the figure in front of him smiled and bowed from afar, resembling a humble gentleman.
However, Xia Mingyuan felt the sunlight glaringly bright, causing his face to twitch involuntarily. Suppressing his trembling right hand, he sneered, “Indeed, my esteemed son-in-law. I underestimated you in the past.”
Xiao Du straightened slowly, adjusting his robe casually as he continued to smile, “Father-in-law, you’re truly a formidable figure. Had I not planned thoroughly, I wouldn’t have become your son-in-law.”
Xia Mingyuan understood the sarcasm behind his words. He gritted his teeth and said with a hint of resentment, “So, what do you want?”
Xiao Du’s gaze swept over the guards beside Xia Mingyuan before saying, “This is not the place for discussions. Please accompany me to the study for a private conversation, Father-in-law.”
With a disdainful snort, Xia Mingyuan shook off Han Kun’s supportive hand and prepared to walk towards Xiao Du. Han Kun frowned, hesitating whether to follow, but Xia Mingyuan waved him off and whispered some instructions before loudly declaring, “Stay here, I’ll be back soon.”
With a stern expression, he followed Xiao Du through the corridors and courtyards. Though he tried to maintain composure, his mind raced, calculating their respective strategies. But he couldn’t decipher Xiao Du’s true intentions…
As they entered the study, Xia Mingyuan’s gaze lingered on the silver bow hanging on the wall for a moment before he casually sat down, “Is it too much to ask for a cup of tea in such a grand mansion?”
Xiao Du, impressed by Xia Mingyuan’s calm demeanor, called out, “Bring a pot of fine Bi Luo Chun tea for His Highness.”
A pot of fragrant Bi Luo Chun tea was promptly placed on the table. Xiao Du gestured for the servants to leave and closed the door behind them, waiting in the veranda outside.
Xia Mingyuan wasted no time in downing the tea, feeling the tension in his chest ease slightly. He sighed heavily and said, “You’ve gone to great lengths to set up this elaborate scheme, all for that Qilin Seal, haven’t you?”
Xiao Du smirked, “Father-in-law is indeed astute. You’ve grasped the situation quickly.” He retrieved the Qilin Seal from his pocket and examined it with amusement, “I’ve heard rumors about Left Minister’s Qilin Seal, capable of commanding both hidden guards and regular soldiers. Today, I finally have the pleasure of seeing it in person. Truly exquisite craftsmanship.”
Xia Mingyuan glared at the Qilin Seal, remembering his recent ordeal. Unable to contain his frustration any longer, he slammed his hand on the table and roared, “What exactly do you want?”
Xiao Du was about to speak when he cleared his throat and took a few sips of tea, composing himself before replying, “Nothing much, just wanted to share a story with Father-in-law.” He put down his teacup and locked eyes with Xia Mingyuan, “A few days ago, I discovered that one of the maidservants in the mansion was colluding with outsiders, selling information about my whereabouts. This led to several attempts on my life. After thorough interrogation, she confessed to poisoning me under your orders and even tried to frame Yuanxi. Luckily, my father found evidence and had her imprisoned. Upon further investigation, we found that she had your Qilin Seal in her possession. She had no choice but to admit everything, implicating you.” His gaze sharpened, a hint of amusement in his voice, “I wonder if this story is exciting enough for you, Father-in-law. If I tell this to the Emperor, do you think he’ll believe it?”
Xia Mingyuan sneered, “With witness and material evidence, it all seems reasonable and flawless. Even I almost believed that I orchestrated the poisoning. But what if I tell the Emperor that you forcefully took the seal from me?”
Xiao Du sighed, “At that time, I was poisoned and unconscious in bed, while your guards, skilled warriors all, stood guard outside your door tirelessly through the night. How could we have taken the Qilin Seal from you without a scratch? Moreover, only you know the intricacies of the seal. If it wasn’t your direct order, who else could have done it?”
“You!” Xia Mingyuan trembled with anger. He had indeed calculated each step accurately, but the events of last night, even his guards couldn’t prove. How could he expect others to believe him? With a frustrated sigh, he closed his eyes and lamented, “Fine, fine, fine. I was too careless and fell into your trap.”
Xiao Du smirked, “Father-in-law wasn’t careless; you simply wanted me dead too badly. Without witnessing my death personally, how could you be at ease?”
Xia Mingyuan glared at him fiercely, “So you faked being poisoned to lure me into your trap. And how did you manage to make me think two days had passed in that secret room?”
Xiao Du chuckled, “The secret room scheme was simple to unravel. We used dried blood and fake scabs to make you believe two days had passed. Then we added a special fuel to the fire starter that made you extremely thirsty. Even you, Xia Mingyuan, would find it hard to stay calm in such a thirsty, suffocating environment. At that moment, when the fake guards gave you a glimmer of hope, you had no choice but to rely on the Qilin Seal to call for help. However…” He paused, “Everything else was fake, but the poison was real.”
Xia Mingyuan was stunned, “You poisoned yourself just to lure me in?”
Xiao Du remained calm, “Because I couldn’t be sure if Left Qiao would cooperate or if he could deceive your keen eyes. So, only by truly poisoning myself could I make you stay and take the risk of believing whether I was truly dying.”
Xia Mingyuan stared at him intently, with a hint of amusement in his eyes, saying, “No wonder the name of the Marquis Xuan Yuan used to strike fear into the hearts of the barbarians. I never imagined that you not only possess extraordinary courage on the battlefield but also such ruthlessness towards yourself. No wonder after the brutal Battle of Pingdu Pass, you managed to survive.”
Upon hearing the words “Pingdu Pass,” fury ignited in Xiao Du’s eyes. He clenched his fists tightly until the pain from the Qilin seal in his hand gradually subsided, then stared at Xia Mingyuan and said, word by word, “I will not allow the events of Pingdu Pass to repeat themselves in my lifetime.”
Xia Mingyuan seemed quite satisfied with his reaction. He lifted his teacup and remarked, “Even if you present this seal to the emperor, do you think he would convict me based on unverified accusations?”
Xiao Du retorted coldly, “Naturally, I don’t naively believe that this seal alone could incriminate Minister Xia. But what if I were to die? What if I were to say that with just this Qilin seal, I could convince the emperor that it was Minister Xia who orchestrated it?”
Xia Mingyuan’s eyes widened, and he slammed the table abruptly, standing up and shouting, “Xiao Du, are you mad? Are you wagering your life against mine?”
Xiao Du also stood up, walking over to Xia Mingyuan without flinching, meeting his gaze squarely, and said, “Yes, I am wagering my life against yours. I wonder if Minister Xia dares to wager with his wealth and life!”
Under the pressure of his momentum, Xia Mingyuan involuntarily stepped back, falling back into his seat. At that moment, the courage and determination emanating from this young man made him feel a hint of awe. He finally understood why this man could lead troops to sweep through enemy forces at a young age and stand up again after facing extreme adversity, becoming his opponent once more.
Xia Mingyuan straightened his body slowly and said coldly, “It seems I have underestimated you. Speak, what do you want?”
Xiao Du walked to the desk, took out pen and ink, and said, “It’s simple. I just want Minister Xia to write a memorial, declaring to the emperor that the Xia family will no longer intervene in any military affairs of the Xiao family’s army and will not move a single soldier or a single coin of the Xiao family’s army. If there is any violation, Minister Xia will voluntarily resign from the position of Left Minister. I believe His Majesty will be pleased to see this memorial.”
Xia Mingyuan turned to look at him, suddenly smiling. “So this is what you want. Do you truly believe that once the Xia family is removed, the Xiao family’s army can rest easy? Xiao Du, Xiao Du, despite growing up alongside His Majesty, you still cannot fathom whose taboo the Xiao family’s army has violated?”
Xiao Du’s hands trembled slightly. He naturally understood what Xia Mingyuan meant, but he was unwilling to dwell on it. He simply placed the pen by his side and said, “Just write according to my instructions. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”
Despite his deep reluctance, Xia Mingyuan knew all too well that he had lost from the moment Xiao Du staked his life against his. He was already old, with too much in his hands and too much to ask for. He had long lost the fervor and courage to gamble everything. So, reluctantly, he accepted the pen and wrote the memorial as Xiao Du instructed, sealing it with his seal.
Xiao Du carefully read the memorial, finally exhaling a sigh of relief. The tension in his nerves finally relaxed, and he smiled, saying, “I will present this memorial to His Majesty tomorrow. His Highness has worked hard. If you don’t mind, I’ll have Uncle Zhou prepare some food to entertain you later.”
Xia Mingyuan looked coldly at Xiao Du’s smiling face and suddenly said, “Do you know how sad Yuanxi has been during your coma these past few days? Yet, you’ve been plotting against her father. Can you face her?”
Xiao Du’s smile froze on his face, and his hand holding the paper trembled slightly. He knew how sad Yuanxi must have been, but he couldn’t allow Xia Mingyuan to have any suspicions.
He put down the memorial, suppressing the pain in his eyes, and said lightly, “So what? Sacrifices must be made to achieve great things.” He glanced sideways at Xia Mingyuan and sneered, “Besides since Minister Xia insisted on marrying his daughter into the family, how can I not understand the moves he’s making?”
A hint of cunning flashed in Xia Mingyuan’s eyes as he said knowingly, “So, Minister Hou implies that since Yuanxi is just a pawn, sacrificing her doesn’t matter.” He suddenly turned towards the door and shouted, “Yuanxi, did you hear that? You should understand now how your so-called husband sees you!”
Xiao Du was startled, and the paper slipped from his hand to the ground. With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Yuanxi stood stiffly at the doorway. Her eyes, which had once looked at him with countless tenderness, now held only deep sorrow and pain.
Xiao Du couldn’t care less about anything else. He hurried over and tightly held her hand, afraid that if he delayed, she would disappear from his side.
But Yuanxi looked up at him, her eyes seeming to see a stranger she had never known. She spoke softly, “Did you never consider telling me that the person you wanted to deal with was my father?”
Xiao Du felt like her gaze was cutting into him, causing unbearable pain. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he whispered, “Give me time, and I will explain to you.”
But Yuanxi shook her head gently and said softly, “You don’t need to explain. I understand everything.” She closed her eyes tremblingly, unwilling to look at the face she once thought she could entrust her life to. Tears finally flowed, but her voice was resolute and indifferent, “But I’m sorry, I can’t accept it.”
These days, she had shed too many tears. Tears, shed too many times, would eventually tire her out. So she decided to stop here. She didn’t want to shed tears for him anymore.
Xia Mingyuan watched the scene coldly and finally stood up from his seat, walking over to Yuanxi and saying, “Xi’er, come back to the mansion with me. Your Seventh Aunt has been unwell lately and has been longing to see you again. There’s nothing worth reminiscing about here.”
Xiao Du’s mind was in turmoil, and he hurried to block the door, his voice trembling slightly but firm, “Yuanxi is my wife. Without my permission, no one can take her away.”
Xia Mingyuan snorted lightly, about to speak, but Yuanxi softly interjected, “Father, I’m tired. Take me home.”
This sentence completely shattered all the armor Xiao Du had painstakingly maintained, causing his body to tremble and a pang of pain to surge in his heart. He understood all too well what she meant: “Take me home.” This place was no longer her home.
In a daze, Yuanxi had already left the study with Xia Mingyuan. Xiao Du snapped back to reality, wanting to step forward to stop them, but a sweet sensation surged in his throat, and he bent over, coughing up blood.
Panicked, Xiao Chun, who had hurried over upon hearing the news, rushed in and supported his trembling body, saying, “Your Highness, your poison hasn’t fully healed yet. You mustn’t exert your true qi anymore. Madam will calm down once she returns home and will naturally understand.”
Xiao Du sank weakly into a chair, feeling as if half of his body had already departed, leaving only remnants of brokenness and decay, with even his soul no longer intact.
Amidst the chaos in the room, someone rushed in from outside, urgently shouting, “Your Highness, something’s wrong! Lady Cai has hanged herself in her room!”