In the dungeon of the Governor’s mansion, Tan Jizhi sat in a corner, expressionlessly staring into the sunless prison. He had been confined here for three days without seeing either Mo Xiuyao or Ye Li. Only Feng Zhiyao occasionally came to check on him, his intentions clear and simple: he wanted the whereabouts of the Biluo Flower and the antidote for the poison in Mo Xiuyao’s body. Tan Jizhi naturally wouldn’t tell Feng Zhiyao easily; he didn’t believe Mo Xiuyao would truly let him leave even if he revealed everything. But he also knew that the longer he stayed here, the more disadvantageous his position became. He had to either escape or kill that despicable woman Su Zuidie before she broke under pressure and revealed everything…
Shu Manlin was imprisoned in a cell opposite Tan Jizhi’s. Though only a few steps apart, they could only gaze at each other from afar. As the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier, Shu Manlin was also a privileged lady who had never suffered hardship. When first imprisoned, she still had the energy to curse and rage, but after Feng Zhiyao had her go hungry for just two meals, she became completely docile. She would occasionally look across at Tan Jizhi, crying tearfully, which only increased the already agitated Tan Jizhi’s irritation. He simply ignored her, and they had nothing to say to each other in their cells. Tan Jizhi sat absorbed in thought, plotting his next move, while Shu Manlin sat opposite, crying and occasionally complaining.
Footsteps echoed from outside, and though Tan Jizhi’s expression remained unchanged, his gaze quickly darted toward the door. Surrounded by their entourage, a striking couple entered hand in hand. Tan Jizhi’s gaze first fell on Ye Li, who had changed out of her simple cotton clothes into an elegant dress made of water-cloud silk in lilac, embroidered with subtle lotus patterns, exuding a unique gentle refinement in the summer heat. This also made Tan Jizhi secretly alarmed at Prince Ding’s hidden resources. Though Mo Jingqi had already stripped Mo Xiuyao of his title on grounds of treason and completely blocked all economic exchanges between the northwest region and the rest of Great Chu, the Prince’s mansion in this remote northwestern region could still obtain this year’s newest water-cloud silk from the Nanzhao Kingdom. This demonstrated their enormous wealth and connections. After all, even the imperial palace only received about ten bolts of water-cloud silk annually, and with the two countries at war since last year, there had been none at all.
Tan Jizhi had never considered Ye Li particularly beautiful, having seen too many stunning beauties. But now he had to admit Mo Xiuyao had excellent taste – the woman before him, though not startlingly beautiful, gave people an incomparable sense of comfort and peace. Her composed demeanor and that flash of brightness and confidence hidden within her gentle features suddenly made him feel that any beauty in the world would pale before her.
“Hmph!” Mo Xiuyao snorted lightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over Tan Jizhi, emanating dangerous intent. Tan Jizhi felt his heart turn cold and quickly withdrew his gaze from Ye Li, standing to greet them, “This official, Tan Jizhi, pays respects to the Prince and Princess Consort.”
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow, looking at him, “Very good, you have quite the nerve.” At this stage, few people could remain so calm and composed while paying respects – Mo Xiuyao couldn’t help but regard the man before him more highly. However, this still wouldn’t change his impending fate.
Behind them, someone brought two cushioned chairs and placed them outside the cell. Mo Xiuyao led Ye Li to sit down. Even in this gloomy, dirty prison, the couple remained as composed as if they were in a garden of blooming flowers. Someone brought tea, but the prison was no place for tea drinking. Mo Xiuyao frowned and took the teacup from Ye Li’s hand, placing it on a nearby table. Ye Li smiled faintly and looked toward Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin, asking, “Lord Tan, the Prince and I have been busy these past few days and have neglected you both – please forgive us. How are you faring?”
Tan Jizhi smiled bitterly, looking at Ye Li, “The Princess Consort is too kind. Having lost fair and square, I accept my fate.”
Ye Li nodded, smiling as she looked at him and asked, “Then… Lord Tan should know what this princess wants. What is your answer?”
Tan Jizhi smiled, “I understand. The Princess Consort wants the Biluo Flower… No doubt you’ve spent considerable effort on this over the past year. However, I advise the Princess Consort not to waste time on that Liang fellow. He could never find it.”
“Oh?” Ye Li’s fine brows knitted slightly as she raised her hand to massage her temples, asking, “Why should I believe Lord Tan? Or rather… even if what Lord Tan says is true, what then?”
Tan Jizhi replied, “The Biluo Flower is a sacred object of the Southern Frontier. Does the Princess Consort truly believe the Nanzhao royal family would entrust such a treasure to a Great Chu merchant? They say merchants value profit above all – wouldn’t the Nanzhao royal family have considered he might keep the treasure for himself?”
Ye Li sighed, looking at Tan Jizhi with some exasperation, “Lord Tan, since you dare use the Biluo Flower to bargain for your life, this princess has no doubt you know its whereabouts. So there’s no need for all these words. However… you should know that until the item is found, anything you say is meaningless.”
Tan Jizhi’s eyes flashed as he stared at Ye Li, “And what happens after the item is found? Is the Princess Consort trying to convince me to trust that Prince Ding’s household keeps its word?”
Standing behind them, Feng Zhiyao glanced at him sideways and smiled, “Lord Tan, what choice do you have if you don’t trust us?”
Tan Jizhi fell silent – indeed, having fallen into Prince Ding’s hands, what could he do if he didn’t trust them? Trusting them might offer a chance at survival, while not trusting meant certain death. Usually, Tan Jizhi wouldn’t mind taking such a gamble, but now he dared not, because he had no time. Once certain matters came to light, even if he told Mo Xiuyao the Biluo Flower’s location, even if he presented the Biluo Flower to Mo Xiuyao, he couldn’t escape death. Thinking of this, Tan Jizhi shook his head, “My apologies, but the Princess Consort should know that even knowing the Biluo Flower’s location doesn’t mean it can be obtained quickly. I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot remain here long. I presume… His Majesty’s envoy has already arrived in Ruyang?” Tan Jizhi was quite confident in his previous arrangements. As long as Mo Xiuyao hadn’t openly declared rebellion against Chu, he would have to show some consideration for the imperial envoy.
“Tan Jizhi… or Lin Yuan, are you reminding this prince of your other identity?” Mo Xiuyao asked with narrowed eyes. Even if he disliked Mo Jingqi, it didn’t mean he would spare a remnant of the previous dynasty. After all, it wasn’t just the founding emperor who had destroyed the previous dynasty – Prince Ding’s ancestors had contributed greatly to that achievement, so they were natural enemies. Tan Jizhi smiled bitterly, wondering now how much chance he had of leaving Ruyang alive. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Your Highness, whether as Tan Jizhi or Lin Yuan, at least currently we have no conflict of interest, do we? Killing Tan Jizhi would bring no benefit to the northwest or Prince Ding’s household in the current situation, and… Your Highness understands His Majesty – he would certainly use this incident to greatly damage Prince Ding’s reputation.”
Mo Xiuyao smiled coldly with disdain, “You think this prince cares about that?”
Tan Jizhi remained impassive – he truly hadn’t seen any sign that Mo Xiuyao cared about Prince Ding’s reputation. This was also what he found most puzzling. Anyone who wasn’t a fool or naturally incompetent ruler knew the importance of popular support. Even someone like Mo Jingqi, who cared nothing for the common people’s welfare, paid great attention to public opinion. But for the past half year, no matter what Mo Jingqi said, the northwest had remained silent, as if tacitly accepting all his claims. This situation made Tan Jizhi vaguely uneasy. Such a response from Mo Xiuyao either meant he had become so dejected that he’d given up entirely, or he was preparing to throw the realm into chaos. Since fighting was inevitable sooner or later, rather than strenuously defending himself now only to be called hypocritical later, it was better to say nothing from the start.
Tan Jizhi took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. After bowing his head in thought for a moment, he finally said, “This time, falling into Your Highness’s hands counts as my loss. The Princess Consort has also been to that imperial tomb – let all its treasures serve as my compensation for offending the Princess Consort, along with the whereabouts of the Biluo Flower, in exchange for my life. What does Your Highness think?”
Mo Xiuyao’s expression remained cold, clearly showing no interest. The imperial tomb was already within northwestern territory; if Mo Xiuyao wished, he could send people to excavate it anytime – there was no need for Tan Jizhi’s offering. Tan Jizhi hadn’t expected to get off so easily either, and after some thought continued, “I will additionally offer 100,000 taels of gold, as well as all my hidden connections in the northwest and the capital. Would this… show sufficient sincerity?”
Ye Li looked at him with interest, smiling, “Lord Tan is truly willing to pay a heavy price.”
Tan Jizhi smiled helplessly, “Nothing is more important than one’s life – what use are other things without it? Princess Consort, I believe I have not been negligent in serving you these days, and my previous discourtesy was merely human nature. Is the price I’m offering still not enough?”
Ye Li nodded in agreement with his words. If this was just about his attempt to threaten the Mo family’s army, such compensation would indeed be considerable. After all, he hadn’t succeeded in taking her to threaten Mo Xiuyao – one could say he had lost more than he gained. But for some reason, Ye Li felt he still held secrets more important than his identity. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Lord Tan, how did you come to know about the poison in the Prince’s body and its cure?”
Tan Jizhi met her gaze calmly, smiling, “I have studied the Prince’s medical records from the Imperial Medical Institute. Moreover, Princess Consort should know that my father’s medical skills… were no less than those of so-called divine physicians. Having grown up observing and learning, I naturally gained some insights.”
Ye Li stared at him quietly for a long time, so long that Tan Jizhi thought he must have revealed some flaw, before she suddenly changed topics, “How did Lord Tan come to know Su Zuidie?”
So it was that despicable woman! Although he had already known she was the reason his identity was exposed, when Ye Li brought it up, Tan Jizhi still felt like flaying Su Zuidie alive. He had calculated everything carefully, hiding beside Mo Jingqi for ten years without revealing any flaws, priding himself on leaving no stone unturned, yet he had never expected to fall because of that woman. Tan Jizhi secretly regretted not killing that woman earlier, thinking he had been too cautious about Mo Xiuyao and Han Mingyue when there surely would have been ways to avoid those two.
“About that…” Though in his heart he had already torn Su Zuidie to pieces, Tan Jizhi’s face showed no trace of it. He gave Mo Xiuyao a meaningful look and said, “Miss Su was once Great Chu’s premier beauty. I wasn’t the only one who had relations with her. Didn’t even the famous Young Master Mingyue fall at her feet? Young and reckless… I must seem quite amusing to the Princess Consort.”
The atmosphere in the prison became somewhat strange. All present were Prince Ding’s confidants and naturally understood Su Zuidie’s identity. Tan Jizhi’s words were blatantly telling Mo Xiuyao that his former fiancée had been unfaithful to him more than once.
Mo Xiuyao’s expression remained unchanged as he raised his strong jaw slightly, looking at Tan Jizhi, “You want this prince to kill Su Zuidie immediately, don’t you?”
Tan Jizhi’s heart trembled as he secretly reminded himself not to overdo it. He smiled and said, “If not for her, wouldn’t Your Highness still be unaware of my identity? Who knew that a moment of carelessness years ago would lead to such a situation? Naturally, I would prefer Su Zuidie not to remain alive.”
“Is that so?” Mo Xiuyao smiled faintly, no longer paying attention to Tan Jizhi. Tan Jizhi secretly sighed in relief, understanding that his life now depended entirely on Ye Li, and what Ye Li cared about most was Mo Xiuyao’s life.
“Master Tan, how can you convince this princess that the location of the Biluo Flower you provide is genuine?” Ye Li asked softly.
Tan Jizhi smiled proudly, “Because in this world, besides me, no one knows the true location of the Biluo Flower.”
Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled, “If that’s the case, this princess has even less reason to trust you, since you’re unwilling to stay until I obtain the Biluo Flower. Isn’t this quite difficult? So… Lord Tan may leave, but Miss Shu must stay.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Shu Manlin in the other cell. She had remained silent, understanding she couldn’t help much, but hadn’t expected to be drawn in at the end. She stood up and grabbed the cell bars, glaring at Ye Li, “Ye Li, how dare you! I am the Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier – you dare imprison me!”
Ye Li merely raised her eyebrows without speaking, but Feng Zhiyao behind her smiled curiously, “Holy Maiden of the Southern Frontier? This young master has never seen the Holy Maiden before – truly fortunate thanks to the Princess Consort. However… isn’t the Holy Maiden forbidden from seeing outsiders, let alone leaving the Nanzhao capital? Princess Consort, isn’t this an impostor?”
Ye Li smiled, “She’s genuine.”
Shu Manlin’s face paled. Though she was beloved by the Nanzhao King, as the Holy Maiden, secretly coming to Great Chu and allowing others to see her face was an unforgivable crime in Nanzhao’s eyes. If this news spread, forget about retiring to the Southern Frontier holy land – she’d be lucky if the Nanzhao people didn’t burn her alive. This was a centuries-old rule that even the Nanzhao King couldn’t override. Moreover, she had a political enemy in Princess Anxi who watched her like a hawk. If this reached Princess Anxi’s ears, she would certainly not escape easily.
Tan Jizhi frowned at Ye Li’s condition. After a long while, he said, “The Princess Consort is indeed brilliantly clever – I can’t help but admire you.” His identity had been exposed, meaning his decade of work in the Chu capital, if not destroyed, was close to it. At least he could never return to Mo Jingqi’s side. This made Nanzhao his final bargaining chip, and his control over Nanzhao depended on Shu Manlin. Ye Li had seen this point, which was why she proposed holding Shu Manlin. If anything happened to Shu Manlin, even if he escaped the northwest, with just a little maneuvering by Prince Ding’s household, he would likely be hunted by both the Chu capital and Nanzhao – then truly, though the world was vast, he would have nowhere to hide.
Ye Li pressed her lips into a smile, “Lord Tan is too kind.”
Mo Xiuyao stood and helped Ye Li up, preparing to leave. Ye Li smiled at Tan Jizhi, “Lord Tan, you may consider it overnight. Tell this princess your answer tomorrow morning. Leave Shu Manlin here, and once this princess finds the Biluo Flower, we’ll consider this matter settled.”
Tan Jizhi smiled helplessly, “Do I have a choice?” If he could do it all over again, Tan Jizhi swore he would never have cared whether Ye Li was Prince Ding’s wife or whatever – after leaving that cursed imperial tomb, he would have immediately left the northwest. Prince Ding’s territory was never a place where someone with the surname Lin should feel safe to stay.
After Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao left, the prison quickly emptied, leaving only Tan Jizhi and Shu Manlin in silent confrontation. After a long while, Shu Manlin finally asked tremblingly, “Jizhi… are you going to leave me here?”
Tan Jizhi sighed softly, his gaze toward Shu Manlin full of tenderness and pity, “Lin’er, you can see we have no choice. If we don’t agree, we’ll both die here. Don’t worry, once Ye Li gets the Biluo Flower, she’ll naturally release you.”
Shu Manlin looked at him hesitantly, “Are we giving them the Biluo Flower?”
Tan Jizhi said gently, “No matter how precious the Biluo Flower is, it’s just an object – how could it be more important than you? As long as we’re alive, we still have chances, don’t you agree?”
How could Shu Manlin not know they had no choice? Even if she disagreed with staying in the Northwest, who would listen to her opinion? Though Tan Jizhi’s words were just sweet talk, Shu Manlin understood he wouldn’t abandon her. Since they had no choice, she had to make Tan Jizhi feel even more guilty toward her. She nodded tearfully, “I understand, Jizhi. I’ll stay in the northwest. You must also be careful.”
Tan Jizhi’s gaze grew even more gentle as he said softly, “Lin’er, thank you. I will never fail you.”
Shu Manlin nodded, “We’ve known each other for so many years, of course, I trust you. Jizhi, I’ll wait for you.” Though they were in this gloomy prison, the looks they exchanged were full of emotion and tenderness. It added a touch of warmth to the prison, though what thoughts and calculations lay behind that emotion and tenderness were known only to them.