Two days later, news spread that Wuxiao Gate, the second-largest assassin organization in the jianghu, had been wiped out. All its members vanished from the martial world. Zongzheng Wuyou had not mobilized any power of the imperial court, and no one knew how he had done it. As for the assassination at the tea garden, because Prince Li chose not to pursue the matter, it was ultimately left unresolved.
And so Manyao stayed on in Prince Li’s residence, and more than ten days passed. Most of the time, Zongzheng Wuyou appeared cold and indifferent, as if that coldness had long since sunk deep into his bones. Occasionally, he would draw near to her, but he never again made any excessive move. Once he was no longer the Zongzheng Wuyou who probed and tested her at every turn, he was actually not so difficult to get along with.
Every day, he would come and play a game of chess with her, listening as she spoke of that world unfamiliar to him. He would be very quiet. Even when she spoke of airplanes and bombs, his expression remained unruffled, and he rarely asked questions.
That morning, the breeze was gentle and the sun bright. The two sat facing each other in the courtyard, savoring tea. The finest West Lake Longjing filled the air with its clear fragrance. She took a light sip, then suddenly thought of something and asked, “Wuyou, that day in the tea garden… you ordered so many things, yet only selectively tasted a few. Were you looking for something?”
Zongzheng Wuyou nodded. “Do you know of a kind of tea—no, it should be… a beverage. It tastes very bitter, but also a little sweet. Its color is… very dark…”
Bitter and sweet, dark in color?
“Coffee?”
“Co… ffee…?” Zongzheng Wuyou repeated, his voice extremely soft and slow, as if he were striving to recall something. After a long while, he finally nodded and said, “It seems it was called coffee! My mother used to like drinking tea very much, but during the final year of her illness, she suddenly grew very fond of coffee. Bitter and astringent. At that time, I… did not understand why she would like that taste.”
He rarely mentioned his mother, and there was a hint of sorrow in his tone. Manyao looked at his eyes, immersed in memory. Behind their iciness lay hidden longing and pain, enough to make one’s heart ache despite oneself. She had heard that his mother, Noble Consort Yun, had been one of the two great beauties of the capital, once favored above all others in the harem. She had been the woman Emperor Lintian loved most in his life, yet she had not been Emperor Lintian’s only woman. Some said she had fallen ill from melancholy and died of sickness; others said otherwise.
“Seventh Brother.” The Ninth Prince’s arrival broke the somewhat mournful silence. He had not yet entered the garden, but his clear voice had already filled every corner.
“Hm? You’re not playing chess today? What were you talking about? Why did both of you stop speaking as soon as I arrived? Liyue, you weren’t just talking badly about me, were you?” The Ninth Prince unceremoniously sat down between the two of them.
The corners of Manyao’s pressed lips lifted slightly, and she smiled without speaking. Ever since she had moved into Prince Li’s residence, the Ninth Prince had come over almost every day to stay for half a day. It was impossible not to become familiar with him.
Zongzheng Wuyou drank his tea by himself, acting as though he had heard nothing.
Having invited a snub, the Ninth Prince did not get annoyed. He leisurely poured himself a cup and said to Zongzheng Wuyou, “Today is the day the Shenyu Armored Army returns in triumph. It’s lively outside! I heard Imperial Father is preparing to grant Fu Chou the title of ‘Great General Who Guards the Nation,’ giving him command of the three armies and a rank comparable to that of a feudal lord. Seventh Brother, looks like you’ll have to enter the palace again!”
Leaning against his chair, Zongzheng Wuyou cast him a lazy glance and said coldly, “What does his being granted a title have to do with this prince?”
“Of course it has something to do with you!” the Ninth Prince said. “Back then, the two hundred thousand troops were trapped and nearly wiped out. If it weren’t for your brilliant strategy, Seventh Brother, how would he have had the chance to render such merit?”
Zongzheng Wuyou gave a soft snort of laughter and said with faint mockery, “Even without this prince, he would still have been able to break the formation and repel the enemy, heavily defeat Beiyi, strike straight at Huanglong, and return in triumph.”
The Ninth Prince was stunned. “No way, right? If he could do it himself, why would he ask the court for reinforcements?”
Zongzheng Wuyou took a light sip of tea. His expression cooled slightly, and his voice sank. “If this prince had not shared half the merit with him, do you think… he could return victorious and take command of the three armies?”
“Seventh Brother, you mean…” The Ninth Prince froze, thought for a while, and only then understood. Shocked, he said, “Fu Chou was afraid that if he alone won too much merit at once, Imperial Father would grow wary of him?”
Zongzheng Wuyou’s gaze deepened a few shades, but he did not speak.
Listening from the side, Manyao felt somewhat alarmed. According to Zongzheng Wuyou, that General Fu Chou was not merely brave and resourceful, but also deeply versed in the art of political maneuvering. Could such a person become her husband and help her achieve a peaceful life? She furrowed her brows, and vexation abruptly rose in her heart. If Fu Chou would not do either, then whom exactly should she choose? She had already investigated the people on that list one by one. They were either men who kept flocks of beautiful concubines and fancied themselves romantic, or cowards greedy for life and afraid of death, mediocre and incompetent, relying on a bit of power to bully the weak, committing treachery and crimes. Not one of them met her requirements. The man she was to marry, even if only a husband in name, had at least to be a gentleman. Only a gentleman would understand how to respect another person’s wishes.
“Liyue, Liyue… what are you thinking about?” Seeing that she was lost in thought, the Ninth Prince waved his hand several times in front of her. His gaze suddenly fell on the hand she used to hold her cup. Her fingers were long and slender, luminous white like jade, and under the bright sunlight, her nails gave off a moist pink sheen. Looking at them made one want to cup that hand in one’s palm and cherish it. His eyes immediately lit up, and without thinking, he took Manyao’s hand in both of his, leaned closer, and exclaimed, “I only discovered today that Liyue’s hands are actually so beautiful!”
After becoming familiar with the Ninth Prince, given his temperament, nothing he did would surprise her too much, so she did not take it very much to heart. If he wanted to look, let him look; they were only a pair of hands. But Zongzheng Wuyou unconsciously furrowed his brows, his eyes darkening. He poured a cup of tea and drank it down in one gulp, unlike his usual light, slow sipping. Manyao was slightly startled when she saw this and felt he was acting somewhat strangely. Thinking it was because the earlier mention of Fu Chou had soured his mood, she did not give it further thought.
The Ninth Prince was wholly unaware of Zongzheng Wuyou’s unusual reaction and continued intently studying her hand, as if recalling something. Suddenly, he said, “Why does it look a bit familiar? I feel like I’ve seen such a beautiful pair of hands somewhere before. It shouldn’t have been long ago… Who was it? Let me think…”
Manyao’s heart jolted. Could he be talking about her when they first met at the gates of Prince Li’s residence? Manyao hurriedly withdrew her hand. Just then, from far outside the gate came a loud call: “Imperial edict arrives—Prince Li, receive the edict!”
Manyao let out a breath of relief. The Ninth Prince immediately forgot what he had just been pondering, turned back, and said with a grin, “Seventh Brother, didn’t I say so? Look… it’s here!”
Zongzheng Wuyou glanced coldly toward the gate, his face expressionless. After Eunuch Chen entered, without waiting for Zongzheng Wuyou to kneel and listen, he stiffened his scalp and read out the imperial edict.
The edict amounted to nothing more than saying that Zongzheng Wuyou had contributed meritorious strategy in repelling the enemy this time, and now that the army had returned in triumph, rewards would be granted according to merit.
Expressionless, Zongzheng Wuyou said, “Go back and report this. Say that this prince said: in the future, not summoning me to the palace for every little thing would be the greatest grace he could bestow upon me.”
How could Eunuch Chen dare carry back such words? Upon hearing this, he knelt and said, “His Majesty ordered this old servant, after proclaiming the edict, to kneel and wait in the prince’s residence until Your Highness enters the palace. Please, Your Highness, for the sake that this old servant once served Noble Consort Yun and Your Highness with all his heart for many years, have pity on this old bag of bones. Do not keep taking offense with His Majesty. Enter the palace sooner.”
Eunuch Chen had once been the person Noble Consort Yun trusted most at her side. Only after Noble Consort Yun passed away was he transferred to Emperor Lintian’s side.
This again! Zongzheng Wuyou’s brows drew together, and his gaze abruptly chilled. The hand gripping his teacup exerted force, and with a crack, the cup shattered, tea splashing everywhere. Eunuch Chen’s body trembled, and he lowered his head. Manyao saw blood flowing from Zongzheng Wuyou’s palm. He flung his hand, hurling the shattered porcelain cup viciously away. Blue-and-white porcelain shards struck the pure white floor tiles, carrying crimson streaks of blood, a sight that shocked the eye.
“Seventh Brother, what are you doing?” The Ninth Prince was greatly alarmed and rushed over to check the injury on his palm, but Zongzheng Wuyou swept his sleeve and forced him back.
“Your Highness, why must you do this to yourself?” Eunuch Chen’s eyes reddened, and he sighed helplessly.
It was the first time Manyao had seen Zongzheng Wuyou like this. He clearly wore an expression of utmost fury, yet all she saw in his eyes was ice. She did not know what sort of pain was buried in his heart, such that he had to harm himself to ease the agony within. Something in her heart seemed to be touched, and a faint, fine ache spread through it in fragments. It was said that children’s attachment to their parents was innate; they longed for their parents’ love and care. But why did Zongzheng Wuyou harbor such deep hatred and disgust toward Emperor Lintian’s affection?
Zongzheng Wuyou did not even look at his own hand. He only gazed faintly at Eunuch Chen and asked in a low voice, “Those words—did he tell you to say them?”
Eunuch Chen lowered his head, yet he could still feel the heavy pressure coming from above. He sighed and said with sorrow and helplessness, “Your Highness, His Majesty has his own difficulties. He loves you! His feelings for Noble Consort Yun are something no one can compare to. What happened back then…”
“Enough!!” Zongzheng Wuyou suddenly barked, his voice cold. “For the sake of the fact that you once served Mother with all your heart, this time, I spare your life. If you dare mention it again in the future, this prince… will certainly not let you off lightly! Leng Yan, see Eunuch Chen out.”
Eunuch Chen sighed and rose, looking at the face before him that resembled Noble Consort Yun’s by ninety percent, at this Seventh Prince who had once been intelligent, kind, and good. On Eunuch Chen’s prematurely aged face there was no fear, only deep worry and helplessness. Then he turned to the Ninth Prince and said, “His Majesty asks that Your Ninth Highness enter the palace now.”
“Ah?” The Ninth Prince asked strangely, “Why does he want me to enter the palace first?”
Eunuch Chen said, “This old servant is not too clear either. This is His Majesty’s decree. This old servant still has to proclaim edicts elsewhere, so I shall take my leave first.”
The Ninth Prince followed after Eunuch Chen, shouting as he walked, “I’ll go first, Seventh Brother. Don’t forget to treat your wound!”
Zongzheng Wuyou ignored him and glanced faintly at his own hand. His expression was indifferent, and he had absolutely no intention of treating the wound. Seeing this, Manyao frowned, rose, and went to fetch a basin of water, then had someone bring superior wound medicine and cloth.
“Give me your hand.” Manyao sat down beside Zongzheng Wuyou and reached out toward him.
Zongzheng Wuyou gave her a faint glance and caught sight of the sincere, incomparable worry in her eyes, clear as water. He was slightly startled and unconsciously opened his palm to her. It was already a bloody, mangled mess. Manyao’s heart trembled. What could have made him so angry that he did not even care about injuring himself like this?
She took his hand and could not help sighing. An inexplicable, strange feeling rose in her heart, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Zongzheng Wuyou silently watched her, watched as she carefully cleaned his wound and picked out, one by one, the remaining shards embedded deep in his skin. Her expression was very serious, her movements incomparably gentle. The thin threads of pain coming from the wound turned into complicated emotions he could not explain, brushing bit by bit across his heart—somewhat warm, somewhat gentle. He could no longer remember how many years it had been since he had felt this way.
“A-Man…” Unconsciously, he softly called her name.
“Mm?” Manyao lifted her eyes and at once saw the softness in his eyes that he had not had time to withdraw. It was an expression stripped of all coldness, carrying a reality she had never sensed before.
The moment Zongzheng Wuyou met her eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through the human heart, he swiftly turned his head away, lowered his gaze, and said flatly, “Hurry up. It is time to enter the palace. You will go with me.”
On this day, the imperial palace was decorated with lanterns and colored banners, bustling with extraordinary liveliness. Emperor Lintian was rewarding the three armies outside Qian Kun Palace, and all soldiers who had rendered merit were being rewarded accordingly. Only Prince Li was long overdue.
Near dusk, a luxurious and ostentatious carriage, draped in the afterglow of the setting sun, slowly passed through several palace gates and entered directly into the inner city of the imperial palace, with no one daring to stop it. Manyao looked speechlessly at the man seated opposite her. From morning until dusk—so this was what he called… hurrying? It seemed Zongzheng Wuyou hated entering the palace even more than she did.
“Whoa—” As the carriage traveled along a secluded palace road in the inner city, a man in black suddenly appeared and knelt in front of the carriage to block it, his expression anxious. “Your Highness, this subordinate has an important matter to report!”
Leng Yan lifted the curtain. Zongzheng Wuyou looked at the man. “Speak.”
The man hurriedly reported, “Because His Ninth Highness refused the marriage bestowed by His Majesty, he angered the dragon countenance. He was punished with one hundred strokes of the rod and confined in Yousi Palace.”
Zongzheng Wuyou’s expression changed slightly. He asked, “When did this happen?”
The man replied, “Half an hour ago.”
Zongzheng Wuyou frowned. Manyao saw the hand resting on his knee slowly clench, and then heard him ask, “He… where is His Majesty now?”
“Replying to Your Highness, in the imperial study.”
Zongzheng Wuyou looked toward Manyao. Although Manyao did not know what kind of place Yousi Palace was, judging from their expressions, it certainly was not somewhere good. She quickly said, “Go on. I was just thinking of getting down and walking around.”
After a brief moment of thought, Zongzheng Wuyou nodded, took out a clear and translucent jade token, handed it to her, and said, “The evening banquet is set in Yiqing Hall. If you cannot find it, take this token and have someone bring you there.”
Manyao accepted the jade token and saw the character “Li” carved on it. She held it in her palm, smiled, nodded, and got out of the carriage, watching as it disappeared from sight. In her heart, she silently hoped the Ninth Prince would be all right. She did not know why Emperor Lintian had dealt such a harsh hand to the Ninth Prince. One hundred strokes of the court rod, and confinement in Yousi Palace—what sort of bestowed marriage was it, that it was so serious?
There was still some time before the evening banquet. She found a secluded path and walked as she thought. Suddenly, she remembered that the Ninth Prince was also on the list Emperor Lintian had given her. She had yet to make her choice, yet Emperor Lintian had suddenly bestowed a marriage. What did this mean? Could it be… Her thoughts spun rapidly, and she abruptly thought of something, her heart greatly shocked.
Surely Emperor Lintian had not changed his mind and decided to end early the six-month period he had granted her?
The moment this thought emerged, an inexplicable irritability began to rise in her heart. She had actually lost the composure she had possessed when she first came to the Kingdom of Lintian.
She did not know how long she had walked, but the farther she went, the more remote it became. When she came back to herself and wanted to find someone to ask for directions, she could not find a single figure anywhere around. She could only continue forward. When she reached the entrance of a secluded palace courtyard, two people turned out from the corner ahead. She had originally intended to go forward and ask the way, but as soon as she clearly saw who the two were, she darted into the palace courtyard without another thought. She did not know whether her luck was simply too good; in such a remote place, she could actually run into acquaintances—and they were the crown prince and Lord Yu, who had nearly taken her little life that day.
After entering that palace courtyard, she pressed herself tightly against the wall and waited for the two outside to pass.
When the two walked past outside, the sound of their conversation faintly drifted over.
“Wuxiao Gate has been destroyed. I fear that in the future, no matter how much silver we offer, no one will dare accept this business.”
“That is so. I never imagined Prince Li’s hidden forces would be so powerful! But Crown Prince, this official does not understand one thing. Since Prince Li knows that this matter was Your Highness’s doing, why did he so easily suppress it?”