The sky over the Capital City was turbulent, and in the blink of an eye, it grew dark.
First Prince Li Xian slowly awoke from his bed. Though he felt a distinct throbbing in his head, his heart was filled with joy. His goal in colluding with Liu Ruyan to frame Li Feng had always been to have Li Feng sent to the Zhou Country as a hostage in his stead. Now that he had been wounded by Li Feng, his leverage for this exchange had naturally increased.
"The younger brother is awake!" Third Princess Li Rongqiu, who had been keeping watch by the bedside, said with great delight.
The Second Princess and the Fourth Princess, who had been cracking melon seeds and chatting in the outer chamber, hurried in upon hearing this. Li Xian, who was never robust to begin with, played the part of the frail and delicate brother to perfection, immediately eliciting another wave of heartache from the three foolish princesses.
Seeing the injury on Li Xian’s forehead, Third Princess Li Rongqiu cursed at Li Feng, "Don't you worry. Tomorrow, I will go find that little beast Li Feng and make sure to vent this frustration for you!"
"Don't, please. I am about to head to the Zhou Country as a hostage anyway; Sister, don't let this matter sour your temper," Li Xian said, grabbing Li Rongqiu’s hand to hypocritically stop her, though he didn't actually want Li Feng to escape punishment.
Fourth Princess Li Rongdong, who had a capricious temperament, lifted her chin with a hint of triumph. "Brother, don't you worry! We have already discussed it with the Empress. Tomorrow, we will go to the Wanshou Palace together to persuade Father to have that little beast go to the Zhou Country as a hostage instead!"
"That is truly... wait, would that be appropriate?" Li Xian was overjoyed, but he quickly maintained his benevolent persona.
His meticulously crafted plan had finally yielded the expected results; the beating he had endured had not been in vain. Setting aside the immense risks of being a hostage in the Zhou Country, once Li Feng was sent to the enemy state, even if he didn't die there, Li Xian would have plenty of room to maneuver.
Third Princess Li Rongqiu, who was blunt and straightforward, crossed her arms over her chest. "What could be inappropriate about it? We should definitely have that little beast go. I get annoyed every time I see him!"
"By rights, I, as the brother, should be the one to go, but I am always getting into trouble. I only wish to stay behind to properly honor my three sisters and the Empress," Li Xian said, trying to walk back his earlier slip-up.
Second Princess Li Rongxia and the others were immediately moved, showering Li Xian with praise for his filial piety.
"Oh no, I still have an urgent matter to handle tonight... Ouch! It hurts!" Li Xian was about to get out of bed when he suddenly clutched his lower regions, his face twisting in pain.
Recalling the vicious kick Li Feng had delivered, Third Princess Li Rongqiu hurriedly sent for the imperial physician. "Brother, your injury will not have been suffered in vain. I will go to Father tomorrow and lodge a complaint for you."
"I think we should skip the complaint tomorrow. It is rare for that little beast Li Feng to be sensible for once and do our brother a favor," Second Princess Li Rongxia suddenly intervened, turning to look at Li Xian with a gentle expression.
Li Xian, who had just been feeling pleased with himself, froze. He pointed to his own nose in confusion. "He... did me a favor?"
"Don't worry, the Empress has strictly forbidden anyone in Kunning Palace from speaking of this; we guarantee that no one outside will know," Second Princess Li Rongxia said, looking at Li Xian with affection before happily revealing the matter.
Li Xian recalled the moment before he had been knocked unconscious by Li Feng, and despite the pain below, he asked in confusion, "Big Sister, what on earth are you talking about?"
"Playing dumb, are you still playing dumb? Since you love Liu Ruyan, and that little beast Li Feng has agreed to break off his engagement with Yan'er, we will petition Father tomorrow to grant you a marriage to her!" Third Princess Li Rongqiu said with a glare, making the promise.
*Buzz!*
Li Xian’s mind went blank, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. How could he possibly love a woman as loose as Liu Ruyan? Besides, she was merely a concubine’s daughter from the Liu family. No matter how blind he might be, he would never marry a woman who offered no political advantage, unlike Li Feng.
Li Xian did not understand how his affair with Liu Ruyan had been exposed, but he endured the pain to defend himself. "My dear sisters, what are you saying? Liu Ruyan is Brother Feng’s fiancée. Yan'er and I are truly innocent. You wouldn't actually believe Li Feng’s nonsense, would you?"
"Weren't you caught in the back garden having illicit relations with Liu Ruyan, which caused that little beast Li Feng to panic and trample the Imperial Yellow in his rush?" Fourth Princess Li Rongdong asked, her face full of confusion.
Li Xian gritted his teeth in agony, knowing he could never allow this stigma to stick. "That is Li Feng slandering me and Yan'er! You must believe me. I... I have studied the classics since childhood; how could I ever do such a thing?"
"Damn it, we’ve been tricked by that little beast Li Feng!" Second Princess Li Rongxia, choosing to believe Li Xian unconditionally, turned and angrily issued an order: "What are you standing around for? Bring that little beast Li Feng here immediately! I will peel his skin off tonight!"
Li Xian’s features were contorted with pain, but he solemnly emphasized, "We must absolutely not let him spread this! My reputation is a small matter, but if Yan'er is splashed with this filth, how will she ever marry again?"
"Brother, you think of others in everything you do—you are truly ten thousand times better than that loser! But as for Yan'er, if her reputation is ruined, so be it. I actually think Yan'er marrying you is the only true match," Third Princess Li Rongqiu said, finding Li Xian more pleasing the more she looked at him, and she reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Li Xian wanted to curse this airheaded woman, but he continued to feign humility. "Third Royal Sister, please don't tease me. I have always thought of Yan'er as a little sister!"
Second Princess Li Rongxia vaguely sensed that the relationship between Li Xian and Liu Ruyan might not be so clean, but this was not the time to probe. To protect Li Xian’s reputation, they could not allow the rumor to be confirmed. The immediate priority was to silence Li Feng’s foul mouth.
"Would the three Princesses please withdraw? This official must examine the First Prince," the imperial physician arrived, and because the injury was in a sensitive area, the princesses were dismissed.
"Reporting to the Eldest Princess: the Second Prince's residence has collapsed. He left the palace this afternoon and has not returned since!" a eunuch returned to report.
Who could have guessed that the only heir to the Hua Country would be living in such a dilapidated house?
"Will that little beast go out and talk nonsense, ruining our brother’s reputation?" Fourth Princess Li Rongdong asked, concerned for Li Xian.
Third Princess Li Rongqiu crossed her arms, disdaining the idea. "Li Feng is a total loser. He has no friends in the Capital City and can’t even find a place to stay. He’s probably out there freezing like a dog in some alleyway right now! Besides, who in the city doesn't despise that loser? Even if he dared to scheme against our brother, who would believe the words of a loser like him?"
Second Princess Li Rongxia agreed with this assessment. Li Feng truly lacked the capability for anything else, so she decided to send someone to bring the destitute loser back tomorrow.
As long as they shut Li Feng up and put him on a carriage to the enemy country, it wouldn't matter whether Li Xian and Liu Ruyan had committed such scandalous acts—it would have no impact on Li Xian’s reputation whatsoever.