The moment Yan Xiao'er regained consciousness, she felt tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, the path they took stinging with an intense, searing pain. Just as she reached out to touch her skin, a broad, calloused hand pressed firmly down on her own.
"Do not... move. You have been... poisoned."
The voice was raspy and heavy. Yan Xiao'er tried to speak, but found her throat constricted, unable to produce a sound. She felt those hands applying something to her face. It was an ointment with a cool, refreshing scent that felt oddly soothing.
No sooner had she begun to feel a sense of relief than the areas where the ointment had been applied began to throb with an even deeper, more profound agony. She let out a muffled scream—though not a sliver of sound escaped her throat—and immediately lost consciousness again.
***
Inside the Yu Mansion, Duke of Wei, Yu Changqing, slumped dispiritedly against his daybed. Mang Jun, the attendant who had served him for years, had rarely seen his master in such a state.
For years, Yu Changqing had upheld an image of upright, rigid decorum, never allowing himself a moment of slack. After the passing of the old Duke of Wei, he felt an even greater need to protect the Yu Family’s reputation. Even when exhausted, he would always lie in bed with his posture perfectly straight. Seeing him today, leaning crookedly against the edge of the couch with a dark, unfathomable expression on his face, abandoning all pretense, the attendant realized his master must have suffered a severe blow.
"Duke of Wei, the lady from the Tian family has sent a messenger with a note."
"Is it from the Tian Mansion, or from Miss Tian herself?" Yu Changqing’s angry roar made the servant tremble.
"It... it is from Miss Tian."
Yu Changqing forced himself to press his temples. Tian Ruixin—of all times to come and stir up trouble. She must have learned of the events at the execution grounds today, but why was she so careless? Why use her own name to inquire about such matters?
He unfolded the note and glanced at it; it was exactly as he had feared. A woman without a shred of strategy. Whether in beauty, wit, or family standing, she was leagues behind Yan Xiao'er. If she weren't the only niece of Empress Tian, he would never have deigned to look her way.
Yu Changqing instructed the servant to tell the messenger that she must never come again and that he would reach out if there were any matters to discuss. A foolish woman who needed to be taught everything.
Empress Cheng’s secret guards were undoubtedly already stationed outside his mansion. Still, this matter could not be hidden for long; the Eastern Palace would surely make a move soon. Let her know if she must.
As expected, the moment the messenger left the gates of the Yu Mansion, a shadow trailed in pursuit.
Yu Changqing paced the hall with his hands behind his back, his feet tapping lightly against the floor. Yan Xiao'er should have reached the depths of the Tianjian Abyss by now, but he wondered if she had encountered his twin brother, Yu Changmian.
He had known nothing of this person since birth. His father, Yu Kang, had only mentioned him once, shortly before he died, saying the child had been sent away the moment he was born.
According to his father, the four ancient tribes—the Lieque Tribe and the Lingshi Clan—were the founding pillars of the Li Kingdom. The Wulian Clan and the Haiyan Clan, which had supported the Xu Kingdom, had both been wiped out a century ago when the Xu Kingdom fell. The Wulian Clan’s lineage, in particular, had been purged by the thirtieth monarch of the Li Kingdom, Li Xi—the great-great-grandfather of the current Emperor.
Yet, Yu Kang, a member of the Yu branch of the Lingshi Clan, had a strange dream on the night the Yu brothers were born, in which the remnants of the Wulian Clan appeared vividly as a warning.
His father had never explained why Yu Changmian was sent away, only saying before his passing: "Changqing, if one day someone speaks your brother's name, that person is an implacable enemy of our Yu Family. They are a curse that will bring total ruin upon the Li Kingdom."
"Rest assured, Father. Your son will never forget."
Yet, that person turned out to be Empress Cheng of the Lieque Tribe.
The Lieque Tribe was one of the sovereign clans of the Li Kingdom that had not taken advantage of the dwindling bloodline of the Lingshi Clan’s main branch. Empress Cheng was the Emperor’s beloved, brought into the palace less than a year after he had married the common-born Empress Tian.
Though rumors of discord between the Eastern and Western Palaces occasionally arose, the current Emperor, Li Shan, balanced the two sides exceptionally well. With neither side producing an heir, there was no struggle for the succession, making it difficult to perceive any urgent need for cutthroat infighting within the palace.
This was exactly what Yu Changqing disliked—it was hard to exert force where there were no cracks. Fortunately, he had successfully navigated his way through the niece of Empress Tian and learned some of the deeper secrets of the two palaces. After weighing the options, he had ultimately tilted some of the Yu Family’s influence toward the Eastern Palace.
Another reason he had not been on his guard was her past hand in the downfall of the Yan couple. But now, if his father’s dying words were to be strictly observed, Empress Cheng, once a potential pawn to be won over, must henceforth be classified solely as an "enemy."
Dismissing his attendants, Yu Changqing summoned the Spirit-Examining Mirror into his palm.
The sight was horrific. His reflection in the mirror showed half his face as that of a decrepit, elderly man.
"Father, I was careless today and made a mistake. Please, do not be angry. Everything will return to our predicted path."
"Aah!"
Yu Changqing clutched his face and let out a sharp cry. Beads of fresh blood seeped from the wrinkled half of the face in the mirror, and the wrinkles seemed to be creeping slowly toward the other half.
"Father, I know. I know there is not much time left. Your son will enter the palace tomorrow."
If someone had been peeking from outside, they would have been terrified—a refined, martial official standing alone, his face contorted, muttering to the air like a madman.
"One more thing. Empress Cheng mentioned my brother today. Father, is she to be considered our enemy?"
"Ah! Aah!"
Another spasm of agony wracked Yu Changqing’s face.
"I know I was wrong. I will not forget what you told me, Father; I only wanted to confirm it. It is a pity, then, that the Lieque Tribe can no longer be courted."
As Yu Changqing spoke these words with trembling caution, the excruciating pain ceased. He raised the Spirit-Examining Mirror again. It reflected only his usual, upright features, though perhaps with a touch more coldness than before.
***
Yan Xiao'er did not know how long she had been unconscious; the person who had applied the ointment had not made another sound to disturb her.
When she finally opened her eyes, she was truly, hungrily awake. Or perhaps, she had been stirred by the fragrance of food.
Yan Xiao'er looked around and found herself lying on a stone bed, the surrounding rock walls covered in thick, deep-green vines.
She sat up halfway and followed the scent, her eyes falling upon a side profile in the distance that nearly scared the soul out of her.
It was too similar. It was the spitting image of Yu Changqing. Had it not been for the shock of white hair cascading down, she would have mistaken him for the same person.
Ignoring the pain in her body, Yan Xiao'er slowly walked toward him, wishing to see more clearly.
Before she could even ask a question, her stomach let out an uncooperative growl. She had not even glanced at her final meal in prison, intending to be a prideful ghost, refusing charity. But her body clearly lacked that same iron resolve.