She laughed aloud before she could stop herself, then the sound died when she remembered he still showed no sign of waking. The smile drained from her face and a new weight settled over her.
The noise downstairs had faded. Hong Xiu came up again to report: the ruffians had been wiped out, and the ringleaders—Third Master Wei and Fifth Master Wei—were in custody. Jing Bai and the others were finishing the mop‑up. Hong Xiu wanted to know what the princess would do next.
Li Xinyue folded away the fondness in her expression and grew serious. “Send them to the capital—turn them over to the Grand Tribunal.”
Perhaps interrogations there would pry loose secrets that could topple the entire Wei clan, and drag the capital faction down with them.
“Very well,” Hong Xiu bowed to take the order.
“Wait.” Li Xinyue hesitated. Something didn’t sit right. She straightened and followed Hong Xiu to the door, lowering her voice. “Hold Third Master Wei and Fifth Master Wei carefully. Send a message to the Wei household: I want to speak with them.”
Hong Xiu blinked in confusion. They had the upper hand—why negotiate?
Li Xinyue explained simply. “The Wei clan in the capital didn’t build their position overnight. They won’t tolerate being dragged down by a provincial branch. When a scandal breaks, clans often cut off a limb to save the body—like the Fu family did. Become the accuser, turn the spotlight away, and suddenly you’re the one with merit, not blame. The capital Weis will do the same.”
Better, she thought, to wedge between the two branches, to split the Wei house and then fold the local branch to her use. No—fold them to Chu Junyi’s use. One man fighting alone could not carry this. If she could recruit allies here, they would win half the battle.
Fu Chengyuan’s old alliance plan had a shred of sense after all.
Hong Xiu inhaled, admiration deepening into reverence. “Understood.”
By midnight the rain had stopped. The cobbled lane shimmered with puddles. Boots splashed through them, hurling up spray and clinging mud.
Li Xinyue rode at the head of the escort in white riding leathers, hair tied high in a severe ponytail. She moved like a blade and led them straight to the Wei residence.
The gate stood open. Lanterns burned in the main hall, and a congregation of Wei men sat under the light—more than thirty of them, ages spanning decades. A ring of the Wei household guards stood behind them, the line extending into the corridor outside the hall.
Everyone held their breath and watched the gate.
A gust of wind sent the lanterns swaying. Fingers tightened into fists. Then a small, cool hand slapped the threshold and the sound cracked through the night like gunfire, nearly splitting every heart.
They all inhaled on the shock and let the breath go silently.
Li Xinyue wiped sawdust from her palms, folded her hands behind her back, and surveyed the assembly as she stood in the doorway. The Wei men rose and bowed.
She didn’t invite them to sit. She wanted them locked in that stance for as long as the conversation lasted. It steadied her.
She drew a long breath and let a sharp smile cross her face. “I learned from Third Master and Fifth Master tonight that this is your ancestral home. No wonder you knew I would come. Your hospitality is…not what I expected. What kind of manners does your family keep?”
The words—“Third Master,” “Fifth Master”—landed like stones. Heads dipped lower, shoulders tensing. They wondered if she was implying she’d already interrogated the two men and knew the family’s dirty business. The thought made some of them swallow hard.
The Wei elder leading them could not stay bowed forever; his back cramped and protest rose like a tide. He straightened and, with outward civility, invited the princess inside.
She smiled, but she did not step over the threshold. “No. I came to discuss matters. Sitting or standing, drinking tea or not, are trivialities. I have Third Master and Fifth Master in my custody. I could send them to the capital to be examined by the Grand Tribunal, and then every thing the Wei family—here and in the capital—has done would be dragged into the light.”
She watched their faces.
“But I am merciful.” She let the word hang. “If you obey me, if you tell me everything—every order given by the Wei clan in the capital, every involvement with the Princess of the East, every commission from the Prince of Anjun—I will not pursue what you have done tonight against me and my prince consort. If you refuse…then I will let the proper authorities take their course. Tell me: what will the capital Wei do when they learn of this? Will they save you or cut you loose?”
She scanned the room for the smallest twitch. The men bowed over not just aching backs but a slow-gnawing terror. Either choice could be a death sentence.
If they refused, she would use Third and Fifth Masters to pull the whole history out into the open. The capital Wei, to protect themselves, would likely deal with these men first. If they obeyed, they would become double agents—serving both the capital Wei and the princess. One false order, one failed task, and they would be squeezed from both sides. Neither path was safe; obedience only made them useful torment to others.
“Have you thought it through?” she asked. “If not, assume I never came. Once I go, I will send Third Master and Fifth Master to the Grand Tribunal. You colluded to harm me and my prince consort—this ledger will be settled tonight.”
She turned to leave.
The Wei elder rushed after her. Hong Xiu put herself between elder and princess and drew a short blade in a smooth, practiced motion. The elder’s eyes flashed cold, but he restrained himself. “Princess,” he said, voice strained, “allow us time to consider.”
“All right. Think it over. When my prince consort wakes, then give me your answer. Is that acceptable?”
Li Xinyue tilted her head and looked at him with a mocking light. The elder parted his lips but could not say no. Rage flamed in his chest; he thought her reckless and childish. What if the prince consort never woke? Could they delay forever? That notion comforted him.
Li Xinyue’s gaze hardened. She had read his relaxation in that moment. “If he never wakes,” she said coldly, “then you will go with him.”
The elder choked on the words.
Hong Xiu stifled a laugh, delighted by the threat.
Li Xinyue thought of Chu Junyi lying unresponsive and decided it was time to rush back. She had left Jing Bai and the others behind to guard, but nothing calmed her like being at his bedside herself.