They had argued late into the night and finally agreed on a cruel, precise plan: drug Jing Xunche so he would not die but would writhe in unbearable pain. It was a warning — a message sharpened into poison.
That morning Jing Xunche was eating with Yuan Yuhan. They had stayed behind to talk after a morning meeting and had only just finished when Jing suddenly spat a mouthful of blood. He kept coughing until his whole body throbbed with pain.
At first he thought the poison had taken hold, but the sensation quickly felt wrong — different from the slow burn of some toxins. Yuan Yuhan jumped up, startled. “What’s wrong with you? Get a physician — fast!” Then he glanced at Mu Nan and Hong Yi, anxious, refusing to be blamed. “I swear I had nothing to do with this. Don’t pin it on me.”
Jing Xunche’s face had gone ashen; his lips were blue. He fainted before the physician arrived. After taking his pulse and studying him, the doctor stroked his beard and said, “He’s been poisoned. Fortunately, it’s not fatal. This toxin won’t take his life, but it will make him suffer terribly.”
“Is there an antidote?” someone demanded.
The doctor shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s beyond me. There’s no cure I can give you. The only thing is time: the toxin will burn out in three days. Survive these three days, and he’ll be all right.”
“Understood. You may leave.”
Yuan Yuhan stared at Jing’s motionless form. Whoever had sent the poison intended to warn him — but warned him about what? In his current guise as Jing Daniu, Jing Xunche was nobody powerful enough to obstruct any major scheme. Who, then, wanted to teach him a lesson?
The thought of Lou Mingkou flickered in Yuan Yuhan’s mind. If Lou Mingkou was behind this, what did the poison mean — a probe, a threat, or something else entirely? Yuan Yuhan felt the accusation sting himself as much as it stung the absent Lou. He resolved to investigate every detail: where the poison had come from, where it was administered. If they couldn’t trace its origin, Jing’s fate might be sealed.
Across the city, Crown Prince Yuan Yuchuan sat in his study, a storm behind his calm face. He had spoken with Lou Mingkou the previous day; the man had spent hours in subtle threats, wearing a smile like a blade. A prince could not be easily browbeaten, yet Lou Mingkou had somehow managed to flout him.
Yuan Yuchuan’s cheeks were dark with anger. If not for the need of Lou’s troops and influence to secure his succession, he would have taken harsher measures long ago. He endured the humiliation for now. And Lou Yueying — the man’s daughter who was now the crown princess — kept men watching his every step and forbade him from taking other women. It galled him.
A servant announced, “Your Highness, the Fifth Prince has come.”
“For what purpose? Is he alone?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Only the Fifth Prince.”
“Very well. Show him in.”
Yuan Yuchuan let his anger ebb into wary calm. He had reviewed the events since Lou Mingkou’s visit — the threats, the posturing — and thought he had it contained. As long as Mu Fengqie wasn’t around to expose anything, no one would notice the more dangerous threads.
The Fifth Prince paused at the entrance, looking surprised at the coolness of his elder brother’s welcome. “Brother, I came to propose an alliance.”
Yuan Yuchuan’s face didn’t soften. “What do you need of me? You’ve access to all manner of gifted men. Why would you need the Crown Prince’s aid?”
“What if we teamed up against Lou Mingkou?”
The words hit Yuan Yuchuan like a stone. He sprang to his feet, eyes blazing. “What did you say?”
“You know what you’re saying,” Yuan Yuhan pressed. “Lou Mingkou’s daughter is your crown princess. The Lou family is your in‑laws. What right have you — what right does any of us have — to turn on our own kin? Are you mad?”
Yuan Yuhan refused to believe the Crown Prince and Lou Mingkou were true partners in spirit. “Brother, I’m sincere. You can’t really believe Lou Mingkou’s loyalties are pure. Even if he helps you seize the throne, would he ever be content to remain a shadow? He won’t stay quiet. There’s a good chance you’d end up a mere figurehead.”
Yuan Yuchuan said nothing. Yuan Yuhan watched the tide of his brother’s expression — the flickers of doubt, the lines that tightened when he recalled yesterday’s veiled threats. He knew he had struck a nerve.
“We quarrel, we compete, but at the end of the day we’re family,” Yuan Yuhan said. “Why should an outsider have any claim to what’s ours? Let us remove him first, and then we take whatever we each can by our own means.”
There was a temptation in the Crown Prince’s eyes now, but he masked it with fury. “Silence! Get out.”
Yuan Yuhan left with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He knew his words had been cataloged and would be reconsidered. Before he departed he added, “I’ll come back in three days. Take care, brother.”
Outside the prince’s residence, Li Wantong had been watching the Fifth Prince arrive. She had looked for Aru and, seeing no sign of her, hurried over, cheeks flushed with hope.
“Fifth Prince.”
He glanced up, distracted. “Yes? And you are—?”
Li Wantong froze. “You don’t recognize me? It’s Li Wantong.” She had been so certain of herself moments before; now she faltered, face burning.
Yuan Yuhan’s patience thinned. He had more important things to do — Aru expected him — and this girl’s hesitation wasted time. He was about to walk away when she grabbed his sleeve.
“I like you.” Her words burst out in a rush. “Fifth Prince, I like you.” Her face flamed; even her throat reddened as she stared at him with open, earnest eyes.
He stopped, annoyed. “I see. Let go. And please, in the future, keep your distance.”
Her confession collapsed under his dismissal; she stumbled back, mortified. “Why? Don’t you—don’t you like me? We grew up together; we were practically children playing in the same yard. I’ve loved you since I was small.”
“You may love me. I may not share that feeling. There’s no contradiction. This dynasty has plenty of admirers; do you expect me to return every affection?” He sounded aloof, almost bored.
Li Wantong’s lip trembled as she blurted, “Is it because of Princess Tianlin? Is it her? You don’t like me because of her, right?” She refused to accept that the Fifth Prince could be entirely unmoved — there had to be someone else, someone who had stolen his heart.