Fang Linyuan woke up in a daze. As he blinked his eyes open, a searing brightness pierced his vision, making them ache.

The very first thing he did was instinctively reach for his chest.

That was where he had placed the tiger tally.

It was empty.

Fang Linyuan jolted fully awake.

Ignoring the painful glare of the light, he forced his eyes open and abruptly sat up.

Beneath him was a thick, cloud-like softness. Silk curtains draped around him, layer upon layer of gauzy fabric, with golden cords strung with Eastern pearls faintly visible through the veils.

Turning his head, Fang Linyuan saw a still and silent scene, bathed in resplendent luxury.

A spacious, opulent bedchamber—it was unmistakably a grand palace hall. At the far end of the room, amid displays of gold, jade, and porcelain, stood a row of tightly shut nanmu lattice windows.

Two young women, graceful as celestial maidens, hurried over upon hearing movement from the bed.

Judging by their gauze skirts, they were palace maids.

“The Marquis is awake,” one of them said, offering him a cup of hot tea. “Does the Marquis feel unwell? The imperial physician is just outside.”

“Imperial physician?” Fang Linyuan frowned, pushed away the teacup, and got out of bed. “I’ve just received the imperial command and was on my way to Longxi. Why am I in the palace?”

He paused mid-sentence.

His head throbbed in chaotic pain. At the edge of his memory was Lin Zizhuo’s face, heavy with guilt, and that flask of wine he had given him…

It was Lin Zizhuo who drugged the wine!

Fang Linyuan’s pupils contracted sharply. Evading the two palace maids trying to stop him, he strode straight out.

Lin Zizhuo’s drug… Just before he lost consciousness, he’d vaguely heard him say something—not entirely clear—but from his lip movements, Fang Linyuan could make out the word “His Majesty.”

His Majesty…

But he had gone to Longxi to fulfill the emperor’s own decree!

“Marquis, please wait…”

Fang Linyuan raised a hand and shoved open the palace doors.

Silence.

Outside, layer upon layer of gilded rooftops stretched across the horizon. At the far end, a faint white glow marked the break of dawn.

And lining the corridor before him were the Imperial Guards, swords at their waists, sealing off every door and window in an impenetrable formation.

Fang Linyuan came to a halt, staring fixedly at the scene before him.

Behind him, the two palace maids had already dropped to their knees in haste.

“His Majesty commanded that the Marquis rest and recover here,” they said. “We beg the Marquis not to trouble us servants.”

…Trouble?

Fang Linyuan turned back, his gaze sweeping over the grand palace chamber before settling on the two women. “It was His Majesty’s order?” he asked.

The two maids trembled slightly at the question but did not deny it.

It was the emperor.

He had issued an imperial edict, handed over the tiger tally, entrusted him with defending Yumen Pass for Daxuan against its enemies.

And yet, as the Turks tore up the treaty and launched a surprise assault, just when Fang Linyuan was rushing northward with the decree in hand—

It was the emperor who had sent someone. Sent his own trusted friend to intercept him. To deceive him into drinking the drugged wine, and drag him back to the palace.

The emperor… what was he trying to do?

Fang Linyuan drew in a deep breath, but even with all his strength, each breath trembled.

What else could His Majesty want? The truth was now painfully clear.

A few pigeons fluttered across the sky above, wings beating as they passed. The open sky, framed into squares by the palace’s towering buildings, echoed with the sound of feathers.

The emperor didn’t trust him. Even with the tiger tally given, it was never a true commission.

The fact that he was here meant one thing—

To the emperor, he was the enemy.

*

The palace maids laid out breakfast.

The rice porridge was stewed with ginseng from Liao and dried scallops. Several plates of delicacies, exquisitely crafted and fragrant, were presented. After the seventh dish was served, a maid respectfully asked whether it suited his taste, and whether he wished to have it replaced or have more brought out.

Fang Linyuan swept his gaze across the lavish spread. “A meal before execution?” he said, eyes unmoving.

His blunt words made the maid jump in fright.

"The Marquis jokes," the palace maid forced a smile and quickly replied. "This is simply the standard for breakfast in the palace. If His Majesty is dining, an additional seventeen dishes are served."

Fang Linyuan said nothing and still didn’t touch his chopsticks.

Seeing this, the maid dared not persuade him further. After silently refilling his cup with hot tea, she quietly withdrew.

No one knew how much time passed.

The sunlight through the carved windows slowly shifted eastward. The entire table of dishes gradually cooled. Outside the doors came faint sounds, followed by the voices of maids and guards.

"Greetings to His Majesty."

Fang Linyuan turned his head.

Through the window, he could see a grand procession in the courtyard. Ornate canopies and a palanquin were stationed just outside the palace gardens. Dozens of eunuchs and guards stood in orderly formation.

The doors of the sleeping palace were opened from outside.

The sickly emperor, still not fully recovered, entered slowly under a heavy cloak, supported by a eunuch at his side.

"Minister Fang," he looked up and called out to Fang Linyuan.

And in front of him, Fang Linyuan had already stood from his place and bowed deeply.

Fang Linyuan did not speak.

The Emperor Hongyou was not displeased. His expression was calm. He waved away the nearby palace attendants and seated himself directly on the divan across from Fang Linyuan.

"You may rise, Minister Fang," he said. "I heard you skipped breakfast, so I came to see for myself. How are you? If you’ve no appetite, I’ll have the imperial physician take another look at you."

Fang Linyuan straightened up.

The emperor before him, aside from the slight pallor on his face, looked no different from the kind and gentle sovereign he’d always known.

But those who wear a kindly face and harbor ruthless hearts are the most terrifying.

He had been careless and was drugged and brought back to the palace. The current situation was clearly one of soft imprisonment. Though he held a hereditary marquisate, the emperor had already shown that he could make him vanish on the way north without a sound—and just as easily make him vanish from the world.

Fang Linyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He lowered his head, even his breathing trembling.

"Your subject is dull-witted. If Your Majesty has any orders, please speak them plainly," he said slowly, under the emperor’s watchful gaze. "Otherwise, your subject cannot eat or sleep in peace."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Hongyou chuckled a few times. "Minister Fang, you truly are more outspoken than most," he said.

Fang Linyuan made no reply, simply waited in silence for what would come next.

"I have no particular decree," said the emperor lightly. "I merely wish for my beloved subject to stay in the palace for a few days."

"But Your Majesty also issued a command for your subject to travel to Longxi and suppress the rebellion of the Turks," Fang Linyuan said.

The emperor nodded. "Indeed. By the pace of an army on the march, you would already have passed through Chongzhou by now."

Fang Linyuan’s brow twitched slightly. He frowned and looked at the emperor.

The emperor leisurely picked up the tea cup by his side. The rising steam blurred his features.

If the army had passed Chongzhou, then the march had continued as planned.

But the commander was no longer present—who was leading those Imperial Guards?

In a flash, Lin Zizhuo’s image passed through Fang Linyuan’s mind.

Their builds were indeed similar.

But Lin Zizhuo had no experience commanding troops. If the emperor had no intention of letting Fang Linyuan lead the expedition, he could’ve easily assigned another general. Yet after publicly announcing Fang Linyuan’s commission and ostentatiously dispatching a hundred soldiers, he then had Lin Zizhuo drug him...

A show of force, a substitution.

Fang Linyuan began to suspect something.

But when his gaze swept over the emperor’s deep and unfathomable eyes, he changed tack and said slowly: "Your subject still does not understand."

At those words, Emperor Hongyou’s hand eased noticeably as he set down his teacup.

He looked up and studied Fang Linyuan quietly for a long moment, then smiled faintly.

"That boy Lin Zizhuo, I’ve watched him grow up with my own eyes. Even he has told me, more than once, that your heart is as pure as a child’s."

Fang Linyuan’s brows shifted slightly, but he said nothing—he merely waited for the emperor to continue.

"Yes, I’ve always known it too. But how old are you now? Just barely over twenty. The people you’ve met, the things you’ve experienced, are still far too few. Even if you were born with a loyal and honest heart, it’s not something so rare."

At this, Emperor Hongyou sighed.

"You've already done more than enough for the Daxuan," the Emperor said, looking at Fang Linyuan. "So I had long since decided—this is where it should end. It’s just right. In this way, I can be said to have done right by your father in the afterlife."

"…Long since?"

Fang Linyuan’s breath trembled faintly. He forced himself to wear a confused, bewildered expression, carefully guiding Emperor Hongyou to continue.

At this point, the emperor no longer seemed to care what he knew.

"Yes." He nodded. "The day you captured all eighteen cities of Longxi, that was enough. At such a young age, your name could already rival Wei Qing and Huo Qubing in the histories. What more merit do you need to achieve?"

"Your subject serves Your Majesty; all glory and titles are granted by Your Majesty’s grace," Fang Linyuan replied. "I have no desire to further my achievements."

"Indeed," said Emperor Hongyou. "But throughout the court and among the people, who doesn’t long for a general who wins every battle to guard the empire’s borders? I, too, would like such a man. But, Linyuan, if you’ve read the histories, then surely you understand—ambition and appetite grow the more they’re fed. If the day ever comes when you harbor thoughts you ought not to, I won’t even be able to preserve your life."

Saying this, he looked at Fang Linyuan with an expression full of paternal kindness. "So I had Sang Zhixin think of a way to keep you here."

Fang Linyuan paused slightly.

Had Sang Zhixin think of a way…

Then it must have been the Flower Festival night—the so-called ‘barbarian bandits’ who looted, burned, and killed in the capital.

Fang Linyuan had already uncovered traces of the truth long ago. So he wasn’t too shocked now.

But still…

He looked at the man before him—the emperor.

All those ordinary people, the common folk—they were the emperor’s children, his subjects. Their sweat and blood sustained the towering golden palace. And the one who sat atop it ought to create an era of peace and security for them.

Yet he had spoken so lightly, as if crushing two ants underfoot, sacrificing those civilians for the sake of his political maneuvering.

Fang Linyuan’s throat seized up—he couldn’t speak for a long moment.

Fortunately, the facade of confusion he’d put on had already convinced Emperor Hongyou.

He simply believed that Fang Linyuan hadn’t understood his meaning—hence that dazed, foolish look on his face.

The emperor, rarely, felt a pleased sense of control—of having everything in the palm of his hand. "It was just the Flower Festival, after all," he said lightly. "Using the chaos as a pretext, I could then assign you a prestigious yet easy post in the capital."

Fang Linyuan’s lips moved slightly. All he saw was the emperor’s self-satisfied expression.

He ought to look in a mirror right now, Fang Linyuan thought.

He’d likely be startled himself by how despicable his own face had become.

"But you are indeed a clever child," Emperor Hongyou continued. "Originally, I only meant for you to stay in the capital and help me clean up some minor troubles in the region. Yet every task I gave you, you completed flawlessly—even those unruly boys in the Sixteenth Guard, you turned into competent soldiers."

The emperor sighed.

"So, since you’re not destined to be a fool, I might as well speak plainly, so you’ll have some understanding in your heart going forward," Emperor Hongyou said. "After a few more years, when you’ve matured, you’ll come to appreciate my intentions."

"Then… this time?" Fang Linyuan asked slowly after a pause. "Your Majesty’s plans this time—your subject still cannot understand."

"The Turks did indeed raid Yumen Pass. The entire court was shaken. Everyone I summoned for counsel unanimously demanded that you be sent to quell the unrest."

The emperor seemed a little irritated by his apparent slowness. "But I had no intention of letting you leave again since the start of the year. Still, after thinking it through—the Turks truly do fear you. That Naren Temüjin, after meeting you once, was so cowed he wouldn’t dare utter a word out of line again."

"So I sent Lin Zizhuo. In the end, the Turks’ attack was limited to Yumen Pass—clearly a test. As long as he pretends to be you and reaches Longxi, they’ll retreat in fear. Once the local generals re-secure Yumen Pass, he can return, and you can go back to your residence."

Fang Linyuan’s hand, resting at his side, tightened slightly.

Yes—the Turks had been quiet for a year. A sudden strike now could only be a probe.

But any battle carries the risk of defeat. If Yumen Pass were to fall, if Lin Zizhuo were to be discovered…

Would the people living in those border towns be so meaningless to Emperor Hongyou?

Over there, the emperor appeared relaxed—even gave Fang Linyuan a small smile.

"Lin Zizhuo handled the task well. Ever since I learned the two of you knew each other, I had him watch over you more closely. He was quite unwilling—but all the reports he brought back were full of praise."

He went on, "Naturally, I knew then—you’re a good child. But I also worried that if personal feelings got in the way, he might be too soft on you. Then he wouldn’t be fit for the Embroidered Guards."

…So that’s how it was.

No wonder Lin Zizhuo had kept saying those vague, half-truths—urging him to follow orders, to perform his duties quietly.

He had been trying to warn him all along. Not to stir up trouble. To watch what he said and did…

Fang Linyuan felt cold to the bone.

He had thought himself free to come and go in the capital over the past year—never realizing that from beginning to end, he had been living under surveillance and control.

From the day he returned to the capital, a vast net had already been cast over his head. Everyone said he was the God of War of Longxi, the reincarnation of Wei Qing, but they didn’t understand— to the emperor, he was nothing more than a hawk with especially sharp talons and beak.

The emperor feared he might be too wild to tame.

Over there, Emperor Hongyou smiled and nodded. “Still, that child is obedient, and that’s what matters.”

As he spoke, he looked at Fang Linyuan.

“You’re a good child too,” he said kindly. “You're filial and thoughtful. You treat your sister-in-law and her son well, and you treat Huining well, too.”

A chill ran down Fang Linyuan’s spine.

He could see the threat behind Emperor Hongyou’s gaze.

That statement was a clear warning—he was threatening him with his family’s lives.

“The capital is large enough for you to live in peacefully. Once you return to your residence, live as you did before. The court can afford to support both you and your wife, as well as the entire Anping Marquis household. Everything you and your father have done for Great Xuan, I have always kept in mind.”

Saying this, Emperor Hongyou rose to his feet. “You understand my meaning, don’t you?”

Under his gaze, Fang Linyuan slowly lowered his head.

“I understand, Your Majesty,” he said. “From this day on, I shall conduct myself with propriety.”

Emperor Hongyou smiled with satisfaction, nodded, and turned to walk out of the hall.

Just then, Fang Linyuan straightened his back and spoke to his retreating figure. “Your Majesty, there is a cloth shop on Rongchang Street. The shopkeeper’s surname is Su, a young woman.”

Emperor Hongyou turned around, looking at him in confusion.

“Her father died early this spring, and the shop was destroyed in a fire. With no one else in the family but elderly relatives, she broke off her engagement and, with a frail body, took on the burden of supporting her household.” Fang Linyuan looked at the emperor and continued.

“Your Majesty, if not for that incident, her mother would not have wept herself blind, her grandmother wouldn’t be bedridden, and she wouldn’t have had to bear such a heavy burden.”

Emperor Hongyou clearly found the story boring. He raised his eyebrows disinterestedly, cast a glance over Fang Linyuan, then looked away.

“Oh,” he said flatly, not even realizing that he himself had caused the incident at the root of the story.

“If you want to take her as a concubine, just ask Huining.”

*

In the following days, Emperor Hongyou never returned.

Fang Linyuan was also quiet and cooperative—neither making a fuss nor going on a hunger strike. After two days of this, even the attendants outside his hall had relaxed noticeably.

After all, His Majesty had only said not to let the Marquis move about freely. In a few days, he would still be released from the palace.

A nobleman was still a nobleman; no one would go out of their way to do anything that would make them lose face.

The atmosphere inside and outside the palace grew noticeably lighter.

With only two days left before the New Year, the palace was already festooned with lanterns and decorations. Even the palace hall where Fang Linyuan resided was cheerfully adorned.

The two palace maids attending him were both young. With little to do, they chattered excitedly on the side, talking about how the last day of the year would see ritualists brought in from outside the palace to perform a grand exorcism—always a festive occasion.

Fang Linyuan had no interest in their idle chatter.

Soon it was the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. On that day, the palace distributed new clothes to the eunuchs and maids for the New Year. The two young maids went off together to collect theirs.

Fang Linyuan sat alone by the window, flipping through a book.

But though his eyes were on the page, he wasn’t reading at all.

Since Emperor Hongyou had left that day, he had not seen him again. It was said two more war reports had come in from the front, but heavy guards kept him from learning anything of their content.

Judging by the peaceful, festive air in the palace, the situation at the front likely wasn’t too urgent.

Which left Fang Linyuan with only one thing to think about: himself. But the situation was clear—there wasn’t much to contemplate.

Now that Emperor Hongyou had laid his cards on the table, it meant his mind was made up.

Today, he was under house arrest in the palace. Tomorrow, when Lin Zizhuo returned from the west, Fang Linyuan would simply be placed under house arrest in the capital.

By the emperor’s standards, that was already great mercy.

But Fang Linyuan saw things with perfect clarity.

There was no mercy in this—only the fact that he had been cautious to the extreme, never giving Emperor Hongyou the excuse to dispose of him. What the emperor truly wanted was peace of mind, and no matter how trustworthy a noble under house arrest might seem, he could never offer the same peace of mind as a dead man.

Fang Linyuan slowly lowered his gaze.

He only wondered—did Zhao Chu know what had happened?

After all, the decoy party bound for Longxi had departed on schedule. Given the tense situation in the capital, he had specifically told Zhao Chu not to send anyone to follow him.

He hoped Zhao Chu didn’t know.

The capital was in chaos. Zhao Chu had planned every move carefully up to this point. The goal was surely near—if he disrupted everything now for Fang Linyuan’s sake, one misstep in the strategy could lead to disaster.

He feared Zhao Chu would not remain safe.

At this thought, Fang Linyuan dropped his gaze, and his fingers unconsciously touched his lips.

Just then, two faint taps came from beneath the window.

Fang Linyuan turned toward the sound—and saw a small girl, her frame so thin that her eyes looked disproportionately large, looking up at him, bright and clear.

“Are you Fang Linyuan?” she asked.

He was slightly stunned and looked around. The courtyard was silent, and she had no attendant or servant with her.

“I am,” he replied. “And who are you?”

The girl didn’t answer. Instead, she took out a small piece of candy and placed it in his hand.

“Consort Li asked me to bring this to you,” she said.

…Li Zhe?

Fang Linyuan had no dealings with Li Zhe. Why would he suddenly send him something—especially in such a dangerous place as the palace?

Fang Linyuan quickly took the candy and bit into it.

Inside, there was indeed a slip of paper.

He pulled it out and, under the bright lamplight, saw a line of tiny characters—Zhao Chu’s handwriting.

"At the third quarter of the hour of Xu (9 to 11 am) tomorrow, I will bring you home."

 

--

Author’s note:
Someone is going to die tomorrow!

 

Translator : DarNan