The sedan chair, carried by two bearers, left the city gates. Inside, Li Yan sat with his eyes closed, weighing his options. Ever since Po Jun had implicated Die Man, Li Yan had been pulling on that thread, trying to unravel Xue Liulan's entire hidden network. But both of them had remained silent.
Letting Die Man go now would be a wasted opportunity. He sighed.
He lifted the curtain. The mountain road was a winding ribbon through a landscape of withered yellow leaves. In the distance, he could see a pavilion perched on the mountainside, overlooking a stream.
"Why have you brought me here?" he asked, his voice sharp. Was this an ambush?
"Our master instructed us to bring you here, my lord," one of the bearers said, bowing. "Please, just follow the path."
Li Yan's gaze followed the path to the pavilion. Mist still clung to the mountainside, but he could just make out a figure inside.
"Is the Fifth Prince in that pavilion?" he asked.
The bearer said nothing, just kept his head bowed.
Met with silence, Li Yan gave a bitter laugh. But a strange, new respect for the prince was growing. These men were disciplined, saying only what was necessary, never overstepping. Xue Feiyan had once called him a dragon hidden in the deep. Perhaps he wasn't just a dissolute fool after all.
"Lanfang Pavilion. A beautiful place to see the spring blossoms, but few come to see it in autumn. A waste of such a fine view."
The voice came from the pavilion before he had even arrived. There's someone else here? He paused, then lifted his robes and walked up the steps. The pavilion was empty, save for Xue Liulan himself, leaning against the railing.
"Sir, you are silent. Do you disagree?" Xue Liulan asked, turning with a smile.
Li Yan just stared.
This was not the man he knew. He wore a moon-white robe, his long hair bound in a jade crown. He had the same handsome face, the same lazy smile. But his eyes… they held none of the indolent languor of a man simply enjoying his wealth. They were the eyes of a hawk.
"The Fifth Prince is correct," Li Yan said, recovering from his shock. A cold worry began to spread through him. He had thought Xue Liulan was merely clever. He hadn't realized he was in complete control.
Xue Liulan looked him up and down, then turned back to the view. "I lean on the railing, but the worries of the world remain. Yet I wait for the dragon to rise, to wash the universe clean." He recited the poem softly. "Such spirit, such loyalty. You are truly the First Scholar of Heluo."
"Your Highness overpraises me. It was just a rash verse from my youth." Li Yan had no idea what the prince was playing at.
The stone table was bare. Xue Liulan had come alone, and he spoke only of poetry and the scenery, never once mentioning Die Man or Po Jun. Li Yan was completely off balance.
"I heard you won the prefectural exams five years in a row, yet refused to take the provincial tests. You only agreed to serve after the Seventh Prince was granted Heluo. Why?"
This… was a difficult question. "At the time, the court was full of corrupt officials. I come from a humble background. I knew I couldn't change the world, but I could at least keep myself clean."
"'The whole world is muddy, and I alone am clear.' A noble sentiment. But one I cannot agree with."
"Oh?"
"If every good man retreats to the wilderness, who is left to govern? Fortunately for the dynasty, you finally agreed to serve." Xue Liulan stood and gave him a deep, formal salute.
Li Yan scrambled to his feet. "Your Highness, you honor me too much."
"Serve my seventh brother well. You will be a great minister one day." He smiled and took a sandalwood box from his sleeve. "I heard my father was struck by the witchcraft of the ritualist clan. I sent men to find their descendants. Heaven did not disappoint."
"This is… the antidote?" Li Yan stared.
"Yes. Present this, and our seventh brother's troubles will be over."
Li Yan looked at the box, but didn't take it. He knew it wouldn't be this simple. Now, he thought, we come to Die Man.
"Are you afraid it's poison?"
"I wouldn't dare. But I cannot accept such a gift for no reason. It would not be right."
"He is my brother. What am I 'losing'? He can just buy me a drink when he gets out."
It was a perfect, reasonable explanation. And it was a perfect trap. If he accepted the antidote, he would be proving that Xue Feiyan was connected to the witchcraft. It would be an admission of guilt.
A cold sweat broke out on his back. This man's mind was terrifyingly deep.
"This subordinate does not know how to use such a thing. It would be wasted on me. It is better if Your Highness keeps it," he said, forcing a smile.
Xue Liulan feigned surprise. "Ah, I hadn't considered that." He tapped the box. "Witchcraft is a delicate thing. And the palace is so wary of it. Speaking of the palace, do you remember Consort Qing? The one my father brought back in secret? She was once the top courtesan at the Yichun Courtyard."
The Yichun Courtyard. Li Yan's brow twitched. "Yes. Lady Die Man is also a top courtesan. Consort Qing must have been a great beauty."
"They used to dance together. It was hard to tell who was better."
After a beat, Li Yan understood. "I, too, miss Lady Die Man's dancing. Perhaps, when this is settled, Your Highness would allow me to invite her for a boat ride on the lake?"
"A wonderful idea." Xue Liulan put the box away. "You have an elegant taste, sir."
"Not at all. I am merely adapting to the customs of the capital." Li Yan relaxed. The deal was struck. He would release Die Man, and Xue Liulan would find a way to pin the witchcraft on a consort, clearing the Seventh Prince's name.
As he watched Li Yan leave, Xue Liulan sighed. A pity. Such a talent, but not mine to command.
"Guyu."
The shadow guard appeared from the trees.
"Take this to the palace. You know what to do."
"Yes, my lord." She took the box, but hesitated. "My lord."
"What?"
"The Princess Consort asked me to deliver a message. She said the autumn air is cold, and you should not stay out too long and catch a chill."
To ask her husband to come home, but to say it so poetically. Guyu thought, It's true what they say. They were made for each other.