The Fifth Prince's residence was ablaze with light. It was a night of triumph. Xue Liulan had been named Crown Prince, and all of Jindu had come to celebrate.
Die Man sat alone on a rockery in the garden, the sounds of the feast drifting up from the main hall. She held a round fan, swaying it gently in the late summer breeze. Summer was over, but she couldn't let go.
Footsteps approached, light and silent.
"Eunuch Guo is quick," she said without turning, her gaze fixed on the pavilion below.
Guo Shangzhong, dressed in fine silk, stepped out of the shadows, turning the jade ring on his thumb.
"When the Lady calls, how could this old slave delay?" He smiled, but his eyes were cold.
A maid had slipped him a note at the banquet. Back garden rockery. No signature, just a butterfly stamp. He knew it well. Years ago, that same stamp had led him to witness Xue Liulan brawling in the streets for her.
"Lady?" Die Man sneered. "You mock me, Eunuch."
Guo Shangzhong feigned surprise. "I dare not. You are the Fifth Prince's concubine."
"A husband's glory is his wife's glory. But look at me. Does it seem like I share in his triumph?" She turned to face him.
Guo Shangzhong said nothing. He knew she led Thousand Day Drunk, but he didn't know her power had been whittled away, piece by piece.
"What do you think will happen now that Xue Liulan is Crown Prince?" she asked after a long silence.
"His future is limitless."
"Limitless? Here, alone, why pretend?" She looked down at her fan, toying with the tassel. "The fight for the throne is over. He will be Emperor. It's only a matter of time. But one thing is far from over."
"Oh?"
"Do you really think Xue Liulan doesn't know the truth about Empress Murong's death?"
Guo Shangzhong's breath hitched. This was his nightmare. He had watched Xue Liulan destroy Deng Qinyao. If the prince rose to power, that executioner's blade would eventually swing for him.
"So you suspect he knows."
"It has been proven that Empress Deng and her father poisoned his mother. He found it out himself. Of course he knows." Die Man smiled.
"Why tell me this?" He was wary. Was this a trap set by the prince?
"Who gave the poison to Empress Deng? Who bribed the physician? You know better than I do. Do you think Xue Liulan doesn't?"
A chill ran down his spine.
"I know why you chose him. Because he was useless. A puppet you could control from behind the throne. But you were wrong. He was hiding his strength, waiting for his moment."
She spoke slowly, not looking at his face. She didn't need to. Every word was a dagger in his heart.
"What is your meaning, Lady Die Man?" He looked out into the dark night. Too many unknowns.
"His wings are not yet full. If you strike now, you can crush him. Even if he becomes Emperor later, he will never escape your grasp." She clenched her hand into a fist.
Guo Shangzhong turned his ring, thinking. Then he laughed. "Why tell me this?"
"Because I want him to lose everything." Her voice dripped with venom. "Eunuch Guo, only by working together can we ensure he never rises again."
"He relies on the Murong family and your Thousand Day Drunk. Why not use your assassins against the Murongs? Then he will be fighting on two fronts." He smirked, testing her.
She glanced at him sideways and walked closer. "You underestimate him."
"And you overestimate my ambition." He stepped back, bowing slightly. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
He turned to go.
"The Fifteen are ten times stronger than Thousand Day Drunk," she said softly to his back. "But you wouldn't know that."
He stopped. He turned.
"The Fifteen are his personal guard, hand-picked when he was still training in Chengyan Valley. They are his right arm. Thousand Day Drunk is nothing compared to them."
"Compared to the Vermilion Bird Camp?"
"Superior." She smiled thinly. "Consider this a meeting gift. A show of sincerity for our future cooperation."
If she could remove the Fifteen, their alliance would be off to a good start. And Xue Liulan would be doomed.
In the main hall, Xue Liulan drank, unaware that a blade was being sharpened for his back.
The guests left. He returned to the bedchamber. Murong Jin was sitting on the bed, rocking their son.
"Still awake?" He stumbled slightly, sitting beside her and pulling her close.
She shushed him, laid the baby in the cradle, and turned. Before she could speak, his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.
The smell of wine enveloped her. She put her hands over his on her stomach. "What is it?"
"It's finally over." He let out a long sigh.
"You smell like a winery. Go change." She laughed, turning in his arms and punching him lightly on the chest.
The Deng family was gone. Did that mean he would turn on the Murongs next?
The room was quiet, the candle flickering, casting dancing shadows on the wall.
"You didn't ask for a title for Die Man?" she asked, looking up at him.
He closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers. "No. She will leave sooner or later."
"Aren't you underestimating her feelings for you?" she worried. "She won't give up easily."
"I've sent Thousand Day Drunk back to the south. Once things settle, I'll send her back where she belongs." He sounded tired. "If not for me, she would be a legend in the martial world by now."
She traced patterns on his chest. "Maybe because of you, she will walk a dark path. Maybe she will turn against you."
"Will she?" With her temperament, it was possible. But he had disbanded her forces, and he guarded Murong Jin closely. What could she do?
"Xue Liulan, a woman's hatred is terrifying." She took a deep breath. "Especially a woman as decisive as Die Man."
He thought for a moment. "Alright. I'll be careful. And you must be careful too."
"Mm." She nodded, her eyes full of worry. A bad feeling was growing in her heart, but she couldn't find the source.
In the Zhaoyang Palace, the Emperor sat alone in the side hall, staring at the portraits.
In each one, the woman's expression was different—coy, gentle, laughing. But the heroic spirit in her brow remained unchanged.
"Liulan is Crown Prince now," he whispered, tracing the cheek of the painted figure. "But the thing you asked of me… I still haven't done it."