Chapter 71: “The Princess Loves Me.”

With the Military Tallies in hand, five thousand soldiers and officers bowed in submission. Zhao Rongzhang looked down upon this assembled force, feeling a satisfaction she had never known before. She glanced at Zhao Yu: “Young Master, shall we discuss the matters of heading north together?”

Zhao Yu hunched his back, nodding in agreement.

The main commander was dead, and both Military Tallies had fallen into Zhao Rongzhang’s hands. His presence here essentially made him a hostage for Zhao Rongzhang to use against Prince Su.

After entering the council hall and taking their seats, everyone began discussing the plan to head north and purge the emperor’s side. Once the discussion about joining forces with Prince Su concluded, Zhao Rongzhang dismissed Zhao Yu. The meeting continued until the afternoon before everyone dispersed.

Just as she stepped out of the council hall, Zhao Rongzhang paused, her peripheral vision catching a presence behind her. That familiar feeling had returned—it was Guan Xuan’s aura. She crossed her arms and stood still, drawing out her tone: “Come out. Is this really necessary?”

Who didn’t know about him now?

A flicker of light and shadow passed before her eyes, and the young man appeared as effortlessly as ink dissolving into water, standing before her with a faint smile on his lips.

The sunlight today was just right. Icicles under the eaves dripped water droplets with a steady “drip-drip,” yet their luster couldn’t compare to the clarity of his eyes, nor could their sound match the brightness of his voice: “I can be your Shadow Guard again.”

Zhao Rongzhang leaned closer, waving a hand in front of his eyes: “Your eyes are better too?”

Guan Xuan’s gaze shifted, and he nodded with a smile.

Zhao Rongzhang began walking slowly outward: “Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”

Of course, he did, but there were still so many outsiders trailing behind her. He fell half a step behind, lowering his gaze to her soft, pale cheeks and long, curled eyelashes, whispering: “When I was in Liuye Village, I kept thinking… even if you eventually grew tired of me and cast me aside, I still wanted to be by your side. No matter what, I had to return.”

“Hmm?”

Guan Xuan’s face flushed slightly: “Then the Princess came to save me. The Princess loves me.”

Zhao Rongzhang glanced up at him. His eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, making the small mole on his nose bridge even more striking. She raised her chin: “Hmph. It’s good that you know.”

Guan Xuan was already overwhelmed with happiness, his words gradually flowing more freely: “When I was very young, I fell ill, but there was no money for treatment, so I lost my ability to speak. Coincidentally, I couldn’t cry out in pain either. They sent me to become a medicine person in exchange for a little money. I don’t remember what happened after that. They sent me back home, and then someone took me away and sold me to someone else for money. I don’t remember being a medicine person—I’m not hiding it from you, Princess.”

Zhao Rongzhang listened quietly, her steps never faltering. After a long pause, she asked: “Did it hurt, being a medicine person?”

“Maybe a little. I don’t remember.”

Remembering everything except that—it must have been very painful, right? Zhao Rongzhang fell silent. If Old Man Wu hadn’t mentioned that day that his bloodline was unusual, as if tempered by medicine and alchemy, she would never have thought of this. No wonder his constitution was so robust, surviving near-death experiences time and again. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise?

In truth, she had long asked Su Tan to investigate his origins. She was curious about him, wanting to know everything, even the distant memories of his childhood. When the court demanded tribute of shad fish, his biological father was conscripted for labor and accidentally drowned when his boat capsized. His biological mother remarried, taking a younger child with her. It was likely around that time that his mother sold him into the Shadow Pavilion.

Knowing the answer, Zhao Rongzhang still wanted to ask, “Do you hate them?”

Guan Xuan smiled. “They had no choice.”

“And,” he added, his voice growing softer, “I’m very happy now.”

Zhao Rongzhang’s lips curved upward as well. “Are you really that happy to be my Shadow Guard for life?”

“Mhm.” He nodded.

“But you’re not exactly ‘shadowy’ anymore—everyone knows who you are now.”

“That doesn’t matter. Killing anyone isn’t difficult.”

“If I want to favor you, do I have to sneak around like that every day?”

Hearing such words spoken openly in broad daylight, with the Princess making no effort to hide them, Guan Xuan’s ears flushed bright red. He said shyly, “The Princess can play with me however she wishes. No one else has any right to comment.”

“But it would be troublesome. If I want to sleep with you every day, would we have to sneak around every time?” Zhao Rongzhang pretended to be troubled.

Guan Xuan wore a conflicted expression. “What if I become your personal bodyguard? Then the Princess could play with me openly.”

“And in a few years, if I truly need a daughter to inherit the throne, and someone with ill intentions tries to impersonate her biological father in an attempt to seize power, what should we do then?”

Guan Xuan didn’t know how the topic had suddenly jumped so far ahead, but he immediately replied, “I’ll kill them.”

He quickened his pace to keep up with the Princess walking ahead, his tone tinged with unease. “I’ll be very good at everything, so the Princess will only love me and no one else.”

Zhao Rongzhang found him amusing and gave him a light, teasing roll of her eyes before lifting the curtain and stepping into the carriage.

Ming Luo passed by Guan Xuan, shaking her head with a smile.

The plan to march north proceeded as scheduled. With Su Tan, Shuang An, and others weaving intelligence networks centered in Jiangnan and the southwest, Ming Luo connecting informants from the capital city to various regions, the five thousand elite troops as the foundation, and Prince Su clearing the way ahead, Zhao Rongzhang’s campaign was not exactly smooth, but at least she faced no insurmountable difficulties.

By the time the twelfth lunar month had passed and half of the first month was gone, though signs of spring were beginning to emerge, the north remained covered in frost, with heavy snow falling from time to time. As they fought their way to Tongzhou, with the capital city now within sight, Prince Su was filled with ambition, but one person stuck in his throat like a fishbone—Princess Yingrong, Zhao Rongzhang, who had just joined forces with him from a separate route the day before.

Zhao Rongzhang had taken the five thousand troops he had given her and expanded them, now commanding an actual force of no less than one hundred thousand soldiers. His own son was helping her lead the army and fight, yet he gained no real authority and lived day and night under her surveillance.

He had exhausted every scheme to contact his son, but not once had he succeeded. No matter how different the spies he sent, they would all turn up as corpses thrown back before him within a month. Compared to Zhao Jue and the Rong Di in the north, she was now the person he feared most.

If he were to truly enter and take control of the capital city, the first problem he would have to solve would undoubtedly be her. He had to cut off her head and eradicate her influence. Otherwise, no matter who sat on the throne, they would never rest easy.

Just as he was thinking this, someone came to report, “Princess Yingrong has arrived and says she has important matters to discuss with you.”

Prince Su’s face darkened. He had intended to make her wait, but remembering that Zhao Yu was still in her hands, he hurriedly strode forward.

Entering the front hall, he found Zhao Rongzhang already seated and drinking tea.

“Imperial Uncle, why do you look at me as if I were an enemy the moment you see me? Aren’t we the closest of allies?”

She casually pierced through his thoughts and got straight to the point. Today, she had come to offer him advice regarding Prince Su’s plan to force Zhao Jue to abdicate: “Zhao Jue is nothing more than a paper tiger propped up by the Grand Empress Dowager. He’s now caught between a rock and a hard place, with the Rong Di pushing him to his limits. Not only is he helpless, but the generals and commoners in the north are also at their wits’ end. If you send troops to aid them now and then persuade Zhao Jue to abdicate voluntarily, wouldn’t the world be yours for the taking?”

Although Prince Su harbored considerable dissatisfaction and disdain for Zhao Rongzhang, he had to admit that this little princess had a sharp eye and ruthless methods. He couldn’t ignore her advice, though he had to remain extremely cautious.

Prince Su took his seat at the head of the room. “Princess, you speak too lightly. The Rong Di are not so easily repelled. What if we lose most of our forces there? How would we then deal with Zhao Jue? Hmph, you have quite a few capable people at your disposal. Why not send your own troops?”

“I’m just a woman—I wouldn’t dare harbor such grand ambitions!” Zhao Rongzhang feigned a look of shock. “Besides, would you truly feel at ease letting my people stand behind Zhao Jue?”

Prince Su fell silent.

Zhao Rongzhang picked up her tea again, cutting straight to the chase: “I understand your concerns. In truth, the Rong Di are also pitiable. Suffering from disasters and freezing cold, unable to feed their livestock, and with the Central Plains refusing to open mutual markets to them, they’re left with no way to survive. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been locked in a stalemate with our Great Zhou for months. If you, Imperial Uncle, could contact the Turkic Khan and strike a mutually beneficial deal, wouldn’t victory be within easy reach?”

“Hmph, are you suggesting I betray my country and collude with the enemy?”

“What do you mean by ‘betraying the country and colluding with the enemy’? Sooner or later, you will ascend to the Nine-Five Supreme position. How the history books will record it will depend entirely on your mood, Imperial Uncle. Otherwise,” Zhao Rongzhang coaxed and threatened in the same breath, “shall I ask my brother, the heir, to lend you a hand?”

“Enough! He’s not my only son.” Prince Su’s expression grew increasingly grim.

Zhao Rongzhang stood up. “I’ve delivered my suggestion. If you find it useful, my people can assist with all the necessary arrangements. Once you’ve made up your mind, do let me know.”

Three days later, as Zhao Rongzhang was teasing the birds under the eaves with Guan Xuan, Ming Luo brought her the news: “Prince Su has agreed to the Princess’s proposal.”

Zhao Rongzhang scoffed. What other choice did he have but to listen to her? At most, he was probably scheming to play some tricks on her in the process. But no matter what he plotted, it would be in vain. She had never intended to let him live until Zhao Jue’s abdication.

“Send a message to Zhao Jue. I—”

Just then, another messenger arrived with news for Ming Luo. After hearing it, Ming Luo’s expression shifted slightly. She stepped forward and whispered to the Princess, “The Grand Empress Dowager… wishes to invite you to the palace under the pretext of celebrating the Shangyuan Festival together for a family reunion. She says there are some matters regarding Consort Ling that she wants you to know.”

“Isn’t that tomorrow?” Zhao Rongzhang was displeased with this sudden, last-minute invitation. “No need to reply. I won’t be going.”

She sneered again. “When I enter the palace later, she can say whatever she wants—or doesn’t want—to say. She’ll have to get it all out in one go then.”