Chapter 006
A Rare Moment of Vulnerability
The Second Night (3)
“That’s good.” The man’s momentary lapse instantly vanished, his composure restored.
He then reached out to pull over the nearby sandalwood armchair, swept his robes aside, and sat down.
Li Youqing was horrified. The man who had seemed ready to leave moments ago had suddenly decided to stay.
Xuan Rui leisurely studied the girl’s face, pure and innocent as a rabbit’s, as he slowly drew a dagger from his sleeve. His slender fingers toyed with it carelessly.
Li Youqing immediately recognized it as the dagger Li Jing had personally forged for her fourteenth birthday. The hilt was inlaid with an extremely rare gemstone, while the sheath bore fourteen amethysts corresponding to her destiny.
The blade was exceptionally sharp, capable of cutting through metal and stone without difficulty.
When she left the palace, she had taken only this dagger, thinking she could pry off the gemstones someday to sell for survival.
During the chaos at Lu Ming Mountain, the dagger had been seized by the Eerhai people. She never expected to see it now in Xuan Rui’s hands.
Though she claimed to be the prime minister’s daughter, a simple inquiry would reveal that Yang Zhi was merely an unfavored concubine-born daughter—hardly someone who could possess such an invaluable object.
Her mind raced through countless thoughts, yet she couldn’t devise a plausible explanation. She could only pretend ignorance, staring blankly at the man’s fingers.
Xuan Rui knew his intimidating aura and their previous misunderstandings had already made this young girl view him as a vicious criminal. He saw no harm in pressing further for useful information.
“Is this yours?” He glanced up, noticing her subtle recoil, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Exhausted and terrified, Li Youqing wanted to deny it but feared he already knew the truth. Lying would only deepen his suspicions.
The wolf howls outside had ceased, but inside the room, a predator was closing in.
Feeling his icy gaze upon her, she shuddered with waves of cold dread, as if being licked by a serpent’s tongue.
Sitting on the bed with her knees hugged to her chest, Li Youqing remained silent for a long time. The fierce gaze upon her grew increasingly impatient…
Finally, she could endure no longer and collapsed sideways.
She had fainted from fear… Xuan Rui’s eyes flickered as he rose and approached the bed with silent, measured steps.
The long, cold night truly did evoke inexplicable emotions.
Standing by the bedside, he took a deep breath. The aloeswood incense mingled with a hint of sweetness—an unfamiliar scent that stirred his senses.
The girl’s eyes were tightly shut, her lashes like two soft tail feathers, reminding him of some harmless bird.
The prime minister had maintained neutrality these past two years, with neither side successfully winning him over. His influence had significantly waned.
The thirteenth concubine-born daughter…
It had been so long, so very long, since Xuan Rui had been near a woman.
The last time was in a plague-stricken village, where he personally lifted a child—already covered in festering sores and writhing in agony—from a bed and cast them into a roaring pyre according to local custom.
Those inhuman, unbearable memories of war and disease had nearly consumed his entire being.
He had to admit: this unconscious girl lying before him was the finest among all the tributes the Eerhai people had offered in recent years.
From their first encounter yesterday, her face had been vividly imprinted in his mind.
Annoyed by the impact she had on him, he felt, for the first time, an impulse to destroy a vulnerable woman.
Even now, after being repeatedly stimulated by the touch of her skin to the point of physical reaction, he still only wanted to tear her apart.
Fortunately, a shred of reason remained. He placed the dagger beside the girl’s soft form and turned to leave the room.
Only after the man had been gone for a quarter of an hour, when the turbulent undercurrents in the room had completely subsided, did Li Youqing finally dare to open her eyes.
She didn’t know what the man had been thinking during that moment he lingered by her bedside, only that the night had finally quieted down.
Suddenly, a wave of intense drowsiness washed over her. Unable to hold on any longer, she truly fell into deep slumber.
~
The East Palace was filled with the heavy scent of mind-calming incense. The bed curtains floated lightly in the breeze, yet no sound came from the bed throughout the night. The palace servants speculated whether the Crown Prince had awakened or spent another sleepless night, but none dared to approach and check.
Li Jing lay stretched out on the huanghuali wood bed, his gaze fixed straight upward at the deep blue canopy – a color he remembered his imperial sister favored.
In the past, taking advantage of being doted upon, she would always order the palace servants to arbitrarily change the arrangements in his bedchamber.
This canopy, the square dragon-patterned table outside, the gilded eight treasures cabinet by the windowsill, the perfume burner behind the screen… everywhere bore traces of her presence.
Li Jing rested one hand on his forehead, blocking his vision, though his eyes were already bloodshot from staying awake.
Just then, the eunuch Zhang Heng rushed in urgently, disregarding the risk of disturbing the Crown Prince, and knelt down: “Your Highness, we have news!”
The bed remained silent. Through the thick brocade curtains, Zhang Heng couldn’t clearly see whether the Crown Prince had risen or not, his heart filled with unease.
After a long while, seeing a figure sit up, he shuffled forward on his knees and said in his thin, sharp voice: “After the chaos at Lu Ming Mountain, the nobles are all panicked and beg Your Highness to take charge of the situation.”
Then came the crucial statement: “Your Highness, someone claims to have seen a person who looked exactly like the Third Princess during that great turmoil.”
A heavy sigh came from behind the curtains, followed by the appearance of a slender, jade-like hand. On the middle finger, elegant as gold and jade, rested a small bone ring.
This hand parted the curtains. Zhang Heng quickly lowered his gaze, seeing crimson robes sweep past him. He carefully shifted his kneeling position and cautiously said: “Did Your Highness sleep well last night? This servant will have someone attend to your morning meal.”
Li Jing responded lazily: “The person.”
Understanding his meaning, Zhang Heng personally went to attend to the Crown Prince’s washing, while reporting: “The news came by urgent courier from our scouts. The person who claimed to have seen the Third Princess is somewhat advanced in years. Our men feared he might not withstand the rough journey, so they specially arranged a carriage. He should arrive tonight.”
Then palace maids filed in, placing various small dishes on the table, all carefully avoiding the foods the Third Princess used to enjoy.
Li Jing glanced briefly at the spread, sat down and took a sip of porridge, then fixed his gaze on Zhang Heng again.
The old eunuch felt as if sitting on pins and needles, reporting truthfully: “Our men have been secretly investigating with the portrait. The result points to an old kitchen matron who managed the banquet meals at Lu Ming Mountain. She said she saw the girl in the portrait sneaking into the back kitchen.”
Zhang Heng hesitated before continuing the next part, watching the Crown Prince’s expression carefully: “The kitchen matron said the Third Princess was wearing coarse clothing like the servants, rummaging for food in the kitchen, looking utterly pitiful. So she prepared a separate meal for her.”
Li Jing’s expression remained placid, betraying no emotion as he silently set down the porcelain bowl of congee.
The elderly eunuch’s shrill voice grated unpleasantly: “Later, chaos erupted outside. The cook became separated from Third Princess during the turmoil, and no one knows where Her Highness has gone.”