Volume 1, Chapter 12: A Justified Reason to Stay by His Side

Upon receiving the news, Lingzhu trotted all the way to Chengfeng Palace.

Breathless, she hurried forward to offer a salute. "Your Highness, please forgive my tardiness. His Majesty was intoxicated today, which delayed me." Lowering her voice with a frown, she added, "If I had arrived earlier, the civil and military officials would not have encountered you and the Regent—"

"It is of no consequence. The incident was sudden; it is clear someone orchestrated this trap, and it was impossible to guard against."

Lingzhu’s face filled with doubt, and she could not help but ask, "Your Highness, did you really... with the Regent?"

Xiao Qingyu nodded gently. "Indeed, it is true. In a few days, I shall have Qingshan draft an imperial decree to bestow a marriage upon the Regent and me."

Lingzhu’s eyes widened in shock. "Your Highness, are you truly going to marry the Regent?"

"I am. I allowed them to witness us intentionally, specifically to create a pretext for this marriage."

"Only then can I remain by his side with proper justification to monitor him in secret."

Lingzhu furrowed her brow, advising with concern, "This is far too risky. Why must Your Highness put yourself in such danger and become personally embroiled in this?"

Xiao Qingyu’s gaze remained firm. "My mind is made up. If he is not removed, he will always be a hidden threat while remaining in the capital."

"I am weary." As she spoke, Xiao Qingyu placed a hand on her aching waist and walked slowly toward the bed.

Upon reaching it, she caught sight of the disheveled state of the bedding. Her cheeks flushed crimson instantly. Unbidden, memories of the intimacy she had just shared with Li Zhaoyang flooded her mind; she felt as though she could still sense the lingering, searing heat of his presence.

"Lingzhu, change everything on this bed at once," Xiao Qingyu commanded, quickly averting her gaze, desperate to dispel the agitation in her heart.

When Lingzhu saw the chaotic scene, she, too, lowered her head in embarrassment. As a young girl who had yet to experience the ways of the world, how could she have ever witnessed such a blush-inducing spectacle? She worked with nimble hands to replace the bedclothes.

Suddenly, Xiao Qingyu noticed a jade pendant lying in the corner of the headboard and picked it up with curiosity. It was unlike any she had seen before; the entire piece exuded a cyan luster, and carved upon it was a vivid, lifelike dragon. Though it resembled a dragon, a closer look revealed it was not; it lacked scales and seemed to be a creature between a snake and a dragon. The texture was exquisite—it was clearly a piece of superior jade.

"How very strange," Xiao Qingyu whispered to herself.

Having lived in Northern Qi for many years, she had never encountered such a unique pendant. There was no doubt it belonged to Li Zhaoyang. Could he have obtained it in the Yan territory?

Xiao Qingyu did not dwell on it further. She decided she would simply return the pendant to him the next time they met.

***

After Li Zhaoyang returned to the Prince’s residence, his subordinate, Jian Yi, bowed and reported respectfully, "Your Highness, the man who attempted to infiltrate Chengfeng Palace has been captured. Just as you predicted, he is a eunuch, and he was indeed acting under the orders of the Chancellor."

Jian Yi paused, then asked, "How shall we dispose of him, Your Highness?"

Li Zhaoyang remained expressionless, speaking only three words: "Kill him."

"I have one more uncertainty, Your Highness. Why did you agree to become the Grand Princess’s consort?"

At this, a faint, imperceptible smile touched the corner of Li Zhaoyang’s lips. "It is merely to lure her into the trap. As for marrying her, it is naturally because there is something I desire."

"The Chancellor did indeed drug her wine, but she did not drink that particular cup. She is cautious, yet she surely did not expect that I would tamper with the cup itself."

"She has something of mine in her hands, and since she wishes for me to be her consort, I shall grant her that wish."

As he thought of Xiao Qingyu’s flushed, shy face, a genuine smile appeared on his lips, though he did not notice it himself.

***

Inside Cuilan Pavilion, Xiao Qingshan vomited once more.

Seeing this, Liu Ran did not call for the other servants to assist. Instead, she stepped forward calmly and meticulously cleaned up the mess. Once Xiao Qingshan settled down into a deep sleep, she dared to draw closer to him.

She took a clean cloth, dampened it with water, wrung it out, and gently wiped his face. Liu Ran’s eyes were filled with deep affection, her gaze fixed solely on him, leaving no room for anyone else.

In her childhood, as a companion to the Princess, the children of wealthy families had always bullied and teased Liu Ran for being a daughter of a concubine. She remembered one day when a group of malicious children lured her onto an arched stone bridge, coaxing her to pick the supposedly beautiful lotuses beneath it. As she reached out, one of them kicked her from behind, and Liu Ran, caught off guard, plunged into the lake.

She could not swim. Panic-stricken, she flailed in the water, screaming for help. The group on the bank watched with delight as she struggled.

Just then, a slender figure dove into the water without hesitation. He swam quickly to her and, after much effort, pulled her to the surface. Liu Ran, terrified and stiff with shock, could only cling tightly to her savior. It was Xiao Qingshan, the youngest Prince of Northern Qi.

Like her, Xiao Qingshan was unloved, and the others bullied him as well. Seeing him dare to intervene, they were enraged. They blocked their path to the shore, pelting them with stones and spitting at them, shouting, "You lowly wretches belong in the mud!"

Xiao Qingshan, refusing to be humiliated, bent down, grabbed a handful of mud, and threw it at the bullies. Unfortunately, it struck one of them square in the face, causing them to fly into a rage and summon guards to teach them a lesson.

Then the Grand Princess arrived. No one in the palace dared to provoke her; even the most favored First Prince had fought with her. She pushed the ringleader straight into the lake, and with no one daring to stop her, they finally made it to shore.

Liu Ran was shivering from the cold. The Grand Princess draped her outer robe over her, while Xiao Qingshan told her not to be afraid. "If anyone dares to bully you again, come to me," he had promised. "I will make them pay."

It was the first time she had felt warmth; the first time someone had stood up for her. In the end, the Grand Princess and Xiao Qingshan were punished by being forced to kneel for two days without food. Unable to bear it, Liu Ran secretly brought them meals. Xiao Qingshan was overjoyed, and seeing him smile made her smile, too.

From then on, Liu Ran watched him from the shadows. She worried when he was bullied and secretly completed his schoolwork when he couldn't finish it—a fact he likely never knew.

After the late Emperor passed away and Xiao Qingshan ascended the throne, her father was furious, and they drifted apart. She had thought they would never cross paths again, but when her father informed her she would be sent into the palace, Liu Ran was overjoyed. However, her father threatened her mother to force her to monitor Xiao Qingshan’s every move, and Liu Ran dared not disobey.

After becoming Consort Liu, because of her father, Xiao Qingshan never smiled in her presence. Liu Ran thought to herself that being by his side was enough; she asked for nothing more.

She drifted off to sleep, resting against the edge of the bed.