“In any case, when I say no, I mean no!” Nalan Jian strode forward in two steps and raised his hand, yet the slap never came down. His hand trembled in midair for a long while before he stiffly withdrew it. He glared fiercely at Nalan Xuan and shouted his warning, while Nalan Xuan almost crazily wished that the slap would actually fall. “From today onward, you are confined to the residence. Without my permission, you are not allowed to leave. You lot, keep a close watch on Second Young Master. If he takes even one step beyond this threshold, you will answer to me with your heads.”
Watching Nalan Jian storm furiously out through the door, Nalan Xuan merely shrugged. You said I can’t go out, but you never said no one can come in. You can control my legs, but you cannot control how events unfold, and you certainly cannot control anyone else’s legs—such as those of your precious eldest son, or the eyes and ears I planted long ago.
Nalan Xuan ordered one of the servants guarding the doorway to brew a pot of tea, but the servant hesitated repeatedly and refused to move. Nalan Xuan found it amusing. So the old man forbids me from leaving, and now you’ve decided that means even my food and daily necessities are to be withheld?
Naturally, none of the servants could bear responsibility for such an accusation. They hurried to prepare tea and water. The fragrant tea had barely been poured when Nalan Xuan narrowed his eyes and inhaled its aroma with obvious enjoyment, then called out loudly, “Since you’re already here, why not come inside and have some tea?”
The servant preparing the tea turned around in surprise and saw Nalan Zhen walking in dressed entirely in bright red, incongruously waving an equally crimson folding fan. “Second Brother is as alert as ever.”
He looked left and right. Despite visiting every few days, he behaved as though he were a bride entering her husband’s home for the first time, curiously surveying everything in the room. Eventually he discovered an ideal spot and flopped down upon the imperial-consort couch beside the bed, narrowing his eyes as he enjoyed the mottled sunlight filtering down in scattered patches. “You really do know how to enjoy yourself.”
Nalan Xuan seemed to have already seen straight through his intentions. He could not be bothered exchanging meaningless pleasantries or circling the subject endlessly before reaching the point, so he issued an eviction order directly. “My mind is made up. Talking more is pointless. Besides, there was never much for you and me to say in the first place. If you like that couch, take it with you. If you think the light here is good, have the servants in your courtyard open another window. As for anything else, you needn’t say it and I don’t want to hear it. The door is straight ahead. I won’t see you out.”
“Heh. I haven’t even opened my mouth yet and you already know what I came to say? You had an entire cartload of words prepared and waiting for me. Tsk, tsk, what an honor. But could you put away that impatient expression? Am I really that unpleasant to see?”
Nalan Zhen had never gotten along with him. He opposed Nalan Xuan at every turn and made trouble for him whenever possible. Nalan Xuan was entirely accustomed to that twisted manner of his. He simply stood, brushed off the hem of his robe, and said, “Suit yourself.”
Unexpectedly, Nalan Zhen had been rummaging around inside his clothes while lying on the couch. Now he produced an ornate brocade box decorated with gilding and colored glaze, holding it in his palm with the slyness of a fox. “This is ‘Soulfall.’ I imagine you know more about it than I do. Rather than letting you exhaust yourself trying every possible method and still fail to find a way in, I thought I might show some brotherly kindness and help you achieve what you want.”
Soulfall was the culmination of southern-border witchcraft, gu arts, and alchemy. It was also known as the mortal world’s Meng Po Soup. Anyone who consumed it would forget the seven emotions and six desires as though reborn, becoming as blank as a fresh sheet of paper. Memories of past and present would fall into chaos. The person would forget where he came from, forget who he was, and forget where he was meant to go. It was the essential key to Nalan Xuan’s plan of deceiving others by first deceiving himself.
Elio’s Notes: In Chinese folklore, Meng Po serves a soup to souls before reincarnation that causes them to forget their previous lives.
Seeing the suspicion on Nalan Xuan’s face, Nalan Zhen did not mind—or perhaps simply did not care. He placed the brocade box beside the windowsill and continued speaking to himself. “Believe it or don’t. Either way, the item is genuine and I’ve delivered it. Whether you use it is entirely your decision. Oh, I almost forgot. Since this magnificent ‘sacrifice’ of yours is supposedly for this ‘family’ and for preserving my wealth and glory, I personally hope you steel your heart, stamp your foot, grit your teeth, and swallow the thing. Trading you for my brilliant future is an excellent bargain.”
As though already picturing the bright future ahead, Nalan Zhen’s eyes shone. He was practically dancing with excitement, making no effort whatsoever to hide from Nalan Xuan how eagerly he intended to profit from him.
“Didn’t he send you here to talk me out of this?” Nalan Xuan asked suspiciously.
Nalan Zhen burst into laughter as though he had heard the greatest joke imaginable. “The old man talks all day long. How could I possibly remember everything he says? And even if I did remember, whether I listen is none of his business. I only care about what benefits me, what benefits my mother, and what benefits the Nalan clan. Everything else is irrelevant. And if, while accomplishing all that, I can conveniently remove the thorn that has irritated me for so many years, why wouldn’t I give you a helping hand?”
“All right, I’m too lazy to keep rambling with you. Soulfall is extremely potent. If you take it, there are three things you need to remember. First, it takes effect within one shichen, so if you have any unfinished business or anything you need to arrange, you had better do it beforehand. Of course, you should treat it as though you were arranging your final affairs. Second, while this medicine is extraordinarily powerful and can be called a miraculous drug, every benefit has its drawback. How long the effect lasts before cracks begin to show is entirely up to fate. Third—and most importantly—you had better think everything through clearly and carve your objective into your very bones. Don’t finally get the opportunity to accomplish what you want only to fail completely because you no longer remember who you are or what you were trying to do. Then you really will have paid yourself into another man’s bed and spent all that time warming it, only to receive not even a warm sleeping mat in return. Even I would find such selfless sacrifice so moving that I’d want to erect a monument in your honor.”
“I don’t need you teaching me.” Nalan Xuan gave a disdainful snort. If not for Soulfall, he would already have thrown Nalan Zhen out.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not teaching you. I’m reminding you.” Nalan Zhen smiled without warmth, his ridicule and contempt completely undisguised. “I’d simply like to see what kind of storm the bastard son of a lowborn slut and a freak can actually stir up!”
Nalan Xuan did not know whether he could stir up any great storm, but from this day onward, he would certainly make sure none of them ever knew peace again.
That night, a message arrived from inside the imperial palace. It came from a child Nalan Xuan had met when they were young, someone who had willingly entered the palace to serve as an inside source in order to repay a debt of gratitude. Inside the palace, one of the imperial consorts had given him the name Xiao Dezi.
Xiao Dezi’s letter made Nalan Xuan even more certain that the Fifth Prince was not the useless wastrel he appeared to be, someone capable only of drinking and pleasure without accomplishing anything. His true self was probably a beast concealed deep in the darkness, one that would remain unmoved even when delicious prey was placed before it, because what it hunted could never be tempted by such petty gains. His ambition was the imperial throne itself. The increasingly prominent eldest prince and Crown Prince were merely smoke screens he had released. He was the true oriole hiding behind them all, waiting until the very end.
Nalan Xuan removed the longevity lock he had worn continuously since birth and swallowed Soulfall. It was pungent yet strangely sweet. Nalan Xuan knew that his game had begun. It was a game in which both sides used themselves as bait to hunt the other. There was no possibility of absolute certainty, yet victory was something he had to seize.
From this moment onward, Nalan Xuan would cease to exist.
From this moment onward, he would no longer know that he was the child of two men.
From this moment onward, he would make Feng Xuanyi fall in love with him.
Leave a Reply