The six Shadow Guards did not dare relax for even a moment, while Feng Xuanyi seemed completely oblivious to the tension. He set aside every shred of dignity and pride and lavished Nalan Xuan with gentleness and care, asking constantly whether he was cold or warm, pouring tea and water for him, becoming the very model of an impossibly devoted husband and an all-purpose domestic man.
Nalan Xuan, however, treated him as though he did not exist. When Feng Xuanyi offered him water, Nalan Xuan behaved as though he had never seen it and simply continued whatever he was doing, leaving Feng Xuanyi holding the cup in midair. Feng Xuanyi seemed to have lost his temper entirely. Once, he held a teacup out for nearly two hours without Nalan Xuan lifting his head to look at him even once. Still, he stubbornly kept it there, almost as though engaged in a silent contest with someone. His expression remained calm and composed, while the eyes resting upon Nalan Xuan were always gentle and soft.
Once, the hot-tempered Xuan Quan could no longer stand watching. Breaking free of Xuan Guang and the others as they tried repeatedly to stop him, he slammed the tea down on the low table before Nalan Xuan. Before Xuan Quan could even begin his outburst, Nalan Xuan calmly picked up the cup without the slightest resistance and drained it in one swallow. When he finished, he even added, “Remember to use a larger cup next time. This one is too small. Drinking from it isn’t satisfying.”
Nalan Xuan said it openly in front of Feng Xuanyi with a perfectly matter-of-fact expression. Xuan Quan, meanwhile, suddenly found himself at a complete loss, with no idea how he was supposed to respond.
That day was the final night before they reached the imperial capital. From the moment Feng Xuanyi stepped out of the carriage that morning, he never climbed back inside. A sovereign of imperial rank rode on horseback for an entire day after already traveling relentlessly day and night. He entrusted every detail of Nalan Xuan’s care to the Shadow Guards instead, and Nalan Xuan refused none of it.
Riding at full speed through the howling wind, Feng Xuanyi understood. The only person Nalan Xuan rejected was him. Only now did Feng Xuanyi vaguely begin to realize that perhaps even if he willingly cast away every shred of pride, he could no longer expect Nalan Xuan’s love in return.
He rode at the front of the group. A man who could command the realm and dominate every battlefield could not obtain so much as one backward glance from the person he loved. Feng Xuanyi had once neither known nor cared to know the loneliness of a ruler, much less thought it worth his attention. Now that he understood it, he suddenly discovered how unbearable the torment could be. He did not even dare imagine how long Nalan Xuan’s rejection might continue—or how long he himself could endure beneath it.
Much later, when the storm had finally passed and they could speak openly about everything without reservation, Feng Xuanzhen would look back upon this period and laugh as he told him: what you feared was never that you would fail to endure. You were afraid that your persistence would become too extreme, that you would choose the wrong method and force him farther and farther away until there was no road home for either of you.
At the same time, neither Hua nor Xiliang was peaceful. The filth and corruption that had accumulated silently for years seemed to overflow all at once, rapidly becoming impossible to contain.
Throughout Xiliang, everyone celebrated the unexpected windfall of ten cities. With the signed imperial decree in their hands, no one cared to investigate its origins or the price that had been paid for it. Not a single person wished to question whether Hua’s apparent concession might be false. It was almost as though an unspoken understanding had settled over everyone, something requiring no explanation because all already understood it perfectly. Even Yelü Zhen, who had noticed the clues and guessed much of the truth, remained silent, watching the court officials celebrate with an expressionless face.
Although Emperor Huawu had officially put him to death, the true identity of the former Prince Yi of Hua was tacitly understood by everyone who mattered. Feng Xuanzhe ordinarily could not enter court openly because of the need to avoid exposing that identity, but Prince Nanyang’s sudden “grave illness” now gave him reason to travel to the Xiliang capital in his place and share in the grand celebration.
“Your Highness truly devised an excellent strategy. Without making a sound, you managed to sell off your own brother,” Feng Xuanzhe murmured with a faint, mocking smile as he unobtrusively approached Yelü Zhen, who stood at the heart of all the flattery and political ambition while somehow seeming detached from it. “Still, trading some barely related ‘brother’ for ten cities your country has fought year after year and never managed to obtain is certainly an excellent bargain.”
“You flatter me.” Yelü Zhen ignored the mockery hidden inside Feng Xuanzhe’s words and instead replied with apparent sincerity, modesty, and perfect courtesy. “Compared with everything I witnessed in the imperial capital, I could hardly accept such praise from you. When it comes to scheming and desire for power and position, beside the three of you brothers, I doubt I could claim even half your skill.”
Yelü Zhen watched with satisfaction as Feng Xuanzhe stiffened for the briefest instant. The reaction was well concealed, but after spending so many days together, Yelü Zhen had already learned his temperament thoroughly. Feng Xuanzhe’s abilities were unquestionably outstanding, but his personality was much harder to compliment, especially his arrogance and pride. Perhaps there was only one person in this world willing to tolerate it.
“Thank you for concerning yourself with me so often, but perhaps you should spend more time thinking about yourself.” Yelü Zhen laughed. “Nalan Xuan followed me all the way west into Xiliang. How do you know he hadn’t prepared for something like this? As for you, after going in one great circle, power has once again been placed into your hands. I wonder whether you are satisfied with this generous gift of mine?”
Feng Xuanzhe gave a cold snort, yet still offered him a perfectly respectful bow. “Then I must thank Your Highness for your kindness.”
“I wouldn’t dare call it kindness, and I can’t accept your thanks either. Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of calculating every little gain and loss. Why don’t you simply tell me what I receive in return? I’ve gone through an enormous amount of trouble and somehow come away with nothing. I’m really not accustomed to doing work that costs me effort without earning me any benefit.”
The understanding between them required no explanation. I give you power; you help me sweep the realm clean. Each would take what he needed. Perhaps it meant raising a tiger that might one day turn upon its master, but for now their roads led in the same direction. The real contest over who would emerge victorious was only just beginning.
Yelü Zhen was not worried. Feng Xuanzhe might believe he possessed complete confidence that he could eventually turn the tables upon him, but that was merely his own assumption. Yelü Zhen held a winning trump card, one known to heaven and earth and himself—but not to Feng Xuanzhe.
Compared with the surface celebration and hidden undercurrents in Xiliang, the imperial palace of Hua was no less turbulent.
The imperial decree surrendering ten cities without a battle had practically caused the entire court to explode. Officials who ordinarily bowed their heads and behaved with perfect reverence seemed to have swallowed explosives overnight. Morning after morning, their shouting nearly lifted the roof off the great hall. One after another beat their chests and stamped their feet in grief and fury. Had they not retained some awareness of the distinction between ruler and minister, they might already have charged onto the imperial dais, ripped aside the beaded curtain, and demanded an explanation directly.
Feng Xuanzhen, seated upon the throne, felt no better than the ministers below. He was equally resentful and furious, but he had nowhere to release it. The day he received the letter Feng Xuanyi had sent back by the fastest express rider and saw that Hua was to cede territory and sue for peace for no apparent reason, Feng Xuanzhen immediately understood why. It was a reason they both understood without saying aloud. And precisely because he knew, he could neither stop it nor find any way to stop it. In the end, the old tale of choosing the beauty over the realm had truly played itself out.
If Feng Xuanzhen had never entered the palace that day and never heard his imperial brother recount every twist and turn between himself and Nalan Xuan, he would have defied the decree even at the cost of his own life. But now he did not dare. He knew that if he refused to do this, probably none of them would return alive.
So Feng Xuanzhen drafted the decree and secretly sent men to carry it all the way to Xiliang. And when these loyal ministers cried out in anguish, he said nothing, because he understood his imperial brother and understood equally well the duty borne by men who served as ministers. Unfortunately, the officials knew none of the reasons behind it. Unable to obtain an explanation in court, they followed him afterward and continued protesting outside the imperial study. Had the imperial physicians not blocked the doors and insisted that His Majesty’s health had deteriorated, the entire substitution scheme might have collapsed. And if Feng Xuanzhen were accused of falsely issuing an imperial decree and surrendering national territory, then even if his imperial brother wanted to protect him afterward, Feng Xuanzhen feared he might still have to be sacrificed.