Chapter 18

At the same moment, a shout rang out. “Li Daoxuan! Get your snake under control! I didn’t get trapped by this damned array, but I’m going to die at the fangs of your black snake first!”
Gu Yun stumbled out of the forest, clothes disheveled, hair in wild disarray. Behind him, Qiuren slithered in relentless pursuit. Clearly, with his master’s orders, the snake was doing its duty with great enthusiasm.
Li Daoxuan lifted his eyes. Qiuren immediately abandoned Gu Yun and glided back, coiling contentedly around Li Daoxuan’s waist.
When Shen Qing woke again, the dust had settled.
The first thing she saw was her mother’s anxious face. Cuizhi’s eyes were red and swollen from crying. The moment Shen Qing’s eyes fluttered open, Madam Shen was the first to react.
She grabbed her daughter’s hands in a rush, asking worriedly, “Does anything still hurt?”
Shen Qing shook her head. Everything still felt a little unreal; she had no idea what day it was.
Madam Shen waved a hand, and Cuizhi hurried off to fetch medicine.
Slowly, Shen Qing’s thoughts began to line up. She vaguely remembered that right before she fainted, Li Daoxuan had cut straight to the heart of it and exposed her little scheme without mercy.
It figured. Someone that sharp and quick-witted was never going to be fooled by her patchwork little plan.
A pity she’d fainted before she managed to name her price.
Shen Qing sat up and burrowed into her mother’s arms. Her thin white sleep robe clung to her skin like water, her long hair spilling loosely over her shoulders, softening her usual playfulness into something lazier, more languid.
Since Shen Ling had come to the Shen household, it had been a long time since she’d slept this soundly.
Thinking of that, the little cat nestled in her mother’s arms suddenly lifted her head. Soft strands of hair stuck to the corner of her mouth, but she didn’t bother brushing them away. Instead, she asked, “Mother, how long was I asleep?”
Madam Shen gently smoothed the stray hairs from her cheek. “Five days.” She added softly, “Don’t worry. The great demon has already been taken by Master You Daozi of Dongshan Temple. Once he’s finished reciting the Shurangama Mantra forty-nine days in a row, that Xiang You will be nothing but a puddle of blood.”
Shen Qing knew Master You had ways to refine demons; that wasn’t what concerned her. She asked, “Has anyone come to the house these days?”
Madam Shen said, “Yes. You and the Prince Cang rendered great service in slaying the evil spirits, so His Majesty issued a decree, rewarding us with a heap of things. They’re piled up in the storeroom now. Once you’re better and have time, you can go take a look, play with whatever you like.” A faint wrinkle of worry creased her brow.
There was something she wasn’t saying: on the journey back, the Prince Cang had carried her daughter in his arms for part of the way.
The Nine-headed Xiangyou had only just been subdued. The demonic energy on Mount Li hadn’t fully dispersed, and ordinary people were forbidden from entering the mountain. Thus, apart from the Prince Cang Li Daoxuan and Master You, only one other person had been present: Prince Sheqin’s heir, Gu Yun, who had somehow managed to escape his way there, and the Zhao girl from Jingzhaoyi, who lay unconscious in the Springview Terrace.
At least Young Lord Guo knew the difference between men and women and stayed a few courtyards away, keeping watch at the Springview Terrace until someone came to carry Miss Zhao away, only then taking his leave.
The ever-unruly, arrogant Prince Cang, however, didn’t bother with any of that. He simply carried Shen Qing from halfway up the mountain straight back to the Duke of Han’s estate.
He had done his best to avoid prying eyes on the way, and in the following days there were no rumors in Chang’an of anything between him and Shen Qing. Even so, when he landed with her blood-soaked body in the Shen family courtyard, the entire household of servants had seen it with their own eyes.
Madam Shen and General Shen had spent days exhausting every method, threats, bribes, promises, to finally clamp a lid over the gossip.
If Shen Qing heard the story, she would have instantly understood what was in that man’s mind.
She was the bearer of the Glass Heart. If anything happened to her, the Glass Heart would become useless as well. Li Daoxuan valued the Glass Heart so highly that by extension he had to value her life, terrified that any mishap might occur. That was the only reason he had rushed her back to the Shen estate himself, so she could receive treatment as soon as possible.
Hearing her mother’s report, Shen Qing had just begun to relax when Madam Shen went on, “A few days ago, the estate also received a young lady coming to recognize kin. She seems about your age and claimed to be your cousin, Shen Ling.”
Shen Qing’s expression darkened. So she’s finally come.
In her previous life, Shen Ling’s whole purpose in attending the banquet had been to acknowledge her kin.
Shen Qing had grown up in Xuanji Pavilion. Coming and going from the palace with her senior brother had become routine, and she’d become acquainted with the Emperor’s beloved Princess Wanyi.
Shen Ling had assumed that, with such a deep friendship between them, Shen Qing would certainly attend Li Yu’s banquet. Shen Qing, however, had found it troublesome and simply hadn’t gone, leaving Shen Ling waiting in vain.
Once the banquet was over and they had returned to Chang’an, Shen Ling had hurried straight to the Shen estate to claim kinship.
Her father was Shen Qing’s father’s cousin. In years past, when that uncle served in the main branch, he had been one of the few who witnessed her father’s hardship and did not add insult to injury. At times, when her father was in difficulties, he had even quietly lent a hand.
Because of that kindness, Shen Ling’s father had received General Shen’s secret support. Though he had accomplished nothing of note in Huaixi County and was utterly mediocre, he had still been promoted to magistrate of Wannian County in Chang’an.
In a place like Chang’an, thick with nobles and dripping with wealth, the seat of Wannian County’s magistrate was no great office, yet it was no small one either. It was enough for a man to firmly plant his feet in this city of power.
However, Shen Ling still wasn’t satisfied. She had to cling to the Shen family like moss on a wall, clinging to her parents as well.
Shen Qing’s face went cold at once. “Mother took her in?”
Madam Shen blinked, flustered by her daughter’s sudden change of expression. “I remembered how her father once lent your father a hand back in the main branch, and she’s about your age. You’ve been weak since childhood and don’t know many young ladies… so I thought I’d keep her here to keep you company…”
Shen Qing’s eyes reddened with anger. “I don’t like her. Mother, send her away right now! I don’t allow her to stay in our house!”
Madam Shen quickly gathered her agitated daughter into her arms, gently stroking the crown of her head to soothe her. Sensing something was off, she probed carefully, “You’an, have you met her before? Why do you dislike her so much?”
Shen Qing lifted her head from her mother’s embrace, aggrieved. “I just don’t like her. I didn’t like her the moment I saw her at the banquet. I hate her.”
Because of Heaven’s restrictions, she couldn’t speak of her rebirth, nor could she tell her mother what Shen Ling had actually done. All Shen Qing could do was repeat, over and over, that she didn’t like Shen Ling.
Madam Shen kept comforting the girl in her arms, no longer pressing for reasons. Instead she simply said, “Since You’an doesn’t like her, then there must be something wrong with her. I’ll send her away at once.”
This wasn’t just empty coaxing, it had a basis.
She knew her daughter’s temperament well: spoiled, stubborn, mischievous, but deeply loyal, clear in her sense of right and wrong, and never one to befriend people of questionable character.
And this was the first time Shen Qing had loathed someone to this degree. If that was the case, she must have her own reasons. Pressing her for them would only heighten her irritation. Madam Shen couldn’t bear to see her upset, so she wisely dropped the subject.
Shen Qing, having gotten what she wanted, finally relaxed and let herself be soothed.
Once her mood improved, even the medicine she usually dreaded didn’t seem so intolerable. She forced down the bitter bowl in a few gulps, then quickly popped several rock-sugar pellets into her mouth.
Madam Shen laughed softly. “Look at you, eating like a little greedy cat.”
Her mother was so gentle and indulgent that Shen Qing almost forgot: Shen Ling was the daughter of her father’s cousin, the very cousin who had once helped him through hard times.
If Madam Shen drove her out purely for her daughter’s sake, it wouldn’t take long before the entire city of Chang’an was filled with gossip about how General Shen and his lady were ungrateful, cutting ties the moment they prospered and tearing down the bridge after crossing the river.
Her eyes reddening again, Shen Qing tugged at her mother’s sleeve. “Forget it.”
Madam Shen was caught off guard. It took her a moment to understand, and she stared in surprise. “Why?”
Shen Qing puffed out her cheeks in frustration and ducked back under the covers, pulling them over her head. “Her father helped my father. We can’t just throw her out like that. We at least need to catch her doing something wrong first. When we have grounds, then we can send her away.”
Madam Shen did not argue with her. Instead, a satisfied smile bloomed at the corners of her eyes, like spring light softening her features. She gently pulled the blanket away from Shen Qing’s face and touched her forehead. “Very well. We’ll do as You’an says.” Madam Shen’s heart swelled with pride. Her little girl had grown up.
Shen Qing added, “Mother, when you have time tomorrow, I need to go back to Xuanji Pavilion to fetch something.”
Madam Shen frowned in worry. “Your health is poor to begin with, and you suffered so many injuries on Mount Li. You’ve only just woken up. It won’t hurt to wait a few more days. Or let Cuizhi bring it back for you.”
Shen Qing shook her head. “I’m fine now. That thing is very important. No one else can touch it. I have to go myself and get it as soon as possible.”
The Twin Wings Rebirth Array was far too strange. Her body seemed to have changed drastically because of it. She could lure out a dormant Xiangyou that hadn’t shown itself in years, to say nothing of how strongly she attracted other evil spirits.
She needed to comb through the ancient texts as soon as possible and find a solution. Hanging off Li Daoxuan every day was not a long-term plan.
Madam Shen sighed. “Very well, then. Take more people with you. Don’t overexert yourself.”
Shen Qing bobbed her head. “Mm.”
“It’s still early,” Madam Shen said. “Lie down and sleep a little more. I won’t disturb you.”
Shen Qing sat up, waving a hand. “Safe travels, Mother.”
In the palace, Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The tall, middle-aged man standing at the head of the hall slowly turned. The drooping beads of his imperial crown swung with the motion, the soft clink of gold and jade echoing faintly through the vast chamber.
His eyes were as deep as a cold pool, and the weight of years of imperial authority hung about him. The youthful handsomeness of his features had faded, but one could still see traces of it. Now, he was like an old jar of wine, dark, heavy, and rich with fragrance.
His bearing and features faintly echoed those of the young man before him: the same type, but one mellowed, one still sharp at the edges.
Li Daoxuan wore a scarlet round-collared robe, the usual silver belt and silver elbow-guards, black gloves, black boots.
The only thing different from usual was that the ponytail he normally tied with red cord had been let loose. His black hair was half bound, half falling over his back. A gauze kerchief cap perched on his head, making his lips look redder, his teeth whiter, his whole bearing bright and brimming with youth.
Emperor Jingren looked at his youngest son with a faint headache. Because of what the boy had gone through as a child, and because of his mother, Noble Consort Gao, who had died young, whether out of guilt or lingering affection for his late consort, Jingren doted on this son exceedingly.
When the boy wanted to go to Dongshan Temple, Jingren agreed. When he wanted to travel with Master You, Jingren agreed. On his fifteenth birthday, Jingren granted him a residence in Chang’an as the Cang Prince’s estate and formally enfeoffed him as King, with the title “Cang”.
Everyone in court knew how heavy that single character Cang weighed.
Cang evoked the苍天, the high heavens, implying closeness to Heaven itself and its protection.
If the Fourth Prince’s mother, Noble Consort Gao, had not died ten years earlier, and if the Prince Cang had not gone roaming with his master far from the political vortex, only returning to Chang’an after the ministers had all chosen sides and the Crown Prince had found his footing on the court… then Prince Cang’s momentum in court might well have rivaled the heir apparent’s.
Some even whispered that the Prince Cang would one day replace the Crown Prince on that throne.
But in the end, such talk was nothing more than bubbles and shadows, groundless rumor.
Now the subject of those rumors stood in the hall, looking thoroughly impatient.
Emperor Jingren asked, “I hear it was you and the Duke of Han’s daughter who subdued the Nine-headed Xiangyou?”
Li Daoxuan replied, “If you already know everything, why bother asking me?”
Jingren was clearly accustomed to his youngest son’s barbed tongue. His expression didn’t change as he continued, “You also personally carried the unconscious Miss Shen back to the Duke of Han’s estate.”
Li Daoxuan admitted it without hesitation. “Mm.”
“Utter nonsense!” Jingren snapped. “Rumor can melt metal. You know how important a girl’s reputation is and still insisted on acting like this. Could you not have followed Gu Yun’s example and simply brought her to Springview Terrace and kept watch there?”
If Jingren hadn’t noticed early and hurried to clean up behind him, the things being said about the two of them in Chang’an by now would be unimaginable.
Li Daoxuan said, “Miss Zhao fainted from fright. Miss Shen fainted because her body is useless and her injuries were too heavy. If I had thrown her at Springview Terrace and let the physician wait, what if she died halfway there?”
Jingren was speechless, words catching in his throat.
Li Daoxuan, sounding bored, asked, “You called me here just to ask about this?”
“What else?” Jingren almost choked.
“In that case, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
Jingren’s jaw hurt with anger. He waved a hand, weary. “Go, go, ”
He’d called the boy in mainly because he wanted to see this son he hadn’t laid eyes on in a long time. Now he had seen him, and suffered another round of aggravation for his trouble, so he let him leave with a dismissive wave.
Li Daoxuan stalked out, expression stiff.
As he stepped into the corridor, another figure brushed past him. The Third Prince’s calm, courteous voice sounded. “Fourth Brother, are you leaving already?”
Li Daoxuan flicked him a glance, answered with a noncommittal “Mm,” and didn’t slow his stride.
Li Jinxi was used to his brother’s coldness. He gave a slight smile and continued into the hall.
Soon, the sound of father and son talking drifted out.
“Your son greets Father.”
“Rise. How are your studies under Elder Li progressing?”
“Reporting to Father: in the classics, your son has just finished Mencius. In history, your son has read through the Book of Han once, but does not yet know it well.”
“Hm.” Jingren’s tone was mild. “Your Crown Prince elder brother had already mastered the Six Arts and read all Five Classics by seventeen. Jinxi, you must apply yourself harder.”
Li Jinxi accepted the rebuke humbly. “Your son is dull witted and will take Father’s teaching to heart.”
After they finished their somewhat stiff but familiar talk of lessons, Li Jinxi, seeing there was nothing more to say, wisely excused himself.
As he left, Jingren summoned the chief eunuch at his side.
The emperor’s voice held a note of pleased relief. “That boy has finally grown a little sensible. Draw up a secret decree and summon the Duke of Han and Lady Jinxiu to court.”
The inner attendant’s high, sharp voice carried a hint of festivity. “Does Your Majesty intend to bestow a marriage between His Highness Prince Cang and the Shen girl?”
Jingren did not answer directly. Instead, he said, “That boy has finally taken a liking to one particular little lady after all these years. Since the other party is the daughter of a pillar of the realm, I must discuss it properly with General Shen.”
He knew perfectly well what kind of rotten temperament his son had. General Shen and his wife treasured their daughter like their own life. If he wanted them to hand her over in marriage, it would not be easy.