Seeing that Xiao Heng remained silent, Li Jinxi persuaded him, “Just now, Li Jichang executed four princes. It looks like he intends to eradicate the imperial bloodline. The King of Chu may have thoughts of usurping the throne. Your Majesty… perhaps you should endure for a while longer, pretend to be a princess, and use the opportunity to escape the capital. But…”

He showed a sad expression, “At present, Li Jichang’s power is immense. He controls much of the Central Plains, from Huai’nan to Henan and even Hebei. He has allied with the King of the North in Hedong. I don’t know where we could possibly escape to… Among all the military governors, who could resist him?”

“Heh.”

The person in front of him suddenly sneered lightly, the voice cold like ice and snow.

Li Jinxi was taken aback, “Your Majesty?”

“Once we were like fish in the same pond, but now we are like merchants and stars.”^[1]“Like fish in the same pond” implies that at one point, the individuals were close, sharing the same environment or circumstances, and perhaps even depended on each other in a more … Continue reading Xiao Heng poured the water from his cup into the saucer, a mocking smile lifting his lips, his phoenix eyes appearing particularly indifferent.

Xiao Heng: “How could there be eternal allies in this world? It’s only that, for the moment, there’s a common enemy and shared interests. Now, where can you escape? The Yan court is practically nonexistent. The three great military governors sent to pacify Hedong were all swallowed up by Li Jichang. He has become the most powerful force in the world. The common enemy is gone, and now, Li Jichang’s former greatest ally, his ally…”

“Now, he is Li Jichang’s greatest threat.”

Li Jinxi was stunned, “But I just heard that Li Jichang intends to marry his daughter to the heir of the King of the North. It seems he’s trying to win him over.”

Xiao Heng raised an eyebrow, “Has the King of the North agreed?”

If he had agreed, Duan Yunfeng wouldn’t be blind enough to mistake him for a princess and propose.

Li Jinxi: “The King of the North was initially willing, but the heir, Duan Yunfeng…”

Xiao Heng: “Do you think it was Duan Yunfeng’s fault that ruined the relationship between the two families?”

Li Jinxi hesitated and nodded.

Xiao Heng lowered his eyelids, placing the tea cup down, “Quite the opposite.”

“Since Duan Yunfeng has already proposed, it’s probably because he knows the King of the North would fulfill his wishes. Rejecting the Li family’s proposal, it seems like Duan Yunfeng acted foolishly on his own, but in reality, the Duan family is slapping Li Jichang in the face. Deep down, Duan Yunfeng is discontented with Li Jichang.”

Li Jinxi was momentarily stunned, feeling that the emperor in front of him had suddenly become much more profound and inscrutable. “Your Majesty, do you think…?”

Xiao Heng began tracing a map with the edge of his tea cup, explaining, “The northern cavalry of the King of the North is fierce, but King Duan Yu is straightforward and lacks strategy.”

If it weren’t for this, the King of the North wouldn’t have repeatedly sent troops to protect the court during times of danger, always acting decisively. This time, he allied with Li Jichang, who, under the guise of ‘clearing the court’s side’, was busy absorbing other military governors, while Duan Yu’s goal remained clear and focused.

That goal is to eliminate An Youliang.

Before Duan Yunfeng’s entry into Luoyang, the King of the North had sent several memorials stating that if the court handed over An Youliang, he would immediately cease hostilities. Of course, whether or not the emperor could hand over An Youliang wasn’t up to him, as the military authority of the central army was in An Youliang’s hands. Rather than saying Emperor Jianing was the ruler, it would be more accurate to call him An Youliang’s mascot, a protective charm. But now, this charm no longer works. An Youliang’s actions had pushed even the honest people too far, and the King of the North was determined not to cease until he saw An Youliang’s head.

Xiao Heng didn’t even doubt that once the King of the North had eliminated the threats to him within the court, he would return to Hedong and continue his role as the King of the North, still nominally supporting the Yan emperor.

Xiao Heng: “Before he was forced to rebel, the King of the North always obeyed the court’s orders, and was considered ‘loyal and righteous’, because his ancestors were all officials of Yan. Although the court has grown weak, it could still barely balance the forces from all sides. He followed the orders of Xiao… of me, and that made it legitimate. But what is Li Jichang?”

He sneered, his tone filled with sarcasm, “He’s disloyal, unjust, and a thief who has stolen the country.”

Xiao Heng: “Previously, when the King of the North was in his most difficult time, Li Jichang spared his life, and they became close friends. With their common enemy, an alliance between them was natural. But now that Li Jichang seeks to become emperor, he wants the King of the North to submit. Friends and rulers cannot be mixed together.”

Li Jinxi was stunned into silence.

Xiao Heng: “In fact, the King of the North’s straightforward nature is his greatest weakness. If Li Jichang had been more thoughtful and supported an imperial bloodline to rise, he would have had the legitimacy of the throne. He could have cultivated forces within the court, and the King of the North would have been firmly tied down without realizing it. Given time, Li Jichang could have slowly weakened the King of the North’s power. But Li Jichang is cruel and impatient.”

“He just breached the capital and slaughtered the imperial heirs. His ambition is glaringly obvious…”

“This was a wrong move, a foolish one.”

“The northern cavalry of the King of the North will not obey him. He will never tolerate the potential threat from Hedong.”

“The two of them are bound to be at odds.”

Xiao Heng looked up at Li Jinxi, “Li Jichang is eager to become emperor, but without legitimacy. If the King of the North rebels, all the other military governors will follow suit.”

Li Jinxi nodded repeatedly, “Your Majesty’s analysis is absolutely correct! Once the situation falls into chaos, we can take the opportunity to escape…”

“Escape?” Xiao Heng laughed, his eyes flashing with a cold light, “Why would I need to escape?”

For the past hundred years, his incompetent descendants had done many absurd things, and that was why the world had fallen into this chaotic situation.

From now on, he would restore order.

He would no longer be a puppet emperor, controlled by many forces. He would eliminate Li Jichang and all other destabilizing forces from the court.

He would bring peace to the world and ensure stability.

Though Xiao Heng had initially been shaken by the shock of rebirth and the imminent fall of his kingdom, he was now completely calm.

As for how to escalate the conflict between the King of the North and Li Jichang’s forces, Xiao Heng had already formulated a rough plan.

What he needed now was to understand the true nature of the King of the North’s heir, Duan Yunfeng, as well as his feelings toward the King of Chu, Li Jichang, and the Xiao family. After all, the King of the North, Duan Yu, was in Hedong, while his son, Duan Yunfeng, had led the army into the capital. Xiao Heng could infer from Emperor Jianing’s memories what Duan Yu was like, but he didn’t know much about his son, who had won three battles for the military governors.

Although Duan Yunfeng’s mistake in mistaking him for a princess was absurd, this identity could still be used to his advantage…

“How is the princess doing?”

Just then, a maid’s voice came from outside the tent.

Li Jinxi froze, looking up at Xiao Heng, silently asking for his opinion.

Xiao Heng nodded.

Li Jinxi raised his voice to the outside, “She has just woken up!”

The maid responded, “I will report to the general right away.”

As the footsteps faded, Li Jinxi lifted the curtain to check, then returned to Xiao Heng, “Your Majesty, they’ve gone.”

Xiao Heng: “From now on, don’t call me ‘Your Majesty’.”

Li Jinxi: “Yes… Your… uh, Your Highness.”

Xiao Heng thought for a moment, “Go tell that man named Duan, I’ve caught a mute illness and cannot speak for now.”

If he spoke, Duan Yunfeng would definitely know he wasn’t a “princess.”

Li Jinxi: “Understood!”

“This old servant will handle it right away.”

Saying this, he was about to leave.

“Wait.” Xiao Heng raised his hand, calling him back. “Get someone to bring a veil or any kind of head covering that can block the face.”

Previously, when Duan Yunfeng had seen him from a distance, combined with the unclear view through the water, he had mistakenly taken him for a “princess.” But anyone who got closer would immediately see his sharp facial features, which were unlike a woman’s.

He stroked his chin.

Fortunately, it was winter now, and wearing a fur collar to cover his throat was no problem.

Xiao Heng: “Alright, you may go now.”

“Yes.” Li Jinxi immediately followed Xiao Heng’s orders.

About half an hour later, the sky outside darkened, and oil lamps were lit inside the tent.

“Princess…” The maid’s voice was heard again outside the tent. “The items you requested, this servant has brought them to you.”

Li Jinxi opened the tent, pointing to a table outside, and said, “Thank you, miss. You can just leave them here.”

The maid placed the items down and instinctively glanced inside the tent. In the dim candlelight, she saw someone in a crimson brocade robe, sitting upright at a desk, seemingly reading a book. The cold, pale skin made the tent appear brighter.

Hearing the sounds from outside, the person put down the book and glanced over. At that moment, the maid suddenly blushed.

She had heard the princess was beautiful, but she never expected her to be this stunning.

Her brows were deep, her eyes like ink, her lips thin, and her nose sharp. She didn’t resemble a gentle and demure woman but rather like a charming young man. As she thought this, the maid lowered her head, no longer daring to look at the princess. She spoke softly: “The general requests the princess’s presence at the command tent; he says he has a matter to discuss and needs your assistance.”

Xiao Heng, upon hearing this, took the veil from Li Jinxi and stood up from the desk.

The maid was stunned again. She was tall for a woman, but the princess was still taller by at least a head, even taller than many soldiers in the camp.

The white veil hanging down from the headpiece reached Xiao Heng’s waist, covering most of his face. Only the tip of his high nose was visible. He calmly took a pen and wrote a line on the paper.

— “I understand.”

When the maid looked up, the wind blew, lifting part of the veil and revealing his deep, ink-like eyes. She blushed again…

The princess’s shoulders…

Were so broad.

The person in front of her didn’t speak again, and with Li Jinxi, they left the tent.

The maid secretly glanced at the words the princess had left behind, and she was even more convinced that the writing was like iron carvings—strong, forceful, and quite handsome…

“Why does this ‘I’ look a bit like ‘朕’ (the royal ‘I’)?”^[2]The difference of I (我) and Royal I(朕) is more than just a word; it reflects the status and power of the person using it. “朕” was used exclusively by emperors to emphasize their … Continue reading

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At the heavily guarded command tent, before the curtain was even lifted, a strange, rotting odor wafted out.

When the princess arrived, a guard beside Xiao Heng opened the curtain for him.

The dim light from the candles revealed rows of fierce generals in armor, holding long blades, like the hellish demons from a demon king’s throne. In the center of the tent, a body dressed in a dragon robe, bloated and pale, lay across the table.

Seeing this scene, Li Jinxi’s heart tightened, and his legs began to tremble.

Xiao Heng was the first to notice Duan Yunfeng.

He wore a silver crown and a dark robe with cloud and water patterns, standing out with his striking appearance. It matched the face that Xiao Heng had remembered from when Duan Yunfeng had tried to assassinate him underwater.

Standing beside Duan Yunfeng, in the center of the tent, was a large man with a face full of horizontal flesh and narrow eyes. He was likely the King of Chu, Li Jichang. His eyes were lowered, making it impossible to read his expression.

Beside Li Jichang stood a young man who looked almost identical to him—unremarkable in appearance, but his expression revealed an unmasked viciousness. From the moment Xiao Heng entered, the young man’s eyes glued to him like maggots on flesh.

Xiao Heng decided he would find out the young man’s name later.

And one day, he would cut off his head.

Duan Yunfeng was interrogating someone dressed in official robes but with the appearance of a Taoist priest, looking out of place.

“Have you carefully examined him? Are you sure this is His Majesty?”

“Absolutely! This humble servant would never deceive you.” The person knelt on the ground, responding to Duan Yunfeng, though his eyes kept glancing toward Li Jichang. “Who would have thought that several of the princes would turn against us? His Majesty must have been harmed by them!”

The “princes” he spoke of were those Li Jichang had executed by the Luo River.

“Enough. Leave.” Duan Yunfeng didn’t want to hear any more nonsense and motioned for the guards to take the official away. He noticed Xiao Heng, then immediately turned and walked toward him.

As vassal generals, they had never had the opportunity to see the emperor in person. Naturally, they didn’t know what Emperor Mu Zong^[3]My guest and understanding is that, Emperor Mu Zong is the one handling the Yan Empire before Emperor Jianing(now Xiao Heng) so please do not be confused if there are two emperor they are mentioning. … Continue reading looked like, and since the palace had been burned by Li Jichang’s men, there was no portrait of the emperor to be found. They had no choice but to rely on court officials and royal family members who had seen the emperor in person to help with identification.

“I asked the princess to come because we need her help in confirming the identity of this floating corpse.” Facing Xiao Heng, Duan Yunfeng’s expression softened significantly, and he whispered, “Don’t be afraid.”

Perhaps it was due to his nomadic bloodline, but Duan Yunfeng’s eye sockets were deeper than those of the average person from the Central Plains, making his already large eyes appear even bigger. Especially now, as he stood close in front of Xiao Heng, the affectionate gaze in his eyes was unmistakable, almost as if he were trying to bore two holes into Xiao Heng’s body, sending a chill down his spine. Xiao Heng’s temple throbbed, and he cursed Emperor Jianing silently in his mind.

Enduring that burning gaze, he quickly walked to the desk and took several glances at the body to calm himself down.

Li Jinxi, following behind Xiao Heng, stole a glance at the corpse and nearly vomited.

Duan Yunfeng asked, “Is this the emperor?”

Xiao Heng expressionlessly stared at the body, then raised his hand to point at the side desk, signaling that he wanted to write.

Duan Yunfeng stepped aside to give him room, and Li Jinxi immediately moved to pull out a chair for Xiao Heng.

Xiao Heng took a seat at the desk, supporting himself with one hand on his knee.

Li Jinxi looked at his posture, estimating that the distance from Xiao Heng’s left knee to his right knee was enough for a horse to circle around it. His eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

“Cough! Cough! Cough!” He kept signaling Xiao Heng with his eyes, “Your Highness…”

Xiao Heng furrowed his brows and displeasedly closed his legs.

He picked up the brush and, under the intense gaze of the crowd, wrote two words:

—— Not.

The moment those two words were written, it was as if hot oil had been dropped into a pot—an uproar spread throughout the room.

Li Jinxi was shaken, cold sweat beading on his forehead, unsure of Xiao Heng’s meaning.

The scarred-faced, fierce deputy beside Li Jichang suddenly drew his sword and loudly questioned Xiao Heng, “Did you see clearly?”

Duan Yunfeng stepped in front of Xiao Heng and slammed his palm onto the desk. “Han Hu, what do you mean by drawing your sword?”

The soldiers standing behind Duan Yunfeng immediately placed their hands on their sword hilts, glaring at Han Hu.

Li Jichang’s face darkened as he scolded his deputy, Han Hu. “Put the sword away!”

He turned slowly to look at Xiao Heng, his brows furrowing, “Then who is this?”

Xiao Heng wrote: A performer.

The room fell silent as everyone exchanged glances, each with different expressions.

It wasn’t unusual for someone to wear a dragon robe in the Xiao family, but it was quite strange in the context of the emperor.

Because Emperor Jianing, Xiao Huan, was indeed such a ridiculous person—he not only secretly enjoyed wearing women’s clothes and singing opera, but he also trusted performers.

As the saying went: “The Son of Heaven is a performer, and the performer is the Emperor.”^[4]“The Son of Heaven is a performer, and the performer is the Emperor” means that the emperor, as the “Son of Heaven,” has a special role to play. His actions are like a … Continue reading

In the silence, Duan Yunfeng broke it first. He looked at the crowd and said, “The princess surely would not make a mistake. As the Son of Heaven, the emperor would naturally be protected by heaven, but his whereabouts are still unclear. We, as loyal subjects of Yan, should continue to search tirelessly.”

“Yes.” Li Jichang’s facial muscles twitched, and he forced a stiff smile, “My dear nephew is right.”

But there was no smile in his eyes.

A staff member beside him stepped forward and bowed, “Naturally, we must search for the emperor with all our efforts, but I believe, a country cannot be without a ruler even for a day. Someone must step forward to oversee the situation. The emperor has no heirs…”

He then subtly glanced at Li Jichang.

Li Jichang said nothing but lowered his head to stroke his beard.

The staff member turned to look at Duan Yunfeng.

Duan Yunfeng: “According to the law, we should choose a suitable prince from among the royal family to govern.”

“This…” The staff member coughed lightly. Everyone knew that Li Jichang had just executed several of the princes from the imperial capital. “Currently, there may be no one in Luoyang. In my opinion, the Prince of Chu holds great influence and has the emperor’s favor. Perhaps he could temporarily take the role of regent?”

“Since you say so…” Duan Yunfeng glanced sideways at the silent Li Jichang, his expression inscrutable as he smiled, “The regent position would naturally be most suitable for the Prince of Chu.”

“If you all say so, then if I don’t take the regent position, it would become my fault.” Li Jichang shook his head with a light laugh, “If we find the emperor, I will immediately step down from the regent position!”

But as he spoke, a shadow of coldness flashed in his eyes.

As long as the emperor was still alive, his regent position would always be without legitimacy.

The crowd responded in unison, “Yes.”

In the midst of the flattery from his own men, Li Jichang said, “It’s getting late, everyone should return and rest. If there’s anything, we’ll discuss it tomorrow…”

“Father, I have a request.” His son, Li Min, suddenly stood up.

Li Jichang: “What is it?”

Li Min, who resembled his father greatly, looked at Duan Yunfeng with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “I’ve heard of the princess’s beauty for a long time, and now that I’ve seen her, I must say, her talent is indeed…”

“My son wishes to take the princess as a concubine.”

“Bang!”

The sound of a table moving near Duan Yunfeng was heard.

Xiao Heng: “…………”

His gaze under the veil darkened. He hadn’t expected Li Jichang’s foolish son to complicate things.

The room was immediately filled with murmurs.

Li Jichang’s face turned as black as a cauldron.

In front of all the generals, he couldn’t lose his temper, so he spoke in a low voice:

“You’re asking at the wrong time. Young Master Duan has already proposed to the princess.”

Li Min raised an eyebrow and looked at Duan Yunfeng, “What a coincidence?”

“Then, how about I have a competition with Young Master Duan? If I lose, I certainly won’t take someone else’s woman.”

Duan Yunfeng gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, his surroundings thick with tension. He suppressed his anger and said, “What shall we compete in?”

Li Min looked at Xiao Heng, “Why don’t we let the princess decide?”

Duan Yunfeng pressed his tongue to his cheek, lowering his brows, and said, “Fine.”

The atmosphere fell into silence.

Xiao Heng raised his eyes and his gaze swept over Duan Yunfeng.

What was Duan Yunfeng good at?

His eyes skimmed over the man’s broad shoulders, his narrow waist, long legs, and the slightly Northern mixed-race look on his face…

It was said that in the battle at Hangu Pass, Duan Yunfeng had been surrounded by the allied forces but killed a hundred men with his own strength to break through, earning a reputation far and wide. He even scared the emperor and the eunuch An Youliang half to death.

Xiao Heng picked up his brush and wrote two words on the paper.

Duan Yunfeng better be as capable as the rumors say, or he’d ruin his plans.