13
Prince of Jin’s Mansion.
As Xie Xuanji walked through his manor, his trusted confidant asked worriedly, “Your highness, now that the Prince of Qiyang has awakened… should we report this to His Majesty?”
Under normal circumstances, Xie Xuanji would have reported it immediately. But this time… Every time Xie Xuanchen woke up, it caused a massive commotion, disturbing half the court. If the emperor asked questions, how would Xie Xuanji explain why he had been alone at the Jade Qilin Hall?
Ultimately, it was a delicate situation, hard to explain without incriminating himself. Xie Xuanji gave a light cough and said, “Second Brother only woke for a moment before fainting again. Informing His Majesty would only cause him unnecessary worry. We should wait until Second Brother’s condition stabilizes before reporting to the palace.”
His confidant furrowed his brow unconsciously. “But the Prince of Qiyang possesses immense natural strength and extraordinary martial prowess. Given the current sensitive circumstances, if we conceal this and something is missed, won’t we be unable to account for it?”
“Not an issue.” Xie Xuanji’s tone was firm. “He only woke for a moment before his strength gave out. He even coughed up blood before losing consciousness. His health has been deteriorating since the beginning of the year. Whether he wakes for a moment or not makes no difference to the final outcome. There’s no need to trouble Father with such trivial matters.”
Since the Prince of Jin had spoken thus, his confidant, though still uneasy, could say no more. Xie Xuanchen’s immense contributions to the founding emperors of two dynasties were no joke. Gifted with natural strength, he could draw a twenty-shi bow at fifteen and wield a six-shi bow on horseback. Someone had once made a bet on whether Xie Xuanchen could lift a one-hundred-jin iron spear. When Xie Xuanchen heard about it, he thought it was too light and publicly wielded a two-hundred-jin iron spear with such force that it whistled through the air.
Overwhelming power was a crushing advantage. When strength reached a certain level, technique became unnecessary—weight alone could crush an opponent. Xie Xuanchen possessed extraordinary strength, had grown up around military camps, and was proficient in all eighteen types of weapons. Such a man on the battlefield was a weapon of mass destruction on a catastrophic scale.
If he were merely a brute warrior, the court would not be so terrified of him. The problem was that he also had a sharp mind and was a rare military genius. Xie Xuanchen had joined the army at fifteen and subsequently won many battles against overwhelming odds. The emperors of Later Jin, Later Zhou, and Southern Tang had all died by his hand. There was simply no way Xie Rui could not fear him. If Xie Xuanchen were of sound mind, even if he voluntarily yielded the throne, Xie Rui would not dare to sit on it.
Xie Xuanchen had practically become the emperor’s obsession. Any slight movement from the Prince of Qiyang’s mansion would cause the emperor to lose sleep for days. How could the confidant feel at ease with such a major event as Xie Xuanchen’s awakening being concealed?
But one who eats the ruler’s grain must serve the ruler’s affairs. The confidant took the Prince of Jin’s money—how could he defy his wishes? Since Xie Xuanji refused to report it, the confidant could roughly guess the reason.
Xie Xuanji had come out of the Prince of Qiyang’s mansion. Apart from the guards, the only living person inside was the princess consort. The confidant knew perfectly well what the Prince of Jin had gone there to do.
Such matters were not fit for discussion. To speak of them too much was to invite trouble. So, after a couple of half-hearted protests, the confidant wisely fell silent when the prince insisted on concealing the matter.
In truth, Xie Xuanji himself now regretted not having chosen a different day to visit the Prince of Qiyang’s mansion. Then he could have reported this openly and honestly. He had deliberately established his residence next to the Prince of Qiyang’s mansion to curry favor with the emperor. But regardless of what he said aloud, he was secretly afraid.
Who could feel at ease with a fierce tiger chained beside their bed? Xie Xuanji also wanted to expose the fact that Xie Xuanchen had woken up. Afterward, either increase the medication or add more guards—whatever it took to ensure the safety of the Prince of Jin’s mansion. However, the problem was that once Xie Xuanji told the emperor that Xie Xuanchen had awakened, it would also mean that his own movements could no longer be concealed. How would Xie Xuanji explain to the emperor and the imperial physicians why he had been at the Prince of Qiyang’s mansion, and just happened to witness Xie Xuanchen waking up while speaking with the Princess of Qiyang?
If he claimed it was a coincidence, even Xie Xuanji himself wouldn’t believe it.
Unable to justify himself, he had no choice but to brazenly conceal the entire matter. Fortunately, Xie Xuanchen had only woken for a moment before fainting again—it shouldn’t cause any major problems. As for Mu Mingtang… Xie Xuanji wasn’t concerned. She was just a woman. What trouble could she possibly stir up?
In truth, Xie Xuanji’s feelings toward Mu Mingtang were quite simple. He didn’t think much of this low-born, vulgar substitute. If it hadn’t been for the need to cultivate his devoted image, secure the emperor’s favor, and win over Jiang Honghao, Xie Xuanji would never have accepted this coarse counterfeit princess consort. That said, Mu Mingtang was somewhat attractive and deeply devoted to him. Few men would reject a beautiful woman offered to them. His true primary consort should naturally be a proper young lady like Jiang Mingwei. But keeping a pretty vase in the neighboring mansion to occasionally sample something different—that wasn’t unacceptable.
Lost in their own thoughts, they walked in silence for a while. Upon reaching the study, the confidant asked, “Your highness, the Prince of Qiyang used to execute military maneuvers with divine precision and devise countless schemes. Though he has been unconscious for a long time, he is not to be underestimated. Today, was he truly unconscious?”
Xie Xuanji had also considered this question. Walking over to his desk, he thought for a moment before replying, “I saw with my own eyes that he coughed up blood and lost consciousness. There’s no way he was faking. Even if he could fake the coma, he couldn’t fake spitting up blood. I saw it clearly—the blood he spat out was bright red.”
Coughing up blood was never a good sign, especially bright red blood. His confidant felt somewhat reassured, but still…
“Your highness, what if?”
“There will be no ‘what if.'” Xie Xuanji was dismissive. “Even if he could act to that extent, the black iron chains forged from refined iron cannot be faked. Even if he wakes up, he cannot break free from those chains. He’s merely lingering on.”
Yes, the black iron chains. The confidant thought of those immensely heavy shackles and finally felt somewhat at ease. Those restraints had been forged under the order of Emperor Xie Yi, the late emperor. At that time, Xie Xuanchen’s destructive power was far greater than now. No one could subdue him, and Xie Yi, in a fit of rage, ordered Xie Xuanchen to be chained up. Later, when Xie Rui ascended the throne, he used Xie Yi’s deathbed edict as a shield to justifiably keep Xie Xuanchen confined, even quietly reinforcing the chains several times.
These black iron chains were the cage that held the fierce tiger. No one dared bear the consequences of that tiger being set free. The confidant exhaled and said, “As long as the black iron chains remain, the realm remains stable. Let us only hope that the Prince of Qiyang stays docile and does not go mad again.”
Xie Xuanji scoffed lightly. “There’s no way he can break free. The keys are two in number. One is with me, and the other Father Emperor keeps on his person. If either key is missing, the chains cannot be opened. Unless he cuts off his own hands and feet, there is absolutely no way he can escape.”
Outside the Jade Qilin Hall, the alert had not yet been lifted, and the guards remained extremely vigilant. Mu Mingtang opened the door to fetch her meal and saw heavily armored soldiers patrolling back and forth outside the corridor, day and night, without a moment’s respite. The captain of the guards was also stationed at the main gate. Seeing Mu Mingtang emerge, he asked, “This humble officer pays his respects to the princess consort. Princess Consort, how is the Prince of Qiyang? Have there been any signs of waking?”
Mu Mingtang shook her head and sighed softly. “No. He lost consciousness after spitting up blood and is still asleep.”
The captain of the guards seemed unsure whether to feel relieved or more anxious. He cupped his fists and said, “We would trouble the princess consort to remain especially vigilant. At the slightest sign of any movement, please come out immediately and inform us. You must not take any chances.”
“Mmm, I understand.” Mu Mingtang replied, then with a grave expression, she picked up her food box and went inside. After closing the door, she quietly pressed her ear against it and listened for a long time. Only after confirming that no one outside suspected anything did she scurry back to the bedchamber like a thief.
“Your highness, I’m back.” Mu Mingtang walked to the western chamber and whispered, “Don’t worry. They didn’t notice a thing!”
After saying this, she felt that something was odd. “Why does this feel like I’m hiding someone in my room? Avoiding prying eyes, sneaking around—I’m being more careful than an adulterous affair.”
Xie Xuanchen was busy examining his shackles. At first, he couldn’t be bothered to respond, but when he heard words like “hiding someone” and “adulterous affair,” the veins on his hands bulged, and he finally lost his patience. “Mind how you speak.”
“It’s the truth.” Mu Mingtang said as she laid out the dishes from the food box. “Look, we even have to sneak your meals in. This is exactly how the mistress’s lover used to behave at my neighbor’s house back in the day.”
Xie Xuanchen’s temper flared, and in his frustration, he pulled too hard on the iron chain, making it rattle loudly. Startled, Mu Mingtang hurriedly shushed him. “Shh! Don’t make a sound!”
To her surprise, Xie Xuanchen actually stopped. They remained in an eerie silence for a long while. Mu Mingtang pressed her ear against the window to listen. Only after confirming that no one outside had noticed anything did she let out a long sigh of relief. “That scared me to death. This really isn’t something ordinary people can handle. If this happens too many times, I’ll die of fright.”
This time, Xie Xuanchen managed to hold back. A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm—he could overlook this minor slander. But then he realized something was off. Wait a minute, they were clearly a legitimate married couple. Why was he going along with thoughts of affairs and secret lovers?
Unaware of Xie Xuanchen’s twisted and convoluted inner thoughts, Mu Mingtang dished out the food and brought it to the bedside. Having just woken up, she didn’t dare feed him anything too greasy, so she had ordered only nourishing and easily digestible things like tofu and chicken. She brought the bowl over to feed him, but Xie Xuanchen’s expression was stiff and reluctant.
One look at his face and Mu Mingtang knew exactly what this difficult man was thinking. She spoke very patiently. “Your highness, your hands are bound by chains. They’ll clank at the slightest movement. You’d be better off letting me do it.”
A man under the eaves must bow his head. Xie Xuanchen had no choice but to accept being fed. Fortunately, Mu Mingtang had skillful feeding technique. All he had to do was lower his head to take a bite, and each portion was just the right size, easy to eat.
Aside from everything else, this was actually quite comfortable… Xie Xuanchen swallowed his food and asked, “You know quite a few random skills. Where did you learn all that?”
“Does that even need learning?” Mu Mingtang laughed. “When you have parents taking care of everything, you never learn anything. But leave a person out in the world, and within a year, they’ll know it all.”
After feeding him his meal, she gave him water, then finally ate herself. Mu Mingtang ate much more efficiently than Xie Xuanchen. Having just woken up, Xie Xuanchen would remain conscious for a while longer, but with nothing else to do, he could only watch Mu Mingtang eat.
Mu Mingtang was very focused when she ate. She chewed with her lips closed, making no noise and appearing unhurried, her cheeks puffing in and out like a chipmunk. Though she looked dainty while eating, she was actually quite fast. Her bites weren’t large, but she moved quickly and wasn’t picky about food—clearly a habit forged in times of chaos. The delicately raised young ladies in the capital would pick and choose, complaining endlessly about their meals. By the time they finished eating, the capital could have been overrun.
Xie Xuanchen’s own eating habits were similar to Mu Mingtang’s. On the battlefield, there was no room for fussiness. Eating quickly was a necessity for anyone in the military. As for being picky… if any of his subordinates dared to be picky, Xie Xuanchen would personally beat them to death.
After watching for a while, Xie Xuanchen finally noticed something—the bowl in Mu Mingtang’s hands looked oddly familiar.
To avoid raising suspicion outside, they had to share a single bowl. Using two bowls for one meal would be admitting guilt. Xie Xuanchen suddenly felt awkward. He averted his eyes and looked away.
Mu Mingtang was so focused on eating that she didn’t notice whether anyone was watching her. During her days as a refugee, when there was food, you ate it quickly. If you looked around, someone might snatch it away. After finishing her meal, she cleaned up the dishes. Seeing that Xie Xuanchen was quietly resting, she assumed he was simply low on energy again, so she didn’t think much of it and took the food box outside.
Mu Mingtang placed the food box outside. The patrolling soldiers didn’t suspect a thing. She silently cheered to herself. Another day of secretly keeping someone in my room without getting caught outside.
Giddy with her small victory, Mu Mingtang sauntered back inside and found Xie Xuanchen once again examining the black iron chains. By now, she knew the origin of these chains, and seeing this scene filled her with sadness.
Who would have thought that these chains had been locked onto Xie Xuanchen by his own father, the late Emperor Xie Yi? When Xie Yi issued the order, he had also decreed that no one was to remove them without his personal command. But not long after, Xie Yi died.
Naturally, that command could never be obtained.
Mu Mingtang’s heart ached. The physical damage these shackles inflicted on Xie Xuanchen was secondary. The psychological blow was what truly mattered.
These black iron chains reminded him at every moment that he was no longer the revered, battle-hardened general, but a sinner who had slaughtered his comrades and taken countless lives.
The hero of war had become the sinner of peace.
Pretending she hadn’t noticed anything, Mu Mingtang walked over and spoke lightly. “Your highness, I met quite a few remarkable people on the road. One of them was a thief—lock-picking was a family tradition. I studied with him for a while. How about I give it a try?”
**