Wei Zijing slumped in his chair, exuding a sense of having nothing left to lose. He forced himself to meet those piercing eyes.
“Me? Hahaha! The one who should be worried is Wei Zichen! I reported his crimes—what could possibly implicate me?!”
“Prince Chen is indeed beyond saving,” Xu Ge set down his brush and took a seat as well. His thin lips parted as he calmly continued, “But the Emperor is growing old, at an age prone to melancholy. Back when the late Emperor ruled, he was directly involved in the struggle for the throne—a battle that pitted brother against brother.”
By this point, Wei Zijing’s face had completely darkened, his mind racing as he pondered Xu Ge’s words.
“With Prince Chen gone, why would you think that exposing him would earn you the Emperor’s favor?” Xu Ge pressed on. “The Sixth Prince, the Ninth Prince, and the Tenth Prince all still serve by the Emperor’s side. Do you truly believe His Majesty would think more highly of you because of this?”
Wei Zijing’s lips were bloodless, his eyes trembling slightly. His fingers, which had been stroking the smooth jade thumb ring, now dug into it fiercely.
“Prince Jing, who reported Prince Chen’s crimes, will only create a rift with the Emperor, leaving behind a reputation for being intolerant of his own brothers,” Xu Ge said with a mocking smile in his tone.
As a child, Xu Ge had been sent by his father to train in the military camp. His youth allowed him to escape the tragedy that befell his family—their entire household was slaughtered.
The young Xu Ge was a ruthless wolf cub, capable of defeating fierce, burly soldiers in the camp even before he came of age.
It wasn’t until he led troops to victory against marauding barbarian forces in his youth that he had his first chance to return to the imperial city.
By then, the throne had changed hands. Emperor Wei had ascended, and Xu Ge learned that his entire family had been wiped out, leaving him as the sole survivor.
Seeing Xu Ge baring his teeth like a wild wolf, glaring fiercely at Yan Kaiji, Emperor Wei ultimately spared his life in recognition of his battlefield valor.
From then on, the young Xu Ge was kept by the Emperor’s side, becoming his sharpest blade.
He naturally saw all the secrets of the royal family with perfect clarity.
Brothers slaughtering one another, sisters turning into enemies.
Each and every one of these incidents filled him with disdain, but Xu Ge could not allow the chaos to spiral out of control.
Because he always remembered:
His life was given to him by Emperor Wei.
“Is this what you want, Prince Jing?” Xu Ge’s cold, low voice rang out again as he looked at Wei Zijing, who was now completely dazed.
Wei Zijing turned his head away, unable to bear Xu Ge’s piercing gaze at this moment.
The Frost Chill Pavilion once again fell into a cold, silent stillness, as if plunged into an ice cellar.
At that moment, the jade pendant in the box stirred once more, but its faint vibrations were entirely muffled within the container.
The dazed Wei Zijing completely failed to notice this subtle movement.
A smile curled at the corner of Xu Ge’s lips. He straightened up and reached into the box, retrieving the note from the jade pendant.
Tie Jun Sister: [That’s great! (^▽^), can I ask you if I don’t understand something in the future?]
The faint smile on his lips widened slightly as Xu Ge picked up his brush and replied.
Jin Zhi: [Yes.]
“Then… what should I do? Should I just let the third prince run amok like this?” Wei Zijing’s eyes were dim, his spirit utterly deflated.
It was noon, and the sunlight today was exceptionally bright.
The windows of Frost Chill Pavilion were wide open at this moment, and that ray of sunlight shone in, adding a rare warmth to the cold architecture.
Xu Ge gazed out the window at the courtyard full of lush green phoenix trees, so verdant it was refreshing to the soul.
He did not withdraw his gaze, merely speaking calmly, “All the evidence has been collected. When to bring it to the table is up to you, Prince Jing.”
Xu Ge said no more, offering only this one reminder.
Emperor Wei was still in power, and he would not take sides during this period.
Wei Zijing hung his head dejectedly, finally trembling as he used his arms to push himself up from the chair.
Seeing Xu Ge’s gaze fixed out the window, he too instinctively looked outside.
Spring, this season of hope—as long as he had not reached a dead end, Wei Zijing always had a chance.
Wei Zijing’s temperament was indeed superior to that of the other princes.
Taking a deep, long breath, Wei Zijing stood up straight and performed a formal bow with the grace befitting a prince. “Thank you for the invitation, Lord Xu. My humble wife awaits me at the manor, so I shall take my leave.”
Without waiting for Xu Ge’s reply, knowing his temperament, Wei Zijing quietly left Frost Chill Pavilion.
Xu Manor was vast and imposing, yet lacked the warmth of human presence.
Led by Ashu, Wei Zijing passed through countless long pavilion corridors and paths hidden among the phoenix leaves until he reached the entrance of Xu Manor.
Ashu, who had intended to escort him back to Prince Jing’s residence, was politely declined by Wei Zijing.
“No need to see me off,” Wei Zijing waved his hand, then hesitated for a moment before finally asking Ashu, “Is it true that the Commander has never married because of his… preferences?”
Ashu was taken aback, then bowed in panic, hurriedly replying, “My lord’s affairs are not something I dare to speculate about.”
Knowing he would get no answers, Wei Zijing was amused by Ashu’s flustered demeanor and smiled faintly.
“Never mind.”
With that, he took the reins from the Xu Manor attendant, leaped onto his horse, and rode away from Xu Manor.
The horse’s neigh still echoed, the sound of hooves gradually fading, leaving only Ashu still bowing, cold sweat streaming down his back.
He always remembered how, whenever the Emperor urged his lord to marry, the usually cold and aloof lord would suddenly become agitated.
This was something even the Emperor could not resolve—how could he dare to speculate?
Only when a nearby attendant spoke up to remind him did Ashu snap out of it, straighten up, and return to Xu Manor.
The person on the other side of the jade pendant had once again disappeared without a word, falling silent.
Xu Ge, an old-fashioned man, knew nothing of modern young people’s chatting habits. All he knew was that they had not yet bid each other farewell, so the conversation was not over.
Meanwhile, Tang Zhiwu, having received a satisfactory answer, had thrown herself back into her studies.
She had even tossed her phone far away, paying no mind to the chat on WeChat.
Except for killing Yan Kaiji, Xu Ge had never been so patient. In Frost Chill Pavilion, he stared at the jade pendant, sitting motionless from noon until the end of the late afternoon.
One hand propped on the table, palm supporting his chin, only his long eyelashes fluttering.
“Ashu.”
Finally losing patience, Xu Ge withdrew his gaze, reached out a large hand, and closed the small gem-studded box.
With a deft flick of the fingers, the golden clasp was pressed down.
The jade pendant and all the letters were sealed inside.