Years ago, Emperor Xiao Che refused to expand his imperial harem out of his absolute devotion to Empress Su Wanqing.
This singular devotion sparked widespread dissatisfaction among the court officials. Even after the Empress gave birth to a pair of dragon-and-phoenix twins, ministers continued to submit memorials, criticizing the imperial lineage as “thin” and urging the Emperor to hold a beauty selection.
Some ministers, driven by darker ambitions, went so far as to secretly hire assassins to murder the young prince, Xiao Yu. They believed that removing the heir would force Xiao Che to expand his harem for the greater good of the Great Sheng Kingdom.
Though Xiao Che caught wind of the plot, he chose to keep it quiet to root out the conspirators entirely, quietly uncovering the exact time of the planned assassination.
To ensure the plan was foolproof, he ordered Xiao Yu to be taken and hidden at Shen Yi’s estate. Meanwhile, he coaxed Princess Xiao Li—who shared a similar height and facial structure with her brother—to disguise herself as Xiao Yu and hide in the Eastern Palace, intending for her to playfully scare Xiao Yu upon his return.
Yet, despite his thousands of calculations, Xiao Che failed to foresee one thing: even after realizing she was not Xiao Yu, the assassins had no intention of releasing her. Instead, they spirited Xiao Li away, vanishing into the depths of the palace.
That night, the capital was plunged into a bleak and tumultuous terror. Countless ministers woke up only to be severed from their heads, and by the next morning, the throne room ran red with blood…
From that night onward, Xiao Yu lost his “little shadow”—the sister who used to follow him everywhere, calling out “Brother” in her sweet, melodic voice.
“Xiao Yu! Now is not the time to wallow in grief!” Shen Yi suppressed his own pain, desperately trying to snap Xiao Yu out of his trance. “Do you have any idea how infested with bandits Suzhou is? Even this prefect is corrupt! Everyone here wants your head! If you perish, who will be left to search for Li’er?!”
At the mention of “Li’er,” Xiao Yu’s consciousness snapped back. He closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, he was once again the gentle and refined Crown Prince—as if his momentary lapse into madness had been nothing but an illusion.
Shen Yi curled his lip slightly. He knew invoking Xiao Li would work.
After all, ever since she was a child, Xiao Li had adored Xiao Yu’s demeanor as a proper, upright gentleman. For her sake, Xiao Yu had always maintained his reputation in the capital as the paragon of gentleness and courtesy, holding onto the hope that when he finally found her, he would still be the perfect brother she loved so dearly, completely unchanged.
Upon returning to the Prefect’s manor, Xiao Yu could no longer bring himself to exchange pleasantries with Cheng Yi. Claiming exhaustion, he expressed his desire to retire and rest.
Xiao Yu had no intention of staying in the courtyard Cheng Yi had arranged. Instead, he planned to head to a private residence his men had purchased upon their arrival in Suzhou.
Just as he was about to depart, the memory of a pair of watery, mist-filled eyes flashed across his mind. Pausing in his tracks, he instructed Cheng Yi to pack a portion of the food prepared for the evening banquet.
Cheng Yi waited while his subordinates packed the meal, then personally presented it to Xiao Yu with a practiced smile, seeing the prince off.
The moment Xiao Yu’s carriage rolled away, Cheng Yi’s smile vanished instantly. He spat aggressively toward the departing vehicle.
“Bah! What Crown Prince? Just another debauched fool given to wine and pleasure.” Turning to the housekeeper behind him, his eyes narrowed. “Did you send men to follow them?”
The housekeeper bowed low and stepped forward. “Rest assured, Master. Our men are right on their tails.”
“Good.” Cheng Yi stroked the jade ring on his thumb. “Keep a tight leash on them. If this prince catches wind of anything, this official wouldn’t mind taking his head as a tribute to Qinglong Village…”
With a booming laugh, he strode back into his mansion. The housekeeper followed closely behind, gesturing for the guards to shut the heavy gates.
“Master,” whispered the shadow guard disguised as the carriage driver, lowering his voice. “We’re being followed.”
“Kill them.”
Xiao Yu’s tone was ice-cold. Ever since Xiao Li’s disappearance, he had vowed never to give his enemies a single foothold.
Shen Yi didn’t try to dissuade him. He knew this was Xiao Yu’s deepest psychological wound. Besides, Prefect Cheng Yi’s hands had indeed stretched far too long.
“Understood.”
Shouyang gave a subtle hand signal to the brothers hidden in the dark. Soon, a barrage of muffled screams echoed from the road behind the carriage.
“Master, we have arrived.”
The carriage came to a steady halt before an unremarkable courtyard.
The two men alighted and walked into the residence, with Shouyang following closely behind.
“Lan Qiu reported that the little beggar washed up but refused to speak a single word. Not knowing where else to place her, she brought her here to this estate.”
Without breaking his stride, Xiao Yu continued forward. “I understand. Bring her in.”
When Xiao Yu finally saw the little beggar being led into the central hall, the spark of anticipation in his eyes gradually dimmed into heavy disappointment.
Even though the dirt had been washed from her face, revealing delicate and fair features, she bore absolutely no resemblance to Xiao Li. The only similarity lay in her eyes—they were remarkably like his Li’er’s.
“What is your name?”
Holding onto the final shred of hope, Xiao Yu spoke softly, his voice tinged with a fragile, barely perceptible caution.
The little beggar blinked her large eyes but remained silent.
Anxious from watching, Shen Yi took the food box in his hand and shook it gently, deliberately softening his voice. “Tell big brother your name, and I’ll give you some meat, alright?”
Likely enticed by the savory aroma wafting from the box, the girl swallowed hard. Her voice came out as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.
“My name is A-Li.”
Clatter—
The teacup in Xiao Yu’s hand shattered on the floor. He rushed over, grabbing her by the shoulders. His voice trembled with desperate urgency.
“What did you say? What is your name?!”
Terrified by his intensity, A-Li froze, unable to speak. Shen Yi quickly pulled Xiao Yu back, turning a stern gaze toward the girl.
“You said your name is A-Li. Is it the ‘Li’ from ‘Liuli’ (Gems)?”
Seeing her reluctance to speak, his tone sharpened. “Answer me!”
“What ‘Liuli’?” A-Li whimpered, her voice cracking with tears. “Grandmother said it’s the ‘Li’ from ‘Libie’ (Separation)… That’s why Father and Mother didn’t want A-Li anymore…”
The final glimmer of hope shattered. As if all the strength had been drained from his body, Xiao Yu slumped into a chair, utterly despondent.
“Lan Qiu, take A-Li back… and give her the food box.”
Shen Yi stared at A-Li’s retreating figure, finding something vaguely familiar about her silhouette. But turning to look at the soul-shattered prince, he shook his head, clearing his cluttered thoughts.
“We will find her eventually,” Shen Yi comforted weakly. “What if she was adopted by a good family…”
In truth, even Shen Yi didn’t believe his own words. If Xiao Li could be abandoned despite being an imperial princess, what hope did she have with ordinary folk?
“I want to be alone,” Xiao Yu mumbled, rubbing his temples as he walked toward his own quarters. “Don’t follow me.”
Looking at his swaying, fragile Highness, Shen Yi sighed and shook his head. He chose not to press further. Some griefs could only be walked through alone.
Lan Qiu led A-Li back to her courtyard, gave her a few brief instructions, and stepped out.
The moment Lan Qiu left, the fear and terror on A-Li’s face vanished, replaced instantly by a cold, detached aloofness.
She brought her left hand to her lips, while the fingers of her right hand tapped a rhythmic cadence against the tabletop. Moments later, the black-clad assassin from the previous day materialized by her side.
“Pavilion Master.”
“Did you find it?”
“Yes,” the assassin replied, drawing a piece of parchment from his sleeve. “This is the exact location of the ‘rat hole’ where the Prefect has been hiding the civilians.”
A-Li took the map, unfurled it, and scanned the contents. A cold smirk played on her lips.
“Prefect Cheng truly lives up to his reputation as a ruthless mastermind.”
The assassin didn’t dare utter a word. In terms of ruthlessness, his own master easily claimed the crown. Still, the Prefect of Suzhou was truly a monster; how could anyone commit such atrocious, inhuman deeds?