“Leak this to the Crown Prince—but make sure they don’t realize anything is amiss.”
“Understood.”
After receiving the order, the man in black did not disappear immediately as he usually did. Instead, he remained where he was, hesitating.
“Something else?”
Ali fixed him with an unwavering gaze.
The black-clad man immediately dropped to one knee.
“This subordinate has learned that the Crown Prince came to Suzhou for another reason.”
Ali said nothing, merely gesturing for him to continue.
“I heard… the Crown Prince is searching for his younger sister.”
“His younger sister?”
Ali chuckled softly, though the hand gripping the teacup tightened until her knuckles turned white.
“Princess Anning is still in the imperial palace. It wouldn’t make much sense for him to come all the way to Suzhou looking for her, would it?”
The man failed to notice the subtle change in his master’s tone and hurried to explain.
“Not Princess Anning. I mean His Highness’s biological younger sister—the Grand Princess of Dasheng, Xiao Li.”
Ali rose slowly to her feet.
Looking down at the kneeling man, her voice turned icy.
“You mean that pitiful creature the imperial family abandoned six years ago?”
“If the imperial family already cast her aside, what use is there in bringing her back?”
“Zhanli… since when have you started making such careless mistakes?”
Zhanli lowered his head even further, not daring to utter a word.
Only after a long silence did Ali withdraw her gaze from the top of his head and return to her seat.
“Go receive your punishment.”
“Next time, verify the facts before reporting to me. Don’t bring me every rumor you hear.”
“I don’t expect to see you make the same mistake again.”
“Yes, Master.”
Zhanli hurriedly withdrew, though confusion lingered in his heart.
Wasn’t the story in the capital that the Grand Princess had been kidnapped by assassins?
Why did the Pavilion Master call her abandoned instead?
Ali remained seated without moving.
Night gradually deepened, and moonlight streamed through the window into the room.
After a long while, she walked to the dressing table.
Slowly, she peeled away the lifelike mask covering her face.
Beneath it emerged a face almost identical to the Crown Prince’s.
His features were sharper, more resolute.
Hers were softer, exquisitely beautiful.
“The Grand Princess Xiao Li…”
Her fingertips brushed the bronze mirror as a quiet laugh escaped her lips.
It sounded both mocking and heartbreakingly desolate.
A glimmer of tears shimmered in her eyes.
“She died long ago…”
She had died…
…six years ago, inside the Eastern Palace.
A rainy night.
Outside the Eastern Palace.
A little girl had her mouth covered by a masked assassin.
A cold blade rested against her throat.
Flames soared into the sky around them.
Yet not a single person came to save her.
On top of the palace wall stood Xiao Che.
His face was obscured by darkness.
Only his eyes could be seen—
cold…
unyielding…
the eyes of an emperor.
“You have nowhere left to run.”
“Throw down your weapon.”
The assassin did not release Xiao Li.
Instead, he tightened his grip.
She was his only bargaining chip.
“Xiao Che!”
“They say even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs.”
“I never imagined you could be so heartless!”
“You actually used your own daughter in place of your son.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill her in my rage?”
Every word pierced the little girl’s heart like a knife.
She instinctively looked up toward the emperor atop the wall.
Her father…
She had believed Father was only playing a trick—
trying to frighten her brother.
Shock…
Confusion…
A desperate plea for confirmation filled her eyes.
Xiao Che remained silent.
Around him, the archers raised their bows.
A long time passed.
So long that Xiao Li thought he would never answer.
Then, finally—
“You think I care whether a piece of bait lives or dies?”
His voice was freezing cold, carrying even a trace of ridicule.
“My target is you… and those behind you.”
“As for her…”
“The only value she had was serving as bait to lure you out in place of the Crown Prince.”
“Now…”
“You are worth far more than she is.”
“Fire!”
Those final two words drove straight into Xiao Li’s heart.
She watched with perfect clarity as the archers obeyed the emperor’s command and drew their bows.
In that instant—
time seemed to stop.
She stared fixedly at the familiar yet distant figure upon the wall.
His words echoed endlessly in her ears.
Fire.
Even the assassin had not expected the emperor to be so utterly merciless.
Instinctively, he dragged Xiao Li backward to evade the volley.
In that split second, he shoved her in front of him as a human shield.
The arrow aimed at him veered off course, striking the ground near his feet instead.
Seizing the opportunity, he fled toward the exit.
“Stop him!”
For the first time, urgency finally entered Xiao Che’s voice from atop the wall.
But it was too late.
The assassin’s martial arts were exceptional.
With Xiao Li serving as his shield, the imperial guards dared not attack recklessly.
None of them could stop him.
Very soon, he disappeared into the endless night, taking the girl who no longer struggled with him.
Afterward…
Because the assassin had failed to complete his assignment, he never received the promised payment.
Meanwhile, news spread throughout the capital.
The emperor selected a suitable girl from a collateral branch of the imperial clan…
recognized her as his daughter…
and bestowed upon her the title of Princess Anning.
Seeing that the emperor had no intention of paying a ransom for Xiao Li…
the assassin simply sold her to a human trafficker.
A tear slipped down Ali’s cheek…
landing upon the hand resting on the dressing table.
There was no longer any Xiao Li in this world.
Only…
Ali.
Ali…
A child destined from birth to be abandoned by everyone.
The next morning.
The three of them ate breakfast in complete silence.
After a while, Shouyang hurried over and whispered something into Xiao Yu’s ear.
Xiao Yu’s gaze shifted toward Ali.
Following his line of sight, Shen Yi also looked at her.
Under the attention of both men, Ali’s frantic eating gradually slowed.
Finally, she neatly placed her chopsticks beside her bowl and sat upright like an obedient child.
“Ali.”
Xiao Yu’s voice remained calm.
“Do you know where Liyuan is?”
“I do.”
She nodded.
“It’s outside Suzhou City.”
“It used to be Magistrate Cheng’s private garden, but it’s been abandoned.”
“An abandoned garden…”
Ali tilted her head, looking puzzled.
After a brief pause, she answered with absolute certainty.
“It really is abandoned.”
“Magistrate Cheng said it’s a haunted place.”
“Some brave people went there before.”
“They really did hear ghosts crying at night.”
“And the next day…”
“That person disappeared.”
“The magistrate said…”
“…the ghosts carried him away.”
Her voice grew quieter and quieter.
Eventually she curled into herself, looking thoroughly frightened.
Watching Ali shrink into an ostrich once again, Xiao Yu knew she was genuinely scared.
He signaled Lanqiu to escort her away.
After Ali left, Shen Yi asked curiously,
“Why is Your Highness suddenly asking about Magistrate Cheng’s abandoned garden?”
“If you’re interested, this heir can simply buy you the largest garden in Suzhou for your enjoyment.”
Xiao Yu lifted his teacup and shot Shen Yi a sideways glance.
He had no intention whatsoever of responding to someone whose mind revolved entirely around amusement.
Unable to bear it any longer, Shouyang stepped forward to explain.
“Your Highness… Young Master Shen.”
“This subordinate just received word that the ‘rat hole’ Miss Ali mentioned yesterday is very likely located inside Liyuan.”
Shen Yi turned toward Xiao Yu in astonishment.
He had assumed Xiao Yu had been too emotionally shaken yesterday to concern himself with anything else.
He had worried about him all night.
Yet it turned out Xiao Yu had secretly ordered an investigation into the rat hole instead.
“How did you find that out?”
Investigating something like this was no easy task.
Judging from Ali’s response yesterday, ordinary citizens clearly had no idea Liyuan was the so-called rat hole.
Those who did know were most likely all Magistrate Cheng’s men.
They certainly wouldn’t reveal the truth willingly.
Shouyang’s expression became rather peculiar, but he reported honestly.
“Yesterday, an assassin attacked the troops stationed outside the city.”
“But his objective didn’t seem to be assassination.”
“It looked more like… provocation.”
“The man’s martial arts were fierce and overwhelmingly aggressive.”
“But…”
“…his words and behavior were surprisingly straightforward.”
“Oh?”
“In what way?”
Shen Yi looked puzzled.
Xiao Yu remained silent, lightly tapping the tabletop with his fingers as he signaled Shouyang to continue.
“While fighting…”
“…he kept complaining.”
Shouyang did his best to imitate the man’s exact words.
“He shouted, ‘What a pain to wade into this mess! You officials can fight among yourselves all you like, but why drag Liyuan into it?!'”