Chapter Forty-Four: Another Gentle Refusal (Part Two)

“Your Highness, this servant…”
In the side chamber of the main residence of Prince Zhou’s manor, Lady Lin was softly humming a tune to lull Shangguan Wan’er to sleep. Suddenly, she saw the curtain at the door stir. She quickly looked up, and upon seeing Li Xian enter, hurried to rise and greet him.

“Hush…”
Afraid of waking Shangguan Wan’er, Li Xian pressed a finger to his lips, quietly signaling Lady Lin to maintain silence. He strode quickly to the couch, gazing tenderly at the sleeping child.

Poor girl, in the end, she still couldn’t escape the fate of being an orphan! Looking at Shangguan Wan’er’s rosy cheeks, a wave of pity and guilt surged in Li Xian’s heart. He had never hidden his affection for her, even if it stemmed from ties in a previous life. To Li Xian, there was no real difference between past and present; deep down, he wished for Shangguan Wan’er to be free from harm. That was why, last year, he had risked exposure to keep her in his household. If it were possible, he would have saved the entire Shangguan family. Unfortunately, such a thing was far beyond his current abilities. He could not—dared not—confront the Empress Wu directly without sufficient preparation, nor could he even warn Shangguan Yi. He could only watch, helpless, as the entire family perished without cause. The burden of guilt pressed so heavily on him that he felt an urge to cry out to the heavens.

“Your Highness.”
While Li Xian was lost in these thoughts, the door curtain moved again and Gao Miao hurried inside. Seeing Li Xian standing by the couch, he carefully approached and spoke in a low voice.

“Yes?”
Li Xian shook himself out of his reverie and turned to see Gao Miao’s face filled with a strange expression. He let out a soft grunt in reply.

“Your Highness, Eunuch Wang has returned. The Crown Prince invites you to the palace for a conversation.”
Noticing Li Xian’s unsettled expression, Gao Miao dared not delay, bowing low and reporting quietly.

A conversation? What is he plotting now? Hearing the Crown Prince’s invitation, Li Xian’s heart stirred. Although he couldn’t immediately discern the Crown Prince’s motive, he had an uneasy sense that this was unlikely to be good news. He considered refusing, but worried that the Crown Prince might retaliate. After all, the Crown Prince was currently regent; if he wanted to make life difficult, it would be hard to counter.

“Go and sound him out first. I’ll follow shortly.” Li Xian pondered for a long while, still feeling uneasy. After weighing his tone, he replied coolly.

“Yes, Your Highness.”
With the order given, Gao Miao dared not ask more, hurriedly agreeing and leaving to deal with Wang Dequan.

There’s definitely something odd here! Could it be he’s still unwilling to give up? Highly likely! After Gao Miao left, Li Xian paced back and forth before the couch, considering all possibilities. He soon deduced the Crown Prince’s intent—though the Crown Prince now had his own faction and the support of many court officials, being the heir apparent, even as regent, he was bound to remain in the palace. There were many things he could not handle personally and needed a trusted hand in the shadows—a helper, or rather, an enforcer. Among the brothers, only Li Xian was suitable. The other half-brothers had long been sent to their own fiefs and had little real relationship with the Crown Prince; he could not entrust them with secrets. Even if he wanted to, it would not work, as those brothers were far from the capital and had no influence in court. Li Xulun, the youngest, was still a child, useless for such tasks, and Li Xian disagreed with him. Thus, Li Xian, who had publicly turned from scholarship to martial pursuits, became Li Hong’s only viable choice. This was the reason for Li Hong’s persistent effort to win him over.

This is truly troublesome. It seems I have no choice but to go! Although Li Xian had guessed the Crown Prince’s intentions, he was unsure how to deal with the situation. He certainly couldn’t simply accept, but how to refuse was a headache—he knew now that subtle refusals would not work, but to bluntly say “no” was to invite trouble. Caught in this dilemma, Li Xian felt his head swell with anxiety. After pacing for a good while without reaching a decision, he grew frustrated, stomped his foot, and, ignoring the tense expressions of Lady Lin and the other maids, strode out toward the front hall.

In the front hall, Gao Miao was chatting idly with Wang Dequan. When he noticed Li Xian emerge from inside, he immediately stood, greeting him quickly. At the same time, his eyes flickered, and he gave a subtle shake of his head, signaling that he had not managed to extract any information from Wang Dequan.

“Prepare the carriage. I’ll go to the palace now!”
Li Xian caught Gao Miao’s hint but showed no reaction. He wasn’t surprised—Wang Dequan would hardly be simple, having been chosen by the astute Crown Prince. Since Li Xian already understood the motive for the summons, he didn’t care about Gao Miao’s lack of success. He nodded indifferently and gave his order with a wave.

“Yes, Your Highness.”
Seeing that Li Xian showed no sign of blame, Gao Miao sighed in relief, hastily acknowledging and, after a gesture to Wang Dequan, went to make the arrangements.

“Eunuch Wang, thank you for your trouble. To make you come and go in this heat, I really am sorry.”
Once Gao Miao left, Li Xian smiled and clasped his hands politely to Wang Dequan, his tone warm and apologetic.

“Please, Your Highness, it is not worth mentioning. To serve the two princes is a blessing I’ve earned over many lifetimes. I treasure this opportunity and would never dare complain. Please, Your Highness, this way.”
Wang Dequan had worried that Li Xian might make excuses to avoid the East Palace, but now, seeing him agree so readily, he was greatly relieved. After a few polite words, he cautiously urged Li Xian on.

“Very well, I’ll trouble you to lead the way.”
Since he had to go sooner or later, Li Xian was decisive. With a sweep of his sleeve, he walked leisurely toward the main gate, Wang Dequan trotting after him.

Damn, this is serious trouble!
As soon as Li Xian’s carriage stopped outside the East Palace gates, before he could instruct Gao Miao to announce him, he saw the Crown Prince Li Hong, resplendent in bright yellow robes, standing at the entrance with a broad smile. Li Xian’s heart sank—he knew such an honor signaled only one thing: the Crown Prince was determined not to let him slip from his grasp.

“Your subject and younger brother greets the Crown Prince. To have troubled you to come out and welcome me—I am unworthy.”
Seeing the Crown Prince’s resolute stance, Li Xian felt anxious, but no matter how uneasy he was, he could not neglect protocol. He rushed forward and bowed deeply in greeting.

“No need for such formality, Seventh Brother. We’re family—why be so distant? Come, walk with me.”
Li Hong looked meaningfully at Li Xian, smiling as he gestured for him to rise, then turned and made a “please” gesture.

“Your subject obeys. After you, Crown Prince.”
Knowing this would be a difficult encounter, Li Xian had no way to escape. He forced a smile, returned the gesture, and invited the Crown Prince to lead the way.

Li Hong nodded with a smile, dispensed with further pleasantries, and strode slowly into the palace. Li Xian followed half a step behind. Though the two brothers chatted along the way, the atmosphere was anything but harmonious—the subtle distance between them only grew more apparent.

“Seventh Brother, come, sit. Alas, your elder brother is frail, unlike you, who practice martial arts. Just a few steps and I’m already out of breath—how shameful.”
They walked to a pavilion by the pond in the rear garden. Li Hong entered first and sat down, waving his hand with a self-deprecating smile.

“Thank you, Crown Prince, for granting me a seat.”
After a morning of martial training and being summoned twice by Li Hong, Li Xian was genuinely weary. He dispensed with further courtesies, thanked his brother, and sat opposite, smiling faintly but refusing to make small talk. He knew Li Hong was about to lay his cards on the table, and until he knew the Crown Prince’s true intentions, he would not risk giving away anything—so he sat respectfully, the picture of a loyal listener.

“The tragic fate of Grand Minister Shangguan’s family has pained me deeply. I have already ordered the Ministry of Rites to request a posthumous title for him, though it has yet to be decided. Seventh Brother, do you have any thoughts on the matter?”
Seeing Li Xian’s guarded posture, Li Hong’s eyes narrowed, but he made no further comment. He nodded thoughtfully and raised the subject of Shangguan Yi as a prelude.

“I leave it entirely to you, Crown Prince. I have no objection.”
Though Li Xian sympathized with Shangguan Yi, he had no wish to become entangled in the matter. In his view, the dead could not be helped; further agitation would be pointless. This was not the right time to seek justice for Shangguan Yi—any effort would be futile, so he refused to take the bait.

“Oh? Seventh Brother, you have no thoughts at all on the cause of Grand Minister Shangguan’s death?”
Li Hong was not so easily put off. With a meaningful smile, his expression suddenly darkened as he posed this loaded question, causing Li Xian’s heart to sink and his eyes to sharpen…