Entering the game

"If a familiar tea tastes different, will Governor Wang give up hope or take a gamble?"

Chang Yi grasped Lou Xuan's hand and placed the teacup back in her hand. "Your Highness, why don't you guess?"

"I still prefer to look at the facts." Lou Xuan glanced at Chang Yi, then placed her teacup face down on the table.

"It's time for Commander Chang to show his skills. I await good news."

"Your subject takes his leave." Chang Yi rose nimbly, bowed, and left. His movements were fluid and graceful, showing no trace of his humble origins.

"Your Highness, the personnel have been arranged." Xueya handed the roster to Lou Xuan. "However, training soldiers is not easy. Should we remove a few?"

"No need. We've been training for a thousand days to use them for one. No need for further words." Lou Xuan threw the roster on the table. "Keep an eye on Wang Juesong. I want him to do something desperate. Even if he doesn't, I want to hear that he has to."

"Yes." Xueya took out a letter from her bosom and handed it to Lou Xuan. "A letter from Yunwu."

Lou Xuan opened the letter and quickly scanned its contents, sneering, "Since the Consort is so restless, let her stay sick until I return. She's had it too easy these past few years and has forgotten how she struggled to survive in the palace."

Lou Xuan reached out and looked at the cardamom on her fingertip. "Since you like the flowers in my palace, I'll give them all to you so you won't get confused."

"Yes." Xueya was already used to this. "But we must keep an eye on the Crown Prince's palace. What if the Dou family tries to sow discord?"

"No need. I've already joined the game, so he only has one use. As long as he's not crippled, that's fine. Let the rest go. He's a hopeless piece of trash."

Lou Xuan snorted coldly, "Give the order to keep a close eye on the Third Prince. He's a venomous snake, much better than my good-for-nothing brother."

"This servant sent people to keep an eye on things, but unfortunately the Third Prince is always cautious and didn't notice anything," Xueya said with some regret.

"No rush, the fox will eventually show its tail." Lou Xuan glanced at the cabinet next to him, and Xue Ya immediately took out a treatise on governance and handed it to Lou Xuan.

"Your Highness, the third branch of the Dou family wants to send Fifth Miss to the palace to accompany you after Your Highness returns." Xueya ground ink for Lou Xuan, who simply flipped through the treatise on governance in silence. "Father will not allow her to enter the palace."

"Fifth Sister pleaded with Yunwu, saying she didn't want to enter the palace to serve the Emperor and repeat the same mistakes." Xueya, unaware of Lou Xuan's thoughts, could only grind the ink. The entire room fell silent, broken only by the rustling sound of Lou Xuan turning the pages.

"What else did he say?" Lou Xuanming asked, taking a sip of tea.

"It should be gone. Will Your Highness take action?" Xueya watched as Lou Xuan put down his book and picked up his brush to write.

"No need. She hasn't reached a desperate situation yet and doesn't have the courage to burn her bridges. If I help her, it will only make things worse. Instead, have Yunwu push her, but don't get your hands dirty."

"What if His Majesty would be so kind as to grant my wish? Would that be necessary?" Xueya left her question unsaid, only hinting at it.

"There are just a few concubines in the palace. My father is in his prime; as his daughter, I can't possibly interfere with which concubine he favors, can I?" Lou Xuan continued writing her treatise on governance without changing her expression.

"What should we instruct Yunwu to do if Fifth Sister rebels?" Xueya asked again.

"No need," Lou Xuan replied with just two words and then said no more.

"Your Highness, if His Highness the Crown Prince has made a foolish move..." Xueya hadn't finished speaking when she saw Lou Xuan frown, stop, and stare straight at her. She quickly knelt down to apologize.

"Go and receive your punishment for talking too much." Lou Xuan said coldly. Xue Ya, realizing she had spoken out of turn, knelt by the door. Fortunately, there was plenty of ice in the room, and she wouldn't be pointed at by others, which reassured her somewhat.

After a cup of tea, Lou Xuan put down his brush, blew on the still-damp Xuan paper, and then looked at Xue Ya, who was kneeling upright, and asked, "How long have you been following me?"

"This servant has been serving Your Highness since I entered the palace at the age of five, for thirteen years now." Xueya lowered her head, staring intently at the lotus-patterned brick floor, not daring to look up.

"It's been thirteen years. Why are you suddenly so talkative today?" Lou Xuan walked over to Xueya and squatted down. "Is a young lady who hasn't even entered the palace worth your fear?"

"This servant was just thinking about the past, so I was a little worried." Xueya knelt on the ground, and all she heard was Lou Xuan sigh deeply.

"So many years have passed, and I've let go of everything, but you haven't." Lou Xuan helped Xueya up and pressed her onto the wooden stool.

"I am nineteen years old this year, not nine. The past will not repeat itself." Lou Xuan looked at Xue Ya's face and said, "The Dou family is not the Dou family of ten years ago. There is no need to worry."

"It was my fault for speaking out of turn." Xueya lowered her head, secretly blaming herself for bringing up the past and causing His Highness pain.

"Get out. You've been working hard these past few days. Get some rest. I don't want to see you do it again tomorrow." Xueya quickly knelt down and then silently left the room.

Lou Xuan blew out the lamp, looked at the dimly lit room, and recalled the past events Xueya had told him.

That year, she was eight years old, and her mother had just passed away a year earlier. The Dou family couldn't wait to send someone into the palace, ostensibly to take care of her and her brother. Unfortunately, she had long seen through the Dou family's ambition and her father's displeasure, so she could only hide with her younger brother from chance encounters with the Dou family's daughter.

But often, prevention is worse than cure. The Crown Prince clearly adored his nominal aunt, visiting her palace daily for meals or calligraphy practice, completely neglecting his elder sister.

However, Lou Xuan wasn't in a hurry at that time. After all, the Dou family wouldn't really harm the Crown Prince. He gave up after trying to persuade him once or twice, but to no avail.

It wasn't until later, when the Crown Prince grew increasingly thin and the smell of medicine lingered in the palace, that the Emperor, after a thorough investigation, discovered that the Dou family girl sent to the palace was already three months pregnant.

To this day, Lou Xuan still doesn't understand how she dared to poison the Crown Prince. Can power truly corrupt the heart? Lou Xuan doesn't want to think about it; all she knows is that her father, the Emperor, ordered the death of the Dou family woman, and that entire branch of the family was barred from holding official positions. Her father was also stripped of his title and reduced to a commoner.

"Auntie One." A woman in black appeared beside Lou Xuan. "Your Highness, this is what you instructed earlier." The woman handed the booklet to Lou Xuan.

"Did he confess?" Lou Xuan opened the confession and angrily replied, "We've already tortured him according to Zi Yuan Niangzi's method, but he's too stubborn and we haven't gotten anything out of him yet. However, the Third Prince is also looking for him, so I'm afraid we can't hide it for long."

Jia Yi then handed another letter to Lou Xuan. "Your Highness, a letter from the capital." Lou Xuan opened the letter with a stern face, then crumpled it into a ball and stuffed it into Jia Yi's hand. "That person is useless now, so get rid of him."

"Yes." As soon as Jia disappeared, Lou Xuan sat on the couch, rubbing her temples. The changes in the capital had caught her off guard, and now she couldn't quite understand her father's intentions. Was he deliberately transferring her away from the capital, or was there something else? Lou Xuan dared not think any further.

Lou Xuan went out alone, unable to sleep because of thoughts about the capital. Looking at the night sky provided some enjoyment, but the area outside the city gates seemed eerily quiet. Lou Xuan went to the lake, looked at the calm water, and then threw a stone into it.

The sound of splashing into the water broke the silence of the night. Lou Xuan sat on the ground. Others might have felt some fear if they had fallen into the water as children, but Lou Xuan was never afraid. She even begged her father to have someone teach her how to swim. At that time, she knew that relying on herself was the only way to survive.

"Your Highness?" When Chang Yi rushed back to the courtyard, covered in dust, he saw a familiar figure sitting by the lake.

"Commander Chang?" Lou Xuan looked at Chang Yi with some surprise. "Where are you going so late?"

"Go prepare tea. I told His Highness to wait patiently for good news." Chang Yi didn't hesitate and sat down next to Lou Xuan.

"Is Your Highness unable to sleep because you're thinking of those in the capital?" Chang Yi looked at Lou Xuan's face by the moonlight. People often said that Princess Zhaoyang was kind and compassionate towards the people, but he felt that she was all smiles on the surface but ruthless and merciless on the inside.

"By what capacity does Commander Chang have to question me?" Lou Xuan turned his head and glanced at Chang Yi from head to toe. "There is a curfew tonight, Commander Chang, you'd better go back quickly."

"The heavens are high and His Majesty is far away, and besides, there's no one strictly enforcing the curfew outside the city, so naturally I've been lax." Chang Yi shamelessly sat down next to Lou Xuan. "Your Highness, would you like to try some candy?"

Chang Yi produced two candies from his palm as if by magic. "These are things that city kids like to eat. Your Highness, would you like to try some?"

"I don't like sweets, Commander Chang, thank you for your trouble." Lou Xuan rested her head in her hands and closed her eyes. "If you have nothing else to say, Commander, please go back and rest."

"Doesn't Your Highness want to know the current situation in the city?" Lou Xuan's tone shifted, acknowledging Chang Yi's presence. "Then please, Commandant Chang, tell us."

"Wang Juesong's mansion is now closed to visitors. I heard that he secretly sent his newborn son to Sangzhou. Most of his businesses are still in operation, but they have lost their former arrogance. There are fewer people in the mansion, but Wang Juesong's study is under heavy guard."

Chang Yi peeled a piece of candy and put it in Lou Xuan's mouth. "Your Highness can't just listen to my news for nothing, this is your reward."

The sweet candy melted in Lou Xuan's mouth, soothing his anxiety. "Your Highness need not worry. The matter of Bianzhou will be under our control, and we will surely achieve Your Highness's wish."

"Chang Yi, you have ambition, and so do I. Father will not let you stop at the rank of Captain, but your status is not high enough. That is the reason why we got married. But you must remember that Father gave me two paths, and I chose you."

Lou Xuan stared intently at Chang Yi. Their gazes lingered in the air before dissipating into the darkness. To be fair, Chang Yi was a rare and capable man among the officials. Although his status was somewhat inferior, Lou Xuan didn't care. The days of judging heroes by bloodlines would eventually pass.

"I will not disappoint Your Highness. We are in the same boat. Your Highness is of noble birth, but I am not. Therefore, I will rely on Your Highness faithfully and will never have any disloyalty." Chang Yi, being pragmatic, went along with Lou Xuan's words.

"Chang Yi, I never listen to what others say; I only look at what they do." Lou Xuan stood up and looked down at Chang Yi, her slender, white fingers, painted with nail polish, tracing Chang Yi's chin before she suddenly grabbed his chin.

"Stop thinking about it. I don't have much for you to take away."

“Your Highness, I understand.” Chang Yi looked at Lou Xuan without moving. “I am Your Highness’s consort, and that will never change.”

"You understand on your own." Lou Xuan released Chang Yi and dusted herself off. "I'm tired. See you tomorrow."