Conspiring to rebel is a capital offense, and colluding with foreign powers only compounds the punishment—ensuring a death most wretched!
Fu Hong’s face turned ashen, his only plea now a swift end.
But no one had the time to spare for him at the moment. What they urgently needed to know was the location of that hidden mountain path—so the Great Yan could seal it off as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, military officials like Huo Ying, Wei Shouyi, and others from the Ministry of War were already scheming: Could the Great Yan army exploit this path in reverse?
Sneak into Beili to stir up trouble, or station troops there to ambush the enemy—lure them in and spring the trap!
Yet, despite their eagerness, they knew better than to act rashly. Holding their breath, they continued to watch the drama unfold.
"What’s this about? Explain!" Yue Fuguang, ever the enthusiastic audience, chimed in again, though inwardly cringing at the system’s latest revelation about the "Path of the Enlightened King."
[Just as Beiyue and Prince Ming were locked in their passionate duel—caught in the throes of passion—they were exposed in the act!]
"That scandalous? How mortifying! Who would dare catch them red-handed? Emperor Mingxi?"
The officials also suspected their emperor. After all, when it came to a foreign prince and a domestic royal, only His Majesty had the authority to intervene.
But Emperor Mingxi, upon whom this colossal blame was suddenly thrust, wanted no part of it.
That day, he’d been preoccupied with dealing with Taikang and Prince Qi, as well as apprehending the adulterer Chonghua. He’d had no energy left to police his younger brother’s affairs!
[Not him. It was the Southern Zhao princess, Lan Xuan'er.]
"How does the Southern Zhao princess factor into this? Don’t tell me this is another tangled love web?"
[Three years ago, Southern Zhao proposed a marriage alliance with Great Yan. With no eligible princesses of age, Southern Zhao selected the fourteen-year-old Lan Xuan'er, who arrived with their envoy during the Emperor’s birthday celebrations.
Southern Zhao’s original plan was for Lan Xuan'er to meet Crown Prince Xie Zhiyan, intending for her to become his concubine once she turned sixteen—despite him already having a betrothed.
But the fourteen-year-old princess took no interest in the fifteen-year-old prince. Instead, she fell for the twenty-year-old Prince Ming.
Prince Ming, however, dared not marry her. A foreign princess wed to a domestic prince? His imperial brother would never sleep soundly again—he’d surely find a way to eliminate him sooner or later.
Had Prince Ming lacked ambitions for the throne, it might have been different. But since he did, he couldn’t afford to draw suspicion so early.
Though he refused, Lan Xuan'er was relentless. For the next two years, she returned for the Emperor’s birthday celebrations, each time clinging to Prince Ming. She even bypassed the official guesthouse, lodging directly in his residence.
Her familiarity with his estate allowed her to barge past guards and catch the pair in bed.
Now, guess why You Mingmin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, didn’t object when Beiyue suggested that Chonghua’s disappearance might be linked to Bai Yu?]
"Why, my dear little pearl?" Yue Fuguang, ever the hype-man, played along.
[Because Beiyue knew of the Bai family’s ties to Southern Zhao. From clan leader Bai Yu down, Bai Yu and Lan Xuan'er were distantly related.
Lan Xuan'er exposed the affair in the morning; Chonghua vanished by afternoon. Even Beiyue couldn’t deny the connection.
He believed Lan Xuan'er had taken Chonghua in retaliation for him touching her beloved.
As for Great Yan’s theory that Bai Yu had abducted Chonghua out of lust—Beiyue found it hard to swallow.]
Emperor Mingxi and You Mingmin exchanged a knowing glance. So that was the missing piece. No wonder Beili had accepted such an outlandish explanation.
"Prince Ming must’ve had designs on Lan Xuan'er, right? Otherwise, how could he allow her to stay with him and roam his private chambers freely? They were caught in his bedroom, weren’t they?
Surely a prince could’ve expelled a foreign princess if he truly wanted to?"
[It was the study in his villa. Probably started with reading or talking… then escalated.]
"Reading? Erotic literature, perhaps? And what happened after they were caught?"
[A fight broke out.]
"Between Lan Xuan'er and Beiyue?"
[More precisely, their entourages clashed. Later, Prince Ming played mediator, soothing both sides—only to be ‘pushed down’ by Lan Xuan'er that very night.]
"Pushed down in the way I’m thinking?"
[Exactly that kind of ‘pushed down.’ Prince Ming had already received word: Lan Xuan'er would soon turn eighteen. If no progress was made with him, Southern Zhao would either choose a consort for her or send her to marry into Southern Yue.
Having strung her along for three years, Prince Ming couldn’t let his prize slip away.
So that night, under the guise of reconciliation, he shared a meal and drinks with her—pretending to get drunk, he ‘reluctantly’ gave in to her advances.
In truth, Lan Xuan'er’s wine had been laced with a mild aphrodisiac.
Prince Ming had calculated her feelings perfectly. A tiny nudge was all it took to shatter her restraint. The dose was small enough to evade her notice.
Oh, and he drank plenty too—so, you get the idea.]
Yue Fuguang: I don’t get it! How would a single dog like me understand? pale-faced
[Then, posing as the victim, Prince Ming took full responsibility, confessing to Emperor Mingxi and formally requesting Lan Xuan'er’s hand from Southern Zhao.
Thus, he crafted an image of a noble, devoted man—securing the beauty despite being an older, twice-married candidate.]
"Twice-married, yet returning to bachelorhood!" Yue Fuguang side-eyed the suspicious death of Prince Ming’s first wife.
Emperor Mingxi smirked coldly. He’d underestimated this frail, seemingly harmless brother of his.
Recalling how Prince Ming had come to him yesterday—feigning humiliation, reluctance, yet dutifully accepting marriage—Emperor Mingxi nearly laughed.
Had he actually pitied him?
At the time, though displeased, he’d sympathized with his brother’s plight: violated by a woman, yet stepping up to shoulder the blame. He’d been ready to grudgingly approve.
Little did he know it was all part of the man’s scheme!
Without today’s revelations, he might’ve remained oblivious to the cunning of this brother who’d lived so quietly, so transparently.
"The most skilled hunters often disguise themselves as prey."
[Master, do you know what Southern Zhao excels in?]
"Oh? They’ve got a specialty?"
[Southern Zhao masters gu, Southern Yue specializes in poison. Lan Xuan'er’s mother was a Southern Yue princess, so she’s adept in both.
Prince Ming, ever the strategist, had naturally sent agents to investigate her before setting his sights on her. He feared bringing home a deadly gu master.
What he didn’t know was that his men had been spotted the moment they entered Southern Zhao. The intel he received—claiming she knew no gu—was fabricated.
Nor did he realize her mother, an unassuming Southern Yue princess, had been a poison virtuoso. Lan Xuan'er inherited both arts: gu and poison, unparalleled.]
