The Imperial Palace of Great Xia was a sprawling beast of red walls and golden tiles, sitting under the azure sky like a crouching dragon waiting to devour the unwary.
Inside the black carriage adorned with the crest of the Seventh Prince, the atmosphere was suffocatingly intimate.
Xie Lanzhou sat leaning against a soft cushion, his eyes closed. His face was paler than usual—likely due to a layer of powder he had applied before leaving the manor. He looked for all the world like a man hanging onto life by a thread.
"Remember," he whispered without opening his eyes. "The Empress, Empress Dowager Wei, is a woman who hides needles in her smile. She hates me because my existence reminds her that she never truly won the Emperor's heart against my late mother."
Ji Wanyin adjusted the jade bracelet on her wrist. "And the Emperor?"
"Father... is suspicious of everyone. He loves power more than his sons. As long as I appear useless and unthreatening, he will tolerate me to show his 'benevolence'."
"Understood," Ji Wanyin replied calmly. "Play the victim. Act the fool. And if they bite, bite back in the dark."
The carriage came to a halt.
"We have arrived at the Hall of Eternal Peace!" a eunuch's high-pitched voice announced.
Xie Lanzhou opened his eyes. The playfulness was gone, replaced by a dull, lifeless gaze. He extended a trembling hand toward Ji Wanyin.
"Support me, wife."
Ji Wanyin took his arm. As they stepped out of the carriage, she immediately felt hundreds of eyes upon them. Palace guards, passing eunuchs, and maids—everyone was watching the "Trash Prince" and his new bride.
They walked slowly—painfully slowly—up the white marble steps. Every few steps, Xie Lanzhou would stop to cough, his body racking with spasms so convincing that Ji Wanyin almost wanted to check his pulse for real.
Inside the Main Hall.
The hall was vast and imposing, supported by pillars of red lacquered wood wrapped in golden dragons. The scent of ambergris incense was heavy in the air, masking the underlying smell of old schemes and decaying power.
On the high throne sat the Emperor, a man in his fifties with graying hair and eyes sharp as eagles. Beside him sat Empress Wei, a woman of breathtaking beauty that belied her age, dressed in a phoenix robe of bright yellow silk.
"Greetings to Imperial Father. Greetings to Imperial Mother," Xie Lanzhou knelt feebly. Ji Wanyin knelt beside him, bowing her head until her forehead touched the cold floor.
"Rise," the Emperor said, his voice deep and echoing. "Lanzhou, you look... worse than usual."
"Answering Father," Xie Lanzhou said breathlessly, supported by Ji Wanyin as he stood up. "This son... was overjoyed by the wedding and perhaps exerted himself too much... cough..."
A flicker of disdain passed through the Empress's eyes. She covered her mouth with a silk fan and smiled. "Oh my. It seems the Seventh Prince is truly passionate. But the Princess Consort should know better. His health is fragile; you shouldn't have... exhausted him so."
It was a veiled insult, painting Ji Wanyin as a seductive fox who didn't care for her husband's life.
Ji Wanyin lowered her gaze, looking aggrieved. "Imperial Mother teaches a lesson rightly. This daughter-in-law was ignorant. However... His Highness was so happy last night, saying that he finally has someone to care for him. This daughter-in-law could not bear to dampen his spirits."
She skillfully threw the ball back—claiming it was Xie Lanzhou's happiness, implying that anyone stopping him was cruel.
"Hmph," the Emperor grunted, not interested in domestic squabbles. "Since you are married, you must behave with decorum. I heard... there was a disturbance in your manor this morning?"
The air in the hall dropped by a few degrees.
So, the news had traveled fast. Nanny Li must have sent a message already.
The Empress's eyes glinted with malice. "Yes, I heard it too. They say the new Princess Consort is quite... spirited. Punishing a first-rank maid on her first day. Wanyin, is the Seventh Prince's manor not to your liking? Or do you think the servants granted by the Palace are beneath you?"
This was a trap. If Ji Wanyin said the servants were bad, she insulted the Palace. If she admitted to being violent, she would be punished for lack of virtue.
Xie Lanzhou's hand tightened slightly on Ji Wanyin's arm. He was ready to step in.
But Ji Wanyin spoke first. Her voice was steady, ringing clear in the silent hall.
"Imperial Mother misunderstands. It was precisely because I respect the Palace that I punished her."
"Oh?" The Empress raised an eyebrow. "Explain."
"That maid, Cui'er, dared to serve cold water and stale tea to His Highness," Ji Wanyin said with righteous indignation. "His Highness is the Son of Heaven, a Prince of the blood. Serving him cold tea is not just negligence; it is a disrespect to the Emperor himself!"
She turned to bow to the Emperor.
"Father, in the Ji family, we were taught that the Emperor is the sky. If a servant dares to slight the Prince, isn't she slighting the Emperor who gave him life? If I did not punish her, people would say the Royal Family has no rules! I punished her to uphold the dignity of the Imperial Name!"
Silence.
It was a perfect defense. She wrapped her violence in the cloak of "Filial Piety" and "Loyalty."
The Emperor's expression softened. He cared deeply about his own face and dignity. "Serving cold tea to a Prince... is indeed presumptuous. You did right."
The Empress's smile froze. She gripped her fan tighter. She had wanted to suppress this country bumpkin, but instead, the girl had won the Emperor's praise.
"Whatever," the Empress said coldly. "Come, let us not talk of servants. Today is a happy day. Someone, bring the 'Thousand Herb Soup' I prepared."
A eunuch brought forward a tray with two bowls of dark, pungent soup.
"Lanzhou, Wanyin," the Empress said, her voice dripping with fake maternal love. "This soup is brewed from rare herbs from the Southern Border. It helps nourish the body and... promotes fertility. Drink it while it is hot."
Ji Wanyin stared at the black liquid.
Fertility soup? More like a life-ending poison.
In her past life, she had studied poisons extensively. Even from a distance, her sharp nose picked out a faint, sweet scent hidden under the bitterness of the herbs.
'Bitter Heart Grass' mixed with 'Silent Winter Flower'.
Separately, they were tonics. But if mixed with the medication Xie Lanzhou was supposedly taking for his weak heart... it would cause a slow, undetectable heart failure within months.
The Empress wasn't trying to kill him instantly. She was trying to ensure he died "naturally" this winter.
Xie Lanzhou reached for the bowl. He knew it was likely poisoned, but he couldn't refuse a gift from the Empress in public.
"Wait," Ji Wanyin suddenly reached out and took the bowl from his hand.
"Wanyin?" Xie Lanzhou looked at her.
"His Highness took his medicine just before we left," Ji Wanyin said apologetically to the Empress. "The physician said his medicine clashes with strong tonics. If he drinks this now, it might cause... conflicts."
"Nonsense," the Empress snapped. "This is a mild tonic. Are you saying I am trying to harm my own son?"
"I dare not!" Ji Wanyin bowed. "But... this daughter-in-law is willing to drink it for him. After all, if the husband is weak, the wife must be strong to support the family line."
Before anyone could stop her, Ji Wanyin lifted the bowl meant for Xie Lanzhou and downed it in one gulp!
"You—!" The Empress stood up, shocked.
Ji Wanyin wiped her mouth. The bitter taste burned her throat, but she smiled brightly. "Thank you, Imperial Mother, for the soup. It is delicious."
She wasn't afraid. Her body in this life was normal, but her soul knew the detoxification technique. As long as she didn't take Xie Lanzhou's heart medicine, this soup was just a slightly toxic tonic that she could sweat out later.
By drinking it, she not only saved Xie Lanzhou but also showed "devotion."
Xie Lanzhou stared at her. For the first time, the mask of the weak prince cracked slightly. His eyes swirled with a storm of emotions—surprise, confusion, and something akin to... admiration.
"Wife..." he whispered, his voice trembling for real this time. "You shouldn't have."
"Silly husband," she patted his hand gently. "We are one body now. Your health is my life."
The Emperor nodded approvingly. "Good. Good! The Ji daughter is virtuous and brave. Lanzhou, you have found a good wife."
"Reward!" The Emperor waved his hand. "Bestow the 'Nine-Phoenix Jade Hairpin' to the Princess Consort. And send ten boxes of tonics to the Seventh Prince's manor."
The Empress sat back down, her face pale with suppressed rage. She had lost a bowl of expensive poison and a precious hairpin, gaining nothing but humiliation.
"Thank you, Father!" the couple chorused.
Outside the Hall.
As soon as they were back in the carriage and the curtains were drawn, Xie Lanzhou grabbed Ji Wanyin's wrist. He pressed two fingers against her pulse, checking her condition.
His face was serious, the playfulness completely gone.
"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "That soup contained 'Bitter Heart Grass'. Do you want to die?"
Ji Wanyin pulled her hand back calmly. "I won't die. I don't take Heart Cleansing Pills like you do, so the poison won't trigger a reaction. At most, I'll have a stomach ache for two hours."
She looked at him, her eyes clear and calm. "Besides, if you drank it, your 'fake illness' might have turned into a real funeral. We are partners, remember? I protect my investment."
Xie Lanzhou looked at her for a long moment. The silence in the carriage was heavy.
Slowly, the corner of his mouth lifted. But this time, it wasn't a mocking smile. It was a genuine, albeit small, smile.
"Partners..." he tested the word on his tongue. "Very well. Since you saved my life, I suppose I should return the favor."
"How?"
Xie Lanzhou reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small, exquisite wooden box. He tossed it to her.
"The Nine-Phoenix Hairpin the Emperor gave you is just a shiny toy. This... is something useful."
Ji Wanyin opened the box. Inside lay a ring made of dark, twisted metal. It looked plain, but when she touched it, a tiny, hair-thin blade popped out from the mechanism.
A hidden weapon.
"The 'Shadow Thorn'," Xie Lanzhou explained lazily, leaning back against the cushion. "Coat it with your favorite poison. It suits you better than gold and jade."
Ji Wanyin slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. She watched the tiny blade gleam in the dim light.
"It's beautiful," she said sincerely. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Xie Lanzhou closed his eyes again. "The Empress won't stop here. Today was just the appetizer. The real banquet... is the Autumn Hunt next month. Prepare yourself, wife."
The carriage rumbled on, carrying two wolves who had successfully survived the dragon's den, driving deeper into the treacherous currents of the capital.