At noon, Little Dingzi led the way, Guo Shangzhong following at a leisurely pace. Neither spoke.
When they reached the main hall, Guo Shangzhong stopped and made to kneel. "This old slave greets the Fifth Prince."
"No need, Eunuch Guo, please." Xue Liulan caught his arm and helped him up. "Come, sit inside. Little Dingzi, guard the door."
"Yes, my lord."
Xue Liulan led the eunuch to a private pavilion. A table was set with delicacies, and a pot of fine wine was already warming.
"Please." Xue Liulan gestured. "Forgive the simple fare."
"I dare not." Guo Shangzhong smiled, his face a mask of gratitude. He lifted the blue jade cup. The wine was clear, its fragrance potent. "Excellent wine."
"It's Bailiao, gifted by my father a few days ago. Aged a hundred years. I wouldn't bring it out for anyone but you."
"Bailiao… the wine of loyal subjects." Guo Shangzhong paused, then nodded. "I am honored."
"You served my father well during his illness. You deserve it." Xue Liulan leaned back, a faint smile on his lips. He raised his own cup and drained it, his lowered lashes hiding the mockery in his eyes.
"Your Highness flatters me."
Guo Shangzhong drank, but his mind was churning. This wasn't a Hongmen Banquet—a trap to kill him—but the invitation was sudden. What did the prince want?
Three rounds of wine later, Xue Liulan was still just playing the gracious host. Guo Shangzhong began to feel uneasy.
He had received reports that someone had evidence of his bribery. It might not be enough to bring him down, but in the hands of a newly diligent prince…
"Why did Your Highness summon me?" he finally asked. "My service to the Emperor is my duty. I do not deserve such favor. I feel… unsettled."
"Hahaha! Eunuch Guo, you have a heart of glass." Xue Liulan laughed loudly, but his eyes were cold. "No wonder my father relies on you."
Guo Shangzhong set down his cup. "The Emperor is kind. And I watched you grow up, Your Highness. I like to think I know a little of your mind."
"Good. Then I will speak plainly." Xue Liulan's smile vanished.
"Please."
"Have you heard of the Yanyun Death Squads?"
"The Death Squads?" Guo Shangzhong paused. "It is said they are loyal only to the Khan, obeying the command token above all else. Fierce warriors, each worth a hundred men." He looked at the prince, suspicious. "Why do you ask?"
"Worthy of a man who once managed the Imperial Library. You know even the deepest secrets." Xue Liulan punched his palm. "My business concerns them."
"Oh? They haven't been seen in fifty years. Are they stirring up trouble?"
"Yes." Xue Liulan smiled thinly. "I have received intelligence that a group of them has infiltrated Jindu. They are waiting for a chance to strike at my father."
"What?" Guo Shangzhong sucked in a breath. If this was true, even the palace guards might not be enough. "Where did you hear this?"
"I have my ways." Xue Liulan's eyes flickered to the wine pot. "But the information is solid. The Emperor's life is now in your hands."
Guo Shangzhong's hand clenched on the table. To hold the life of the Son of Heaven in one's palm… it was a heavy weight.
Silence stretched.
"So," Guo Shangzhong said, "what does Your Highness intend?"
Kill the Emperor? Or save him and claim the credit? He couldn't read the prince.
"To ask you to help me protect him, of course." Xue Liulan smiled naturally.
Guo Shangzhong lowered his voice. "Does Your Highness not wish to take this opportunity to…" He made a cutting motion across his throat.
Xue Liulan understood. He shook his head. "Not yet. My seventh brother's foundation is deep. I am just a prodigal son returning. Even if some support me, many still doubt. Besides, there is Deng Qinyao. The Deng family rose on the bones of my mother's clan. Do you think he would let me rise again?"
"Wise." Guo Shangzhong hid a cold smile. He had thought the prince a fool, but he had grown teeth. Did this news come from the Murong family? He would have to deal with Murong Jin soon. The closer Xue Liulan got to them, the worse for him.
"What can this old slave do?"
"I have borrowed some men from the Murong family. I hope you can grant them temporary authority over the Imperial Guard." Xue Liulan spoke slowly, as if reciting something he had memorized. "Don't worry. I will be in the palace as well."
Trading himself for command of the Guard? Clever. Guo Shangzhong's eyes darkened. But the prince's hesitation suggested he was being coached.
"Your Highness does not know martial arts. It is better you stay in your residence. We do not know when they will strike."
"No matter. Seven to ten days. Murong… my source will have more news by then." Xue Liulan smiled. "I just wanted to warn you, so you can prepare."
Guo Shangzhong smirked. "Then I will await your news."
They drank a few more cups, and Guo Shangzhong left. Xue Liulan saw him to the gate.
"Master." He Chengjian appeared behind him.
"Back so soon?" Xue Liulan was surprised. "Come with me."
In the study, Xue Liulan gestured for him to sit.
"I sent you to find the author of that memorial. How did you find him so quickly?"
"He is in Jindu, my lord. There is no record of the memorial in the Chancellery. He must have slipped it directly to the delivery eunuch."
"So you concluded he was still in the city."
"Yes. I had men search the area. We found him in an inn not far from here."
"Smart. Staying close to the residence." Xue Liulan nodded, impressed. "He Chengjian, you are getting better."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Go and rest. Tomorrow, we will go to meet him."
"Yes."
"Wait." Xue Liulan stopped him. "Did Hanlu send men to find Yi?"
"He went himself, my lord."
"Good." Xue Liulan sighed. The thought of Murong Jin's tears still made his chest ache.
But this was only the beginning. The choice she didn't want to make would eventually be forced upon her. And when that time came… what would she do? What would he do?