I felt a sharp intake of breath as her muffled words settled on me. "My heart."
I eased my embrace, just enough to look down at her. The dark of the night and the soft light of the garden lanterns couldn't hide the raw, terrifying emotion on my face.
"My heart?" I repeated, the term leaving my lips as if it were a fragile, precious thing I'd only just discovered, a name I hadn't known I possessed. A slow, warm smile, utterly devoid of the courtly masks I usually wore, spread across my features. It was a moment of pure, unguarded joy that quickly soured with self-reproach.
"I... I confess I thought my affections were an imposition, a simple duty you tolerated," I admitted, shaking my head in disbelief. How could a woman like her, so brilliant and fierce, truly love the Emperor's invisible son? "To hear you speak such words..." I was momentarily speechless.
I gently cupped her face between my hands, my thumbs stroking her cheeks, memorizing the softness of her skin. "If you are my destiny, Li Lan, then I am yours. And if you feel this power, this calling to stand by me, then I will listen. I will trust you. You are more insightful than anyone in this palace."
The joy was intoxicating, but I could not let it blind me to the reality of the Xialan court. My voice dropped to a low, serious rumble, a flicker of the necessary political competence returning to my eyes. "But tell me, what does this mean for us? For the throne? I have told you, I have no desire for that gilded cage. I am happy being a ghost."
Li Lan leaned into my touch, finding courage in the sincerity of my gaze. "It means, my heart," she said, her voice steady now, "that we will redefine what that cage is. You are a good man, Wang Cheng, a just one. You do not desire power for its own sake, and that is precisely why the kingdom needs you. The throne is a poisoned seat only for those who crave it selfishly."
She pulled back slightly, looking me straight in the eye. I had to appear strong now, resolute, even if my heart was screaming for my old life. "My power... my awakened self... will guide us to the people who need you, and away from the dangers that will seek to stop us. We will walk this path together. Your destiny is mine, and mine is to ensure you fulfill it."
I looked at her for a long, agonizing moment, the fierce warmth of her love battling the immense, crushing gravity of her pronouncement. She wasn't asking me to compromise; she was asking me to destroy the life I had built and step onto the most dangerous platform in the world. But I knew if I showed hesitation, she would think me weak. And she deserved the greatest of men.
I drew my hands away from her face and looked out into the darkness of the garden, contemplating the terrifying weight of her words.
"What you speak of is treason to some, and a terrifying burden to me," I said, my voice measured and low. I fought to keep the panic out of my tone. "To pursue the Dragon Throne... it would mean war, deceit, and sacrificing the quiet life we might still salvage." I turned back to her, my gaze intense. "I believe you, Li Lan. I believe in your loyalty and your love, my heart. But this decision is too immense to make rashly."
I took her hands in mine, a final, earnest squeeze. The poisoned dream she spoke of, the new maid, the silent threats—they were all tied to this fight. This was no game of love. This was a battle for my wife's survival, which ironically demanded I take up the one mantle I have spent my whole life refusing.
"I need time to think," I concluded. "I need to consider what it would cost us, what it would cost the kingdom. Give me one night, and I will give you my answer tomorrow. But know this: I will not stand by and let a coward touch a hair on your head."
Chapter 8: A Royal Interruption
I held Li Lan for a long moment, the warmth of my embrace a stark contrast to the chilling truth she had just revealed about her sister's dream. My heart beat a steady, protective rhythm against her cheek, chasing away the last of the fear in the room. When I finally pulled away, my eyes were clear, filled with a resolve that felt brand new.
"Li Lan," I said, my voice firm and steady, "whatever you do, I will support you. You have my full trust. If you feel the need to have people from Huangtu around you, then it is entirely your right. You do not need to explain anything to me."
I wasn't just giving her permission; I was offering a profound partnership. My quiet, seemingly powerless existence was over. Just as she had found her purpose in me, I was finding my strength in her.
The Unwelcome Guest
The intimate moment—that fragile bubble of trust and vulnerability we had just shared—was shattered by a soft knock on the study door.
The eunuch, who had been guarding the quiet, announced the intrusion. "Your Highness," he said, his voice hushed, "Princess Wang Xiu is requesting to see you."
My face, which had been so soft for Li Lan alone, immediately hardened into my usual court mask. A flicker of something cold and deeply protective passed through my eyes. I looked at Li Lan, and I saw her beginning to rise, a silent acknowledgment that Wang Xiu was family, and she, the new wife, should take her leave.
But I reached out and took her hand—a bold, possessive gesture I had never made before in public. "Please stay," I said, my voice firm, a quiet command that was meant for the entire palace to hear. I didn't even glance at the eunuch; my gaze was fixed on Li Lan. "I am still enjoying your company. I am sure the Princess won't be long."
Li Lan settled back down, her sudden stillness reflecting the tension now thrumming between us. I wasn't just defending her; I was making a definitive, unprecedented statement: I choose her. And I would not hide her away for my sister's comfort.
The eunuch announced the arrival of Princess Wang Xiu, and a moment later, my half-sister swept into the study. She was dressed in vibrant silk, every detail meticulously placed, carrying an aura of casual cruelty that instantly cut through the warmth we had built.
Her eyes flickered between us, settling on our clasped hands, and a sharp smirk played on her lips. "I hope I'm not disturbing you two," she said, her voice dripping with mockery.
Still holding Li Lan's hand, I met my sister's gaze with a mocking smile of my own. "If I tell you you were," I countered, my voice just as light and sharp, "would you leave?"
Wang Xiu laughed, a cold, brittle sound that made my protective grip on Li Lan tighten. "No way," she replied, her eyes narrowing as they finally settled on my wife. "I still want to talk to my sister-in-law."
She turned her full attention to Li Lan, her smile tightening, venom barely concealed. I was acutely aware of the deep, negative reaction emanating from Li Lan. The energy around her changed; she became rigid, her breathing shallow. It was a profound and immediate dislike that seemed entirely disproportionate to a simple court visit. I didn't understand why Li Lan would have such a strong negative reaction to my sister.
"What a show you and your sister gave us the other day," Wang Xiu said, her tone deceptively polite. "I never thought you could be so bold."
I felt the chill emanating from my sister. It was a veiled threat, a reminder of Li Lan's audacity and a warning of the consequences of challenging our court. Wang Xiu was sizing her up, a predator assessing her prey.
Li Lan, however, did not flinch. She straightened her back, meeting the Princess's gaze with a mask of cool contempt that stunned me. The mask of indifference she usually wore was gone, replaced by something far more active and hostile.
"Your and your sister's performance was quite the talk of the court," Wang Xiu repeated, her eyes not quite matching her smile. "I never knew you were so talented."
Li Lan's voice, when she finally spoke, was calm and measured, cutting through the tense air, but the undercurrent of pure dislike was unmistakable. "The truth is," she said, looking my sister directly in the eye, "we are Li daughters. There is a lot you do not know about us."
Wang Xiu's smile instantly vanished. The polite mask cracked, and a clear flash of fury and malice filled her eyes. The air around her grew heavy with pure, suffocating resentment. I felt the sudden, sharp spike of her hatred and tightened my grip on Li Lan's hand instinctively, remaining a silent shield. The open animosity between them was alarming, but Li Lan's defiant response filled me with a strange pride.
"How bold of you," the Princess said, her voice now a low, chilling whisper. "You're a long way from home, little sister-in-law. It's easy to get lost in a place you don't know."
With that thinly veiled threat, she turned to leave. But I was not done.
"I thought you had something to say," I said, my tone deceptively mild, stopping her with my voice. "Why did you come?"
Wang Xiu stopped, looking over her shoulder, the cold smile back in place. "No," she said, her voice a soft, mocking purr. "Just wanted to see you, brother."
And with that final, cutting remark, she swept out of the study. The tension broke, replaced instantly by the familiar, welcome warmth of Li Lan's presence. I finally released her hand, my knuckles white from the strain.
I looked at Li Lan, whose eyes were wide with a fierce, new understanding. Wang Xiu wasn't just a rude courtier. She was our first true opponent, a chilling confirmation of her sister's warning.
The intensity of the antagonism between her and my sister was inexplicable, but its reality was undeniable. The real game had just begun and we were in it together.