Chapter 50

Proofreader : Mim

“No matter how the world changes, I am still happy to see you.”

Li Zhi had said it that day.

Where Lu Congruan’s body ended up, she did not know.

Xie Lanxu left the body bound and hidden beneath the boat, returning to the horse farm with her as if nothing had happened. After she had given her answer, he never mentioned the corpse again. Life flowed on, undisturbed and serene—until the storm came.

A chilling scream tore through the stillness of Mingyue Tower.

“Ah!”

The outcry from the Duhu’s office echoed across the Duhu Mansion.

In the secondary Courtyard, an assistant officer collapsed to the ground in terror, pointing a trembling finger at an open wooden box in front of him. His face was as pale as death.

A colleague who came to assist him caught a glimpse of the box’s contents and, with a strangled gasp, sank weakly to the floor as well.

The assistant officer stumbled to his feet, panic propelling him toward the door. “Quick—someone notify Commander Lu immediately…!”

Inside the wooden box sat a severed human head, meticulously severed at the neck and resting upright in grim stillness.

Lu Congruan’s glazed eyes drooped open, and the blackened, swollen face seemed to mock his father, Lu Han, who had rushed there as soon as he received word.

For a brief moment, Lu Han clung to a shred of hope. But now, that fragile illusion shattered, crushing him like an avalanche. He swayed violently as if about to collapse.

“Commander Lu!”

Yu Jingrong, his assistant magistrate, rushed forward and caught him before he fell.

With trembling hands, Lu Han waved him away, signaling that he could stand. Gathering what little strength he had, he straightened himself and spoke in a strained voice.

“Who discovered this?”

The assistant officer stepped forward shakily. “Reporting to Commander Lu—it was I. Starting yesterday, tributes and land registries from the subordinate states have been arriving at Mingyue Tower. While I was sorting and registering the items today, I opened this box… and found this head inside.”

“Which state sent this box?”

“It—It was Yizhou…”

The Courtyard fell silent. The mention of Yizhou hung heavily in the air, suffocating those present.

“Who else knows about this?” Lu Han pressed on.

“Only those of us present here.”

“Good. Keep today’s events strictly confidential. Not a word of this must leak out. Under no circumstances is Madam to hear about this. Once I have investigated the matter, I will make a decision.”

“Commander Lu, what about… the box?” The assistant officer glanced nervously at the gruesome contents.

Lu Han turned his head away, unable to look again. His voice was rough and unsteady. “Preserve it with ice for now.”

After issuing his orders, Lu Han turned and staggered out of the Courtyard, his steps heavy and uneven.

Yu Jingrong lingered behind to ensure everything was handled properly before hurrying after his superior.

Lu Han returned to his study at the Duhu office, but as soon as he stepped through the doorway, his knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.

“Commander Lu!”

Yu Jingrong had anticipated this and rushed forward alongside Lu Han’s loyal attendant, Ma Guozi. Together, they carried him carefully to the bed.

A physician was quickly summoned. After checking Lu Han’s pulse, the physician’s expression turned grave.

“Commander Lu’s condition was triggered by severe agitation, causing a dangerous surge of blood and qi. If he were in good health, a few doses of medicine would suffice. However, years of overwork have greatly weakened his body. His health is much poorer than most.”

“Then what should we do?” Ma Guozi demanded, his voice full of panic.

“The most critical thing is that Commander Lu must not experience any further emotional distress. I will prescribe two restorative tonics to help nourish his body. But he must remain calm and undisturbed.”

Yu Jingrong dismissed the physician and turned to Ma Guozi. “You must keep this matter a secret. Allow no one except trusted servants to enter this room.”

“And if Madam asks?” Ma Guozi asked nervously.

“Tell her that Commander Lu is busy managing the search efforts at the Duhu office.”

Yu Jingrong stayed by Lu Han’s bedside the entire afternoon. It wasn’t until sunset that Lu Han finally stirred and opened his eyes.

“Someone…” His voice was hoarse, his hand weakly reaching for someone.

Yu Jingrong and Ma Guozi hurried to his side.

“Commander Lu, you’re awake!” Ma Guozi exclaimed, tears of relief in his eyes.

“I…” Lu Han felt as though his head was splitting apart. Pressing against his temples, he recalled the events leading up to his fainting. The image of the severed head in the wooden box stabbed at his heart once again. Before he could utter a word, tears were already streaming down his face.

“Master…” Yu Jingrong couldn’t bear the sight and his eyes reddened as well.

Ma Guozi, oblivious to the matter, looked at the two of them in confusion.

“Leave me alone with Yu Jingrong. Guozi, you may go,” Lu Han said in a hoarse, exhausted voice.

“Alright. Call me if you need anything,” Ma Guozi replied tactfully and left the study.

Once it was just the two of them, Lu Han closed his eyes.
“…Tell me, do you think this is a declaration of war from Yizhou?”

While Lu Han had been unconscious, Yu Jingrong had been pondering this matter the entire time.

“This… I remain doubtful and cannot conclude with certainty. There are two possibilities: the first is that the King of Yi is being framed; the second is that the head in the box was indeed prepared by the King of Yi.”

“Tell me about the first possibility.”

“The tributes and records sent to Mingyue Tower are transported by each state’s own people. To swap one of the record boxes with a severed head unnoticed would be almost impossible. If it wasn’t swapped before arriving at the Duhu Office, then it could only have been done after reaching Mingyue Tower. If that’s the case, then there must be a traitor among us.”

“And the second possibility?”

“The King of Yi may have killed the person himself, ordered the head severed, and hidden it among the tributes to enrage you, forcing you to strike first. He could then claim innocence, disguising his rebellion as a justified act of self-defense.”

Lu Han said, “The King of Yi is arrogant and reckless. In recent years, he has made little effort to hide his disloyalty to the court. The second possibility aligns very well with his methods.”

“Then what does the master intend to do?”

“As the border Commander, I shoulder the peace of all of Mingyue Tower. I cannot allow personal grievances to influence me,” Lu Han said. “If this is indeed the King of Yi’s doing, he will surely send spies to the border to probe and wait for me to deploy troops. Issue an order to the border troops to halt their rest and increase vigilance. If any spies from Yizhou are discovered, they must be captured immediately.”

“Understood!”

“Help me up. I need to write a memorial to the Emperor and report this matter.”

—-

A few days later, Mingyue Tower’s border troops indeed captured a spy from Yizhou. However, before they could interrogate him, the spy poisoned himself and died.

Lu Han had intended to wait for an imperial decree before making any moves, but before the Emperor’s reply arrived, Yizhou’s army made the first strike.

By the time Mingyue Tower’s Duhu Office detected the situation, Yizhou’s 200,000-strong army had already advanced to the border.

With Lu Han’s health continuing to deteriorate, he was no longer able to oversee Mingyue Tower’s military and administrative affairs. The Deputy Commander, Liang Yu, took over command and summoned the generals for an urgent war council.

The chaos in the city had already reached the Xipeng Grasslands.

Compared to fortified cities guarded by soldiers, the horse ranch was like a lone boat in a storm. The moment waves hit, it would inevitably capsize.

The ranch was in a state of panic, with everyone fearing that war would break out at any moment. Even Steward Li had stopped monitoring the ranch, and the other servants were going through the motions, ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.

In contrast to the turmoil around her, Li Zhi remained as composed as ever, as if entirely untouched by the shadow of war. Influenced by her calm demeanor, the Li siblings and Jia Sui also appeared unusually steady.

Longyan could already gallop across the ranch alongside its mother. Its sturdy bones and bright eyes promised that it would one day grow into a fine horse.

Li Zhi leaned against the fence, watching Longyan and its mother playing in the field. Behind her, Jia Sui chased after the foal, trying to bathe it. Li Xiangsheng was teaching Li Cien how to ride, while Hei Huo observed from not far away.

The group had already finished their work for the day, but because the next shift of servants had yet to arrive, they lingered at the ranch.

At some point, someone appeared beside her.

Xie Lanxu’s shadow fell over her.

She did not look at him but kept her gaze fixed on her family in the golden-red glow of the setting sun. The warm wind blew across both of them, merging their shadows into one.

The faint scent of unnamed wildflowers still drifted through the lush green grass, but Li Zhi knew that this peace had already been shattered.

Before long, iron hooves would crush this tranquility.

“There’s something I don’t understand. Could Your Highness clear up my confusion?” she asked.

Xie Lanxu’s sleeves fluttered in the wind.

“Speak.”

“When did Your Highness swap Lu Congruan’s head with the tributes from Yizhou?”

“After the tributes reached the Duhu Office.”

Li Zhi turned to look at Xie Lanxu. “How were you so certain that Lu Han would believe this was a provocation by the King of Yi?”

“Lu Han and the court have long been wary of the King of Yi. All I had to do was toss a spark between the Duhu Office and Yizhou, and see who would lose their composure first.”

Xie Lanxu smiled faintly, his expression exuding the confidence of someone who held everything within his grasp.

“As it turns out, the guilty are always the first to lose their patience.”

Once, they had stood as equals, but now, Xie Lanxu had grown so much that Li Zhi had to look up to meet his gaze.

Sometimes, she thought she had him figured out. Other times, she felt it was merely a reckless delusion.

“One last question,” she said. “Why did you incite this war?”

“To ride the wind and break the waves,” he replied. “Without wind or waves, how could I soar to the heavens?”

Those familiar words sent a shiver through Li Zhi’s heart.

She had no right to condemn Xie Lanxu.

She was just like him—ruthless and willing to act on her desires.

“Banban, will you help me?” he asked, his gaze locked onto hers.

“…The storm has already begun. What more can I do for Your Highness?”

“You hold the most important part of this plan,” Xie Lanxu said softly, his eyes carrying a hint of deep emotion. “Are you willing to take this risk for me?”

Xie Lanxu moved closer to her and found the hand she had hidden in her sleeve, gripping it tightly.

Truth and lies, reality and illusion.

Together, they wove a dazzling and dreamlike net.

Perhaps even the deceivers themselves could no longer tell what was real and what was false.

Until the very end, no one would know who had lost themselves in this grand illusion.

“I have one more request,” Li Zhi said. “When war comes, will Your Highness protect the innocent people of Mingyue Tower to the best of your ability?”

Though Xie Lanxu didn’t understand why Li Zhi cared about people unrelated to her, to him, the commoners were valuable as sources of taxes, labour, and resources. If unnecessary, he wouldn’t squander civilian lives in war.

“Of course,” he replied. “If my predictions are correct, this war will not harm the innocent.”

“In that case—”

Li Zhi finally smiled.

Looking into Xie Lanxu’s deep eyes, she saw through them the vast royal treasures accumulated over hundreds of years by the Cui Dynasty—wealth enough for the descendants of royalty to rise again.

Li Zhi returned his grip, feeling the warmth that passed between them.

Word by word, she said, “For you…”

“I will endure any calamity, even if it means no return.”

Notes and Context:

• “乘風才能破浪” (Ride the wind and break the waves): A metaphor for achieving greatness by taking advantage of turbulent circumstances.