In a distant palace courtyard—
Moonlight spilled like silver across polished stone tiles, reflecting softly off a quiet lotus pond. The air carried the faint fragrance of night-blooming flowers, serene and undisturbed.
At the center of the courtyard sat a young man in flowing robes.
The Third Prince, Li Shiyu.
A jade cup rested between his fingers as he leisurely poured tea, the liquid forming delicate ripples in the stillness. His posture was relaxed, elegant—every movement refined to perfection.
Yet his eyes—
Cold.
Sharp.
Unfathomable.
"Kneel."
The single word cut through the night.
A palace servant collapsed to his knees instantly, forehead pressed against the cold stone.
"Y-Your Highness… this servant has confirmed it. The Fourth Prince… is alive."
Li Shiyu's hand paused mid-air.
The teapot hovered slightly above the cup.
"…Alive?"
His voice was soft.
Dangerously soft.
"Yes, Your Highness! He has not left his courtyard for several days. Only his personal maid enters and exits."
Silence settled.
Even the faint rustle of leaves seemed to stop.
A slow smile curved on Li Shiyu's lips.
"Interesting…"
He placed the teapot down with a soft click.
"I was certain the poison would be enough."
The servant trembled, not daring to respond.
Li Shiyu's fingers tapped lightly against the table.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
"If he survived… then either his luck is extraordinary…"
A pause.
"…or someone interfered."
His gaze drifted toward the distant palace walls, as if he could see through them.
"Has he shown any unusual behavior?"
"No, Your Highness. He has remained inside. Only his personal maid enters and leaves."
"The maid…"
Li Shiyu's smile deepened slightly.
"Xiao Lan, correct?"
The servant's body stiffened.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Li Shiyu chuckled softly.
"A silent prince… hiding behind closed doors after nearly dying…"
He leaned back slightly, eyes half-lidded.
"How disappointing."
But then—
His gaze sharpened.
"Or perhaps…"
"…he's thinking."
"The quiet ones are always the most interesting."
He leaned back slightly, the moonlight casting faint shadows across his face.
"For now… keep watching."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
As the servant fled—
Li Shiyu lifted his tea, taking a slow sip.
"Fourth Brother…"
His voice was almost a whisper.
"…try not to disappoint me."
Several days passed.
The Fourth Prince's courtyard remained sealed, its tall vermilion gates rarely opening.
Dust gathered lightly along the outer pathways, undisturbed by footsteps. Even the guards stationed nearby had grown lax, believing nothing of note would happen within.
Inside—
It was a different world.
The courtyard was quiet, shaded by ancient trees whose branches stretched wide, filtering sunlight into scattered patterns across the stone ground. A small pond lay to one side, its surface still, broken only by the occasional ripple of a drifting leaf.
At the center—
Li Xuan sat cross-legged within his chamber.
The room was dim, lit only by a single flickering oil lamp.
The air around him was faintly distorted.
Invisible qi gathered and flowed like a slow vortex, drawn toward his body.
Unlike the crude absorption of lower cultivators, his control was precise… refined… almost effortless.
Within his dantian—
A vast, stable space had already taken form.
A Cave Manor.
At just twenty years old, reaching this realm was enough to be called a genius across the empire.
But Li Xuan's expression remained indifferent.
"Still not enough…"
His spiritual sense swept through his body, refining every strand of qi.
Perfecting.
Strengthening.
Because in this palace—
Strength meant survival.
Knock. Knock.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts
"Your Highness, your meal."
"Enter."
The wooden door creaked open softly.
Xiao Lan stepped in, her figure graceful beneath the dim light. The faint scent of food drifted into the room, warm and comforting against the cold stillness.
She placed the dishes carefully on the table, her movements practiced and quiet.
"Your Highness, please eat."
Li Xuan opened his eyes.
For a fleeting moment—
The qi around him stirred.
A faint, oppressive pressure spread outward.
Xiao Lan's breath caught.
It was subtle.
But unmistakable.
Like standing before something vast and immovable.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the tray.
Cave Manor…?
The thought flashed through her mind—
But she immediately suppressed it, lowering her head.
Li Xuan observed everything.
Her reaction.
Her restraint.
Her silence.
Not bad.
"Xiao Lan."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"If one day… I am accused of treason…"
His voice was calm.
"What would you do?"
A brief pause.
Then—
"This servant belongs to Your Highness."
Her voice was steady, though soft.
"If Your Highness falls… this servant will not live alone."
Li Xuan held her gaze for a moment.
Then—
"You may leave."
After she left—
Li Xuan spoke calmly,
"Captain Xu."
A figure appeared silently.
A middle-aged man knelt.
The Captain of the Imperial Guards—Xu Gang, a Golden Core expert.
"Your Highness."
"I have a task for you."
Night fell.
The courtyard sank into silence.
The wind rustled gently through the leaves, shadows swaying faintly under the moonlight.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Inside her quarters—
Xiao lan was resting after her days duties
Bang!
The door burst open violently.
Xiao Lan turned, startled.
Several armored guards rushed in, their boots echoing heavily against the wooden floor.
"Xiao Lan! You are under investigation!"
Her heart tightened.
"Investigation… for what?"
The leading guard threw a letter onto the table.
"Colluding with external forces to harm the Fourth Prince."
Her face paled.
She stepped forward, picking up the letter with trembling hands.
Each word felt like a blade.
Her name.
Her supposed crime.
All neatly written.
Her mind went blank.
Then—
Clarity.
A setup.
Someone had arranged everything.
Carefully.
Perfectly.
Her fingers tightened.
But her expression slowly calmed.
"Take her."
The guards seized her arms.
"I request to see His Highness!" she said urgently. "I must explain this!"
"Explain?" one guard sneered. "Save it."
She was dragged outside.
The cold stone bit into her knees.
Xiao Lan knelt in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by armored guards. Their shadows stretched long under the pale moonlight, enclosing her like a silent cage.
Before her—
A letter.
Thin.
Fragile.
Yet heavier than a blade.
Footsteps echoed.
Measured. Firm.
Captain Xu arrived with several Imperial Guards, his presence steady and oppressive, like a drawn sword that had yet to fall.
He stopped before her.
His gaze was cold.
"Answer truthfully."
Each word fell like iron.
"Who do you serve… and why did you betray His Highness?"
Xiao Lan's fingers tightened against the stone.
"I have never betrayed His Highness."
Her voice trembled—
But did not break.
"This letter is not mine. This is a ploy against me."
Captain Xu's expression did not change.
"This letter was intercepted through a verified channel and traced back to you."
A pause.
"Explain."
Silence.
The air thickened.
From a distant corridor—
Li Xuan stood within the darkness.
Watching.
Silently.
At first—
She resisted.
"This servant is innocent! I have never betrayed His Highness!"
Her voice wavered slightly.
But no one responded.
No denial.
No comfort.
Only silence.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Like invisible hands tightening around her throat.
Slowly…
Her resistance weakened.
Not because she accepted guilt—
But because she understood.
This was never about truth.
Her fingers loosened.
Her shoulders sank.
Her head lowered.
"If… His Highness believes this servant is a traitor…"
Her voice steadied.
"…then this servant has no right to argue."
A tear fell.
Then another.
Quiet.
Unrestrained.
"…This servant only regrets…"
A faint tremor passed through her body.
"…being unable to continue serving Your Highness."
She bowed deeply.
Her forehead pressed against the cold stone.
And did not rise.
Silence.
Absolute.
Then—
"What is going on here?"
The voice cut through everything.
The guards stiffened instantly.
They stepped back.
Xiao Lan's eyes trembled—
Then brightened.
Footsteps approached.
Unhurried.
Steady.
Li Xuan stepped into the moonlight.
His expression calm.
Unreadable.
Captain Xu stepped forward and bowed.
"Your Highness. She has been identified as a traitor. This letter serves as proof."
He presented the letter.
Li Xuan took it.
His gaze swept across the contents briefly—
Then he walked toward Xiao Lan.
Each step deliberate.
Measured.
He stopped before her.
"Lan'er."
His voice was quiet.
"Is this true?"
While speaking—
His eyes locked onto her.
Observing.
Measuring.
Judging.
"No, Your Highness."
Her voice trembled—
But her gaze did not waver.
"That letter is fake. I have never served anyone else…"
A brief pause.
"…this is a ploy."
Silence.
Li Xuan watched her.
Breathing.
Eyes.
Instinct.
No hesitation.
No concealment.
Only fear—
Not of death.
But of losing his trust.
…Enough.
He turned.
"She is innocent."
Captain Xu frowned slightly.
"But Your Highness, the letter was intercepted by the Moon Shadow Pavilion."
Li Xuan's voice remained calm.
Yet the air grew heavier.
"I trust her."
A simple sentence.
Absolute.
"She cannot betray me."
A pause.
"Someone has arranged this."
"Investigate further."
Captain Xu lowered his head.
"…Understood."
He turned.
"Disperse."
The guards withdrew swiftly, their presence fading like receding tides.
Silence returned.
Li Xuan looked at Xiao Lan.
"Do not worry."
His tone was calm.
"I believe you are not involved."
Xiao Lan froze.
Her mind blanked.
"…Your Highness?"
The courtyard seemed to quiet even further.
Only the faint rustle of leaves remained.
"Rise."
She stood slowly.
Her legs trembled slightly.
Tears still lingered at the corners of her eyes.
"This servant… thanks Your Highness."
Li Xuan did not respond.
Instead—
He walked past her.
"Follow me."
Inside the chamber—
The door closed softly behind them.
The dim glow of the oil lamp cast long shadows across the room. The earlier warmth from the meal had long faded, leaving only a cold stillness behind.
Xiao Lan stood near the entrance, head lowered.
She did not dare to speak first.
Li Xuan stood by the window, looking out at the moonlit courtyard.
For a moment—
Neither spoke.
Then—
"Were you afraid?"
His voice was calm.
Xiao Lan's fingers tightened slightly.
"…Yes."
There was no hesitation in her answer.
Li Xuan turned slightly, his gaze falling on her.
"Afraid of death?"
A pause.
Then she shook her head softly.
"This servant… was afraid…"
Her voice trembled faintly.
"…that Your Highness truly believed it."
Silence.
Those words lingered in the air.
Li Xuan's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
She continued, her voice quieter now—
"This servant's life is insignificant…"
"But if Your Highness had truly thought me a traitor…"
Her hands clenched tightly.
"…then this servant would have no place left in this world."
The room grew still.
Even the faint flicker of the lamp seemed to slow.
Li Xuan watched her carefully.
Her expression.
Her trembling voice.
There was no deceit.
Only sincerity.
After a long pause, he spoke.
"Why?"
Xiao Lan lifted her head slightly, startled.
Li Xuan's gaze was steady.
"Why place your life on me?"
A question.
Simple.
Yet heavy.
Xiao Lan hesitated.
Then slowly knelt again.
"Because… Your Highness is the only one who gave this servant a place to belong."
Her forehead lowered.
"When this servant first entered the palace… no one remembered my name."
"No one cared if I lived or died."
Her voice softened.
"But Your Highness… once said…"
She paused, as if recalling something distant.
"…'A servant is still a person.'"
Li Xuan's expression remained unchanged.
But his eyes flickered slightly.
"That day…"
"This servant decided…"
Her voice steadied.
"…that my life would belong to Your Highness."
Silence filled the room once more.
Heavy.
Deep.
Li Xuan looked at her kneeling figure.
Then—
He turned away.
"Enough."
His voice returned to its usual calm indifference.
"You think too much."
Xiao Lan lowered her head again.
"This servant has overstepped."
A pause.
Then—
"From today onward…"
Li Xuan spoke slowly.
"…remain by my side."
Xiao Lan's body trembled slightly.
"…Yes, Your Highness."
"Also—"
She froze.
"Do not kneel so easily."
Her eyes widened slightly.
Li Xuan did not look at her.
"It is unsightly."
A simple, almost dismissive remark.
But to Xiao Lan—
It felt different.
"…Yes."
Her voice was softer this time.
She stood.
But before leaving—
She hesitated.
Then quietly said—
"This servant… will never betray Your Highness."
Li Xuan did not turn.
"I know."
Two simple words.
Calm.
Certain.
Xiao Lan's fingers tightened slightly.
Her chest felt warm.
Without another word, she bowed and left.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Li Xuan remained standing by the window.
His reflection faintly visible in the glass.
After a moment—
A faint smile appeared.
"She's completely convinced…"
Perfect.
Everything had gone exactly as planned.
Fear.
Despair.
Relief.
And finally—
Trust.
All carefully layered.
All precisely controlled.
"Emotions are the easiest chains…"
His gaze turned cold.
"And the strongest."
From this moment on—
Xiao Lan would not just serve him.
She would believe in him.
And that—
Was far more valuable.
Outside—
Xiao Lan walked through the quiet courtyard.
Her steps were steady now.
But her heart—
No longer the same.