Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 100

The difference between the Feathered Forest Guard and other armies was that they guarded the imperial palace, the very heart of power. Accustomed to power struggles and having seen more than their share of deceit, they naturally had their own judgment of the situation.

Wei Xiu’s confrontation with the Prince of Jin, first feigning weakness before seizing the upper hand, struck directly at the prince’s lifeline, throwing not only his composure into disarray but also unsettling the minds of the Feathered Forest Guard in the hall.

The Prince of Jin’s panic was plain to see, all his earlier bravado gone. He even had the impulse to kill the two of them on the spot, but ultimately, he did not dare. Puyang’s and Wei Xiu’s lives were in his hands, but the situation outside the palace was beyond his reach. He could only negotiate with Wei Xiu; otherwise, it would mean mutual destruction.

“What do you want?” the Prince of Jin asked, his tone cold and hard.

Wei Xiu glanced around at the soldiers in full armor holding spears and smiled. “Is Your Highness the Prince of Jin ready to talk with me now?”

The Prince of Jin stared at her silently, terrified she had another trick up her sleeve, and did not dare dismiss the men around them.

Wei Xiu said slowly, “If Your Highness is not afraid of unsettling the morale of your troops, then I certainly need not worry about it either.”

Only then did the Prince of Jin notice that the expressions of the Feathered Forest Guard in the hall were no longer so resolute and calm. After hearing Wei Xiu’s words, their gazes shifted, and they dared not meet his eyes.

When it rains, it pours! The Prince of Jin began to worry that if these men remained, Wei Xiu might turn them against him. Furthermore, what they were about to discuss was confidential and could not be known by anyone but his most trusted confidants. He had only been in command of the two armies for a short time and did not yet dare to trust them completely.

A moment later, the Prince of Jin cleared the hall and shut the doors, leaving only the three of them inside. The Prince of Jin’s sword was already sheathed. Puyang also stepped forward. Before the ancestral tablets of the former kings were cushions for kneeling in worship. Puyang and the Prince of Jin each took a spot and knelt, while Wei Xiu naturally sat by Puyang’s side.

Wei Xiu looked at Puyang, who was also watching her with concern. Seeing that the garment on her chest was pierced but showed no sign of bl00d, Puyang was visibly relieved.

A smile flashed in Wei Xiu’s eyes. She could tell Her Highness had doubts. Jiao Yong was a court minister, dispatched and controlled by the court; under no circumstances should he be taking orders from her. There was certainly an inside story. But Her Highness did not press the matter, nor did she show any suspicion. She was merely perplexed because she could not understand it, and she was more concerned about whether Wei Xiu had been injured while held at swordpoint by the Prince of Jin.

Wei Xiu was, after all, only a woman. She had seen more cruelty and bloodshed than the average person, which had made her more resilient and fearless in a crisis, but in the end, she was still just a frail scholar.

But with Puyang’s concern and trust, she felt that everything she had done was worthwhile. She even felt that when the truth was revealed, Her Highness would forgive and accept her.

Wei Xiu’s confidence returned. Her gaze toward Puyang was gentle, but when she faced the Prince of Jin, she no longer seemed so easy to handle.

The Prince of Jin, unable to contain his impatience, spoke first. “Things have come to this. Sir Wei must have a plan already. Why not share it?” He was still wary of Wei Xiu and quickly added, “At this point, I advise you to be honest. Even if I am to be defeated, it will be two days from now. But whether you live or die is up to my whim!”

Although the incense and candles had been removed from the hall, the heavy, calming scent of sandalwood, having permeated the space over many years, lingered, bringing a sense of peace to one’s heart.

Wei Xiu seemed affected by it, her pace of speech slowing. “Since we are to negotiate, naturally we must be sincere.”

The Prince of Jin, slightly relieved, stated his demands: “I want the Black Armor Army to retreat to their original position, and Jiao Yong to step down from his post as Capital Commandant.”

These demands were extremely harsh. The Prince of Jin was anxious, fearing Wei Xiu would refuse, but only by achieving this could he ascend the throne without future worries. He looked at Wei Xiu, trying his best to appear composed, but in Wei Xiu’s eyes, it was all just a bluff.

“The former is possible. The latter…” Wei Xiu paused, hesitating slightly. The Prince of Jin clenched his fists nervously. Wei Xiu glanced at him and said, “…is not impossible either.”

The Prince of Jin sighed in relief, a smile appearing on his face. “After I ascend the great throne, Seventh Lady will still rank first among all ministers, and I will grant her an additional fief of ten thousand households as an exchange. How does that sound?”

This was a demand for Puyang to join his faction.

It sounded like a win-win situation.

Wei Xiu neither agreed nor disagreed, only asking, “What is your guarantee?”

The Prince of Jin unfastened the jade pendant from his waist and offered it to Wei Xiu. “This is my royal command token.”

Wei Xiu shook her head, not taking it. “Not enough.”

The Prince of Jin showed his annoyance. Beyond this, he could offer no other proof; who could predict the future? What’s more, in his heart, he had no intention of letting these two live. Once he ascended the throne, he would naturally repay all of today’s humiliation!

He looked at Wei Xiu, saw her clear expression, and knew she did not believe a single word he had said.

“Just now, Your Highness spoke of being honest, but it seems not a single word you’ve said is true,” Wei Xiu said.

Comparing their situations, Wei Xiu was still at a disadvantage. Her plan would only take effect in two days, but the Prince of Jin could dispose of them immediately.

The Prince of Jin knew this as well. He stared at Wei Xiu grimly and said, “Then you tell me!”

Wei Xiu did not refuse and got straight to the point. “I want the Princess to live, with her wealth and honor intact.” As for whether she held power, she would not insist.

The Prince of Jin understood her underlying meaning and finally showed a genuine smile. “I didn’t expect Sir Wei to be so understanding.” If that was all, it did not seem difficult. Hadn’t the late Emperor spared the Prince of Runan?

“And you?” the Prince of Jin asked again.

“Me?” Wei Xiu smiled faintly. She lowered her gaze, dusted the lapels of her robe, smoothed the wrinkles, and calmly asked in return, “Can you tolerate my existence?”

The Prince of Jin’s smile widened. Naturally, he could not. The mere thought of Wei Xiu being alive in this world would leave him unable to eat or sleep in peace. He would not agree to let Wei Xiu even walk out of this hall, let alone let her live.

“You truly are perceptive,” the Prince of Jin said.

Wei Xiu’s gaze remained lowered, but the smile on her lips was still gentle, even showing a kind of enlightened acceptance after having seen through everything.

The tension from hearing his manor was surrounded had completely vanished. The Prince of Jin had regained his confidence of being in control. He looked at Wei Xiu, suddenly feeling a pang of regret for her talent, but it was a pity he did not dare to use this person. He asked again, “Aren’t you afraid of death?”

Wei Xiu turned to look at Puyang beside her. Puyang was very nervous, but she held her tongue, afraid of disrupting Wei Xiu’s plans, and also afraid that this was real—that Wei Xiu intended to trade her own life for Puyang’s safe passage out of this imperial palace.

Wei Xiu smiled, did not answer, and only said, “Your Highness the Prince of Jin, please come closer. I will explain the plan for retreating the troops in detail.”

The Prince of Jin stepped forward as requested.

Wei Xiu became serious, her words growing much more cautious. “I communicate with the Black Armor Army through the Grand Tutor via letters, using a secret code as the command and my own handwriting as the seal. To retreat the troops, I must personally write the secret code.”

The Prince of Jin frowned and said, “So complicated. It must be done quickly.” But then he reconsidered and added, “The Black Armor Army is still two days out, so it’s not too urgent. Let’s first discuss how to make the Gold Guard obey my command.”

Wei Xiu smiled. “This is easier. Your Highness, lean in.”

There were only the three of them in the hall. Why the need to whisper in his ear? The Prince of Jin was puzzled, but when he saw Puyang frown with a similar look of confusion, he guessed this might be something Wei Xiu was doing behind Puyang’s back.

He hesitated for a moment, still somewhat timid, not daring to get close. Wei Xiu did not know why he was so afraid of her. She could only sigh, but she did not back down.

The Prince of Jin studied her for a moment, then cautiously leaned closer. Wei Xiu lowered her voice. “Jiao Yong obeys me because he is an old retainer of my family. I have a jade pendant to prove my identity. That pendant is now…”

Her voice dropped. The Prince of Jin, hearing the crucial part, could not help but lean in closer.

“…now in the bedchamber of the Princess’s residence. You can send someone to retrieve it.”

The Prince of Jin heard clearly, and his expression gradually relaxed. But in the next instant, his eyes flew wide, his face twisting in agony. He looked down in disbelief, only to see a sword plunged into his abdomen. The blade was entirely embedded, its hilt gripped in Wei Xiu’s hand.

Wei Xiu’s features remained as indifferent as ever as she coldly watched him endure the excruciating pain.

The Prince of Jin realized he was about to die here.

He turned his head to look at Puyang, an overwhelming hatred rising in his heart. He struggled to speak, his lips opening and closing, spitting out broken words: “The… the late Emperor was… Wei… Wei…”

He could not continue. Wei Xiu pulled out the sword, and bl00d gushed forth, soaking his robes. This was a prince’s court attire, made of black fabric embroidered with intricate and magnificent patterns. Stained with bl00d, the embroidery threads turned red—a glaring, sorrowful sight.

The Prince of Jin fell to the ground. He stared with wide, resentful eyes in Puyang’s direction, as if with a bellyful of unsaid words.

Wei Xiu gripped the sword hilt tightly. The Prince of Jin’s bl00d remained on the blade, now trickling down the grooves of the Fish Intestine Sword, drop by drop.

Puyang stood up, took out a silk handkerchief, and began to wipe Wei Xiu’s hand. The hand that held the sword was covered in bl00d, which was coagulating so quickly it was impossible to wipe clean.

There was, after all, a difference between planning from behind the scenes and carrying out the deed oneself. The white silk handkerchief was stained with bl00d, no longer pristine. Wei Xiu came back to her senses and took the handkerchief herself, afraid the bloodstains would get on Puyang’s hands.

“Seventh Lady,” Wei Xiu said, “The Feathered Forest Guard outside…”

Puyang said, “I’ll handle it.”

With the troops’ morale shaken and their leader gone, it was the perfect time to win them over. Puyang’s status as Grand Princess and Regent Minister was precisely what was needed to command their respect.

This was also Wei Xiu’s meaning. She slid the sword into its sheath and concealed it back in her sleeve. Ever since the late Emperor’s passing, she had carried the Fish Intestine Sword for self-defense. It was meant as a precaution; she had not expected to actually use it.

The Prince of Jin’s body still lay on the ground.

Puyang walked over and closed his staring eyes. At this point, she felt no grief for the Prince of Jin’s death, yet she could not help but feel sorrow over the fratricide.

Wei Xiu pursed her lips and said, “The Prince of Jin’s dying words were unfinished. I wonder what he was going to say.”

Puyang frowned. “Who knows what he was going to say. It wouldn’t have been anything truthful.”

Wei Xiu sighed in relief, her expression softening. “You should go quickly. Delays could lead to complications.”

There was much to be done.

The emperor was gone, so a new one had to be enthroned. The Prince of Jin had committed treason, so his crimes had to be proclaimed and his wife and children dealt with. And any in the court who had supported his rebellion also had to be brought to justice.

Puyang had thought of this as well. Yet she did not hurry to leave. Instead, she looked at the torn spot on the front of Wei Xiu’s robes. She raised a hand, intending to inspect it, but Wei Xiu caught her hand and smiled. “Only the clothes are torn. It’s nothing, I’ll just change when we get back.”

She was wearing a dark green robe today, and with its deep color, the tear on her chest was not very noticeable.

Puyang insisted on pulling her hand free to take a look, but Wei Xiu stopped her again. At this point, if Puyang still did not realize she was injured, she would be far too slow-witted.

Wei Xiu sighed helplessly. “It’s a small flesh wound. It didn’t even bleed. It’s fine.” This was already an excellent outcome. Only she had suffered a minor injury, while Her Highness was completely unharmed.