# Chapter 2
In Yuxiu Palace, Princess Dunsu gazed at the palace chambers where she had grown up, sighing with emotion. "So many years, and it still stands empty."
Qi Xiao smiled. "A legitimate princess's palace—no one can simply be allowed to move in."
Princess Dunsu turned to glance at Qi Xiao and lowered her voice with a knowing smile. "Then we'll wait for your princess to come live here someday."
Qi Xiao turned to look at Jiang Deqing, who understood his meaning and led the palace servants out.
Qi Xiao personally poured tea for Princess Dunsu and said softly, "Auntie... why must you quarrel with the Emperor over such matters?"
"Hmph... if I don't fight for you, who will know you're the Crown Prince?" The Princess dropped her amicable facade and coldly laughed. "The south suffered disaster, and you handled all the coordination of grain and supplies—you did all the hard work. But the moment everything was prepared, the Emperor sent Qi Hua as commander to pacify the two provinces! They spoke beautifully about fearing pestilence after floods, about how a Crown Prince's status was too precious to risk—easily erasing your contributions, letting Qi Hua take all the credit! Fortunately, Qi Hua is useless. He made a laughingstock of himself down south and lost the people's trust."
Qi Xiao smiled faintly. "The Emperor wants to use me as a stepping stone, so naturally I cannot be too obliging."
Princess Dunsu was dumbfounded. "Did you... manipulate Qi Hua?"
Qi Xiao merely smiled without answering. Understanding spread across her face, and her expression softened considerably. She sighed with relief, "Your father-in-law always said you had great ambitions—surely it was true. But... did you clean up after yourself properly? If the Emperor finds out..."
"I've never tried to hide it from him from the start." Qi Xiao gently rubbed the jade pendant at his waist and said coolly, "Hiding one's talents indefinitely is mere cowardice. I must let him understand that right now, he still cannot touch me."
"As long as you're clear on that... Now, let's discuss business. There are two eligible princesses from Lingnan. One is Princess Roujia, the full sister of the Lingnan hostage—she's said to be virtuous and talented with an outstanding reputation. The other is Princess Kangtai, daughter of the Lingnan King's consort. That consort is deeply favored by the King, and though her daughter is born of a concubine, she's the apple of the Lingnan's eye..." Princess Dunsu hesitated, then looked up at Qi Xiao. "Which one do you prefer?"
Both princesses had their merits—one with noble status, the other more beloved by the Lingnan King. Princess Dunsu couldn't decide, so she left the choice to Qi Xiao.
Princess Dunsu furrowed her brow and whispered, "What a pity we prepared so late. I hate that my vision was so limited before—I always feared the Emperor might go to war with Lingnan, so I never gave it much thought. If only I had found a way to meet these two princesses when I was with my husband in the south... But I've only heard good things from others. I can't rest easy without seeing them myself."
Qi Xiao smiled faintly. This wasn't Princess Dunsu's fault. The Lingnan King was a marquess of a different surname—a root of conflict by nature. And the Eastern Ling clan's tangled history with the imperial family over the years made things worse.
The old Lingnan King had fought alongside the Founding Emperor to conquer the realm. When the Emperor ascended the throne and distributed titles, he enfeoffed seven marquesses of different surnames. But before ten years passed, all six other marquesses fell from grace. The luckiest, the Northern Defender, merely had his fief revoked and was stripped of his title, reduced to commoner status. The unluckier ones, like the Bo'an Marquess, were executed along with their entire clans. In the end, only the Lingnan King survived.
The old Lingnan King didn't survive through luck alone. In the seventh year after receiving his title, the Wunxi clan from the south invaded. The old Lingnan King, Dongling Wu, led troops to attack. The campaign lasted nearly three years, with nearly a hundred thousand soldiers lost. The Founding Emperor had intended for Lingnan and Wunxi to destroy each other. Battle reports arrived in the capital like snow, but the Emperor never sent a single soldier or sailor—just waited to reap the spoils. Unfortunately for his plans, after several defeats, Lingnan began winning consecutively. They not only repelled the Wunxi but chased them relentlessly, all the way to the Wunxi capital. After slaughtering the city and decimating the royal family, the old Lingnan King simply claimed the territory for himself and swallowed Wunxi whole.
Wunxi was twice the size of old Lingnan, with abundant farmland and resources. The Founding Emperor could no longer sit still. After lavish rewards, he sent the Chancellor to Lingnan to negotiate who would govern Wunxi. The territory was conquered by the old Lingnan King, and the capital had never lifted a finger to help. Naturally, he refused to let the imperial court share the spoils—let alone that the Emperor wanted more than a mere share. Letters flew back and forth like snowflakes, and nearly a month passed without agreement. As if things weren't complicated enough, the western Bo'an Marquess rebelled. The Founding Emperor couldn't be in two places at once, and he feared the old Lingnan King might join forces with Bo'an. So he had to settle for less: he doubled Lingnan's annual taxes and tribute, and the matter was dropped. This delay stretched for years. By the time the Founding Emperor turned his attention to dealing with Lingnan, the old Lingnan King had already consolidated his power in the south. The Emperor was old, his ambition exceeding his strength. He left this thorn in the empire's side unresolved until his death.
In recent years, relations between the capital and Lingnan had grown increasingly tense. Many feared that at any moment, a single wrong word could spark war. But unexpectedly, since two years ago, Lingnan had suffered one calamity after another, its fortune greatly diminished. They no longer had the strength to challenge the capital. This year, they had even sent their heir as a hostage in exchange for grain. Any clear-eyed person could see—as long as the Lingnan King wasn't insane, there would be no war.
Since conflict was off the table, repairing relations became the priority. Marriage alliances were inevitable. Princess Dunsu acted first, securing this matter for Qi Xiao. And she had a backup plan: even if the bride were a consort, should hostilities ever break between the south and the capital, Qi Xiao could divorce a consort with a single word. Nothing would be impeded.
As a legitimate princess, Princess Dunsu's heart naturally leaned toward the legitimate princess. But unfortunately, the Lingnan Queen was far too unloved. She sighed. "Decide for yourself..."
Qi Xiao naturally understood the Lingnan situation well. He smiled lightly. "The Lingnan Queen's father and brother both died fighting in the Wunxi war. She has neither favor nor family backing. Of course, her legitimate son cannot compete with a favored illegitimate son. And now that the heir has become a hostage, the legitimate line is even less valued."
Princess Dunsu nodded. "Exactly my point. Never mind... even if she's from a side branch, as long as she's a Lingnan girl, that will do. Then, if worse comes to worst... the people of Lingnan will surely be more inclined to support you, someone who married into their clan. With Lingnan's backing... our future plans gain another layer of security."
Qi Xiao remained noncommittal. "Nephew will follow Auntie's wishes."
Princess Dunsu gazed at Qi Xiao, whose eyes so resembled Emperor Wu's, and her heart ached. She couldn't help but take his hand and say softly, "My dear child, I know you don't enjoy this... Bear with it a little longer. When you ascend the throne, Auntie can finally rest easy. Then you can do whatever you wish without anyone to constrain you..."
Princess Dunsu was getting on in years. Despite the long journey by boat, she had not shown it earlier in Chengqian Palace. But now, away from prying eyes, her exhaustion was evident. Even Qi Xiao, cold as he was, felt a pang of sorrow. He said softly, "Auntie, you shouldn't go to such trouble for my sake. These matters—"
"Your burden is already heavy enough. Let Auntie handle these smaller things. And don't feel too burdened—you're not the only reason I do this..." Princess Dunsu took a deep breath. "I do this for myself too. The Founding Emperor's legitimate bloodline now has only the two of us remaining. If I let you fight alone, I'm afraid our ancestors would never forgive me."
Although Qi Xiao had always been indifferent about the marriage alliance, seeing Princess Dunsu go to such lengths for him, he couldn't remain too passive. The next day, after court adjourned, he deliberately lingered behind. Near the Lianyan Pool in front of Qianqing Palace, he waited a while—and sure enough, he encountered the Lingnan King's heir emerging from the Haixin Academy.
The fact that the heir, Bai Ren, was a hostage was understood by all, of course. But the Emperor always maintained appearances. He provided meticulous care for the heir's food, clothing, and lodging. Hearing that the heir had been studying in Lingnan, the Emperor directly assigned him a Grand Tutor, allowing him to attend lectures in the Haixin Academy daily. All his treatment was equivalent to that of a prince.
Qi Xiao chuckled inwardly. Whether the Emperor truly valued Lingnan or simply wanted better surveillance—well, that was a matter of perspective.
Bai Ren had just finished morning lessons. Because of the Emperor's gracious invitation to breakfast, he was hurrying toward Chengqian Palace with his companion and palace servants. Seeing Qi Xiao in the distance, he knew better than to avoid him, so he brought his entourage over. Qi Xiao smiled. "Where is His Highness headed?"
Bai Ren bowed properly and, with downcast eyes, answered. Qi Xiao nodded. "Your Highness has been in the capital for quite some time now, but I haven't had a proper conversation with you. How have you been settling in? Do you miss home?"
Bai Ren looked up at Qi Xiao, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but his expression remained as serene as ever. He replied coolly, without pretense, "The Emperor has treated this subject very well. I do not miss home."
Qi Xiao could sense Bai Ren's distance and didn't press. He smiled gently. "Our father the Emperor is burdened with countless matters; inevitably, there will be oversights. If anything troubles you, do come tell me. Don't stand on ceremony. Since our father the Emperor has summoned you, I won't keep you. Another day, when we have time, we can chat."
Bai Ren nodded coolly, bowed slightly, and turned to follow the palace servants away. Not once did he crack a smile. Qi Xiao watched his retreating figure with an amused expression. "The Lingnan heir is young in years, but his composure is remarkable."
Jiang Deqing hastily smiled and agreed. "His Highness is so young, alone in the capital—it's only natural his mood isn't pleasant. As the Crown Prince, you're his elder; please bear with him."
Qi Xiao was absent-minded. He certainly wasn't upset by Bai Ren's coldness. But... the Lingnan heir had only just arrived at the capital. Qi Xiao had only seen him twice before, both times from afar. He merely remembered Bai Ren's delicate features—he hadn't formed much of an impression. But now, looking closely, something stirred within him. He smiled faintly. "Of course."