Chapter Fourteen
After entering the palace, Bai Ren was immediately escorted to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Unfortunately, the Emperor was in audience with ministers, so the hall's chief eunuch, Fu Hailu, politely guided him to a side chamber in the eastern wing, where he was treated to fine tea and attentive service.
Bai Ren disliked having a room full of people hovering over him, so after some polite exchanges, he dismissed Fu Hailu and the others, leaving only two young palace maids in attendance.
"Does Your Highness feel cold? Shall we light a warming brazier?" The maid fussed over him with a bright smile. "It's getting colder by the day—Your Highness seems a bit lightly dressed."
Bai Ren smiled faintly and shook his head. Seeing his disinterest, the maid refrained from further comments and retreated to stand outside the chamber.
Bai Ren lifted his teacup and took a sip, finding only bitterness on his tongue. Thinking of everything that had happened at the Crown Prince's residence today, it felt as though a ball of cotton was lodged in his chest—unable to spit out, unable to swallow down, leaving him gasping for breath.
It wasn't that Bai Ren was prone to self-pity. He had, after all, been raised on the classics and moral teachings since childhood. Though he was not as self-righteously proud as Cen Chaoge, he had never imagined he would one day have to use his own body to secure advantages—and the cruelest part was that he had no choice. Bai Ren closed his eyes and tried to recall everything about Lingnan: his loving mother, his gentle sister, the beautiful scenery of a place where spring lingered year-round... He took a deep breath. It was worth it. For his mother and sister, it was all worth it.
Bai Ren stood at the window, lost in thought, and failed to notice someone approaching.
"Isn't this Bai Ren?" Qi Hua suddenly broke into laughter. "I arrived a bit early myself and thought I'd wait in the side chamber—but who would have thought I'd run into His Highness the Prince."
Qi Hua had spoken without warning, expecting Bai Ren to be startled. Instead, Bai Ren turned around calmly as always and performed a proper bow. "Greetings to Your Highness the Second Prince."
Qi Hua touched his nose and smiled. "What brings Your Highness the Prince here?"
Bai Ren glanced at Qi Hua. There were palace attendants outside, yet none had announced Qi Hua's arrival. Clearly, Qi Hua had known Bai Ren was inside and had deliberately silenced the guards. A wave of irritation rose in Bai Ren's heart, though his expression remained impassive. "Like Your Highness, I arrived early and am simply waiting here."
Bai Ren had always treated everyone this way—cool and distant. But to Qi Hua at this moment, it carried an entirely different meaning.
Qi Hua was the Empress's biological son, and he had excellent sources of information. A few days ago, he had learned that Qi Xiao was taking a侧室—a secondary wife—and that the new concubine was none other than the beloved daughter of the Prince of Lingnan, the gentle Princess Roujia.
Qi Hua was no fool. Lingnan was a fat prize everyone wanted a piece of, yet Qi Xiao had gotten there first. Of course he felt aggrieved—if alliances through marriage were the answer, why couldn't he be the one to benefit? Qi Hua cast a glance at Bai Ren. He didn't know that this whole scheme had been orchestrated by Princess Dunsu; he assumed Bai Ren had been desperate for a backer and had sought out Qi Xiao on his own. That was why seeing Bai Ren today left such a bitter taste in his mouth.
Now, watching Bai Ren treat him with such indifference, Qi Hua's anger only burned hotter. He was the Emperor's own son! Not only had he been overshadowed by Qi Xiao his whole life, but now even this little hostage prince had learned to play favorites and look down on him?
Just last month, because of the disaster relief matter, Qi Hua had been outmaneuvered by Qi Xiao. Old grievances and new hatreds combined, making Qi Hua's dislike of Bai Ren intensify.
Still, Qi Hua's expression remained smiling as he drawled, "I haven't seen you at the Hui Xin Academy these past few days. I heard you were unwell—feeling better now?"
Bai Ren had spent the last several days trying to arrange a meeting with Qi Xiao, with no time to attend lessons. Thus, he had been claiming illness. Seeing Qi Hua ask, he simply nodded. "Your concern is most kind, Your Highness. I've recovered considerably."
Qi Hua smiled. "Yesterday the tutors discussed a historical anecdote that I didn't quite grasp. I was planning to ask you about it. How fortunate to run into you—would Your Highness be so gracious as to enlighten me?"
"I wouldn't dare presume." Bai Ren gave a slight bow. "Your Highness may speak freely—though I fear my knowledge is shallow, and I may not explain it well."
"The tutors were discussing the *Records of the Grand Historian*, and they mentioned Li Yannian," Qi Hua snickered. "They spoke of how favored he was by Emperor Wu. I couldn't quite follow—what's the big deal? He was just a eunuch. How could he have captured the Han Emperor's heart so completely?" Qi Hua chuckled. "Tell me, Your Highness—what exactly was Li Yannian's secret..."
Qi Hua's intention had been to allude to how Li Yannian had recommended his own sister, Li Fei, implying that Bai Ren was using his sister to curry favor with Qi Xiao through marriage. But Bai Ren's thoughts went elsewhere. Li Yannian was a man who had shared the Emperor's bed; just an hour ago, Bai Ren himself had been molested by Qi Xiao. Hearing this now, he couldn't possibly think of Li Fei—his mind went straight to assuming Qi Hua already knew everything. His face drained of color.
When Qi Hua saw Bai Ren's expression change, his suspicions seemed confirmed. A mocking smile spread across his face. "They say Your Highness is learned in both ancient and modern matters, a celebrated talent even in Lingnan. But this anecdote... Your Highness seems unfamiliar with it? What a pity... After Li Fei's death, the entire Li clan was massacred twice over. Utterly destroyed."
Only now did Bai Ren understand. He gave a self-deprecating smile—how jumpy he had become lately, so on edge that he couldn't even parse such a simple barb. Knowing that Qi Hua was merely resentful about the marriage alliance, Bai Ren relaxed. He had no desire to engage further and replied coolly, "I am ashamed to admit my ignorance. I did not know this anecdote. Your Highness must find me laughable."
The more Bai Ren held himself aloof, the more Qi Hua's temper flared. With a smile that didn't reach his eyes, he said, "Bai Ren... I'll give you some advice, seeing as you're younger than me. Don't be so short-sighted. As for matters concerning the Crown Prince... you probably don't know the full story. Go and find out for yourself, before you have cause to regret."
Bai Ren knew Qi Hua was hinting at the secret that Qi Xiao was not the Emperor's true son. A cold smirk tugged at his lips. Though he hated how Qi Xiao had coerced him in secret, on the matter of bloodline, Bai Ren had to admit—even this pompous Second Prince Qi Hua, or the Emperor himself for that matter, could not claim a more noble lineage than Qi Xiao.
Bai Ren had no wish to continue speaking with Qi Hua. He slightly bent his waist, preparing to leave—only to find Qi Hua suddenly determined to teach him a lesson. The Second Prince seized his arm with a smile. "Where does Your Highness think you're going? To complain to the Crown Prince?" He chuckled darkly. "Like I said—don't be so short-sighted. You all see that Father Emperor heaps praise upon the Crown Prince daily, favors him abundantly. But privately..."
"Your Highness misunderstands." Bai Ren cast a look of disgust at Qi Hua's grip on his arm. "Royal affairs are not for me to comment upon. Whether it be the Crown Prince or Your Highness the Second Prince—both are equally noble in my presence."
Qi Hua sneered. "Equal? If things were truly equal, why were you so eager to send your sister into the Crown Prince's household?! You think I don't know? Bai Ren—I'd underestimated you. You keep quiet and cause no trouble on the surface, but behind the scenes you've already started seeking out backers. Can't you see—how reliable is this backer of yours? Hmm?!"
Bai Ren's patience had run dry. He had once wondered how Qi Xiao, with his sensitive identity, could have sat stably as Crown Prince for nearly twenty years. Now he understood—it wasn't just that Qi Xiao himself was formidable; the opposition was pathetically weak. Bai Ren looked at Qi Hua's indignant face and sighed inwardly. What a pity—the legitimate son of the Empress, and he hadn't inherited a shred of the Emperor's talent for saying one thing while meaning another. To tear apart the facade over something so trivial.
Perhaps Qi Hua wasn't entirely lacking in self-control—he simply saw Bai Ren as nothing more than a hostage, someone he could easily manipulate. Bai Ren drew a long breath. He had endured quite enough lately. This time, he refused to swallow it any longer.
"Your Highness's words—what on earth are you going on about?" Bai Ren smiled mockingly. "Seeking the Crown Prince as a backer? These past two days I did visit the Crown Prince's residence a few times—but merely to share tea, play chess, and discuss literature. By the way... His Highness's scholarship is truly remarkable. If Your Highness has anything看不懂, you should simply go ask the Crown Prince directly. Though what a pity—the Crown Prince no longer attends the Hui Xin Academy. If only one could study alongside him—what a joy that would be."
Bai Ren's words were filled with endless praise for Qi Xiao, practically elevating him to the heavens. Qi Hua's eyes nearly bled red with fury. This was exactly the problem! Whether it was the Emperor or the court officials, everyone who spoke of Qi Xiao had nothing but praise, while he—the legitimate prince—was forgotten entirely!
Qi Hua's rage spiraled further out of control. His grip on Bai Ren's wrist tightened with each passing moment,恨不得 directly crushing the bones. Bai Ren's brow creased in pain. He struggled violently to break free. In his fury, Qi Hua would not let him go. After a few rounds of shoving and resisting, they were on the verge of coming to blows. Bai Ren seized his chance when Qi Hua wasn't watching carefully and yanked his arm free. Qi Hua reflexively lunged to grab him—his hand flew up—and in that instant, Bai Ren's eyes glinted sharply. He stepped back swiftly. Qi Hua's hand closed on empty air, his claws missing Bai Ren's face by inches. Bai Ren tilted his head slightly, and four finger-width bruises instantly purpled across his neck. In the next heartbeat, blood began to seep out slowly...
"You..." Qi Hua had only meant to teach Bai Ren a lesson—he never expected to draw blood. He froze, stammering, "You... how did... It's not my fault!"
Bai Ren had taken the blow head-on, yet a smile curled at the corner of his lips. He reached up and touched the wound on his neck, a bitter smile in his eyes. "Your Highness is truly... formidable."
Qi Hua grew even more terrified seeing Bai Ren like this. He retreated a step, speaking hastily, "You... what do you want? I'll call the imperial physician for you... I didn't mean it!"
"No need to hurry." The confrontation had already shattered beyond repair; Bai Ren no longer needed to hide anything. He laughed coldly. "Someone will call the imperial physician for me soon enough. Since arriving in the imperial capital, even the Emperor has treated me with courtesy and respect, worried lest any mishap befall me and they cannot answer to Lingnan. Your Highness the Second Prince, however, shows no such restraint. How refreshing..."
"What... what is the meaning of this?" The Emperor had finally finished with his ministers. Fu Hailu hurried over to summon Bai Ren and Qi Hua. The moment he reached the side chamber, he found all the palace attendants standing outside. Upon learning that Qi Hua had ordered everyone away, Fu Hailu's heart immediately sank to his stomach. He rushed over, terrified of what he might find—and what he saw made him lose half his wits. He shouted for someone to fetch the imperial physician at once. "Oh, my poor prince..."
Bai Ren smiled faintly. "There's no need to rush. I should still go pay my respects to His Majesty first."
Fu Hailu could already guess the broad outline of what had happened. He wanted to cover things up for Qi Hua, but the wound on Bai Ren's neck spoke for itself—there was no hiding it. Fu Hailu glanced at the terrified Qi Hua and sighed inwardly. This time, the Second Prince had truly kicked a hornet's nest. He forced a bitter smile. "Very well, Your Highness—please follow me."