The onset of a perilous situation.

Time flowed as peacefully as a stream, slipping away in haste. In the blink of an eye, the beginning of autumn had arrived.

All was calm in the capital. All was calm at the frontier. All was calm within the imperial court.

The only event of note occurred at the end of summer, when the Fourth Prince, Xie Sheng, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Fu and moved out of the palace to establish his own estate.

Today, the autumn air was crisp and refreshing. The Prince of Fu hosted a banquet for Xia Yunhe at the Xuanding Pavilion. By his own account, he still owed Master Xia a meal of mutton, and today was the perfect time to settle the debt.

The clay pot bubbled away, and the Prince of Fu deftly manipulated his bamboo chopsticks, dropping seasonal vegetables into the boiling broth.

"Master Xia, let the past be the past. A person must always look to the future. Back at the Five Flavors Restaurant, I was too abrupt with you. Thinking about it now, why struggle for the position of Crown Prince? Being a wealthy idler is not so bad either."

As he spoke, he scalded some mutton, coated it in sauce, and tucked in with gusto. The room was filled with the fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns.

Xia Yunhe barely moved her chopsticks. She did not care for the gamey scent of mutton, simply watching as the Prince of Fu ate until he was covered in sweat.

According to custom, after a prince leaves the palace to establish his own residence and completes his studies, he is granted a fief. In her past life, the Fourth Prince had been named Prince of Fu and departed for his fief shortly thereafter. Now, through some unknown means, he had managed to convince Emperor Hehui to let him remain in the capital.

She lowered her gaze. The Fourth Prince was not as carefree and open-minded as he claimed. In her past life, the Crown Prince had nearly been usurped by him; in terms of cunning and strategy, the Fourth Prince was the most formidable among the Emperor’s four sons.

Having made an enemy of the Fourth Prince in her previous life to protect the Crown Prince, she felt as though she were sitting on pins and needles during this meal.

Noticing Xia Yunhe staring at the table for a long while, the Prince of Fu’s eyes flickered. He stopped his chopsticks, rested his chin on his hand, and observed her with a smile. "Why does Master Xia look so worried? I know you and the Seventh Prince share a deep bond. I have sworn to be a man of leisure. I invited you here today for two reasons: first, to apologize, and second... well, there is another matter, regarding the Seventh Prince."

At the mention of "the Seventh," she suddenly lifted her eyelids and looked at the Prince of Fu across the table.

The Prince of Fu resumed his meal, leisurely dipping meat and taking a sip of sweet wine. He wiped his mouth with a silk cloth before speaking in a measured tone, "Master Xia’s expression changes the moment the Seventh is mentioned."

Xia Yunhe narrowed her eyes. The Prince of Fu was only fifteen, yet he was preternaturally composed, his eyes full of calculation. After a moment of contemplation, she replied politely, "What is it that Your Highness wishes to say?"

"Seeing how concerned Master Xia is for the Seventh, I thought it best to inform you." The Prince of Fu curled his lips into a playful smile. "The autumn hunt, the Crown Prince, the *Baize*, and the Seventh."

He recited the words one by one, stretched his back, and continued, "Master Xia, every autumn, the imperial family holds a hunt. This year, hunters from the northern mountains have discovered traces of a *Baize* in the dense forest. To my knowledge, the Crown Prince intends to use this as an opportunity to target the Seventh."

Xia Yunhe frowned slightly and looked at him. "Why tell me this, Your Highness?"

"Fratricide is the last thing the Emperor wishes to see," the Prince of Fu sighed, his expression pained. "Although the Seventh did not grow up with us, he is still my brother. Whether you believe it or not, I do not wish to see any harm come to him."

Regardless of whether the Prince of Fu was telling the truth, she had no choice but to accept the favor.

After Xia Yunhe departed, the Prince of Fu toyed with a small crab-shaped tea pet, leaning against the window and watching the people coming and going on the street. A young eunuch entered, bowing his back, and called out, "Your Highness."

"Your Highness, why reveal this to Master Xia? Why not wait for the Crown Prince to strike? Once the Seventh Prince has suffered, could you not then use the opportunity to assist Xia Yunhe and bring her into your fold? Wouldn't that be easily achieved?"

The Prince of Fu turned back and cast a disdainful glance at the eunuch. "Zengxi, are you trying to help your master or ruin him? Xia Yunhe has offended the Crown Prince, and his anger has yet to be vented. If the Seventh Prince dies quietly during this hunt, who do you think the Crown Prince will target next?"

Zengxi scratched his head, pondering for a long time before his eyes lit up. "The Fifth Prince! The Fifth Prince has the Noble Consort and Wan Jing as his backing; he is a great threat to the Crown Prince."

The Prince of Fu chuckled. "The Fifth? He’s a blockhead; the Crown Prince doesn't even consider him a threat." Seeing Zengxi’s confused expression, he scolded, "You foolish slave, once the Seventh is no longer standing in the way, the next one to suffer will be your master."

Zengxi bowed repeatedly in agreement. The Prince of Fu felt depressed; he waved the eunuch away to go and wait for the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Liao Yuanyi. Born into the imperial family without a powerful maternal clan, he had to carve his own path.

He wanted to be a man of leisure, but in the imperial family, no one could truly stand apart from the fray.

...

Three days later, within the Anxiang Palace.

The morning sun shone upon the floor of the classroom.

"...If one's wisdom is insufficient for governance, and one's courage is insufficient for strength, then talent cannot be employed—this is clear. Those who rule over people do not descend from the temple... yet they know what lies beyond the four seas; they recognize things through the nature of things, and understand people through the nature of people. Therefore... when strength is gathered, there is nothing that cannot be overcome; when collective wisdom is applied, there is nothing that cannot be achieved..."

Xie Yi stopped reciting. Xia Yunhe had been lost in thought, not listening to him at all, with worry etched into her features. He paused and asked, "Master, what are you thinking about? Is there something amiss with my recitation?"

Hearing this, Xia Yunhe looked up at him. The youth stood tall in his fish-belly white lake-silk round-collared robe; compared to her past life, he lacked a touch of his former ruggedness, replaced by the grace of a refined gentleman.

After careful consideration, she repeated the words of the Prince of Fu to Xie Yi.

The youth stood silently for a long while after hearing her, his eyes fixed upon her. "Master, how did you come to know this?"

Xia Yunhe hesitated, sighed inwardly, and told him the truth.

"The Fourth Imperial Brother?" Xie Yi frowned, pacing back and forth. "If this is unfavorable to me, why didn't the Fourth Brother tell me directly? Why take such a circuitous route to tell you?"

The room fell into silence.

Xie Yi pouted, looking quite unhappy. "Is he trying to poach my people again? Is that it?"

"Your Highness, I am not that kind of person," Xia Yunhe said, rubbing her temples.

Xie Yi gave a soft hum. "Of course I trust you, Master. It’s just that the Fourth Brother... he resides outside the palace, but his heart is in the court. He appears jovial and indifferent to everything, yet behind the scenes, he plants spies everywhere. He might as well have the word 'ambition' written on his face."

Xia Yunhe rose from her seat and opened the classroom door. The sunlight fell upon her face. As she turned to look at the Seventh Prince, a sense of pity welled up in her heart.

Although the *Ye Bu Shou* (Night Watchmen) had been rebuilt by Third Master Fu, they were in the distant frontier, and she had no one at her disposal in the capital. Furthermore, the Emperor’s Secret Guards monitored all officials, leaving no stone unturned. She had no one to use and no power to rely on. In her past life, the Seventh Prince’s dominance at the frontier was the result of her not having chosen to support him. Now, even the Prince of Fu had deviated from the past, failing to leave for his fief. In this autumn hunt, the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Seventh Prince held an uncertain fate.

Bathed in the sunlight, she felt warm, yet her heart grew cold. She said to Xie Yi, "Your Highness, for this autumn hunt, claim illness and stay in the palace. Do not go."

"Is Master afraid of the Crown Prince?"

"I am. The Crown Prince has been heir since birth, protected by the Duke of Dingguo, with guests of the Eastern Palace plotting on his behalf; his favor grows daily. You have no maternal clan to support you, few allies, and are weak. It is best to hide your edge and bide your time."

Xie Yi remained silent, suddenly looking up at her. "Master’s health is poor—must you go to the autumn hunt as well?"

"I must attend, naturally."

The youth suddenly laughed, arching his brows with a touch of roguishness. "I am not afraid of him. Wherever Master is, I shall be."

Xia Yunhe felt her breath catch. "Your Highness, how can you be so impulsive?"

The youth tilted his head. "Though I lack the protection of a maternal clan, I am not without options. Do you think the entire court belongs to the Crown Prince?"

"What do you mean, Your Highness?"

"The Emperor has four sons: the Crown Prince, the Fourth, the Fifth, and myself. If the Crown Prince wants to make a fuss about the *Baize* in the northern mountains, will the other two brothers stand idly by? At least the Fourth is not that type. If he truly wanted to be a wealthy idler, he would stay away from the strife instead of whispering in the shadows. As for the Fifth, with the support of Noble Consort Wan and Wan Jing, would he be willing to let the Crown Prince take all the glory?"

The sunlight bathed his clothes in a faint pink halo, making him glow. The youth smiled, took the long sword from the wall, and stepped outside. He drew it from its scabbard, the blade dancing with flashes of light as he struck down the weeds in the courtyard. Although his technique was unrefined, it was filled with an endless, youthful spirit.

Sheathing the sword, he said, "Master, the Crown Prince’s power grows daily. If he truly wishes to see me dead, staying in the palace alone while he is away would only make it easier for him to plot against me. When the Emperor returns, I might already be a skeleton. However, if I accompany the hunt, there will be many eyes and ears, and with the Emperor nearby, they will find it difficult to act. Furthermore, I will have the Fifth Prince restrain the Crown Prince, forcing them to vie for the *Baize*, which will check the Crown Prince’s momentum. When that happens, I will stay by your side, Master. Wherever you go, I go."

Xie Yi’s eyes curved into crescents, his smile innocent yet confident.

Seeing this, the young general from her memories seemed to come alive once more. She sighed and bowed deeply to the Seventh Prince. "One day, Your Highness will surely spread your wings and soar above the nine heavens."

...

As the time for the autumn hunt approached, Xia Yunhe became increasingly busy.

The Senior Academician of the Hanlin Academy ordered her to draft the sacrificial oration for the hunt, and she was still revising it the day before their departure. After much deliberation, she selected the first draft to be presented to the Emperor for his review.

The next day, at the northern suburbs.

The autumn wind swept across the land, a biting chill in the air.

Emperor Hehui led the assembly in honoring the ancestors before arriving at the northern suburbs. He stood tall on his horse, clad in gleaming armor and a dark red cloak, looking majestic. Surrounding him were ranks of black-clad iron cavalry, banners blocking the sun. There was no sound from the men, no sound from the horses, and no sound in the forest.

The Emperor possessed an imposing authority. His gaze, piercing and heavy, swept across the iron cavalry. He waved his hand, and a thunderous horn sounded, followed by the uniform, rhythmic shouts of the soldiers.

The royal procession marched majestically toward the Forbidden Park of the Northern Mountains.

The Forbidden Park was the royal hunting ground. Usually, farmers tended the land there, but during the autumn hunt, these people were relocated, and wild game was driven into the park, waiting for the nobility to hunt them with bow and arrow.

Ancient trees towered all around, the forest deep and sun-drenched, with autumn winds bringing coolness and red fruit decorating the branches.

Choosing a site used in previous years, the party began to set up camp, and the attendants bustled about.

Emperor Hehui looked at his four armored sons and spoke slowly, "It is rare to be out here. Today, relax, drink, and enjoy yourselves; we shall hunt tomorrow. I hear there is a *Baize* in these mountains. Let us see who among you has the luck to find it."

The four of them replied in unison, bowing to the Emperor, "Your sons shall do their utmost."

Xia Yunhe followed behind the Emperor, observing the expressions of the four princes. The Crown Prince’s face was grim, his eyes darting toward the Seventh Prince. The Fourth Prince seemed uninterested, appearing indifferent to the hunt. The Fifth Prince sat on his horse, eager for action, while the Seventh Prince looked at her, his eyes crinkling into a smile.

A thousand faces, a thousand minds, all difficult to fathom.

She sighed inwardly, withdrawing her gaze.

Birds startled in the forest, taking flight; a much greater storm was brewing.