Traces of the White Marsh

Xia Yunhe followed Xie Yi into the tent. The interior was already illuminated by lamps, casting a bright glow. Xie Yi retrieved a recurve bow made of mysterious black wood, donned his bone thumb ring, and began to tune the string. He checked the contact points between the string and the bow for any looseness, then gently pulled and released the string to ensure it returned to its proper position. The young man’s movements were effortless and meticulously focused, his amber eyes reflecting the flickering lamplight; he looked nothing like someone in need of her assistance.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Highness, how did you manage to manipulate the Wan family?"

Xie Yi put down his bow, looked up at her, and remained silent for a long moment before speaking. "Wan Wubai uses the Wan family name to run rampant, yet he simultaneously disdains the family, hoping to gain the favor of the Fourth Imperial Prince. I simply told him that the Fourth Brother enjoys recruiting retainers. Who knew he would blurt it out at the banquet..."

He paused, then added, "The Fourth Brother likes to poach talent from everywhere. Now that someone from the Wan family is willing to be poached, shouldn't he be quite pleased?"

Xie Yi’s expression was innocent and aggrieved. Hearing such calculated scheming fall from his lips so casually, as if it were a trivial matter... six years as a hostage in Northern Rong were enough to erode the innocence of any youth. Xia Yunhe lowered her gaze, a complex surge of emotions rising within her. The struggles of the imperial family were secretive and bloody. In the deep, dense hunting grounds, it would be as easy as turning a hand for the Crown Prince to kill someone. She felt pity for Xie Yi's predicament, yet at the same time, she felt a sense of sorrow for her own powerlessness.

"We are already in the middle of the game, unable to act according to our own will. With the hunt tomorrow, how will Your Highness respond?"

Xie Yi replied, "We will know what to do about tomorrow when tomorrow comes. In any case, you need not worry, Sir. I have my own ways."

"Your Highness must be careful of the Crown Prince’s retainer, Zheng Mian. He is not a simple man; he may pose a threat to you."

Xie Yi curved the corners of his eyes and said softly, "Understood."

...

Upon returning to her own tent, Xia Yunhe found that Zheng Mian was not reading tonight. Instead, he sat at the desk, clutching a scroll and lost in deep thought. Recalling what she had seen in the woods during the banquet, Xia Yunhe greeted him with mere formality and avoided further conversation. The past was the past, and the present was the present. Moreover, Zheng Mian harbored malicious intentions toward the Seventh Prince; even if she were to probe him indirectly, given his nature, she would gain nothing and only invite suspicion.

There were two cots in the tent. She sat on her own, removed her outer garment, and slept in her inner clothes. As the intense heat had passed, the air was as crisp as frost. The tent was not as warm as a proper room, so her reputation for being frail and sickly made it unsurprising to others that she slept fully clothed.

Just as she closed her eyes, she heard Zheng Mian call to her, "Yizhi, are you asleep?"

She yawned, opened her eyes to look at Zheng Mian at the desk, and asked with a smile, "Master Zheng, is something the matter?"

"Ah, you..." Zheng Mian hesitated, then sighed. "Never mind."

Zheng Mian lamented for a moment, rubbing the book in his hands, and after a long silence, said, "You and the Seventh Prince should be careful."

Receiving no response after a long time, he looked up at Xia Yunhe, only to find that she had already fallen asleep. He sighed helplessly, adjusted the lamp cover to dim the light, then smoothed out a sheet of paper, picked up his brush, and began to write in delicate, regular script by the dim glow.

The next day, at the hour of the dragon.

The hunting party was fully assembled, but the Fourth Imperial Prince was nowhere to be seen. Emperor Hehui sent someone to inquire. Zeng Xi reported that the Fourth Prince had eaten too much lamb the night before, caught a chill, and was suffering from severe abdominal pain and vomiting; he had only just fallen asleep.

Emperor Hehui narrowed his eyes and ordered Zeng Xi to return and serve the Fourth Prince well, then looked with a heavy expression at the remaining three princes. Finally, prompted by Li Fushun, he took the ceremonial arrow, tightened his bowstring, and fired it into the forest, encouraging the princes to do their best—if they could find the Baize, all the better.

The three of them received their orders, mounted their spirited horses, and led their attendants and hounds into the depths of the dense forest.

The Forbidden Park was located in the middle section of the Northern Mountains. As far as the eye could see, there was a vast expanse of wilderness and forest, with peaks rising high, stretching for three thousand miles.

After the princes departed, Emperor Hehui changed into casual attire and rested by the stream to go fishing. Xia Yunhe held an ancient zither, accompanying the Emperor to play for him.

The valley was silent, and the zither music was ethereal, distant, and calm. Occasionally, the cry of a bird could be heard. Emperor Hehui asked, "Yizhi, why is your calligraphy different from before?"

The music faltered. Xia Yunhe’s heart tightened. After a long pause, she replied in a low voice, "I have recently taken a liking to the calligraphy of Master Yu and have been imitating it."

The Emperor gave a hum, and whether intentional or not, he drew out his tone, saying, "Yu Shinan’s calligraphy is not easy to learn." Having said this, he focused on his fishing.

She steadied her mind and resumed playing. Although the music was meant to evoke a gentle, serene breeze, it secretly contained threads of sorrow that she could not hide; the music revealed her state of mind.

Less than a stick of incense later, Li Fushun came running over in a panic.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something has happened!"

*Zheng—*

A sharp sound like tearing silk rang out as a zither string snapped.

Xia Yunhe put down the zither, knelt on the ground, closed her eyes to steady herself, her heart drumming like a war drum. "This servant deserves to die!"

Emperor Hehui glanced at her, then turned his head to ask in a deep voice what had happened.

Li Fushun, gasping for breath, said, "Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince has fallen from his horse and injured his leg and arm."

"Getting injured during a hunt is no great matter; why are you so flustered? Take some medicine to him." After speaking to Li Fushun, the Emperor looked back at Xia Yunhe. "Yizhi, go and rest. And while you are at it, go check on the Seventh Prince for me."

Xia Yunhe acknowledged the order and followed Li Fushun toward the Seventh Prince’s tent.

Upon reaching the tent, they heard the young man’s cries of pain. Li Fushun announced their arrival, and after being granted permission, they entered.

The Seventh Prince lay on the cot with an abrasion on his forehead and wounds on his arm and lower leg, from which blood was slowly seeping.

The imperial physician saw them, offered a salute, and said, "The Seventh Prince was cut by a sword when he fell. The wound on his arm is three-tenths deep and a palm-width long; the one on his leg is four-tenths deep and one-and-a-half palm-widths long. It is truly alarming."

After the medicine was applied, Xie Yi squeezed out a few tears and said weakly, "I am incompetent, causing the Emperor to worry. I have also troubled Head Eunuch Li to deliver medicine."

Head Eunuch Li offered a few words of comfort, telling the Prince to recover well, before exiting the tent to report back to the Emperor. The physician also gathered his medical kit and departed.

Only Xia Yunhe and Xie Yi remained in the tent.

Xie Yi wiped away his tears and looked at her with a beaming smile.

"Is this Your Highness’s method?"

"Someone tampered with the horse. Just as we reached Wild Horse Slope, the beast went mad and charged straight toward the edge of a cliff... The mountain ravine was bottomless and shrouded in mist; if I had fallen with the horse, there would be nothing left of me."

He spoke calmly, lifting his wounded arm and looking up at her with a wronged expression. "Sir, it really hurts."

"Did Your Highness inflict these wounds yourself?"

Xie Yi muttered, "I was cut by a sword when I fell."

"If one were cut by a sword while falling, the wound would be on the outer side of the arm. Your Highness’s wound is on the inner side."

Xie Yi chuckled again, "I knew I couldn't hide it from you, Sir. If I hadn't done this, once I reached the depths of the forest, I wouldn't have known which of my attendants were friend or foe. It is better to be injured and stay safely in the camp. The Fourth Brother didn't even come hunting this morning; I am just following his example. But the horse was truly tampered with."

"Now that the horse has fallen into the ravine, there is no evidence. Your Highness should be careful and wait for the autumn hunt to conclude."

Xie Yi asked, "Sir, do you think the Crown Prince will let it go at that? Will they do something around the camp..."

She thought for a moment and looked at Xie Yi. "The camp is under the Emperor's nose; they wouldn't dare act recklessly, even if they had the courage of three men."

Hearing Xia Yunhe say this, Xie Yi’s eyes crinkled, but he accidentally pulled on his wound and hissed in pain, frowning at her with a pout.

...

Although the Seventh Prince used his injury to avoid the hunt, Xia Yunhe still felt a lingering sense of unease. She returned to her tent, filled with worry.

The tent was empty. The "Banana Leaf" zither with the broken string had been sent back by the Emperor’s men and sat quietly on the desk.

The strings were made of silk, which were prone to slipping and snapping, so she always kept spare silk strings on hand. After replacing the string and tuning it, she plucked the notes, and a rustic, distant melody began to drift through the air.

The music was not meant to please others, but herself. Fuxi created the five-string zither, and King Wen added two more; the five notes correspond to the sounds of the five internal organs. The melody of the "Huaxu Prelude" rang out, crisp and serene.

As the piece concluded, Zheng Mian happened to enter the tent.

He was carrying a bundle and bowed to bid Xia Yunhe farewell.

She rose quickly to return the salute. "Master Zheng, what has happened?"

Zheng Mian sighed. "My aged mother has fallen suddenly ill. I must hurry back home to care for her. I have already left my resignation with the Crown Prince and pleaded my case to the Emperor; I am leaving now."

Xia Yunhe’s thoughts raced. She asked, "The Crown Prince has gone to hunt the Baize. Won’t you wait for his return, Master Zheng?"

Zheng Mian’s eyes moistened, and he raised his sleeve to wipe away tears. "Away from home for so many years, I have never been able to serve my mother. Now that she is gripped by a grave illness, how can I bear to live on in comfort? The Emperor took pity on me and allowed me to leave the camp. If I depart now, I can still reach the pier and catch a boat back to Jiangyou. If I delay by even a few more days, who knows how her condition might change?" He clutched his chest and sighed.

"In that case, I wish you a safe journey, Master Zheng. Please offer my respects to your mother." Xia Yunhe spoke cautiously. In her previous life, there had been no mention of Zheng Mian returning home to visit his sick mother. She lowered her eyes, concealing her thoughts.

She then heard Zheng Mian say, "Yizhi, I heard the Seventh Prince... was injured."

Xia Yunhe’s heart tightened, and she pursed her lips. "It was only a minor injury, but with the Emperor’s protection, the Seventh Prince is naturally safe and sound."

Zheng Mian hesitated for a moment, then added, "The Crown Prince... you should be careful."

Hearing this, Xia Yunhe smiled and thanked him for the reminder. The two bid each other farewell, and Zheng Mian did not linger. He exited the tent, took a fast horse, and rode away from the camp, leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

Three days later, at the hour of the goat, the weather was clear.

An attendant of the Fifth Prince reported that the Fifth Prince had captured the Baize. However, the creature was incredibly strong, destroyed several traps, and had escaped into the depths of Lushan Mountain.

Following this, an attendant of the Crown Prince reported that the Crown Prince had set an ambush at the mouth of a ravine in Lushan and captured the Baize. However, the beast was fierce, and they could only stand guard, not daring to act rashly until they received the Emperor's orders.

The two attendants arrived at the camp one after another. Upon seeing each other, they both froze, their eyes filled with hatred—the rivalry between the princes had spilled over to their servants. Hearing Emperor Hehui order everyone to set out to assist, the two men scrambled to the ground, not daring to breathe loudly.

After counting the soldiers, the Imperial Guard marched majestically toward Lushan. The Fourth and Seventh Princes, one recovering from stomach issues and the other from his injuries, were also ordered by the Emperor to accompany them.

As neither prince could ride a horse, they shared a carriage.

The Fourth Prince wore a smile, his pale lips curling as he looked at Xie Yi. He thought to himself: *That stupid slave Zeng Xi, sent to gather information, actually fell asleep outside the Seventh's tent and heard nothing, only to be brought back by the patrol guards. It was only this morning that I learned the Seventh was injured on the first day of the hunt—what a coincidence.*

He ground his teeth and said, "Seventh Brother, just as I fall ill, you get injured as well. Isn't that a bit too coincidental?"

"Fourth Brother is fond of joking. Who would go out of their way to get sick?"

The Fourth Prince was choked by the retort and ignored him thereafter.

As dusk approached, the forest darkened rapidly. The Imperial Guard attempted to light torches, but suddenly a gale blew up, extinguishing the flames. The wild wind howled like human wails, blowing the imperial motorcade into disarray. Emperor Hehui remained calm in the face of danger, ordering everyone to abandon their horses and proceed on foot toward the Lushan ravine.

Xia Yunhe looked up at the sky. Thick, dense clouds gathered, and the moon was hidden; a mountain storm was imminent.

She walked against the wind to the side of Emperor Hehui, hugged a poplar tree as thick as a bowl, and urged him loudly, "Your Majesty, the weather in the mountains is treacherous and changes three times a day. Would it not be better to retreat and make other plans?"