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墨書 Inktalez
Xue Feifei opened the letter from the court and was deep in thought when Liu He pulled out another letter from his pocket, leaning close to her ear and whispering, "There's another one."
After reading it several times, she picked up her brush and wrote, "By the decree of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, we must keep a close watch on the traitor Yuanjing. Extract his thorns, draw out his bones, seize his heart, and humiliate his ambitions. Previously, he was instructed to serve the throne wholeheartedly without any distractions. Should he show any signs of rebellion, it must be reported immediately. There is no need for excessive worry. I hope you remain healthy and blessed with longevity."
As Xue Feifei signed her name, she hesitated for a moment and glanced at Liu He before boldly writing "Your servant Xue Feifei."
Although Penglai Guest was located in the southeast and somewhat isolated, they were still aware of the changes in the political landscape, especially regarding such a significant event as the Crown Prince's rebellion.
In March of that year, with the former emperor gravely ill, the Crown Prince's rebellion ended in defeat. The Empress Dowager worked tirelessly to support the young emperor's ascension to the throne and advocated for the Crown Prince's execution. It was only through the Chancellor's arguments that the Crown Prince was instead sentenced to exile.
As the highest official of Penglai Guest, Xue Feifei received two letters at once: one from the Empress Dowager instructing her to closely monitor the Crown Prince and discreetly eliminate him at any sign of error; the other from the Chancellor, who understood that the Empress Dowager would not spare the Crown Prince and urged her to protect him from any harm.
One wanted him dead while the other wanted him alive—what a dilemma.
Fortunately, Little Bai was currently content with eating, drinking, and having fun, making it easier to manage both sides.
Just then, a servant entered and reported, "My lord, the selected pearls have arrived for your inspection."
With a wave of his hand, Liu He signaled for several people to bring in a box. As they opened it, the dim room suddenly brightened with light. Inside were one hundred and eight carefully chosen pearls, each about the size of a pigeon’s egg—perfectly round and gleaming with brilliance.
Xue Feifei nodded in satisfaction. "Very good; Her Majesty will surely like these." Just as she reached for a pearl, her smile abruptly froze on her face. Anger surged through her as she trembled with rage. "Bring Little Bai here!"
Little Bai had just knelt down and hadn't even had time to pay his respects when Xue Feifei lifted her foot and kicked him to the ground, shouting furiously, "Yuwen Yuanjing, are you out of your mind?"
Xiao Bai's face showed no signs of joy or sorrow, his determined chin tightened, and he remained silent.
Xue Feifei paced back and forth, several times pointing her finger at him. If she hadn't noticed the dead insects in the box, she might have sent him to his doom.
"You... how dare you poison the tribute for the Empress Dowager! Yuwen Yuanjing, are you trying to get yourself killed? Do you know how many people will inspect these pearls before the Empress Dowager touches them? In the end, it will be you who dies!"
Xiao Bai's gaze was vacant, as if he hadn't heard her at all. He muttered blankly, "Do you know how my father died?"
He smiled bitterly, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "It was that poisonous woman who killed him. My father was already on his last legs; why was she so eager? I have always focused on singing and dancing, avoiding political matters. Why does she want to eradicate me completely?"
No amount of hatred could outweigh the sorrow in his heart. "Do you know? The day I planned to escape was my father's birthday." He suddenly lifted his head, gazing at Xue Feifei with a faint smile. "You're right; I must keep this life because I know who deserves to die more!"
Xue Feifei staggered back instinctively, taking a deep breath to suppress the mist in her eyes. Coldly, she asked, "Is that really what you think?"
"Yes."
"Liu He." Xue Feifei took a note from Liu He's hands and expressionlessly tossed it onto Xiao Bai. "Then you cannot be spared."
Upon seeing it, Xiao Bai realized it was an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager, ordering Xue Feifei to closely monitor the Crown Prince and execute him if necessary, with special instructions to see him alive or dead.
At the dock, her heart secretly ached. She had gone to great lengths to protect him, to instill in him a desire to survive and escape suspicion of rebellion. Yet he remained so stubborn; at this point, further words were futile.
With tears in her eyes, Xue Feifei trembled as she said, "Liu He, bring me the wine jug from my cabinet."
Xue Feifei knelt before him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Don't worry, it won't hurt. You... you mustn't blame me."
"Hah..." He understood all too well what she had done for him. He had long since placed life and death aside; if it weren't for her, he didn't know how many times he would have died. Yet even now, there were still some things he couldn't let go of.
"Feifei, although I do find you quite annoying, I've also deceived you twice, so we're even now. That day I didn't throw away the hairpin; it was merely an illusion, meant to be revealed when necessary to touch your heart and lower your guard. When I tricked you into thinking I was teaching you about illusions but instead tied you up, seeing your helplessness pained me. I know you didn't want me to die, but I'm sorry..."
"Stop talking." Xue Feifei was already in tears.
"No, I need to say this... Feifei, I... I..."
Liu He had already brought the poisoned wine. Xiaobai swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and smiled. "Forget about me."
This was the last and only thing he could do for her.
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