Feishi had thoroughly prepared for his rebellion. But when it actually happened, it felt more like a farce—
King Tayuan had made a full recovery. Just as Feishi led men to storm Ruyue Pavilion.
Unlike Great Qian, Tayuan placed deep reverence in the divine. And their noble king was, in their eyes, not far from a god. Feishi had confirmed again and again that the king, though awake, still slept over eight hours a day and couldn’t bear the slightest emotional shock—otherwise, at best he would faint, and at worst, he could die. Faced with a son’s rebellion, he would surely be too feeble to respond.
Feishi had calculated everything—except for one thing: King Tayuan’s sudden, full recovery. His complexion was rosy, his voice loud as a bell, as if he had never been ill.
Not only was Feishi stunned, the men he brought were all struck dumb.
Flames roared through the Tayuan palace, cries and shouts echoing. Amid the chaos, Feng Lezhen placed her freshly embroidered lotus beside the scorched lantern frame. She stepped back two paces and admired her handiwork.
“…Your Highness, it’s chaos out there. Are you sure you’re not going to hide?” Ah Ye looked at her relaxed posture and could hardly hold back a complaint.
Ever since Her Highness entered the Tayuan palace, Ah Ye’s heart had been in her throat. Not long ago, she’d finally been allowed into the palace—and once she was in, she’d refused to leave. She’d been hiding in the shadows all this time, occasionally crossing paths with Feizhan’s secret guards. Her plan had been to remain hidden until Feng Lezhen left. Who would have thought a palace coup would break out today, and she couldn’t resist coming out?
Now that the turmoil outside was only intensifying, and Her Highness was still admiring her ugly lotus embroidery, Ah Ye felt like her head might explode. “Your Highness!”
“No need to hide. Feizhan will handle everything,” Feng Lezhen finally offered a slow reassurance upon seeing her so anxious.
Ah Ye wasn’t convinced. She took a deep breath and said, “The Tayuan palace is like a sieve. There’s no such thing as completely secure. Your Highness, you should at least take cover. What if—”
Before she finished, chaos erupted outside.
Ah Ye immediately dragged Feng Lezhen under the table. Not long after, the sound of clashing weapons rang out.
“See? I told you there’s no such thing as totally secure,” Ah Ye whispered.
Feng Lezhen’s expression was calm. “I underestimated Feishi. He actually came to take me.”
“That Second Prince of Tayuan was never stupid,” Ah Ye paused, then added, “Well… not that smart either. Kind of like… our emperor?”
“The moment you compared him to Feng Ji, you already proved he’s an idiot,” Feng Lezhen said flatly.
Ah Ye curled her lips in silence, ears straining to follow the sounds of fighting outside.
Feizhan must have made prior arrangements. Though many had come to attack, they hadn’t broken into the bedchamber yet. The battle seemed evenly matched. Feng Lezhen and Ah Ye crouched under the table, listening carefully through the fabric drape.
In the middle of this tense focus, Feng Lezhen turned her head—and found Ah Ye gazing at her with eyes full of affection.
“…What?” she asked, deadpan.
Ah Ye giggled and looped her arm through hers. “It’s been a while since I got to be this close to Your Highness.”
Feng Lezhen raised a hand and lightly smacked her on the forehead. “We’re in the middle of something serious. Don’t fool around.”
“This internal strife of theirs in Tayuan—what does it count as serious business to us?” Ah Ye snorted softly. “General Qi’s army is already fully prepared. No matter who wins or loses today, they will see to it that you’re safely escorted back to Yingguan. Otherwise, the army will flatten the entire place.”
“If you knew that, why were you so nervous just now?” Feng Lezhen glanced sideways at her.
Ah Ye spread her hands. “Blades have no eyes. I was worried some clueless fool might hurt Your Highness. If you ask me, Your Highness should’ve just gone with me to hide somewhere else. Would’ve saved you from crouching under a table like that…”
“Shh.” Feng Lezhen heard the sounds of fighting draw closer and quickly covered her mouth.
Ah Ye had always been alert. Now hearing the commotion getting nearer, her brow gradually furrowed.
As she’d said—blades have no eyes. If Feishi’s soldiers managed to charge into the room, even if she revealed her identity, it likely wouldn’t stop them in time. Another bloody fight would be inevitable.
Ah Ye looked up at Feng Lezhen, heart sinking.
Feng Lezhen, on the other hand, wasn’t thinking quite so far. She was only reflecting that Feishi seemed to have truly resolved to burn the boats this time—otherwise, he wouldn’t have caused such an uproar. If it were her, once she realized the Tayuan King had fully awakened, she would have immediately cut her losses and found an excuse to smooth things over. After all, where there’s life, there’s hope.
Unfortunately, this man had been spoiled by his parents. He never understood that some things had to be taken step by step. With a fiasco like this, even if the Tayuan King wanted to protect him, it would be water spilled—impossible to recover.
At Ruyue Pavilion, lights blazed brightly.
Outside, the shouts and clashes still rang out, but the instigator had already been tied up tightly and was now kneeling before the bed.
On the bed, the Tayuan King’s face was dark as iron, staring at his favorite son in silence. Luo Ying stood to the side, not daring to breathe too loudly. If Feizhan weren’t supporting her, she likely wouldn’t have been able to stand at all.
With such a disturbance in the palace, many loyal ministers had rushed over—several of them even from Feishi’s faction. Clearly, his rebellion hadn’t garnered unanimous support within his clan. Many who arrived today wore expressions of disbelief, and once they processed the situation, gasped sharply and dropped to their knees with a thud.
Ruyue Pavilion was deathly silent now. Even the racket outside gradually faded. When the final torch was extinguished, the heavens and earth fell into quiet.
Feishi’s face was pale as paper. He shut his eyes in despair.
“You… have nothing to say for yourself?” the Tayuan King’s cold voice broke the silence.
From his tone, it was clear he still wanted to give Feishi a chance. Feizhan’s eyes turned colder.
The king had left a way out. Anyone with sense would take the opportunity to explain themselves. But Feishi had never been good at thinking on his feet, and now, he couldn’t utter a word.
Seeing the Tayuan King’s expression grow worse by the second, Feizhan decided to help him out: “Second Brother, say something. The Second Consort just caught a cold a few days ago—you wouldn’t want anything to happen to her, would you?”
Feishi’s eyes snapped open at that, and he spoke fiercely, “It was me! I was the one who wanted to rebel and seize the throne. It has nothing to do with my mother! If you want to kill someone, kill me—just don’t hurt her!”
“Outrageous!” the Tayuan King finally exploded. He grabbed the nearby cup and hurled it at him.
Feishi’s forehead split open, blood gushing immediately.
“You… you ungrateful brat. Tell me—how have I wronged you? And yet you’re so impatient…” The Tayuan King’s breathing turned heavy, and his face slowly turned pale.
Feizhan let go of Luo Ying and stepped forward. “Father has not fully recovered. He can’t endure this kind of agitation. Someone, take Second Brother away to rest. Ministers, you may leave as well. Whatever must be discussed can wait until tomorrow.”
The Feishi faction, who had thought they’d be implicated, froze briefly—then upon meeting Feizhan’s faint smile, understood instantly. They quickly agreed and were the first to leave.
Once they were gone, the A’Ridi clan that answered to Feizhan also withdrew. The remaining ministers exchanged looks and eventually left together. In the blink of an eye, the vast Ruyue Pavilion was left with only three people.
Luo Ying was still trembling, head bowed, not daring to look at the Tayuan King. Seeing this, Feizhan’s eyes held a trace of helplessness. He said softly, “Mother, you should rest too.”
“No—no, I must stay here to look after your father.” Luo Ying forced herself to speak, putting on a front of calm. Yet a thread of fear still leaked through.
And that fear wasn’t directed at the Tayuan King.
Feizhan’s smile faded a few degrees.
After a long silence, he spoke slowly. “I wouldn’t harm Father.”
The Tayuan King looked at him deeply.
Luo Ying hadn’t expected him to guess what was on her mind. Startled, she quickly explained, “I—I didn’t mean it like that. He’s your father. How could you…”
“Mother,” Feizhan interrupted her, “Please leave. Father has something he wants to say to me.”
Luo Ying froze, then mustered her courage to glance toward the man on the bed. But he didn’t spare her a single look. After a long silence, her eyes reddened.
“I—I’ll be right outside. If you need anything, just call me,” she murmured, then turned and left.
Now only father and son remained.
The father on the bed said nothing; the son below the bed didn’t care. He poured himself a cup of tea and drank slowly.
Mother had been in Tayuan for so many years, but she still couldn’t get used to the milk tea here. So all the tea in the room was made from leaves imported from Great Qian—light and clear in flavor, not bad at all, though still not quite as good as Feng Lezhen’s tea.
That eldest princess wasn’t particularly fussy, but the people around her always wanted her to have the best. Feizhan’s lips curled faintly. He was in a pretty good mood.
“After so many years in Great Qian, even your tastes have changed,” the Tayuan King finally said in a low voice, not missing the smile in his son’s eyes.
“Seems like Father never really considered me a Tayuan native… No, to be precise, no one ever has.” Feizhan’s expression didn’t change, but he looked as if he were on the verge of laughing. “No one in Tayuan sees me as one of them, and no one in Great Qian does either. Tell me, Father—where do I belong?”
The Tayuan King looked at him, saying nothing.
“See? Even you can’t answer.” Feizhan’s lips curled with a faint smile.
Tayuan King: “Was it you who killed Feishai?”
“Since Father already has an answer in mind, why bother asking?” Feizhan shrugged, utterly unfazed.
“You unfilial wretch!” The Tayuan King’s breath suddenly quickened. “Scoundrel! He was your own elder brother!”
“Please don’t put it like that, Father. He always prided himself on his noble bloodline and looked down on me, a mongrel born of two nations. If he were to hear you calling him my brother, I fear he wouldn’t find peace even in the afterlife.” Feizhan calmly reminded him.
The Tayuan King was so furious his face turned a liver-colored red. It took him a long moment to calm down. “How could you… How could you! If I had known you’d grow up to be this ruthless and cold-blooded, I would never have allowed you to be born!”
“You allowed me to be born back then to keep Mother by your side, didn’t you?” Feizhan smiled. “After all, she didn’t marry you of her own will. But once she had a son, she settled down and lived with you in peace. Isn’t that right?”
Thinking of Luo Ying’s gentle demeanor over the years, and then recalling his own mysterious illness of late, a trace of mockery flickered in the Tayuan King’s eyes. “She really put on a good act. So many years, and I never realized she harbored such ambition.”
When he had been unconscious it was one thing, but even after waking, he’d remained muddled and easily manipulated. Officials came to see him, and he angrily drove them out—missing his only chance to save himself. And the one who had led him by the nose… was the consort he trusted and favored most: Luo Ying.
“If I had known she was that kind of person… I should’ve…” Should’ve what? The Tayuan King couldn’t say.
“Whether she was pretending or truly cared for you, no one knows better than you. Why say such hurtful things now?” Feizhan’s smile completely faded.
The Tayuan King fell silent, and didn’t say another word against Luo Ying.
The room fell quiet again. Feizhan leisurely sipped a cup of tea. As he poured a second cup, he finally brought up the day’s events: “Father shouldn’t think Feishi innocent, or that he only tried to rebel because I plotted against him and pushed him into it. What he suffered today isn’t even a tenth of what I endured back then. Why could I endure it, but he couldn’t? It’s nothing more than the fact that he values the throne above family. All that meekness and obedience in the past—was only because he thought you would pass the throne to him.”
The Tayuan King’s face turned ashen. Still reeling from his son’s betrayal, his mood soured even further at those words.
After so many years, it was the first time Feizhan saw his father so utterly dejected. Yet he felt no pleasure from it—only a vague, suffocating heaviness.
At length, the Tayuan King asked, “What is it you want?”
“What I want, Father surely already knows. But what about you? How do you plan to deal with Feishi?” Feizhan smiled, his delicate features tinged with innocence—yet he gave off the air of a devilish child. “Now that everyone knows he rebelled, surely you don’t intend to pardon him and sweep it under the rug?”
“…Your bloodline is impure. You cannot be heir,” the Tayuan King said through clenched teeth. “But if you wish, I can grant you three cities to govern.”
Feizhan laughed. “As expected. Pity, though—Father was so angered tonight by him that I suspect he’ll fall into a coma until morning. And from now till dawn… there are nearly three whole hours. Three hours—should be enough time for him to repent with his life three thousand times over, don’t you think?”
“You wouldn’t dare!” The Tayuan King’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets. He threw off his covers, trying to rise, but stumbled and fell to the floor.
Feizhan looked down at his faltering father, a trace of pity flickering in his eyes. “There hasn’t been a new prince born in Tayuan in nearly ten years. Father likely won’t be able to sire another son. Once Feishi dies, who else can Father name as heir?”
“Your bloodline is impure…” The Tayuan King kept repeating those four words. “Even if I name you as heir, the ministers won’t accept you. After I die, they’ll replace you. Rather than let that happen and have you meet a miserable end, it’s better to let Feishi inherit the throne. At least then, he could shelter you under his wing.”
“Given everything that’s happened, Father still thinks he would protect me?” Feizhan chuckled. “Truly, all parents are hopelessly idealistic. They believe that no matter how fierce the sibling rivalry, blood ties will make them protect one another. You’re no exception, Father—and neither was the late emperor of Great Qian. But unfortunately, things don’t always go as you wish.”
He stepped forward and helped the Tayuan King up.
The king tried to shake him off, but Feizhan remained calm and steady, easily placing him back on the bed. Only then did the Tayuan King realize that this third son—whom he had long dismissed for his impure blood—had already grown into a man who stood tall and firm. No longer was he the tearful child who once wept at their parting.
“As for the ministers, Father needn’t worry,” Feizhan said. “The A’Ridi clan has already promised to marry me their most beautiful granddaughter. As for Feishi’s maternal relatives, I imagine they’ll soon send beauties to curry favor too. Without Feishi and Feishai, I’ll become the most sought-after pawn. And once I ascend the throne, they’ll all realize that this pawn is searing hot—any who dare try to control me will be burned to ashes.”
The Tayuan King moved his lips but couldn’t utter a single word.
Feizhan straightened. “Father still seems lucid. Why not draft a royal decree—one that formally accuses Feishi of treason? When I take the throne, I’ll be sure to protect my dear Second Brother, who erred and forever lost his claim to the crown.”
“Don’t even think about it…” the Tayuan King rasped.
If it were only about naming Feizhan heir, he could perhaps agree for now—after all, he could always revoke it later. But to write a decree condemning Feishi as a traitor… that would strip him of the right to rule forever. One son dead, one disgraced. Only Feizhan would remain with a rightful claim.
Feizhan had said one thing perfectly: if there were even a sliver of possibility, the Tayuan King would never pass the crown to anyone outside his own bloodline.
“Then wait for the news of Feishi’s death.” Feizhan gave a cruel smile and turned to walk out.
The Tayuan King watched his departing figure and finally couldn’t hold back. “Come back!”
Feizhan stopped in his tracks—his palm already drenched in sweat.
He had still won.
Once the decree was written, the Tayuan King seemed to have aged ten years. Feizhan read over the document several times before smiling and saying, “It’s getting late. Father should rest.”
With that, he turned and left.
The Tayuan King watched him go again and ultimately asked, “Aren’t you afraid of retribution for doing all this?”
Feizhan lowered his eyes and, after a long silence, turned back. “Father, deep down you know who becoming heir would truly benefit Tayuan most, don’t you?”
The Tayuan King’s gaze flickered, but he said nothing.
Feizhan let out a soft laugh. “You didn’t care that much about bloodline. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have let Mother give birth to me in the first place. You wouldn’t have personally looked after me so attentively when I was young. I still remember that year when I was six and burning with fever—you stayed by my bedside for three days and nights without changing clothes…”
The Tayuan King was slightly stunned. His clouded eyes gradually lifted to meet Feizhan’s.
“You didn’t care that much about bloodline—you just can’t admit you made the wrong choice.” The smile faded from Feizhan’s face as he turned and walked out.
Watching his son’s receding figure, the Tayuan King suddenly remembered how, when Tayuan was defeated and Great Qian demanded a prince as hostage, he had torn himself apart trying to decide. He locked himself in a room for three days and nights, staring at the names of his five sons. In the end, he chose to sacrifice the third prince—the one with no maternal clan backing, whose departure wouldn’t cause unrest.
After all, his bloodline was impure. For someone like that, being chosen as a hostage was already a privilege…
The Tayuan King looked at the only son he had ever personally raised, walking farther and farther away. Instinctively, he lifted his hand to call out—but the words stuck in his throat. Even after Feizhan’s silhouette disappeared into the darkness, he still hadn’t spoken.
Outside, Luo Ying came hurrying up, but after approaching, she reflexively stepped back and asked awkwardly, “Your father… how is he?”
“He’s fine,” Feizhan replied, noticing a leaf stuck in her hair. He reached up to remove it.
Luo Ying gasped and instinctively raised a hand to block him.
Feizhan’s hand froze in midair for a long moment before he calmly withdrew it. “He’s fine. Go take care of him. This period… has been hard on you.”
“I-it’s nothing. Now that both of you are well, I’m content.” Luo Ying had already realized there was a leaf in her hair and didn’t dare meet Feizhan’s eyes.
Feizhan noticed how her gaze kept drifting toward the room behind him. After a pause, he asked, “Father knows it was you who poisoned him. He probably won’t be kind to you. Perhaps you should stay in a side hall for a few days?”
“No need, no need. I lied to him—being punished is only right. It’s what I deserve.” Luo Ying glanced at the door again and couldn’t resist brushing past Feizhan to head inside. “I’ll go check on him. I need to see him…”
Feizhan lowered his eyes. After a moment of silence, he calmly walked away.
On the way, he passed countless palace attendants. Likely guessing that after tonight this “impure-blooded” third prince’s status would be turned upside down, everyone treated him with a mix of awe and fear, bowing to greet him from more than ten meters away.
Feizhan ignored them all, but his pace grew faster and faster.
He had succeeded, yet he didn’t feel any joy. Instead, it was as if every drop of blood in his body was being seared in hot oil—ready to ignite and explode at any moment.
Turning a corner, he suddenly saw Feng Lezhen standing there with a lantern, composed and waiting.
Their eyes met. Feng Lezhen curved her lips into a smile and asked slowly, “Should I be congratulating Prince Feizhan now?”
Feizhan stared at her, then strode toward her.
Feng Lezhen said nothing, but with practiced ease tossed the lantern a few steps away—just in time for him to pull her into his arms.
“What is wrong with you,” she muttered, visibly displeased.
The torment subsided. His body heat seemed to return to normal.
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