Step into Peril

Author: Tong Hua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: I felt melancholic in my heart, thinking left and right every day, and my recovery became slower, with frequent relapses. By the time I was fully recovered, it was already late October. This was the first time I saw Kangxi since I fell ill, and my heart was filled with anxiety. I hesitated several times, wanting to have Qiu Chen go to offer tea for me, but I just wanted to avoid it. However, I ultimately restrained myself with reason and, together with Yu Tan, carried the tea tray inside. The eunuch standing outside saw me and quickly drew the curtains. His gaze swept around, and the Third, Fourth, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Princes were all present. I took a deep breath, steadied my mind, and walked in with small, quick steps. The room was silent, and Kangxi was pondering with his head tilted. I gently placed the tea cup on the table and bowed in respect. Kangxi never glanced at me, which slightly eased my anxiety. I then went to the Third Prince’s table to serve tea. Throughout the serving, the Princes sat upright, their eyes fixed straight ahead. I kept my head down the entire time, my gaze fixed only on the spot before me. After leaving the warm pavilion, I hurried back to the ear room, placed the tea tray down, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. When my mind calmed down, I couldn’t help but wonder what they were discussing. Why were all of them so serious? Two days later, Kangxi issued an edict, and only then did I understand why the atmosphere had been so heavy that day.
"Appoint Yin Tebu as the Commander of the Han Army, Longkoro as the Commander of the Infantry, and Zhang Guzhen as the Governor of Yunnan." All of these were crucial positions with military power. The Eighth Prince was the first to speak out, but it was the Fourth Prince’s man, Longkoro, who held this important position responsible for the security of the capital. Without the others noticing, the Fourth Prince had already set up a key piece in his game. Suddenly, I remembered how I had once warned the Eighth Prince to be wary of Longkoro. If he had taken my words to heart, the Eighth Prince should have already realized the relationship between the Fourth Prince and Longkoro by now. Even though Longkoro and the Fourth Prince were now deliberately keeping their distance to avoid suspicion, I had just exposed one of the Fourth Prince’s important cards. Was I now in a position where I had no choice but to play his game? My mind grew hazy as the blurred history and the current reality made the already incomprehensible situation even more confusing. I could only give up for now and think carefully about what to do next.
I had to believe that I could not escape the fate of being betrothed. Suomalagala could stay in the palace after defying the edict and refusing to marry because Kangxi had special feelings for her and was willing to tolerate her. But if I defied the edict, Kangxi would never let me live a peaceful life, and the worst outcome might truly be a white sash. But who would Kangxi betroth me to? The Crown Prince had been plagued with trouble since this point and would eventually be deposed, so he was ruled out. The current situation left only two possibilities: Kangxi could either betroth me to someone neutral to keep me away from the turmoil, or he could betroth me to someone he held in high regard. Rather than waiting for Kangxi to betroth me, with an uncertain outcome, it was better to choose myself. At least I could ensure that I would avoid the worst result. Thinking of the Crown Prince, a chill ran through my body again. I couldn’t help but lean my head on my hand and sigh deeply. If I had known this earlier, why had I done it in the first place? In ancient times, girls married at the age of sixteen or seventeen, and now, all the men of my age who were suitable had already had their wives and concubines. It seemed that I was destined to be a secondary wife. Who to choose? The Eighth Prince might have been possible before, but now, with the jade pendant from the Suwan Gualjia Prince and the marriage of Minmin to the prince of the Zhaoying tribe, Kangxi would never allow me to marry him. The Thirteenth Prince was out of the question. Ever since I took him to the lotus pond to meet the Fourth Prince, he had seen me as the Fourth Prince’s person. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have used the Ninth Prince to test me. The Fourteenth Prince was also not an option. He was still part of the "Eighth Prince Faction," and not only would Kangxi not agree, but he himself would never want me either. The court officials—let alone that I didn’t know them well—even if I did, how could they dare to marry me? Who would dare to marry the woman the Crown Prince had asked for a hand in marriage? I thought carefully about everyone, including Kangxi’s thoughts and their own. The more I thought, the more confused I became, and the more lost I felt. Eventually, I thought, why bother with all this trouble? If I wanted to seek shelter, I might as well find a big tree to lean on. After all, he was willing to marry me. As for the future, I could only take things one step at a time.
I picked up the hairpin and stared at it for a long time. Why did the Fourth Prince like Mulan so much? What was the behind it? "In the morning, I pluck the orchids from the hillside; in the evening, I gather the asphodel from the isle. In the morning, I drink the dew of the orchids; in the evening, I eat the fallen petals of the chrysanthemums." Was he like Qu Yuan, believing himself to have an inner fragrance? Or did he feel that his ambitions and talents were not being realized? I carefully inserted the hairpin and looked at myself in the mirror, unable to help but laugh. I had thought I would never use it, yet here it was, fastened to my head so quickly.
When the Fourth and Thirteenth Princes came out, I respectfully greeted them. The Thirteenth Prince smiled and told me to stand up. The Fourth Prince’s lips curled into a faint, ambiguous smile as he looked at the hairpin on my head, then turned to examine my expression. I smiled slightly and stood quietly to the side, letting him observe me. The Thirteenth Prince noticed our unusual behavior and stood idly by, seemingly unfazed. After the Fourth Prince watched me for a while, he took a step forward, and the Thirteenth Prince and I followed. They walked to a secluded spot, where he turned and stood still, looking at me. The Thirteenth Prince stepped a few steps away and glanced around. I stood with my head down for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "The Fourth Prince must have understood what I meant."
The Fourth Prince said, "Did you come to me to let me guess?" I took a deep breath and smiled brightly, "That’s right. Then I’ll be direct. I came to ask the Fourth Prince to marry me." He asked, "Why?" I sighed and smiled, "Didn’t the Prince advise me before? Instead of dreaming about the unrealistic, it’s better to find a marriage that suits you. After what happened with the Crown Prince, I realized the Prince was right, so I’ve decided to follow your advice." He asked again, "Why me?" I smiled, "Do you want the truth or a lie?" "What if it’s a lie? What if it’s the truth?" He smirked.
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