What six-year-old child could possess such intelligence?
Of course, it was someone from the Gao family.
If the Emperor had been sincerely marveling at Gao Yuexing’s cleverness just moments ago, now only one phrase lingered in his mind—“wisdom bordering on the demonic.”
Truly unnerving.
The East—where is that?
Naturally, it is the Eastern Palace!
Gao Yuexing was unaware that she was bait, nor did she realize that the painstakingly crafted message she had sent out had already been secretly traced by the Emperor, who had uncovered everything by following her trail.
After the third extinguished lamp, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She rewrapped her fingers, leaned against the prison door, and slowly sat down. Sitting there, it was as if all the energy had drained from her body, leaving her unwilling to move again. She only wanted to lie down and leave her fate to the heavens.
Until, in the darkness, as the cold crept into her body, making her shiver, she heard footsteps approaching from the deep, shadowy corridor.
Who was coming this time?
Gao Yuexing was irritated to death, but she had no choice but to gather her spirit again, flipping herself upright to sit properly on the floor.
This time, the visitor was rather unusual, coming from the completely opposite direction. The footsteps were light and unsteady, and the person hadn’t lit a lamp. In the darkness, Gao Yuexing couldn’t see anything, which only magnified her fear and unease.
The person stopped in front of the prison door.
Gao Yuexing held her breath: “Who?”
A cold hand reached in, touching her wrist.
Gao Yuexing didn’t have time to react carefully. Her whole body tensed as if she had touched something filthy. Filled with disgust, she yanked her hand away and barked sharply, “Who are you? Speak!”
And so, the person spoke.
The voice was faint and weak, as if it could easily be overlooked if not listened to carefully, like the soft murmurs of a small animal. Gao Yuexing heard someone calling her name, each syllable enunciated with chilling clarity.
—“Gao, Yue, Xing.”
“Gao Yuexing.”
“Gao Yuexing.”
“…”
In the silent darkness, someone called her name, one syllable at a time, clumsily at first, then with increasing fluency.
Without needing further explanation, Gao Yuexing immediately realized who it was. She crawled over and groped around until the person grabbed her trembling hands.
Pain, exhaustion—none of it mattered anymore. All of Gao Yuexing’s weariness vanished in an instant, replaced entirely by joy.
She asked, “How did you get here?”
Li Fuxiang did not answer.
Through the prison bars, she held onto Li Fuxiang’s hands, feeling them over and over, until she sensed something was wrong. She noticed the rough texture of his skin, as if it were marked by engraved scars. Then, she felt a faint stickiness. Drawing her hand back and bringing it to her nose, she caught the scent of blood.
Gao Yuexing asked, “Are you injured?”
Li Fuxiang still didn’t respond.
Gao Yuexing: “You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”
Li Fuxiang returned to his state of silence, refusing to say a word.
Gao Yuexing sighed softly, then suddenly felt a cold object being pressed into her hand.
She grasped it and realized it was a dagger.
Gao Yuexing recognized this dagger.
On Li Fuxiang’s birthday, after he had just been brought back from the Xiaonan Pavilion, the Emperor had selected a sharp and exquisite dagger as a gift for him.
Gao Yuexing sighed inwardly—If you won’t talk, how am I supposed to know what you want me to do?
Although she couldn’t figure out Li Fuxiang’s intentions, Gao Yuexing still accepted the dagger, planning to act based on the situation as it unfolded.
Hearing the sound of chains rattling, Li Fuxiang went to tinker with the lock, seemingly trying to pry it open to let her out. However, the lock was incredibly sturdy, and after a while of futile effort, he dejectedly returned to squat beside Gao Yuexing.
Gao Yuexing noticed that his movements didn’t seem to be hindered by the darkness. He moved with precision and ease, his night vision far exceeding her understanding.
How incredible.
Gao Yuexing thought for a moment before asking him, “On your way here, how many wall lamps did you pass?”
Li Fuxiang traced a number in the palm of her hand: Twenty-four.
He really can understand!
And he can write!
Gao Yuexing grew increasingly excited, almost coaxing him as she asked, “Can you take me out of here?”
Li Fuxiang squeezed her palm firmly, signaling that he could.
Unintentionally tugging on the pain in her fingertips, Gao Yuexing drew in a sharp breath.
Li Fuxiang cupped her small hand, bringing it to his lips and gently blowing on it.
So thoughtful.
He had always been a considerate and meticulous person. Since marrying him at sixteen, Gao Yuexing had lived a smooth and pampered life, with no woman in the capital enjoying greater comfort than she. If not for her own stubborn, narrow-minded thinking, her days would have been like those of a celestial being.
Gao Yuexing would forever remember all the care and attention he had given her.
Thus, no matter the misfortune or suffering she faced now, it could not extinguish the flame in her heart.
Two hours later, the heavy stone door opened.
That person appeared again, lighting the lamp.
Gao Yuexing covered her eyes and waited to adjust before looking around. She didn’t see any sign of Li Fuxiang; he had disappeared somewhere.
The man looked at her and said, “Your father didn’t comply and hand over the items. Instead, based on the few clues you left, he deduced that you are currently in the Eastern Palace. You’re quite cunning, aren’t you… little girl?”
Damn, he figured it out.
She knew that things were looking grim. She tightened her grip on the dagger hidden in her sleeve.
For now, the man didn’t seem intent on making a move. He asked, “I can’t understand—your eyes were clearly covered on the way here, so how did you know this is the Eastern Palace?”
Gao Yuexing: “Do you really want to know?”
The man: “I want to know more than anything.”
Gao Yuexing smiled faintly. “Then you’ll have to trade me with something I want to know.”
The man also smiled. “You’re about to die anyway.”
His tone, feigned with indulgence, was sickening to hear. Gao Yuexing retorted, “Before I’m dead, at least treat me like I’m still alive.”
The man spread his hands. “Alright then.”
Gao Yuexing: “What has my father discovered?”
The man replied, “What your father has uncovered is something that threatens the lifeline of all of us. If he continues his investigation and uncovers the truth, the efforts we’ve poured into the palace for years will crumble overnight.”
The man truly explained things to Gao Yuexing.
Gao Yuexing had never understood how the spies of Fox Hu Tribe managed to infiltrate the imperial city. Today, she finally learned the truth.
The grudge between Fox Hu Tribe and Central Plains had persisted for generations. After Emperor Xiao Wu founded the Great Xu Dynasty, he launched ruthless campaigns against Fox Hu Tribe, which was then weaker and had submitted for a brief time. During this short-lived peace, as a gesture of goodwill, Fox Hu Tribe sent their princess to marry Emperor Xiao Wu as a concubine.
The spies of Fox Hu Tribe entered the capital during this period, accompanying the princess. However, the Fox Hu Tribe princess didn’t bring them directly into the palace. Instead, she initially hid them in the capital, where they mimicked the customs of the Central Plains people, integrating slowly and subtly. Like a gentle spring breeze and rain, they gradually infiltrated the palace.
But the peace lasted only three years. Fox Hu Tribe’s raid on Xiang City marked the start of open hostilities.
Fox Hu Tribe massacred half of a city in the Great Xu Dynasty. In retaliation, Emperor Xiao Wu publicly executed the Fox Hu Tribe princess and all the Fox Hu Tribe attendants and maidservants she had openly brought with her. Their corpses were displayed outside the palace gates for three days before being dragged into the mountains to feed the wolves.
Although the Fox Hu Tribe princess perished, her plans had already been set in motion. The spies of Fox Hu Tribe thrived in the shadows, scattering throughout the palace and taking on the dirtiest, most laborious, and most unnoticed tasks. They survived like ants, quietly enduring.
The long-vacant Eastern Palace became their meeting place and planning hub.
To their surprise, they discovered a secret prison beneath the Eastern Palace, likely left by a crown prince from the previous dynasty. A tunnel from the prison led directly to a well in the courtyard of Xiaonan Pavilion.
To gather more information, he seduced the former mistress of Xiaonan Pavilion, Lady Mei.
This relationship, however, was purely utilitarian for him.
Lady Mei, against his advice, insisted on giving birth to their child. Exposing this scandal to the public undoubtedly pushed him and all his comrades into grave danger.
Even though Lady Mei had repeatedly promised, “I will protect you and the child,” he ultimately chose to kill her, silencing her forever.
When talking about the Fox Hu Tribe spies, he brushed over it briefly. Yet when it came to his sordid entanglement with Lady Mei, he lingered over the details, as if he wanted to recount every aspect, hesitating and reluctant to stop.
But what was the point? She was still killed by his own hands.
Gao Yuexing: “Have you ever seen your son?”
The man: “I have.”
Gao Yuexing: “The woman named Jinque by his side—she’s one of your Fox Hu Tribe people too, isn’t she?”
The man: “Yes. That child has Fox Hu Tribe blood running through his veins. From the year he became aware of the world, we decided to bring him into our ranks and cultivate him into the sharpest blade. After all, his identity and status are his best camouflage.”
Gao Yuexing: “Jinque stays by his side to monitor him, doesn’t she?”
The man: “So clever.” He sighed with endless regret. “Back when you first entered the palace, Jinque came to me, saying that there was a peculiar little girl by his side, one who made her feel extremely uneasy, as though her every move was being watched, as if someone was constantly prying into their secrets. I was careless. I thought, what could a six-year-old child possibly achieve? My child… if only he had half your cunning, how wonderful that would be.”
Gao Yuexing: “Do you realize your child is going to die?”
He responded calmly, “We will all die.”
Gao Yuexing: “Poor Lady Mei, scheming so meticulously to protect you all. I wonder what she would think, hearing you say that from her place underground.”
He fell silent for a long time.
Suddenly, the stone door of the dungeon was slammed open again. A palace maid rushed in, panic evident on her face. “Something’s wrong, Brother Qiu! The Imperial Guards have surrounded the Eastern Palace. No one knows when they got there.”
He turned to look at Gao Yuexing, then gave orders without turning back. “Go arrange for everyone to leave. Don’t panic. Act like ordinary palace staff—walk slowly, don’t look back, and don’t hesitate.”
The maid: “What about you?”
The man: “I still have things to take care of.”
The maid glanced at him. “Take care of yourself, Brother Qiu. We’ll wait for your signal.”
The dungeon door closed again as the maid’s footsteps grew distant.
The man turned and began to approach Gao Yuexing, one step at a time.
As he advanced, she retreated, step by step. He was forced to unlock the cell and step inside to grab her. His hands were empty—he had no weapon. It was clear he intended to strangle her with his bare hands. He raised one hand, already halfway toward her neck.
Suddenly, Gao Yuexing called out softly, “Brother Qiu.”
The man froze.
Gao Yuexing’s calm gaze shifted to a point over his shoulder. “Look behind you. Who do you see?”
He sneered. “Such a clumsy trick…” But his smile quickly disappeared. On the wall, under the light of the lamp, a shadow appeared—a child’s figure—steadily approaching him.
He heard Gao Yuexing cheerfully call out to the figure, “Third Prince.”
The man couldn’t help but turn his head.
But there was no shadow of Li Fuqiu.
Instead, it was Li Fuxiang, glaring at him with vicious intensity.
—”Argh!!”
A sharp dagger slashed across his neck, piercing through his throat.
He could no longer make any sound, his throat gurgling as he struggled for breath. After a few seconds of futile resistance, he collapsed onto the straw mat in the cell, lifeless.