Phoenix Rising

087: An Interlude

Two weeks ago

Situ Zhiren could hear the raucous laughter and loud music drifting from the direction of the princess's quarters long before the main doors to her parlour came into view. His lips quirked upwards in a crooked smile.

The guards standing watch at the doors panicked when they saw him approach, but he promptly bade them step aside with the casual wave of his hand. He pushed open the doors, and immediately the overpowering fragrance of heavy perfumes mixed with traces of incense accosted his nose. That—made him frown.

Princess Xuan was seated at the front of the parlour, lounging sideways on a velvet-lined chaise, her head resting in the lap of a young man with feline-like features who was peeling lychees and feeding them to her. Another man, only partially clothed with his slender torso exposed, was giving her a leg massage. The group of dancers that had been performing for her immediately stopped and retreated to the sides when they saw the prince enter.

The princess glanced up. "What wind blows you here?" she asked, drawling languidly.

Situ Zhiren promptly dismissed everyone from the room, only speaking when the doors had been shut behind him, leaving them alone in the room. He walked up to the princess and said, "Do you not know how to practice restraint?"

Hong Xuan straightened herself up, shrugging her shoulders. "You're the one who let me hire them," she replied.

The prince grabbed her by the wrist, pushing down the sheer turquoise fabric of her sleeves. He took one glance at the bruises lining her arms and scoffed. "I'm not the one who asked you to indulge in such... depraved pastimes." Flinging her arm back down, he said, "Make sure you keep them concealed properly when you go out in public."

"Or what? Are you afraid that people might think that you inflicted these upon me?" Hong Xuan burst out in peals of delighted laughter, clapping her hands together.

Situ Zhiren did not bother to entertain her with a reply. He walked over to the side of the room and threw open the windows to let some of the overpowering stench, then poured himself a cup of water and sat himself down. "I'm here because I have something that I need to discuss with you," he said.

"With me? That's new." The princess joined him by the table, looking intrigued.

He slid a letter across the table to her. Hong Xuan took out the parchment from its envelope, quickly skimming through the contents. Soon, her expression darkened, her delicate features twisting into an ugly scowl.

Situ Zhiren laughed. "I thought you might be interested," he said.

Hong Xuan crumpled the letter in her hand, then flung it to the floor. "Han Zi-ning? That whore? How could he even think of marrying her!" she screamed, face reddening with rage.

"Why not? Don't tell me you're still fantasising about the possibility that Du Zhenghuan might one day marry you?" Reaching across the table, Situ Zhiren pinched Hong Xuan's chin between his fingers. "Look at you. You're the whore—not her."

"And whose fault is that!" Hong Xuan swiped his hand away angrily, her eyes spitting fire. "If you hadn't asked for my hand in marriage and forced me to come all the way here, I wouldn't have ended up like this. I should be the one marrying Zhenghuan!"

"Don't blame your unfortunate circumstances on me, Princess. If you have to blame someone, then blame your own father for giving you away and using you for political gain. Have I mistreated you in any way since you arrived? I've given you everything you've asked for, even given you the freedom to indulge in such a wanton lifestyle. You should be grateful to me, because in someone else's hands, you would already be dead."

The harsh edge in his tone made it clear that he was done entertaining her nonsense. He had his own reasons for keeping her here, and for keeping her alive, but it did not mean that there was no limits to what he would tolerate from her.

The princess pursed her lips tightly together, saying nothing.

"The Shadow Lord's marriage is not the main reason why I'm here," Situ Zhiren continued. He took out another sheet of parchment, folded neatly into a small square, and showed it to the girl. "Du Zhenghuan will be accompanying the crown prince of Duan to Wulihe for my coronation in two weeks' time."

"Who sent this to you?" Hong Xuan demanded.

"Does it matter?"

"You have a spy in our royal court!"

Situ Zhiren's lips curled in a pitying sneer. "Princess, I have many. And trust me, your kingdom has its spies in my court as well. The question is—whose network is better, and who gets to stay one step ahead," he replied.

"What do you need from me?" Hong Xuan asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

The smile on his face widened. "The question is not what I want from you, but what your brother wants from you. I am merely being of some assistance," he said. "I'm sure you know of the fifth prince's ambitions, don't you?"

"Ru-an? He... He wants to kill Ru-quan." The princess's shoulders slumped as she sank back into her chair, the realisation leaving her reeling.

When Situ Zhiren received the secret message from Duan, it also contained a second part that he had not shown to the princess. The part where Ru-an detailed his proposal to use the coronation as an opportunity to get rid of not only the crown prince, but also the Shadow Lord. He had to admit that Ru-an was a shrewd strategist and helping someone like that gain power could end up being a decision that he would come to regret one day, but it was a risk that he was willing to take. At least for now, he had nothing to lose. As for whether or not he wished to remain allies in future, that depended on how Ru-an chose to act.

"But that's not possible. If Zhenghuan is the one escorting Ru-quan, then there's no way anyone can get close. He's the Shadow Lord. No one gets past the Shadow Lord," Hong Xuan said.

Situ Zhiren arched a knowing brow. "Not if Du Zhenghuan doesn't see it coming," he replied. "And that's where you come in."

Hong Xuan's large eyes widened in disbelief. "You want me to do it? You want me to kill Ru-quan?" she exclaimed. "He's my brother!"

"And so is Ru-an. I've come to an agreement with him. If you agree to follow the plan and carry out the assassination, then I shall release you from your obligations in this marriage, and you shall once again be a free woman. How does that sound?"

"You would do that?" Hong Xuan asked doubtfully. "How? If I disappear, my father will not let it slide. And if anyone ever finds out that I was the one who..." She shook her head vehemently. "There's no way. There's no way this will work."

"If you are dead, then no one will have anything further to say, will they? A feigned death, of course," Situ Zhiren replied, running his finger along the rim of his teacup. The more he considered this plan, the more he liked it. Not only would it help him stir unrest within Duan and get rid of one of his greatest enemies, it would also rid him of this annoying and useless princess. "Once Ru-quan is dead, we'll arrange to have you handed over to Ru-an's men, who will ensure that you are brought to safety. You'll be able to live out the rest of your life in peace, free from all of this," he gestured around the parlour, "and free of me. Once Ru-an ascends to the throne, he'll be able to formally give you a new identity. You can be a princess again."

He caught a flicker of delight in her eyes, and knew that the foolish girl had taken the bait. It was a wonder how a man as cunning as Ru-an could have a sister with air for brains.

"What about Zhenghuan? Are you planning to... to kill him too?"

"Why do you care what happens to Du Zhenghuan? He obviously doesn't care about you. If he returns to Duan safely after the coronation, then he'll be getting on with his wedding to Han Zi-ning as planned. Is that something you want to see?"

A streak of viciousness flashed across the princess's face. "No," she answered. "If I can't marry Zhenghuan, then no one else can." Her fingers clenched around her teacup. "What do I have to do?"