Blood of deep crimson dripped down the blade gripped by Prince Rui's hand.
Xiao Jingyan stepped forward, intending to wrest the dagger away.
But the blade had sunk three inches into the prince's body, and forcibly pulling it out might cause him to bleed excessively, leaving no chance of survival.
Prince Rui covered Xiao Jingyan's hand with his own as he weakly smiled,
"Jingyan, among us brothers, you were always seen as the most unruly. Since childhood, you've caused trouble and gotten into mischief everywhere. But I know that you also value feelings the most among all of us brothers.
Your true character is clear to me, just as Xiao Jingheng understands it well. By allowing you to come, he was clearly testing you - to see which you would choose between loyalty and kinship when they conflicted."
Prince Rui handed the fake death potion back to Xiao Jingyan and shook his head slightly, his smile tinged with bitterness,
"Even if this potion could fool others, it cannot deceive him. If I took it, not only would I not survive, but it would become the very catalyst of your demise."
Xiao Jingyan's lips trembled uncontrollably.
He struggled to hold back his tears, wanting to say something,
But before he could speak, Prince Rui gripped his wrist tightly and whispered:
"Jingyan, you must live on, you must survive!"
With those words, giving Xiao Jingyan no chance to react, he suddenly shouted towards the door:
"I cannot die! I have nothing to do with the Jizhou incident! I demand to see the Emperor!"
After shouting, without hesitation, he grabbed Xiao Jingyan's hand and thrust the dagger deeper into his own chest...
'BANG'
The door was forced open from outside.
Nalan Cuo led over a dozen guards rushing in, anxiously asking:
"What has happened?"
Only to see
Xiao Jingyan holding the dagger, having stabbed it directly into Prince Rui's heart.
His hands and face were splattered with fresh blood.
Prince Rui had no strength left to shout.
Like a pile of soft mud, he slid down before Xiao Jingyan.
Finally, he glared at Xiao Jingyan, but his thoughts were only of Xiao Jingheng as he bitterly said:
"Even in death... I will not let..."
He never finished those last words.
His resentful eyes bulged unnaturally until the end, unwilling to close.
Faced with this tragic scene, even Nalan Cuo shuddered as he said:
"This... Your Highness, what has happened here?"
Xiao Jingyan appeared utterly composed, his voice devoid of emotion:
"The treacherous subject refused execution, so I had to end his life myself."
He bent down and used his bloodied palm to close Prince Rui's eyelids.
Then he carelessly tossed the dagger aside, while clutching the fake death potion and a wooden key in his other hand.
Xiao Jingyan turned to leave.
As he brushed past the still stunned Nalan Cuo, he said,
"The matter here is settled. After I return home to wash and change clothes, I shall seek out Brother Nalan to enjoy some fine wine and admire exquisite paintings."
*
At the same time, in the Nalan residence.
As dusk approached, the brilliant golden sunlight gradually shifted to a warm red hue, filtering through the latticed window into the maiden's boudoir and onto her desk.
Nalan Ruge was bent over the desk, intently painting something.
Her brows furrowed at times, her face beaming with delight at others,
Her thoughts were drawn by the subject of her painting. In her moments of contemplation, her almond-shaped peach blossom eyes shone with a radiant glow, her straight and upturned nose adding to her refined elegance. Her brows were naturally dark, her lips naturally rosy, altogether the epitome of peerless beauty that eclipsed all others.
Simply by looking at the painter, one could imagine the exquisite visage she was capturing on canvas.
As she was fully immersed in her painting, the maid Xiao Liu'er brought in some fresh ice.
She placed the ice jar beside Nalan Ruge, then wiped the sweat from her brow as she complained:
"This autumn heat is really fierce. The sun has already set, yet we're still drenched in sweat. Oh? What is the young lady painting?"
Curious, Xiao Liu'er leaned in for a closer look.
Nalan Ruge hastily tried to cover the painting.
But the ink had not fully dried,
And she feared smudging it with too much movement, so she could only feign concealment, allowing Xiao Liu'er to glimpse most of the painting.
In the painting, a tall and extraordinarily handsome man leaned against a bamboo tree, a mischievous smile on his lips as he casually chewed on a blade of cogon grass.
A majestic black panther lounged beside him.
Xiao Liu'er teased, "Why hide it from me, my lady? Even if you don't let me see, I know you're painting His Royal Highness the Prince of An."
Upon hearing this, Nalan Ruge's face instantly flushed red to her ears.
She stammered in flustered protest:
"No, no, it's not! You mischievous girl, I was just idling away my time, yet you insist on playful banter!"
Her voice was soft and shy, flowing like a gentle stream, melodious and captivating.
Xiao Liu'er continued smiling as she said, "My lady need not be coy. Hasn't the Old Master already agreed and submitted your name to be considered as a consort? It won't be long before he enters the palace to speak with the Emperor, and have you officially betrothed to the Prince of An."
She leaned in close to Nalan Ruge's shoulder and mischievously added, "To have the Emperor grant you as the wife of the Prince of An."
"Nonsense!"
Nalan Ruge playfully pinched Xiao Liu'er's sides, tickling her until she begged for mercy.
"Ah! Ah! My lady, I'm sorry!"
Only after teasing her maid for a good while did Nalan Ruge relent.
She then sat by the latticed window, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the reddening clouds in the evening sky. Murmuring softly:
"But it may still be wishful thinking on my part. Who knows what the Prince of An truly thinks?"
"What else could he think? The Prince of An is already twenty-four this year, it's high time for him to take a wife and consorts. You are knowledgeable and cultured, beautiful, and deeply versed in the study of famous paintings. Whenever the prince visits our residence and hears your unique insights on various artworks, he is full of boundless praise."
Xiao Liu'er leaned in close to Nalan Ruge's ear, her playful nature resurfacing.
"All of the capital knows that the Prince of An has lofty standards - ordinary women cannot even speak with him. Yet he frequently converses and laughs with you, my lady. Doesn't this imply that you are in his heart? If you ask me, to have gained such an exceptional beauty as yourself would be great fortune for the Prince of An."
"Enough of your teasing! I shall make you regret this today!"
"No, no, my lady, I'm sorry!"
The mistress and maid playfully chased each other around, filling the room with liveliness.
It was said throughout the capital that the daughter of the Nalan family was a rare talented beauty.
Not only was she proficient in poetry, music, calligraphy and painting, but her skill in portraiture was said to rival even the masters of the Palace Painting Academy.
Yet few knew that Nalan Ruge did not actually enjoy painting, having no true understanding of the art.
Her current abilities were developed solely to bring her closer to the one who occupied her heart.
Amid the frolicking and laughter, Xiao Liu'er accidentally bumped into the attendant You Cai.
You Cai stopped her sternly. "Liu'er, that's enough mischief! Look at yourself, you're corrupting the young lady's proper conduct. What if others were to see this behavior?"
"Hmph!" Xiao Liu'er glanced around before sticking her tongue out at him dismissively. "Who's going to see? There's no one else here."
You Cai sighed helplessly, then turned to Nalan Ruge and said,
"My lady, the Prince of An has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Nalan Ruge felt her heart inexplicably tugged by some unseen force.
Her face flushed, and she swiftly turned and hurried back into her boudoir with small, hasty steps.
