Chapter 51: The King of War Is Not to Be Trifled With

In an instant, the Commander’s expression turned to one of astonishment.
“Didn’t the Prince of War want to capture you before? Why do you want to go in and see him now?” The Commander was utterly puzzled.
“Never mind about that,” Le Qianxue replied. “I have my reasons.”
“I’m powerless in this matter. The Prince of War has committed a grave crime, and His Majesty has personally ordered his imprisonment,” the Commander explained. “No outsiders are allowed near.”
“Not a single word has come from the palace. What crime did Zhan Lianjing commit?” Le Qianxue asked.
The Commander hesitated, clearly reluctant to speak.
Le Qianxue held up a single finger. “One divine pill.”
He heard her clearly, and as it happened, he was in desperate need of just such a thing; his future happiness depended on it!
He hastily answered, “The other day, the Prince of War entered the palace and was caught consorting with Consort De! Now, Consort De has been confined to the Cold Palace and will be executed in a few days. Naturally, the Prince of War will share her fate. It’s a matter of imperial dignity and cannot be made public. In the end, people will likely hear that Consort De died suddenly, or that the Prince of War offended His Majesty.”
Le Qianxue frowned. So that was the reason—no wonder no word had leaked out.
She said, “That cripple Zhan Lianjing, capable of consorting with a consort? I’m impressed.”
“Exactly, Divine Doctor! I found it rather baffling myself,” the Commander replied. “But His Majesty saw it with his own eyes—there’s no disputing it.”
Le Qianxue smiled. Whatever secret lay behind this affair, only those involved would know. She recalled how Consort De had once spoken in her favor before Empress Yang; she could already guess the consort’s true identity.
This was clearly a trap, and this time, Zhan Lianjing was truly unlucky to have fallen into it. She wondered what kind of ill fortune plagued him this year.
She said again, “Commander, since I’ve come to you, I must see Zhan Lianjing.”
“Oh, my dear lady, that’s truly impossible! This is the one thing I cannot do!” The Commander was worried for his own neck—any error here, and he’d be executed for it.
He continued, “You know as well as I do, the Emperor is especially wary of the Prince of War now! With three hundred thousand troops under his command! You’re a young lady; it’s best not to involve yourself in this matter.”
He was sincere—after all, Le Qianxue had helped him before.
Le Qianxue understood perfectly, but she couldn’t let Zhan Lianjing die like this.
She spoke gravely, “Ten divine pills. Will you help me or not? The choice is yours.”
The Commander was struck dumb—ten divine pills!
In that moment, he hesitated fiercely: on one hand, his happiness; on the other, his very head. Which should he choose?
But upon reflection, what was the use of keeping his head if he lost his happiness? Life was meant for enjoyment, after all.
With that, the Commander agreed at once, “Fine! I’ll do this for you, Divine Doctor!”
“Thank you, Commander,” Le Qianxue said. “I’ll disguise myself as one of your subordinates—no one will suspect a thing.”
The Commander was about to ask how a woman could disguise herself as a man so convincingly, but then thought, with Divine Doctor’s skills, she surely had a way. Helping her would be no trouble.
After two days of preparation, Le Qianxue finally entered the palace with the Commander.

The Commander never expected that the Divine Doctor would disguise herself as one of his subordinates, matching even their appearance precisely!
Only then did the Commander realize such artful disguise existed in the world.
As the commander of the Crimson Guards, he lacked the emperor’s express permission, but with enough silver and his own reputation, he could still get things done.
He whispered to Le Qianxue, “You’ll have only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—not a moment longer.”
Le Qianxue nodded, her voice low, “Understood.”
Once inside, Le Qianxue found that the prison was reserved for nobles and high officials: stone chambers, heavily guarded.
No one was currently patrolling the corridor. Le Qianxue removed her human-skin mask—she didn’t want Zhan Lianjing to discover her skill in disguise.
She took out the key and unlocked the iron door. On the stone bed lay a man; after these days, Zhan Lianjing’s face had grown thin and pale.
She frowned, closed the door behind her, and walked lightly—her steps unlike any jailer’s. Zhan Lianjing, sensing something amiss, opened his eyes.
At once, he saw Le Qianxue and was momentarily stunned, wondering if he were dreaming.
After a while, Le Qianxue waved a hand before him. “Prince of War, are you alright?”
Zhan Lianjing averted his gaze, regaining his composure. He coughed, cheeks tinged with feverish red. “How did you get in here?”
“I have my ways.” Le Qianxue wore the Crimson Guards’ uniform; although her frame was slight, she hadn’t betrayed herself.
She went on, “I’ve guessed what’s happened. Haoyue sent me to ask if you have any means of saving yourself.”
Zhan Lianjing’s eyes were indifferent. He knew this was not the right time, but this time, the Emperor had seen through his closest aides, and he’d fallen hard for it.
He was still silent when Le Qianxue pressed, “You are the Prince of War—surely you have some way out?”
“A prince—so what? Am I a deity now? You must understand, it is the Emperor who holds the power of life and death in Tianlong.” Zhan Lianjing seemed utterly unconcerned.
But he was still injured, and coughed several more times; his complexion looked dreadful.
Seeing this, Le Qianxue hurried to check his pulse. Her expression darkened. “If you stay in this dungeon a few more days, you really will die. Is there truly nothing you can do?”
Zhan Lianjing’s gaze remained cool, his demeanor unchanged. “My affairs are none of your concern.”
“But the thing is, I’m the only one who can see you now!” Le Qianxue was growing frustrated.
She snorted. After all, she and Zhan Lianjing had weathered hardship together. Yet today he was so guarded—how meaningless it seemed.
Her heart weighed heavy. Zhan Lianjing had reached his current position only through caution and vigilance, but with disaster upon him, must he still test those who tried to help?
The dungeon was tightly guarded, with only one exit. Zhan Lianjing had no way to contact the outside—he had no other option now!
Le Qianxue continued, “Prince of War, I know you don’t trust me, but I also know your secrets. Have I ever betrayed them? If you don’t trust me now, it’s your loss, not mine.”
With those words, she turned to leave. Just then, Zhan Lianjing raised his eyes and said softly, “Come here.”
Le Qianxue immediately drew close—she’d been waiting for this invitation from him for a long time.
She was so pleased she couldn’t help but smile.

Zhan Lianjing stared at her, unable to comprehend her delight.
He said, “Le Qianxue, do you realize you’re about to involve yourself in the court’s power struggle? Once you cross this line, there’s no turning back.”
Le Qianxue answered earnestly, “Prince of War, think about it—my father also held military power, and was framed by Empress Yang for that very reason. Do you think I can still live a carefree life? In the capital, everyone has their own schemes, isn’t that so?”
“So you chose me?”
“Of course. You’re handsome and formidable, after all.” Le Qianxue smiled.
Of course, these were just empty words. What she truly wanted was to win Zhan Lianjing’s trust and uncover his secrets, so she could help Yin Susu.
Zhan Lianjing grew a little impatient and took her hand. Her hand was warm, not delicate like other women’s, and bore calluses, yet he found it comforting.
At such a time, someone had come to rescue him—the feeling was indeed wonderful.
He said, “So, will you swear loyalty to me for life?”
Le Qianxue treated it as a ritual, squeezing his hand in return. “Of course.”
Zhan Lianjing’s lips curved into a rare smile—Le Qianxue had never seen him smile so openly before.
She was momentarily stunned; even in his downfall, his demonic beauty and commanding presence were undiminished.
Zhan Lianjing took out an object and handed it to Le Qianxue. “Take this and go to the Fragrant Red Pavilion to find Miss Qingqing.”
Le Qianxue looked it over—a small wooden token, carved with the character for ‘King,’ nothing else.
She asked, “Is there a secret phrase?”
“You’re clever,” Zhan Lianjing replied. “She recognizes only me. If you go, simply say you’re my lover.”
Le Qianxue nearly choked. “How is that a secret phrase? Why must I call myself your lover?”
“Why not?” Zhan Lianjing said. “There have been rumors about us in the capital before. If you don’t say so, Qingqing will just think you’re trying your luck.”
Le Qianxue suppressed her irritation and forced herself to stay calm. After all, everything she did was for Yin Susu.
She smiled. “Very well. What then?”
“Tell her to mobilize a hundred thousand troops on the border,” Zhan Lianjing said. “And give this to Haoyue—have her show it to the Dukes of Mu and Zhuang as well.”
He handed her a piece of cloth, though its contents were unknown.
Le Qianxue couldn’t help but ask, “What is this?”
Zhan Lianjing glanced at her, and she thought he was annoyed by her curiosity, but he explained, “Evidence of the two dukes’ crimes over the years. Nothing too severe, but enough to enrage the Emperor. The Dukes of Mu and Zhuang have been hoarding wealth for years, and with the treasury empty, the Emperor will not let them off.”
Le Qianxue smiled, understanding completely.