Chapter 049: There Is No Escaping Fate

As Li Zaixing spoke so calmly, Wang Xun did not think much of it. Despite his noble birth, he carried himself without airs. As he ordered someone to bring Mitra to the inner courtyard, he invited Li Zaixing to sit and asked with concern, "Has Wang Zhun caused any trouble in these days?"

"Not really," Li Zaixing replied. "But I worry about Eleventh Young Master. That victory may have been exhilarating, but it could bring him trouble."

Wang Xun gave a bitter laugh, his helplessness clear. "I'm used to it by now."

Li Zaixing said, "Has Eleventh Young Master never considered appealing to the Emperor? Your esteemed mother is a princess, and the Wang family is renowned. How could you allow him to bully you so?"

"Royalty?" Wang Xun glanced at Li Zaixing, as if wanting to say more but holding back. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "Li, let me advise you—royal blood does not always mean power. You've only just arrived in Chang'an and don't know all the ways of things yet. Live here longer, and you will understand."

Seeing Wang Xun's vague reply and reluctance to elaborate, Li Zaixing refrained from further questioning, offering only a few polite remarks before taking his leave.

In the inner chamber, Lady Li gazed at Mitra with joy, drawing the child to her side and studying her closely for a long while before smiling, "Are you really a foreigner?"

Mitra nodded obediently. "Yes, Your Highness. I truly am a foreigner. I am from the Kingdom of Cao in the Western Regions."

"Oh? And who was your mother?"

"I don't remember," Mitra shook her tiny head, eyes reddening. "She went to heaven a long time ago, to serve Ahura."

"So that's how it is," Lady Li's heart softened, her affection growing. She ordered some food to be brought and chatted idly with Mitra. At that moment, Wang Xun's mother, Princess Yongmu, entered the room. On seeing Mitra, she paused in surprise.

"Whose child is this?"

Lady Li hurriedly explained Mitra's origin. Princess Yongmu listened, her brow furrowing as she sighed, "Daughter-in-law, it's not cowardice—it's just that Seventh Young Master (Wang Hong) and his son are vicious. We've endured their bullying for too long; why provoke them further? This young Li Zaixing is reckless, daring to oppose Thirteenth Young Master (Wang Zhun)—not a wise move. You must advise Eleventh Young Master (Wang Xun) to avoid such company, lest trouble befall him. I am old and don't wish to endure more humiliation from the younger generation."

Lady Li blushed and agreed quickly, instructing the maid to escort Mitra out and summon Wang Xun for a talk. After some time, Wang Xun entered and reported that Li Zaixing had already left and could not retrieve Mitra for the moment. Princess Yongmu had no choice but to accept this. Her objection to keeping Mitra was not against the child herself, but out of concern that Wang Xun was getting too close to wandering knights like Li Zaixing and opposing Wang Zhun. For Mitra, she felt no aversion; in fact, there was a certain affection.

The reason was simple: Mitra resembled her youngest sister, Chongniang, especially in her eyes.

The Wang Xun family was upright and unassuming, rarely causing trouble. Though of noble birth, they seldom engaged with officials, preferring to keep to themselves. Because of this, they knew nothing of Chongniang's disappearance; otherwise, they would never have kept Mitra.

...

Wang Zhun, clutching his injured backside, shuffled painfully across the courtyard. After falling in the dust that day and suffering a stomp from Wei Yingwu that felt as though it broke his spine, he had been unable to rise for days, forced to sleep on his stomach in utter discomfort. Two days confined to his bed was bad enough, but his father Wang Hong was so busy he barely had time to deal with Wang Zhun's petty troubles, much less avenge him.

Wang Zhun was deeply frustrated. He might be arrogant, but only with his father's backing. Without it, he dared not act rashly—especially since Wei Yingwu was involved, and his own abilities were insufficient. Though unwilling, he could only wait patiently.

Waiting was a miserable feeling, and Wang Zhun, simmering with resentment, grew angrier the more he thought. Just then, a subordinate reported that Li Zaixing had recently visited Wang Xun; the meeting was brief, and details were unclear. However, Li Zaixing entered with a foreign child and left without the child.

Wang Zhun's interest was piqued; he raised his eyebrow. "Wang Xun claims to be a disciple of Confucianism, yet he also indulges in pretty boys?"

Among the aristocracy, such tastes were not unusual, but Wang Xun was different—upright and rarely given to vice. Wang Zhun always thought him pretentious, feigning high-mindedness. Now, hearing that Li Zaixing had gifted a foreign child to Wang Xun, he saw it as further proof of Wang Xun's hypocrisy and was contemptuous.

He considered, then suddenly had an idea. "What kind of foreign child was it?"

The subordinate described Mitra's appearance. Wang Zhun suddenly recalled that on the day by the polo field, while Li Zaixing spoke to him, there had been a small gesture, and a foreign girl led a child away. At the time he had paid attention only to the girl's graceful figure, not the child. Now it seemed clear: that child must be the one Li Zaixing gave to Wang Xun.

Wang Zhun's mind became complicated. He gave a cold laugh, planning to shame Wang Xun face-to-face someday. Nothing would be more satisfying than exposing the mask of a self-proclaimed gentleman.

His mood improved, and if not for his lingering injuries, he would have gone to Pingkang Ward immediately to cause trouble for Wang Xun.

Late that night, Wang Hong returned, exhausted, fear barely concealed in his eyes. Wang Zhun, forgetting his own troubles, hurried to ask about it.

Wang Hong sat heavily in the hall, sighing long and hard. The last few days had worn him out with no results. The imperial princess was still missing, the ritual blessings for An Lushan's new mansion halted, the guards entering Qinren Ward were blocked by the Yang family’s gloating interference, and a thousand tangled threads threatened to break him.

Wang Zhun, concerned, listened as Wang Hong detailed his troubles, ending with a bitter smile. "It's been three days; the princess has vanished as if ascended to immortality. I've done all I can. Tomorrow, I must report to the Emperor and accept his judgment. My son, this time, you may suffer as well."

Wang Zhun said nothing, his mind a storm of anxiety and excitement. He had met Chongniang a few times and remembered her vaguely, but had never made the connection. Hearing this now, he suddenly realized that the foreign child's stature and appearance were much like Chongniang's. As for gender, that was no obstacle—many girls wore boys' clothes.

If the foreign child was not a boy, but Chongniang—

"Father, there's something very important I've been meaning to tell you," Wang Zhun stammered, his eyes shining, voice trembling.

"What is it? Another fight?" Wang Hong snapped impatiently. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"No," Wang Zhun swallowed, recounting what he had seen and heard, embellishing for credibility. What had been only a sixty or seventy percent chance now sounded nearly certain.

"Are you sure?" Driven to desperation, Wang Hong sprang up, his eyes bloodshot, like a starving wolf spotting its prey.

...

Li Zaixing sat atop the bell tower, watching a troop of men pour into Pingkang Ward through the west gate and stop at the entrance of the Wan'an Temple. A faint smile touched his lips.

He had not left Pingkang Ward for long; negotiations with other wandering knights had been entrusted to Xie Guanglong. If talks failed, he would step in. His task was to lure Wang Hong and his son into the trap, and sending Mitra to Wan'an Temple was part of the plan. After two or three days, the timing was ripe; Wang Hong was surely frantic, grasping at any opportunity, especially when his targets were the family of Princess Yongmu, accustomed to his bullying and powerless to resist. With others, he might proceed cautiously, but with the princess, there was no need for care—if he made a mistake, she would simply swallow her grievances.

This was Li Bi's plan. Rather than calculating the situation, he calculated human nature.

Since Li Zaixing was determined, he would not let those unskilled wandering knights escape his notice. He merely circled Pingkang Ward before returning, collecting Mitra from Wan'an Temple. He did not even return to Bodhi Monastery, but had Julia and Hestia take Mitra straight out of Pingkang Ward. Though they could not leave Chang'an, Wang Hong had probably ordered checks at each gate, but there were many places to hide within the city. As long as Wang Hong could not find them, that was enough.

The key was to prevent Wang Xun's family from proving their innocence. In such circumstances, Wang Hong, nearly driven mad, would use every means to force Wang Xun and his mother to admit the child was Chongniang.

Wang Xun and his mother were innocent pawns, but valuable ones. When their persecution by Wang Hong was brought before the Emperor, the Emperor would erupt in anger, and Wang Hong would be doomed. At that point, Wang Hong would surely seek help from Li Linfu, and any intervention would implicate him. Even if Li Linfu stood aside and Wang Hong was dismissed, it would sever his power.

Now, all was prepared. Wang Hong was approaching in fury; the drama was set to unfold. The true mastermind, Li Bi, remained unseen, yet had driven Wang Hong into a corner from which he could not escape.

"Third Young Master Li, that false sage, is truly cunning," Li Zaixing murmured as he sipped his wine. "His calculations are flawless."

Lu Hu, standing behind him, touched his nose, pretending not to hear.

"Ah Hu, where is Third Young Master now? Is he watching from a nearby tower?"

"My lord, I do not know where the master is."

"I knew you'd say that," Li Zaixing smiled. "Go fetch more wine and meat for me. Once I've eaten my fill, it's time to kill."

End.