The summons from Wushen changed the rhythm of Shen City overnight.
The streets were still busy.
Markets still opened.
Soldiers still trained.
But beneath it all, there was tension.
The prince would leave.
And when a ruler leaves, uncertainty follows.
Inside the council hall, Qin Wangshan stood before Han and Lu Zheng.
"I will not take many men," he said calmly.
Han frowned immediately. "Your Highness, the capital is not a safe place."
"I know."
That was precisely why.
"If I arrive with a large escort, they will see threat," Qin Wangshan continued. "If I arrive with too few, they will see weakness."
Lu Zheng nodded slowly. "So you will arrive… balanced."
"Exactly."
After the council dismissed, Lu Zheng remained behind.
"For the first time," he said quietly, "Shen City stands strong."
He met the prince's eyes.
"If the capital attempts to detain you…"
"They won't," Qin Wangshan interrupted calmly.
"Not yet."
Lu Zheng did not ask how he was so certain.
He understood palace politics well enough.
The Seventh Prince was still useful.
A rising piece on the board.
Not one to be removed—yet.
That evening, Qin Wangshan visited the training grounds.
The elite unit stood assembled.
Armor polished.
Eyes steady.
They had changed.
No longer scattered border soldiers.
Now disciplined.
Unified.
"You will remain," Qin Wangshan said.
Murmurs rippled faintly.
"Shen City is your duty."
Commander Han stepped forward and knelt.
"Your Highness, I will guard it with my life."
Qin Wangshan placed a hand briefly on Han's shoulder.
"I expect nothing less."
Later, as night deepened, Qin Wangshan stood alone in his courtyard.
For a brief moment, memories of another life surfaced.
Flashing headlights.
Cold asphalt.
A child pushed to safety.
Then darkness.
He had died once without legacy.
This time would be different.
Footsteps approached softly.
Lu Zheng's voice broke the silence.
"My daughter wished to offer farewell respects tomorrow morning."
Qin Wangshan turned slightly.
"I will receive her."
Lu Zheng studied him carefully.
There was something unreadable in the prince's gaze.
Resolve.
Calculation.
And something else.
Something that made even experienced men cautious.
Far away in Wushen, in a grand palace chamber lit by golden lamps, a different conversation unfolded.
"The Seventh Prince grows too quickly," said one noble.
Another responded, "Or perhaps he simply wishes to survive."
A third voice spoke softly.
"Survival is dangerous in itself."
The emperor said nothing.
But his fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of his throne.
Thoughtful.
Watching.
Back in Shen City, lanterns burned brighter that night.
People did not know the details.
But they felt change approaching.
Qin Wangshan looked toward the eastern horizon once more.
"Let them test me," he murmured.
"This time, I will not fall."