For three days, Song Lan moved quietly through the palace.
He followed Minister Wen at a distance.
He watched secret meetings.
He bribed a low-ranking servant.
He waited outside the medicine hall at night.
On the third night, he found what he needed.
Inside the storage room, an old record book lay half-hidden behind a cabinet.
Song Lan opened it carefully.
His eyes scanned the entries.
Ingredients. Dates. Orders.
Then—
He froze.
A rare poison mixture.
Prepared before the banquet.
Under the recipient column:
"Third Princess Residence."
His jaw tightened.
It was never written under xu yang name.
It was meant for her.
Further down the page was a note:
"Minister Wen's direct instruction."
Song Lan closed the book slowly.
His eyes turned cold.
So it was true.
This was not an accident.
This was an attempt.
And someone powerful was behind it.
He carefully removed the page and hid it inside his sleeve.
From outside the room, footsteps approached.
Song Lan blew out the candle instantly and moved into the shadows.
Minister Wen entered the room.
Song Lan watched silently from behind the curtain.
Minister Wen opened the cabinet, checked something, and left again.
Only after the footsteps faded did Song Lan step out.
His decision was clear.
He would protect her.
Even if it meant standing against powerful men.
Late that night, Zhou Ye stood in her chamber.
The candlelight flickered.
The door opened quietly.
Song Lan entered and knelt.
"I have found it."
Her heart skipped.
He placed the torn record page in her hand.
She read it carefully.
Her name.
The poison order.
Minister Wen's instruction.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"So poison was made for me."
Song Lan lifted his head.
"It was prepared for you, not for him."
She closed her eyes briefly.
Everything was becoming clearer.
Her death had been planned.
Her survival had disrupted their scheme.
"They underestimated me," she said softly.
Song Lan looked at her seriously.
"What will you do now?"
She opened her eyes.
"Now," she said calmly, "we tell him."
The palace was quiet, but not peaceful.
Outside, the moon hung low in the sky. Inside his chamber, xu yang lay awake. The poison had left his body weak, but his mind was clear.
He heard soft footsteps.
He did not need to look to know it was her.
"You can come in," he said quietly.
Zhou ye paused at the door before entering. She had not slept all night. In her hand was a small piece of folded paper — the final proof.
She stood beside his bed but could not meet his eyes.
"There is something you need to know," she said.
He looked at her calmly. "About the poison?"
Her eyes widened slightly.
"You… know?"
She slowly placed the paper on the table.
"It was meant for me," she said softly. "The cup was switched. Someone wanted me dead."
Silence filled the room.
"I confirmed it," she continued. "The poison was prepared in my name. The servant was bribed. This happened because of me."
Her voice trembled.
"If I had died that night… you would be safe."
Suddenly, he sat up despite the pain.
"Do not say that," he said sharply.
She looked at him, shocked by his reaction.
He exhaled slowly, controlling himself.
"I know it was meant for you," he said.
The room felt smaller.
"You… knew?" she whispered.
He nodded once.
"And I also know who was involved."
Her heart began to race.
"My father," he said quietly. "And Minister Wen."
The words felt heavier than stone.
She stepped back slightly. "You are defending me… against your own father?"
His eyes darkened.
"I am not defending you," he said. "I am correcting a mistake."
She stared at him, confused.
"At first," he continued, his voice lower now, "I married you for political reasons. You were useful. A connection. A move in a larger game."
Her chest tightened, but she did not interrupt.
"I did not care about your feelings," he admitted honestly. "I did not plan to."
The candlelight flickered between them.
"But when I drank that poison…" he paused.
His fingers tightened against the blanket.
"When it felt like my blood was burning… when my breathing became heavy…"
He looked at her.
"The only face I saw… was yours."
Her breath stopped.
"I thought," he said softly, "that I would never see you again. And that frightened me more than death."
The words were not loud.
But they were real.
She felt something in her chest tremble.
"You almost died because of me," she whispered.
"No," he corrected gently. "I drank it because I chose to."
Silence wrapped around them.
For the first time, there were no political walls between them.
Only truth.
Only something fragile and dangerous.
Far away from Gusu…
In the grand palace of Yiling, the air felt colder than winter.
The King of Yiling — xu yang's father — stood before a large map spread across a stone table. Small red markers were placed over Gusu.
A servant entered and bowed deeply.
"A secret message from Minister Wen of Gusu, Your Majesty."
The King took the scroll without expression.
He read it slowly.
The poison failed.
The Third Princess survived.
The Young Master is protecting her.
The King's jaw tightened.
"So," he murmured. "My son chooses her over strategy."
He walked toward the balcony overlooking Yiling.
Minister Wen was useful.
But usefulness had limits.
"If the girl lives," he said quietly, "she will change the balance in Gusu."
She was not supposed to survive long enough to influence his son.
But now—
His son had begun to feel something.
And feelings were dangerous.
He turned back inside.
"Send a coded reply to Minister Wen."
The servant lowered his head. "What are Your Majesty's orders?"
The King's eyes turned sharp.
"Do not attempt another poison."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Instead," he continued, "create instability in Gusu's court. Spread doubt about her identity. Make the Emperor question her."
The servant hesitated. "And the Young Master?"
The King was silent for a moment.
"If he continues to stand between us and the plan…" his voice grew colder, "remind him what it means to be a son of Yiling."
There was a hidden threat in those words.
He added:
"And separate her from her allies. Especially the servant — Song Lan."
The servant bowed deeply. "It will be done."
After he left, the King stood alone.
"My son," he said softly to the empty hall,
"You were raised to rule. Not to fall in love."
His gaze hardened.
"If you choose her… you choose against Yiling."
The wind outside howled against the palace walls.
In Gusu, Minister Wen prepared to move.
In Yiling, the King had made his next decision.
And between the two lands—
Zhou ye and xu yang stood unknowingly at the center of a silent war.
A war without swords.
But not without casualties.
Back in Gusu—
Zhou Ye stood beside xu yang.
"Your father will not remain silent," she said.
"I know."
"Are you afraid?"
He looked at her.
"For myself? No."
He stepped closer.
"But if they try to use you to control me…"
His hand gently held hers.
"They will regret it."
Outside, whispers had already begun spreading in court.
Servants talked.
Officials questioned.
And somewhere far away in Yiling—
A father and a son now stood on opposite sides of the same board.
The war was no longer hidden.
And this time—
It was personal.