Chapter 26: The Regent's Resolve
The news did not arrive quickly. Seven days of rumors, whispers, and partial victories elapsed before the official courier arrived at the capital. The city, tense from the war mobilization, held its breath.
The Empress: The Edge of Terror
Empress Wan Qing was the first in the palace to receive the confirmed report. She was reviewing financial documents when the messenger knelt, trembling.
Empress Wan Qing:
"Speak."
Messenger:
"The northern front reports victory. Three fortresses secured. Enemy general slain."
Her fingers paused, relief already flooding her.
Empress Wan Qing:
"…And His Majesty?"
Silence. The messenger swallowed hard.
Messenger:
"His Majesty was wounded. By an arrow. Near the heart."
The brush slipped from her fingers, ink bleeding across the silk document—a perfect map of the chaos in her mind.
Empress Wan Qing:
"...Alive?" she asked, her voice steady by sheer force of will.
Messenger:
"Yes. But unconscious."
The Empress stood abruptly, her chair falling behind her with a crash that startled the eunuchs. She turned and walked away, hands clenched so tightly her nails drew blood.
Empress Wan Qing (internal, a single, sharp thought): If you die on that cold ground, Li Feng, I will never forgive you. Never.
The terror was absolute, far exceeding her rage or jealousy.
Consort Mei Lian: A Puzzle Solved
Consort Mei Lian (the Jin Consort) learned the news next. She sat frozen, tea untouched before her.
Consort Mei Lian:
"Wounded. Near the heart. He held the rear guard against the Duke's cavalry?"
Her political mind analyzed the action. He hadn't just secured the border; he had performed a suicidal rear guard action.
Consort Mei Lian (internal): Why would he stay behind? It was Grand General Zhang's duty. He risked the throne for the sake of a few thousand soldiers.
The realization was a shock. His political strategy wasn't strategy; it was a character flaw. He was genuinely willing to die to protect his men.
Consort Mei Lian (internal): The Second Prince burns villages; the Emperor nearly dies saving a flank. His legitimacy is not founded on fear, but on pure, reckless human care. He is far more dangerous to Li Ren than I realized.
The Regent Dowager: The Breaking of the Iron Lady
In the Grand Administrative Office, the Empress Dowager Liu Yan received the report alone. She dismissed the eunuchs, then sat perfectly still.
Wounded. Near the heart.
She pressed her fingers against her temples, trying to suppress the thought. She had been ruthless this past week, dismantling the Second Prince's network with cold efficiency, all for the sake of revenge. But now, the puppet master was broken.
Her gaze fell to the white winter coat, folded beside her. She picked up the heavy sable, pressing the soft fabric to her chest without realizing it.
Empress Dowager Liu Yan (internal, the modern vs. ancient): In the court, kindness is a ploy. Gold is power. Yet, a simple, practical gift has made me fear for the life of the man who deposed me.
She remembered the feeling of betrayal from Li Ren, the man who used affection as a weapon. And she remembered Li Feng's coldness, followed by a human gesture that cost him nothing but thought.
Empress Dowager Liu Yan (internal): Foolish boy. You had the chance to retreat completely. You stayed.
Her voice trembled, a sound not heard in the palace since her disgrace.
Empress Dowager Liu Yan:
"...He cannot die. Not now."
The Dowager Regent stood, the last vestiges of the broken woman hardening into steel. She had a score to settle with the Second Prince, and she would not allow the man who gave her that opportunity to fall to a barbarian arrow.
She ordered a secret courier to the Northern Front, carrying the finest Imperial physicians and the strongest recovery medicine—all hidden under the pretense of resupplying the Grand General.
The Western Front: Li Ren's Calculation
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away on the Western Front, Second Prince Li Ren received the same news. He was standing over a smoldering town, his face grim, his campaign going according to his ruthless plan.
His aide whispered the news: "The Emperor is wounded. Near the heart. Unconscious."
Li Ren's cruel, calculating mind went immediately to advantage.
Second Prince Li Ren (to his aide, a cold smile forming):
"Unconscious. Not dead. What a waste of a perfect opportunity for the Duke. Send word to the capital. Express my profound, sincere grief and ask the Regent Dowager if I should return to manage the succession crisis."
He knew the Dowager would refuse. But the query itself was a political attack.
Second Prince Li Ren:
"The Dragon is bleeding. Now we see if the Phoenix will protect the throne, or try to take it for herself."