Shuhan

The fourth year of Yanxing.

The sky of Chang'an was weighed down by leaden clouds. Fine rain threads wrapped in chilliness dyed the eaves of the Taiji Hall of the Eastern Palace into a bluish-gray color.

Crown Prince Liu Si was leaning on the Panlong couch, his desk piled with memorials on land measurement submitted by various states and counties. The densely written numbers on the bamboo slips glowed coldly under the candlelight.

Wisps of green smoke rose from the copper crane incense burner in the hall, mixed with ink and incense, making the hall seem even more dull and depressing.

"Your Highness, there is urgent news from Luoyang!" Wang Jing, the Imperial Court Minister, hurried into the palace, the corners of his robe still stained with rain, the secret letter in his hand wrapped in layers of oil paper.

He knelt on the blue bricks, his voice trembling slightly: "The second prince Liu Xuan has been appointed as the King of Qin by your majesty, with a fief of three counties west of Chang'an. He is allowed to establish a government and appoint his own officials."

The hall suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of dripping water from the clepsydra being clearly audible.

The wolf-hair brush in Liu Si's hand was suspended in mid-air, and ink dripped onto the latest memorial on land measurement, spreading dark spots.

He lowered his eyes to look at the stained handwriting, and quietly clenched his right hand hidden in his wide sleeves, digging his fingernails deep into his palm. But when he looked up, he had already put on a gentle smile: "I am also happy for my second brother. The Western Regions have been pacified and the Silk Road has been reopened. This is a great achievement and he deserves a generous reward."

Wang Jing secretly glanced at the prince's expression and saw that the gold dragon pattern on his black brocade robe was glowing coldly under the candlelight. His long hair, which was tied up with a white jade crown, was not a mess at all. However, the fleeting gloom in his eyes was colder than the autumn rain outside the window.

He didn't dare say much, put the secret letter on the table, then bowed and left.

The moment the palace door closed, Liu Si's smile froze. He stood up suddenly, and his brocade robe swept down several bamboo scrolls on the table. The crackling sound startled the sparrows perched on the beams and made them fly away in panic.

"Establish a government office..." He repeated in a low voice, his voice carrying a chill that he himself did not even notice. His fingertips stroked the jade pendant with dragon pattern on his waist, which was given to him by his mother before she died. At this moment, it felt cold to the touch, as if reminding him that his position as crown prince was in jeopardy.

Memories came flooding back.

A year ago, when his second brother Liu Xuan asked for permission to march west, he was just a prince who seldom appeared in public. At that time, Liu Si was busy handling state affairs and regarded the chaos in the Western Regions as a hot potato. He did not expect that this usually taciturn brother would lead 3,000 soldiers to pacify the various countries and open up the Silk Road in just a few months. Now, the imperial edict of enthronement is not only a reward for military merit, but also a sword hanging over his head.

"Someone come here!" Liu Si called out suddenly, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

A moment later, Li Zhao, an official of the Eastern Palace, hurried over. This man had followed the Crown Prince for many years and was very good at observing people's expressions. When he saw the mess on the ground, he knew what was going on.

"Your Highness, are you worried about the affairs of the King of Qin?" Li Zhao asked in a low voice, his eyes sweeping over the land measurement memorial on the table.

"Your Highness is now in charge of measuring the land, which is the most important thing. As long as the land in the country is sorted out and the national treasury is filled, His Majesty will definitely rely on you more..."

"enough!"

Liu Si interrupted him and clenched his fists in his sleeves.

"The land measurement has been implemented for half a year, and the prefectures and counties have been pretending to comply, while the noble families are secretly resisting. If it weren't for the second brother's unparalleled achievements in the Western Regions, why would Your Majesty be so anxious to make him a king?"

He paced back and forth, and the soles of his boots made crisp sounds as they stepped on the bamboo slips.

"Do you know? What does it mean for the King of Qin to open a government office? He can recruit talents, form his own team, and from now on, he and I..." He didn't finish his words, but it was clear enough.

Li Zhao pondered for a moment and took a step closer: "Your Highness, the most urgent task is to let His Majesty see your ability. Although it is difficult to measure the land, if you can make a breakthrough in this matter, you will be able to consolidate your position as the crown prince. Moreover..."

He lowered his voice.

"Your Highness can secretly make friends with important officials in the court and build up your own power."

Liu Si stopped and his eyes fell on the rain outside the window.

The palace wall in the distance was looming in the rain and fog, like an insurmountable barrier.

He recalled that when he was young, his father held him in his arms and sat on the dragon throne, teaching him to identify the territory of the Han Dynasty on the map. At that time, he thought that his position as crown prince was a foregone conclusion.

But now, the rise of his second brother made him feel the crisis for the first time.

"Pass my order."

Liu Si turned around, his eyes sharp again, "Tomorrow, call together the governors of each state to discuss the land measurement. Those who shirk their responsibilities will be severely punished!" He paused, and added, "Also, secretly send people to keep an eye on the Qin Palace. Report who he recruited and what he did."

That night, the rain grew heavier, and the lights of the East Palace looked particularly lonely in the rain.

Liu Si sat at the desk and picked up the land measurement memorial stained with ink again.

In the candlelight, his shadow was stretched out long and cast on the wall, like a beast ready to attack. He held the brush tightly and wrote a few words on the memorial. The tip of the brush scratched the bamboo slips, making a harsh sound.

On the other side of Luoyang City, the newly appointed King of Qin, Liu Xuan, was holding a banquet in his palace.

As the glasses were clinking, he looked at the guests and a barely perceptible trace of fatigue flashed across his eyes.

Guan Ping raised his wine bowl and laughed: "Your Highness is now crowned king, don't forget to lead us to win more military exploits!"

Liu Xuan smiled and raised his glass, but he remembered his father's advice before he left: "Don't forget, your brother is still in Chang'an."

This secret war between brothers has just begun.

The rain in Chang'an was still drizzling, washing away the blue bricks of the Taiji Hall and also washing away the uneasiness in the crown prince's heart.

In this precarious situation, the two equally outstanding princes are working hard for their own future.

……

Summer of the fourth year of Yanxing.

Luoyang City was covered in an early snow. The red walls and green tiles of the Qin Palace were covered with a thin layer of frost. The red silk from the wedding banquet the day before rustled in the cold wind, making tiny crackling sounds when it collided with the icicles hanging under the corridor.

Zhang Wanrong stood in front of the window of the warm room, looking at the plum branches in the courtyard that were bent by the snow. Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the remaining gold embroidery on her wedding dress. The pattern of birds paying homage to the phoenix now looked like a trapped bird, unable to break free from the shackles of the brocade.

"Princess, the prince is waiting for you in the study." Chuntao's voice was trembling with caution. When Zhang Wanrong turned around, the bronze mirror reflected her pale face. The phoenix crown had long been replaced by a plain silver hairpin, but it still couldn't hide the haggardness between her eyebrows.

Since the day after her wedding, she watched Liu Xuan holding closed-door meetings with officials from the Qin Palace all day long. The map of the Western Regions on the sand table was worn to a shine by the marks of fingers, and the cities marked with small flags were like sharp swords hanging over her heart.

In the study, the charcoal fire was burning brightly, but it could not dispel the murderous atmosphere in the room. Liu Xuan was wearing black armor, and the jade pendant with dragon pattern on his waist and the sword tassel collided with each other, making a cold sound.

When he looked up, his eyes swept over Zhang Wanrong's thin figure, his Adam's apple moved, but he didn't say anything in the end. He just pushed a sheepskin map in front of her: "The Xianbei Chanyu has recruited 20,000 cavalry and stationed them in Pulehai. The Kushan Empire's war elephant corps has reached the border of Dayuezhi."

Zhang Wanrong's fingertips pressed on the word "Kucha" on the map, where a few drops of dried ink remained, like an unhealed wound. She remembered the day of the wedding banquet, when Liu Xuan held her hand to toast, the calluses on her palm rubbed her so hard that it hurt - that was the hand that was used to holding a long sword.

"Take me with you." She suddenly spoke, her voice not loud but with unquestionable firmness.

"I have studied The Art of War and can help you with some advice."

As soon as the words fell, the room fell into dead silence.

The Qin Palace Sima's hands that were holding the iron halberd made a sound of joints, and the Chief Secretary paused as he lowered his head to wipe his sword.

When Liu Xuan stood up, the friction of his armor was particularly harsh. He walked to Zhang Wanrong and stretched out his hand to touch her face, but froze in mid-air: "The Western Regions are not the garden of Luoyang. On the battlefield, stray arrows do not recognize people."

"I'm not afraid!" Zhang Wanrong grabbed his wrist, and the cold scales stung her palm.

"Do you think that all the girls of the Guan family are weak and frail? I learned horse riding and archery at the age of six, and read military books at the age of twelve. My father often said..."

Her voice suddenly choked up as she recalled the look in her father's eyes when he stuffed the family heirloom sword into her bag before she went to war.

"Father said that when it comes to fighting the enemy, there is no distinction between men and women."

Liu Xuan's gaze fell on her red eyes, and in a trance he saw again the look of her eyes moving when she half-lifted the red veil on her wedding day.

At this moment, her eyes were burning with the same stubbornness as his. He sighed softly and held her in his arms. The cold air of the armor mixed with the smell of gunpowder hit her face: "When I completely pacify the Western Regions, defeat the Kushans, and make the Xianbei and the Xiongnu surrender, I will take you over with honor. By then, we will watch the sunset in the desert together and guard the camel bells on the Silk Road."

Zhang Wanrong buried her face in his chest and listened to his violent heartbeat.

She knew that this was the most gentle promise Liu Xuan could make.

The pearls on his fur coat poked her chest, reminding her of the amulet she had embroidered on the lining of his cloak last night - it was made from the last half piece of Shu brocade left by his mother, and the word "peace" was densely written in the stitches.

Three days later in the morning, the accumulated water in front of the Qin Palace had dried up.

Zhang Wanrong watched Liu Xuan climb onto the horse.

The neighing of the Western Region's BMW startled the crows in the treetops. The moment he turned around to look at her, his black cloak was blown up by the wind, revealing a corner of the crimson lining - that was the twin lotus she had secretly sewed on him.

"wait for me."

His voice was torn apart by the cold wind, but it fell clearly into her ears.

Zhang Wanrong held up the brocade handkerchief in her hand, on which were embroidered mountains and rivers of the Western Regions with gold thread, which gleamed in the sunlight.

The Western Expedition troops gradually went away, but she remained standing there until the heavy snow and wind blurred her vision, and the handkerchief in her hand was wrinkled by her tears.

That night, Zhang Wanrong sat alone in the study and unfolded the map of the Western Regions left by Liu Xuan.

In the flickering candlelight, she used a cinnabar pen to mark new fortifications near Qiuci, and the tip of the pen hovered over the three words "Pulehai" for a long time. When Chuntao came in with hot soup, she saw her staring at the map and muttering to herself: "If we set up an ambush at Shule River, we can take advantage of the terrain..."

The maid couldn't help but tear up - this wasn't the delicate princess in the palace at all, this was clearly the reincarnation of the tiger girl from the Guan family.

……

In the late autumn of the third year of Yanxing, the bleak north wind brought sand and dust, dyeing the loess official road outside Chang'an city into a dim yellow.

Three hundred black-armored cavalrymen trampled the dead leaves on the ground, and the sound of horse hooves came from far away, startling the crows on the city wall. Qin Wang Liu Xuan sat on his horse wearing a black cloak, the salt frost condensed on his cloak shone white in the sun, and the jade pendant with dragon pattern on his waist gently hit the bumps, making a clear sound.

"Report—His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin has arrived at the Suzaku Gate!"

The shouts of the gatekeepers pierced through the whistling wind. The heavy city gate slowly opened, and amid the creaking sound, Liu Xuan looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar city tower.

On the door lintel where the vermilion paint has peeled off.

The plaque "Changle Weiyang" swayed in the wind, as if telling the rise and fall of the dynasty. He remembered that when he was twelve years old and accompanied his father on a tour, he also stepped into the imperial city through this door. At that time, his brother Liu Si held his hand and said that he would take him to see the koi in Taiye Lake.

"Your Highness, shall we go back to the Qin Palace to rest first?" Deputy General Su Lie pulled the reins of his horse, and the animal heads on his armor made a light clicking sound as he moved. Liu Xuan shook his head and glanced at the closed shops on both sides of the street - compared with the prosperity three years ago, Chang'an today is a bit more desolate.

"Go to the East Palace." His voice was low and firm. When he turned his horse's head, his black cloak was lifted, revealing the darkly embroidered cloud and thunder pattern on the lining.

The bronze unicorn head in front of the East Palace holds a copper bell in its mouth, which jingles with the sound of horse hooves.

Liu Xuan dismounted from his horse, his boots breaking the thin ice on the steps with a crisp cracking sound. The guards in front of the palace gate saluted in unison, their red tasseled spears motionless in the cold wind, but they reminded him of the upright postures of the soldiers on the battlefields of the Western Regions.

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin has arrived—" The sharp voice of the Yellow Gate Minister penetrated the corridor. Liu Xuan stepped into the main hall, and the smell of benzoin burning in the sandalwood incense burner mixed with damp musty smell hit him in the face.

The candlelight in the hall was dim, and twelve bronze goose and fish lamps cast light and shadows on the Panlong pillars, flickering.

"Second brother!" A hearty laugh came from behind the screen.

Crown Prince Liu Si wore a bright yellow robe with dragon patterns and a Tongtian crown on his head. The dragon pattern on the jade belt buckle at his waist echoed his crown tassels.

He walked forward quickly, the corner of his robe brushing against the blue bricks, creating a gust of wind. Liu Xuan noticed the new white hair on his brother's temples, but when he reached out to hug him, he smelled the medicinal smell mixed with ambergris.

"My royal brother, how are you?" Liu Xuan knelt on one knee, performing the great ceremony between an emperor and his subject.

Liu Si quickly helped him up, and the warmth of his palms came through the cuffs embroidered with gold thread.

"We are all brothers, why should we be so polite?" His eyes swept across the bloodstains on Liu Xuan's armor that had not been wiped clean.

"I heard that you, my dear brother, defeated the Xianbei people in the Western Regions and made them flee in disarray. You are truly a pillar of the Han Dynasty!"

When Liu Xuan stood up, he inadvertently looked at his brother.

The pair of clear eyes in his memory were now hidden behind the beaded curtain, making it difficult to see the deep emotions. He remembered that years ago, it was this brother who personally poured wine for him and said, "When you return triumphantly, we will drink another three hundred cups."

And now, the wind outside the hall blew across the copper bells on the eaves, making a sobbing sound, as if mocking this false brotherhood.

"It's all thanks to the great blessing of my father and the bravery of the soldiers." Liu Xuan replied with his eyes lowered. He caught a glimpse of the bamboo slips on the table that had not been put away. The words "military farming in the Western Regions" could be vaguely seen between the handwriting.

It seems that everything he did in the Western Regions had already been reported to the Eastern Palace.

Liu Si patted his shoulder and led him to sit on the Hu bed next to the main seat. The tea served by the maid was steaming, but it could not dispel the chill in the air.

"My dear brother, you have now been crowned a king, with three counties as your fief." Liu Si picked up the teacup and blew away the foam.

"From now on, the world will still depend on you and me working together."

"My brother is right. Although the Western Regions are peaceful, the Xiongnu and Xianbei are still eyeing the border covetously. Only by working together can we protect the foundation of the Han Dynasty."

Suddenly, there was a loud thunder outside the hall, making the window frames buzz.

Liu Si's expression changed slightly, then returned to normal. He put down the teacup and took out a brocade box.

"This is the pearl that my father specially ordered to be transported from the South China Sea. He said it was for my younger brother and sister-in-law as a dowry."

When he opened the brocade box, the round oriental pearl shone softly under the candlelight, reminding Liu Xuan of the sapphire he had picked off the crown of the King of Kucha.

"Please trouble my brother."

Liu Xuan took the brocade box and felt the temperature of the box body - it was warm, obviously it was prepared in advance. He suddenly remembered that when he was a child, his brother always liked to hide the snacks from the imperial kitchen in his sleeves and secretly bring them to him. At that time, the cuffs were also this warm.

During the conversation, Liu Si often asked about the customs and habits of the Western Regions, and he knew the jade mines in Shanshan and the irrigation canals in Qiuci very well.

Liu Xuan answered patiently, but when he talked about the newly-made catapults of the Han army, he saw a flash of vigilance in his brother's eyes. The conversation between the two seemed to be a casual one, but in fact, every word was like a knife, testing each other's bottom line in the exchange.

As the dusk deepened, candles in the palace began to light up one after another. When Liu Xuan stood up to say goodbye, Liu Si insisted on seeing him off to the palace gate.

The cold wind blew up the corners of their robes, casting long shadows on the blue brick floor.

"My dear brother, you have been tired from the journey. Take a good rest today." Liu Si's voice echoed in the empty corridor.

"I obey your command." When Liu Xuan turned around, his eyes swept across the mottled walls of the East Palace. The wild wormwood growing out of the cracks in the wall swayed in the wind, as if telling the delicate relationship between the royal brothers.

The friendship and respect between brothers that they once had has long since turned into a mirage with the change of power.

This meeting in the Chang'an Palace was just the calm before the storm; the real battle had just begun.

On the way back in the carriage, Liu Xuan looked out the window at the bloody setting sun, and his hand unconsciously pressed on the sword at his waist. The night in Chang'an was even colder than the battlefield in the Western Regions.

He knew that from the moment he stepped into the Suzaku Gate, there was only the courtesy between him and his brother as ruler and subject, and no longer any brotherly love.

The brocade box with residual warmth was both a gesture of goodwill and a warning - in this vortex of power, no one can remain immune.

(End of this chapter)