Chapter 7 — The Heir to the Throne with the Wicked Face

The Eye in the Court

To be able to reach deeper into the center of power, Nhược Hi and Trường Phong understood that relying solely on merchant networks and folk news was not enough. They needed someone to be present in the royal court, witnessing with their own eyes every move of Khưu Bá Trạch, every decision of Uất Nguyệt Hàn, without being suspected.

"I will return to the army," Trường Phong spoke during a discussion evening at Thông Bảo Trang, his voice decisive. "My true identity has been buried for the past four years, but if I use another identity, with military leadership skills that I have trained since childhood, I believe I can join the ranks of the Vũ Lâm army."

"It's very dangerous." Nhược Hi frowned worriedly. "If anyone realizes that you are the son of Lieutenant Thành Kiệt, the whole plan will fall apart, and your life will be difficult to save."

"I took that into account." Trường Phong's voice was low. "Over the past four years, I have changed my appearance, grown a beard, and retrained my voice. Most of the people who knew me in the old military camp have been transferred or are no longer in office. I will take the name Vệ Khinh, the son of a deceased war horse merchant, who studied martial arts with a hermit in the mountains - this story Tang Dịch Phong has helped me build a complete profile, enough to bypass any normal background investigation."

The plan was carried out carefully over many months. Trường Phong, under his new identity, participated in a martial officer selection event organized by the Ministry of Defense himself, displaying all his strength that had been honed over many years incognito. His talent quickly caught the eyes of the judges, and after only three months of testing, he was appointed Vũ Lâm Trung Lang General, in charge of one of the four barracks protecting the capital's security.

On the night of receiving the official appointment news, Trường Phong went to Thông Bảo Trang to inform Nhược Hi, his face was both relieved and heavy with thoughts.

"From today, I can move in and out of the area near the royal palace and deal directly with high-ranking officials," he spoke, but his voice could not hide the conflict in his heart. "Yet I must bow to those who killed my father and show loyalty to a court manipulated by Khưu Bá Trạch. It is an unbearable feeling."

"I understand." Nhược Hi placed her hand on his shoulder, her eyes filled with sympathy. "We also have to laugh and talk with those who once called us an unfilial princess who killed our father and mother, and have to pretend not to know anything about the crimes taking place right before our eyes. But we do this not out of submission, but because we are preparing for the day when we no longer have to bow to anyone." During the first weeks in his new position, Trường Phong carefully observed and did not rush to gather information to avoid attracting attention. He diligently completed his assigned tasks, proved to be a talented young military officer but had no political ambitions, and gradually gained the trust of his superiors, including from Cận Bá Tuyên himself, the powerful Minister of Military Affairs.

"Are you Vệ Khinh?" One afternoon, Cận Bá Tuyên personally came to inspect the camp, stopping in front of the army commanded by Trường Phong, his sharp eyes observing every practice movement. "I heard that you defeated all three judges in the last selection."

"Subordinates are just lucky." Trường Phong bowed his head, remaining humble enough to not appear fake. "It is a subordinate's honor to be noticed by the Minister." Cận Bá Tuyên nodded with satisfaction, and from then on regularly called Trường Phong to discuss military affairs, gradually trusting him with some more important tasks, including patrolling the area around the palace of some close ministers of Khưu Bá Trạch - a job that accidentally became a great opportunity for Trường Phong to grasp a lot of internal information that Nhược Hi could not access from the outside.

One time, during a drinking party organized by Cận Bá Tuyên to entertain promising young military officials, Trường Phong overheard a conversation between two drunken old mandarins, discussing the fact that the Great Mandarin Fu Chinh had recently frequently visited the Queen Mother's palace at unusually late hours. Some people even whispered that there was an unspeakable relationship between the two. Trường Phong pretended not to care and continued to pour wine for the elders, but in his heart he secretly remembered every detail to later tell Nhược Hi.

He also gradually realized that in the ranks of the ban army and the Vũ Lâm army, not everyone truly obeyed Khưu Bá Trạch. There are many veteran generals who once fought under the First Emperor's command, but now have to swallow the bitterness of serving under a man they suspect is a traitor, just because they have not found the opportunity or evidence to protest. Trường Phong silently noticed and remembered each person's name, viewing it as a potential resource that could be mobilized when the time was ripe.

Once a week, on moonless nights, Trường Phong would find a way to leave the barracks, disguise himself as a civilian, and go to meet Nhược Hi at a small secret house a few streets away from Thông Bảo Trang to report the situation.

"Recently, Khưu Bá Trạch has summoned his trusted ministers to secret meetings three times a month—unusual even for him," Trường Phong reported. "A clerk told me the meetings concern preparations for an important ceremony, possibly the formation of a new army."

Nhược Hi clenched her fists, her heart beating faster. "They're speeding things up."

"That's right." Trường Phong nodded. "Perhaps Khưu Bá Trạch sensed something was wrong, even though he didn't know exactly what, so he wanted to complete the establishment of Khương Bạt Nghi as the new army as soon as possible, avoiding any complications that might arise."

"Then we have to move faster." Nhược Hi stood and looked out at the quiet night. "I will have someone accelerate the search for the three witnesses Khấu Đình Ân mentioned. We have no time left to hesitate."

Trường Phong looked at her silhouette on the window background, the faint moonlight reflected on that steadfast face with a beauty and loneliness that was hard to describe in words. He suddenly realized that, over the past few months, without knowing when, his feelings for her had gone beyond the limits of a like-minded ally, becoming a deeper feeling that he himself had not dared to name.

"Ruoc Hi," he called softly, for the first time calling her directly by name instead of addressing her as her usual formal highness.

She turned around, a bit surprised by that sudden address, but did not object, just looked at him slightly, waiting.

"No matter how difficult the road ahead is, I will always be by your side," he said, his voice so sincere that it made them both speechless in that moment. "Not only because of the oath of loyalty I recited at the foot of Mount Lam Phong, but also because..."

He hesitated, before he could finish his sentence, the sound of a rooster crowing signaling the dawn was coming from afar, reminding them both that it was time for him to return to the barracks before being discovered absent. Trường Phong bowed slightly, turned around and left, leaving Nhược Hi standing alone by the window, her heart filled with hundreds of emotions that had not yet been named.

She stood there for a long time after his shadow had completely disappeared behind the corner of the street, her fingers lightly touching the wooden door where he had just stood, a strange feeling rising in her heart that during the three years of being patient she had never allowed herself to think about. Since that fateful night, all her thoughts revolved around hatred, justice, and responsibility to the country and society, to the point that she almost forgot that she was just a young woman, with the same right to be loved as everyone else.

The next morning, when Tang Dịch Phong came to report on Thông Bảo Trang's daily work, he accidentally saw Nhược Hi standing idly by that window, her distant eyes different from her usual sharp and decisive look.

"Is there something bothering you, master?" He asked, his voice a bit concerned.

"Nothing." Nhược Hi shook her head slightly, regaining her dreamy look and returning to her familiar calm look. "I'm just thinking about the next steps we need to take. Time is running out, we have to make the most of each opportunity wisely."

But in her heart, she knew better than anyone else that Trường Phong's unfinished words last night had planted a seed in her heart that, whether she wanted it or not, could never be extinguished.

Tang Dịch Phong looked at the owner's face and secretly guessed a few things in his heart, but he just quietly left, leaving Nhược Hi alone to face the messy emotions that had not yet been arranged. He understood that, amidst all the hardships ahead, a little human warmth was sometimes what kept the human will from being eroded to the end.