Langhua: The Codependence of a Prince and His General

Noble Consort

Xuanyuan Lang still had a skip in his step when he returned to Benevolence Palace. Yes, there was that month-long house arrest, but after that—!

He practically burst through the doors. "Mother, did you hear? I—"

Everyone in the hall turned to look at him. They had guests.

"Qilang." Consort Liang's voice was terse even as she tried to force a smile. "Don't be rude. Come, greet Her Highness the Noble Consort and take a seat."

"Welcome back, Seventh Prince." The Noble Consort smiled at him from the seat at the center of the hall, greeting him as if she were the host here and not the guest. "You look happy. Is there a cause for celebration?"

She knew. Xuanyuan Lang nearly swallowed his tongue as he lowered his gaze. "I greet you, Your Highness the Noble Consort. Pardon me for my unruly behavior before."

The Noble Consort beamed, her beautiful eyes curving. She was only five years younger than the Empress, but she did not look a day over thirty. Her fair skin was flawless, her hair jet-black and silky even as it was teased into an elaborate yet graceful design. Teardrop jades hung from her earlobes, and rubies rested around her neck. However, even the most precious stones paled in comparison to her beauty.

When she laughed, she brought her hand to her mouth elegantly and let her dimples show.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it! You're still young, after all. You should be as rowdy as you like. Don't you agree, Li'er?"

Belatedly, Xuanyuan Lang noticed that there was a young man dressed in purple robes sitting at her left. He hurriedly greeted him. "Fourth Brother."

Xuanyuan Li just nodded without a word, both as a response to Xuanyuan Lang's greeting and a reply to the Noble Consort's question. Like his older brother, the Fourth Prince had inherited his mother's eyes. Unlike Xuanyuan Yao, he did not inherit much else. In a way, he resembled the Emperor the most among all the brothers. However, the Emperor had a regal presence cultivated over the years that Xuanyuan Li lacked. That, added to the latter's relative youth, made Xuanyuan Li rather nondescript amidst the glamor and glitter of the palace.

Nevertheless, he was undeniably one of the reasons the Noble Consort wielded so much power. She had an heir and a spare.

"Congratulations again on your promotion, little sister." The Noble Consort turned back to Consort Liang. "Do you think the Emperor will visit you tonight in lieu of a celebration?"

Consort Liang could not conjure up a convincing smile. "Oh, you think too highly of me, Your Highness. I only managed to get the promotion because of Qilang."

"True." The Noble Consort chuckled. "You rode on the coattails of your young son. In that case, should I congratulate you on having raised a promising young prince instead?"

Xuanyuan Lang's heart skipped a beat. The Noble Consort was far more openly hostile than she used to be. Then again, they should have expected this from the moment they boarded the Empress' boat.

Consort Liang seemed to remember that as well. Her forced smile faded slightly, settling into something more composed. "I'm honored, but Qilang doesn't deserve your praise either. He merely got himself in trouble and was bailed out by Lord Lin's excellent investigative skills."

"Hmm, I won't disagree there." The Noble Consort's smile had remained completely unchanged the entire time. "Such a shame about Consort Hui, though. Just when things were looking up for her, too."

Consort Liang's smile disappeared completely. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, didn't you hear? She was expecting. Three months along, I gather."

Xuanyuan Lang's heart sank to his feet.

"She tried to keep it a secret, the poor dear, so I'm not surprised you didn't know," the Noble Consort said nonchalantly as she checked her nails. "Of course, now that we know she was having affairs, there's a high chance that the child is a bastard, isn't there? No wonder His Majesty could not let them live. We mustn't sully the imperial bloodline."

She looked at Xuanyuan Lang pointedly. "Don't you agree, Seventh Prince? After all, you played a part in exposing her terrible misdeeds as well."

Consort Liang interrupted before the Noble Consort could notice that Xuanyuan Lang was shaking. "I can't agree with that, Your Highness. Lord Lin should be credited with discovering the truth, with Her Majesty the Empress' kind cooperation. Besides, weren't you quite close to Consort Hui yourself?"

They were already talking about Consort Hui in the past tense. Was she being dragged out of her palace now, or were they already washing her blood off the courtyard?

The Noble Consort was still unfazed, despite how she claimed otherwise. "Why, yes. Terrible, isn't it? I thought of her as my sister, so I was quite disappointed to find out that she was capable of something so heinous. Despite our relationship, I couldn't find it in me to defend her after what she had done. And to think she was usually such a meek, well-behaved young lady too!"

With a bit more feeling, she said, "Such a shame."

This was all just a game, and we are merely pieces on the board. Lord Lin was right.

Xuanyuan Lang stood up stiffly. "Apologies, Your Highness, but I have to excuse myself now. It has been a bit of a long day."

"True. You should rest before you greet the First Prince tonight, too." The Noble Consort's smile widened when Xuanyuan Lang stiffened. "A word of advice, you should have all your wits with you when you're dealing with him. Who do you think told us about your letters?"

Xuanyuan Lang's mouth felt dry. "I thought... Second Brother..."

"Yao'er? If only." The disappointment in the Noble Consort's voice this time was even more palpable. "I'm afraid he's still a little soft-hearted, to his own detriment. He's no match for that lowly son of a palace maid. In fact, he could stand to learn from you too, Seventh Prince."

Consort Liang frowned. "Your Highness, as you said, Qilang is still young. I do not appreciate you trying to implicate him in this."

"I see, so he didn't tell you?" The Noble Consort gave her a sideways look. When her smile widened and her eyes narrowed, Xuanyuan Lang once again remembered his childhood impression of her.

A beautiful, graceful, deadly snake.

"Consort Hui was guilty from the start, of course, but she allegedly had several lovers. Yet only one name made it to the imperial court today. Do you know why that is, Consort Liang?"

Xuanyuan Lang froze like a rat caught in her crossfire.

"The Seventh Prince personally brought up that name to Lord Lin and the Empress. I believe that it was his idea to recommend the harshest possible punishment to His Majesty.

"Seventh Prince, you were quite determined to kill that man, weren't you?"