Chapter LXXXI - The General Rides South
The northern army had never seen Prince Rui angry.
Not truly.
They had seen:
coldness,
battlefield fury,
ruthless efficiency.
But anger?
Real anger?
That was different.
And now—
they finally understood the distinction.
—
The command tent remained silent.
No one dared speak.
Because Prince Rui had just announced his intention to return to the capital.
In the middle of a campaign.
Impossible.
Unthinkable.
Yet nobody laughed.
Nobody questioned him.
Because the report still rested on the strategy table.
The report describing the poisoning attempt against Princess Rui.
The report describing how close it had come.
Too close.
Far too close.
Then finally General Han spoke carefully.
"Your Highness."
Prince Rui looked up.
The older general immediately regretted volunteering.
Still—
he continued.
"The army needs you."
Silence.
Then Prince Rui answered:
"My wife needs me."
The tent froze.
Absolute silence.
Several officers looked toward the ceiling.
Others looked toward the floor.
Anywhere except directly at their commander.
Because somehow—
that answer sounded completely reasonable to Prince Rui.
Dangerous man.
Very dangerous man.
—
Then another voice interrupted.
The deputy commander.
Brave.
Foolish.
Perhaps both.
"If Your Highness leaves now..."
"The enemy may recover."
Prince Rui's expression remained unchanged.
Then calmly:
"Then defeat them before they recover."
The deputy commander nearly choked.
Because apparently the solution was simply:
Win faster.
Impossible man.
—
Yet before the argument could continue—
a messenger burst into the tent.
Breathless.
Snow-covered.
Urgent.
The atmosphere sharpened instantly.
"What happened?"
The messenger dropped to one knee.
Then:
"The Crown Prince sent emergency correspondence."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Prince Rui accepted the letter.
Opened it.
Read.
Silence.
Then his expression changed slightly.
Not softer.
Not calmer.
Thoughtful.
Dangerous.
The generals exchanged nervous looks.
Finally General Han asked:
"Your Highness?"
Prince Rui lowered the letter.
Then:
"The Crown Prince has already begun hunting the network responsible."
The room relaxed slightly.
Only slightly.
Then Prince Rui continued.
"And Princess Rui remains under constant guard."
More relief.
Good.
Reasonable.
Until Prince Rui added:
"This changes nothing."
The relief immediately died.
Hopeless.
Absolutely hopeless.
—
Meanwhile—
inside Prince Rui's estate—
Shen Li sat quietly beneath lantern light.
The poison attempt had changed the atmosphere completely.
Guards stood everywhere now.
Courtyard patrols doubled.
No servant moved without verification.
The estate felt like a military fortress.
Which, unfortunately—
was exactly what Prince Rui would have wanted.
Dangerous man.
Very dangerous man.
Then footsteps approached.
Steward Zhou.
The older man looked troubled.
More troubled than usual.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"What happened?"
Steward Zhou hesitated.
Then:
"Princess Consort..."
"Someone requested a meeting."
Silence.
Shen Li lowered her book slowly.
"A noble?"
"No."
"A palace official?"
"No."
The hesitation deepened.
Then:
"A woman."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then Shen Li asked:
"Who?"
Steward Zhou answered quietly.
"She refuses to provide a name."
The room cooled instantly.
Because nobody appeared at Prince Rui's estate anonymously anymore.
Not after everything.
Then Shen Li stood.
"What does she want?"
Steward Zhou's expression became increasingly strange.
Then:
"She claims..."
"She wishes to discuss the poison."
Silence crashed through the room.
Absolute silence.
Because suddenly—
the invisible game surrounding Shen Li had stepped into the light.
—
Outside the estate gates—
a woman waited beneath falling snow.
Black clothing.
Black cloak.
Black gloves.
A scar beneath her left eye.
The Black Sparrow.
At last.
She stood calmly while guards surrounded her from every direction.
Completely unconcerned.
Then one guard stepped forward.
Sword ready.
Voice cold.
"State your business."
The Black Sparrow looked toward the estate.
Toward the illuminated residence beyond the walls.
Toward the woman she had spent weeks observing.
Then quietly replied:
"I'm here to prevent the next murder."
The guards froze.
Because somehow—
they believed her.
—
Far north—
Prince Rui stared into the winter darkness outside his command tent.
Unable to sleep.
Again.
His instincts remained restless.
Uneasy.
Wrong.
As though something important was happening beyond his reach.
Then suddenly—
a snow-covered raven landed nearby.
An ordinary sight.
Meaningless.
Yet for some reason—
Prince Rui thought of Shen Li immediately.
And for the first time since receiving news of the poison—
a strange feeling settled in his chest.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Expectation.
Because somewhere in the capital—
the game was about to change.
And neither he nor Shen Li knew that the woman known as the Black Sparrow had just walked willingly into their lives. ??????