Arch-nemesis

When it comes to Princess Wannian, she and Yuan Xi were truly a pair of fated rivals.

One month ago, it was a day for Yuan Xi to enter the palace for his studies.

"Yuan Xi, will you take me out of the palace? Please?" Princess Wannian, Liu Yan, asked him.

"No. If my father finds out, he will beat me," Yuan Xi coldly refused her.

"What if I ask the Emperor to make you my consort?" Liu Yan promised with a smile, dangling a tempting carrot before him.

"I don't want that. Being a royal consort is a high-risk occupation in our dynasty; you know that as well as I do. I haven't lived long enough yet. Besides, last year..." Yuan Xi refused her request once again.

"Yuan Xi, you are such a jerk. There are plenty of people who would love to be at the feet of this princess," Liu Yan said, feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance at his stubbornness.

"That may be, but I, Yuan Xi, am not among them," Yuan Xi replied nonchalantly, though he was not intimidated.

"Yuan Xi, what will it take for you to take me out of the palace?" Liu Yan asked, her spirit flagging as she began to plead.

"Oh? Is that the way a princess asks for a favor?" Yuan Xi teased, wanting to get a rise out of her.

"Yuan Xi, you jerk, don't push it," Liu Yan snapped, nearly losing her temper.

Emperor Xuanwu, Yuan Xi, and Princess Wannian, Liu Yan, had been bickering since childhood. Their days were almost always filled with chaos. If only Liu Yan hadn't been born into the imperial family, perhaps she wouldn't have been forced to end her own life—perhaps.

"It's not impossible, but I have a condition," Yuan Xi said, looking at her with a cunning glint in his eye.

"Oh? What is it? Tell me, Yuan Xi," the princess replied, dropping her guard.

"Let me think... I want your jade pendant," Yuan Xi said, glancing at her and testing the waters.

"Yuan Xi, have you lost your mind? That was a gift from my father on my birthday! Ask for something else," Liu Yan refused immediately.

"No, I want this jade pendant," Yuan Xi insisted, playing the rogue to the end.

"How about I give you anything else you want?" Liu Yan tried to compromise.

"How about this: lend it to me for a few days?" Yuan Xi stepped back slightly, seeing her firm stance.

"Fine, then. Three days, agreed?" Liu Yan sighed as she reluctantly unfastened the pendant from her waist.

"Deal. A gentleman's word is as good as his bond," Yuan Xi agreed immediately, fearing she might change her mind.

Childhood sweethearts, yet in the end, it all came down to a cup of poisoned wine.

Such is fate, such is destiny—it is truly tragic, truly lamentable. This is the nature of the imperial family.

Yuan Xi took Princess Wannian and snuck out of the palace. Naturally, Liu Xie and Liu Bian would never betray them, or they would surely face a beating. After all, with Liu Yan gone, there was no one left to discipline them; they were actually grateful for Yuan Xi's interference.

"Yuan Xi, where are we going?" Liu Yan asked.

"Princess, let’s head to the Zuixian Pavilion first," Yuan Xi said after a moment's thought.

"Very well, lead the way." Liu Yan was not shy about treating the second son of the Yuan family like a laborer, and Yuan Xi decided to grin and bear it.

Soon, they arrived at the Zuixian Pavilion, the finest restaurant in Luoyang and the place where news flowed most freely. Yuan Xi remembered coming here once with Cao Ang.

"Two guests, please come in!" the waiter greeted them warmly.

Yuan Xi led Liu Yan to a quiet, inconspicuous corner. "I think this spot is fine, don't you?"

"I have no problem with it. Yuan Xi, what shall we eat?" Liu Yan asked, resting her chin on her hand, looking endearingly naive.

"How about a roasted chicken, a pot of rice wine, and a small side dish? No objections, Princess?" Yuan Xi asked, though it was merely a formality.

"Oh, no objections. But don't call me Princess," Liu Yan whispered. Safety first—that was her mantra outside the palace walls.

"Right, I almost forgot. What should I call you then?" Yuan Xi asked, resting his chin on his hand with a playful look.

"How about... you call me Ziqin?" Liu Yan said, her face flushing slightly.

"Ah, 'Green, green is your collar, deep in my heart'?" Yuan Xi paused, struck by the reference.

Seeing him realize the meaning, Liu Yan turned her head away. Princess Wannian, Liu Yan, was experiencing her first taste of love. Her heart, in fact, had long since belonged to Yuan Xi.

Time outside the palace was precious to her; unlike Yuan Xi, she did not have the freedom to come and go as she pleased. Sigh!

"Yuan Xi, I'm finished. How about you?" Liu Yan asked, noticing several grains of rice on his face.

"Ah, yes, finished. Waiter, bill!" Seeing that Liu Yan was ready to return, Yuan Xi hurriedly finished his meal. What a pity, he thought—that roasted chicken. It wasn't that the second son couldn't afford a chicken, but his family was strict, and eating out simply felt better—much like playing games in an internet cafe.

"Coming, sir! That will be 108 coins," the waiter said, beaming.

Yuan Xi reached for his waist, and his heart sank. He had forgotten to bring money.

"Uh, Ziqin, did you happen to bring any money?" Yuan Xi asked, feeling quite embarrassed.

"What? Yuan Xi, you, the illustrious young master of the Yuan family, didn't bring any money?" Princess Wannian was stunned.

"Just tell me, did you or did you not?" Yuan Xi was at his wit's end.

"I... I never carry money either. What do we do now?" Liu Yan felt the situation turning grim.

The waiter's expression darkened.

"Waiter, could we perhaps put this on our tab?" Yuan Xi asked, feeling the heat rise to his face.

"What? Are you two trying to dine and dash?" the waiter said, his tone turning hostile.

*If only Cao Ang were here,* Yuan Xi thought. *Zixiu, come save me!* And as if summoned by his thoughts, an old acquaintance walked through the door. It was none other than Cao Ang, Cao Zixiu himself.

"Zixiu! It's me, Yuan Xi!" Yuan Xi called out.

*Eh? Did I mistake that voice?* Cao Ang thought. It sounded like Yuan Xi. *Forget it, better to pretend I didn't see him. Nothing good ever comes from running into that guy.*

"Cao Zixiu! It's me, turn around!" Yuan Xi shouted. Hearing that, Cao Ang shivered involuntarily. *Damn it, he spotted me.*

"Ah, haha! Is that you, Xianyi?" Cao Ang forced a laugh to hide his awkwardness.

"Zixiu, come over here. My treat today!" Yuan Xi said with forced enthusiasm.

"Uh, this doesn't feel right. Did the sun rise in the west? Xianyi, is there a trap here?" Cao Ang asked cautiously, having been burned by Yuan Xi far too many times since childhood.

"Nonsense! We're brothers, aren't we?" Yuan Xi stepped forward and grabbed Cao Ang's hand, genuinely afraid he might bolt. Nearby, Princess Wannian watched this display of desperate maneuvering, utterly bewildered.

***

The Black Panther, a feline predator, was captured by the "God-Might Heavenly General" Ma Chao during his conquest of the Western Regions and presented to Emperor Xuanwu. Yuan Xi was delighted and named it "Little Black." Later, during a banquet with Emperor Xian, the beast suddenly lunged and bit the Crown Prince, Liu Feng, who died from his injuries. Many at the time suspected it was an act orchestrated by Emperor Xuanwu. Afterward, Yuan Xi built a kennel for the creature. Whenever he went hunting, he would take it along. It had a peculiar habit of stealing koi from Xu You's pond—strangely, it never touched anyone else's—and it held a particular grudge against Guo Tu. After Emperor Xuanwu passed away, Little Black and "Little Gray" (a white-headed eagle) were buried in the Qian Mausoleum. After the panther incident, Xun Yu died under mysterious circumstances, sparking much historical debate. Shortly thereafter, Yuan Xi was elevated to the rank of Prince of Jin, making the events of that time even more shrouded in mystery.