A poisoned reunion

The grand halls of Yonglan Palace were alive with murmurs. Servants rushed about, preparing for the arrival of Emperor Ling Jianyu and Crown Prince Ling Lian, the royalty of Qinghe.

It was a rare occurrence for two of the most powerful men in Qinghe to step foot into the imperial capital after what happened been between Qinghe and Yonglan in the recent past. But the wise decision of Qinghe to initiate peace with Yonglan was appreciated in the entire province.

Officially, their visit was a diplomatic gesture, to check on the Yonglan Emperor's failing health and reaffirm the Ling clan's loyalty to the Crown Prince.

They met with the emperor, delivered their wishes, gifts as soon as they arrived.

But A'Xian knew better.

They weren't here for the Emperor. They were here for him.

And that alone set his nerves on edge.

When he was finally summoned to meet them in the private guest chamber, he found himself standing before two imposing figures.

Two fresh faces he had never seen.

He cursed under his breath. Having transmigrated sure had it's shortcomings.

Now what was there for him to interact?

This body of Ling A'Xian had little memories of himself that he could make use of. But now, as these two of his family were there to meet him, the room was already thick with tension.

His father, emperor Ling Jianyu, sat at the head of the table, his sharp, battle-worn face set in a permanent scowl. His elder brother, Prince Ling Lian, stood beside him, arms crossed, his cold gaze cutting into A'Xian the moment he had stepped in.

The doors slammed shut behind him.

"You useless thing," his father spat the moment he laid eyes on him.

A'Xian's fingers curled into his sleeves, but he said nothing.

"We sent you here with one task- one simple task." Emperor's voice was like steel scraping against stone. "And what have you done instead? Played Tom and Jerry with the Crown Prince?"

Wait- do they even know what that is?

His brother scoffed. "Pathetic."

A'Xian sighed hopelessly.

I knew it..a family reunion this heartwarming.

He thought while his head bowed to face their feet.

"You were supposed to be our blade, not his dear friend," his father sneered. "But it seems Zhou's warnings were true..your loyalty has wavered."

A'Xian's heart stopped. "Zhou?"

Wait. I had a Zhou?

Oh. Right. The guy who was supposed to be his partner in crime.

"What happened to him?" he asked, his voice quieter than he intended.

His father's eyes flashed. "Caught. Imprisoned. Tortured. Because of you."

A'Xian's breath hitched.

I'd say 'not my fault' but something tells me that won't go over well.

"That's not—"

"Enough."

His father's voice cut through him like a blade.

"There is no time for your cowardice," Ling Lian said, his tone sharp with disgust. "The Emperor is sick. The Crown Prince has not yet officially ascended. This is our only chance."

F_ck

"What are you planning?"

His father leaned forward, his presence suffocating. "We have already failed in manipulating the court. If we wait any longer, he will become untouchable."

Ling Lian stepped closer. "We will kill Ji Haoyu before that happens."

The words landed like a physical blow.

A'Xian's lips parted, but no sound came out.

His father continued, as if this were nothing more than a simple game of war.

"Your task is simple. You will get close to him—earn his trust completely. And when you see any opening, you will strike. Poison him, stab him, I do not care. But Ji Haoyu must die."

A'Xian felt the blood drain from his face.

"You… want me to kill him?"

His father sneered. "You sound surprised."

A'Xian's thoughts swirled in chaos.

"I…" He swallowed hard. "I won't do it."

The silence that followed was heavy.

He knew he shouldn't have said that now, he should have agreed to whatever they told afterall he was in the role of peace hostage from Qinghe, sent here for a mission.

This simply meant he was changing the direction of what 'the real Ling A'Xian' would have done. But..

SLAM.

A sharp pain struck his face as his father's hand struck him.

"You do not have a choice." He was yelled at mercilessly.

A'Xian's vision swam for a moment. The metallic taste of blood coated his tongue.

Ling Lian's voice was laced with cold amusement. "Look at him. He actually hesitated."

A'Xian's mind swirled for a bit, remembering some fragments of this body's past.

"Pitiful." His father shook his head. "You have forgotten who you are."

A'Xian stared at the floor, his body rigid. He really didn't know anything about this man.

And the worst was, he didn't even try to know or recall. He had been too careless..

"You will do this," his father said, his tone final. "Or Zhou will die. And so will everyone else who ever meant anything to you."

Joke's on you. I don't even remember half of them.

A'Xian's stomach twisted. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

They were forcing his hand.

And there was nothing he could do.

He did not remember walking back to his chambers. Did not remember how his legs carried him through the halls, how the servants avoided his gaze.

His mind was too full.

A thousand thoughts crashed into each other, but at the center of it all was one singular, suffocating truth: They wanted him to kill Ji Haoyu.

Why should he not do that though?

This was war. This was politics.

Ji Haoyu was no innocent. No one in the palace was.

He had seen firsthand how the Crown Prince toyed with lives, played with power as if it were nothing more than an amusement.

It was the way of the world. The strong devoured the weak.

And yet—

His fingers trembled. Some part of him refused.

Not because it was wrong. Not because of morality.

"Why am I hesitating?"

A knock at his door pulled him from his thoughts. A guard stood outside, his expression impassive.

"His Highness has summoned you."

A'Xian exhaled shakily.

Of course.

Of course Ji Haoyu would call for him tonight, of all nights.

He's like- 'Oh, A'Xian is in distress? Time to make it worse!'

He swallowed down the lump in his throat, forcing his face into something obscure.

With leaden steps, he followed the guard into the darkness.