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“One.”
The Prince of Jin turned around, hands clasped behind his back.
“Two.”
He was probably still scowling, brows knitted together, jaw clenched tight.
“Three.”
Ling Xiao had never seen him so aggravated.
“Four.”
The prince’s fingers flexed behind him, his grip tightening on his wrist.
“Five.”
It shouldn’t have unsettled him.
“Six.”
Not being able to see the Prince of Jin’s face.
“Seven.”
Ling Xiao normally stood behind him anyways.
“Eight.”
He only saw his face when he turned around.
“Nine.”
Could only read his moods from how his hand hovered over the weiqi board.
“Ten.”
When he was in a good mood, his movements would be slow, considered, as he leisurely traced the movements he could make with his finger.
“Eleven.”
When he wasn’t, he would be hasty, would ignore the golden rules his father, now Emperor Taizong, had taught him, the ones he in turn had taught Ling Xiao.
“Twelve”
Number three, 攻彼顾我; number seven, 慎勿轻速; number nine, 彼强自保.
“Thirteen.”
Looking after his position, exercising prudence, keeping his distance.
“Fourteen.”
And when taken aback, he would run his thumb over the smooth agate, an unmistakable stiffness setting in his shoulders.
“Fifteen.”
They used to play weiqi together, when they were younger.
“Sixteen.”
And they used to sneak around the palace, pretending to be blackbird spies.
“Seventeen.”
Before Ling Xiao became Li Zhi’s bodyguard, he had been something akin to a friend.
“Eighteen.”
Similar to that frivolous Princess Gaoyang and that scheming Cairen Wu Yuanzhou.
“Nineteen.”
He gritted his teeth, forcing the rest of him to stay as neutral as possible.
“Twenty.”
It was because of Cairen Wu that he was in this situation in the first place.
“Twenty-one.”
He had half the mind to kill her anyways, to prove to her that being close to Li Tai would not make her untouchable.
“Twenty-two.”
Especially when she had brought Li Zhi into it, yelling how on earth could he keep Ling Xiao around—
“Twenty-three.”
—when he was so stupid?
“Twenty-four.”
Of course, he knew that he probably was stupid.
“Twenty-five.”
Rash and defiant, more skilled a fighter than a strategist.
“Twenty-six.”
He was very lucky that Li Zhi had a gentle heart.
“Twenty-seven.”
Though it seemed that even he could be harsh if he wanted to be.
“Twenty-eight.”
Ling Xiao didn’t understand why Cairen Wu had such a hold on him.
“Twenty-nine.”
Then again, Li Zhi affected him more than he should have as well.
“Thirty.”
Though Ling Xiao didn’t have the ability to love him in the same way.
“Thirty-one.”
He would protect Li Zhi, as was his duty.
“Thirty-two.”
Would lie and scheme and kill for Li Zhi, if he ever asked.
“Thirty-three.”
If he had been smarter, if Li Zhi had more ambition.
“Thirty-four.”
But to love him was something he had to endure alone.
“Thirty-five.”
From the shadows as he watched Cairen Wu wrap him around her finger.
“Thirty-six.”
It’s better this way, thought Ling Xiao.
“Thirty-seven.”
He had seen what had happened to Prince Min of Hengshan.
“Thirty-eight.”
If a crown prince could be deposed, he didn’t dare imagine what would happen to him.
“Thirty-nine.”
Still, he would’ve rather died than let go of his love for Li Zhi.
“Forty.”
It was the only thing that gave him true warmth.
“Forty-one.”
The only light he had in this dark palace.
“Forty-two.”
And he might have extinguished it.
“Forty-three.”
The Prince of Jin might not forgive him.
“Forty-four.”
Ling Xiao didn’t want to, but he understood if he wouldn’t.
“Forty-five.”
He knew that he wouldn’t forgive any attempt on Li Zhi’s life.
“Forty-six.”
Years of training had instilled into him the retribution he would take if it happened.
“Forty-seven.”
More years of ever-growing devotion meant he would take it anyways.
“Forty-eight.”
Even now, when he was being punished, he was devoted.
“Forty-nine.”
For Li Zhi, he would accept any punishment.
“Fifty.”
Fifty lashes, even with the thinnest of whips and the harshest of blows, would not sway him.
“Your Highness,” said the attendant, “the Fifty Lashes penalty has been administered.” He bowed, though the prince couldn’t see him.
The prince simply raised his hand, dismissing him. Once he had left, he turned to Ling Xiao, who still hung his head.
“Do you acknowledge your mistake?” He sounded far more detached than usual, the soft smile gone from his face.
Ling Xiao’s head snapped up. “Even if Your Highness gave me the death penalty, there’s something I have to say about Cairen Wu.” The prince stayed quiet, but Ling Xiao kept pressing. “She’s too close to the Prince of Wei. Your Highness should keep your distance from her.”
“She’s only being used by him,” he shot back. His brows twitched.
“Please, stop deceiving yourself!” He glared at the prince. No matter how underhanded his methods, he would try his hardest to curb his master’s affections for her. “I know she risked her life to save Your Highness. But if she truly wasn’t important to him, she would be dead. But he didn’t kill her, even went out of his way to find the Jade Face Cream for her. Obviously, the Prince of Wei…” He couldn’t bear to say the words—loves her, is fond of her—not when it was so clear that Li Zhi felt the same about her, not when he felt the same about Li Zhi.
“Maybe you’re right. He might… treat her differently.” He turned around. “But that could work in our favour.”
The prince looked over his shoulder, and Ling Xiao shrank away at his gaze. He was acutely aware of how exposed he was—he had been made to strip for his punishment, so the cracks of the whip would cut—and how hot and flushed he was from trying to endure it in silence. The cool air made the red marks sting.
“What do you mean, Your Highness?” he asked, looking up, forcing himself to meet his eyes.
“It’s best if she has his protection as well,” he said, facing back out to the gardens. “Getting in the way of Li Tai is no small matter. If she can do that, and him and I can both protect her… it would be good for us, wouldn’t it?”
Ling Xiao swallowed, looking back to the floor. Us. It made him feel a little warmer, though he knew that when the prince said us, he meant him. Or, this time, him and her.
“Yes, Your Highness,” he forced out.
He turned back around. “You may stand.”
And so he stood. “Thank you, your highness. I promise to never make the same mistake again.”
Li Zhi smiled at him. “I understand. You wanted the best for me. But please, let anything you do be from my command.”
“Of course, Your Highness,” he said, bowing deeply.
“Come,” he said, stepping down from the pavilion. “Let’s go to the doctor.”
Ling Xiao gathered his robes and hastily put them on, though the fabric rubbed at his cuts.
They would continue to throb and sting under his clothes for the coming days, and when he saw Cairen Wu Yuanzhou, it felt like they hurt even more. Especially when she treated him with kindness and he understood, rationally, that she was a charming woman that a man could fall for.
It didn’t matter for now, though. He was by Li Zhi’s side, and all he could ask for was to stay there.