Chapter 29

The sachet embroidered with bizarre totems lay quietly on the tray, like a venomous snake lurking in wait, exuding a chilling aura mixed with the spices and conspiracies of an enemy nation.

Qi Nian'an looked down, her long eyelashes casting a shadow beneath her eyes, concealing the truest emotions in them.

Only the fingertips hidden in the wide sleeves curled slightly uncontrollably, the nails digging into the soft palms, bringing a stinging sobering sensation.

She could clearly feel the gaze from the throne, calmly scrutinizing her even the slightest reaction.

"Consort Chen has not been looking well lately, but is there something wrong with this sachet?" Shao Sizhi's voice was as gentle as ever, like the warm spring sun, yet it sent a chill down her spine for no apparent reason.

Consort Ning stroked her newly acquired jade bracelet and casually mentioned, "I've heard that the Turing tribe of the enemy country in the Northwest worships this strange totem the most, believing that it can communicate with spirits... Speaking of which, it seems that Consort Chen's ancestors also had some connection with the Northwest?"

The laughter was radiant, yet every word carried the sharp edge of a poisoned needle.

It's such a coincidence that it's chilling.

She raised her eyes, her gaze now filled with just the right amount of confusion and a hint of anger at being offended, but her voice remained steady: "I'm just wondering how something with such crude embroidery and foreign markings could have been mixed into the Imperial Household Department's workshops and then sent to my palace as a reward? Could it be that someone is deliberately framing me, trying to put me in a position of disloyalty and injustice?" Her gaze was clear and unwavering.

Shao Sizhi looked at her with his deep eyes, his fingers slowly stroking the jade thumb ring on his thumb, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The hall was eerily quiet for a moment, with only the dripping of the water clock striking against one's heart.

That evening, by imperial decree, a scepter of auspicious white jade was bestowed upon Consort Ning, no, now Consort Ning's residence, Lanyue Palace.

When the news arrived, Qi Nian'an was standing by the window, holding silver scissors, pruning a pot of orchids that were in full bloom.

With a crisp "snip," the scissors snapped, and the most beautiful flower bud fell to the ground, rolling into the soil.

"Nian'an, don't like him," Li Xiaoran said helplessly, propping her chin up as she sat to the side, watching helplessly as the flower she had painstakingly nurtured was ruined once again.

"What a pity," she said softly.

Her tone was flat and emotionless, it was unclear whether she was referring to the innocent flower that had been cut off, or to the unrealistic dream that had just been completely severed from her heart.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty has arrived," Yi Xing announced softly, breaking the suffocating silence of the inner palace.

Qi Nian'an put down the now-useless map in her hand, and thinking of the rumors circulating these past few days, a wave of irritation washed over her. Finally, a fake smile appeared in her eyes, like the first thaw of an ice lake: "Let him do as he pleases."

The moonlight was like mercury spilling onto the ground. Shao Sizhi walked through the night dew and went straight to the Imperial Palace.

Li Xiaoran looked back at her reluctantly before turning and leaving.

Qi Nian'an removed her makeup in front of the mirror, her long, black hair cascading down like a waterfall. In the gleaming bronze mirror, she saw his tall figure appear at the doorway. Her movements of removing hairpins and rings paused almost imperceptibly before resuming their natural course.

She rose, gave a graceful bow, and smiled with perfect poise, as precise as if tailored to fit a garment: "What brings you here today?"

Shao Sizhi smelled faintly of alcohol, but his eyes were clear.

He reached out to touch her face, which was still beautiful even without makeup, and his voice carried a hint of inquiry: "Nian'an seems to have lost some weight in the few days I've been away."

Just before his fingertips were about to touch her skin, Qi Nian'an naturally turned to the side, reached for the warm teacup on the table, avoiding his touch, and said in a gentle tone: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. It's late at night and the dew is heavy. Your Majesty, please have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself."

"I remember you love milk tea the most, so I specially had some freshly made as tribute." He looked at the white porcelain cup she handed him, his gaze deep, as if trying to see into her heart through the rising steam.

Qi Nian'an's lips curved into a perfect arc, but her eyes held little warmth: "It's kind of Your Majesty to remember my old preferences. However, the Imperial Physician recently examined me and said that my spleen and stomach are somewhat weak and cold, suggesting that I drink some warm sugar water to nourish my stomach." She spoke lightly, intentionally avoiding Shao Sizhi's gaze.

Shao Sizhi was silent for a moment, then brought up the explosion they had fought together years ago, when her eyes shone with the ideal of building a prosperous world together with him.

Now, she remains calm and composed, her eyes seemingly discussing unimportant people and things, devoid of the fervor she once possessed.

Taking advantage of being slightly drunk, Shao Sizhi wanted to stay.

Without a word, Qi Nian'an removed his dragon-patterned outer robe and handed him a bowl of soup at just the right temperature to help him sober up, her movements fluid and elegant.

However, as he tried to put his arm around her waist, wanting to take it a step further—

She took a small step back, bowed her head, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty has to attend court early tomorrow. You must take care of your health and rest early. I have been sleeping lightly lately and I am afraid of disturbing Your Majesty."

His posture was respectful, and his words were concerned.

It means I will no longer speak to her.

It doesn't resemble it at all.

How could he not know that this might be a setup?

However, the political situation was balanced, and the Duke of Ningguo was very powerful. He needed to appease him, but he also needed time to find out the truth.

Any obvious favoritism towards Nian'an at this moment could push her into an even more dangerous situation.

Shao Sizhi stared at her for a long time, his deep eyes churning with emotions before finally settling into a deep, dark black.

He finally turned and left, his bright yellow figure disappearing into the thick night.

Watching him disappear completely, Qi Nian'an slowly loosened her right hand, which had been tightly clenched in her sleeve.

On his fair palm were four deep fingernail marks, almost drawing blood.

Does it hurt?

Fine and dense, like needle pricks.

But more than anything, it evokes a sense of sorrow.

She walked to the window, pushed open the lattice window, and looked out at the boundless, deep night beyond the palace walls.

Beneath the cover of night, there lay an information network that she and Li Xiaoran had quietly laid out; this was the path to freedom she had to walk.

That's right, how can you place all your hopes on others?

In the warm pavilion of the side hall of Zhengyang Palace, the ice chest had been newly replaced, and its chill dispelled the heat of midsummer.

Qi Nian'an and Li Xiaoran dismissed everyone else, leaving only a pot of freshly brewed jasmine tea and a few plates of delicate pastries.

Li Xiaoran sat cross-legged on the soft Persian carpet, the two of them completely disregarding their image.

While cracking melon seeds, Consort Ling lowered her voice with great interest: "Nian'an, do you know that the arrogant eldest daughter of the Yongchang Marquis's mansion made a huge fool of herself at the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet a few days ago?"

Qi Nian'an leaned against the soft pillows, holding some snacks in her hands. Upon hearing this, she raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.

"Didn't she always boast about being a master of both poetry and painting, looking down on everyone and everything?" Li Xiaoran scoffed, vividly recounting, "But at that banquet, to impress her sweetheart, she insisted on painting a chrysanthemum on the spot. The painting was alright, but when it came to the poem, she wrote 'pear' instead of 'chrysanthemum picking under the eastern fence'! 'Chrysanthemum picking under the eastern pear,' haha ​​...

"Her face turned green on the spot, and the young man she admired twitched his lips several times. He couldn't hold back and excused himself to change his clothes, probably because he laughed so hard he choked!"

Qi Nian'an imagined the scene and couldn't help but smile, shaking his head: "People shouldn't be too flamboyant, it's easy to turn joy into sorrow."

She paused, a hint of melancholy in her voice, "However, to put in so much effort for someone you admire, even if you make a fool of yourself, is... somewhat endearingly silly."

There was a time when she might have been so reckless, wanting only to show the other person her best self.

Li Xiaoran keenly caught the fleeting emotion in her eyes and immediately changed the subject, bringing up another matter: "And another thing, isn't General Weiwu's youngest son always clamoring to travel the world with a sword? The other day he secretly left home, but before he even went ten miles out of the city, his travel money was stolen, and he was so hungry that his stomach was practically sticking to his back. His guards picked him up and took him back. I heard that when he got back to the mansion, his father gave him a good beating, and he's still lying in bed now!"

The two girls exchanged a glance and couldn't help but burst into laughter. The pavilion was filled with a joyful atmosphere, as if the gloom outside had been temporarily shut out.

After the laughter subsided, Li Xiaoran patted the sunflower seed crumbs off her hands.

Her expression became slightly more serious, and her voice lowered even further: "Let's talk about something in the palace. I've noticed that Consort Yi's place has been unusually quiet lately. Although she doesn't usually show her face, she always makes some noise to show her presence every month. It's been almost half a month now, and it's as quiet as if no one lives there."

Qi Nian'an picked up her teacup, gently blew away the foam, and said with a slightly cold look in her eyes, "Something unusual must be going on. The quieter she is, the more it means she is brewing something. Perhaps she is waiting for the right opportunity, or perhaps... she feels that she doesn't need to take action herself, as others will stir up trouble for her."

She turned her gaze to Li Xiaoran, "What about Consort Ming and Consort Ning?"

"Those two?" Li Xiaoran curled her lips. "They quarrel every three days and have a big fight every five days. They've almost become a spectacle in the harem. The other day it was over a newly arrived piece of Yunxia brocade, yesterday it was over the order of their performances before the emperor, and this morning I heard that they had a big argument in the imperial garden because Consort Ning's cat scared Consort Ming's parrot. If it weren't for Consort Yi sending people to suppress it, they probably would have fought on the spot."

As she spoke, her eyes held undisguised contempt. "They're all underhanded tactics. All this fighting over is nothing more than a man's fleeting favor."

Mentioning the word "favor," Li Xiaoran looked at Qi Nian'an, her eyes filled with worry and seriousness: "Nian'an, speaking of this... I think Shao Sizhi..."

She hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Regarding the sachet, he clearly knew you were wronged, yet he still rewarded Ning Yuran with the jade ruyi! What is that? Is it a slap followed by a sweet treat? Or does he think you should silently endure all of this?"

She grasped Qi Nian'an's slightly cool hand, her voice urgent: "Nian'an, wake up! Shao Sizhi is the emperor. His heart is filled with the fate of the country and the balance of power in the court. How much is your sincerity worth on his scales of weighing pros and cons? He can neglect you today because of the situation, and he can abandon you tomorrow for something else! Look at the women in this harem, aren't they all pawns on his chessboard? Do you really want to be trapped in this gilded cage for the rest of your life, waiting for his unpredictable pity?"

Qi Nian listened quietly, her face showing neither anger nor sadness, only an almost transparent calm.

She gently patted Li Xiaoran's hand, a faint smile curving her lips.

"Xiao Ran, you're right." Her voice was soft, but every word was clear. "His sincerity, perhaps, will always come after power. And me..."

She looked up at the gray sky outside the window, her gaze seemingly piercing through the clouds and seeing into the distance. "I no longer need his little bit of sincerity that's just a secondary consideration."

“A cage is a cage, of course,” she said, turning her gaze to Li Xiaoran, her eyes flashing coldly, “but who says that birds living in cages can’t secretly sharpen their claws and teeth, or even… one day turn the tables on their owners?”

Li Xiaoran stared at her, stunned, then a sense of relief slowly welled up in her eyes.

She knows.

Her Nian'an was never just a parasitic flower clinging to an oak tree.