Chapter 10 Many Clever Minds Xianning Palace was quiet, filled with a strong, pungent fumes…
The Xianning Palace was quiet and serene, filled with a strong, pungent incense that made Yang Liuqing's tear ducts ache and her eyes well up with tears upon entering.
She had once spied on it, when the ministers were leaving court. In the vast crowd, she only caught a glimpse of the Xianning Palace and thought it was very spacious. This time, with no one around, she realized that there was a chilling, eerie atmosphere inside the dark red palace.
Filled with sorrow, she wiped away her tears before Yan Dibai could sit down, and took the opportunity to catch a glimpse of everything she could see out of the corner of her eye. Yang Liuqing dared not look any longer and skillfully bowed her head and knelt down.
The moment my knees touched the ground, a chilling coldness shot through them. The ground was covered with smooth, wide blue bricks, completely unlike the paving stones on the palace paths.
It's slippery and thick; you might accidentally kneel on the wrong side.
Standing beside the dragon throne, Wo Xue glanced sideways at the seemingly honest and unassuming young girl. She looked her over, wondering what it was about her that had caught the eye of the emperor, a man accustomed to beautiful women, and even led him to publicly embarrass the Xiao family girl. However, Wo Xue's eyes darted around.
Your Majesty has done even more outrageous things in the past, but those were just momentary whims.
As usual, he would start by asking questions and giving him a warning, so Yan Dibai, who was casually sitting on the dragon's head with one leg crossed, slammed him down:
"roll."
Just as Wo Xue caught her breath, she was also embarrassed by what she heard. She glared at Yang Liuqing, who was cowering, and then quickly ran away.
Seeing Lord Woxue emerge from the back hall with a displeased expression, eyes hidden in every corner blinked in unison. Within half a quarter of an hour, a great uproar quietly arose in the palace.
The female protagonist, at the center of the turmoil, knelt on the ground for a while, but Yan Dibai didn't speak. She also remained steadfast, not raising her head. She avoided revealing her curiosity at inappropriate times.
But the wait was far too long, so long that her legs went numb from kneeling. Yang Liuqing finally managed to speak softly:
"His Majesty?"
Yan Dibai was slumped on the dragon throne, dozing off and oblivious, not hearing anything. But then that mosquito-like voice roused him again. The rich incense in the hall dissipated slightly, and Yan Dibai's long eyelashes fluttered as he lazily opened his eyes:
"Um?"
Through a swirling mist, Yang Liuqing, a little bolder, raised her head:
"What urgent matter has Your Majesty summoned me here for...?"
He paused, then waved away the swirling dust in front of him. The young man said arrogantly, "Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?"
The tone was consistently unfriendly. Yang Liuqing lowered her head:
"It was my mistake. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the supreme ruler, and naturally can go wherever you want."
These words were a standard template, flawless, and something he had been tired of hearing since childhood. Countless different palace servants repeated these identical words day and night. They all dressed the same, and were the same walking corpses.
Just like that ugly maid, cowering and weak.
Yan Dibai remained silent, staring at the unremarkable girl for a moment, when an all-knowing annoyance crept onto his brow.
Why would he bring in this ugly, cookie-cutter maid?
…yes?
Yan Dibai stared at the little girl in front of him, suddenly lost in thought.
Why did he bring her here?
It seems like they want to hear her sing.
However, Yan Dibai stomped on the imperial desk and quickly thought:
If one wants to hear music, one should summon respectable actors and musicians. Those tunes have already been memorized; this ugly maid with ulterior motives is now of no use. If she hadn't been lucky enough to save the emperor, she would still be washing tattered clothes in the inner palace.
So why did he suddenly think of her?
Suddenly, a second perplexing question arose. Yan Di's white hair hung straight down, her body suddenly burning hot, a strange excitement urging her to run her hands through her hair. Her eyes trembled uncontrollably, and the hazy night reappeared before her eyes for the second time.
Looking back at the flickering moonlight, the boy suddenly chuckled through his nose.
No, he wasn't thinking of her. Instead, he was thinking of "her".
However, both she and "she" were scheming and plotting.
His smile widened, completely unconcerned that there was another person present. Yan Di displayed his idiotic behavior, leaning back in his chair and chuckling sarcastically.
Yang Liuqing was chilled by his laughter.
I have a feeling... my life is in grave danger again.
Those in the hall were laughing uproariously: "What a painstaking effort!" He abruptly stopped laughing, his face expressionless.
"How did you get into Chonglan Palace?"
Those dark eyes gazed into the distance, and even from afar, one could see the sinister intent lurking within them.
The young emperor's eyes seemed to possess a captivating power. When he looked directly at you, they were like two bottomless whirlpools, gripping your legs and refusing to let go until you drowned. The surrounding quiet, square shape resembled a giant cage, with no way forward and no escape route, a constant threat of life and death.
Yang Liuqing couldn't help but swallow. Was he really that perceptive?
Indeed... after all, he was an emperor who looked down upon everything.
Her instinct was to deny it and say a string of apologies, but Yang Liuqing's lips lost their color.
He still propped his face up, straddling the chair with an unrestrained air. His composed demeanor and the powdered face in the shadows gave off a unique, shimmering glow.
Yang Liuqing took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She tried her best to straighten her trembling voice and described her encounter with Xiao Yuanshu in detail.
"Your Majesty, that's exactly it..."
Yan Dibai listened with great interest, calmly observing the maid who unconsciously avoided his gaze, a smile suddenly welling up inside him.
"Such a coincidence?"
Yang Liuqing pursed her lips again and again: "Yes."
"yes?"
"Is it real or fake?" "..." The girl's breathing became rapid.
It's fake. She knew it was completely impossible for her to succeed on her own.
Upon seeing Xiao Yuanjing and thinking of her several rivals who had yet to appear, she became eager to quickly gather the Emperor's Qi.
At the height of her fame, Xiao Yuanshu was under everyone's watchful eye, and she didn't need to worry about anything, from her daily routine to what she ate. The path she took out of Chonglan Palace was through the main gate, and regardless of whether it went forward or backward, it would always pass by the fork in front of the kitchen.
That was a road he had walked alone countless times. He could have turned back, but Yangliuqing didn't.
She really wanted to use the influence of her husband's wife to achieve her goal as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, he strangled her in her infancy. She also never anticipated that such astonishing favor would be nothing but a fleeting, superficial act. She had placed the wrong bet.
"It seems it really is such a coincidence." Just as he was finding it hard to bear, Yan Dibai preemptively denied it, his tone instantly becoming dull.
Yang Liuqing's tension had just eased, and she hoped this matter would be over.
This time, her luck seemed to be on her side. As she wished, Yan Dibai lay back down, looked up at the sky, closed her eyes, and murmured with her red lips:
"Sing a song for me."
Yang Liuqing asked softly, "May I ask, Your Majesty, was it during the assassination attempt that night?"
Yan Dibai remained silent.
As if it were an open secret, Yang Liuqing took this opportunity to sing her adapted version of "A Lin Sister Fell From the Sky" with great seriousness, having secretly practiced it hundreds of times, almost flawlessly.
It's singing, not humming.
Although the lyrics were cobbled together from life in the palace, this time they were no longer fleeting clouds; they had a touch of substance, imbued with a subtle, almost imperceptible, spirit.
She sang almost simultaneously, glancing at Yan Dibai's reactions. This was thanks to her nightly practice sessions and countless rehearsals before bed.
With a mix of nervousness and anticipation, like someone about to present their PowerPoint slides, Yang Liuqing pushed herself to the limit, seizing every opportunity.
Only I know all of this in the dead of night.
I patted my chest; my heart was still beating fast, but I wasn't as nervous anymore.
Each word that fell felt like a reassurance planted in her heart; she was certain that Yan Dibai wouldn't kill her this time.
Because, “Your Majesty, I dare to ask, I would like to sing a new song.”
The little girl opened her eyes wide, her eyes brimming with an inexplicable confidence, faintly shimmering with a gentle light.
Immersed in the song, Yan Dibai, sometimes restless, sometimes serene, glanced at her and noticed her satin hair suddenly change direction.
He was unusually curious, surprised that the seemingly timid maid had suddenly become so bold. But it was better than being bored all the time.
Even an ant can be interesting if you tease it properly.
The boy smiled and said, "Okay."
Yang Liuqing held her breath and solemnly sang an adapted version of "Blue and White Porcelain" based on the music she had heard at the banquet.
Yan Dibai listened and inexplicably found the music very strange. It was indeed extremely unpleasant to listen to; the tune would change every now and then. If he hadn't been well-informed, he would have thought it was the chanting of a ghost.
If it sounds nice... I can listen to it even with a frown.
After Yang Liuqing finished singing, there was still no response. I immediately realized the song was probably too modern for his taste. I quickly tried to salvage the situation:
"If Your Majesty does not like it, I have other options."
"..." Yan Dibai suddenly fell silent, squinting at her, completely bewildered for a moment.
Yang Liuqing was eager to try: "Shall I sing?"
The boy didn't say it was bad. So she immediately changed her strategy and sang a Huangmei Opera, "The Female Imperial Scholar".
No kidding, this is one of Grandma's favorites. It's a timeless classic that every older generation knows, and it's far more widely known than the few tunes that were deliberately submitted to musicians.
Sure enough, Yan Dibai's aura wasn't as gloomy anymore. Just a moment later, he chuckled.
"Don't tell me that you heard this when you were young."
Yang Liuqing remained silent, yet she insisted on portraying even the darkest truths as white. She declared with unwavering conviction:
“Your Majesty, please understand, I was indeed lying. The person who passed by my door was not a passerby, but a singing troupe on the verge of disbanding. I was poor and begged for food there many times, which is why I know so much.”
"I didn't mean to hide anything, I just..." She paused, and under the chilling gaze, Yang Liuqing suddenly didn't know how to finish her sentence. Her neck stiffened, and she hesitated.
Yan Dibai chuckled, finding the maid's flustered appearance particularly amusing. "What is it?"
Yang Liuqing glanced at him tremblingly, then suddenly lowered her head, her fingers digging into the ground, her voice inexplicably thin and weak:
"Yes," she said, as if resigning herself to her fate, and closed her eyes tightly.
"It is this servant who wishes to see Your Majesty more often."
The Xianning Palace fell completely silent.
Yang Liuqing noticed the situation but dared not open her eyes. Suddenly, "Pfft!"
Yan Dibai burst into laughter, her fair hands gripping the dragon's head so tightly that her fingertips dug into its mouth. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her makeup.
Yang Liuqing was stunned, then suddenly felt a chill and quietly lowered her breathing rate, fearing that he would go crazy.
Yan Dibai continued to laugh wildly, tears streaming down his face, until finally he could no longer distinguish between crying and laughing.
The Xianning Palace was filled with shimmering light.
She huddled alone at the foot of the steps, gazing intently at him. It was perhaps the brightest midday. Light streaming through the window paper shone into Yan Dibai's eyes, merging with the light overhead, instantly illuminating the room considerably. At first glance, the person on the dragon throne appeared to be bathed in silver light.
Yang Liuqing's eyes involuntarily focused on the bright light, but she was startled when she saw the boy's face, which was now much clearer.
Below the right eye, where makeup had been removed, there was a... thin, long, flesh-colored line?
Because he kept moving around, his cheek only flashed by in the light, and she didn't see it clearly. But Yang Liuqing was certain that she had seen it.
She was surprised.
Previously, I simply thought that applying makeup and taking drugs were fashionable trends pursued by the aristocracy of this era. Especially since Yan Dibai was a cross-dresser and enjoyed listening to opera. With these essential elements combined, it was perfectly reasonable for him to love makeup.
At most, he painted it in particularly rich colors.
But if Yan Dibai deliberately wore heavy makeup, what was she trying to hide?
Yang Liuqing's surprise didn't last long before Yan Dibai, exhausted from laughing, stopped his shaking shoulders and, with a wry smile, beckoned to her.
She swallowed hard and obeyed, crawling forward on her knees. Yan Dibai, who had somehow become barefoot, strode down the steps and grabbed her arm.
The slender girl was half-embraced in his arms.
A rich, sweet fragrance suddenly filled her nostrils. Yang Liuqing was stunned, and her gaze shifted downwards, where she could see the bluish-purple veins on the boy's open chest.
He is so fair-skinned and so thin.
Even though her clothes were covering her skin, she felt inexplicably hot, and her mouth was dry.
The astonishment lasted only a few seconds before a hand gripped the back of her neck tightly, and hot breath sprayed into her ear. Ghostly, wet:
"Yang Liuqing, you're incredibly cunning. I despise cunning people the most," the young emperor said, his eyes flashing as he smiled.
"Especially a woman like you, ugly and ambitious."
This was the third time Yan Dibai had called Yang Liuqing ugly. It had happened every single time they met.
This was the third time he had said Yang Liuqing's name in its entirety.
Yang Liuqing shuddered. Yan Dibai gave her not a second to explain, loosening his grip on her bulging, veiny hand, his expression a mixture of a sigh and indifference, both tinged with malice.
"Are you lusting after me?"
She plays hard to get, like countless other women.
They aspire to rise to the top and reach the pinnacle of power and wealth.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Bai: So you're telling me she was playing hard to get before, but now she's caught me.
She definitely likes me.
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