Chapter 13 His Majesty is Very Wicked. He served as the Imperial Historian for quite some time, and then...
After serving as the official historian for quite some time, Yan Dibai seemed to have grown bored and stopped deliberately causing trouble.
Yang Liuqing picked up the broken pen and stubbornly continued working at her post, diligently writing down her daily summaries.
She felt that she was cultivating herself slowly, and although she was anxious, she wasn't as anxious as she had been at the beginning. She calmed down and waited patiently.
However, there is a problem.
After falling out of favor, Xiao Yuanshu was filled with resentment. After beating those around him, he left the palace to find a new outlet for his anger, and Yang Liuqing was the first one he targeted. After being tricked once, Yang Liuqing secretly avoided Chonglan Palace and took a long detour every time.
Today… she sighed.
"It was truly not I who instigated His Majesty. Please inform Consort Xiao. Besides, if His Majesty truly favors me, he should at least grant me a title."
The maid scoffed, "His Majesty massacred Chonglan Palace because of you! And you dare to argue back!"
"His Majesty is eccentric and prone to killing; what grounds could I possibly have for this?"
The maid was about to retort when Xiao Yuanshu suddenly appeared from behind, sneering, "What nonsense are you talking about? Now that she's caught me, I want to see if His Majesty will take my life for her!"
Xiao Yuanshu was still beautiful, but looked somewhat haggard. Yang Liuqing pursed her lips, wondering whether she should bow her head, knowing that doing so might mean being beaten. She was a woman of strong emotions, stubborn and unwilling to back down once she had made up her mind.
This would only confirm his guilt in instigating the conflict.
Yang Liuqing was heartbroken but still wanted to explain and clarify the cause of the conflict. However, Xiao Yuanshu, with red eyes, sent men to arrest her without a word. Yang Liuqing immediately turned and ran, about to shout to lure them over, when Madam Hongzhu, who had always disliked Xiao Yuanshu, suddenly appeared out of nowhere:
"Xiao Yuanshu, you are extremely domineering and arrogant! You assaulted someone in public! Do you not respect His Majesty at all!"
The moment Xiao Yuanshu saw her, he was filled with rage. He thought of how all the favor she had received had been taken from her, and now she dared to act so arrogantly towards him. Old and new grudges surged up, and he roared:
"What business is it of yours! Don't think you're so great just because you're associated with His Majesty! This woman has impure thoughts, so what's wrong with me teaching her a lesson!"
"I had no idea the palace needed a concubine to administer punishments! Do you think I, the lady, am just a decoration?"
It quickly escalated into a fight between the two. Gradually, they even seemed poised to roll up their sleeves and come to blows. None of the surrounding palace servants dared to intervene, but someone quietly gave Yang Liuqing a push.
"Yang Tongshi, you are a female official, can you persuade these two to stop?"
Yang Liuqing froze, noticing that all eyes were turning to her. The palace servants, though anxious, didn't want to get involved and none of them actually went to become a human wall.
“…”
Xiao Yuanshu rushed forward, his hand about to strike Lady Hongzhu's face, when her maid finally couldn't bear to watch and stepped forward. Yang Liuqing was just about to feel relieved when, in the next moment, the maid stepped on her skirt and tripped hard, landing right at Xiao Yuanshu's feet. The palace servants were startled and immediately let out a series of panicked screams.
Xiao Yuanshu caught Lady Hongzhu, staggered repeatedly, and finally climbed over the railing and they both fell into the water.
This caused an uproar. Yang Liuqing couldn't remain inactive any longer and rushed to the rescue. Several palace servants eventually arrived; some went to call for help, while others went to fetch a long ladder. The rest of them stood around, anxiously waiting.
There was a river in front of Yang Liuqing's house, and she had practiced swimming as a child. But this was her first time actually rescuing someone. The water wasn't very deep, only chest-deep. But Madam Hongzhu seemed frightened, splashing around especially violently. Xiao Yuanshu was watching her intently, blocking her from swimming towards the edge of the pond.
Yang Liuqing had no choice but to bite the bullet and go up to mediate the fight, and sure enough, she was slapped hard by Xiao Yuanshu, who took the opportunity to vent her anger.
Enduring the pain, she could only hold onto her waist and struggle to pull her back. Madam Hongzhu was now crying out in grievance, wiping away her tears while scolding Xiao Yuanshu:
"How dare you bully me like this! Before you came, His Majesty favored me the most! I finally gained the family's favor! You're such a jinx!"
Xiao Yuanshu swiftly elbowed Yang Liuqing, replying with his face covered in water droplets:
"Why blame me for your own incompetence? If it weren't for this wretched woman, His Majesty wouldn't even glance at you!"
At some point, Xiao Yuanshu's initial dislike for Yan Dibai had dissipated, and she began to compete with the women in the harem for his affections.
Yang Liuqing didn't have time to clutch her throbbing stomach; she just wanted to end this farce as quickly as possible. "Excuse me," she said, pulling and tugging until she finally managed to get the person up the ladder. When it was finally her turn, Xiao Yuanshu, who had just stood still, suddenly kicked the ladder over, wearing only dry clothes.
Yang Liuqing, who had only climbed halfway, widened her eyes and immediately fell backward into the water. She suffocated instantly, and the lotus leaves in the pond, rippled by the water, covered her face perfectly.
She choked on several mouthfuls of water before finally straightening up, her face pale. A new round of arguing began above, but thankfully, this time Supervisor Wang floated in like a ghost:
"Are you two planning to start a major conflict right under His Majesty's nose?"
The two women, realizing their mistake, angrily turned their heads away. Eunuch Wang offered some words of comfort. Yang Liuqing, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, then noticed Eunuch Wang's gaze sweep over her with a sarcastic smile:
"A person should know their own limitations. Don't think that you can stay on top just because you've risen to a high position for a while. You need another person like me who is calm and composed in the face of both honor and disgrace. That's what it means to be good at dealing with people."
Yang Liuqing, who was wringing out clothes, was immediately embarrassed.
Lady Yue Rong was unusually calm. Ever since Yang Liuqing, her former informant, became a female official, she seemed to have taken everything lightly and remained detached from it all, never openly participating in the quarrels of the women.
She didn't keep in touch with the informant because of his promotion; instead, she acted as if nothing had happened.
Wang Dajian's words were not only directed at Xiao Yuanshu and the others, but also subtly directed at himself.
…But my own situation is strange, and I can't compare to her.
As she remained silent, Eunuch Wang had already sent men to escort them back to the palace. Suddenly, the noise ceased, and the palace women cried out in unison:
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Yan Dibai actually came?
From this angle, Yang Liuqing couldn't see him very clearly. But through the gap, she could see his leisurely, carefree, upturned shoes, and she silently pressed herself against the algae-covered pond wall. Subconsciously, she felt something was wrong.
The palace servants on the shore fell silent, leaving only the two disheveled beauties glaring at each other.
The young man lazily gazed at his two wives, a mischievous glint in his eyes on his delicate face. Upon seeing this, Madam Hongzhu couldn't help but feel wronged and tears welled up in her eyes. She cautiously approached, ready to complain. However, Xiao Yuanshu, who had been staring intently at her, also glared resentfully at Yan Dibai.
Yan Dibai has to make all the decisions.
Yan Dibai watched from behind for a while, amused, then casually replied:
"Go back and change your clothes."
Xiao Yuanshu's face turned pale. He wanted to say something, but the young man suddenly frowned with heartache and sighed softly:
"Woxue, escort my beloved concubine back to the palace."
Having said that, he cast a gentle glance at Lady Hongzhu's swaying body.
She immediately showed joy, gently wiped away her tears, thanked Yan Dibai, and reluctantly left under the escort of Wo Xue.
Xiao Yuanshu received no private words of comfort. Seeing this, his heart ached, and he felt truly distressed.
She was pampered by her family since childhood and gained the emperor's favor as soon as she entered the palace. She got whatever she wanted, but she never thought that she would lose the emperor's heart because of an ugly maid.
She couldn't bring herself to fawn over him, yet she couldn't stand him giving away what belonged to him to someone else. She struggled with this dilemma day and night, experiencing a bitterness she had never felt in fifteen years.
Before she could build a bridge for her family and her brother, she was on the verge of collapse. At this moment, Xiao Yuanshu bit her lip hard, stared at the girl with only black hair showing in the Taiye Pool, and took a deep breath.
After returning to the palace, I must find an opportunity to kill her.
The young emperor, who hadn't set foot in Chonglan Palace for a long time, smiled warmly and suddenly said to her:
"Come to me."
Xiao Yuanshu looked blank for a moment, thinking he had misheard.
Yan Di's phoenix eyes curved into a smile as she stretched out her arm towards her: "Did you choke?"
Xiao Yuanshu opened her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears. She stubbornly bit her lip until it bled, remaining silent and silent.
The clever maidservant whispered, "Madam, it's not easy to finally see the Emperor..."
She frowned. Yan Dibai sighed leisurely, turned to leave, but Xiao Yuanshu was startled and quickly called out to him:
"Your Majesty! I, I—" but then she didn't know what to say.
A slight smile played on the lips of the young man, who narrowed his eyes, seemingly unconcerned by the concubine's awkwardness, and he spoke with unusual leniency:
"Never mind, I will come to see you in some time."
"Really?" Xiao Yuanshu's eyes suddenly lit up with joy.
Yan Dibai smiled and said softly:
"Should I lie?"
Xiao Yuanshu was overjoyed and didn't know what to say for a moment. The maid quickly pulled her to bow and hurriedly returned to the palace to wash up.
The palace servants dispersed, and in such a large place, one might not even notice anyone else. Yet Yang Liuqing stood silently in the water, completely soaked. She didn't utter a sound the entire time, as quiet as if she had never existed.
The feigned tenderness on Yan Di's pale face vanished in the blink of an eye. He strolled leisurely to the edge of the Taiye Pond, then suddenly bent down, as if just discovering something astonishing—his white teeth gleaming:
"How did a toad suddenly get mixed into my lotus flower? What a disgusting sight."
Yang Liuqing lowered her head and tugged at the fabric that clung tightly to her body.
His fake smile vanished abruptly, and he spoke, word by word:
"Get out here."
"..." Like a robot following instructions, she immediately bent down and lifted the ladder, her wet body splashing against the lotus leaves, creating ripples on the water's surface. Red fish darted about beneath the leaves, and in the blink of an eye, the slender girl climbed out of the Taiye Pool and stood three feet in front of the young emperor.
Yan Dibai arrogantly scanned her from head to toe. His gaze was direct and clear, as if he wanted to see right through her, inside and out.
Yang Liuqing had unconsciously grown accustomed to this unbridled gaze. With her eyes drooping, she watched the water on her body soak the ground, spreading out in circles.
Yan Dibai stared intently at Yang Liuqing's chest for a while, then calmly made his judgment.
No.
Clicking his tongue, Yan Dibai pondered that he indeed loathed this seemingly honest but actually cunning person.
She's still an annoying, scheming woman.
But inexplicably, Yan Dibai tilted her head.
Then why is he still staying in this wretched place?
The boy quickly gave himself an answer.
These days he's been confined, watching fewer plays, and even without tobacco. He can only kill for pleasure, but that doesn't really excite him. He scoffed, then looked at the scheming woman's waterlogged eyelashes.
Large droplets of water kept dripping down spontaneously, in strings, some clusters passing under my eyes, looking like tears at first glance. Others hung on the tip of my nose, crystal clear, about to fall but not quite.
Her cheek was slightly flushed, paired with her disheveled, damp hair. She looked rather pitiful.
Yan Dibai squinted again, seemingly less annoying than before.
However, no matter how annoying she was, he disliked this stupid woman who thought she was clever and wanted to control him.
Suddenly feeling bored, Yan Dibai was about to leave when the old Prime Minister's sorrowful words from that morning suddenly came to mind. They pierced right before his eyes.
The old man, with snot and tears streaming down his face, cried out, "Your Majesty, you must listen to all sides and show compassion to the people! Otherwise, the Great Jin Dynasty will be in grave danger!"
He's as annoying as ever. Why bother asking him to be some kind of enlightened ruler?
With a twitch at the corner of his eye, Yan Dibai suddenly chuckled:
"What are your thoughts? Tell me."
Yang Liuqing clenched her fists, and upon hearing this, she gave a cold, absurd laugh to herself.
"Your Majesty, I have nothing to say."
Yan Dibai suddenly perked up, quite interested: "You dare not say, huh?"
The girl remained silent.
He was that annoying blockhead again. He then smiled sinisterly: "Won't talk? I'll kill you right now."
No one would doubt that this is a lie.
Yang Liuqing, unable to bear it any longer, slowly raised her eyelids and blinked her clear, bright eyes. She calmly said:
"His Majesty enjoys trampling on people's hearts and humiliating humanity."
It was only today that she suddenly realized the truth.
Yan Dibai enjoys watching people struggle in the mud and suffer.
He was aloof and saw everything. But he never offered a helping hand; in fact, he deliberately let things escalate and make the situation worse.
The concubines were merely tools in his life of pleasure.
He watched them fight for favor and profit. Giving them a piece of candy here, throwing away a piece of fruit there. He enjoyed their jealousy and self-pity. He savored their beauty and ugliness.
They gradually strayed from their former selves, sinking deeper into the mire from which they could not extricate themselves.
That's absolutely awful.
Yang Liuqing's temples throbbed. After all this time, as the lowest of the low among the tools, she clearly understood that she was merely a small object used by Yan Dibai to stir up trouble.
Logically speaking, once it's used up, it should be thrown away.
She found it strange that Yan Dibai was keeping her alive, especially after she pointed out his old scars.
The girl's face remained largely expressionless as she spoke, as if she had expected it. Her indifferent demeanor truly made it seem like punching cotton.
Yan Dibai was also taken aback by Yang Liuqing's unexpected response. It was nothing like the sycophantic flattery he had anticipated.
He paused abruptly, his phoenix eyes suddenly turning fierce. A shadow fell over his brows.
Yang Liuqing's heart tightened.
However, after a moment of gloom, Yan Dibai suddenly smiled and let out a laugh.
There was neither manic laughter nor a half-smile.
His face was full of interest, and his hands trembled beneath his wide sleeves, as if a spontaneous joy and delight arose within him.
"…interesting."
A note from the author:
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