Chapter 17 His Past "You, I really don't know what's wrong with you..."
"You, I really don't know what kind of luck you have! People outside are saying really nasty things about you!"
That night, Dai Yun brought two new quilts and several freshly baked meat pies. Seeing Yang Liuqing wolfing them down, she sat down and sighed.
"I thought your affair with His Majesty was just a rumor, but it turns out it's true. Look at you. If you really wanted to seduce him, you should at least have him grant you a title. There has never been a female official like this before. Your overstepping of the bounds will surely prompt the court officials to submit a memorial. I really don't know what you'll do in the future."
To be honest, Yang Liuqing was an honest girl. When Dai Yun first heard the news, he did try to observe her. However, she was a seasoned veteran who had worked in the palace. This girl was pretty and meticulous in her work, unlike those who would abandon their dignity to climb the social ladder.
Most importantly, she used to be dark-skinned and thin, truly unattractive. It was only recently, after she stopped doing physical labor, that she gained a little weight and became a bit fairer. Unfortunately, the typhoid fever wore her down, and all that weight was gone.
Dai Yun poured water and handed it to him, shaking her head: "Perhaps I shouldn't have praised your handsomeness. His Majesty is the most unreliable. He has been wandering around the palace since childhood and is used to the tricks of the concubines. He is also very good at manipulating them."
He's deliberately putting you on the hot seat; who can defy him? In the end, you'll suffer the consequences, either dying or half-dead.
Dai Yun didn't ask what had happened between the two. However, based on Yan Dibai's usual behavior, she assumed that it was the young emperor being mischievous and deliberately teasing her.
After all, this isn't the first time.
Having been hungry all day, Yang Liuqing slowed her eating when he mentioned the absurd palace parade that afternoon. She gulped down some water to quench her thirst, her voice hoarse, and began a new conversation:
"I forgot to ask, how long have you been serving in the palace?"
Dai Yun was furious: "Are you alright? Aren't you worried about why you're asking me this now?"
Yang Liuqing swallowed the food and chuckled awkwardly.
"You don't seem that old, but you've been in the palace for a long time." Dai Xian is fourteen years old, and he became Dai Yun's godfather when they were young. So, Dai Yun must have spent a considerable amount of time in the palace.
She just suddenly realized that Dai Yun might know Yan Dibai quite well.
There aren't many elderly people in the palace.
The young man's face was cold; he crossed his arms, and despite his dissatisfaction, he still answered:
"It's been more than ten years, when His Majesty was just born. Most of the princesses were still unmarried."
He gazed at the dark window, perhaps thinking of the past. His voice carried a hint of melancholy.
"Not much has changed over the years. The late emperor was just as tyrannical and unreasonable, and I suffered a lot back then. I finally managed to get a mundane job at the Wende Hall, and now I'm here to cause trouble for you."
Yang Liuqing said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'm sorry to bother you."
"What's the use of saying this now? Fortunately, you're moving to His Majesty's side, so I'll soon be back to my old leisurely life."
Dai Yun's words were sharp, yet also meaningful:
"While you still have a few days to spend in the Wende Hall, use your free time to read more books and learn more about principles. Although this place mainly contains the daily records of emperors throughout history, if you delve deeper, you might discover something different."
She roughly understood his good intentions and nodded solemnly. After drinking the rest of the hot water, she finally asked the question she was most concerned about.
Yang Liuqing glanced at the door and lowered her voice:
"Are those things about His Majesty true?"
Dai Yun's face suddenly froze, and she strode over to glare at her:
"have no idea!"
She was startled by his cold and urgent demeanor. Dai Yun grabbed the girl's shoulders with both hands and squeezed hard, almost squeezing out the words through gritted teeth:
"I don't know, and neither do you. Nobody knows!"
Yang Liuqing was surprised, and Dai Yun suddenly loosened his grip, anxiously slapping his forehead:
"Did you hear a different story? Who told you that?"
She remained silent, then licked her lips: "Nobody told me."
He frowned: "You're talking nonsense. If no one told you, would you have come to me indirectly? It's fine that you want to know about him, but he's not an ordinary person. The more you know about him, the more tragic his death will be. Why do you think I didn't let Dai Xian go in to work?"
Dai Yun's chest heaved as she recalled what she had seen that day, and she took a deep breath. A chill ran down her spine: "That whole family is someone you can't mess with, and you, you!"
His description confirmed Yang Liuqing's suspicions even more.
Dai Yun must know some secrets. She reached out and pulled him, patted the back of her hand, and gently shook her warm hand to signal him to calm down.
Dai Yun frowned again, and Yang Liuqing shook her head:
"I saw it."
She raised her hand and drew a clean, straight line under her right eye: "There's a broken scar here. I've seen it twice. And... I heard him call me 'elder sister'."
Dai Yun suddenly fell silent.
Yang Liuqing tilted her head: "Is it something very important?"
Dai Yun stared at her bewildered face and sighed as the night watchman approached.
"Now I understand why His Majesty treats you this way. I can't tell you, but perhaps you can find out for yourself."
*
"Your Majesty, that maid's family indeed consists of only a sick mother and a disabled father. She is the only daughter in the family and originally intended to enter the palace for the imperial concubine selection, but after failing, she sold herself into servitude. In her childhood... according to investigations, it is unknown whether there was any such thing as an opera troupe. Perhaps due to the passage of time and the coming and going of people, it is unclear."
The neighbors said she was naturally quiet and reserved, not particularly clever or quick-witted. They had never heard her sing. However, she was very filial, often doing laundry and chopping firewood for wealthy families to supplement their income.
Yan Dibai, wrapped in a fox fur coat, had her makeup restored to its original state. As soon as she stepped down from the imperial carriage, the sweltering fireplace in the Xianning Palace compelled her to discard her fur coat.
Wu Xue, carrying her clothes, knelt down and straightened her discarded shoes and socks. She then washed her hands and arranged the many memorials on her desk.
Yan Dibai rubbed her fingertips, listening quietly as he finished speaking, then rested her face on her hand in annoyance.
"We're just neighbors, not people we see every day."
Wo Xue repeatedly agreed, "We also sent people in disguise to subtly inquire about her parents. In the end, we found out that the Yang family had received a considerable sum of money some time ago, far exceeding the amount paid for her sale."
His expression was grave: "The person who gave this money is in the Jade Flower Palace."
In the Jade Flower Palace lived Lady Yue Rong. Upon investigation, it seemed that the relationship between the two was quite extraordinary.
Yan Dibai didn't pause; instead, he burst into laughter: "Interesting! So many people want to kill me. If I didn't know her background, I would think she was some kind of informant!"
Wo Xue smiled obsequiously: "This servant thinks that she is not Lady Yue Rong's person. This woman is not likable in any way, at most she can only be a maidservant who can be ordered around at will. This money only appeared after she was transferred to Xianning Palace. I suppose Lady Yue Rong was anxious because she had not been favored for a long time, and seeing that Xiao Yuan Shu was at the height of his power, she sent someone to keep an eye on his movements."
Looking through the room, there was no indication that they intended to send an ordinary maid to share the emperor's favor. This was the only explanation.
Wo Xue served the hangover soup: "Your Majesty, drink this to sober up."
Yan Dibai was unusually good-tempered today, reaching out to drink the entire cup in one gulp. After finishing, he savored the taste of the medicine, head bowed, lost in thought.
Wo Xue waited patiently until nightfall, while Yan Dibai stroked the clay figure:
"I have indeed neglected the Jade Flower Palace for too long. You have reminded me."
Wo Xue smiled and said, "Where is Your Majesty going? The new beauty is waiting for you."
The boy collapsed, still holding the clay figure, and said, "Go to Yuhua Palace."
The Jade Flower Palace immediately became lively.
Under the watchful eyes of the concubines, the imperial carriage made no detours and went straight to the palace gates, which had been deserted for some time.
Lady Yue Rong was so frightened that she hurriedly got up to fix her hair and makeup, while Qi Huang scrambled to tidy up the mess, trying her best to stop the people from entering.
Yan Di didn't care about the mess, and kicked straight to the bed. He stepped over the calligraphy and paintings scattered on the floor and climbed onto the bed.
With tears in her eyes, Lady Yue Rong kept saying intimate words, thanking him for remembering Yu Hua Palace, and asking if he was feeling unwell.
Just like the previous two years, the mature woman held the young emperor and gently comforted him.
She always did things this way, and seeing the boy looking listless, she assumed that he hadn't vented his anger properly again.
Even though she was puzzled by the story between him and Yang Liuqing at dusk, Madam Yue Rong didn't mention a word about it.
She simply said, "May I rub Your Majesty's forehead? Your Majesty likes my strength the most."
Yan Dibai undressed, and a sharp pain shot through his temples. Her soft hands circled around him, and he closed his eyes slightly. After a while, her fingers moved downwards, and Yan Dibai suddenly grasped her hands.
Lady Yue Rong was delighted, but the young man removed his hand to the side, turned around, and climbed onto her bed. He then went to sleep on his own.
…It's always like this.
Only the beauty who serves you personally knows.
This young emperor was born a eunuch. He loved beautiful women, but could not enjoy them.
When she first arrived, she was relieved that he was young and unable to have sex. A wicked thought crossed her mind: perhaps he had been ruined by those incestuous royals, which was why he couldn't get an erection.
But as he grew older, he became so beautiful and striking. He was incredibly considerate and sweet, painting her nails together, applying floral decorations for her, and even putting on her makeup…
That was something Li Erge had never given her.
Although the young emperor was young, he possessed the majesty of an emperor. He was a loyal and incompetent member of the direct line.
If she could give birth to his child, the Wen family of Taiyuan would surely become the leader of the new generation of aristocratic families. The Xiao family was insignificant and not worth taking seriously, yet Xiao Yuanshu had been openly and secretly undermining her for so long.
She took a deep breath, stared at his straight profile, and after a moment, grabbed a mattress and, as she had done for most of the past two years, reluctantly made a makeshift bed on the floor.
He is drawn to beauty, yet also loathes it. He loves physical intimacy, yet detests anything more intimate.
Such contradictions are both lamentable and hateful.
That night, naturally some people cried and some people laughed.
The emperor's favor comes and goes like the wind, but fortunately she received it again. So it wasn't a loss.
*
Yan Dibai had a dream about the past.
Dark and damp. Filled with a lewd and foul odor, stained with mottled blood.
Too much and too much variety forced him to sneer. In his ups and downs, he inexplicably wanted to drink a bowl of lukewarm bean porridge to calm his mind.
He didn't think too much about why he wanted to drink bean porridge.
Perhaps it was thirst.
In his sleep, Yan Di chuckled foolishly. The woman beneath the bed trembled slightly but dared not utter a sound.
The long night is hard to end.
*
An untimely oil lamp lit up in the Wende Hall.
After resting for two hours, Yang Liuqing was unusually energetic, sitting among a pile of books that had been abandoned for many years, flipping through one book after another.
"I'll definitely find it," she murmured to herself.
Besides the daily records and sexual records of previous emperors, Yang Liuqing searched further, and again in the middle of the night, he blew away the black ash on several books buried deep in the ground, his eyes gleaming.
Part it, then turn it over.
Several sheets of paper, about a dozen, were pieced together from the daily records. Many were half burned, but when put together, some messy handwriting could still be barely seen.
Her hands trembled slightly, and her heart pounded wildly.
Fingertips touched the paper that had lost its cover, and lips moved:
[The 34th year of Chengde...]
In the thirty-fourth year of the Chengde reign, the emperor, in a drunken stupor, was born in the western cowshed of the Shanglin Garden…
Yang Liuqing read each word and saw Yan Dibai's past.
A note from the author:
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