Chapter 12 There's a problem. "Tell me, what secrets do I have?..."
"Tell me, what secrets do I hold?"
Whether His Majesty was muttering to himself or truly asking himself the question, it was unclear. Wo Xue, his hands tucked into his wide sleeves, took a step back, bowing slightly.
"But that lowly servant believed the rumors in the palace and fabricated stories? I'll have her beaten to death right now!"
Wo Xue disliked this little maid who had appeared out of nowhere. Anyone could see that she was hiding her true intentions, let alone someone as experienced as him.
Not long after His Majesty ascended the throne, there were many palace maids who wanted to climb into the Emperor's bed.
Admittedly, a few succeeded. But who is His Majesty? He tires of the old and craves the new even faster than the late Emperor; within days, all those palace maids were dead. And as for the concubines, over the years, every corner of the palace has been filled with the wronged souls.
Those who cause trouble, those who stir up trouble, and those who become arrogant because of favor—these have appeared quite often in the past. They all enjoyed favor for only a few days, and then they all went to the underworld. Therefore, it was the obedient and gentle Lady Yue Rong who enjoyed favor for the longest time.
Wo Xue had just roughly guessed the ins and outs of the matter.
This Yang Liuqing had nothing, but she was clever enough to find another way to serve His Majesty. Although His Majesty disliked her, at least she didn't die and became a female official.
Tsk tsk tsk.
It's not a simple one.
Yan Di picked up the paperweight from the imperial desk and fiddled with it, paying no heed to the attendant's inner turmoil. His gaze drifted, lost in thought, "A secret..."
A flicker of light, and there it was again—that scheming maid named Yang Liuqing. Her innocent eyes were fixed on him, her gaze, like a nasty plaster, relentlessly scavenging and groping him from head to toe.
Yan Dibai's hand, which was slamming down the paperweight, suddenly stopped.
"Light up."
He strode away, the elegantly dressed youth looking at himself in the mirror. Instantly, a hearty laugh erupted from the long-unlit Xianning Palace.
The laughter turned into a deafening wail.
Wo Xue kept her head down, her legs trembling, not daring to look at the huge, exquisite bronze mirror. She had even less courage to peek at the Emperor's face.
Yan Dibai sat cross-legged on the couch, his face expressionless as he stared at his smudged face in the mirror.
Fair skin, red lips, and a straight nose. With double-layered phoenix eyes, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
Unfortunately, a five-inch-long, unsightly scratch extends from below his right eye socket. Over the years, the scar has long since faded. But this mark remains, constantly reminding him, without the application of powder, of the ugly scar that once stood there.
He feigned sudden realization, understanding the "secret" Yang Liuqing had mentioned.
Yan Dibai suddenly lowered his head and burst into laughter: "So that's how it is!"
The laughter stopped abruptly. He raised his hand, his fingertips kneading, and the mottled makeup was peeled away, appearing like scattered gold dust in the candlelight.
Suddenly, Yan Dibai dropped the bronze mirror and asked, "Where did the jade powder you've been using come from?" His tone was flat, as if he were just mentioning it casually.
Wo Xue was covered in sweat, and upon hearing the question, she quickly replied:
"Your Majesty, this has always been a secret formula kept in the palace. It dissolves poorly in water and nourishes and brightens the skin—"
Yan Dibai looked like he was about to smile but couldn't quite manage it.
"It must have been obtained by the purchasing department."
The purchasing department is trying to pass off inferior goods as superior ones? Wo Xue exclaimed in shock: "How could this be? How dare they! This servant will go and question them immediately!"
"No need." Yan Dibai's eyebrows curved into crescents, and her red lips and white teeth shone brightly in the candlelight.
"Kill the entire Purchasing Department and the Imperial Pharmacy."
*
Yang Liuqing hadn't moved to the place where the middle-level workers lived yet. When she got up to wash her face in the morning, she vaguely heard a group of people whispering.
After leaving Xianning Palace, the palace servants avoided her. Their eyes held scrutiny and resentment. Yang Liuqing pretended not to see them and even nodded to them.
This group of people actually distanced themselves from her.
Fortunately, I had expected it. Just like when a classmate who had always been unremarkable and quiet in junior high school suddenly stood out, I inevitably encountered different kinds of looks at the beginning.
She walked steadily, still adhering to etiquette, back to her room. Only after locking all the doors and windows did she cover her face and begin to tremble.
Yang Liuqing didn't cry much; she was mostly just relieved to have survived. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, she didn't wash up this time and drifted off to sleep on the footstool by the bed.
She unlatched the door, unsure if they were talking about her. She felt a little uneasy, but only for a moment. She straightened her back and decided to go report to Eunuch Wang herself.
But as soon as she looked up, a sudden, amplified gasp startled Yang Liuqing, causing her to stumble backward and fall heavily onto the threshold.
Hanging on the courtyard wall were countless bloodied corpses, all lined up neatly. Ropes bound their necks, forcing them to raise their heads. Their faces bore dark red, gaping holes in their eyes and mouths, as if they had been gouged out.
Purgatory.
Yang Liuqing suddenly turned away and began to retch violently, tears and snot streaming down her face. She tried to calm herself down, but images of faces missing their eyes and mouths kept replaying in her mind.
The vomit seeped into the cracks in the brickwork, filling the air with a foul odor. Qingqing frantically scrambled back into the house and pounded on the door. A series of uncontrollable heartbeats gripped her, and suddenly the sounds outside became clear, reaching her ears.
"I'm new here. How did they offend His Majesty?"
"It is said that His Majesty disliked the fragrant jade powder made by the Imperial Pharmacy and suspected that the purchasing department colluded with them to pass off inferior goods from the common people as superior ones."
"Ah, why is it hanging in this courtyard? This isn't their residence, so who are they trying to intimidate?"
"Haven't you heard? A new female official is coming up here soon. She's young but very capable. But I don't know why she's being put here. Is it to make an example of her, to warn her to be meticulous and thorough in her work from now on?"
“…” Yang Liuqing covered her ears.
Yan Dibai indeed discovered her lie.
So, he threatened her.
Yang Liuqing slowly hugged her knees. Her empty gaze drifted and scattered, unable to regroup for a long time.
Unsurprisingly, this scene will be etched in her heart for the rest of her life.
There was a knock on the door, and the eunuch said:
"Yang Tongshi, today is your first day in office, so don't slack off."
Yang Liuqing paused for a moment, then quickly wiped the mess off her face. She whispered:
"Thank you for reminding me, sir. I'll be right there."
The office is not nearby. I changed clothes upon arrival. I wore a straight-collared, front-opening dress, a two-tone ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and had my hair in two buns.
Yang Liuqing clumsily combed her hair and was led to the Wende Hall. The case files were like a sea, many covered in dust. As she looked through them one by one, she felt a strange urge to look away.
The eunuch asked, "Can you read? Don't end up reciting it verbally."
Yang Liuqing asked, bewildered, "May I ask what the duties of the Imperial Historian are?"
The man looked at her in surprise. "You don't know?"
She looked bewildered, while the eunuch smiled maliciously.
"From now on, you will be in charge of recording which concubine His Majesty favors, and you must compile the records each time."
Yang Liuqing choked.
Yan Dibai genuinely believed she liked him and was deliberately trying to make her uncomfortable and resentful. Unfortunately, she wasn't there for palace intrigue.
Although he ruined all the plans he had made, it was worth it to have this opportunity to get close to her, and he even had more freedom of movement than the concubines.
"Alright," the eunuch said, seeing her silence, a look of intense gossip on his face.
"I'll find you a primer, you can learn it yourself. Don't bother me unless it's important. Oh, and by the way, my name is Dai Yun."
Yang Liuqing subconsciously thanked him, then suddenly paused, "Dai Yun?"
If I remember correctly, Dai Xian's godfather is him?
Dai Yun chuckled:
"I've heard that kid mention a skinny little maid in the Imperial Palace. My godson is a bit slow, so he asked me to look after you."
Yang Liuqing caught the book he threw to her and smiled, "Thank you."
She buried herself in her studies and learned very carefully.
The next day, Yang Liuqing was able to roughly guess the meaning of the clerical script. Dai Yun was very surprised, "I thought it was already amazing that you could write your own name, but wow, you're quite a rare genius."
Yang Liuqing pulled out her magic weapon: "When I was young, I met a troupe of people who were very kind. They taught me to read, but as time has passed, I no longer dare to nod my head." She then smiled shyly at him.
Dai Yun said meaningfully, "Alright, let's eat. The food was alright today, but I'm too full. You can have my portion."
Yang Liuqing pursed her lips and sincerely thanked him once.
Dai Yun glanced sideways: "Thanking me all the time is annoying, even if you're not. Go away!"
She laughed. However, Yang Liuqing did not take office for a whole week.
The reason was simple: Yan Dibai hadn't entered the inner palace. Fortunately, her work was mostly indoors, shielding her from the elements. Yang Liuqing, on the other hand, stayed in the Wende Hall. She greeted everyone she met with a smile, even though the other female officials always looked down on her…
As I waited, I took a shower one day, and my pants were too short. When I looked in the water again, my skin seemed to have become much whiter.
The next day she asked, and Dai Yun pondered:
"It really is true, girl, you've become quite beautiful."
He smiled and rested his chin on his hand: "It's pleasing to the eye now."
Yang Liuqing was taken aback, and Dai Yun's muttering seemed to speak for her: "Strange, how come you've suddenly become so handsome?"
"Tong Shi, come quickly!" a servant called out, interrupting the two men's idle chatter.
Yang Liuqing was in high spirits, and her first time serving others began.
In the afternoon, Yan Dibai, who had reportedly been addicted to cockfighting some time ago, finally rekindled his longing for beautiful women and chose Lady Hongzhu to serve him in bed.
She followed behind the imperial carriage, her eyes fixed straight ahead. Inside, the two leaned against each other, Lady Hongzhu feeding Yan Dibai grapes. The young man, his face still covered in a thick layer of powder, laughed heartily, their sweet embrace carried on the fragrant breeze. Conservatively speaking, the music and singing used to attract attention appeared at least a dozen times around each corner.
Yang Liuqing pretended not to see the mockery and malice that was faintly seen from above.
After swallowing the fruit offered by the beauty, Yan Dibai withdrew his gaze and continued to flirt with his beloved concubine.
When her slender, white hand reached out again, he squeezed it. Lady Hongzhu pouted coquettishly, and Yan Di's white lips curved into a smile:
"My beloved concubine has skin as smooth as jade, which I adore. You must take good care of it and prevent it from getting dark."
Lady Hongzhu snuggled into his arms.
Yang Liuqing: "..." She took notes.
Yan Dibai didn't get up until noon the next day. Yang Liuqing hadn't been able to close her eyes and kept dozing off while standing outside the door.
Finally, all that was written was "The Emperor rose after noon" and returned to the Wende Hall. Dai Yun looked at it with disdain:
"No, you didn't record how many times you called for water? You didn't record any major disturbances? You didn't record what stuff you used?"
Yang Liuqing blushed, realizing that something was wrong.
"He... he didn't call for water."
"Where's the commotion?"
"It seemed like he was always laughing, and then there was singing."
"Did you go in and see what they used inside?"
No, no.
"Did it not go in, or was it useless?"
"No, none of them."
Dai Yun rolled his eyes at her, utterly bewildered: "What's wrong with His Majesty?" He then went to search through the old emperor's files, where every position was clearly described. Yang Liuqing's ears turned red as she read it.
Is the young emperor perhaps having some kind of problem in that area?
Dai Yun slammed the book shut: "Explore again, write again!"
A note from the author:
----------------------
Qing: Is there something wrong with him?
Bai: You caught me! (smug)
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