Chapter 19: Another Attempt to Provoke Her. Yang Liuqing, upon reading this, couldn't hold back...
Upon seeing this, Yang Liuqing couldn't help but gasp softly. After recovering, she clutched the now-single page of the book.
With her eyebrows furrowed, Yang Liuqing looked away. The lamp oil was almost gone, and before she knew it, it was the next day.
She rested briefly, calming the turbulent shock within her.
So that's how Yan Dibai got his injury.
A partially blind boy born to a close relative seems to have no sense of right and wrong, nor any feelings of fear.
Her gaze then settled on the short line, "This too is a tear."
The feelings in my heart are truly complicated.
He must care, she thought, leaning forward to pull the wick out a little. Staring at the flickering wick, she carefully recalled her confrontation with Yan Dibai.
Because of his imperial status, his appearance could not be damaged. It was nothing unusual for him to use makeup to cover up his scars.
But Yan Dibai's reaction...
Thinking of the group of people who were implicated and killed because of her revelation, Yang Liuqing subconsciously gagged.
There may be a hidden reason, or he may simply be acting out of anger to intimidate himself.
She took a breath, turned the page, and began reading the last page.
With just one glance, Yang Liuqing's mood turned heavy again.
The writing on the paper was messy, half of it was burned, and the remaining half was stained with ink, making it impossible to see its original appearance.
Pointing to each item with my finger, I could only roughly make out "Yan Xifang and her younger brother..."
"Inheriting...the legacy..."
The rumor indeed had some basis. A few words were enough to spark imagination.
Coupled with Yan Dibai's abnormal appearance, it's really hard not to have wild fantasies.
After silently digesting the bombshell news, Yang Liuqing touched her goosebumps and began flipping through the books again, trying to find any missing pages.
But as the light gradually brightened, the lamp oil burned out, emitting an unpleasant odor.
The sun is rising in the east. We have to leave the scene temporarily.
After thinking for a moment, she stuffed the dozens of pages she had found into her bosom, roughly reconstructed the scene, and, taking advantage of the time before the palace servants were off duty, slipped through a small door and returned to the backyard. She changed her clothes and used a cold towel to wipe away the gloom on her body.
Just as he finished doing all this, the eunuch knocked on the door:
"Imperial Attendant Yang, here is your calligraphy of the official robes."
Yang Liuqing responded, hastily put on a blue linen jacket, opened the door, and knelt down to receive the imperial decree.
The eunuch glanced at her; the girl, her face pale and bloodless, gave a wooden thank you and took out five coins to present to him.
He laughed mockingly:
"Is that all? Are you trying to fob us off like beggars? Your Majesty, the rules in the palace are not like this."
Yang Liuqing looked embarrassed and murmured:
"I don't have much money on me. I'll definitely come to give it to you when I get my monthly salary."
"Oh dear, you flatter us. You are now a proper second-rank eunuch, serving His Majesty's daily needs. How dare you refer to yourself as a slave in front of us lowly servants?"
The eunuch smiled and said, "My servant is used to being sharp-tongued, so please bear with me, Your Majesty. But palace rules are rules after all, and everyone follows them, so it's not good to make an exception, is it?"
Yang Liuqing readily understood the suggestion to bribe officials to uphold this traditional custom, and naturally refrained from commenting on it.
Taking someone's money is like killing their parents; who would stand up to such a person?
She didn't take the eunuch's open and veiled sarcasm to heart, but simply expressed her gratitude:
"I understand, thank you for the reminder."
The eunuch glanced at the empty room and, realizing there was nothing to steal, simply left.
The house was deserted once again. The young woman took a deep breath, still troubled by her confusion regarding the relationship between Yan Xifang and Yan Dibai.
Childhood trauma and the "white moonlight" – two crucial initial factors – have both manifested themselves.
Since Yan Dibai deliberately gave her this opportunity, Yang Liuqing clenched her fist.
She will definitely find out.
With her face lowered, the mutton-fat jade plaque on the tray on the ground gleamed, next to which was the red and white striped ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) unique to a second-rank female official.
For some reason, Yang Liuqing reached out and touched it.
It's cold, and some of these things should be cold.
But when she touched it, she felt a slight heat in her palm.
*
"His Majesty is drunk; please, no idlers, disturb him!"
"His Majesty made an appointment with me to admire the snow at the Plum Pavilion, but you clearly tricked me into coming here while he was drunk! Get out of my way, I want to see His Majesty!"
There was a commotion outside the Jade Flower Palace.
Qi Huang went out to deal with that Lady Liu, while Madam Yue Rong had already washed and dressed, and was sitting at the table enjoying tea.
Hearing that persistent, clear female voice, the floating leaves were gently blown away.
I've gotten used to it by now.
Beautiful girls came one after another, and each one believed she was the emperor's only one.
Even someone as calm as her initially fell into it, trapped in the maze woven by the boy's smile, unable to find a way out.
She didn't want to be disturbed, nor was she afraid of Lady Liu. She politely ushered Qi Huang away, then prepared to tie her sleeves and go to the kitchen to make a bowl of sweet soup.
Few children in the world don't love sweets.
The same was true for the young emperor.
Just as the smoke began to rise and Madam Yue Rong was stirring the hawthorns, a person silently leaned against the vermilion gate.
The young emperor, who had woken up at some unknown time, opened his eyes slightly, his black hair a little messy, and stared at him expressionlessly.
Madam Yue Rong immediately put down the spatula, wiped her hands clean, and stepped forward to inquire after her well-being:
"Your Majesty, why don't you take a nap? It's still early, and it's not time for court yet."
Yan Dibai's brows furrowed imperceptibly, as if he had just come to his senses.
The beauty's heart tightened, and she whispered, "Your Majesty?"
The boy closed his eyes and turned his face to bask in the bright red sunlight.
"It's alright."
Lady Yue Rong nodded, intending to invite him to stay for a good breakfast, but the young man put on a fox fur coat, wrinkled his nose, and sneezed, though not a big one.
He suddenly turned to look at her, his dark eyes flat, his expression unreadable.
"Is Taiyuan a beautiful place?"
"Taiyuan," the beauty paused.
She was asked this question once on the day she first entered the palace. Every early autumn thereafter, the young emperor would ask it again when he was bored.
I thought it wouldn't happen this year, but I didn't expect him to still remember.
How is Taiyuan?
She answered as always, "It is certainly not as good as going to the capital."
Taiyuan is all yellow earth, with little greenery. If she were not a noblewoman, she would be just like any other commoner, with dark, sallow skin, withered and old.
Such a place naturally doesn't have any particularly beautiful scenery.
However, the young emperor seemed to have a peculiar curiosity about Taiyuan, but it was just curiosity.
Children who live deep within the palace walls are almost always envious of the splendor outside. Even emperors, who are above all others, are not immune to this.
A hint of nostalgia flickered in Lady Yuerong's eyes:
"When His Majesty is a few years older, perhaps he may go and see for himself."
Yan Dibai remained silent, only chuckling incoherently.
"When that day comes."
Then he flicked his sleeves, leaving only his back view.
The iron pot bubbled and simmered, and Lady Yue Rong's face suddenly froze.
Qi Huang entered the palace with a displeased expression. Seeing the burnt red fruit in the pot, she knew the unpredictable young emperor hadn't shown any mercy to his wife. She muttered a curse under her breath and then took her hand.
"Madam, please don't worry."
Lady Yue Rong untied her apron, a half-smile playing on her lips:
"Why should I be in a hurry? His Majesty has never been in my heart, so there's no use in being anxious."
Qi Huang gritted her teeth, and the beauty shoveled away the burnt black bits with a few swift movements, saying calmly:
"Qihuang, do you think these concubines are stupid or not?"
Qi Huangdun: "Naturally, I am not as intelligent as you, Madam."
Lady Yue Rong poured a ladle of water, rather casually.
"His Majesty has never undressed and slept with anyone. Since he cannot bear children, why does he pretend to be weak and helpless all day long? He will not be devoted to anyone. Hmph, just wait and see."
It was unclear why the usually gentle and composed beauty spoke so eloquently today, but Qi Huang never refuted her.
She echoed, then added solemnly, "That Yang Liuqing..."
Lady Yue Rong paused her tea-pouring hand, then smiled and said, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten."
She lowered her eyes:
"Just a toy."
The beauty laughed with schadenfreude:
"Once that princess returns to the capital, my replacement, those playthings for amusement, will gather dust overnight and be locked away in the storeroom to wither and die."
"Qihuang, let's stay hidden and not get involved. I'm curious to see what that penniless girl can come up with."
Qi Huang sneered: "Even if it blooms, it will wither in the blink of an eye."
*
After leaving the Jade Flower Palace, Yan Dibai did not continue his revelry with Consort Liu.
He has a headache.
He was still very hungry.
He wandered around, passing by the cold palace where he had lived as a child. His steps faltered slightly, and he looked over there with a heavy heart.
There were no scenes from my childhood, and the person was nowhere to be found.
Yan Dibai scoffed and walked away. But then he heard a commotion, paused, turned around and looked up, just in time to see the sparrowhawk perched on a withered tree, tilting its head at him.
Yan Dibai's eyes darkened instantly, and he cursed as he picked up a stone to throw at it. The sparrowhawk cried out in alarm and flapped its wings, flying even higher.
The boy hit it again.
Didn't hit it.
He stood there, staring at the eagle for a while, then clicked his tongue and left, looking bored.
I took a step, "Achoo!" and sneezed again.
Yan Di, with a pale face and dark complexion, wrapped his fox fur tightly around himself and sniffled.
He had to eat. So he returned to his Xianning Palace, where Woxue brought him twenty-eight plates with a smile.
Yan Dibai looked at the dishes served in exquisite lacquerware, but without taking a bite, he overturned the table.
Now, the entire hall was filled with people kneeling on the floor. Wo Xue trembled like a leaf.
"Your Majesty, may I ask if there is anything wrong with this dish?"
What could be wrong with that? Isn't this how we usually eat?
But His Majesty has gone mad, and we can't handle it!
The complaints from her subordinates naturally wouldn't reach her master's ears. Yan Di, with her white rings around her hands, uttered two words softly from her precious lips:
"Hot porridge."
Wo Xue breathed a sigh of relief; apparently, he was tired of the delicacies and wanted something plain and simple.
He hurriedly said, "I'll go cook ten bowls of porridge right away!"
But the nitpicking emperor stopped him: "Boiled beans are fine. Nothing else is needed."
Wo Xue: ...
"Yes, yes, yes!"
However, when the food was cooked and served, His Majesty frowned and smashed it with a bang.
"Millet is fine, what are these things?"
"These are all the best japonica rice..." Wo Xue chuckled and immediately ordered someone to redo it.
This time, His Majesty was absolutely certain, and finally took a bite. Before Woxue could even rejoice, he spat.
The boy spat out the porridge, a forced smile on his face.
"This isn't the taste."
"Wo Xue, are you itching for a beating?"
This is a huge injustice! Wo Xue almost burst into tears. "Your Majesty, this is the simplest way the kitchen makes it. I made it exactly as you asked. I would never dare to lie to you, not even if I had lied to my ancestors for eighteen generations!"
The palace servants knelt down in quick succession, begging for mercy for those whose lives were hanging by a thread.
Yan Dibai leaned back on the cushion, his face sullen, but surprisingly, he didn't say anything to punish anyone.
But Wo Xue knew that his emperor was holding back something. Frustrated, he had a sudden idea and tried to probe:
"If the imperial chefs in the kitchen are no good, how about I find some palace maids who can cook bean porridge? It'll be a bit crude, but it'll have its own unique flavor."
Sure enough, the young man's brows furrowed slightly, and he gave a cold snort. He didn't say anything bad.
Wo Xue quickly went down to greet them.
Because there was still some rice left, Yang Liuqing couldn't waste it. She had just borrowed an earthenware pot to cook herself a bowl of porridge when a group of eunuchs rushed in from outside.
"Who knows how to cook bean porridge? The original, authentic kind! Lord Woxue will reward you handsomely if you do it well!"
After shouting it several times, some people started to get restless. But others said:
"I'm afraid it's not Lord Woxue who wants to eat it, but His Majesty. That powerful figure is not to be trifled with. Anyone can make porridge, and even the kitchen staff can't satisfy His Majesty. If we foolishly go there, we'll be courting death."
It's unclear who has a clear understanding of the situation.
Yang Liuqing quietly closed the door and extinguished the fire. The eunuch outside shouted again, panicking.
They simply arrested people at will, and the palace maids scattered like birds in terror. Several who were caught off guard begged for mercy, and a woman's voice said:
"That Imperial Attendant Yang just borrowed a pot from Chun Tao's room to cook porridge; she knows how!"
Yang Liuqing dropped the water ladle in her hand. She thought to herself, "Chundou, you're such a clever little devil."
In the blink of an eye, the door was pushed open with a bang.
Several pale-faced eunuchs formed a human wall, and the one at the front stepped forward to take a look. He chuckled.
"Hey, really. Attendant Yang, come and do a good job with us."
Yang Liuqing suffocated.
After seeing all that, she really wasn't ready to see Yan Dibai again...
Forced to take up his post ahead of schedule, Yang Liuqing was pushed into the Xianning Palace by the eunuchs as they slipped away. He stood alone in the warm palace, before a beautiful young man wrapped in a fox fur lay sickly on a couch with his eyes closed, barefoot.
Hearing footsteps, I slowly opened my eyes.
Upon seeing that it was her, his expression turned icy.
The dusty-looking girl was momentarily at a loss, and Yan Dibai scoffed childishly, "Oh, it's you."
She stared intently, then he suddenly smiled and beckoned to her, a gesture that was strangely ambiguous.
"Come to my side."
A note from the author:
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Oh no! I didn't finish writing that part. I'll add the rest when the princess comes back T^T
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