Chapter 48 Old Sword, You Still Don't Believe Me
Imperial Palace, Cheng'en Hall
It was past 7 PM when Shen Yu, with the help of her maid, slowly stepped down from the sedan chair. Seeing that the lights in the palace were still on, she knew that Mu You had not yet gone to bed. With a light wave of her water sleeves, a palace maid carrying an eight-treasure food box hurriedly stepped forward and handed the food box to her maid.
"I heard that His Majesty has been going to bed close to midnight lately?" Shen Yu asked Chang Lu, the eunuch of Cheng'en Palace, in a low voice.
Chang Lu had served Mu You for many years and was considered one of his elders. He nodded and replied, "Your Majesty, it has been getting later and later these past few days."
"There were no major events in the previous dynasty, so where did all these memorials come from?" Shen Yu looked distressed. "Why didn't anyone advise the Emperor to take care of his health?"
Chang Lu carefully led the way with a lantern, saying, "Besides the Empress, no other concubine dares to come to Cheng'en Palace. So, the Emperor's favorite is still Your Highness, and only you can persuade him."
Shen Yu smiled with relief, looking up at the plaque of "Cheng'en Hall" in the night sky. For over twenty years, she had been the Empress, and only she truly deserved the title of "Imperial Favor in the Harem." Mu You was devoted to state affairs and rarely indulged in women. His harem, including all his concubines, numbered only six or seven, many of whom rarely saw him except at family banquets. His only two sons were born to the Empress, a testament to her deep affection and favor, which was clear to everyone in the court and the harem. Shen Yu was grateful and content.
Chengen Hall is near the Imperial Study, where Mu You spends most of his nights alone. No one is allowed to enter the inner palace without a summons. Chen Yu remembers that Lin Cai Nu, who had just given birth to a princess and was promoted to Noble Lady, became so proud that she didn't wait for the Emperor that night and came to Chengen Hall without being summoned. The usually composed Mu You was furious, and Lin Cai Nu was stripped of her title on the spot, never to be favored by the Emperor again.
Only she herself sometimes thought of the Emperor, and would visit him at night under the pretext of delivering stewed soup. The Emperor would talk to her for a while, and thinking of his concern for her, her cheeks would feel hot.
"Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived."
--"Enter."
Mu You, draped in a golden dragon-embroidered nightgown, sat on the dragon bed. Hearing the door open, he didn't even flinch. With one hand, he gently stroked the dragon head carved on the bed handle, while with the other, he held the Meteor Sword and examined it closely. His demeanor was calm and composed, his brows exuding a dignified air. His deep eyes were sharp as swords, making people afraid to look directly at him. Even after more than twenty years of marriage with him, Shen Yu was still awestruck by his innate kingly aura whenever she visited him. She would carefully consider her words, afraid of saying the wrong thing.
"You've arrived." Mu You nodded slightly, released his hand from the handle, and reached out to Chen Yu. "Come and keep me company."
Chang Lu opened the food box, took out a bowl and placed it on the table, and gestured for the palace servants to leave. Chen Yu stepped forward happily, lifted the lid of the bowl and blew out the steam, "I heard that you've been sleeping late lately, so I specially stewed a bowl of bird's nest porridge for you. Look, it's still warm."
Seeing Mu You's gaze fixed on the sword blade, and realizing that she hadn't received a single proper look from him since entering the room, Shen Yu had no choice but to put down her bowl and pretend to be annoyed, saying, "I thought Your Majesty was reading memorials, but it turns out you've been captivated by this sword. If others knew, they would think Your Majesty had taken a new sword concubine."
"Oh?" Mu You looked away. "If you can really take a sword as your concubine, you'll be obsessed with swords."
Once the conversation started, Chen Yu was secretly pleased and said with a smile, "You've had this sword for a while now, haven't you had enough of looking at it?"
"I can't get enough of looking at it." Mu You loosened his grip on the hilt of the sword with difficulty, and presented it to the table with great care. He took the bird's nest porridge that Chen Yu brought him, chewed it, and his eyes were still fixed on the blade, as if something was pulling him. "This is the best sword I have ever acquired in my life. It's a pity that the Empress... doesn't know how to judge swords."
"Even better than that sword?" Shen Yu glanced at a precious sword hanging above the dragon bed. That sword had followed Mu You for many years, and had been with him ever since the suppression of the rebellion in Xiguan. Mu You used this sword to kill countless enemies, and it was thanks to it that he broke through the encirclement. After ascending the throne, it was placed in Chengen Hall, and he personally wiped it every day, never entrusting it to anyone else.
Mu You's hand, which was scooping porridge, stopped abruptly. His tongue stung and bled. He put down the bowl and stopped moving.
"I was just talking nonsense," Shen Yu said, her voice lowered as she lowered her head. "I know nothing about weapons."
After the Grand Secretary Shen Yu, his family had been civil officials for generations, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but completely ignorant of swordsmanship. Although his elder brother Shen Ao was the head of the inner workshop, he was merely relying on the family to obtain a lucrative position, and probably couldn't explain what casting techniques were either.
Shen Yu had considered catering to his interests, learning swordsmanship so she could discuss it with Mu You. Unfortunately, if he wasn't interested, he simply wasn't. The murderous aura of swords was too strong, and Shen Yu's weak constitution made it impossible to force her. As time passed, she gradually came to terms with it. Mu You was a sword fanatic, but even his fantasies were about inanimate objects. Why should a living person compete with an inanimate object? For example, her talk of a "sword consort"—Mu You would only find it amusing; he would never actually bring her into his harem.
Mu You noticed the melancholy between Shen Yu's brows, put down his bowl and cup and took her soft hand in his. "Sword appreciation isn't very interesting. It's just that I'm obsessed with it. Tonight, we won't appreciate swords. We'll only talk to the Empress."
Shen Yu covered her mouth and chuckled softly, leaning against his broad shoulder. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the Meteor Sword on the table. At first glance, it seemed unremarkable. Curious, she picked it up and shook it. The blade flashed with blood shadows, then disappeared in the blink of an eye. Shen Yu was so frightened that her hand trembled, and the hilt slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.
"I didn't mean to!" Shen Yu exclaimed.
"It's alright." Mu You's face darkened, though it was fleeting, but Shen Yu still noticed it. Mu You bent down to pick up the Meteor Sword, carefully wiped it with the embroidered dragon sleeve, and looked at it in the candlelight for a long time. Only when he saw that it was completely undamaged did he gently put it down.
"Your Majesty... I really didn't mean to." Shen Yu clutched Mu You's clothes, her voice trembling with nervousness.
"I said, it's alright." Mu You pulled out his robe, stood up, walked to the foot of the bed, put his hands behind his back, looked up at the old sword hanging there, and said nothing more.
"Your Majesty..." Shen Yu hurriedly stood up, unsure whether to go forward or backward. "It seems I shouldn't have come tonight." Seeing Mu You's hesitation, Shen Yu gave a bitter smile. "Your Majesty, I take my leave."
Even after Shen Yu left, Mu You did not turn around. Looking back at the "Cheng En" sign, which flickered in the lamplight, Shen Yu felt a deep sorrow. Cheng En, Cheng En—where was the favor? How much favor was there? The so-called Cheng En was nothing more than begging for favor.
In the empty palace, Mu You raised his arm and took down the old sword hanging on the wall. The sword was weathered and heavy, its entire body gleaming with a cold light. The scabbard was made of ironwood, with interwoven patterns of smoke and clouds, as if time itself had stood still. Mu You gripped the hilt tightly, as if he wanted to draw the sword. He recalled many years ago when he held this sword in his hand, determined to go to the pass to quell the rebellion. Three thousand archers perished, and he drew the sword and let out a final, resounding cry, piercing the sky above the Eagle Ridge Pass.
Standing frozen for a long time, Mu You still couldn't draw his old sword. With the sword hanging in front of the bed, Mu You exhaled a turbid breath. Perhaps he was really old and tired. In his drowsy state, it seemed as if someone had taken his beloved old sword from his eyes again. The swordsman held the sword under the moon, as graceful as a young phoenix. The blade was so bright that it seemed to steal the clear moonlight. Just as he was about to see the person's face clearly, the swordsman raised his sword and rose up without touching the ground. He had already ridden away on the wind.
For four or five days, Shen Ao made no progress whenever he went to the inner workshop. He only saw Wu Shuang facing the Kunwu Stone with her eyes closed in thought. Several times, Shen Ao thought she had fallen asleep. He was furious but dared not lash out. He had not only accepted the decree sent by Cui Jin, but was also full of ambition. It was Wu Shuang who had made a promise to him. Losing face was a small matter. If he lost the big piece of fat meat that was the inner workshop, he would have nowhere to cry.
But right now, this was the only person he could rely on. Suppressing his pent-up dissatisfaction, Shen Ao shook his wide robe and forced a fawning smile.
"Did Miss Wushuang have any gains today?" Shen Ao approached cautiously.
Wushuang remained silent and did not respond. The blacksmith beside him shook his head at Chen Ao. The Kunwu stone on the table had not been moved for several days. He just stared at it like that. Could he really make the stone melt? There were only ten days left in the inner workshop. It was difficult to melt the black iron in ten days. He was probably looking for a way out for himself.
"I've sent people to investigate." Shen Ao sat down opposite Wushuang, his voice trembling. "Xingguo Warehouse is keeping a tight rein on things, and we can't get any information about the progress. All we know is that... a few days ago, Xingguo Warehouse went to the Ghost Market to buy a batch of diamond sand. Coincidentally, the Crown Prince also had some purchased a few days ago and it's stored in the inner warehouse. I'm wondering... could there be a secret to this sword test in this diamond sand?"
"That's the advantage of being a visitor from a deserted island," Wushuang said languidly. "Rootless and without foundation, without relatives or friends, wary of everything, fearful of everyone, viewing everyone as a formidable enemy, money can't be bribed, favors can't be bought... Everyone is self-contained, there's no need to integrate with the outside world, sending people to gather information will be fruitless..."
“They can’t possibly pull off something,” Shen Ao snapped his fingers. “It’s just a show of mystery.” Seeing that Wushuang finally spoke, Shen Ao pressed on, “There are only ten days left. We’re just watching this dead thing without making any moves. Wouldn’t that be a boon to Xingguo Workshop? In my opinion, we should start the furnace as soon as possible and forge a black iron sword to tide us over. It’s better than arriving empty-handed.”
"A five-pound Xuan Tie sword, you expect me to use it to compete with Xingguo Fang?" Wushuang raised an eyebrow. "Your attempt at this is truly perfunctory."
"Then what good ideas do you have?" Shen Ao could hardly contain his anger.
“I think your method is excellent.” Wushuang nodded repeatedly, pressing his hand on the table. “Why not just forge a Xuan Tie sword and gamble on it?”
"What are we betting on?" Shen Ao's forehead was beaded with sweat.
"The sword forged by Xingguo Workshop is just a Xuan Tie sword. Since it's the same sword, the competition comes down to the swordsman." Wushuang opened his eyes, his gaze meaningful. "Xuan Tie is heavy and I'm not used to it. Five catties is just right."
"Fencers..."
"What?" Wushuang leaned down, pressing him. "Do you not trust the Xuan Tie Sword in the inner workshop, or do you not trust me?"
Chen Ao wiped the sweat from his forehead. Wu Shuang smiled, her eyes like a crescent moon at midnight, her teeth sharp as scimitars. Wu Shuang had been pondering for days, and her gamble was that Xingguo Fang was even more incompetent than the Inner Fang? Now that they were in the same boat, he could only do as she said. If they lost, he would drive this madwoman out of the Inner Fang.
Wushuang rose and walked into the courtyard. She relaxed her expression and squinted at the red sun in the sky. The furnace was lit, and the blacksmith began his work with practiced ease. The wind whistled, and the burly sword slaves sweated profusely. Wushuang took a deep breath of the pungent smell of iron filings entering the furnace. Suddenly, she raised her arm and swung it in an arc towards the courtyard. With a "crack" sound, the ancient tree in the courtyard trembled slightly, and a few pine leaves slowly fell. Chen Ao was dumbfounded, his half-open, dry lips unable to close for a long time.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
