Chapter 107 1.
Unexpectedly, within just a few days, the Crown Prince's Palace actually produced a "favored concubine".
Rumor has it that Xu, a palace maid, has won the Crown Prince's favor, spending several nights in his bedchamber and indulging his pleasure every night. This also refutes the claim that the Crown Prince is averse to women and suffers from a hidden illness.
After Xu Shuying entered the Crown Prince's bedchamber that day, the Emperor first summoned her on a whim, and then Consort Ning followed suit by summoning her as well.
Although Xu Shuying was a palace maid who served others before, she was always protected by Lady Sun after entering the palace and never suffered any hardship, nor did she make any significant progress. Despite experiencing dangers, she still maintained an innocent and carefree demeanor.
Suddenly thrust into such a situation, she was inevitably at a loss. The endless stream of gifts, the envious glances from others, and the rather amiable Consort Ning all made her uneasy.
However, these things were naturally not something I dared to say out loud.
However, the Crown Prince remained silent throughout, and did not even reveal any favoritism towards Lady Xu. Those below him were puzzled and unable to fathom the Crown Prince's thoughts, and when word got out, various rumors and interpretations arose.
Consort Ning ordered someone to escort Xu Shuying out properly, then looked at Yan Chao with a questioning gaze: "What did you do to that young girl?"
Yan Chao pursed his lips: "I didn't do anything. Your Majesty, you know... What could I do? I had someone settle her in the outer hall, and I didn't make things difficult for her."
"If it were you... then so be it, but you know you can't give her what she wants, so why drag her into this? You schemed to put that delicate girl into the Eastern Palace, and once she was in, that was it. It wasn't her business, and she could have lived a peaceful life. Now you're pulling her out again. I understand, it's all about your own affairs... As long as your position is unstable, do you expect others to have no peace?"
Yan Chao clenched his fists tightly, staring silently at Consort Ning. His gaze was exactly the same as when Consort Zhuang had her accident—a mixture of disappointment and distance. Even though there was later ample evidence proving that she wasn't responsible, and Consort Ning had relented, Yan Chao knew that some barriers could never be erased.
"How do you know that Xu Shuying wasn't sent by my sister-in-law to spy on me?" she squeezed out, her tone devoid of any warmth.
"What...what did you say?" Consort Ning asked in surprise, turning her head to stare at her for a long while before suddenly shaking her head: "Since you suspect that Madam Xu has a problem, you should keep a close eye on her. Why push her out here?"
"If the Sun family can scheme against me, why can't I fight back?" She felt a slight sense of desolation and chuckled softly, "Am I supposed to wait until, like Fourth Brother, someone puts poison in my cup and I'm completely unaware, just sitting here waiting to die?"
She looked a little tired: "If she's alright, I naturally won't hurt her; if she really is a spy, I will definitely kill her. It's all about survival, who has it easier than whom? Some medicines are as sweet as porridge, silent and painless."
With a loud "bang," the sound of the scissors hitting the ground was shrill and piercing.
Consort Ning's breath caught in her throat, a buzzing sound filled her ears, and her face turned deathly pale, clearly terrified. Her eyes were fixed on her trembling hands, and in a daze, she caught a glimpse of Yan Chao bending down to pick up the scissors and gently placing them on the table.
"Chao, Chao'er..."
.
This time, Lan Huaien was sensible and didn't add fuel to the fire; he simply watched the show with great interest.
The autumn sun shone brightly in the study. After finishing his report, Lan Huaien lingered, saying, "Your Highness told me a few days ago that you wanted to push Xu away, but now you've taken her into your arms yourself. Aren't you even bothered?"
Yan Chao ignored his words and said only, "Yesterday, someone did indeed advise me that Xu is the sister of the Grand Eunuch and should not be my bedmate, for fear that she is colluding with you and has ulterior motives."
Lan Huaien curled his lip: "I hate my elder brother Xu Zhen to the core, let alone Xu Shuying, who is completely unrelated to me. She entered the palace early and I have little interaction with her. However, in terms of background, we are in the same boat..."
He paused abruptly, then looked up: "Your Highness doesn't believe me, does he?"
“You’re right.” Yan Chao touched his chin thoughtfully, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He then lowered his eyes, got up, walked around him, and went to get something from the shelf.
Lan Huaien followed, but before he could offer any help, she turned around, her wide sleeves gathering in the air as her robes gracefully draped down in the gentle breeze. Her clear, composed face suddenly gained a touch of refined elegance.
"Your Highness is joking." He followed closely back and stood at the corner of the table.
Yan Chao opened the book in his hand, his eyes catching sight of Lan Huaien standing just inches away, and a strange feeling stirred within him. He spoke, however, "Are you both idle in the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Eastern Depot?"
"I'm not busy, not at all. But I'm too busy to come here for Your Highness. You're the one who's busy with all the affairs of state..."
"Enough with the nonsense." Her tone hardened slightly. "Don't be too presumptuous lately. I can't stop the court officials from submitting memorials, and if you anger His Majesty one day, I won't be able to protect you either."
Lan Huaien chuckled and shrugged indifferently: "I have always been a treacherous eunuch whom everyone in the world hates and wants to punish. I have always been arrogant and my nature is hard to change."
Yan Chao looked up upon hearing this, his displeasure clearly visible in his eyes: "What good will doing this do you?"
Lan Huaien was all too familiar with that expression, and the atmosphere around him immediately froze. He could detect a hint of restrained impatience in that tone, as well as a touch of coldness.
He was always careful not to upset her, and he would immediately correct himself if she was even slightly displeased. However, Yan Chao did not seem to take him to heart.
Perhaps it was his tendency to be close to someone he liked and distant from them when he disliked them that gave him the illusion that Yan Chao was willing to accept him. Even though he had tasted the warmth and sweetness of those lips when they were at their most intimate.
He knew the answers to some questions, so even relying on his so-called "nature," he couldn't bring himself to ask them.
He used to stand in the darkness protecting her, willingly guarding that iron tree that never bloomed, believing it to be a rare pure land in the world.
The last person to wait like this was Shen Wei, who never broke through that barrier until his death, and buried himself with his feelings.
Having learned from past mistakes, he dared not repeat them, nor was he willing to leave with regrets. A man like him, who knew when his head might be separated from his body? Was he destined to never see that day again?
Looking into the deep pool in her eyes, he suddenly felt a frantic urge to know what the passion deep within her heart truly looked like.
"You teach me" is far from enough.
"It's fun." Lan Huaien smirked, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk. Knowing he needed to avoid suspicion, he turned his back and didn't look at the scrolls on Yan Chao's desk.
"Your Highness follows the path of a wise ruler, thus winning the hearts of the people. I am different. I crawled out of a mass grave. No matter how fine my clothes are, others will see me as covered in blood and filth. Caring so much is useless; it only makes things worse. I have lived to this day because I respect myself, and I have become a eunuch because I despise myself. In the court and officialdom, there are so many intricate games. If I were to meddle recklessly, a bunch of clowns would jump out in a panic. It's much more interesting to watch than the play on the stage."
Yan Chao gripped the book pages with his fingertips, glancing at his back as it was so close to his own. He frowned and said, "You know perfectly well whether you're a eunuch or not. There are so many paths a man can take. Why do you have to choose to degenerate? Even among eunuchs, not all eunuchs throughout history have been so reckless and cruel."
Upon hearing these words, she was momentarily dazed. The eunuch in front of her, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot and the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, were the villains she had once resented and wanted to eliminate, who had once been thousands of miles away from her, and the two were irreconcilable enemies.
Yet, this very person, unknowingly, also boarded his treacherous ship. From then on, she secretly donned a mask, becoming inextricably linked to "colluding with the wicked" and "going along with the corrupt."
"No matter what, I have reached the pinnacle of my position, haven't I? Centuries later, history will remember a eunuch named Lan Huai'en, whose heinous crimes are too numerous to mention. Not just some illegitimate son, Xu Yue, or some nameless eunuch. Didn't Your Highness once ask me what I sought? I sought fame, I sought infamy."
Yan Chao was stunned. After a moment of astonishment, he shook his head and murmured, "You're really a madman."
She had never seen anyone go so crazy.
"Then Your Highness, will you punish me severely? The memorials impeaching me have all been secretly withheld by me in the Directorate of Ceremonial. If they leak out, I will surely die." He changed his usual playful demeanor to a serious expression, clearly not joking.
Yan Chao remained silent for a moment, then looked at him with a mocking expression: "What, are you also planning to learn from Shen Wei?"
What's wrong with these people? They're begging to die, and they even come to her in front of her.
Lan Huaien had no idea what had happened between her and Shen Wei. Although he was somewhat puzzled by her reaction, he continued, "Your Highness has concerns? Yes, if it weren't for the fact that I still have leverage over you, you probably would have wanted to kill me long ago. No, it should be that your murderous intent is even deeper..."
"Shut up!"
When will this ever end?
Shen Wei had threatened to reveal her identity, and now Lan Huaien was using the same thing to provoke her. These were people she had once trusted, but in the end, they had repeatedly pressured and made things difficult for her.
Yan Chao suddenly stood up and strode towards him, stopping a step away. A few wisps of wind swept across her face, and when she met Lan Huaien's gaze, her eyes felt slightly itchy.
However, Lan Huaien showed no panic whatsoever. He calmly took a small step back and was about to bow when he suddenly heard Yan Chao order, "Close the window."
He paused for a moment, then turned to close the window. He withdrew his hand, then, after a second thought, pulled the curtains shut. As he turned back, he glanced at the closed door.
For a fleeting moment, wild thoughts began to race through her mind: what was she going to do...?
The hall darkened, and Lan Huaien stood before her. The distance was too close; perhaps due to their hierarchical relationship, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to looking at her like this, and even felt a little awkward. He lowered his gaze, only seeing the four golden dragon patterns embroidered on her robe at her chest, exuding unparalleled nobility.
He suddenly had a strange feeling. Who would have thought that beneath this golden and precious exterior lay a beautiful woman?
As his thoughts drifted, the hands suddenly reached for his waist. Confused, he exclaimed in surprise, "...Your Highness?"
Yan Chao didn't respond, his hands continuing their work, slowly and methodically untying the jade belt around his waist. Then, his left hand reached under his armpit to untie his belt.
Lan Huaien finally tightened his arms around himself, and couldn't help but ask, his face pale, "Does Your Highness wish to undergo a physical examination?" He glanced around, though it was quite dark, and said, "Here? Isn't this inappropriate..."
She didn't speak.
Lan Huaien obediently released his arms, letting her untie him. His upper garment was undone, but his lower garment remained untouched. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then carefully observed Yan Chao's expression. From her face to her ears, there was no redness. His throat tightened involuntarily, and he suddenly remembered her soft lips and burning earlobes.
She pulled open his cross-collared robe... underneath was his undergarment, and her hand reached inside, pressing against his left chest. The sudden chill made his head spin, and he involuntarily hissed.
"you……"
He managed to stand firm, but his breathing was still heavy. His strong chest heaved uncontrollably, and the heart hidden beneath his robes was being held in her palm, beating powerfully.
He could hear only the rapid, urgent beating of his own heart.
Her hand gradually warmed, yet refused to leave, lingering in his heart. He was driven to unbearable itch by her repeated caresses, and with a determined bite, he pulled her tightly into his arms, then lowered his head to seek her lips.
But Yan Chao tilted her head slightly; she didn't want to kiss him. Her palms held the warmth of his chest, and she nestled in his embrace, the two pressed tightly together.
She knew perfectly well what kind of person he was. A burning heart, a broad chest, a vibrant life, a dashing appearance, a belly full of wicked schemes, and so stubborn as to refuse to turn back.
"I don't examine the body, I examine the heart."
She transformed her fingers into a knife and pen, her fingertips moving with a fierce intensity, tracing bold and profound lines across his chest. Each stroke was like a powerful brushstroke, meticulously carving into his flesh and blood.
A chill ran down Lan Huaien's spine, and the pain in his chest was neither too intense nor too mild, still carrying a burning sensation. He had no time to discern what she had written, only a vague thought that if he were to give her a knife now, she would likely be covered in blood.
His heart pounded in his ears, his lips suddenly felt dry, and his voice was slightly hoarse: "What is Your Highness writing?"
Yan Chao stopped what he was doing, and while pulling up his clothes, he replied, "I'm not telling you."
Lan Huaien hastily put on his clothes, then hugged her and kissed her forehead: "I will bring a knife back, so that the stabs will last a long time."
"Don't smear your blood on me." She left his embrace, her eyelashes lowered, making her expression unreadable.
She's gone mad today; she actually tried to tear off Lan Huaien's clothes.
It seems that at first there was resentment, resentment that he was disobedient, and hatred that he was such a person. Later, when her fingertips became numb, her heart inexplicably ached.
Was it for that hastily drawn portrait, or for his passable appearance, or perhaps for his frenzied behavior and fiery lips during their intimate encounters? If she were on guard, the things he did for her in secret were nothing more than manipulation; his identity was enough to tempt her to kill.
Not to mention the useless bouquets that were delivered every few days; the vases were no longer empty, and their vibrant colors and fragrances disturbed her peace of mind.
She wanted him to behave.
But he happens to be Lan Huaien.
"If His Majesty were to execute me, would Your Highness plead for my life?"
Yan Chao snapped out of his reverie, pondering as he straightened his clothes, before finally nodding, "Yes."
Lan Huaien found the answer quite unexpected, and her eyes lit up. Just as she was about to ask more questions, she heard her continue, "To kill you, I would have to do it myself."
"...Your Highness is so cruel."
Lan Huaien closed her eyes resignedly. Yan Chao was nothing like a woman.
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