Chapter 5
The Regent leaned back lazily in his chair, seemingly unconcerned about the chaos before him. He was about to wave his hand to dismiss the court when the Emperor spoke in a low voice: "The Imperial Medical Academy."
The three words, like ripples on a still lake, stunned the entire hall. A figure appeared and disappeared behind the beaded curtain: "Warn Marquis Wenyuan to lead the Imperial Physician and bring the 'Thousand Gold Prescriptions for Snake Venom' to our aid."
The Grand Censor rushed forward: "Your Majesty, those barbarians from the southern border..."
"Uncle Wang's teachings are very true." The Emperor suddenly interrupted, reaching out to lift the beaded curtain, revealing a pair of eyes filled with genuine love for the people: "The southern border cannot be resolved by war. I do not wish for a major conflict, but only for the peace and well-being of my people."
The ministers all knelt down and shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"
The Emperor seemed to be honored, and lightly opened his mouth: "I hereby bestow upon Marquis Wenyuan the Tiger Tally for mobilizing troops, solely to protect the medical team gathering herbs. Anyone who ventures even half a step into the border shall be executed!"
Although Ling Zhouli held the Tiger Tally, if he openly refused to help the people in distress, it would alienate the people, violate the proper conduct of a ruler, and be condemned by the world.
Ling Zhou smiled and said softly, "Your Majesty loves the people, which pleases me greatly." After speaking, he turned to the military officer and said, "Lin Wuyong, you will accompany Marquis Wenyuan to treat the people in three days. There must be no mistakes."
"Your Majesty, I obey!" The voice was loud and respectful, even more loyal and fearless than when he had just shouted "Your Majesty is wise."
The young emperor chuckled and remained silent. He flicked his sleeve to brush away the ink stains, revealing the flooded memorial—newly written in tiny characters next to the character for "relief": "The imperial treasury shall allocate three thousand boxes of wound medicine to accompany the medical team."
"Dismiss the court."
The two words were clear and melodious, like the cry of a crane, and the beaded curtain fell with a thud. Behind the throne, a glimpse of a black robe flashed by, the dragon pattern embroidered in gold thread on the sleeve edge long since replaced with a white Ze beast carrying medicinal herbs.
Behind the emperor, gazes slithered from behind the dragon pillar, sticky as vipers crossing ice, gnawing at the flesh beneath his black and crimson robes.
*
In Rongxi Palace, a woman reclines on a chaise longue. Beneath her dragon-patterned brocade robe, her jade-colored nail guards scrape relentlessly against the gold-embroidered vine pattern, producing a harsh, hissing sound. Her face still resembles a peony in full bloom, but the fine lines at the corners of her eyes, like threads, create a jarring contrast with her overall appearance.
Her abdomen appeared to have a fist-shaped bulge, which was particularly noticeable when she breathed.
The old nanny beside her gave a signal, and the palace servants filed out, leaving only the two of them in the tightly closed Rongxi Palace. She took two steps forward, blew out a few lamps, and then said cautiously, "Your Highness, there are too many people and too many eyes in this palace."
"Does this woman have to be subservient to others even in her own palace?" The woman flicked her wide sleeves, her brows furrowed with frost, and the sudden glint of cold light in her eyes startled the copper bells under the eaves into silence.
She stood up abruptly, pointed in the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and said with a mournful tone, "It must have been him who did it. How could he treat me like this!"
The old woman, however, did not take it to heart and comforted her, "Your Majesty, just remember that the child in your womb is a prince. The other children are handled by the Regent, so you don't need to worry."
She seemed not to hear, and said fiercely, "If I hadn't submitted to him, he should have..." A cold laugh escaped the woman's throat, her golden hairpin trembled wildly, and the sound of pearls clashing together startled the deathly silent palace like boiling water. She suddenly picked up the phoenix mirror on the table and threw it fiercely towards the palace door.
"Clatter." A crisp sound echoed throughout the palace, and the palace servants outside, bewildered, all knelt down.
Yan Fu, the legitimate daughter of the Yao family, possessed a stunningly beautiful face in her youth. The Regent Prince Ling Zhou fell in love at first sight, but at that time, the dragon had not yet risen to power, while this woman's phoenix eyes were already fixed on the ninefold palace. She abandoned the cold pool of fish to climb the clouds to become a true dragon. Beneath the flowing curtains of the imperial bedchamber, she received the late emperor's favor, but before three autumns had passed, a shocking upheaval occurred, and blood stained the carved railings of the palace. Her red hairpin fell to the ground, she was imprisoned in white robes, and she witnessed the impending downfall of the world in black armor.
At that time, she intended to present the imperial seal to the new emperor, but unexpectedly, the late emperor's heir, the Ninth Prince, was discovered in the Cold Palace. This woman, using a strategy of "covering fire with ice silk," persuaded the regent to allow the young emperor to marry his stepmother. The common people laughed and spread the rumor that "the late emperor and his concubines are being used for two purposes." Although she was furious, she could not stop the gossip. At that time, the emperor was in a difficult position, and with the regent's indulgence, she was powerless to do anything about it.
The young emperor's eyes held a chilling edge, which she ignored. Unaware that it was because she had been watching him day and night, she realized she had truly fallen in love. She changed her mind, using herself as bait, maneuvering under the covers and in the shadows, until finally the emperor stepped into Rongxi Palace.
Unexpectedly, the emperor interfered and tricked her into secretly conceiving an illegitimate child.
"Your Majesty, may you be well!" A palace maid announced from outside the hall, startling Yao Yanfu from her reverie. She abruptly stood up, and a resentful and haggard face was reflected in the bronze mirror.
"Granny Cui!" Her voice was strained, her fingers unconsciously concealing a strand of frost at her temple. "Am I... even presentable to anyone today?"
Granny Cui hurriedly stepped forward to adjust her cloud-shaped shoulder, gently wiping the fine sweat from her forehead with a silk handkerchief: "Your Majesty is so graceful and noble that even the celestial maidens of the Nine Heavens would pale in comparison."
Yao Yanfu scoffed, her fingertips brushing against the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. "But I... am still nine years older than him." Before she could finish speaking, a sudden throbbing in her stomach caused her to freeze.
The tenderness in his eyes vanished in an instant. "But soon, he will know what it means to regret his past actions." Beneath his wide sleeves, his jade-colored armor dug deeply into his palms.
"Who has provoked Mother Consort to such fury?" The young emperor entered the hall, his voice gentle and warm. He bowed, his handsome face partially obscured by his jade crown, appearing aloof and indifferent, yet his phoenix eyes held a tender affection that seemed to drown one in.
Yao Yanfu's fingertips trembled slightly, and her fleeting moment of surprise was reflected in the teacup.
wrong.
He used to smile, but the smile never reached his eyes, as if through a layer of glass. But today, his eyes were filled with such tenderness that he seemed like a man who truly loved his wife.
"Your Majesty has been unusually attentive today." She parted her lips slightly, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible probing.
The young emperor chuckled softly, then suddenly reached out to brush away non-existent dust from her shoulder. His fingertips brushed lightly against her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
"I thought Mother Consort would like it." The wind swept through the corridor outside the palace, and with the clear sound of the copper bells, a piece of the hardness in Yao Yanfu's heart collapsed instantly.
She no longer suspected anything. Looking at the face she had longed for day and night, a slight smile played on her lips as she gracefully stepped forward to tug at his sleeve. The young emperor, however, subtly turned away, his fingertips brushing against the jade paperweight on the table, before leaning languidly against the dragon-patterned armrest.
"Mother, please take care of your health." He smiled, his eyes crinkling, and in the dim lamplight, his indistinct face seemed to be shadowed by tiny wisps of light. "If you overwork yourself... how can I sleep peacefully?"
His voice was gentle and warm, yet it made her stop in her tracks. The dragon embroidered in gold thread on his black robe was staring coldly at her, just like his eyes hidden beneath his tenderness.
*
The setting sun, like blood, slanted across the mottled plaque of Changmen Palace. The young emperor stood with his hands behind his back, the hem of his black dragon-patterned robe brushing against the weeds before the steps, startling the sleeping insects and ants, instantly turning the quiet palace into a desolate and noisy scene.
The palace door, covered in cobwebs, was half-open, and one could vaguely see the dusty dressing table inside, which was the bedroom of the deceased Lady Pei.
"Your Majesty." A figure beside him called softly, the moonlight illuminating his face, which looked exactly like the crane's shadow. He whispered in his ear, his voice barely audible, but received no response for a long time.
The night wind swirled withered leaves in front of the steps, and the "Young Master Xi" that this man used to speak of had lost its warmth; he was as businesslike as a mannequin.
Suddenly, a soft chuckle was heard. The emperor slowly took out a handkerchief with a cloud and dragon pattern and wiped his fingertips, which had just been touched by Yao Yanfu, inch by inch.
"Keep an eye on him." That cold remark severed all ties.
The emperor's black boots trod across the dark palace floor. He raised his hand to touch his face, his fingertips tracing unfamiliar outlines in the shadows. Suddenly, he chuckled softly, "What if I... want to use my own face again?"
The words had barely left his lips when the expressionless face in the shadows suddenly changed color. The man rushed forward, his pale face appearing ashen in the moonlight: "Master, please reconsider!"
His voice was hoarse: "The Regent is eyeing you covetously. If he knew you were suffering from a terminal illness, would he let such a good opportunity pass by? Over the years, even though Young Master Xi has been cautious, he was still assassinated in secret. The Regent's disloyal intentions are known throughout the world. You must not let anything happen to you!"
Suddenly, an old bird outside the hall let out a sharp cry, shattering the deathly silence of the room.
The emperor slowly stroked his chin, then suddenly tossed a handkerchief onto the dusty dressing table. The handkerchief covered half of the bronze mirror, obscuring the face that was originally his.
"So be it." He turned, his robes sweeping across the ashes on the floor, a half-smile playing on his lips as he glanced at the dilapidated palace. "Let him continue his charade. And remember..." He tapped the other's shoulder with his jade thumb ring, "If he continues to act so presumptuously..."
The unspoken words turned into a soft laugh, startling the dust on the beams into falling in a flurry.
*
As dawn broke through the Wen Yuan Marquis's residence, a series of light footsteps suddenly echoed along the path in the west garden. Xiang Mo led three or four servants in hurrying towards them, carrying a half-open sandalwood box that revealed women's items such as rouge, face powder, hairpins, and handkerchiefs.
In the West Garden, Xi Xiao was leaning against the stone table, entwining colorful silk ropes with the clouds and mist, when she suddenly heard footsteps. Looking up, she saw Xiang Mo curtsying, her voice clear: "Reporting to Your Excellency, the Marquis will be departing for the Southern Frontier in three days, and the manor is likely to be in quite a commotion these next two days."
She gently placed the box on the bluestone table. "Young master instructed that he and the noble lady depart this morning. Please take a look at these items. If there is anything you do not like, I will immediately go and exchange it."
A gentle breeze suddenly blew, making the purse at her waist rustle. Just then, a black bird flew past the window, casting a startled shadow, which made her inexplicably tighten her grip on the silk rope in her hand.
Xi Xiao lowered her eyes slightly, concealing her thoughts beneath her eyelashes. Turning her head, she caught sight of the gleaming golden objects, and a genuine smile instantly appeared on her face: "Miss Xiangmo is indeed very capable. These items are more than enough for me."
Having said that, she gently lifted her hand and placed the box into a bundle beside her. As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw Pei Yun standing with his hands behind his back on the veranda. Morning light filtered through the stone steps in front of the door, casting dappled shadows on his moon-white brocade robe.
Seeing her come out, he smiled warmly and took two steps forward to greet her: "It was all so sudden, I'm so sorry to have troubled you." His voice was like a spring breeze caressing the willows, yet it was impossible to tell if it was genuine or not.
Xi Xiao waved her hand politely, showing exceptional consideration: "Everything should be done with the young master's health in mind."
Before the morning mist had dissipated, it seemed that everyone except the servants of the manor had come out beside the green-curtained carriage. The lady of the Marquis's mansion stood quietly beside the carriage, her handkerchief tightly wrapped around her handkerchief, her knuckles white. Her back was stiff, and even the smile on her lips seemed frozen on her face.
Pei Qie also dropped his carefree demeanor and stood obediently to the side, while the Marquis, though chatting and laughing with Pei Yun, had a hint of barely perceptible respect between his brows.
Xi Xiao suppressed her doubts and glanced at the group of people, feeling that the atmosphere was rather strange.
Suddenly, the lady walked up to her and gave her a deep look. Xi Xiao didn't know the meaning behind the complex look in her eyes at the time, but she felt a jolt in her heart. She felt like she had seen this Marquis's wife somewhere before.
But a moment later, she abruptly cut off her thoughts. How could this nobleman have any connection with her? She had probably only seen someone who resembled him before.
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