Ice Blade and Hotbed
The next day, there will be a meeting.
Inside the Zichen Palace, the golden splendor and fragrant incense could not dispel the invisible yet almost tangible oppressive atmosphere. Civil and military officials stood with their heads bowed, eyes downcast, even their breathing deliberately subdued. The Emperor, seated on his dragon throne, did not, as usual, languidly or sharply survey his ministers. He simply sat expressionless, his long, slender fingers tapping idly on the sandalwood armrest.
Those soft sounds, falling into the deathly silent hall, were like the urgent drumbeats, striking the hearts of everyone present.
Finally, the announcement from the Court of State Ceremonial fell silent; what was bound to happen had finally arrived.
An elderly imperial censor stepped forward, trembling, holding a jade tablet, his voice booming and grating: "Your Majesty! I risk my life to offer this advice! A nation cannot be without an heir for even a day. The Empress holds a high position, yet there has been no good news for a long time, which is truly not a blessing for the country! For the sake of the long-term stability of the empire, I earnestly request Your Majesty to issue an edict to select virtuous women and recruit them to fill the harem, thus establishing the foundation of the nation as soon as possible!"
Before he finished speaking, three or four more ministers stepped forward to second his opinion. Their words were either impassioned or earnest, but they all shared the same message: Your Majesty, it is time for you to choose a concubine.
The air seemed to freeze. Who didn't know of the Emperor and Empress's deep affection? And who hadn't heard of the strange atmosphere in the palace lately?
This advice is tantamount to rubbing salt into the wound in His Majesty's heart.
All eyes, whether open or hidden, were focused on the dragon throne.
Wei Jin stopped tapping on the armrest.
He slowly raised his eyes, those peach blossom eyes that once held a galaxy of stars but were now only a cold pool, and lightly swept over the kneeling ministers below, past the crowd who were holding their breath and pondering in secret, and finally fell on the distant sky outside the palace, a vast emptiness.
He did not get angry.
There were no questions asked.
There wasn't even a hint of emotional fluctuation.
That kind of extreme calm is more suffocating than thunderous rage.
After a long while, the corners of his lips seemed to curve slightly, like a cold, mocking arc, yet so quickly that one might mistake it for an illusion.
"allow."
A single word, clear and calm, without any ripples, yet like a boulder crashing into an icy lake, instantly stirring up a storm in everyone's hearts.
Wei Jin stopped tapping on the armrest.
He slowly raised his eyes, those peach blossom eyes that once held a galaxy of stars, now only a cold pool, and indifferently swept over the kneeling ministers below.
Everyone in sight held their breath and lowered their heads.
His gaze finally settled on the old censor, and he remained silent for a moment. In that instant, it was as if a silent thunderclap rolled across the palace.
Finally, he gave a very slight twitch at the corner of his lips, a cold and weary curve with a hint of mockery.
"Since all of you believe this is a blessing for the nation."
His voice was steady, yet it was like an underground river flowing beneath the ice, each word carrying a chill.
"I grant permission."
These three words, clear and calm, are more suffocating than a thunderbolt, as if they were not an agreement, but a complete annihilation of some expectation.
The old censor seemed to have not expected things to go so smoothly, and for a moment he forgot to express his gratitude.
"Your Majesty is wise!"
Huo Ying stepped forward first, his voice steady, and bowed.
As soon as he made a move, the officials from the Huo family faction behind him immediately echoed his sentiments like a tidal wave.
Wei Jin's gaze slowly shifted back, landing on Huo Ying's lowered head. His voice remained calm and even: "The selection of officials shall be handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Cabinet in accordance with regulations. You must," he paused, each word like an ice bead falling to the ground, "select carefully, do not fail my expectations, do not fail... the weight of the nation."
"Your Majesty, we obey!"
The Minister of Rites and the Grand Secretary hurriedly stepped forward to receive the order, their backs already drenched in cold sweat. His Majesty's attitude was too strange.
The court assembly ended in this eerie atmosphere.
The officials filed out, none daring to speak aloud, exchanging countless glances filled with astonishment and calculation.
Kunning Palace at night.
Ling Zhan was looking at some agricultural tool improvement drawings sent by Sui He when a high-pitched eunuch announced from outside the hall: "His Majesty has arrived—"
She looked up and saw Wei Jin stepping in.
He changed out of his court robes and into a dark casual outfit, which made his face appear even paler, and his eyes were shrouded in a lingering weariness and gloom. He carried a faint scent of ambergris and... the cold, oppressive atmosphere of the court.
He didn't look at her, dismissed the palace servants, and walked straight to the window, turning his back to her.
"Today is the third day." He suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and devoid of any emotion, as if stating a fact in an official document, "The Empress has established a rule that the Empress must consummate the marriage for three out of seven days. I have come to ask the Empress to fulfill her duty."
He spoke the last three words very slowly and heavily, like a dull knife cutting flesh.
Ling Zhan put down the pattern and looked at his tense back.
She could sense that his emotional energy was extremely low and unstable, but "obligation" was part of the rules, so she nodded: "Okay."
Her calmness completely enraged the demon he was suppressing deep inside.
He turned around abruptly, took a step in front of her, reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
His fingertips were icy cold, and the force he applied made her frown slightly.
"Good?" He chuckled softly, but his eyes were a mad, bloodshot red. "As expected, the Empress... adheres to the rules."
He gave her no time to react, almost roughly picking her up and carrying her to the inner palace bed.
This is not tenderness, it's more like a war.
He knew every sensitive spot on her body intimately, and now he used that knowledge as a weapon, driven by an almost cruel, predatory urge, determined to elicit her most primal reactions. He wanted to prove that her body wasn't as cold and heartless as she appeared!
Ling Zhan's logical system was unable to process this complex and contradictory behavior.
Her physiological instincts brought her pleasure and the thrill of peak experience, but along with it came the hatred in his actions and the chilling desolation in his eyes.
Finally, the wind stopped and the rain ceased.
Wei Jin propped himself up, his chest heaving violently, sweat dripping down his sharply defined jawline.
He looked at her; her eyes still held a lingering physiological haze, and her cheeks were flushed, but deep within those eyes lay a despairing calm and... a hint of barely perceptible confusion.
His heart was pounding, and a desire to destroy everything surged within him.
He leaned down, close to her ear, his breath warm, his voice deep and slow, each word like a needle dipped in ice water, piercing precisely:
"The Empress just now... did a very good job. I am very satisfied."
He paused deliberately, feeling her slight tremor, and continued in the calmest tone, crushing the last trace of tenderness: "I hope that in the future, when all the new concubines arrive in the palace, the Empress will still be able to adhere to the rules and maintain the composure of the 'optimal solution' as she is today."
"I am looking forward to it."
The last three words were as light as a sigh, yet as heavy as the most vicious curse.
He stared intently into her eyes, trying to find a crack in them.
Ling Zhan listened to him. Logically, it was perfectly correct, in line with her proposed solution and the rules governing the empire's operation.
but……
The previously suppressed "interference wave" re-emerged and suddenly intensified!
In that instant, her heart clenched!
A sharp, unfamiliar, and unprecedented stinging sensation suddenly shot through me!
It wasn't intense, but it was incredibly clear, as if an incomprehensible error had appeared for the first time in a logic that had always operated stably.
She subconsciously raised her hand and pressed it against her left chest, near her heart. For the first time, a look of bewilderment appeared on her usually cool and beautiful face. The lingering physiological haze in her usually clear and bright eyes was replaced by pure confusion, even carrying a faint trace of pain that she herself couldn't define...
Why... does it hurt?!
Wei Jin noticed her subtle movement and the fleeting expression on her face.
He was stunned at first, then a twisted sense of pleasure welled up inside him—she had finally responded! Even if it was in pain! But this pleasure lasted only a moment before being overwhelmed by an even greater surge of pain. He had hurt her, but he felt that he was in a thousand times, ten thousand times, more pain than she was.
He abruptly stood up and stopped looking at her.
He hastily threw on his outer robe and hurried away, his steps even a little unsteady, as if a demon were chasing him.
He had just stepped out of the palace when he suddenly stopped, overwhelmed by extreme pain and regret.
She hasn't argued with her for many years!
In every argument before, she was always right and I was always wrong!
The inner hall was empty, with only Ling Zhan remaining.
She slowly sat up, her slender white fingers still pressed against her chest.
There, the unfamiliar stinging sensation had vanished, but a lingering emptiness, as if something had been forcibly ripped away, remained. She looked down at her slightly trembling fingertips, her eyes filled with a pure, incomprehensible bewilderment.
Rational analysis failed.
I cannot define that moment of...abnormality and stinging.
The warm pavilion in the back courtyard of the Huo residence.
The warm fragrance wafted from the incense burner, yet it couldn't dispel the hint of urgency and calculation in Huo Xian's tone. She held Su Wan's hand; this woman, past her prime and with a touch of melancholy always between her brows, was precisely the target they had carefully chosen.
"Good child, sit down quickly."
Huo Xian dismissed his attendants, leaving only his trusted nanny to guard the door. "I invited you here today because... well, there are some private things I don't know whether I should say or not."
Su Wan lowered her eyes slightly, her voice gentle yet unable to conceal her loneliness: "Please speak freely, Madam."
She has recently had occasional contact with Huo Wanjun, so it's only natural that she addresses Huo Xian as "Madam".
Huo Xian sighed and gently patted the back of her hand: "Wan'er, I know your difficulties. With such good looks and temperament, yet... you've wasted your life until now, without even a single person who cares about you, let alone a child. Every time I think about it, my heart aches for you."
These words struck at the deepest, most hidden pain in Su Wan's heart.
Her eyes were slightly red, and she forced a smile, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Madam. It's all fate."
"What fate!"
Huo Xian lowered his voice slightly, with an undeniable fervor, "Now, however, a tremendous opportunity is before us; it's up to you whether you're willing to reach out and seize it."
Su Wan looked up, her eyes filled with confusion.
Huo Xian leaned forward, her voice even lower: "His Majesty has issued an edict to select a concubine, for the sake of the nation's future. My Wan Jun is of the right age and should naturally participate. However... the inner palace is so complex, and I am truly worried about her being alone there. His Majesty... His Majesty is deeply in love with the Empress, but the Empress..." She paused at the right moment, leaving much to ponder, "...is ultimately no ordinary woman, and I fear she may find it difficult to give His Majesty ordinary tenderness and offspring."
Su Wan's heart skipped a beat, as if she had a premonition of something, and her fingertips curled slightly.
“His Majesty is kind and remembers old friendships.” Huo Xian stared into her eyes. “You know that His Majesty knows you and even wears clothes made by you. This affection is different from that of others. If you can enter the palace and support Wan Jun, firstly, it will fulfill the sisterly bond and allow you to look after each other so that you won’t be bullied alone; secondly, His Majesty will surely find some comfort in seeing you.”
“But I…” Su Wan’s voice trembled, “I’m already too old, how can I…”
Huo Xian held Su Wan's hand, his tone more confident and composed than before: "Good girl, how could I not know your concerns? But this is by no means difficult. The rules of ordinary talent shows naturally cannot bind everyone."
She smiled slightly, with a sense of pride: "Have you forgotten? The Empress Dowager in the palace is our Huo family's eldest aunt, the most kind and benevolent. His Majesty is young and busy with state affairs, so it's inevitable that he may neglect old friendships. But the Empress Dowager is the most sentimental and cares most about whether His Majesty has someone who understands and cares for him."
Su Wan's heart skipped a beat, and a hint of surprise and faint hope flashed in her eyes.
The Empress Dowager! If this most honored woman in the harem were to speak, indeed…
Huo Xian observed her expression and continued, "You are gentle and virtuous, with an excellent reputation. If the Empress Dowager knew that there was such a sensible and courteous former servant of His Majesty outside the palace, she would surely pity you. She issued a decree, granting you special permission to enter the palace to accompany him, as a sign of the Emperor's grace and compassion. It is perfectly legitimate, and who could utter a single word of objection? This is not a selection of concubines, but a benevolent decree, an act of favor!"
These words completely dispelled Su Wan's last doubts.
Instead of going through a talent show that might embarrass her, she chose to do it under the guise of the Empress Dowager's "favor" and "consideration," which was much more respectable and made her appear exceptionally "dignified."
"But..." Su Wan still felt a little uneasy, "Why would the Empress Dowager..."
"Silly child," Huo Xian patted her hand affectionately, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light. "It's only natural that the old man longs for a great-grandson and cares about His Majesty's offspring. As for the Empress... alas, she has ultimately disappointed the old man. Now, it's just adding a pleasing person to His Majesty's side, fulfilling the old man's benevolent heart, fulfilling your destiny, and fulfilling the friendship between the Huo family and you. It's a win-win-win situation, isn't it?"
She cleverly attributed the Empress Dowager's motives to "hoping for a great-grandson" and "compassion," completely obscuring the Huo family's behind-the-scenes influence, which sounded perfectly reasonable.
Su Wan was completely persuaded; no one understood Ling Zhan's personality better than her.
She doesn't compete for favor; she only wants a child of her own, and Ling Zhan won't make things difficult for her.
The Empress Dowager's decree, like a golden stepping stone, allowed her to bypass worldly criticism and walk with dignity towards the place that might change her destiny. Her longing for a child, her fear of loneliness, and her understanding of the man ultimately overwhelmed all her hesitation.
Inside her sleeve, her fingertips dug deeply into her palms, bringing a sharp pain. This was the first small price she paid for her choice, and also the last time she weighed her options. She knew perfectly well that the path to the palace was far from the glamorous, sisterly love story Huo Xian had told her. But could the loneliness of the deep palace really be worse than this seemingly free but actually helpless and adrift life?
At least... there she could have a child of her own, a child of noble status.
Even if it means getting caught up in endless conflicts, it's better than withering away silently in this place.
She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and obediently lowered her head, concealing the last trace of struggle and determination in her eyes.
"It would be my great fortune to receive the Empress Dowager's favor. Everything... is up to you and the Empress Dowager to decide."
Huo Xian smiled broadly: "Good! Good! You are indeed a wise and insightful child! Don't worry, we will plead with the Empress Dowager. You just need to wait for her decree. In the future, you and Wan Jun will support each other in the palace."
The secret meeting in the warm pavilion was thus concluded.
That night, Huo Ying wrote a letter and had it secretly sent to the palace by his confidant, directly to his aunt, who was now the Empress Dowager.
The letter did not explicitly state any schemes, but instead emphasized the Empress's worry about having no heir and the Emperor's regret at having no one to care for him. It also highly praised Su Wan for her gentle nature, fertility, and gratitude, making her an excellent candidate to accompany the Emperor and comfort his heart. The letter earnestly requested the Empress Dowager to consider the Huo family and Su Wan's loyalty, and to remember the Emperor's hard work, to grant Su Wan an opportunity to serve the Emperor and produce offspring for the royal family.
The Empress Dowager, living deep within the palace, already had many questions about Ling Zhan, this "unconventional" empress. When she thought of those excessively cold eyes that seemed to have never taken worldly etiquette or even her, the most noble and respected old woman, into consideration, she felt a sense of suffocation.
She was deeply worried about Wei Jin's lack of offspring, and was naturally tempted when she received this letter from her maternal family that seemed to be considering the interests of the royal family in every aspect.
She was not unaware of the Huo family's ulterior motives, but for her, the primary concern was upholding the royal lineage and ensuring the continuation of the imperial family. If she could also suppress the arrogance of the Ling family and provide the emperor with a more "normal" and courteous confidante, that would be ideal. A benevolent edict, ostensibly for "showing compassion to former officials and bestowing favor upon virtuous ladies," was quietly drafted in the inner palace with the Huo family's encouragement and the Empress Dowager's own approval, awaiting only the opportune moment for its promulgation.
All of this, under the turbulent waves stirred up by Wei Jin because of Ling Zhan, was like an undercurrent quietly surging in the deepest trench.
He foresaw the storm.
Yet they failed to instantly perceive that hidden within this storm was such a meticulously crafted ice spike, aimed straight at a vulnerable spot.
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