Chapter 47 Posting the Imperial Edict
Outside the Vermilion Bird Gate of the Imperial Palace, on Vermilion Bird Avenue, which runs north-south through the capital, has always been the most bustling and prosperous area in the capital. Today, this bustling atmosphere is tinged with an unusual restlessness.
A bright yellow imperial edict was solemnly posted in the most prominent position on the notice board by two imperial guards. The edict was made of fine materials, and the characters on it were vigorous and powerful. It was stamped with a bright red jade seal, and in the thin winter sunlight, it exuded an unquestionable authority.
Soon, the people swarmed in from all directions like a tide, standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, their chatter as loud as boiling water.
"An imperial edict! It's an imperial edict!"
"Quick, look at what's written on it!"
"Is it going to be another grain tax collection?" an old farmer with a worried expression muttered.
Beside him, a well-dressed, seemingly literate middle-aged scholar loudly read out the imperial edict: "...Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine Chen is unwell, suffering from persistent nausea and vomiting during her pregnancy, making it difficult for her to eat or drink...This imperial edict is hereby issued to solicit skilled physicians and miraculous remedies from across the land...Whoever can alleviate Her Majesty's symptoms will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold, a mansion, and the official rank of Imperial Physician..."
After the scholar finished reading, the surroundings were silent for a moment, then erupted into an even louder roar.
"Whoa! It's all for the Imperial Concubine in the palace!"
"A thousand pieces of gold! And an official position! This...this is an incredible favor!"
"Which imperial concubine is it that has prompted His Majesty to go to such lengths, posting imperial edicts to seek a doctor?" someone asked curiously.
"Who else could it be? It must be the newly promoted Consort Chen this year!" A well-informed peddler winked. "I heard that His Majesty cherishes her like a treasure, and even rejected the marriage proposal of the Northern Kingdom's princess for her sake!"
"So that's how it is! No wonder there was such a grand display." Everyone suddenly realized.
"But this morning sickness... which woman doesn't vomit once or twice during pregnancy? Is it really worth making a proclamation about it?" A woman carrying a vegetable basket said dismissively.
"What do you know!" someone immediately retorted. "Didn't you hear the imperial edict say that the patient was vomiting incessantly and unable to eat or drink? This must be extremely dangerous! Besides, I've heard that Consort Chen is carrying twins, which are very precious!"
"Twins? That's an extremely auspicious sign! No wonder His Majesty is so nervous."
"A reward of a thousand gold pieces, a meteoric rise to the top... If anyone can cure the Empress, their ancestors' graves will be emitting auspicious smoke!"
"It's difficult. Even the imperial physicians in the palace are helpless. Where can we find such a skilled person among the common people?"
"The world is vast and full of wonders; perhaps there is a reclusive master of traditional Chinese medicine among them!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion; some envied the generous rewards, others marveled at the emperor's deep affection, and still others worried for the imperial concubine. The imperial edict, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred ripples across the capital, and the news spread rapidly in all directions.
In teahouses and taverns, storytellers immediately turned the tale of "the emperor posting notices seeking medical help for his beloved" into a new story, drawing cheers from the audience. In front of pharmacies and clinics, the doctors were also whispering among themselves, discussing possible prescriptions. Although they knew the chances were slim, they couldn't help but be tempted.
The entire capital's attention seemed to be drawn to the sudden imperial edict, focusing instead on the Consort Chen, whom the emperor had never met and who was suffering from morning sickness in the inner palace. No one knew that behind this plea for medical help lay the helplessness and anxiety of an emperor facing the pain of his beloved.
Deep within the palace, in the Guanju Palace, Yuwen Che remained by his bedside, oblivious to the commotion outside. All his attention was focused on the person who could barely swallow even water.
Night fell once again over the palace, and the Sizheng Hall was brightly lit with candles.
Yuwen Che had just returned from Guanju Palace, where a mountain of unreviewed memorials lay. His brows furrowed with lingering weariness and worry. Xue'er was still barely eating, her spirits sustained only by acupuncture and a little ginseng soup administered by the imperial physician, which only fueled his anxiety.
Li Dehai silently handed over a cup of ginseng tea. Yuwen Che had just taken it when he paused. His gaze swept over a shadowy spot in the hall, then he waved to Li Dehai.
Li Dehai understood, immediately bowed, and led all the attendants to retreat outside the hall, where they remained on high alert.
The moment the palace doors closed, a dark figure slid silently down from behind the beams and pillars like a ghost, kneeling on one knee. It was none other than the Shadow Pavilion leader in charge of intelligence in the Northern Kingdom.
"Owner."
Yuwen Che put the teacup aside, his voice slightly hoarse: "Speak."
"Princess Helian Mingzhu's carriage from the Northern Kingdom has crossed the border and will arrive in the capital soon." The head of the secret guards said calmly, "I used the highest-level spies I had planted in the Northern Kingdom's court and army to repeatedly confirm that there are no signs of a large-scale troop buildup in the Northern Kingdom, and the border troops have not been moved abnormally."
Yuwen Che's eyes narrowed slightly; this was somewhat different from what he had expected.
The leader of the secret guards continued, "According to our investigation, this Princess Helian Mingzhu is the younger sister of Emperor Helian Bobo of the Northern Kingdom. She is seventeen years old and is said to be extremely beautiful and is greatly favored by the Northern Emperor."
He paused slightly, seemingly choosing his words carefully, before speaking in an almost indifferent tone the core intelligence he had gathered: "The true intention of Emperor Helian Bobo of the Northern Kingdom does not seem to be a traditional marriage alliance. He... intends to present this princess as a gift to you, Master. His purpose seems to be to show weakness, or to test us, to lull our Great Zhou into a false sense of security, or... to seek other benefits."
"A gift?" Yuwen Che repeated the two words, a cold smile slowly curving his lips. His eyes were devoid of any warmth, filled only with deep mockery and disgust.
He stood up, his dark blue patterned casual clothes gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the candlelight.
"Helian Bobo has certainly played his cards right." His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried a chilling edge. "Does he think that by offering up a sister, he can lower my guard? That he can dull the edge of the swords of my Great Zhou soldiers?"
He walked to the huge map of the territory hanging there, his gaze falling on the vast land of the northern country.
"He treats his own sister as a plaything to be given away at will; this shows the incompetence and shamelessness of his Northern Kingdom," Yuwen Che said coldly. "But to try and shove this gift before me, into my harem, to disturb Xue'er's peace..."
He turned around abruptly, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes.
"That's suicide."
The air inside the hall seemed to freeze because of this undisguised killing intent.
"Keep a close eye on them, see who else is with this 'gift princess,' and what they might be up to," Yuwen Che ordered. "As for this princess..."
He snorted coldly: "She wants to enter the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, fine. But to enter my harem? Wishful thinking."
"Yes, I understand." The leader of the secret guards accepted the order, and with a flicker, disappeared into the darkness once more.
Yuwen Che stood alone in the hall, his knuckles slightly white from the strain. The gifts from the Northern Kingdom, Xue'er's morning sickness—the internal and external troubles weighed heavily on his mind. But he quickly suppressed all his emotions, his eyes regaining their sharpness and clarity.
No matter how stormy the outside world may be, he must create an impregnable haven for Xue'er and their unborn child. Anyone or anything that attempts to disrupt this peace will be mercilessly crushed by him.
Yuwen Che stood alone in the Sizheng Hall for a moment, temporarily suppressing the gloom brought by the gifts from the Northern Kingdom. What he was most concerned about now was still the person in Guanju Palace who even frowned when she fell asleep.
Without delay, he rose and returned to Guanju Palace. Inside the inner hall, Su Luoxue had just drifted off to sleep under the influence of the drug, her face still pale and her breathing weak. Yuwen Che removed his outer robe, carefully lay down beside her, and gently pulled her into his arms, as if cherishing a fragile treasure. Listening to her unsteady breathing, the anxiety and murderous intent in his heart were gradually replaced by a heavy tenderness.
While Yuwen Che was accompanying Su Luoxue at Guanju Palace, four dark figures, as if blending into the night, silently darted out from a hidden section of the palace wall in the northwest corner. Their movements were swift and agile; their toes lightly touched the rooftops and treetops, and they glided several meters away like large birds, their speed leaving only blurry afterimages in the moonlight. They were none other than the leader of the Shadow Pavilion and three of his top fighters.
The four men had a clear objective: head straight for the official road to the north. The night wind howled in their ears, yet they moved as if on flat ground, leaving the capital far behind.
About an hour later, in the woods beside a post road more than a hundred miles from the capital, the four concealed themselves. From their vantage point, they could clearly see a sizable caravan setting up camp on the official road below. The caravan's guards were all dressed in northern attire, their armor gleaming, and they were fully equipped with swords and bows. In the center, a particularly striking carriage, lavishly decorated and covered with thick felt, stood out; it must have been Princess Helian Mingzhu's carriage.
The leader of the Shadow Pavilion made a hand gesture, and the four of them scattered like night owls, silently infiltrating the perimeter of the camp from different angles, avoiding the patrolling sentries, and observing closely.
They observed that although the guards appeared heavily armed, they were not in a particularly tense state of combat readiness. Around the campfire in the center of the camp, several people who looked like envoys were conversing quietly, their expressions deliberately composed. Several maids stood guard around the ornate carriage, and the candlelight inside illuminated a slender figure, seemingly dressing in front of a mirror.
The head of the Shadow Pavilion held his breath, amplifying his hearing to the extreme, and vaguely caught a few strains of Northern dialect carried on the wind: "...Rest assured...The Emperor of Great Zhou...will certainly not neglect the princess..."
"...the timing of...showing goodwill..."
They did not linger. After carefully noting down the size of the convoy, the configuration of the guards, and the appearances of the key figures, they quietly withdrew from the camp and blended into the mountains, just as they had come.
The four once again used their superb lightness skills, taking advantage of the moonlight to speed southward. Just as the first hint of dawn appeared on the horizon and the outline of the capital city became faintly visible, they had already, like ghosts, leaped over the towering palace walls and returned to the inner palace.
Outside the Hall of Thought and Governance, before dawn, officials were already waiting for the morning court session. The three leaders of the Shadow Pavilion remained hidden in the shadows behind the hall, waiting silently like stone statues.
Soon after, Yuwen Che arrived from Guanju Palace, changed into his dragon robe, and ascended the throne. The morning court session began, and he dealt with routine government affairs. Regarding the Northern Kingdom delegation, he only mentioned briefly that they should be received according to national etiquette, and then said nothing more, leaving some ministers who still wanted to probe unable to speak.
After the court session ended, Yuwen Che returned to the Sizheng Hall.
As usual, Li Dehai led his men out.
As soon as the palace doors closed, the leader of the Shadow Pavilion emerged from the shadows and knelt on one knee.
"Owner."
As Yuwen Che removed the heavy crown, he asked, "How is it?"
"The convoy is about a hundred miles from the capital, escorted by three hundred guards, all elite troops from the Northern Kingdom's court, but there is no sign of them marching or forming a battle formation. There are three envoys, the chief of whom is named Wuzhu, a confidant of the Northern Emperor. Princess Helian Mingzhu is inside a magnificent carriage. We glimpsed her profile from afar, and it matches the intelligence; she is quite beautiful." The chief of the Shadow Pavilion reported concisely and clearly.
He paused, then added, "The atmosphere in the camp doesn't seem like preparation for war, but rather... a display of pride and anticipation. The entire North seems certain that you, Master, will accept this gift."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Che's lips curled into a cold smile, but his eyes showed no warmth whatsoever.
“Show off? Wait?” He uttered these two words softly, with endless sarcasm.
“Very good.” He walked behind the dragon desk and sat down, tapping his fingertips on the smooth tabletop. “Since they want to put on this show, I will play along. Issue the order to prepare a reception hall and inn according to the highest state guest protocol, with all supplies provided without shortage.”
He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Keep a close eye on each and every one of them, and see what tricks this princess, who was given as a gift, and the people she brought with her can pull."
"Yes!" The leader of Shadow Pavilion accepted the order, his figure flickered, and he disappeared again.
Yuwen Che sat alone in the empty hall, his eyes deep and unfathomable. The Northern Kingdom wanted to use a honey trap? He'd see whose foot this gift would ultimately hurt. Any factor that might disturb Xue'er's pregnancy had to be under his absolute control.
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