Chapter 67 Inviting a Wolf into the House: Is Your Highness really not going to sleep?
"Your Highness has been reviewing memorials for so long, why not take a break for a moment?"
Pei Muwei poured a pot of tea and naturally handed the white jade teacup to the young empress dowager.
"Thank you, Minister Pei."
Chu Yueyuan lowered her eyes, took the teacup, and sipped a few times, suppressing the impulse that was about to get out of control in her heart.
While wiping Xiao Yun's mouth, Du Chuirong subtly glanced inside the curtain and saw the Regent personally serving tea to the woman, his gaze full of tenderness.
Hmph, no wonder that little bitch is so arrogant in front of her, she has a powerful backer to rely on.
That dull and uninteresting woman, Madam Hu, gave birth to a daughter who was incredibly alluring. From the heir of the Meng family, to the eldest son of the Duke of Shen, to the now powerful regent, all of them willingly fell at her feet.
If Shihua had even a fraction of that vixen's charm, she wouldn't have died young, unable to even raise her own prince, while this ungrateful wretch stole the great fortune of a phoenix!
“Grandmother, why do you only bring three pieces of golden milk pastry every time you enter the palace? I haven’t even tasted them yet, and you’ve already eaten them all!”
Du Chuirong withdrew her gaze, lovingly stroking the five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on Xiao Yun's chest, and said with a smile, "This camellia oil, it takes a hundred catties of tea seeds to press only a small bowl, it takes a lot of time. Since Your Majesty likes to eat it, Grandmother will have the servants prepare it in a few days and then visit Your Majesty in the palace."
Chu Yueyuan put down her teacup and casually suggested, "Since His Majesty enjoys the pastries made by this cook, Madam Du, why don't you send her to the palace? I will appoint her as the head of the Imperial Kitchen, so that His Majesty can have the pastries whenever he wants, without having to trouble you to travel in the sweltering heat."
Du Chuirong's expression tightened, and she hurriedly said, "How can this be? That cook is illiterate, rude, and only good at making pastries. How can she be qualified to be the head of the imperial kitchen? Besides, I don't find it hard work at all..."
After saying this, she pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, gently pressed it to the corner of her eye, and her voice choked with emotion:
"Shihua... Ah, I misspoke. It was Consort Chun who passed away after giving birth to a prince for the late Emperor. I only had this one daughter. Who would have thought that I, an old woman, would bury my young?"
"My only wish now is to watch His Majesty grow up. I dare not hope to raise His Majesty with the Empress Dowager, I only hope... I only hope to be able to visit His Majesty in the palace two or three times a month, even if it is just to catch a glimpse of him from afar, then I will have no regrets in this life."
After finishing the pastries, Xiao Yun stood there blankly, watching as Madam Du wept in front of him, but his expression remained unmoved.
Chu Yueyuan listened expressionlessly to Madam Du's tearful complaint, then turned to look at the lush greenery outside the window. She lightly pressed her finger on the edge of the memorial for a moment before slowly speaking:
"I have heard that several koi have recently been introduced to Taiye Pond. His Majesty enjoys fishing, but I am currently preoccupied with state affairs and cannot accompany him at the moment. The weather is fine and sunny now, so why don't you take His Majesty for a stroll in the Imperial Garden, Madam Du?"
Upon hearing this, Du Chuirong immediately stopped sobbing, gently dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, and a joyful smile appeared on her face: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will take good care of His Majesty."
She took Xiao Yun's hand and said gently, "Your Majesty, your grandmother will take you for a stroll in the garden."
Xiao Yun nodded blankly, letting Madam Du lead him out of the study.
Chu Yueyuan witnessed all of this, her eyes growing colder. After Madam Du left, she quickly said, "Lord Zhao, you can come out now."
Zhao Qiming emerged from behind the screen, strode to the huanghuali wood waisted table, opened the food box, picked up the remaining pastry crumbs from the lotus-shaped tray, sniffed them lightly, and then carefully examined them...
After a long pause, he looked ashamed and finally shook his head: "Your Highness, based solely on the smell and the residue on the plate... I really cannot determine whether the pastry contains any poison."
Chu Yueyuan's face turned ashen, and she slammed her slender hand heavily on the sandalwood table.
She had long anticipated that if she suddenly summoned Lady Du to the palace, Lady Du would be wary and might not dare to bring pastries laced with poison into the palace. If she ordered Imperial Physician Zhao to examine the pastries on the spot, not only would she not find any results, but she would also alert the poisoner.
That's why she refrained from stopping Xiao Yun when he was enjoying his meal.
Unexpectedly, Lady Du was so cunning. Each time she entered the palace, she only brought three pieces of pastry, which was enough for Xiao Yun to satisfy his cravings without leaving any evidence against him. Her calculations were just right!
Zhao Qiming cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I can use acupuncture to induce vomiting, which will allow us to check if there is anything wrong with the pastries. However, Your Majesty will suffer some pain during the process..."
Chu Yueyuan would rather let Xiao Yun suffer and vomit those snacks than be delirious from the poison. She waved her hand and said, "Lord Zhao, please administer the acupuncture. I will arrange for Captain Jing to control the Emperor."
Zhao Qiming accepted the order and withdrew.
The incessant chirping of cicadas outside the window disturbed my peace of mind.
Chu Yueyuan lowered her eyes and stared at the golden seal in the brocade box, which symbolized supreme power.
This palm-sized gold seal felt slightly cool and light when first held, but after holding it for a while, its heavy weight spread from the palm to the wrist, pressing so hard that it felt like the wrist bones were about to break.
Pei Muwei took the woman's hand. Her fair palm was stained with cinnabar marks, the traces left from when she slammed the memorial in her anger. He took a plain handkerchief and carefully wiped her palm clean.
He said in a deep voice, “Hero Flower is a prohibited herb. Lady Du is just a noblewoman and does not have the ability to bribe foreigners. The most likely source is the ghost stories in the capital. I have sent Lin Mu to thoroughly investigate the medicinal herbs, spice shops and border merchants in the ghost market. Such prohibited items are traded in cash. No matter how well it is done, some traces will still be left.”
Seeing the young empress dowager staring intently at the seal in the brocade box, her long eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyes, she remained silent for a long time.
Pei Muwei raised a slight brow: "What is Your Highness thinking about?"
Chu Yueyuan blinked gently, her voice weary: "I was thinking, if I hadn't insisted on preventing Lady Du from entering the palace to visit the Emperor, perhaps today's events wouldn't have happened..."
She turned her head and stared at him, her eyes shimmering.
"I even harbor a sliver of hope that the one who poisoned me wasn't Madam Du... If it really was her, I don't know how I'd explain it to Yun'er..."
Pei Muwei raised his hand and tucked the stray hairs behind her ear, gently stroking her cheek with his palm. His voice was clear and cold: "Your Highness need not tell the Emperor. If this was done by the Du family, I have my own way of making her disappear."
He spoke of it so casually, as if dealing with a court lady was as easy as crushing an ant.
Chu Yueyuan had no doubt that the man possessed such power; harming the Emperor was a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. If the matter were to be investigated openly, even she would inevitably be implicated. In order to prevent Xiao Yun's future from being tarnished, she had no choice but to use the man's influence to eliminate the threat posed by the Du family.
———
Xiao Yun had been crying and making a fuss since early morning. After eating the pastries that Du had brought, he was led to play in the scorching sun for half an hour. Before Zhao Qiming could administer acupuncture, he vomited all over Du.
At midnight, a palace maid used silver scissors to adjust the candle flame, causing the flame on the phoenix-patterned candlestick to flicker, and the woman's slender figure on the silk curtain to sway accordingly.
Chu Yueyuan sat beside the dragon bed, her eyes lowered as she gazed quietly at the sleeping child on the bed, a deep worry between her brows.
Xiao Yun didn't sleep soundly. Her little head swayed gently on the jade pillow, and her little hands, sticking out from under the covers, would occasionally grab at the air. She would call out intermittently in a low voice, "Mother... Mother."
He didn't call her "Empress Dowager," he called her "Mother."
Chu Yueyuan's eyes lit up. She wanted to hold his trembling little hand, but she was afraid of waking him from his sleep.
After careful examination, Zhao Qiming found no trace of Hero Flower in the Golden Milk Pastry that Xiao Yun vomited, a result that surprised and puzzled Chu Yueyuan.
Could it be that she misunderstood Madam Du?
As the old saying goes, "Even the fiercest tigers and wolves will not harm their own offspring." Xiao Yun was, after all, Du's own grandson, who was connected to her by blood. Even if Du harbored resentment towards her over the custody issue and intended to fight for it, she would never be so heartless as to poison her own grandson.
Perhaps it is true, as Granny Xu said, that after she left the palace, Du Shi kept deceiving Xiao Yun, saying that she had killed his birth mother. Xiao Yun was simple-minded and easily believed Du Shi's instigation. He lived in fear day and night, and eventually fell ill from depression.
Especially after witnessing Xiao Yun's docile and affectionate demeanor in front of Madam Du, Chu Yueyuan felt a pang of sadness and wondered if her strict discipline had caused the child to harbor resentment towards her.
With the Deer Cry Banquet fast approaching, is she really going to hand over the power to raise the emperor to Lady Du?
My thoughts are like a tangled mess; the deeper I delve, the more chaotic they become, and it's hard to find a way out for the time being.
Chu Yueyuan slowly stood up, carefully tucking the four corners of the bed curtains behind her, and tiptoed out of the bedroom, instructing the palace servants guarding outside:
"Do not close the partition door. I will be staying in the study tonight. You may all leave."
Jin Tong urgently tried to dissuade him: "How can that be? What if His Majesty has a nightmare in the middle of the night... What I mean is, what if His Majesty wakes up from a nightmare and cries, disturbing His Highness's rest? We should stay and watch over His Majesty..."
"The more people there are, the bigger the commotion will be. Right now, countless eyes are watching Fengqi Palace. You all need to do your jobs and not panic and arouse suspicion. With Captain Jing and Imperial Physician Zhao waiting in the side hall, nothing will happen."
Chu Yueyuan then instructed Jin Tong, "Granny Xu needs help changing her dressings at night. I don't trust anyone else to do this."
Seeing the woman's resolute tone, Jin Tong had no choice but to give up. Before leaving, she lowered her voice and reminded her, "Your Highness, the Regent is still in his study..."
Chu Yueyuan raised her eyebrows slightly. She remembered that there weren't many memorials that Eunuch Wang had sent today. Given the Regent's decisive and efficient style, he would have dealt with them in less than two hours.
A phrase involuntarily popped into her mind—"inviting a wolf into the house."
The candlelight in the study was brighter than in the bedroom. Chu Yueyuan walked gracefully around the landscape screen and saw that the Regent was not sitting behind the desk.
The man reclined languidly on the soft pillows of the daybed, his long legs casually crossed and propped up on a low table with cloud patterns. His removed golden crown lay to one side, and his crimson robe cascaded down the side of the daybed like flowing clouds. His slender fingers held the picture book that Xiao Yunchang was currently reading.
His aura of nobility and arrogance made it seem to anyone unaware that he was studying some profound military classics.
Chu Yueyuan's gaze swept lightly over the gleaming dragon crown on the couch, and her red lips parted slightly: "Minister Pei has been staying in the Phoenix Perch Palace for a long time to find out the cause of the Emperor's illness. It is late at night and the dew is heavy. You should go back to your residence and rest as soon as possible."
Pei Muwei lowered the sketchbook in his hand, his long, narrow phoenix eyes narrowing slightly as he shifted his gaze from the Empress Dowager's swollen eyes to the small scar beneath her eye.
He said calmly, "The Imperial Stud has already finished its duties. If I leave the palace now, I fear there will be no carriage or horse to ride. I humbly request Your Majesty to allow me to stay overnight."
Chu Yueyuan looked at him suspiciously: "Pei Qing...didn't you use your carriage to send Princess Nianyi out of the palace just a few days ago..."
"That's right, my carriages and horses will remain at the Prince's residence."
Chu Yueyuan: .....
She looked at the man with an expression that seemed to say, "Don't take me for a fool," and asked, "Then how did you get into the palace this morning, my dear minister?"
"This morning I entered the palace in the carriage of Minister Hu of the Ministry of War. Minister Hu is known for being henpecked, and he always leaves the palace immediately after finishing his duties each day without the slightest delay. If Your Highness insists that I leave the palace at this time, then I will have no choice but to walk back..."
Pei Muwei sat up, glanced at the moonlight outside the window, and added meaningfully, "Just as Your Highness said... the night is deep and the dew is heavy..."
Chu Yueyuan swallowed back what she was about to say and took a deep breath: "If that's the case, then Minister Pei will stay in the study tonight, and I will go to the bedroom to keep His Majesty company."
After saying this, she turned to leave, but a minister who had long coveted her grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the couch.
Pei Muwei placed his large hand on the Empress Dowager's slender shoulder, his dark eyes fixed on her: "Your Highness, aren't you afraid that the Emperor might have a fit of rage in the middle of the night and stab you again?"
Chu Yueyuan frowned slightly and retorted, "I have already had all sharp objects removed from the bedroom, even the candlesticks have been taken down. There will be no danger..."
She spoke with a firm tone, but in fact, under the man's discerning gaze, her heart was pounding. After all, she had seen Xiao Yun when he went berserk, and his strength was far beyond that of a five-year-old child. That was why she had sent Jin Tong and the others out of the dormitory.
Although Commandant Jing was guarding outside the palace, it would take several breaths before he could enter if anything happened. Upon careful consideration, it might be safer to have the Regent stay in the study tonight.
She would definitely stay in the study so that she could check on Xiao Yun's condition from time to time at night.
"Then this humble servant will go to the emperor's chambers to guard him."
Pei Muwei stood up slightly, but the young empress dowager reached out and tugged at her clothes. The candlelight illuminated the woman's bright eyes, which were so close to hers. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, like white and red flower petals.
“When His Majesty was lucid, he still avoided Pei Qing like the plague. If he woke up and saw Pei Qing sitting by his bedside, then... even a healthy person would be scared sick.”
Chu Yueyuan lowered her eyes, gently bit her lower lip, and quickly said, "You sleep on the inside, and I'll sleep on the outside... I'll go to the washroom to wash up first."
After saying that, she pushed the man away and quickly went into the bathroom.
In the washroom, Chu Yueyuan cupped warm water in her hands to wet her cheeks, and couldn't help but secretly regret her decision. Come to think of it, this was the first time the Regent had come to the Phoenix Perch Palace.
How could she... so confused and agree to let him stay overnight?
She should even sleep in the same bed with him!
Thinking back on their shared experiences, one time it was due to the aphrodisiac, and the other time she was tricked without even realizing it.
Having finally moved past those two decadent experiences, why would she willingly walk into the other person's trap again?
Chu Yueyuan finally realized something was wrong, put on her nightgown and went outside, determined to drive the scheming and treacherous minister out of her territory.
Mu Wei quickly washed and changed his clothes. By the time Chu Yueyuan returned to the study with a warm anger on her face, he had already changed into a white silk nightgown and was carefully reading a secret letter by the flickering candlelight.
The man's hair was not tied up, and the wisps of hair curled up on his forehead were still damp, half-obscuring his deep eyes. His thin lips were slightly pursed beneath his high, straight nose, and he exuded an aloof and ascetic aura. At this moment, his clothes were half-open, and the flickering candlelight cast shadows of varying depths on his muscular chest.
Chu Yueyuan was slightly taken aback, and was about to speak up to expel this monster.
Pei Muwei looked up at her, his gaze deep and serious: "Lin Mu has already investigated the Ghost Market. Five of the shops that were involved in the trade of exotic medicinal herbs have all been deserted."
Chu Yueyuan's expression also turned serious. The fact that all five shops closed at the same time did not seem like a coincidence.
She frowned and pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Now that I think about it carefully, with Du's abilities, it's impossible for her to have done it so efficiently. Could it be... that I've guessed wrong?"
Previously, when Du Shi bribed the palace servants of Fengqi Palace, Chu Yueyuan only spent half a day to find out the truth. But this time, even the Regent Prince couldn't find any clues. She didn't believe that Du Shi would have such means, not only to manipulate many businesses in the black market, but also to do it so secretly.
Pei Muwei raised his hand and sent the secret letter into the candle flame. As the flame flickered, the letter gradually turned to ashes.
He said calmly, "This person probably heard rumors from the palace, which is why he was so eager to remove the people from the Ghost Market in order to erase the evidence. However, this hasty action only confirms that the Emperor's illness is related to the Ghost Market. The more he tries to cover up the mess, the more flaws he leaves behind."
After hearing the Regent's idea, Chu Yueyuan felt a slight weight lifted from her heart, and she nodded thoughtfully.
"Then I'll trouble you, Pei Qing, to continue the investigation..."
Pei Muwei gazed at the young empress dowager opposite the red candle. The woman's face was fair and delicate without any makeup, and her skin glowed like jade in the candlelight. Her thick black hair was draped over her shoulders, and a strand of black hair slipped down her collar, wetting the satin at her chest and revealing glimpses of the peony-colored blouse underneath.
He swallowed hard, then suddenly bent down and blew out the red candle.
Suddenly, her vision went black. Before Chu Yueyuan could react, the man had already picked her up and carried her to the daybed, gently placing her on the couch.
There was only a light blue lotus-patterned thin mattress on the daytime bed, which she used to cover herself when taking a nap. It was slightly cool in the deep night, and against the man's hot, iron-like body, Chu Yueyuan did not feel cold at all, but rather a little hot.
Even as the man's strong arm rested on her waist, Chu Yueyuan still felt a sense of disorientation, unable to understand how she and the Regent had gone from chatting in the ghost market to talking about the Luohan bed.
What was she trying to do just now?
"Your Highness, why aren't you asleep? What are you thinking about?" In the darkness, the man's dark eyes shone brightly, like two stars in the night.
Chu Yueyuan quickly closed her eyes and turned her back to him, but she could still feel the continuous heat coming from her back, so hot that she moved closer to the edge of the bed.
The arm around her waist tightened suddenly, and the man's thin lips pressed against her ear, his deep voice unusually husky in the night:
"Watch out, you might fall!"
She resisted the urge to rub her ears, tensing up like a cat, silently adopting a defensive posture.
Aside from being unusually hot, the man did nothing inappropriate. His thin lips lightly touched her earlobe, and soon her breathing became steady.
Chu Yueyuan had experienced many troubles that day, but now, enveloped by the refreshing scent of soap emanating from the other person, her thoughts relaxed. Then, a wave of weariness washed over her, her eyelids grew heavy, and she unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
That night, she slept soundly, but heard Xiao Yun crying several times. She groggily tried to get up to check on him, but the man pressed her back down onto the bed with his strong hand.
"Your Highness is still sleeping..."
It is unknown what method the Regent used, but Xiao Yun's crying soon stopped, and she fell asleep again in peace.
As the first rays of dawn pierced through the carved window lattice, warmly falling upon her eyelids, Chu Yueyuan slowly opened her eyes, only to be met with the man's sleeping face so close to hers.
Her confused mind seemed to be cleansed by a gentle breeze, and she suddenly became clear-headed.
There were no curtains around the daybed, and the morning light poured down without obstruction, casting a soft glow on the man's face.
The regent was not only handsome, but also had excellent bone structure. His brow bones undulated like distant mountains, casting deep shadows in his eye sockets. At this moment, his eyes were lightly closed, concealing the sharpness contained in his fierce phoenix eyes.
His gaze was lowered, revealing the rising and falling Adam's apple and the clearly defined lines of his collarbone.
Chu Yueyuan's eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked around and realized that she had moved from the outside of the bed to the inside at some point.
Fragments of last night floated into her mind. Chu Yueyuan raised her hand to rub her head, secretly blaming herself for sleeping soundly all night while the Empress Dowager, who should have been taking care of the Emperor, had been dutifully keeping watch all night.
She carefully lifted a corner of the blankets, intending to step over the sleeping man and get off the bed.
The man was like a keen-eyed wild beast, able to detect prey trying to slip away even in his sleep.
Without even opening his eyes, he stretched out his arm and caught the fleeing prey, trapping it in his arms.
Chu Yueyuan twisted and struggled a couple of times, but seeing that she couldn't break free from the other party's restraint, she had no choice but to reason with him: "I'll go see if the Emperor has woken up."
Pei Muwei buried his head in the fragrant neck of the young Empress Dowager, his voice hoarse: "Your Highness need not go. This humble subject just coaxed the Emperor to sleep half an hour ago."
Chu Yueyuan felt a tingling sensation all over her body from the breath coming from the back of her neck. She said softly, "Last night, I thanked Minister Pei for taking care of His Majesty without complaint. The bed is cramped, so please let me get off and allow you to continue to sleep peacefully."
"Your Highness, are you not allowed to continue sleeping?"
"Hmm... I've had enough sleep."
Pei Muwei suddenly opened his eyes, the corners of his long, narrow eyes faintly tinged with red. He asked again, "Is Your Highness sure you don't want to sleep?"
Chu Yueyuan, oblivious to the danger lurking in the man's deep voice, impatiently pushed away the arm wrapped around her waist: "I told you not to sleep... Ah!"
As dawn breaks and hungry beasts awaken, it is the perfect time to devour their prey.
The delicate kisses slid down the woman's fair shoulders and neck, kissing her sensitive earlobe. Chu Yueyuan was forced to tilt her head back, while pursing her red lips to suppress the scream that almost escaped her throat.
As dawn broke, the figures of palace servants could already be seen busily working in the corridor. A young eunuch used a long-handled bamboo broom to gather fallen leaves into a pile, while two or three palace maids stood on tiptoe to carefully wipe the carved window frames. The whisks brushed over the gilded decorations, and the fine dust that rose up floated up and down in the morning sun.
The daybed in the study was right next to the carved window. Chu Yueyuan could see groups of palace maids walking past the window with just a slight glance, and she could even hear them talking in hushed tones.
The scorching heat emanating from her palm, and the increasingly heavy breaths on her neck, made her heart tremble.
The man's domineering aura and the sense of transgression stemming from their different identities intensely affected her. The occasional footsteps outside the window only added to her fear. Chu Yueyuan's eyelashes were wet, her cheeks flushed, and even the tips of her ears were tinged with a deep crimson. Her trembling voice was choked with sobs:
"Use a handkerchief, don't get it on the mattress..."
The morning dew quietly slid down the veins of the leaves, winding silvery trails on the tender leaves. After being nourished by the sweet dew, the garden's fragrance was enhanced with even more vibrant colors.
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