Chapter 8 Entering the Palace
Inside the Prince Qi's residence.
When Li Yuanji was helped back, his face was still pale. Although the numbness in his arm had subsided, the fear and humiliation of being instantly electrified and collapsing to the ground were like a leech, driving him to a frenzy. He smashed several precious porcelain pieces in his study, roaring that he would tear that "witch" to pieces.
Princess Yang (Li Yuanji's principal wife in history) rushed to the scene upon hearing the news. Seeing her husband in such a disheveled state, she was both heartbroken and furious. She questioned the guards who accompanied her (omitting the details of Li Yuanji's attempted misconduct, only emphasizing that he went to "visit" but was attacked by "sorcery"), and secretly spent money to glean more fragmented information from some low-ranking servants in the Eastern Palace's annex—the Crown Prince treated this woman with great courtesy, seemingly relying on her; this woman could cure the Crown Prince's headaches and possessed mysterious self-defense techniques.
Lady Yang was also a shrewd woman. She knew that Li Yuanji and Crown Prince Li Jiancheng were allies, jointly opposing Prince Qin, Li Shimin. Now, the Crown Prince was actually condoning a woman of unknown origin harming Prince Qi (as she perceived it), which made her both uneasy and sensing an opportunity. If this woman truly possessed such abilities as relieving headaches (she knew Li Yuan also suffered from this ailment), and was so highly regarded by the Crown Prince, it might even affect the relationship between the Crown Prince and Prince Qi…
An idea took shape in her mind.
A few days later, at the court assembly, Li Yuan, burdened by days of official duties and suffering from a relapse of his old ailment, experienced a severe headache and could barely endure the proceedings. He had to adjourn the assembly early and was helped back to his palace by eunuchs. The prescriptions from the Imperial Medical Bureau had little effect, and news of Li Yuan's unbearable suffering quickly reached the Qi Prince's residence, which was closely monitoring the situation in the palace.
Lady Yang knew the time had come. She immediately summoned a trusted nanny who had connections in the palace and gave her some instructions.
Soon, a seemingly casual rumor, like a drop of water falling into a hot pan, quietly exploded in some corner of the inner court—"I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince recently acquired a fairy from overseas who is skilled at concocting elixirs, and even cured most of His Highness's long-standing headaches..." "That's right, it seems she's being cared for in the Eastern Palace's detached residence, treasured very much..." "Alas, if only His Majesty could also obtain such an elixir..."
These words, cleverly embellished and circuitous, finally "naturally" reached the ears of Li Yuan, who was suffering from a headache and was in a state of agitation.
"An overseas fairy? An elixir of immortality?" Li Yuan pressed his throbbing temples, a glint of light and...displeasure flashing in his cloudy eyes. "The Crown Prince has obtained such a capable person, why didn't he recommend her to me sooner? Was he only thinking of enjoying her himself?" An emperor's suspicions are more easily aroused when he is in pain. He both longs for a miraculous medicine to relieve his suffering and is dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's possible hoarding of her.
"Go! Immediately send someone to the Eastern Palace villa to bring me that...that fairy! I want to ask her myself what kind of magic she possesses!" Li Yuan ordered breathlessly, his tone leaving no room for argument.
When the eunuch arrived at the Eastern Palace villa with the imperial decree, Li Jiancheng's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He never expected that this matter would actually reach his father, the Emperor! Who was the damned person who leaked the news? Or... was someone doing this on purpose? He immediately suspected Li Yuanji, who had just suffered a loss, and was both shocked and furious.
But the imperial edict had been issued, and he couldn't disobey it. Handing over Wang Yi meant losing the "miracle cure" for his headaches, and more importantly, it meant this mysterious and crucial "pawn" would slip out of his control and fall directly into his father's hands, its future completely unpredictable. But to refuse? That would be treason!
Weighing the pros and cons, Li Jiancheng had no choice but to grit his teeth, force a smile, and say to the eunuch, "Your Majesty has decreed that I shall obey. Fellow Daoist Wang is indeed practicing in seclusion at the temple. I will invite her out now." He went to see Wang Yi in person and tried to explain the situation in a calm tone, but the gloom and unease in his eyes were hard to hide.
"His Majesty has heard of your remarkable skills, and has specially invited you to the palace for a chat. Fellow Daoist... Rest assured, my father is benevolent and will certainly not make things difficult for you." Li Jiancheng's words were loaded with meaning, both a reassurance and a veiled warning, hoping that Wang Yi would not speak recklessly.
Countless thoughts raced through Wang Yi's mind in an instant. Entering the palace directly from the Eastern Palace's detached residence, facing Emperor Li Yuan? This turn of events was sudden, but it might not be a bad thing. Escaping Li Jiancheng's direct control, being in the palace—a more complex but potentially more opportune place—might... be more conducive to her reaching her ultimate goal? However, the risks were undoubtedly also greater.
She remained expressionless, still possessing that serene and otherworldly demeanor, and nodded slightly to Li Jiancheng: "Since His Majesty has summoned me, I will naturally obey. I am deeply grateful for the hospitality His Highness the Crown Prince has shown me over the past few days." She deliberately emphasized "hospitality," obscuring the fact that she was under house arrest.
Thus, under the "escort" of the eunuchs, Wang Yi left the Eastern Palace villa and entered the deep and mysterious Imperial Palace.
The Prince of Qin's Mansion.
Li Shimin received two crucial intelligence reports almost simultaneously.
First, Wang Yi was summoned to the palace by order of Li Yuan.
Secondly, there is a more detailed account of how Li Yuanji was knocked down by Wang Yi with a "magical weapon" after forcibly entering the villa, and how this incident was suspected to have been orchestrated by Princess Qi, who deliberately brought it to the emperor's attention when Li Yuan was ill.
Li Shimin suddenly stood up and paced around the study, his brows furrowed. The two pieces of information seemed to have dispelled much of the doubt that had been hanging over him.
"So... Wang Yi is not only not one of the Crown Prince's men, but may have even fallen out with the Crown Prince and Prince Qi because of this?" he muttered to himself. Li Yuanji attempted to commit treason, and the Crown Prince failed to protect him effectively (or rather, Wang Yi didn't need the Crown Prince's protection at all; he had his own methods), and in the end, Wang Yi was taken away by the Emperor... This was clearly not the outcome the Crown Prince wanted to see.
Therefore, the generous gift and warning she gave herself back then were more likely born from some independent intention, rather than a scheme orchestrated by the Crown Prince. She might indeed come from some mysterious overseas force with her own goals, and these goals, for the time being, at least do not seem to be in league with the Crown Prince.
"Perhaps I... misjudged him?" A rare sense of regret rose in Li Shimin's heart. If he had known this earlier, perhaps he should have tried to make contact earlier and more secretly? Now that she has been brought into the palace, she is facing an even more suspicious, aged emperor, Li Yuan, who is also suffering from headaches. The variables are even greater now.
He could almost foresee what would happen next—Li Yuan would try Wang Yi's "elixir," and if it worked, Wang Yi's position would instantly become special and delicate. What role would a mysterious woman who could alleviate the emperor's suffering play in the deep palace? A concubine? A sorcerer? Or… something else entirely?
"Continue to closely monitor the situation in the palace, especially His Majesty's attitude towards Wang Yi, and Wang Yi's predicament. Report any suspicious activity immediately!" Li Shimin ordered in a deep voice, his heart pounding even harder. It seemed that Wang Yi was being played in the most dangerous and central position on the chessboard in a way he had never anticipated.
The Imperial Palace, a side hall of the Liangyi Hall.
Li Yuan met Wang Yi. At first glance, he was also captivated by the man's appearance and demeanor, especially by his pristine "Dust-Avoiding Immortal Robe." After listening to Wang Yi briefly explain his origins in Mandarin with a foreign accent (still referring to Penglai, the Taoist from Laiwei, and his journey to Tang to seek a destiny), and presenting him with the so-called "Heart-Clearing and Pain-Relieving Powder," Li Yuan was skeptical.
He first had his trusted eunuch test the medicine (the procedure was exactly the same as Li Jiancheng's). After confirming that there was no problem and that the eunuch said he felt clear-headed, Li Yuan, tormented by a headache, nervously took the medicine.
The effect was equally remarkable. The headache that had tormented him for so long, like a dull knife scraping his bone, was significantly relieved after more than an hour. Although it was not completely cured, the feeling of being able to catch his breath made Li Yuan very happy.
"Truly a miraculous elixir! Fairy Wang is truly a divine being!" Li Yuan was overjoyed. His gaze towards Wang Yi immediately changed, filled with fervor and... a possessiveness befitting an emperor. Such beauty, and such extraordinary abilities—how could he let her go?
He immediately ordered that, under the pretext of "nourishing His Majesty's health and refining elixirs," Wang Yi be placed in a refined and secluded palace—Ningyun Pavilion—with palace maids and eunuchs serving him, and also arranged for people to "protect" him (in reality, to monitor him). The treatment he received far exceeded that of ordinary alchemists, and it seemed as if he was being brought into the harem.
To show his respect for the arrival of the "fairy," and also because his headache had subsided and he was in a good mood, Li Yuan decided to hold a small family banquet in the palace. Ostensibly, it was to welcome the "distinguished guest from Penglai," but in reality, it also served to demonstrate imperial authority to his sons and to observe the relationship between Wang Yi and his sons (especially Li Jiancheng) up close.
The atmosphere at the banquet was tense. Li Yuan sat upright in the main seat, his spirits noticeably improved. Li Jiancheng's expression was calm, but a shadow of gloom lurked in his eyes. Li Yuanji claimed illness and did not attend (perhaps he was too ashamed to face anyone, or perhaps he had been warned by Li Yuan or Li Jiancheng). Li Shimin remained as composed as ever, but when his gaze first truly fell upon Wang Yi, who sat not far below Li Yuan, dressed in an elegant Taoist robe that could not conceal her stunning beauty, his heart skipped a beat.
It was her. The mysterious woman who delivered the world map, high-yield seeds, and a diagram of a curved plow, leaving behind the warning, "Beware of rain at Xuanwu Gate." At this moment, she sat there quietly, her eyes lowered, seemingly detached from the hustle and bustle, yet unconsciously drawing everyone's attention. Her aloofness clashed with the surrounding royal luxury, yet strangely blended together.
Li Shimin could sense that his father's gaze towards her was not merely an appreciation for a "fairy" or "physician." It was a man's interest in a woman, and even more so, an emperor's possessiveness towards an "auspicious omen" or "treasure." As for his elder brother, Li Jiancheng, although he tried to maintain his composure, his occasional glances at Wang Yi revealed a complex and unfathomable look, a hint of resentment at not being able to fully control the situation, and perhaps even a trace of dependence on the elixirs.
Wang Yi seemed to sense his gaze, raised her eyes, and glanced at him indifferently. Her eyes were clear and calm, devoid of joy or sorrow, as if it were merely a casual glance, yet also as if it contained a thousand unspoken words. Their gazes met briefly in the air, then parted just as quickly.
But in that instant, Li Shimin's regret suddenly intensified. He was almost certain that this woman was no ordinary person; her arrival and everything she had shown foreshadowed enormous changes. If she had approached him earlier, she might have been a great asset. But now, she had been brought into the palace by his father, her status ambiguous, essentially placing one foot in his harem…
How could a prince possibly approach a woman who might become his concubine? How could he possibly gain her support? A single misstep could lead to utter ruin.
The banquet was filled with singing and dancing. Li Yuan was chatting and laughing, Li Jiancheng was responding with perfunctory words, and Li Shimin, though his mind was racing, had to maintain a respectful and pleased demeanor. Wang Yi remained silent throughout, only occasionally offering brief answers when Li Yuan asked him questions, his words still cryptic and evasive.
This banquet, ostensibly a welcome feast but in reality a delicate contest between various forces, ended amidst apparent harmony and underlying tensions.
Li Shimin returned to the Prince of Qin's residence, dismissed his attendants, and stood alone by the window, gazing in the direction of the palace with a deep frown.
“One step behind, and you're behind every step…” he sighed softly, his fingers unconsciously clenching. Wang Yi's appearance was like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, creating ripples he hadn't anticipated in his original plan. Now that his father had retrieved this pebble and held it in his hand, how should he deal with it?
Meanwhile, Wang Yi, in Ningyun Pavilion, saw off the eunuch sent by the emperor to express his concern and politely declined the luxurious clothes offered by the palace maids. Standing alone by the window of his new residence, gazing at the unfamiliar palace night view, a very faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.
“Li Yuan…it seems to be working well.” She gently stroked the jade bracelet on her wrist. “After entering the palace, he is closer to the center of power. Li Jiancheng can’t get involved for the time being, and Li Yuanji has suffered losses…as for Li Shimin…” She recalled the deep, sharp, and regretful gaze she had received at the banquet.
"Asian governor, are you having second thoughts?" she muttered to herself, a glint of cunning and ambition in her eyes, typical of a Leo female CEO. "Don't rush... the game has only just begun. You want the world, I want the most outstanding genetic heir... our ultimate goals might not be conflicting. It's just that we'll have to take a roundabout route."
The palace at night was silent and solemn, yet countless undercurrents seemed to surge beneath the stillness. A new stage had been set, and an even more dangerous game was about to begin.
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