Chapter 94 Parasite
From that day on, He Niang seemed to gradually win Liang Ye's favor. He allowed her to serve in the study, to accompany him when he went out, and even allowed her to serve him in the mornings when he was a personal maid, doing things like helping him change clothes.
He still adhered to his promise to "give He Niang only one chance," never letting her stay overnight and immediately sending her back to her room when it was time, never touching her. He gave He Niang hope while simultaneously extinguishing it with his own hands, constantly reminding her: you only have one chance.
Because of this, He Niang couldn't help but feel anxious. Now she was besieged on all sides and could no longer retreat; she could only grit her teeth and move forward. In order to conceive a child, she had no choice but to secretly seek Huai Song's help.
For Yu Huaisong, after reading every night, having a soft, fragrant woman snuggle in his arms for intimate moments was quite a romantic affair. With Cheng Min absent, Cheng An and Huai Feng were both dutiful men, and Liang Ye was busy with matters of the Dali Temple and also worrying about the affairs of the imperial palace for Lord Zhang, so he had no time to deal with the trivial matters in the courtyard.
Whenever Huai Song saw He Niang whispering sweet nothings beneath him, he felt a sense of disorientation, as if he himself had become Liang Ye, the top scholar, and beneath him was Xue Shanhe, who would rather abandon wealth and honor than stay in Liang Ye's arms. Huai Song sometimes even imagined Xue Shanhe gritting her teeth, refusing to bow her head, preferring to run away than stay by Liang Ye's side. But he wondered if she, too, had once been as alluring as He Niang when she was beneath Liang Ye.
What delighted him even more was that when He Niang became pregnant, his child would be Liang Ye's child! Thinking of this, Huai Song felt a surge of energy. Cheng Min was dead, and Cheng An and Huai Feng were no longer a threat. Before long, the affairs of the Liang household would be handed over to Huai Song, the chief steward. At that time, he would control Liang Ye's household; Liang Ye's women would actually be Huai Song's women, and Liang Ye's sons would actually be Huai Song's sons. Liang Ye, the admired and envied scholar, had he ever imagined he would one day fall to such a state? Huai Song couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.
On the twelfth day of the first month, an imperial edict summoned Liang Ye to the palace. Cheng An prepared the carriage and horses, and He Niang helped Liang Ye change into his court robes. He was about to leave when he suddenly stopped in the courtyard, turned back and asked He Niang, "Aren't you coming with me?"
He Niang was stunned for a moment, as were Granny Wei and Er Cai, who were doing needlework in the corridor. He Niang glanced at everyone, couldn't help but smile, and readily agreed, quickly lifting her skirt to follow.
This was a treatment even Xue Shanhe didn't receive. Now, she was even more favored by Liang Ye than Xue Shanhe. He Niang thought to herself.
Liang Ye entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation to report to the emperor, while He Niang was led by a young eunuch from the palace gate to a side room for tea. The imperial kitchen presented her with pastries, and the fragrant tea was reserved for the ladies-in-waiting. He Niang gazed at the two dishes and a cup on the table, her eyes and brows beaming with joy. She repeatedly stroked the white porcelain teacup, suddenly feeling that all her scheming and calculations to get to where she was now had been worthwhile. If she had married a servant, would she ever have had the chance to enter the palace? If she had married a servant, would the other servants who served the ladies-in-waiting have fawned over her? She was born lowly; marrying a servant meant continuing to be a slave, and her children would also be slaves. But if she became Liang Ye's concubine, she would be half a mistress, and her children would be true mistresses!
She had only taken a few sips of tea when a young palace maid came over and said that Consort Xian had just left the Hall of Mental Cultivation and had heard that Minister Shaoqing had brought a maid with him, and that Consort Xian wished to see her. Upon hearing this, He Niang was overjoyed. She quickly smoothed her hair with her fingers, smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes, and immediately got up to follow her.
Consort Xian, her pregnant belly prominent, sat in the cloud-borne palanquin. A young girl stepped out, head bowed, hands clasped in front of her belly, bowing respectfully. Consort Xian narrowed her phoenix eyes and said coldly, "Raise your head." He Niang raised her head as instructed. Consort Xian was startled, but her initial reaction vanished. She smiled faintly, casually uttering three words: "A substitute." Consort Xian glanced at the maidservant beside her, and the cloud-borne palanquin was lifted again, continuing forward.
Upon hearing the words "substitute," He Niang's fingers tightened, and she quietly clenched her fist. A voice floated down from above: "Serve Liang Shaoqing well." He Niang slowly raised her head; the Consort Xian's carriage had already gone several steps away.
After Liang Ye emerged from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his brows furrowed, he remained silent in thought, ignoring everyone. Seeing this, He Niang dared not disturb him and obediently sat beside him, secretly observing his expression.
The reason for the Emperor's summons today lies in an old case. Years ago, the court confiscated a batch of banned books, but unexpectedly, the connection remained strong in the private sector. These books not only didn't disappear, but their fame even rose after the court's confiscation, and their private circulation increased even further. Recently, several princesses and noblewomen visited the Empress Dowager, and in casual conversation, inadvertently revealed that such books were still popular in the capital. The Empress Dowager relayed this to the Emperor, who immediately ordered the Ministry of Rites to reinvestigate. They discovered that several of the books had already gone beyond the scope of "erotic art," and even contained insinuations about politics and slander against important officials. Therefore, because of the Empress Dowager's report and the Emperor's recent reliance on Liang Ye, he suddenly summoned Liang Ye to the palace today, ordering him to personally investigate the matter.
This is a tough job. The batch of banned books totals twenty or thirty volumes, from different bookstores throughout the Great Yan. Investigating them will require traveling across the entire country and dealing with local government offices. Liang Ye has only been in his position as Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review for less than a year, a crucial time for establishing his authority, and he's also assisting Zhang Fengliang in overseeing the renovation of the imperial palace. Now, to be entangled in such erotic literature is truly a losing proposition.
The carriage stopped abruptly at the palace gate. Cheng An, sitting on the carriage floor, called out, "It's Eunuch Mi from the Empress's palace."
Eunuch Mi held a carved lacquer square tray, covered with a red silk cloth. Eunuch Mi smiled, his eyes crinkling: "Lord Shaoqing, Her Majesty is grateful for your hard work these past few days, this is a special reward from Her Majesty."
Liang Ye hurriedly came out to express his gratitude and accepted the plate with both hands.
Eunuch Mi gripped the square tray tightly but didn't let go. He smiled and said, "Lord Shaoqing, do a good job on today's task. Her Majesty values it highly."
Liang Ye knew that Consort Xian had something to say to him, so he lowered his eyes and remained silent, waiting for Eunuch Mi to continue.
"Last time, His Majesty raided Wujichang to ban gambling. Today, His Majesty is taking action against these banned books to curb licentiousness and cleanse the social atmosphere. Those noble ladies and princesses who possessed these banned books did not tell Consort Zhu, but instead told our Lady. Do you understand the deeper meaning behind this, my lord? Our Lady told His Majesty, and instead of directly ordering the Ministry of Rites to investigate, he personally ordered the books to be searched. And sure enough, they found words that alluded to the politics of the court. Is this not the will of Heaven? Last time, they failed to find anything when they searched for banned books, but this time they found something. His Majesty has entrusted this important task to you, my lord. It is truly His Majesty's favor towards both the Lady and you."
Halfway through Eunuch Mi's words, Liang Ye grasped the deeper meaning. What was originally merely a case of "filth and disorder in the brothel," hardly worthy of serious consideration, had suddenly escalated into a political case due to His Majesty's allusions to politics in his story. Liang Ye pondered this, recalling Eunuch Mi's mention of the Wuji Field, and secretly concluded that His Majesty must not have completely eliminated those he wished to eliminate.
Seeing Liang Ye's expression, Eunuch Mi's smile deepened: "It's good that you've figured it out, Lord Shaoqing. I'm relieved." He loosened his grip on the square plate and took a half step back. "Lord Shaoqing, there are many forbidden books. Your Majesty suggests that we start by checking the 'Hundred Officials Enjoying Themselves' book from Lan Gu Bookstore in Jinling."
"Lan Gu Bookshop in Jinling?" Liang Ye's eyes narrowed. His Majesty had already decided to investigate a prominent family. He pondered for a moment and said, "I obey."
Eunuch Mi nodded with a smile, then lightly swept his whisk and led the young eunuch away gracefully.
Liang Ye returned to the carriage with the plan in his hand. He lifted the red silk and saw twenty taels of silver and two exquisite purses neatly stacked on it. He Niang stared intently at the purses and smiled, "Sir, these two purses are quite unique. They look like a pair."
Liang Ye smiled and casually tossed a few silver coins into He Niang's arms: "Here you go."
He Niang could only purse her lips and thank him.
After leaving the palace, Liang Ye rested his head on his hand, feigning sleep. His brow was furrowed with weariness, as if he were utterly exhausted. He Niang noticed his furrowed brow and the dark circles under his eyes, and felt a pang of heartache. She moved closer and softly asked, "Master, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Liang Ye gave a deep "hmm" and said in a hoarse voice, "I haven't been sleeping well these past few days... and the work is so tedious, I always feel a headache."
He Niang then said, "Sir, let me massage your temples for you."
Liang Ye lifted his eyelids to glance at her, then said abruptly, "...Okay."
He Niang smiled and sat down beside Liang Ye, placing her hands on his temples and gently massaging them. She said softly, "Although you are busy with official duties, you should take care of your health."
Liang Ye closed his eyes and responded listlessly.
"I've heard that burning calming incense at night is good for sleep."
“It’s no use,” Liang Ye said. “It will remain the same as before.”
"There's another way. It's said that soaking your feet before bed can dispel evil spirits and make it easier to sleep soundly," He Niang said gently. "If you'd like, Master, I'll go and get you a prescription. I guarantee you'll sleep peacefully."
Liang Ye was stunned, then slowly opened his eyes. He was silent for a few moments, then spoke in a rare gentle tone: "He Niang, that night, did I really mistake you for Lady Xue?" He turned to her, smiling, "I really can't remember."
He Niang was startled, and her heart began to pound again. She quickly forced a smile and said, "Master is drunk and confused, he has forgotten that incident." Her face flushed, she lowered her head and murmured, "But I remember."
Liang Yexing's eyes narrowed, seemingly somewhat disappointed. He smiled and said, "Alright, I understand."
He called out, "Cheng'an, let's skip lunch and go to Mi Lou instead." He looked at He Niang with a half-smile, "You haven't tried Mi Lou's Caiqing Banquet yet, have you?"
He Niang's eyes lit up, and she looked every bit the delicate young girl. She exclaimed with delight, "No, I've never even heard of it! Will you take me, sir?"
Liang Ye smiled and turned his face back: "If I don't take you, I'll have Cheng'an send you back right away, how about that?"
"Master!" He Niang said coquettishly.
"Keep kneading." He exhaled a breath of stale air.
Seeing that his attitude had turned cold again, He Niang stopped laughing and focused on massaging his temples.
After having lunch in the secret building, the three of them came downstairs and were surprised to see a light snow falling outside. Because the snowflakes were so thin, they melted quickly into water when they hit the ground, making them feel even colder.
Cheng An drove the carriage, but did not head towards the Liang residence. He Niang couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything else this afternoon?"
Liang Ye looked down at the book "The Hundred Officials Enjoying Themselves" and lazily replied, "Go to the temporary palace."
"A temporary palace?" He Niang exclaimed in surprise. "Is this the temporary palace that Lord Zhang was ordered to oversee?"
Liang Ye closed the book: "Hmm, a pond has been built in the palace, called Yuzhen Pond. The pond has been kept full of water for several days, and this afternoon they will start building the artificial hill, landscape, and erecting the stele."
He Niang said, "Yu Zhen Pond? That's a nice-sounding name."
“Golden sound, the beginning of order; jade vibration, the end of order. This is the allusion.” Liang Ye looked up and saw He Niang staring at him blankly, so he said nothing more.
"Oh, I see," He Niang forced a smile.
Upon arriving at the palace, Huaisong was already waiting there. Not long after, Master Ma also arrived with two young Taoist disciples.
Liang Ye sat in the round-backed chair, wearing a winged turban, his gaze fixed on the calm, still surface of the pond. Snow continued to fall, landing on the turban and silently melting into water. He wore a black satin crane-feather cloak, the collar bound with a strip of snow-white fox fur. As the snow wind blew, the fur gently brushed against his face, further emphasizing his cold and stern expression.
Huaisong glanced at the sky and said respectfully, "Master, the time has come."
Liang Ye nodded.
Huai Song, Master Ma, and his two young disciples began to get busy.
He Niang stood to the side, dressed in thin clothes, and soon her nose turned red from the cold. She hugged her arms to keep warm.
Upon seeing this, Liang Ye instructed Cheng An, "Go to the carriage and fetch a cloak for her to wear."
He Niang smiled and curtsied to Liang Ye, saying, "Thank you, sir!"
Liang Ye lowered his eyes and smiled faintly.
The ceremony was lengthy, taking about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, before Master Ma put down the ritual bell and said, "Your Excellency, that's enough."
Liang Shao nodded and winked at Huai Song. Huai Song, having received the order, went to fetch a brocade box, the very one that had contained Old Man Bai's head that day.
Master Ma took out a cinnabar talisman from his sleeve, muttered incantations, and suddenly drew a few lines on the talisman with his fingers like a sword before sticking it onto the brocade box.
Amidst the howling north wind, Huaisong tossed the brocade box aside, and with a thud, the box quickly sank to the bottom of the pond.
Master Ma laughed and said, "This pool draws water from the imperial city, and this place is a temporary palace built by His Majesty. It is protected by the national fortune and dragon energy. Even if a few evil spirits are suppressed, we have nothing to fear. You will surely have a good night's sleep, sir."
Liang Ye rose to express his gratitude, and instructed Cheng An to present the hundred taels of gold that had already been sealed. He said in a steady voice, "Thank you for your trouble, Immortal Master. The palace is still under renovation, and there are officials and craftsmen here, so please forgive me for not being able to see you off. I will definitely come to your residence to express my gratitude another day."
Master Ma didn't mind, took the money, and left with his disciple.
Liang Ye sat back in his armchair, gazing calmly at the pond. He turned his head and saw that He Niang's face was deathly pale, clearly frightened. Liang Ye smiled and beckoned to her, "Come here."
He Niang went as instructed.
“Sit down,” he said.
But there was no second chair.
He Niang glanced at Liang Ye's slightly parted legs.
Liang Yexing smiled and pulled He Niang to sit on his lap.
"Cheng'an, get some wine."
Cheng An accepted the order and left.
Liang Ye casually placed one hand on He Niang's cloak and the other on the armrest. The cold wind was harsh, and the snow was thin and frail. A layer of glistening snow covered his eyelashes, making the red veins in his eyes stand out even more.
Liang Ye pursed his lips and said, "Huai Song, you did a good job."
Huai Song approached with a fawning smile: "It's all thanks to your guidance, sir. I'm just following your orders."
"I heard you're still studying?"
Huaisong hurriedly said, "I was just reading them for fun, just randomly learning a few characters."
“That’s good. Cheng Min and Cheng An both dislike studying. I forced them to learn a few characters, but they refused to continue learning.” He then turned to He Niang and said, “Speaking of which, Cheng Min didn’t send back a single letter after she went to Jinling.”
He Niang looked surprised and asked doubtfully, "Ah? Cheng Min is always cautious and has never been so careless. Should I write a letter to ask him about it?"
Liang Ye said slowly, "I also find it strange."
Huaisong rolled his eyes: "It's probably because of the cold weather and heavy snow that the roads are blocked and the post station is delayed. Please wait a little longer, sir. If there is still no news, I will also make a trip to Jinling."
"It's admirable that you've thought of everything." Liang Ye paused. "The steward of the Liang family in Mizhou is getting old, and I'm planning to find someone to replace him. Huaisong, since you're so thoughtful, would you be willing?"
Huai Song thought to himself, "The steward of the Liang family in Mizhou is only around forty years old, and he has been retired for several years." He said, "Master, is it that I have done something wrong? If I have made a mistake, you may beat or scold me as you wish, just to teach me a lesson. I only want to serve you for a long time. Wherever you are, I will be there."
Upon hearing this, Liang Ye's smile grew even colder, and he tightened his lips: "I also can't bear to see you go."
Cheng An brought over a set of wine pot and wine cups.
Liang Ye patted He Niang's hand: "Huai Song has worked hard on his mission, pour him a cup of wine."
Upon hearing this, He Niang immediately got off him, poured wine herself, and handed the wine cup to Huai Song with both hands.
Liang Ye squinted as he watched the wine cup pass from He Niang's hand to Huai Song's, saw the faint smiles between them as their eyes met, and watched the scalding wine go down into Huai Song's stomach. He then said, "He Niang, you should have a cup too, to warm yourself up and prevent the cold from seeping into your bones."
He Niang smiled and agreed, then poured herself another cup and drank it. She turned around and saw Liang Ye looking at them with a half-smile. He Niang frowned and asked, "Master, is there anything else? It's freezing cold and snowing. Why don't we go back soon? Your head still hurts. Let me massage it for you again."
Another gust of north wind swept by, its chill biting against their faces. Seeing that the two had finished their wine, Liang Ye said without warning, "Very well. Consider this a toast to our union."
He lifted his robe and stood up, clapping his hands and laughing: "When we go down later, at least we'll have company."
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Author's Note: Shanshan and the second brother will appear in the next chapter!
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