Chapter 21
The emperor’s gaze burned intensely as he realized he had overlooked something of utmost importance—
He was overjoyed to take her as his consort, but what if she was unwilling?
What if her heart already belonged to someone else, secretly involved with another—and that person happened to be his own son? What then?
Could he still, as he had once thought, disregard everything and simply ‘seize’ her?
He was not so foolish as to think that.
His eyes darkened.
She claimed to adore Prince Ning—but which Prince Ning did she truly mean? Could she even tell them apart?
A faint glimmer of hope lingered in the emperor’s heart: perhaps the “Prince Ning” she spoke of was the role he himself had assumed. If he lit the candle and showed her clearly who had been secretly meeting her by night all along, she would retract her ridiculous words.
He released her hand and turned to fetch a candlestick.
He Hui, listening to the movement, sensed something amiss. She thought perhaps he hadn’t heard her clearly just now.
“I speak only the truth, my lord. Though I feared you at first upon entering the palace, in time I came to know that you are kind-hearted, gentle, and approachable—a truly good man. I am lonely, but you accompanied me on the lake, and I did not fall ill; you taught me personally. I truly admire you, and never once did I lie.”
What was supposed to be a duty assigned by the Empress Dowager—to have Prince Ning accompany her—now sounded like a secret tryst between two young souls perfectly in tune.
The emperor’s footsteps suddenly halted. Holding the candlestick, he slowly turned to gaze at He Hui.
A boat ride, a shared illness... so she was already this close with his son.
The more she spoke, the more absurd his own behavior appeared.
She could not even see him, yet she had unwittingly spared the emperor a shred of dignity. If she knew he had intended to compete with his own son for her, it would be laughable to the point of tears.
Yet he was unwilling to give up just yet. He asked slowly, “And the emperor? What of him?”
“What?” In the darkness, He Hui was puzzled by his sudden question.
“What do you think of the emperor?” The emperor’s grip on the candlestick tightened.
He Hui pondered his intent carefully before answering, “The emperor is a wise ruler, a respected elder. I admire and respect him, just as I do you.”
“Wise ruler… elder…”
These words struck the emperor like a pair of heavy blows, suddenly awakening him.
So that was it.
In her heart, he was nothing more than an elder—nothing beyond that.
He had gone mad, bewitched by his own desires.
She harbored no feelings for him beyond respect for an elder.
The emperor pressed his lips together, his eyes flickering uncertainly. After a moment, he slowly set the candlestick down on the pear blossom table.
—
Outside Shouming Hall, beneath the palace walls, Zhao Yan and Wei Ling watched the young eunuchs guarding the narrow passage and various palace gates, ensuring no one would come by at this hour.
The moon silently climbed the treetops, its light shimmering on the freshly swept blue bricks of the lane, dazzling to the eyes.
Wei Ling stepped behind Wang Zhi and whispered, “Godfather, when will the master come out? Should we prepare some hot water?”
From the looks of it, the master was definitely not to be disturbed, but they were unsure what rank he intended to bestow upon the young lady inside.
Since their previous mission involving palace maidens had been botched by them and Zhao Yan, the two had been quietly speculating about the woman the emperor had taken a fancy to.
They had secretly inspected every possible palace maid and female official but found nothing—until half an incense stick ago, when the emperor suddenly entered Shouming Hall right before their eyes, kicking out the eunuchs they had stationed, revealing the lady inside.
At that moment, the two were so shocked they were nearly speechless.
How could it be her?
They never dared suspect Miss Shen, after all, the one she was to marry was the young master within the palace—the emperor’s own son!
Their master was renowned for his great talent and was hailed as a wise ruler by all. If it weren’t for seeing it with their own eyes, they would never have believed the emperor had taken a fancy to his future daughter-in-law.
Surely the emperor must have struggled with this in his heart; otherwise, he would not have secretly ordered the execution of Miss Shen to sever his own desires—yet in the end, he still regretted and could not bring himself to let go.
At this point, there was no way the emperor would release Miss Shen. Having been inside for so long without emerging, it was likely the two had consummated their union. Tomorrow, there would be a new Lady Shen in the palace. What remained unclear was how the emperor planned to explain this to the Empress Dowager—and what about Prince Ning...
Lost in thought, they suddenly heard footsteps from inside. Looking up, it was the emperor emerging.
Wei Ling was stunned.
Was it really over so quickly? He recalled the emperor’s time usually wasn’t so short, especially when it came to the beloved new beauty. Surely there should have been more tender moments—why was he leaving now?
Zhao Yan nudged Wei Ling’s ribs. “What are you thinking? Look at how tidy the master’s clothes are. It’s obvious nothing happened.”
Wang Zhi also realized this and quickly went forward, greeting, “Master.”
The emperor’s expression was as usual, inscrutable, though his pace was somewhat quicker than normal.
Silence surrounded them, save for a palace lamp gently swaying in Wang Zhi’s hand, emitting a faint creak.
“Master,” Wang Zhi finally dared to ask, “may I inquire what rank the master intends to grant to Miss Shen? So that I may prepare accordingly.”
The emperor stopped, voice cool: “When did I say I would grant her any rank?”
He turned his head. “Do you even know her identity, or have you gone senile?”
Wang Zhi was momentarily stunned, then swiftly knelt in apology. The eunuchs behind him also knelt silently. Not a sound was made.
The emperor turned again, staring into the blackness of the passageway, deep and endless as if to infinity.
“Remember, tonight I never came here. Neither did you.”
—
Li Yuanjing felt He Hui had become increasingly tactless of late.
Whenever paying respects to the Empress Dowager, she always lingered near him, acting as if they were intimately acquainted. When he visited Yao Sisi, he often found He Hui in her room. Once, he saw her giving Yao Sisi some deer antler bestowed by the Empress Dowager, speaking warmly and telling her to come to her for anything she needed.
Li Yuanjing felt deeply uncomfortable.
She was not yet married to him, yet behaved like a princess. Sisi was his person; whatever she lacked, he would provide. Why did she, a rustic girl, have to play the gracious role?
When he tried to leave, she stopped him, asking, “Young master, why did you suddenly leave that night? Did I say something wrong?”
He had no idea what she meant—he had never spent a night alone with her.
This rustic witch was talking nonsense.
Yet before the Empress Dowager, he could not contradict her; he only said perfunctorily, “I suddenly remembered something and left. I should have informed you, miss—that was my fault.”
Dealing with Shen He Hui was already draining his patience, but what troubled him more was the strange look the emperor had been giving him lately.
In past mistakes, the emperor had been displeased, even scolded him harshly, but never with that look.
At first, Li Yuanjing couldn’t quite describe the gaze but felt uneasy. One day, while at the Elephant Garden, he saw a male lion quietly roaring at another male lion and was struck by how similar the lion’s eyes looked to his father’s.
He later learned from the palace beast trainer that the lion had recently lost his mate to the rival lion.
He was sure the emperor’s gaze was not due to this. After much thought and consulting his masters, he concluded it was all in his head—the emperor was likely displeased because of the recent scandal involving the imperial examinations.
“The emperor has been in a bad mood lately. Study hard with your masters and try to keep things smooth in court. Don’t anger him,” the Empress Dowager advised, patting Li Yuanjing’s shoulder.
He nodded.
After he left, the Empress Dowager sighed as she watched his retreating figure and reclined on her soft pillow. “I don’t know what’s wrong with the emperor these days. He’s distracted and seldom visits his old wife. When he does, it’s only when no one else is around. Several times, both Jing’er and Miss Shen had already left before he came—he seems to be avoiding them.”
—
Qiu Tong dismissed such talk. “The emperor is just worried about state affairs.”
“No matter how worried, he must still observe the ancestors’ rules,” the Empress Dowager said. “Did you not hear about the emperor’s reckless horse riding the other day along the narrow path from Wansui Mountain to Lingxing Gate?”
She murmured, shaking her head. “Fortunately, he ordered it suppressed; the officials outside don’t know, or there’d be an uproar.”
“What is going on with our emperor?” she asked.
Qiu Tong massaged the Empress Dowager’s shoulders and said, “Your Majesty, do you remember the emperor’s favor towards Consort Qing near Yuhua Pavilion?”
She paused, then whispered something into the Empress Dowager’s ear. Hearing this, the Empress Dowager was astonished. “Was it Consort Shu who said this?”
“Yes.”
The Empress Dowager frowned. “Could it be the emperor has some real health issue?”
Though the emperor was in his prime, strong and vigorous, she could not dismiss the possibility.
But if not, how to explain the emperor’s refusal to grant ranks to palace maids, the long absence of favor towards consorts, and the sudden dismissal of Consort Qing? These events were perplexing.
Feeling more uneasy, the Empress Dowager said to Qiu Tong, “Quietly fetch the midwife. Do not let anyone know.”
Qiu Tong nodded. “I will.”
She lifted the curtain and stepped out, finding He Hui sitting in the corridor, playing with a young palace maid, twisting a flower knot.
She approached and patted her shoulder. “Miss, the Empress Dowager has already gone to bed. You should return now.”
He Hui sighed softly, stood, bid farewell to the young maid, and left with Qiu Tong.
“Where are you going, sister?” The senior palace maid rarely left the Empress Dowager’s side, so it was unusual for her to go out herself.
Qiu Tong smiled. “The Empress Dowager ate too much at lunch and feels a bit sluggish. She sent me to call the midwife.”
“Is it serious?”
“Not at all, miss. No need to worry.”
At a fork in the path, Qiu Tong said, “Be careful where you step. I’m off now.”
He Hui nodded.
She had originally come out to clear her mind after finishing embroidery and intended to stop by the Empress Dowager to chat. She had not expected the Empress Dowager to fall ill at such an inconvenient moment.
He Hui thought about preparing some easy-to-digest food from home for the Empress Dowager but suddenly recalled something Yao Sisi had said at Prince Ning’s palace.
The Empress Dowager and the emperor would never eat food from outside. Even if she made it, the Empress Dowager would not partake.
Sighing helplessly, He Hui carried the food box and headed toward Shouming Hall. Halfway there, the sky suddenly darkened, and light raindrops began to fall.
He Hui hurriedly took shelter in a nearby artificial rockery. The cave was dark, and soon she was invisible within.
Fear crept over her as she wanted to venture out into the rain, but just as she peered out, the rain began to pour heavily.
He Hui had no choice but to feel her way back along the stones. The deeper she went, the quieter the rain outside became, until only the drip-drop of water echoed softly.
Suddenly, she grasped something. Only later did she realize it was a human hand. Instinctively, she wanted to scream.
The person tried to break free but, perhaps upon seeing her face, suddenly grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t scream.”
That voice...
He Hui blinked in the darkness. “Young master?”
The emperor stared at her, silent for a long moment. He wanted to scold her, to reveal his true identity, but seeing her pitiful and disheveled state, he found himself letting out a strange, involuntary sound.
“It’s me.”