Biting his teeth tightly, Xueya’s attention was split between the severe pain in his abdomen and his efforts to resist. Ultimately, the pain in his stomach won. He clutched his abdomen, his voice weakened, and he had to release He Xulan’s hand.
He Xulan took out a handkerchief and wiped the place where he had been bitten, his gaze fixed on the pale, curled-up youth. Leaning in, with the fragrance of his sleeve gently moving, he said, “It will only hurt for a while; there’s no need to endure it.”
Xueya’s long lashes trembled. The pain made his vision blurry. Though he couldn’t see He Xulan’s face clearly, he heard his voice. He Xulan had indeed poisoned the food and intended to kill him.
This was worse than dying in his dreams. Xueya felt both pain and despair. He reached out, trying to grab He Xulan’s hand and bite it fiercely, but he had no strength left. As soon as he grasped He Xulan’s hand, his limbs went completely limp, and soon, he lost consciousness altogether.
***
Xueya’s eyes flickered slightly as he slowly opened them.
Was he dead?
No, it seemed he wasn’t. The surroundings were familiar.
Xueya looked around, recognizing his usual sleeping quarters. He tried to sit up but found that the pain in his stomach was gone, although he had no strength in his body. He tried to prop himself up with his hands on the bed board to sit up, but the door was pushed open from the outside, accompanied by rain and snow.
The person who came in shivered while placing the basin of hot water on the rack. Just as they were about to take a cloth, they suddenly met Xueya’s eyes on the bed. “You’re awake?”
They tossed the cloth back and hurried to Xueya’s bedside to assist him. “Do you want to get out of bed? Let me help you. After you freshen up, I’ll inform His Majesty that you’re awake.”
Still somewhat dazed, Xueya asked, “Am I not in Ningfu Palace?”
The young eunuch supporting him replied, “Oh, that was three days ago. You were brought back that day, and it startled me. I thought you were dead.”
Surprised, Xueya exclaimed, “Three days ago? Have I been asleep for three days?”
“Almost. You woke up midway, but not for long before falling asleep again.” The young eunuch helped Xueya out of bed and asked, “Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten much in three days, right? After you freshen up, I’ll bring you some food.”
Only then did Xueya realize his lack of strength was due to hunger. Being helped to the basin of hot water, he furrowed his brow. “I want to bathe.”
The eunuch hesitated at his request. Xueya glanced at him and turned his face away. Feeling extremely embarrassed after three days without a bath, he didn’t even want to meet the eunuch’s eyes, simply saying, “Please fetch water for me. I’ll give you my monthly allowance as a reward.”
The eunuch’s monthly allowance wasn’t much, but upon hearing Xueya offer his, he was willing to go the extra mile to fetch the water.
Lacking strength, Xueya was helped into the bathtub by the eunuch. He had initially wanted the eunuch to leave but feared he might faint in the tub and abandoned the idea. The eunuch stood nearby, initially only watching, but as he continued to watch, he couldn’t help but reach out and touch Xueya’s shoulder. “Your skin is so fair, even whiter than snow.”
Xueya evaded the eunuch’s hand. “I’m almost done washing. Please bring me my meal.”
The eunuch acknowledged and quickly left, returning equally swiftly. He returned to find Xueya already dressed, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
After finishing a meal, Xueya felt somewhat better physically but still lacked strength. After sending the eunuch away, he laid on the bed contemplating.
He Xulan hadn’t killed him?
Was the poison not potent enough?
Thinking of this possibility, Xueya’s hair stood on end. He had narrowly escaped death by a stroke of luck.
Then he remembered biting He Xulan. It was a serious offense. He had thought he would die and had acted recklessly. Now that he hadn’t died, if He Xulan used it as a reason to kill him again, what would he do?
Lost in these chaotic thoughts, someone entered.
Xueya thought it was the young eunuch again and instantly felt annoyed. Ever since he had watched Xueya bathe, the young eunuch had been insufferable. He pulled the blanket over his head and muttered, “I’m sleeping. Leave.”
“You want Zhen to leave?”
A voice with a hint of coldness echoed in the room. Xueya was first startled, then immediately pulled the blanket down and turned to the door. Seeing that it was indeed Cui Lingjing standing there, his eyes widened slightly.
Cui Lingjing looked at Xueya on the bed. “If you don’t speak, then I’ll leave.” With that, he made as if to leave.
Sure enough, from behind came the sound of Xueya sounding on the verge of tears, “Your Majesty, please don’t leave.”
Cui Lingjing halted his steps, closed the door, and walked over to the bedside. Xueya had slept for three days and looked noticeably thinner. His face, already small, seemed even more delicate, as if two fingers could crush it. The room was dimly lit by light filtering in from outside, giving the bed a somewhat gloomy appearance. Curled up in the bedding, Xueya resembled a snowball. Suddenly, Cui Lingjing seemed to understand the origin of the “Xue” character in his name.
Unaware of Cui Lingjing’s thoughts, Xueya reached out towards him, his voice pitiful. “Your Majesty.”
Cui Lingjing glanced at the outstretched hand, sidestepping it. Avoiding Xueya’s gaze, he couldn’t help but chuckle. He looked at the bed and saw that although the bedding was thin, it was clean. Only then did he sit down beside him with due respect. “Are you feeling better now?”
Xueya quickly grabbed Cui Lingjing’s sleeve, as if afraid he would leave. He nodded at Cui Lingjing’s question but then shook his head. “Still a bit uncomfortable.” He touched his stomach with his other hand. “My stomach hurts.”
Actually, it didn’t hurt anymore.
But Xueya feared He Xulan would try to kill him again. His only hope now lay with Cui Lingjing. If Cui Lingjing was willing to protect him, he might survive.
Cui Lingjing looked at Xueya’s stomach, his hand halfway extended before pulling back. “Rest some more. Over these days, continue resting. Do you remember why your stomach hurts?”
Seeing Cui Lingjing’s movement, Xueya slowly shifted closer to him until he was near Cui Lingjing’s leg, then stopped. “Your Majesty,” he whispered, “that day when I went to deliver medicine, the Empress Dowager rewarded me with a meal. I… I think I just wasn’t used to the food at Ningfu Palace, so my stomach hurt. The Empress Dowager is of high status and wouldn’t poison the food.”
Having just bathed, he exuded a fragrance that mingled with the scent of the bedding, filling Cui Lingjing’s nose. Cui Lingjing raised his hand and patted Xueya’s face. “That’s the right way to think. Don’t mention the stomach ache again in the future, understood?”
Xueya was somewhat stunned, feeling as though Cui Lingjing knew something.
The next day, Xueya learned from the young eunuch that Xu Pingnan had died.
This news startled Xueya. “Xu Gonggong, he’s not…” He shut his mouth, silent for a moment before asking, “Who ordered it?”
The young eunuch lowered his voice. “It was His Majesty. On the morning after his second day of marriage, he returned from the morning court and had Xu Gonggong beaten to death.”
Upon hearing this, Xueya’s panic deepened.
That morning, Cui Lingjing had sent him to Ningfu Palace. Before he left, he had seen Xu Pingnan, and now Xu Pingnan had been beaten to death that very morning.
Why?
“Do you know why His Majesty executed Xu Gonggong?” Xueya asked.
The young eunuch shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Xueya feared it might be related to him bribing Xu Pingnan or feared Xu Pingnan might have revealed his secrets. Already weak these past few days, the news of Xu Pingnan’s death made him even more ill.
During these hazy days, he kept dreaming of He Xulan. Sometimes they were in a tent together, and he struggled to free himself from He Xulan’s grasp but couldn’t; other times, he dreamt of that meal, his stomach hurting badly, holding onto He Xulan’s hand, begging for help while He Xulan stood by watching.
As the New Year approached, Xueya gradually recovered. Once he was well enough, he returned to serve in the court again. However, the news of Xu Pingnan’s death made him anxious, fearing that Cui Lingjing might also order him to be killed.
Cui Lingjing seemed to sense Xueya’s concerns. One day, as Xueya was about to leave after serving tea again, Cui Lingjing stopped him and unabashedly pinched Xueya’s cheek. “I know what you’re thinking. It was Xu Pingnan who spread rumors about Me and the Empress. That’s why I had him killed. You didn’t do anything wrong. What are you afraid of?”
After saying this, Cui Lingjing noticed that Xueya seemed frightened, his mouth slightly open, revealing his white teeth.
Hmph, even more like a rabbit now.
Thinking Xueya was slow, Cui Lingjing continued, “Not only did that dog Xu Pingnan spread rumors, but he also mentioned that night you were serving beside me. I needed to appease General Lei, so I had you go to the Empress Dowager for punishment. Since the Empress Dowager is usually kind-hearted, he naturally wouldn’t punish you severely. General Lei couldn’t accuse me of favoritism either. I wasn’t planning to tell you this, but seeing you like this, I’m afraid you’d scare yourself to death before I could explain.”
It took Xueya a while to close his mouth. When he finally did, he felt his cheek burning. Unable to help himself, he tried to dodge. “Your Majesty, please stop, it hurts.”
“I only pinched you for a moment…” Cui Lingjing lazily released his hand, looking at Xueya’s red cheek, his voice suddenly halting. After a moment, he awkwardly cleared his throat.
Xueya rubbed his face, afraid that one day Cui Lingjing might actually pinch it to pieces.
“What if the Empress Dowager decided to execute me as punishment?” Xueya asked.
Cui Lingjing chuckled. He reached out and caught the other side of Xueya’s face. “Then I’d be happy.”
Wide-eyed, Xueya wondered why, but Cui Lingjing didn’t elaborate. His expression suggested he didn’t want to discuss the topic further, so Xueya let it go.
Several days passed in a blur, and soon it was little New Year’s Eve, which also happened to be Xueya’s seventeenth birthday.
On little New Year’s Eve, a palace feast was held. There weren’t many formal guests in the palace, aside from the Emperor, the Empress, He Xulan, and a few consorts, barely filling two tables. One table seated He Xulan, Cui Lingjing, and Empress Lei alone.
As for the ministers, they sat in the outer hall, separated from the palace women.
Empress Lei had removed the heavy makeup she wore on her wedding day, revealing a face that was both delicate and dignified. Cui Lingjing hadn’t stepped into the Empress’s palace since their wedding day, yet Empress Lei seemed unconcerned. At the dining table, she was lively and jovial. After a few drinks, she complained of feeling stifled and decided to move to a more open area, sitting at the table with the consorts.
Empress Lei’s arrival at the consort’s table caused quite a stir. What had been a quiet meal table suddenly became lively. Xueya, behind the curtain, could hear laughter and conversation from that side, arousing his curiosity. He glanced towards the partition but couldn’t see anything clearly due to the curtain.
Suddenly, someone stepped on his foot.
Xueya quickly withdrew his gaze. He was standing between Cui Lingjing and He Xulan, a little behind, pouring alcohol. Judging by the foot that had stepped on him, it seemed to be He Xulan’s. But when he stealthily glanced at He Xulan, he didn’t notice anything unusual.
Xueya looked at Cui Lingjing next, and coincidentally, Cui Lingjing glanced back at him. They locked eyes, and Cui Lingjing called a eunuch over. “You, get a few people and serve these twenty or so dishes to the ministers’ tables.”
Cui Lingjing pointed at the untouched dishes on the table and gestured towards Xueya. “You, too.”
Serving dishes was a way for the Emperor to commend the ministers. Those who could attend the palace feast were all third-ranked or higher officials.
Xueya and the other palace attendants carried the dishes out. He carried a plate of plum-stewed pork. The chief eunuch instructed him to serve it at the second table on the right. Approaching the designated table, Xueya placed the dish down and said, “A gift from His Majesty. Please enjoy, Your Excellency.”
“Thank you for His Majesty’s favor.”
A deep, husky voice reached Xueya’s ears. He paused for a moment, then raised his eyes.
It was a face Xueya had never seen before. The man before him was probably around twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, tall and imposing, even while seated, exuding a commanding presence.
The man had dark skin, so dark it could be described as black. In Li Dynasty, a country that valued fair skin, he clearly didn’t fit the standard of a handsome man. His features didn’t conform to conventional beauty standards either—single eyelids and a hooked nose.
The man noticed Xueya’s gaze and glanced at the plum-stewed pork, speaking in a deep voice, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Xueya withdrew his gaze, leaving the table. However, as he entered the inner hall, he took a few more glances at the man. He then pulled aside a young eunuch who was about to enter the hall and asked, “Do you know who sits at that table?”
The young eunuch glanced over. “That’s General Yi.”
“General Yi Yefeng?” Xueya asked.
The young eunuch nodded.
Xueya released him, murmured a quiet thank you, and immediately turned to enter the inner hall. This Yi Yefeng was the general he had dreamed about, but that didn’t surprise him. What surprised him was that Yi Yefeng’s voice sounded like the one he had heard under the table in Ningfu Palace that day.
As a foreign minister, Yi Yefeng shouldn’t have been present at Ningfu Palace. Moreover, that day it was clear they were planning something—Consort Shu, Imperial Tutor Xu—what did this have to do with He Xulan and Yi Yefeng?
Wait a minute!
Regardless of Consort Shu and Imperial Tutor Xu’s involvement, it was abnormal for He Xulan and Yi Yefeng to meet privately. Could it be that they were already involved?
That… would be great!
If he could make Cui Lingjing see He Xulan and Yi Yefeng together, Cui Lingjing would surely be very upset and might even turn to like him.
However, he was only guessing that He Xulan and Yi Yefeng were involved; he wasn’t certain.
So, at the upcoming family banquet, Xueya kept stealing glances at He Xulan. When He Xulan stood up and said he was going to change clothes, Xueya immediately moved discreetly to the outer hall. Seeing that the second table on the right was empty, he immediately felt confident in his guess.
Xueya wanted Cui Lingjing to catch them in the act, but Cui Lingjing chose that moment to rise and enjoy the company of the ministers, accepting their toasts, which made it impossible for Xueya to intervene.
Reluctant to give up on this opportunity, Xueya whispered to the young eunuch next to him that he urgently needed to use the restroom and took the opportunity to leave the hall.
Author’s Note:
Xueya: Watch me catch them in the act!
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