However, seeing He Xulan is a matter to be slowly planned.
Xueya thought he needed to first understand what He Xulan liked, disliked, what he was good at, and what he wasn’t. Though he hadn’t read many books, when they selected the courtesans at the Red Moon House, they always first learned about their opponents’ strengths and weaknesses.
But now, he was just a palace servant, with no chance at all to see He Xulan.
Xueya stared at the deep purple ruqun on the table, gritted his teeth, changed into the dress, and walked out of the room.
As soon as he stepped out of the room, Xueya noticed someone stopping at his door. Upon seeing him, the person first appeared startled, then curled his mouth disdainfully, as if extremely contemptuous. “His Majesty is in the study.”
Seeing the expression on the man’s face, Xueya felt a twinge of anger initially. But then he thought to himself, why should he bother getting angry with these insignificant underlings? His real adversary was He Xulan.
So instead of scowling, Xueya smiled at the man. “Thank you.”
The man, taken aback by his unexpected smile, paused. But Xueya was no longer concerned with what the messenger eunuch might be thinking. He had to go to Cui Lingjing.
Even though Cui Lingjing treated him as a substitute, perhaps if he performed well, a substitute could eventually become the real thing. And if he could uncover some secrets about He Xulan that were not known to others, like how he might be less perfect than he appeared…
Xueya furrowed his brow. Even if He Xulan had flaws, he would probably still be better than him; after all, he barely knew how to read.
No, he couldn’t dwell on others’ merits. He must have his own strengths, qualities that people would find more appealing, like dancing or singing folk songs?
But these talents seemed inconsequential.
With his chin held high, Xueya slowly lowered it as he approached the door to the study. Only upon entering did he regain his composure. Cui Lingjing seemed to have just finished the morning court session, still in his dragon robe as he sat on the dragon throne. Upon hearing movement, he lifted his eyelids slightly, scanned Xueya’s face briefly, then looked away.
Only after a thorough assessment did Cui Lingjing withdraw his gaze. “Grind the ink.”
Xueya’s eyes flickered as he slowly approached the desk. He looked at the inkstone and the finely carved dragon pattern on it, hesitated for a moment, then reached out towards the inkstick.
He didn’t know how to grind ink, but he had to try.
Unexpectedly, after just a few strokes, he splashed ink across the table, leaving a long streak. Xueya froze, looking up at Cui Lingjing. Sure enough, Cui Lingjing was already staring at him with a look that could kill.
Before Cui Lingjing could explode, Xueya preemptively took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the ink stain on the table, whispering, “I don’t know how to grind ink.”
Had he not dreamt that night, Xueya probably wouldn’t have spoken like this. But after the dream, he knew that until he uncovered Cui Lingjing and He Xulan’s feelings for each other, his fate was not yet sealed.
Cui Lingjing furrowed his brows upon hearing this, displaying clear disdain. “You can’t even grind ink. Why did Royal Father keep you around?”
“To sing songs,” Xueya meticulously cleaned the ink blot on the table. “I can sing folk songs from all corners of the realm. Would Your Majesty like to hear?”
Cui Lingjing scoffed. “Singing folk songs is hardly a talent.”
“But the late Emperor loved to hear me sing…” Xueya began, but before he could finish his sentence, he raised his hand to cover his head, as Cui Lingjing seemed to be turning angry. Grabbing a memorial from the table, he swung it towards him.
“You dare to block!” Cui Lingjing clenched the memorial in his hand. “Release your hand.”
Xueya could only release his hand. As expected, once he released his hand, he was struck heavily on the head.
After hitting him, Cui Lingjing’s mood improved slightly, and the grievances he had suffered at the morning court were somewhat alleviated. Those courtiers were always advising him, and now they were starting to bring up the matter of selecting beauties again.
Most annoyingly, even He Xulan had asked him to choose beauties.
Thinking of this, Cui Lingjing looked at Xueya again and said after a moment, “Take this and deliver it to Ningfu Palace.”
Cui Lingjing pulled open a drawer in his desk and took out a brocade box, placing it on the table.
***
Xueya wasn’t alone in delivering the item; there was someone accompanying him. However, it was Xueya’s responsibility to take the brocade box to He Xulan.
Cui Lingjing had specifically ordered Xueya to see He Xulan.
Xueya was actually quite pleased. After all, just as he was starting to doze off, someone handed him a pillow. However, he was also somewhat worried about how He Xulan would react upon seeing him. He hadn’t dreamt much about He Xulan in his dreams, but he couldn’t afford to miss this rare opportunity.
Upon reaching the entrance of Ningfu Palace, Xueya and his companion informed the palace attendant of their purpose and emphasized Cui Lingjing’s instructions. After the palace attendant went inside to announce them, they were allowed to enter.
This was Xueya’s second visit to Ningfu Palace, and his state of mind was different from the first time. The first time, he had been too afraid to take in the details of Ningfu Palace. Now, as he looked around, he realized that Ningfu Palace was indeed serene and elegant. Although he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what made it better than Fengrui Palace, he simply felt that Ningfu Palace surpassed it.
Yet there was something about Ningfu Palace that made him very uncomfortable. It was the roof ridge beasts on the main hall of Ningfu Palace, which were not the usual fire-dodging mythical beasts known as Chiwen but rather a row of grotesque creatures that resembled neither dragons nor phoenixes, and most notably, seemed to have chains around their feet.
Xueya couldn’t see clearly, thinking that maybe he had mistaken the chains.
Why would someone chain roof ridge beasts like that?
Lost in thought, Xueya stepped onto the main hall’s steps, about to enter the hall. The palace attendant who led the way stopped at the door. “The Empress Dowager is inside.”
Xueya murmured a quiet thank you and pushed open the half-open door to enter. The hall was quiet, seemingly empty. His previously calm demeanor suddenly tensed. Though he intended to replace He Xulan, he was currently the Empress Dowager, and more importantly, he was out of favor with Cui Lingjing.
With this in mind, Xueya reconsidered his approach. He decided to first establish a good relationship with He Xulan and then find ways to sow discord between him and others, ultimately aiming to replace him. He didn’t want to foolishly rush in and alert him to his true intentions from the start.
Hmm…
That’s how he would proceed.
Step by step, as he walked deeper inside, Xueya finally caught sight of He Xulan, who was admired by many.
He Xulan was dressed in a light blue wide-sleeved robe, standing sideways at a table with a brush in one hand and the other gripping the sleeve. Sunlight filtered through intricately carved wooden windows, casting patches of golden light across half the table.
Even Xueya, who regarded He Xulan as an enemy, couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned by the scene.
The storytellers had described He Xulan as a fallen immortal. Was this what they meant?
Shaking his head abruptly, Xueya cursed himself for inadvertently admiring someone else’s qualities. After steadying his mind, he approached He Xulan with the brocade box in hand. Perhaps hearing his footsteps, He Xulan paused his brushwork and glanced sideways.
He Xulan’s eyes were light, even more so under the slightly radiant sunlight. Upon seeing Xueya in his ruqun attire, his brow seemed to furrow slightly. This glance caused Xueya to hesitate in his steps.
Lowering his head, Xueya exhaled softly before continuing forward. He walked up to the table, bowed first, and then placed the brocade box on it. “Your Majesty, this is a gift from His Majesty to Empress Dowager.”
As he placed it down, he quickly glanced at what He Xulan was painting.
It turned out to be a landscape painting.
He Xulan didn’t even look at the brocade box on the table; it seemed to hold no interest for him. He simply returned his gaze to the painting and resumed his work.
Noticing that He Xulan didn’t dismiss him immediately, Xueya became more animated. He surveyed He Xulan’s desk and pretended to be enthusiastic. “Let me grind the ink for Your Majesty.”
He Xulan didn’t lift his eyelids. “You know how to grind ink?”
Xueya had just been reprimanded by Cui Lingjing for his poor ink grinding skills. Now, under He Xulan’s questioning gaze, he hesitated. But unwilling to miss this opportunity, he persisted with a brave face. “Yes.”
“Then go ahead,” He Xulan said.
Seeing this, Xueya immediately smiled and walked over to the inkstone. As he picked up the inkstick from the table, he stole glances at He Xulan. Some people looked good head-on but not so much from the side. However, to his dismay, he discovered that He Xulan looked exceptionally handsome even from the side, with lowered eyelashes like pools, a nose that was like a mountain range, and lips that formed a perfectly curved chin.
Feeling somewhat displeased, Xueya continued to steal glances at He Xulan, attempting to find flaws in his appearance. But in focusing on He Xulan, he completely neglected the inkstone in front of him.
When He Xulan furrowed his brow and looked at him, Xueya quickly refocused on the inkstone. It was then that he realized what he had done.
There was ink everywhere near the inkstone, even on his hands and sleeves.
Xueya froze in place, unsure of what to do next, and He Xulan remained silent.
If it were Cui Lingjing, he would have either scolded or even hit him by now.
Overwhelmed with nervousness, Xueya licked his lips and hastily pulled out a handkerchief. But as soon as he took it out, he noticed how dirty it was from wiping Cui Lingjing’s ink stains earlier.
Just as he stared at the filthy handkerchief, He Xulan spoke. “Someone come.”
Soon, a palace attendant entered. “Empress Dowager.”
“Clean up this area,” He Xulan instructed.
Seeing the attendant approach, Xueya instinctively stepped aside. The attendant quickly tidied up, and upon noticing the inkstick that Xueya had placed down, asked, “Does Your Majesty need someone to grind ink? Allow me to do it.”
He Xulan replied, “No need. Take him downstairs to wash up.”
Seeing that his fingers were also somewhat dirty, Xueya followed the attendant downstairs to wash his hands. Once they were clean, he said, “His Majesty instructed me to watch the Empress Dowager open the brocade box. Since it hasn’t been opened yet, may I return inside?”
The attendant seemed to believe this excuse and let Xueya back into the hall. Upon reentering, Xueya found that He Xulan had stopped painting and was now seated in front of an ancient qin. Seeing the qin, Xueya’s confidence surged instantly. He stepped forward briskly, gathering courage. “Would Your Majesty like to play the qin? I can sing a folk song to entertain Your Majesty.”
Finally, it was time for him to showcase his talents. Xueya couldn’t help but smile; even the dimples on his lips emerged.
But He Xulan refused.
“No need.”
Xueya’s face immediately fell. He looked at He Xulan hopefully, but seeing that he was being ignored, he shifted his gaze to the table where the brocade box still sat. There was a mechanism lock on the brocade box that needed to be undone to open it, and it seemed untouched.
“Would Your Majesty like to take a look at the brocade box?” he whispered softly.
He Xulan lifted his gaze, his eyes seeming slightly cold. Faced with such a gaze, Xueya instinctively wanted to step back, but he held his ground. In fact, he smiled again and suggested, “Would Your Majesty really not like to hear a folk song? I sing them quite well.”
“Did His Majesty specifically instruct you to watch me open the brocade box?” He Xulan didn’t respond directly to Xueya’s words but instead asked.
Cui Lingjing hadn’t given such an instruction.
Xueya had deceived the palace attendant outside with Cui Lingjing’s instructions to watch He Xulan open the box. But now, facing He Xulan, he changed his approach.
“The Emperor did not give such an order. I… I just felt a sense of familiarity when I saw Empress Dowager, like I was seeing my elder brother.” Saying this, he immediately knelt on the ground. “I dare not presume to form a close relationship with Empress Dowager, but… I couldn’t help feeling close when I saw you.”
After he finished speaking, he looked up slightly, his eyes watery as he gazed at He Xulan.
None of what Xueya said was true, but he prided himself on being a convincing liar. For example, he had often deceived the late emperor with lies, and the emperor always believed him.
If the late emperor, the most powerful man in the land, believed his lies, surely He Xulan, this pampered nobleman, would be even easier to deceive.
However, to his surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, he saw a hint of mockery in He Xulan’s eyes.
But the mockery was fleeting, disappearing so quickly that Xueya wondered if he had imagined it. He was even more perplexed by He Xulan’s next reaction.
He Xulan actually smiled. “What a coincidence. I also feel a sense of familiarity with you. Since you regard me as an elder brother, why don’t you sit by my side?”
Author’s Note:
Why does Xueya want to dance in front of the main character He Xulan? Because low-level villainous green tea cannon fodders always do this.
Xueya: ??? I’m not cannon fodder!
***
Xueya (insincerely): Older Brother~
He Xulan (even more insincerely): Little brother~
Xueya: …Hypocrite!!!
This chapter is one where you try to out-tea me.
