Su Yan was initially stunned, then quickly started to resist, pushing against Shen Qi’s chest as if pressing against a rock, unable to move him even an inch. He then lifted his knee to strike at Shen Qi’s groin.
Shen Qi, still entangled with Su Yan’s lips and tongue, seemed to have eyes in his hand, effortlessly blocking the knee and sliding his hand up Su Yan’s thigh.
Su Yan let out muffled curses of anger, but with half of his tongue sucked into Shen Qi’s mouth, all that came out were incoherent “mm-hmm” sounds.
Just when Su Yan thought he was going to be forced into submission again, Shen Qi let go, their lips parting as he struggled to calm his ragged breathing.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander buried his head in Su Yan’s neck, taking a deep breath before removing the silver belt from his waist and tying it around Su Yan. “We are of equal rank, so if you wear my belt, no one will notice anything unusual.”
Panting heavily, Su Yan said, “Can you not… kiss me every time we have a disagreement?”
Shen Qi chuckled, “So should we only kiss when we’re in perfect harmony? Isn’t that exactly how we are now?”
Su Yan wanted to explain that he was just using a joke from the internet, but thinking it would take too long to explain, he decided to stay silent.
With this delay, the old rapist next door had probably already dressed and escaped, and who knew what had happened to the maid. Su Yan’s expression shifted, and Shen Qi guessed what he was thinking. He gently touched Su Yan’s face, “Don’t worry, I won’t kill her. At most, I’ll make her disappear, send her out of the Eastern Garden, and let her live or die as she pleases.”
Su Yan asked, “Is Feng Que really determined to side with Wei Jun? What does he gain from it? The Embroidered Uniform Guard are the Emperor’s personal sword; anyone trying to meddle would be seen as a traitor. Instead of currying favor with the Emperor, why would he ally with an outsider? Isn’t he afraid of overstepping?”
Shen Qi replied, “Currently, the major factions in the court—civil officials, the imperial in-laws, eunuchs, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard—are in constant flux, each trying to outmaneuver the others. The Emperor might favor the civil officials today and suppress the imperial in-laws, only to elevate the eunuchs tomorrow and keep the Embroidered Uniform Guard in check. No one can stay on top forever. This forces the factions to form temporary alliances.”
“Can such rootless alliances be trusted?”
“Not at all. It’s common for such alliances to fall apart quickly. Feng Que is only close to Wei Jun now because he was almost dismissed last year after being impeached by the civil officials for abuse of power and indiscriminate killing. At that time, it was the imperial consort who pleaded on his behalf. With her reaching out, he naturally saw an opportunity to gain support in the court. Moreover, with the imperial consort about to give birth, if it’s a son—”
Shen Qi knew Su Yan would understand, so he didn’t continue.
Su Yan pondered for a moment and nodded, “I see. The order to kill me when I was flogged came from Wei Jun. But since I serve the Crown Prince, Wei Jun didn’t dare kill me openly, so he tried to use someone else. Now that he has no one to do his dirty work, my head stays where it is.”
This means the pornographic painting used to frame the Crown Prince was also likely Wei Jun’s doing—or rather, the work of the imperial consort. She could easily find someone to sneak something into the Eastern Palace.
She hasn’t made another move because the Emperor punished me with the flogging, indirectly warning the Crown Prince, which satisfied her. And since she’s about to give birth, she might not have the energy for more schemes. If she gives birth to a daughter, she might be down for a while; but if it’s a son… the Crown Prince’s days ahead won’t be so smooth.
“Don’t worry, I think your head is pretty securely attached,” Shen Qi said, his hand once again caressing Su Yan’s neck, the calluses on his fingers making him itch. “The Crown Prince is still young, and if he can’t hold up one side, isn’t the dashing Yu Wang there to hold up the other? Besides, the Emperor summons you to the Imperial Study every afternoon; with all the powerful connections you’ve made, what is there to fear?”
If it weren’t for the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander’s cold, sarcastic tone, Su Yan might have thought he was jealous.
Never one to back down, Su Yan smiled and retorted, “I’d love to rely on you, but I’m afraid your legs aren’t strong enough. They might break under the weight. So, instead of constantly keeping an eye on me, maybe you should focus on strengthening yourself. That way, you won’t end up being suppressed by someone stronger.”
Before leaving, he added, “Thanks for the belt. I’ll return it once I’ve swapped it out at home.”
Shen Qi watched Su Yan’s back with a dark expression, feeling the growing anger and frustration within him.
He had a heart as fierce as a wolf’s, with only a small part of it softened for this young man he was destined to meet. His ambition was similarly intense; born the illegitimate son of a low-ranking official, he had climbed from flagbearer to Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in less than ten years, thinking he had risen fast.
Now he suddenly realized it wasn’t fast enough, or high enough.
Su Yan’s unintentional jab was like pouring fuel on a fire, turning his eight or nine parts of ambition into twelve, filling him with a sense of urgency and crisis.
He gripped his sword, his thumb slowly sliding along the guard until the blade edged out, cutting his fingertip.
The pain snapped him out of his deep thoughts.
Shen Qi drew his sharp sword, its cold light reflecting his heavy thoughts. He stared at the drop of blood on the blade and, like a wild beast, slowly licked it away.
Feng Que won’t live much longer, he thought.
***
Su Yan slipped out from the corner of the hall and quietly rejoined the group of officials attending the Emperor, blending in like a drop in the ocean.
By then, the archery contest had ended, and the Emperor was rewarding the winners. As expected, the Crown Prince had won first place again, beaming as he thanked the Emperor. But when he saw Yu Wang returning slowly, he noticed his personal attendant was missing.
“Royal Uncle, since you’ve returned from teaching archery, why is Su Yan nowhere to be seen?” the Crown Prince asked Yu Wang.
Yu Wang, who had regained his usual nonchalant demeanor after leaving the woods, smiled lazily. “Su Shidu decided he had learned enough and excused himself. Where he wandered off to, I’m afraid I do not know.”
The Crown Prince looked around suspiciously, scanning the surroundings.
Imperial Concubine Wei, appearing somewhat fatigued, softly said to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, this humble servant feels weary. May we return to the palace?”
The Emperor nodded and personally helped her to her feet, accompanying her out of the pavilion.
The imperial sedan chair awaited at the foot of the steps. Supported by her personal maid, Imperial Concubine Wei was just about to ascend when a massive dark shadow abruptly fell from the sky, crashing violently onto the steps beside the hall.
Blood splattered everywhere, spraying across Imperial Concubine Wei’s face.
Instinctively, Imperial Concubine Wei touched the warm, sticky liquid on her face. At first stunned and bewildered, she then let out a piercing scream. “Ah—!”
“Protect the Emperor! Protect him now!” shouted the imperial guards. Drawing their swords, they rushed forward, forming a tight perimeter around the steps.
Imperial Concubine Wei continued screaming as she collapsed backward, caught hastily by a flurry of palace attendants.
Blood pooled on the steps, flowing steadily from a lifeless body sprawled face down. The corpse, clad in a cyan round-collared robe, lay with its arms pinned beneath it. The white pheasant embroidery on the back of the garment had been completely soaked through with blood.
One of the guards stepped forward and flipped the body over with his sword, revealing the deceased’s face.
“Your Majesty, it’s Ye Donglou, langzhong from the Ministry of Revenue,” Lan Xi reported in a low voice.
The Emperor’s expression shifted. “What?”
“He was this year’s second-place scholar. Two months ago, by Your Majesty’s decree, he was transferred from the Hanlin Academy to the Ministry of Revenue as langzhong.”
The Emperor recalled Ye Donglou’s gentle and reserved demeanor during the banquet celebrating his success. He also remembered that the promotion had been a favor requested by Yu Wang. Frowning deeply, the Emperor said, “How could it be him? Summon the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate his cause of death immediately.”
Lan Xi bowed and acknowledged the command.
Meanwhile, Imperial Concubine Wei gradually regained consciousness. Clutching her prominent, rounded belly, she cried out in alarm, “My stomach feels tight and painful, as hard as a rock… imperial physician! Call for the imperial physician at once!”
The Emperor quickly stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to offer comfort.
Imperial Concubine Wei broke into a cold sweat, unable to speak, drawing in sharp breaths. The chief imperial physician, Wang Chunfu, rushed to her side, but before he could even take her pulse, a dark stain rapidly spread across her skirt, saturating the light orchid-colored fabric into a deep brown hue.
In his urgency, Wang Chunfu didn’t worry about propriety and, half-kneeling, lifted the edge of her gown to sniff it. His face turned pale, “Her water has broken! Niang Niang is about to give birth!”
“Take me back to the palace… I want to return to the palace…” Imperial Concubine Wei, slumping in the Emperor’s arms, clutched his sleeve tightly, trembling in pain.
Emperor Jinglong looked to the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau for guidance.
Wang Chunfu reported, “Niang Niang was not due for another twenty days. The shock just now caused her water to break suddenly. Judging by the amount, this official fears…. this official fears…..”
The Emperor spoke in a measured tone, “Speak plainly.”
“Your Majesty, this official fears that if we delay any longer, combined with the jolting of travel, the loss of amniotic fluid could lead to the fetus suffocating in the womb!”
The Emperor closed his eyes briefly, then made a swift decision. “She will deliver here. Order the palace staff to immediately prepare a birthing chamber with all necessary supplies, including hot water and utensils. Dispatch a team of Embroidered Uniform Guard riders to the palace to fetch the midwife. Until she arrives, Imperial Concubine Wei’s delivery will be entrusted to Wang Chunfu and the two vice physicians. Dispense with any concerns about propriety—prioritize the safety of both Imperial Concubine Wei and the imperial child above all else.”
Wang Chunfu bowed to accept the decree and immediately directed the palace servants to carefully move the barely conscious Imperial Concubine Wei onto a sedan chair, which was then carried into Longde Hall.
The Emperor took a deep breath, refraining from entering the hall immediately. Instead, he turned toward the corpse.
Lan Xi hastily attempted to dissuade him. “Your Majesty, the corpse is filthy and unworthy of your gaze—”
The Emperor raised a hand to silence him and continued walking to the body. Along the way, the Embroidered Uniform Guards stepped aside, bowing as they cleared a path.
Zhu Helin, the Crown Prince, was braver than most from a young age. Other than his father, he feared almost nothing. When he heard of the body falling from the sky and blood splattering Imperial Concubine Wei, his curiosity, mixed with a touch of schadenfreude, drove him to follow behind.
After taking only a few steps, he caught sight of Su Yan standing at the back of the crowd, his expression dark as he watched the steps. Su Yan then turned his gaze toward Yu Wang.
From opposite ends of the crowd, Su Yan and Yu Wang locked eyes. Their faces were both unusual in expression, and their gazes, when they met, seemed to carry countless unspoken words—full of tension, as sharp as swords crossing.
Zhu Helin noticed their silent exchange, full of hidden meaning, and a wave of inexplicable anger surged in his heart. He strode over to Su Yan, grabbed his hand, and declared, “Come with me to look at the body!”
Su Yan, still reeling from what he had just witnessed, allowed himself to be dragged forward. He had seen Ye Donglou earlier, storming off toward the secluded pavilion in anger, short sword in hand, after a heated argument with Yu Wang. Now, in less than half an hour, that same vibrant man had turned into a bloody corpse. The shocking transformation left Su Yan deeply unsettled.
His first suspicion naturally fell on Yu Wang, so he carefully observed his expression.
Yu Wang, in turn, cast a scrutinizing gaze at Su Yan.
The two men exchanged silent probes, their eyes acting as needles, their expressions as mirrors, each trying to discern the other’s intentions. They crossed metaphorical blades multiple times until the Crown Prince interrupted them.
Dragged to the steps by Zhu Helin, Su Yan finally saw the body up close. It was indeed Ye Donglou. Comparing the corpse to the man’s living image in his memory, he noted that Ye Donglou’s attire was unchanged.
Ye Donglou, who had no intention of participating in the archery contest, was still dressed in his fifth-rank civil official uniform with the embroidered white pheasant badge. His hairpiece and accessories were intact. His hands, now bloodied, were folded over his abdomen as if protecting something. Despite the blood covering his face, the extreme agony of his final moments was still faintly discernible.
Su Yan couldn’t help but look up at the highest point of the Longde Hall, where the intricately carved eaves and glazed tiles gleamed under the sunlight.
The Longde Hall was one of the main halls in the Eastern Garden, towering several stories high. Judging by where Ye Donglou’s body landed, it seemed he had fallen from the top floor of the left wing of the hall.
He overheard some officials murmuring in the crowd behind him.
“He just made it to the top of the honor roll, only to meet such a tragic end… It’s too pitiful…'”
“Could it be that he climbed up to enjoy the view and accidentally fell?”
“The last time I heard the poem composed by this Ye Bangyan during the banquet of honors, I sensed an ill omen. ‘Idle worries lie just beyond the green mountains, leaning alone on the highest tower,’ and look at that—he really fell from the highest tower. It’s like the poem predicted his fate!”
Zhu Helin suddenly tightened his grip on Su Yan’s hand.
Su Yan turned to look at him.
The Crown Prince stared at the area around the corpse’s abdomen and whispered, “Look at the blood on his fingers and the blood coming from his seven orifices.”
Su Yan examined it closely and indeed noticed that the blood on the fingers was partially coagulated and dark brown, while the blood from the seven orifices was fresh and sticky. This meant the bleeding occurred at different times.
In other words, Ye Donglou was already injured in the abdomen before falling, which is why he was clutching it with both hands. The blood between his fingers had started to dry before he fell to his death.
The Crown Prince furrowed his sword-like eyebrows, his eyes flashing with a sharp anger. “I must report this to my Royal Father and have the entire building thoroughly searched. The coroner should carefully examine Ye Donglou’s body to determine whether he accidentally fell or was murdered.”
Su Yan’s mind raced with thoughts, but he remained silent.
