“Lord Yan, you’re certainly cautious.”
The instant Yan Tongshu heard those words, a sharp pain struck the back of her neck, and she lost consciousness.
When she came to, Yan Tongshu found herself in a dim, unfamiliar palace.
The palace was decorated in an old-fashioned yet luxurious style. Incense burned within the hall.
A graceful woman approached with measured steps and sat down before her, a bowl of water in her hands. “Lord Yan, you must be thirsty. Would you like some water?”
“You’re insane.” Yan Tongshu flexed her wrists. She wasn’t tied up. She studied the woman. “Given the circumstances, do you really think I’d dare drink anything you offer me?”
The woman set the water aside and let out a soft laugh. “But what can we do? Lord Yan, while you were unconscious, I already fed it to you.”
I?
Yan Tongshu’s brows drew tightly together. “You’re a dowager consort.”
“The late emperor is already dead. What dowager consort is there to speak of?” The woman’s laughter was pleasant to the ear, but to Yan Tongshu it sounded horrifying. A moment later, she suddenly felt dizzy, and heat began to spread through her body.
She abruptly seized the woman’s wrist. “What did you drug me with?”
The woman only smiled sweetly and did not answer. She tore her hand away from Yan Tongshu’s grasp.
By then, the drug had taken effect. Yan Tongshu’s body had gone limp, and she was pushed onto the bed with surprising ease, utterly powerless to resist.
The woman rose and undid her sash, tossing it to the floor.
With slender fingers, she opened her robes, revealing a bright-red hibiscus-flower dudou beneath.
Yan Tongshu thought, Damn.
At this very moment, in this very situation, a rapid succession of scenes from every melodramatic drama she had ever watched flashed through her mind.
She groaned inwardly. Don’t tell me it’s an aphrodisiac?
What the hell? If they wanted her dead, they could have just used he ding hong and poisoned her outright.
Why use an aphrodisiac and then bring in a dowager consort to frame her? Where was the logic?
Yan Tongshu was speechless. “What exactly are you trying to do?”
Even if they had drugged her, she didn’t have the necessary equipment for anything to happen.
The woman’s red lips curved into a smile, full of seduction. She lifted one leg and straddled Yan Tongshu. Her long, pointed nails lightly traced Yan Tongshu’s cheek.
“Obviously, I admire Lord Yan and wish to spend a night of passion with you. And, as a bonus, I’d like to let His Majesty see his most trusted minister—the man he desires—get into trouble under the watchful eyes of the Northern Liao delegation. Will he choose to kill you, or protect you?”
Perhaps Yan Tongshu’s affair with a dowager consort would not be considered a capital offense. She might even escape with her life.
But if Yan Tongshu and Qin Yi’s improper relationship as ruler and minister were exposed at the same time, Qin Yi would have nowhere left to retreat.
If he chose to protect her, the scandal of their illicit relationship would be confirmed. It would become a stain on his reputation, and the trust between ruler and minister—hard-won because they had avoided factional struggles and built a relationship in which neither could claim credit for the other’s crimes—would completely collapse over a single act of favoritism.
If he chose to kill her and thereby dispel the rumors, Qin Yi would be cutting off one of his own arms.
Prince Ming wanted to see how the emperor, who had once claimed that schemes and tricks had no place on the proper stage, would perform this play with dignity.
He also wanted the emperor to experience the pain of losing both a son and someone important to him.
He wanted the emperor to face an agonizing choice of his own.
No matter what happened, he would not lose this game of chess.
The woman’s icy fingertips slid along Yan Tongshu’s jaw, over her flat chest, and continued downward.
A little farther, and she would reach the most critical part of a man’s body.
Once she had grasped it, Lord Yan would not be able to escape today.
The woman reached out.
But this time, it was she who stiffened more completely than Yan Tongshu’s drugged body. Her beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.
“You’re a eunuch?”
You’re the eunuch!
What a lunatic!
Every single one of you is completely insane!
Yan Tongshu raised her hand with all the strength she could muster, grabbed the pillow beneath her head, and, taking advantage of the woman’s stunned distraction, slammed it hard against her head.
The woman rolled her eyes back and fainted.
Yan Tongshu hurriedly pulled herself upright by gripping the bedrail. Her body was weak, the heat inside her rising in waves, and her mind was growing increasingly dizzy and muddled.
Forcing herself to endure the discomfort, Yan Tongshu checked the woman’s breathing. Thankfully, she was still alive.
Yan Tongshu cursed viciously. “Insane.”
If they had a drug like this, they ought to give her the formula so she could study it.
If she ever returned to the modern world with a treasure like this, and refined and improved it a little, she was certain that, given the physical condition of modern men—who spent long hours sitting at work and rarely exercised—she could tap into this enormous blue-ocean market and take her company public within a month.
Yan Tongshu shook her head hard.
The drug really was affecting her.
Her thoughts were so disordered that she was actually thinking about taking a company public at a time like this.
Supporting herself against the wall, she staggered to her feet and made her way toward the exit one step at a time.
Once outside the hall, Yan Tongshu ground her teeth.
There wasn’t a single person in sight.
Judging by the surroundings of the palace, this dowager consort probably wasn’t favored and likely had only a few palace attendants.
Now that none of them were here, she didn’t need to think hard to know that the palace maid had gone to summon people to catch them in the act.
Yan Tongshu’s heart sank, and her head felt even heavier.
They had deliberately chosen the banquet for the peace talks. It seemed Prince Ming did not want negotiations between the two countries to succeed and had intentionally sabotaged them.
After walking a short distance, Yan Tongshu’s legs grew too weak to support her. Her entire body felt unbearably awful.
Then, suddenly, candlelight appeared ahead.
She looked over.
Qin Yi was striding toward her, his expression anxious. Yan Tongshu’s eyes stung, and tears nearly burst from them.
She felt so wronged.
Why was everyone picking on her alone?
Who the hell used an aphrodisiac like this?
They were all insane.
Even a little he ding hong would have been better. They could have just poisoned her to death.
Yan Tongshu’s body went limp. Qin Yi quickened his pace and caught her in his arms. His palms were damp with sweat, and his entire body was tense.
“How are you?”
Yan Tongshu clenched her teeth so hard they hurt, but she couldn’t speak. In her hazy state, all she could hear was Qin Yi’s voice.
He said, “Don’t be afraid. I realized you had been gone for too long and went out to look for you. I encountered the palace maid who came to report what happened and took control of her before she could make a scene. At present, no one knows where you are except me. So, Yan Tongshu, don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, I will protect you and make sure you come to no harm.”
At the words “make sure you come to no harm,” the grievance Yan Tongshu had been suppressing through sheer willpower instantly burst its banks. Tears streamed down her face.
“Summon the imperial physicians.”
Qin Yi lifted Yan Tongshu into his arms and hurried straight to Fu Ning Palace.
Once inside, Qin Yi carefully laid her on the bed.
By then, Yan Tongshu had stopped crying. She was clutching the collar of her robe with both hands, her body still burning hot, her head heavy and dull as though she had been struck with a club.
All sorts of chaotic images flashed through her mind.
They were scenes from the melodramatic dramas she had watched and the risqué little books she had read.
Oh, hell.
Could this be the kind of drug that would kill her if she didn’t do it?
Her eyes flew open.
Qin Yi placed a hand against her forehead, frantic with worry. “Yan Tongshu, how are you feeling? Say something.”
“I…” Yan Tongshu stared at him in disbelief.
If this really was that kind of drug, then once the poison was neutralized, she would take Prince Ming’s life.
That bastard!
What a lunatic!
Yan Tongshu breathed softly. Her body was hot, while Qin Yi’s fingers were cool, trembling ever so slightly.
She sat up and stared at Qin Yi, her muddled mind unable to find any way out.
Then a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
What if the imperial physician took her pulse and discovered that she was a woman?
Previously, when Qin Yi had sent an imperial physician to the residence, she could fool Jinbao by claiming she did not want to take her medicine, then have Jinbao climb into bed and stick out his hand for the physician to examine.
But now, was she really supposed to let the physician discover that she was a woman—or, worse, a woman under the influence of an aphrodisiac?
No!
That would be far too humiliating.
And it was punishable by death.
Yan Tongshu suddenly grabbed Qin Yi, who was still chattering anxiously, not knowing what else to say.
“How are you?” Qin Yi asked worriedly.
Yan Tongshu seized him by the collar and pulled him onto the bed. She swung herself over him, sitting astride his body. Her lashes trembled, her body burned with heat, and her cheeks were flushed.
Suppressing the wild, pounding heart in her chest, she asked, “Qin Yi, have you ever done this before?”
“You—” Qin Yi flushed with anger and embarrassment. “Are you insane?”
Yan Tongshu leaned over and stared deeply into his eyes.
His eyes were actually quite beautiful. At that moment, they seemed to glitter with starlight.
She asked again, “Do you have any experience?”
In an instant, it was as though lightning had struck. Qin Yi seemed to realize what Yan Tongshu was talking about.
His long lashes fluttered, and his gaze drifted away.
A man could not admit that he was incapable.
He gave an indistinct hum, hoping to brush aside this shameful subject.
“You have experience?”
Yan Tongshu’s mind was so muddled that she failed to notice she had not merely thought the words to herself—she had actually spoken them aloud.
“Experience won’t do. You’ll realize…”
He would realize that she was not a man.
Yan Tongshu got to her feet. “I’ll find someone else.”
Qin Yi grabbed her. “I…”
His gaze shifted aside, his eyes darting away as the tips of his ears reddened. “I mean, although I’ve never actually done it, I’ve read about it, so I suppose that counts as having some experience… What exactly are you—”
The heat in her body burned like a ball of fire.
Yan Tongshu could not hear anything else. All she heard were the words “never actually done it.” The instant Qin Yi finished speaking, she kissed him without the slightest hesitation.
The moment their warm lips touched, Yan Tongshu felt the aphrodisiac coursing through her intensify.
Her body grew even softer.
A tingling numbness spread through her.
It was maddening.
Qin Yi was no better off.
The kisses in his dreams had always been light and insubstantial, never quite real.
But this kiss in reality—though their lips merely brushed together—already left him utterly unable to stop, caught between unbearable pleasure and torment.
Yan Tongshu lifted her head slightly. The two of them breathed heavily, their breaths tangling together.
She undid her sash and quickly stripped off her red official robe.
Qin Yi’s throat bobbed. With a smile, he asked, “In such a hurry?”
Yan Tongshu bit her lip and draped the sash over his eyes. “Qin Yi, no matter what happens, you are not allowed to take this off.”
“Yan Tongshu…”
“Promise me.” Her tone was firm.
Qin Yi pressed his lips together and gave a quiet assent.
Yan Tongshu loosened his sash, lifted his hands above his head, and tied them to the headboard. Her fingers brushed against Qin Yi’s burning lips. “And this, too. Don’t untie it.”
Without waiting for his response, she removed her inner robe and kissed him again.
The kiss was scorching.
Hotter and deeper than before.
As she kissed him, she began undoing his clothes.
The bed curtains fell.
Candlelight swayed.
Embarrassingly passionate sounds continued to drift from within the hall.
Qin Yi felt as though he were going mad.
Yan Tongshu was tormenting him, body and soul.
It was both painful and pleasurable.
Her body was light, her soft form pressing down on him as she moved slowly and languidly.
Meanwhile, he was being scorched by a ball of fire.
His entire body felt ready to explode.
He wanted her.
He wanted every part of her.
He wanted to possess every part of her.
To knead her into his very bones.
He wanted to kiss her, to cover every inch of her body with kisses.
But the initiative was not in his hands.
His eyes were shrouded in darkness, while his body was consumed by the most exquisite pleasure and agony.
He wanted to touch her.
“Yan Tongshu… Yan Tongshu…”
He called her name again and again, his voice rough as though his throat had been dragged over sun-scorched gravel.
Yan Tongshu was no better off.
She was exhausted, yet the aphrodisiac only seemed to grow stronger the more tired she became.
No matter what she did, she could not completely relieve the sensation.
What kind of drug was this?
She wanted to stop.
Perhaps sensing her retreat, Qin Yi raised his head and kissed her without hesitation.
He said, “Yan Tongshu, it’s not enough.”
“How is it not enough?”
In a daze, Yan Tongshu continued trying to purge the drug from her system.
The more she tried to dispel it, the deeper its effects seemed to sink. No matter what she did, it was never enough.
The man beneath her was the same. He could never seem to get his fill.
At last, Yan Tongshu collapsed into an exhausted sleep.
Outside the hall, when Lu Xi saw the imperial physician approaching, he went to meet him with several young eunuchs while they were still “two li” away, and sent the physician back.
…
The next morning, Qin Yi awoke to find the space beside him empty.
He sat up in bed and moved his arms, breaking free of the sash binding his hands.
Hearing the noise, Lu Xi entered carrying a bowl of ginseng soup.
Qin Yi accepted it and took a sip, moistening his throat.
“Your Majesty, shall I have breakfast served?” Lu Xi asked softly.
Qin Yi set the bowl back on the tray. “Where is she?”
Lu Xi lowered his eyes. “Your Majesty, Lord Yan left in haste early this morning.”
Qin Yi smiled, then immediately schooled his expression. “Did you arrange for someone to escort her?”
Lu Xi replied, “This servant selected two eunuchs skilled in martial arts. They escorted Lord Yan safely all the way to the palace gates. This servant watched her board her carriage before returning.”
Only then was Qin Yi reassured.
He asked again, “Have those involved in last night’s incident been taken into custody?”
“They have, Your Majesty. They are being watched closely and are awaiting your orders.”
“Mm.” Qin Yi gave a slight nod. “You may withdraw.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lu Xi bowed respectfully and left Fuqing Hall.
Qin Yi lay back down. The scent from the previous night still seemed to linger on the bed.
“Yan Tongshu, oh, Yan Tongshu.”
He murmured her name softly. Grasping the covers, he smiled until the corners of his eyes crinkled, his expression blooming like spring sunlight.
After lingering in bed for a while, Qin Yi rose and summoned attendants to help him wash and dress.
Once he had freshened up, Qin Yi went to the imperial prison.
Lu Xi directed several eunuchs to bring over a chair, and Qin Yi sat down with an easy, unhurried air.
The woman from the previous night was Dowager Consort Ning, accompanied by her personal maid, Jiao Rui.
The two had their hands and feet bound, and looked utterly miserable.
Qin Yi toyed with a teacup as he casually sized them up. His tone was relaxed, as though the two women were already dead.
In an offhand manner, he asked, “Who ordered you to frame my Minister Yan?”
“Your Majesty, I am innocent!”
Dowager Consort Ning had been taken into the palace by the late emperor two years before his death. She had been only seventeen at the time, which meant she was barely in her twenties now.
Kneeling on the ground, her hair loose and her clothes disheveled, she wept bitterly and cried out her grievance.
“Your Majesty, I truly am innocent! It was Lord Yan—Yan Tongshu. She had drunk too much wine, and when she saw me, she became infatuated with my beauty. Relying on Your Majesty’s favor, she groped me and behaved outrageously. I beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter fairly!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Jiao Rui also cried out loudly, “Your Majesty, Lord Yan holds a high position and rose to prominence at a young age. After drinking too much, she lost all sense of propriety. I tried to stop her at the time, but she said that Dowager Consort Ning was merely someone the late emperor had never favored and whom no one remembered. Even if she did something to Her Highness, no one would dare do anything to her. She even shoved me down. Look…”
She pointed to her forehead. “This is where I was injured when I fell. Your Majesty, please seek justice for Her Highness!”
“Is that so?” Qin Yi slowly raised his eyelids, his gaze turning colder. He set down his teacup and leaned forward slightly, looking down at the two women. “You’re saying that Minister Yan was overcome by lust?”
The two women nodded repeatedly.
“Heh.”
Qin Yi gave a cold scoff. “If that is the case, Dowager Consort Ning, tell me—which of us is more beautiful, you or I?”
“This…” Dowager Consort Ning did not dare offend the emperor and hurriedly replied, “Naturally, Your Majesty is more beautiful.”
“Heh.” Qin Yi’s voice was icy. “Since she doesn’t even find me attractive, why would she be overcome by lust for you?”
“Your—Your Majesty?” Dowager Consort Ning stammered. “You mean…”
“Guards.”
Too tired to waste any more words, Qin Yi leaned back. His languid voice suddenly sent chills through everyone present.
“Take them away. Seventy-two rounds of palace punishment. Try them one by one. The moment they confess the truth, give them a quick death.”
In other words, if they refused to speak, they would die; if they confessed, they would still die. The only difference was whether their deaths would be easy or agonizing.
Dowager Consort Ning and Jiao Rui had never imagined that the emperor’s trust in and favor toward Yan Tongshu had already reached a level no one could shake. The two women repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy.
Qin Yi remained unmoved.
Begging for mercy? They had not uttered a single word of truth. Clearly, they would not shed tears until they saw the coffin.
Seeing the annoyance beginning to show on Qin Yi’s face, Lu Xi quickly signaled to the two guards who were still standing there stupidly. They covered Dowager Consort Ning and Jiao Rui’s mouths and dragged them away.
About half an hour later, the two women were dragged back out, covered in blood.
The Divine Might Army reported, “Your Majesty, they have confessed.”
Qin Yi propped his head up with one hand and said coldly, “Speak.”
The soldier replied, “Your Majesty, Dowager Consort Ning confessed that three days ago, she went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager gave her a drug and instructed her to frame Lord Yan. She promised that once the deed was done, they would find a corpse to replace her and report that she had died of illness, allowing her to fake her death and leave the palace.
“As for Jiao Rui, her father got into a fight with someone in their hometown and broke the other man’s leg. He is currently in prison. The Empress Dowager told her that if she helped Dowager Consort Ning succeed, they would have her father released.
“The two of them also confessed that the Empress Dowager had hinted that Prince Ming was the true mastermind behind this matter, telling them not to worry. I have also sent men to verify the claims. Three days ago, Dowager Consort Ning did indeed visit the Empress Dowager’s Palace of Auspicious Longevity. Furthermore, Princess Consort Ming entered the palace to visit the Empress Dowager five days ago.”
Qin Yi lowered his hand, his gaze cold and sharp. “How did they lure Yan Tongshu into Dowager Consort Ning’s chambers?”
The soldier from the Divine Might Army answered, “They did not know, Your Majesty. At the time, Lord Yan was knocked unconscious and carried to Dowager Consort Ning’s palace. According to Dowager Consort Ning, the person was dressed as a Liao but claimed to be one of the Empress Dowager’s people. The situation was urgent, so after placing Lord Yan on the bed, that person left.”
At this, Qin Yi narrowed his eyes, his expression becoming even more terrifying. He asked, “What about the guards who were on duty last night?”
“That was my negligence.” The Divine Might Army officer knelt, cold sweat pouring down his face. “Last night, a fire suddenly broke out in the southeastern section of the Imperial Garden. When the flames appeared, we were lured away. As a result, the area around Dowager Consort Ning’s palace was left unguarded.”
Qin Yi rose to his feet. “You and the others who were on duty will each report to the barracks and take twenty military lashes.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I accept the order.”
Qin Yi strode out of the prison.
Lu Xi hurried after him with the eunuchs and guards.
Qin Yi climbed into the sedan chair, but did not immediately order them to set off. Instead, he summoned Lu Xi. “Go and select a detachment of the Divine Might Army. Surround the Palace of Auspicious Longevity completely. Then deliver my decree. Say that the late emperor appeared to me in a dream yesterday, saying that he missed the Empress Dowager. I have therefore specially permitted the Empress Dowager to relinquish all responsibility for the affairs of the imperial harem. From this day forth, she is to remain behind closed doors in the Palace of Auspicious Longevity, devoting herself to vegetarianism and prayer for the late emperor. Without my permission, no one is to disturb her.”
This was tantamount to placing the Empress Dowager under house arrest.
Lu Xi was trembling with fear, but did not dare show the slightest trace of it. He bowed respectfully. “Yes, Your Majesty. I shall carry out your decree.”
After thinking for a moment, Qin Yi added, “Have a Hanlin scholar take an imperial edict to Prince Ming’s residence. Prince Ming and Princess Consort Ming failed to discipline their son, allowing Yan Qichu to run wild and commit a grave offense. Prince Ming is to forfeit six months of his salary and personally write a letter of self-reflection. He is also to divorce his wife, expel Yan Qichu from the family register, and move his grave to their ancestral home in Yangzhou.”
Lu Xi looked at him in disbelief. “Your Majesty, won’t this drive Prince Ming into a corner?”
“If it does, all the better.”
A sharp glint flashed through Qin Yi’s eyes.
If Prince Ming truly became desperate, he might rebel.
Would he dare?
Would he dare burn his boats?
Qin Yi’s voice sank. “No one is allowed to touch my people.”
If he did not seek justice for Yan Tongshu today, what about tomorrow?
Whom would Prince Ming try to harm next?
“Oh, and don’t forget to instruct the imperial kitchen. The late emperor has ordered the Empress Dowager to eat vegetarian food and pray with sincerity. From now on, not a scrap of meat or fish is to be sent to the Palace of Auspicious Longevity. All three meals must be light, strictly portioned, and small.”
Qin Yi thoughtfully added one last instruction.
His Majesty was trying to starve the Empress Dowager to death.
Lu Xi immediately held his breath. “Yes.”
Having finished giving his orders, Qin Yi closed his eyes and said blandly, “Let’s go.”
Lu Xi hurriedly called out, “Raise the sedan!”
The sedan was lifted and carried toward the magnificent buildings ahead.
Meanwhile, Yan Tongshu lay face down on the bed, wrapped tightly in the quilt.
The cotton Qin Yi doll had been kicked into a corner, where it lay quietly.
It was over.
It was all over.
Yan Tongshu screamed inwardly.
She had gone completely mad last night.
What kind of drug had she been given? It had drugged her brain into insanity.
Now that the imperial physician had exposed her disguise as a man, could the crime of blaspheming and forcing the emperor be any worse?
Aaaaaah!
Yan Tongshu, you really are an idiot!
She shrieked hysterically in her mind.
And there was another terrifying problem.
Yan Tongshu bit down on her finger.
Toward the end, she had been too exhausted. She had drifted in and out of consciousness, dazed and confused.
All she could remember was that one wave had followed another.
It simply would not stop.
In the end, she had passed out from exhaustion.
When she woke up, she discovered that she and Qin Yi were holding each other—and that she had already been bathed.
Who had washed her?
A eunuch or a palace maid?
Qin Yi’s hands had still been tied to the headboard at the time, so it should not have been him.
Then who had done it?
Aaaaaah!
Yan Tongshu frantically pounded her head. Come on, think!
You useless brain, remember!
Had her disguise as a man been exposed?
Had Qin Yi found out?
Waaah.
Yan Tongshu, you really are an idiot. Why did you fall asleep?
She might as well have let the imperial physician take her pulse.
And that woman—she was practically brain-dead. She couldn’t possibly have realized that Yan Tongshu was a woman disguised as a man, could she?
Impossible, impossible!
Yan Tongshu shook her head.
That woman was an idiot. She had even touched her and still thought she was a eunuch.
If she told anyone, they would only think there was something wrong with her mind.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Right after that, Pearl’s voice came from outside the door. “Young Master, what’s wrong? Why did you come home and hide in your room without saying a word? Young Master, you must not have eaten well with all the entertaining at last night’s banquet. I brought you some roast goose. Would you like a little?”
Waaah—
Yan Tongshu continued to cry.
She regretted it terribly now. She was so mortified that she wished she could go back to last night and stab herself to death on the spot.
