Empress Dowager Wu looked utterly deranged.
Outside Weiyang Palace, she had kowtowed over a hundred times in one breath, her voice hoarse and desperate as she begged Xie Lin to return Tai An to her.
“I will obey the Chief Steward from now on, and I will teach Tai An to obey the Chief Steward as well, to respect him as a father… no, better yet, to recognize the Chief Steward as Tai An’s foster father!”
Blood trickled from Empress Dowager Wu’s forehead where she had struck the ground. “I beg you, Chief Steward, please return Tai An to me.”
“No, just let me see Tai An once, just once!”
Xie Lin stepped forward slowly, his boot tip stopping just in front of the bleeding forehead.
“What is Her Majesty the Empress Dowager saying? Isn’t Tai An right here?”
Xie Lin beckoned, and “Tai An” came over again, his voice sweet and obedient: “Mother…”
Empress Dowager Wu screamed sharply, collapsing to the ground and scrambling backward on hands and knees as if the child before her was not an adorable little boy, but the most terrifying ghost in the world.
Xie Lin’s voice turned cold: “The Empress Dowager has gone mad. Take her back to Fengyi Palace and have the imperial physician treat her properly.”
“For the safety of the Emperor, the Empress Dowager is forbidden from approaching him again.”
Until now, the young Emperor had been living with Empress Dowager Wu in Fengyi Palace. After a moment’s thought, Xie Lin said, “First, escort the Emperor back to the Palace of Eternal Joy.”
As soon as Xie Lin finished speaking, the palace attendants rushed forward to “support” Empress Dowager Wu and “escort” her back to Fengyi Palace.
Jiang Yunshu stood not far away, watching the attendants drag Empress Dowager Wu back. She felt a pang of pity for the fallen Dowager.
She wasn’t sure if this was palace intrigue or political maneuvering, but whatever it was, Xie Lin clearly wasn’t playing by the usual rules.
The power imbalance between the two sides was overwhelming; Xie Lin could do whatever he wanted in front of Empress Dowager Wu.
Once locked away in Fengyi Palace, the freshly minted young Emperor 2.0 politely bid farewell to Xie Lin and Jiang Yunshu before being escorted back to the Palace of Eternal Joy.
Though the Palace of Eternal Joy was adjacent to Weiyang Palace, Jiang Yunshu still felt uneasy.
“Yuancheng is only three years old, living alone with palace attendants in the Palace of Eternal Joy—can that really work?”
The Palace of Eternal Joy had long been the residence of emperors. Several previous emperors, including the late one, had lived and died there.
The thought alone sent chills down Jiang Yunshu’s spine.
“A child like Yuancheng… would he be scared?”
Xie Lin glanced at Jiang Yunshu and asked, “Are you suggesting Yuancheng move into Weiyang Palace?”
“Are you not worried… about the inconveniences at night?”
Hearing Xie Lin’s words, Jiang Yunshu recalled how he used to carry her from the bedchamber to the bathhouse and back—sometimes three or four times a night.
The palace staff always made way, but Yuancheng was too young; if he accidentally heard or saw something…
Jiang Yunshu immediately changed her mind. “Then let Yuancheng stay in the Palace of Eternal Joy, with more attendants assigned to keep him company. I will visit him often.”
As she finished speaking, she stood and invited Xie Lin, “Chief Steward, shall we go together now?”
Xie Lin knew Jiang Yunshu worried about Yuancheng. He sighed and stood up. “If you can’t withstand such a small storm, Your Majesty may have chosen the wrong person.”
Jiang Yunshu said softly, “He is only three years old, after all…”
When Jiang Yunshu was choosing people, she never imagined that Xie Lin would be so impatient, trying to rush things along.
Jiang Yunshu walked into the Palace of Eternal Joy, entering the main hall. Yuancheng was now living in the main hall. The palace was grand and magnificent, and Yuancheng’s small figure sitting there only made him seem even tinier.
Yuancheng was just a three-year-old child. Suddenly placed in an unfamiliar environment and having experienced such an extraordinary event today, it was only natural for him to feel frightened.
Fortunately, the palace attendants from the Yun Residence who cared for him had followed him into the palace, so Yuancheng had familiar faces by his side.
When he saw Jiang Yunshu and Xie Lin enter, Yuancheng’s eyes immediately lit up. Yet his actions remained very proper and disciplined, as he respectfully bowed to Xie Lin and Jiang Yunshu.
Jiang Yunshu tenderly stroked the top of his head and waved for the other palace attendants in the room to leave.
Her voice was gentle as she asked, “Yuancheng, do you understand what happened today?”
Yuancheng liked Jiang Yunshu very much. His eyes looked at her with complete dependence. But when he heard Jiang Yunshu call him by his original name, his small face instantly tensed up.
“I’m not called Yuancheng. I’m Tai An. I am the Emperor.”
“I am the son of the Empress Dowager. I’ve always grown up in the Phoenix Hall…”
It was obvious that someone had taught Yuancheng these words and made him remember them by heart.
Who had taught him was clear without saying, as Jiang Yunshu turned her head and shot Xie Lin a sharp glare.
Jiang Yunshu gently pinched Yuancheng’s small shoulder. “Yes, what you said is all true. You must remember these things when you’re around others.”
“As for us…” Jiang Yunshu had originally wanted to say that he didn’t need to act that way in front of her and Xie Lin, but then she worried that Yuancheng was still too young to understand that he could show different sides of himself to different people, and that might only confuse him.
So she simply said, “But when you’re with us, you don’t need to be so tense.”
Yuancheng seemed to understand Jiang Yunshu’s meaning. He let out a breath of relief, and his shoulders relaxed slightly.
Jiang Yunshu asked him, “Do you understand what happened today?”
Yuancheng shook his head. “No.”
He didn’t understand why he had suddenly come from the Yun Residence to the palace, or why he had become the Emperor.
Isn’t an Emperor born an Emperor?
He wasn’t born an Emperor, so how could he be one?
Deep down, Yuancheng knew that what Empress Dowager Wu said was the truth, yet everyone pretended that Empress Dowager Wu was lying.
And although what he said was a lie, everyone pretended that what he said was the truth.
Yuancheng didn’t understand why things were like this, but he remembered the words the Nine Thousand-Year-Old Lord had taught him and followed them exactly.
Jiang Yunshu stroked the top of his head again. “If you don’t understand, don’t think about it. Just do as you’ve been taught.”
“When you grow up, you’ll understand. You’re still little now—just eat well, sleep well, and study well.”
At that moment, Xie Lin glanced at Jiang Yunshu.
After leaving the main hall, Jiang Yunshu took Xie Lin’s hand and asked, “It must have been hard being the Chief Steward at three years old, right?”
Xie Lin was stunned. He hadn’t spoken for a long time. When he finally did, his voice was slightly hoarse. “Why do you say that, Your Majesty?”
Jiang Yunshu thought to herself that because of the look in Xie Lin’s eyes just now, when he glanced at Yuancheng—a child so utterly devoid of any trace of childhood innocence or purity—there was a flicker of envy and jealousy hidden in that gaze.
Xie Lin’s childhood must have been far harsher than Yuancheng’s.
Jiang Yunshu believed that Xie Lin had probably never heard such words when he was young.
So she gently rose onto her tiptoes and reached out to touch the top of Xie Lin’s head.
“Xie, at three years old, you must eat well, sleep well, and study well.”
Xie Lin stared blankly at Jiang Yunshu.
Her tender voice and soft hand seemed to truly transcend time, resting gently on the head of his three-year-old self.
-
Empress Dowager Wu was imprisoned in the Fengyi Palace.
Yuancheng was temporarily residing in the Palace of Eternal Joy.
Empress Dowager Wu was frantically searching for Tai An, who was actually sleeping quietly in a side hall of the Palace of Eternal Joy. The Palace of Eternal Joy and Fengyi Palace were just a stone’s throw apart, but Empress Dowager Wu had no way to enter the Palace of Eternal Joy.
Tai An was not yet one year old but already recognized people and his own bed. Suddenly, his bed and room had changed to unfamiliar ones, and the people taking care of him were all strangers.
Tai An cried bitterly, exhausting himself before finally falling asleep.
After visiting Yuancheng in the main hall, Jiang Yunshu detoured to the side hall to see Tai An.
Though barely a year old, a child’s facial features could already reveal much about their appearance.
Jiang Yunshu stared at Tai An’s face for a long while before saying, “Flat nose, big mouth, sparse eyebrows with no brow bone…”
Her disdainful tone woke Tai An, who opened his eyes, saw two unfamiliar faces, puckered his lips, and began to wail again.
Without mercy, Jiang Yunshu added, “Such tiny eyes, and an awful cry to match.”
Thinking that this child was the son of Xie Lin’s enemy, she found him utterly unattractive in every way.
Jiang Yunshu even felt that Tai An didn’t deserve the auspicious name she had given him, which meant “healthy and peaceful.”
“When the official in charge asked me to name him, why didn’t anyone mention this earlier?”
Had she known he was Xie Lin’s enemy’s son, she wouldn’t have chosen such a hopeful name. He should have been called something like ‘Dog Egg’—no, ‘Dung Ball’!
Xie Lin saw the expression on Jiang Yunshu’s face and a smile slowly spread from the depths of his eyes.
Actually, Tai An wasn’t ugly. Although he didn’t inherit the best features of the late emperor and Empress Dowager Wu, both of whom were quite good-looking, Tai An’s appearance was at worst average.
Jiang Yunshu had clearly seen Tai An before but had never looked at him with such disdain.
Xie Lin knew well that Jiang Yunshu’s current dislike for Tai An was all because of him.
Seeing Xie Lin smile, Jiang Yunshu glared at him sharply. “The official in charge said nothing and just let me name him. What a waste of such a meaningful name for Tai An!”
Her tone shifted, carrying a hint of worry. “What about Yuancheng’s name? What will happen to it?”
“Will he be renamed Tai An? Or will he change back to Yuancheng later?”
Xie Lin replied lazily, “Whatever you want.”
He didn’t care about the matter at all. He dared to replace the one-year-old emperor with a three-year-old one, and everyone had to play along, pretending the swap never happened... Changing a name was the least of their worries.
To Jiang Yunshu, witnessing Xie Lin was like seeing the very definition of calling a deer a horse.
“Since that’s the case, I’ll ask Yuancheng himself and let him choose.”
In any case, Jiang Yunshu couldn’t help but think that Tai An paled in comparison to Yuancheng.
“His eyes aren’t as big as Yuancheng’s, his nose isn’t as straight as Yuancheng’s, his skin isn’t as fair as Yuancheng’s…”
Not only was he ugly, but he was also sickly and had a terrible temper!
Even the palace attendants who looked after Tai An said they had never seen such a bad-tempered child. When he cried and screamed, it was as if he could tear the roof off the building.
As Jiang Yunshu stepped out of the Palace of Eternal Joy, she hesitated before asking Xie Lin, “How does the Grand Chancellor plan to deal with Tai An?”
Xie Lin replied, “Send him to the frontier.”
At such a young age, Tai An didn’t even remember much. If he were passed around a few times, the families who took him in wouldn’t know his bloodline or identity. He would just be an ordinary child. Whether he grew up safely and what fate awaited him would all depend on himself.
Jiang Yunshu squeezed Xie Lin’s hand.
Xie Lin treated Tai An much more kindly than those who had treated the young Xie Lin.
As for Empress Dowager Wu, Jiang Yunshu didn’t even need to ask about her fate.
Empress Dowager Wu had tried to kill her more than once and had nearly taken Xie Lin’s life as well. She was bound to meet her end.
As for why Xie Lin had spared Empress Dowager Wu for the time being, Jiang Yunshu could guess. Both Empress Dowager Wu and Duan Jinxing were now bait for Xie Lin, who was waiting to see what kind of fish they might catch.
—
At first, Xie Lin’s supervision of Empress Dowager Wu was strict.
At the beginning, Empress Dowager Wu appeared very obedient. The guards watching her consequently “let their guard down” and gradually showed signs of negligence.
A few days later, the captain of the guards reported back, “Reporting to the Grand Chancellor: Empress Dowager Wu seems to be planning to set fire to the Phoenix Palace and escape in the chaos.”
Xie Lin nodded. “Prepare in advance. Don’t let the fire spread to the neighboring palaces.”
“As for Empress Dowager Wu, let her escape the palace, but have someone follow her from a distance.”
Empress Dowager Wu was a frail woman; once outside the palace, there was no way she could run far on her own. If she chose to flee, she must have someone waiting to pick her up. Xie Lin intended to follow the trail and see who was assisting her.
Sure enough, two days after the captain’s report, the Phoenix Palace caught fire.
Jiang Yunshu knew Xie Lin was prepared, but seeing the thick smoke billowing from the Phoenix Palace still made her extremely anxious.
Fire was merciless. Unlike modern times, ancient times had no fire trucks or high-pressure water hoses!
Moreover, the palace was filled with flammable wood and textiles. Even with preparations, a fierce fire was never completely preventable.
The Weiyang Palace was some distance away from the Phoenix Palace, so Jiang Yunshu couldn’t smell the smoke yet, but she could clearly see the thickening smoke rising above the Phoenix Palace.
Seeing Jiang Yunshu so tense and fearful, Xie Lin chuckled lightly. “Are you afraid you’ll wet the bed tonight, Your Highness?”
Jiang Yunshu glared at him. At such a critical moment, Xie Lin still had the nerve to joke.
The more anxious Jiang Yunshu became, the more Xie Lin wanted to tease her. His thin lips parted slightly. “Your Highness isn’t without experience…”
Jiang Yunshu immediately reached out and firmly covered Xie Lin’s mouth!
Even with his mouth covered, the laughter in Xie Lin’s eyes kept shining through.
He reached out and grasped Jiang Yunshu’s hand, their fingers intertwining with practiced ease as he led her toward the exit. “If the Empress is so timid, then let’s hide even further away.”
Jiang Yunshu asked, “Hide where?”
“Out of the palace,” Xie Lin replied.
Xie Lin then asked Jiang Yunshu, “Is there anyone you want to bring along?”
Without hesitation, Jiang Yunshu said, “Taoye, Zhezhi, Xiazhi, Xiaoman… and Yuancheng!”
Xie Lin glanced at her. “Not bringing Tai An?”
Jiang Yunshu shook her head. “If the fire really breaks out, let Tai An’s wet nurse carry him away.”
She didn’t want to kill such a small child, but when it came to saving him, Tai An—the son of her enemy—was not even on her list.
Jiang Yunshu added, “I’d rather just grab some random little palace maid I don’t even know to get on the carriage!”
She would never give this chance to the son of Xie Lin’s enemy.
Not wanting the fire to claim any lives, she said to Xie Lin, “Order the chief eunuch to instruct the guards: do everything you can to put out the fire. But if it’s beyond saving, don’t sacrifice lives in vain.”
“Have the guards escort the palace staff to evacuate as quickly as possible.”
