Chapter 102
She skimmed through it, and it truly opened her eyes. She was left marveling in amazement.
And this was only one of them. The preface explained that it belonged to a complete series of storybooks, known collectively as The Thirty-Six Stratagems of Love.
Besides this one, titled “The Heart-Binding Lock of Feigned Indifference,” there were also “The Heart-Trapping Lock of Luring the Prey,” “The Heart-Cherishing Lock of Making Others Pity You,” “The Heart-Touching Lock of Words Left Unspoken,” and so on. There were thirty-six volumes in all.
The protagonist of every volume was the same person: a flirtatious scholar named Fourth Young Master Lin, who used these thirty-six stratagems to roam among a multitude of women and win countless hearts.
This storybook was vastly different from the shoddy, carelessly produced works sold outside. Though it dealt with romantic affairs, its descriptions were vivid and full of twists, drawing on allusions from the classics. Even the illustrations were exquisite, clearly the work of a master artist.
Though she had never read the others, just this one, The Heart-Binding Lock of Feigned Indifference, was enough to make Cui Lanyin admire its author completely. She had discovered that when a man put his mind to it, women did not stand a chance.
If she could master all thirty-six stratagems, wouldn’t she be utterly invincible in matters of love?
After flipping through it for a while, Cui Lanyin began wondering who had been reading such a book in the Eastern Pavilion.
Had one of the young eunuchs who came to tidy the Eastern Pavilion brought it in to read on the sly? She immediately dismissed the thought. Yan Hua Hall was where the state affairs of the dynasty were handled, and Qian He kept a vigilant eye on everything. None of them would dare take advantage of the place to slack off or sneak around.
Especially not on the luohan couch where the emperor and she sat. No matter how bold someone was, they would never dare sit on it.
Though it seemed inconceivable, all the clues pointed to one person: the emperor.
Cui Lanyin tapped a finger against the words “Fourth Young Master Lin” on the page and gave a cold snort. In the storybook, Fourth Young Master Lin had used the tactic of being alternately close and distant to great effect on the daughter of the prime minister. And in the palace, Fourth Young Master Zhao had become quite practiced at acting alternately close and distant toward her as well.
Had Fourth Young Master Zhao decided that sleeping with her had grown dull, and now wanted to watch her secretly fall in love with him, unable to extricate herself?
Really—what gave him the right to do whatever he pleased?
Wait. When had Fourth Young Master Zhao read this book?
Cui Lanyin turned the matter over in her mind again, and the more she thought about everything between them, the more suspicious details she found.
Back when they had still been living in the prince’s residence, when Fourth Young Master Zhao had spoken to her so desolately about having seen through everything, had he truly been speaking from the heart—or had he already read The Heart-Cherishing Lock of Making Others Pity You?
And when he had proposed that they become lovers, promising that she could leave after a year, hadn’t there been a hint of luring the prey by first letting it go?
After they became intimate, whenever something happened, he would say they should part ways. Yet not once had he truly stopped coming to her. Looking at it now, wasn’t that a combination of leaving words unspoken and luring the prey?
The more Cui Lanyin thought about it, the more everything seemed to fit. And considering that Fourth Young Master Zhao had even taken the trouble to study lovemaking, it was not impossible that he had studied these stratagems in advance as well.
If that were true, wouldn’t he have her completely under his thumb? More importantly, had Fourth Young Master Zhao never intended to let her leave at all?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Even if she could no longer leave him, she still had to get some measure of revenge.
She tucked the storybook into her sleeve and summoned Buyan. Together, they went to Fengyi Palace, where she and Qian He, along with the other three, finished sorting through the official business. Near noon, she returned to the rear quarters of Yan Hua Hall.
When the emperor came back, she ate lunch with him, her expression perfectly calm.
Of late, she had been resting in the inner chamber during the noon break, while the emperor rested on the luohan couch in the outer room.
But after digesting her meal, she did not leave. Instead, she took the storybook from the box on the curio shelf where she usually kept odds and ends, spread it open, and placed it before the emperor.
“Look what I found in the Eastern Pavilion.”
The emperor picked it up, glanced at it, and set it down again. “Bailin dug this up somewhere outside.”
Cui Lanyin stared at him. “You mean Uncle didn’t read it?”
The emperor pinched the bridge of his nose and gave her an helpless smile. “I’ll tell you the truth. I noticed that you felt I had changed after becoming emperor. I didn’t want you worrying too much while pregnant, so I wanted to cheer you up. But I don’t know anything about these things, so I had Bailin find some storybooks for me to study. I never expected him to bring me this. I flipped through a few pages and tossed it onto the couch. I suppose Buyan forgot to put it away.”
His explanation was airtight, without the slightest flaw. Cui Lanyin was uncertain once more. Had the emperor really studied the book or not?
If it had been Buyan or Gufeng, she might have managed to question them and find out. But when it came to Bailin, she would never ask about something so private.
Regardless of whether the emperor had actually used those tactics on her, by placing the book in front of him, she had made it clear that she was suspicious. From now on, he would have to think twice before trying any new stratagems.
As for the rest, she would verify it slowly.
Being with the emperor had not left her entirely unchanged. At the very least, she had learned that there was always plenty of time ahead.
That night, when they went to bed, the emperor tucked the quilts securely around her on all four sides as usual. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Don’t overthink things. Pregnancy is hard on you, and it’s only right that I restrain myself. At least this way, you can get through the festival in comfort.”
As he spoke, he reached into the drawer of the table beside the bed and took out a small booklet. He held her in his arms as they flipped through it. Every page contained a detailed record:
On such-and-such a date, Yinyin owes Zhao Qi one session of marital relations in the bathing room.
On such-and-such a date, Yinyin owes Zhao Qi one session of marital relations in the study.
Cui Lanyin had not expected him to have actually kept a record. She snatched it away and tried to tear it up, but the emperor protected it, took it back, and tossed it into the drawer.
“I earned all these by going hungry and enduring abstinence. You’re not allowed to welsh on your debts.”
She looked at the emperor. This time, no matter what, she could not bring herself to call him Uncle. After turning the matter over in her head all afternoon, she blurted out without even thinking, “Fourth Young Master Zhao, don’t let me catch you with your tail showing.”
The emperor was truly far too cunning. Had he realized that acting alternately close and distant was no longer effective, and immediately returned to his former bold and unrestrained ways?
Hearing her call him “Fourth Young Master Zhao,” the emperor not only showed no sign of guilt, but became even more enthusiastic. He nudged his head against her shoulder and made a request.
“‘Fourth Young Master Zhao’ doesn’t sound good. You’ve never called me by my name. Besides ‘Uncle,’ you can call me ‘Dear Qi.’ And I won’t call you Yin anymore. Anyone can call you that, and I don’t want to call you the same thing as everyone else. From now on, I’ll call you ‘Yinyin.’”
After that, he began calling her “Yinyin” this way and “Yinyin” that way. It was far too cloying. Gooseflesh rose all over Cui Lanyin’s arms.
When she saw that the emperor was still pestering her, Cui Lanyin could bear it no longer and shouted, “Zhao Qi, are you going to sleep or not? If not, go sleep on the luohan couch in the outer room.”
“Calling me Zhao Qi works too,” the emperor said, edging closer. “It’s settled, then. After the Lantern Festival, I’ll collect my debts.”
The next day, after Cui Lanyin returned from Fengyi Palace, she searched through the rear quarters and the Eastern Pavilion, hoping to find the other thirty-five storybooks with their various schemes and throw them in front of the emperor. Then she would see what excuse he could come up with.
But she searched every place that could possibly be searched and did not find a single one.
On the thirteenth day, Princess Yongjia came to Fengyi Palace and invited her. “Can you leave the palace on the fifteenth? That night, all the pleasure boats on the Wu-Yang River will hold a lantern competition. Because of the expense involved, it hasn’t been held for five years. It would be such a shame to miss it.
“Just imagine it: magnificent lanterns glowing in the night, elegant figures and fragrant sleeves, talented scholars and famous courtesans. There will be beautiful lantern-lit scenery and beautiful people to admire. Wouldn’t it be fun?
“I’ll rent a pleasure boat as well. After we finish watching the lantern competition, we can spend the night on the boat. Falling asleep to the sound of water and the glow of lanterns would surely be a unique experience. What do you say?”
Cui Lanyin was quite tempted, but when she thought of her current position, she said, “If you had asked me two months ago, I would definitely have agreed. But if I go now, won’t the censors blockade Yanhuá Palace and impeach me? Let’s forget it.”
Princess Yongjia still refused to give up. “Jin’er is due any day now, and she won’t be able to come out for the next month or two. If you don’t keep me company either, I’ll be utterly bored.”
Cui Lanyin said, “Wouldn’t it be more fitting to have your Mr. Fan or Mr. Wei accompany you?”
The princess had no choice but to tell her the truth. “I’m going to see a beauty. Wouldn’t bringing them along just get in the way?”
Cui Lanyin gave her a deeply troubled look. “You’re changing favorites again?”
Princess Yongjia giggled. “How could I? I like the new without ever tiring of the old.”
Cui Lanyin was speechless. “Just don’t end up crying and making a scene again.”
Princess Yongjia looped an arm through hers. “With the empress standing up for me, what do I have to fear?” She pleaded again, “Come with me. I’ve heard all about it. As for His Majesty’s private affairs, the censors don’t dare say a word anymore, do they? You’ve been going to the Eastern Pavilion to deal with the Office of Commercial Tax Administration, and not even a ripple has come of it, has it?”
Cui Lanyin had actually been wanting to go out and take a stroll to clear her head. Ever since she began preparing for the wedding, even when she left the palace, it had always been to handle affairs at the former residence. She could barely sit at home for a while before having to leave again, and she was beginning to feel thoroughly cooped up.
After thinking it over, she said, “It is the Lantern Festival, after all. Let me discuss it with my great-uncle first. But a pleasure boat is out of the question. How about we admire the lanterns from a private room at Yunlai Restaurant?”
The fact that Cui Lanyin was willing to accompany her was already a great blessing, and Princess Yongjia immediately agreed. Afraid that she might be reluctant to leave the emperor alone, she added with a jab, “Doesn’t His Majesty love dozing off? With you gone, he can sleep to his heart’s content. Perhaps he’s secretly hoping you’ll go.”
The emperor was very easygoing about her going out. As long as she asked, he would generally grant permission.
The few times he had sent for her early were precisely when he had been most enthusiastic about that particular matter. By now, he had managed to endure for so long, and he had even said he would wait until after the Lantern Festival. Cui Lanyin therefore was not worried that the emperor would stop her.
It was during their midday rest that Cui Lanyin broached the subject. “Great-Uncle, about the Lantern Festival…”
“Mm.” The emperor answered, then suggested, “I don’t think I’ve ever gone out with you to admire the lanterns. How about we go out together on the night of the Lantern Festival?”
Cui Lanyin stared at the emperor as though she had never seen him before. At last, she raised a hand and touched his forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Great-Uncle, have you been so overwhelmed by affairs that your mind’s become muddled?”
The emperor shot her a sidelong glance. “I’ve heard that many young married couples and engaged men and women go out together on the night of the Lantern Festival. I neglected the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival before, so this time I thought I’d make it up to you. And this is how you repay me for it?”
Cui Lanyin narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. The emperor was the sort of person who would never stand if he could sit, and never sit if he could lie down. He would not have wanted to go out for a stroll even once in eight hundred years. For him to suddenly want to accompany her outside was suspicious no matter how she looked at it.
