Chapter 75
Once she had made up her mind, the troubles that had plagued her for days vanished all at once. Cui Lanyin slept soundly through the night and rose earlier than usual.
After a pleasant breakfast, she went to the front palace to keep Empress Dowager Chen company.
When the auspicious hour arrived, the grand music from Huagai Hall could be heard even from so far away. The cries of “Long live His Majesty! Ten thousand years!” rolled through the palace again and again.
The Emperor had formally ascended the throne.
Empress Dowager Chen had also risen one rank, becoming Grand Empress Dowager. In the palace, she was usually addressed as “the Old Empress Dowager” or “the Old Lady.”
Empress Xu had become Empress Dowager Xu, while Concubine Li Shu and the others had become dowager consorts.
Since The Emperor’s inner palace was still empty and he had yet to say anything about it, Empress Dowager Xu and the others had not moved to new quarters. They continued to live in their original palaces.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen and Grand Empress Dowager Li were both still alive. By regulation, Empress Dowager Xu and the others were supposed to move in with the two grand empress dowagers. Of course, if either of the two grand empress dowagers gave the order for them to live elsewhere, that would be permitted as well.
It all depended on what the two old ladies had in mind.
Empress Dowager Chen brought this up with Cui Lanyin, casting a glance toward the west. “That one’s in a foul mood right now. She certainly can’t stand to see anyone else living more comfortably than she is. Just wait and see—she’ll insist that Empress Dowager Xu and the others move in with her.”
From their brief encounter that day, Cui Lanyin had already realized that Grand Empress Dowager Li was not easy to serve. Everyone else might manage, but the days of Empress Dowager Xu and Dowager Consort Li were bound to be difficult.
Aunt Xia, however, did not want to let Grand Empress Dowager Li have her way. “If the Old Lady doesn’t wish to have Empress Dowager Xu and the others move in, Yanhuan Palace next door is vacant. Why not simply tell them to live there?”
“After all, she is The Emperor’s own grandmother,” Empress Dowager Chen said. “He cannot make things too awkward on the surface. We shouldn’t create more trouble for him. As long as that woman keeps peace, The Emperor will have an easier time as well.”
Aunt Xia said no more.
Sure enough, that evening, during the family banquet, before all the dishes had even been served, Grand Empress Dowager Li said to The Emperor, “Now that you have completed your mourning period, there is no need to rush into selecting an empress. You should first take a few consorts.”
She knew The Emperor’s temperament well, so she did not wait for him to reply. Instead, she turned to Empress Dowager Xu and the others. “You must hurry and pack these next few days, then move in with me. My health grows worse with every passing year. I can no longer enjoy my son’s blessings, so at the very least, you should let me enjoy the blessings of having daughters-in-law for a few years.”
Empress Dowager Xu and Dowager Consort Li murmured their assent, then turned together toward Grand Empress Dowager Chen, their eyes silently pleading for her to say something.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen, however, did not take up the matter. She simply continued eating the food Aunt Xia placed in her dish.
Seeing this, Grand Empress Dowager Li assumed that Grand Empress Dowager Chen had finally realized she could not rely on a grandson who was not her own. She thought the other woman was conceding to her, and her smile became exceptionally benevolent.
Cui Lanyin found the sight extremely irritating. She decided that she would sound out The Emperor later and find out what arrangements he had in mind regarding Grand Empress Dowager Li. If matters remained as they were, then at the next family banquet, it would be better for Grand Empress Dowager Chen not to attend at all.
“Who has upset Second Miss Cui?” The Emperor suddenly asked from above.
The Emperor had actually spoken nine words to Second Miss Cui!
In an instant, every gaze in the hall turned toward her.
Cui Lanyin was startled. She looked up and saw a hint of amusement in The Emperor’s eyes. He had actually noticed that she was displeased.
As though he knew she would find it difficult to answer, The Emperor turned to Empress Dowager Xu and the others. “The Empress Dowager must help manage the palace affairs for a while longer. Put off the matter of moving for now.”
First, he had asked Second Miss Cui why she was unhappy. Then, he had turned around and told Empress Dowager Xu and the others not to move yet.
Everyone in the palace had countless wiles at their disposal. They immediately understood: Second Miss Cui was unhappy because Grand Empress Dowager Li had pressed Grand Empress Dowager Chen down a notch. His Majesty could not bear to see her displeased, so he had turned around and slapped Grand Empress Dowager Li in the face by ordering Empress Dowager Xu and the others to remain where they were.
Since The Emperor had little to say, and there was no empress or consort at his side to keep the conversation flowing, while Grand Empress Dowager Li and Grand Empress Dowager Chen were clearly locked in a silent contest, everyone was terrified of speaking to one side and offending the other. The entire banquet passed in an atmosphere of utmost caution.
The moment The Emperor announced that the banquet was over, everyone rose in a flurry. They had clearly all been waiting for that moment.
When Cui Lanyin caught The Emperor’s gaze, she did not dare return it. She supported Empress Dowager Chen and left.
It was already the hour of the Dog. Empress Dowager Chen patted her hand. “Go back. You’ve been tired all day—get some rest early.”
Cui Lanyin still accompanied Empress Dowager Chen to the covered corridor. Only after watching her go inside did she lead Buyu back to Tanyue Residence.
Once she entered, she discovered that Buyan, who had not attended the banquet at The Emperor’s side, was already there.
After offering his greetings, Buyan explained, “I was afraid someone would see me here, so I didn’t go out to meet you.”
The four Qilin Guards could walk across rooftops and leap over walls, but Buyan could not perform martial arts. Cui Lanyin asked, “Then how did you get in?”
“The Qilin Guards carried me in.”
For tonight’s arrangements, The Emperor had mobilized the Qilin Guards and even had them deliver Buyan into the residence. Cui Lanyin felt she would never be able to face the Qilin Guards again.
Buyan noticed her embarrassment and pointed toward the inner chamber. “I was afraid someone from the Empress Dowager’s palace would come over and notice something amiss, so I only had Aiye and Sister Sangzhi redecorate the inner chamber. Second Miss, go in and see whether you approve.”
Cui Lanyin headed toward the bedchamber. But when she reached the doorway, she found herself unable to take another step.
The curtains were made of red cicada-wing gauze. The quilts were of red brocade woven in layers upon layers. A red coral ornament depicting two lotus blossoms joined at the stem sat on the table. On the red-gold candlesticks carved with dragons and phoenixes and inlaid with red jewels stood two enormous red dragon-and-phoenix wedding candles.
After returning from the banquet, she found that her inner chamber had been transformed into a bridal chamber—a lavish bridal chamber more splendid than anything even a prince or noble family could furnish.
But they were not getting married. The Emperor knew perfectly well that she intended to leave after a year. What was the meaning of going to such lengths?
Aiye urged Cui Lanyin farther inside, then opened one of the two sandalwood boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl on the bedside table. Inside lay six smooth, translucent pale-green jade beads, each as large as a pigeon’s egg. Their size and quality would place them near the front of the list of treasures in the imperial vault.
Seeing that Cui Lanyin had not recognized them, Aiye slowly closed the box, leaving only a narrow gap. Cui Lanyin’s eyes widened. From that fine slit shone a luminous glow.
They were night pearls!
Six night pearls of that size were priceless.
Before she could recover, Sangzhi opened the other box. Inside lay a complete set of gold filigree jewelry inlaid with red coral. Among the pieces, a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin glittered brilliantly.
Cui Lanyin covered her mouth. A nine-tailed phoenix hairpin was something only an empress could wear.
The Emperor was being far too extravagant. She knew he was merely trying to show her that even if they had only one year together, he regarded her as immensely important and would never allow those serving at his side to look down on her.
She was deeply moved by the way he valued their fleeting romance.
Even Aiye and Sangzhi, who had originally disapproved of her decision, found their resolve wavering at The Emperor’s attitude.
After her bath, Aiye handed her an inner garment made of crimson feather gauze. Cui Lanyin, who had remained composed until then, blushed. “Is this really necessary?”
Aiye looked at her solemnly. “Just think of today as your wedding day, Miss. When you leave the palace a year from now, it will be as though the marriage could not continue and you are leaving after a divorce.”
If putting it that way made things easier for both of them, Cui Lanyin was willing to go along with it.
She put on the inner garment, then draped a pomegranate-red brocade jacket and skirt over it. She wore the earrings and bracelet from the box, but would not let Sangzhi bring her the phoenix hairpin.
“That isn’t something I should wear. Bring me the red coral hairpiece bestowed by the Empress Dowager instead. It looks like it will make a matching set.”
The Emperor arrived as though he had timed it perfectly—just as Cui Lanyin finished dressing and stepped out, he appeared as well.
The Emperor was dressed in red too. When he had been Prince Wei, he had always worn black. After ascending the throne, he was invariably clad in bright yellow; whenever he came to see her at night, he wore black again. Cui Lanyin had never seen him in a third color.
This was the first time he had changed the color of his robes. He was fair to begin with, and set against the red, his beauty was truly peerless.
The Emperor came over and took her hand. “Why aren’t you wearing that hairpin?”
“It doesn’t belong to me.”
“No one else is worthy of it.”
Cui Lanyin’s heart burned hot, and she did not dare probe too deeply into the meaning behind his words.
The Emperor turned to Buyan. “Bring the phoenix hairpin.”
Aiye hurried inside to retrieve the mother-of-pearl-inlaid box and handed it to Buyan. Buyan opened it and presented it to the Emperor. He first removed the hair ornament from Cui Lanyin’s head, then carefully inserted the phoenix hairpin into her hair.
Buyan, accompanied by Buyu and the others, brought out the wine and meat for the nuptial rituals. The Emperor actually refused to omit a single one.
He took one cup and handed it to Cui Lanyin, then lifted the other. To Buyan’s ceremonial announcement, they each drank half a cup. After that, they crossed their arms and finished the wine from each other’s cup, then shared the meat, completing both the nuptial wine ritual and the ritual of sharing a meal.
When Buyan, Buyu, Aiye, and the others withdrew, they extinguished the palace lamps in the corners of the room, leaving only the two red dragon-and-phoenix candles burning. Surrounded by that sea of red, Cui Lanyin truly felt as though this were her own wedding night.
When the Emperor took a red bridal veil from his sleeve, Cui Lanyin could no longer keep her composure and hurriedly backed away. “Don’t. There’s no need to do every single thing.”
The Emperor held her in place. “Only then will you have no regrets later.”
The meaning in his words was too suggestive to contemplate. Cui Lanyin sat down on the edge of the bed and let him place the veil over her head.
The Emperor did not lift it right away. Listening to the rustling sounds, she sensed that he was spreading open the bed curtains.
By the time he raised the veil, the two of them were already inside the curtains. A luminous pearl had been placed at each of the four corners of the bed and beside the pillows. Their pale green radiance flowed through the red gauze, gathering into a dreamy, intoxicating springtime glow.
The Emperor first removed the phoenix-tail hairpin from her head. Cui Lanyin was just about to praise how practiced he was when he moved on to take off her earrings and tugged so hard that it hurt. She immediately realized that he had only mastered that one technique.
“I’ll do it myself.” She took off the earrings herself, then removed her bracelet.
The Emperor smiled. “Give me another couple of days to practice, and I’ll know how to do all of this.”
Cui Lanyin shot him a sidelong glance. “You’re still bringing that up? From ancient times until now, I’ve never heard of an emperor who cared so little about his accession ceremony.”
Those two remarks lightened the atmosphere inside the curtains, dispelling the heaviness that had been there before.
The Emperor kicked off his own shoes and bent down to help her remove hers. But he was the Emperor, after all, so Cui Lanyin hurriedly pulled away and took them off herself.
The Emperor pulled her onto the bed. His hand touched the front of her robes. “Let’s undress.”
Cui Lanyin tried to move away again, but the Emperor turned her back toward him. “I have to undo your clothes, and then you can remove mine.”
The Emperor had specifically practiced this, so Cui Lanyin did not suspect anything. Suppressing her shyness, she allowed him to open her collar and slowly remove her outer robe.
His movements were simply too slow. He must not have done this before; his hands were not at all nimble, and his fingertips kept gliding over her arms and waist. Cui Lanyin held her breath, yet she still could not stop the small tremors that rippled through her.
She could bear it no longer and said in a trembling voice, “Uncle…”
The Emperor’s hand paused at her waist. “Then will you teach me?”
The student was always the one with the advantage, so Cui Lanyin could only shake her head. The Emperor’s hand moved behind her waist and found the sash of her skirt. He fumbled with it for quite some time before finally undoing it.
The scent of bamboo-agarwood mingled with the cool fragrance of plum blossoms clung to him. The two scents should not have gone together, yet on him they seemed perfectly natural, creating a hazy, almost intoxicating allure.
The Emperor looked at her, clad only in a crimson gauze undergarment. The patch of snowy skin at her neck alone would have put the finest white jade to shame, while even the glow of the luminous pearls seemed dim beside it. His gaze grew dark and profound.
He took her hand and brought it to the front of his robes. “Your turn.”
Though there was no aggression in his eyes, Cui Lanyin still felt as though she were about to be swallowed whole. Her trembling fingers went to undo his belt, but she could not summon enough strength to them. The sash should have come loose with a single tug, yet she somehow managed to tie it into a knot.
Only after trying did she realize that she was even less capable than the Emperor. Cui Lanyin unconsciously bit her lip.
The Emperor reached out and stroked her lips with one finger. “Don’t bite.”
When Cui Lanyin relaxed her lips, he moved his hand down and enclosed the hand struggling with his belt. “We have a long night ahead. Take your time.”
Though he said that, he still guided her hand as she undid his belt, then loosened the waistband of his trousers as well.
Faced with the Emperor wearing only his underclothes, Cui Lanyin was flushed from head to toe. Where had all the boldness gone from yesterday, when she had declared that they ought to sleep together and share the intimacies of lovers?
Stammering, she asked, “What… what do we do next?”
“I’ll teach you.”
The Emperor leaned over her and lowered his head to capture her flowerlike lips. He really was different after learning how. No longer did he kiss her with reckless force. His lips and tongue were tender and lingering, drawing away her nervousness as he coaxed her into sinking helplessly into the moment.
That hazy, floating sensation was like drinking celestial wine and jade dew. The exquisite pleasure was impossible to put into words. It truly was an incomparable delight.
Cui Lanyin relaxed her body and let the Emperor do as he pleased…
When the Emperor tore open her undergarments and slipped off her smallclothes, a chill swept over her, bringing a trace of awareness back to her muddled mind.
“Cold…” she murmured.
“You’ll be warm soon.”
The Emperor flung aside his own undergarments and bent down over her once more.
As she clung to his head while he nuzzled and kissed her without pause, searing heat spread from that place. Amid the burning sensation, she felt that she could bear even more warmth, and she instinctively pressed herself closer…
So when the Emperor raised his head and told her, “It will hurt a little the first time,” she did not give the words much thought.
When a violent pain, sharp enough to feel as though it might tear her apart, suddenly struck her, she had not been prepared. Tears welled in her eyes as she pushed against him. “Don’t move!”
“I can’t stop.” The Emperor bent down and kissed her. “Endure it for me a little longer.”
After he drove into her again and again, just when she felt she could not hold out any longer, the Emperor let out a muffled groan and collapsed over her. Sweat fell from his head and body, instantly wetting her as well. He muttered something in a somewhat dejected tone, but she could not make it out.
Here it comes. [Mischievous grin]
