Chapter 76
Cui Lanyin finally came back to herself. She kept her eyes tightly shut, not daring to look at The Emperor.
She felt as though every inch of her skin—even every breath she drew—was tainted with The Emperor’s scent. The intimacy of sleeping with someone and sharing such a union was far beyond anything she had ever imagined. Even if she exhausted her imagination, she could never have guessed it would be like this.
She was both sleepy and exhausted and would have liked nothing more than to fall asleep where she lay. But the bedding was wet, her body felt as if it had just been hauled out of water, and someone was still lying on top of her. There was no way she could sleep like this.
She pushed at The Emperor. “Uncle, get up.”
The Emperor rolled to the side, bringing her with him until she was lying on top of him. In a muffled voice, he said, “It was somewhat less than satisfactory.”
Cui Lanyin only wanted to sleep. Hiding one yawn after another, she asked carelessly, “Did you not study properly?”
The Emperor, who had read so extensively that he needed only one pass through a book to remember it, could not bear to hear such a thing.
He ran through the notes Imperial Physician Cao had written for him, then reviewed the reasons for his failure just now. Taking her face in his hands, he said, “Let’s try again. It will certainly be different this time.”
“I don’t want to.” Her sleepiness vanished in an instant. Clinging to him, she tried to climb down.
The Emperor did not stop her. Instead, he turned onto his side along with her and coaxed, “They say that once one enters the realm of mastery, there’s a wonderful pleasure that makes it impossible to stop.”
“This sort of thing has to be done in one go. If other people can manage it, then we should be able to as well.”
“Or do you think I’m too old and no longer capable?”
The Emperor had suddenly said so much, and then brought up the matter of being “too old and incapable.” Although he pretended not to care, it was obvious that he was deeply troubled by anyone suggesting he was no longer up to the task.
Cui Lanyin felt a little soft-hearted. She did not want him to return carrying such a thought with him.
But although the pain there had eased somewhat, the memory of how intense it had been earlier still made her flinch. “It hurt too much. I…”
The Emperor moved closer, his warm breath brushing her ear. “I was too hasty just now. We’ll take it slowly this time. It won’t hurt…”
Before long, she lost all awareness.
Having finally redeemed himself, The Emperor was thoroughly pleased with himself. “Well?”
Cui Lanyin no longer even had the strength to open her eyes. The first time, the pain had been so unbearable that she could hardly endure it; this time, the drawn-out ordeal had been just as unbearable in its own way. She made a weak sound and tried to negotiate. “Could you not make it last quite so long next time?”
“You silly girl.” The Emperor brushed aside the damp strands of hair clinging to her face. “You’ll understand the benefits of lasting longer once you’ve had more experience.” His tone already carried the confidence of someone who knew the subject inside and out.
He did not wait for Cui Lanyin to do anything. The Emperor put on his robe and went outside to call for water. When Aiye and Sangzhi entered to help her, he stopped them and carried her himself to the side chamber. Only then did Aiye and Sangzhi step forward to attend to Cui Lanyin’s bath.
In the side chamber adjoining the study, Buyan had also prepared water. The Emperor went there to wash.
Back in the inner bedchamber, Yushan had already changed all the bedding. When The Emperor found no one there, he went to the side chamber, intending to carry Cui Lanyin back. But she caught hold of his robe, her eyes filling with tears and accusation.
“How am I supposed to go out front looking like this?”
Following her gaze, he saw the several vivid red-purple marks on her neck. He knew very well that he had deliberately spared that area. Below it, there were countless marks layered one atop another.
But The Emperor had been prepared. Caressing her face, he said, “Don’t worry. Imperial Physician Cao prepared an ointment for me. Once I apply it, there won’t be a trace by tomorrow morning.”
The matter of the marks could be set aside, but from what The Emperor had said, Imperial Physician Cao already knew what the two of them would be doing that night—and had even prepared ointment in advance.
The Qilin Guards and Buyan were not enough; now even Imperial Physician Cao knew that the two of them were having an affair.
“How am I supposed to ask Imperial Physician Cao to give me acupuncture after this?” Cui Lanyin wanted nothing more than to bury herself on the spot.
“Don’t worry. He’ll only show you greater respect.” The Emperor coaxed her back to the inner bedchamber and took out the ointment to apply to her. Afterward, as he held her and nuzzled against her temples and cheeks, he began to feel aroused again. Knowing that nothing would come of it, he silently recited the formula for his internal cultivation and held her tightly until they fell asleep.
The Emperor was awakened when Buyan entered and called to him from the doorway of the bedchamber.
Ever since he had begun practicing martial arts at the age of six, The Emperor had awakened at four every morning without fail. The internal cultivation technique he practiced could even be performed while lying down. After waking, he would run through the technique once. Whether he got up afterward or went back to sleep depended entirely on his mood.
He was also a light sleeper; the slightest movement could rouse him. This was the first time The Emperor had ever slept so deeply.
He carefully shifted Cui Lanyin away and wrapped her tightly in the quilt. She reached out and pushed it aside, then turned over and buried her head in the soft pillow, sinking back into sleep. Her cloudlike hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back. Even with only her profile exposed, she was still beautiful enough to make his mouth go dry.
Outside, Buyan had already given instructions to Buyu, Aiye, and Sangzhi. When The Emperor came out, Buyan opened the door and ushered him out. Qinglin and Xuanlin had been waiting outside for some time. Once The Emperor flew up onto the roof, the two of them each took hold of one of Buyan’s arms and leaped up after him. After several bounds, the four of them vanished from sight.
When Cui Lanyin awoke, she was looking at the familiar inner bedchamber. At first, she thought that sleeping with The Emperor the night before had merely been a spring dream. But when she tried to turn over and sit up, a sharp pain made her hiss and collapse back onto the bed.
She had experienced this kind of pain before, after sitting for too long in a jolting carriage while traveling south. Combined with the tearing soreness in that most private place, she knew the events of the previous night had not been a dream.
She had truly slept with The Emperor—and had been coaxed into doing it twice, like a fool.
With a mind like The Emperor’s, it was impossible to guard against whatever he intended. Without making the slightest show of it, he could lead people straight into following his wishes. It seemed she had never once managed to gain the upper hand over him.
Cui Lanyin pressed her lips together and glanced at the water clock. It was already ten in the morning. Thinking of Grand Empress Dowager Chen, she braced herself against the bed frame and struggled to rise.
Outside, Aiye and Sangzhi heard the movement and opened the door.
“Second Miss, you’re awake?”
They came over and helped her to the luohan couch in the outer room.
After taking a bronze mirror and examining herself, Cui Lanyin saw that not a single mark remained on her neck. One of her worries finally eased.
“Did Grand Empress Dowager Chen notice anything? I got up so late—did anyone come asking about me?”
“Second Miss, don’t worry. Buyan had already arranged everything. As soon as morning came, Buyu went to the front and said that Miss might have caught a chill. She had felt a little feverish in the middle of the night, so medicine had been prepared and taken. She would need to stay wrapped up and might not be able to go to the front courtyard for the rest of the morning.
“Since they knew you couldn’t be exposed to the wind, Grand Empress Dowager Chen did not send either of your aunts over. She instructed us to let her know once you woke up, so that she could set her mind at ease.”
Such a flawless explanation required no thought at all for Cui Lanyin to know that it had been arranged by The Emperor through Buyan.
She asked again, “Did Buyan also have all those things put away?”
The three of them—Buyu, Aiye, and Sangzhi—nodded in unison, saying sheepishly, “Compared with Buyan, we still have a great deal to learn.”
Cui Lanyin gave a snort. “Like master, like servant.”
No one dared agree when she spoke of The Emperor that way.
Aiye poured her a cup of warm tea and handed it over. “Would Second Miss like breakfast first, or should we have Chiyun and Chiyue massage you first?”
Cui Lanyin’s heart stirred. “Can Chiyun and Chiyue really massage away the pain?”
Buyu said, “Buyan said that before the Qilin Guards had mastered their martial arts, they first trained themselves to become skilled at massage. No matter how severe the strain, half an hour of massage from Chiyun and Chiyue should be enough to restore you.”
Cui Lanyin said, “Then have them massage me first. If it helps, I’ll go to the front and accompany Grand Empress Dowager Chen for lunch.”
Although Chiyun and Chiyue lived at Danyue Residence, they did not attend to matters in the front halls. Most of the time, they practiced their martial arts in a specially prepared quiet room.
When Buyan went to call them, the two arrived soon after.
Cui Lanyin had originally thought Sangzhi’s massage technique was quite good, but compared with Chiyun and Chiyue’s, it was utterly inadequate.
Not only could Sangzhi never learn the techniques the two employed, even a strong, powerful man would be unable to master them.
Chiyun’s fingers darted out like a sudden gust of wind, tapping several points on her body in quick succession. Chiyue then followed along those points, sometimes pressing with her palms and sometimes kneading with her fists. Once she finished working on one area, Chiyun would tap several more points, and Chiyue would continue massaging them.
Before long, both of them were panting heavily. Clearly, they were exerting tremendous strength. Such force should have been extremely painful, yet Cui Lanyin felt only a dull, swollen ache.
The two explained that this was a secret acupuncture-point massage technique passed down within the Qilin Guard. Because it consumed so much physical strength—and because the Qilin Guards were all unafraid of pain—it was rarely used.
Cui Lanyin could tell that they were trying to curry favor with The Emperor, and she gave a quiet snort. Her feelings toward The Emperor were extremely complicated now. He had gone from being her maternal uncle to the man she was most intimately involved with; such a change was not something she could simply make peace with overnight.
If The Emperor were to appear before her in broad daylight, Cui Lanyin felt she would be incapable of facing him calmly.
Half an hour later, Chiyun and Chiyue stopped and helped her to her feet. Cui Lanyin immediately felt much lighter. When she moved her hands and feet, there was only a slight prickling pain—so minor that, compared with before, it could practically be ignored.
She hurriedly sent the exhausted Chiyun and Chiyue back to rest, then washed and changed her clothes. She turned in front of the bronze mirror several times, making sure there was no sign of anything amiss, before taking Buyan with her to the front halls.
When Grand Empress Dowager Chen saw her, she pulled her close and looked her up and down. Only after confirming that she had recovered did she relax.
When Cui Lanyin had first entered the room, she had felt somewhat guilty, believing that she had failed to live up to Grand Empress Dowager Chen’s affection.
Unexpectedly, Grand Empress Dowager Chen and Aunt Xia seemed to dote on her even more than before.
Cui Lanyin repeatedly insisted that she was fine, but the three women still acted as though she could neither hold a bowl nor pick up a pair of chopsticks. Whenever her eyes turned toward a dish, before she could even reach for it, Aunt Xia and Aunt Gao would place some in her bowl. In doing so, the two of them completely overlooked Grand Empress Dowager Chen.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen still felt that was not enough. Seeing how much Cui Lanyin liked the steamed sea bass, she had Aunt Xia remove all the bones before giving it to her.
“Grand Empress Dowager Chen, if you keep taking care of me like this, I’ll never be able to marry. When that happens, I’ll simply eat and live here in Funing Palace. Let’s see whether you’ll be worried then.”
Grand Empress Dowager Chen was not worried in the least. “With The Emperor and me here, who would dare find fault with you? Qian He has already told me that your family wants you to marry the new palace examination graduate. Next year, during the palace examination, we’ll have The Emperor choose someone who is both talented and handsome. If he names him as the Number Three Scholar, then he’ll just barely be worthy of you.”
Cui Lanyin could not bear to hear anyone mention The Emperor at that moment. Her heart immediately began to pound wildly, so she hurriedly changed the subject.
What she could never have imagined was that yesterday, despite being uncertain of The Emperor’s feelings, she had dared to show Empress Dowager Li such an unpleasant attitude simply to stand up for Grand Empress Dowager Chen—and The Emperor had witnessed the whole thing.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen understood perfectly well that The Emperor had taken her side. If he had not, she would no longer have been able to remain in the palace.
Everyone knew that Cui Lanyin was clever and perceptive, and that she always understood the importance of weighing her actions carefully. It was impossible that she had not known the consequences of what she did, yet she had still been unable to hold herself back. How could Grand Empress Dowager Chen and everyone in Funing Palace not be moved by that?
Last night, before going to sleep, Grand Empress Dowager Chen had summoned Qi An and instructed the three of them, “The Emperor doesn’t think much of what little I have, anyway. For this period, divide my money and valuables into three portions. One portion is for the three of you and Qian He to split as provisions for your old age. One portion is to be used as Yin’s dowry.”
Qi An asked, “And what about the last portion?”
Grand Empress Dowager Chen stared out the window for a while before saying, “Who knows? We’ll wait and see.”
The three of them understood. After spending decades weathering the palace’s rise and fall, Grand Empress Dowager Chen knew better than anyone how fickle human hearts could be. She intended to keep the last portion until the very end. If she were disappointed, she would simply take it with her into the coffin.
After the meal, Cui Lanyin reclined beside Grand Empress Dowager Chen on the heated brick platform, preparing to rest as soon as sleepiness overcame her.
A great commotion suddenly came from outside. Looking through the window, they saw Qi An accompanying Qian He toward them. Behind Qian He was a long line of eunuchs. Two eunuchs carried each item together, bringing the things inside as though they were moving in a bridal dowry.
What was going on?
Qian He entered, paid his respects to Grand Empress Dowager Chen, and then pointed outside. “His Majesty took a fancy to looking around the imperial storehouses today. Whenever he saw something he thought Grand Empress Dowager Chen or Yin could use, he ordered it brought out. And so, this is what has been carried over.”
Grand Empress Dowager Chen was quite surprised. She glanced toward the western side of the palace. “There’s nothing for that side?”
Qian He nodded with a smile. “Only this side received anything. What’s more, every single item was personally selected by His Majesty. That thoughtfulness is what makes it most precious.”
Grand Empress Dowager Chen felt the same way. At her age, she had long since ceased to care much about material possessions, but hearing this, she became interested as well. She had Qian He order the eunuchs to display several loads for her inspection.
There was nothing ordinary in The Emperor’s inner treasury. The fabrics, jewelry and hair ornaments, curios, and decorative furnishings were all of the same quality as those in the bridal chamber the previous day. Not a single item was commonplace; most were things Cui Lanyin had never seen before.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen pointed out several items and told them to leave those behind. Then she instructed Qian He, “Take the rest to Yin’s residence.”
When Cui Lanyin tried to refuse, Grand Empress Dowager Chen waved her off. “I was just thinking of having your place redecorated these past few days. Now that The Emperor has sent over so many things, I can save my own supplies. We’ll take advantage of his generosity and use everything he provided.”
Qian He cooperated with Grand Empress Dowager Chen, going outside to order the eunuchs to take the rest to Danyue Residence.
When he returned, he saw that Cui Lanyin still looked uneasy. He smiled and said, “Let Grand Empress Dowager Chen arrange your rooms. Yin, you should make a trip home.” He did not keep her in suspense. “His Majesty has just appointed Brother Su as Associate Commander of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guards. Your father was also summoned by His Majesty, who intends to renovate Yanhuadian and has appointed your father to oversee the project. He has promoted your father to Vice Director in the Ministry of Works.
“This is a double blessing for your family. Your relatives and friends will certainly come to offer their congratulations, and your family will have to host a feast. Your elder sister is indisposed, and your mother probably won’t be able to manage everything alone. Don’t you need to return home and help her?”
“Such wonderful news absolutely requires Yin’s presence,” Grand Empress Dowager Chen said to Cui Lanyin. “Hurry and get ready to leave. By the time you return, I guarantee I’ll have arranged a room for you that not even a princess possesses.”
Grand Empress Dowager Chen ordered Qi An to prepare a carriage at once. Buyan also hurried back to Danyue Residence to call Chiyun and Chiyue.
So many things had happened in rapid succession that Cui Lanyin could not decide which astonished her most.
Cui Su had said that he would probably be appointed a fifth-rank commissioner, which was already an enormous surprise. Yet now he had been promoted another rank, becoming a fourth-rank Associate Commander. Cui Su was only seventeen. If things continued at this pace, his future was beyond imagining.
As for Cui Sheng, the speed of his promotion was equally astonishing. His family had thought that once his abilities were recognized, he might receive a sixth-rank position as a secretary. Instead, The Emperor had promoted him two ranks at once, directly appointing him a fifth-rank Vice Director.
And then there were the loads of gifts. Most of the fabrics and jewelry were things a young woman could wear or use, while the furnishings and other objects were clearly not things Grand Empress Dowager Chen would use.
Could the Emperor’s actions have been because of her? Cui Lanyin tried her hardest not to let her thoughts go there.
There was a bumper harvest of nutrient fluid yesterday. Thank you, my generous darlings—I love you all [kisses]
