“A... woman?”
Zhu Huan slowly opened his eyes. He was awake, but his mind was still clouded by illness; even his speech was slower and softer than usual.
Jiang Yi knew that those gravely ill could not bear fright—but he truly felt as though he were about to lose his mind.
He blurted out, “That monster the Xie clan sent here is a woman! I knew the Xie clan had ulterior motives. They never came to surrender; they came to expose Your Majesty for using a puppet to appear before others in your stead!”
“That woman is now riding in a sedan chair, impersonating Your Majesty as she goes to favor the palace consorts. But she has not gone to one of the concubines’ quarters—she has gone to the Qian clan Empress!”
“Once the Empress discovers that she is a woman, the Empress Dowager will surely seize the opportunity to make trouble!”
“Then...”
Then everyone would learn that Zhu Huan was bedridden and unable to rise. All those wolves and tigers, jackals and leopards, would descend on him at once.
Jiang Yi’s eyes had reddened with panic. “When the female officials of the Office of Furnishings at Linde Hall sent word that something was amiss, this servant dispatched men in pursuit. They chased her to the gates of Changle Palace and found that the woman’s palanquin had already come to a halt before the palace hall. She had gone inside.”
“Presumably, even if the Xie clan and the Empress Dowager’s people need to conspire together, they will need some time to talk. This servant has therefore stationed eunuchs outside Changle Palace. No one will be permitted to carry word to the Empress Dowager.”
“Your Majesty, assembling the Thousand Ox Guard and the Jinwu Guard at this moment would be far too conspicuous. Better to gather the gate-watch and rotating-watch troops instead. Most are ordinary soldiers who entered service through military registration. Even collateral branches of the great clans disdain such insignificant men, so no one has tried to win them over. Moreover, they patrol the gates within and beyond the imperial palace, most of them remote gates rarely used by anyone. It will not be difficult to take quiet palace paths and avoid the other sentry guards of the Sixteen Guards.”
“During their night watch, besides swords and spears, they are equipped with bows and quivers. By fortunate chance, tonight’s commanding captain is Zou Ming, a martial examination graduate of humble birth. He has always been proud and aloof, and he is no man of the great clans.”
Jiang Yi’s expression was grim. Like master, like servant: even the lines etched into his face seemed to carry a ruthless ferocity. Betting everything on one desperate throw, he said, “In a moment, this servant will lead men into the palace on the pretext of capturing assassins and protecting Your Majesty. The Qian clan Empress and all the servants of Changle Palace will be shot to death in a hail of arrows, and the Xie woman will be brought back.”
“Then let Yin Kai, leader of the shadow guards, remain at Your Majesty’s side and, acting on Your Majesty’s orders, arrest this servant and escort me to the Inner Palace Prison. Your Majesty may personally interrogate me. There may yet be room to turn this around.”
Jiang Yi had poured out a long stream of words in one breath. This was already the most meticulous plan his mind could devise.
Yin Kai, leader of the shadow guards, had also been summoned by Jiang Yi. He now stood beneath a corridor pillar beside Zhu Huan’s bed, silent and imposing, blending into the shadows cast by the beams and columns.
This time, Zhu Huan was thoroughly awake. It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water mixed with shards of ice over his head, chilling him from scalp to marrow.
The palace maids on night duty hurriedly helped him sit up. Once he was settled, he did not speak at once.
Apart from the Qian clan Empress, his harem contained four consorts of the first rank, nine concubines, nine ladies of the court, nine beauties, and nine talented ladies.
There were also twenty-seven Precious Forests, twenty-seven Attendant Maidens, and twenty-seven Chosen Maidens.
Not a single one of these positions stood vacant. Every woman had been sent into the imperial palace by one of the six great aristocratic clans.
The imperial harem was governed by Empress Qian, who came from the Empress Dowager’s maternal family. The court and the inner palace had never been separable. Only imperial consorts could rightfully come into contact with court officials and the wives of noblemen. These women entered the palace not to vie for the Emperor’s affection, but to seize influence within the harem and bring honor and service to their clans.
And whether to admit them had never been Zhu Huan’s decision. The entire harem was held firmly in the hands of Qian Chan.
As Zhu Huan’s mother and the Empress Dowager, she had every right to fill his harem with daughters of the great aristocratic families.
Zhu Huan had also tried to place his own people in the harem. Without exception, they had all died tragic deaths.
If the woman sent by the Xie clan had been impersonating Zhu Huan to favor one of the consorts other than the Empress, then once her identity was exposed, Zhu Huan—though unable to control the harem—could at least find an excuse to quietly dispose of those aristocratic consorts who knew the truth.
But that woman had gone to Empress Qian Xiangjun’s palace.
That meant the Xie clan intended to join forces with the Empress Dowager against him.
Zhu Huan’s face darkened, his eyes cold and grim.
How could that person have been a woman?
He had been so blind as to miss the signs...
Yet Zhu Huan did not approve Jiang Yi’s proposal. Sending guards into the inner palace under the pretext of hunting an assassin was far too contrived; it would inevitably cause an uproar both within and beyond the palace walls.
After all, the harem’s consorts did not belong to the Qian clan alone. The daughters of all six great clans were represented there.
To kill Empress Qian and alarm the daughters of the other clans would make the aftermath impossible to contain.
Jiang Yi’s old bones would not survive a trip through the Inner Palace Prison unscathed. Even if he did not die, he would be utterly ruined.
Moreover, Empress Qian Xiangjun was Qian Chan’s beloved niece, as well as the legitimate granddaughter of Qian Anhe, the Qian clan head.
To shoot her dead in a blaze of public spectacle would be no different from declaring outright war on the Qian clan.
The Qian clan’s connections ran throughout Sangzhou. Skilled at business and maneuvering, they controlled the region’s mulberry fields and silk trade. Silk could be used as currency, and among the people there was a saying: “Silk comes from Qian Alley; Qian money reaches every merchant under heaven.”
As the saying went, money could make even ghosts turn millstones. The Qian clan was richer than a nation and bound to the other great clans through countless marriage alliances. If he provoked them completely, Zhu Huan would surely become the target of all.
He drew in a deep breath, then slowly let it out.
After a moment, he gave Jiang Yi his orders in a calm voice. “Dismiss the gate guards and the watch patrols. Jiang Yi, have the eunuchs bring petroleum and wait near Changle Palace.”
“Yin Kai, take men and investigate.”
“If that woman is exposed—whether deliberately or by accident—then Changle Palace...” Zhu Huan closed his eyes, leaning wearily against the headboard. Softly, he said, “Kill them.”
What he had ordered was the slaughter of Changle Palace—not the death of a single person.
In other words, no living soul inside Changle Palace was to be spared.
Petroleum was highly combustible. Many of the palace’s ever-burning lamps used it as fuel, and the Empress’s vast and magnificent Changle Palace used a great deal of it.
After eliminating the witnesses, they would burn the place down. Though the resulting commotion would still be immense, and the Empress Dowager and the Qian clan might not be fooled by an “accident,” at least the great clans would not immediately unite to denounce Zhu Huan.
Yin Kai accepted the order, pushed open the window, and gave a light whistle into the night.
Before long, countless warriors dressed in plain black garments and concealed in the darkness had taken up positions inside and outside Taiji Palace.
Yin Kai counted their numbers.
Jiang Yi, however, said, “Your Majesty, you must not!”
“If the Xie clan has sent a woman here with ulterior motives, then they must naturally have another move in reserve. Perhaps their true aim is to lure the tiger away from the mountain. Yin Kai is Your Majesty’s final line of defense—he absolutely cannot be moved!”
Yin Kai had already finished counting the men. He stood in the middle of the hall, hands hanging at his sides, silently awaiting orders.
The imperial shadow guards had been trained as elite death warriors from childhood. They obeyed only the commands of their master, Zhu Huan. Unlike Jiang Yi, they were not servants who would weigh the pros and cons of a situation.
Their lives and deaths were decided by a single word from their master. Once ordered, they would charge into a sea of flames or climb a mountain of blades without the slightest fear.
Naturally, although their usual duty was to protect their master’s safety, if their master ordered them away on a mission, they would obey without question.
Zhu Huan ignored Jiang Yi and gave Yin Kai a slight wave of his hand. “Go.”
The dark figures swept out through the doors and windows, flying through the endless snowstorm toward Changle Palace.
At that very moment, Changle Palace was as warm as spring, its palace lanterns shining brightly.
Beside a round table sat a woman with a graceful figure and strikingly beautiful features. She wore a narrow-sleeved, lilac gauze robe. Because the hall was warm, she had draped only a soft, bright-red shawl over her dress despite the depths of winter.
Her hair was held in place by a single gold hairpin, with small floral decorations adorning her temples. Her arms were slender and fair, smooth as jade, and jade bracelets encircled her wrists. Her entire person was soft and lovely, gentle and approachable.
This was the attire of an empress before attending the emperor’s bed. Yet this delicate beauty’s expression as she sat beside the table was slightly stiff.
Qian Xiangjun had been empress for six or seven years, yet she had never once attended the emperor’s bed.
Her aunt and the relatives of her clan had told her that although entering the palace would consume the finest years of her life, she would gain power and become the most honored woman beneath Heaven.
As a direct descendant of the Qian clan, she had been taught from childhood that the interests of the family must always come first.
She was happy to be able to serve her clan.
Her grandfather often said that the information she coaxed out of the wives of officials had been of immense benefit to the family. She was more useful than any of the men in the clan.
But as a woman, Qian Xiangjun had also once held expectations for her husband.
Her aunt had told her that if she could give birth to a prince, the Qian clan would rise to the heavens in a single step.
Before and after their wedding, and even during the ceremony in which she was installed as empress, she had once displayed her gentleness before the emperor. Yet she was always met by a pair of sinister eyes as deep as an abyss. There was not the slightest trace of tenderness in them—only unfathomable scrutiny and wariness.
As empress, she had never received even a shred of dignity before the emperor. Even on their wedding night, she had been left alone in an empty palace hall.
Over the past six or seven years, Qian Xiangjun had watched coldly as the number of consorts in the inner palace steadily increased. The emperor did not visit the harem often, but he did visit it.
The Four Consorts, the Nine Imperial Concubines—even the lower-ranking Cairen and Yuren—had all been fortunate enough to receive his favor.
Only she, the empress at the center of the palace and the most honored woman beneath Heaven, had remained untouched and forgotten.
Those consorts who had received the emperor’s favor would also taunt one another with veiled remarks, while among themselves they fought viciously over that meager share of imperial favor.
Yet women in the palace came and went, and there had never been a shortage of consorts to fill their places.
Had her aunt not protected her, it would have been exceedingly difficult for her to establish herself as empress and command the inner palace without the emperor’s love and favor.
When she heard that the emperor had braved the snow to come to her that night, Qian Xiangjun had thought she was dreaming.
Even now, with the king who had never once been close to her sitting peacefully in her Palace of Eternal Joy and sharing a meal with her at the same table, she still found it unreal.
Qian Xiangjun gazed at the emperor, her mind wandering.
Xie Shuishan, meanwhile, concentrated on eating.
No one noticed that, in a corner of the hall, a small slit had been cut into the paper covering of the window by a sharp blade...
Qian Xiangjun stared dreamily at the emperor—at her husband—and thought that the inner palace was far too lonely. If she could conceive a child tonight, not only would her grandfather be delighted and her aunt grow even fonder of her, but her days in this deep palace would become much more interesting as well.
She had heard that whenever the emperor visited one of his consorts, he always bestowed medicine to preserve the pregnancy. Yet after so many years, not a single imperial heir had remained in the palace.
She had once asked her aunt about it. Her aunt had merely smiled with profound meaning. Qian Xiangjun had lived in the inner palace for many years and had witnessed the schemes and intrigues among the consorts.
She guessed that the so-called pregnancy-preserving medicine was certainly no good thing.
As empress, she had only trusted members of her own clan serving in the Palace of Eternal Joy. When the time came, she could simply dispose of the medicine in secret. Surely nothing would happen.
Having made up her mind, Qian Xiangjun—despite her shyness and the resentment she felt toward the emperor for neglecting her for years—still lifted her lips into a tender smile. She rose personally to serve food and pour wine for the emperor, who had been eating with unhurried composure.
“Your Majesty, this steamed venison was personally hunted and sent to the palace by my tenth elder brother. The meat is tender and nourishing, and it replenishes the blood.”
A shy blush spread across Qian Xiangjun’s pretty face. She carefully dipped a piece of venison in the salt-and-vinegar seasoning before gently placing it in the bowl before Xie Shuishan.
Then she gave Xie Shuishan a radiant smile, inwardly pleased with everything she had done.
Over the years, she had studied her reflection and knew exactly what kind of beauty could captivate a man’s heart. She had also cleverly mentioned her tenth elder brother, who was still young and had yet to enter official service, so that the emperor would form a favorable impression of him.
Xie Shuishan had eaten more than enough.
Still, she did not spurn the beautiful empress’s kindness. She picked up the piece of venison and ate it, chewing slowly and carefully. It was indeed exceptionally tender and delicious.
She was not afraid in the slightest that Empress Qian, her most powerful political enemy, might poison her.
Xie Shuishan was fairly satisfied with the place she had chosen to spend the night.
Since she had failed to die, Xie Shuishan absolutely refused to let herself suffer even the slightest grievance.
The place assigned to the puppet was quite spacious, but pitifully crude. The food was utterly unappetizing, and the bed given to her was so hard it could have been used as the outer casing of a rocket. Even the bedding was damp, as though it had been thrown into the snow and then picked up again.
Xie Shuishan could not be bothered to guess who was trying to torment her.
She had originally planned to stand in the room for the entire night.
As luck would have it, tonight was the night for the emperor to visit the inner palace. And apart from the puppet who had been beaten to death with staves, the other puppets did not look much like Zhu Huan.
Every one of them had to be painstakingly made up by an aunt named Danqing before they could manage to look seven or eight parts alike.
But while a painted skin may resemble a tiger, it can never reproduce the bones beneath.
No matter how convincing the disguise, if one of them sweated while favoring a consort and exposed the truth, it would mean certain death.
Every one of these people cherished their lives and feared death, passing the responsibility from one to another. One claimed to have an upset stomach, another complained of a splitting headache, and someone else simply said he was impotent.
In the end, the task fell to Xie Shuishan, the “newcomer.”
Aunt Danqing held Xie Shuishan’s face and examined it for a long while. Of all the tools she had for altering appearances, she ultimately used only a few strokes to thicken Xie Shuishan’s long brows. Then she ordered someone to change Xie Shuishan’s clothes and, following the usual procedure, had her mark the register and choose whom to favor.
After all, not a single consort in this harem had been appointed by the Emperor. Every one of them was a spy planted by one of the great clans.
Even Aunt Danqing had never expected that, with a single sweep of her brush, Xie Shuishan would select the Empress, Qian Xiangjun.
The splendor within Changle Palace was extravagant beyond measure. Compared with Zhu Huan’s Taiji Hall, it was a gilded nest beside a humble hovel.
Xie Shuishan chewed and swallowed her food unhurriedly, then set down her golden chopsticks. The attentive palace maids immediately stepped forward in an orderly fashion to wash her hands and rinse her mouth.
She was entirely at ease. She had been waited on from the moment she was born and had long since grown accustomed to it.
To be honest, Xie Shuishan found the food in the imperial palace somewhat lacking in refinement. Although most of it retained its original flavor and was fresh and delicious, it still seemed rather bland to her.
In her own world, the food she ate every day was prepared by chefs specially trained by her family. From nutrition to color, aroma, and taste, nothing was overlooked.
Though the sedan chair in which she had just been seated was enclosed on all four sides by heavy curtains, it could not shut out the cold wind as completely as a car.
The palace maids, however—no matter which palace they served in—were all remarkably pleasant. They moved with light, quiet steps, and whenever one approached, the first thing she noticed was their delicate fragrance.
Once the food had been cleared away, the palace maids surrounding her also withdrew to await further orders.
Under the warm, bright lamplight, Empress Qian Xiangjun looked upon the emperor, whose bearing was as majestic as a phoenix and whose features were as fine as jade. She saw none of the familiar coldness or scrutiny in “his” eyes, and the unease in her heart eased a little.
Qian Xiangjun rose and walked over to Xie Shuishan. In a soft, gentle voice, she said, “Your Majesty… it is getting late. Shall I attend you to bed?”
Xie Shuishan looked at Zhu Huan’s empress. A beautiful woman always appeared three shades more alluring beneath the lamplight.
It was immediately clear that she had been raised in comfort. Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her complexion radiant and healthy. There was not the slightest trace of sorrow or gloom in the corners of her eyes or the curve of her brows.
As Xie Shuishan gazed at such a beauty, she thought of Zhu Huan’s ashen, deathly appearance, and a trace of amusement touched her heart at the contrast.
She raised her hand and grasped the palm Qian Xiangjun had placed on her shoulder without quite daring to press down.
The skin beneath her hand was as fine as porcelain, the bones soft and delicate. Xie Shuishan closed her fingers around it, then suddenly pulled.
“Ah!”
Caught completely off guard, Qian Xiangjun stumbled toward her. Xie Shuishan parted her legs naturally and turned her body slightly, wrapping an arm around Qian Xiangjun’s soft waist and pulling her down to sit on one of her thighs.
Qian Xiangjun had lived her entire life by the rules, with doctrine carved into every inch of flesh and bone. When had she ever encountered such a tactic?
First, she stiffened. Then—boom—her cheeks flushed crimson.
“Your Majesty…” she called instinctively.
With the beauty seated on her lap, Xie Shuishan lifted her chin slightly. Her slender neck and jaw traced a graceful curve, rising and falling like distant peaks.
Her gaze followed the line of Qian Xiangjun’s tense throat as she swallowed nervously, moving inch by inch over her delicately shaped chin, her full red lips caught lightly between her own pearly teeth, and her fine, petite nose. At last, it captured Qian Xiangjun’s shy eyes as they darted about in confusion. Meanwhile, the hand resting at her lower back stroked slowly along her spine, neither too lightly nor too firmly.
It was as though a chain of beacon fires had been lit, and Qian Xiangjun’s entire body began to burn.
At last, Xie Shuishan’s palm came to rest against her neck. Holding down the woman whose strength had already melted away, she lowered her head.
Following the red lips touched with a faint sheen of rouge, she leaned forward unhurriedly…
