"What is this?"
Consort Shu stared at the contents of the wooden chest on the floor, her expression one of disbelief.
The young eunuch who had delivered the items bowed respectfully and replied, "Your Highness, these are books."
His answer earned him a furious rebuke: "You insolent dog! Of course I know it’s a chest of books! What I’m asking is—what does His Majesty mean by this? Why has he sent me a chest of books?"
She had already heard from the palace maids that early that morning, the Emperor’s attendants had made a grand display of delivering lavish gifts to the Qiyun Palace, all of them rare and exquisite treasures.
Compared to that, this single chest of books seemed pitifully meager and baffling.
The eunuch smiled faintly and explained, "The Emperor said that within these books lie houses of gold and beauties like jade. He hopes Your Highness will spend more time reading and copying them, to calm your mind, cultivate virtue, and refrain from speaking carelessly or bullying the other consorts."
Truthfully, it was improper for a lowly eunuch like him to relay such words directly. He had intended to phrase it more tactfully, but being called an "insolent dog" out of nowhere had soured his mood.
"…What?"
Consort Shu grew even more bewildered. "When have I ever bullied anyone?"
The eunuch replied, "This servant does not know. I am merely conveying His Majesty’s decree."
"Furthermore, the Emperor has ordered that Your Highness must copy fifty pages daily, without delegating the task to others. Failure to do so will be considered an act of deception against the throne—a crime punishable by death."
Consort Shu’s brows knitted in outrage. "I oversee the affairs of the inner palace! How am I to find time to copy so many pages?"
The eunuch’s smile deepened, his voice growing even more unctuous. "Your Highness need not worry. The Emperor has said that palace matters shall no longer burden you for the time being."
This was, in essence, stripping Consort Shu of her authority over the inner palace. As for how long this "temporary" arrangement would last—that was entirely up to Emperor Jingxuan.
The message was clear: the Emperor was displeased with Consort Shu.
After the eunuch left, Consort Shu racked her brain, trying to recall whom she might have "bullied" recently. The only possibility was Yun Wan.
But—
She glared at the chest of books, her chest tight with anger. "When did I ever bully her?"
Was speaking a few harsh words now considered bullying?
What infuriated her most was—how dare Yun Wan tattle to the Emperor?!
An unspoken rule of the inner palace dictated that minor conflicts were never brought before the Emperor. Even if consorts disliked one another, they maintained at least a facade of harmony, knowing they would cross paths daily. Who would dare openly complain to Emperor Jingxuan like this?
Yun Wan was breaking the rules!
But Yun Wan cared little for rules. After all, she was a newcomer who had never been properly schooled in palace etiquette.
If everyone assumed her only recourse was to rely on Emperor Jingxuan, then why shouldn’t she?
In the wake of this incident, the other consorts watched in silence, and for a time, the palace was eerily calm.
By mid-September, autumn deepened, and the capital grew abruptly colder. The wind carried a biting winter chill, forcing everyone to don heavier robes.
After a fresh round of renovations, Qiyun Palace was now adorned with an array of exquisite furnishings—all selected from Emperor Jingxuan’s private collection.
Yun Wan had initially wanted to store the more fragile and valuable items away, fearing they might break, but the Emperor disagreed.
Instead, he ordered the removal of anything lacking in opulence, replacing them with the treasures he had gifted.
Emperor Jingxuan wanted Qiyun Palace filled with things he had personally chosen, ensuring that every time Yun Wan glanced around, she would be reminded of him.
Having not practiced incense-making in some time, Yun Wan found herself lingering in the fragrance chamber that morning, undisturbed until Yue Jian knocked on the door:
"Your Highness, His Majesty has sent word requesting your presence at the Hall of Diligent Governance."
Yun Wan blinked in surprise. "Now?"
Yue Jian nodded.
Uncertain of the reason but not daring to delay, Yun Wan set down her incense tools, washed her hands, and made her way to the hall.
The wind was fierce that day, so Yun Wan draped a cloak over her shoulders before stepping out. As she approached the hall, she encountered Father Yun.
Father Yun bowed. "This official greets Consort Yun. I trust Your Highness has been well?"
Though both resided in the capital, father and daughter had met only twice in five years.
The last time Yun Wan had seen him, she had been a mere incense artisan, delivering soup to the Emperor on Consort Shu’s orders.
Now, she was the esteemed Consort Yun.
Yun Wan replied coolly, "I am well. Thank you for your concern."
Her tone was distant, as though they were strangers rather than kin.
Father Yun sighed, his expression pained. "After all these years, you still resent me so much that you refuse to call me 'Father'?"
Yun Wan remained unmoved. "With so many children to your name, surely you can spare one unfilial daughter."
"Your mother would have—"
Yun Wan’s gaze sharpened as she cut him off. "Father Yun, as long as you refrain from mentioning my mother, we may yet remain father and daughter."
She studied him, her expression icy. "But tell me—do you even remember what she looked like? Do you recall her birthday? The day she died?"
Father Yun’s face stiffened, his discomfort evident. Clearly, he could not answer.
Yun Wan smirked inwardly. "I know what you seek from me. But whether I grant it depends entirely on my mood. After all, you of all people understand the power of a whisper in the Emperor’s ear, do you not?"
Like many scholars, Father Yun prized his dignity. Being interrogated thus by his own daughter, his face flushed with humiliation and anger.
But mindful of Emperor Jingxuan’s warnings and Yun Wan’s current status, he could only bow his head in shame. "Your aunt from Yangzhou wrote recently. Your cousin will arrive in the capital next month to sit for the spring examinations."
At the mention of these two, Yun Wan’s expression softened slightly. "Where is the letter?"
Father Yun hesitated. "It was inconvenient to bring it into the palace. I shall arrange for it to be delivered to you in a few days."
With that, their brief exchange ended. Yun Wan ascended the stone steps and entered the Hall of Diligent Governance.
The doors were shut, the attendants explaining that the Emperor was in conference with the Crown Prince. Yun Wan waited in the corridor.
After roughly the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the doors opened, and the Crown Prince emerged, his face pale.
Spotting Yun Wan, he shot her a venomous glare before storming off.
Yun Wan was baffled.
The moment she stepped inside, Emperor Jingxuan noticed her, his expression brightening. "You’re here."
Yun Wan removed her cloak and approached him. "I ran into my father earlier. We spoke briefly."
She made no mention of the Crown Prince’s glare, unwilling to involve herself in the tensions between father and son.
Yun Wan knew that while it was one thing to subtly complain about other consorts to the Emperor—such matters could be dismissed as petty jealousy—meddling in imperial succession was another matter entirely.
She had no desire to be branded a "seductive schemer."
Pulling her onto his lap, Emperor Jingxuan buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the warm fragrance of her skin.
"What did you discuss?"
"He mentioned that my cousin will come to the capital next month to prepare for the spring examinations."
"Cousin?"
The Emperor lifted his head. "How old is he? Is he married?"
Yun Wan ran her fingers along his stubbled jaw, the roughness tickling her fingertips. "He is a year older than me—twenty-four this year. Unmarried."
Emperor Jingxuan’s voice turned sly. "Twenty-four and still unwed? Does he have some… peculiar condition?"
Yun Wan frowned, rising to her cousin’s defense. "The first time he was to sit for the exams, my uncle fell gravely ill and passed away. My cousin observed three years of mourning. He had been betrothed but released the girl to avoid delaying her."
"Once the mourning period ended, my aunt fell ill, causing him to miss the next round of exams. That’s why he’s only attempting them now—and why his marriage was postponed."
Emperor Jingxuan clicked his tongue and remarked, "What an unlucky fellow."
Hearing this, Yun Wan choked back a retort and shot him a sidelong glance.
Before Emperor Jingxuan could say more, a palace servant hurried in from outside the hall, their expression fraught with urgency as they announced:
"Your Majesty, the Third Prince has gone missing!"
