The wound throbbed faintly.
So did his head.
Meeting Sui’s dark, clear eyes, Emperor Jingxuan tugged the corner of his lips expressionlessly. "You misheard. I said ‘old woman.’"
Sui touched his ear, looking puzzled.
But trusting the emperor implicitly, he took it at face value. "Who’s the old woman?"
Half-leaning against the bed, his freshly washed face was plump and fair, exuding the crisp scent of soap, a far cry from his disheveled appearance earlier that afternoon.
Emperor Jingxuan pinched the two little buns atop Sui’s head. "A bad person. One who bullied your mother."
"What?!"
Sui’s eyes widened, his small face turning solemn. "Which old woman is so wicked, daring to bully my mother?"
"Your Majesty, please tell me."
His tiny fists clenched, as if ready to charge at the offender and pummel them.
Emperor Jingxuan’s temple twitched. There was no doubt where this little troublemaker had picked up such a combative stance.
He glanced at the boy. "And what would you do if I told you?"
Sui straightened up, dead serious. "No one bullies Mother. I’ll bully her back—avenge Mother!"
Yun Wan patted his head, signaling him to calm down.
Emperor Jingxuan chuckled. "Big words for such a little fellow. Focus on eating more and growing taller. Leave the avenging to me."
"Your Majesty..." Yun Wan couldn’t help interjecting.
Emperor Jingxuan: "I understand your concern, Madam. But this is just a small lesson—nothing fatal."
There were countless ways to teach a sheltered old woman a lesson without raising suspicion.
Yun Wan pressed her lips together and said no more.
Sui, still baffled, turned and hugged Yun Wan’s arm, his voice laced with worry. "Mother, did that old woman hit you? When was it? Did it hurt? Why didn’t I know?"
A barrage of questions. Yun Wan sighed in amusement, steadying his hand as she patiently answered, "It was long ago, before you were born, when you were still safely in my belly. She didn’t hit me."
As for who that person was, Yun Wan wasn’t ready to tell him yet, fearing the child might struggle to process it and become unsettled.
She bent to lift him but underestimated both his growth speed and sturdiness. Silently, she set him back down.
Sui had grown heavier—she couldn’t carry him anymore.
Rubbing her sore wrist, Yun Wan said gently, "Mother is fine, don’t worry, alright?"
Unaware that he’d just lost the privilege of being carried, Sui gazed at her adoringly. "If you ever hurt anywhere, tell me. I’ll blow on it to make it better."
Yun Wan nodded. "Alright."
A light cough sounded beside them. Mother and son turned in unison.
Sui blinked. "Your Majesty, does your wound hurt? Should I blow on it?"
Emperor Jingxuan rewarded him with an approving look. "At least I didn’t dote on you for nothing. But blowing won’t be necessary."
Sui: "What if you bully Mother?"
The man scoffed. "Ask your mother—have I ever bullied her?"
Sui turned. "Have you, Mother?"
Under their dual gaze, Yun Wan exhaled. "...No."
She cupped his little face and chided softly, "Children shouldn’t ask such things, or they won’t grow tall."
To prevent further audacious remarks, Emperor Jingxuan raised his uninjured hand, feigning discomfort as he gingerly touched his bandaged shoulder.
Yun Wan noticed immediately, her brows knitting. "Does the wound pain you, Your Majesty?"
Emperor Jingxuan lowered his head, eyes downcast. "A little. Stay with me, Madam."
She took his hand, soothing him softly. "Endure it a while longer. The physician said pain comes as the medicine takes effect. It’ll pass soon."
Emperor Jingxuan hummed. "As you say, Madam."
Yun Wan reached to tidy his hair, her expression focused. He stared back, unwavering.
If not for his injury...
The chamber fell quiet. Sui looked between his mother and the emperor, sulking when neither spared him a glance.
---
At dawn the next day, the Lu Manor—specifically Old Madam Lu—received an imperial decree ordering her to depart at once for Qingyu Temple to chant sutras in prayer for Empress Dowager Xiaoxianren.
Empress Dowager Xiaoxianren was Emperor Jingxuan’s late birth mother, whose memorial tablet resided in Qingyu Temple, fifty li outside the city.
Qingyu Temple, ostensibly a royal temple, was in truth an ascetic retreat. Regardless of status, all who entered were required to wear coarse cloth, consume plain fare, and abstain from meat—a display of reverence for the departed.
Upon hearing the decree, Old Madam Lu’s eyes rolled back as she fainted. Only after someone pinched her philtrum did she stir weakly.
She couldn’t accept it. Clutching Lu Yuanduo’s arm, she stammered frantically, "Son, what does His Majesty mean by this? Why summon me out of nowhere to pray for the late empress dowager? Did you offend someone at court?"
Her first thought was that her son’s missteps had brought this upon her. Who else would wish her harm?
Lu Yuanduo frowned but softened at his mother’s panic. "I questioned the eunuch who delivered the decree. He said His Majesty dreamed of Empress Dowager Xiaoxianren last night and immediately tasked the Imperial Astronomers with finding someone whose birth chart harmonized with hers for prayers."
"And that person," he said heavily, "was you, Mother."
"Impossible! The empress dowager has been gone for years. I’ve never heard of such a match!"
Moreover, the reasoning sounded less like a prayer request and more like the empress dowager’s lonely spirit demanding Old Madam Lu’s company in the afterlife.
A chill crawled down her spine. Gripping Lu Yuanduo desperately, she pleaded, "Son, how can I survive such a place? Find a way to spare me this! If all else fails, go to your sister—have her beg His Majesty for mercy!"
She was old, accustomed to luxury, and autumn’s chill was deepening. Winter would soon follow. To be sent to that harsh retreat now would shatter her frail bones. She wasn’t ready to die!
Lu Yuanduo considered carefully. "Mother, have you offended anyone recently?"
This decree was undeniably aimed at her.
After much thought, this was his conclusion. Countless others could’ve been chosen for the empress dowager’s prayers—why his mother alone?
Old Madam Lu recoiled. "How could I? I haven’t left the manor in months—"
Her voice cut off abruptly. A realization struck her, freezing her gaze. "I know. It must be Yun Wan, that vixen—it must be her!"
Yun Wan was the only one who held a grudge against her.
Lu Yuanduo’s eyes sharpened. "Mother, what did you do to her?"
The old woman shook her head wildly. "N-nothing! Nothing at all...!"
But denial couldn’t stop the icy dread spreading through her. She clutched the quilt, her face ashen. "I did nothing!"
"She didn’t even die—she’s alive and well... Why must she still...?"
Her muttering trailed off as her eyes rolled back again, and she collapsed once more.
