As if sensing something, Emperor Jingxuan turned his head and unexpectedly met a pair of glistening, beautiful eyes.
He paused, then suddenly curved his lips, handed his longbow to a palace attendant, and strode toward Yun Wan with purpose.
When he reached her, his gaze locked onto her, his presence both cool and scorching. The way he looked at her seemed to hold a flickering flame, etching her face and figure vividly into his eyes.
"What is my lady looking at?"
His words snapped Yun Wan out of her daze. Realizing she had been staring at him, her ears burned with embarrassment.
Yet averting her eyes now would only seem deliberate. She bit her lip and replied calmly, "Your Majesty’s archery is remarkable. Truly impressive."
She tried to sound natural, as if her earlier boldness had never happened.
Emperor Jingxuan’s gaze lingered on her flushed earlobes before returning to her feigned composure. Suddenly, he laughed heartily.
The sound carried, drawing the attention of the Third Prince and Pei Qian, who exchanged startled glances.
What’s wrong with Father/Uncle? Why is he laughing so loudly? Is someone about to face trouble?
Only Commander Wei, rough-faced but sharp-minded, observed the two and suddenly understood.
Ah, so that’s how it is!
When his laughter subsided, Emperor Jingxuan smirked. "If I can earn my lady’s praise, I am more than satisfied."
Yun Wan grew increasingly uneasy under his amusement.
Sui, caught between them, looked up at the Emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, can you also shoot an arrow through a willow leaf at a hundred paces?"
Emperor Jingxuan raised a brow but remained silent.
Jiang Fusheng, standing nearby, chuckled. "Young Master Sui, you jest. His Majesty doesn’t just hit willow leaves—in his earlier campaigns leading armies, his arrows never missed their mark. Countless enemy leaders fell to his blade..."
Jiang Fusheng launched into a vivid recounting of his master’s past glories, speaking not just for Sui’s benefit but also for Yun Wan’s.
After all, he knew the Emperor would never boast of such feats himself.
Sure enough, mother and son listened intently, especially Yun Wan, whose expression flickered with surprise—she hadn’t expected the Emperor to be so formidable.
A glance at the Emperor revealed a faintly smug look.
After a moment, Emperor Jingxuan cut in, "Enough. These are just old tales, hardly worth mentioning."
He looked down at Sui, still holding Yun Wan’s hand, and offered rare praise. "I see potential in you, boy. Train hard, and you might one day..."
He paused, then chuckled. "Well, if not as skilled as me, at least as capable as Commander Wei."
Sui brightened. "Really?"
Emperor Jingxuan nodded. "My word is gold. But only if you endure the hardship."
"I’m not afraid of hardship!" Sui declared.
Yun Wan glanced at Commander Wei’s burly, intimidating figure and suppressed the urge to protest.
Though the man was undoubtedly formidable, she still hoped her son would grow into a refined gentleman.
......
As time passed, Emperor Jingxuan took his leave first.
Yun Wan, hoping to avoid further encounters, deliberately delayed her departure by a quarter-hour.
Yet some things—and some people—were impossible to evade.
Just before reaching her courtyard, she froze.
There, beneath a tree at the path’s bend, stood Emperor Jingxuan.
He approached leisurely, blocking her way, his voice low and teasing. "My lady, were you avoiding me?"
She lowered her head. "Yun Wan wouldn’t dare."
He scoffed. "I know full well your 'wouldn’t dare' is an admission."
After all, outright denial or confirmation would either offend or deceive the Emperor.
Yun Wan pressed her lips together, glancing around before deflecting. "Does Your Majesty seek me for urgent matters? If not, I should return. It wouldn’t be proper for palace attendants to see us together—it might harm Your Majesty’s reputation."
Her words were earnest, but they only irritated him.
With Yun Wan’s startled gaze fixed on him, he advanced step by step until she was backed against the tree, trapped. His voice turned icy. "My lady, these lofty excuses are just to keep me at arm’s length, aren’t they?"
Her lips parted, but meeting his cold stare, she fell silent, her expression blank.
Emperor Jingxuan smirked. "Are you angry with me?"
A flicker in her eyes, Yun Wan turned her face away.
He understood. "Because of Consort Shen?"
That was the only reason he could think of.
"Set your mind at ease. What happened last night won’t repeat," he vowed.
He had underestimated the situation, assuming keeping her close would prevent trouble—forgetting how unpredictable people could be.
As for the absurd claim that Yun Wan would harm Consort Shen? He had never believed it, nor cared.
Seeing his candor, Yun Wan decided to speak plainly. "Since Your Majesty understands, I’ll be bold and share my thoughts. I hope you won’t take offense."
His eyes gleamed. "Speak."
She met his gaze squarely, her voice firm. "I know it was Your Majesty’s will that brought me into the palace as an incense master. I pretended ignorance before because I wanted a quiet life."
"I never intended to meddle in Your Majesty’s harem conflicts, but..."
Her voice wavered, remnants of fear rising. "Because I’m Consort Shu’s kin, summoned through her influence, I’ve been branded as part of Changchun Palace’s faction. That’s why this calamity befell me."
"Your Majesty, you must know they meant to target Consort Shu. I was merely... collateral. But after last night, I—I’m terrified."
The memory of being helpless, at others’ mercy, made her tremble. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him.
Emperor Jingxuan’s chest ached. His mind flashed to the previous night—Yun Wan collapsed on the bed, weeping so bitterly it shattered his heart.
His throat tightened. "Last night’s incident won’t happen again," he repeated hoarsely.
"Everyone involved has been punished."
Yun Wan shook her head, tears threatening to fall. "That’s not what I want."
"Then what do you want?"
"I want to leave the palace. I want to go home."
His expression darkened instantly. "Do you understand what you’re saying?"
Of course she did.
Emperor Jingxuan’s gaze sharpened. "I know you never wished to join my harem, to be a caged bird. That’s why I orchestrated this farce to bring you into the palace, to draw you closer under this pretense."
"But you—you keep trying to flee, treating me like a beast to be shunned. Do you truly think I have no temper?"
With each word, a spark of anger flared in his chest, merging into a raging fire that scorched his heart.
Yun Wan shuddered, her eyes lowering. "Does Your Majesty mean to... punish me?"
As she looked down, a tear escaped, darkening the ground where it fell.
Emperor Jingxuan’s jaw clenched. "I’ll ask once more. What do you want?"
His voice was steel. "But leaving the palace is out of the question. I refuse."
Yun Wan’s face fell with disappointment.
Seeing this, Emperor Jingxuan's anger surged, his tone icy: "It seems my wife is determined to leave the palace."
He cast a glance at Fuling and coldly ordered, "Escort her back. She is not to wander without my permission!"
