A Coincidence?
Yun Wan felt numb inside. Before today, she wouldn’t have believed such a coincidence could exist in this world.
Yet, here it was.
Five years ago, during a palace banquet, she had accidentally stumbled into the pavilion where Emperor Jingxuan was resting. There, she had shared an intimate moment with him while he was under the influence of an aphrodisiac.
She had assumed the matter ended there, never imagining that the Emperor had been searching for the woman from that night all this time.
Recalling his cold, ruthless words earlier—"Once I find that woman, I will uproot the forces behind her!"—Yun Wan’s lips trembled, but she remained silent.
Emperor Jingxuan didn’t believe in coincidences. To him, every so-called coincidence was nothing but a carefully orchestrated scheme.
Someone had slipped him the aphrodisiac without detection, lured him to the secluded pavilion deep in the bamboo grove, and then vanished without a trace afterward.
Such a threat could not be allowed to exist—not for his sake, nor for the stability of the Great Qi Dynasty.
Yun Wan’s lips twitched, but no smile formed.
She didn’t remember how she left the Hall of Diligent Governance or how she made it back to her courtyard in a daze.
Fuling, who was sweeping the yard, dropped her broom and eagerly pulled Yun Wan under the eaves. "Auntie, you’re just in time! The flower house sent over some new blooms. Do you like them?"
Pointing to a few pots of roses, she beamed. "These are especially lovely—so vibrant and red, they lift the spirits just by looking at them!"
Yun Wan followed her gaze. The once-bare eaves were now lined with seven or eight pots of flowers, each in full, dazzling bloom.
The courtyard, once plain, was now adorned with splashes of color. But Yun Wan had no mind to appreciate them. She nodded absently before retreating into her room.
Fuling frowned. What was troubling her auntie? She seemed deeply preoccupied.
Once inside, Yun Wan locked the door and sat alone before her dressing table, trying to make sense of the day’s events.
The sight of the embroidered handkerchief she had left behind five years ago shattered any lingering hope she had clung to.
She had thought the past was buried—that time had turned dust to dust, silence to silence.
But Emperor Jingxuan’s demeanor today made it clear: he was still hunting for her, and his intentions were lethal.
If he discovered she was the woman he believed had "schemed against him"—
Would she, Sui, and the others remain unharmed?
Would he assume every twist of fate was her deliberate design? Would his fury drive him to kill her? Would he take his anger out on Sui? Would he—?
Dozens of possibilities raced through Yun Wan’s mind, but she had no answers.
The Emperor’s thoughts were inscrutable. She couldn’t afford to gamble.
A chill seeped from the depths of her heart, creeping into her bones until she trembled.
---
In the Hall of Diligent Governance, after Yun Wan’s departure, Emperor Jingxuan found himself unable to focus on the memorials before him. An unease gnawed at him.
Something was off about his consort today.
At first, she had been fine, but then she grew distracted—so much so that even when he deliberately nipped at her neck, she hadn’t reacted.
It unsettled him, stirring a strange, restless disquiet.
Seeing no use in brooding, he summoned Jiang Fusheng. "Did my consort seem unusual when she left?"
Jiang Fusheng thought carefully. "Her Ladyship did appear... somewhat displeased. She nearly missed a step on the stairs, though she wasn’t hurt."
Had the two quarreled?
He stole a glance at the Emperor’s grave expression. It didn’t seem likely.
Emperor Jingxuan’s brow furrowed.
If he had to pinpoint it, her shift in demeanor had begun when she saw the handkerchief.
Did she know whose it was?
But how?
Suspicion flickered in his eyes, dark and unreadable.
---
Tossing and turning through a sleepless night, Yun Wan rose the next morning listless, hugging her knees on the bed.
Fuling emerged from behind the screen, arms full of yesterday’s laundry, muttering, "Auntie, what scent do you wear? Even your clothes carry such a lovely fragrance."
She had once scoffed at tales of "beauties whose sweat was perfumed," but serving Yun Wan had taught her the truth of phrases like "jade-like skin" and "soft as silk."
Especially in the summer heat—while others reeked of sweat, Yun Wan only grew more fragrant, like an immortal fairy, sweet and delicate.
Every time she helped Yun Wan bathe, Fuling marveled at her beauty, envying the Emperor for possessing such a treasure.
Suddenly struck by a thought, Yun Wan called out, "Fuling, I have a question for you."
Fuling turned. "Yes, Auntie?"
Glancing at the clothes in her arms, Yun Wan hesitated before asking, "You mentioned my clothes carry a scent. Can you describe what it’s like?"
She sighed. "It’s strange—I’ve never noticed it myself. My maids back home mentioned it too, but I thought they were teasing me. Hearing you say the same makes me curious."
Fuling blinked in surprise. She had assumed Yun Wan wore some scented balm or perfume. Could it be that even she was unaware of it?
Scratching her head, Fuling struggled. "I’m not sure how to describe it... It’s sweet, like fruit, but also a bit like storax? Or maybe flowers...?"
Having picked up some knowledge of incense from Yun Wan, she fumbled for words.
Finally, she stomped her foot. "Ah, I can’t quite explain it! But it’s definitely lovely!"
Yun Wan committed the description to memory and, under Fuling’s puzzled gaze, hurried off the bed, slipped into her embroidered shoes, and rushed to the incense chamber.
She remained there for hours, not emerging until Fuling returned with lunch from the imperial kitchens.
Yun Wan beckoned her over. "Fuling, come smell this. Is it close?"
In her hand was a small porcelain box filled with finely ground incense powder.
Fuling inhaled, eyes widening. "Huh?! Auntie, you actually recreated it?"
Her gaze brimmed with awe.
Yun Wan smiled. "So it’s similar?"
Fuling nodded vigorously. "Exactly! Or nearly so. You’re amazing!"
Yun Wan then sprinkled the powder into a censer and lit it, letting the fragrance diffuse. "And now?"
Fuling inhaled again. "Even stronger when burned."
Relief washed over Yun Wan, dispelling the gloom that had weighed on her heart.
Her eyes gleamed. Perhaps she had found a way.
