Lan Yin Bi Yue

Chapitre 41

"Hehe, I am very pleased to have your concern, my beloved consort. However, my beloved consort, do you know that one wrong move can lead to complete defeat? When I choose someone, use someone, or keep someone, I will investigate them thoroughly and make sure everything is clear. Therefore, I will never let those who are not loyal have a good end!"

Xuan Ge immediately felt a sharp gaze fall upon her. She lowered her head even further and replied in a trembling voice that she herself did not realize, "Your Majesty is wise." She bit her lower lip with her upper teeth in nervousness and soon felt a bloody taste in her mouth.

Qin Hao stood up and walked down the steps to stand in front of Xuan Ge. His blue boots and the hem of his dragon robe swayed in front of her. As if she had seen the most terrifying thing, Xuan Ge's body swayed involuntarily.

Qin Hao leaned down and pinched her chin with one hand, lifting her head. Her beautiful face was now deathly pale, and her small red lips were bitten until they turned blue and purple. Faint traces of blood ran between her teeth, which she quickly put back into her mouth.

"My beloved concubine seems quite afraid of me," Qin Hao said with a gentle smile.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I... I dare not." The feeling of having her chin pinched was very uncomfortable, making it difficult for her to speak clearly.

"Really?" He lowered his body and moved closer to her. As Qin Hao's handsome face drew nearer, Xuan Ge's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and her face flushed red.

"My beloved concubine...you are indeed very beautiful..."

Volume Four, Palace Absolute, Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Vast Universe Wind (Extra Chapter)

Drunk, he didn't ask about the east, but instead raised his cup to invite the moon.

Wanlan Qingse Yanzhi Feng

The long-sleeved dance will end in heartbreak.

Jade stamen exquisite

Where can we meet when we gaze at each other from afar?

When will our white hair end and our graves be left at the ends of the earth?

Butterflies fall into the mortal world, their shadows shimmering with tears.

Only the deep, resonant sound of the konghou remains.

Wild Goose Letter

When fate ends, one can only sigh at the emptiness of a flying bird.

My mother said that a poet must first have a calm mind, and secondly, must have a certain mood or feeling before putting pen to paper, whether it's joy or sorrow. In short, let the pen become your heart; write what you think, and never let the words contradict the meaning, or you'll ultimately waste that blank page. I want to write such poems, but no matter how hard I try, I still can't reach what my mother requires—to write with heart and soul.

In my memory, I can't recall what my younger brother, who is a year younger than me, looked like. I only heard from my beloved wet nurse that for a long time after my brother went missing, my mother refused to eat or drink, becoming emaciated. My father, for my mother's sake, gave up his entire empire to accompany her, traversing mountains and rivers to search for their child.

My mother told me that the person who loved her deeply yet hurt her deeply stole her most precious treasure. I'm so jealous. So resentful. Why isn't I my mother's most precious treasure?

No matter how hard my father and mother searched, they still couldn't find the person who took my younger brother. So they returned to Yanliao, taking me with them, back to the Yanliao imperial palace. // Hanzu. I heard that Hanzu is the son of the current empress. I heard that my father, the emperor, stays in the empress's palace almost every night. I heard that Yanliao, which has been without an heir for a long time, will establish a crown prince…

My mother was once an empress, but that was all in the past.

I began to hate him, hate the man who had once professed his love for my mother, hate the emperor revered by the people of Yan and Liao. My hatred only intensified after he secretly sent me to Dayang. In my eyes, I was a threat to Hanzu's smooth ascension to the throne. For Hanzu's sake, or rather, for that "Empress," he had ruthlessly decided to completely remove me from his life—no, from their lives—because I was the son of the former Empress.

Filled with hatred for him, my wet nurse and I lived alone in Dayang for more than ten years. Later, my wet nurse died of illness, and I buried her with my own hands in the land of Dayang. To this day, I still remember the words my wet nurse said before she died: "I want to go back to my hometown..." That time, I cried.

I had never seen so many tears fall on the ground. I cried my heart out; that day was the day I cried the most freely. I kowtowed before my wet nurse's grave and vowed never to shed another tear, because of her teaching that she always liked to give me: if she saw me cry, she would leave me forever, leaving me all alone.

Later, my father sent someone to find me and brought me to Yundu, the capital of the Great Yang Kingdom, where he built the Guangyue Pavilion. From then on, I studied many things there, including poetry, songs, music, chess, etiquette, and political affairs. Gradually, I understood my father's good intentions. He still loved my mother and me; he just expressed it differently.

In the blink of an eye, I had been in Yundu for a full ten years. During those ten years, I gradually transformed from an ignorant child into a shrewd and calculating individual, building my own power base step by step.

Such days were filled with nothing but painstaking suspicion, struggle, and attempts to win people over, and endless loneliness and unease, until her appearance.

At first, I didn't know she was a woman. I just felt that she was different from other men. I asked Guo Qing to arrange for her to stay in the west wing, where I was staying.

I truly discovered her identity the day before the Peach Blossom Banquet. She habitually liked to take a nap on my soft couch, but that day, because of the banquet, I told her I wouldn't be back all day. After leaving Guangyue Pavilion and talking with the people in the other study rooms, I realized I had left some documents in the study, so I hurried back to look for them. As soon as I entered, I saw her lying on the couch, fast asleep.

I was stunned, stunned by the strands of her black hair that had fallen onto my pillow. In that moment, I realized that the feelings hidden deep in my heart had erupted in an instant, impossible to escape, leaving me only to be deeply immersed.

When she wanted to marry Qin Yu, my first reaction was no. No, because she was a woman; no, because it wasn't her own choice; and no, because I loved her.

But she still married her on the day I left Yundu.

The confrontation with Han Zu ignited my passion. My resentment, my grievances, my anger, and my hatred would all be repaid to him. He had taken everything from me; he had caused my wet nurse to die far from home. So I would take revenge—for myself, for my wet nurse, and for my father. Yes, for my father; his expectations of me were destined not to be disappointed.

When the day of success arrived, I suddenly felt a loneliness I hadn't felt in a long time. In this world, at this pinnacle, if only she were by my side.

When we met again, she hadn't changed much; she was still beautiful and charming, even though she was wearing elaborate and dark men's clothing, and even though there was another person walking beside her. But I didn't mind, because that person was just a woman, nothing more.

What surprised me was her composed response, and also the meaningful look in Emperor Hong's eyes. This made me very uncomfortable, so I decided to expose her identity and leave her with no place in Dayang. That way, she would willingly follow me back to Yanliao and become my empress alone.

But I was wrong after all...

Volume Four, Palace Absolute, Chapter One Hundred: Three Thousand Weak Waters (Part Two)

Upon hearing Qin Hao's words, Xuan Ge was momentarily stunned, her eyes gradually becoming misty as she looked at him. The faint scent of ambergris, mixed with an ambiguous allure, made Xuan Ge forget how terrifying this person was to her. In an instant, she was captivated by the deep, infatuated look in his eyes, losing all reason.

"Therefore, I do not wish for your beauty to wither and fade in my hands one day." The calm tone made Xuan Ge's eyes clear instantly. The pain from her chin made her realize that she had almost fallen for him. Really, she had only almost.

She returned to Quexing Palace in a daze. Nian'er greeted her and saw that she seemed to have something to say but still didn't say anything. She poured her a cup of tea and waited to the side.

Xuan Ge held the tea and stared blankly for a while. When she heard Nian'er's voice, she turned around and looked at her in a daze. Sensing Nian'er's worry, she smiled slightly at her: "I'm fine, it's just... I'm feeling very upset."

She put down her teacup and wandered around the vast Quexing Palace. Unlike the bustling other palaces, there were only a few dozen people here, including the maids and eunuchs. Normally, none of them would dare to step into the inner palace without her permission. However, to others, this tranquility was a special gift from the Emperor, a sign of his compassion. Only she knew how ironic it was. It was a prison, like a cold palace.

Looking at the room's splendor, she suddenly burst into laughter, starting with a soft chuckle and gradually growing into a loud laugh. Finally, she laughed so hard she bent over, tears streaming down her face, falling onto the bright floor and splashing into wet blooms.

She laughed so hard she squatted down on the ground, her light blue gauze dress falling down and becoming soaked with tears, like ink stains spreading across her face, a picture of lonely sadness.

Nian'er stood there bewildered, not understanding why her master was acting this way. Had Emperor Hong discovered something? She couldn't bear to imagine it and stepped forward to help Xuan Ge up, "Master..."

Xuan Ge stood up with Nian'er's help, slowly calming herself down. Then, pushing Nian'er away, she said, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll take good care of myself." No matter what the future holds, I will take good care of myself, and I will live a good life because... I'm truly unwilling to accept this!

Lin Suyang held the teacup, looking at it from left to right. Yanzi, standing beside him, asked curiously, "What are you doing, Master?"

Lin Suyang continued to examine the tea carefully, but asked, "Yanzi, why is our Longjing tea different from Xuange's?"

Yanzi frowned. Recalling that day when Consort Xuan had served her mistress the tribute Longjing tea, she asked疑惑地问道, "Does Master feel there's something amiss?"

"Didn't you say mine is also this year's Jihu Longjing tea? Why does it taste different from hers?" Lin Suyang said, swirling the emerald green tea in her cup.

"This...this servant is not sure. But Eunuch An said it is indeed the Jihu Longjing tea from this year's new tribute." I heard that this is the new tea that was personally delivered by the Emperor as soon as it arrived.

"That's strange...this taste. It's different, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Sigh. Maybe pregnancy has changed my sense of taste." Lin Suyang put down her cup, got up, walked to the door, and looked outside. "Why hasn't the Emperor arrived yet?"

When Yanzi heard her mistress ask about the Emperor, her face lit up with joy: "Your mistress has finally remembered the Emperor. He'll be so happy to know!"

Lin Suyang paused. She lowered her head and murmured to herself, "Am I... thinking about him?" But why couldn't she find that feeling of longing?

These past few days, Qin Hao has seemed unusually busy. No one knows what's going on, but the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Works, and even the Imperial Guards and Ceremonial Office are all running around like crazy. A busybody made a few inquiries and found out some earth-shattering news: the Emperor is preparing to confer an empress title!

The entire court was in an uproar. After waiting for so long, Emperor Hong was finally going to establish a proper consort for the harem. This decision was like a stone thrown into a still pond, stirring up a thousand waves. The deep waters of the harem were about to be stirred up in a tremendous upheaval.

Currently, besides Empress Dowager Fengxiang, the four consorts who can be considered to have high status in the imperial harem are Consort Qi, who has already given birth to a prince, followed by Consort Xiao, Consort Jin, and Consort Qiao.

It is obvious that with Empress Dowager Fengxiang as her backer, Consort Qi has implicitly seized power in the palace. As for the other three consorts, Consort Jin, Li Fu, was selected for the palace because her aunt was the queen consort of a vassal state. After the war between the Great Yang and Yan Liao against the vassal state, the vassal state was destroyed, and its king and queen were killed by Lin Ziyan, the commander of the Great Yang imperial city guards. Li Kuangjin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel who went to persuade the vassal state to surrender, was wounded by a hail of arrows and remains in Hedan without returning.

Therefore, in essence, Li Fu's exploitation was already over before it even began. Unfortunately, she had already married into the imperial family, and what awaited her was probably still a long period of confinement in the deep palace.

Yang Zhixiao, daughter of the Right Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, was also known as Consort Xiao. Her father, Yang Zhu, was a close friend of Zhao Qin, the Imperial Censor of the Censorate. Therefore, even if she had the support of both sides, regardless of her own relative weakness, Yang and Zhao had extensive connections. Compared to Consort Qi, who held the top position, Consort Xiao's role should not be underestimated.

Consort Qiao, Chen Yuqiao. Her father was Chen Keyun, the Minister of War, a man of integrity and upright conduct. He was highly respected by the people of Yundu and held a pivotal position in the imperial court.

As things stand, the harem is divided into three parts, with Consort Qi and Consort Xiao occupying two of them, while Consort Qiao is merely neutral. It's like playing chess; she is the Chu River and Han Border. One day, the battlefield between Consort Qi and Consort Xiao will inevitably drag her into it.

Now that Emperor Hong is preparing to establish an empress, will the seemingly balanced power structure in the harem be broken as a result? The court officials speculated, and a large number of them believed that Consort Qi was the most likely candidate for empress. However, given Emperor Hong's growing dissatisfaction with Empress Dowager Fengxiang, Consort Qi's chances of becoming empress have become much smaller. But no matter what, she is still the birth mother of two princes and a princess. Her status depends on her sons, and this alone gives her a trump card.

While the court and the inner palace were abuzz with discussions and scheming, the Cold Bamboo Garden remained peaceful.

Lin Suyang, heavily pregnant, strolled around the garden once and then turned back to walk a second lap. Yanzi followed behind, nervously watching her mistress, sweat beading on her forehead but not bothering to wipe it away, focusing only on listening to her mistress's instructions.

Seeing the little girl's serious expression, Lin Suyang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, Yanzi, you should rest for a while. You don't need to follow me. I'm just taking a stroll in the garden. Nothing will happen." After walking a few more steps and seeing that Yanzi was still following behind, she shook her head and had no choice but to stop. "I'm tired. Let's go back inside."

Yanzi was overjoyed and helped her into the house. They had barely sat down when they heard footsteps outside, and soon Qin Hao walked in with a smile.

Did you eat more today?

Lin Suyang glanced at him and said, "What do you take me for? How can you eat in this heat?"

Qin Hao frowned and asked, "Is it hot?" He looked around and saw that the room was rather stuffy. He got up, walked to the door, and called out, "Someone come here."

The guards waiting outside the garden responded and came immediately.

"Go and tell someone to bring some ice and put it outside."

"Why not keep it indoors? It will melt quickly if you leave it outside," Lin Suyang asked from behind him.

"You can't stand such a strong chill. Just leave it outside to cool down. We can move it again once it thaws." He said, pulling her into the house, but then looked at Yanzi and said, "Go and get some plum juice. Remember, don't make it too cold." After Yanzi left, Qin Hao pulled Lin Suyang to sit down and looked at her seriously, saying, "The baby is due soon. You have to take good care of yourself, okay? Don't make me worry."

Lin Suyang responded lazily. Qin Hao knew she hadn't really listened, so he sighed helplessly and continued, "In a few days, you won't have to stay here anymore."

Lin Suyang was tidying up the books scattered on the table when she heard Qin Hao's words and couldn't help but look up and ask, "Why? I'm perfectly fine living here, I don't need to change."

“You’ve forgotten again. You’re the Empress. How can the Empress live in such a small courtyard? Haven’t you seen Qingxiang Palace not far ahead? That’s where you should live. Besides,” Qin Hao patted her head and said, “aren’t you afraid of the heat? It’s much cooler there than here.”

"But I think it's fine here too," Lin Suyang said, putting down her book and looking at Qin Hao. "Could I... not go?"

"Feng'er, you are the Empress!" Qin Hao frowned again, as if frowning had become his signature move ever since he got together with Lin Suyang.

Seeing that there was no room for negotiation, Lin Suyang turned his head indifferently and said, "Fine, whatever you say."

Qin Hao knew she was angry, so he smiled slightly, pulled her into his arms, and coaxed her, "Alright, at worst you won't have to do any of the Empress's things after we move in, and you can go wherever you want, okay?"

It was that feeling again, being treated like a child. Lin Suyang struggled uncomfortably but couldn't break free, so she leaned against him and asked, "Really?"

"I am the Emperor, how could my words be untrue?" Qin Hao said, kissing her forehead.

At the west gate of the imperial city, a guard in armor stopped a servant in gray for questioning. Behind the servant was a large cart of fresh vegetables, which looked like they were being delivered to the imperial kitchen.

"Show me the sign." The guard held out his hand, looking at him curiously.

The servant took out the token and handed it to him. The guard took it, looked at it, and asked, "Why have I never seen you before? Where is Old He who used to deliver vegetables?"

The servant bowed respectfully and replied, "Sir, I am Master He's nephew. Master He is ill today and may have delayed the meals of the masters in the palace, so he specially asked me to quickly prepare some of the best fresh vegetables and send them in."

"Really?" The guard weighed the token in his hand, and although he was puzzled, he still handed it back to him. "Go and come back quickly, or you'll probably get scolded. Eunuch Ren from the Imperial Kitchen is notoriously strict."

The servant thanked him gratefully, then bowed and scraped to all the guards before hurriedly driving the carriage into the palace gate. The guard who had been there earlier shook his head and said, "You naive boy who's never seen the world. If you run into Eunuch Ren, you'll be in for a world of hurt."

Volume Four, Palace Absolute, Chapter 101: A Familiar Feeling (Part 1)

Qin Hao helped Lin Suyang stand in the center of the room. A middle-aged woman carefully measured Lin Suyang's figure with a ruler, and it took her quite a while to finish recording.

Seeing that the woman had finished taking the measurements, Qin Hao commanded, "Remember, the workmanship must be exquisite. I do not want to see any flaws on the phoenix robe. I will provide you with enough jade and silk gauze, so you can rest assured to make it." The woman was slightly startled at first, then trembled as she thanked him and withdrew.

The Jadeite Silk, a priceless treasure of the Great Yang Dynasty, was used by Emperor Hong with a single word, "enough," to make a wedding dress. Many people spend their entire lives without ever seeing the Jadeite Silk, yet she could use it to make a wedding gown—what an honor! No wonder the woman's expression was so excited.

After the woman left, Lin Suyang let out a long sigh of relief. Qin Hao said gently, "You must be tired of standing. Sit down and rest."

Lin Suyang sat down, supporting her back. Not seeing Yanzi, she turned to Qin Hao, who was wiping her sweat with a handkerchief, and asked, "Aren't you busy with official duties today? Why have you been here for so long?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Hao frowned and said, "You really want me to leave?"