Chapter 8

Hmm? This…

Nie Qinglin didn’t immediately grasp the profound implication behind Grand Tutor Wei’s words.

After some thought, she figured, “Of all things, flattery never fails,” and carefully composed her response: “Grand Tutor’s elegance back then was unparalleled, even the six palaces were in awe—it was hard not to notice!”

This was, in fact, the truth.

Back in the day, whenever the late emperor hosted a banquet for his ministers, the inner palace would be abuzz as if celebrating a grand festival.

After all, the banquet featured none other than the famed Wei Lenghou, a man whose beauty rivaled Pan An’s.

The concubines, palace maids, and princesses would all be in a state of ‘restless’ excitement.

(T/N:Pan Yue, courtesy name Anren, was a prominent Chinese fu poet in the Western Jin dynasty. He is popularly referred to as Pan An and was well known for his good looks from a young age. “Pan An” has become the Chinese byword for handsome men. )

A handsome man is never tiring to look at, especially one who carried himself with such effortless charm.

Among a sea of officials—some portly, some with thick beards and thinning hair—he stood out strikingly.

Nie Qinglin still remembered that particular flower viewing banquet.

There were more people than flowers, and as a neglected young prince of short stature, she had been seated far away.

Her view was filled with towering official hats and dark heads, leaving her with not even a single glimpse of the famed blossoms, rare to behold even once in a decade.

Since she couldn’t see the flowers and had no interest in watching a bunch of elderly men drinking themselves red-faced, she naturally turned her gaze toward something more pleasing.

Moreover, in those days, her mother frequently chided her for lacking the masculinity befitting a prince, so she couldn’t help but study a man like Wei Lenghou, hoping to learn a thing or two.

Since such chances were rare, she observed him meticulously.

Even the way he frowned and massaged his temples after one too many drinks was striking—no wonder the ladies’ cheeks flushed pink.

Only now did she realize that Grand Tutor Wei maintained that same elegance even when swinging a blade to kill.

What a pity! Even if she were reborn as a true man, she could never emulate such poise.

Ah, Grand Tutor Wei, how could you fall so far?

Where shall the hearts of the palace’s lovelorn maidens rest?

Those who once swooned over the “Wei Pan-An” would now likely tremble and weep at the sight of him!

Grand Tutor Wei had never expected the young emperor to shamelessly admit it so openly, and his anger flared up instantly.

Listen to that! “Unparalleled across the six palaces”?

That was exactly the kind of tone a frivolous playboy would use to tease a young maiden.

The once-handsome face that had indeed been “unparalleled across the six palaces” darkened at once, and he glared at the reckless brat before him.

Yet, despite the boy’s audacious words, his expression remained completely serious.

His moist, wide eyes gleamed with an almost overwhelming sincerity as he looked back at the Grand Tutor in utter confusion.

If it had been any other grown man saying such things, he would have been disgusted enough to cut the bastard down with a single strike!

But coming from this child, his anger swirled a few times before dissipating into mere helplessness.

He glanced around.

The grand imperial bedchamber was vast yet utterly barren, exuding a sense of desolation.

The young emperor’s casual robe was clearly last year’s, already too small—if he grew a bit more, the sleeves would barely reach his elbows.

The few idle books on the shelf had been flipped through so many times that their pages were curling at the edges.

Despite how this little glutton never seemed to stop eating, the snacks he had were nothing but common fare—things that wouldn’t even be considered presentable in a moderately wealthy household.

It was clear that this child had never once known the feeling of being truly cherished.

There was no shortage of neglected princes and princesses in the palace, but to be pushed aside this severely and still remain so carefree, even finding joy in hardship—only this peculiar one could manage such a feat.

However… he had no sense at all!

Even if he had a fondness for men, he could have secretly arranged for a eunuch or a personal guard! Yet of all people, he had to set his sights on a usurping minister—completely failing to grasp his own limits!

Even if he had been a woman, staying close to him for long would have inevitably bred fear. At the very least, the few concubines in his manor had all been frightened into submission after he harshly punished those who schemed and fought viciously among themselves. When they served him at night, he could clearly feel the stiff, forced compliance in their every movement.

This little prince had witnessed his cruelty firsthand—how could he lack even basic self-preservation? Like a naive fawn wandering into a den of tigers, he dared nudge the beast with his tender hooves!

Looking at it this way, this child, experiencing the stirrings of first love, had fallen for none other than the mortal enemy responsible for his nation’s downfall.

In the end, he would meet his demise at the hands of that very person… Reflecting on it carefully, his pitiful and short-lived life could very well be turned into a tear-jerking opera tragedy.

Originally, he had intended to scold this little brat for his shameless and immoral thoughts, to completely quash such filthy notions.

But on second thought, no matter how wild his imagination ran, there was no way he would actually dare to do anything improper!

Letting this boy secretly pine away in his foolish infatuation was far better than allowing another emperor to be established—one determined to restore the legitimate rule of the Nie family.

Realizing this, the furious reprimand that had nearly escaped his lips slowly dissipated.

(T/N: I thought Feng Liwu was the epitome of delulu guy; lo and behold, Wei Lenghou instantly crushed that status… This guy is super max level delusional…hehe)

Nie Qinglin, unaware of the Grand Tutor’s internal struggle, simply noted the gloom on that handsome face gradually fading and knew that today’s ordeal was coming to an end.

The moment the Grand Tutor loosened his grip on him, Nie Qinglin, ever the sycophant, immediately offered him a cup of water with a fawning smile.

Once Wei Lenghou’s temper cooled, he said evenly, “Your Majesty, you are still young, and it is inevitable that you might have some greedy cravings and a desire to taste new things. But you are, after all, the great-grandson of the Grand Emperor of the former dynasty—your royal dignity cannot be disregarded. If I ever hear of any filthy scandals happening in this bedchamber, don’t blame me for not sparing Your Majesty’s face!”

There was no shortage of handsome young eunuchs in the palace.

If the little emperor’s appetite for ‘meat’ were to awaken, he might very well take one to have a taste of indulgence.

But since the goal was to keep him on the throne, he couldn’t afford to give the vassal kings an excuse to raise their troops and depose him.

Nodding solemnly, Nie Qinglin replied, “Grand Tutor, rest assured. Ever since I heard in court about the people of Great Wei struggling to find enough food, I’ve voluntarily cut my meals in half. Today, I was simply craving something and asked the imperial kitchen for some roasted sweet potatoes. But as soon as they were cooked, I was filled with regret, feeling that I was being too indulgent. If I set this example, wouldn’t all the civil and military officials follow suit? That would truly put you in a difficult position, Minister Wei! But fortunately, you arrived just in time. You’re always worrying on my behalf, and you barely have proper meals yourself. If these sweet potatoes end up in your stomach, at least they won’t go to waste.”

Grand Tutor Wei was actually quite amused by this little brat’s nonsense, but he still narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, “Is Your Majesty complaining to me about not having enough to eat?”

What kind of trumped-up charge was this?

Nie Qinglin immediately regretted speaking too much in front of the Grand Tutor today and quickly changed the subject.

“I hardly move around all day—how could I not have enough to eat? Grand Tutor, have you been drinking? Would you like to rest on the warm couch for a while?”

Grand Tutor Wei was indeed starting to feel fatigued.

The warmth from the sweet drink in his stomach made him quite comfortable, so he simply closed his eyes and said no more.

Earlier, he’d dismissed the servants for privacy.

Now, unwilling to summon them, Nie Qinglin fetched a small satin-quilted blanket from her childhood bed and draped it over him.

Then, clutching the remaining sweet potatoes, she retreated to her dragon bed, nibbling under the covers while pondering his cryptic words.

Why did the Grand Tutor keep visiting her chambers?

Worse, this nobleman—accustomed to delicacies—kept ‘stealing’ her meager snacks, then had the gall to scold her for waste!

Truly, she now understood the verse: “Behind red gates, wine and meat rot; on the road, bones of the frozen.”

(T/N: This line—”Behind red gates, wine and meat rot; on the road, bones of the frozen”—highlights the harsh gap between the rich and poor. The wealthy waste luxuries while the starving die unnoticed.)

Unaware of the emperor’s resentment, Wei Lenghou found the blanket as sweetly scented as its owner.

But soon, the smoky charcoal fumes grew unbearable, jolting him upright.

He glanced at the sleeping emperor, now cocooned in quilts with only flushed cheeks and delicate brows visible—like a sticky rice dumpling.

After a long pause, Wei Lenghou strode out.

At the palace gates, as he boarded his carriage, he suddenly turned to Chief Eunuch Ruan: “How long have you served as chief eunuch?”

Startled, Ruan bowed.

“Nearly forty years in the palace, three as chief under Your Excellency’s grace.”

Grand Tutor took out a plain silk handkerchief from his robes, wiped his mouth and nose, which had been darkened by soot, and then tossed it to Eunuch Ruan below the carriage.

“Three years? Not long, but not short either. You should already be familiar with the rules of tribute in this palace. The eunuchs of the Inner Service Bureau are incompetent and lazy, deceiving their superiors while covering for each other. Outsiders might think it is I who have mistreated His Majesty. There is no need to keep such useless slaves—those who deserve punishment or flogging to death, I’ll leave it to you to handle, Eunuch Ruan…”

With that, he dropped the carriage curtain and rode away swiftly, leaving Eunuch Ruan standing in the cold wind, clutching the soot-stained handkerchief, drenched in cold sweat.

What ill wind was blowing today?

Eunuch Ruan couldn’t quite grasp the source of this storm, but the servants of the Inner Service Bureau were undoubtedly caught in its tail.

That day, wails and cries echoed through the Inner Service Bureau.

The sound of wooden paddles striking flesh rang out repeatedly, and by the time it was over, seven or eight people had been carried out on stretchers.

That very night, over a dozen boxes of top-quality white charcoal, along with water-filtered warming stoves, were delivered to the emperor’s bedchamber.

Accompanying them were brand-new bedding and furnishings.

The chief eunuch who oversaw the deliveries bowed and scraped before An Qiao’er, murmuring apologies about how it was too late to bring in the larger furnishings and begging her forgiveness.

In an instant, the emperor’s bedchamber took on a completely new appearance.

Lying in the freshly delivered bedding, the little emperor felt as though she were sinking into an impossibly soft cocoon, unable to turn over.

Recalling the evening meal—where an entire table had been laid out with a feast—Nie Qinglin frowned for once.

The sudden abundance of dishes, each meticulously prepared in both presentation and taste, suggested that the imperial kitchen’s chefs had finally overcome their mourning for the late emperor and emerged from their grief.

But the sheer volume of food was enough to make one too frightened to indulge.

The Grand Tutor had just rebuked indulgence and extravagance, and yet these servants dared to act so recklessly? Were they trying to confirm accusations of her gluttony?

These wretched servants were simply insufferable!

Breathing in the pleasant scent of fruitwood incense, the little emperor rolled over in the plush bedding with contentment and sighed deeply—so this was how difficult it was to be a frugal and humble emperor!