Chapter 44

Consort Yun was also preparing to change and enter the bath. From where she stood, she had a clear view of the scene at the foot of the bathhouse’s mountain wall where the Emperor was bathing.

When she saw a guard agilely scaling the wall, her nostrils flared slightly in excitement.

She knew—the secret medicine her elder brother had given her was truly effective.

These past few days, whenever Wu Kui came to sleep with her, she had secretly given this guard a nourishing soup laced with a bedroom aphrodisiac.

Though the original purpose of this drug, which her brother had smuggled in from outside the palace, was to be used on that cold-faced Marquis Wei, it was said that once drugged, and then coated with a special aromatic ointment, the man would be lured all the way to the source of the scent.

If the dose was strong, it would send the man into a frenzy—so crazed that he wouldn’t stop until he’d ravished someone all night long.

A weak-bodied woman wouldn’t stand a chance against such a storm of desire.

Too bad back then, she had overestimated her own charm and talents.

When Wei Lenghou first entered her palace quarters, she had actually hesitated and refrained from drugging that cup of Lushan Mist Tea—what a wasted opportunity.

After that, she never got another chance to get close to the Grand Tutor again.

But no matter.

Now she had used it on that brute Wu Kui, and secretly poured the aromatic agent into the jade water conduit that led to the Emperor’s bath.

Once the little Emperor entered the bath and touched the water, it would be as if a freshly oiled meat bun was placed in front of a starving beast.

The drugged fool would charge in without hesitation.

There were only some old maids and palace maids in the bathhouse—none of them could possibly suppress a crazed man under the full effect of the drug.

When the time came, that unsuspecting Emperor would be pinned down and ravaged with abandon.

Even if the guards rushed in, what they’d witness would be a pitiful wretch bleeding all over, whimpering and crying after being thoroughly violated…

Consort Yun narrowed her eyes viciously.

She knew very well that the Grand Tutor was a clean freak.

So what if that little fox demon could charm a man? If, in the presence of ministers and noble ladies, he was seen naked, butt in the air, being defiled by a lowly guard—just imagine the obscene sounds echoing clearly in everyone’s ears! After such a scandal, how could he ever again seduce the aloof and proud Grand Tutor?

Just thinking about it made Consort Yun unable to suppress her excitement.

She stood silently at the edge of the pool, holding her breath, waiting for the little Emperor’s wails and screams.

But when Wu Kui nimbly leapt over the wall, all that was heard was a woman’s startled scream of “Ah!” followed by the splashing of water—then nothing else.

The gathered ministers looked at one another in confusion.

The Grand Tutor, who had been standing not far from the Emperor, suddenly looked grim and led Lu Yuda toward the scene in haste.

Yet at the doorway, he instructed Lu Yuda to stand guard outside while he entered alone.

Not long after, a palace nanny emerged and loudly proclaimed: “Just now, a venomous vine snake slithered into the Emperor’s bathhouse. It has been caught. His Majesty is unharmed. All gentlemen may resume their bathing and dressing.”

Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief and return cheerfully to their fragrant baths and fresh robes.

Only Consort Yun remained uncertain, full of suspicion about what had actually happened inside the bathhouse.

In truth, Consort Yun’s scheme was quite cunning.

But she had miscalculated one crucial detail: the nanny attending the Emperor wasn’t one of those frail women of the palace, but a fearsome she-devil who had once terrified enemies on the battlefield—Madam Shan Tiehua.

As Lu Yuda once put it: “That old crone could knock out dozens of grown men just by swinging her arms! Honestly, I don’t know how her dead husband ever managed to bed a woman like her.”

When Wu Kui, eyes bloodshot like a rabid wolf, pounced down from the wall, a bathing maid had just risen with a towel wrapped around her.

She was instantly knocked down by the crazed brute, who grabbed her legs and forced himself on her, causing the poor maid to cry out in pain.

Madam Shan, who had been helping the Emperor change and prepare for her bath, instantly turned at the noise.

Seeing that the intruder was alone, she told the mute maids to protect His Majesty, then, with one arm, picked up the still-thrusting brute and slammed him into the ground—knocking Wu Kui out cold.

She gently covered the sobbing maid’s mouth, patted her back, and told her to go to the inner chamber.

That was when the Grand Tutor arrived.

Upon hearing what had transpired in the bathhouse, the Grand Tutor’s brows shot up.

When he saw that the little Dragon Pearl hadn’t yet entered the bath but was still in the side hall, his heart finally settled a little.

A few steps brought him to the unconscious brute.

Even passed out, the man’s body was twitching from the effects of a heavy dose of aphrodisiac.

Killing him now would be too easy—he needed to find out who was behind this plot.

He summoned Lu Yuda to bind the brute and called for Physician Wei to examine the drug used.

Inside the hall, he found the little Dragon Pearl—her long, glossy black hair cascading to her waist—sitting dazedly on a soft couch, draped in a loose white robe.

A wave of fear crashed over him: if not for Shan Tiehua’s vigilance and the trial bath routine, the weeping palace maid just now would have been this quietly sitting little figure.

Just picturing her helplessly lying on the floor was enough to make even Wei Lenghou’s cold, iron heart skip a beat.

Once they caught the one behind this, they would suffer a thousand cuts!

Nie Qinglin didn’t know what had gone on outside.

She only knew something dangerous had happened.

The usually expressionless mute palace maids, at Madam Shan’s command, had all suddenly undone their waistbands—revealing whips that cracked loudly when unfurled.

Their practiced movements showed they were clearly trained fighters.

Nie Qinglin was mildly astonished.

So she was surrounded by tigers and dragons in disguise all this time?

Soon after, the Grand Tutor entered.

His handsome face was shrouded in gloom.

He said nothing, only stared at her intensely, making her hurriedly reflect if she had done anything recently to displease him.

In the next moment, she was swept into his arms.

His grip was like that of a giant python—so tight she could barely breathe.

She was forced to murmur, “Grand Tutor, loosen up a bit. We can’t breathe.”

Only after holding her to his heart’s content did he loosen his arms slightly and say, “There was an incident in the bathhouse. Your Majesty should bathe with this minister instead.”

Nie Qinglin parted her lips slightly, knowing full well that the Grand Tutor wasn’t asking for her opinion.

Although she had shared a medicinal bath with him before, that was when she was unconscious.

Now that she was fully aware, how could she bathe with a man just like that?

But the Grand Tutor didn’t see any issue with a monarch and minister bathing together.

He carried her light, fragrant body with ease and strode into his own bathhouse.

The Grand Tutor’s bath was entirely made of black volcanic stone, its surface dark like charcoal.

Steam rolled off the pool in waves.

Nie Qinglin clutched at her collar with all her might, refusing to loosen her robe.

The Grand Tutor, seeing she had just experienced a fright, allowed it and let her enter the pool in her white undergarment.

As for the Grand Tutor himself, he stripped down completely and stepped in without a care.

Nie Qinglin kept her nose just above the water, not daring to glance his way.

But she soon heard the water drawing nearer.

In no time, a figure even hotter than the pool water itself approached.

“Your Majesty won’t lift your head—is it because you think this minister’s body is too lacking to be worthy of your royal gaze?”

Seeing the little fruit’s red cheeks and bashful neck, Wei Lenghou couldn’t help but tease.

If he didn’t know for sure that this little Dragon Pearl was completely clueless about matters between men and women, he might’ve thought she was doing it on purpose.

That white robe, soaked in water, clung semi-transparently to her skin.

With every breath, her curves rose and fell—more enticing than if she were completely bare.

Amidst the swirling steam, it was like admiring a delicate flower veiled behind layers of mist.

The Grand Tutor only felt his throat go dry—it was as if even if he drank the entire pool dry, he still couldn’t quench this searing thirst.

After trying every trick in the book to tease her, that little Dragon Pearl still refused to lift her head and respond to him.

The grand ceremony for the offering was about to begin, yet he had already been provoked into a blaze by this little temptress.

For a while, he simply couldn’t hold back.

Coupled with the strange incident just now, a trace of irritation brewed in his chest.

He truly wished he could immediately claim this tender fruit to prove that she belonged solely to him, the Marquis of Dingguo.

Just as he was about to lead her soft little hand for a moment of release, that Dragon Pearl twisted around in who knows what kind of mood, and simply refused to play along.

“Grand Tutor, have pity. This hand of mine still has to lift a hoe and turn soil later. If Grand Tutor gets his relief, then these hands of mine will be limp and useless…” she murmured in that lazy, honey-soft tone, seeing that the Grand Tutor hadn’t gotten his satisfaction and his handsome face was darkening with the urge to explode.

Nie Qinglin hurriedly cooed the words out, hoping the Grand Tutor would spare her this time.

Never did she expect the Grand Tutor to narrow his phoenix eyes and say, slow and deliberate:

“Your servant wouldn’t dare tire out Your Majesty’s jade-like hands—might I borrow those slender legs instead?”

“……”

Outside the bath chamber, Nanny Shan and several mute maids stood quietly, holding robes in wait.

From the inner room, the sound of splashing water could be faintly heard—followed shortly by the water’s rush mixing with the breathless moans of a woman…

Nanny Shan led the palace maids another step back, expressionless, continuing to wait at the door.

The sacrifice ceremony was a grand affair unlike any other.

The vast expanse of imperial farmland was packed with Great Wei’s top officials.

Each of them clumsy and awkward, pulling weeds and planting seedlings under the guidance of the servants tasked with tending the royal fields.

The Emperor and the Grand Tutor stood in a wheat field, without any menial helpers.

Nie Qinglin watched as the man—who usually seemed as aloof and otherworldly as a being untouched by the dust of the mortal realm—rolled up his sleeves, expertly guiding the plough to turn the earth.

Then, measuring the spacing with his hand, he began inserting the seedlings with practiced ease.

The whole scene had the same ruthless efficiency he showed when chopping people down!

Nie Qinglin wore a short peasant outfit, sticking close to the Grand Tutor and mimicking his movements by planting a few seedlings herself.

But they ended up crooked and messy, not looking like much.

The Grand Tutor saw that after the Emperor planted a few, her delicate pale hands were already covered in black soil.

He straightened up and said, “The sun is too harsh. Your Majesty shouldn’t be exposed for too long. Since this much has already been planted, the God of Agriculture has sensed Your Majesty’s sincerity. Why not rest at the edge of the field? Leave the rest to your servant.”

Truthfully, Nie Qinglin was feeling rather unwell.

With every step, she could feel the tender skin between her thighs rubbed raw—it was as they said, where the Grand Tutor’s ‘blade’ passed, not even a blade of grass remained!

Taking his suggestion, she let Nanny Shan help her to a small table beside the field.

A large parasol was set up to shield her from the sun.

A palace maid had already brought over a basin of water with just the right temperature, its jade-green surface fragranced with apricot oil.

She dipped her muddied hands into the water to soak, while another maid came forward with a soft-bristled brush with a golden handle, gently scrubbing out the black dirt between her fingers.

One had to admit, these palace maids—initially a bit rough around the edges—had, over the past few days, become almost like they’d been trained in a finishing school, growing more meticulous in their duties.

After washing her hands, Nie Qinglin looked up again and saw the Grand Tutor had already finished one row of seedlings and was beginning the second.

His peasant garb clung to his firm muscles, and as his tall figure moved through the fields, he looked as though he were inspecting troops in the midst of ten thousand soldiers and horses—truly eye-catching.

A few noble ladies in the next field over were already swooning, dumping entire sieves of seeds onto a minister’s head by accident, earning a round of furious scolding.

“Nanny Shan, it seems the Grand Tutor is quite experienced with farm work!”

Taking the floral honey tea that Shan Tiehua handed over, Nie Qinglin said with a smile.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, back during the border campaigns, when the fighting got tight, the late emperor issued a decree cutting off military provisions. Thankfully, the Grand Tutor had already planned ahead. He led the troops to clear wastelands, training by day and farming by evening. That’s how we who didn’t lose our lives on the battlefield also didn’t starve in the camps.”

Nie Qinglin felt her cheeks twitch slightly.

Nanny Shan was straightforward to the bone.

What she said was what she meant—never a hint of sarcasm.

But the shame of her imperial father’s poor decision-making was now hers to bear.

The awkwardness hung for a moment, and she quickly tried to shift the topic.

“We see these palace maids are all quite capable. Why is it that none of them can speak?”

In truth, she’d never dared ask before, having once assumed the Grand Tutor had cut out their tongues for discovering her true gender.

She had feared and loathed his cruelty, and thus avoided the question.

But today in the hall, these maids had shown skills that clearly marked them as more than servants.

A man like the Grand Tutor—at the prime of his power, with the world in his hands—would hardly keep a few bitter, hateful martial experts at his side, unless there was more to the story.

“They were my subordinates at the border. Their villages were raided by the Xiongnu. Their families were all slaughtered. They, being beautiful, were spared, but their tongues were cut and they were made into playthings, kept as mute slaves. Later, the Grand Tutor’s army arrived and rescued them. I took pity on them, taught them martial arts, and kept them by my side. Each of them is a deadly fighter on the battlefield…”

At this, Nanny Shan suddenly paused with a frustrated expression and dropped to her knees.

“This servant spoke too much. The Grand Tutor ordered me never to speak of these palace maids’ pasts, fearing it would defile Your Majesty’s sacred ears.”

The Dragon Pearl smiled faintly.

She understood that these women had all lost their purity.

The Grand Tutor must have feared that she would despise them as unclean and grow distant.

“It’s no matter. We hold nothing but respect for these heroic women. Each of them forged through storms of blood and fire. If their misfortunes can defile this emperor’s ears, then those ministers We see daily—how many aren’t keeping three wives and four concubines? Wouldn’t they all taint the dragon’s eyes? Even your Grand Tutor himself slightly—”

Nie Qinglin realized she’d spoken out of turn and quickly shut her mouth like a good girl.

Nanny Shan gave her a surprised glance.

Though the Grand Tutor had told her to take good care of this Dragon Pearl, she—Shan Tiehua—was uneducated and unversed in worldly matters, and truly couldn’t see what was so special about this pampered little royal.

But over time, she’d discovered some merits: a good-natured temperament, not nearly as insufferable as most noble ladies.

And though she didn’t speak often, the things she did say—like just now—were often bold enough to leave people speechless.

Still, strangely enough… what she said actually made sense.

Just then, Lu Yuda came hurrying over, bending to whisper something in the Grand Tutor’s ear.

The Grand Tutor slowly straightened, a storm brewing on his face.

“Tie her up in secret and throw her into the side hall!”

With that, he dropped the iron plough and strode off swiftly with several guards.

Consort Yun had not expected her plan to be exposed so quickly.

She’d thought that once Wu Kui defiled the emperor, the guards would immediately hack him to death, leaving no evidence behind.

But the man hadn’t died.

After being revived with cold water and beaten half to death, he spilled everything—he didn’t even know why he’d gone mad with lust to climb the Dragon Wall.

With nothing else to say, he confessed to seducing several maids and consorts one by one.

Lu Yuda acted swiftly, immediately searching the belongings of those maids and Consort Yun.

Inside Consort Yun’s makeup chest, they found remnants of that incense powder—just a faint whiff was enough for Imperial Physician Wei to recognize it as the same aphrodisiac as the water in the pool.

Consort Yun was gagged, tied up, and stuffed into a sack, which was dumped on the floor of the side hall.

When she was finally dumped out, she looked up to see the Grand Tutor glaring at her, his face a thunderstorm of murderous intent.

At this point, she was actually calm.

With a slight smile, she said, “So today, Lord Wei is finally willing to see this concubine? A man’s fickleness is truly plain to see. For the sake of a new favorite, what will you do to an old one?”

The Grand Tutor looked at her—this once-beautiful woman now twisted and venomous—and found himself suddenly unwilling to say a single word to her.

Instead, he called Lu Yuda over.

“Did Wu Kui confess who he was passing messages to?”

“It was Shang Ningxuan. He bribed Wu Kui to pass letters into the palace for Consort Yun. As for the contents, Wu Kui claimed he didn’t know.”

Grand Tutor Wei nodded, then asked again, “Are there still any of those filthy concoctions she prepared?”

“Reporting to the Grand Tutor, another packet was found in Consort Yun’s clothing trunk.”

“Since she prepared it with such care, she must know the marvelous uses of that medicine. Pour every last drop of it down that guard’s throat. As for the catalyst, smear it on Consort Yun. Since she lured a palace guard to defile the sanctity of the palace in the middle of the night, then let Her Ladyship have a pleasurable send-off.”

With that, the Grand Tutor didn’t even spare the woman a final glance and turned to leave the main hall.

Consort Yun had thought that the Grand Tutor might still hold some sentiment from the past and would at least scold her before dealing out punishment.

She never expected Wei Lenghou to be so cold-blooded.

The look in his eyes toward her was like staring at a filthy rag—he actually used such a vicious method to deal with her! That medicine was potent; if used too heavily, it could truly take a life!

“Wei Lenghou! You’ll die a miserable death! You and that little foxy vixen won’t meet a good end!”

The heavy palace doors closed, sealing away the shrieks and curses within.

But the Grand Tutor’s heart had already flown elsewhere, the fire of anger inside him blazing even stronger: Shang Ningxuan! Your treacherous heart deserves death!

He had long wondered—how was Southern Frontier so bold as to attempt assassinating the Emperor? There had to be an inside man! But within the court, there was no one who had close ties with Southern Frontier or the Prince of Lingnan.

For a while, he found nothing.

But when Divine Physician Wei examined the secret medicine found in the search and said it originated from Southern Frontier, Wei Lenghou immediately saw the full picture.

Why, during the spring outing at Swallow Lake, did an urgent document from the Ministry of War just happen to arrive? Why did he take that scoundrel Shang Ningxuan ahead with him? If he’d stayed, with his personal guards at his side, those drugged fighters, no matter how fierce, wouldn’t have left such a tragic aftermath.

The Imperial Guard was wiped out entirely.

Lu Wenba died from multiple sword wounds…

At first, he thought Shang Ningxuan was just a rat in the grain jar—let him stay a while and clean him out later.

But who knew, once fed fat, even a rat could be more dangerous than a tiger!

Back at the main hall, Wei Lenghou had made up his mind and asked, “Where is Lord Shang now?”

“He’s in the imperial fields, farming with the womenfolk from his own household.”

The Grand Tutor nodded and said, “Once those two dogs in the side hall are nearly dead from their frolicking, send a clever man with a reason to bring Lord Shang over to collect his sister’s corpse. He’ll definitely panic and try to hush things up with silver and gold. Let our man take it, and then keep a close watch on Shang Ningxuan—see who else is in league with him.”

Lu Yuda accepted the order and went off to make arrangements.

Sure enough, just as the Grand Tutor had predicted, when Shang Ningxuan was brought to the side hall, Shang Yunchu was already lying in a pool of blood, her condition uncertain.

Wu Kui lay half-dead atop Consort Yun.

Lord Shang was horrified.

Hearing the murmurs of palace attendants outside, he reached out and strangled the dying Wu Kui on the spot.

Then he stuffed the guiding guard with lavish bribes, pleading with him to bind the bodies of Consort Yun and the guard with stones and sink them in the well behind the palace.

As they tossed the bodies into the well, Shang Yunchu stirred faintly—she had only fainted, not died.

Seeing her brother, her heart leapt with hope, thinking she was saved.

Who would’ve thought Shang Ningxuan, instead of saving her, would be enraged by her disgraceful conduct that ruined his grand plans? With one palm, he shoved her into the well and drowned her alive.

If not for the guard’s martial prowess and vigilance, it was clear Lord Shang intended to toss him into the well too.

Having dealt with his sister’s disgraceful scandal, Shang Ningxuan grew more and more restless.

He already had a guilty conscience and couldn’t sleep at night.

Now, he was terrified.

He thought about his half-sister—always so well-mannered, well-read.

Even if the lonely days in the palace had worn her down, even if she made some indiscretions, how could she have been so starved for affection as to commit lewd acts in broad daylight in a side hall where servants could come in at any time—and to such a deadly extent?

At this thought, Shang Ningxuan knew something was off.

He quickly penned a secret letter, preparing to slip away during the return to the capital.

He had long been wary of the Grand Tutor’s tendency to discard people once they’d outlived their usefulness.

He had already bought a house in a faraway place under an alias and saved up enough gold and silver.

As long as he had a place to land, wives and children could always be had again.

He felt sorry for his elderly mother, but if he didn’t run, the Shang family line would end here.

He figured the ancestors could understand.

That very night, he received a message from a carrier pigeon: a boat was already prepared by the canal near the temporary palace, ready for him to escape under cover of night.

Shang Ningxuan watched his primary wife sleeping soundly, packed up his valuables, and quietly slipped out of the residence.

As he slipped out of the palace, he didn’t notice someone trailing him in the shadows.

At the canal, a small boat was waiting.

Shang Ningxuan climbed aboard, untied the rope, and prepared to leave.

Lu Yuda had followed behind.

Seeing that no one met with Shang Ningxuan, he was a bit disappointed.

Just as he was about to rush forward and arrest him for interrogation, he noticed something strange: the boat hadn’t moved.

Drawing closer, Lu Yuda was stunned—Shang Ningxuan, clutching the oar, was already stiff and blackened all over.

He’d been poisoned to death.

The bottom of the boat had been drilled with a hole and was taking in water fast.

Had they arrived a minute later, Lord Shang would have already sunk to the riverbed—off to the Dragon King’s crystal palace to reunite with the sister he’d drowned.

When Lu Yuda reported back to the Grand Tutor, the old man frowned slightly.

“Did you track the carrier pigeon?”

“Reporting to the Grand Tutor, that pigeon was specially trained, flew high and fast. My arrow missed, and even the eagle we sent couldn’t catch it. But one thing is certain—it wasn’t flying toward Southern Frontier. It looked more like… the capital.”