Chapter 45

Grand Tutor Wei listened to the words and, after a moment of silent deliberation, a gleam of sharp light shone in his eyes—it couldn’t be hidden: Interesting!

Regardless of who the co-conspirator behind Shang Ningxuan was, the man himself clearly had sharper wits than Lord Shang.

He abandoned his chess piece without hesitation—ruthless and clean.

This alone made him barely qualified to be Wei Lenghou’s opponent!

Wei Lenghou did not deliberately suppress the news.

Consort Yun passed away from a sudden illness, and Lord Shang Ningxuan fell into the river from a pleasure boat that very night—by the next day, these two pieces of news had quietly made their rounds through the temporary imperial residence.

That both siblings perished on the same day—what a coincidence—was enough to stir unease among many hearts.

The womenfolk of the Shang household dared not disturb the sacred presence. Holding back tears, they didn’t even dare to ask questions. Secretly, they retrieved the urns that had already turned into two jars of fine white ash and left first, returning to the capital in silence.

Lord Grand Tutor had orchestrated it all deliberately.

Since remnants of the Shang faction still remained, the deaths of the Shang siblings served as a warning strike across the mountains to shake the tiger—intended to strike fear into the hearts of enemies.

If you dared oppose the Grand Tutor, you’d better hide well and keep your tracks clean.

Otherwise, the Shang siblings were the cautionary example!

But the sudden unrest in the Ministry of War… that would need more careful long-term planning…

When Nie Qinglin heard the news, she too was slightly taken aback.

The incident in the bathhouse yesterday was something she only learned about later.

No doubt the Shang siblings had something to do with that mess… If she had been bathing at that moment—then her true identity as a woman might’ve been laid bare.

People say that when one treads the Martial art world, they can no longer act on their own will.

But who knew that within the deep palace, the dangers were a hundredfold fiercer than the martial art world? For now, the Grand Tutor was helping her conceal her identity as a daughter of a household.

But if anyone with ill intentions were to find out, and it became public knowledge, even the ever-loyal Elder Wu might be the first to submit a memorial, asking the Grand Tutor to put her to death, just to quell the scandal tainting the imperial family of Great Wei.

And what would the Grand Tutor do then?

Anyone who understood power and the weighing of interests would surely make the “right” choice, wouldn’t they?

Nie Qinglin sighed softly.

She wasn’t even sure if she had the ability to convince the Grand Tutor to let her step down.

Even if she were sent to the Buddha Hall, keeping company with a lone oil lamp for the rest of her life, that would be better than dragging out her days painfully in this deep palace.

The meals in the temporary palace were, surprisingly, more lavish and varied than those in the capital.

This was all thanks to the local produce.

The climate here was warm in winter and cool in summer, with hot springs bubbling from underground and fertile, moist soil nearby.

Fruits ripened faster than elsewhere.

Though it was only spring, they already had freshly picked strawberries and sweet melons, eaten daily without getting dull.

Since His Majesty worked the fields by day, he was bound to come back tired and parched.

The Imperial Kitchen thus took special care with every day’s meals at the temporary palace.

The cooks had all been sternly reminded by Eunuch Ruan that the Grand Tutor often dined with His Majesty.

To slack off on the Emperor’s meals was to slight the Grand Tutor, and they’d best guard the heads on their necks.

So the imperial chefs wiped the cold sweat from their brows and committed the Emperor’s preferences to memory—along with those of the Grand Tutor.

Every dish had to be carefully discussed and considered by several people before being finalized.

Take today’s lunch, for example—every dish had its own significance.

Since both His Majesty and the Grand Tutor had a sweet tooth, they started with a chilled fruit bowl.

Sweet melon balls were carved with silver spoons, seeds picked clean with delicate picks, then arranged into a blooming flower on a pale lotus-leaf plate.

A fine dusting of ground rock sugar was sprinkled over the top.

This dish was named “Frosted Red Lotus.”

The main dish was deceptively simple: a roasted leg of lamb. But it used a special local black-headed ram, raised on fresh grass and warm spring water all year round.

This was a lamb less than a year old, its meat tender and rich.

Before roasting on open flame, it was marinated with sauce, then chilled with ice to lock the flavors deep within.

When the leg was finally roasted, it needed no dipping sauce—its crispy skin and juicy meat were flavorful enough on their own.

Back in his military days, the Grand Tutor had loved roasted meat best.

When the lamb was served on a large silver platter, he didn’t even wait for the palace maids.

Picking up a silver knife and iron fork himself, he swiftly carved the meat and placed a few slices into Nie Qinglin’s bowl.

“Don’t just sit there scarfing down sweet melon in a greedy daze—eat more lamb,” he said.

Nie Qinglin wrinkled her nose slightly at the glistening, fatty appearance of the meat, but one bite revealed the tender lamb brimming with savory juice.

The sauce seeped through the tongue, offsetting any gamey smell.

It was unexpectedly delicious—she couldn’t help but eat several more pieces.

Lately, the Grand Tutor’s biggest headache was this little dragon pearl’s eating habits.

Whenever she did enjoy something, it was never proper food.

Today, for once, she ate heartily without coaxing, which secretly delighted him.

Even before the meal was over, he had Eunuch Ruan deliver a reward to the cooks on duty.

After the lamb, she had a few mouthfuls of rice with steaming minced chicken and corn stir-fry, followed by a small bowl of thick pumpkin broth with fresh scallops.

Her small stomach was thoroughly filled.

These days of field sacrifices—others merely went through the motions, but the Grand Tutor had truly cultivated two full acres of good farmland.

After two days of hard work, fatigue was setting in.

With no pressing matters that afternoon, he took a rest in emperor’s sleeping quarters.

Nie Qinglin changed into something lighter, and obediently nestled into the Grand Tutor’s arms.

The breeze fluttered the gauze by the window.

Murmuring softly, the two exchanged a few hushed words.

“We sees that the Grand Tutor has been quite earnest these days during the suburban sacrifice—it must have been very tiring.”

“Your humble servant was thinking to sow more. The wheat here grows quickly. With both spring and summer crops, by the time Your Majesty comes to the summer palace to escape the heat, you’ll be able to taste rice and noodles sown personally by your servant.”

As he spoke, the Grand Tutor’s handsome face held a faint smile.

He gently pecked the girl’s smooth forehead.

Nie Qinglin slightly widened her eyes at that, staring up at the impossibly close, striking face above her.

In her heart, she thought: Good grief—what woman could possibly resist a Grand Tutor like this? So tender and considerate, he truly resembles a warm and gentle scholar. No wonder that Shang Yunchu was driven mad with love.

Though one must wonder: back when Consort Yun and the Grand Tutor were in the thick of passion, did she ever get the chance to personally “taste the rice watered with his sweat”?

The Grand Tutor, unaware of the sarcastic little drama unfolding in the dragon bead’s heart, saw her wide, bright eyes and assumed she was touched by his sincerity.

At once, his spirits lifted.

It felt like all the toil of the past few days had not been in vain.

Although Wei Lenghou was older by a few years, he had never once tried to win a woman’s favor on his own initiative.

In the past, whenever he saw his subordinates twisting themselves into knots to please a woman they fancied, the Grand Tutor would look down on them with disdain: A dignified man, instead of focusing his mind on proper affairs, acts like a foolish child, racking his brains just to pander to some clueless woman in the deep chambers—utterly laughable and absurd!

Yet now, he didn’t realize that he himself had become like a sturdy ox plowing imperial fields for two days straight, all just to earn one smile from a beauty.

A pity that all this effort may have moved the God of Agriculture, but didn’t stir even a hair’s worth of emotion from the delicate girl in his arms.

Still, the fact that the Grand Tutor even had such thoughts—well, that was thanks to that dog imperial physician.

That day at Huaxi Village, he had seen it with his own eyes: just a bit of firewood, a few simple meals, and this little thing in his arms had smiled like a blooming flower, touched to her very core.

That had sat heavily on the Grand Tutor’s already narrow heart.

Now, his heroic posture as he opened the land and sowed crops was a hundred times more gallant than that clumsy oaf chopping firewood.

He ought to let this little one open her eyes properly and make a fair comparison.

Seeing the Grand Tutor’s rare gentle demeanor, Nie Qinglin decided it was time to slightly bring up her own future prospects.

“Grand Tutor… the weather is getting hotter, and the clothes are getting thinner. Yet you keep stuffing Me full with those hearty meals. We fears that soon, sitting on that dragon throne won’t hide anything. Might the Grand Tutor…”

The Grand Tutor half-closed his eyes, lazily replying, “What does Your Majesty have in mind?”

“If the Grand Tutor takes pity on Me, We willing to seek out some high mountain and cold temple, shave the head and renounce the worldly name, sever all ties with the dusty mortal world, and willingly spend life beside the Buddha’s lamp, praying for the Grand Tutor’s fortune…”

Nie Qinglin knew clearly: this Grand Tutor was holding on to her because she was young and pretty. If she didn’t bend to his will, she likely wouldn’t get out of this unscathed. Though she truly loathed the idea of giving herself to this cold and aloof man, trapped as she was in an invisible prison, she could only be forced into this fleeting and doomed union. The Grand Tutor must be thinking the same.

But if she ever got arrogant with favor and dared ask for a proper title like one of those official wives or concubines, dreaming of bearing the Grand Tutor’s children—he would surely be entirely unwilling.

When the day comes that the Grand Tutor ascends the throne, the Wei Dynasty will no doubt wipe out the entire royal bloodline of the Nie family.

How could he possibly allow a legitimate Nie heir to remain at his side and give birth to the next generation of the Wei line?

“Swallows from the halls of nobles Wang and Xie now fly into the homes of common folk.”

This is the eternal cycle of rise and fall.

Even the most illustrious clans can’t escape decline.

Might as well bow to fate, step back voluntarily.

By offering now to become a nun, she was sparing the Grand Tutor the future awkwardness of having to raise a butcher’s knife after indulging in romance.

The pastoral life may be lovely, but it was not a blessing fated for Nie Qinglin.

Life by the Buddha’s lamp may be cold and quiet, but at least the heart is free—it couldn’t be called suffering.

She raised her eyes slightly and looked toward the Grand Tutor—only to find he had closed his eyes and showed no expression, as if he had already fallen asleep…

Nie Qinglin had thought that such humble tact and understanding might move the Grand Tutor to a trace of pity.

But what she didn’t know was that within those closed eyes, the Grand Tutor’s heart was in the midst of a raging snowstorm.

People said Wei Lenghou was cold-hearted and ruthless.

But they didn’t know that it was this soft and pliant little person on the throne who had the truly iron-hard heart.

All his recent affections had been for nothing—he hadn’t moved her a whit.

Instead of thinking how to repay his tenderness, she had already snuffed out all worldly desires.

Lifelong prayer by the Buddha’s side? What sorrowful affair was she trying to mourn? Could it be… she was still pining for that little imperial doctor who married a palace maid? Seems like in those few days spent in the village, that fake marriage had grown some real feelings!

Only when the little person in his arms began to breathe softly and steadily did the Grand Tutor slowly open his sharp phoenix eyes.

The bundle in his arms was sound asleep, her cheeks pink like a vibrant flower.

In truth, everything this little emperor said was reasonable and proper.

But in the end, she was still too young, too innocent—she failed to account for a man’s jealous heart.

The Grand Tutor, once caught in a dead end, spent the entire afternoon glowering at her exquisite face—one moment wanting to strangle her in her sleep, the next calculating how best to crush her foolish affections.

After the sacrifice ceremony ended, the Grand Tutor did not immediately return to the palace.

Instead, he suddenly suggested a private excursion.

The two of them, just like when they’d inspected the refugee village, disguised themselves as young gentry and quietly climbed into a carriage behind the summer palace.

“Where is the Grand Tutor taking Me?” Nie Qinglin asked in the carriage.

But the Grand Tutor, once again back to his cryptic and sarcastic self, simply closed his eyes to rest and gave no reply.

Their destination wasn’t far from the summer palace—just a nearby village.

When the carriage crested a hillside beside the village, it came to a halt.

The Grand Tutor didn’t get down.

He only lifted the curtain and motioned for Nie Qinglin to look down at a household below.

At first, Nie Qinglin didn’t understand.

But when she looked closer, her heart gave a jolt.

In the courtyard below, the man splitting firewood was none other than Zhang Shiyu, long unseen.

It was midday, smoke curled from the little chimney—probably mealtime.

From the peaceful village came the distant cluck of chickens and barking of dogs.

Crisscrossing fields surrounded the house, and the entire scene glowed with rural harmony.

This scene, this feeling—it seemed so familiar.

Back in Huaxi Village, it was just as tranquil and peaceful.

That stretch of days would often drift into her dreams—days when she could let down all her defenses and just live, relaxed and free.

In a life of sixteen years spent walking on eggshells, those moments were all the more rare and precious.

But dreams were always too short.

Before she could even savor it, she was wrenched back to reality.

Eyes open, and she had to brace herself once again, keeping twelve parts alert just to survive the uncertainty of each day…

The Grand Tutor sat on the side, eyes coldly watching the little Emperor’s expression.

No matter how much she tried to hide it, she couldn’t conceal the flicker in her gaze just now.

He too was suppressing it with all his might, resisting the urge to jump off the carriage and hack that dog of a man who had caught the Dragon Pearl’s eye into pieces.

Just then, the beaded curtain at the courtyard door rustled slightly.

A woman in a coarse indigo robe stepped out from the house.

Seeing that Zhang Shiyu was drenched in sweat, she pulled out a square handkerchief and wiped his face with a smile.

Nie Qinglin froze for a moment.

Looking at the woman in the yard—wasn’t that An Qiao’er? Though her clothes were loose, anyone with eyes could see she was already with child.

Her slightly protruding belly made her movements a bit clumsy.

Seeing this, Nie Qinglin drew in a deep breath and smiled.

“Thank you, Grand Tutor, for fulfilling my wish of seeing Qiao’er again. Seeing her living well with her husband, lacking neither food nor warmth, my heart is at ease.”

The Grand Tutor’s face remained dark.

“If Your Majesty truly thinks this way, then that is for the best. Though this humble official is no good man, I ask Your Majesty to just make do. In this life, the one who gets to step on the dragon bed and serve Your Majesty… will only be this ‘unclean’ person.”

Every word and action of the Emperor was faithfully reported to the Grand Tutor by Nanny Shan.

That nanny didn’t know how to lie, so when she recounted the “men are unclean” remark, she delivered it word for word.

That day, after Nanny Shan left the study, the Grand Tutor flew into a rage, flipping the desk over in one swoop.

Ink, brush, and inkstone went crashing all over the floor!

Nie Qinglin! You really have some nerve to say that!

Though he had long known this brat had been raised as a prince and lacked the virtues of a proper lady, he’d always chalked up her occasional outrageous remarks as the mischief of an ignorant girl—not something worth fussing over.

Since she returned to the palace, he had even hoped she’d slowly learn some softness and proper feminine grace, selecting books for her and guiding her with care.

But now? Seems like those Admonitions for Women were fed to the dog’s stomach!

She dares call him, Wei Lenghou, dirty? Has she even looked at what kind of filth her muddle-headed father was?

He, Lord Wei, while having taken a few concubines, was never a man obsessed with women.

He hadn’t even taken a proper wife.

Among the court officials, his household could be said to be the most peaceful.

And yet, in the end, he who had women chasing him like moths to a flame had become the one despised by the little emperor’s lips.

It nearly made the Grand Tutor cough up blood and shake the six palaces with his fury!

Fine then.

He would like to see—just how clean were the breeze and moonlight that resided in that little emperor’s heart?

After watching in silence for a while, Nie Qinglin pulled her head back and said with a smile, “Grand Tutor, we’d better be on our way. If Qiao’er sees you again, she might get so frightened she harms the child.”

The Grand Tutor narrowed his phoenix eyes, scrutinizing her for a long moment before knocking twice on the carriage wall.

The guards, catching his signal, urged the horses down the slope.

When Zhang Shiyu looked up, all he could see was dust rising along the dirt road and a carriage slowly disappearing into the distance.

He turned back to An Qiao’er and said, “Sister Qiao’er, you’re heavily pregnant now. Don’t come out anymore. I’ll go ask Aunt Zhang next door to make something tasty for you.”

An Qiao’er looked at the still-weak Zhang Shiyu with heartache and said, “It’s all because I dragged you down. If it weren’t for this bastard child in my belly, you wouldn’t have to stay here for my sake…”

Zhang Shiyu hurried to stop her.

“The child is innocent. Sister, please don’t say things like that—it’ll hurt the little one’s heart.”

That bulging belly of An Qiao’er’s—what a bitter fate it held.

She had once been sweet-talked by Wu Kui, and before knowing his true colors, had secretly met with him many times.

One time, she ate some liquor-soaked pastries he brought.

After eating, everything became hazy.

When she woke, she found herself disheveled in his arms.

Something didn’t feel right down below, but she was a maiden with no experience.

She was caught up in her feelings for Wu Lang, blushing so hard she couldn’t even bring herself to ask what he had done.

But after returning that day, she collapsed into bed and slept for over half a day, and the next two days she had no energy at all.

Since then, when he tried to invite her again, she always made excuses, feeling uneasy and no longer willing to go…

Before leaving the palace, her monthly bleeding had not yet come.

She thought it was merely delayed because she was anxious about the Emperor’s disappearance.

But after leaving the palace with Zhang Lang, seeing how she was always listless, Zhang Shiyu checked her pulse and realized she was already three months pregnant.

Only then did An Qiao’er realize—during that tryst, Wu Kui must have used some foul trick and heavy drug that stole her purity.

And the cruelest part was—it was the very man she liked who discovered her pregnancy.

Overwhelmed with shame and rage, she tried to throw herself into a well.

Zhang Shiyu, sick as he was, barely managed to drag her back.

“The Emperor’s fate in the palace is still uncertain. If you die now, who in this world will still remember her?”

Those words shook Qiao’er awake.

For the sake of her young master, she held onto this wretched life.

The reason they chose this place in the first place was because it was near the Emperor’s traveling palace.

They hoped that when she came for the sacrificial rites, they might get a chance to see her once more.

But the traveling palace was heavily guarded.

They couldn’t even get within a hundred miles of it.

Seeing Zhang Shiyu staring blankly in the direction of the palace, Qiao’er’s heart suddenly became a little clearer.

So… in the eyes of Doctor Zhang, there had long been someone he held dear.

It was just that, like her, he had fallen for someone forever out of reach…

For a moment, Qiao’er sighed deeply, her heart filled with a sorrow too bitter for words.

Inside the rural courtyard, the two sat weighed down by their own sorrows.

In the carriage, the air between the man and woman was just as cold, silent and stifling.

Seeing that Qiao’er and her man were safe, and that Brother Zhang was about to become a father, Nie Qinglin finally let go of her worry for the two of them.

What she didn’t understand was—why did the Grand Tutor suddenly decide to come here?

Only when she heard him utter the word “unclean” did she suddenly realize—she must be extra careful when speaking in front of the nanny from now on.

Seems like the lady general’s mouth really didn’t know how to stay shut.

But the words had already reached the Grand Tutor’s ears—too late now to take them back.

She curled up quietly in a corner of the carriage, pulled out the Admonitions for Women that was pinned into the small sandalwood shelf inside, and obediently began to read in silence.

The Grand Tutor had been smoldering with anger to begin with.

Now seeing this little dragon pearl putting on airs, pretending to study diligently with such earnest demeanor, he nearly fumed smoke from his nostrils.

“If Your Majesty holds such disdain in your heart for these rules and propriety, then there’s no need to force yourself,” said the Grand Tutor, sitting cross-legged, his tone flat as a still pond.

Nie Qinglin set the book down and slowly crawled over to sit beside the Grand Tutor, whispering, “That day when Nanny Shan misspoke, We was only worried the palace maids—who always carry out their duties so seriously—might feel disheartened. So We offered a few words to comfort them, not meaning to spout wild talk about Your Excellency’s household affairs. But somehow, that nonsense rolled on like a stray breeze catching dust, tumbling all the way to you.

“Afterwards We broke into a cold sweat and rushed back to look through the books. Only then did We realize We have committed the offense of ‘loose tongue’—one of the seven grounds for dismissal. If We were a married woman, the cheeks would’ve already been swollen from the paddle, wouldn’t they? Lucky for Me, the Grand Tutor is broad-minded and doesn’t take a child’s nonsense to heart…”

The Grand Tutor cast a sidelong glare at the little imp beside him who was tugging and rubbing his sleeve, and let out a cold snort.

“Your Majesty, don’t try to butter me up. My heart is narrow—very narrow. Each time I recall my own lack of virtue, that I am despised by Your Majesty, I lose all appetite for food, sleep eludes me at night. I just wonder… could it be that I, being so ‘unclean,’ have disgusted Your Majesty so deeply that you’d rather shave your head and become a nun, lighting oil lamps and chanting sutras till the end of your days?”

Nie Qinglin felt that the Grand Tutor had truly been bottling up a bellyful of evil fire these past few days—and now, within this cramped carriage, it all burst out at once, leaving her nowhere to hide.

All she could do was scoot even closer, compose a flowery phrase or two, and say sweetly:

“Grand Tutor, you’re valiant and awe-inspiring—there’s not a single woman in this world worthy to claim you for her own. But when We gaze too long at your noble face, My mind feels free and the world melts away. We can’t help but grow jealous, afraid one day your favor will shift and We will be left with nothing. At that point, We might really retreat to the temple, chant the Diamond Sutra a thousand times to cut through the delusions and sever my worldly attachments. Though now that We think of it… just one sutra might not be enough. Perhaps We should add The Heart of Prajna-Paramita as well, to drive away these demonic thoughts that shouldn’t take root in the heart…”

“What utter nonsense!”

The Grand Tutor’s handsome face twisted slightly with fury.

If he still couldn’t tell this little wretch was spinning wild tales, then he really would have been blinded by lust! Back in Huaxi Village, when she went back and forth so deftly with that Xiongnu prince, he had already noticed—this little girl had a honeyed tongue and a glib mouth, able to toy with men in the palm of her hand.

Her body might be slim and petite, but her courage was as vast as the heavens! She really thought, now that she had him bewitched, she could do as she pleased?

Fearing he might, in a fit of rage, truly strangle to death this mouthful-of-rubbish girl, the Grand Tutor roughly shoved her away, lifted the curtain, and leapt off the carriage, mounting his horse with a swoosh of his robe.

Nie Qinglin slowly sat up, leaning against the carriage wall, and stared blankly at the idyllic countryside rolling past the mountain road.