Chapter 77

Deliberately ignoring the faint irritation in her heart, Nie Qinglin lazily closed her eyes while sitting atop the imperial palanquin.

Upon returning to the palace, she went straight back to Fengchu Palace and changed into her women’s attire.

Just as she had finished dressing and was looking at herself in the mirror, she heard Nanny Shan passing on a message that saying that Consort Shu requested an audience with the Princess.

As it turned out, Consort Shu had long been trying to inquire about Shen Hong’er’s situation in the palace but couldn’t ask the emperor outright, so she figured she’d come to Princess Yong’an to sound things out.

However, given that she wasn’t familiar with the Princess, she used the pretext of delivering newly bloomed flowers as a reason to enter the palace.

Since the Sixth Prince had left the palace and moved into the Shen residence, he spent his days sorting through his maternal grandfather’s manuscripts and tending flowers for peace of mind.

He kept mostly to himself and rarely showed up at those social gatherings held in aristocratic households.

The flower Consort Shu brought into the palace was a rare green peony personally cultivated by the Sixth Master of the Shen family.

This flower species was extremely rare, master peony cultivators had spent lifetimes without managing to grow a single bloom.

Yet by some twist of fate, the Sixth Prince had successfully grafted and cultivated it.

When Princess Yong’an saw the striking bloom in front of her, she couldn’t help but be stunned by its beauty.

This peony was named Doulu.

It bloomed green at first, turning yellow-green at full blossom.

The rounded flower exuded an air of wealth and elegance; its petals were thick and lush.

Watching the flower tremble gently in the breeze, delicate and bashful, it was no wonder that all of the flower-loving scholars and aristocrats in the capital were willing to spend fortunes just to get their hands on one.

“Consort Shu, you’re far too kind,” said Nie Qinglin.

“Coming to visit is more than enough, why go so far as to make Sixth Brother give up such a rare and precious flower? I don’t have a green thumb. If it wilts under my care in a few days, wouldn’t that be a terrible waste?”

Consort Shu looked at the little princess who bore a striking resemblance to the emperor and unexpectedly felt a sense of fondness.

Smiling, she said, “Your Sixth Brother doesn’t mind. He said that once a flower is grown, it should be given to someone worthy… Before leaving the palace, he said the wrong thing and angered the emperor. Perhaps he’s still feeling awkward, so he thought giving it to you might be good. After all, the emperor does visit you from time to time, so he’ll be able to see it…”

Nie Qinglin immediately understood the unspoken meaning.

This rare Doulu peony was originally intended as an apology gift from her Sixth Brother to the emperor. But due to his pride, he couldn’t bring himself to give it directly. So she, Princess Yong’an, became the “middleman.”

Her heart warmed at the thought that he hadn’t changed at all.

He was still the same outwardly cold but inwardly warm-hearted Sixth Prince.

She smiled and said, “The emperor’s been very fond of flowers lately. It saves me trouble, I’ll present it to him shortly. No matter how tense things are between the two brothers, even that sulky mood will be scattered by this flower’s fairy-like charm. And whenever I want to see this green fairy again, I can just knock on the emperor’s door, how wonderful!”

Consort Shu could tell that this princess, like the emperor, had an exceptionally gentle temperament.

She felt a little more at ease, thinking to herself: No wonder even that unpredictable Grand Tutor dotes on this princess. She truly is a kind, understanding, and gentle soul. With her delicate beauty and sweet temperament, if this were an era of peace, whoever married her would’ve accumulated great virtue in a past life. But now, the imperial family is subject to powerful ministers. A lovely flower like her is being handed into the care of someone who doesn’t even know how to appreciate it.

Everyone in the capital knew about the Grand Tutor’s harsh treatment of concubines who made mistakes, like training soldiers in a military camp, it was ruthless and strict. If it weren’t for that overwhelmingly handsome face of his, who would ever willingly marry such a living King of Hell? Yet from his recent behavior, this time his affection seemed unusual. He was treating Princess Yong’an almost like a not yet married official wife.

And now, having come here to Fengchu Palace and seen the clothes, food, and accommodations, it was indeed very different.

If Shen Hong’er could get along well with this Princess Yong’an, then her future in the palace might go a bit more smoothly…

By the time Consort Shu left, it was already afternoon. Surprisingly, Shen Hong’er also arrived to visit Princess Yong’an, accompanied by a nanny.

Nie Qinglin glanced at Miss Shen, whose shoulder injury had mostly healed.

Now with palace maids specifically attending to her grooming, Shen Hong’er looked far more polished than she had in the temporary palace.

She wore a long gauze dress embroidered with gold thread and had her hair styled in flying celestial buns, she now truly had the air of a future empress.

“These past few days, I’ve missed seeing Your Highness,” Shen Hong’er said.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Nie Qinglin smiled.

“Not at all. I’ve been hoping for your company too.”

After a few polite exchanges, Shen Hong’er had her maid present a belt embroidered with golden dragons.

Slightly embarrassed, she said, “I stayed up several nights to embroider this myself for His Majesty… But the etiquette nanny said that giving such things in private before the imperial wedding was inappropriate. So I thought perhaps I could present it under Your Highness’s name; that way, it still fulfills my intentions.”

Nie Qinglin forced a smile as she took the belt.

What is it with today? Everyone’s using me as a messenger to offer gifts to the emperor.

Each gift is more thoughtful and valuable than the last.

It’s almost too much for that “Emperor Brother” of mine to bear!

After delivering the belt, Shen Hong’er got up to take her leave.

But as she stepped out of the palace gates, she ran straight into the Grand Tutor.

Back by the lake that day, she had been so furious she hadn’t even felt fear.

But now, seeing the cold-eyed Grand Tutor, her shoulder began to ache instinctively.

She quickly stepped aside.

The Grand Tutor gave her a frosty glance.

“Miss Shen, the grand wedding is approaching; you ought to avoid moving about the palace so freely.”

With that, he entered Fengchu Palace.

Because the Grand Tutor never intended for this future empress to leave the palace alive, he didn’t even bother avoiding suspicion when stepping into the Princess’s chambers.

Nie Qinglin merely smiled slightly and said no more.

The Grand Tutor had already lifted her entirely into his arms and carried her over to the bed.

With their parting imminent, the Grand Tutor seemed even more vigorous than usual.

The nighttime “drills” were equally intense and relentless. Nie Qinglin, her voice hoarse, was pinned against the wall beside the bed by the strong, handsome man, who left searing traces on her again and again.

“My Guo’er,” he murmured, “remember this feeling. Wait for this lord to return…”

The sensation was almost unbearable, driving her nearly mad.

Blushing furiously, dragon pearl bit down hard on the man’s firm shoulder.

She could feel the sweat, thick with Wei Lenghou’s distinct scent, slide down her throat, burning as it went, causing a fresh spasm deep in her belly…

Strictly speaking, the Wei Dynasty was in a precarious situation.

There were internal threats from the Southern Frontier and powerful external neighbors in the north, making it an ill-timed moment for the emperor’s grand wedding.

Fortunately, the officials in the capital had recently handled two major events, Grand Tutor Ge’s wedding and Princess Shaoyang’s far-off marriage, so they were quite practiced by now.

Some decorations could even be reused.

By following standard procedures, the affair wasn’t too difficult to pull off.

It wasn’t that the Ministry of Rites wanted to slight the emperor by being sloppy.

In truth, the ministers felt guilty.

After decades of receiving the state’s favor, they genuinely wanted to give their best for the wedding of the last emperor of Wei.

But the Grand Tutor only wished to go through the motions, and the funds from the national treasury were pitifully small.

Though the ministers had the will, they lacked the means.

As a result, the wedding came across as rather meager.

After the wedding ceremony was complete, it was time for the emperor and his new empress to sit together on the dragon bed.

Nie Qinglin sat awkwardly on the deep red wedding bed, feeling far from at ease.

She couldn’t help but think: If Mother Consort can see me from the afterlife, perhaps she can rest in peace now.

The child she thought doomed to be loveless had, in just one year, married again and again…men and women both, plump and slender alike…truly, love knows no bounds.

But… how on earth was she supposed to sleep with this delicate empress tonight?

Shen Hong’er stole a glance at the emperor beside her.

These past few days, she’d been trained meticulously by the palace matrons and had become thoughtful and demure.

She whispered shyly, “Your Majesty, it’s getting late. Shall we retire?”

Nie Qinglin’s expression was tense: This… is really not going to be easy! Just as she was in this awkward dilemma, Nanny Shan presented a jug of wine and said, “Please, Your Majesty and Her Majesty should now drink the ceremonial wine together.”

With her sharp eyes, Nie Qinglin noticed that Nanny Shan had poured the drinks from two different jugs, and instantly understood.

Shen Hong’er’s face turned even redder.

When her arm entwined with Nie Qinglin’s, her eyes held a glimmer of excitement and longing.

After drinking the wine under such pressure, Empress Shen let out a small hiccup…then promptly passed out cold.

“This wine… won’t harm her, will it?” Nie Qinglin asked, holding Shen Hong’er’s limp body with some concern.

Nanny Shan explained that the wine had been prescribed by a divine physician.

It wouldn’t hurt her, only make her sleep deeply.

Hearing this, Nie Qinglin finally relaxed a little.

After instructing the palace maids to take good care of Empress Shen, Nie Qinglin left the bedchamber.

Tonight, Wei Lenghou was not in the palace.

He had already taken his Black Banner Army and was on the road to the southern frontier.

The Emperor of Wei’s wedding was the perfect smokescreen to deceive the enemy.

Though Southern spies had likely already discovered Wei’s intent to take military action, they could not have expected that the Grand Tutor would forgo the traditional autumn troop reviews.

Before the harvest was even over and while the emperor was getting married, no less.

He launched his campaign to pacify the southern rebellion.

Nie Qinglin ascended the palace watchtower.

The twilight sky was heavy and dim. Looking far into the distance beyond the high palace walls, she could not tell whether storm clouds were brewing out there…

With the Grand Tutor no longer presiding over court, the atmosphere suddenly loosened.

The vast, empty dragon throne stirred ambition in those senior ministers still loyal to Wei.

Elder Wu, full of energy, stepped forward to request that the float dragon throne( grand tutor chair) be removed.

But before Nie Qinglin could speak, a cold voice cut in:

“And what is it about the Grand Tutor’s chair that offends Lord Wu’s eyes?”

Nie Qinglin looked toward the speaker and saw a man standing at the front of the officials.

Of average height, he bore an elegant scholarly air like a refined, pale-faced student.

But there was a vivid red mole at the center of his brow, bright as a drop of fresh blood.

This is…?

Seeing the emperor’s confusion, Eunuch Ruan quietly explained, “That is Lord Qiu Mingyan. Because of his outstanding success in suppressing bandits in the Yijun campaign, the Grand Tutor recently promoted him to Prime Minister. In the Grand Tutor’s absence, he has been entrusted to assist Your Majesty in governing the court.”

Nie Qinglin nodded.

So that’s the famed scholar from Jiangdong, Qiu Mingyan!

She had heard plenty of stories about him.

The Qiu family had once been a prestigious clan in Jiangdong, but they offended Minister Rong and were sentenced to execution by the former emperor.

Qiu Mingyan, however, had long admired the legendary Wei Lenghou.

Before the family tragedy struck, he defied his family’s objections, shaved his head, and fled north to join the Grand Tutor’s army.

Thus, he became the sole survivor.

When Minister Rong’s lackeys came after him, the Grand Tutor personally shielded him and forced them to back off.

He then had Qiu Mingyan sign a contract as his household servant and changed his surname to Wei, saving him from execution.

However, the Grand Tutor didn’t protect this man purely out of defiance toward Minister Rong.

Qiu Mingyan truly was exceptionally talented.

While serving in the military, he offered strategic advice to the Grand Tutor and was capable of devising victory-winning plans from within the command tent.

He was a true military mind.

The swift suppression of the rebel militia at the time and the restoration of regional peace were largely thanks to him.

That said, rumors circulated about his ruthless methods.

During the campaign against the rebels, many officials accused him of violating protocols and excessively brutal tactics.

But each time, the Grand Tutor suppressed these accusations.

Now it seemed that with the late emperor’s “death by illness,” this former servant of the Wei household had shed his lowly status and was now standing proudly before all the court officials.

“The Wei dynasty has always had only one Dragon Throne on its court platform,” declared Elder Wu, beard trembling with righteous fury.

“Yet Grand Tutor Wei insisted on placing a second ‘Flood Dragon Throne’ beside it. That chair doesn’t just offend my eyes, it offends the eyes of all loyal subjects devoted to the imperial house of the Nie family!”

Elder Wu was relentless, seizing the momentum from the recent victory over the rebel Ge Qingyuan.

He was determined to remove this symbol of overreach while the main instigator, the Grand Tutor, was away.

Qiu Mingyan gave a cold chuckle at these words.

“The Grand Tutor’s governance was decreed by the late emperor himself. The Marquise of Dingguo has devoted himself tirelessly to the well-being of the empire and its people. Even if he moved a bed into the court and lay upon it, who would dare say he was unworthy? And you, Wu Jingzhong; time and again you stir up trouble in court. When the Grand Tutor tolerated your antics, that was his generosity. But now that he’s away on a military campaign, you dare exploit the moment to cause chaos in court with petty nonsense? The Grand Tutor might endure you, but I will not. Guards! Drag him out through the Meridian Gate and execute him!”

At Qiu Mingyan’s command, palace guards stormed into the hall, ripped Elder Wu’s hat from his head, and began to drag him away.

Nie Qinglin understood clearly…today, Qiu Mingyan was a newly appointed official, eager to establish his authority.

Elder Wu had chosen the worst possible time to make himself a target.

Elder Wu… you’re really not making life easy for anyone, she thought to herself.

Then, for the first time since her enthronement, the young emperor spoke out decisively in court…with a voice that truly carried weight: “Stop!”

The entire hall fell into stunned silence.

Ministers lifted their heads in surprise, as if puzzled that this ornamental figure had just spoken.

Qiu Mingyan looked up slightly, then bowed his head and said, “The Grand Tutor entrusted all court matters to me before his departure. Elder Wu has acted disrespectfully. If his behavior has disturbed Your Majesty, I ask that Your Majesty withdraw for now. Once I’ve restored order to the court, I will respectfully invite Your Majesty back.”

Though Qiu Mingyan’s tone was outwardly deferential, his cold eyes betrayed not a shred of true respect.

Nie Qinglin thought: You’re trying to send me back to the palace, Qiu Mingyan? Frankly, I wouldn’t mind avoiding your domineering presence if I could!

With a faint, bitter smile, she replied with careful composure:

“We have always been dim-witted since childhood, and only gained some understanding of statecraft thanks to the Grand Tutor’s patient instruction. Elder Wu is indeed guilty of arrogance and insolence, but he has faithfully served three emperors of the Nie family across three reigns. Even if he committed an unforgivable crime deserving death, he should first be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for proper investigation and judgment. How can his hat be ripped off and he dragged to execution on the spot?”

“Lord Qiu, your suppression of the rebel army was indeed swift and decisive, you once executed 500 bandits in a single day without hesitation, which We greatly admire. However, We’ve only just been wed, and these are supposed to be auspicious days. We really can’t bear to witness bloodshed during this time. We tried to recall just now, surely there has never been a precedent for executing a senior minister of three emperors during the emperor’s wedding celebration.”

“We are young and ignorant, so perhaps the words are inappropriate. We humbly ask the Prime Minister, who governs in the Grand Tutor’s absence, to advise Me.”

This statement, soft on the surface yet edged with steel, struck Qiu Mingyan right in the heart.

He had executed rebels without court approval, an act that had already raised the ire of the censors.

Now, with the emperor subtly alluding to this, it couldn’t help but feel like a pointed rebuke: You slaughtered bandits without warning, and now you want to do the same to a senior statesman of the court?

Had anyone else said this, Qiu Mingyan might’ve responded with harsh retribution.

But these words came from the Son of Heaven himself.

He couldn’t afford to lose face by defying the emperor.

Grinding his teeth silently, Qiu Mingyan lowered his head and said, “Your Majesty is absolutely right. It was my poor judgment. Guards; strip Wu Jingzhong of his official title and take him to prison for trial.”

The emperor’s measured words stirred a quiet buzz among the ministers below.

Many nodded in agreement, murmuring that this was the proper course.

Some, even more emboldened, seemed ready to stand behind the emperor and perhaps use the moment to embarrass the overbearing Lord Qiu.

Nie Qinglin, however, had no desire to become the ringleader of a political rebellion in court.

Sensing the moment had reached its peak, she wisely decided to withdraw and stood up slightly, stating she was tired and would retire from court to rest.

As Elder Wu was dragged away, he looked up at the emperor, tears streaming down his face, crying out:

“Your Majesty! This humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace. Even if I must die for the Nie royal family, I do so without regret!”

Hearing this gave Nie Qinglin a splitting headache.

She thought to herself, If only Elder Wu had gone off on the campaign with the Grand Tutor;so much trouble could have been avoided.

As she turned to leave, she could feel a sharp gaze boring into her back, like a blade of ice against her spine.

Lord Qiu, she thought, you really aren’t easy to deal with, are you?

Leaving behind the chaos of the court, she returned to the rear palace.

But before she could enter her sleeping chambers, someone came walking briskly toward her…the young Empress Shen, her phoenix hairpin trembling with each step.

From a distance, she spotted the emperor and, face flushed with shyness, hurried over.

Only when she neared did she slow her pace, assuming a dignified posture befitting the mother of the six palaces.

After giving a proper salute, she followed the emperor into the sleeping chambers.

Inside, she spoke:

“Your Majesty, I came to discuss a family matter with you. Princess Yong’an is no longer young, she’s even a bit older than I am. As the saying goes, ‘an elder sister-in-law is like a mother.’ I thought perhaps I could help select a good prince consort for her. What are Your Majesty’s thoughts on the matter?”

Nie Qinglin kept a polite smile on her face, but her heart sank.

She thought to herself: Miss Shen, I really can’t get along with you, can I?

Grand Tutor, I hope you’re having a pleasant time down in the southern frontier.

Did you leave me all this chaos to keep me entertained while you’re away?