Chapter 110

Princess Yongan had never been particularly skilled at needlework.

After only a short time, her fingers grew sore and weary.

She rose to take her leave; as she stepped out of the hall, she heard the warm hum of gossip drifting from behind her once more.

Sigh…to think of how much gossip-hearing pleasure I’ve just lost for nothing.

Just then, Empress Xiao Shen also rose and followed her out: “Princess, please wait.”

Nie Qinglin turned her head slowly, only to see Empress Xiao Shen standing behind her, looking as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.

“Does the Empress have a matter for her sister?”

Empress Xiao Shen took an embroidered belt featuring dragon patterns from her maid: “I was thinking the weather is turning cold; a belt should be wider to better secure winter robes. I embroidered a new one recently; would the Princess… please hand it over to the Emperor?”

As Nie Qinglin took the belt, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

She parted her crimson lips and said: “The Empress need not labor so hard in the future. It is best to preserve your health and live with a relaxed heart. As for things to come, the Emperor will naturally think of them on the Empress’s behalf.”

If the Grand Tutor eventually make the emperor “passed away” in the future, would this daughter of the Shen family not be left to guard a lonely lamp in the palace forever?

Nie Qinglin felt an instinctive sense of debt toward this young woman; she vowed to find a way for her to leave the palace eventually.

She surely couldn’t let her become a living ghost in this palace, could she?

Empress Xiao Shen, however, didn’t seem to mind: “If I can stay in the palace with the Princess, spending our days talking and embroidering together to pass the time just as before, what would be bad about that?”

In her young eyes, such closeness brought joy; did not ordinary husbands and wives live in such harmony, spending every day together?

But Nie Qinglin felt a headache coming on.

Why was it that after Empress Xiao Shen learned the truth, she showed no resentment, but instead became even more enthusiastic… what was to be done?

She bid a hurried farewell to the Empress, passed through a few long corridors by the side hall, and arrived at the study.

The Grand Tutor’s injured leg required regular heat treatments to dispel the chill.

Because of the Princess’s discouragement, his self-punishing walking had temporarily ceased; however, those “tiger and wolf” medicinal applications could not be stopped for anything.

When Princess Yong’an entered the study, she was met with a vividly picturesque scene of a beautiful man with his robes half-undone. Since it was the Winter Solstice, the Grand Tutor wore a magnificent black-mink-trimmed cotton robe, but his lower garments were completely loosened.

A young maid was pressing hot towels against the root of the Grand Tutor’s thigh, her face flushing red.

It was no wonder she blushed; even though those legs were marred by savage scars, they were strong and long…truly a pair of “inner-strength and outer-beauty” legs.

Princess Yongan stood steadily at the door, felt it was truly unbefitting for an unmarried woman’s eyes, and turned to leave.

“Princess, stay your steps!”

The Grand Tutor called out, then dismissed the maid.

“Since you are here, could the Princess do me the favor of massaging my leg? If the Princess’s jade-like hands perform the massage, this official’s recovery will surely be heroically swift!”

Princess Yongan’s face reddened slightly as she whispered: “There are plenty of maids, why make me do it for no reason?”

Just then, the Grand Tutor’s thick brows furrowed slightly.

His large palm couldn’t help but grip the jade paperweight beside him; it seemed the medicine’s potency was taking hold, bringing unbearable pain.

Seeing this, Nie Qinglin hurried forward, bending down to touch his thigh: “What is it? Is the pain still flare up?”

The Grand Tutor closed his eyes slightly and gave a soft groan.

Nie Qinglin quickly reached out to rub and knead his thigh; those soft, delicate hands massaging the injured leg felt more soothing than any divine elixir.

High-quality agarwood was burning in the study, its pleasant scent lingering; yet it could not mask the fragrance drifting from the lady beside him.

He opened his eyes slightly to find the beauty at his side.

Her dark hair piled high made her profile look even more exquisite; she was focused on kneading his knee, her chin lowered, revealing a tender, glowing section of her neck.

Following the line further down… in this world, only he, Wei Lenghou, knew the softness hidden beneath those silken layers.

Having been massaged often by Nanny Shan, Nie Qinglin had some experience.

Her technique followed the same pattern; though she lacked strength, it was passable.

But after kneading for a moment, she looked up, only to find that under the Grand Tutor’s robe, something was being “unruly,” having risen quite high!

The Princess stood up abruptly.

Before she could vent her shame and anger, the Grand Tutor’s large palm gripped her and pulled her into his lap: “The Princess wasn’t massaging the right spot; why leave now? Why neglect the one place that needs the most care?”

Nie Qinglin was in no mood for his nonsense and struggled to get up.

Just then, a eunuch reported from outside: “Grand Secretary Wu Jinglin seeks an audience with the Grand Tutor!”

If it were anyone else, he would have let them wait; but at the thought of the Grand Secretary’s relentless and meddling nature, the previous moment’s tender romance vanished instantly.

He finally let go and straightened his clothes.

Nie Qinglin naturally went into the inner room first; it wouldn’t do for the Grand Secretary to catch her alone with him.

When the Grand Secretary entered, he looked around.

Seeing no sign of the Princess, he said: “The Emperor issued a decree for the Princess to assist in state affairs and review memorials. But why is it that since the Grand Tutor’s return, the Princess hasn’t come to the study for business? Could it be… someone is obstructing her?”

The Grand Tutor stared coldly at Wu Jinglin; for the first time, a rising murderous aura flickered in his eyes.

But the Grand Secretary had never feared the Grand Tutor.

His usually stooped back straightened slightly as he glared back without yielding.

“The Grand Secretary is getting on in years; it is time to return home and retire. I shall naturally petition the Emperor to grant the Grand Secretary leave. You need not worry too much about court affairs in the future.”

Hearing this, the Grand Secretary did not panic.

He suddenly spoke: “I have been in court with the Grand Tutor for several years. When your Lordship was exiled to the border, I was the one who argued for you against other officials, because I felt a patriotic man of ambition should not be neglected. But looking at things now, I wonder if I was wrong?”

The Grand Tutor gave a cold sneer: “What guidance does the Grand Secretary have?”

“Since it is only the two of us in this study, we might as well speak frankly. It is common knowledge that the late Emperor sought only pleasure and favored sycophants; even without the Marquis of Dingguo turning the tide, someone would have replaced him. But in my eyes, My Lord, you harbor something heavier than mere ambition. Setting aside the instability of a regime change, does the Grand Tutor truly believe that by promising the Emperor sitting on that throne a life of luxury as a common woman, she will be satisfied? In my view, it is a raw insult! But the Grand Tutor is wise; you should realize there is another choice. If the Grand Tutor can be noble, saving the people while giving the Nie family their due dignity, then the entire court will be grateful for your virtue. The Princess will also surely be grateful to you. Only then would the Marquis of Dingguo truly be remembered in history as a loyal minister who died for his country! I am untalented, but I would be willing to write your biography in my remaining years…”

“Enough!” The Grand Tutor coldly interrupted Wu Jinglin, shouting toward the door, “Eunuch Ruan, escort the Grand Secretary out of the palace!”

Next, burly guards entered and, without a word, hoisted the scrawny old man up and carried him out of the study.

In the inner room, Nie Qinglin listened to her mentor’s relentless shouting and shook her head privately.

Her teacher was still too idealistic; a Great Empress of the Wei Dynasty was not so easily made! With a man like that standing beside the dragon throne, who would dare cross him to sit upon it?

When she walked out of the inner room, the gloom on the man’s face had not yet faded.

His phoenix eyes turned toward her, his lips pressed tight.

Nie Qinglin said nothing either, only turning silently to leave the study…

When night fell, it was time for the Winter Solstice banquet.

The highlight of the feast was the drinking of deer blood wine.

Unlike the deer in common noble households, the deer in the palace were all “medicinal deer” raised specifically on herbs.

Their blood was even more potent; a warming tonic meant to grant longevity.

Since some guests might drink excessively during this night, men and women were seated in separate halls to avoid any loss of propriety.

The two palaces remained entirely distinct from one another.

Wei Lenghou’s younger brother, Wei Yunzhi, also arrived for the banquet.

Following the fall of the Southern Islands, his merchant ships had suffered heavy losses.

The Grand Tutor arranged for him and the Wei family’s shipbuilders and servants to enter the capital while they waited for the shipyard to complete new vessels for export.

Wei Yunzhi naturally needed to enter the palace first to pay his respects to his future sister in law, the Princess.

Additionally, he intended to present the Princess with a family heirloom passed down to the eldest daughter in law of the Wei household before the feast began.

“My parents entrusted me to give this to the eldest daughter in law of the Wei residence. These folk items are crude, so please do not despise them, Princess.”

Wei Yunzhi knelt on the floor and respectfully offered a wooden box with both hands.

The Grand Tutor sat nearby and laughed.

“Ah zhi, you have too many formalities. This is the inner palace and there are no outsiders here. Stand up and speak quickly. Your sister in law is looking down at you so much that her neck is about to ache.”

Upon hearing his brother’s words, Wei Yunzhi became even more respectful in his conduct.

This was only because he remembered his father’s warning: “That bastard brother of yours has no sense of etiquette or hierarchy. When you enter the palace, you must not follow his lead and lose the honest reputation our Wei family has maintained for generations!”

Nie Qinglin took the wooden box from the nanny and opened it gently.

The bracelet inside was made of the same jade as the life saving jade Buddha that the Marquis had personally placed on her before.

The warm, smooth appearance suggested it was an old piece that had passed through the hands of many Wei family brides.

Touching it softly, she felt a warmth settle deep into her heart.

Despite the scene in the study earlier that day where neither had spoken a cross word, a certain heaviness had remained in their hearts.

Now, thanks to the thoughtfulness of the Wei elders, that tension eased slightly.

From their first meeting until now, her path of love with Wei Lenghou had been vastly different from that of ordinary men and women.

Even the boldest romantic folktales would not dare to invent such a legend.

Although there was no formal matchmaker and the circumstances were absurd, receiving the recognition of the Wei elders warmed her heart as she accepted the gift with thanks.

Wei Yunzhi did not hold an official position in court and therefore did not know the secret that the Princess and the Emperor were actually the same person.

After meeting the Princess and conveying his parents’ sentiments, he followed his brother to the banquet.

Inside the magnificent palace, attendants filed in and out.

The trays in their hands carried white jade cups of various sizes filled with deer blood of different medicinal properties, which were delivered to the two great halls to be mixed with fine wine.

In previous years, this was the time the late Emperor enjoyed most.

The deer blood served to the Emperor contained aphrodisiac properties.

When mixed with strong liquor, it was comparable to the most potent secret medicines of the palace.

The medicinal deer offered this year had been specially raised while the late Emperor was still alive.

Due to his life of excess, Emperor Ming of Wei’s constitution had long been depleted.

The potency of these specially raised deer was even stronger, intended to help the late Emperor regain his former vigor and handle multiple concubines in a single night.

Every man loves a sensation that reaches its peak.

Even a small cup of such deer blood would be a priceless medicine among the common people. The eunuchs of the Deer Park were quite perceptive.

They took the blood of a medicinal deer that had been raised for two years and prepared a special pot for the Grand Tutor, while sending another small pot to Princess Yongan.

Eunuch Ruan was now very clear on who the true masters of the palace were.

When he first learned that the Princess and the Emperor were one and the same, he had hidden in his room and broken out in a cold sweat.

He counted back the days on his fingers and realized he had been prudent enough never to slight either the Princess or the Emperor.

Only then did his heart settle, and he served them with even greater devotion.

He personally brought the deer blood wine over and spoke with a meaningful look.

“Princess, the Grand Tutor personally ordered this to be sent. Its medicinal effects are extraordinary. Please drink it while it is warm and lacks any fishy smell.”

After speaking, he bowed and hurried back to the other hall to serve the Grand Tutor.

Princess Yongan took the wine cup from her maid and took a shallow sip.

She felt the fishy taste of the wine press against the back of her throat.

She had always been delicate with her food and could not stand bitterness on her tongue.

After that single sip, she stopped drinking.

However, Empress Xiao Shen, who sat beside her, became curious about its properties after hearing Eunuch Ruan’s words and drank the rest of the pot.

The various performances at the banquet were quite interesting.

A troupe of acrobats had been invited to the palace.

Nie Qinglin watched with such focus that she did not notice when Empress Xiao Shen quietly slipped away from the feast.

After watching for a while, Nie Qinglin felt a wave of dizziness.

She marveled at the strength of the deer blood wine, noting that even a shallow sip was becoming difficult to handle.

She decided to retire early and returned to her bedchamber.

After washing and changing her clothes, Nie Qinglin lay on the bed.

She felt the blood in her veins begin to surge, making her whole body feel hot and restless.

For a while, she found it impossible to sleep.

After tossing and turning for a while, she felt tempted to ask Nanny Shan if the Grand Tutor would be coming over tonight, but such shameful words were ultimately too embarrassing for a young woman to speak aloud.

She remained restless on the bed for some time before finally falling asleep.

It was only when the sky began to brighten slightly at dawn that she woke up feeling parched.

Before she even had a chance to turn over, she discovered a man sleeping beside her.

There was no telling at what hour he had arrived at Fengchu Palace, but at this moment, he was in a deep and heavy sleep.