The Perilous Palace Dream - Chapter 127: Final Chapter
Chapter 127
She well remembered that when she left Jiangnan, she had been resolved to never return for the rest of her life. Yet, little did she expect that after turning in circles, she would end up following that man back once more. Standing at the bow of the ship, Nie Qinglin could not help feeling a sense of wistful melancholy.
“Why do you sigh?”
Standing right behind her, the man lowered his head and asked. Watching the Jiangnan mist and rain gradually disperse, Nie Qinglin said softly, “With this parting of years, who knows when we shall meet again…”
How could the Grand Tutor not know that this seemingly tranquil and elegant woman actually longed most for this bustling, vast world? On this trip to Jiangnan, she had grown thoroughly accustomed to the taste of freedom. Had it not been for his poison injuries—and the fact that in her heart she truly cared for him—she probably would not have turned back even with swords held to her neck.
What could be used to hold onto this young woman’s heart, to make her stay peacefully by his side…? The Grand Tutor suddenly felt that after conquering the lands of the south and the north, it was this restless, loving heart that was the most difficult to conquer. If he used force, it would shatter beyond repair; if he used too gentle a hand, she would become playfulness incarnate… Just how should he bind this heart?
The Grand Tutor recalled the letter he had long wanted to send to Qiu Mingyan; he wondered how his arrangements were progressing.
Upon returning to the palace, Nie Qinglin discovered that the newly constructed sleeping quarters had already been completed. High red walls with golden studs and vermilion lacquer, roof eaves carved with dragons, phoenixes, and flying clouds, flanked by watchtowers and corner turrets, all covered with glazed tiles fired to a brilliant, flowing luster—it seemed to be quietly awaiting its new master.
After returning to the palace, the Grand Tutor became busy once more, disappearing from sight. However, while having lunch with her, he briefly mentioned that the enthronement ceremony would take place in five days. Listening to this, Nie Qinglin merely nodded.
The day had finally come: the Fourteenth Prince of Great Wei, Nie Qinglin, was to vanish from the imperial court forever, while she—the Emperor’s Sister, Princess Yong’an of Great Wei—was about to become part of these deep-walled palace courtyards… She had thought that when this day arrived, her heart would remain tranquil and unruffled; compared to her initial life of precarious uncertainty, such an outcome was the best possible end.
Yet, deep down, a lingering wistfulness remained. In the end, human desires were insatiable, and she was no exception. Having developed feelings, greed had taken root within her: one man and one woman for a lifetime—such a notion was practically an impossible myth in an imperial family.
Although the affair with the Princess of the Gerfan tribe had been a mere misunderstanding and false alarm, what about the future? How was the man sitting on the throne supposed to refuse the next princess sent for a diplomatic marriage, or yet another beauty offered as tribute? The temptations facing a monarch were simply too many. She could only hope that when love was deep and enduring, it could withstand those heavy barriers…
Three days after returning to the capital, an imperial decree was proclaimed to the entire realm: Emperor Xuan of Great Wei, Nie Qinglin, had passed away at the age of seventeen. The historical records stated: Emperor Xuan was generous, modest, and respectful toward men of talent; he championed reforms, reduced feudal fiefs, redistributed farmland, and inaugurated the glorious era of the Xuan Reign. Alas, he contracted a severe illness that proved beyond medical help, passing away in his youth.
Next came the enthronement ceremony for the new monarch. On the eve of the event, the Bureau of Internal Attendants brought Princess Yong’an the ceremonial robes she was to wear at the new emperor’s enthronement the following day. When Nie Qinglin raised her eyes to look at the ceremonial attire unfolded by the palace maids, she froze. The bright yellow color was unmistakably reserved for emperors alone, yet the design of the gown and flared skirt was clearly that of a woman’s ceremonial dress… Had the Bureau of Internal Attendants gone mad?
Before she could call for the Chief of the Internal Attendants, the Grand Tutor slowly stepped inside.
“Why haven’t you put it on yet? Although the Bureau of Internal Attendants knows your measurements, Princess, it is best to try it on first to avoid an ill-fitting garment that might detract from your imperial demeanor,” the Grand Tutor said with an unruffled expression as he looked at the sprawling dragon patterns embroidered across the ceremonial gown.
“Grand Tutor… what is the meaning of this?”
Wei Lenghou waved away the surrounding maids, stepped forward, gently unfastened the beauty’s silk dress, and draped the dragon-patterned ceremonial robe over her fragrant shoulders, looking with satisfaction at how her snow-white elegance was highlighted even further.
“As expected, my Guo’er suits the bright yellow of this dragon robe best,” the Grand Tutor said, looking at Princess Yong’an with a faint smile.
Nie Qinglin looked at the Grand Tutor in disbelief, completely at a loss for a moment as to what he intended.
“Although that old man Wu Jinglin is decayed and stubborn, one thing he said was not false: the dragon throne of this imperial court still requires a royal descendant of the Nie family to stabilize the government. And among the Nie family, the only person this Marquis can tolerate sitting on that dragon throne is you, Princess…”
“But…”
The Grand Tutor pressed a long finger lightly against her cherry lips and said softly, “The empire and the beauty are both the desires of my heart. Yet, if I were to possess the empire but be unable to grant my beloved wife peace of mind, how could I call myself a true man? My wish is to realize grand ambitions and create a glorious era. If it allows my Guo’er to lay her anxieties to rest, I would rather reside by the side of an Empress Regnant for a long time, supporting my Guo’er as she peacefully enjoys endless generations of glory!
The ministers may each have their own understanding regarding the acceptance of an Empress Regnant, but Your Majesty must remember: my willingness to stand below the dais is entirely out of my deep love for Your Majesty, unwilling to see Your Majesty living in constant dread as an empress of the inner palace. However… if Your Majesty should emulate the licentious empresses of former dynasties, keeping male concubines and indulging in male beauty, do not blame me for overstepping my bounds and launching a palace coup, locking Your Majesty deep within the rear palace forever, never to see the light of day again!”
When he reached this final point, the Grand Tutor was practically gritting his teeth—this was the single issue that gave him the greatest unease. Fortunately, when Guo’er faced the temptation of Sui Qingchen, she had remained completely unmoved, which had allowed him to make his final decision.
Back in Jiangnan, seeing Guo’er retreat in fear because she worried he would possess a harem of beauties in the future had brought him a wave of genuine heartache. He could even foresee how a woman as delicate-minded as Guo’er would spend the rest of her life in sullen melancholy within the palace.
Since that was the case, it was truly better to follow Grand Secretary Wu’s suggestion and let his most beloved woman sit upon that supreme dragon throne. That was the greatest peace of mind he, Wei Lenghou, could grant Her Majesty. From then on, the number-one treacherous minister of Great Wei would be loyal to the Empress Regnant, willingly serving as her ‘male empress’, sharing with her the vanity and splendor of ten thousand generations…
—
The glorious era of the Xuan Reign opened by the late emperor made the enthronement ceremony for Great Wei’s new monarch exceptionally grand and solemn.
The long paved avenue before the Hall of Supreme Harmony was newly laid with fresh bricks. Amidst the thunderous rolling of drums and the crisp, resonant cracking of ceremonial whips, the civil and military officials stood in orderly ranks, kneeling on the ground to listen to the late emperor’s “testament.”
Before his passing, because the male lineage of the Nie house was dwindling, the late emperor emulated the wise rulers of previous dynasties by passing the throne to his intelligent and perceptive biological younger sister, the Imperial Princess Yong’an. He appointed Lord Dingguo of Great Wei to assist the new monarch in state affairs, while selecting an auspicious date after the ceremony for the grand wedding with the new emperor.
When the new Empress Regnant, clad in a long-skirted dragon robe, stepped slowly onto the high hall and sat upon that dragon throne, she felt a slight sense of trance. The horned-dragon chair beside the main throne had been removed, replaced by a seat decorated with patterns of the Yazi. Although the Yazi was a son of the dragon, it possessed a peculiar nature: unable to soar among the clouds, it could swallow weapons and was responsible for guarding the world’s armaments—symbolizing the act of safeguarding military power on behalf of the true dragon.
The treacherous horned dragon that once turned clouds into rain had ultimately failed to grow that final horn, for he had been subdued by the true dragon, willingly tucking away his sharp teeth and razor claws to become the blade-guard beast coiled around the imperial sword.
At this moment, the man with sword-shaped eyebrows and phoenix eyes sat comfortably on the Yazi seat. After receiving the prolonged kneeling and kowtows of the assembled ministers, he stood up with a faint smile and slowly extended his broad palm toward her, inviting the new Empress to proceed together to the ancestral altar for worship.
This scene was so familiar it felt like a lifetime ago—resembling the situation two years prior when she had ascended the throne as a puppet. Nie Qinglin still could not quite believe that this man was willing to give up the peak of power that was within his easy grasp to commit such an act that defied the entire realm; thus, she hesitated to reach out her hand.
This hesitation from the new Empress re-energized the ministers below, making them wonder if the new ruler intended to give this pre-designated ‘male empress’ a bit of a warning blow. However, the Lord Grand Tutor showed no trace of annoyance this time, patiently holding up his broad palm and waiting for his beloved to willingly take hold of it.
After a long moment, the new Empress stood up, extended her slender hand, and firmly grasped that broad, warm palm, standing charmingly beside the tall and imposing Lord Dingguo. From then on, Great Wei opened a new chapter of prosperity, with the Empress Regnant and her ‘male Empress’ standing hand in hand, matchless beneath the heavens.
—
The new Empress Regnant of Great Wei could be considered the most leisurely monarch in the entire history of the Great Wei dynasty; the only one who could compare to her was her late royal brother, who had died young.
All of this was because Great Wei’s primary capable minister, Wei Lenghou, was simply far too competent, taking charge of all matters big and small in the court.
As for her, the Empress Regnant, her main concern was figuring out how to pair her dragon hairpins and jade pearls with her dragon robes each day to create fresh new looks, leading yet another wave of fashion among beauty-loving women throughout the court. Hearing too much about political affairs gave her a headache, so it was truly remarkable how Lord Dingguo so thoroughly enjoyed the intrigue of the court, tangling with the assembled ministers with boundless energy every day.
It was said that Grand Secretary Wu had stirred up trouble once again, loudly proclaiming that the imperial Nie family surname was dwindling and that the inner palace needed to branch out and spread its foliage. Having only a single ‘male empress’ was feared to be insufficient, so he incited the ministers to petition Her Majesty to select young and handsome noble sons from prominent families to fill the rear palace. At the time of the grand wedding, customary precedent should be followed: while receiving the Empress, two concubines should also be conferred to serve the new sovereign together.
It was said that after seeing this memorial, the Grand Tutor was exceptionally calm.
He leisurely penned a approval note: “All unmarried sons of noble families in the capital above the third rank and aged sixteen or older shall report to the Black Banner Army effective immediately, setting out to the frontier for five years of rigorous training.”
Instantly, another chaotic uproar broke out in the capital. Regardless of whether they were legitimate or concubine-born, unmarried noble sons rushed to get engaged and married, even settling for an unattractive bride just to ensure they would not be swept up in the Grand Tutor’s ocean of jealousy and sent to suffer the wind and sand of the impoverished frontier.
Grand Secretary Wu was hale and hearty as ever; he actually managed to recruit several talented young men from prominent families in Jiangnan’s outer provinces, among whom one youth best suited the Grand Secretary’s wishes.
In his youth, the Emperor had also been captivated by the treacherous minister’s handsome features, developing a fondness for those phoenix eyes and sword-shaped eyebrows. And this Qingchen, the grandson of Lord Sui of Jiangnan, possessed a refined appearance and demeanor that bore an uncanny resemblance to Wei Lenghou. Furthermore, Lord Sui was loyal and upright, enjoying great prestige in the south; having a noble of such lineage assist the new Empress would serve to further stabilize the court.
Moreover, if such a young and handsome individual were sent into the palace, given time, why worry about being unable to siphon away the imperial favor enjoyed by that pre-designated,demon-like male empress?
With such a scheme in mind, during the full bloom of spring flowers—when the Empress Regnant gathered the female relatives for a garden flower festival—he had his wife bring Sui Qingchen along to pay audience to the sovereign.
It was a time when spring flowers were radiantly beautiful and willow catkins drifted through the air; when young people met, it was inevitable for youthful romance to blossom.
When the time came, they would seize the opportunity to request that the Empress Regnant confer a title upon Sui Qingchen so he could enter the palace to accompany the monarch long-term.
Grand Secretary Wu was not the only one harboring such thoughts.
Seeing that the new Empress’s position was rock-solid—and that although she rarely spoke on court affairs, she had on several crucial occasions managed to make that opinionated, demon-like Grand Tutor change his mind—many nobles instantly realized that this true sovereign was undoubtedly an iron-willed empress of deep cunning. Hindered by the Grand Tutor’s domineering nature, none dared bring their own sons; however, they had selected quite a few talented young men from their provincial clans, bringing them along via their female relatives to attend the flower banquet.
When those young men paid audience to the Empress Regnant and raised their eyes to look at her, every single one stood frozen, dazed and spellbound on the spot.
They saw that the Empress Regnant’s face was white as snow, with faint flushes playing across her cheeks. Her smiling, large eyes seemed to harbor stars, shining so brightly one dared not look at them directly. A bright yellow dress wrapped around her delicate and charming figure, her full breasts held high, and her tall, piled-up palace hairstyle resembled lustrous black silk—she truly looked like a fairy descended to the mortal realm.
Originally, they had felt that becoming a male concubine was an utter humiliation; but looking at her now, if they could win such a beauty, they would willingly go bankrupt!
Instantly, young men bloomed like a garden of flowers, their desire to vie for favor and show off their charms proving even more radiant and captivating than the spring blossoms.
However, Madame Wei remained perfectly calm; in the entire gathering of male guests, not a single youth possessed the handsome, refined looks of the Sui Qingchen she had brought! Yet who could have guessed that when the elegant Young Master Sui caught sight of the monarch’s peerless beauty, his face turned slightly pale, and his manners and decorum collapsed entirely? He could barely manage to answer the new Empress Regnant’s smiling questions.
Seeing this, Old Madame Wei shook her head repeatedly, thinking: How can Lord Sui’s grandson be so thoroughly unfit for the grand stage?
Accompanied by a young eunuch’s loud announcement: “Lord Dingguo seeks audience with Her Majesty!”
Before long, Old Madame Wei saw the future male empress of Great Wei—Lord Dingguo himself—hurrying over.
The residual poison in the demon-like lord’s body was nearly purged; the scars on his face had gradually faded, his stride was exceptionally steady, and his tall, robust frame was clad in a snow-white long robe with a golden crown atop his head. Framed by the pink peach blossoms, his phoenix eyes were slightly raised, and a cold smile lingered on his thin lips. That aura of scorning all rivals was simply beyond comparison for a group of young men with no accomplishments to their name. For a moment, setting aside the youths’ feelings of self-abasement, even the group of noblewomen completely forgot that this man was the new Empress’s ‘male empress’, each watching him in a spellbound daze.
However, when Sui Qingchen raised his eyes once more to look at the Grand Tutor strolling casually toward them, his face turned from pale white to a bruised, purplish hue.
With a contemptuous smirk at the corner of his mouth, Wei Lenghou swept his gaze over the gathering of young talents, finally landing his eyes on Sui Qingchen, the number-one young master of Jiangnan.
His smile deepened even further.
“Young Master Sui, have you been well since we last met? I wonder… has your body grown back ‘properly’ by now?”
Immediately afterward, Old Madame Wei saw the noble young master whom her husband had painstakingly selected for the role of Noble Consort begin to sway unsteadily.
Lips turning blue, he uttered not a single word, stumbling and fleeing out of the garden in utter disgrace.
Thus, a perfectly fine flower-viewing and concubine-selection gathering broke up on bad terms.
The Grand Tutor, having ruined the event, showed neither a blush nor a pounding heart. Snapping a peach branch from a tree, he pinned it into the cloud-like hair of the Empress Regnant sitting beneath the tree.
“Your Majesty’s dragon posture grows more charming and enchanting by the day; I frequently feel uneasy, fearing someone will vie for your favor. What should I do?”
Nie Qinglin was left somewhat amused and exasperated by these words.
“In this vast world, who could be so tired of living as to dare vie for favor with My beloved minister? On the other hand, Sui Qingchen was frightened into such a state… Did you truly go out merely for a peaceful ride to clear your head that night in Jiangnan, Grand Tutor?”
The Grand Tutor was too lazy to waste words on that hairless brat, so he shifted the topic and said, “Several of my concubines have voluntarily asked to leave.”
Nie Qinglin’s eyes flickered, slightly disbelieving, “Grand Tutor… did you make them leave?”
“Not at all. They simply heard that I was about to enter the palace and felt deeply that they should not vie for favor with the Empress Regnant. Coupled with my cold neglect during this period, they took the initiative to ask for permission to leave. Unwilling to leave them without a future, I had them remarried to several of my subordinates as secondary wives.”
Nie Qinglin blinked.
“Then… hasn’t the Grand Tutor’s manor become empty? Can the Grand Tutor endure the loneliness?”
The Grand Tutor pulled the sovereign of Great Wei into his arms, lowering his head to capture those soft, tender lips, saying unclearly.
“I can endure it no longer. I must climb into the dragon bed and have Your Majesty soothe the fire in my liver…”
—
For the Grand Tutor, the night of the grand wedding had come far too late.
Yet it was an unavoidable situation; on a spring night with his beloved in his arms, if they could not blend like water and milk over several rounds of passion, wouldn’t it be a waste of such a wonderful occasion?
When the residual poison was completely gone, the Grand Tutor felt that if he could not marry his beloved into his arms this time, he might as well drink another bowl of poison rather than cling to life. On the night of the grand wedding, the Grand Tutor felt that after several months of gathering his spirit and accumulating his energy, he had fully restored his youthful, vigorous self.
The ceremony was magnificent; clad in her grand wedding robes, the peerless sovereign looked extraordinarily charming. Such a sovereign was destined to be pressed beneath him night after night in the days ahead, to be loved fiercely until she cried and begged for mercy beneath him. The mere thought set his entire body ablaze; he wished he could end the ceremony instantly and thoroughly cherish this lovely beauty he had worked so hard to win!
A few days prior, the Rouran Kingdom had sent emissaries with the intention of sending a prince to form a marriage alliance with Great Wei’s sovereign. Those barbarians certainly possessed grand delusions! Once the ceremony concluded, he would dispatch the Black Banner Army to flatten the cities of Rouran, letting those who harbored such filthy intentions know: if they wished to remain on good terms with Great Wei, they need only present tribute in gold and silver. Anyone who dared compete with Wei Lenghou for a seat upon the dragon bed would face only one outcome—utter, everlasting destruction!
—
Once the ceremony concluded, the Grand Tutor did not rush to carry the delicate Emperor onto the dragon bed. Instead, he led her all the way into the empty Hall of Supreme Harmony, placing his beloved upon the dragon throne itself.
“What are you trying to do, Grand Tutor?” When Nie Qinglin discovered that the Grand Tutor had unfastened her dragon robe, revealing the soft belly-band beneath, her face flushed with extreme bashfulness. But immediately following that, her two long, beautiful legs were lifted and rested onto the armrests of the dragon seat.
“Your Majesty should know that in front of others, I am willing to serve beneath you; but behind closed doors, if Your Majesty tries to put on the airs of a supreme ruler, or dares to bring a green hat over my head without respecting your husband, I shall meticulously discipline Your Majesty’s delicate flesh and let Your Majesty know that I alone am more than enough to satisfy the empty ache beneath Your Majesty’s dragon throne…”
The remaining words were entirely drowned in entwined lips and tongues. Within the Hall of Supreme Harmony—solemn and silent during the day—the echoes of delicate moans and heavy gasps resounded continuously on this joyous day of nationwide celebration for Great Wei.
At this moment, no one was present in the grand hall. Had anyone peered inside, they would have discovered that within this perilous palace that had weathered countless storms, a treacherous dragon extended its sharp claws, coiling tightly around the golden-scaled jade dragon in near-madness. Rollicking and tumbling amidst an ocean of desire and a sky of passion, waking repeatedly from startles within the dream, yet never wishing to awaken again…
