The Perilous Palace Dream - Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Upon hearing this, Nie Qinglin slightly parted her lips, seemingly holding her breath in a daze for a while.
Though she had long sensed something was off about him, this side of Ge Qingyuan far exceeded her expectations.
After a moment, the tip of her nose turned slightly red as she softly said, “Brother Ah Xi, are you angry at me?”
At her words, Ge Qingyuan’s body stiffened slightly.
“Ah Xi” was a childhood nickname given to him by his mother.
When he was young and played with the Fourteenth Prince, the little prince imitated the wet nurse and called him “Brother Ah Xi” too.
Back then, in his childish naivety, he had even secretly planted several kisses on that royal little brother’s face.
“The princess has always refused to acknowledge her identity. Why now are you calling me by my childhood name?” he said, then suddenly reached out with a large hand and yanked Nie Qinglin into his embrace.
One hand gripped her delicate chin without any restraint, forcing her to lift her head.
“When that palace maid came to find me, there had just been a terrible incident in the palace. If I had really escaped, that traitor Wei would have followed the trail and found you. I know Brother Ah Xi was worried about my safety. You have an elderly father at home, and younger siblings. How could I selfishly drag you into this?”
Seeing her reddened eyes, Ge Qingyuan’s deep gaze flickered slightly.
He curled one side of his lips into a smirk.
“Is that so? Judging by how that traitor Wei dotes on you, he must have already tasted your sweetness. I heard the Grand Tutor spends one or two tender hours on your bed each time he enters your chambers. If you truly cared about your Brother Ah Xi, how could you favor one and neglect the other?”
Nie Qinglin blinked her reddened eyes and suddenly reached out to tug at Ge Qingyuan’s handsome face.
Because she didn’t use much strength, Ge Qingyuan squinted and let her pull at him.
“What are you doing, Princess?”
“I just want to see who’s pretending to be Brother Ah Xi. Talking like that, so indecent! There’s nothing between me and that traitor Wei, we’re completely innocent! If you keep making things up like that, I really will get angry!” Though she sounded angry, her tone was that of a sixteen-year-old girl—naive and unaware of the depth of things.
Ge Qingyuan didn’t reply.
His deep eyes took on a somber look as he stared at this girl with her mix of innocence and charm.
Ever since he had guessed the Emperor was actually a woman, he had become interested.
The daughters of that foolish emperor each had their own unique flavor, but he wondered how this particularly clever one had been handled by Marquis Wei Lenghou.
Was she even more wanton than that harlot Leyao? Otherwise, why would Wei Lenghou,who never pandered to women, be so devoted to her?
He thought that his own wickedness might be enough to shatter the princess’s pride.
But this Princess Yong’an, in the face of such upheaval, remained calm and composed, snuggling up to him like a childhood sweetheart, acting spoiled in a soft and natural way as if they had never been separated.
She truly looked like an inexperienced young girl.
Even though he knew full well she wasn’t as naive as she seemed, Ge Qingyuan found himself unwilling to expose her just yet.
Speaking with her like this gave him a strange sense of comfort.
Besides, he still needed her cooperation for what came next.
If she stayed this compliant, it would save him some trouble…
So he finally relaxed his expression.
“If the princess doesn’t let go, we really might end up tearing each other apart. You’ve slept for two hours so you must be hungry. Allow me to prepare some food for you.”
With that, he slowly released her and stood up to leave.
Nie Qinglin let out a long breath.
Ambitious men were all the same, soft words worked better than hard threats.
She looked around.
The gentle rocking beneath her told her they weren’t on land.
She didn’t know where Ge Qingyuan planned to take her by boat.
Soon, an old woman entered.
But instead of bringing food, she carried a washbasin and a towel.
“The master ordered me to examine whether the princess is in good health. Please remove your underclothes and lie down.”
Just one sentence, and Nie Qinglin immediately understood what the old woman meant.
She sneered inwardly: Lord Ge, what grand airs! You’re still just a minor official, far from the throne, and you’re already acting like the emperor inspecting a new concubine’s purity?
She looked coldly at the woman.
“There’s nothing wrong with my body. No need to trouble yourself.”
But the woman lifted her chin arrogantly and looked down on the princess.
“The master’s orders cannot be disobeyed. If the princess won’t cooperate, I’ll call people in to hold you down. Don’t blame me then for being disrespectful!”
Nie Qinglin saw the shrewish look on the old woman’s face and knew she wasn’t bluffing.
She took a deep breath… and slowly lay down.
Before long, the woman left the cabin and reported to Lord Ge: “The princess is indeed still a maiden.”
Ge Qingyuan raised his thick brows in surprise.
Did I guess wrong? Why had Wei Lenghou guarded such a delicate flower but never tasted it? Slowly, he poured himself a cup of wine and said to the woman, “Invite the princess to dine.”
When Nie Qinglin arrived at the ship’s main hall, she discovered the vessel was quite large.
Though not as grand as the imperial dragon boat, it was luxuriously appointed.
As she walked the deck on her way there, she looked out at the scenery.
It was late at night, the moon veiled by clouds.
Darkness cloaked the riverbanks, and only the ship’s lanterns occasionally illuminated the strange grass along the embankments.
That peculiar short grass, wasn’t it the one Ge Qingyuan had once introduced to the Grand Tutor? It was rare, and its presence immediately told her: they were on the Grand Canal.
Entering the hall, she saw Ge Qingyuan seated at the table, slowly sipping his wine.
When he saw her, he stood up politely and invited her to dine.
He looked calm and composed now, entirely lacking the wicked air he had in the cabin, more like the proper and dependable official he was in court.
“May I ask, my lord, where you intend to take me?” she asked.
Ge Qingyuan didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he countered, “What does the princess think of this wine?”
Nie Qinglin raised her delicate hand, lifted the cup, and took a sip.
“It’s crisp and mellow; not newly brewed.”
“The princess has a discerning palate. This wine was buried by my father and me under our locust tree eight years ago. After years of blossoms and withering, the flavor of this wine has matured to perfection. Wine is like a certain feeling, the longer it settles, the richer its taste. Princess, do you know what feeling I speak of?”
At this, Nie Qinglin’s heart sank.
She began to faintly understand the reason behind Ge Qingyuan’s elaborate schemes…
He, too, noticed her subtle change of expression and chuckled.
“As expected, the princess is exceptionally clever. I speak of revenge. At first, rage burns uncontrollably. But buried deep in one’s heart, it lies in wait…festering, fermenting… The longer it brews, the sweeter it tastes when finally exacted. Tell me, Princess, all this trouble I’ve gone to, what do you suppose it’s for?”
Nie Qinglin lowered her gaze.
She knew now was not the time to provoke him, so she replied along his line of thought.
“Yong’an was young, unaware of past palace matters… but I suppose the Nie family wronged the Ge Family in some way?”
Ge Qingyuan reached out and clasped the delicate hand that held her wine cup.
With her hand still in his, he raised the cup to his lips and drank the rest of her wine.
“You may have been young, but I suspect you’ve long known the truth. The year we met, your father, the Emperor of Great Wei had set his eyes on the beautiful wife of the Deputy Minister of Justice. Using the excuse of a summer retreat, he lured her into a side palace and, with the lives of her family as leverage, shamelessly defiled her in the garden…”
“A fragile woman…how could she resist the power of a sovereign king? She returned home in shame, wanting to hang herself. But her devoted husband would not allow it. He rescued her from the brink, and holding a sword to his own throat, said he would not live on if she chose to die.”
“And so, for the sake of her husband and her young children, she endured… but from that day forward, she refused to see her husband or her children again. She shut herself away in a Buddhist hall, and eventually died in childbirth and unable to survive the delivery of the bastard child she carried…”
Nie Qinglin could feel Ge Qingyuan’s grip tightening on her hand, as if he meant to crush it.
“Before his beloved wife passed away, the Deputy Minister buried that jar of wine with his eldest son, telling him that the day their great vengeance was avenged would be the day they opened the jar to drink. Ever since, the Deputy Minister and his son endured the humiliation and worked in secret. Since the foolish emperor had brought ruin to his family, he would in turn bring ruin to the emperor’s country, his consorts and children reduced to the slaves of others!
At first, everything went smoothly. The emperor was muddle-headed, employing petty men, and both the northern and southern frontiers were on the brink of collapse.
But then… Wei Lenghou! He shattered years of painstaking planning by father and son, taking the lead and reaping all the benefits others had so carefully laid out! Your Highness, tell me, how exactly should I make up for the heartbreak of a lifelong ambition lost?”
At this point, the handsome face of Ge Qingyuan twisted into a vicious snarl, as if all the hatred he once bore for the late emperor had now been redirected toward Wei Lenghou, who had disrupted his plans halfway through.
Nie Qinglin felt a deep sinking in her heart: Wise Father, just what sort of debts have you left behind for your daughter? It seemed this Lord Ge would not be easy to deal with.
During the later years of her father’s reign, everything in court had gone awry.
It felt as though some invisible force was accelerating the downfall of the dynasty.
At first, she had thought it was merely the faction punished by Grand Tutor Wei, the one led by Minister Rong.
But now, it appeared there was something far more complex going on.
“I’ve long known of Father’s absurdity,” she thought, “but I never realized he had fallen to such depths of madness. Now that he’s already passed into the underworld, I can only hope Brother Ah Xi can one day let go of this hatred and live his life in peace…”
Ge Qingyuan seemed to have calmed himself somewhat.
He let go of her hand, picked up a wine cup, and looked down at her small hands, now reddened from his grip.
With long fingers dipped in wine, he gently massaged her fair skin to restore circulation.
“The princess is pure in heart. Despite being in the hands of a treacherous minister who committed regicide and harbors dark ambitions, you’ve remained untouched. That’s not something an ordinary woman could manage. I know well that the emperor’s crimes cannot be laid at your feet. However… I’m not as magnanimous as you. I must have an end to everything. If Your Highness is willing to assist me, I will treat you with all due courtesy. Whatever that traitor Wei can offer you, I can give you double. And once I’ve secured the realm, I’ll grant you a life of luxury and peace.”
Nie Qinglin remained composed, only slightly frowning at the pain from his grip, and softly asked, “What does my lord intend?”
Ge Qingyuan raised his eyes slightly.
“I ask the princess to write a letter, pretend you planned to elope with your lover, but were intercepted and captured by Xiongnu envoys halfway. A detachment of elite Xiongnu troops came to assist in abducting you to the northern lands. In desperation, the princess secretly leaves a note at the inn, begging the local officials for rescue.”
Nie Qinglin blinked, not fully understanding the deeper meaning behind his plan.
Seeing her clear, inquisitive gaze, Ge Qingyuan smiled and continued:
“In the end, I have to thank Your Highness for the reminder during the palace exam. After returning home, I spent a whole month studying the river routes. I oversaw the construction myself. Once the sluice gates are opened, the entire lower reaches will flood overnight. If that Wei Lenghou truly holds you dear, as I suspect, he will definitely lead his army to rescue you himself. Then, as the waters pour forth and a hundred li becomes a swamp, no matter how brave Wei’s Black Banner Army may be, they’ll only end up like ants drowned in the sea.”
These words sent a cold chill through Nie Qinglin. “But the villages and commoners across that hundred miles area…”
“That traitor Wei is violent and he murdered the emperor to seize the throne, set fire to the royal lineage… He has angered the heavens. One night of rising waters drowns him, Your Highness, don’t you think calling it ‘divine retribution’ will soothe the people’s outrage?”
Ge Qingyuan stood, his tall figure casting a shadow over the candlelight.
The depth in his eyes held none of the innocence of an eighteen-year-old boy.
“I ask Your Highness to write quickly. I don’t have much patience, and I still wish to treat you with civility. Please don’t let my goodwill go to waste.”
As he finished, an old maidservant brought over paper, ink, and brush, setting them before Nie Qinglin.
“Please, Your Highness, begin writing.”
Nie Qinglin gave a faint, bitter smile.
“Both Lord Ge and Wei Lenghou are men of grand ambitions, unwilling to bow to others, truly outstanding among men. We know full well who sits on that dragon throne. As a woman, We never should have sat upon it. If you two must struggle for it, let the worthiest prevail for the sake of the people’s well-being. But now, Lord Ge’s so-called ‘brilliant’ plan demands We personally write a death sentence for the innocent commoners of over a dozen villages across a hundred miles. We may be nothing more than a puppet ruler, but We refuse to become a tyrant who sacrifices the lives of her people just to save herself. We fear, my lord, you’ll have to think of another plan.”
Ge Qingyuan hadn’t expected the always-gentle princess to suddenly speak so firmly.
She didn’t even refer to herself as this princess, but as zhen—the imperial “We.”
Her eyes were no longer bashful and soft, but cold and steady.
A faint smile hung at the corner of her lips.
Her calm, composed posture now truly resembled that of a monarch gazing down from the high court.
Ge Qingyuan reached out and gently caressed her smooth cheek.
“I hadn’t understood before. I thought it was merely Your Majesty’s beauty that captivated that traitor Wei. But now I see, it’s this cold and noble bearing of yours that drives men mad… It’s a pity. Despite my courtesy, I still can’t win Your Majesty’s heart. You continue to search for excuses…”
“But that’s fine. That traitor has clouded Your Majesty’s judgment for too long. I’ll show you what a true, magnificent man is. The sins your father left behind must be repaid by a daughter worthy enough to shoulder them…”
As he spoke, he picked up a brush, selected a piece of paper, and with a twist of his wrist, mimicked Nie Qinglin’s handwriting to near perfection.
This was Ge Qingyuan not as innately brilliant as Wei Lenghou, but exceptionally meticulous and willing to put in the effort.
He had buried the humiliation suffered by his parents in his heart for years without ever showing a trace, studied unfamiliar river hydraulics in a matter of days, and even quietly mastered Nie Qinglin’s calligraphy.
To be enemies with such a man was to tremble with fear before one could even prepare.
After finishing the letter, Ge Qingyuan looked up, a wicked gleam flashing in his eyes.
“It was only a test of Your Majesty’s sincerity but Your performance today has greatly disappointed your dear Ah Xi…”
“Now then…how shall I punish Your Majesty?”
Before he finished speaking, Nie Qinglin suddenly bolted toward the edge of the boat.
She wasn’t a strong swimmer and she had only secretly practiced diving in the shallow pools of her mother’s palace but at this point, there was no other choice.
With a leap into the water, she could only pray for the slimmest chance at survival.
Just as her body reached the side of the deck, before she had a chance to leap off, Ge Qingyuan rushed over in a few quick steps, grabbing her slender waist and pulling her tightly into his arms. The warm breath laced with wine rushed straight into her ear:
“Did I fail to entertain Your Highness properly? Why are you seeking death? If that’s the case, then I should do my utmost to make sure Your Highness isn’t lonely…”
As he spoke, he scooped up Nie Qinglin’s struggling body and carried her into the cabin in just a few steps.
He threw her onto the bed and slowly began to untie his robe, revealing a firm, muscular torso that was hardly the physique of a typical civil official.
“I originally wanted to treat you with courtesy, respecting the fact that you’re still a maiden. After killing Wei the Traitor, I had planned to take you into my manor so that even as the Princess of Great Wei, your name wouldn’t be sullied. But now it seems the falling flower is willing, while the flowing water is heartless. You and I might as well perform the rites of the Duke of Zhou early. Once you’ve tasted what it’s like to be with a man, you’ll stop acting like an emperor and settle down to bear my children—make up for the deficit left behind by your foolish father!”
(T/N: the rites of the Duke of Zhou is refer to the consummation of marriage.)
Saying this, he yanked open Nie Qinglin’s clothing, eagerly kissing her fragrant cheeks.
He had already felt the silky softness of this royal princess’s skin while she was unconscious, and now as he pressed against it again, it was like opium…utterly addictive.
One could only wonder if Wei Lenghou had some hidden affliction; otherwise, how could he have kept such a tempting woman untouched?
But this was proof that heaven favored him.
This beauty, and the world, were meant to be his.
Once he conquered this long-coveted beauty here on this bed, he’d deal with Wei Lenghou.
Years of careful planning all came down to this moment.
By now, most of the previous emperor’s offspring in the capital were already dead.
That massive fire at the secluded manor had been orchestrated by his informants hidden inside the palace.
The sixth prince had renounced the royal surname and narrowly escaped.
The only remaining bearer of that foolish emperor’s bloodline was the bastard younger brother living in his own manor.
Many veteran ministers in court already suspected this secret.
Though the boy looked like his mother, a glance at his features betrayed his true lineage as the late emperor’s illegitimate child.
When that eight-year-old eventually ascended the throne, he—the “brother-in-law”—would sit upon the flood dragon throne. Wei Lenghou’s unfinished ambition as the Marquis of Dingguo, he would see it through to the end.
The helpless struggle of the beauty beneath him only fueled a brutal urge to crush her,how to best savor and torment her? He might not be satisfied even after three or five rounds tonight…
Just then, the cabin door was forcefully flung open.
A lavishly dressed woman stood at the doorway, face filled with jealousy.
“So quick to abandon the old for the new, are you, Ge-lang? You’ve only just spent a few days warming up with me, and now you’re enjoying the blessings of Qi—taking the younger sister too?”
Nie Qinglin raised her head in panic.
Standing at the doorway was none other than the long-missing Princess Leyao.
Ge Qingyuan frowned slightly, slowly rising from the bed.
Releasing Nie Qinglin, he stepped outside and asked:
“How’s the situation at the prince’s residence?”
“What else could it be? Wei Lenghou really is heartless. Ignored the prince’s pleas and interrogated Lin Miaosheng overnight but couldn’t get anything out of her. The whole capital is now under martial law, filled with an eerie atmosphere. Seems he’s truly stirred by his precious one… So? Can’t wait any longer, Ge-lang? You want to taste the imperial flavor that’s driven Lord Wei to madness?”
Ge Qingyuan merely smiled.
“Leyao wasn’t by my side and I was a bit lonely, just using her to pass the time. What? Leyao, are you jealous? You’ve had so many men in your bed, and I’ve never questioned it…”
While speaking, he pulled Princess Leyao’s hand and led her to another room.
Her normally wanton and unrestrained face now carried a trace of sorrow.
“Why do you say such things? Others may think I’m naturally promiscuous, but do you misunderstand me too, Ge-lang? When I was thirteen, after being humiliated by my drunken father, I wanted to die. It was you who stopped me, who used the story of your mother to inspire me. Since then, I’ve given my heart to you and never wavered. Everything I’ve done…all the men I’ve been with was to weave a net for your rise. And now… now you’re tired of me? Didn’t you say that once you sat the throne, I would be your rightful empress?”
Ge Qingyuan caressed her heavily rouged face.
Though she was still young, years of indulgence had aged her and her sagging skin left him repulsed at the touch.
He half-lowered his eyes, letting Leyao strip off her clothes and snake her body around him like a water serpent.
Slowly, his hand moved down from her forehead to her neck.
“Leyao’s devotion, I’ve always known. But now that the Prince is being watched by Wei Lenghou, I fear they’ll force a confession from you. I wonder… would Princess be willing to do one last thing for me?”
Clinging tightly to her lover, breathing raggedly, Leyao gasped: “Leyao… is willing to do anything…”
Upon hearing that, Ge Qingyuan suddenly clenched his large hand.
As Leyao’s eyes widened in disbelief, he forcefully twisted her neck.
“I need Princess Leyao to die,” he said.
Then he gently let go.
Leyao crumpled to the floor like a pile of soft mud.
The tears at the corners of her eyes smudged her rouge into a blur.
For his future ascension, everything had to be proper and justified.
Becoming the little emperor’s brother-in-law was the perfect cover for integrating into the Nie imperial clan.
An emperor yielding the throne to a respected brother-in-law would become a tale sung through the ages, even written into the annals of history.
But now, a more fitting candidate had appeared for the empress’s seat.
Why should he continue to tolerate this filthy, wanton woman?
Ge Qingyuan calmly straightened his clothes and glanced at the flickering lights of the neighboring cabin.
He had drunk too much earlier and lost his composure.
Now was the crucial time for his trap to close and he couldn’t afford to drown in pleasure.
Only by eliminating Wei Lenghou entirely could he lay in bed at ease, with no worries.
Beauties were like fine wine—worth waiting for.
With that thought, he jumped onto a small boat, ordered Leyao’s corpse brought aboard, and vanished into the night.
It hadn’t taken Wei Lenghou much effort to find out that the concubine Prince Yonghe kept outside was actually Princess Leyao.
His master, now ravaged by opium, had lost all former clarity.
Whenever the addiction struck, he would bash his head against the wall in agony.
Just when they thought they’d found a lead, someone rushed in to report: Princess Leyao had been found dead, naked at the Xiongnu envoy’s posthouse, and the envoys themselves had vanished.
At that moment, a local official from downstream along the canal hurried over and handed in a slip of paper and its handwriting familiar, its every word filled with sorrow…
H
Gah!!! Cliffhangers! Poor Dragon Pearl. I hope she escapes!! Thank you for the update!