The Perilous Palace Dream - Chapter 82
Chapter 82
The newly chosen theater, meant to be far from the court, had not yet been built.
Eunuch Ruan, out of regard for Prime Minister Qiu’s face, could not invite an opera troupe into the palace, so he thought of other entertainments for the Princess.
The flower-tile game was very suitable.
One only needed to gather around a table to play.
Nanny Shan brought in trays of exquisitely cut fruits to treat the noble ladies who had entered the palace.
Since all food and drink in Fengchu Palace were the Grand Tutor’s private supplies, many of them brought from overseas, even though these county princesses and noble daughters were born into wealth, they could not even name many of the fruits.
Many had already seen with their own eyes Princess Yong’an dressed in gowns of Cloud-Stacked Gauze worth untold fortunes, but only upon entering Fengchu Palace did they realize that the luxuries this pampered princess enjoyed were beyond anything they could imagine.
Every item and furnishing in the palace was a priceless treasure.
That jade bed, worth a fortune and sought after by all, the Princess remarked was “too cold,” so she rarely slept on it herself.
Instead, it had become the exclusive bed for her pet Fluffyball.
The plants grown in the courtyards were all exceedingly rare and precious as well, making these noble ladies of kings and marquises realize firsthand that Princess Yong’an’s position in this palace even surpassed that of the Empress in name.
Though the Grand Tutor had yet to formally announce her as his bride, the favor and indulgence he lavished upon this woman who had come out from a temple was already without limit.
As for the Princess herself, every part of her delicate, refined style was something the noble girls of the capital longed to imitate.
Her jewelry and clothing were of rare materials that others could not possibly copy even if they wished.
But her fingertips’ refinement was something easier to emulate.
In recent days, Princess Yong’an, bored with idleness, had grown long nails like white jade.
Each day, after soaking them in rosewater mixed with sheep’s milk, she would smear them with osmanthus-honey balm, and then her clever maids would paste on peony motifs inlaid with tiny tourmaline stones.
Under the sunlight, her ten slender fingertips sparkled brilliantly.
When she held the flower tiles, they drew every gaze, making the gathered noble daughters secretly resolve to imitate her.
They all wished they could become Princess Yong’an herself, enjoying the favor that every woman under heaven envied.
Nie Qinglin’s mind, however, was not on the gilt-edged paper tiles.
What occupied her thoughts was the letter she had received the night before, a letter that sent chills down her spine.
Near midnight yesterday, the Grand Tutor’s carrier pigeon had flown into the palace.
The wax-sealed tube tied to its leg had been delivered directly into Nie Qinglin’s hands.
When she unrolled it, what met her eyes was not Wei Lenghou’s familiar bold handwriting, but instead: “You cannot escape. In the end, you will return to my embrace.”
Seeing this, her whole body shuddered.
She recognized this handwriting.
It was identical to that exam paper from the Palace Examination years ago.
Ge Qingyuan.
As if bitten by a venomous snake, Nie Qinglin flung the slip of paper to the ground.
She frowned, thought for a while, then picked up the wax tube again.
Upon close inspection, one would notice the seal was not smooth, as if it had been broken open and resealed with wax.
Thinking briefly, she understood at once.
The pigeon sent from Great Wei must have been intercepted by Ge Qingyuan.
He had swapped the message inside and then released the bird again, so that this terrifying note reached her hands.
This man’s terror was unlike Wei Lenghou’s sharp, blazing brilliance.
Ge Qingyuan was a cunning man who constantly learned and grew.
After experiencing the chaos of the capital and the turmoil in the southern frontier, no one knew how dark and twisted his mind had become.
Ge Qingyuan, what exactly are you planning?
The sound of horses’ hooves clattered.
Along a winding mountain path, over a dozen riders advanced northward at a leisurely pace.
Their relaxed and unhurried manner made them look like wealthy youths on a spring outing.
At the front, a man and woman rode side by side.
The woman cloaked herself fully in a black mantle, while the tall man sat upright on horseback, his deep gaze fixed on the distant horizon, silent for a long time.
After a while, the woman turned to him with a frown.
“Brother, we are moving too slowly. It has been over ten days, yet we have not reached the border. At this pace, how can we take our revenge? We should spur our horses, hurry to the northern frontier, and join forces with the Xiongnu chanyu, to slice the Grand Tutor and that Princess Yong’an into a thousand pieces, to avenge Father and our slaughtered kin.”
Her voice grew savage, her face twisted with hatred.
Just days earlier, her brother’s men had cast nets for hunting and happened to capture a carrier pigeon.
To their surprise, it was a love letter from Marquis Dingguo to Princess Yong’an.
The brother, normally unreadable in joy or anger, had crushed the cup in his hand into shards.
What was so good about this Princess Yong’an? Why could she ensnare both her brother and Wei Lenghou, two outstanding men, making them lose all sense of themselves?
A born vixen fated to die.
Now Ge Yun’er no longer had the heart of a refined noble lady of old.
When her brother first ordered her to serve the King of Southern Frontier, she had been unwilling.
But remembering she was no longer a maiden, her purity already sullied, she thought that if her brother could help the Southern Frontier King achieve dominance, then by becoming his consort and returning to that city of humiliation, she could avenge her shame and stand tall before that Princess Yong’an.
With such thoughts, she obeyed her brother’s command.
After learning the arts of seduction from a courtesan of great renown, she became the beloved concubine of the Southern Frontier King.
In that time with him, she did gradually develop some feelings for the Southern Frontier King, who was at least reasonably handsome.
But in the great battle amid the reed marshes, he was utterly destroyed, turned to ashes.
“Whoever can drive back the Wei soldiers may share this king’s beloved consorts and concubines!”
Even though this shout came from a distance, it still reached Ge Yun’er’s ears.
In that instant, the last trace of warmth in her heart turned completely cold.
So, in the eyes of the Southern Frontier King, who seemed to love her so deeply, she was still someone who could be cast aside and shared with others.
Ge Yun’er felt nothing but hatred in her heart.
The man riding beside her did not look at her.
His eyes were fixed on the distant, quiet mountain road as he slowly said, “Yun’er, your heart has been disturbed. If one is too eager for quick success, one will fail. The more critical the moment, the more one must remain calm. Our recent misstep was because our actions were too hasty. Right now, we are in a fallen state, so how could others value us? We came to Southern Frontier recklessly, unfamiliar with the land and people. Even if we had a thousand clever schemes, it would have been hard to carry them out. A few days ago, when Southern Frontier fought the Grand Tutor, I already saw through the Grand Tutor’s deception. If I had been commanding the Southern Frontier army, even if I could not guarantee victory, at least I would not have allowed the Grand Tutor to gain such an advantage.
It is a pity that the stubborn and self-willed King of Southern Frontier was nothing more than a hopeless fool.
“Now that Southern Frontier has been defeated, we have only the northern frontier left as a path. If we cannot act with careful planning and full preparation, then even if we reach the Xiongnu, we will only hold the role of advisors. Even if the northern frontier gains power, what benefit would it bring to you and me? That is why this time, we must find a way to firmly establish ourselves in the northern frontier. To tell the truth, I now hope that war breaks out again along the border. If Wei’s armies first defeat the Xiongnu several times and throw the northern frontier into chaos, only then will we have a better chance.”
Ge Yun’er knew her brother’s reasoning was sound, yet whenever she thought of the Grand Tutor and Princess Yong’an with their immortal-like beauty, whenever she imagined the two of them in their chambers together, her hatred gnawed at her heart like a worm, suffocating her.
Was it not precisely those two, that pair of heavenly lovers, who had driven her to such a miserable state? She wished she could cut off their heads with a single stroke, then place them beside her bed, so that when she woke each morning, the first thing she saw would be their severed heads.
Behind them, more than a dozen riders followed silently.
They were the most trusted of Ge Qingyuan’s confidants, all men he had saved in times of peril.
They had undergone harsh training, were skilled in martial arts, and utterly loyal to him.
None spoke, but they followed faithfully.
In the carriage were ingots of refined iron and gold and jewels that Ge Qingyuan had long been secretly stockpiling.
That day, Ge Qingyuan, his sister, and their followers arrived at a grassland.
The lush green grass rose past the horses’ hooves and stretched endlessly to the horizon.
They had been on the steppe for only half a day when one of the followers suddenly said, “My lord, there are northern frontier barbarians ahead.”
Ge Qingyuan reined in his horse and looked into the distance.
Aside from the sea of grass, there was nothing to be seen.
“There is no one there,” Ge Yun’er said, turning back in puzzlement to glance at the follower.
This man was named Ge Zhong.
His eyes were sharp as torches, filled with a penetrating light.
He sat upright on horseback, staring unwaveringly at the vast expanse ahead, without responding to Ge Yun’er.
Ge Qingyuan also remained silent, gazing far into the horizon.
After a while, faint black specks finally appeared.
Ge Qingyuan asked, “Can you make out who they are?” Ge Zhong concentrated again, then replied respectfully, “There are seven of them, mounted with bows and arrows, carrying curved sabers. They should be northern frontier soldiers disguised as bandits, as described in the Wei army reports. From time to time they raid and plunder.”
Ge Qingyuan thought for a moment, then clapped his hands and laughed.
“We have just arrived in the northern frontier, and opportunity has already come knocking at our door. It seems my run of bad luck has finally ended, and fortune has come to greet me.”
He turned and gave orders.
“When the clash begins, capture them alive. Do not take their lives.”
The figures in the distance had also spotted them.
Their pace suddenly quickened, and soon they were near.
These “bandits” wore wolfskin cloaks draped loosely over their shoulders, half their bodies bare.
Taking the group for fat prey, they charged forward, howling and laughing.
Ge Qingyuan’s followers rushed out as well, seven against seven, meeting them head-on.
These followers had been carefully chosen, skilled in both archery and horseback combat.
How could a few ordinary frontier “bandits” stand against them? Within a few rounds, all the bandits were knocked from their horses, lying on the ground unable to rise.
Among the men Ge Qingyuan had taken with him when he fled the capital were many with remarkable talents, fluent in the dialects of different regions.
One follower questioned the captured “bandits” one by one and then reported back, “My lord, these men are from the Morha Tribe, one of the three great northern tribes. Dissatisfied with Xiu Tuhong’s monopoly of both wealth and power, they have lately often sent men out to plunder.”
Ge Qingyuan immediately ordered the captured “bandits” to lead them to the Morha Tribe.
Knowing their lives were spared, the men were overjoyed and gladly led the way.
Ge Qingyuan followed behind them, the corners of his lips faintly lifted in a smile.
There was not a trace of a fallen or defeated man about him.
After years of lying low and careful planning, he had buried countless spies in the capital, in Southern Frontier, and in the northern frontier.
He was very familiar with the situation here.
The Morha Tribe was one of the three great tribes of the northern frontier, led by the eldest son of the old king, Xiu Tuyu. After the old king’s death, Xiu Tuyu lost the war against his younger brother Xiu Tulie in the struggle for the throne of the northern frontier.
Defeated and humiliated, he fled back to his tribal lands. Xiu Tulie, who claimed to have “deep brotherly affection,” never forgot about his elder brother.
After ascending the throne, he sent a great army to invite Xiu Tuyu back to the royal camp for a brotherly reunion.
Helpless, Xiu Tuyu had no choice but to lead his tribe away from their homeland, wandering across the steppe to evade his brother’s pursuit.
He had not expected that as soon as he entered the grasslands, heaven itself would bestow such a great gift upon him.
A strange gleam flickered in the depths of Ge Qingyuan’s eyes.
Surely, by now, the beauty in Fengchu Palace must have received his personal letter.
He wondered if that night she would be able to sleep at all.
Two days later, the Grand Tutor’s army arrived at the capital.
Officials from the Ministry of Rites had already begun preparing for the grand ceremony to reward the troops.
The deterrent force generated by this campaign against Southern Frontier was immense.
The speed and decisiveness of the victory had exceeded the expectations of many who had opposed the southern expedition, and the Grand Tutor’s reputation once again soared to new heights.
The old ministers who were loyal to Great Wei could hardly sleep, worrying night and day.
Would the Grand Tutor, upon returning with such overwhelming momentum, depose the emperor and declare himself ruler? Qiu Mingyan, however, believed that the wise Grand Tutor would surely take such a step.
Just the thought that, upon returning to the capital, the Grand Tutor could legitimately seize the throne made even the usually stone-faced Lord Qiu show a trace of joy.
Even the naive young ladies who spent their days playing cards were chattering about the upcoming ceremony.
They discussed which shop windows along the main street their families had rented so that they could avoid the crowds and still have a clear view of the triumphant soldiers as they marched home in glory.
They debated what kind of dresses they should wear so that, standing at the window, they would appear more striking and eye-catching.
Nie Qinglin played cards for a while but soon grew weary.
The noble ladies around her, seeing that the princess had lost interest, tactfully excused themselves.
After bidding farewell to her companions, the princess returned to the inner chambers of Fengchu Palace.
For reasons she could not quite explain, the thought of his imminent return in two days filled her with unease.
The sudden, malicious note she had received weighed on her heart, leaving her restless.
After washing, applying a fragrant balm to her skin, and combing through her long hair, she instructed Nanny Shan to light calming incense.
Half-drowsy, she lay down on her bed.
She did not know how long she had been dozing when a scent unlike the incense reached her nose—the masculine scent of a man.
In that instant, Nie Qinglin woke fully.
The words from yesterday’s threatening note flashed across her mind.
Could it be…?
The moment a large hand reached toward her, Nie Qinglin gathered her strength.
Her nails, recently grown long, were sharp enough for use.
She raked them fiercely across the intruder’s face while crying out, “Nanny Shan, help!”
Nanny Shan, resting in the adjacent room, rushed in at once when she heard the commotion.
Palace maids entered with lamps, and the chamber was suddenly filled with light.
There, atop the princess’s bed, was no common intruder but the Grand Tutor himself, still dressed in his unremoved battle armor.
His handsome face, which had survived the perils of the Southern Frontier campaign unscathed, now bore fresh scratches—bright red marks inflicted by the princess’s nails.
His phoenix-like eyes blazed with disbelief and fury.
Looking at the maids who had flooded into the chamber, he growled in a low, commanding voice, “All of you, out!”
Nanny Shan glanced once more at the Grand Tutor’s worn yet striking face, then at the stunned young princess.
With a sigh of pity for them both, she led the servants out, shutting the doors tightly behind her.
It had been months since they last met.
The Grand Tutor was not a man who liked to waste time on tender sentiments, yet on countless days and nights, riding ceaselessly on horseback, he had imagined their reunion.
Sweet visions had lightened his weariness.
At last, he had slipped away from his main forces with only a handful of trusted men, returning secretly to the capital two days ahead of schedule.
He had even written a letter beforehand, telling his little Guo’er that he would come early and asking her to wait for him, so they could spend the night together and ease their longing.
But who would have thought that after such an arduous journey, when he finally reached Fengchu Palace, the first thing his beloved did was to strike him so mercilessly.
Did she not harbor even a shred of longing for him?
Nie Qinglin, unsettled by the tiger-like ferocity in his gaze, felt at a loss.
She glanced at her reddened fingertips—no need for rouge now, her nails were already tipped with bright crimson.
Quickly, she snatched a handkerchief from her pillow and leaned forward to wipe the blood from his face, muttering softly, “Grand Tutor, you are always so frightening. Appearing suddenly at my bedside in the middle of the night; how could I not mistake your intentions?”
Wei Lenghou gave a cold snort.
Seizing her wrist, he pulled the soft, delicate woman..whom he had yearned for through countless days and nights into his embrace.
“Who but I could step onto the princess’s bed? Months apart, and your slender hands have grown so fierce. Have you been studying grappling from General Shan? Perhaps I will have to bind them tightly with cord in a moment.”
Pressed against his broad, powerful chest, Nie Qinglin suddenly felt a strange sense of security.
She lifted her head slightly to look at the man she had not seen for so long.
Apart from the fresh scratches, his features were still as striking as ever—his finely drawn brows, his phoenix eyes burning with unspoken passion, and below his straight nose, lips so thin and taut they tempted her to taste them.
Before she could gather her thoughts, those lips pressed against hers.
At first his kiss was gentle, as though she were a fragile treasure, but soon impatience overtook him.
His burning mouth covered hers in a deep, hungry kiss.
His tongue, like a serpent freed from its lair, entwined with hers in fierce combat.
Nie Qinglin’s lips parted unwillingly, admitting this midnight intruder, her very blood pounding in her ears with every teasing stroke.
The strong masculine musk of his body swept away the drowsy incense from the chamber, stirring desires that had long lain dormant within them both.
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Thank you so much for the update!! So glad to see new chapters.