Xu Qi’an handed the young mare to the Yulin Guard and headed straight into the imperial palace, striding grandly towards the palace’s forbidden grounds, the rear palace.
In the past, the rear palace had been forbidden territory for men, even the inner court guards were not allowed near. The only ones permitted within were women and eunuchs.
But now, to Xu Qi’an, the rear palace was a place he could enter or leave as he wished, and he did not even need to worry about angering the next emperor.
Even if the next emperor got angry, it would be for a different reason.
Speaking of which, with this sort of frequent change of emperor, the rear palace would inevitably become a complete mess. Luckily Emperor Yongxing reigned for less than three months, and Huaiqing is also a woman.
Thinking of the beautiful ladies in the rear palace, Xu Qi’an unexpectedly found himself musing on this issue.
He could say with certainty that if after Emperor Yongxing’s accession, the realm had been peaceful, in no time those consorts left behind by Yuanjing would have become Yongxing’s playthings.
Perhaps they already had.
The origin of the Consort Fu case, after all, was that Yongxing had drunk a little wine and was then invited by a maidservant of Consort Fu to “pay a visit”, which led to the subsequent Consort Fu affair.
If one was to say that Yongxing had no designs upon his father’s consorts, Xu Qi’an did not believe it at all.
Within the rear palace, probably only the Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Chen, who held exceptional status, could avoid such a fate.
And had it been the Fourth Prince ascending the throne instead of Huaiqing, then the beautiful and youthful consorts of Yongxing would almost certainly also be doomed to the same pattern and become the new sovereign’s toys.
Similar examples were hardly rare in the history books, emperors stealing their sons’ wives, their brothers’ wives, their sisters-in-law, their fathers’ women, and so on, were all commonplace.
He soon arrived at Jingxiu Palace, where the old eunuch gatekeeper, trembling, said in a quivering voice:
“Silver Gong Xu, please wait in the inner hall for a moment, I… I shall go to inform the Consort Dowager…”
Once this beyond-mortal warrior nodded, the eunuch led the way ahead, head lowered, hardly daring to breathe.
Xu Qi’an entered the inner hall, just sat down, when the eunuch returned, bowing subserviently:
“The Consort Dowager invites Silver Gong Xu into the room to speak.”
Xu Qi’an immediately got up, did not let the eunuch lead the way, but made his way knowingly around the front yard and arrived at the refined courtyard where Consort Dowager Chen resided.
The courtyard was not large. In the south stood several bare trees, beside them a flowerbed; in the west was a small pond stocked with turtles and koi; to the north, a wholly vermilion-painted two-storey building.
The courtyard was empty, with no busy palace maids or eunuchs in sight.
Xu Qi’an crossed the yard, stepped over the threshold, and saw the mother and daughter sitting on the cushioned divan in the parlour.
Apart from Lin’an’s personal maid, there was no one else in the room.
Consort Dowager Chen was as beautiful as ever: her elaborate coiffure was adorned with splendid hairpins, she wore a finely tailored, exquisite brocade dress. Though in her forties, and with faint crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes, it did not diminish her beauty.
On the contrary, she had a special, indescribable charm.
It was precisely such looks that gave rise to the captivating and passionate Lin’an; Yongxing’s appearance was also quite fine.
Lin’an wore a red dress embroidered with gold thread, splendid and noble. She had an oval face with dignified grace, yet her blossomy eyes were alluring and full of emotion; so exquisitely dressed, the whole room seemed to glow.
Both mother and daughter had red-rimmed eyes, as if they had cried bitterly.
When Xu Qi’an entered, hatred flashed through Consort Dowager Chen’s eyes; Lin’an showed grievance and pain, gave him a soft glance, then looked away, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Greetings, Consort Dowager.”
Xu Qi’an bowed.
“I wouldn’t dare!” Consort Dowager Chen took a deep breath, her face cold as she said flatly:
“Silver Gong Xu now looks down upon the Central Plains and can decide the fate of the throne with a single word. I am but a mere woman, quite unworthy of such great courtesy from Silver Gong Xu.”
“What business have you with me, Consort Dowager?” Xu Qi’an asked directly.
Consort Dowager Chen did not answer, instead she looked at Lin’an.
Lin’an pursed her lips, silent.
Consort Dowager Chen’s expression suddenly became sharp, glaring at her fiercely. Lin’an’s tears immediately welled up and she choked:
“Ningyan, why did you have to do this to my brother Emperor?”
Tears trickled down.
She was like a little girl betrayed and abandoned by her beloved; apart from helpless sobbing, there was nothing she could do, appearing pitiful and fragile.
Consort Dowager Chen began to cry as well, gripping a handkerchief as she wept and wiped her tears:
“When you were still just a Bronze Gong, Lin’an treated you wholeheartedly, pleaded for you before the late emperor, gave you precious gold, silver, and pills, she spared no expense. I still remember the scene when she begged the late emperor for medicine to heal your wounds.
“Who could have thought, in the blink of an eye, you would treat her like this? Your Xu family also knew hardship back then. Now that you have made something of yourself, you cast away those who were sincere to you like worn-out shoes. Is your heart made of stone?”
Hearing this, Lin’an hurt even more, as if stabbed by a knife.
Consort Dowager Chen sobbed:
“We know Yongxing’s cause is lost, and we dare not hope for much. I only ask, for Lin’an’s sake, let the two of us leave. I know you will say you can protect Yongxing and spare his life.
“But Huaiqing has endured for many years and is ruthless, she will never spare Yongxing, and you will not be staying in the capital all the time. If she secretly has Yongxing killed, what could you do?”
As she spoke, she began to cry out:
“We have only this one son. If he dies, we do not wish to live either.”
She was not crying for Xu Qi’an’s sake, but for Lin’an’s.
This tactic was useless against Xu Qi’an, but for Lin’an, it was a blow straight to the heart. Blood was thicker than water; seeing her usually noble mother so abject, Lin’an looked at Xu Qi’an with tearful eyes:
“I… I know I am useless, not as good as Huaiqing. But, Xu Ningyan, for the sake of what we once had, could you spare my brother Emperor?”
Xu Qi’an looked at Lin’an’s face, at those eyes brimming with tears, and asked:
“What if I refuse?”
The light in Lin’an’s eyes faded. She said nothing, nor did she react with anger, only bowing her head.
The maid beside her, never having seen the princess so humble, glared indignantly at Xu Qi’an, then wiped away tears bitterly.
Her Highness’s sincere heart had all been fed to the dogs.
Xu Qi’an continued,
“If the Great Feng is left in Yongxing’s hands, it will be destroyed sooner or later. If I told you that when the dynasty falls, I would die with it, would you still ask me to spare Yongxing?”
Lin’an looked up in astonishment.
She had not known that Xu Qi’an would die with the dynasty.
Consort Dowager Chen seized the opportunity, sobbing:
“Now that he is no longer emperor, why will you still not show mercy?”
Xu Qi’an sneered:
“To leave the capital with Yongxing and then rally the armies across the land, rebelling under the banner of purging the cliques, this is the plan you have in mind, isn’t it, Consort Dowager?”
Consort Dowager Chen went ashen, but quickly recovered and, still crying, cried out:
“Lin’an, he is determined to see your brother dead!”
“Enough!” Xu Qi’an frowned and reprimanded her:
“Consort Dowager Chen, do you think that just because Lin’an is here, I would not kill you? I could kill even Zhende, let alone you. I meant to leave you some dignity in front of Lin’an, but since you spurn courtesy,
“Then I have no reason to worry further.”
He then looked at Lin’an and spoke gently,
“Do you want to know your mother’s true face?”
Lin’an was taken aback.
“Consort Dowager Chen, the Consort Fu case was masterminded by you. You used the Crown Prince as a pawn to draw out the national uncle’s past disgrace, supposedly to bring down the Empress Dowager. But your real aim was to force Wei Yuan and Yuanjing into open conflict.
“If Yuanjing moved against the Empress Dowager, Wei Yuan would never have stood by. When two tigers fight, one must be wounded, no matter who wins, for someone, it is all good news.
“This was not a scheme you could come up with alone. What is your relationship with Xu Pingfeng?”
Hearing the name “Xu Pingfeng” from his lips, Consort Dowager Chen’s face changed drastically.
She quickly composed herself and put on a pitiful expression:
“What Xu Pingfeng? I do not know what you are talking about.”
“Xu Pingfeng is one of the leaders of the Yunzhou rebels. To collude with rebels, Consort Dowager Chen, is a capital crime.” Xu Qi’an said calmly.
Consort Dowager Chen shrieked:
“Nonsense! Silver Gong Xu forced my son to abdicate, and now intends to destroy even me?”
Xu Qi’an ignored her and looked at Lin’an, explaining,
“When I first investigated this case, a mere palace maid in Jingxiu Palace was able to deceive me with the Qi-watching technique because she possessed a magical artefact that concealed her fortune.
“The Sitianjian would never give such an artefact to your mother, so where did the artefact on the maid of Jingxiu Palace come from?
“Also, think about the real target the Consort Fu case pointed to. Lin’an, think: Wei Yuan and Emperor Yuanjing had a falling out. No matter who won or lost, who stood to gain? The Yunzhou rebels were delighted to see it happen.”
Lin’an looked at her mother in astonishment.
Consort Dowager Chen said angrily,
“Don’t believe him. He hasn’t done enough harm to your brother, now he wants to deal with me as well. Lin’an, my daughter, why is your life so bitter?”
Xu Qi’an sneered,
“I haven’t finished. Ji Yuan has already confessed. During the peace talks, you privately sent someone to contact him, hoping he would go easy on you. As a result, he extracted a lot of intelligence from you about the royal family, and about me and Lin’an.
“You are a consort deep within the palace, on what grounds did you think the Yunzhou delegation would give you any respect?”
He was almost certain now that Consort Dowager Chen was Xu Pingfeng’s secret agent. But as he did not have one hundred percent proof, he did not say it aloud.
A seasoned hand would never voice a mere suspicion, because if wrong, it would let the criminal gauge your true knowledge and possibly mislead you.
“The answer is already clear. Is there any point in arguing? Do you need me to say it in front of Lin’an?” Xu Qi’an acted as if he had the whole truth in hand.
As he spoke, he quietly activated the power of the Desire Gu, affecting Consort Dowager Chen’s emotions, stirring her desire to confess, vent, and speak out.
With his current mastery of the Desire Gu, guiding the mind of an ordinary woman was no trouble at all.
“Mother, Mother Consort, is what he says true?” Lin’an looked at her mother in disbelief.
Affected by the Desire Gu, Consort Dowager Chen’s expression flickered, then suddenly she screamed,
“Shut up!
“There’s not a good man in your Xu family.
“Your father once swore undying love for me, saying he would marry no one but me, then promptly encouraged my father to send me into the palace.
“All these years, he treated me as a pawn. After squeezing out all my worth, he started an uprising in Yunzhou, seeking to steal my son’s throne.”
… For a moment, Xu Qi’an was dumbfounded, unsure what expression to wear.
He had guessed that Consort Dowager Chen was Xu Pingfeng’s covert agent, and that was not wrong, but he had not anticipated an additional layer to her identity.
Lin’an also forgot to cry, staring at her mother, stupefied.
“And you!”
Consort Dowager Chen gnashed her teeth. “You bastard child of Xu Pingfeng, your father betrayed me, now you want to betray my daughter as well. If His Majesty did not need to rely on you, would I ever have agreed to let Lin’an marry you?
“Now you are forcing Yongxing to abdicate. As long as we are still alive, you can forget about marrying Lin’an.”
“M-mother, what are you saying…” Lin’an choked out,
“How could this happen, how could it…”
She had never imagined her mother was her fiancé’s father’s former lover.
Xu Pingfeng had left the capital twenty-one years ago and decided to kill his master. Before that, Lin’an had already been born, and at that time, Emperor Yuanjing was also close to reaching the threshold in Daoist cultivation… Xu Qi’an’s heart sank. He asked calmly,
“Lin’an is Xu Pingfeng’s child?”
Back then, with Xu Pingfeng’s cultivation, sneaking an affair with Consort Dowager Chen would have been no trouble. The Jianzheng would probably not care about such matters. Of course, if Emperor Yongxing were Xu Pingfeng’s child, the Jianzheng would never have allowed him to become crown prince.
So Emperor Yongxing was definitely of imperial blood, but Lin’an might not be, since she was a princess with no prospect for the throne.
As for Lin’an being able to carry the purple Qi: this was something both innate and acquired.
A mere commoner, should he become emperor, would also be endowed with purple Qi. By the same logic, Lin’an, after over twenty years as a princess, would also have purple Qi even if not of imperial blood.
Thus, the Qi-watching technique could reveal fortune, but not parentage.
Consort Dowager Chen spat,
“Does he deserve it?”
Phew, good, good… Xu Qi’an felt relieved, and saw Lin’an also breathe a sigh of relief.
“How did you keep in contact with him?” Xu Qi’an asked.
“There was someone he planted in Jingxiu Palace, but once I learned Yunzhou had rebelled, I drowned her.” Consort Dowager Chen said viciously.
Now, as the effect of the Desire Gu faded, Consort Dowager Chen showed a hint of confusion.
—What did I just say?
“Lin’an, come with me.”
Xu Qi’an grabbed the hand of the girl in the red dress, pulling her away.
The little red dress followed meekly, her feelings conflicted.
“You cannot take her away…”
Consort Dowager Chen stood up abruptly, trying to stop them, but two hidden streams of Qi struck her knees.
Her legs gave way, pain followed, and she collapsed to the floor.
She screamed, “Xu Qi’an, don’t think you can marry my daughter, I would rather die than agree to your marriage.”
Lin’an instinctively looked back, crying out,
“Mother Consort…”
Xu Qi’an dragged her forcibly away.
Leaving Jingxiu Palace, Lin’an shook off his hand, keeping a noticeable distance from him, walking in silence through the depths of the palace.
Xu Qi’an hesitated, then said softly,
“I once told you, my father is a second-rank Arcanist. He stole the Great Feng’s fortune in the Battle of Shanhai Pass and hid it within me.
“But what I did not tell you is, my fate is tied to that of the Great Feng, if it falls, I die. So I must save the Great Feng, for the people, but also for my own survival.
“Yongxing lacks virtue and is unfit for the throne. If the Great Feng is left to him, it is doomed…”
He glanced at Lin’an, saw her cold and distant expression, and smiled wryly,
“Forget it, I’ll say no more.
“I have other matters to attend to, so I will not escort Your Highness back to Shaoyin Palace.”
Lin’an did not react.
Xu Qi’an retreated a step and melted into shadow, vanishing.
The moment he left, Lin’an’s body went soft, and she staggered, slowly sliding down by the wall. She hugged her knees, back against the red palace walls, and sobbed bitterly.
…
Jingxiu Palace.
Consort Dowager Chen slumped on the couch, gripping the tea table and muttering through clenched teeth,
“You can forget about marrying Lin’an, forget it. You do not dare to kill me, just as you would not kill Yongxing. As long as we remain, you shall not get your way.”
She would never allow Lin’an to marry the man who forced her son to abdicate.
She was powerless against Xu Qi’an, but Lin’an was her daughter, she knew her well, and had many ways to take revenge on Xu Qi’an through Lin’an.
At this moment, there were angry shouts from outside the courtyard:
“Who are you to dare trespass in Jingxiu Palace…”
The rebuke quickly turned to screams.
Consort Dowager Chen sat up, looking outside, just in time to see an old eunuch walk in.
“It’s you!”
Consort Dowager Chen immediately recognised the eunuch from Fengqi Palace and said coldly,
“Why have you come, are you here to throw your master’s weight around?”
The old eunuch shook his head and said deferentially,
“This old slave comes on order of the Eldest Princess, to attend upon Consort Dowager Chen.
“Her Highness the Eldest Princess bade me bring some gifts.”
He shrilled,
“Bring them in.”
Two young eunuchs entered, each carrying a tray bearing two items:
White silk and a flask of wine.
The old eunuch smiled,
“Her Highness said, she has yet to decide which of these to bestow upon you, so she will leave them here in Jingxiu Palace for now.
“If one day the Consort Dowager makes a scene and loses all fondness for this world, she may choose one and depart with dignity.”
Consort Dowager Chen stared at the white silk and the poisoned wine, face turning deathly pale.
Xu Qi’an might not kill her, but Huaiqing would.
…
Beside the palace wall, Lin’an, exhausted from tears, leaned against the wall to stand up, only for her foot to go numb, and she nearly fell.
Fortunately, someone caught her.
She assumed it was her personal maid, but when she turned her head, she found Xu Qi’an had returned.
He wore resplendent azure robes and his handsome face showed little expression, yet his eyes were full of helplessness and pain.
Lin’an turned her head away.
The next moment, she was picked up in a bridal carry, and his soft laughter sounded in her ear,
“Where I come from, this is called a princess carry, how fitting.”
Lin’an buried her face in his chest, sobbing,
“I hate you.”
“Hate me all you like! The more you hate me, the more you will never leave me.”
A gust of wind stirred, setting azure robes and red dress fluttering. The two of them walked along the quiet, secluded palace wall, step by step, drawing ever further away.
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