The Night Before Leaving the Palace, Reduced to the Tyrant's Plaything - chapter 14

The three of them were talking at once, making Qi Rang inexplicably irritable. He turned to Wanyu and barked, “Why haven’t you withdrawn yet!”

Wanyu kowtowed, discreetly clutching the exit pass in her palm, and bowed out without a trace of emotion.

Consort Shu immediately broke into a delighted smile. “I knew His Majesty wasn’t that kind of person. I disliked that wretched maid the moment she entered the palace. If His Majesty truly took a liking to her and kept her here, I would be disgusted for the rest of my life.”

“Enough.” Qi Rang raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The two of you should leave now. I have important matters to discuss with Chief Xu.”

Consort Shu lingered reluctantly. “If Your Majesty promises to attend my banquet tonight, I will go. If not, I won’t budge.”

“I know, I’ll be there,” Qi Rang replied helplessly.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for honoring us.” Consort Shu and Consort Li thanked him together, leaving the room in high spirits.

Xu Qingzhan, who had watched the drama unfold for some time, finally drawled, “It seems that having too many wives isn’t such a blessing after all. Someone like me is spared a lot of trouble.”

Qi Rang shot him a glare, annoyed. “Only you dare joke with me like this. If anyone else did, I’d have their head.”

Xu Qingzhan chuckled. “It’s only because I rely on Your Majesty’s favor. Without your cultivation, how would a eunuch like me enjoy such standing?”

“As long as you know it.” Qi Rang’s tone was casual, but full of warning. “Do your job well and don’t ever betray me. Otherwise, I won’t let you off easily.”

Xu Qingzhan knelt on one knee. “Your servant will be loyal to Your Majesty until death.”

“Rise!” Qi Rang waved his hand absently. “What brings you here at this time?”

Xu Qingzhan got up and said, “The other day, Your Majesty instructed me to investigate who advised the Princess Consort of Jin to kneel for so long at the palace gates. I’ve uncovered some things and came to report to Your Majesty.”

When Qi Rang heard him mention the Princess Consort of Jin, his gaze darkened. Yet what appeared in his mind was Jiang Wanyu’s panic-stricken face, and those pleading eyes.

The image of the Princess Consort of Jin had instead become somewhat blurred.

He steadied himself and went to sit by the southern window, speaking slowly, “Go on, what have you found?”

Xu Qingzhan followed him over and began quietly relating what he had discovered.

The two of them spoke in the hall for a long time, until they unwittingly missed the midday rest.

Qi Rang simply gave up on sleeping and went straight to the South Study to review memorials.

But for some reason, he couldn’t calm his mind. After reading three petitions urging him to select an Empress, he grew even more agitated, tossed his brush aside, and sat in a sulk.

After a while, he fished out the little notebook he had snatched from Wanyu earlier and leafed through it page by page.

There wasn’t anything special in it-just things she couldn’t say aloud, nor convey with gestures.

Qi Rang couldn’t help but wonder: If those words were spoken from her own lips, what would her tone and voice sound like?

He remembered how, just days after entering the palace, she had offended Consort Shu and had her throat poisoned mute by a bowl of medicine.

After five years, he had long forgotten what her voice sounded like.

As he flipped through, he came across her message to a few Palace Maids.

His gaze lingered on the words “leaving at first light tomorrow,” his brows furrowing unconsciously.

With a flick of his hand, he was about to throw the little notebook into the brazier, when suddenly he saw, in his mind’s eye, the woman recklessly reaching into the fire to retrieve the exit pass.

He grew even more irritable, crushing the notebook in his palm, but in the end did not throw it away. Instead, he gave a random order to the attendant by his side: “Take her some burn ointment.”
Fuzi was stunned.

He hadn’t been in the hall at the time and didn’t know about Wanyu’s burn. Cautiously, he asked, “Who does His Majesty mean?”

Qi Rang shot him a sharp look, making him shiver and instantly understand. He hurriedly bowed and said, “This servant will go at once.”

Sun Liangyan was waiting outside. Seeing Fuzi come out, he asked, “Where are you off to?”

Fuzi covered his mouth with one hand and whispered, “Master, His Majesty asked me to deliver some burn ointment to her. Tell me, who do you think ‘her’ is?”

Sun Liangyan was also taken aback. After a moment, he replied, “Most likely it’s her.”

The master and apprentice understood each other without words. Fuzi added, “But I haven’t heard she was burned. It’s just that her forehead seemed to be scraped.”

“There’s a lot you haven’t heard,” Sun Liangyan said. “If His Majesty tells you to go, just go. Remember to get it from the Imperial Pharmacy, not the Imperial Medical Bureau. There are too many people and prying eyes at the Imperial Medical Bureau. If you go there, the whole palace will know before you’re even done.”

“Alright!” Fuzi responded and headed to the Imperial Pharmacy.

By evening, Consort Shu sent someone early to invite the Emperor to Yongshou Palace for a banquet.

When Qi Rang arrived, he saw that nearly all the consorts and concubines of the harem were present, the room filled with beautiful women dressed to the nines.

Even Consort Zhuang had brought Princess Jiahua to join the festivities.

Consort Shu, unusually generous for once, had dressed Consort Li up gorgeously and seated her next to Qi Rang at the main table, saying it was a special privilege for the birthday girl.

With everyone showing such favor, Consort Li was delighted and took the lead in toasting Qi Rang.

The other consorts, not to be outdone, also came forward to toast him one after another.

Qi Rang had risen at the fifth watch for morning court, hadn’t rested at noon, nor eaten, only having a few pastries in the South Study. Now, after being toasted by a dozen consorts in turn, the alcohol quickly went to his head, and he grew drowsy.

Consort Shu seized the moment and said, “Consort Li, His Majesty cannot hold his liquor well. Quickly help His Majesty to your chambers to rest!”

Consort Li glanced nervously at Consort Lan and the other consorts.

“Go on, go on, take good care of His Majesty,” Consort Lan said, also unusually generous.

The rest of the consorts were surprisingly unanimous in their attitude.

When it came to serving the Emperor at night, the entire harem was harmonious and yielding for the first time, with no fighting or competition.

Consort Li thanked her sisters, called for her personal Palace Maid, and supported Qi Rang as they left.

Consort Shu also instructed her own Palace Maid, Qiu He, to assist.

Sun Liangyan made a token protest, “Consort, Consort Shu, shouldn’t we ask His Majesty’s opinion?”

“You talk too much!” Consort Shu said impatiently. “Today is Consort Li’s birthday. What’s wrong with His Majesty spending the night with her? It’s not as if she’ll eat him alive.”

“Exactly,” Consort Lan added. “It’s freezing cold, and His Majesty is drunk. It’s safest for him to rest nearby. Qianqing Palace is so far away-if he catches a chill on the way, can you take responsibility?”

“This servant cannot take responsibility.”

Sun Liangyan yielded readily, thinking, Your Majesty, please don’t blame your servant-I did my best.

After a while, Qiu He returned from assisting and reported that Consort Li had already helped His Majesty settle in for the night.

“His Majesty usually needs some Calming Incense to sleep. Does Consort Li know this?” Consort Shu asked meaningfully.

Qiu He replied, “Rest assured, Your Highnesses. Consort Li has already lit the Calming Incense.”

Only then did everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief, hoping the Emperor would sleep soundly until morning and that nothing unexpected would happen.