Chapter 29: Hounds and Minions

Outside the house, the cold wind raged, snapping off withered branches with a "Crack! Crack!" Inside, steam rose steadily. After finishing a small bowl of mutton soup, A Jiao felt her entire body warm up.

Wei Zifu lowered her head to eat while observing the Emperor's expression from the corner of her eye. Suddenly, she let out a soft "Oh!" which drew A Jiao's attention.

"What is it?" A Jiao asked.

Wei Zifu raised her hand to her lower abdomen, her expression tender and loving. She whispered, "The child just moved in my belly. He must know that Your Majesty is here, so he is happy too."

A Jiao's expression tightened. With no emotion on her face, she merely said flatly, "Is that so?"

Wei Zifu pursed her lips, gathered her courage, and looked at the Emperor. "Your Majesty, would you like to touch the little prince?"

A Jiao raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on Wei Zifu's abdomen for a long time. Finally, she said slowly, "It is getting late. I will not linger here any longer. Zifu, finish your meal and then go rest. Take good care of yourself and the child."

Wei Zifu's expression stiffened slightly, and the hand resting on her abdomen froze. Then, she watched helplessly as the Emperor stood up and walked straight out, not even turning back to look at her once.

The smile on her face became difficult to maintain.

Liu Yue, standing to the side, also stared blankly at her father's back. She stood up, wanting to chase after him, but was held back by her mother's hand.

Not until the Emperor's figure disappeared from the hall and into the cold wind did Liu Yue look at her mother with tears in her eyes. She choked out, "Mother, Father didn't pay any attention to me today. Does he not like me anymore?"

Wei Zifu gently stroked her daughter's head. Though she felt uncertain herself, she still comforted her daughter's wounded heart: "Of course not. Perhaps there are matters at court. The next time your father comes, he certainly won't forget you."

Even Wei Zifu herself did not believe these words, yet she still needed her daughter to believe them.

After leaving Pixiang Hall, A Jiao did not return directly to Jiaofang Hall. Sitting on the Imperial Chariot, she thought for a moment and told the driver to head to Yongxiang.

Beauties of low status who were not assigned their own sleeping halls, as well as some menial palace maids, usually lived in Yongxiang. In Liu Che's harem, aside from the pregnant Wei Zifu and Lady Wang, no one else had been assigned a sleeping hall.

Therefore, A Jiao could only come to Yongxiang to see those women of Liu Che's.

She had a deeper impression of one Beauty surnamed Yin; she did not know where Pingyang Princess had scoured her up from. Yin Meiren had a voice like a lark, and she sang quite beautifully.

It would be better to come here today, see these beauties, and enjoy the pleasures Liu Che usually indulged in.

The palace servants of Yongxiang did not expect the Emperor to visit suddenly. Some beauties and maids had not even dressed properly before rushing out to welcome the Imperial carriage. A few, dressed too thinly, stood shivering in the cold wind.

Seeing them dressed so thinly, A Jiao merely told them to dress properly before coming back, then followed the eunuch in charge of Yongxiang into the inner hall.

Because they did not know the Emperor was coming, the fire in the inner hall's stove had already gone out. A young eunuch hurriedly lit the stove again. The door curtain was lowered, blocking out the cold wind, and the room gradually warmed up.

The eunuch He Yide served by A Jiao's side, diligently asking the Imperial Kitchen to prepare some food. A Jiao waved her hand: "No need. I have already finished my evening meal."

"Which beauty does Your Majesty wish to summon?" He Yide asked again.

A Jiao rubbed her chin with her fingertips and said, "Call Yin Meiren to serve."

He Yide hurriedly signaled to a young eunuch, who took the order and left in a hurry. He Yide suggested to A Jiao: "Would Your Majesty like some pepper wine to warm your body?"

A Jiao did not particularly like drinking, but thinking of her purpose for coming here, she nodded slightly: "Very well."

He Yide said: "I will go prepare it at once."

A Jiao did not wait long in the inner hall before Yin Meiren walked in from outside with graceful poise. She stood in the middle of the hall and bowed to A Jiao: "This concubine greets Your Majesty." Her voice was crisp and melodious; she truly had a good singing voice.

"Rise." The reason A Jiao had an impression of this Yin Meiren was that she had once heard her singing for Liu Che.

Yin Meiren gazed at the handsome and heroic Emperor before her, unable to help but hold her breath. Suppressing her excitement, she walked gracefully toward A Jiao and knelt beside her. Her boneless, soft arms climbed gently onto A Jiao's shoulders, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness: "Why did Your Majesty think of this concubine today?" She seemed to be complaining that the Emperor had not visited in a long time, yet her surprise could not be hidden.

She nestled against A Jiao's lap like a little bird.

A Jiao looked at her sideways, sighing only that this Yin Meiren was truly beautiful, with delicate brows and charming eyes. She chuckled: "When I passed by Yongxiang, I remembered your singing voice."

Yin Meiren pouted: "Oh, so Your Majesty wanted to hear a little tune." Before entering the palace, Yin Meiren had been a Chang Nu. She was fortunate enough to be chosen by the Emperor and brought into Weiyang Palace, where she lived a life without worries about food or drink.

She had no great ambitions; as long as she could continue living like this, it was enough. Now that the Emperor said he wanted to hear her sing, she naturally had to use all her skills to please him.

If she could please the Emperor, perhaps she could be like Lady Wei, move out of this Yongxiang, and have her own sleeping hall.

Sigh, she wondered what method Lady Wei had used back then to conceive the Emperor's child on the first try and move out of this Yongxiang.

As they spoke, He Yide had already warmed the pepper wine and brought it over. Yin Meiren took the wine from He Yide's hands and said: "Official He, this concubine will serve Your Majesty here."

He Yide was naturally tactful; after bowing to A Jiao, he retreated.

Yin Meiren used her fair hands to lift the wine pot and pour wine for A Jiao, then asked: "What tune would Your Majesty like to hear? This concubine will go prepare."

A Jiao drank a mouthful of pepper wine and said: "Just sing whatever you like; I will listen at my leisure."

There seemed to be an indescribable train of thought between the Emperor's brows. Yin Meiren thought for a moment and softly hummed a folk song from her hometown. The melody was light and cheerful; it was not elegant music, but it could make the listener forget their troubles for a moment.

A Jiao's attention was indeed captured by the tune Yin Meiren was humming. She couldn't help but drink two more cups and asked: "Where is this song from?"

Yin Meiren said: "This is a song from my hometown. I heard my mother sing it when I was a child. Every time I heard my mother sing it, my mood would improve, and I hope Your Majesty's mood can improve as well."

A Jiao was stunned by what she said. Yin Meiren was actually able to see that she was in a bad mood. It seemed her emotional management was still not up to par, to have let an outsider see it.

Yin Meiren's ample bosom pressed against A Jiao's arm, with even slight friction. As she leaned over to pour wine for A Jiao, her bosom brushed against A Jiao's palm, and a faint scent of orchids assailed her nostrils, disturbing A Jiao's breathing.

Yin Meiren naturally felt the Emperor's change. She leaned gently into A Jiao's embrace, and seeing that A Jiao did not object, she became even bolder, nestling her entire body against her. One hand held a wine cup to A Jiao's lips, while the other had already very boldly reached toward A Jiao's waistband.

"Your Majesty, this concubine will feed you wine."

When A Jiao was pressed by her like this, her body had already stiffened. Although she thought in her heart about letting herself accept Liu Che's women, actually putting it into practice seemed a bit difficult.

She struggled in her heart for a long time before reaching out to gently wrap her arms around Yin Meiren's water-snake-like waist, and taking another cup of wine from her hand.

Yin Meiren seemed to know very well how to tease people. Her plumpness rubbed against A Jiao's chest, and then she hooked the wine pot with one hand, coquettishly pouring the wine into her own mouth while in A Jiao's embrace. After tossing the wine pot aside, she climbed onto A Jiao's shoulders with both hands, intending to feed A Jiao wine.

A Jiao: "!!!"

Almost as a conditioned reflex, A Jiao pushed Yin Meiren away abruptly. Caught off guard, Yin Meiren was pushed away, not only falling to the ground but also choking on the wine in her mouth, coughing uncomfortably.

"Cough, cough, Your Majesty, you..." What was wrong?

A Jiao stood up quite awkwardly, reached out to help the coughing Yin Meiren up, and patted her back to help her catch her breath: "You..." What was this Yin Meiren's name again?

There were many beauties in Weiyang Palace, numbering over a dozen if counted carefully. Aside from Wei Zifu and Beauty Wang (Wang Afu), A Jiao basically couldn't name any of them.

Because the beauties in the palace were basically presented by Pingyang Princess, and their original identities were either singing girls or dancing girls, A Jiao really did not take these people seriously.

According to the harem hierarchy, these beauties were not even concubines. Currently, Liu Che's only concubine was Wei Zifu, Lady Wei, who had given him two daughters.

A Jiao secretly annoyed herself for coming over rashly without being prepared. Her expression tightened, and she said very solemnly to Yin Meiren: "I suddenly remembered that there are some government affairs I have not yet handled. Let us stop here for today; I will come to see you another day."

Yin Meiren: "..." The atmosphere had been built up to this point, and she had just felt the Emperor react—why was he leaving just like that?

Was this reasonable?

A Jiao brushed past Yin Meiren and hurried out of the inner hall. The cold wind outside instantly blew away the heat and discomfort on her body. He Yide, who was guarding the door, was surprised to see the Emperor come out so quickly: "Your Majesty?"

That feeling had not yet faded from A Jiao. She took a deep breath of cold air and said: "I... I am just taking a casual walk in Yongxiang."

He Yide: "?" Not holding a beautiful woman in the middle of the night, but coming to Yongxiang to blow in the cold wind? I dare not ask, I dare not say; whatever the Emperor says, goes.

He Yide had no choice but to hold a lantern and silently follow by the Emperor's side, lighting the way forward.

Walking randomly along the road in Yongxiang, she did not know where she had walked to, but the reaction in A Jiao's body finally subsided. She quietly breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at He Yide, and said: "That is enough, lead the way back."

He Yide also quietly breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said: "This way, please." The group also turned around silently, preparing to return the way they came.

Just then, a sound came from the darkness nearby. The guards were immediately alert, drawing their weapons to protect A Jiao: "Protect the Emperor."

This scene even frightened He Yide. He secretly thought that if an assassin were really discovered in the Yongxiang he managed, his head would be gone.

A guard walked into the darkness and immediately caught a "little wild cat," dragging it before A Jiao.

He Yide raised the lantern slightly so A Jiao could see clearly.

It was actually a eunuch wearing eunuch's clothes, looking no more than ten years old.

He clearly did not expect to be caught while hiding, and hurriedly gripped the thing in his hand tightly. Under the candlelight, his expression seemed overly stubborn, and his black eyes held a spark of spirit.

The clothes on this little eunuch were too thin, and his hands had developed chilblains due to the cold; those wounds looked somewhat disgusting. A Jiao couldn't help but frown: "It is so late, why are you not in your room, but hiding there?"

He Yide was terrified that the Emperor would blame him for poor discipline, so he knelt down to plead guilty: "Your Majesty, it is all because this servant did not manage well, letting this lowly person disturb Your Majesty. Please, Your Majesty, forgive me; this servant will certainly discipline him well." As he spoke, he grabbed the little eunuch and pressed him to the ground.

The thing in the little eunuch's hand fell to the ground and rolled to A Jiao's feet. She looked closely and saw it was a steamed bun, with a small tooth mark on it. Not staying in his room at night, but running outside to gnaw on a steamed bun?

A Jiao's frown deepened. She looked at He Yide and questioned: "Official He, what is going on?"

How could He Yide dare to tell the truth? Just as he was about to make up a story to brush it off, the little eunuch suddenly raised his head and looked at A Jiao: "Your Majesty, please save me."

"Bold! In front of the Emperor, how can a lowly person like you speak?" He Yide scolded angrily, raising his hand to slap the little eunuch.

The little eunuch's mouth was struck until it bled, yet he still knelt straight, his black eyes sending out a firm signal for help.

A Jiao narrowed her eyes and scolded coldly, "Someone, seize these two people and bring them into the room for interrogation."

A Jiao didn't even need to ask much before Su Wen had already interrogated the results. This He Yide was considered the highest-ranking official in the Yongxiang, in charge of all the palace maids and beauties within the Yongxiang. However, he had a penchant for the love of the dragon (homosexuality), and every young eunuch who newly entered the palace had to pass through his hands; that was how he had taken a fancy to the young eunuch from just now.

It just so happened that this young eunuch had some backbone and would rather die than submit.

Having offended his superior, the young eunuch's life in the Yongxiang was naturally difficult, and he had

not been bullied little by his colleagues; today, he had been punished by being forbidden to eat.

By evening, the young eunuch was truly hungry, and when he stole a steamed bun intending to hide and eat it, he was bumped into by A Jiao.

He was also quite clever, knowing to seek help from A Jiao.

After learning the sequence of events, the look in A Jiao's eyes when she looked at He Yide changed, and He Yide could only kneel on the ground and beg for mercy.

A Jiao directly had the guards send him to the Tingwei Office to be handled by the Tingwei. Turning her head to look at the young eunuch who was shrinking his head and trembling, she narrowed her eyes, dismissed everyone, and left only that young eunuch behind.

"What is your name, and how old are you this year?"

The young eunuch knelt on the ground and said, "This servant is called Chen Fei, and I am sixteen years old this year."

A Jiao raised her eyebrows; she couldn't tell that this young eunuch was already sixteen, as his build looked like that of an eleven or twelve-year-old.

Chen Fei kowtowed: "This servant kowtows to thank the Emperor for the grace of saving my life, and begs the Emperor to keep this servant by your side to serve you." If today's matter were to spread, he would have even less of a foothold in the Yongxiang. Now, for him, this was an opportunity.

"I am not lacking people to serve by my side. Do you have any merits that would make me keep you?" A Jiao looked at him calmly.

Chen Fei paused, and finally, with a determination as if facing death, said: "This servant is willing to be loyal only to the Emperor and be your hawk and hound."

A Jiao did not speak, but followed the candlelight in the room, staring at the youth before her. His appearance was indeed handsome, and his eyes were especially beautiful; it was no wonder that He Yide had taken a fancy to him. But the reason A Jiao decided to keep him was his gaze.

There was a ruthlessness in his eyes that one could not ignore. A Jiao thought that even if she hadn't met him today, that He Yide would likely not have long to live. For such a person, if one were to show him kindness, it would not be a bad thing.

Thinking this, A Jiao spoke: "I do not need you to be loyal to me." She was Liu Che now; there was no need to add more confidants for Liu Che.

Chen Fei was stunned, thinking he had missed the opportunity, only to hear the Son of Heaven say: "I want you to be loyal to the Jianling Chang Princess."

The Jianling Chang Princess?

As a eunuch of the Weiyang Palace, Chen Fei naturally knew who the Jianling Chang Princess was; she was the daughter of the Emperor and the Empress. To Chen Fei, this made no difference; in any case, it was all loyalty to the Emperor.

"Nuo, this servant swears to be loyal to the Emperor and the Jianling Chang Princess until death."

"No." A Jiao stood up and looked down at him, saying: "What I mean is, you only need to be loyal to the Jianling Chang Princess; you do not need to be loyal to me."

She said faintly: "If one day my opinion and the Jianling Chang Princess's opinion are at odds, you only need to take the Princess's will as the standard. Even if she tells you to kill me, you must do so without fail. Can you do this?"

Chen Fei raised his head in astonishment, unable to understand why the Emperor would issue such an order to him.

Only be loyal to the Jianling Princess, even if the Jianling Princess told him to commit regicide?

The hall was silent; Chen Fei was unsure if this was the Son of Heaven's test or if he truly intended this. After a long time, gambling on it, he said: "This servant accepts the decree and swears to be loyal to the Jianling Princess until death."

A Jiao was very satisfied with Chen Fei's answer. She said: "You may rise. I will arrange for people to prepare clothing and food for you. You should wash up and rest well for the night, and go see the Princess tomorrow."

"Nuo."

Just as the words fell, Su Wen's voice came from outside: "Your Majesty."

A Jiao signaled for Chen Fei to rise first, and she let Su Wen enter.

Entering with Su Wen was also a eunuch from the Jiaofang Hall. The eunuch knelt and said: "Your Majesty, the Lady... the Lady urges you to return to the Jiaofang Hall as soon as possible, otherwise she will come to the Yongxiang herself to find, to find you."

The eunuch was sweating cold sweat inside. As a eunuch by the Empress's side, he had witnessed the intense scenes when the Emperor and Empress quarreled. In the entire Weiyang Palace, only the Empress dared to give the Emperor a cold look to his face.

The Empress said she would come to the Yongxiang herself; she would likely really come.

A Jiao also knew she had been out for a long time this time. She responded: "Mm, let's go." As she walked, she had Su Wen take Chen Fei away as well.

When she returned to the Jiaofang Hall, it was already very late; after all, this night had been quite a toss-up. Tomorrow, she would tell A Li that she had arranged a hawk and hound for her.

The palace lamps in the Jiaofang Hall were still burning, and the Empress sat with a cold face

in the hall waiting for the Son of Heaven to return. Only when she heard the sound of a carriage coming from the entrance did the Empress let out a soft hum.

The palace maids in the hall held their breath, not daring to let out a sound, waiting for the coming storm.

Things in the Jiaofang Hall had not been smashed for a long time.

A Jiao returned with exhaustion and the smell of alcohol. Raising her eyes to look at Liu Che, who was still sitting upright in the main seat, she only said: "Why haven't you gone to rest yet?"

Liu Che said sarcastically: "You still know how to come back?"

A Jiao glanced at the palace maids on both sides and said: "You all withdraw."

The palace maids curtsied and left one after another, leaving the space for the Emperor and Empress to quarrel slowly, and they would come in to clean up after it ended. This had been the process before; they were very familiar with it.

A Jiao walked over and caught sight of a cup of tea on the table. She didn't ask much, picked it up and drank it in one gulp, then said: "What are you angry about? Didn't I go to visit Lady Wei and the child in her belly for you?"

"After you went to the Pixiang Hall, why did you go to the Yongxiang again?" Liu Che gritted his teeth and said: "Does the Yongxiang also have my child?"

"Who knows." A Jiao raised her eyebrows: "Didn't Wei Zifu move out of the Yongxiang only after she was pregnant?"

"Chen Jiao!" Liu Che took a deep breath and said: "Do not avoid the heavy and dwell on the light; what did you do when you went to the Yongxiang?" He had been waiting in the Jiaofang Hall until now, and thinking of A Jiao using his body to be with those beauties, he felt very uncomfortable inside.

Even though he knew in his heart that A Jiao would not really mess around, he still felt uncomfortable; this kind of emotion came very strangely.

A Jiao thought of the charming and graceful Yin Meiren, and a trace of dryness rose in her throat. She subconsciously licked her lips and smiled: "I didn't do anything, just thought Yin Meiren sang very well, so I went to listen to a song."

At the end, she asked: "By the way, what is Yin Meiren's name? Or how do you usually address Yin Meiren? Tell me about it, so that when I am with her in the future, I won't be exposed."

Liu Che: "?"

Looking at the rather expectant expression on her own face, Liu Che finally realized the key to the problem. He narrowed his eyes and questioned: "Don't you hate those beauties very much? You once even asked me to send them all away; why do you seem very happy now?"

"What you said about 'once' was five years ago." A Jiao reminded: "In recent years, when have I ever asked you to do that? Liu Che, how can you always wrong people?"

Liu Che: "..." That's right, he always remembered how she used to quarrel with him, but forgot that these things were already five years ago.

Ever since she had A Li, she had become non-contending for the past five years, and now she could even replace him to visit Wei Zifu, whom she once hated the most.

A Jiao caught sight of her own face turning pale, and she rarely reached out to touch her own cheek with pity, leaning closer and saying: "Liu Che, don't worry, I will try my best to act as you in front of your beauties. So remember to tell me the names of those beauties when you have time."

Liu Che brushed her hand away unhappily: "There are so many people; how could I possibly remember them all?"

"Then what is Yin Meiren's name? You should at least remember that, right?"

Liu Che said coldly: "I only call them Beauty; as for what their specific names are, why should I remember?"

A Jiao: "... Scumbag!"

"What did you say?" Liu Che did not understand what the word A Jiao said meant.

This word was told to her by Liu Li, and A Jiao felt it was very appropriate to describe Liu Che. She smiled: "Nothing, it's getting late, let's go to sleep."

Liu Che was just about to get up, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. He gasped and instinctively covered his stomach.

A Jiao heard his voice and turned to look. Seeing him covering his stomach, her heart tightened, and she hurriedly reached out to support him: "Liu Che, what's wrong with you?"

Liu Che's face turned another shade paler. He leaned against A Jiao and said hoarsely: "I don't know, my stomach suddenly hurt."

A Jiao was also nervous; after all, it was the child in her own stomach. She raised her voice: "Someone, summon the Imperial Physician."

The palace servants outside heard it and hurriedly ran to invite the Imperial Physician. A Jiao bent down slightly and picked Liu Che up horizontally, turning to walk toward the rest area in the side hall.

Liu Che tilted his head

and leaned into A Jiao's arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of her tightly pursed lips, which had almost become a line. He looked at the panic and nervousness on his own face that he had never seen before, and for a moment, he wanted to laugh.

But the pain in his abdomen reminded him that now was not the time to laugh.

Gently placing him on the soft couch, she discovered that her hands were stained with blood. Seeming to think of something, A Jiao raised her hand to lift Liu Che's skirt, and his trousers were already red.

Liu Che was also dumbfounded looking at this scene. He opened his mouth: "I... I, what happened to my child?" At that moment, Liu Che's heart was filled with unprecedented panic.

He clearly hadn't done anything, and he was fine just a moment ago; how did he suddenly start bleeding? Would the child be alright?

A Jiao was also anxious: "Did you eat something?"

"I haven't had dinner tonight!" Because he knew she had gone to the Yongxiang, he was so angry he couldn't eat.

"Then how did it just..." A Jiao didn't say the words "miscarriage." She even suspected whether Liu Che didn't want this child again, but seeing Liu Che's panicked face, she had to dismiss this thought.

Liu Che covered his stomach in pain: "It hurts." He even felt as if something was about to fall from his lower abdomen...

Was it this child? Liu Che's heart twitched slightly. He had endured three months of torture to keep this child; was he about to lose it now?

No, he wouldn't allow it.

The Imperial Physician arrived quickly. Fortunately, the child was not in trouble; it was just a sign of miscarriage.

"The Lady must remember not to get angry in the future and maintain a good mood; only then will it be beneficial for the growth of the little Imperial Prince." The Imperial Physician did not forget to exhort.

Liu Che lay on the soft couch, already sweating from the pain. The Imperial Physician first applied needles to him to stabilize the fetus, and then went to decoct medicine for Liu Che to protect the fetus.

A Jiao turned to look at Liu Che, puzzled: "I only went to the Yongxiang once; you actually made yourself this angry? Liu Che, you... forget it..."

She didn't know what to say, and finally only said: "Fortunately, the child is fine."

Liu Che let out a cold hum, gently stroking his lower abdomen.

Seeing him like this, she suddenly said: "I know what you are worried about. I promise you that my first time as a man will definitely be with you. After I have experience..."

A Jiao saying this was indeed sincere. After all, she intended to occupy the magpie's nest and would never take the initiative to return the body to Liu Che. Since she was a man, she would eventually have to take that step.

She would try her best to overcome her inner obstacles, so it might as well start with having intercourse with her own body.

Liu Che: "??" Is this human language?

He gritted his teeth and interrupted her: "Chen Ajiao!"

A Jiao: "Don't be angry; the Imperial Physician said you can't get angry anymore. Be careful of the child!"

"Get out, I don't want to see you again."

"Alright, alright, I'll go out first. You must not get angry again; the Imperial Physician just managed to save the child with great difficulty."