Chapter 138

By day the imperial city is splendid and magnificent, but once night falls it feels like a silent tomb; even though lamps are lit everywhere and guards patrol, it remains lifeless and gloomy.

Outside the Qianqing Palace, Empress Wang personally held a bowl of medicine; the palace lantern light fell on her face, outlining a cold, beautiful yet utterly warmth‑less silhouette.

Eunuch Hai stood with his head bowed before her, not daring to speak.

"I've heard that Your Majesty hasn't taken medicine for two days and even drove away the attendants who bring it. As a palace servant, you should put the emperor's health first—how can you indulge his willfulness and avoid treatment? If his dragon body suffers, how many heads do you have to lose?"

Empress Wang's voice was not loud, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

The emperor refuses to take his medicine, and even as a servant I can't force him! Eunuch Hai, unable to speak his anguish, dropped to his knees with a thud: "I deserve to die!"

"You truly deserve to die; if there is a next time, even if the emperor shields you, I will not spare you."

The empress gave a cold warning, then ignored Eunuch Hai, turned and pushed the door open to go inside; no one dared to stop her.

Eunuch Hai remained kneeling, while Kang Gonggong, whom the empress had brought, stood.

Kang Shouyi looked down on him from above, as if gazing at a corpse.

Within the vast Qianqing Palace, a sense of desolation pervaded.

The state of Dai Liang has a history of over three hundred years, with dozens of emperors before and after; it was most glorious during the reign of the former emperor, but under Emperor Xuanwen it began to decline from its peak.

The former emperor had nine sons, each possessing the noble bearing of a dragon and phoenix. The succession struggle of that time was a blood‑soaked storm: the crown prince and the second prince fought to mutual ruin, the third prince was drawn into factional strife and deposed, the fifth prince died young in his prime…

Emperor Xuanwen, the fourth son, was of average talent and not particularly resolute; among his brothers he was like an unnoticed weed—no one ever considered him a heir apparent, and he himself never dared to aspire to the supreme throne.

Yet fate played a ludicrous joke on him.

After the fierce slaughter, the remaining princes were either demoted or dead, and it was this most inconspicuous "escapee"—him—who the veteran ministers pushed onto the exalted throne of the Son of Heaven.

On the day of his accession, the mountains echoed with cries of "Long live!"

Emperor Xuanwen was initially overjoyed, but when the clamor faded and he found himself alone in the vast palace, his elation ebbed like a tide, revealing an endless emptiness.

The former emperor's achievements weighed on him like Mount Tai; he wanted to be a good ruler, yet feared he would fail and dreaded losing the empire through his own hands, gradually becoming hesitant and indecisive.

Thus, when the sorcerer appeared and declared that the fate of Dai Liang was nearing its end, he was terrified.

He therefore listened to the slander, took the so‑called elixir, and only later realized he had been bewitched by the sorcerer, committing a grave error; thereafter he developed a heart ailment and his health collapsed.

From then on, he felt even more unsure how to be a good emperor, as if each step he took were a plunge into an abyss.

Until Lady Wang Xiuyi entered the palace.

In his interactions with her, he discovered that she was unlike any other woman.

She possessed foresight, strategy, ice‑clear intelligence, great ambition, and was no inferior to any man.

Although palace women were traditionally forbidden from interfering in state affairs, Emperor Xuanwen made an exception for her, allowing her to sit beside him, watching her wield the vermilion brush to circle and comment on memorials, and even offering her guidance.

She was eager to learn and diligent, grasping things instantly, and never disappointed him; in her presence he felt an unprecedented sense of steadiness.

Later he elevated Xiuyi to empress, bestowing upon her honor, favor, and power beyond what others could imagine, and even joked with her: "My realm, I shall share half with Xiuyi."

They indeed enjoyed a very happy period together—she would hold the brush while he ground ink, they played chess, admired flowers, and discussed state affairs and governance without reservation.

But gradually, he began to fear her, though he didn't know when it started.

Perhaps it was during a certain court meeting, her proposal to eliminate redundant officials was too harsh, forcing three senior ministers to resign on the spot.

Perhaps it was when he happened to see her discussing affairs with the Minister of War, their unspoken understanding as their eyes met made him inexplicably feel offended.

Or perhaps, while reviewing memorials at night, he realized he was increasingly relying on her comments, even forgetting how to make independent decisions.

Thus, when she handled state affairs, he stared at her pen tip without showing anything; after she talked with officials, he secretly sent eunuchs to inquire; and when she made a suggestion, his first reaction was not "This method is feasible".

but rather "Will her lust for power be too great?"

Fearing a repetition of the Zhou-Wu turmoil, he thereafter stopped letting her interfere in politics, gradually ceased entering Earthly Tranquility Palace, and, when the Second Prince was ten, issued an edict sending him to guard the southern borders under the pretext of "training his body and familiarizing himself with frontier affairs," thereby forcibly separating mother and son.

In secret, he had once issued a last will......

"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine," the woman's voice said, as gentle as ever.

Emperor Xuwen opened his eyes; the years had been kind to the beauty, leaving few traces on the empress's face—she was still beautiful, yet different from before.

Empress Wang served him the bowl of medicine, then gently urged him a few more words before intending to leave.

Emperor Xuwen glanced at the memorials piled on the desk and suddenly said, "Those memorials, did the empress handle them for me?"

The empress held the empty bowl, lowered her eyes, and said, "The inner palace must not interfere in state affairs; I dare not. Your Majesty, your health is frail; major matters in court are for the cabinet officials to discuss and decide. Please rest and recuperate. I will take my leave now."

As she turned, the emperor called out to her: "Xiuyi".

Empress Wang's steps paused, but she did not turn back.

"Have you ever resented me?"

Empress Wang still had her back to him, her expression unreadable; after a moment of silence, she said, "I dare not."

Emperor Xuwen withdrew his gaze from her, seeming both wistful and self-mocking: "You seem... to have not called me 'Fourth Lang' for a long time."

Empress Wang's voice was cold and indifferent: "Your Majesty, it's also been a long time since you called me Xiuyi."

The hall fell into dead silence.

After a long while, the emperor on the dragon bed finally spoke in a hoarse voice: "I recall that the matter of selecting a consort for the Prince of Chen was entrusted to you, was it not?"

Only then did Empress Wang slowly turn around, her face having regained its usual composure: "Yes. The Prince of Chen recently injured his leg and is recuperating at his residence. However, he has already taken a fancy to the third daughter of a Ministry of Rites official; all that remains is to pick an auspicious date to set the wedding."

Emperor Xuwen gave an affirmative hum, his gaze deep: "Lin'er should also start a family."

The Second Prince, Zhao Lin, is now Prince Rui.

Empress Wang's eyelashes twitched slightly, her eye sockets instantly reddening, yet she said nothing.

Emperor Xuwen coughed a few times, then turned his gaze to her, weary: "Issue the edict, let him return to the capital."

Empress Wang suddenly lifted her eyes, seeming unable to believe it, and remained silent for a moment.

Emperor Xuwen said, "You have been missing him all along, haven't you? I also want to see what he has grown into, and whether he still remembers me as his father."

Empress Wang slowly lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the porcelain bowl: "Your Majesty, you jest—how could Lin'er fail to recognize his own father?"

After leaving the Heavenly Purity Palace, Empress Wang's expression turned utterly grim and cold.

Kang Shouyi did not know what the emperor and empress had said in the Heavenly Purity Palace; seeing his master's distressed expression, he worriedly asked, "Your Highness?"

After they had moved far away from that palace, the Empress slowly said, "Lin'er is returning to the capital."

Kang Shouyi was first stunned, then he happily said, "Your Highness was forced to separate from the Empress when you were young; over ten years have passed, and now you are finally returning to the capital to reunite with the Empress— isn't that a good thing?"

"A good thing?" the Empress snorted coldly, turned her head to look toward the Qianqing Palace, and said, "He let Lin'er come back, but didn't say when he should leave; I fear he has already sensed something."

(no)

The north is the foundation of the court, while the south is the main base of the Holy Sect; these years it has developed rapidly, and Prince Rui has already gathered considerable forces in the south, waiting for a good opportunity to launch a northern expedition!

Exactly, this Empress, who appears dignified and uninvolved in factional strife to outsiders, has long been secretly colluding with the Holy Heaven Sect and intends to overthrow the dynasty!

Kang Shouyi rolled his eyes, a sinister glint flashing in them, and said, "Since His Majesty has already sensed it, we might as well go all the way......"

Kang Shouyi made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Foolish!" Empress Wang whispered sharply, "Do you think the crown prince and the imperial guards are dead?"

"Moreover, Northern Qi watches like a tiger, the external threat remains; how could we add internal worries? The time has not yet come; we must wait a bit longer."

Kang Shouyi hastily lowered his head: "It is this servant's rashness; the Empress is right."

"If Lin'er returns to the capital, the south needs someone to hold the fort and take charge of the overall situation." Empress Wang thought of a person and then asked, "Do you have any news of Xie Yan?"

Kang Shouyi shook his head, somewhat at a loss for words: "The assassins we sent not only failed to capture anyone, but actually ran into the court's people— truly a bunch of idiots."

The Empress, however, breathed a sigh of relief: "No need to pursue them; find a way to send him to Nanjing before Lin'er returns to the capital."

Upon hearing this, Kang Shouyi hesitated: "But... Xie Yan is extremely shrewd; he might already know those assassins were sent by us to silence witnesses— he would hardly willingly work for us, and might even turn on us!"

"What does it matter if he knows? He has no choice!" the Empress declared decisively, her expression growing icier, "Do it at once!"

Shen Shuangning had thought being imprisoned in the palace would keep her awake, but she leaned against the chair back and, without realizing it, fell asleep slumped over the desk, half her cheek resting on her arm, her breathing shallow.

Suddenly a chill swept past her ears, carrying the damp cold of night dew.

Shen Shuangning shuddered violently, waking like a startled fawn.

As soon as she lifted her head, a tall eunuch stood before the desk, having entered at some unknown time.

Shen Shuangning startled, she instinctively opened her mouth to cry for help, but a warm hand promptly covered her lips.

That palm bore familiar thin calluses, yet its pressure was extremely light, not making her feel suffocated.

(no)

Hearing the familiar voice, Shen Shuangning relaxed and lifted her gaze to the man's face.

He actually wore a full set of green eunuch robes, with a grayish hat on his head that shadowed most of his face.

Xiao Jingyuan in this attire was a first for her; though disguised as a eunuch, his innate nobility was hard to conceal.

(no)

Seeing that she recognized him, Xiao Jingyuan gradually loosened his grip and said, "Don't be afraid; I've come to take you away."

Xiao Jingyuan had brought a brand-new set of eunuch robes.

Zheng Mao lowered his voice: "Your Highness, please hurry; the shift-changing guards will be here in another quarter hour."

Shen Shuangning then noticed a person standing in the shadow near the door— none other than the gloomy-eyed Eunuch Zheng who had made her inexplicably uneasy earlier that day!

Zheng Mao glanced at Shen Shuangning; though still aloof, his expression now held a touch more respect.

In a flash, Shen Shuangning realized at once that the other party was actually Xiao Jingyuan's spy planted beside Lanxiang!

No wonder, when she had previously warned Xiao Jingyuan that Lanxiang was dishonest in private, he had responded as if he already knew everything; no wonder the food box Zheng Mao sent contained a hidden note...

A faint twitch crossed Shen Shuangning's eye corner; when it comes to fox spirits, Xiao Jingyuan still has the upper hand.

While Shen Shuangning changed clothes, Zheng Mao voluntarily stepped outside to wait.

She was petite; the hastily procured eunuch robe was loose and ill-fitting, the sleeves excessively long, hanging down almost to cover her entire hand.

The hat was even larger; when she put it on, the brim pressed directly against her brow bone, completely covering her lovely face, making her appear oddly demure.

"That's just right." Xiao Jingyuan's eyes flickered with a smile as he reached out to tighten her hat strings.

Shen Shuangning raised her hand to adjust the hat brim; both sleeves slid down naturally, and in the dim light she could still see the scars on her hands.

Xiao Jingyuan happened to catch a glimpse, his face suddenly darkened, and a flash of killing intent passed through his eyes.