Yan Xuan repeated, “No Empress?” After a long pause, he revealed a stiff smile, “Don’t be the Empress. It’ll be fatal.”
Ruan Ning’s heart raced. She dared not continue the conversation and silently trimmed the candle wick.
Suddenly, Yan Xuan strode over, snatching the candle scissors and growling, “What are you cutting? Be careful not to extinguish it!”
His grip was too forceful, and the scissors left a red mark on Ruan Ning’s hand. It was painfully sore, but she remained silent, quietly covering the wound and rubbing it gently.
After his outburst, Yan Xuan’s tense emotions eased slightly. He sat back and asked, “Who sent you?”
“I came from Chen Kingdom,” Ruan Ning wondered if he had some sudden amnesia, otherwise, why would he forget who she was.
“Chen Kingdom,” Yan Xuan thought, remembering that Ning Yi was also from there.
“She was my paternal aunt,” Ruan Ning recalled the Chen Emperor mentioning that her aunt Ning Yi had married Yan Xuan’s father but died soon after.
A warmth flashed in Yan Xuan’s eyes: “She was a good person.”
Ruan Ning’s confusion grew. Yan Xuan had never mentioned Ning Yi before. Why now? According to the Chen Emperor, Ning Yi died when Yan Xuan was not yet ten. How could he remember her?
“In this palace, good people do not live long,” Yan Xuan’s voice turned cold again, “Trim the candle, make it brighter.”
In the middle of the night, Ruan Ning was awakened by Yan Xuan again. He carried her to bed. The candle was extinguished, and the room was half-lit, just at the moment of drowsiness.
In her daze, Ruan Ning murmured, “Yan Xuan, he’s here again.”
Yan Xuan paused, hearing her call his name for the first time. It felt strange, but her words concerned him more.
He knew he was here; did she know now? Should he expose the secret to this foreign woman who was not yet close to him? Yan Xuan was uncertain.
He placed her on the bed and covered her with a blanket, noticing a swollen mark on her tightly clenched hand. It hadn’t been there when he bathed her, indicating he had injured her.
Yan Xuan let out a light laugh. Indeed, he was of the bloodline of that wife-killing madman. No matter how careful he was, he could not change his bloodthirsty nature.
When Ruan Ning woke up, Yan Xuan had already left. The medical women awaited outside, as he had instructed that the Noble Concubine was injured and needed treatment.
While Ruan Ning enjoyed the blood-activating therapy and massage, a rumor spread throughout the inner palace: the Noble Concubine had once again been over-indulged at night, suffering severe external injuries to both hands.
Sun Xian Fei smashed an entire set of crystal tea sets. What secret skills did this lowly woman possess!
Author’s note: Expressing strong love to all patrons and requesting long-term sponsorship, haha~
Chapter 55: Substitute White Moonlight
Gao Song suddenly discovered that a wind of scholarly enthusiasm had risen in the inner palace.
The little eunuchs often reported to him which concubine was secretly buying books or had started learning to read. Gao Song was puzzled; Yan Xuan loved beauty in songs and dances, not poetry. The atmosphere of the inner palace had been quite uneducated. When did these women suddenly change?
“Find out what books they are reading,” Gao Song instructed several literate eunuchs.
The news came back quickly, and Gao Song was stunned. “Your Majesty, they are all reading secret techniques of bedroom arts,” he reported, his face slightly flushed. It was strange that the concubines had all become anxious overnight and were exchanging experiences.
Yan Xuan thought for a moment, revealing a strange smile. The next morning, he dispatched people to the Grand Tutor’s residence with fanfare, delivering a stack of detailed living arrangements. This included meticulous arrangements for the Grand Tutor’s wives and concubines, as well as listings of all the external residences and alleyways he had previously frequented.
When these white and black documents were posted in the residence, the Grand Tutor immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.
Upon hearing the news, Sun Guifei was filled with hatred and resentment, privately cursing her grandfather and the emperor for their cruelty. Meanwhile, Ning Guifei kept this grievance in her heart.
Shui Huan, although not yet in the capital, had heard the news and couldn’t sit still. He had previously told Ruan Ning that Yan Xuan was incompetent due to his lack of favor towards concubines. However, with rumors proclaiming Yan Xuan had shown interest in Ning Ruan, Shui Huan felt increasingly anxious.
He wouldn’t allow Ning Ruan to be at Yan Xuan’s mercy, even if it meant sacrificing her for his ambitions. “I have urgent matters in the capital. You stay here for a few days; I will send you home later,” Shui Huan said to Ning Ye.
Ning Ye’s condition had been fluctuating. Although not severe, she was struggling with her first extended time away from home, and Shui Huan, the man she liked, was her only caretaker. People are especially emotional when ill.
In just a few days, Ning Ye’s feelings had transformed from admiration to an intense, dependent love.
Ning Ye propped herself up from the sickbed and grabbed Shui Huan’s sleeve, anxiously saying, “You’re not allowed to leave!”
Shui Huan’s face darkened. He disliked willful women and pulled his sleeve from Ning Ye’s hand, coldly stating, “I am not a subordinate of the princess. I don’t know why you think you can decide my movements.”
Ning Ye’s face turned pale at his words. She tried to maintain her composure: “The emperor ordered you to take care of me. Dare you not listen?”
“His Majesty also said he would execute you. Should I listen to that?” Shui Huan sneered.
Stunned, Ning Ye burst into loud sobs, feeling an unprecedented sense of defeat. Shui Huan stood by the bed, observing coldly. He thought the little princess had been spoiled too much; without harsh treatment, she would be of no use. He had originally planned to eliminate her during the previous fire, but since she had survived, he felt that if he could control her, she might still have value.
Ning Ye cried for a long time without any response from Shui Huan. When she looked up with teary eyes and saw he hadn’t left, her heart felt relieved. She sniffled, “Why won’t you comfort me?”
Shui Huan sat beside Ning Ye, stroking her hair. “Men’s affairs are not for women to meddle in. Just be obedient, focus on recovering, and don’t provoke me.”
Though he visited her daily, he had never touched her. As he gently stroked her, Ning Ye felt shy yet joyful, nestling into his embrace, hugging his waist and looking up at him with mixed emotions.
Seeing her soft, tear-filled eyes reminded Shui Huan of Ning Ruan, touching his heart. He leaned down and kissed her eyes.
“Shui Huan…” Ning Ye called in happiness, receiving another tender kiss, feeling she could never leave this man.
“I’ll tell my father I want to marry you,” she said softly, tightening her hold on his waist.
Shui Huan pursed his lips, disliking women’s initiative, which diminished the tenderness he had felt.
“Listen to me, and I’ll tell you what to do.” Sui Huan patted her back soothingly. He had placed his chess pieces in the court and the inner palace, but passing messages there was challenging. If Ning Ye could help connect things, it would be more convenient.
“Come with me, let’s go see your sister first,” he said, standing up. “We’ll depart in half an hour.”
Sun Guifei had waited several days for an opportunity to enter Qixia Palace. Ruan Ning was in the garden pavilion eating snacks, surrounded by several palace maids.
Sun Guifei approached with a smile, exchanged pleasantries, and praised Ruan Ning’s beauty and how deeply favored she was by the Emperor. Then she changed the subject: “Sister, I have a favor to ask you.”
