Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 182: Convenient for Action

   Chenbi was an utterly enigmatic person.

The words that came out of her mouth were half true, half false—and until the very last moment, no one could tell which sentence was true and which was false.

Fuheng could not distinguish truth from lies in her words, so he simply… believed none of them.

“Desheng.” Fuheng hurried to the outside of Yangxin Hall. “Please report for me—I wish to see the Emperor!”

Before Desheng could reply, a string of tiny bell-like sounds rang out behind Fuheng.

In the inner palace, the only person whose footsteps produced such a sound while walking was almost certainly one individual.

“Master Fucha in such a hurry—what is the matter?” Chenbi approached with her tinkling steps, a bright smile on her face. Then, with a gentle smile as she entered the inner courtyard: “Desheng, please also report that I have something to discuss with His Majesty.”

Desheng acknowledged with a “Yes” and turned to enter Yangxin Hall.

Outside the door, Chenbi tilted her head and glanced at Fuheng’s face, giving a mocking smile: “It seems Master Fucha your reason has triumphed over emotion after all. Even if it means watching her die with your own eyes, you still choose to remain loyal to your master.”

Fuheng turned his back, unwilling to engage with her. But the next moment, Chenbi circled around to stand in front of him. She raised her hand, and a ruby gardenia earring dangled before his eyes, its scattered flecks of light melting into his pupils.

Chenbi held the earring and smiled at him: “She agreed.”

Just those two words struck like lightning and thunder in Fuheng’s ears, numbing his scalp. In that instant, his hearing, vision, and even his ability to speak all vanished.

She forcefully pressed the right-ear earring she had obtained from Wei Yingluo into his hand. Chenbi’s voice dropped low: “Master Fucha Fuheng, you failed her once already—are you going to fail her a second time?”

Fuheng lowered his head to look at the earring in his palm, as though he were looking at a heart that had been brutally ripped from his chest. He remained silent for a long time.

“Consort Rong.” The door suddenly opened. Desheng came out from inside and addressed the two of them: “His Majesty says he has matters to attend to. Please return to Baoyue Tower, Your Ladyship. He will have time at noon and will certainly come to see you. Master Fucha, please come in.”

Fuheng gave Chenbi a deep look, then turned and entered Yangxin Hall.

Behind him, Yizhu seemed somewhat uneasy and lowered her voice to ask Chenbi: “My lady, will he tell anyone?”

“Fame, wealth, power, and status—he has it all, yet he’s still not happy.” Chenbi’s steps were light and sprightly, like those of a young deer. The bright sunlight shone on her face as she smiled with contentment. “So in this world, the only one who can make him happy… is a single person.”

Inside Yangxin Hall.

   Fuheng paid his respects and said, “Your Majesty, this servant has come regarding the military report from the Huolan tribe.”

“I already know about this matter,” Hongli replied. “I have dispatched Hailancha with troops to assist General Zhaohui in suppressing the rebellion. Is there anything else?”

Fuheng: “Since Your Majesty has already made proper arrangements, naturally there is nothing else.”

Hongli: “Then you may withdraw.”

Hongli watched Fuheng’s departing figure with a thoughtful expression. Suddenly he asked, “Hailancha, how is Fuheng’s memory?”

Hailancha: “He never forgets anything he has seen.”

“A man with a photographic memory, yet he forgot that he already presented the memorial last night?” Hongli stroked the stack of memorials on the table. The top one was precisely the military report from the Huolan tribe, submitted by Fuheng. After a moment of reflection, Hongli suddenly issued an order: “Hailancha, there is another important task. I want you to handle it personally!”

A single rider galloped out through Shenwu Gate, Hailancha on horseback, vanishing in a cloud of dust.

Inside Yangxin Hall, Hongli held a book in one hand while the other was clasped behind his back. He stood beside the curio shelf, yet the book in his hand remained unturned for a long time—he seemed distracted and restless.

“Your Majesty.” Li Yu came in to report. “Yanxi Palace has summoned an imperial physician.”

Hongli, with his back to him, said coldly, “When did I ever instruct you to monitor news from Yanxi Palace? Acting on your own initiative!”

Li Yu: “This servant knows his crime.”

He stood in the room for a long while, yet Hongli’s book still had not turned a single page.

“…What illness?” Hongli suddenly asked out of the blue.

Li Yu snapped back to attention and hurriedly replied, “Consort Ling has long been vegetarian, eats irregularly, and has developed a stomach ailment as a result. The Imperial Medical Bureau has prescribed medicine and instructed that she take plain congee daily to nourish the stomach and recover gradually.”

Seeing that it was nothing serious, Hongli finally turned a page in his book and said coldly, “A calamity endures for a thousand years—I knew she wouldn’t die so easily!”

He never mentioned Wei Yingluo again, nor did he go to Yanxi Palace to see her. It appeared he no longer cared about her at all.

But his indifference did not mean others were indifferent.

In Chengqian Palace, Zhener was reporting to the Step-Empress: “Your Ladyship, Consort Rong went to Yanxi Palace today. Yet after she left, Consort Ling is still perfectly alive and well.”

The Step-Empress was brewing tea. The water boiled, steam rising like mist—mist that looked like flowers, like leaves, like birds, like fish. One didn’t even need to drink the tea; merely watching it was already a pleasure.

There were still many days ahead. The Step-Empress knew her own limitations—she could not captivate with beauty alone, so she had to attract Hongli in other ways. There was much to learn, and the art of tea was one of them.

But the future was for the future; what needed to be done now still had to be done promptly.

“So that’s how it is.” The Step-Empress began to smile.

Zhener was puzzled. “What are you smiling about, Your Ladyship?”

The Step-Empress laughed softly. “If I can borrow a knife to kill, naturally Consort Rong can do the same.”

While Zhener was still bewildered, Yuan Chunwang entered from outside, leaned close to the Step-Empress’s ear, and whispered a few words. The Step-Empress immediately laughed again: “See? Here it comes… Yuan Chunwang, you know what to do, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Yuan Chunwang bowed his head respectfully. “When the time comes, this servant will withdraw all personnel from Yanxi Palace, making it convenient for Consort Rong to act.”

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