Volume Four: Opulent Splendor Like a Dream, Waters Flow East
Another Wave Rises
The Empress Dowager wants to arrange a marriage?
Ye Ming followed Liu Qianxun’s instructions, hiding the message under the osmanthus tree in the Imperial Garden, and secretly observed people coming and going, watching to see who would retrieve this message, but there was no movement for a long time.
Liu Qianxun, under the pretense of taking a walk, also checked if any suspicious persons were approaching, but found nothing unusual.
“Tower Master, could it be that Ghost Eye knows we’re investigating his identity, so he’s deliberately not coming to retrieve it?” Ye Ming had already planted the message two days ago, yet it still hadn’t been delivered.
“Be patient, let’s wait a bit longer.” Liu Qianxun turned around calmly, only to see Yi Ziquan approaching. Today he looked in good spirits, seeming to have a touch more sunshine about him compared to the gloominess when he had just been released from prison the other day.
He seemed to have come specifically for Liu Qianxun, wearing a shy smile, he bowed to Liu Qianxun, “Greetings, Princess.”
“Lord Yi, there’s no need for such formality.”
Yi Ziquan raised his eyes, seeming somewhat at a loss, and also nervous. Upon seeing Liu Qianxun, his tongue began to tie itself in knots. The words he had practiced for so long couldn’t come out at all, and instead, his face turned bright red from the effort.
“Princess… you… have just entered the palace, there must be… many places you’re not… not yet familiar with.” Such a simple greeting, yet it made him stutter.
“Lord Yi, do you have a stutter?” Mu Jin couldn’t help but laugh. Liu Qianxun glared at her, “Don’t be rude.”
“Ah? I, I’m not… not eating…”
“Not eating?”
“Oh, not a stutter?” Yi Ziquan waved his hands repeatedly, feeling his heart pounding non-stop. He couldn’t help but scratch his ears and cheeks, at a loss for what to do.
“Does Lord Yi have any business? If not, I’ll take my leave.” Liu Qianxun didn’t want to deal with him. She had seen too much of this kind of burning gaze and behavior; she had often encountered such men at Suyuan Tower.
Most men in the world were like this, coveting her beauty, always wanting to profess deep feelings and intense emotions. It was merely shallow understanding. She thought Yi Ziquan was this kind of person too.
“I don’t… don’t have any particular business, I just wanted to see the Princess.” Yi Ziquan’s face was already flushed red. He wanted to chat with her casually, but he was like a fool, unable to speak.
“The palace is full of people and gossip. I hope Your Lordship’s words won’t invite misunderstanding.”
As Liu Qianxun was about to leave, she saw Bai Ruoxi rushing over, fuming with anger. She thought Ye Ming had offended this young lady, and turned to look at her. Ye Ming waved her hands repeatedly, pleading innocence, “It wasn’t me.”
“If it wasn’t you, could it have been me?” Liu Qianxun said casually, leaving Ye Ming not knowing whether to laugh or cry. The Tower Master was actually joking with her now. Before, she had been like an ice mountain, never saying a word more than necessary.
“Yi Ziquan!!” Bai Ruoxi rushed straight towards Yi Ziquan. Without a word, she stepped forward and grabbed Yi Ziquan’s collar. “What did you say in front of the Empress Dowager?”
“What? Little Princess, what’s wrong? What happened?” Yi Ziquan still didn’t know what had occurred.
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“You’re still playing dumb? You’ve just been released and you’re already saying reckless things in front of the Empress Dowager.” Bai Ruoxi was so angry she stamped her feet. Usually, she was on good terms with Yi Ziquan, but only because she felt he could always discover interesting things. Not only could he carve and paint, but he could also invent some new gadgets she had never seen before.
But unexpectedly, their growing closeness had caused a misunderstanding with the Empress Dowager.
“Let go of me first. I really didn’t say anything. Xi’er, what’s wrong with you?” Yi Ziquan called her by name familiarly. Bai Ruoxi slowly released her grip, only then noticing that Ye Ming was also present.
A thought suddenly struck her, and she instantly calmed down.
“What happened?” Yi Ziquan still looked completely innocent.
“Stop pretending. If it weren’t for your careless talk, why would the Empress Dowager think of arranging a marriage between us?” Bai Ruoxi’s face flushed with anger. As she said this, she didn’t forget to glance at Ye Ming, wondering what her feelings might be. Would she be jealous? Would she care at all? She didn’t mind others’ reactions when she said this, but she really wanted to know Ye Ming’s feelings.
“What??”
At these words, not only was Yi Ziquan shocked, but Liu Qianxun was also surprised. Ye Ming’s heart skipped a beat, as if something had struck her core, causing an inexplicable pain. Although she tried hard to suppress her emotions, her tightly pressed lips and clenched fists were difficult to conceal.
“It seems the Empress Dowager must think Lord Yi and the young Princess are a good match, hence her intention to bestow marriage,” Liu Qianxun said calmly.
“That’s not it!” Bai Ruoxi and Yi Ziquan answered almost in unison, one looking towards Liu Qianxun, the other glancing at Ye Ming, desperately trying to explain that this was just a misunderstanding.
“It’s all your fault!” Bai Ruoxi punched Yi Ziquan hard. “Did you say something in front of the Empress Dowager that caused her to misunderstand?”
“I didn’t, I just…” Yi Ziquan tried hard to recall, suddenly remembering something. “The Empress Dowager did say I had reached the age for marriage and that she wanted to choose a match for me, to bring joy to the clan. I replied that I already had someone in mind. Perhaps this statement caused her misunderstanding.”
“You have someone in mind? How come I didn’t know?” Bai Ruoxi glanced at him, her curiosity suddenly piqued.
“I…” Yi Ziquan’s eyes darted around, secretly glancing at Liu Qianxun, not even having the courage to make eye contact with her. For his first heart flutter, he had become so timid. It was all because Liu Qianxun was so extraordinarily beautiful; he always felt she was as beautiful as an immortal, while he was as ordinary as a pebble, lowly as dust.
“I’ll go see the Empress Dowager.” Yi Ziquan hurriedly left. He couldn’t allow such a misunderstanding to persist, which would ruin Bai Ruoxi’s life and go against his own heart’s desire.
“Go quickly and clarify things with the Empress Dowager. This Princess doesn’t want to marry you, hmph!” Bai Ruoxi anxiously looked towards Ye Ming, who remained silent, showing no unusual reaction compared to her usual demeanor.
Was she really so indifferent about whether or not she would marry? Bai Ruoxi suddenly felt melancholic, gazing at Ye Ming, who also remained silent. The two were like stubborn children, neither acknowledging the other.
“Ye Ming.” Liu Qianxun called softly, but Ye Ming didn’t notice.
“Ye Ming?” She called again, and Ye Ming finally came to her senses. “Hm?”
“Stay with the young Princess. I’ll go see the Emperor.” Liu Qianxun left time for the two of them. When she spoke, Ye Ming didn’t dare disobey, after all, her order also implied that Ye Ming should observe anyone suspected of being Ghost Eye, to see if they would come for information.
She kept telling herself, this was just a mission.
In the days since entering the palace, Liu Qianxun had not yet set foot in the Fengluan Palace. Qin Junlan would only come to see her when she found a moment of leisure during the day. As long as she didn’t enter that place, there would be no chance to obtain the military deployment map. Since she had already mentioned that she could actively seek her out, she should take the initiative this time. After all, being too passive would only waste more time.
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The Imperial Garden boasted unique scenery and connected to the palace. Passing through four corridors, one could reach the Fengluan Palace. The Fengluan Palace was majestic and grand, with gold and jade above, and flying dragons encircling it. The dragons’ bodies wound upwards, appearing to soar to the heavens. The Imperial Study was located in the east wing of the Fengluan Palace, with three interconnected rooms. One room was the Imperial Study itself, where Qin Junlan often stayed.
Seeing Liu Qianxun suddenly arrive, Yuan Xi hurriedly came forward to greet her. “The Emperor has instructed that when the Princess arrives, there’s no need to announce her. Please follow this servant inside.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
The Imperial Study exuded a faint fragrance of osmanthus. Passing through the main entrance and around a corridor, one arrived inside the study. Qin Junlan was focused on reviewing and approving memorials, while Yun Jin stood beside her, holding a feather fan to keep her cool. Qin Junlan was completely absorbed in her work, perhaps not noticing that Yun Jin was performing the duties of a palace maid. Yun Jin’s eyes held a hint of a smile that never faded, and she hadn’t even noticed the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
All of her attention was on Qin Junlan. Even when Liu Qianxun had reached the doorway, she hadn’t noticed. In the few encounters with Yun Jin, she had never seen her so entranced. The eyes gazing at Qin Junlan held only infinite tenderness. At this moment, in her world, there was no one except Qin Junlan.
What a worthy Wise Princess Consort, it turned out that the object of her affection was actually the Emperor.
Liu Qianxun finally understood what she had failed to see about Yun Jin: it was the disguise of her true feelings. A great consort, hiding such a cautious and deep love, steadfastly guarding her own heart in this cold palace. How much tolerance and forbearance must it take to achieve this?
Yun Jin, why do you put yourself through this?
“Your Majesty, the Princess has arrived,” Yuan Xi reported to Qin Junlan.
Qin Junlan looked up and saw it was Liu Qianxun, her heart secretly delighted. She quickly put down her brush and descended from the dragon throne.
“Xun’er, why have you come?” Qin Junlan’s eyes were full of joy. Upon meeting, she took Liu Qianxun’s hand, holding it in her own. All her fatigue vanished, and her troubles dissipated in an instant. Seeing her made the whole world brighter.
“I wanted to come see you.” Liu Qianxun noticed that Qin Junlan had overlooked Yun Jin, so she took the initiative to greet Yun Jin, “Sister Jin’er is here too.”
“Since little sister has come, Jin’er will go pay respects at Fengqing Palace. Let Imperial Sister show you around.” A faint smile hung on Yun Jin’s lips. To Liu Qianxun, this bitter smile seemed helpless. Who could understand the sourness in her heart?
After speaking, Yun Jin wanted to leave, unwilling to witness the intimate state between Qin Junlan and Liu Qianxun. Call it cowardice if you will, but she never had the courage to face it directly and could only escape.
“Sister~” Liu Qianxun turned around, taking a silk handkerchief from her sleeve to gently dab Yun Jin’s forehead. “You’re sweating.”
“Thank you, I can manage it myself.” Yun Jin took the handkerchief, raising her eyes to meet Liu Qianxun’s unfathomable gaze. This sudden intimate gesture left her quite perplexed.
Was Liu Qianxun trying to curry favor with her? She was clearly a very indifferent person, so why was she so friendly towards her every time they met? Was it pretense? It didn’t seem so. She was deeply favored, so what purpose did she have in treating her like this? Although Yun Jin had no desire to compete for power, she was very guarded, especially feeling that Liu Qianxun was always trying to probe her inner thoughts. The way she gazed at her each time left her unable to discern or explain.
“Xun’er seems quite close to Jin’er, like real sisters.”
“That’s because sister Xun’er is easygoing.” Yun Jin felt somewhat guilty and even vaguely uneasy. Although she didn’t dislike Liu Qianxun, she always felt that her entry into the palace would bring unpredictable events. A woman’s intuition is often without rhyme or reason.
“You are both the people closest to me. I was worried that Xun’er wouldn’t adapt to palace life, but now seeing you get along well with Jin’er, I feel somewhat relieved.” As Qin Junlan spoke, her hand never left Liu Qianxun’s. Their interlocked fingers displayed an intimacy that was truly enviable. Yun Jin averted her gaze, her heart weighed down by a dull pain, still feeling it was better to leave.
“Your Majesty, the Chief Eunuch requests an audience,” Yuan Xi suddenly reported.
“Let him in.” Qin Junlan released Liu Qianxun’s hand and stood upright, fully embodying the demeanor of a ruler.
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After all, the Chief Eunuch was from Fengqing Palace. Even if Qin Junlan was intimate with Liu Qianxun, she couldn’t lose her composure in front of others.
“This old servant pays respects to Your Majesty.”
“Chief Eunuch, you may rise. What brings you here?”
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has summoned Princess Qinghe for an audience.” The Chief Eunuch had originally intended to find Liu Qianxun, but not expecting her to be in the Imperial Study, he had to come here.
“What does Mother want to see Xun’er for?” Qin Junlan felt a wave of unease. Seeing the Chief Eunuch hesitate to speak, her expression grew serious, and her eyes cooled slightly as she said, “Chief Eunuch, do I need to beg you to tell me?”
“This old servant wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare even on pain of death!” The Chief Eunuch was so startled he hurriedly knelt down. The imperial will was hard to fathom, and this anger came suddenly. He could only report truthfully, “The Empress Dowager wishes to appease the Yi clan, to bring joy amidst the black and white affair, intending to arrange a marriage for Lord Ziquan.”
“And then?”
“The Empress Dowager wants… wants to betroth Princess Qinghe to Lord Ziquan…”
LP: You’ve been stepping out of line for far too long, Empress Dowager ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢