Chapter 22

When Yiling and Xie Hengzhi went to the Taiyi Palace to meet the emperor, Princess Yu’an went to the Cining Palace.

At first, she had gone to the Hehuan Palace to hide.

But Princess Yu’an, who had been spoiled since childhood, couldn’t keep things to herself. She sat uneasily for a quarter of an hour before deciding to go and find the Queen Mother.

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince had come to the palace that day to pay his respects to the Queen Mother.

The door to the Cining Palace was tightly closed. A eunuch bent low and said, “Princess, the Crown Prince is inside speaking with the Queen Mother. Would you like to come back later?”

Someone who dared to forcefully break into Taiyi Palace surely wouldn’t be deterred by a few eunuchs.

Princess Yu’an didn’t spare them a glance and, just like before, pushed open the door and walked right in.

Perhaps because the Crown Prince was there, the Cining Palace was even quieter than usual.

The Queen Mother’s trusted maid stood outside the main hall. Seeing Princess Yu’an barge in without announcement, she greeted her with a smile, but with one hand behind her back, she made a gesture to a small palace maid, signaling her to go inside and report.

“Princess, you’re here so early today to pay respects to the Queen Mother? You truly have filial piety. The Queen Mother will surely be so pleased she’ll drink a little extra porridge later.”

Princess Yu’an was in no mood for small talk with the old maid. She swiftly lifted the heavy curtain.

Just as she stepped in, a cold, rusted voice spoke from inside.

“You really are becoming more and more unruly.”

Princess Yu’an paused, unsure whether to step in with her other leg.

Although Princess Yu’an was used to being reckless, she had always been somewhat intimidated by her older brother, the Crown Prince.

Just then, the warm, thick air mixed with incense wafted out, and the Queen Mother’s voice followed shortly after.

“She’s still young. Why do you always have to keep her in line?”

Only then did Princess Yu’an relax, hurriedly stepping inside.

“Has our Heling suddenly changed his ways today? You’re up so early—”

Seeing Princess Yu’an flustered, the Queen Mother’s kindly expression shifted, and she asked,
“What’s the matter?”

Princess Yu’an didn’t answer immediately. Instead, her gaze darted to the Crown Prince standing aside.

One couldn’t help but understand why the Queen Mother favored the Crown Prince. Whether his legitimacy could be debated was irrelevant now, but he was undoubtedly the eldest grandson.

More importantly, his appearance resembled that of the Queen Mother.

For some reason, though, the same sharp eyes, long ears, and hooked nose on the Crown Prince’s face looked cold and sinister, almost as if he might spit out venom at any moment, whereas they looked kind and warm on the Queen Mother.

Under the Crown Prince’s gaze, Princess Yu’an’s voice became softer.

“Grandson just went to Taiyi Palace to see Father Emperor and then saw… saw him…”

She glanced at the Crown Prince again.

The Crown Prince, clearly impatient with her hesitation, furrowed his brows and asked, “What happened to Father Emperor?”

“He was drinking blood!”

The hall in Cining Palace fell silent for a moment.

Then, the Queen Mother laughed with mild reproach. “You child. Your father is getting old, so what’s so strange about him drinking some deer antler blood for nourishment?”

“No, no!”

Princess Yu’an shook her head vigorously. “It wasn’t deer antler blood! My sense of smell is very sharp; how could I not distinguish between animal blood and human blood?!”

This time, the entire hall fell completely silent.

The Queen Mother and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance before their gaze slowly returned to Princess Yu’an.

The Queen Mother asked, “Are you saying… His Majesty was drinking human blood?”

“Yes!”

Princess Yu’an recalled the scene she had witnessed when she barged into Taiyi Palace, and goosebumps instantly rose on her back.

It was so strange.

In the dim and quiet palace, surrounded by a group of mysterious “immortals,” and that bowl of salty, rancid human blood…

Moreover, her father, the Emperor, who had always been indulgent towards her, actually threw a porcelain bowl at her just because she offended him with her “use of medicine.”

Princess Yu’an trembled as she looked at the Queen Mother. “Grandmother, is Father… possessed?”

“Nonsense!”

Upon hearing those words, the Queen Mother immediately rebuked her.

The royal family had always prohibited sorcery and evil arts, and it was best not even to mention something like possession.

“Heling.”

The Crown Prince suddenly spoke, asking, “When you saw His Majesty drinking the blood, besides those few real people, were there any others in Taiyi Palace?”

Princess Yu’an answered honestly, “Yes! That bowl of blood was presented to Father by Xie Hengzhi!”

Otherwise, how could she have been so quick to avoid Yiling?

Xie Hengzhi must be involved in this matter, and perhaps his wife is also one of those who frequently use such evil arts.

The Queen Mother and the Crown Prince exchanged a silent glance and then said, “I understand.

Heling, this matter concerns the royal family’s dignity, so you must not reveal a word to anyone.”

Princess Yu’an nodded repeatedly. “Then, what can I do for Father?”

“Do nothing.”

The Queen Mother reached out and gently touched Princess Yu’an’s cheek. “You are a good child, but your father is the Son of Heaven. Whatever he wants to do, no one can interfere, understand?”

Princess Yu’an naturally understood.

But seeing the Emperor on the brink of being controlled by Xie Hengzhi’s dark magic, wasn’t there anything she could do?

Seeing that Princess Yu’an stubbornly stood there, unwilling to leave, the Crown Prince stood up and said in a deep voice, “Heling, go back. Grandmother is tired too.”

The Queen Mother also closed her eyes at the right moment, raising her hand to rub her temples.

When Princess Yu’an saw the Queen Mother’s attitude, she realized that her grandmother was also powerless.

She didn’t dare say anything further, only tightly pursing her lips and respectfully bowing before leaving.

After leaving the Cining Palace, Princess Yu’an stood in the corridor without moving.

The sky grew darker and darker, with thick winter clouds hanging low, seemingly about to swallow the entire imperial city.

She looked up at the sky, clenching her fists tightly in her sleeves.

Her father had always trusted Xie Hengzhi, and her mother and the Crown Prince were equally close to him.

Now, even the Queen Mother couldn’t control Xie Hengzhi?

No, this wouldn’t do.

She, a rightful princess, would not allow such a treacherous minister to bring disaster to the country.

Since the Queen Mother wouldn’t intervene, she would.

But after all, she was just a princess, weak and powerless, without any strong backing. Who could she turn to for help?

Faces flashed through her mind, and in the end, she could only sigh.

One by one, they were all just Xie Hengzhi’s lackeys!

Oh, right!

There was one person who hated Xie Hengzhi as much as she did.

Princess Yu’an’s eyes lit up, and she immediately ordered a carriage to be prepared. The horse galloped out of the palace without stopping.

Yi residence.

Yiyun had been beaten again because, yesterday, he had been disrespectful to Xie Hengzhi’s wife, then behaved improperly in front of the Crown Princess, and later even fought with Mrs. Xue to retrieve the broken tablet.

It was truly a humiliating experience.

However, Yiyun had been beaten so many times over the past two years that he didn’t mind anymore. After resting for a couple of days, he would recover as usual.

He was currently in his room repairing the tablet. Beside him was a pot of fish glue, most of which had been used, but he still couldn’t align the tablet pieces perfectly. He was sweating with frustration.

Each time he failed, he cursed Xie’s family for eighteen generations in his heart.

Suddenly, a painted stone flew in through the window, landing at his feet.

Yiyun bent down to pick it up, looking around furtively.

After confirming there was no one watching, he hid the tablet under the bed and climbed out through the window.

He crept along to Liqin Garden, sneaking in through a small door. Behind a desolate stone mountain, he saw a masked woman standing there.

Yiyun approached and bowed, but before he could speak, Princess Yu’an stopped him.

“How many times have I told you, don’t do such formal greetings in public? What if it draws attention?”

Yiyun didn’t insist on the formal greeting but lowered his head, dejected.

“Princess, what do you need me for?”

Seeing his dispirited state, Princess Yu’an puffed out her chest and said solemnly, “I’ve come up with a way to deal with Xie Hengzhi.”

Yiyun immediately lifted his head.

But doubt filled his eyes. “Really?”

“Of course it’s real!”

Princess Yu’an turned to face the overgrown wasteland, looking confident. “Right now, Xie Hengzhi controls everything. With just you and me, it’s a pipe dream to bring him down.”

She turned back to him, her eyes sharp. “Going head-to-head is impossible. We need to find another way—target his closest confidants and use them to extract his weaknesses!”

Yiyun blinked in confusion. “Confidants? You mean his wife?”

Princess Yu’an nodded.

Yiyun’s brows furrowed even more tightly. “That poisonous woman is very cunning. How can we extract Xie Hengzhi’s weaknesses from her?”

Princess Yu’an didn’t answer but lightly patted Yiyun on the shoulder and said pointedly, “Then it all depends on Young Master Yi’s abilities.”

Yiyun: “?”

Realizing what Princess Yu’an meant, Yiyun suddenly jumped back a full step. “Are you out of your mind? I’ll never seduce that poisonous woman!”

Princess Yu’an, seeing him so flustered, pulled off her veil.

“Don’t you want to avenge your sister?”

Yiyun straightened, glaring at Princess Yu’an for a long time, gritting his teeth. “Then why don’t you seduce Xie Hengzhi? Wouldn’t that be more direct?”

Princess Yu’an: “Absurd! I already have a fiancé, and I’m a princess—don’t I care about my reputation?!”

“That’s true.”

Yiyun lowered his head, thought for a moment, and suddenly looked up.

“Then, should I give up my reputation?!”

Princess Yu’an responded, “What reputation do you have?”

As the son of the Minister of Revenue, Yiyun, though not the top scoundrel in the capital, was famously useless.

At seventeen, he had no accomplishments to his name, was pampered and spoiled, and could never walk the path of a military official. His future was dim, and he spent his days only indulging in petty pleasures, with no ambition whatsoever. Which prominent family would want to marry their daughter to him?

Since there would be no good match for him anyway, what was wrong with sacrificing his reputation to seek justice for his sister?

Yiyun had probably thought about this, standing in a daze for a while before hesitantly saying, “But everyone knows that that poisonous woman has been infatuated with Xie Hengzhi for many years. How… how could I succeed?”

Princess Yu’an, seeing him waver, quickly seized the opportunity: “Mrs. Xie’s infatuation with Xie Hengzhi is simply because she grew up in Jiangzhou and never saw any other man.”

“Now, after marrying to the capital for more than half a year, she never leaves the house. She probably doesn’t even know what it’s like for a man to make her heart flutter.”

She took two steps forward, smiling brightly. “Moreover, Young Master Yi’s appearance is no less than Xie Hengzhi’s.”

Yiyun, half doubtful, touched his cheek. “Really?”

“Of course, really!”

Princess Yu’an said earnestly, “Xie Hengzhi is always putting on airs, looking old and tired. How can he compare to Young Master Yi, this handsome and gallant young man?”

Yiyun’s confidence rapidly grew after hearing Princess Yu’an’s compliments, and he looked eager to try.

“Then… I shall try?”

The next afternoon, after having lunch, Yiling asked Mallow to find her a copy of “The Art of War.”

Ever since returning from the palace yesterday, Yiling had slept soundly and then sunk into deep confusion.

She had witnessed Xie Hengzhi’s total control over power, and even the imperial family could do nothing about him. How could she relax?

After being sick for so long, it seemed her fainting spells had improved. Even though Xie Hengzhi only returned in the middle of the night, she didn’t feel as bad as before.

After thinking all day, she realized she could no longer sit and wait for death. She had to start planning her revenge carefully.

But her eyes betrayed her—after less than fifteen minutes of studying the military strategies, her eyelids grew so heavy that it felt like they were made of lead.

Just as she was nodding off, the loud voice of Mama Cao suddenly rang out.

“Madam! Madam!”

Yiling was startled awake, instinctively picking up the book and pretending to read.

When Mama Cao entered the room, Yiling quickly regained her senses and realized that she was no longer the young lady confined to her room, reading books under her mother’s orders.

She sighed, put down the book, lazily leaned against the couch, and said irritably, “Next time, don’t startle me like that.”

Mama Cao smiled apologetically. “I was being rude.”

Yiling replied, “What is it?”

After being reminded, Mama Cao lowered her voice deliberately and said, “Young Master Yi is here, and he brought a formal invitation. He’s waiting outside the ceremonial gate to meet you.”

Yiyun?

Yiling suddenly sat up straight, leaning toward Mama Cao.

“Why is he here?”

Mama Cao shook her head. “Young Master didn’t say, but he brought a lot of gifts and insisted on seeing you.”

“Is he alone? What about Mrs. Yi?”

“He’s alone.”

Yiling thought for a moment and immediately understood the situation.

It must be that her parents had given Yiyun an ultimatum to come personally to apologize, or else he would be in trouble.

“Tell him to wait in the front hall.”

In less than a quarter of an hour, Yiling changed into her clothes and hurried to the guest hall with her servants.

As soon as she stepped through the threshold, Yiling was almost blinded by Yiyun’s outfit.

He was dressed in a bright purple brocade robe, his waist adorned with jade pendants and a pouch, and a golden hairpin encrusted with jewels on his head. He looked completely gaudy, with no taste whatsoever!

But Yiyun had always thought that purple suited him best and would only wear it on special occasions. Normally, he wouldn’t dare wear it outside and risk embarrassing himself.

Seeing him like this again made Yiling unable to hold back, and before even entering, she blurted out, “How many times have I told you, you look awful in purple?”

Yiyun, who was nervously adjusting his clothes, clenched his fist.

Only his sister could say that he looked bad in purple—who did this poisonous woman think she was to say that?

But thinking of his scheme with Princess Yu’an, Yiyun turned around and, swallowing his pride, bowed.

“You’re right, Madam. I’ll throw these clothes away when I get back.”

He lowered his head, his expression unreadable.

Yiling could only see his flushed face, but she could more or less confirm her suspicions.

Unexpectedly, Yiyun then raised his head, smiling obsequiously, and said, “I made a mistake some time ago and was disrespectful in front of you, Madam. I’ve come today to apologize.”

He gestured behind him, and his attendants opened a chest. Inside, gold, silver, and jewels dazzled Yiling’s eyes.

It was indeed an apology.

But his expression… was strange…

Yiling felt a bit wary, lifting her chin and nodding.

“I’ll accept the gifts and let the past be forgotten.”

Yiyun, probably not expecting this poisonous woman to be so easygoing, froze, unsure of what to do next.

The two of them stood there in the front hall, staring at each other, an awkward atmosphere enveloping them.

A long time passed.

Yiling leaned her head out. “Is there something else?”

She didn’t want Yiyun lingering in the Xie residence, a place full of gossip and trouble.

Unexpectedly, Yiyun really did have something to say.

He leaned closer, his delicate face wearing a smile that seemed sycophantic.

“I’ve recently been practicing a new set of boxing moves. How about I show you, Madam?”

Yiling: “?”

Could he be trying to assassinate her?

That would be tantamount to bringing about mutual destruction.

Yiling thought for a moment, deciding that she must investigate what her younger brother was really up to. She waved her hand, signaling for eight or so guards to encircle her, then gestured toward Yiyun: “Please go ahead.”

Yiyun: “…”

This poisonous woman was truly scared of death.

But now that the challenge had been thrown out, he couldn’t back out.

So, under the watchful eyes of ten or so people in the Xie residence, Yiyun began to perform his set of punches out of thin air.

With each “heh heh ha ha” shout, the front hall grew quieter.

Until Yiyun almost tripped over his own leg change, he finally stopped in front of the eight strong guards, awkwardly withdrew his fists, unsure where to put them, and scratched his head.

“Are you done?”

Yiling blinked, then clapped dryly, “Young Master Yi, your martial arts are truly extraordinary.”

“Thank you for the praise, Madam…”

Yiyun’s voice grew quieter, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he kept glancing at Yiling.

Yiling: “Is there something else?”

Yiyun didn’t answer. He turned to glance at the door.

Since they were siblings, Yiling immediately understood what he meant.

“Don’t worry, Xie Hengzhi isn’t here today,” Yiling said. “If you have something to say, just speak.”

Yiyun let out a sigh of relief, then tucked his hands into his sleeves. Turning his head to look at Yiling, he pulled the corners of his mouth into what he thought was a charming smile.

“Mrs. Xie, please come over here.”

Yiling: “?”

She wasn’t too keen on getting closer.

Yiyun winked at her: “Mrs. Xie, please come here; I’ll show you a trick.”

What nonsense.

Yiling looked around, thinking Yiyun couldn’t possibly deal with so many guards, so she slowly moved towards him and stood a distance away, about ten feet from him.

Yiyun frowned at the distance and took the initiative to move closer, blocking the view of the other servants with a mysterious posture. He leaned towards Yiling’s ear and whispered, “Mrs. Xie, watch closely.”

Probably charmed by his act, Yiling unconsciously bent her back, mirroring his posture, so the two of them appeared as if they were whispering.

Then Yiyun extended his right hand and twirled it in front of Yiling, and with a swoosh, a large red peony appeared and was handed to Yiling.

Yiling: “…”

Seeing her expressionless face, Yiyun immediately extended his left hand, changing his gestures several times, until another flower—a hibiscus—appeared.

Yiling: “…”

Staring at the two flowers in front of her, Yiling finally moved her eyes and glanced at Yiyun’s face.

“Are these for me?”

Yiyun quickly stuffed the flowers into her hands.

Yiling only regretted that she hadn’t read enough books.

For a moment, she didn’t know how to describe the awkwardness she felt or what he was doing.

Just as she was considering how to send him away, a cold voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Take your flowers and get out.”

Before Yiling could respond, the two flowers she held in her hands vanished as if by magic.

She looked up and saw that the heavy door curtain was still fluttering, yet Yiyun had already sprinted out the front door with the flowers he had just taken from her hands, running faster than a dog.

Looking to the side, she saw that Xie Hengzhi had returned silently at some point, standing by the main hall with a cold expression, staring at her.

Yiling was quite surprised: “How did you come back?”

Xie Hengzhi lowered his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the gold and jewels in the room, and his voice carried a trace of coldness.

“What, did I interrupt you two?”