Chapter 23: Return to the Palace

Tonight, the night sky was thick as ink. Beneath the sudden, violent gusts of wind, raindrops as large as beans drummed relentlessly against the carriage, creating a muffled, urgent rhythm.

Lu Shuyao sat inside the carriage, gently running a peachwood comb through her hair.

"Baolin, the rain is getting heavy. I’ll tell the driver to hurry; please hold on tight."

Lu Shuyao nodded.

By the time they reached the palace, the downpour had intensified. Except for the Emperor’s palanquin or by special decree, the palace paths leading to the Hall of Mental Cultivation had to be traversed on foot.

Nanny You helped Lu Shuyao step out of the carriage. Someone arrived with an umbrella to meet them, but the oil-paper canopy was no match for the storm.

"Baolin, walk faster, don't get drenched."

Lightning flashed across the sky followed by a rumble of thunder, making Lu Shuyao’s heart pound with fear.

"Why are we not returning to the Yuyao Palace?" Lu Shuyao asked.

Her current disheveled appearance was entirely against protocol; it was inappropriate for meeting anyone, let alone the Emperor.

"The driver was changed after we entered the palace gates. They said you were summoned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation; His Majesty wishes to see you," Nanny You explained while struggling to hold the umbrella steady. "Walk faster, Baolin, the rain is getting worse."

It wasn't just the rain; the wind had picked up as well. Summer storms were often like this—a chaotic marriage of wind and water where an umbrella offered little protection, leaving one’s side soaked.

Upon reaching the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Lu Shuyao felt a sense of unease. The last time she had come here was for her first night of favor. That night, the hall had been ablaze with light and, though quiet, it lacked the eerie, suffocating stillness of tonight.

Under the veranda, an imperial physician carrying a medicine chest hurried past, seemingly finished with his consultation and preparing to leave.

How strange. Was the Emperor suffering from some illness?

Palace servants stood in the shadows, and only Yuan Shu stepped forward to greet her. "Lady Lu, His Majesty is waiting for you."

"Where?"

"Inside the bedchamber."

Lu Shuyao looked toward the sleeping quarters. It was pitch black, with light emanating only from the innermost chamber. The flickering lamp cast hazy, dim shadows.

Adjusting her clothes and smoothing her hair, Lu Shuyao stepped over the threshold and entered the palace. The air inside was much warmer than outside, and Lu Shuyao, whose outer robe was soaked and cold, let out a sigh of relief. She walked softly toward the light.

The lamp sat behind a screen—a partition of sheer silk embroidered with the Four Gentlemen: plum blossom, orchid, pine, and bamboo, all rendered in exquisite gold and silver thread. Behind this translucent veil, she could see the trembling flame of a lamp and the tall, half-hidden silhouette of a man seated in an armchair.

The Emperor sat in a posture of languid indifference, one hand supporting his head, remaining utterly silent.

For reasons she could not fathom, Lu Shuyao felt her heart race. She stepped around the screen and knelt, not daring to look up at him.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being late."

A powerful arm reached out and pulled her to her feet, the man’s scent washing over her. His tall frame blocked the light, casting them both into darkness. His sharp nose caught the cool, refreshing fragrance of her skin, mingled with the dampness of the rainy night—a combination that felt intoxicatingly, lethally seductive to him.

He held her tightly, his long, powerful arms pinning her willow-like waist. "Without my decree, how dare you leave the palace on your own?"

"Your Majesty, it was the Empress Dowager who allowed me to leave the palace to visit my family. Even if I had the courage of ten thousand men, I would never dare to leave without authorization."

Having just come from the rain, her forehead was damp, her lotus-like face flushed, and her tone carried a hint of coquetry.

A strange flicker passed through Ye Yanchen’s heart. His thumb, calloused from the sword, traced her reddened lips. "Why borrow the courage of others? Hasn't your own always been quite large?"

When he first saw her during the selection, he felt, for no apparent reason, that she was suited to be his pawn in the inner palace. Yet, he did not know why, but before the game had even truly begun, this piece had begun to subtly influence his judgment.

Take tonight, for instance. The imperial physician had said that the best way to alleviate the effects of the drug was through intimacy. Clearly, he could have chosen anyone else; why did he have to choose her?

He studied her face, then looked down at her slender, fragile neck. He was certain that a single motion would be enough to end her life. His gaze drifted upward, still scrutinizing her.

"Your Majesty, what is wrong?" She tilted her head, observing him.

Something was very off. The palm of his hand was searingly hot, and his fingers, rough with callouses, radiated a feverish heat. His expression remained cold and ruthless, but his eyes were deep, fathomless, and chillingly intense; meeting them felt as if she were about to be devoured.

"Get out."

He spoke suddenly.

Lu Shuyao’s brows knit, but she did not retreat. Instead, she stepped forward to steady him. "What is the matter, Your Majesty?"

Her summer attire was thin and loose, and having been dampened by the rain, it clung to her snow-white skin, revealing a hazy luster in the darkness—a silent, wordless temptation.

He swept his sleeve, forcing her to stumble back two steps.

"Yuan Shu, get her out!" he commanded sharply, his hand gripping the edge of the square table, the veins on his forehead bulging.

Lu Shuyao was led away. Once outside the palace gates, she felt the man’s behavior was utterly inexplicable.

Recalling the physician she had seen hurrying away earlier, she grew worried. Could he have been poisoned?

"Is His Majesty alright?"

Yuan Shu dared not speak. Something like an aphrodisiac was not a matter he could discuss lightly; his head wouldn't stay on his shoulders if he spoke out of turn!

Seeing that Lu Shuyao’s clothes were wet, he said, "Lady Lu, would you like to move to the warming room and change your clothes?"

Lu Shuyao nodded. "That would be best."

Soon, palace servants arrived with new summer garments. Lu Shuyao changed and sat by a small table in the warming room, twisting a strand of hair as she gazed through the veil of rain toward the Emperor's sleeping quarters.

Suddenly, a smile touched her lips.

A moment later, she whispered, "Nanny You, please go and fetch me a bowl of soup; I am hungry."

Nanny You entered and poured her hot tea. "Has His Majesty angered you?"

"No," Lu Shuyao shook her head.

"Should we return to the Yuyao Palace?" Nanny You asked.

"No. His Majesty only said I was to come; he never said I was to leave."

"But..." Nanny You dared not mention that she had clearly heard the Emperor shout for her to "get out."

"Nanny, please go and fetch the food."

"Very well."

After changing her clothes and eating half a bowl of soup, Lu Shuyao finally began to feel warm. She sneezed, prompting a worried Nanny You to bring a blanket to drape over her.

The night passed. The imperial physician came three more times, and Lu Shuyao spent the night making do in the warming room. Before Ye Yanchen woke, Nanny You roused her.

"Baolin, it is almost time for the morning court."

Lu Shuyao sat up, allowed the nanny to help her dress, and then strolled outside.

The rain from yesterday had not entirely ceased, though it had lightened significantly. The stone paths were slick, and the air was heavy with the scent of damp earth. Lu Shuyao followed the veranda to the bedchamber.

"Your Majesty, let me attend to you."

She peered timidly from behind the screen, looking like a frightened rabbit in the woods.

Ye Yanchen’s hand, resting on the edge of the bed, tightened. He watched her with eyes that flickered between light and shadow.

"You didn't leave?"