chapter 5
chapter 5
Illness came like a landslide and left like drawn silk.
Qi Haoyan looked hale and strong, yet his sickness lingered for half a month.
He also became exceptionally clingy. If I vanished for even a moment, he sent people frantically searching for me.
Lately, the same words followed me everywhere.
“Your Majesty, His Majesty is looking for you.”
“Your Majesty, His Majesty says he will not take his medicine unless he sees you.”
“Your Majesty, His Majesty feels unwell. Please go and look in on him.”
…
Really. If he was sick, he ought to summon a physician. I certainly could not cure him!
Still, I suspected he was nearly recovered.
His hands had recently become far less well behaved in bed.
When he reached for an especially inappropriate place yet again, I promptly shoved him away.
“Ah Zhao.”
He put on his aggrieved expression, resorting to his usual trick.
“Your Majesty, if you feel unwell, you should rest properly and stop thinking about things you ought not.”
Realizing he could not outargue me, Qi Haoyan huffed, turned his back, and refused to speak.
I stared at the back of his head and smothered a laugh.
Let him learn what it meant to lift a rock only to drop it on his own foot.
The next day, Qi Haoyan announced his complete recovery.
The imperial physician, who had insisted his lingering weakness required a month of convalescence, immediately changed his diagnosis and proclaimed with ringing certainty that Qi Haoyan was as sturdy as a young ox.
I did not believe him.
That night, Qi Haoyan personally demonstrated the state of his recovery.
The next morning, he went to court glowing with vigor while I lay in bed, utterly devoid of hope.
Devious. They were all too devious!
…
I had been in the palace nearly a month and still could not determine what Qi Haoyan liked.
He seemed indifferent to everything. Nothing revealed his likes or dislikes, though he carefully treasured every gift from me.
Could he have been telling the truth?
Had he really loved me for years?
If so, why did he intend to move against my family?
I tossed and turned, placing all my hopes on seeing Father at the palace banquet in a few days and discussing a plan.
Qi Haoyan was an able ruler. With bold, decisive campaigns, he had conquered the western frontier.
Today’s banquet included not only military commanders but many nobles and ministers.
Father was among them.
Unfortunately, he was too busy eating to notice his daughter’s desperate looks.
Halfway through the feast, the performances began. After several songs and dances, a woman in a pale yellow dress stepped forward.
She happened to be my close childhood friend, Lianxin, the second daughter of Duke Jin’s household. She had always been frail and rarely attended gatherings, so it was unusual to see her today.
“Since childhood, this young lady has admired the courage of our frontier soldiers. I therefore composed a poem in their honor.”
Lianxin cleared her throat and recited:
“Drunk, I trim the lamp and gaze upon my sword;
In dreams, war horns call me back to camp.
Eight hundred leagues of roasted beef divide beneath the banners;
Fifty strings ring out beyond the frontier;
Autumn musters troops upon the field.”
The moment she finished, General Wang, seated near the head of the hall, began applauding.
“A fine poem! A magnificent poem!”
“It is splendid. I can almost feel the blood rushing as we charge into battle.”
“Truly an excellent poem!”
Praise filled the hall. I applauded silently as well.
The poem was wonderful, though something about it felt faintly strange.
Lianxin smiled, knelt, and said softly, “This young lady dares ask Your Majesty to offer a few words of critique.”
Qi Haoyan drained his wine before answering.
“It is indeed excellent. The battlefield seems to rise before one’s eyes.”
Joy flashed across Lianxin’s face.
“There is only one thing I do not understand. If I recall correctly, Lady Lianxin has always been frail. How, then, are you so familiar with the realities of war?”