Chapter 28

Chapter 28

When I opened my eyes again, a bright moon hung before me and the night wind roared. The small child in my arms had become Naihe. He held me protectively against him, shielding me from the violent gusts.

“I… had another nightmare? Where are we?”

“On the roof. You climbed up here in your sleep and nearly jumped.”

I released a long breath. Sweat had soaked my clothes, and the wind made me shiver.

His embrace was warm and carried the soft scent of sandalwood.

“I was terrified.”

I buried my face against his shoulder and spoke indistinctly.

“There may be more nightmares tomorrow, but they will not be this severe.” He patted my head and soothed me softly. “It is all right now.”

Over his shoulder, I could see the palace lights scattered in confusion. Above them, an impossibly beautiful crescent moon hung in the vault of heaven.

This was improper. I should not hold him this way. My mind had cleared, but I did not want to let go.

He gently pushed me away.

“I will take you down. I heard you ate nothing tonight, so I brought a food box.”

“A food box?”

“The quarters His Majesty gave me have a private kitchen. I cooked some porridge and brought it for you. That was when I found you in the nightmare.”

“I want to see.”

He retrieved a redwood food box from nearby. Inside was a bowl of green-rice porridge, cooled to a gentle warmth.

Its fragrance rose around us. At that moment, the wind became strangely tender.

“I want to eat here.”

“All right.”

I ate one spoonful after another. Tears fell into the porridge, lending it a faint bitterness.

“What is wrong? Does it taste bad?”

It was delicious, prepared in the authentic Southern Xu way. It was only that no one had ever cooked warm porridge for me.

“You are very bold.” Laughing bitterly at myself, I swallowed great mouthfuls. “For ten years, I have eaten every grain of rice with the utmost caution, terrified of poison. No one dares send me food.”

“I know,” he said. “That is why I will cook for you. I will make many… delicious things.”

My hand trembled and stopped.

We were so high above the ground that the mortal world seemed ten thousand miles away. The immortals and the moon could keep every secret for me.

“Naihe.” I looked into his eyes. “Are you in love with me?”

He did not answer. His gaze sharpened. I followed it over my shoulder and saw a ferocious guardian beast crouched on the roof ridge – and the man standing beside it.

Chen Dong.

Naihe carried me down from the roof.

Only then did I see that Chen Dong’s personal troops had surrounded the place. The entire palace compound blazed with light as bright as day.

Something had happened.

I turned to Chen Dong. “The First Prince brings soldiers into the palace at night. Do you intend to rebel?”

Chen Dong looked at me darkly, then raised his voice and barked, “Seize him!”

“Yes!”

Two enormous soldiers passed me and forced Naihe to the ground.

“He murdered the gelu,” Chen Dong said coldly. “Take him to prison immediately.”

“What proof do you have?” I demanded.

With his cheek pressed to the ground, Naihe still managed a strained smile in my direction. “Your Majesty, do not worry…”

Chen Dong kicked him in the abdomen. Naihe curled in pain and could no longer speak.

“The evidence has already been presented to His Majesty,” Chen Dong said. “His Majesty decreed that he will be flayed alive on an appointed day to appease the gelu’s spirit.”

He turned away. The soldiers dragged Naihe after him. I hurried forward. “Wait…”

Chen Dong wheeled around and seized my arm. His grip was so powerful I thought the bone would break.

“Your Majesty should remain quietly in the palace. If you continue behaving so willfully…” Two fires seemed to burn in his eyes as he enunciated every word. “I fear I will kill you this instant.”

Then he shoved me to the ground and left with his soldiers.

Youchun came to help me. Steadying myself, I said, “We are going to His Majesty.”

But the doors to Danchi’s chambers were barred, with two unfamiliar guards stationed outside.

“Your Majesty, His Majesty is unwell and will receive no visitors for the next several days.”

“How dare you!” one of my guards shouted.

The men at the door did not yield an inch. “Your Majesty, please do not make our duty difficult.”
They were Chen Dong’s men.

This was no longer merely about Naihe. The palace was my territory. For them to defy me here meant they believed they had sufficient power. Ever since the day Chen Dong first brought troops into the palace, I had guarded against his influence taking root within its walls. Yet the guards outside Danchi’s chambers had been replaced by his men without my knowledge.

I did not know how many people inside the palace now answered to Chen Dong. They could kill me at any moment.

I counted the palace guards as quickly as possible. The truth was worse than I had imagined. Zhelun, one of Chen Dong’s officers, had taken control of the outer-court guard. During my nightmare the previous night, another company of Chen Dong’s personal troops had claimed to be acting under Danchi’s decree and attempted to assume command of the forbidden inner palace. A violent clash had followed. Fortunately, the commander of the inner-palace guard refused to yield, buying me time – but no more than an hour.

If the two sides began fighting inside the palace, it would be a coup. And at that moment, I had no certainty of victory.

I could not lose.

If I lost, every policy of kind governance toward the southerners would vanish. Every subordinate I had cultivated at court would be purged. More importantly, if Chen Dong took power, war would sweep across the realm again.

I stood there as countless thoughts grew like mad weeds. The midsummer sun stabbed my eyes, and sweat crawled down my neck like needles.

I could not lose.

I led my people to one of the palace compounds. After the gelu’s murder, everyone connected to the case had been confined there. Now attendants were guiding them out of the palace. I clenched my fists and finally saw the figure in blue.

“Your Majesty – ” Yu Ning, the First Princess Consort, called in delight when she saw me.

I struck her across the face.

The blow knocked Yu Ning to the ground. She covered her cheek and stared at me in disbelief. Beside her, her son burst into tears.

I smiled through clenched teeth. “Since your parents failed to teach you propriety and shame, your mother-in-law will teach you in their place.”

Everyone turned to stare. Yu Ning shuddered, immediately seized my leg, and pleaded, “Let Donglin go. Please let Donglin leave.”

“How laughable. Why pretend to be a loving mother now?” I bent and whispered in her ear, “If you truly cared for your son, you would not bring him with you while you met your lover.”

Her entire body jolted. She stared blankly at me. Two guards came and took Donglin away, leaving me alone in the chamber with Yu Ning, who had collapsed into a trembling heap.

“When would a woman risk offending those above her merely to dress in dazzling finery? When she is going to meet the man she loves.”

Yu Ning shook violently. “Stop, Your Majesty. Please stop.”

“I truly cannot believe you wore the clothes your lover gave you to my birthday banquet. Yu Ning, you have astonishing nerve.”

Her words tumbled into incoherence. “He forced me. He said he wanted to see me wear it. He said Chen Dong had also brought back a shipment of sky-blue brocade, so if I claimed it came from Chen Dong, no one would suspect.”

“When did it begin?”

She sobbed until she could scarcely breathe. “He forced me. He truly did. Two years ago, at a palace banquet, I drank too much. When I woke, I was in a secluded courtyard and he had already… I did not want it. But he took my intimate garments… Every day, he sent people to harass me at home. I did not want any of it, I swear. But if Chen Dong learns the truth, he will kill me…”

“You and Yu Qing, you…” I closed my eyes briefly. “Old Ge caught you committing incest. Is that it?”

“The garden was so remote. No one ever went there. But Old Ge was waiting for someone. I was frightened. I tried to persuade Yu Qing that Old Ge was blind, but he said Old Ge recognized his voice…”

“You are both northerners, yet you killed the gelu. He was more than ninety years old…”

She trembled with sobs. “Your Majesty, do not tell the First Prince. Donglin cannot lose his mother…”

I seized her collar and spoke one word at a time. “Obey me and nothing will happen. Refuse, and I promise that before this day ends, neither you nor your son will have a grave.”

She stared at me in terror, sweat covering her brow, and nodded shakily.