Within the depths of the imperial palace, even someone who ordinarily never stepped beyond his own gates, refused visitors, and kept entirely to himself could not guarantee that others would not pick faults where none existed. Peace and quiet were almost impossible to obtain. For someone like Ning Xuan, who had been personally summoned by the emperor, it was even worse. The imperial palanquin specially dispatched to Moon-Embracing Palace alone was enough to inspire no small amount of resentment and jealousy.
“Why, isn’t that Virtuous Jieyu? I saw all this commotion from a distance and wondered who it could possibly be. Such an impressive procession this early in the morning.” Consort Shu Meng approached together with Jieyu Jiang and two other female consorts Ning Xuan vaguely remembered seeing in the empress’s hall but could not name. The palace attendants following them formed an imposing procession of their own. Consort Shu naturally walked at the very front, her slender waist swaying gracefully, every movement carrying regal elegance. Her bright peach-blossom eyes narrowed as she looked sharply at Ning Xuan, who remained comfortably seated in the palanquin without the slightest intention of descending. “Having His Majesty’s favor truly does make one different. Even Her Majesty the Empress can apparently be visited whenever you feel like it—or ignored whenever you do not. As for someone like me, I suppose that matters even less.”
Ning Xuan was seated in a palanquin personally bestowed by the emperor. If he wished to step down and bow, no one would stop him. But if he did not wish to, then however ordinary that wooden palanquin might look, it still represented the emperor’s will. Remaining seated was therefore perfectly defensible.
And Ning Xuan remained seated with complete peace of mind. He merely clasped his hands in greeting and considered the formalities complete. “This subject pays his respects to Your Highness Consort Shu.”
Consort Shu Meng clearly had not expected Ning Xuan to dare behave so brazenly. Her eyes widened with fury, and she pressed her lips together so tightly that the rouge upon them smudged out of shape.
“Virtuous Jieyu certainly seems to be in excellent spirits. Dressing yourself up so lavishly first thing in the morning just to see His Majesty—are you afraid he might forget you, or are you terrified you won’t have enough time to display every trick you possess? You seem awfully eager to throw yourself at him.”
“Your Highness exaggerates.” Faced with Consort Shu Meng’s barbed mockery, Ning Xuan’s expression did not change. His lowered eyes remained focused upon the crimson-jade pendant at his waist, which he idly toyed with as he answered in a tone of genuine amusement. “Whether I’m rushing toward His Majesty because I’m afraid I won’t get another chance someday isn’t particularly important. What matters is that even if everyone wants to throw themselves at him, His Majesty does not necessarily accept every offer.”
“You!” Such an openly disrespectful retort swept away all of Consort Shu Meng’s carefully cultivated authority within the imperial harem. One delicate hand shot upward, her finger trembling as she pointed at Ning Xuan. Not a trace remained of her usual feigned dignity or gentleness. If she had planted her other hand upon her hip, she would have looked exactly like a shrew cursing someone in the street. The female consorts behind her all fell deathly silent, terrified that one wrong movement would turn them into collateral damage.
“Fine! Very fine! It seems you have truly grown bold enough to challenge your superiors and speak whatever outrageous words enter your head!” Consort Shu Meng ground her teeth as though she wanted nothing more than to rush forward and devour Ning Xuan alive.
“Your Highness praises me too highly. I hardly deserve it.” The corner of Ning Xuan’s mouth curved upward in a smile that contained no warmth. “It is getting late, and His Majesty is still waiting for me in the imperial study. I won’t keep Your Highness standing here under the sun any longer. This subject takes his leave.”
He casually waved a hand. The servants carrying the palanquin immediately understood and lifted it once more, leaving behind a furious Consort Shu Meng who had nowhere to vent her anger, together with an assortment of pale-faced attendants and female consorts who looked as though they had narrowly survived a disaster.
After they rounded a palace wall and traveled only a short distance, Ning Xuan suddenly noticed a figure standing ahead.
The man wore a dark-red court robe. Ning Xuan had seen Feng Xuanyi wear one when he was still a prince, and he himself had worn similar robes before. From this distance, however, he could not make out the embroidered rank insignia and therefore had no idea what official position the stranger held. The man simply stood there without moving, his purpose impossible to discern. Ning Xuan assumed he was merely a passerby he would glimpse once and never think about again, but as the palanquin passed him, the man suddenly spoke.
“The imperial harem truly does conceal crouching tigers and hidden dragons. To think someone here actually dares show displeasure to the cherished daughter of the Gurun Prince Consort. I am thoroughly impressed. This subject admits defeat.”
Even though Ning Xuan’s palanquin had already passed him, the man still bent into a deep and perfectly respectful bow.
The moving palanquin abruptly stopped.
“My lord knows me?”
When dealing with officials from outside the inner palace, any consort—male or female—who presided over an entire palace and managed its affairs was entitled to use the first-person form reserved for a palace master. Those of insufficient rank instead referred to themselves by their own title.
Something about Ning Xuan’s simple question apparently struck the man as enormously amusing. The corner of his mouth lifted as though he had heard a magnificent joke, his contempt unmistakable even though propriety forced him to maintain an outwardly respectful expression.
“This subject is ignorant and untalented and has never been fortunate enough to enjoy such an honor. Today is the first time I have met Young Master. I simply felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and therefore looked a little longer. I did not expect Young Master not only to possess such extraordinary looks, but such remarkable courage as well.”
For reasons he himself could not explain, Ning Xuan stepped down from the palanquin.
Perhaps it was exactly as the stranger had said. Though this was supposedly their first meeting, Ning Xuan felt an inexplicable familiarity toward him. The emotions concealed between the man’s brows were difficult to read, making it impossible to determine whether he was friend or foe, and yet Ning Xuan instinctively wanted to approach him.
“Master, His Majesty is still waiting in the imperial study. He instructed you to go there quickly.” Seeing the unusual situation, Xiao Dezi hurriedly spoke up.
The imperial palace was full of eyes and mouths. Any meeting between someone from the imperial harem and an outside official could become the center of a scandal. Even meetings between siblings, parents, children, or other relatives could be twisted by malicious people into accusations of collusion or interference in government by imperial in-laws. A private conversation with an unrelated stranger was considerably more dangerous.
“It doesn’t matter. This won’t take long.”
Leaving Xiao Dezi and the six palanquin bearers behind, Ning Xuan walked slowly toward the man and stopped before him. Upon examining him closely, the strange feeling only became stronger.
Sword-like brows, bright eyes, and sharply sculpted, handsome features gave the man an austere masculinity. He was tall and straight-backed, strikingly handsome, unruly, and arrogant. His thin lips curved faintly, carrying something cruel and cold. The way he forever seemed to look down upon everyone from above was profoundly uncomfortable, as though he alone stood at the summit of the world.
Yet it was precisely that expression that seemed strangely familiar.
Or perhaps Ning Xuan had seen a similar face somewhere before. It was not completely identical, but the resemblance was unmistakable. The only difference was that the person he vaguely remembered had not possessed this stranger’s unruly, brooding air.
“May I ask how I should address you, my lord? And what brings you here specifically today?”
There could not possibly be so many coincidences in the world. A particular person appeared at a particular time, witnessed a particular incident, deliberately waited afterward, and then delivered a clearly prepared speech. If everything had been intentional, Ning Xuan might as well hear what this stranger wanted—and why that purpose involved him.
“When people enjoy peace and comfort for too long, they inevitably become careless. Everyone wishes to live free of worries. Who would not want to lose themselves in an easy life? Unfortunately, not everyone has the right to possess one. Wouldn’t you agree, Young Master?”
Instead of answering the question, the stranger abruptly began philosophizing about life—and to someone who was supposedly a complete stranger of entirely different status.
Ning Xuan merely smiled without speaking, tacitly agreeing and wearing an expression that plainly said, Go on.
“If you cannot have it, then stop dreaming about it. Time is short. Do not forget what you set out to accomplish in the first place.”
That only confused Ning Xuan further.
He did not know who the man before him was, nor did he understand what these seemingly disconnected words were meant to imply. He was about to ask more questions when the man closed his mouth as though his mission had already been accomplished. He clasped his hands in a formal salute and said clearly and respectfully, “This subject takes his leave.”
Ning Xuan climbed back into the palanquin. Xiao Dezi immediately called, “Lift the palanquin!”
At the command, the six palace attendants swiftly raised it and increased their pace toward the imperial study. They had already lost quite a bit of time. The ancestor sitting inside the palanquin might dare disregard the emperor’s instructions, but the servants certainly did not.
The two figures traveled in opposite directions, one on foot and one by palanquin.
One wore an expression of deep contemplation.
The other, a face filled with cold darkness.
It had been nothing more than a hurried encounter, yet no one knew what ripples—or what storm—it might ultimately set in motion.
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