When Nalan Xuan woke the next morning, he never imagined that an offhand remark would prove prophetic.
The sky was only just beginning to brighten when Nalan Xuan suddenly jolted awake and shot upright in bed.
Hearing the movement, Xiao Dezi hurried over and called tentatively through the bed curtains, “Master?”
“What time is it?” Nalan Xuan was still shaken, his forehead drenched in sweat, yet he could not remember what he had dreamed that had left him so restless, frightened, and uneasy.
“The Hour of the Dragon has just passed,” Xiao Dezi replied. “It’s still early. Would Master like to sleep a little longer?”
Elio’s Notes: The Hour of the Dragon (辰時) traditionally spans roughly 7:00–9:00 a.m.
Nalan Xuan had only just opened his mouth when a sudden commotion erupted outside the hall. The palace servants were chattering so loudly it sounded as though the entire place had exploded into chaos. By now, Xiao Dezi seemed to have perfected the art of reading Nalan Xuan’s mind. Even without hearing an order or being able to see his expression through the curtains, he still knew exactly what his master wanted.
“What are you making such a racket about out there? If you disturb Master, can any of you bear the consequences?” Xiao Dezi called sharply.
A maid immediately pushed open the door and entered, though she only dared kneel far away beside the entrance. She looked as though the sky itself had collapsed, and even her voice trembled. “Master, something terrible has happened. Marquis Dingbei… His Lordship somehow defied the imperial will. His Majesty flew into a rage and has punished the marquis…”
Her voice grew quieter and quieter until Nalan Xuan could barely hear the indistinct mumbling at all.
“Speak up. Haven’t you eaten?” Ordinarily, Nalan Xuan would never lose his temper with servants for no reason. Having once been ordered around by others himself, he understood all too well the helplessness and bitterness of being beneath everyone else. But at that moment he was inexplicably agitated, his thoughts already in turmoil, and being forced to drag every word out of someone who kept hesitating finally wore through even his normally good temper.
“His Majesty has decreed that Marquis Dingbei and the Eldest Young Master are to be executed immediately, the Eldest Young Lady is to be sold into slavery, and every servant in the residence is to be exiled to the frontier.”
Elio’s Notes: 斬立決 was a formal sentence ordering execution without delay, rather than postponing the sentence for later review.
For an instant, Nalan Xuan thought he had misheard. He yanked apart the blood-red bed curtains and stared blankly at her. “What did you say?”
“His Majesty ordered the marquis and the Eldest Young Master executed. The decree was issued just now during morning court.” The maid repeated herself fearfully, looking as though she wished she could dig a hole and disappear into it.
Nalan Xuan sprang to his feet. He did not stop to dress, did not care how cold it might be outside, and ignored Xiao Dezi calling after him in panic. Wearing nothing but a snow-white inner robe, he swept past the maid kneeling beside the door and rushed straight out.
His mind was completely blank. He could not quite call it panic, nor could he call it grief. There was only bewilderment, as though some voice deep inside him were screaming, yet he could not make out what it was trying to say. Acting entirely on instinct, he ran all the way to the audience hall. Morning court normally lasted well over two hours, yet by the time he arrived only the last few officials remained, leaving in twos and threes. As they brushed past him, some looked at him with disdain, some with sympathy, some with contempt, and some with the unmistakable satisfaction of people who had come upon an entertaining spectacle.
“I only came into the palace one final time to see my younger brother, say a few things, and talk for a while. Whether you understand is irrelevant. Perhaps to you, all of this is nothing more than baggage you had long wanted to throw away…”
The strange things Nalan Zhen had said during his unexpected visit not long ago still echoed clearly in Nalan Xuan’s ears. At the time, Nalan Xuan had not understood what new madness had possessed him. Looking back now, those words sounded disturbingly like a farewell. Had Nalan Zhen already known then? Had there still been time to stop this if Nalan Xuan had understood?
He did not dare think any further. If a single wrong decision on his part had truly dragged so many lives into disaster, it would be unforgivable even if they had been strangers, much less these nominal relatives whose ties to him had become so tangled he could neither sever nor sort them out.
He stepped into the great hall. It was already empty except for the sound of his own footsteps. Spotting a palace attendant about to leave through a side door, he called him back. “Where is His Majesty? I want to see His Majesty.”
“Well, well, who do we have here? I could hear all this shouting from half the palace away. Court may have adjourned, but this is still the imperial audience hall. What kind of behavior is this?” Noble Concubine Liu’s voice arrived before she did. Early as it was, Liu Xiaoyun came surrounded by an impressive procession of attendants. The moment she saw Nalan Xuan, she visibly froze, then immediately changed her tune and smiled. “Greetings to Virtuous Noble Lord. This consort did not realize Virtuous Noble Lord was here and spoke out of turn. Please forgive the offense.”
Her words were apologetic, but the face struggling not to smile showed no remorse whatsoever. If anything, she looked openly delighted by his misfortune.
“It is rare indeed to see Virtuous Noble Lord out so early. Clearly, when it comes to His Majesty, Virtuous Noble Lord is still very attentive. I suppose there must also have been perfectly good reasons for missing so many visits to Her Majesty the Empress.” Without waiting for Nalan Xuan to tell her to rise, Liu Xiaoyun stood on her own. In the past, even if someone had lent her ten times the courage, she would never have dared behave so presumptuously before him. “Unfortunately, His Majesty is probably too busy to see Virtuous Noble Lord at the moment. This consort is unworthy, but I have been summoned to attend His Majesty. I hope Virtuous Noble Lord will be magnanimous and wait outside—or perhaps return to Moon-Embracing Palace and await a summons. Once I have the honor of seeing His Majesty, I will certainly convey Virtuous Noble Lord’s longing for him.”
She approached at an unhurried pace, graceful and languid. Her words were humble and respectful, but even a blind man could have seen the schadenfreude in her eyes, and even a deaf man could have heard the cheerful mockery dripping from every sentence.
“May I ask why Virtuous Noble Lord suddenly came seeking His Majesty at such an early hour? If it is urgent, this consort can pass along a message. I would hate to delay something important and have that become my fault.”
Nalan Xuan pressed his lips together and remained silent. Liu Xiaoyun, however, continued pretending ignorance with a concerned expression before suddenly looking as though realization had struck. “Surely Virtuous Noble Lord did not come because Marquis Dingbei has been condemned?”
Nalan Xuan’s temple gave an abrupt throb.
His silence only encouraged her. “Then Virtuous Noble Lord miscalculated by one move. Once His Majesty has issued an imperial decree and made up his mind, the matter is set in stone. Just look at the Gurun Prince Consort. He was His Majesty’s own uncle by marriage, yet when His Majesty said he was to die, he died. There was no room for argument or resistance. Marquis Dingbei, by comparison, is merely an outsider so distantly connected that he can hardly be called kin at all.”
Liu Xiaoyun placed a faint but deliberate emphasis on the word “outsider,” then seemed to remember Nalan Xuan only afterward and glanced at him. “Virtuous Noble Lord must not take offense. This consort simply speaks too plainly and momentarily forgot that Marquis Dingbei could, technically, be considered related to you. But if every such connection counted, His Majesty would have far too many relatives to keep track of. One lift of the hand, one fall of the blade, and who knows how many more relatives might disappear. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“This consort may not rank especially high, but I entered Prince Rong’s residence many years ago and understand a thing or two about these matters. The affair of the Gurun Prince Consort implicated Consort Shu Meng and sent her to the Cold Palace; for all the glory she enjoyed while alive, she was left without even a proper title in death. The matter of Marquis Dingbei may have arrived like a thunderclap, but it has not implicated Virtuous Noble Lord in the slightest. Noble Lord remains Noble Lord, still empowered to assist in administering the Six Palaces, still securely below one person and above ten thousand within the imperial harem. Virtuous Noble Lord should appreciate your good fortune. His Majesty must already be in a foul mood after hearing first thing this morning that an old minister he had treated generously for years intended to rebel. Though Virtuous Noble Lord has been fortunate enough to escape involvement, you should still avoid suspicion. Why deliberately throw yourself into the line of fire and make everyone unhappy? This is the moment to cut through the mess cleanly. Do not lose your head. Protecting yourself should come before everything else.”