A chill entered Han Ruifeng’s eyes, and a bloodthirsty curve touched his lips. “I gave you a choice, more than once. You know too much. Since you refuse to be of use to me, I have no choice but to send you on your way.”
He turned to leave. Just as the door was closing, Han Ruifeng seemed to remember something and kindly added, “Perhaps you’ve been cut off from the world for too long. Ning Xuan? Heh… I’m afraid he may not be quite as you imagine. How should I put it? In your words, I suppose you’d call it ‘loyal.’ Unfortunately, you won’t have the chance to see it for yourself. Though perhaps that’s a good thing for you. At least you can die still clinging to your faith, however ridiculous and laughable it seems to me.”
“If you can, remember to watch your step when you cross the Naihe Bridge. Pray sincerely that in your next life, you never meet me again—and never meet Nalan Xuan either!”
The instant the door shut, four burly palace servants waiting outside kicked it open and charged inside.
Han Ruifeng drew a silk handkerchief from his sleeve. His ordinarily delicate features were now twisted with viciousness as he carefully wiped every one of his spotless fingers. “Make sure he ‘accidentally’ ends up at Fengyi Palace. Since he wanted so badly to see Her Majesty the Empress, after all the years we spent as brothers, naturally I should grant his wish.”
“Ah—!” He Xiang’s scream tore through the beginning of a new day. The basin of water she had been carrying crashed halfway to the floor, splashing water everywhere. The resulting clatter shattered the lingering dreams of the night before.
Nalan Xuan’s eyes flew open. The first thing he saw was the blood-red hibiscus blossoms above him, and for an instant he drifted into a daze. He did not know why Feng Xuanyi had chosen this particular flower. Hibiscus blossoms held few pleasant memories for Nalan Xuan, yet he could not deny that they occupied an unusually important place in his heart. No matter how accustomed he became to the canopy, there was always a fleeting moment of disorientation when he first awakened beneath it.
He swept aside the bed curtains. On the chaise longue just beyond them, Feng Xuanyi had also been startled awake by the sudden scream and was now staring toward the window with open displeasure.
Feng Xuanyi had stayed overnight at Fengyi Palace again. Nothing had happened between them—not even a single conversation. Feng Xuanyi reviewed memorials in the outer chamber while Nalan Xuan sat idly in a rocking chair in the inner chamber, gazing at the moon and quietly observing Feng Xuanyi’s every movement at the same time.
Feng Xuanyi said he loved him, and so he would respect him. He did not want compromise or reluctant submission. He wanted Nalan Xuan to accept him sincerely, so he would not force him. He would remain beside him day and night until the distance between them gradually narrowed and, someday, they could stand shoulder to shoulder and lean against one another.
Thus, although the great red lanterns outside Fengyi Palace had burned brightly the previous night, inside the bedchamber there had not been so much as physical intimacy between them.
Feng Xuanyi had moved the chaise longue beside the bed and lowered layer after layer of curtains. Separated only by those curtains, he kept watch outside while Nalan Xuan slept. He waited until Nalan Xuan’s breathing became steady, then slept on the chaise longue himself, content and at peace.
Seeing that Nalan Xuan was awake, Feng Xuanyi immediately pulled the cloak from the folding screen and draped it around him before raising his voice in displeasure. “What is all that noise outside so early in the morning?”
Ever since their days in Prince Rong’s Residence, Nalan Xuan had loved sleeping late and could barely be awakened no matter how much anyone called him. Naturally, Feng Xuanyi blamed the commotion outside for waking him early.
At the sound, Mo Yan pushed open the door and entered. His face was unusually pale. After kneeling and respectfully greeting both Feng Xuanyi and Nalan Xuan, he hesitated before saying, “A servant’s body was discovered outside Fengyi Palace…”
Hearing such an unlucky matter first thing in the morning only irritated Feng Xuanyi. More than one or two people died in the palace every day. The consorts and young lords of each palace had the authority to punish their own servants; beating or killing one could be decided with a word. If every case required a report and imperial approval, the emperor and empress would spend their entire days doing nothing else.
“It’s only a dead servant. Ask the Bureau of Palace Punishments what happened. Their people are far too careless. Have them clean it up properly.” Feng Xuanyi frowned impatiently.
Nalan Xuan, who had remained silent until now, narrowed his brows slightly. He had noticed Mo Yan’s hesitation. “Who is it?”
Mo Yan knew he could not hide it and had never truly intended to. Instinctively, however, he looked up to gauge Nalan Xuan’s expression. The instant their eyes met, he involuntarily drew his neck in. A chill seemed to race from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head, leaving even his throat dry. “Qing Zhu.”
“Who?” Nalan Xuan had heard clearly. He merely wanted confirmation, and his voice rose an octave without his noticing.
Mo Yan cleared his throat and repeated, “Qing Zhu, who originally entered the palace from Prince Rong’s Residence.”
Feng Xuanyi remembered the name. Qing Zhu was the fair-skinned, clever, lively-looking young man who had been close to both Nalan Xuan and Han Ruifeng. If Feng Xuanyi remembered correctly, Qing Zhu should have been serving in Han Ruifeng’s palace. How had he ended up dead outside Fengyi Palace?
Nalan Xuan closed his eyes, then opened them again without the slightest ripple in his expression. “Attend His Majesty and make sure he isn’t late for morning court.”
They washed, dressed, and ate. Mo Yan brought a group of servants to attend Feng Xuanyi, while Nalan Xuan was no less occupied. Ji Yu and Xiao Jiu had already been waiting outside for some time. Although He Xiang had been badly startled earlier, she was hardly fainthearted herself. Once the shock passed, her face quickly returned to its familiar sycophantic expression toward the powerful and contemptuous one toward the weak.
After breakfast, Ji Yu approached carefully and, with obvious hesitation, asked what should be done with Qing Zhu’s body.
Nalan Xuan paused when he heard the question, then cast Ji Yu a cold glance and raised one brow. “Handle it however it’s normally handled. Fengyi Palace is not a mortuary. Whether he’s buried or thrown away, what does it have to do with me?”
The harem consorts were almost overwhelmed with gratitude that they were not left outside waiting for two hours again today. After several consecutive days of taking turns “petitioning the emperor” with their complaints, not a single word of reproach had come from Feng Xuanyi. Instead, Fengyi Palace continued receiving favor without end. Anyone capable of surviving in the harem until now was no innocent fool. They understood the weight of the emperor’s bias perfectly well. Whether they liked it or admitted it made no difference; facts were facts, at least for the moment. If they wanted to rise, it was far more practical to think of ways to win more imperial favor for themselves.
“Qing Zhu is dead.” After the morning observance ended, Nalan Xuan once again kept Han Ruifeng behind at Fengyi Palace to speak privately, inspiring no small amount of envy. By now, anyone with eyes could see that drawing closer to the empress meant drawing closer to imperial favor. Perhaps one day His Majesty would happen to visit Fengyi Palace, see them there, remember that among the thousands of beauties in the harem such a person still existed, and with a little effort afterward, favor might naturally follow. So when Han Ruifeng was once again asked to remain, countless consorts practically ground their silver teeth to pieces.
Unfortunately, Han Ruifeng seemed incapable of appreciating such a privilege. When the empress addressed him, not only did he fail to answer eagerly and respectfully, he looked utterly unconcerned. “Oh? Is that so?” Then he seemed to realize something. “No wonder the person doing my hair this morning kept pulling painfully. So they changed servants. This minister failed to notice. Please punish me, Your Majesty.”