Nalan Xuan narrowed his eyes dangerously. The high collar of his empress robes concealed most of his face, making the gaze above it appear even colder and sharper. “It seems Luoxiao Palace’s guards are truly negligent. Even if imperial favor has faded, old affection still remains. Noble Lord Han is still His Majesty’s consort, after all. If a perfectly healthy person in the palace can simply vanish whenever someone wishes and turn up dead just as easily, that is rather worrying. If tomorrow morning the person lying dead outside my door is you, heh… should I be surprised, or simply ignore it?”
“The Imperial Household Department assigned several new servants to my palace a few days ago. I hardly need that many people waiting on me. If some come in, naturally some must go out. Just as this minister cannot control exactly who is transferred in, I also cannot control when certain people might accidentally leave.” Han Ruifeng deliberately avoided the heart of the matter, yet the provocation in his words was unmistakable.
The moment he finished, the air seemed to fill with smoke from battle. Han Ruifeng suddenly smiled, looking almost melancholy. “But if Qing Zhu knew that Her Majesty the Empress, whom he always regarded as a brother, reacted to news of his death with such…” He seemed to search hard for the gentlest possible word, though he might simply have been suppressing laughter. “Such indifference, I wonder what he would think.” Han Ruifeng sighed softly in apparent understanding. “Still, Qing Zhu only has himself to blame for overestimating his place. He was nothing but a lowly commoner. How could he dare claim any connection to an empress of such exalted rank? Perhaps he deserved the end he met. When people become too arrogant, someone will inevitably step forward and uphold justice on Heaven’s behalf.”
“Uphold justice on Heaven’s behalf? You?” Nalan Xuan gave a cold laugh. “Not to be unkind, but you are not Heaven, and you are not worthy of becoming Heaven. If anything, you are merely a pitiful puppet.” Nalan Xuan rose, signaling the end of their conversation. “Enough. Noble Lord Han should return and rest. Otherwise, if Heaven’s justice suddenly moves swiftly one day, you may not even have time for regret.”
Life in the palace was actually extraordinarily monotonous, especially when one built the walls around one’s heart high enough that every consort had to be guarded against and even every servant at one’s side could not be trusted. Yet Nalan Xuan found himself enjoying such a life. “Have someone send him back to his hometown and give him a proper burial.”
He was Nalan Xuan at all times, yet he was also Ning Xuan. Truth and falsehood intertwined. Sometimes the distinction had to be made perfectly clear; at other times, it had to remain deliberately blurred.
“Yes.” Ji Yu understood immediately and withdrew. There was no need to ask whether he should personally arrange the burial or where Qing Zhu’s hometown was. Someone would naturally handle everything.
Every afternoon was simultaneously Nalan Xuan’s most idle and busiest period. Every arrangement, every contingency, and every test of the people around him gradually revealed itself during these hours. Today in particular was something Nalan Xuan had been waiting for.
“Has Noble Concubine Xiao gone to Noble Lord Han’s palace?” The newly presented Longjing tea carried its fragrance from far across the room, but Nalan Xuan paid it little attention. Curled lazily on the chaise longue beside the bed, he rocked gently as though utterly bored, while his gaze remained bright, calculating, and perfectly clear. Sunlight filtered through the carved paper window and cast fan-shaped shadows beneath lashes like butterfly wings.
“Reporting to Master, this maidservant saw it clearly just now. Noble Concubine Xiao really did head toward Luoxiao Palace. But the things coming out of her mouth along the way were absolutely filthy.” He Xiang hurried forward with a flattering smile to make her report.
No wonder Xiao Qi had stormed out in resentment without even remembering to take proper leave. For someone so self-important, driving her into a rage and making her seek out the person truly urging her on from behind the scenes was almost effortless. But if one wished to start a fire, it naturally had to be lit at the right moment. “Did you give the item to Bi Lian?”
Bi Lian was one of the palace maids who had originally been assigned to Fengyi Palace before Nalan Xuan had casually redirected her to Luoxiao Palace.
“Master, don’t worry. This servant gave it to her yesterday and told her exactly when to use it. The timing should be about right by now.” Not to be outdone, Xiao Jiu hurried forward as well. How could he let He Xiang claim all the credit? He did not know what exactly was inside the packet of medicine, but servants had no need to know such things too clearly. Pleasing their master was more important than anything else.
Nalan Xuan shifted his teacup only slightly, and someone immediately stepped forward to remove the unnecessary things around him.
With a smile that was not quite a smile, Nalan Xuan rose and flicked a crease from his robe. “Then prepare the procession for Luoxiao Palace. With such a good show waiting there, it would be a terrible waste not to watch.”
At that same moment in Luoxiao Palace, Han Ruifeng was tending flowers and plants when Xiao Qi charged inside without waiting for the servants to announce her. Han Ruifeng’s brows drew together almost imperceptibly, though his hands never stopped moving.
“Who does he think he is? Just because His Majesty is still willing to look at that shameless face, what gives him the right to criticize me? He says I’ve lost favor? As if he has the right! Back when I could summon wind and rain in this palace, he probably didn’t even know his own surname!” Xiao Qi entered cursing all the way. Her claims were exaggerated, but she had indeed once enjoyed considerable prestige because of her family. Xiao Qi herself, naturally, attributed that former glory to her beauty and Feng Xuanyi’s sincere affection for her.
“I told you before. If you have something to say, send a servant with the message. Unless absolutely necessary, it is best that we do not meet in person. Have you forgotten what I said?” Han Ruifeng spoke without raising his voice, yet authority came naturally to him. After occupying his current rank for so long, he had indeed developed an impressive air.
Xiao Qi froze for a moment. With her back turned to Han Ruifeng, she rolled her eyes fiercely. If his rank were not genuinely a little higher than hers, why should she have to swallow her anger and listen to him lecture her? At best, he had once been nothing but a menial servant, lowborn to the bone.
“What, just because you say I shouldn’t come, I’m suddenly forbidden from entering this place?” Her tone remained aggressive, though some of its earlier sharpness disappeared. Facing Han Ruifeng, Xiao Qi still yielded a little.
A servant of Luoxiao Palace brought tea and then withdrew. After cursing for so long, Xiao Qi was naturally thirsty. She lifted the cup and took a drink, then could not resist sneering. “Oh? Is this this year’s newly presented West Lake Longjing? Noble Lord Han truly is someone precious to His Majesty. Aside from Fengyi Palace, yours must be the first to receive it. This concubine misspoke just now. Noble Lord Han, please don’t take offense.”
Han Ruifeng stopped tending the flowers, accepted the teacup a maid handed him, and took a small sip. “Whatever you have to say, say it quickly. Once you’re finished, hurry back to Donghua Palace.”
“I’m sure Noble Lord Han would never be the sort to tear down the bridge after crossing the river.” Xiao Qi’s fingers tightened around the teacup until her knuckles turned pale. The corner of her lips lifted as she spoke with heavy sarcasm. “I simply don’t understand. Since the two of you already regard each other as thorns in your sides, what exactly are you waiting for? How much longer do you plan to endure him? Surely you aren’t leaving yourself an escape route? Or are you planning to do what you did before—run back wagging your tail and begging Her Majesty the Empress to remember what a wonderful brother you once were and toss you a little charity?”
Xiao Qi set down the teacup, her smile poisonous. “Don’t forget—after everything you’ve done behind his back, do you really think he could still calmly accept you?” She relaxed comfortably against the chair. “And don’t forget, every single one of those things you did was spectacular in its own way.”
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