After uttering those words, Wen Liangyu didn’t give He Heng any time to react. He immediately turned his head and engaged in small talk with those old consorts.
Previously, due to the palace coup, he had been confined to the Yongxin Hall and couldn’t leave. In the past few days, he had been busy with state affairs, so he hadn’t visited these old consorts near the Cining Palace for quite some time.
Most of these consorts still residing in the Cining Palace had no children under their knees, and since Wen Liangyu’s mother had passed away early, they pitied him. They often brought him food and clothes when they visited, showing a form of kindness.
Therefore, at this moment, upon seeing each other, they were unusually warm, as if there were endless things to talk about.
Although Wen Liangyu is now an emperor standing alone, in the eyes of those old consorts, he is still the forever young child.
They still remember that every time winter arrived in the capital, and the snow began to fall, and the weather turned cold, Wen Liangyu liked to wrap himself tightly in his own blanket, just like a little bear, refusing to go out for fear of the cold.
So, the leading lady expressed her concern and admonished Wen Liangyu:
“Your Majesty, in a few days, it will be the height of winter. You have always been sensitive to the cold. Please remember to add a few more layers of clothing.”
“When you were young, during this time, Concubine Wan would always have a headache. She used to complain to us that you refused to go out, no matter how she tried to coax you. You always insisted on staying in the bedroom.”
As she spoke, she suddenly felt a pang in her heart, realizing that in a few days, it would be the height of winter, and January 20th happened to be the anniversary of Wen Liangyu’s mother’s passing.
Wen Liangyu’s mother had unfortunately succumbed to illness, particularly a severe cold, and during this time of the year, his mood inevitably became somber.
Often, words spoken without much thought can carry deeper implications, and the old consort became aware that she shouldn’t have brought up such a sensitive topic.
Sure enough, the next moment, Wen Liangyu’s facial expression became restrained, and he grew silent.
Seeing this, the old consort paused in her tone, her voice lowering even more, “Your Majesty, in a few days, it will be Concubine Wan’s death anniversary. Try not to grieve too much. If she knows from the afterlife, she would surely want you to be healthy and happy.”
“I understand,” Wen Liangyu responded with a subdued expression. “In a few days, I’ll go visit her.”
“Take good care of yourselves too.”
After that, they didn’t chat for much longer. Due to the cold and strong wind, the old consorts took their leave and returned to the palace.
After the old consorts left, Wen Liangyu adjusted his emotions. Just as he was about to leave with He Heng, someone suddenly placed something in his arms. When he looked down, he discovered it was a small rabbit made of colored paper.
The rabbit had long ears, and its tail resembled a ball. When placed on a chair, it could even stand up on its own.
Soon, a deep voice came from above his head,
“Your Majesty, look, it really resembles you.”
After saying that, He Heng shifted closer to Wen Liangyu. Now, the two of them were side by side, feeling each other’s warmth.
He had noticed the change in Wen Liangyu’s emotions earlier, prompting him to fold a rabbit to cheer up the young emperor.
Wen Liangyu looked at the small and cute paper rabbit in his arms, and most of his previous low spirits disappeared. He muttered softly, “Where does it resemble?”
“This rabbit is so chubby, like a ball. How am I that chubby?” he continued.
He Heng smirked, “Every winter, you like to wrap yourself up like a ball.”
Wen Liangyu instinctively retorted, “I don’t.”
However, as he glanced down at himself, he realized he could only turn his head slightly because he was wearing a fox fur collar that encircled his neck. Only half of his face was visible, with both hands tucked into the sleeves. Outside the robe, he also had a cloak. Looking down like this, it seemed like his waist wasn’t that noticeable.
It really did resemble a ball.
Wen Liangyu, realizing this, wore a slightly regretful expression on his face. In his vexation, he pulled his hands out from the wide sleeves, attempting to make himself look less sensitive to the cold.
However, at that moment, a cold gust of wind blew through. The exposed skin of Wen Liangyu felt a chilling sensation, and he hesitated to tuck his hands back in. Instead, he instinctively clenched his fists. On the fair and pristine back of his hands, faintly visible were the blue veins, and in the cold wind, a subtle blush seemed to appear.
The next moment,
A warm touch suddenly enveloped the back of his hand, a slender and powerful hand covering it.
He Heng first enclosed Wen Liangyu’s palm within his own, then he unfolded his fingers, interlocking them with Wen Liangyu’s.
In that moment, Wen Liangyu felt his heartbeat uncontrollably pounding,
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
It echoed in his chest, one beat after another.
Subconsciously, he raised his gaze, meeting the warm eyes of the man.
He Heng’s expression seemed genuinely serious, and his voice sounded exceptionally gentle,
“Your Majesty, you don’t have to keep all the unpleasant things to yourself. You can talk about them. If you need, I’ve always been here.”
Wen Liangyu’s pupils trembled slightly, reflecting the figure of the other man. In this moment, it felt like his heart was struck heavily, and He Heng’s words seemed to be engraved on the core of his heart like a spell.
He could even hear the clear and powerful sound of his own heartbeat,
“Alright.”
On the day of winter,
The snow in the palace fell heavily, almost blinding to the eyes. The stone paths were covered with a thick layer of snow, making the ground slippery and uneven, creating treacherous conditions.
Wen Liangyu had been outside for only a few minutes, and his hair and eyelashes were already covered in a layer of fine ice crystals. He tucked his hands into the wide sleeves and couldn’t help but exhale a breath in the cold wind. The breath immediately turned into frost in the air.
With Liu Fuyuan’s support, he stepped over the high threshold outside the ancestral hall.
After the death of the late emperor’s consorts, they would be posthumously given a title, and their memorial tablets would be placed in this ancestral hall.
In the side hall here, the tablet of his mother, Concubine Wan Gui, was enshrined.
A cold wind blew through, making the door creak. Behind the dark gray palace wall was a bare and withered tree, accentuating the desolation and loneliness of the place.
Observing this scene, Wen Liangyu’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, and a hint of loneliness inevitably arose in his heart.
His mother had never been favored during her lifetime, and since Wen Liangyu could remember, he rarely saw his mother’s genuinely happy smile.
She was like a rose trapped under a crystal glass cover. Losing nutrients, her petals withered day by day, year by year, until her life was eventually drained away.
After death, she was buried alone in a distant but cold imperial mausoleum. Except for himself, no one would remember that January 20th was her death anniversary.
Thinking about this, Wen Liangyu lowered his eyelids slightly, sighed softly, and walked towards the ancestral hall.
However, when the attendants pushed open the door to the side hall for him, Wen Liangyu froze,
Because he saw that the incense in the side hall was burning brightly, and faintly, he could hear the chanting of sutras, a gentle and cold female voice.
“Your Majesty, this…” Even Liu Fuyuan, who stood by, was momentarily stunned.
Wen Liangyu exchanged a perplexed glance with him, then followed the sound into the side hall.
Inside the side hall, the woman who was offering incense had jet-black hair tied up with a simple blue hairpin. She wore plain-colored clothes, a simple yet elegant attire that exuded an air of nobility. An attendant accompanied her.
The moment she saw Wen Liangyu, she first paused, then stopped her actions and softly called out, “Your Majesty.”
Her face, however, seemed particularly unfamiliar to Wen Liangyu. After pondering for a while, he recalled that she was one of the consorts in his harem.
Due to his infrequent visits to the harem, Wen Liangyu didn’t recall the appearances of the consorts very well. He never expected that one of them would remember his mother’s death anniversary and come to pay respects on such a snowy day.
Thinking about this, Wen Liangyu cleared his throat and said to her:
“No need for excessive formality.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” An Ya responded softly and then slowly lifted her head.
However, in the moment she raised her head, a subtle expression flickered in her eyes, something not easily noticeable by others.
But that expression vanished in an instant, and the next moment, An Ya resumed her usual gentleness.
Wen Liangyu then glanced around her surroundings and noticed that besides a maidservant, she had no attendants with her. He inquired, “Did you come alone?”
“Yes,” An Ya nodded. “I haven’t forgotten that today is the death anniversary of Concubine Shuren.”
She then considerately took the already lit incense and handed it to Wen Liangyu.
“You are considerate,” Wen Liangyu accepted the incense and walked to the memorial tablet to begin the ceremony.
An Ya quietly waited on the side, but unnoticed by anyone, her attention followed every move Wen Liangyu made throughout the entire process.
In fact,
Her presence here today, coincidentally “meeting” the Emperor, was not merely a chance encounter but a well-planned intentional act.
As a consort recommended into the palace by Wang Jingyuan, she, like everyone else, had not received the Emperor’s favor.
Since the incident where He Heng disrupted their plans, Wang Jingyuan ceased overtly advising against it but never stopped scheming in secret.
In his mindset, Wen Liangyu, as the sovereign of a nation, couldn’t avoid taking a queen and, inevitably, siring an heir. It was only a matter of time. Given that, he absolutely couldn’t allow others to seize the initiative.
But the young emperor was stubborn, unwilling to take a consort and establish an heir. What to do?
In Wang Jingyuan’s view, once Wen Liangyu had a child, all these plans would naturally fall into place.
Having realized this, he shifted his focus to the matter of ensuring that the consorts he arranged in the palace would bear Wen Liangyu’s child.
If An Ya could bear his child, then there would be no worry about coercing her into becoming a queen in the future.
And so, today’s scenario unfolded.
Following Wang Jingyuan’s explicit instructions, An Ya went alone to the ancestral hall to mourn the deceased mother of Wen Liangyu, creating an opportunity for the “chance encounter” between the two.
By the time Wen Liangyu turned around after the ceremony, An Ya had completely concealed the subtle expression in her eyes and reverted to her usual virtuous demeanor. She smiled at Wen Liangyu and said,
“Your Majesty, are you planning to return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation?”
“Yes,” Wen Liangyu nodded, “Escort Lady An back to her residence first.”
After all, it was dark and slippery, and the route from the ancestral hall to the various palace gardens was long. Whether out of gratitude for her visit to mourn his mother or out of courtesy, Wen Liangyu didn’t feel comfortable letting her walk back alone in the dark.
When the sedan chair stopped at the entrance of her residence,
An Ya expressed her gratitude to Wen Liangyu, saying, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Wen Liangyu shook his head, indicating that she need not be overly formal. As he was about to leave, An Ya suddenly called out to him,
“Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask. I wonder if Your Majesty would grant it?”
Her tone became anxious.
Seeing her pull the sedan chair curtains wide open, letting the cold wind rush in, Liu Fuyuan furrowed his brows and suggested, “It’s windy here, Your Majesty shouldn’t catch a cold. Why not discuss it inside?”
“My apologies for the oversight,” An Ya expressed a regretful expression and then invited Wen Liangyu to enter the hall for discussion.
Wen Liangyu nodded and entered the palace with her.
As soon as they entered the palace, he faintly caught a strange fragrance. It was light but carried a hint of spiciness. Before he could think further,
An Ya suddenly knelt down in front of him with a “thump”, earnestly saying that her mother was seriously ill, and she wanted to return home to visit her.
Almost in an instant,
“I grant it.”
Wen Liangyu agreed quickly.
At this moment, he looked at the vast yet desolate palace of An Ya, and a sense of empathy suddenly arose in his heart.
Like his mother, these palace consorts were also pitiable individuals who had no control over their fate.
At the same time, Wen Liangyu had the idea of dispersing the palace,
Although these people were his consorts, they had never truly been husband and wife.
Moreover, he had now reclaimed political power, secured the throne, and was no longer the child restricted by others three years ago.
He thought that these people were all unfortunate. The best years of their lives were locked away in the deep palace. It would be better to give them freedom and find a better place.
Even though dispersing the palace would undoubtedly stir up a commotion in the court, and he would face criticism from courtiers, at this moment, Wen Liangyu had made up his mind.
He no longer wanted to care about what others said. Regardless of how the ministers advised him, he was determined to disband the palace.
“Your Majesty,”
In the moments Wen Liangyu was lost in thought, An Ya had already walked to the table in the palace. She picked up a teapot and poured two cups of ginger tea.
The teapot seemed ordinary at first glance, but it had two small buttons, one blue and one green, on the handle—a teapot designed for assassination.
When nobody was paying attention, she discreetly pressed one of the buttons while pouring tea for Wen Liangyu.
The tea and the fragrance in the palace were both intentionally procured by Wang Jingyuan. The fragrance had an aphrodisiac and bewitching effect. As for the teapot, the blue part inside had been secretly medicated.
However, she had prepared the drug for herself. After taking it, it would make a person appear alluring and soft, enhancing the effects of the intoxicating fragrance. Almost no one could resist it.
So, when she poured tea for Wen Liangyu just now, she intentionally pressed the green button, ensuring that the tea served was ordinary.
“Your Majesty, thank you.”
Saying this, she handed one of the cups of tea to Wen Liangyu. “Your Majesty, it’s cold today. Have some ginger tea to warm up.”
However, after receiving the tea cup, Wen Liangyu held it in his hand without drinking. Instead, he stared blankly at a vase in the corner.
“Your Majesty,”
Seeing this, An Ya smiled, “Do you like that emerald green vase? How about I have it sent to the Yaxin Palace for you?”
“No need,” Wen Liangyu waved his hand at her, then lowered his head to take a sip of tea.
However, because of this vase, it reminded him uncontrollably of He Heng, so he glanced at it a few more times.
But this vase is clearly blue, why did Lady An describe it as emerald green?
At this moment, Wen Liangyu didn’t want to delve into the reasons. He directly handed the half-drunk tea to Liu Fuyuan and prepared to bid farewell to Lady An.
However, as soon as he took a step forward, he felt something was wrong. His body began to heat up uncontrollably, as if a wave of heat was surging, making his throat dry.
Wen Liangyu even had the impulse to take off his outer jacket.
On the other end, Lady An was secretly anxious.
The drug should have taken effect immediately after drinking the tea.
Why didn’t she feel anything?
At the same time,
Wen Liangyu felt his head swelling, and the previously subtle fragrance became more pungent and intense. The scenes in front of him began to overlap, and even illusions appeared. His body experienced a strange impulse.
The discomfort is so intense, why is it so unbearable?
His chest was heaving violently, legs losing control, and body temperature continued to rise.
In the next moment, he staggered, unable to stand firm, and fell directly onto the nearby table, relying on it to barely support himself.
“Your Majesty!”
Liu Fuyuan and the nearby attendants also notice his unusual condition, rushing to support him with an anxious expression.
“Your Majesty, what’s happening to you?”
In that moment, Wen Liangyu, with his eyes half-lowered, was leaning on the table. The area around his eyes began to redden, but the effects of the drug were becoming stronger, almost uncontrollable.
Eventually, there was a loud “clang!” in the room. In his agitated state, Wen Liangyu swept all the porcelain on the table to the ground.
Instinctively, he knew that An Ya must have put something in the tea she gave him just now.
Relying on the last trace of clear consciousness, he turned his head and questioned her:
“What did you do to the tea you gave me just now?”
Upon hearing Wen Liangyu’s question, Liu Fuyuan and the attendants around the emperor were shocked. They immediately surrounded An Ya, pressing her for answers.
An Ya, at this moment, realized that she had made a mistake when pouring the tea, leading to a deviation from the plan.
However, she had never encountered such an intense interrogation, and quickly confessed to using the aphrodisiac and mistakenly mixing up the tea cups.
Upon learning that there was no antidote for this particular drug, Wen Liangyu, in his anxious state, overturned the entire table. Then, relying on the last trace of clear consciousness, he stumbled and opened the door of the palace.
In the freezing weather, Wen Liangyu ran out with only a thin garment. The falling snowflakes quickly covered his shoulders, hair, and eyebrows.
“Your Majesty!” Liu Fuyuan anxiously shouted his name from behind, realizing the situation and hastily chasing after Wen Liangyu.
However, with the accumulated snow on the ground and slippery roads, Liu Fuyuan couldn’t move quickly and was soon left far behind by Wen Liangyu.
Despite the heavy snowfall, Wen Liangyu seemed oblivious to the cold. He felt his blood rushing faster through his veins, his head spinning, and his steps becoming increasingly feeble.
Why is it like this? He kept asking in his mind. Why did he have to encounter such a situation?
By night, many patches of snow on the road had turned into thin ice. Even with careful steps, ordinary people could easily slip, not to mention someone like Wen Liangyu, stumbling aimlessly.
After running for an unknown distance, his legs became completely limp. He finally lost his balance, and his body uncontrollably fell forward.
However, at the moment of his powerless descent, he landed in a warm and strong embrace, surrounded by a faint scent of sandalwood.
Wen Liangyu raised his head, and at the moment he saw the face of He Heng, he suddenly felt a slight tingling at the tip of his nose. All the grievances and dissatisfaction he had experienced earlier erupted at this moment.
He Heng knew that this day was the anniversary of Wen Liangyu’s mother’s death. When dinner time arrived, and he didn’t see Wen Liangyu coming to his residence for the meal as usual, he thought something had upset him again. He received a report and prepared to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to find him.
Unexpectedly, on the way, he encountered the little emperor dressed lightly, stumbling and falling like a lost bunny in the heavy snow.
When Wen Liangyu fell onto him, his hair and eyebrows were covered in fine snow frost, and some even formed a thin layer of ice. His body was similarly covered in snow, and the exposed skin on his sleeves had turned red from the cold.
He Heng could feel the astonishing warmth emanating from the little emperor’s entire body, as if he were feverish.
In that moment of seeing this scene, He Heng’s pupils trembled slightly, and his heart seemed to be struck hard by something. Immediately, He Heng lifted the little emperor into his arms.
Wen Liangyu instantly curled up in his embrace.
The small emperor, who seemed helpless and struggling like a trapped beast a moment ago, suddenly quieted down. He buried his face in He Heng’s embrace, his fingertips weakly clutching He Heng’s shirt. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks, and he began to sob.
“He Heng, I feel so miserable.”
He looked like an animal deprived of a sense of security, appearing utterly pitiful.
“He…”
The old eunuch Liu Fuyuan finally caught up with them. Strangely, upon seeing the Prince Regent, the panic in his heart seemed to lessen. He quickly approached He Heng and explained the whole situation, detailing the cause and effect.
“I understand.”
Hearing this, He Heng furrowed his brows, gesturing for quiet. He then firmly held the still overheated little emperor in his arms and proceeded towards his own palace.
Author’s note: Caught a little lost bunny on the big snowy day and brought it home for stir-frying.
Forgot to update last saturday so it’s a double update today~!!
