Today, it was the turn of the Eastern Palace for the eunuch Li Yu to be on duty. However, early in the morning, he had already been summoned by Fu Yanwei to receive instructions for a task.
At this moment, Li Yu, with a letter tucked in his sleeve from Fu Yanwei, hurriedly walked along the intricate paths in the palace gardens.
Throughout the journey, Li Yu kept his head down, appearing as if lost in thought. Clearly, his mind was not on the path beneath his feet, but rather, it seemed he was preoccupied with some deep contemplation.
Muttering to himself, Li Yu wondered about the “Lin Yuan Pavilion”. He had never been there and had no idea what it looked like. He couldn’t help but think about the rumors among the palace residents that it might be a room enchanted by the National Teacher. Supposedly, anyone entering it would vanish without a trace.
The “Lin Yuan Pavilion” he muttered about was a palace rebuilt a month ago by the emperor’s order after appointing He Heng as the National Teacher, located by the side of the Tianchi Lake.
Due to He Heng’s identity as the “Messenger of Light,” very few palace residents personally visited this grand palace.
In other words, as the immensely esteemed divine messenger, He Heng couldn’t easily meet with ordinary individuals.
As a result, the image of Lin Yuan Pavilion became even more mysterious in people’s minds. There were even rumors that He Heng kept many enchanting creatures in this palace, and once mortals entered, they would lose themselves.
However, today, Li Yu was suddenly sent by the Crown Prince to deliver a message to this National Teacher. This gave him the opportunity to witness the legendary palace with his own eyes.
Recalling various rumors about Lin Yuan Pavilion, although Li Yu felt a bit uneasy, curiosity ultimately prevailed.
With these thoughts in mind, Li Yu tightened his grip on the imperial edict in his arms and quickened his pace.
Before his departure, the Crown Prince instructed him to personally deliver the letter to He Heng and convey his intention to meet him. When the Crown Prince spoke these words to Li Yu, his expression seemed to be a half-smile, leaving people unable to discern his true emotions. It felt as if a chilling breeze had passed over the back, causing a shiver down the spine.
This expression reminded Li Yu of the enthronement ceremony when Fu Yanwei secretly scrutinized He Heng with a sinister gaze, as if harboring a desire to swallow him whole.
Li Yu dared not speculate about his master’s thoughts, but he could probably understand. After all, the National Teacher used to be the Princess Consort’s husband, and anyone with discerning eyes could see that He Heng was now standing with Fu Yunyu.
He Heng’s sudden appearance disrupted all of Fu Yanwei’s plans like an unexpected variable sent by the heavens. As the Crown Prince, he naturally harbored resentment towards He Heng.
However, Fu Yanwei’s undisguised hatred only appeared for a moment. He quickly concealed his true emotions in front of others, returning to his enigmatic demeanor.
Now, Fu Yanwei was reconsidering the idea of bringing He Heng to his side. Hence, today, he sent Li Yu to Lin Yuan Pavilion to test He Heng’s attitude.
Lost in his thoughts, Li Yu suddenly felt a gentle breeze carrying a hint of lotus fragrance.
Lowering his head, he realized that the path beneath his feet had somehow led him to the end. Standing before him was a massive palace by the water, its glazed tile roof shining golden under the sun. The red lacquered gates, winding up the stone path, were as majestic as the imperial residence.
After reporting to the guards at the entrance, Li Yu was escorted into the palace.
At the moment he crossed the threshold of the splendid palace, the scene before him, resembling a fairyland, left him momentarily rooted in place, forgetting even to lift his feet.
Li Yu had never anticipated that the National Teacher would order the construction of a lifelike watercourse within the palace. Beneath the jade-like bluestone tiles, water shimmered with a gentle glint. On either side of the canal, lush aquatic plants thrived, and the pink and white intermingling lotus flowers stood out prominently.
Along the edge of the pond were several intricately carved screens crafted by skilled carpenters. Wisps of mist rose from the end of the water channel, eventually drifting over the entire lotus pond.
The mist-shrouded scene seemed like an entrance to a celestial realm within the mortal world, yet also appeared intentionally concealing.
Li Yu, captivated by the enchanting sight, momentarily failed to notice the departure of the gatekeeper into the main hall to report to the steward. He was engrossed in admiring the intricate artificial watercourse before him.
Suddenly, through the layers of intricately carved screens, he vaguely perceived ripples continuously rising in the pond. Accompanied by the splashing sounds of water droplets, as if something passed through the lotus flowers, the water’s surface sparkled with gentle glints.
However, that movement was fleeting, and in the blink of an eye, the lake surface returned to its calm state.
Observing this, Li Yu subconsciously rubbed his eyes with his sleeve to confirm that what he had just seen was indeed a real occurrence, not a trick of his aging eyes.
Yet, at this moment, the water was so still that not a single ripple disturbed its surface. This peculiar atmosphere reminded Li Yu of the rumors circulating in the palace about the National Teacher keeping supernatural beings in Lin Yuan Pavilion.
In that instant, he felt a tightness in his chest, his whole body tensing up, and his heart leaping to his throat.
It’s said that the unknown is the most fearsome. To dispel these thoughts, Li Yu, driven by a mix of curiosity and a desire to investigate, passed through the intricately carved screens and circled around to the mist-covered edge of the pond.
The next moment,
“Splash!” Another burst of water sprayed over the lotus pond, and a silver-tailed merman leaped out, creating a silver arc.
Even though the upper half of the figure surfaced for just a brief moment, Li Yu still captured the enchanting visage.
It turned out to be a silver-tailed merman.
Whether the National Teacher really kept supernatural beings, Li Yu wasn’t sure, but the “Golden Chamber Conceals a Merman” was indeed true.
In the Qianqing Palace, the emperor was sitting on a small cushion, eyes closed in meditation. This was one of his daily practices.
At that moment, a young eunuch waiting outside the hall hastily reported, “Your Majesty, the National Teacher requests an audience.”
Upon hearing this, the emperor finally snapped out of his statue-like state. He opened his eyes and waved his sleeve, “Grant him entry.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” The young eunuch quickly rushed outside to convey the order.
Not long after, the steady sound of footsteps echoed outside the hall.
He Heng entered the emperor’s study with a small wooden box in his hand, moving gracefully as he crossed the various thresholds.
In the moment he entered the study, He Heng couldn’t help but sigh at the stark difference between the Emperor, who reclined on the cushion taking a brief rest, and the untouched memorials placed nearby. Why was the gap between individuals so significant, even when they both held the title of emperor?
In the second world, during his time as the regent, his daily routine involved attending court sessions, deliberating with ministers, and reviewing memorials after court. Only after finishing official duties did he have time for other amusements.
Of course, He Heng’s amusement was going to the Yangxin Hall to play with the “rabbit” emperor.
During those initial encounters, the young emperor was quite afraid of him. Every time he heard He Heng’s footsteps, he would shrink into a corner and then pretend to be a motionless wooden figure. However, this behavior sharply contrasted with the clingy nature the young emperor exhibited later, especially when it came to being held by He Heng during bedtime.
Whenever He Heng reminisced about those moments, a faint smile would appear on his lips. After all, the little rabbit was irresistibly amusing.
“National Teacher, have the elixirs for today been successfully concocted?”
The Emperor’s voice abruptly brought He Heng back to the present.
In response, he handed the small wooden box to the emperor’s desk, replying, “Yes.”
The Emperor, as usual, opened the box, releasing a delightful aroma reminiscent of pastries.
Picking up one of the “Elixir of Immortality”, he popped it into his mouth, chewed a couple of times, and a fragrant flavor of glutinous rice cake filled his entire palate.
The Emperor looked at He Heng and remarked, “The taste of these elixirs is unique, much like the glutinous rice dumplings I used to eat in my childhood.”
He Heng smiled and shook his head, “Your Majesty, why bother about the taste of the elixir? Cultivation lies in the heart, not in the form.”
However, at this moment, he couldn’t help but think,
Isn’t it?
This was the “special elixir” he had specially ordered to be made with a mixture of glutinous rice flour and regular flour, combined in a one-to-one ratio with water and red sugar.
The taste was somewhat similar to red sugar rice cakes.
After all, He Heng had to accompany the Emperor daily in their “cultivation”, so naturally, the “Elixir of Immortality” had to be made a bit more palatable; otherwise, he would suffer too.
Upon hearing He Heng’s explanation, the Emperor nodded repeatedly, as if he had comprehended some profound truth, “The National Teacher is right. I am enlightened.”
After sharing the elixirs, He Heng and the Emperor each settled onto a small cushion, commencing their cultivation after taking the elixir.
Of course, the Emperor was in cultivation, and He Heng was in slumber.
Every time at this moment, he would take a seat on the cushion, sneak a few glances at the Emperor, and, once assured that the Emperor had fully entered the state of “unity of heaven and man, transcending into emptiness”, He Heng would comfortably close his eyes and doze off.
However, today, before He Heng could fall asleep, a messenger from the Eastern Palace arrived at the door.
Seeing this, He Heng furrowed his brows, excused himself from the Emperor earlier than usual, and hurriedly returned to Lin Yuan Pavilion.
Inside Lin Yuan Pavilion,
Driven by curiosity, Li Yu had nearly crawled to the edge of the pond just to catch another glimpse of what the legendary silver-tailed merman looked like.
“Eunuch Li, are you planning to go for a swim or quench your thirst, perhaps?” At that moment, a teasing male voice came from behind, startling Li Yu and nearly causing him to tumble into the pond.
Fortunately, one of He Heng’s attendants by his side quickly reached out to support him.
Li Yu straightened his posture, looking at He Heng as he stammered, “He…”
Before he could utter the next word, He Heng made a hushing gesture and whispered, “Let’s talk outside.”
With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked out of the hall.
Outside the hall, Li Yu handed over the letter from the Crown Prince to He Heng and explained the intentions behind the Crown Prince’s message.
After opening the letter, He Heng remained silent for a while. Li Yu, nervously observing his expression, saw He Heng’s thin lips pressed into a straight line. His handsome face revealed no discernible emotion, heightening Li Yu’s anxiety.
After a while, He Heng finally lifted his head from the letter. In his deep, expressive eyes, there was no sign of emotion. He looked at Li Yu and uttered a nonchalant “Good,” followed by, “Wait for me here.”
With that, he turned and walked back into the hall.
After returning to Lin Yuan Pavilion, He Heng expertly passed through the three screens in the main hall and arrived at a stone by the pond. He tapped the stone three times, and soon, the calm water surface began to ripple. Before long, the little merman swam to the shore.
With his hands on the rocks, Qiao Ran raised half of his body and tentatively called out, “Da Zhu?”
He Heng gently touched his cheek with the back of his hand, and the little merman immediately quieted down, his silver fins trembling.
From He Heng’s perspective, he could clearly see the slight indentation along the little merman’s spine, the faintly visible waist dimple, and below that, the fish tail covered in scales. The connection between the fish tail and the waist formed a gracefully undulating curve, revealing a rounded and alluring silhouette underwater.
Unlike his shy demeanor earlier, when Qiao Ran saw that it was He Heng, he immediately grabbed his arm. Tiny droplets of water also splashed onto the man’s body.
“Da Zhu, it seemed like there was a stranger just now.”
“Mm.” He Heng lightly wrote on the palm of Qiao Ran’s hand:
“If you hear strange noises next time, don’t come out randomly, understand?”
“Understood.” The little merman dragged out the last note, “Only when you come back will I come out; otherwise, I’ll hide in the water.”
“Mm.” He Heng smiled, “Ah Ran is the most obedient.”
“I need to go out for a while now. Do you want to eat osmanthus cake? I’ll bring some back for you.”
“Okay.” Qiao Ran nodded, then added in a low voice, “Make it sweeter.”
He Heng patted his head, smiling helplessly, “It’s already so sweet, and you want more sugar? Aren’t you afraid of getting toothache?”
“I’m not.”
Qiao Ran shook his head, earnestly saying, “Besides, we merfolk don’t get cavities.”
He Heng chuckled and wrote in his palm, “Alright.”
He then stood up and walked towards the hall door. Halfway there, he turned around and saw the little merman still crouching by the pond, maintaining the same posture, silently watching him. Occasionally, the large tail behind him would flap a few times.
In that moment, He Heng suddenly felt a soft spot in his heart being touched.
But when he thought about it, once everything was over—once the other party regained their sight and learned the truth—would Qiao Ran still be willing to be with him?
Author’s note: Just thinking about the demonic and excessively doting National Teacher having a simple name like “Da Zhu” I can’t help but want to laugh.
