【Chapter One: Summoned to Attend the Bedchamber】
Red candles burned brightly, warmth filled the room, and moon veil gauze gently swayed, creating an atmosphere of allure.
Yet within this ambiguous ambiance, a faint scent of blood began to permeate.
A woman draped in gauze garments, her delicate figure faintly enticing, lay on the ground. Her eyes, usually tender and affectionate, were now wide and fierce, blood continuously trickling from her lips. Her chest rose and fell gradually, clearly nearing her end.
Sitting on the bed nearby, Xiao Yanzhou’s expression was cold, meticulously wiping his fingers with an embroidered handkerchief.
Soon, court attendants entered to handle the woman’s corpse.
Noticing the woman’s exceptionally soft and fair hands, the leading court attendant understood.
Another palace maid who harbored improper ambitions.
The Emperor suffered from a head ailment, requiring meticulous massage to alleviate it slightly. There were always palace maids who thought themselves special, dreaming of soaring to the heights.
He sighed inwardly, preparing to order his subordinates to carry the corpse out when the silent Emperor on the bed spoke.
“Zhao Quan, when will Director Zhou return to the capital?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, it should be… tomorrow.” Zhao Quan bowed respectfully.
Xiao Yanzhou frowned slightly, showing faint impatience: “Procrastinating.”
These words were neither light nor heavy, hardly even a reprimand, yet they terrified the servants, who knelt trembling like sieves.
Zhao Quan saw that Xiao Yanzhou was already quite displeased and quickly changed the subject: “Your Majesty, the princess from Nanliang for the marriage alliance has arrived today. What do you think…”
“Grant her the rank of Meiren. Have you arranged a palace?” Xiao Yanzhou rose as he spoke, stopping beside Zhao Quan. “Keep her far from me.”
Zhao Quan acknowledged, bowing and following Xiao Yanzhou out, subtly waving his hands at his sides to signal the remaining palace servants to hurry.
It was deep winter, the cold wind biting, and Beijiang, near the northern border, was especially frigid.
Xie Hengwu wrapped herself in a thick fox fur robe, the fur-edged hood nearly covering her face. The hand warmer in her sleeve was scalding, yet she still felt the chill relentlessly seeping into her bones.
A female court official accompanied her, followed by a group of palace attendants. Apart from the howling wind and faint footsteps, there was no other sound.
Beijiang revered dark colors. As night approached, the palace city intertwined red and black, oppressive and hollow like an abyss. She glanced up, her heart heavy.
“Princess, don’t look up!”
The female court official beside her whispered sharply. Xie Hengwu murmured acknowledgment, obediently lowering her head.
The heavy outer garments seemed to weigh her down. After reprimanding, the official’s eyes showed hidden pity, explaining: “Princess, don’t blame me. This is the rule in Beijiang’s palace. Coming from Nanliang, it’s best to be cautious.”
“Thank you, Auntie. I understand.” Xie Hengwu replied softly, her delicate voice nearly scattered by the wind.
The official turned away, sighing.
Such a delicate flower-like person, why had she come here?
How long could she survive under the Emperor’s hand?
Not far away, a carriage entirely dark black slowly approached. Glazed palace lanterns at its four corners swayed with the carriage’s movement, and a six-clawed coiling dragon glared fiercely atop it.
Seeing the carriage, the official’s expression instantly changed. She tugged Xie Hengwu’s hand, then knelt first.
The attendants behind knelt in a flurry. Xie Hengwu reacted, performing a standard curtsy.
The carriage drew nearer, slowly stopping before them. The lowered hood blocked Xie Hengwu’s view, yet she inexplicably sensed the official beside her tensing entirely, even her breathing lightening.
It seemed someone had alighted from the carriage, and a pair of black boots embroidered with gold stopped before her.
The only man who could appear in this rear palace was…
“Your humble consort greets the Emperor.”
Xie Hengwu bowed slightly, even with her heavy clothing, her dignified posture and thorough etiquette were evident.
The person before her did not speak, but suddenly a chill swept over her head, the north wind blowing directly onto her face. Xie Hengwu shuddered violently, then was seized by a hand gripping her chin.
Xiao Yanzhou lowered his gaze, casually sweeping over her face. The beauty had cloud-like hair, mist-like locks, green eyebrows like mountains, eyes holding autumn water; perhaps the ends of her eyes were reddened from the cold, tingeing the depths with a faint, decadent hue—a rare and unparalleled beauty.
However, he did not concern himself with these.
Just as Xie Hengwu was at a loss, Xiao Yanzhou suddenly bent down, lightly sniffing near her ear.
Under the warm breath, goosebumps rose across half her body. Xie Hengwu tensed, daring not move an inch.
After a moment, Xiao Yanzhou straightened up and spoke: “What incense have you used?”
His voice was like shattered jade, very pleasing, yet in this cold wind, it carried a full chill.
The female court official beside them was terrified, sweating profusely; everyone in the palace knew the Emperor disliked incense, but Xie Hengwu had just entered the palace, and she had not yet had time to remind her.
Could it be such misfortune, to have just touched upon the Emperor’s displeasure?
Xie Hengwu half-lowered her crow-black eyelashes, softly saying: “Reporting to the Emperor, your humble consort has carried a natural fragrance since childhood, not caused by incense.”
“Oh?” Xiao Yanzhou’s voice finally carried some emotion, “That is an interesting claim.”
Xie Hengwu sensed Xiao Yanzhou’s suspicion and added: “Your humble consort came here alone, dare not deceive the Emperor.”
Xiao Yanzhou lightly snorted: “Look at me.”
Xie Hengwu’s eyelashes trembled lightly, then slowly lifted.
The man’s hairline was as if cut by a knife, phoenix eyes gorgeous, beneath a gallbladder-shaped nose thin lips lightly pursed, expression cold and detached.
This was a face handsome to the point of bewitchment.
Xie Hengwu’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly she was stunned.
She knew the Emperor of Beijiang was young, but did not know he was also so… handsome.
It was all due to his notorious reputation as a tyrant, that even in idle street talk, he was described as having a despicable, petty face.
“Emperor…”
Xie Hengwu involuntarily softly called out, her eyes shimmering with watery light, like a clear river with falling stars.
Actually, she was nearly crying from the cold.
Yet to Xiao Yanzhou, this meant something else.
Previously, palace maidens attempting to seduce him also had similar eyes, but he found those maidens only annoying; looking at this princess sent for marriage alliance, he found her somewhat agreeable.
Perhaps in her eyes, there was no disgusting desire.
Xiao Yanzhou silently released his hand, Xie Hengwu then could lower her head, barely avoiding the cold wind.
“Etiquette is good; recently the weather is cold, you newly entering the palace may find it inconvenient, so do not stay at Chang’an Palace.” Xiao Yanzhou said calmly, “Go to Shicui Palace.”
Behind him, Zhao Quan widened his eyes, his gaze filled with undisguised astonishment.
Shicui Palace, that was the palace closest to the Emperor’s Zichen Palace.
Emperor, do you remember you personally said to keep her far from yourself…
Fortunately Zhao Quan kept his head lowered, no one noticed his expression.
Xie Hengwu did not know the differences between these two palaces, but also heard Xiao Yanzhou’s tone was relatively gentle, so she softly thanked for the favor.
The imperial carriage moved forward again; when it had gone far, the palace attendants dared rise.
The female court official patted her chest, exhaling deeply, as if surviving a disaster: “Fortunately, fortunately… it seems the Emperor’s mood is still good.”
Xie Hengwu re-donned her hood, hearing this looked puzzled.
“Princess, you may not know, but the Emperor suffers from a breathing ailment, so the entire palace avoids incense.” The female court official lowered her voice, sounding relieved. “Fortunately, what you carry is not incense, otherwise…”
Xie Hengwu softly uttered an “ah.”
That explained why he had asked if it was incense.
“But Princess, your fragrance is truly…”
The female court official knew well the differences between Changning Palace and Shicui Palace, believing Xiao Yanzhou’s attitude toward Xie Hengwu was quite distinct. Perhaps this princess sent for marriage alliance would become a favored consort in the future, so her tone suddenly became much warmer.
Xie Hengwu smiled slightly. “Truly, I dare not lie before the Emperor.”
The female court official nodded and then spoke of palace rules again, more detailed than before.
Xie Hengwu listened, memorizing each one in her heart.
By the time she moved into Shicui Palace and settled down, it was already past dinner hour.
During this period, Zhao Quan came with others to announce the decree. The rank of Meiren was neither high nor low, giving sufficient respect to her as a princess sent for marriage alliance and to Nanliang behind her.
Xie Hengwu had no appetite and did not request dinner, only asking for some snacks to be sent.
Holding a piece of date paste cake between her fingers, she leaned against the window and looked outside.
At this moment, heavy snow began to fall, flying like torn cotton, starkly contrasting black and white across the world.
Xie Hengwu took a bite of the cake, her eyes darkening.
A princess sent for marriage alliance was never a legitimate princess of the royal family, and she was naturally the same.
In Nanliang, she was the third daughter of Changping Marquis.
This was an identity known to everyone.
In reality, she was not the Marquis’s own daughter, merely an unnamed orphan girl adopted by the Marquis’s household during the war between Nanliang and Beijiang.
The Marquis’s household certainly would not raise her for nothing. When war broke out, marriage alliance became Nanliang’s method for temporary peace.
And becoming a princess sent for marriage alliance was the repayment she owed.
Xie Hengwu swallowed the last bite of cake and sighed softly.
Today’s meeting with the Emperor of Beijiang could be considered… smooth?
Xie Hengwu frowned. If Xiao Yanzhou had a breathing ailment and avoided incense, what difference was there between incense and body fragrance?
Logically, he should not have let her off…
Xie Hengwu thought for a while but could not find an answer, so she simply dropped the matter.
The heart of an emperor was always difficult to fathom, especially a tyrant like Xiao Yanzhou.
Beijiang’s harem was empty, and now she had become the only consort. For Xie Hengwu, this might not be a good thing.
She lightly wiped the cake crumbs from her fingers, her eyes turbulent with thoughts.
This Beijiang palace… she needed to carefully ponder it.
Night fell silent, only the snow still falling incessantly. Xie Hengwu lay on the bed, her eyes clear.
Outside the curtain, a lamp like a bean shone on the gauze, spreading a damp yellow glow. She turned over, quietly listening to the howling wind outside the window.
After all, this was her first time coming to such a distant place. Even though living in the Marquis’s household was not entirely comfortable, it was better than this completely unfamiliar land.
Xie Hengwu tossed and turned, unable to sleep peacefully. After some time, perhaps truly tired, she finally fell into deep sleep.
Yet tonight, she was destined not to have a good night’s rest.
After some unknown length of time, she was gently shaken awake.
Xie Hengwu drowsily turned over, ignoring it.
But the visitor persisted, stubbornly shaking her, calling repeatedly, as if urging her to life’s end.
Xie Hengwu frowned, her mind finally clearing half, hearing what the person was saying.
That voice… seemed to be her personal maid, Li Luo’s voice.
…Your Ladyship, the Emperor summons you to Zichen Palace!”
Li Luo’s voice sounded not excited, but rather urgent and worried, even carrying a hint of tears.
She must have heard many things about Xiao Yanzhou from the people at Shicui Palace.
Xie Hengwu slowly opened her eyes. Li Luo’s words seemed fragmented to her, difficult to comprehend.
Wait…
Zichen Palace?
Xiao Yanzhou summoned her to attend the bedchamber?!
Xie Hengwu suddenly became alert, abruptly sitting up, startling Li Luo.