【Chapter Four: Family Letter】
At the hour of Shen, an Imperial Physician arrived at Shicui Palace.
The Chief Eunuch of Shicui Palace, Heng Shu, led him inside. Xie Hengwu was sitting by the window, holding a silver needle, embroidering a branch of plum blossoms placed in a thin-bodied white porcelain vase before her.
"Lady Xie, this is Imperial Physician Jiang from the Imperial Medical Academy. He will henceforth be responsible for the routine pulse readings at Shicui Palace," Heng Shu said, bowing respectfully.
Xie Hengwu did not pause her needlework, speaking softly, "I did not instruct you to summon an Imperial Physician."
Imperial Physician Jiang stepped forward, performing a bowing salute. "Lady Xie may not know this, but requesting a pulse reading on the second day after attending the bedchamber is an old custom of Beijiang."
This old custom was naturally fabricated by Imperial Physician Jiang on the spot. He was certain Xie Hengwu would not be aware of it, and using this excuse, she would not inquire further.
Indeed, Xie Hengwu set down her needlework and nodded slightly. "Then I must trouble Physician Jiang."
After taking her pulse and asking Xie Hengwu about some of her daily habits, Imperial Physician Jiang withdrew.
Everything seemed quite ordinary.
Xie Hengwu picked up her needlework again, but her mind was elsewhere.
She had not attended the bedchamber last night; she knew it, and Xiao Yanzhou knew it as well. For those Imperial Physicians, perhaps a pulse reading would reveal this fact.
If there truly was such an old custom, Xiao Yanzhou should have prevented anyone from coming.
Though it wasn't a major issue, given his temperament, he would certainly prefer fewer people to know about it.
Therefore, Imperial Physician Jiang had deceived her.
So, what exactly was he here for?
Xie Hengwu's mind was divided, and she didn't pay attention to her stitches, embroidering incorrectly in one spot, forming a tangled knot of thread at the flower's center.
She lost interest in continuing her embroidery and tossed the items aside.
Meanwhile, after leaving Shicui Palace, Imperial Physician Jiang headed straight to the Imperial Medical Academy.
Director Zhou had been waiting for a long time. Hearing Imperial Physician Jiang report the pulse reading results one by one, his brows gradually furrowed, then suddenly relaxed.
"You're saying she carries a peculiar fragrance?"
Imperial Physician Jiang whispered, "Exactly, but my medical skills are still shallow, and I cannot fully discern it clearly. Perhaps my master must intervene."
Director Zhou smiled, appearing as if he had anticipated this. "I roughly understand."
The next morning, Xie Hengwu slowly awoke amidst soft bedding.
Empress Dowager Cui had gone to the State Temple for quiet cultivation several years ago, and there were no other consorts in the palace, so Xie Hengwu had no pressure regarding Morning and Evening Salutations.
After Li Luo and others attended to her dressing and grooming, Xie Hengwu walked out of her bedchamber.
A young palace maid with Double Hanging Chignons rushed in headlong, colliding directly into her embrace.
Xie Hengwu hissed from the impact, and the young palace maid, terrified, quickly knelt down, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
"What's going on, so reckless!" Li Luo immediately sternly reprimanded, her face stern. Xie Hengwu lost much of her good mood from this collision, but seeing the young palace maid was not old, she abandoned the thought of punishment.
"… Forget it, early in the morning, don't bring misfortune," she glanced at the young palace maid. "You may go."
The young palace maid repeatedly thanked her and hurriedly ran out of the hall.
Li Luo grumbled indignantly beside her, then suddenly exclaimed.
"Lady Xie, I think I recognize her," Li Luo tried hard to recall. "Seems… seems to be Nanny Song's little niece."
Nanny Song was the person the Marquise had sent to discipline Xie Hengwu when she was still at the Marquis's Mansion.
Regarding her little niece, Xie Hengwu indeed had little impression.
This Marriage Alliance, aside from Li Luo, all the servants brought were arranged by the Nanliang palace.
Xie Hengwu frowned, suspiciously asking, "Is that true?"
Li Luo whispered, "Perhaps this servant recognized wrongly. I only saw that little niece once by the Marquis's side."
Xie Hengwu pursed her lips, unconsciously committing this matter to heart.
If there were people from the Marquis's Mansion mixed among these servants, it meant this Marriage Alliance was not as simple as just seeking peace.
What had the Emperor of Southern Liang and the Marquis's Mansion plotted?
She instinctively reached for the jade bracelet on her wrist but felt the sharp edge of a paper note inside her sleeve.
Xie Hengwu paused her movement, then withdrew her hand as if nothing had happened.
She was now certain that the Southern Liang imperial family indeed had other plans.
Who would have thought that old emperor, who indulged in sensual pleasures all day, still harbored such ambitions.
Though it carried little weight, Xie Hengwu felt particularly uneasy.
Carrying that paper note, she thought she would dispose of it later.
As luck would have it, just as she sat down and took a few bites of breakfast, Xiao Yanzhou's imperial carriage arrived outside Shicui Palace.
Xie Hengwu had no choice but to bring the paper with her to receive the imperial arrival.
Xiao Yanzhou had been so angered by those ministers this morning that his head ailment nearly flared up.
First, the Minister of Rites deliberately mentioned the beauty of the Marriage Alliance princess, then the Vice Minister of Personnel said that expanding the royal lineage could not be borne by one person alone, followed by Left Prime Minister Cui kneeling to advise him to hold an Imperial Selection.
If it were before, Xiao Yanzhou would have definitely killed a minister or two to shut them up.
But recently the situation had become somewhat complicated, and Xiao Yanzhou was too lazy to deal with the aftermath of ministers' deaths, so he ultimately refrained.
In the end, the matter concluded with Xiao Yanzhou thrusting his sword into the floor tile right before Left Prime Minister Cui's head.
If possible, he would have preferred to thrust it directly into his head.
Xiao Yanzhou didn't believe Empress Dowager Cui hadn't secretly stirred the waters behind this.
After the morning court session ended, he subconsciously ordered his attendants to head toward Shicui Palace. By the time he realized it, the sedan chair had already stopped outside Shicui Palace.
He simply went in.
Having no plans to go out today, Xie Hengwu's grooming was quite casual. She wore a plain garment, her dark hair loosely tied with a single jade hairpin, the phoenix hairpin dangling low.
A few strands of hair drifted by her temples, her fair and delicate face like spring flowers reflected in water when she lowered her gaze.
"Your Majesty, blessings."
Xie Hengwu performed a gentle curtsy, peeking discreetly at Xiao Yanzhou from beneath lowered lashes.
Hmm… colder than before today, it seems he's in a bad mood.
"Rise."
Xiao Yanzhou said indifferently, taking a seat in the main position.
Xie Hengwu glanced at the bowls, chopsticks, and tea set she had just used, then called Li Luo to bring a new set for Xiao Yanzhou.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yanzhou very naturally picked up the teacup she had drunk from on the table, brought it to his lips, and took a sip. After drinking, he complained,
"This tea is already cold."
The rim of the teacup still bore traces of Xie Hengwu's lip rouge, the faint red mark precisely resting between Xiao Yanzhou's lips.
She stared blankly, even forgetting to speak.
After asking, Xiao Yanzhou heard no response from beside him for a long while and glanced over impatiently.
He saw Xie Hengwu's beautiful eyes wide open, her rosebud lips slightly parted, her entire face displaying a dazed expression.
Her stunningly beautiful features paired with that stupefied look were vividly adorable.
"Your… Your Majesty, that was used by this consort…" Xie Hengwu's voice grew softer as she spoke until her cheeks gradually flushed crimson, even the tips of her ears tinged pink.
Her expression undoubtedly pleased Xiao Yanzhou. He raised an eyebrow: "Used is used, I don't mind."
Xie Hengwu let out an apparently calm "oh," but her face was as red as if fully cooked.
"Li Luo, hurry and bring fresh tea for His Majesty." She coughed once, picking up Xiao Yanzhou's earlier remark.
Xiao Yanzhou glanced at Li Luo, who was changing the tea beside them, and half-jokingly remarked, "Having breakfast here with you, surely nothing will go wrong again, right?"
Xie Hengwu was startled by his words, her hand trembling so much that the pastry she was holding between her fingers nearly slipped.
Though Li Luo didn’t understand what Xiao Yanzhou was referring to, she sensed the hidden danger in his tone. After finishing the tea, she quickly stepped away from the table.
"…Your Majesty truly knows how to jest. Of course, nothing will go wrong here with me," Xie Hengwu forced a smile, though her heartbeat quickened with every passing moment.
Could it be that Xiao Yanzhou had already discovered something…
Xiao Yanzhou gave a faint, ambiguous smile. "It would be best if that were the case."
He glanced at the pastry in Xie Hengwu’s hand and reached for an identical piece.
As soon as he took a bite, Xiao Yanzhou’s expression froze strangely for a moment, and his brows furrowed sharply.
"Why is it so sweet?"
Xie Hengwu blinked. "In reply to Your Majesty, I have a sweet tooth, so I asked the kitchen to make it sweeter…"
Back in the Marquis's Mansion, to maintain her figure and appearance, her diet had been strictly controlled. Sweets were entirely out of the question.
It wasn’t until she came of age and gained a bit more say in the household that she could occasionally indulge a little.
As if to make up for the deprivation of her earlier years, Xie Hengwu preferred her sweets to be noticeably sweeter than what most people would find tolerable.
"It is my fault for not anticipating Your Majesty’s visit."
Xiao Yanzhou cast a sidelong glance at her, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
Why did he feel like she was subtly mocking him?
But Xie Hengwu had already lowered her head, feeling Xiao Yanzhou’s gaze inch over her as if it could pierce through her and probe her thoughts.
He finally withdrew his gaze, reluctantly picking through the table of sweet treats for something edible. In the end, it was Xie Hengwu who felt uneasy and asked the kitchen to prepare a fish congee instead.
Afterward, the palace attendants cleared the meal. Xiao Yanzhou sat leisurely at the desk, while Xie Hengwu clasped her hands on her lap, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Zhao Quan waited outside, noticing the time was off and couldn’t help but quietly enter the hall to remind him, "Your Majesty, it’s time to return and review the memorials."
Xiao Yanzhou had just begun to relax a little in Xie Hengwu’s fragrant presence, but the thought of those memorials made his head ache again.
Though Zhao Quan’s voice was soft, Xie Hengwu caught a few words and could guess the rest.
Though her expression remained calm, she secretly hoped Xiao Yanzhou would leave soon.
After all, she still had a letter in her sleeve that felt as hot as a burning coal.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Xiao Yanzhou seemed to see through her thoughts and said calmly, "You, come with me to Zichen Palace."
Xie Hengwu stiffened slightly and softly protested, "But Your Majesty, I have matters to attend to…"
Under Xiao Yanzhou’s increasingly sharp gaze, Xie Hengwu chose to relent.
"…I suddenly recall I have nothing to attend to."
Xiao Yanzhou nodded in satisfaction. "Then let’s go."
In the side hall of Zichen Palace, Xie Hengwu stood behind the Rosewood Carved Desk, grinding ink with one hand while marveling at the mountain-high stack of memorials on the desk.
Though Xiao Yanzhou was a tyrant, he did not neglect the duties befitting a wise ruler.
When Xie Hengwu was still in Nanliang, she would occasionally hear about him during palace banquets.
Sometimes it was about conquering a neighboring small state, other times about building water conservancy projects or opening trade routes.
In a way, he was a better emperor than many others.
She withdrew her gaze and focused on grinding the ink.
Though she had no idea why Xiao Yanzhou had called her here to accompany him.
The nations of Beijiang and Nanliang were originally one, hence they were remarkably similar in all aspects, even down to their written language.
If Xie Hengwu had the intention to look, she could naturally understand the contents of their memorials.
Could it be that he wanted… to test whether she harbored any disloyal thoughts?
In truth, Xiao Yanzhou had no ulterior motives; he simply wanted a human-shaped incense by his side.
He was not worried about Xie Hengwu prying into state affairs—if she dared entertain such thoughts, he could simply have her killed.
Xiao Yanzhou opened the memorial, and the more he read, the more he felt a throbbing pain at his temples.
The lengthy discourse was filled with useless bureaucratic jargon, and in the end, it either pleaded poverty to him or urged him to hold an imperial selection.
It seemed he had been too lenient lately, to the point that these officials no longer knew how to write a proper memorial.
Xiao Yanzhou closed his eyes for a moment, then slapped the memorial aside. The sudden noise startled Xie Hengwu, causing her hand to tremble slightly as she held the inkstick.
However, it seemed he was merely momentarily enraged, for he then calmly opened the next memorial as if nothing had happened. Xie Hengwu stole a sidelong glance and, seeing nothing amiss, resumed grinding the ink.
As her sleeve swayed, a faint fragrance wafted through the air, and a corner of white paper gradually slipped out.
Xie Hengwu’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly tucked the paper back in, but Xiao Yanzhou had already caught a glimpse of her fleeting movement.
He set down his brush and beckoned to her: "Come here."