Ning Huan naturally felt much better upon waking. Although his body remained weak and languid, his high fever had subsided, and his headache was gone.
He opened his eyes to see the man’s slender neck. Mu Jinyu’s Adam’s apple was large and prominent; in sleep, he looked less sinister, or at least not so unapproachable.
Ning Huan subconsciously touched his own throat. His Adam’s apple was not yet obvious, but as time passed, it would likely become noticeable to others.
Mu Jinyu was highly alert. Detecting movement from the person in his arms, he quickly opened his eyes.
Feeling uncomfortably restrained, Ning Huan felt the large hand on his waist. “Let go.”
Mu Jinyu knew Ning Huan could be irritable upon waking, but he was reluctant to release him. The winter morning was exceptionally cold; though the side chamber was warm, the charcoal fire wasn’t as vigorous as it had been last night, and a slight chill had seeped in.
This made the warmth inside the quilt all the more precious.
Mu Jinyu refused to let go. “The charcoal in the incense burner might have gone out. Let’s sleep a little longer.”
Ning Huan reached a hand out from under the covers and noticed the slight chill outside. It seemed Mu Jinyu had likely been cold in the middle of the night and crawled into his quilt for warmth.
Previously, when they slept, Mu Jinyu disliked drawing the bed curtains, as if doing so would make others suspect what they were doing inside. Today, however, the curtains were pulled tight, leaving the interior in dim shadow.
Ning Huan had no idea what time it was. He was still not accustomed to sharing a bed with another person.
He knew some friends his age who had eaten and slept together since childhood—young men who, after playing until they were exhausted, would sleep piled haphazardly together. He, however, did not care for it. Once, as a child, he had accidentally napped in his Third Brother’s bed. His large, sturdy Third Brother hadn’t noticed him and sat down so hard he nearly crushed the life out of Ning Huan. Later, while staying in the countryside and sharing a room with his Eldest Brother, Ning Huan had been kicked onto the floor in the middle of the night.
Mu Jinyu’s stature seemed even more imposing than his brothers’. Initially, Ning Huan had insisted on leaving a wide space in the middle of the bed—not just because he didn’t want to sleep too close to a stranger, but also because he feared Mu Jinyu might be a restless sleeper. Given the tyrant’s reputation, it wasn’t impossible for him to wake up in a frenzy and start killing people.
Yet, they had slept well last night, proving Mu Jinyu was quite well-behaved in his sleep.
Ning Huan did not wish to sleep any longer. He asked softly, “Are the wounds on your body better?”
He noted that Mu Jinyu hadn’t coughed much over the last two days. Though his frame was still thin, he was much better than he had been a few months ago.
Mu Jinyu assumed Ning Huan was referring to his head and reached up to touch the gauze-wrapped forehead.
However, Ning Huan reached out and easily pulled his clothing aside. The grisly wounds were still visible; they would likely take another year to fully fade. The scars were already healing. Ning Huan pressed a finger against a scabbed-over wound. “Does it hurt?”
Mu Jinyu caught Ning Huan’s hand. “I can’t feel anything at the wound site. It should be healing soon.”
Ning Huan’s lips curled slightly as he threw back the quilt. “It’s time to get up. For the time being, you still cannot catch a cold, and don’t drink any more wine.”
Mu Jinyu lay on the bed. His body had recovered significantly; even though he was currently very thin, his muscles were distinct, and his body was filled with the vigor and vitality of a young man.
Ning Huan glanced at him and then looked away. There was no doubt he envied the Crown Prince. Even though Mu Jinyu had previously lost his will to live and tormented himself, his body could become incredibly strong again with just a little medicine and treatment.
Unlike Ning Huan. He was born with a weak constitution; he was frail from birth, and no matter how well he was cared for later, a single gust of winter wind would cause him to catch a cold.
Mu Jinyu hauled him back. “You’re not allowed to get up.”
He pressed Ning Huan against his scars. Ning Huan heard a vigorous, powerful heartbeat, and his warm cheek rubbed against Mu Jinyu’s rough, scabbed scars, turning slightly red from the friction.
Ink-black hair spilled across Mu Jinyu’s lapel. Ning Huan’s hair was exceptionally thick—more so than an ordinary person’s—and because he was meticulously cared for, it was as smooth and fine as silk.
Mu Jinyu’s eyes grew red. “Ning Huan, I feel uncomfortable.”
Ning Huan knew exactly what Mu Jinyu meant by “uncomfortable.” But this was not something he could help the other resolve.
According to the original story, Mu Jinyu seemed to have an addiction to these matters; once started, he couldn’t stop. Ning Huan was naturally clean and only wanted a partner who was the same. A man like Mu Jinyu, who later enjoyed filling a harem and couldn’t control his lower half, was not suitable for him.
Ning Huan feigned ignorance, his indifferent eyes blinking. “Shall I have Physician Zhao come and check your pulse?”
The quilt had been tossed aside, letting in the cool air. When Ning Huan spoke, his warm breath landed on Mu Jinyu’s skin.
Mu Jinyu’s voice was hoarse. “No, he can’t cure this.”
He grasped Ning Huan’s hand, his rough thumb stroking the back of it suggestively for a moment before sliding between Ning Huan’s fingers to interlock them. Under his large hand, the small portion of Ning Huan’s fingertips that peeked out looked as if they were sculpted from white clouds. “Your hands are so soft.”
Mu Jinyu emphasized again: “Especially soft.”
If they were brothers on good terms who ate and slept together and could exchange concubines, helping each other relieve desire wouldn’t be an issue. But Ning Huan could not simply help him. It wasn’t that Ning Huan was overly solemn; if he liked women, that would be one thing, but the crux of the matter was that Ning Huan was naturally attracted to men.
Therefore, he could not help with this—especially not while dressed as a woman and acting as a wife.
Ning Huan narrowed his eyes. “What does the Crown Prince mean by this?”
Mu Jinyu’s meaning was already very clear. He knew Ning Huan was a clever person; seeing that Ning Huan didn’t seem to “understand,” he lowered his head and gave a light kiss to Ning Huan’s fingertips. “I don’t mean anything.”
Ning Huan didn’t want to disturb his subsequent “business.” For a young man in his prime like Mu Jinyu, such a reaction in the morning was perfectly normal; not having one would be the anomaly.
He got out of bed, tidied his loose hair, and drew the bed curtains together again.
Die Qing asked curiously, “The Crown Prince isn’t up yet? Should I call him?”
Ning Huan used a willow twig dipped in fine salt to clean his teeth. A window was slightly open, letting in the biting morning wind. He said indifferently, “No need.”
When Mu Jinyu finally emerged, Ning Huan hadn’t even finished brushing his teeth. He turned back in surprise, seemingly not expecting the other man to be so “quick.”
Perhaps it was because his body hadn’t fully recovered yet. However, it wasn’t impossible for someone to be naturally that brief.
His teeth, cleaned with fine salt, were as white as jade, making the color of his thin lips even more alluring. Ning Huan tilted his head. “Prince, is your body alright?”
“…Perfectly fine.”
Mu Jinyu naturally did not read the underlying meaning in Ning Huan’s expression. He was about to leave the capital and had many arrangements to make for his subordinates.
The matter of the Empress taking Afuyong had also been assigned for investigation. Mu Jinyu couldn’t directly oppose the Emperor right now, so he could only search from the shadows to find and kill the person who had presented the drug.
Other minor matters were also arranged. There were many death-sworn soldiers in the Crown Prince’s Estate, and most of those loyal to him were hidden among the common folk of the capital. These people had mostly received favors from Mu Jinyu in previous years. Although his condition had been poor recently, they hadn’t dared to harbor any disloyalty.
Ah Xi saw the Crown Prince sitting in the seat of honor, gripping a jade paperweight, his brow furrowed and his expression gloomy. He didn’t know what the Prince was thinking, so he quickly offered a reminder: “Your Highness?”
Mu Jinyu said indifferently, “After I leave, you must ensure the Crown Princess’s safety. If he makes any moves, remember to report to me. If he needs help in any area, lend him a hand from the shadows.”
“Yes.”
In the twelfth lunar month, the Crown Prince’s carriage departed from the capital, heading north to suppress the Fengdan tribe. Ning Huan and the various people of the capital saw them off at the city gates. The Empress was unwell and did not attend. Thinking of the Empress, Ning Huan felt the situation was quite tricky.
Although the Empress wasn’t given much attention in the original story, after arriving here, Ning Huan realized that many conflicts were caused by her. If he could use the Empress to resolve these conflicts, everything would be much simpler.
At the very least, there would be much less resistance to Mu Jinyu ascending the throne. The sooner Mu Jinyu became Emperor, the sooner Ning Huan would complete his task.
In the era Ning Huan originally came from, there were also people addicted to Afuyong; there was one in his own family. Although books praised this beautiful flower in many ways, having witnessed the hideous state of a loved one during withdrawal, Ning Huan could feel no appreciation for it.
He conducted a secret investigation throughout the capital and found that Afuyong was even rarer in the Great Luo Dynasty; it was something that had arrived from overseas over a hundred years ago.
In Ning Huan’s original world, people often cooked poppy porridge or made poppy cakes, but no such food existed in the capital. It only existed in pharmacies and was extremely expensive. Raw Afuyong was already hard to come by; refining it into the pills the Empress took was even rarer. Only royalty and high nobility could afford such things.
Ning Huan couldn’t find any information on refined Afuyong pills in the capital. He suspected they were most likely to appear in the Imperial Dispensary, which specifically stored and prepared medicines for the Emperor. It was heavily guarded, and ordinary people could not enter or leave at will.
Ning Huan had to start his investigation elsewhere.
After Empress Dowager Qiu returned to the capital, she rarely made appearances, staying in Yongshou Palace. The Qiu family held certain power in the court. Mu Jinyu’s near-death situation in the Northern Border also involved the Qiu family—not because they specifically wanted to harm him, but because they were working for the Emperor, who had such an intention.
Ning Huan went to Yongshou Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.
Information on these harem figures was sparse in the story. In a short time, Ning Huan spent over a thousand taels of silver to gain a clear understanding of the various masters and key servants in each palace.
Empress Dowager Qiu loathed the Empress, and by extension, she disliked the Crown Prince. Added to the Crown Prince’s absurd behavior over the years, she never had a good look for him.
Nanny Xu, the Empress Dowager’s attendant, went in to deliver the message: “Your Majesty, the Crown Princess Consort has come to pay her respects. Will you see her?”
Empress Dowager Qiu was in a poor mood. Hearing “Crown Princess” reminded her of the Prince, which led to the Empress, and finally to her own eldest son who had died tragically. Her heart felt increasingly stifled.
However, she hadn’t met Ning Huan yet, and as this was his first time paying respects, it wasn’t right to turn him away directly.
Empress Dowager Qiu nodded. “I’ve heard of her before. It is said she is just as ostentatious and alluring as the Empress.”
Nanny Xu smiled and said, “I just took a look; the Crown Princess actually has an air of integrity about her. She doesn’t seem like one of those vixens.”
“Let her in.”
A moment later, Ning Huan entered, followed by a maid from Yongshou Palace. The palace was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, likely due to the Empress Dowager’s previous religious life as a Buddhist.
The Empress Dowager was plump and looked very prosperous. Even though she practiced Buddhism, there wasn’t a hint of a religious aura about her. Her sharp eyes swept over Ning Huan.
Ning Huan bowed. “I heard Your Majesty was slightly unwell recently, so I did not dare disturb you. Having heard you are feeling better these last two days, I have come to pay my respects.”
His actions of seeking information in the palace naturally couldn’t be hidden from the Empress Dowager. Although she wasn’t often in the palace, she had eyes and ears everywhere.
Empress Dowager Qiu spoke coldly: “Rise.”
Ning Huan added, “Last night, I transcribed some Buddhist scriptures to pray for Your Majesty’s blessings. I hope you will accept them.”
Empress Dowager Qiu was the Emperor’s biological mother. The Great Luo Dynasty placed the highest value on filial piety. Having killed his own brother, the Emperor naturally felt guilt and tried every possible way to compensate the Empress Dowager. The exterior of Yongshou Palace was magnificent, clearly recently renovated. Inside, one could see three-foot-tall coral trees and cushions made of bear skin; she certainly didn’t lack for fine things.
The Empress Dowager rarely saw anyone transcribing scriptures for her, and she was surprised. “Oh? Bring them over for me to see.”
A maid quickly presented them.
Ning Huan had transcribed the Ksitigarbha Sutra in Small Seal script. With one glance, Empress Dowager Qiu knew the person had indeed put in effort; the handwriting was beautiful, uniform, rounded, and flowing. The ink had even been mixed with gold powder, making it more beautiful than scriptures transcribed by famous calligraphers.
Empress Dowager Qiu was somewhat skeptical. “Did you truly write this? Crown Princess, do not use something written by another to deceive me.”
The story mentioned that Empress Dowager Qiu loved young people with a scholarly air. Between her two sons, she had favored the gentle and frail eldest much more. Mu Jinyu had a violent temperament, and the timing of the Empress giving birth to him was very strange; Empress Dowager Qiu believed he certainly wasn’t the late Emperor’s child. For many reasons, she disliked him.
Naturally, in the original story, the Empress Dowager’s end seemed to be quite poor as well. Anyone who opposed Mu Jinyu met a bad end.
Empress Dowager Qiu also enjoyed calligraphy and painting and had some skill in the area. The Marquis of Dingyuan was not a particularly talented official, and the Marchioness had no special skills. How could Ning Huan, as the daughter of the Marquis, have developed such fine handwriting? Even the well-educated daughters of the Grand Secretaries couldn’t write so well.
Ning Huan looked up and said, “If Your Majesty does not believe it, one test will reveal the truth. This is not something that can be easily hidden.”
Empress Dowager Qiu said to the nanny beside her, “Go fetch brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.”
Having been through so much, she wasn’t a little old lady who was easily fooled; she wouldn’t give anyone “face” for free.
Nanny Xu quickly brought the items.
Ning Huan took the brush and wrote four characters: “Pine and Crane, Eternal Spring.”