Linhua Palace.
When Wang Sheng received the news, Yun Biechen had just finished his morning meal and was lounging on the couch, reading a book. Upon hearing what Wang Shunde had to say, he paused for a moment, then let out a soft “Um,” signifying he understood.
Wang Sheng, however, grew anxious. “Young Master, His Majesty is coming for lunch. Should we be preparing something?”
“Preparing what?” Yun Biechen turned a page of his book. “The Imperial Kitchen will handle it.”
“It is not about the meal,” Wang Sheng lowered his voice. “It is about you, Young Master. Should you not change your clothes or comb your hair? The last time His Majesty visited, you were wearing your sleeping robes.”
Yun Biechen looked up at him. “What I am wearing today is not a sleeping robe.”
“Yes, yes, Young Master is dressed neatly today,” Wang Sheng stifled a laugh. “But you should still leave a good impression on His Majesty, right?”
Yun Biechen said nothing more and continued reading. After a few pages, he suddenly set the book aside and got up to head outside.
“Where are you going, Young Master?” Wang Sheng hurriedly followed.
“Out for a walk,” Yun Biechen said. “It is stuffy in here.”
“But His Majesty?”
“His Majesty will not arrive until noon,” Yun Biechen interrupted him. “It is only the hour of Chen now.”
Wang Sheng could not persuade him otherwise, so he had to follow. The two walked out of the Linhua Palace, one after the other, strolling aimlessly along the palace path.
Yun Biechen walked slowly, his gaze scanning the surroundings. He had stayed in the Cold Palace for so long that he had barely wandered through the palace grounds since he first arrived.
Now, looking at the familiar red walls and yellow tiles, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity.
When they reached the Imperial Garden, he stopped.
The garden was filled with plum trees, both red and white, in full bloom. The snow had not yet fully melted and weighed down the branches, making the plum blossoms appear even more vibrant.
Yun Biechen watched for a while, then suddenly walked deep into the garden. Wang Sheng followed quickly, only to see him bypass the rockery and stop before a small pavilion. He looked up at the roof.
Then, with a single leap, he landed lightly atop the pavilion.
Wang Sheng stood below, dumbfounded. “Young Master! Why did you go up there?”
“To sleep.” Yun Biechen lay down on the tiles, found a comfortable position, and closed his eyes. “It is quiet here.”
Wang Sheng paced back and forth, anxious but afraid to shout for fear of attracting attention. Just as he hesitated about whether to climb up and urge him down, he heard laughter and chatter from afar.
Several ladies in palace attire were heading their way.
Wang Sheng’s expression changed, and he quickly hid behind the rockery. Peeking out, he saw three women dressed in magnificent clothing, their heads adorned with pearls and jade. They were clearly imperial concubines.
Leading them was Consort Li, dressed in a crimson palace robe. Her features were striking, and her gaze carried a natural allure.
She was currently the most favored in the harem.
Of course, this favor was relative. Yan Linyuan never kept a concubine overnight; he would summon them to the Qian’an Hall for the night and then have them sleep on the floor. Even so, those who were frequently summoned received many rewards.
Consort Li was followed by two concubines of lower rank, one in pink and one in green. Both were beautiful, but neither could compare to Consort Li’s vibrant radiance.
The three stopped near the plum grove. Consort Li snapped off a branch of red plum blossoms and toyed with it.
“Have you heard, sister?” the concubine in pink whispered. “Yesterday, His Majesty sent many things to the Linhua Palace. They say even that piece of mutton-fat jade Guanyin from the treasury was sent over.”
The concubine in green replied, “That is not all. Another batch of treasures was sent this morning. The young eunuch in my palace said that one look at those boxes was enough to know they were worth a fortune.”
Consort Li’s hand, toying with the plum branch, paused. Her expression remained unchanged. “Do you not know who lives in the Linhua Palace?”
“We know,” the concubine in pink lowered her voice further. “It is that person from the Cold Palace, Young Master Yun.”
“A man, living in the inner palace, receiving such rewards from His Majesty,” the concubine in green sounded dissatisfied. “What is this supposed to mean? We, the proper concubines, barely see His Majesty once a year, yet he…”
“Shut up,” Consort Li interrupted coldly. “Is His Majesty’s business something you can discuss?”
The two fell silent immediately.
Consort Li tossed the plum branch onto the ground and crushed it with the tip of her shoe before saying, “His Majesty likes beauties; you are not unaware of that. As for Yun Biechen, though I have never met him, I hear he is exceptionally handsome. It is no surprise His Majesty has taken a liking to him.”
She spoke calmly, but deep in her eyes hid reluctance and resentment.
Why? She had entered the palace three years ago, being cautious, only to receive occasional pity and a few rewards.
Yet Yun Biechen did not have to do anything to move into the Linhua Palace and receive endless favor.
“Sister, do not take it to heart,” the concubine in pink comforted her. “His Majesty is just pursuing novelty; he will forget him in a while. Men, after all, can they be compared to women?”
Consort Li did not speak; she only gazed toward the direction of the Linhua Palace, her eyes dark.
Just then, a eunuch’s voice announced from the garden entrance: “His Majesty has arrived!”
All three were startled and hurriedly arranged their attire, kneeling to welcome him.
Yan Linyuan entered the Imperial Garden with Wang Shunde. He saw the three concubines kneeling by the plum grove at a glance. He did not stop, walking straight forward, but paused when passing the pavilion and suddenly looked up.
Wang Shunde followed his gaze, his heart skipping a beat.
Atop the pavilion, Yun Biechen was lying on his side. His ink-black hair hung down, and his white clothes were particularly striking against the red tiles. He was sleeping with his eyes closed, seemingly deep in slumber, unaware of the movement below.
Sleeping again.
“Y-Your Majesty,” Consort Li raised her head, speaking in a coy voice. “We were admiring the plum blossoms here, unaware of Your Majesty’s arrival.”
Yan Linyuan ignored her and stared at the roof of the pavilion.
Consort Li followed his gaze and saw Yun Biechen. She was stunned, and a flash of jealousy flickered in her eyes before she hid it, saying softly, “Your Majesty, that is…”
Yan Linyuan raised a hand to stop her.
He took a step forward, then suddenly leapt upward, landing on top of the pavilion.
The tiles gave off a faint sound. Yun Biechen frowned but did not open his eyes, merely turning over to face away from Yan Linyuan.
Yan Linyuan crouched beside him, watched him for a while, and suddenly reached out to gently brush aside a strand of hair on his cheek.
His fingertips touched the skin, warm and soft.
Yun Biechen finally opened his eyes.
Yan Linyuan’s face was reflected in his glass-like pupils. The haziness of sleep made his gaze seem somewhat blank. He blinked, clearly seeing the person before him, but showed no special reaction other than frowning. “You are noisy.”
The three kneeling below heard him clearly, and their complexions changed.
Yan Linyuan, however, laughed. “Am I disturbing you?”
“Um.” Yun Biechen sat up and rubbed his eyes. “I am sleeping.”
“It is cold here,” Yan Linyuan said. “Go back to the palace to sleep.”
“It is stuffy.” Yun Biechen stood up, looked down at the people kneeling below, and then looked at Yan Linyuan. “You attend to your business; I will find another place to sleep.”
He turned to jump down.
Yan Linyuan grabbed his wrist.
Yun Biechen looked back at him, his gaze cool. “Let go.”
“Come back with me,” Yan Linyuan did not let go; instead, he gripped him tighter. “It is time for lunch.”
Yun Biechen stared at him for a moment and suddenly asked, “Is there meat?”
“Yes.”
“Spicy?”
“Spicy.”
Only then did Yun Biechen stop struggling. “Then let us go.”
Yan Linyuan released his hand, but before Yun Biechen could jump off the pavilion, he grabbed him by the waist and brought him down to the ground.
The movement was as natural as if he had done it a thousand times.
Yun Biechen looked at Yan Linyuan with displeasure.
The three concubines below were dumbfounded. Consort Li bit her lip, her nails digging into her palms.
Yun Biechen stood still and smoothed his sleeves. Without even glancing at the three, and not bothering to acknowledge Yan Linyuan, he walked straight toward the garden exit.
Yan Linyuan followed him. After two steps, he stopped and looked back at the concubines still kneeling on the ground.
“You may all rise,” he said in a flat tone. “It is cold, do not kneel.”
Having said that, he turned to follow Yun Biechen.
Wang Shunde hurriedly trotted to catch up, leaving the three concubines looking at each other.
The concubine in pink supported Consort Li as she rose, muttering, “Sister, His Majesty, he…”
“Shut up,” Consort Li interrupted coldly, staring at the retreating backs of the two, her jealousy no longer hidden.
Why?
She had entered the palace three years ago, being cautious, only to receive occasional pity. As for Yun Biechen, a man, how could he?
On the way back to the Linhua Palace, Yun Biechen walked in front, Yan Linyuan followed behind, and neither spoke.
Halfway there, Yun Biechen suddenly stopped and looked back. “Do you not have government affairs to attend to?”
“It is lunchtime, I am not busy,” Yan Linyuan walked to his side. “What, you do not wish to dine with me?”
Yun Biechen did not answer and continued walking.
Upon entering the Linhua Palace, lunch had indeed been prepared. A table full of dishes, most of them spicy, along with several exquisite snacks.
Yun Biechen sat down and began to eat with his chopsticks. Yan Linyuan sat opposite him, watching him eat, barely touching his own food.
Halfway through, Yun Biechen looked up. “Are you not eating?”
“Watching you eat has filled me,” Yan Linyuan said.
Yun Biechen frowned. “Strange person.”
Yan Linyuan chuckled but did not reply.
After lunch, Yun Biechen wiped his mouth and stood up to head toward the couch. Yan Linyuan called him back. “It is not good to sleep immediately after eating.”
Yun Biechen turned to look at him. “Then what should I do?”
“Keep me company and talk for a while.”
“Talk about what?”
Yan Linyuan paused and suddenly asked, “You have been in the Cold Palace for so long, are you not bored?”
Yun Biechen sat by the couch, thought for a moment, and shook his head. “Not bored.”
“Why are you not bored?”
“There are plum trees, there is snow, and there is porridge to drink,” Yun Biechen said. “It is enough.”
Yan Linyuan stared at him for a long time before saying, “You do not need to drink porridge anymore. If you want to eat something, just have the Imperial Kitchen prepare it.”
“Um.” Yun Biechen responded, leaned back, and closed his eyes. “I am sleepy.”
“How are you constantly sleepy?” Yan Linyuan said, though he did not stop him.
Watching the person on the couch fall asleep quickly, he stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the white plum tree stood quietly in the afternoon sun, its buds having blossomed further.
He watched for a while, then turned to leave.
“Wang Shunde.”
“This old slave is here.”
“Have someone build a warm pavilion in the back courtyard of the Linhua Palace,” Yan Linyuan said. “It must be bright on all sides so one can enjoy the sun and admire the plum blossoms. Line it with thick carpets, place a soft couch inside, and prepare some books and snacks.”
Wang Shunde bowed. “Yes.”
“And,” Yan Linyuan stopped at the door. “No need to summon Consort Li anymore.”
Wang Shunde’s heart skipped a beat. “This old slave understands.”
Yan Linyuan said nothing more and stepped out of the Linhua Palace.
The sunlight felt warm on his body. He looked back at the hall; through the window paper, he could see the faint white figure on the couch.
Like a painting, he had locked him in this deep palace.
Yan Linyuan turned and walked toward the Qian’an Hall.