He performed such shameless acts with remarkable ease…
In the Hall of Self-Restraint, His Majesty reclined lazily against the bed, engrossed in reading a document of unknown origin.
Opposite him, Yan Yu had been kneeling with his knees drawn close and leaning forward for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.
Holding this posture for too long caused pain in the calves, numbness in the feet, and muscle cramps. Even though he was accustomed to hardship in the military, he found it unbearable.
Yet His Majesty seemed to have no intention of acknowledging him.
Perhaps his eyes grew tired from reading the document for too long, as the emperor opposite him set the book aside, closed his eyes, and stretched out his legs, shifting into a semi-reclining position.
Still, he showed no sign of speaking.
Yan Yu let out a soft sigh, extended his long arm to grab a nearby black sandalwood armrest, propped it under his elbow, and leaned to the side, assuming a relaxed seated posture.
Ah, much more comfortable.
His movements were somewhat conspicuous, and the emperor on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.
“You certainly don’t stand on ceremony! Since I ignored you, you’ve taken it upon yourself to make yourself comfortable.”
Yan Yu shifted his posture again, crossing one leg while propping up the other. His languid demeanor was no less relaxed than the emperor’s on the bed. His respectful tone carried a hint of flattery: “Your servant dares to speculate on Your Majesty’s intentions. This armrest was placed here precisely for my use. I thank Your Majesty for your consideration!”
Emperor Li Sheng suddenly laughed and said to Gao Sheng, his attendant of nearly thirty years: “Look at this! He performs such shameless acts with remarkable ease!”
The elderly palace servant bowed with a smile: “It is Your Majesty’s benevolence and General Yan’s cleverness.”
The emperor’s smile faded. “The corruption case of the Liangzhou governor has been concluded. As for his secretary, since he’s dead, let it be. But you—” He pointed at Yan Yu, his tone growing much stricter, “You must never engage in such dangerous acts again!”
Yan Yu straightened his kneeling posture and said solemnly: “Prince Duan’s anti-corruption campaign in Liangzhou was grand in scale, executing over thirty officials of varying ranks. Yet he insisted on bringing that secretary back to the capital, all because the secretary had once served as the former Crown Prince’s scribe! The former Crown Prince was deposed without title or honor, yet he kept such a cunning secretary to stir up trouble. It’s hard not to speculate. It was better to kill him and be done with it!”
“You!” The emperor sat up angrily, suppressing his temper. “Even if he had to die, did it have to be you who did it?”
Observing the emperor’s expression, Yan Yu softened his tone slightly. “It was merely convenient.”
Gao Sheng smiled, trying to smooth things over: “Your Majesty, please do not be angry. General Yan is exceptionally loyal, brave, and righteous.”
“You certainly speak up for him!”
The emperor rose and walked over to Yan Yu, who immediately stood up and bowed respectfully. He heard the emperor’s slightly cold and stern voice: “Rash and impulsive—how is this befitting of a first-rank general? Do not disappoint the expectations I have placed in you!”
As Yan Yu left the Hall of Self-Restraint, Tian Ze immediately approached him and whispered: “Master, a young eunuch has been peeking around several times just now. It looks like he’s from Princess Zhaohua’s side.”
“She truly is relentless!”
“Shall we take a detour?”
But just as they stepped outside the hall, a young eunuch hurried over and respectfully blocked their path: “General Yan, please wait! The Empress Dowager heard that the general has entered the palace. She has not seen you for a long time and misses you dearly. She has sent me to invite the general!”
“Today’s inner court banquet—does the Empress Dowager have time to see me?”
The young eunuch smiled. “Her Majesty the Empress’s banquet is merely a formality for the Empress Dowager. General Yan, please come quickly. Do not keep Her Majesty waiting.”
Yan Yu turned to Tian Ze and said: “Go back first and inform my elder brother. I will return to the residence a little later.”
Yan Yu followed the little eunuch through the corridors, but they were not heading toward Yishou Palace.
“Is the Empress Dowager not at Yishou Palace?”
“Her Majesty is resting in the Begonia Garden at the moment, waiting for the General in Yanchun Pavilion!”
As he spoke, the little eunuch seemed to quicken his pace.
Meanwhile, Mei Yao had already taken a nap inside Yanchun Pavilion.
Li Youtong had been summoned away by the Empress Dowager midway. Worried that Mei Yao might get bored, she mentioned having some storybooks to pass the time and went to fetch them with Feng Xiu. Seeing the garden lush with blooming flowers and verdant grass, Mei Yao wandered around for a while before entering Yanchun Pavilion. She gazed at the scenery by the window for a bit, but having slept poorly the night before, the warm sun lulled her into drowsiness.
In her half-asleep state, she heard voices and glanced up to see Li Ran striding over with two maids in tow, clearly heading toward Yanchun Pavilion as well. The willful Junzhu instructed as she walked, “You two must remember my words! If anything goes wrong, you’ll be beaten to death with clubs!”
Judging by her demeanor, she was up to something. Mei Yao didn’t want to cause further friction with her, but leaving now would mean running into her. She glanced around and saw that only the space under the brocade-covered table could hide someone, so without a second thought, she crawled underneath.
Hidden in the darkness, she soon heard light footsteps entering the room, followed by someone moving around as if conducting a cursory inspection. Then came the sound of windows being closed. Mei Yao grew suspicious, unsure of what Li Ran was planning.
A moment later, the door opened again, and it seemed the person had retreated.
Mei Yao waited a few more breaths, confirming there was no further movement in the room, before lifting a corner of the brocade to peek outside.
With the doors and windows shut, the room had grown dimmer. Only faint light filtered through the window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the floor. The room was indeed empty.
She moved to the door, carefully pulling it open a crack. She didn’t see Li Ran, only her two maids peering around cautiously.
There was no way out now.
She felt a pang of regret, thinking she should have left earlier—at most, she would have exchanged a few words, nothing serious. But leaving now would only invite trouble.
Well, she might as well see what this willful Junzhu was scheming!
Soon, footsteps approached outside again, and Mei Yao immediately crawled back under the table.
The door opened, and a sharp voice rang out, “General Yan, please rest here for a moment. This servant will go fetch the Empress Dowager!”
Yan Yu was about to call out, “Stop!” when he suddenly sensed movement behind him. In his hesitation, the little eunuch had already left.
Turning around, he saw a delicate, charming face peeking out from under the table.
“Why is it you?” He felt something was off, never expecting the one lying in wait here to be her.
If it was her, Mei Yao wasn’t afraid. She had been hiding for too long, her heart beating a little too fast, feeling stifled and restless. She simply crawled out.
At a glance, she spotted the two white jade gourds hanging at his waist, and a wave of sweet warmth surged in her heart, making her unable to suppress the smile on her lips.
“What are you doing here?”
He asked, but she seemed not to hear, her eyes curved into crescents as she gazed at the objects on his waist. Step by step, she drew closer to him, and then a pair of small hands reached toward his waist.
He didn’t move away, and she happily touched the two small gourds. They were so close that her sweet fragrance drifted into his senses.
“I knew it…” Her breath was like orchid, her voice soft. She looked up at him, her face flushed, eyes sparkling, and her lips, tinted with rouge, glistened like tempting cherries.
“What do you know?” He spoke, only then realizing his own voice had softened as well.
“I just knew…” She gazed at his refined face, with a touch of infatuation, “you wouldn’t lose it. Doing this… I really like it.”
Because of this one action of his, she seemed quite content.
“What are you doing here?”
“I fell asleep here and didn’t expect to be locked in. Hearing movement, I got scared and hid under the table…”
Her words were half-truths, half-lies. Yan Yu was half-convinced, but seeing her flushed little face and pitiful tone, he asked, “Wasn’t the banquet lively enough? Why come here to sleep?”
“I didn’t want to be picked over like merchandise…”
As she spoke, she placed both small hands on his waist and hips, looking up at him. “I only like you… you know that.”
Yan Yu felt a sudden tightness in his abdomen. Those small hands seemed delicate, yet as if they could easily shatter something.
Her restless hands gently stroked a few times, with a hint of pride. “They don’t like me being there either, saying I overshadow their own girls…”
She had always been confident!
“Brother Yu!” A coquettish call came from outside the door.
Mei Yao immediately withdrew her hands, whispering softly, “You haven’t seen me!” With that, she quickly ducked back under the table.
This scene felt all too familiar!
Yan Yu let out a soft chuckle.