Early the next morning, just after Shuanglan finished styling Yu Qijian’s hair, a palace servant came to report that Wang Shuxin had already arrived at the palace gate.
Yu Qijian strolled into the warm side hall of the main palace. Today, in order to appear as though she had just recovered from a serious illness, she deliberately powdered her face pale, wore no lip color, and dressed in a light-colored gown. As she walked, she moved with the grace of slender willow branches swaying in the wind.
Wang Shuxin arrived with two old matrons, carrying large bundles and boxes. The moment she entered, her eyes turned red.
“My dear girl, you’ve grown thinner.” She grabbed Yu Qijian and looked her up and down, tears falling instantly. “Why has your health gotten worse and worse? Your mother heard you’ve been bedridden day after day, but the palace is strictly guarded and it’s hard to visit—you’ve nearly frightened me to death.”
Yu Qijian revealed a mix of three parts frailty and seven parts emotion, her voice soft enough to drip water. “Thank you for your concern, Mother. Your daughter only caught a mild cold and is already much better.”
Mother and daughter held each other’s hands, performing a scene of deep affection.
After the two sat down on the soft couch by the window, Wang Shuxin no longer mentioned anything about Yu Qijian competing for power in the court. Instead, she frowned with worry.
“My dear girl, your father and elder brother have been having a very difficult time in court recently.”
Here it came.
Yu Qijian looked full of concern, waiting for her to continue.
“That Fang Jinxian, relying on the Late Emperor’s decree, has been making things difficult for our family at every turn. Several of your father’s trusted people in the Ministry of Revenue were removed under various pretexts, and your brother’s duties there have also been repeatedly obstructed.”
Wang Shuxin sighed and held Yu Qijian’s hand. “Mother knows you are not having an easy time either. His Majesty is still young, and that eunuch holds enormous power. It is fine for you to lie low for now. We are not in a hurry—first, we must preserve ourselves. When His Majesty grows older…”
Although Yu Qijian focused on acting, she carefully tried to distinguish how much of this was genuine concern and how much treated her as a political tool—and whether there was still some familial affection mixed in.
But she could not tell for now. She coughed appropriately twice.
“Mother is right. Your daughter also treads on thin ice in this deep palace. His Majesty lost his mother at a young age and is now over eight years old; he already understands things. He is unwilling to sincerely accept me as his stepmother. A few days ago, I supervised his studies…”
At this point, Yu Qijian lowered her head and choked up as she wiped away tears.
“He actually lost his temper and said he dislikes me and doesn’t want me to manage him. Mother, your daughter is only twenty—how would I know how to raise a child? I can only accommodate him everywhere. I never expected His Majesty… and that Chief Eunuch too, he constantly makes things difficult for me, either saying I don’t care or that I’m incompetent. He even released a wolf to scare me… sob.”
“That eunuch! How arrogant can he be?! He doesn’t even bother with appearances anymore? He actually dares to let beasts disturb the Empress Dowager’s presence!”
“Mother, keep your voice down! Walls have ears. Your daughter only hopes His Majesty grows up safely. Nothing else matters anymore.”
Wang Shuxin’s tears poured down as she pulled Yu Qijian into her arms to comfort her.
“You’ve suffered, my dear girl. You were raised in the palm of our Yu Clan’s hand. Mother understands how hard your life is…”
Yu Qijian froze slightly.
For a moment, she genuinely felt the concern within those words. No matter how much was mixed with interest, at that moment, perhaps a mother truly felt heartache seeing her daughter cry.
Had she… taken someone else’s place and become too irresponsible?
……
Wang Shuxin had just left when Fang Jinxian arrived immediately after.
Yu Qijian’s eyes were still red from crying, her tears not yet wiped away, when she met his teasing gaze.
“This minister comes to plead guilty. Improper taming led to Black Wind disturbing the Empress Dowager’s presence. It is my fault.”
Yu Qijian waved to Shuanglan, signaling all palace servants in the hall to withdraw.
Then she turned back into a fierce expression. “Are you blind?!”
Fang Jinxian sat down leisurely and poured himself a cup of tea without any courtesy. “One must keep a couple of eyes to maintain the appearance of ministerial arrogance.”
This time, however, he had been standing behind the window and heard everything.
Yu Qijian: “……”
Fang Jinxian took a slow sip of tea, gazing at her through the rising steam.
Today she was dressed as a sickly beauty—everything about her was pale and muted—but it made him think of how extreme paleness could still produce beauty. Perhaps it was the mole at the corner of her eye.
He withdrew his gaze. “A beast is still a beast in the end.”
Yu Qijian exploded. “Who are you calling a beast?! Fang Jinxian, I really want to beat you to death. Do you ever have any proper business to do instead of running around—”
Fang Jinxian interrupted calmly, “……Black Wind was unruly and difficult to control. To maintain peace in the palace, I have ordered it temporarily removed from the palace for strict training.”
“Oh, I see. You’re just petty. Don’t tell me you’re jealous of Black Wind getting close to me!”
Fang Jinxian’s heart gave a sudden jolt. His brows immediately tightened. Even though he clearly knew that was not what he meant, he still felt an intense urge to refute it.
Yu Qijian huffed. “No helping it—I just attract animals. You’re so cold and unapproachable, of course Black Wind wouldn’t dare get close to you. But what exactly is your ‘strict training’? Don’t you dare beat it or starve it.”
Fang Jinxian: “……Mm.”
So her so-called “jealousy” was actually just her thinking the dog liked her more than its owner, causing him to become embarrassed and angry.
Reasonable.
While he was still thinking, Yu Qijian had already regained her composure and was lazily eating a piece of pastry.
“Fang Jinxian, tell me—am I being too unfair to Lady Yu by doing this to the Yu Clan?”
“So after a few comforting words, you’ve already started reflecting on yourself.”
His tone sounded as though he found it strange that “you are actually this kind of person.”
This made Yu Qijian laugh.
“After all, they are her family. I’ve taken her identity. I’m quite professional and have a conscience.”
Fang Jinxian glanced at the worry in her eyes and spoke slowly. “As far as I know, the Yu Clan was indeed good to this daughter.”
“Oh? Then…”
He added, “But using a daughter as a bargaining chip is an undeniable fact. To them, the daughter is likely not as important as family honor.”
In Yu Qijian’s eyes, marrying the Emperor and soon becoming a widow was actually a great outcome. But rationally speaking, for them it meant disregarding their daughter’s happiness entirely, caring only for power and reputation.
She was silent for a while, then suddenly rolled her eyes and leaned closer to him in a negotiating tone.
“Is there any way to make them back off, behave themselves, and let me properly… return their filial respect in peace?”
Fang Jinxian was silent for a moment. “Did you not say everything depends on human effort?”
He stood up.
“Figure it out yourself.”
With that, he left—just as mysteriously as he had arrived.
Yu Qijian did not dwell on it. After resting in the courtyard under the sun for a while, she prepared for lunch—but unexpectedly, Zhao Yan returned.
“Yun Zhi, aren’t you supposed to be attending lessons at the Imperial Academy today? It’s so far—why are you having lunch at the Palace of Eternal Peace?”
Zhao Yan’s little face was tense as he enunciated every word carefully. “I do not dislike you, nor do I refuse to acknowledge you as my stepmother.”
Good heavens—he even has spies here.
Or was this Fang Jinxian’s doing again?
Yu Qijian felt completely exhausted and, in a fit of emotion, pulled Zhao Yan into a tight hug and kissed him repeatedly.
Though they were close, this level of closeness was new.
Zhao Yan’s face turned red. “A grown child should maintain dis—”
Before he could finish, he was kissed again.
Zhao Yan: “Mm… fine then.”