Following Xie Chen’s rigorous ministrations yesterday, although he did not inspect it himself, Nan Rongchen was fairly certain that the wound on his chest should be healing much better now.
As for when Xie Chen had departed, or why he had insisted on resting here as if afflicted by some strange malady, he had no mind to bother with either. Either way, since he had been completely unconscious last night, he had ended up enjoying a sound sleep.
He raised a hand to lift the cloud-topped bed curtains woven from bright yellow gold threads, his raven-black hair trailing down his arm like a river, prompting a palace maid to step forward holding basin and water for washing. Amidst the faint splashing of water, she carefully reported in an undertone, “Your Majesty, Grand Historian Xiao has been waiting in the side hall for quite some time, but he was afraid of disturbing Your Majesty’s rest.”
“Understood.” Nan Rongchen continued to leisurely finish wiping his hands, then unhurriedly bound his hair and donned his crown, changing into an outer robe embroidered with coiling dragons, as if discussing nothing more than a routine official, and a thoroughly out-of-favor one at that. “If the Imperial Tutor likes to wait, let him wait. Sitting, standing, or kneeling, whatever suits him, We certainly will not stop him.”
The entire palace knew that when His Majesty was the crown prince, he held Grand Historian Xiao in exceptional trust and regard, and after ascending the throne, this favor and reliance grew even more profound, even allowing him free entry and exit into the Zichen Palace.
Yet today, could it be that Grand Historian Xiao had somehow fallen out of imperial favor? The palace maid could not guess the reason, but she had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue, “Grand Historian Xiao said he came here under the Empress Dowager’s decree. Perhaps there is an urgent matter.”
“If there is an urgent matter, he should go find the Empress Dowager. We are weak and fatigued from illness, with no energy to manage such superfluous affairs.” Nan Rongchen maintained an entirely level tone, yet it sent cold sweat creeping over half the maid’s body.
“May Your Majesty forgive us.”
And now she was asking for forgiveness again. Watching her kneeling on the floor with her shoulder blades trembling slightly, Nan Rongchen finally raised a hand to signal her to rise. “Presumably the Chief Astrologer’s divination has also been completed. Summon him to the Hanyuan Palace to interpret the divination and liven things up for Us and the Western Xia envoys.”
Who knew how many of the Empress Dowager’s spies infested the entire Zichen Palace. No matter, so long as they had long tongues to pass the message along.
Seeing that the system’s assigned tasks bore no particular difficulty, completing them casually along the way posed no issue. He would simply treat it as rapidly accumulating the hatred value demanded by the system, so as to bring an early end to this life as a caged bird.
As for Helian Yi, possessing a spine of unyielding pride while maintaining some connection to Nan Rongchengyu, he made for quite an adequate diversion.
Once the palace maid finished arranging the jade-inlaid ear pendants dangling from the golden jade crown, he swept his sleeves and departed the Zichen Palace.
Qi Yan stood guard outside the palace doors holding his sword and fell into step behind him, frowning as he cast a glance at Nan Rongchen, speaking out of nowhere, “Nan Rongchen, keep your palace maids and eunuchs on a tight leash.”
Ever since entering the palace, he had abandoned the trouble of wearing a mask. The exposed angles of his face were sharply chiseled, framed by sword-like brows, starry eyes, and raven-black hair bound up high. Though clad in the dark purple brocade uniform of a Lin Yue imperial guard, he stood head and shoulders above the rest of the guards, possessing the effortless, carefree air of an unfettered martial hero.
From top to bottom, what part of him looked anything like this dog-like tyrant’s bedfellow? Yet that bunch of palace maids and eunuchs still had the nerve to call him something like Attendant.
To hell with being an Attendant.
Nan Rongchen had no spare attention to waste on him, speaking without looking back, “Before entering the Prince Su’s residence, were you from Western Xia or Southern Liang?”
Alarm bells rang furiously in Qi Yan’s heart. Nan Rongchen really had sent people to investigate him. “What business is it of yours? If you have the guts, kill me!”
The moment these words left his mouth, the attending palace maids and eunuchs did not dare to draw a full breath, the words disaster-bringing seductive favorite floating through their minds. Those with sharp wits also memorized that this Qi Yan possessed ties to Prince Su’s residence, leaving them simultaneously terrified and overwhelmed.
Fortunately, Chen Ping blinked his round eyes and gently tugged at Qi Yan’s sleeve. “Brother Qi, watch your tongue.”
Having practiced martial arts for many years, Qi Yan sharply noticed the several gazes falling upon him. Recalling the word Attendant once more, he flushed with a mixture of shame and annoyance, gripping his sword and sealing his lips.
In the vacant space of his gaze, it happened to coincide with Nan Rongchen turning his head sideways to look at him. Fixing his eyes on those two lips, Qi Yan deduced a conclusion: yesterday, Nan Rongchen’s lips had been stained with blood.
“If you happen to be from Western Xia, today is a fine chance to catch a glimpse of the envoys from your homeland.” Nan Rongchen felt his mood improve considerably at this thought. If that were truly the case, raking in three shares of hatred value from a single state banquet sounded simply magnificent.
Qi Yan snapped out of his daze, realizing the next moment that he had been played. This tyrant was clearly probing him; who the hell was from Western Xia?
Seeing his complexion darken by another shade over a matter concerning national stances, Chen Ping simply gripped his sword, cupped his hands, and spoke, “Your Majesty, Brother Qi was muddled with sleepiness from his night watch, this subject will first take him to the rear to clear his head.”
Watching Chen Ping’s round face assume such a solemn expression, Nan Rongchen once more found it difficult not to smile. Returning through rebirth, Chen Ping remained the most agreeable sight among them.
In his past life, he had sent people to escort Chen Ping away safely, though he never learned what his ultimate fate had been. Walking closely with Qi Yan now would at least provide an extra layer of latent security down the line.
Bypassing a winding bend of water, the group arrived at the westernmost side hall of the Zichen Palace, where Qi Yan shoved Helian Yi to settle him in.
Though it was the most remote and dilapidated hall within the Zichen Palace, it was still far superior to the quarters at the Jiuan Imperial Residence, being spacious, clean, and fully equipped with necessities.
Seeing the Son of Heaven arrive in person, a eunuch exercised keen judgment and hurried off to summon Helian Yi.
Nan Rongchen stepped unceremoniously across the threshold, and Qi Yan followed from the very rear, offering the lofty excuse that Helian Yi is a mad dog, and I worry for Your Majesty’s safety.
Upholding the fine habit of sitting whenever standing could be avoided, Nan Rongchen leaned back in a rosewood chair to await one of today’s targets.
A flurry of footsteps echoed, and Nan Rongchen watched with a smile as Helian Yi stepped across the threshold and stood firmly before him.
“Kneel.”
Helian Yi’s hawk-like eyes flickered slightly as he stood his ground with clenched fists. The young eunuch trailing behind him was frightened nearly out of his wits; rumors were rampant in the palace that His Majesty harbored extreme hostility toward this Helian Yi.
Hesitating for a split second, he stiffened his neck and stepped forward, preparing to force Helian Yi down. Taking a couple of beatings was preferable to displeasing the Dragon Countenance.
“Audacious! Why do you not kneel yet?” he blustered in a show of false bravado, reaching out to press down on Helian Yi’s shoulder, yet failing to touch the top.
Helian Yi dropped straight to his knees.
“The Western Xia envoys are waiting in the Hanyuan Palace, rumored to be offering a fierce-eyed tiger. We ought to have a beast pet capable of holding the stage, and lo and behold, you were the very first person We thought of.”
Nan Rongchen rummaged through the clutter on the table beneath his elbow, picked up a tribute mandarin orange, and tossed it casually. “Do not let Us down.”
Helian Yi lifted his gaze to look straight at the figure seated above. Sunlight gilded the coiling-dragon-embroidered dark robe like a starry river of the night sky, while a fair, jade-like hand reached out and retracted beneath it, returning to prop against the side of his neck.
He intercepted the cool mandarin orange hurtling through the air with a sideways block, his fingers twitching slightly as if cupping that slender stretch of neck within his grasp.
With just a little force, blood would overflow from it.
Since the purpose was to farm hatred value, there was no reason to make himself unhappy. Propping himself up and leaning slightly back, Nan Rongchen kept half his face half-submerged in shadow, which, set against the smile he wore a moment prior, appeared shifting and uncanny. “Speak.”
Helian Yi pressed his lips into a straight line, squeezing juice from the mandarin orange within his grip while the raging stormy seas in his eyes screamed to tear the person before him to pieces.
Nan Rongchen reached out and drew the sword from Qi Yan’s waist. The cold glint of the blade cast directly onto his face forced back every word of reprimand Qi Yan had prepared to hurl.
To draw a sword with such flashing blade-light and bloodshed, reeking of the battlefield’s stern slaughter, Nan Rongchen was not easily dispatched.
With the precedent of the Son of Heaven being bewitched into committing suicide during morning court with a court sword still fresh in mind, the young eunuch rushed forward. “Your Majesty, I beg of you.”
Because of that incident, his adoptive father, Grand Eunuch Gao, had lost his life at the Ministry of Punishments, let alone someone like himself.
Nan Rongchen actually wished he could use a sword to end his own life, but unfortunately the system disallowed it. Coupled with the fact that these past two days he kept recalling the scenery of Jiangnan described in the Tales of Qinhuai, lacking the opportunity in his past life, he intended to take the time to visit it now.
“Even the heir is not afraid,” Nan Rongchen flicked his wrist and hurled the sword forward, “what are you afraid of?”
The sharp blade tore through the air, carrying a howling wind directly toward the center of Helian Yi’s throat. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead; he was afraid of dying.
The people in Shule who had betrayed him were still living comfortably in the royal court, so how could he possibly perish here within the prison of an enemy state?
Hatred mingled with terror suddenly surged over him; he forced himself not to dodge, refusing all the more to lower his head to this enemy of his.
“Enough.”
Amidst that lazy tone, a hidden projectile chimed as it struck the long blade off course. Helian Yi felt a stab of pain at his neck but had no leisure to check, keeping his gaze locked on the person walking toward him step by step, his heart reverberating with lingering tremors.
Yet the person merely brushed against the edge of Nan Rongchen’s robe. The silk swept past the side of his face, and a hand went out and returned, pressing against that wound to dip heavily in blood before smearing it across his lips stroke by stroke. “If you do not know how to speak, you will learn slowly.”
Veins bulged on the back of Helian Yi’s hands; utilizing the opening of his parted lips, he pressed the tips of his teeth against that offending fingertip. “Understood.”
Nan Rongchen cleanly withdrew his hand. “Once you have learned, follow along.”
Level-one rule-breaking comment: Pardon my asking, is this how enemies bite each other?
Wife, do not reward him!
Where is the fanfiction? We demand to watch them make love right now!
Nan Rongchen was exceedingly pleased with these comments. After such a tumultuous ordeal, Helian Yi naturally harbored deep hatred for him.
For the first time, he took the initiative to converse with the system. “Well then, does Helian Yi hate Us any more now?”
System 365: Thrilled that the host is finally actively completing missions! Flower! According to emotional analysis, Helian Yi is currently furious, frantic, and paranoid, and his hatred value has skyrocketed by a notable margin!
Nan Rongchen let out a soft, genuine laugh from the bottom of his heart. The arc curving the corners of his lips landed in Qi Yan’s field of vision, evoking silent, bitter resentment as Qi Yan pulled out Nan Rongchen’s silk handkerchief to wipe the blood from his sword.
As he raised his eyes, they locked directly onto Helian Yi’s sinister and intimidating gaze. Frowning, Qi Yan sneered, “What, playing the dog felt that good? You’ve gotten addicted to it?”
All the way to the main gate of the Zichen Palace, the full imperial procession halted outside. The curtained fans were half-withdrawn amidst luxurious brocades. Knowing the Son of Heaven disliked human footstools, attendants hurried forward to lay out a wooden ladder.
Nan Rongchen indeed harbored an aversion to such things, yet instead, “Step down. Let the heir come.”
The eunuchs and attendants swiftly yielded a pathway at the command. Helian Yi stood facing Nan Rongchen, who leaned sideways with crossed arms against the side of the imperial palanquin. The Son of Heaven’s phoenix eyes carried a hint of a smile, his vermillion lips and jade face contrasting with a pale, sickly aura that faintly evoked the imagery of his suicide in the main hall.
Against whose body had he fallen when he closed his eyes and wept blood that day?
Brushing aside the question lurking in his heart, Helian Yi stepped forward to the base of the imperial palanquin, bent his knees and lowered his torso, resting his elbows against the golden brick and copper-stone ground in utter, unmitigated humiliation.
So long as he could return to Shule.
Nan Rongchen stepped up to plant his foot squarely upon Helian Yi’s robust, tiger-like spine, his dark boots stamped with dragon insignias lightly grinding down and releasing pressure in a deliberate display of torture.
In his past life before dying, Helian Yi had not come to be an eyesore, yet when troops were dispatched to Shangjing, it was Helian Yi who cemented his crime of stopping at nothing to seize the realm, even stooping to collude with foreign states.
The grinding pressure upon his spine pierced through flesh, skin, bone, and blood straight to his heart. Helian Yi froze in place, rising like a wooden puppet to trail behind the imperial palanquin, while that shimmering figure amid the brocades etched itself deeply into his eyes.
Qi Yan flashed past him holding his sword, returning the exact phrase he had thrown at him back at the Jiuan Imperial Residence, “Shameless thing!”