“What is he playing at? He actually likes playing with…”
At the hour of you, the sun drifted toward the west, resting like a salted duck egg upon the dark-cyan mountain ridges and scattering a sky full of golden light.
The Imperial Study.
Xiao Quanchuan bowed his head over the imperial desk to review and mark documents in red, asking without lifting his eyes: “What has he been doing since returning to the palace?”
Sun Nianhai wore a somewhat embarrassed expression as he replied: “Reporting to Your Majesty, Consort Jiang has not woken up yet.”
Xiao Quanchuan furrowed his brows slightly: “Still sleeping? What time is it already?”
Sun Nianhai mentally calculated on his fingers: “About two hours?”
The tip of the brush paused for a fraction of a second, and the stroke he drew thickened by half.
Xiao Quanchuan thought, is this person a pig?
Sun Nianhai suddenly recalled: “Before Consort Jiang left, he had this old servant go to the Bureau of Imperial Attire to fetch a bolt of silk, and he also borrowed a basket of needles and thread. Perhaps he is going to sew a garment for Your Majesty.”
Xiao Quanchuan let out a cold laugh: “Unlikely. The most formidable skill of the people of Yue is the strangulation technique.”
Sun Nianhai’s expression turned alarmed, and the horsetail whisk at his elbow nearly slipped away.
The so-called strangulation technique involved using soft items like cloth strips or vines to wrap around an enemy’s body, choking their vital points until they died of asphyxiation.
Back when Xiao Quanchuan led one hundred thousand soldiers to level the imperial city of Yue, he once accidentally stumbled into a strangulation array set up by Jiang Wangnan, resulting in three thousand conquering soldiers dying from this method.
During this military campaign, they had gone through more than twenty large and small battles, yet only this time had the casualties been the most severe.
“Does Your Majesty mean that Consort Jiang has not yet given up on assassination?”
Xiao Quanchuan lowered his eyelids and hesitated: “Perhaps. One cannot afford not to guard against it.”
Sun Nianhai guessed: “With Your Majesty’s heavenly might inspiring awe, perhaps Consort Jiang has come to his senses?”
“If that were the case, it wouldn’t be much fun. I happen to like challenging the fierce spirit buried deep in his bones. Now that he has completely reined it in, it actually leaves me somewhat at a loss.”
“As long as Your Majesty enjoys it, this old servant will have someone check on Consort Jiang again.” Sun Nianhai stopped there.
After a while, Sun Nianhai hurried back inside, his small feet moving fast enough to kick up a whirlwind. His expression was urgent, and his breathing unstable: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the situation does not look good.”
Xiao Quanchuan took a sip of tea and said with composed poise: “What could possibly scare you like this? What happened to him?”
“Consort Jiang, he is sawing a tree!”
Xiao Quanchuan choked for a moment: “What? Sawing a tree?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. This old servant went to look personally, and it is indeed true. The one he is sawing is that century-old pear tree,” Sun Nianhai said.
Xiao Quanchuan muttered: “What does he want with wood? Wood, could he be planning to use it to build a mechanism to plot against me?”
Between strangulation techniques and mechanical traps, Sun Nianhai almost passed out from fright: “You must never go there alone! It is extremely dangerous! Your Majesty is tied to the lives of all subjects and must not suffer even the slightest mishap.”
Xiao Quanchuan’s eyes brightened like those of a wild wolf.
Just thinking about it made him feel excited; how could he still care about these nagging warnings that were giving him calluses on his ears?
He put down his brush, rubbed the pad of his finger that had been flattened by the brush shaft, and curved the corners of his lips. His expression held a lingering anticipation, resembling a fierce beast of prey that had not eaten for a long time: “This flavor is right.”
“Your Majesty, this old servant thinks we should still send some guards to escort you.”
“No need. I am definitely going.”
Sun Nianhai no longer knew what expression to display, thinking to himself that he was getting old and simply could not understand what these young guys were up to. What was so fun about playing with fire that they actually liked dicing with death?
It was obvious that Jiang Wangnan had calculated everything and drawn the ruler into the trap. Xiao Quanchuan knew full well that he might very well get beaten up, yet he could not suppress that surging excitement no matter what.
Whenever he thought of Jiang Wangnan being fiercely pinned beneath him, with that indignant expression, reddened eye rims, and harsh cursing, he wished he could fly over immediately and devour him entirely.
A land of tender affection blooming with poppies was filled with temptation everywhere.
This time, he was finally going to break his fast.
The horizon reined in its last shred of golden light, pulling down the curtain of night.
Xiying Palace.
Qiu Ruo stood at the doorway, stretching her neck and gazing into the distance with yearning eyes.
She had eaten the meal packed and delivered by Sun Nianhai that afternoon, and her complexion looked a bit better.
A moment later, a tall figure approached from afar. Dressed in black robes with gold patterns, his gait was elegant and upright, and his demeanor grand and magnificent. On his left ear, he wore a feather-shaped, wrap-around ear ornament woven in intertwined gold and emerald, looking lavish and noble.
She hurriedly lowered her head and knelt in prostration: “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Xiao Quanchuan said: “Rise. Where is Consort Jiang?”
Qiu Ruo replied: “Reporting to Your Majesty, Your Grace is busy crafting something.”
“Oh? I shall go take a look.”
Qiu Ruo followed closely behind, having to pull back half her stride with every step she took; otherwise, she would surely have surpassed Xiao Quanchuan.
For some reason, she felt the Emperor was walking extremely slowly.
Daring to raise her head to look, she also noticed that he was pressing his thin lips tightly together while his hawk-like eyes darted back and forth, as if observing or guarding against something.
If a highly skilled assassin were to fly out from a corner, with this level of vigilance, he would definitely be able to pull off a counter-kill from a hopeless position.
The walk from the grand steps to the main entrance was about thirty to fifty paces, but Qiu Ruo felt as though an entire century had passed.
At that moment, Xiao Quanchuan stood before the closed main entrance, his tall and slender figure standing erect with a slight frown on his brow.
The journey had been smooth sailing without encountering any traps; could it be that they were all inside the hall?
Xiao Quanchuan said to Qiu Ruo: “You go inside first; I will follow.”
The latter looked startled for a moment, nodded, pushed the door open, and entered: “Your Majesty, please come in. Your Grace is in the inner chamber.”
Xiao Quanchuan’s eyes shifted from the roof to the floor, finding not a single trace of unusual movement, leaving him utterly baffled.
What on earth were they playing at?
How could they bypass his foolproof reconnaissance?
Qiu Ruo slowly rolled up the beaded curtain: “Your Grace, the Emperor has arrived.”
Then Jiang Wangnan’s voice drifted out from behind the screen, sweet and soft: “Your Majesty, this concubine is very dirty right now and might offend the sacred eyes. Please sit for a moment and allow this concubine to wash my face.”
Xiao Quanchuan grew even more curious: “Upon seeing me, why did Consort Jiang not come out to welcome the imperial carriage? Do you know the crime of committing a display of disrespect before the imperial presence?”
“I am coming right now!”
Suing people for crimes at every turn, would it ever end?
Xiao Quanchuan had long legs and large strides, stepping into the inner chamber first and startling Jiang Wangnan into a sharp gasp of surprise.
A refreshing fragrance of wood rushed straight to his nose.
Right beside the other person stood a wooden mannequin that matched his exact height. It possessed only a rough outline, and deep yellow-grained lines seemed to have shimmering gold flowing through them.
It was thinly draped in slippery silk, as if awaiting a custom-tailored garment.
Sun Nianhai had said he sawed down a piece of rosewood just to make a wooden sculpture of himself!
Xiao Quanchuan had three black lines appear on his forehead.
He seemed to have lost, yet he also seemed to have won.
What was this supposed to be?
Seeing him stare fixedly at the wooden model, Jiang Wangnan hurriedly tried to second-guess the imperial will and clung to the thick thigh: “Does Your Majesty like it?”
“No, I hate it.”
Xiao Quanchuan’s gaze turned a fraction colder: “What are you doing with this wooden sculpture?”
For some inexplicable reason, Jiang Wangnan felt he was a bit angry, though completely without cause.
However, hindered by the fact that the other was the supreme Emperor, he decided to grant him some face, and his tone inevitably carried a hint of casualness: “Answering Your Majesty, this thing was designed according to this concubine’s measurements. It is very convenient for making clothes by myself.”
After returning from the Imperial Study at noon, he had worked up a sweat and originally wanted to change clothes, only to open the wardrobe and discover there were only two sets inside! The collars were even washed until they turned white!
By rights, at the turn of the seasons, the inner palace should receive the newest fabrics for custom clothes.
It had been swallowed up by that detestable Bureau of Internal Affairs again!
Rather than sitting around waiting to die, it was better to take matters into one’s own hands and ensure ample food and clothing.
In college, he had originally majored in fashion design and even created a self-run account focusing on neo-Chinese design. To better market it, he had even taught himself makeup and various accessories coordination.
Living in ancient times, it could finally come in a little bit handy.
Qiu Ruo said: “Your Majesty, Your Grace, it is time for the evening meal.”
This time, the Imperial Kitchen maintained its old routine: three dishes and one soup.
Stir-fried cabbage, minced pork with fried eggs, scallion-fried chicken, and papaya pork bone soup.
The cabbage emitted a sour, putrid stench, the minced pork consisted entirely of fatty meat dripping with oil, and the chicken consisted solely of bones with stray threads of uneaten meat hanging off them. Fortunately, the soup smelled relatively normal, though it had already gone cold.
Xiao Quanchuan glanced at it, a trace of slight anger flickering in his eyes: “You eat this every day?”
Driven by some inexplicable impulse, Jiang Wangnan somewhat regretted inviting him over to look.
Because his expression right now was very, very terrifying.
A storm was brewing, and the wind was sweeping through the tower.
“It’s all right, this bowl of soup smells quite fragrant. Perhaps they delivered the wrong one.” He picked up the bowl of cold soup, pretended to blow away the heat, and took a small sip.
Xiao Quanchuan asked: “Is it good?”
“Mm! Not bad at all!” Jiang Wangnan took another sip. “Mmph, Your Majesty…”
Xiao Quanchuan snatched the bowl away and ordered: “Spit it out.”
Jiang Wangnan puffed out his cheeks, his eyes wide and stunned for a moment. Not daring to defy the imperial decree, he obediently did as told.
“The oil on the surface of the soup has solidified into lumps. Do you want to upset your stomach?” Xiao Quanchuan tossed the bowl aside, and with a crash, it shattered into pieces.
Jiang Wangnan’s heart thumped heavily, not daring to utter another half-syllable.
“Someone, summon the imperial dietary eunuch here.”
Since Xiao Quanchuan had not brought attendants with him when he came, Qiu Ruo had to go pass on the message.
A moment later, a strange and arrogant voice came cursing from outside the door: “What imperial carriage? Are you trying to bluff me? How could the Emperor personally visit such a shabby place? Bah, watch out next time I make you chew tree bark and eat pig slop.”
That final word slop was practically shrieked out in a scream.
The dietary eunuch frantically dashed forward and kowtowed, his forehead striking the floor like a butterfly flapping its wings: “This slave pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Xiao Quanchuan’s gaze was as sharp as a torch, carrying unangered majesty: “Consort Jiang is right here, why do you not bow?”
In an instant, sweat flooded the eunuch’s temples. He spun around like a top to face Jiang Wangnan and bowed: “Greetings, Your Grace. Wishing Your Grace boundless peace.”
Jiang Wangnan secretly glanced at Xiao Quanchuan’s solemn expression, not daring to make a sound for fear that the other would direct his anger at him too.
“What is your surname?” Xiao Quanchuan asked.
The eunuch answered: “This slave’s surname is Gao.”
“The Gao family? Imperial Noble Consort Gao?”
This fellow actually had a connection to the Imperial Noble Consort? He had originally thought the Imperial Noble Consort merely swallowed his monthly salary, but never expected she would also play tricks with his food.
The eunuch swallowed hard and struggled: “This slave is the third son of the younger sister of the mother of the wet nurse of the maternal family’s younger sister-in-law of Imperial Noble Consort Niangniang.”
Jiang Wangnan’s ears were buzzing from listening to that.
“Since you are a relative of the Imperial Noble Consort, I must keep a closer eye on you. How about I give you a task tonight?” Xiao Quanchuan was already accustomed to such things and maintained a calm expression.
The eunuch was startled at first, then his face revealed joy, presumably thinking that pulling strings in the imperial palace really did make for a smooth path, even allowing him to bathe in imperial grace.
“This slave kowtows in gratitude for the holy grace.”
Xiao Quanchuan smiled faintly.
Jiang Wangnan thought to himself, please do not smile, I am terrified.
Xiao Quanchuan slightly leveled the corners of his lips, his entire body instantly turning gloomy and bone-chillingly cold: “Someone, make him eat all the dishes on Consort Jiang’s table completely, without leaving a single scrap.”
The eunuch was dumbfounded and panic-stricken, his mouth moving faster than his brain: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, these spoiled dishes and dirty food are not fit for human consumption!”
Xiao Quanchuan shouted sternly: “Then my Consort Jiang is not human? Eat!”
Weeping tears of despair, the eunuch used his hands to grab the rancid cabbage, shoving it into his mouth while gagging. After finishing that, his fingers hovered over the plate of chicken bones. How on earth was he supposed to eat this?
Jiang Wangnan softened his heart and said: “Your Majesty, how about we forget it? He already knows he was wrong and will change next time.”
Xiao Quanchuan looked at him, just one look, and all the hairs on Jiang Wangnan’s body stood on end, his legs turning weak as he automatically clamped his mouth shut.
How terrifying!
Was this the majesty of the Son of Heaven?
The eunuch looked gratefully at Jiang Wangnan, bit his lip hard, shoved a piece of chicken bone into his mouth, and crushed it with his facial features twisted in effort. Crackle, crunch, it sounded like holding firecracker sparks going off in all directions.
After chewing for a long time, his gums were covered in fresh blood, yet he dared not swallow.
Xiao Quanchuan personally poured a cup of water: “By rights, as a relative of the Imperial Noble Consort, I should treat you with courtesy. Drink a cup of warm water to moisten your throat.”
The eunuch tremblingly took the water cup and mumbled indistinctly: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
He tilted his head back and drank it all down, taking the opportunity to wash the mouthful of bone fragments down his throat.
Instantly, his cheeks turned beet red, and he hammered his chest desperately while using his hands to knead his throat, as if something was stuck halfway down. His complexion grew redder until it turned dark and purplish.
Suddenly, a rush of air forced its way up, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood containing sparse chunks, looking like flesh scraped right off his throat by the sharp chicken bones.
Jiang Wangnan felt the pain just watching it and wanted to plead for him, but a fierce glare forced him back into silence. He simply averted his gaze, covered his ears, and refused to look or listen.
Without moving a single brow, Xiao Quanchuan said with frosty indifference: “Continue.”