Chapter 25 (1/2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Dangerous Situation Deep In The Palace

Several boxes, outlined in gold, were placed within the hall, once the lid lifts open, inside there lays silk and satin, pearl and agate stones, against the candlelit background, they appear even more like an overspill of radiance, of extraordinary glamour. The palace maids’ tender and smooth hands organises the things inside the boxes, that type of value and luxury in their hands, tosses and turns, pa.s.ses on, running along with the flow.

Gui Wan quietly sits by the side, those beautifully arched brows lightly knitted together, cold eyes indifferently watching, such radiance and luxury in her eyes, were no different to thorns, the rays of light reflected on her serene face, yet it is unable to reflect the hidden undercurrent of anger and resentment, sorrows and worries……

She never knew that disappointment gnaws on people like this, just like an invisible needle, little by little, piercing into one’s heart, yet not even a drip of blood is shed. It has already been over two months since she started staying in the palace, yet the news that are being pa.s.sed along into her ears are so unbearable. Sending for San Niang to investigate Nan Jun and Luo Ling, was only in hopes of striking some luck, who knew that they actually hit spot on.

Lou Che taking Consort Ying out of the palace, Lou Che and Prince Duan in cahoots, Nan Jun, Luo Ling and other places’ are in remonstrating conflict with the reforming of the central governing inst.i.tutions within the Capital. Each and every piece of such facts, conveys the most recent huge matters within the imperial court, at the same time, it also highlights the awkward position she is in. Lou Che has really abandoned her……in the end, is it her who overly underestimated his decisiveness in grasping hold of the situation, or did she overly overestimated her own value? Turns out that the difference between the two of them is this big.

Don’t blame him, cannot blame him……in face of the changes within the Capital, him leaving the Capital City is a wise move, is a necessity within the power struggle. Such facts have also proven that this chess move is incredibly ingenious, the Emperor is also facing a dilemma from both ends……

Is she not to blame him? Her heart feeling a slight sense of pain, Gui Wan half lays down her body, leaning against the long chair, taking advantage of her posture, she buries all the melancholy in her into the silk brocade, his every actions and every reasoning, could it be that they can really be covered up by two words of “don’t blame”? What he has wounded, is the pride that she acc.u.mulated from the coddling she received since young, is her carefree nature like that of the clear skies, is her deeply contained, unrevealing heart……

How is she not to blame ah……?

……

In her moment of haziness, she seems to hear sounds of gentle calling, lifting those curtains of eyelashes, her eyes brightens up, De Yu stands in front of the bed, solemnly keeping his head bowed, seeming to have stood there for a long time, yet there is not the slightest look of impatience. Gui Wan props up her body, immediately noticing there is already no one else within the hall.

“Madam, although it is already nearing summer, but the night air in the back palace is cold, please take care of your body.” Having just entered the hall, finding her alone lying on the long chair, wearing only one layer of clothing having just finished bathing, not even covering herself with a single silk quilt, thus causing him to receive a fright.

Gui Wan vaguely answers, looking at him, “This late, to come here, do you have matters?”

“Have matters to report. Having already followed Madam’s orders, all has been prepared now, only lacking a final boost of a.s.sisted strength now.”

“En,” Gui Wan sits up straight, her fingers combing through her hair, “Getting rid of him, is also beneficial towards you, as long as Li Yu is the Head Eunuch within the palace, you will be under his containment. Not to mention, it inconveniences me from leaving the palace……”

This Li gong-gong, has been harbouring hatred for her, persistently troubling her these past two months, at first he masqueraded himself as a spy planted by Lou Che in the palace, keeping an eye on the Empress, although the current situation may have been reversed now, it is not like he can seek refuge by the Empress’ side, therefore seeing which way the wind blows, he started bootlicking Consort Yin, in order to seek a backing force for his future career. This person is very narrow-minded, with a strong sense of vengeful spirit, loyal to the Emperor, and also difficult to manipulate for her own use, not to mention that if she is to escape the palace in future, as the Head Eunuch of the palace, Li Yu will undoubtedly pose as a great obstacle, and must therefore be eliminated.

Sorrowfully sounding a sigh, Gui Wan sinks into deep thoughts, these past two months, she has sent for De Yu to bribe the personal maids serving Consort Yin, Consort Yin is frank and outgoing, but her ears are particularly soft, easily listens to calumny, listening to the words pa.s.sed on from her personal maids, she has already grown sceptical towards Li Yu’s loyalty, with the Emperor also not visiting her palace as of recent, she has long felt greatly dissatisfied, placing all the blame onto Li Yu alone, thus growing more and more suspicious, regarding him as a thorn in the eye.

Just lacking a little more, borrowing the hands of Consort Yin to eliminate him, is only lacking the opportunity to do so, just one blow of the wind from west to east……

“Madam, wanting to eradicate Li Yu, cannot be done in haste, need to wait for a good opportunity.” De Yu advises, recently, Gui Wan’s way of doing things has been somewhat impatient.

A smile of astringent flavour spreads, Gui Wan nods her head, how is she not aware that such matters must not be done in haste, but the one prodding at her to hurry up is the current Emperor. His increasingly strange att.i.tude, has given rise to the feeling of fear within her. His behaviour seemingly real, seemingly fake, very mixed, unsettling. Making regular visits to Yin Yue Hall every day to rest, gradually, he no longer treats her with fake grace. When approving official doc.u.ments within the hall, he sometimes grows tired, not caring about the ma.s.ses of palace maids, insisting on wanting her to personally brew a cup of clear tea, read a section of text, or even search for a book within the hall for him. Sometimes he would suddenly fly into fury, not allowing a single person to enter the hall, after a while, he would once again ask for her to brew him some clear tea.

She can no longer stay within the palace now, must leave soon, even if she does not know where she is to go once she escapes, she must still get out of this golden cage.

“Madam……”

“When the time is ripe, you shall replace him, the day you become the Head Eunuch, will be the day I can leave the palace.” Grandly saying this, Gui Wan leisurely smiles, scenes from her memory suddenly flashes by, one person’s figure suddenly seeming to standstill for a moment, she blurts out, “If this does not work out either, there is still one person who can save me.”

“Madam is referring to……”

“General Lin.” In that instance, the image of plum blossoms appears hazy, the embroidered handkerchief promise once again rings within Gui Wan’s ears.

Sounding a sigh, De Yu frowns as he worriedly looks at Gui Wan. In such a situation ah, how could it simply be described with one word of “difficult”?

He completely empathises with Gui Wan’s situation, it is not just the matter of being put in a difficult spot. Today he has already received the most recent news, stating that Prime Minister Lou and Prince Duan, Prince of Nan Jun are soon entering the Capital, wanting to seek an explanation regarding the Changes of Feng Shan, taking on a confrontational stance against the Emperor, the situation within the imperial court filled with unrest, everyone feeling insecure, chaos to be triggered at any given moment. The Emperor has power, Prime Minister Lou has force, Prince Duan has reasoning, exactly how will the situation turn out in future? He has been keeping all this news from Gui Wan, she already seems to be treading on thin ice right now, how could he bear to let her add frost onto snow at a time like this?[1]

“Madam it’s better to get an early rest, matters within the palace, I will sort out with greater care.” Softly spoken in a rea.s.suring manner, De Yu takes hold of a thin silk quilt, flatly laying it on the side of the long chair, just as he was going to withdraw, a ruckus can be heard from the doors.

The two of them makes eye contact, both finding it strange, this Jing Ye strictly prohibit others from entering, right now it is also night time, who is able to cause a ruckus outside the palace right now?

The noises are getting closer and closer, De Yu decisively turns around, heading towards the side hall entrance, his and Gui Wan’s political alliance is extremely secretive, as though if others are to find out, it will definitely lead to infinite causes of disasters, such that they have been resolutely avoiding.

“Lord Guan, you cannot go in……” The two palace maids are blocking the arriving person, not allowing for him to step inside.

Gui Wan carefully looks over, three figures were entangled in a struggle by the entrance of the hall, Guan Xiu Wen in the midst of charging inside, the two palace maids unable to prevent him, all the way until they reached the inside of the hall. The youth that has always had an image as clear as water in her mind, was harbouring fury in this very moment, his face sullen, those soft facial features appearing stiff, expressing an air of cold cruelty.

Raising her hand to stop the palace maids, Gui Wan coldly commands: “Withdraw.” She deeply understands the survival of those who resides within the palace, the two palace maids were also afraid to bear responsibility, naturally not daring to speak up, and quietly withdraws.

Guan Xiu Wen stands within the hall, silently unmoving with that sullen expression, within those orbs staring at Gui Wan, certain feelings flashes by, not only deep but also persistent, the simmering anger from before, seeming to have no place to vent, thus his facial expressions changes over and over again. The hall’s doors were half open, the moonlight leaking in, a shadow extends from his feet, that water-like person should obviously be indifferently clear, but his shadow is actually as black as night, the tall and slender shadow like a figure of black, lonely and undisturbed.

Facing this youth, Gui Wan’s feelings are somewhat complex, his very doings, she can more or less make out, behind the matter of Lou Che entering the palace, he also contributed, she should be hating him, but in her eyes, he always had that appearance of harmless elegance, humans are very strange, they would usually believe in the facts witnessed by their eyes, that is why she cannot bring herself to hate, not to mention, back then it was her who brought him into officialdom, that lengthy hate thus transforms into blame, mixed with guilt, and in the end it transforms into faint anger and stream-like gurgling of pity.

Guan Xiu Wen slowly approaches, only ten steps away, yet he seems to have been walking for his entire life, that expression of obscurity slowly gathers away, once again restoring that bright clearness, spreading a smile that can rival the sunlight, walking up to Gui Wan, his shadow covering up Gui Wan in this half bright half dark room, he very gently speaks up: “Are you willing to leave this place and come with me?”

Gui Wan was stunned, steadily eyeing him, the endless flow of thoughts from just now seems to have been frozen by this one phrase.

In her memories, there was once a time within the back courtyard of Jing Ye, where this same phrase was heard, it is just that this phrase, was what she said to this youth, right now……the situation is completely reversed……

Fate ah, truly is a ridiculous joke……

Gui Wan smiles as she shakes her head, “Xiu Wen, I will not leave.” Although she is desperate to get out the palace, she is not willing take this risk, not to mention, in the end, is this youth friend or foe?

The instant he heard this answer, Guan Xiu Wen’s face clearly expresses bitter pain, as though he could not breath, only after heavily taking a deep breath, was he able to barely sustain that perfectly clear smile, carrying a look of silent infatuation he gazes at Gui Wan, waiting for a very long time before he speaks again: “Why? Is it because of Lou Che?”

Seeing him directly call Lou Che by his name, Gui Wan was stunned, answering: “No.”

“No?” Because of this answer, he appears pleased, followed on by another round of thinking, Guan Xiu Wen’s expression once again turns sullen again, “Then why else? Could it be……because of his majesty?” Carefully looking at Gui Wan’s face without blinking, observingly.

Two months already, his heart has been desperately burning, unable to sleep peacefully every night, everything went along as planned, the only deviation is that Gui Wan actually ended up in the palace, his thoughts grows anxious, this was unforeseen. The Emperor’s strange behaviour as of late, he has heard in his ear, seen in his eyes, desperate in his heart. Today, taking advantage of discussing official matters within the palace till late, he breaks into Jing Ye at night, the moment he sees Gui Wan, he immediately has his mind set, to take her away from this back palace.

A feeling of unease piles up within his heart, like an invisible thread tying him up, unable to break away from it no matter how much he tries. Over this past half of the year and more, only when he sees her within the Prime Minister Estate, would he finally feel a moment of comfort, leaving the Prime Minister Estate, that throbbing pain grows even more intense than when he enters the Prime Minister Estate. This enchanting beauty of the Prime Minister Estate, like poison like antidote, his thoughts grows eager, like illness sinking into the bones, the heartbreak of love, deeply sinking into the heart. Just like that, sometimes pained, sometimes comforted, day after day, in the end, he actually cannot even feel that throbbing pain anymore, as though it is a feeling he was born with, he even fell in love with this pain.

She is his poison, also his antidote, he has never considered whether he regrets it or not, only because he has already long sank into this pitch black abyss, the only salvation is her one frown one smile, curing his poison, solving his feelings.

But what she had said brought upon such tremendous heart pain that he cannot even breathe. And then personally hearing her say it is not because of Lou Che, his heart suddenly lightens up, one rise one fall, only from those few words from her, since when did it start, his world has been twisted into such state?

The look in Guan Xiu Wen’s eyes were growing increasingly strange, presenting some sort of pain and struggle, his face is clearly still smiling, yet within that bright smile, their braces bleakness. Affected by him, Gui Wan also seemed to be speechless, only sensing the constant overflowing feelings of sorrow leaking out from the youth’s body, wearing away the air and night.

Guan Xiu Wen extends his hand, carrying a look of obsession, gently stroking Gui Wan’s face, “Is it because of……his majesty?”

Struck by surprise, Gui Wan did not avoid his hand, a burst of warmth spreading from her cheek, raising her eyes to look at Guan Xiu Wen, she suddenly finds that she has never actually truly gotten a clear look of him. “Xiu Wen, exactly what is up with you?” Unable to resist pulling away from his impudent touch, Gui Wan straightens her face, turning three points colder.

Her two words of “Xiu Wen” has always been the comfort to his soul, but seeing her appear displeased, he frowns, his chest feeling stuffy, without even thinking, he seizes Gui Wan’s wrist, pulling Gui Wan down from the long chair, “Leave this place with me.”

Barefoot stepping onto the floor, an icy coldness that pierces through the heart, Gui Wan under immense shock, wanting to throw him off, but his grasp on her was extremely tight, she could not even turn her wrist, feeling angered, she coldly says: “Xiu Wen, what are you doing, let go of me.”

Guan Xiu Wen turns a deaf ear as he continues pulling Gui Wan along towards the doors, pulling her into the middle of the hall, up until he hears the person behind sound a painful cry, did he seem to snap out of it, stopping in his steps, he abruptly turns around, his eyes overflowing with pain, “Where does it hurt? Let me take a look.” As if their senses been switched, it seemed just like the one who was pained was him, and not Gui Wan.

Barefooted on the cold ground, and the burning heat from his hand became a sharp contrast, Gui Wan’s heart was thrown into chaos, thinking back to the past happening, she grits her teeth as she speaks: “Exactly what do you want to do? Could it be that you still haven’t harmed the Prime Minister Estate enough?”

Guan Xiu Wen froze on the spot, asking in confusion: “Are you blaming me?”

“Could it be that I cannot blame you? Exactly what are you doing, no matter what, Lou Che is also the teacher that elevated you, has never done you any wrong, why must you hit him when he’s down[2], deceiving him into entering the palace, could it be that officialdom is truly that great, worth having you give up your righteous heart in exchange?”

How did this youth become like this, could it be that she was wrong from the start, having mercy on him was wrong, leading him into officialdom was wrong, was all of this all wrong?

“He has never done me any wrong, but has he not done you wrong? He and Consort Ying has not cut off lingering relations[3], he has not treated you right, he is undeserving……undeserving of having you.” With the mentioning of the wound in his heart, Guan Xiu Wen could not restrain himself, his feelings immediately getting worked up again, “I was only one step later than him, just that one step. It is him who grasped hold of power over the court and public, attracting his majesty’s fear, all of this he has called upon himself. You think that I deceived him into entering the palace? If he himself is unwilling to enter the palace, who is able to force him? Him taking away Consort Ying is the absolute truth……he is actually as cunning as such, with nets above and snares below in the palace, he was still able to escape, and has even joined forces with Prince Duan now……”

Seeing him speak so incoherently, extremely emotionally instable, Gui Wan calms down, hearing up to this point, she could not help but to cut him off saying: “It was you lot who set up a trap within the palace, and then let him escape?”

“That’s right ah……” Guan Xiu Wen suddenly calms down, with seeming appeas.e.m.e.nt he reveals a smile, “Didn’t think that he is this omnipotent[4], to be able to escape from deep within the palace. But it does not matter, so what if he has joined hands with Prince Duan, Prince Duan’s crime of plotting treason is already set in stone, wanting to stand back up, is simply wishful thinking. Within the Capital City, his majesty has already heavily planted imperial forces, no matter how powerful Lou Che is, he still would not dare to return at this time.”

Hearing such words naturally makes Gui Wan’s heart turn cold, once again looking at Guan Xiu Wen, sensing that he does things strangely, his thoughts surrept.i.tious. “Why must you do this? Lou Che is the teacher you are indebted to in this officialdom, Prince Duan has supported you in many areas, yet you frame them with no distinction between right and wrong……” How could you be this terrifying? This latter half of the sentence, she did not utter a word of, Gui Wan looks at Guan Xiu Wen carrying gentle warmth in his smile, not only bizarre but frightening under the moonlight.

“How could there be no reason, Prince Duan and I, were originally using one another, I too have but only used his name during the Feng Shan a.s.sa.s.sination. As for Lou Che, that can also only be said as him asking for it himself……Gui Wan, come with me, let us leave this place……Gui Wan, Gui Wan, Gui Wan……” From his lips, he continuously mutters the name that has always been lingering within his heart, the youth appears both happy and also sad, his hand tightly grabbing hold of Gui Wan’s wrist.