Hearing her heartfelt words, Qingyun opened his eyes and looked down at the woman who still had her eyes closed, smiling like a child. Her lips were tantalizingly close, so full and alluring. He slowly leaned in, and by the time she opened her eyes, he had already gently kissed the sweetness he had dreamed of at midnight.
With him, Huang Beishuang never put up any resistance. Her philosophy was simple: if the person touching you is your beloved, then all pushing away and refusal are hypocritical. Time is inherently ruthless, both fleeting and irretrievable, so she didn’t want to engage in coy behavior. Even if passion is always ephemeral, it’s still an undeniable truth.
“Sleep now,” Qingyun finally released her. “Tomorrow, let Miaojing show you around Ice Thorn Palace!”
Ice Thorn Palace, the imperial court of Tiandu, had a long history and complex layout. Though not as ornate as the Moon Palace of Yunpei, its awe-inspiring majesty was no less impressive. The entire palace complex comprised 247 halls, with 4,200 servant girls. The court halls were at the front, the consorts’ quarters in the middle, and the royal chambers at the rear. Countless courtyards and pagodas were symmetrically arranged on both sides. Viewed from the mountain, the entire palace resembled an ice pick, hence its name.
In 322 CE, Ice Thorn Palace established the empress system, with two women ascending to power, bringing great unity to the realm. In 324 CE, one empress passed away, and the other was deposed. Since then, King Jingting never took another consort or concubine, leaving the inner palace desolate to this day.
“Her Majesty’s physical condition is very good. Touring Ice Thorn Palace should not be a problem,” the Imperial Physician declared early in the morning after examining Huang Beishuang for quite some time. Finally satisfied with the answer, Qingyun had Huang Beishuang put on a thick fur coat before instructing Miaojing.
“What about you?” Huang Beishuang looked at the man still lying in bed.
“I’m going back to sleep. I didn’t rest well last night,” Qingyun turned his head away, avoiding her gaze. He had spent the whole night inhaling her fragrance, his heart restless and unable to fall asleep.
Miaojing, standing nearby, could barely stifle a laugh. He quickly covered his mouth, bowed to Huang Beishuang, and said, “Your Majesty, shall we go?” With that, he led her out, closing the door to let the self-tormenting king get some proper rest.
“This is His Majesty’s bedchamber, the deepest part of Ice Thorn Palace,” Miaojing explained as he led Huang Beishuang out. They both turned back to look for a moment.
Huang Beishuang smiled, “So, anyone who has been to His Majesty’s bedchamber is quite obvious, isn’t that right?”
Miaojing nodded, “Your Majesty is very perceptive.” As he spoke, he led her towards the east. “Ice Thorn Palace is a very unforgiving place. It never shows attachment to any king, so even for His Majesty, living here is quite arduous.”
“I can imagine! Even eating requires such caution,” Huang Beishuang remarked, following Miaojing and observing the simple yet elegant bridges around them. This was where Qingyun lived.
“When did His… When did His Majesty start drinking Conqueror’s Wine?” she asked as they walked.
Miaojing gave a bitter smile. “At ten years old. His Majesty’s mother held a high position as the daughter of the Chancellor, so… life was far more dangerous for him than for other princes and princesses. I’m not afraid to tell Your Majesty that the most common occurrence in Ice Thorn Palace is poisoning. This is known throughout the realm, and the royal family’s dignity has plummeted because of it.”
Huang Beishuang’s gaze darkened. “So young! How could he endure Conqueror’s Wine?”
Miaojing led her towards the south for a while before responding, “The first time His Majesty drank it, he vomited blood until he fainted. The Queen Mother forbade him from continuing, but His Majesty wouldn’t listen. He persisted in drinking every day, from one cup a day to now a whole jar. From vomiting blood and fainting to now drinking it like water—you can’t imagine the suffering he endured.”
Hearing this, Huang Beishuang nodded. “He was born with a king’s temperament.”
Miaojing smiled and began walking north. After about half an hour, a magnificent palace came into Huang Beishuang’s view. Compared to the rest of Ice Thorn Palace, this area stood out distinctly. The pillars and beams of the palace were a striking mix of red and white. All four walls were carved with lifelike celestial beings. At the entrance grew a beautiful patch of pale yellow water tree flowers, which bloomed year-round with a delicate fragrance, highly prized by the nobility and extremely expensive due to their rarity.
“This… is where a woman resides, right?” Huang Beishuang paused at the entrance. “The Queen Mother? Or… the Queen?”
Hearing this, Miaojing bowed slightly and sighed, “Your Majesty is indeed very observant. This used to be the Queen Mother’s residence. After her passing, Queen Beigong moved in.”
“Queen Beigong?” Huang Beishuang was startled and turned to leave. “Why did you bring me to see her?” Suddenly, her demeanor became inexplicably irritated.
Seeing this, Miaojing hurriedly stepped forward to explain, “Your Majesty! This is the residence of a deposed queen. Don’t you know? Currently, His Majesty has no official wife.”
Hearing his flustered explanation, Huang Beishuang was taken aback, feeling that she had overreacted. Embarrassed, she nodded and followed Miaojing inside. The palace was truly beautiful, with artfully arranged rocky cliffs in various poses, and meticulously pruned flowers and trees that were a sight to behold. The ground was immaculate, without a single sharp stone. Along the path, pairs of servant girls stood at intervals, waiting respectfully. The entire inner courtyard exuded an indescribable serenity. It was hard to imagine that a deposed queen could still receive such generous treatment.
“Your Majesty!” Suddenly, a clear voice called out. Huang Beishuang looked up, realizing it wasn’t directed at her, but at the true mistress of this palace sitting in a nearby pavilion. A young servant girl, holding up her skirts, ran over, still panting as she urgently reported, “Your Majesty, His Majesty is angry. He says if you don’t rest properly, he won’t come to see you anymore.” These words were spoken clearly and loudly. To Huang Beishuang’s ears, they were lies. Yet the woman sitting in the pavilion, who had been either writing or painting, raised her head. Her face was covered in black ink, and with vacant eyes, she asked, “Why won’t His Majesty come to see me? Why won’t His Majesty come to see me?”
The servant girl quickly wiped her face clean, coaxing her like a child, “His Majesty says you’ve caught a cold and might infect him. Once you’re better, he’ll come to see you!” As she spoke, she patted the back of Queen Beigong, who appeared to be about the same age as Qingyun, urging her to return to her room. The woman remained in a daze as if staring at something no one else could see, muttering foolishly, “Why won’t His Majesty come to see me? Why won’t His Majesty come to see me?…” She repeated these words over and over as several servant girls helped her leave the pavilion, passing by Miaojing and Huang Beishuang on their way out.
Long after she had gone, when no sound could be heard, Huang Beishuang felt a chill. She walked slowly to the lonely pavilion and sat down. On the table still lay the woman’s writing—indecipherable characters that no one could understand.
Miaojing remained silent for a while before slowly beginning his tale, “His Majesty… once married two queens when he was fifteen. He chose one candidate each from the hostile military and civil factions. This now-demented Queen Beigong was the third daughter of the then-Prime Minister, her given name was Shuilan. The other was from the Great General’s family, named Liaoye, who became Queen Nangong.”
“Liaoye?” Huang Beishuang’s brow furrowed. “Is she related to the current Great General Liaozhen?”
Miaojing nodded, “The General’s cousin.”
Huang Beishuang smiled faintly and said to Miaojing, “Sit down. It seems you have a long story to tell.”
Miaojing stared at the woman before him, gentle as spring rain yet cool as snow and moonlight, for a good while before sitting down dazedly.
The complex Ice Thorn Palace, the dangerous Ice Thorn Palace—where should he begin his tale?
…