Tian Dong gently pushed open the door.
Wei Yan was sitting at his desk, absorbed in reading a medical text in his hands. Hearing the sound of the door, he quickly looked up. “Xiao Xi came by?”
Tian Dong’s expression carried an excitement he couldn’t quite hide. “Yes. Xiao Xi just came by, and he brought important news.” He naturally lowered his voice and repeated what Xiao Xi had said.
“Xiao Xi said Her Majesty has been summoning a eunuch named Yu Chun for ‘night watch’ several days running. She even rewarded him with a pair of jade ruyi scepters. Yu Chun has been riding high lately, his standing in Jiaofang Palace rising along with it, with everyone fawning over him.”
Everything was unfolding exactly as expected!
On the surface, Wei Yan remained as composed as ever, but a sudden gleam flashed in his eyes.
That bottle of solution he had given Ling Jingshu was, in itself, actually nothing problematic. It truly did benefit the plants—the peony had bloomed large and beautiful, and aside from Ling Jingshu’s careful tending, that bottle of solution deserved much of the credit as well.
The true cunning of the solution lay in making the peony’s fragrance more alluring, more intense. That particular scent would put a woman in a more pleasant, more relaxed mood. And in the prescription he had written to “clear the heart and calm the spirit,” there was one perfectly ordinary, perfectly common ingredient—once consumed and combined with the inhaled fragrance, it would heighten one’s desire well beyond the usual.
Compared to those drugs in the palace meant to “enhance the mood,” it was every bit as effective.
What made it most ingenious was that, taken on its own, neither the flower’s fragrance nor the prescription posed any problem whatsoever. Only when used together would they produce such an effect. Even if a thorough investigation were carried out after the fact, nothing could be traced back to him or to Ling Jingshu.
Empress Xu had always had a licentious disposition and a fondness for handsome men. If her “appetite” ran a little stronger these days, it would not, for the time being, arouse any suspicion.
After enduring for so long, after planning so carefully and preparing for so long, the most critical moment had finally arrived!
Even with Wei Yan’s resolute, composed temperament, he could feel his blood beginning to boil at this moment.
“Physician Wei, what do we do next?” Tian Dong asked eagerly.
Wei Yan steadied himself and let out a deep breath. “Don’t worry. I’ve had arrangements in place for a while now.”
Even if this matter were to be exposed, it could absolutely not be him who came forward—lest the suspicious Emperor grow wary of him as a result.
The Emperor’s health had already recovered. After several months of keeping himself restrained and abstinent, now that his energy had returned, he could not help but think once more of venturing into the harem. He ordered the Bureau of Palace Affairs to present the green-head tablets.
The names of every consort in the palace were written on these green-head tablets, arranged neatly on a tray. Whichever consort the Emperor wished to summon for the night, he would simply turn over her tablet, and the eunuchs of the Bureau of Palace Affairs would see to all the arrangements.
Consorts of lower rank were required to come to the Emperor’s bedchamber to attend him for the night. Only those especially favored, or of high enough rank, would the Emperor personally visit and stay over with.
The chief eunuch of the Bureau of Palace Affairs was surnamed Huang, around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, and like the other eunuchs, had a pale, beardless face carrying a touch of effeminate softness.
Eunuch Huang personally carried over a tray of green-head tablets.
The Emperor’s gaze fell upon the tablets as he considered which consort to summon tonight. Unbidden, a young and beautiful face flashed through his mind.
All men craved novelty. As the saying went, a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine not as good as a stolen tryst—and there was not a shred of falsehood in it. Especially a beauty he had only recently set his sights on but had yet to obtain—she was the one who made his heart itch unbearably.
Though the Emperor was advanced in years, his fondness for beauty and his craving for novelty were not the least bit weaker than any other man’s.
Eunuch Huang, ever the quick-witted one, seemed to have read the Emperor’s mind, and said with a low laugh, “This servant dares to speak a word—I beg Your Majesty not to take offense.”
The Emperor, in good spirits, indeed showed no irritation, and asked with a smile, “Oh? What suggestion do you have? Go ahead and tell me.”
Eunuch Huang squeezed out his most obsequious smile. “This servant has heard that the very champion peony from this year’s flower-viewing banquet is now placed in Her Majesty the Empress’s bedchamber, filling the whole room with its rich fragrance. If Your Majesty is so inclined, why not take a stroll over to Her Majesty’s bedchamber and take in the scent? It would surely lift your mood even more.”
Hearing this, the Emperor was immediately tempted.
Of course, what came to the Emperor’s mind was not only that pot of Luoyang Brocade, but also the beauty who had held the peony beneath the bright sunlight that day… As the Son of Heaven, every woman within the harem belonged, as a matter of course, to the Emperor.
The Emperor did not feel the slightest impropriety in harboring such thoughts, and nodded with a smile. “Your suggestion suits me very well. Good, I’ll take your advice this once—let’s set out for Jiaofang Palace at once.”
Eunuch Huang smiled flatteringly. “If Your Majesty’s procession sets out openly, it will stir up the whole harem—wouldn’t that be far too dull? Better to go quietly this once. That way you won’t draw attention, and you can give Her Majesty a pleasant surprise besides.”
The Emperor clearly found such an approach rather amusing, and laughed heartily. “You do understand a man’s mind.” Going about it so quietly did indeed hold its own particular charm.
“This servant can hardly still be called a man.” Eunuch Huang bowed and nodded with an obliging smile. “As long as it pleases Your Majesty, that’s all that matters.”
Quite taken with the idea, the Emperor followed Eunuch Huang’s suggestion, bringing only a few eunuchs along as he left his bedchamber.
The moonlight lay like water, and with his mind full of amorous thoughts, the Emperor was in excellent spirits.
Arriving outside Jiaofang Palace, the Emperor specifically instructed Eunuch Ding at his side: “Go knock on the door. Remember, don’t let the maid on duty make a fuss. I want to slip in quietly and give the Empress a surprise.”
Eunuch Ding agreed with a face full of smiles.
The maid guarding the door, hearing the knock, opened it with considerable surprise.
Once she clearly made out Eunuch Ding’s face and, not far behind him, the Emperor’s, the maid’s expression changed at once. Just as she was about to kneel and pay her respects, Eunuch Ding stopped her in time. “That’s enough, don’t make a sound, just step aside for now! We mustn’t disturb His Majesty’s pleasant mood.”
The maid on duty dared not make any move, and could only retreat to one side, watching helplessly as the Emperor and his party entered Jiaofang Palace, anxiety quietly mounting within her.
For several nights running, Empress Xu had summoned Yu Chun to attend her. Tonight was no exception.
Over these past years, the Emperor had almost never come to Jiaofang Palace at night. Even on the rare occasions he did, a eunuch would always come ahead to announce it, giving Empress Xu time to prepare in advance—so naturally, nothing had ever gone wrong.
But who could have imagined that the Emperor would arrive tonight so silently, without any warning at all!
What was to be done now?
The Emperor’s party had already set off for Empress Xu’s bedchamber and would arrive in no time. There was no longer any chance to send word ahead… While still some distance from the bedchamber, a faint floral fragrance drifted over on the breeze.
The Emperor’s brow relaxed, his mood considerably lifted.
But the Emperor quickly sensed that something was wrong.
The two maids keeping watch outside the bedchamber, upon seeing the Son of Heaven himself arrive, showed not the slightest trace of excitement—instead, their faces went pale with terror, and they dropped trembling to their knees before the bedchamber door, not daring to make a sound, their bodies shivering uncontrollably.
As though they had seen a ghost!
What was going on here?
Most of the Emperor’s good mood evaporated at once. He frowned and said in a low voice, “You two, get out of the way.”