While Liu Yunlie and Jiang Xuanjin were engaged in battle on the outskirts of the capital, Li Huailin was drowning his sorrows in wine at Fengyi. Having lost his military power and with the situation unstable, his position was precarious. Although the Lord of Fengyi was still courteous to him, it was not the same as the flattery and respect he once received from others. He wanted to establish a capital in Fengyi, but the Lord of Fengyi easily dismissed his plans, leaving him deeply frustrated.
The only comfort he found was in the company of Consort Ning, who remained by his side. Her presence reassured Li Huailin, even though Consort Ning seemed to have her worries, which did not hinder her from being attentive to him.
However, in recent days, Consort Ning had also fallen ill and could not accompany him. Thus, his guards took him to a dance house, where he drank while watching a group of girls sway their slender waists and wave their cloud-like sleeves.
In his drunken haze, Li Huailin felt as if he had returned to the imperial palace. He tilted his head back, downed a cup of wine, and exhaled decrees that no one dared to defy.
A slender waist pressed against him, and Li Huailin instinctively embraced it, murmuring, “Wanwei.”
The dancer paused, then giggled, covering her face with her sleeve. She offered him a cup of wine, saying, “Wanwei serves the young master a drink.”
Laughing heartily, Li Huailin drank from her hand, then pulled her chin close, kissing the wine from her fragrant lips.
…
As the lights dimmed, Ning Wanwei stood in the courtyard of the temporary palace, waiting for a long time without seeing anyone return.
“Madam, please go inside and rest!” a palace maid urged worriedly. “The imperial physician said you need to take care of your health. The night is cold and damp; you shouldn’t stay out long.”
Her wandering thoughts returned, and Ning Wanwei coughed lightly, turning to ask, “Does His Majesty know of my illness?”
The maid bit her lip and nodded. “The imperial physician reported it. He said you were unwell and couldn’t accompany His Majesty, so he went out.”
The jewels in her hair trembled slightly, causing her hairpin to sway. Ning Wanwei lowered her eyes, unable to stop thinking about when they first arrived in Fengyi.
At that time, His Majesty also fell ill. Being accustomed to luxury, he couldn’t adapt to the long journey and unfamiliar environment, suffering from a persistent fever. She stayed by his side, sleeping on a small stool next to his bed for five days, never leaving his side, so he would see her whenever he opened his eyes, easing his discomfort in the unfamiliar place.
Yet, when she fell ill, he never thought to visit her.
But then again, she was a consort, and he was the emperor. It was only natural for a consort to serve the emperor. How could she expect the emperor to care for her? The emperor was young, having learned the art of governance but not how to care for others.
Or perhaps he thought she didn’t need care. After all, she was two years older than him, attentive and considerate, unlike other consorts who were pitiful and endearing, never having acted coquettishly with him.
It was all her own doing.
Lying on the bed, Consort Ning thought she should focus on recovering and not worry about him for now.
That was her intention, but after lying down for an hour, she heard the emperor returning to the palace and couldn’t help but get up, put on her clothes, and go out to greet him.
“Your Majesty.”
Li Huailin, eyes bleary with drunkenness, pulled her into his arms, rubbing his chin against her shoulder, whispering, “I missed you.”
Her heart warmed, and Ning Wanwei felt that just those words were enough to dispel all her resentment, bringing a smile to her lips.
“Why did you change your clothes?” he asked, releasing her and looking her up and down with a grin. “The outfit you wore earlier was prettier, with a slender waist and a bell-adorned skirt.”
The guard standing beside him kept signaling with his eyes, but Li Huailin was too drunk to understand. He pulled Consort Ning towards the main hall, saying, “Come, let’s drink some more!”
The warmth she felt was doused with cold water. Ning Wanwei looked at the emperor before her, noticing the lipstick marks on his lips and face, her pupils contracting.
“Madam…” The guard, seeing her face turn pale, hurriedly tried to explain, “His Majesty just had a few more drinks…”
“Where did he drink?” Ning Wanwei asked softly.
The guard’s face turned red as he stammered, “Just at a nearby dance house…”
“How dare you!” She pulled the emperor back, turning to scold, “How could you take His Majesty to such a place? What is His Majesty’s status?”
The guard wanted to say that in the past, it would have been unthinkable, but now the palace was gone, the pomp was gone, so what harm was there in visiting a nearby dance house?
But seeing Consort Ning’s furious expression, he dared not speak.
Li Huailin tried to walk away but couldn’t move. Annoyed, he turned to Ning Wanwei, saying, “Why are you being so fierce? A young lady should be gentle. Come, dance for me.”
For the first time in her life, Ning Wanwei forcefully shook off the emperor’s hand, the force so great that she nearly lost her balance, barely supported by a palace maid as she covered her mouth and coughed violently.
The night wind swept through, and Li Huailin shivered, suddenly sobering up a bit.
The guard knelt in the courtyard, while he leaned against the palace door, watching Consort Ning cough uncontrollably, her frail shoulders shaking.
“Beloved Consort?” Realizing something was wrong, Li Huailin approached in a slight panic, saying, “I… came back a bit late.”
Ning Wanwei, lips trembling, couldn’t speak. She simply knelt and bowed to him before grabbing the maid’s hand and returning to the side hall.
“You…” Li Huailin wanted to follow her but thought it absurd. They were emperor and consort, not an ordinary couple. With so many people around, should he, the emperor, lower himself to plead with a consort?
He restrained himself, turning to the guard with a calm demeanor, saying, “Leave, it’s nothing serious.”
“Yes.” The guard quickly retreated.
Glancing at the side hall, Li Huailin rubbed his brow, instructing the attendant, “Summon Consort Ning.”
He was the emperor; could she avoid him?
The attendant, newly promoted, was more perceptive than the previous one. He hesitated before reporting, “Your Majesty, the consort is still recovering from a serious illness.”
“So what?” Li Huailin, still reeking of alcohol, snorted, “If I summon her, she must come.”
“Yes.” Bowing out, the attendant sighed. The emperor truly didn’t know how to cherish people.
Half an incense stick later, Ning Wanwei knelt before Li Huailin. He sat in his chair, glancing at her sideways, “Are you throwing a tantrum?”
She replied softly, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Wouldn’t dare? Her tone was usually so gentle, but now it was so stiff. If this wasn’t a tantrum, what was it? Li Huailin raised his chin, feigning anger, but said nothing more, watching her out of the corner of his eye, waiting for her to soften.
However, Ning Wanwei remained kneeling, her vision blurring, her body swaying, without uttering another word.
Li Huailin’s drunkenness completely dissipated. He tapped the table, suppressing his anger, asking, “Do you also think I’ve fallen, so you don’t even have the patience to speak kindly to me?”
Her knees numb, Ning Wanwei stared blankly at the stone tiles, feeling as if his words came from a distant place.
Speak kindly? If he had visited her once during her illness, if he hadn’t returned tonight with those telltale marks, she would have spoken kindly, even if she was still unwell, she would have comforted him.
But now she had no strength left. Even if he was angry, she could only bow her head, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Again with the “wouldn’t dare.” Everything was “wouldn’t dare.” He saw she dared plenty! Li Huailin, furious, slammed the table, “If you want to kneel, do it outside, don’t be an eyesore!”
“Your Majesty.” The attendant and palace maid were startled, instinctively wanting to plead.
“Anyone who speaks out will kneel with her!”
“……”
Perhaps she understood his temperament too well, Ning Wanwei didn’t feel hurt at all. She simply bowed to him and, enduring the numbness in her legs, stood up.
“Madam.” The palace maid, eyes red, came to support her. She shook her head, indicating she was fine, only leaning more heavily on the maid, whispering, “Hold steady.”
The maid nodded vigorously, supporting her as they left the main hall.
Li Huailin watched her retreating figure in silence, his face dark with anger.
The attendant dared not make a sound, considering the time, thinking it best to quietly serve the emperor to bed and let the day pass. But just as he was about to speak, the emperor asked, “Is her illness serious?”
Taking a deep breath, the attendant quickly replied, “The imperial physician said it’s not life-threatening, but she’s suffering greatly, coughing incessantly, and was holding back in front of you.”
His expression softened slightly, and Li Huailin muttered, “If she’s unwell, why take it out on me?”
However, for this reason, he felt better, saying softly, “Let her rest, tell her I’ve shown mercy.”
“Yes.”
Ning Wanwei dazed, knelt, unaware of what happened, only to be sent back to the side hall by the palace maid. In the following days, she was bedridden with a high fever, delirious, never leaving her bed. By the time she recovered, chaos reigned outside.
“I heard Commander Liu was defeated, trapped by Lord Ziyang on the outskirts of the capital, suffering five consecutive defeats. With supplies running low and troops scattered, he fled with the remnants,” the palace maid whispered to her. “His Majesty has been very busy lately, so he hasn’t visited you.”
Even if he wasn’t busy, there was no reason to visit her, especially when he was busy. Ning Wanwei nodded, dressing and preparing to pay her respects to the emperor.
However, Li Huailin was in the main hall, raging, with everyone gathered at the door, no one daring to enter.
“With stolen troops, did he think he could turn the tide? Wasting my military tokens! With unstable morale, how did he think he could fight Jiang Xuanjin? Now look, a complete defeat, a complete defeat!”
With a crash, a vase shattered on the ground, followed by his roar, “Get out, all of you!”
Several civil and military officials hurried out of the hall, and Ning Wanwei, seeing this, retreated to her side hall.
“Your Majesty, Liu Yunlie is heading towards Fengyi,” the last to remain, Bai Dezhong, said, bowing. “Though defeated, he still commands sixty thousand troops. For Your Majesty’s safety, it would be wise to retreat two cities eastward.”
Li Huailin, face dark, replied, “As emperor, why should I yield to a subject? The city of Fengyi can withstand Liu Yunlie, with the surrounding lords’ support. Retreating would disgrace the royal name.”
Bai Dezhong considered this, then said, “My suggestion is merely a precaution. If Your Majesty feels secure, I have no further words.”
With that, he bowed and left.
Alone in the vast main hall, Li Huailin sat gloomily, feeling uncomfortable, unable to resist summoning the attendant, asking, “Is the consort still unwell?”
The attendant replied, “She can get out of bed now.”
If she could get out of bed, why hadn’t she come to see him? Li Huailin felt annoyed but considered her severe illness, assuming her mood was poor, and decided not to hold it against her.
Adjusting his robe and having a maid redo his hair, he pretended nothing was amiss and visited the side hall.
“Your Majesty,” Ning Wanwei greeted, kneeling.
She had lost weight, her once plump figure now just a skeleton beneath the heavy palace dress. Li Huailin frowned, “Has the imperial kitchen not been nourishing you?”
“Replying to Your Majesty, they have, the meals are quite delicious.”
“Then why are you still so thin?”
Hands folded at her waist, Ning Wanwei replied softly, “Recovering from a serious illness, weight loss is inevitable. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.”
Who was concerned about her? He was just asking casually. Li Huailin thought this but couldn’t help looking at her more.
Aside from her resemblance to the princess, Ning Wanwei was a striking beauty, growing more attractive the more he looked. Yet, for some reason, she seemed colder than before, not even sneaking glances at him.
Slightly displeased, Li Huailin lowered his eyes, reaching to take her hand.
Ning Wanwei allowed him to hold her hand, her fingers soft, the burn long healed. Li Huailin, looking at her hand, remembered she hadn’t made him soup in a long time.
Nor had she sung him a tune in ages.
Feeling inexplicably anxious, he tightened his grip on her hand, eliciting a cry of pain.
“Your Majesty?”
Gazing intently at her, Li Huailin said, “People in the palace used to say you loved me deeply. But now, why does no one say that anymore?”
Ning Wanwei was taken aback, then smiled bitterly, “I’ve been ill for over half a month.”
Rarely appearing before him, who would mention her to him?
True, in the past half month, he had often wanted to visit the side hall, but the imperial physician forbade it, citing risks to his health. He and she hadn’t been this close in a long time.
Pressing his lips together, Li Huailin said, “I’ve been feeling very uncomfortable lately.”
If the old Ning Wanwei heard this, she would have been flustered, asking where he felt unwell or what he wanted to eat. So he said it deliberately, seeking her affection.
However, the person before him didn’t even look up, merely saying, “Call the imperial physician.”
His expectations dashed, Li Huailin felt bewildered.
She withdrew her hand, turning to instruct the maid, “Summon the imperial physician.”
The side hall, with her presence, wasn’t as empty as the main hall, but it no longer felt as reassuring. Li Huailin pressed his lips tightly, finally realizing Ning Wanwei’s coldness was because of him, not her illness.
She seemed… disappointed in him.
Why disappointed? Li Huailin didn’t know. He only found it absurd. She was a consort, with duties to uphold. How could she be cold to the emperor? With a single decree, he could take her life!
Thinking this harshly, he still felt unwilling. Li Huailin stood, taking a few steps to catch up, once again grasping Consort Ning’s hand.