The Emperor’s hearing was exceptionally sharp. He clearly caught Yirong’s voice growing softer inside the room, yet her words remained distinct.
Yirong did not rush to give orders. Instead, she repeated, “My mother must not know about this.”
Song Mama hesitated to agree right away. “What does Miss want this servant to do?”
Yirong pressed her lips together.
The air inside and outside the room seemed to freeze solid.
The officials of the Ministry of Rites had deliberated for over ten days before permitting the concubines of the Previous Emperor to return home—and that was only because none of them had borne children.
But once a child entered the picture, she would be trapped in the depths of the palace forever. By then, she might not even want to leave, reluctant to abandon her own flesh and blood…
And the Emperor needed an heir of his bloodline.
She recalled the unrestrained joy on her compatriot Gu Shi’s face when she received permission to go home.
Song Mama prompted her again. “Miss? What are your instructions?”
Life these past few days had been impeccable, even for the most nitpicking and demanding person.
Yet suddenly, a hazy scene flashed through her mind.
She felt like a distant observer, watching coldly as a stern and noble man seated on the couch reached out and dragged the woman kneeling on the floor forward two steps by her knees.
In a low voice, Yirong said, “I saw a formula in the Fragrance Manual earlier. Some ingredients can be gathered, but others would be inconvenient to request from within the palace. Mama, please procure them for me from outside.”
She drew a fragrance formula from her robes, still carrying the warmth of her body and the scent of her skin.
Relief washed over her.
On the day Gu Yuanshao had left, she had recalled and written down the formula from memory, keeping it hidden against her body for fear of discovery.
Song Mama did not dare to take it. “Miss, what do you intend to use this for?” She looked deeply worried. If it was just ordinary incense, why couldn’t she ask the palace servants for it? “Madam wants you to plan ahead, but you can’t do something like… Miss, we mustn’t think of harming anyone.”
Yirong smiled. “It’s for my own use—a contraceptive.”
“Miss!” Song Mama stood stunned for a long moment. “You absolutely mustn’t entertain such notions. If this affects Your Majesty, it’s a matter tied to the imperial lineage. We’d all be finished.”
After all, the Previous Emperor had ruled for ten years without producing an heir, which was how the current Emperor had ascended the throne.
The more Song Mama thought about it, the more frightened she became. At this point, she set aside questions of why Yirong wanted a contraceptive and focused on dissuading her from making the incense.
Before she could speak, Yirong said, “I overlooked that. Then Mama, go find me some contraceptive medicine instead—something a single bowl of which would permanently end any chance of pregnancy.”
Song Mama had never seen such a thing herself, but she had heard tales of potions that caused excruciating pain, and in the worst cases, blinded the drinker or even killed them outright.
“Miss…”
She tried to speak further, but Yirong cut in. “Mama, say no more. My mind is made up. Bring me the formula and ingredients. Even if I’m discovered, I won’t implicate you—and don’t tell my mother.”
Song Mama’s mouth fell open, cold sweat pouring down her face as she stared at Yirong.
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door—once, twice.
Palace maids typically entered without knocking to perform their duties, and to see their mistress, they would announce themselves from outside. No one ever knocked.
The knocking stopped after two raps.
Yirong and Song Mama exchanged a glance. She frowned. There were only three people in the room: herself, Shuilian, and Song Mama. Even if Xingxiang wanted to enter, why would she knock?
Her heart suddenly pounded wildly. She took a step forward, and the door flew open with a bang.
Sunlight poured in brilliantly. Zheng Yan’s face was shrouded in shadow against the glare, his expression inscrutable, but a bone-chilling frost seemed to emanate from his entire body.
Wasn’t he supposed to return tomorrow?
“Send her back.”
Without thinking, Yirong stepped in front of the trembling Song Mama.
He must have overheard.
“Don’t punish her,” she said, struggling to keep her voice steady.
The Emperor gave a smile that did not reach his eyes. In a soft voice, he said, “You should worry about yourself.”
“Send her back.”
Yirong’s mind went blank as she watched the eunuchs politely escort Song Mama out. Song Mama glanced back at her once, and Yirong shook her head.
Don’t tell Mother.
In an instant, the room filled with people—the Emperor’s attendants had all followed him in.
When he was furious, his voice grew very low. Yirong had witnessed it once before.
She could not understand it. The Emperor had clearly left the palace today and said he would return the next day. Her voice had been so soft.
How had he still found out?
Zheng Yan’s lips curved in faint mockery, a vein throbbing at his temple as he slowly approached her. He reached out to search her body for the fragrance formula she had tucked away again.
“Zheng Yan!”
How was the sun so bright today?
The sunlight blazed, the door stood wide open, and countless palace maids and eunuchs filled the space inside and out. Though they kept their eyes lowered, Yirong felt as if every gaze was fixed on the Emperor frisking her.
“Zheng Yan!”
As the words left her lips, a numb shock rippled through her. So she too could produce such a shrill cry.
The Emperor paused, then sneered coldly.
Without even glancing at anyone, he pointed casually at a nearby attendant. “You search her.”
The one he indicated was a young eunuch of sixteen or seventeen.
Yirong followed his gesture with her eyes. A suffocating rage surged in her chest, her vision darkening. After a moment, she managed, “So this is how the Son of Heaven humiliates people.”
A deathly silence fell over Little Ling Prefecture. The breathing of dozens of people seemed to halt.
The designated eunuch stood frozen, as if under some spell. But with the Emperor’s command issued and not retracted, he looked up at the Madam before him—her outer robes disheveled, her hair undone, her lips trembling, her face drained of color.
His legs shook as he took two shaky steps forward, extending a trembling hand. He had not even touched Madam Lu’s robes when the world spun, pain exploding through his body so fiercely he could not even cry out.
It was the Emperor who had kicked him flying.
Yirong let out a cold, hollow laugh. Before she could voice her sarcasm, Shuilian emerged from the crowd of servants and clamped a hand over her mouth.
The Emperor shot her a cold glance and left.
As he departed, the servants followed in a grand procession. Two eunuchs at the rear carefully lifted the young eunuch—lips bleeding, face ashen—and carried him out.
Xingxiang asked anxiously, “Madam, what happened?”
They had been outside and had no idea why the Emperor had suddenly erupted.
Yirong replied calmly, “Both of you, leave now. From this day forward, don’t concern yourselves with me anymore. seek protection from Gao Fuliang, or go to Da Jiang and Xiao Jiang.”
She hurried to the dressing table, pulled out a heavy box, and pressed it into their hands. “Go quickly. Use this to grease palms. Don’t follow me any longer.”
“Madam, you have to tell us what happened! No matter how dire, there will be a way!”
Yirong shook her head.
“Go.”
But the two refused to budge. Yirong let them clutch her skirts, kneeling and weeping as they demanded to know what had occurred and begged her to apologize… She stood motionless for a moment, then sighed.
Yirong returned to the dressing table, her back to them. She picked up a pure gold hairpin, examined it in her hand for a while, held it up as if to compare, but eventually set it down. Instead, she took the jade comb and smoothed her hair.
Once her hair was neat, an eunuch pushed open the door and announced formally, “Your Majesty summons you, Madam. Please come with us.”
Yirong rose calmly. To Gao Fuliang, who had come personally to deliver the message, she said, “Please look after Shuilian and Xingxiang, Eunuch.”
She curtsied.
Gao Fuliang instinctively moved to support her but dared not truly touch her. He made a vague gesture and bowed slightly to acknowledge her request.
He led Yirong to a side hall in Purple Chen Hall. The Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window, showing no reaction to their arrival.
No sooner had palace servants guided Yirong to sit than an elderly imperial physician approached. He took her pulse through a silk barrier.
The examination lasted a long time, and Yirong’s heart raced uncontrollably.
When the physician released her wrist, he reported, “Your Majesty, this Noble Lady is in good health, but there are no signs of pregnancy.”
The Emperor did not turn his head. He waved the man away.
Though sunlight streamed into the room, Yirong shivered with cold. She suddenly noticed that the modestly sized side hall lacked even a single incense burner, and a bitter smile tugged at her lips.
How ridiculous it had been to desperately hide the fragrance formula from him earlier. What use was keeping it now?
She closed her eyes, her body slumping involuntarily to the right.
The events under the blazing sun suddenly unfolded in her mind like a slowly revealing scroll, sharp and clear.
Silence reigned. After some time, Gao Fuliang returned. “Your Majesty, Little Ling Prefecture has been thoroughly searched. Nothing related to contraceptives or abortifacient incense has been found.”
The Emperor nodded again, dismissing everyone.
He walked to Yirong and pinched her chin, murmuring softly, “At least you’re obedient.”
Yirong replied flatly, “It’s simply that I lack the means.”
Zheng Yan fell silent.
He suddenly recalled that he had once ordered an investigation into her background. Some ancient secrets from secluded noble households were impossible to uncover, but the investigators had mentioned that a few months prior, she had consulted Qianjin Sacred Hand for fertility treatments.
“Why?”
Yirong found it amusing.
There were too many in this world who longed to enter the palace and bear the Emperor’s children—whether out of true affection or a thirst for glory and wealth.
So why wouldn’t she want to?
“I simply don’t.”
When he was in a good mood, he was willing to serve her by perfuming her hair and let her wield power to deal with the palace servants as she pleased. But when he was displeased, he would search her body and her residence right in front of everyone…
Fortunately, she had been lucky. These past few days, the Emperor had been sleeping in Little Ling Prefecture every night, so she had not gotten pregnant.
She had been spared from bearing children for a man like that.
And yet he had the nerve to ask why. As Yirong thought about it, a cold smile curved her lips.
“Is someone inciting you?”
Yirong laughed. “Since Your Majesty stooped to such petty behavior by eavesdropping on me, you should know that it was my idea from beginning to end. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Your Majesty must think that every woman in the world—no, if men could do it, they would gladly bear you a son too. You’re right, but I, Lu Yirong, am unwilling.”
Unnoticed by her, tears had begun streaming down her cheeks, salty and bitter.
“Why should I bear a child for the man who ruined my marriage and my life?”
The Emperor looked at her coldly and released his grip on her jaw.
“You really think you have any say in whether you’re willing or not.”
–
In the main chamber of Little Ling Prefecture, Shuilian sat with her eyes vacant, hugging her knees as she trembled nonstop.
Xingxiang had pieced together what happened from her fragmented words and tried to comfort her. “His Majesty isn’t the sort to kill indiscriminately or rule through tyranny. Once his anger fades, Madam Lu will be fine.”
Shuilian fell silent for a long moment before saying, “I’m afraid Madam might take her own life out of despair.”
At those words, Xingxiang’s expression darkened. A public body search in front of everyone, followed by her residence being turned upside down—what an utter humiliation, even if it had only disheveled Madam’s outer robes.
“Madam is well-read and thin-skinned,” Shuilian choked out. “I’m afraid that with Madam Qiao recovered and no more ties holding her back, she might just…”
Xingxiang sighed and gave Shuilian’s hand a gentle squeeze.
As the sky gradually darkened, the door opened. Several eunuchs and palace maids entered, carrying a wooden tray with two bowls of medicine on it.
The one in the lead gave the two women a cool glance.
“The black one is poison. A sip, and you’ll fall asleep without any suffering. The brown one is the Pregnancy Stabilizing Drug. Shuilian girl, please take it to the Lu Clan and let them choose a bowl.” The eunuch announced loudly.
Shuilian stumbled to her feet and reached for the black bowl, but two eunuchs held her firmly in place.
“Then Xingxiang girl, you go instead.”
Xingxiang dropped to her knees and kowtowed. “This servant will do her utmost to persuade Madam Lu.”
The eunuch merely smiled without committing either way and gestured for her to take the tray holding the medicine bowls. She followed his directions toward the Purple Chen Hall up ahead.
Xingxiang’s hands shook uncontrollably as she struggled to keep the two bowls steady. She entered the side hall where Madam Lu was being held.
Twilight had fallen, and the side hall held only a single lamp’s worth of light. Madam Lu sat in the shadows, propping her chin on one hand as she gazed out the window. But all the scenery had vanished into the deepening dusk.
Xingxiang knelt on the ground. Before she could even speak, Yirong had already spotted the two bowls of foul-smelling medicine she carried. “Did Your Majesty send you to make me drink this?”
Xingxiang repeated the eunuch’s words verbatim, then kowtowed heavily. In a low voice, she said, “Madam…”
For a moment, she didn’t know how to persuade her. When she looked up, Madam Lu’s face was utterly devoid of expression.