I really hate translating titles. (T_T) The author’s original titles are all made up of four Chinese characters and sound a lot nicer.
Chapter Twenty Four
Never Ever.
Xuanji raised her sleeves to wipe away the blood, then lifted her head and said in a clear voice, ‘There are still nine to go.’
Stunned, tears started spilling from Diefeng’s eyes as she grabbed Xuanji’s arm and cried, ‘Your Highness, it’s all my fault. Please don't do this, I deserve to die…'
She stood protectively in front of Xuanji, staring furiously at Ah Shi.
Xuanji gave a sweeping stare at all the servants and eunuchs of Fengjiu Palace and said, ‘Do you think of me as your mistress?’
All of the servants of Fengjiu Palace had been newly allocated to serve Xuanji after she had been saved by the Emperor, and were unfamiliar with their new mistress. Previously, they had only heard the whisperings from the other servants that their new mistress was eccentric and bossy.
As servants, all was well when they met a master with good temper, but if they were arranged to serve a difficult owner, then the luckier ones could perhaps escape with only injuries, while those less fortunate would pay with their lives. When had they seen a master who endured disgrace on behalf of his servant?
Nian Xuanji’s reputation was already at the gutter within the imperial palace, and once the events that had occurred in Qiuying Pavilion was made known to the world, she would have an even more difficult time trying to establish her ground. Yet she still endured this strike for Diefeng, so how could Diefeng be untouched by this?
At once, several servants gathered by Xuanji’s side, including the few eunuchs who had been kneeling prostrate on the floor.
‘Take hold of Diefeng,’ Xuanji said lightly.
Her servants did not understand the meaning behind her words, but they followed her instructions. Stupefied, Diefeng stammered, ‘Your Highness…’
‘Continue.’ Xuanji said, turning towards Ah Shi. She held the little wolf closer towards her chest and bowed her head.
The little wolf struggled furiously within her embrace, but he had been injured and was too weak to break free from her hold. Its bright pair of eyes stared viciously at Ah Shi.
Ah Shi had long been frightened out of her wits, her face pale as sheet, for she had actually hit a consort. No matter the circumstance, Nian Xuanji was still the Emperor’s woman.
A deathly silence enveloped the entire Pavilion.
Quivering, Ah Shi looked towards her own mistress. An Jin’s face was a shade paler than her radiance moments ago. She had not expected Xuanji’s character to be so obstinate. Uneasily, she stared at the man who stood next to her.
The Emperor’s lips curled. His eyes were intent upon Xuanji.
Even though An Jin was intelligent and astute, at this moment, even she could not fathom the Emperor’s thoughts. He did not love Nian Xuanji; he did not even like her, she knew… This would never change, right?
She remembered that on the day she had entered the imperial palace, Nian Xuanji had just been sentenced to death by the Empress Dowager.
Later, she heard from the servants that the Emperor had saved Consort Nian from the hands of the Empress Dowager. The Emperor had insisted that the perpetrator behind the Empress Dowager’s poisoning was Consort Nian’s personal attendant, and had immediately given the order for the servant to be flogged to death. Now, even if the Empress Dowager wanted to pursue the investigation, Consort Nian's servant could no longer be questioned, causing the Empress Dowager to be angered. That day, a fissure had appeared in the relationship between this pair of mother and son who had always been on good terms.
She was the daughter of an assistant to the Magistrate of Qiurong County. The imperial family’s sacrificial altar, the Autumn Mountains, sat squarely in this county.
When this young and brilliant Emperor had travelled to Qiurong to offer his sacrifices to his ancestors, she had been accompanying her father to pay their respects to him.
She was not born from her father's legitimate wife, but was talented and skilled, hence she grew up enduring the jealousy and hate from her father’s first wife and all her half-sisters. Though her father loved her, he was even more afraid of his first wife, and she spent her life living with the bare essentials, with little to eat and few clothes to wear. She endured it all, suffering the ridicule from others, while living a destitute but honest life.
She had enough of those days! She did not want to live the remainder of her life the way her lowly mother had.
The Emperor’s visit to Qiurong was the chance of a lifetime. Then, she had sworn to herself that no matter how ugly and old the Emperor was, she would devise a way to receive his favour!
That day, which daughter of all the officials in Qiurong were not dressed in their finest robes to attend the banquet, including her sisters?
Yet she had never imagined that the Emperor was so young and stunning, so intelligent and far-sighted. As he discussed state affairs with his officials, laying out the areas lacking in control by the administration of Qiurong county, which official did not perspire in nervousness?
Surrounded by a thousand people, he alone received the homage paid by all the people of Qiurong, yet he had glanced at her, smiling faintly.
In the Autumn Mountains, he spoke attentively and softly to her… favouring her… he said that he loved her quiet pride…
Later, she learned a lot more about him from the broken whisperings of the others, including his women, that on the day of his wedding, he had abandoned his Empress to spend the night with Nian Xuanji.
When she finally entered the palace, she once again heard about all the things that had happened to Nian Xuanji. The Emperor seemed to have fallen out with the Empress Dowager over her.
In the end, she could not help herself and asked him what did Nian Xuanji mean to him in his heart. Yet he only smiled carelessly, the expression in his eyes faraway.
But she was certain that whatever Nian Xuanji meant to him, it did not involve affection and was unrelated to love…
And this she knew, the way a woman could instinctively understand a man's heart…
It must have been because of Nian Xuanji's father that the Emperor favoured her, wasn't it? So, when Nian Xuanji later trespassed Jinluan Hall and spoke insolently at Huayin Palace, he was angered, and punished her.
Because her actions had completely crossed his final line, so he no longer cared if she was the daughter of a powerful court official, and punished her.
This was the truth, wasn't it.
And she herself did not have a powerful father as her backing, so the Emperor's feelings towards her must be genuine…
At this moment, the tension in the air was palpable. With the Emperor exuding cold fury, everyone within the four walls of Qiuying Pavilion was frightened into silence, not even daring to exhale loudly.
An Jin clenched her jaw, then slanted a look towards Ah Shi.
One half of it was envy; the other, a test.
Ah Shi hesitated for a moment, but eventually could not defy the steel determination in her mistress's eyes. Reassuring herself that the Emperor favoured her mistress, she gritted her teeth and raised her hands towards Xuanji.
That slap did not connect.
Instead, what reverberated throughout the room was another sound. Ah Shi's body flew across the room, landing heavily against a pillar in the middle of the hall. As she slid down the wall feebly, dark red blood stretched across the grounds.
'She is my woman, who do you think you are!'
Before Ah Shi lost consciousness, her last image was of An Jin, whose face had whitened, and that man's impassive voice.
No one had seen how the Emperor had strode forward towards Xuanji, or his kick, swiftly lethal.
Xuanji's head remained bowed. Without a word, she continued to stare at the little wolf which was breathing feebly within her arms.
Her jaw was lifted by a slender hand. She saw the man's lips stretch into a cold smile.
'Nine more to go? Very well! Xuanji, do you really think that I can't bear to hit you?' Long Fei-li said, each word clearly pronounced.
'I dare not.' The corners of Xuanji's lips lifted. 'Your Majesty, you can even kill me.'
The Emperor smiled. 'You are right.'
Yet there was no trace of laughter within his eyes.
Eyelids hooded, the little wolf, which had been struggling to breathe, suddenly widened its eyes and let out a few howls, staring ferociously at the Emperor… it did not understand what the Emperor had said, yet this mythical beast had felt the Emperor's undeniable anger.
Using all its strength, it stood up from within Xuanji's embrace. It was both afraid and angry, the furs on its body standing on an end, like a small hedgehog.
If it were at any other time, Xuanji would have laughed, but now, she only wanted to cry.
But she could not afford to.
In the books, it was often said that no one on earth deserved your tears, for those who deserved them could not bear for you to cry.
Her nose prickled, and as she repeated this saying in her mind a few times, she could finally eke out a posture of indifference, staring at him beyond the haziness.
The Emperor's fingers tightened around her jaw, the gaze in his eyes uncharitable. He was calm and collected, yet the stubborn indifference in her eyes caused him to feel inexplicably agitated.
This woman was publicly challenging his authority.
'Xia Sang.'
'Yes, Your Majesty.' Xia Sang's head seem to tingle under the Emperor's stare.
'There are nine more to go. Finish them, just like what Concubine Nian has said.' Releasing his hold on Xuanji, the Emperor decreed in a low voice.
Within the hall, everyone froze nervously as tension filled the air once more, as though swords had been drawn between the Emperor and his consort.
'Yes, Your Majesty.' Xia Sang assented in a quiet voice.
Long Zijin was mildly surprised. It seemed that from their childhood up till now, he had never been able to understand the thoughts of his ninth brother. Abruptly, he turned and laughed lowly to Xia Sang, 'I can guess what you're thinking. You're wondering why the Emperor has chosen to call you instead of Xu Xi, am I right?'
Xia Sang returned him a forced smile, before his eyes drifted in the direction of Xu Xi. At another corner, Qingfeng sneered.
Although Xia Sang appeared easy going and amiable, he was also a sharp man, his carefulness unparalleled. As he walked forward, he secretly chanced a glance at the Emperor once more.
The young Emperor stood in the hall with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze calm.
Xia Sang thought: this time… even he, could not tell.
'Forgive me, Concubine Nian -' he said quietly.
Xuanji nodded.
At this moment, Diefeng suddenly broke free from the restraints of the two eunuchs holding her back. Madly, she raced towards Xuanji, standing guard in front of her protectively, before turning to the Emperor to kneel urgently on the floor, furiously kowtowing. Choking back her sobs, she cried, 'Your Majesty, I beg of you, please be merciful towards my mistress. This was my mistake, and I am the one who should be punished!'
'Xia Sang, did you not hear my decree?' The Emperor was impatient.
Diefeng's words did not cause the faintest feelings of mercy to stir within his heart, as though her desperate pleas were merely white noise, as fleeting as it was insignificant.
Xuanji raised a hand and held Diefeng back, shaking her head. 'Don't…'
She handed the little wolf over to Diefeng.
Yet the little wolf grabbed onto Xuanji's sleeves, howling fiercely, refusing to part.
Diefeng shook her head furiously and cried, 'Your Highness, why don't you explain yourself to His Majesty?'
Would explaining change things? Xuanji's heart welled with sorrow. Yet she did have a small motive for her silence, even if she knew that the possibility of attaining her wish was incredibly remote… Still, she chose to maintain her silence, to only speak after she had received the nine slaps.
'Oh, does Concubine Nian have something you wish to tell me?' The Emperor's voice was indifferent.
Xuanji glanced at the Emperor. Long Fei-li's brows were raised.
That expression… she had seen the mirror of it appear on Long Zijin's face a moment ago. It was the expression of a man waiting to witness an amusing play.
Swallowing difficultly, she walked towards the Emperor and slowly knelt, clenching her jaw.
This was a world where an Emperor reigned unchallenged, where kneeling was commonplace, an ordinary act of obeisance.
But this was also the first time she had knelt to the Emperor.
'Can I ask you for a favour?' She could hear her own voice… it did sound inferior.
The Emperor did not say a word.
She thought - he must be listening to her because she could feel his gaze intent upon her.
The gaze, burning and oppressive.
She suddenly raised her head, and as expected, saw that both his eyes were fixed upon her.
She had never understood more clearly than this moment that she was merely one of his objects. He was waiting for her to plead for mercy.
Of course, whether or not he would spare her would depend on his mood.
Gently, she placed the little wolf on the floor.
The little wolf seemed to feel her solemnity, and obediently curled around her knees, closing its eyes.
The Emperor reached over and caressed the wound on her face. 'You wish for me to revoke my orders?' His voice was indolent, giving the illusion of benevolence.
'I dare not.' She smiled bitterly, before raising a hand to sweep aside her fringe.
The mark she had gotten on her head after knocking against the edge of her bedframe was ugly to look at, so she had intentionally covered it with her fringe before she had left Fengjiu Palace.
Now, the scar in the shape of a crescent moon was clearly displayed in front of the Emperor. The fingers pressing upon her face tightened a fraction… she could feel the calluses on his fingertips.
An indistinct expression crossed the Emperor's face.