From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 187: Sickly Beauty
The harem assembly concluded with a lot weighing on the minds of its attendees. Yan Zheyun had seen it on their faces as they’d taken their leave, each lovely visage distractedly considering the possibilities Liu Yao’s new measures would offer to them.
Not everyone who came into the inner palace was willing to give up a life of relative freedom for wealth and status. For the girls, they were now presented with the opportunity to receive an education. For the boys, they had the chance to return to court.
Rather than sitting around with nothing to do but plot against each other in this breeding ground for resentment, they now had an out that was supported by the most powerful man in the kingdom.
That was one matter on its way to being handled. As for the other...
Aiyun Palace was quiet again but the tranquility wasn’t sufficient to quell the restless stirring under Yan Zheyun’s skin. Liu Yao had reassured him that morning court was going to drag on today and that he shouldn’t worry if he didn’t hear word on how it went until much later.
But it was an awful feeling, regardless, knowing that he would be targeted, that behind his back, there were people fighting to ruin this measure of peace he’d found for himself in this new world, in Liu Yao’s arms.
"Any news about the dowager?" he asked, looking out of his pavilion at the desolate pond before him, the withered remains of the vibrant lotuses a bleak reminder of the transcience of nature. In a couple of weeks, the pond may freeze over. In a couple of weeks, if Liu Yao didn’t manage to resolve things, he might be dead.
"Langjun ought not to worry," was Xiao De’s soothing reply. "This servant has heard from my brother that Dowager Niangniang recently chose to close her doors and dedicate the winter to the scriptures."
A sudden renewal of faith? Unlikely. If Yan Zheyun had to guess, it was because Scumbag 2 had fallen out of favour with the emperor for a long while now and the dowager wanted to steer clear of trouble that neither she nor her second son were directly involved in. Or maybe Liu Wei had meddled more than intended and they were now both attempting to lie low until the storm blew over.
As long as she wasn’t charging into his palace in an attempt to arrest him whilst Liu Yao’s back was turned, Yan Zheyun couldn’t care less how many Heart Sutras (1) she chose to copy.
"Is His Majesty still holding court?"
Xiao De nodded. "Fret not, Langjun, Xiao Fu will inform this servant should any issues arise."
Despite being the adopted son of the newly minted Chief of the Western Depot, Xiao Fu had somehow or another wound up working under Head Eunuch Cao in the Eastern Depot. Perhaps this was Liu Suzhi’ a way of keeping an eye on the inner palace politics whilst he was away in the North...but Yan Zheyun didn’t think him the sort to care what happened in his absence.
Maybe it was just his way of finding a good ending for the children he’d taken under his wing. Yan Zheyun looked at Xiao De fondly, noting how the youthful genuineness in his smile only surfaced from beneath the veneer of stark professionalism when the both of them were alone. He was aware that he was part of Liu Suzhi’s plans as well, a promising pawn that Liu Suzhi had made use of when everyone else had thought it was just a nobody.
But they had a good alliance, formed out of give and take. Xiao De and Xiao Fu could serve as Yan Zheyun’s right and left hand in a place where he had limited resources.
"Next time, tell Xiao Fu to let His Majesty know how matters are going here in the inner palace as well." No doubt, Liu Yao had his means of finding out but Yan Zheyun wished to send him the message that he wanted things transparent. That the tabs he kept on Liu Yao were done only out of a concern, which in turn was born of love.
Xiao Fu was not to be his spy in the Eastern Depot but a messenger by whom they could both communicate freely.
"What does Langjun intend to do until His Majesty returns?" They had since created a tradition where they took their midday and evening meals together and unless Liu Yao had meetings in the afternoon with his cabinet, Yan Zheyun often accompanied him in Tianlu Pavilion, reading leisurely or participating in policy-making where he had something useful to contribute.
He looked up at the grey winter skies, which were too dreary to promote the idea of going for a walk in the imperial gardens.
"Prepare the entourage," he decided at last. "To Yuanyin Palace."
It was time to finally meet this most elusive of Liu Yao’s concubines.
As his procession headed over in a far more stately manner than the walk over the other night had been, Yan Zheyun consolidated what he knew of Imperial Concubine Pei in his mind. The events of that attempted capture were still fresh in his memory and he could clearly recall how the ambush had barely occurred before Wu Zhong and the other masked members of Kaiming, possibly Liu Yao’s shadow guard, had intervened to rescue him.
It had been over before it’d even started, his would-be assailants rounded up like a flock of flummoxed sheep, Wu Zhong standing between the keen edges of their blades and Yan Zheyun. He was the only one not in a disguise, which must have been on Liu Yao’s orders. In the past, Yan Zheyun might have interpreted that as a test of his fidelity—he was under no illusions that Liu Yao was oblivious to the ambiguous feelings Wu Zhong used to harbour for him—but now he was more inclined to see it as Liu Yao ensuring he caught sight of a familiar face in a stressful situation.
Seeing Yuanyin Palace again brought on no particular distress since he’d been so well protected. As such, Yan Zheyun waved off Xiao De’s silent worry and took a step over the threshold.
Unlike all the other palaces, there was no door eunuch to greet and announce the presence of visitors. Perhaps, this was due to Imperial Concubine Pei’s illness and his need for peace and quiet. But it was too empty in here, the atmosphere almost eerie in how abandoned everything looked. The paint on the walls was chipped, the doors creaking from a lack of regular maintenance. This painted a particularly ironic picture; it was common for the main palaces to be grander than the side palaces, not the other way around. With just a glance, Yan Zheyun could tell that the lower-ranked concubines, who lived in the surrounding estates, had a more luxurious lifestyle than the head of Yuanyin Palace.
Yan Zheyun frowned. The servants were usually very good at approaching the departments to make demands on behalf of their masters and mistresses, ensuring that they never lived in circumstances beneath their rank. It was oversight on his part not to check up on Imperial Concubine Pei earlier; regardless of whether he was a knowing participant in the ploy on the night of Ten Thousand Years or not, Yan Zheyun hadn’t fulfilled the managerial role he held in the harem and it bothered him.
"Inform Supervisor Liu that the departments have been lackadaisical with regard to Imperial Concubine Pei’s care," Yan Zheyun commanded. Liu Suzhi made it no secret that he could hardly be bothered with inner palace matters but he would intervene in his official capacity should Yan Zheyun ask him to.
But before Xiao De could accept the order, a pleasant, soft voice said, "This concubine thanks Imperial Noble Consort Yue for the concern but it won’t be necessary—" The speaker barely finished his sentence before he was consumed by a violent coughing fit, his slender shoulders shaking so hard from the force of it that the simple pale robe thrown haphazardly about his slight frame fell to the ground.
Yan Zheyun walked over briskly, taking hold of his arm and sitting him down on an old stone chair in a corner of the courtyard, which was paired together with an equally weathered garden table. There was only one seat, he noticed, giving the main palace of Yuanyin Palace a forlorn picture of a forgotten cage, used to lock away a tired soul.
"Xiao De, fetch Imperial Concubine Pei some water. Make sure it’s warm but immediately drinkable." He didn’t know where the servants of Yuanyin Palace were, or if there were even any.
Imperial Concubine Pei lifted his head. He was an elegant beauty, and, Yan Zheyun noticed, rather tall, close to Liu Yao in height. His phoenix eyes were his most arresting feature and Yan Zheyun couldn’t say what it was about them they made him look twice; perhaps it was because they reminded him a little of Lixin...and himself.
But the mild, unassuming manner Imperial Concubine Pei carried himself with reminded him more of Liheng, albeit older, sicklier.
"This concubine has worried Imperial Noble Consort—"
The coughing fit resumed. Yan Zheyun’s frown deepened as he patted Imperial Concubine Pei on the back, sending one of the momos that Liu Yao had assigned to him in lieu of the maidservants under investigation to grab a handwarmer and another to deliver a curt message to the departments about the coal supply of Yuanyin Palace. A quick look past the main entrance had revealed a gloomy interior with no brazier in sight and the fact that he could see right through without the door curtains (2) obscuring his view meant that Yuanyin Palace was sorely neglected.
"Let’s head inside before talking," Yan Zheyun said, once Xiao De has hastened back with a cup of water and Imperial Concubine Pei had taken a couple of grateful sips.
It took Yan Zheyun’s assistance to get him back on his feet and even then, Yan Zheyun could feel him trembling with the effort to remain upright. How had he even managed to make it out of the hall on his own? He was frail to the point where it was hard to believe it was an act and if so, how much could someone who appeared to be on death’s bed be involved in the inner palace politics?
As if reading Yan Zheyun’s thoughts, Imperial Concubine Pei mustered up enough strength to say, "Imperial Noble Consort Langjun is kind enough to pay a visit where all others shun this place. This concubine will answer any questions Yue Langjun might have."
Yan Zheyun’s lips tightened. "Have a rest first," he replied but Imperial Concubine Pei shook his head. When he didn’t smile, it made his expression a lot colder and Yan Zheyun was suddenly confronted by the uncanny similarity that particular aspect of his features had with Yan Zheyun’s face.
Not the host body’s. His original face.
After finally taking their seats in a warmer antechamber with some hot tea Xiao De had to send a runner back to Aiyun Palace to procure, Imperial Concubine Pei looked a little less like he was going to pass away anytime and a little more like he was death warmed over. His white skin was flawless but it was an unhealthy kind of pale that left a foreboding feeling in Yan Zheyun’s heart.
"Do you know what happened the other night?" Yan Zheyun asked, keeping his tone as neutral as possible.
Instead of beating around the bush, Imperial Concubine Pei gave a small but firm nod.
"This concubine was only made aware after the fact but I will tell you as much as I know," he promised.
Yan Zheyun waited for him to elaborate but there was a long pause as he stared at his half-empty cup unseeingly.
Just as he thought he might have to shake Imperial Concubine Pei gently to see if he’d gone off into a daze, Imperial Concubine Pei looked up at him and said, "Whatever I’m about to tell you...you may choose to believe or not. But it doesn’t matter anyway because I won’t be alive for much longer."
