Chapter 14: The Two-Faced Consort Xiao

With both hands on Shen Yu’s shoulders Fang Rui straightened her, took the longbow into his hand and weighed its heft, saying, “Perhaps this bow is too heavy for you.”

Shen Yu nodded repeatedly, “It is heavy indeed.” If she could lift such a bow, Lei Shengda in the Great Yuan Hall would have long finished copying his hundred repentance statements.

Fang Rui suddenly took Shen Yu’s hand. Her palm stiffened and the bow was back in her grasp. “Your Majesty, the autumn hunt…I am unable, I truly am not suited for it…”

“Don’t speak, listen to me.” Fang Rui’s tone abruptly turned serious.

She swallowed the words about being unsuited to martial matters. Hearing His Majesty’s grave tone, Shen Yu immediately understood he had important matters to tell her, and was using the pretext of archery practice to avoid eavesdroppers.

Shen Yu felt she had grasped the truth, yet she still let Fang Rui lead her into the mire, allowing herself to be foolishly deceived.

“Your Majesty, please speak.”

Fang Rui took a feathered arrow from the quiver and placed it in Shen Yu’s hand, then stood behind her, just as before, in the same spot, repeating the same motions and nocking the arrow.

“Tomorrow you will go to the Court of Judicial Review to investigate Chen Chi’s case. You must be careful. At the place where the prisoner is held, besides yourself, find someone you can trust who also has martial arts skills, and have him secretly detain the prisoner overnight in a location known only to the two of you, stage a ruse to deceive others.”

“Does His Majesty not trust the Court of Judicial Review’s defenses?” Yesterday in the teahouse he had told her Chen Chi might be silenced, and had told her there were ministers colluding in the court. To uncover those treacherous officials, Chen Chi was a very important person.

“It’s not that I don’t trust them now. I’ve never ever trusted them.” The reason he had Shen Yu supervise was that the Empress Dowager’s influence reached into the Court of Judicial Review. The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was also aligned with the Empress Dowager’s faction.

He slowly drew the longbow, eyes fixed on the target, and continued, “And this person would better not be from the court, preferably someone from the jianghu. Among the jianghu there are very few political entanglements. Do you already have a suitable candidate?”

Shen Yu was slightly stunned. She had few acquaintances even among court colleagues, let alone people from the jianghu.

But…

She actually did already have a suitable candidate.

“Your Majesty, I already have someone in mind.”

Hearing Shen Yu name a candidate, Fang Rui, standing behind her, let a satisfied curve appear at the corner of his mouth.

He had long since learned the extent of Shen Yu’s social circle. Who this candidate would be was not much of a surprise.

The bowstring was drawn to its limit. Letting go of Shen Yu’s hand, the arrow flew like a phantom and sank into the bullseye.

“Good that you have someone. There is one more thing I must especially admonish you about.”

Confusion flashed in Shen Yu’s eyes as she asked, “What else does Your Majesty wish to instruct?”

“If you encounter danger, always prioritize your life above all.” As far as he could remember, Shen Yu had been nearly killed several times by assassination attempts. Even when she survived, she had lain in bed for a whole month. He did not want that to happen again.

“I thank Your Majesty for your concern.”

With official business finished and the arrow loosed, he grew restless. Emboldened by being a head taller than Shen Yu, his gaze slid down from her pale, slender neck and, seeing a flat chest without any curve, he was rather disappointed.

This woman… In his previous life he had kept his distance, in this life he had drawn near but did not know what to make of it. He only knew that when his arm brushed against her last night it had been incredibly soft, softer than the finest cotton pillow. At the time he did not know what it was and didn’t examine it closely. Now that he knew, he found he truly wanted to feel it again.

…Suddenly he felt those thoughts of his were rather filthy.

He drew his gaze back, released Shen Yu’s hand and stepped back a few paces, holding the heavy bow in his left hand while his right rested before his belly, his sleeve hanging to his thigh as if trying to conceal something.

“Ahem.” Clearing his throat, he continued, “It seems General Lei won’t finish copying his confessions today; you have also been detained in the palace, Aiqing—return to your residence for now.”

Shen Yu turned to leave, completely unaware of Fang Rui’s lascivious thoughts, and bowed in reply, “Then I will take my leave…”

“Your consort pays respects to His Majesty.”

Fang Rui was annoyed. *Can’t I *even say goodbye to Shen Yu properly?!

Any lascivious notions he had were doused by a bucket of cold water from head to toe. He no longer had any reaction.

He looked toward Consort Xiao, not far behind Shen Yu, raised his right hand and waved, “Consort Xiao, you may dispense with the formalities.”

Shen Yu turned back and saluted, “Shen Yu pays respects to Consort Xiao.”

“Lord Shen, you may dispense with the formalities.”

Consort Xiao’s expression was cool and distant. Hardly anyone in the palace had seen her smile. Of the three consorts, Fang Rui regarded Consort Xiao with the most caution.

“What is Consort Xiao doing at the archery range?” Fang Rui did not think she would watch herself like Consorts Li or He. This woman’s depths were far greater than he had imagined.

“Your Majesty,” she replied, “I had intended to take a walk. Hearing the guards say that you and Lord Shen were at the range, I came in to pay my respects.” As she spoke, her gaze fell on the longbow in Fang Rui’s hand. “I saw Your Majesty instructing Lord Shen in archery and found it interesting, so I watched for a while longer. Please forgive me.”

Fang Rui returned the longbow to Rong Tai’s hand and smiled slightly, “There’s nothing to forgive. I have heard that your skill is not poor, Consort Xiao. Why don’t you give us a demonstration so my loyal aide Shen and I may watch and learn?”

Before entering the palace, Consort Xiao was the daughter of Xiaoqi Wei, an eighth-rank officer of the Great Qi Cavalry. She trained in martial skills with her father from an early age and was excellent in combat.

Consort Xiao’s expression did not change as she said, “I have not handled these things in many years and fear I would disturb Your Majesty’s refined amusement.”

“Not at all. Women handling blades or bows is something I’ve never seen before. I would like to witness it. My loyal aide Shen, have you ever seen a woman shoot a bow?”

Shen Yu knew His Majesty truly wanted to see Consort Xiao demonstrate, so she cooperated, “No, I haven’t.” After all… when she herself had just drawn the bow, it was essentially His Majesty doing the shooting. She had exerted almost no strength.

“Rong Tai, hand the bow to Consort Xiao.”

Upon hearing this, Rong Tai placed the longbow before Consort Xiao. Seeing she could not refuse, she took the bow up with one hand.

Shen Yu beside her was stunned. Were women nowadays all this formidable?

She lowered her head in silence and glanced at her own hands. If she remained so utterly powerless, would people suspect her sex? Moreover, not only had His Majesty called her fragile the other day, but even Lei Shengda had said she was as weak as a young woman. Lei Shengda was clearly spouting nonsense. Consort Xiao was by no means weak!

And how on earth did that man in black know she was female? She had always been cautious and careful. Apart from within the Grand Guardian’s house, she had never shown anything that would expose her sex. If the man in black hadn’t discovered her secret from within her own house, could it really be because she simply appeared too weak to be a man?

Fang Rui glanced at Shen Yu and saw her slight frown. He roughly guessed what she was thinking and smiled privately. If she knew she was the one who had told him herself that she was female, he wondered how she would take it.

He only glanced once at Shen Yu, then his gaze fell on Consort Xiao as she raised the bow. Seeing her stance, a fleeting cold sneer passed his lips.

In his previous life he had become too complacent and failed to notice the wolves and tigers around him. The Empress Dowager’s faction in front, and the East Frontier eyeing them hungrily from the rear.

The East Frontier had signed a pact of non-aggression in his grandfather’s generation, but after internal betrayal within the East Frontier that pact became a mere facade. The East Frontier, as a nomadic people, had grown stronger and harbored ambitions toward Great Qi. Over the years many East Frontier spies had appeared in Great Qi, even within the palace.

Had he not, before dying in his previous life, settled internal and external troubles, in this life he might never have known that one of the three consorts in the harem, Consort Xiao, was an East Frontier spy.

Consort Xiao’s father, Xiaoqi Wei, an eighth-rank cavalry officer, had long ago been placed in Great Qi as an East Frontier agent. As a spy, he had the means at critical moments to give Consort Xiao opportunities to enter the notice of high officials. And once noticed by high officials, drawing the Empress Dowager’s attention was not difficult.

Consort Xiao drew the longbow and slightly narrowed her eyes. When she aimed at the bullseye she subtly misaligned and, as she released, the feathered arrow veered off the bullseye into the white area.

Fang Rui sighed, “What a pity. If that arrowhead hadn’t shifted, it might have hit the bullseye.”

With her back to Fang Rui, Consort Xiao’s eyes showed a flicker of surprise. She then turned and said, “Perhaps I haven’t handled this in too long and lost some confidence.”

Fang Rui smiled enigmatically, “Then Consort Xiao should hurry and practice well. At the end of next month, at the autumn hunt, women should also be allowed to participate.”

Shen Yu was taken aback and looked at Fang Rui, “Your Majesty, allowing women to participate seems inappropriate.”

Fang Rui looked at Shen Yu and teased, “My loyal aide Shen, if we don’t let women join, I truly fear you’ll be the weakest among them.”

Shen Yu was too defeated to speak.

Fang Rui looked like he thought of something, then looked back at Consort Xiao and laughed, “No, that’s not right either. If by chance you can’t even measure up to women, then even I cannot help you.”

Shen Yu pleaded, “…Your Majesty, I will take my leave now.”

She felt His Majesty had been emphasizing her frailty all day… thinking that he kept stressing her weakness made her uneasy. If that man in black really had deduced her sex from her looks and manner, she should be even more careful about not appearing too weak.

He hummed softly, “You may take your leave then.”

Seeing Shen Yu depart, Consort Xiao also took her leave, “I will not disturb His Majesty’s archery practice further, I will also take my leave.”

“Very well, you may take your leave.”

Watching Shen Yu and Consort Xiao leave, Fang Rui asked Rong Tai at his side, “Did you notice anything?”

Rong Tai, somewhat puzzled, asked, “What does Your Majesty mean?”

“Just now, Consort Xiao deliberately skewed the arrowhead, which caused the shot to miss.”

“What does Consort Xiao intend by this?”

“What does she intend? Have you truly not noticed? The greatest difference between how Central Plains people hold a bow and how East Frontier people hold one is that the former seek accuracy while the latter emphasize force. Even if Consort Xiao restrained herself just now, habits are hard to change.”

Rong Tai was shocked, “Your Majesty, are you saying Consort Xiao may be from the East Frontier?”

Fang Rui narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “Keep an eye on Consort Xiao and see with whom she is in contact.” He knew Consort Xiao was an East Frontier agent, but did not know who her contact was.

Rong Tai responded, “…Yes, Your Majesty.” Did the emperor think he had three heads and six arms? He was already overseeing the whole palace… The fact that the emperor thought so highly of him was possibly more of a bad thing than a good thing…