Chapter 21: Women Can Be Monsters

Fang Rui knew his own physical condition and was not arrogant enough to think he could return to the palace safely on his own, so he had one of the four secret guards accompany him back to the city.

Once they were inside the city he dismissed the secret guard and returned to the palace by himself.

Rong Tai had just carried official documents into Zichen Hall when a junior eunuch came to inform him that Eunuch Wang had returned.

Fang Rui often had to leave the palace, and not in the capacity of the Emperor, so he naturally needed a cover identity. When Fang Rui learned that Rong Tai had given him the identity of a eunuch, he looked at Rong Tai quietly for a long time, making Rong Tai very anxious, afraid that His Majesty would be extremely displeased with this identity. But even if displeased, there was nothing Rong Tai could do. He certainly couldn’t have His Majesty disguise himself as a palace woman, could he?

Disguised as a palace woman… he would absolutely be found out. How could there be such a burly palace maid?

Hearing that His Majesty as his Eunuch Wang identity had returned, Rong Tai’s expression turned serious. He said to the junior eunuch, “Understood.”

Almost every day palace maids and eunuchs went out to buy supplies, and this Eunuch Wang was among them daily. Of course there was more than one eunuch surnamed Wang in the palace, so by swapping identities and blending into the ones sent out to buy things, then mixing back into the returning group and exchanging identities again, the palace inspections wouldn’t be thorough enough to remember every person who had left. With a little disguise and capitalizing on his knowledge of the palace’s loopholes, Fang Rui could return to the palace this way.

Back in Zichen Hall, Fang Rui looked terribly unwell. As soon as the door closed after he entered the hall, he immediately steadied himself against it.

“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?!” Rong Tai came forward and steadied Fang Rui.

Fang Rui waved his hand. Even though he had a high fever, there was no sign of illness in his tone. “Summon the imperial physician, tell him my chill has worsened.”

Fang Rui’s complexion looked as if he’d been baked under a hot sun, radiating heat. Rong Tai roughly guessed that Fang Rui had indeed caught a chill. Not daring to delay, he helped Fang Rui to the bed and immediately went to fetch the imperial physician.

News that the Emperor’s illness was worsening spread, but in Anyi Palace the Empress Dowager, upon hearing the news, still twirled her prayer beads with no change in expression, murmuring sutras. Anyone unaware would think she was praying for His Majesty’s recovery.

After a while, a palace attendant entered and reported, “Your Majesty, Minister Wang is outside Anyi Palace requesting an audience with Your Majesty.”

The prayer beads in her hand stopped turning. She opened her eyes and said, “Invite Minister Wang in.”

Wang Zhongyuan entered the hall. The Empress Dowager waved her hand, and the palace maids and eunuchs attending in the hall understood and withdrew from the main chamber.

Once they had left, Wang Zhongyuan’s expression was anxious. “Your Majesty, why has His Majesty suddenly grown so ill?!”

Seated in her chair, the Empress Dowager glanced at him and said, “Second Brother, his illness is not because of a poison I’ve given him.”

Wang Zhongyuan said, half in doubt, “Is that true?”

“I am not that hasty.”

Receiving the Empress Dowager’s answer, Wang Zhongyuan exhaled and sat down beside her. He tried to persuade her, “Your Majesty, the Emperor is after all your own son. Aren’t you being a bit too cruel?” After all, the current Emperor was his nephew and he couldn’t help feeling some reluctance.

The Empress Dowager’s lips curled into a cold smile, her voice devoid of feeling. “I have lost all hope in this child, and he only finally called me ‘mother’ after the woman in the Jiaofang Palace died. The only son I have is Zhan’er.”

Wang Zhongyuan furrowed his brow slightly. “Your Majesty, when the Emperor was adopted into Empress Zhaode’s care, you agreed to it. Besides, that was not something the newly born Emperor could decide for himself.”

With a slap on the table, the Empress Dowager’s face filled with rage. “I will not tolerate it! Why should a lowly merchant’s daughter enjoy all the late Emperor’s favor and make me abase myself before her?!”

Wang Zhongyuan looked at the Empress Dowager, whose eyes were clouded with hatred, and helplessly shook his head. “In any case, we must wait until the Crown Prince is born before we make a move.”

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager took a deep breath. The anger drained from her face and her lips curved slightly as she spoke of something unrelated, “Zhan’er will be returning soon.”

Hearing the name of another nephew, Wang Zhongyuan’s eyes widened in surprise. “Your Majesty, you…”

The Empress Dowager turned to him and asked, “What is wrong with that? Only Zhan’er listens to me the most.”

Wang Zhongyuan sighed. At this point more words were pointless. If the Wang clan wanted its position in court to remain unshakable, it must never defy the Empress Dowager. With her current power, even the Emperor could not move lightly.

After a day’s rest, Fang Rui’s fever had subsided, but the wound on his chest still posed some problems.

They could only have the imperial physician examine the chill. As for the internal injury on his chest, Fang Rui had asked Rong Tai to obtain the imperial salve. Looking at His Majesty’s wound, Rong Tai cautioned, “Your Majesty, Lord Shen has capable secret guards protecting him, so you need not worry. Rest and heal in the palace.”

Fang Rui put on his clothes and glanced at Rong Tai with a smile. “How could I trust them with my beloved aide Shen? If they fail at protection, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough for me to cut off.”

Rong Tai sighed inwardly. Your Majesty, is it really appropriate to be so blunt in front of your servant?

After he got dressed, he sat at the desk and skimmed the documents he had not reviewed these past two days. Suddenly remembering the task he had set Rong Tai, he looked up and asked, “By the way, how far have you taken the matter of dealing with the head of the Department of Prudence, Song Zhe?”

Rong Tai, standing beside him, replied, “Your Majesty, the matter is progressing smoothly. Evidence is being gathered gradually.”

Fang Rui hummed in agreement. “Good.”

No sooner had he spoken than someone outside Zichen Hall reported, “Your Majesty, Consort He requests an audience.”

Fang Rui glanced at Rong Tai, his mouth twitching as if musing, and asked, “Do you think I should see her?”

Rong Tai lowered his head slightly. “Your Majesty, you are saying that you should see her.”

Since Fang Rui did not directly refuse, the implication was that he would see her.

“Then I’ll see her.”

Rong Tai then went out to issue the order. When Consort He entered the hall and followed by her attendants, she saw His Majesty wrapped in a rather thick garment, looking sickly as he sat at the desk reviewing official documents.

Rong Tai was flabbergasted.

Thankfully, he had seen all sorts of crazy things in his years in the palace. His Majesty’s methods were getting wilder and wilder! In the short time it took to issue an order, His Majesty had managed to cloak himself in such a thick robe and sit back down in his original place!

And to be able to instantly fake a dire illness despite having a ruddy complexion. Wasn’t that scheme wild enough?!

Even back when he accompanied His Majesty roaming the jianghu, the Emperor’s schemes hadn’t been this brazen!

“Your servant Consort He pays respects, Your Majesty.” Consort He curtseyed gracefully.

Fang Rui cleared his throat several times and raised a hand. “Consort He, you may rise.”

Consort He rose and the maids behind her brought forward a bowl of soup. Consort He lifted the bowl and said, “I consulted the imperial physician. You have caught a chill and must replenish your body, so I personally prepared ginseng chicken soup for Your Majesty.” She then set the bowl on the desk.

Fang Rui glanced at Consort He. When she bowed she had revealed a patch of skin, and her eye makeup had been painstakingly done, making her eyes look like they were veiled in mist; it all seemed designed to seduce the apparently “seriously ill” Emperor. Wasn’t she worried he might not be physically able to go through with anything?

His gaze dropped to the ginseng chicken soup. He could drink the soup, but he feared that if he did, it might ruin the ten years of innocence he’d kept for Shen Yu.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Consort He with a feigned weak smile. “Consort He is thoughtful, but I just took medicine and should not eat.” As the saying went, he could say anything he liked, but he definitely could not simply eat anything he wanted. Any of the three women in the harem were more ferocious than the wolves he’d seen, like a monster emerging from the deep waters.

In his previous life, to deal with the Empress Dowager he had been forced to go to Consort Li’s bedchamber. The plan was only that he would sleep in the bed and Consort Li would keep watch, but the moment he entered, Consort Li pounced on him and groped him all over…

At the time he even suspected Consort Li had been possessed by a ghost.

And Consort He was even more direct… she put drugs into his food. Fortunately he was mentally strong and physically resilient. After she had nearly undressed him he chased Consort He out of Zichen Hall. Then, hiding under the bed, he used the painting album kept in a wooden box to imagine that they were depictions of himself and Shen Yu, and he took care of himself…

After that, rumors that he had an illness spread throughout the palace. Everyone believed he was infirm. Whereas once some bold palace servants might expose a breast or a leg before him, after that every maid dutifully tightened her clothes until they were airtight.

Over time he felt a bit guilty using the excuse of illness to fend off these women. Was that right? After all, his body was not ill, his heart was. With his heart already claimed, he kept himself chaste and avoided entanglements. Besides, having decided he preferred men, how could he be seduced by these voluptuous women?

“I did not know Your Majesty had already taken medicine, how careless of me. If Your Majesty does not mind, I will make you a fresh ginseng chicken soup tonight,” Consort He said softly, betraying none of her intentions.

Although Fang Rui couldn’t see it, he had been through this before!

“No need. I haven’t had much appetite these past days. I’ll rest in the bedchamber a few more days and won’t receive visitors.” Whether he’d remain in the Zichen Palace tonight was still uncertain.

At that, Consort He had nothing further to say and could only respond, “Then Your Majesty must promise your servant to take good care of your health.”

“Of course.” If his health was poor, how could he look up his precious Shen Yu?