Chapter 5: Born From The Grasslands

The side hall of Anyi Palace emitted a calming scent of incense. Upon entering the side hall, one could immediately see a small shrine dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy.

“Aunt, what do you think His Majesty meant?” Consort Li, who had just come from the imperial garden to the Empress Dowager’s Anyi Palace, looked aggrieved. She still hadn’t figured out what Fang Rui had meant earlier in the imperial garden.

Across from her, Consort He twirled a handkerchief at her lips and smiled, “His Majesty thinks you lack sense. You really ought to mend that brain of yours.”

“What did you say! How dare you mock me!?” Consort Li glared at Consort He, her expression furious. These two women were like oil and water.

Her appearance and manners were the exact opposite of Consort Li: Consort Li dressed gaudily, while Consort He was restrained and dignified.

“It wasn’t me who said it, it was His Majesty. Besides, we’re both consorts, why can’t I say that about you? I’m even your cousin on your mother’s side.”

“Pah, I don’t acknowledge you as my cousin. Aunt, you be the judge! Consort He always uses the fact that she’s one month older to lecture me.”

With her eyes closed, fingers twisting a string of prayer beads, the woman heard the commotion, opened her eyes, and shot Consort Li a sharp glance. Consort Li immediately fell silent.

She feared no one in the palace because her aunt was the Empress Dowager. But that was also the only person she feared.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Consort Li and then at Consort He, and stopped twisting the prayer beads in her hand.

“Instead of wasting time quarreling here, you should be thinking about how to capture the Emperor’s heart. Whoever first bears an heir will have the final right to lecture the other. Otherwise, each of you, shut up.”

Consort Li and Consort He exchanged a look and bowed their heads. Never mind bearing a child; they’d been in the palace for three years and had never once seen the Emperor in their own bedchambers. All their meetings had been carefully orchestrated chance encounters. Forget about producing an heir, the first problem was how to get the Emperor to even come to their own quarters.

The Empress Dowager had also noticed where their difficulty lay: Fang Rui was indifferent to women. It nearly surprised her. She had thought three years at most—once the imperial son was born she would increase the dosage of the poison. After all, the poison was colorless and tasteless, so even if he died of poisoning, the palace physicians wouldn’t be able to detect it.

The new emperor had to be raised under her hand. He absolutely could not be raised by that woman!

“Your Majesty, Minister Wang, Lord Wang, requests an audience.”

Consort Li and Consort He both showed surprised expressions. Consort Li said, “Uncle? Why has he come to the harem at this hour?”

It had been two and a half hours since court ended, so this Lord Wang should have already returned to his residence. Why did he suddenly come into the palace again?

The Empress Dowager glanced at Consort Li and Consort He, began to twist the prayer beads again, and said, “You two may go. Think carefully about how to keep the Emperor close to you. At the most critical moment, a little thought and craftiness is not out of the question.”

Hearing this, Consort He immediately understood. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards as if she had seen the dawn ahead. “I understand, Your Majesty.”

Consort Li looked bewildered and whispered, “You understood what?”

Consort He glanced at her disdainfully. Consort Li wasn’t worth her attention.

The Empress Dowager looked at Consort Li with no expectation. The three consorts in the harem were all hers. She didn’t care which one bore the heir, so long as someone did.

…

Just as Shen Yu had stepped out of the palace gate, without any warning, a palm struck her back with force. Shen Yu staggered forward several steps before regaining her footing, and because of the hard slap to her back she coughed violently for some time.

Holding her chest, she looked toward her assailant and saw the bearded Lei Shengda with a wide grin and no trace of guilt. “Lord Shen, I didn’t hit you hard. But you’re like a woman, so fragile.”

Shen Yu frowned. Why was everyone today complaining about her being weak and fragile?

After calming down, Shen Yu gave him a sharp look and asked, “General Lei, what are you doing outside the palace gate?” It was over two hours since court had ended. Why was Lei Shengda still outside the gate?

Lei Shengda was the general whose mansion adjoined the Shen household. Just over thirty, broad and powerful, with a thick beard and a booming voice. He came from the rough-and-tumble ranks, hard to restrain by ordinary rules, often speaking without thinking, blunt from start to finish, and so he had offended many people. Yet despite offending some, very few actually bore a grudge. His bluntness made him a man easy to understand, and court officials couldn’t be bothered to bother with him, so Lei Shengda’s career in the court had gone smoothly.

Lei Shengda fell into step beside Shen Yu. “Of course I was waiting for you. Who knew you’d take so long?”

“Waiting for me? Waiting for what?”

Lei Shengda had few close friends in court, and Shen Yu treated everyone with even-keeled indifference, neither warm nor cold. Lei Shengda, blunt as he was, thought Shen Yu was a good person who wouldn’t look down on his rough origins. With their mansions adjacent, he had pegged himself as Shen Yu’s friend.

When it came to someone whom others avoided like Lei Shengda, when he came close, Shen Yu let him.

“Of course I was going to take you for a proper good time. You’re twenty-one and still a virgin, aren’t you afraid that people might laugh at you? Back when I was your age I’d already married my eighth concubine… Hey, Lord Shen, where are you going?”

Shen Yu looked at Lei Shengda and sighed helplessly. “General Lei, you’d better go by yourself. I have to return and handle some matters.”

She then walked off in another direction.

“Hey, Shen Yu, I waited for you by the palace gate for two whole hours. How can you just say no?” Lei Shengda strode up and grabbed Shen Yu’s hand, then suddenly froze.

Shen Yu quickly withdrew her hand, her face slightly annoyed. “It’s best if you avoid such places of entertainment, General Lei.”

Lei Shengda looked puzzled and muttered to himself, “Why is this hand as soft as a girl’s?”

Not yet far away, Shen Yu’s expression remained unchanged. She turned back and looked at Lei Shengda. “General Lei, do you really think every scion of a noble family is like you, able to wield great swords and spears?”

Hearing this, Lei Shengda sneered with contempt. “I can’t stand you pampered young masters. Can’t lift with your hands, can’t shoulder a burden, your hands are even softer than girls’. Aren’t you ashamed?”

Shen Yu’s expression was indifferent as she climbed into the horse carriage, lifting the curtain to address Lei Shengda. “Next time, General Lei, do not address Shen Yu with such coarse talk.”

She dropped the curtain and the carriage began to move. Lei Shengda stood on the bluestone, while the general’s coachman led the carriage aside and asked, “General, are you still going to Lichun Garden?”

Lei Shengda clicked his tongue in astonishment and asked the coachman, “Do you believe there are truly men like Liu Xiahui in this world?” (According to historians, a famous story about Liu Xiahui is one night when he was staying outside the city gate, a woman who needed shelter came to him in the freezing cold and he covered her with his clothes as she slept in his lap. Throughout the night, he did not do anything to cross the line. Unfortunately, gentlemanly behavior in those times was something rare and to be recorded for others to learn from…)

The coachman chuckled. “I don’t know who Liu Xiahui is, but if a man didn’t like women, that would be abnormal.”

Lei Shengda nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Men and women are the same. Some are openly flirtatious, some secretly so. Men can’t help being attracted to women.”

After Lei Shengda and Shen Yu left the palace gate, an eunuch who had witnessed the scene ran back into the palace and reported every detail to Rong Tai without missing a word. Rong Tai, upon hearing it, shook his head helplessly. General Lei had truly stepped on a mine this time.

The matter was relayed into Fang Rui’s ears. Upon hearing it, Fang Rui placed his hands together, pressed his fingers until they made a subtle popping sound, narrowed his eyes, and said coolly, “I really haven’t exercised my muscles in a long time.”

Rong Tai thought, Your Majesty, didn’t you already exercise this morning?

He had put in so much effort and only this morning had laid hands on Shen Yu’s hand. And now Lei Shengda dared to grope her on his turf and even invited Shen Yu to accompany him to the brothel for drinks and more. What if one thing led to another and Lei Shengda got her drunk and into the same bed!?

The more he thought of it, the angrier he became. With a loud slap his palm hit the desk. “Summon Lei Shengda to the palace at once.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Rong Tai glanced at the desk after Fang Rui removed his hand and saw a palm print pressed into it. General Lei, you are truly in trouble*!*