Consort Shu’s belly grew larger by the day, and everyone inside and outside the palace kept their eyes on Mingluan Palace.
But now, the Empress protected Consort Shu in the inner palace, Xue Yan held the court firmly in his grasp, and the Emperor had been poisoned with such a terrible toxin. As a result, not a single person throughout the palace dared to do anything that might displease Consort Shu.
The palace’s most precious tonics and finest items were sent to Mingluan Palace in an endless stream. The imperial physicians were also on high alert, carefully examining Consort Shu every few days, afraid that the slightest mishap might occur.
Whenever Jun Huailang had some free time, he would often enter the palace to visit her as well.
Consort Shu’s belly had grown, and she had filled out all over. As the weather gradually turned cooler, most of the chrysanthemums cultivated in the palace had been sent to her residence. Looking out through the window, she could see a brilliant expanse of golden flowers, like rosy clouds that had descended to the mortal world.
Consort Shu fanned herself as she reclined on the couch, still finding things to complain to Jun Huailang about.
“He can hardly wait to come see me three times a day. He might as well just move in and live here,” she said.
Jun Huailang smiled. “If the rules of the palace weren’t so strict, I imagine Xue Yan would be more than happy to let them stay here.”
Consort Shu leaned closer to him.
“I’ve heard all about it. The Emperor wants Xue Yan to take the throne, so why won’t Xue Yan agree?” she asked. “Now he’s even refusing to become Crown Prince. What on earth does he intend to do?”
Jun Huailang thought of Xue Yan, who had walked out through the front gate of his residence openly and aboveboard the previous night, only to sneak back in like a thief by climbing through a window and entering Jun Huailang’s bedroom, where he had entangled himself with Jun Huailang for most of the night.
He rubbed his rather uncomfortable lower back and was momentarily at a loss for words.
Consort Shu, however, simply assumed that Jun Huailang had never taken the imperial examinations, much less entered the imperial court, and therefore naturally knew nothing about affairs of the government. Seeing that Jun Huailang was silent, she did not grow suspicious. Instead, she turned to talk about something else.
Jun Huailang considered himself to have narrowly escaped disaster.
After all, it was one thing to tell his own parents about his relationship with Xue Yan. But to his aunt, Xue Yan was practically her adopted son, while Jun Huailang was her nephew. Their relationship was… a little too complicated.
He naturally could not bring himself to explain it to her.
What Jun Huailang had not expected, however, was that although he had escaped this predicament, Xue Yan would not be so fortunate.
Early one morning, Consort Shu got up at dawn. Having nothing else to occupy her, she went to pay her respects to the Empress.
The two women chatted casually, and before long, the conversation once again turned to Xue Yan.
Consort Shu said much the same things she had said to Jun Huailang. The Empress, chatting happily with her, casually remarked that Xue Yan was behaving this way entirely because he had someone in his heart.
Only after the words had left her mouth did the Empress remember that the person in Xue Yan’s heart was none other than Consort Shu’s nephew.
The Empress hurriedly shut her mouth. But the moment Consort Shu heard this, her interest was piqued. She clung to the Empress, insisting that she reveal the identity of her future daughter-in-law.
The Empress looked at her, caught in an impossible dilemma.
She knew she could not lie to Consort Shu about this. After all, once Consort Shu found out, she would certainly go and ask Xue Yan herself. And Xue Yan was unlike other people. He would never tell a lie about something like this; he would definitely tell Consort Shu the truth.
The Empress could only curse herself for letting her tongue run ahead of her thoughts.
Just then, Xue Yunhuan arrived.
After greeting the Empress and Consort Shu, he asked with a broad grin what they were talking about.
Consort Shu immediately told him, “We’re talking about Xue Yan! Your mother just told me that Xue Yan refuses to become Crown Prince because he has someone he loves!”
Xue Yunhuan had always kept himself out of the Crown Prince affair. Hearing this, however, he immediately became interested in the prospect of some juicy gossip.
In an instant, the number of people surrounding the Empress and demanding gossip increased from one to two.
Faced with two pairs of sparkling eyes brimming with anticipation, Empress Jiang struggled to utter the name.
“It’s… it’s Huailang,” she said.
Both pairs of eyes froze in place. Their expectant, gossip-hungry gazes gradually turned blank, before blazing with fury in perfect unison.
“How dare he!” Consort Shu suddenly sprang to her feet, startling the palace attendants on either side into hurrying forward to support her.
She shoved the attendants away and shouted angrily, “I never imagined that wretch would be so underhanded as to make a move on Huailang! Someone, hurry and bring Xue Yan here! I’m going to give him a good beating myself!”
Xue Yunhuan, standing beside her, was equally furious. He hurried forward and said, “Your Highness, Consort Shu, just wait! I’ll go give that bastard a proper beating first!”
With that, Xue Yunhuan rolled up his sleeves and strode out.
The surrounding palace attendants did not dare stop him. Empress Jiang hurriedly tried to follow, only for Consort Shu to grab her.
“Your Majesty, don’t go!” she said. “Just let him beat Xue Yan!”
Empress Jiang was so anxious that she stamped her feet. She could only watch helplessly as Xue Yunhuan led a large entourage of palace attendants away in a grand procession.
Something terrible was bound to happen, Empress Jiang thought anxiously.
At that moment, Xue Yan was still attending morning court. Xue Yunhuan, having left the Empress’s chambers, marched furiously all the way toward Yonghe Palace.
As he walked, he cursed under his breath.
“That bastard Xue Yan! How dare he harbor such thoughts about Huailang! I knew something was off about him back then. He had a dead man’s face for everyone else, yet he treated Huailang differently!” he muttered furiously to himself. “So that was what he had in mind all along!”
Naturally, not a single servant around him dared respond.
Xue Yunhuan continued muttering to himself. “Huailang is so innocent and good-natured. He must have been forced into this! Just you wait, Xue Yan. I’ll break both your legs on Huailang’s behalf!”
The palace attendants kept their heads lowered and followed him at a brisk trot, not saying a word.
Morning court at Yonghe Palace had just ended.
Officials were filing out one after another, and here and there, scattered figures could be seen descending the towering white marble steps.
Moving against the flow of people, Xue Yunhuan climbed the steps and charged into Yonghe Palace, heading straight for the rear hall.
Xue Yan was in the rear hall, tidying his robes and preparing to change out of his court attire before going to the Imperial Study to attend to state affairs.
Then he heard a series of footsteps approaching from a distance, aggressive and hurried.
Xue Yan raised his head and glanced over.
Xue Yunhuan was striding straight toward him.
He appeared to have rushed all the way from the inner palace. His breathing was unsteady from exhaustion, and a fine sheen of sweat covered his forehead.
Xue Yan had not yet removed his crown. Sitting calmly where he was, he watched Xue Yunhuan approach.
Xue Yunhuan walked right up to him, seized him by the collar, and hauled him upward.
Xue Yan raised an eyebrow and obligingly rose to his feet, following the force of Xue Yunhuan’s grip without the slightest resistance.
Immediately, a shadow fell over Xue Yunhuan.
Xue Yan was half a head taller than him. His back was straight, his shoulders broad and his waist narrow. The powerful, taut strength radiating from his entire body could not be concealed even by the heavy, flowing robes of his court attire.
He clearly carried the sandalwood scent of a Buddhist monk, yet it could not mask the aura of slaughter surrounding him. If anything, it made the viciousness about him seem even more unrestrained and brazen, the sort of presence that made people afraid to look him directly in the eye.
He lifted his chin slightly and looked down at Xue Yunhuan.
“What is it?” he asked coolly.
Xue Yunhuan knew he could not win a fight against him.
Although he wanted to break Xue Yan’s legs, if they actually started fighting, the one whose legs ended up broken would undoubtedly be himself.
For a moment, Xue Yunhuan was speechless. He swallowed hard.
Xue Yan grew a little impatient.
“What is it, exactly?” he asked.
He stood perfectly still, not even bothering to remove Xue Yunhuan’s hand from his collar.
Xue Yunhuan, however, felt a tingling sensation run down his spine.
After a moment, Xue Yunhuan cleared his throat and managed to speak with difficulty.
“…Consort Shu wants to see you,” he said. “She said she’s going to break your legs.”
——
Xue Yan arrived at the Empress’s palace.
Consort Shu was absolutely furious, while the Empress sat in the seat of honor with a somewhat guilty expression.
Xue Yan naturally knew what Consort Shu had found out. He remained perfectly composed as he bowed to her and the Empress before saying to Consort Shu, “Mother Consort, rest assured. I will devote myself wholeheartedly to treating Huailang well.”
Consort Shu was so enraged that she let out a furious curse before rushing at Xue Yan, punching and scratching him.
Xue Yan let her do as she pleased, calmly accepting every blow. When Consort Shu hit him too hard and accidentally lost her balance, he even stepped in at just the right moment to steady and protect her, making sure she did not bump or injure herself in the slightest.
As she beat him, Consort Shu cursed him out. But she had been well protected by her family since childhood, and when it came to actually insulting someone, she could not come up with anything particularly creative. In the end, all she could do was repeatedly call him a young scoundrel and a hooligan.
The entire Central Palace echoed with Consort Shu’s furious curses at the Prince of Guangling.
At present, these two were the most untouchable people in all of Great Yong. The palace attendants standing around them did not dare move a muscle. Every one of them held their breath, wishing they could vanish into thin air on the spot.
Jinbao, who had followed behind, covered his eyes with his hands, but even that could not conceal the gleeful smile tugging at his mouth and shining in his eyes.
After quite some time, Consort Shu grew so exhausted that she was panting heavily and could no longer keep hitting him.
Xue Yan, who had been taking the beating the entire time, remained completely unruffled. In an even tone, he said, “Mother Consort, you must take care of your health. Father Emperor’s century-old legacy is still waiting for the prince in your belly to inherit it.”
Consort Shu was so furious that she punched him a few more times.
“What prince? A princess! It’s a princess!” she snapped. “I absolutely will not help you. You can inherit the throne yourself. Just stay away from my Huailang!”
The things the two of them were saying were each more outrageous and disrespectful of imperial law than the other. In the past, either of them would have been committing an offense punishable by death.
But now, no one had the nerve to charge them with a crime.
Xue Yan smiled faintly and did not answer her. He simply poured a cup of tea and handed it to Consort Shu.
Consort Shu accepted the tea and took an angry gulp.
Before she had even swallowed it, another thought suddenly occurred to her.
She turned to Xue Yan, her gaze filled with suspicion and scrutiny, and looked him up and down.
“…Between you and Huailang, which one of you bullies the other?”
Xue Yan paused, then answered frankly, “Mother Consort, please continue beating me.”
Consort Shu: “…”
She understood.
Enraged, she immediately hurled the teacup at Xue Yan.
“You… you little bastard!!”