Love in Another Life: My Gentle Tyrant Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen
Complicated and Contradictory.

The room was shrouded in a dim light emanating from the intricately wrought lamps. Through its faint glow, Xuanji saw the curtains hanging around her bed flutter gently with the movements of numerous servants hurrying in and out of the room.

Pain engulfed her senses as she slipped in and out of consciousness.  The next time she reopened her eyes, the room was full of servants, crumpled on the floor as they knelt, pressing their foreheads upon the ground.

'If she cannot be cured, you can all prepare to be buried with her.' The voice which issued was pleasant to the ears, yet it was tightly-strung, cold anger visible in its undertone.

Xuanji's eyelids were heavy. She only saw those resplendent yellow robes sweep out of the room, disappearing from sight. She reached out, as though trying to grasp hold of something, but her hands trembled weakly and fell to her sides. Startled, she immediately sat upright.

'Thank Heavens! Consort Nian, you've finally awoken. You have no idea how worried His Majesty has been.'

A female servant, around seventeen years of age, her features delicate and pretty, was looking at her with happiness and surprise.

'You are….'

'This humble servant is named Diefeng. His Majesty has instructed me to attend to you. Outside this room, there are many others who have been newly a.s.signed to wait on you as well. As His Majesty is afraid that they will disturb your rest, he has instructed them to wait outside.'

Xuanji suddenly remembered something and quickly took hold of Diefeng's hand. Anxiously, she said, 'Where is my original servant? Where is she?'

Upon hearing those words, Diefeng paled, kneeling on the ground. 'I… I am not sure.'

'Where is the Emperor?' Xuanji knew that she would not be able to obtain any answers from Diefeng.

'Consort Nian, the morning's court session has just pa.s.sed. The Emperor should still be attending to state affairs at Jinluan Hall.'

'Bring me to see him!'

Terrified, Diefeng stammered, 'Consort Nian, this is against the rules… His Majesty will come over to visit you later.'

'No!' Xuanji said tightly.

She needed to know what had happened to that child!

As she dragged Diefeng along with her, hurrying past pavilions and gardens in the imperial palace, she saw dozens of stupefied glances falling upon her.

Though she understood that her impatience was incredibly rash, and knew that her actions would lend others the excuse to once again denounce her, try as she might, she could not control the fearful trepidation rising in her heart, forcing all thoughts of restrain out of her mind.

If - if that child died…

'Consort Nian, this is Jinluan Hall. We, we -' Diefeng clung onto Xuanji's hands in a strong grip as she shook her head furiously.

Xuanji broke free from Diefeng's hold and hurried forward, but was immediately barred from entry by the imperial guards surrounding Jinluan Hall. One of them barked, 'Who is this?'

'Consort Nian of Fengjiu Palace,' she said slowly, testing out the words.

At once, the guards knelt and greeted her.

Xuanji took the opportunity to press forward, pus.h.i.+ng open those imposing doors, striding in.

Yet she quickly faltered in place, staring ahead.

This was the first time she had seen the Emperor's countenance.

The Emperor was very young.

His aristocratic eyes, unfathomable like a bottomless lake, were faintly narrowed, carrying a hint of coldness and insouciance; his nose, elegant and high, was a picture of dignity; his lips, curved into a sharp smile, betrayed no hint of sentiment.

Whether those pair of darkly beautiful eyes carried a trace of affection a moment ago, Xuanji could not say. Her mind was in a blank.

Because when she had pushed open the door, the Emperor's lips were attached to the slender neck of the woman in his embrace.

She stared at the both of them, her words deserting her.

The woman in his arms was the stunning beauty she had seen standing next to the Empress Dowager that day at Fengjiu Palace.

Swiftly, the Emperor tugged at the woman's robes, covering her body.

The woman's features glowed with the radiance of a person who had just been sweetly adored. Her delicate face, already heart-stopping, became even more charming. She glanced at Xuanji, anger flas.h.i.+ng across her eyes.

'Is this a place you can enter at your own whims?' The Emperor's voice was glacial.

'Then why is she here?' Xuanji bit back immediately. The moment her words fell, she realised that she had asked an incredibly foolish question.

As expected, the Emperor raised a brow, lips curling. 'Consort Hua is here because I summoned her. Why, is there something you wished to say about this?'

Xuanji bit down on her lips and said quietly, 'I… I only wished to ask, my servant, she…'

'Xu Xi.' The Emperor did not even look at her, turning instead to a eunuch who had been standing in a corner. Coldly, he said, 'Convey my decree: Consort Nian is unruly and audacious, daring to trespa.s.s Jinluan Hall. She is to be demoted to an Imperial Concubine, her allowance reduced. The servants of Fengjiu Palace did not do their duty to advise her. Each servant and every eunuch is to be sentenced to fifty strokes of flogging, to set a stern warning to the others.'

'Yes, Your Majesty.' The high-pitched voice of the answering eunuch resounded through the room, jolting Xuanji back to her senses.

Didn't they say that the Emperor doted on Consort Nian?

Didn't he save her life from the clutches of the Empress Dowager?

So, why…

Urgently, Xuanji said, 'Your Majesty, it was my fault, and my actions alone. Please be merciful on the others.'

'Oh? Concubine Nian is such a good mistress to her servants,' Consort Hua smiled sweetly, ridicule in her voice.

Those derisive words hammered sharply at her heart. Xuanji stared at the Emperor. The man's unreadable gaze swept across her feet.

Following his eyes, she lowered her head, only to see the curve of her slender ankles displaying from beneath her silk skirts. At once, she realised that, in her haste, she had forgotten to wear her shoes.

***

When Xuanji was led back to her quarters by a few attendants, the eunuchs and servants of Fengjiu Palace were already prostrate on the floor, gritting their teeth to endure the punishment being meted out. Diefeng was one of those included in the flogging.

At this moment, she finally understood that an Imperial Consort's retinue comprised thirty to forty servants.

Instinctively, she moved forward to stop the guards, but instead, her gaze met the darkly ominous eyes of the eunuch supervising the punishment. She recognised this eunuch: Xu Xi’s subordinate. In the imperial palace, a Head Eunuch like Xu Xi often wielded greater influence and authority than an ordinary consort.

Xuanji closed her mouth, swallowing her protests, and did not step forward.

Just like that, she stood at the centre of the vast courtyard, meeting the resentful gazes of all her servants.

Suddenly, light laughter filled the air from beyond the courtyard. Dispiritedly, Xuanji turned in the direction of the laughter, only to see four or five elegantly dressed women standing at the entrance of the courtyard. Carelessly, they glanced at the dozens of servants prostrate on the floor, enduring the flogging, while chatting amongst themselves in a low voice.

Were they also the Emperor’s women?

She shut her eyes.

When the punishment was finally over, Xuanji hastened towards Diefeng’s side and murmured, ‘I'm sorry.’

Diefeng’s face was ashen, but she only smiled and said, ‘Consort Nian, I am just a servant, please don’t say that.’

Someone snorted. ‘If you knew that your actions would implicate others, then please do try to restrain yourself in the future.’ From beside Diefeng, a female servant staggered as she rose to stand, her eyes filled with contempt as she glanced at Xuanji.

‘Hefang, how dare you be so bold as to speak in this manner to your mistress!’ Diefeng said furiously.

‘I did not refer to anyone in particular, Diefeng,’ Hefang said with a cold sneer. With a wave of her hand, another two servants who had just received their punishments quickly walked over to carefully support her.

Hefang’s attire was identical to Diefeng’s, and different from the other servants’. Xuanji guessed that she must too be another senior attendant. Though her words were unpleasant, Xuanji, who was still feeling uneasy with guilt, did not say anything, choosing instead to hold back the furious Diefeng by her side.

Diefeng clenched her jaw to suppress the pain from the flogging, and pulled Xuanji to a side, murmuring, ‘Consort Nian, Hefang is Jixiang’s subordinate. You can ignore her. I was taught by Ruyi and I will definitely wait upon you properly.’

Xuanji did not know who Diefeng was referring to, but a dim realisation dawned upon her.

Though her life had been saved and her status as the Emperor's woman retained, now, her station was so low that even a head servant dared to wilfully take advantage of her.

When she had first awoken, Diefeng had mentioned that Fengjiu Palace had just been rea.s.signed a whole new batch of servants. Now, it appeared that of these new servants, they were divided into two factions based on who they were under the command of: those under Jixiang, and those under Ruyi.

Only, why did the Emperor arrange for things to be as such? She recalled the man she had seen in Jinluan Hall, of his deeply unreadable eyes, and her mind could not decide what to make of him. The more she thought about him, the less certain she became.

At this moment, Hefang continued, ‘If Your Highness does not have any further instructions, then I will take my leave.’

Xuanji had not yet dismissed Hefang, but the latter had already turned to leave, bringing with her all the other servants.

Xuanji gave a half-smile.

Diefeng was wrong. Of the servants newly allocated to Fengjiu Palace, they were not divided into two factions based on who they were led by - it was really only Diefeng who sided with her.

‘How dare you dismiss yourself before your mistress has permitted you. Restrain this audacious servant and slap her fifty times.’

From behind, a cold voice sounded. Surprised, Xuanji turned. Hefang had already paled, staring with fright at the newcomer.

The faint and familiar smell of ambergis lingered in the air. In an instant, everyone n the courtyard knelt on the floor, their voices uniform as they hastened to greet the new arrival, ‘Greetings to Your Majesty!’

Xuanji turned to see the Emperor, accompanied by only one eunuch, his face impa.s.sive.

Smiling bitterly, Xuanji looked away. They had met thrice, and it seemed like each time they met, she was always in a position of helplessness.

Following suit, Xuanji knelt to greet the Emperor, but he had already said, 'There is no need to be so courteous.'

Shrill screams tore through Hefang's throat as the eunuch who had accompanied the Emperor began meting out her punishment.

‘Your Majesty, please let her off…’

‘Diefeng, why aren’t you helping your mistress into her room?’ The Emperor interrupted her, turning to walk briskly in the direction of her rooms.

As Xuanji was led back into her rooms by Diefeng, her mind was still preoccupied with the last image she had of the courtyard: of the terror-stricken eyes of all the servants, staring anxiously at the retreating back of the Emperor.

Suddenly, she did not dare to meet the Emperor's gaze. Quietly, she said, ‘Your Majesty, can you allow Diefeng to withdraw?’

The Emperor glanced at her. ‘This is Fengjiu Palace, and she is yours to command.’

Hers to command? Xuanji thought that within the four walls of this room, only she was her own master. But in a matter of days, she had already learned to acquiesce to survive.

‘Thank you, Your Majesty,' Xuanji said. She held Diefeng’s hands, and murmured, ‘Apply some medicine when you get back and have a good rest.’

Diefeng said her thanks and quickly withdrew.

A few servants entered to serve them tea.

Xuanji’s eyes followed the movements of the man’s slender fingers. The lid of the teacup was removed for a moment, before being set back atop the cup, a few drops of tea splattering on the table.

Xuanji trembled. He had not even done anything, but she was already feeling afraid.

The attendant who had served the pot of tea quickly knelt on the floor in her fright.

‘His Majesty has exacting tastes. Tomorrow, you can make a trip to the Queen Mother’s quarters and learn how to prepare a good pot of tea from Ruyi,’ said an unfamiliar voice as the newcomer entered the room. It was the eunuch who had accompanied the Emperor from earlier on. Behind him were a few other servants, following closely.

The eunuch's voice was clear and pleasant, and Xuanji absentmindedly glanced at him.

Though his words were slightly presumptuous, the Emperor was not angered. Instead, he smiled, ‘Xia Sang, serve the dinner. Tonight, I will be dining at Concubine Nian’s quarters. You can inform Xu Xi that he need not bring the tray of tablets to Chuxiu Hall tonight.’

Absorbed in her own thoughts, Xuanji glanced out of the window distractedly; the setting sun was slanting west, its rays s.h.i.+ning upon the fallen leaves scattered across the courtyard, the view enchanting.

Wait… tablets? That tradition of selecting a consort’s tablet to determine who will serve the Emperor that night?

Xuanji took in a deep breath - he wanted to dine and rest in her quarters tonight?!

In the morning, he had demoted her; moments ago, he had helped her discipline her wilful servant; now, he wanted to spend the night with her?

This man - Xuanji could not help the fear and uneasiness rising in her heart.

Tonight, she and him…