Chapter 89: I Want to Return to the Palace
Outside this grand hall, there were no palace lanterns nor attending servants. Suddenly hearing a woman’s voice was enough to send chills down one’s spine.
Chu Mingheng had brought something with him.
He seemed not to hear Consort Zeng’s tearful pleas, merely looking down at her with eyes full of indifference and coldness.
Even Chen Kangan, standing behind the emperor, couldn’t help but shiver, feeling that Your Majesty had been overly severe lately.
On ordinary days, Your Majesty could conceal that severity. Though he retained his majesty and aloofness, it wasn’t to the point of frightening people into silence.
But in recent days, there were occasional moments when he felt as if Your Majesty was surrounded by an aura of bloodshed, speaking with the intent to execute someone at any moment. Yet, strangely, Your Majesty hadn’t killed anyone.
Thinking of the Zeng family, Chen Kangan shook his head inwardly in understanding. It wasn’t that no one had been killed—it was just that the order hadn’t been given yet.
From now on, the Zeng and Chen families should be erased from the imperial capital.
“You want me to spare your life,” Chu Mingheng said calmly.
Consort Zeng hurriedly kowtowed.
“I won’t kill you now,” Chu Mingheng said, his gaze shifting behind him.
Chen Kangan immediately stepped forward with the jug of wine he had brought, not even preparing a cup. Smiling at the kneeling Consort Zeng, he said, “This is a medicine prepared by Imperial Physician Zheng of the Imperial Medical Academy. It’s made from various poisonous insects and filthy substances. Taking it won’t kill you, but it will subject you to immense suffering. It is Your Majesty’s grace.”
Hearing this, Consort Zeng trembled, quickly trying to crawl away while kneeling. She shook her head and screamed in panic, flailing her arms in an attempt to knock over the wine.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, have mercy!”
Seeing that pleading for mercy was useless, she gritted her teeth and blurted out, “I—I know who set fire to Kunning Palace—”
She lowered her voice as she spoke, but her words remained unfinished.
Yet, upon hearing her mention Kunning Palace, even Chen Kangan’s hand holding the wine jug trembled slightly, and Luo Yun, standing nearby, felt a pang of alarm.
Chu Mingheng lowered his gaze, expressionlessly watching Consort Zeng.
Consort Zeng retreated to the wall, trembling yet pretending to be calm as she attempted to negotiate with him. “Back then… back then, the fire at Kunning Palace was deliberately set—Your Majesty believes that everyone involved was dealt with by the Late Emperor… but actually, that’s not true!”
After speaking, seeing that Chu Mingheng showed no particular reaction, she felt uncertain, but this was her only chance.
So she continued, “If… if Your Majesty spares me, I will tell you who was behind that incident…”
A gentle breeze swept through, leaving the courtyard silent.
Chu Mingheng slightly raised his chin, signaling to Chen Kangan. “Force the wine down her throat, then cut out her tongue.”
Consort Zeng’s eyes widened in terror. She tried to lunge forward but was firmly restrained by the palace attendants, who held her limbs and forced her mouth open, preventing her from uttering another word.
Chu Mingheng turned and walked out of the hall, calmly ordering, “Return to Taichen Palace.”
When he returned, Lan Wu was still peacefully asleep on the couch. If it weren’t for the disarray and intimacy of the small chamber’s bed, and the fear that Lan Wu might wake up alone and feel afraid, he truly wouldn’t have wanted her to leave that place.
Lan Wu wore only a thin gauze sleeping robe. She hugged the quilt, sleeping soundly. A moment later, the bed curtain was drawn open and then closed again as Chu Mingheng came to her side.
She faintly sensed someone watching her, but her sleep was deep, and the thought quickly faded away.
It wasn’t until the afternoon of the next day that she woke up.
This unfamiliar place before her left her mind in a daze.
She turned over, her eyes vaguely glancing beyond the bed curtains, and only then did she realize where she was.
Why was she still in Taichen Palace?
Lan Wu sat up, feeling sore in her back and legs. Gritting her teeth, she opened her mouth and called for the palace attendants outside to come in.
On the low table beside the bed, tea had been prepared. She reached out, took it, and drank it all in one go.
It was Luo Yun who entered the hall.
“Your Majesty, you’re awake,” Luo Yun said, helping her pull open the bed curtains. Seeing her frowning and looking uncomfortable, she added, “It’s already past noon, Your Majesty. His Majesty instructed that once you wake up, we should send word to the Imperial Presence.”
Lan Wu pressed her own head, remembering how Chu Mingheng had tricked her into coming here yesterday, keeping her trapped in that wretched little hall, shrouded in darkness, with no chance to escape.
“I want to return to my palace,” she said. “Prepare my bath and clothes. I want to go back.”
It was truly infuriating. Chu Mingheng must have burned his brain that day—how could he treat her like that? She was angry!
Luo Yun observed her expression and softly acknowledged the order, calling in the palace maids outside to attend to her.
Whether it was intentional or not, by the time the maids had slowly finished helping her freshen up, Chu Mingheng had arrived.
Lan Wu felt her teeth itch with anger just looking at him. Earlier, while two young palace maids were combing her hair, their faces had flushed red. She knew something was off at a glance, and upon closer inspection in the mirror, she discovered a ring of bite marks almost encircling her neck. Though not deep, they were fine and red—how could they not catch people’s eyes?
Chu Mingheng stood behind her, picking a kingfisher-feather gold hairpin from the dressing table and placing it in her hair.
Lan Wu immediately took it off and handed it to the palace maid beside her.
The maid trembled as she took the hairpin, hardly daring to lift her head.
But then Chu Mingheng chuckled softly, took the hairpin back, and this time, looking at Lan Wu’s pouty little face in the bronze mirror, coaxed her, “How about wearing it here?”
Lan Wu glanced at him, lowered her eyes, and ignored him.
The palace maids’ hearts pounded in their chests—they had never witnessed such a scene before.
Fortunately, Luo Yun arrived just in time and led all the palace maids out of the hall.
Chu Mingheng placed the hairpin in her hair again, leaning down to whisper, “It looks beautiful.”
“Ugly!” Lan Wu stood up, refuting him.
The sudden movement made her waist ache and go weak. She winced, only to be quickly picked up by Chu Mingheng and carried to a nearby soft couch.
“What’s ugly? A’Wu is the most beautiful,” he said, a faint smile curling his lips as he coaxed her.
Lan Wu’s throat still ached slightly, and she couldn’t even muster a smile. She reached out to push him away.
But as soon as she extended her hand, Chu Mingheng took it and kissed it.
“A’Wu, don’t be angry anymore. Be careful not to harm your health.”
“I—I want to go back… I’m never coming to this wretched place of yours again…” She pursed her lips, unable to pull her hand free, so she bumped her head against him.
With her limited strength, not only did she fail to hurt him, but she ended up dizzy herself, tilting her head to lean against Chu Mingheng’s chest.
“Alright, alright, you won’t come again.”
“Let’s go eat something first. After the meal, I’ll escort you back,” Chu Mingheng negotiated with her, calling out to have the meal prepared.
Lan Wu quieted down a bit, though her anger remained undiminished.
She had already slept past the time for the midday meal, so Chu Mingheng personally attended to her, catering to her every need.
Lan Wu glanced at him, thinking that even he knew he had gone too far yesterday.
It had been endless.
She counted—how many days in a row had it been? Did he really think she wouldn’t break?
In the afternoon, she would summon Court Physician Lin to take her pulse. If something was diagnosed, it would be best if it kept Chu Mingheng from touching her for ten days or even half a month.
After the meal, Lan Wu felt drowsy again. She had Chu Mingheng hold her and massage her waist, murmuring that she would go back after a short while, but she soon fell asleep with her eyes closed.