Chapter 56
After Qi Junzhuo and Yang Jinglei left the capital for the North Frontier, Shen Nian remained confined within the palace. Su Ren had been berated by the Emperor and was now under house arrest to reflect on his mistakes. Yue Yunzhou's leg was still healing, and he remained bedridden, unable to move.
On the surface, Yue Yunzhou appeared to be the one the Emperor valued most. Not only had the Emperor personally dispatched imperial physicians to treat his leg, but whenever the imperial physicians requested expensive medicinal ingredients from the palace, the Emperor would order them delivered without hesitation.
Yue Yunzhou was quite an interesting fellow. After returning home from the palace that day, he went so far as to submit a memorial saying he could ride in a carriage to the North Frontier, and that even if his leg ended up permanently lame, he would still get to the bottom of Chang Sheng's disappearance.
Upon reading the memorial, Qi Junmu couldn't help but remark to Lin Xiao: "Vice Minister Yue is truly a pillar of Da Qi. How could I bear to send him such a great distance while wounded?"
Lin Xiao's expression was also grim as he said that Yue Yunzhou was being utterly reckless.
Qi Junmu then ordered the court officials to recommend other candidates. But because the matter had arisen so suddenly, no one was prepared, and each faction began bickering in court over who to put forward from their own ranks.
Qi Junmu grew weary of their squabbling and ultimately slammed his hand on the table in the great hall, rejecting everyone's proposals outright. Thus, the only ones sent to the North Frontier were Yang Jinglei and Qi Junzhuo.
Naturally, some questioned whether the two were too young. After all, Chang Sheng's disappearance was a matter of great importance. Shen Nian had broken the leg of Yue Yunzhou—the very man renowned for his skill in solving cases—and the situation in the North Frontier was extremely complex. What if the two of them mishandled it?
Qi Junmu laughed coldly at this and said: "Even if they are young, I am at ease. At the very least, they know what they ought to be doing—unlike certain people who do nothing but argue in court and give me a headache."
The Emperor's merciless mockery silenced the assembled ministers. Seeing their pale, timid faces, Qi Junmu gave another cold snort and declared the court adjourned.
In that moment, Qi Junmu suddenly understood Emperor Jing a little better.
He was the Son of Heaven—supreme in every way. If he could speak and have his word obeyed without anyone daring to talk back, no matter how aggrieved they felt, then being emperor would be truly exhilarating.
Of course, Qi Junmu could not yet act like Emperor Jing. Their paths to the throne were entirely different.
Emperor Jing had seized the crown by wading through the blood of his brothers, even his own father. Qi Junmu, by contrast, had been placed on the throne by the support of others. Lacking that bloody ascent, he inevitably faced certain constraints in his position.
Still, Qi Junmu knew he would soon cast off those shackles.
After leaving the court, the Emperor did not return directly to Quanhua Hall. Instead, he decided to take a turn through the Imperial Garden.
The weather was still somewhat warm, but the hottest days had already passed—he would no longer break into a sweat after just a few steps.
As he entered the garden, Qi Junmu heard a woman's cheerful laughter from afar.
It was Fuhua. Qi Junmu furrowed his brow slightly and raised his hand to stop Ruan Jiqing from announcing his presence. Instead, he walked slowly toward the sound.
It was not far—just a turn through the flower groves and he was there.
Qi Junmu stopped. Ahead, in the pavilion, Yue shi was saying something, and Fuhua was bent over laughing heartily, showing none of the poise and dignity befitting a princess. Wen Wan was laughing too—not fully aloud, but still clearly delighted. Even from a distance, one could feel the joy radiating from her brow.
She seemed to come alive, every glance sparkling with vitality.
Nothing like her usual distant, aloof self. Wen Wan had always been a striking beauty with alluring features, but as Empress, she generally carried herself with solemn reserve. Now, laughing so freely, she was dazzling and radiant—truly a painting of a beauty, captivating in every way.
Yue shi saw them laughing and whispered a few more words.
Fuhua waved her hands repeatedly, still laughing, while Wen Wan murmured something in reply. Even the attendants around them seemed relaxed, occasionally bringing over chilled fruits in ice.
Fuhua personally handed a pear to Yue shi and took a slice of watermelon for herself.
Wen Wan touched none of the cold refreshments. Since childhood, her constitution had been frail, and she never cared much for such chilly fare.
Qi Junmu watched the scene and felt how strange people could be.
Toward Wen Wan, before his death, he had naturally felt hatred—deep, gnawing hatred. He had wanted to tear her apart, to make her die in disgrace far worse than his own.
And yet, when he was given this second life, his very first move was to suppress that hatred and not kill her outright. Aside from the instability of his throne, there was another reason: he stood at a cool distance, watching her play her part, observing what this Empress of his could do now that she no longer enjoyed his favor.
And the result? Quite interesting.
Recalling those few times Wen Wan had taken the initiative, Qi Junmu's lips curled into a sneer.
Even if she truly did not love him, once she realized she was losing favor, she would suppress her distaste and draw close again, wouldn't she?
Wen Wan was the first to notice the Emperor. Her smile froze, then vanished, her expression turning demure and proper in an instant—as if the radiant woman laughing just moments ago had never been there at all.
Her change alerted Fuhua and Yue shi, who also wiped their smiles away and followed Wen Wan's gaze toward the Emperor.
They all bowed, and the attendants knelt.
Qi Junmu walked over slowly and bid them rise.
Qi Junmu looked at Yue shi and said: "Where is Cousin Lin En?"
Since Yue shi had entered the palace, she would certainly have brought Lin En along. Since Lin En was not here, he must be with the Empress Dowager.
Qi Junmu knew this in his heart but asked nonetheless.
Yue shi hurriedly replied: "Your Majesty, forgive me. The weather is too hot, and Lin En is feeling unwell. He is resting at the Empress Dowager's quarters."
At the mention of Lin En's name, Fuhua's expression turned somewhat unnatural.
Qi Junmu nodded with an "Mm," and a silence fell over them—awkward and heavy.
Wen Wan stepped forward and said softly: "Your Majesty..."
Her face showed hesitation, as if she were about to urge the Emperor to ease the tension between himself and the Empress Dowager.
Qi Junmu cut her off directly: "Since that is the case, you may continue enjoying the scenery here. I have official matters to attend to."
Noticing that something was amiss, Fuhua quietly tugged at Yue shi's sleeve and said with a grin: "Your Majesty, my aunt and I are terribly thirsty. Imperial Mother has some chilled drinks prepared, so we will take our leave first."
With that, she bowed and pulled Yue shi—who was still a bit bewildered and had not yet performed her own bow—away.
After Fuhua and Yue shi left, the Emperor and Wen Wan stood there, the distance between them feeling profound.
Wen Wan looked at Qi Junmu, somewhat dazed. It felt as though she had not seen him this close in a very long time.
For a brief moment, she wanted to ask something.
But once again, Qi Junmu spoke first: "Hasn't the Empress Dowager assigned you to copy the Buddhist sutras?"
Wen Wan's heart felt as though it were encased in ice. The words she had wanted to say were frozen in her throat. She could not tell if it was her imagination, but she felt a distinct note of disdain in the Emperor's words.
She unconsciously straightened her back, lowered her gaze, and—though appearing reverent—spoke with an unmistakable pride: "Your Majesty, Princess Fuhua has been in low spirits lately. Today, my aunt brought Young Master Lin into the palace. The Empress Dowager knows how close the Princess is to my aunt, so she ordered me to keep them company."
"I see," Qi Junmu nodded. "Aunt always has a way with words at the Empress Dowager's quarters. She has always doted on Fuhua and would not wish to force her into anything she dislikes."
The Emperor could say this, but the Empress could not. Wen Wan stood there with her eyes lowered, her expression still and unreadable.
Qi Junmu continued: "Since that is the case, you may go and attend to Imperial Mother as well."
Wen Wan could not help but look up. The Emperor before her was gazing into the distance with an indifferent expression—impossible to tell what was going through his mind.
She understood the dismissal clearly enough. Between her and the Emperor, it had always been he who took the initiative. Now that he no longer did, she had tried to reach out herself—only to be harshly rebuffed.
Not wishing to lose face, Wen Wan composed herself and bowed gracefully, preparing to leave.
Just as she turned, Qi Junmu spoke again: "Wait."
She stopped and looked back, her eyes carrying just the right measure of puzzled inquiry. Her profile was lovely—like a celestial maiden from the pages of a story.
Qi Junmu gazed at her calmly and said: "Wen Yao is young and impulsive. The Wen family would do well to educate him properly—lest he one day stir up a disaster so great that no one can protect him."
Wen Wan was startled. Grasping the meaning behind his words, she turned pale.
The Emperor had said this deliberately. Last time, when Wen Yao entered the palace, he had clearly angered him.
Wen Wan quickly steadied herself, her face showing a hint of unease, and replied: "I understand."
Qi Junmu gave an "Mm" and strode away.
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