Chapter 52
The Empress Dowager's words were practically a direct command, pressuring Fuhua to accept the betrothal to Lin En.
Fuhua knelt on the ground and made a deep bow to the Empress Dowager. Her voice hoarse, she called out, "Imperial Mother."
The Empress Dowager said softly, "Your betrothal to Lin En was agreed upon long ago between me and the Lin family. This marriage is not just to appease the Lin family—more than that, it is to strengthen ties between our families and to consolidate His Majesty's throne. As the Grand Princess, even if you were sent to marry into a small kingdom on the frontier to maintain peace, that too would be your duty."
"Lin En saved His Majesty's life. He lost his appearance and his future. For the rest of his life, he can only wear a mask. Every time I think of this, my heart is filled with guilt. You know how your uncle and aunt feel about you—if you marry into the Lin family, they will treat you well, and I will have less cause to worry about you in the future."
Fuhua looked at the Empress Dowager and bit her lip. The slap she had received earlier today came because, after the Empress Dowager had repeatedly hinted that she should visit the Lin household more often to cultivate feelings with Lin En, Fuhua had grown restless and spoken her true thoughts.
She did not want to go to the Lin family, nor did she want to marry Lin En.
The Empress Dowager had looked at her in surprise at the time. Knowing that her mother cared for her, Fuhua poured out everything on her mind. To her, Lin En was just like a brother—there were no ther feelings. Pushing the two of them together would only make things uncomfortable.
After speaking, Fuhua had tugged at the Empress Dowager's arm and said coquettishly, "Imperial Mother, I know you care for Cousin Lin En, but I truly only see him as an elder brother."
Wen Wan had been present then as well. When the Empress Dowager hinted that Fuhua should go to the Lin residence, she had even cast an amused glance at Fuhua. But Wen Wan was adept at reading the room. After Fuhua had poured out her heart, she noticed the Empress Dowager's expression shift—there seemed to be fire in her eyes—so she stepped forward and said gently, "Imperial Mother, the Princess is still young and has a childish temperament. I am here with her, and she is simply shy. Please do not take her words to heart."
The Empress Dowager had sneered coldly at that. "I think she is not shy at all. I think she simply looks down on Lin En, just like everyone else—afraid of the face beneath his mask." Ever since Lin En had been made to wear his mask, the people of the capital dared not speak in front of him, but behind his back they all gossiped, saying that beneath that silver mask was a visage covered in burn scars.
If Lin En ever took off his mask, they said, he would scare anyone to the point of wetting themselves. Whoever married him would wake up in the dead of night, see that person lying beside them, and probably be frightened out of their wits.
Especially during the reign of Emperor Jing, Lin En had endured countless scornful looks. No one wanted to associate with him. The sons of noble families mocked him. As a result, Lin En had never even attended a proper academy—he could only study and learn at home.
Of course, after Qi Junmu ascended the throne, the Lin family became meritorious subjects, and Lin En became someone everyone sought to please. The mockery and scorn of his childhood seemed to have never existed.
But even so, what of it? Lin En's face was still ruined. He could still only live behind a mask.
Fuhua had sensed then that something was wrong, and she was taken aback.
She had been favoured since childhood, cradled in the Empress Dowager's palm. Even Emperor Jing had shown her half a measure more patience than he showed others. All her life, things that others dared not say in the Empress Dowager's presence—Fuhua dared to say. Things that others could not do—Fuhua could do.
For anyone else, such treatment might have gone to their head. But Fuhua had been well taught by the Empress Dowager; her temperament was steady, and she had never used her status to bully others.
As a princess, she had her pride, but she was also gentle in nature.
In Fuhua's heart, she was the jewel of the Empress Dowager's palm. But now, the Empress Dowager valued Lin En even more than her—and that made Fuhua feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Hearing the Empress Dowager's words, she hurried forward, took her arm, and said coaxingly, "Imperial Mother, every time Cousin Lin En enters the palace, he wears his mask. I have never even seen his face—how could I possibly despise him?"
Then she laughed, half-serious and half-joking: "I even asked Cousin Lin En to take off his mask once before—but he refused..."
It was that very sentence that made the Empress Dowager suddenly rise and slap Fuhua across the face.
The Empress Dowager had been furious. She pointed at Fuhua, her fingers trembling slightly. Her expression was grim, her tone harsh: "Do you not know why Lin En wears a mask when he enters the palace? It is for His Majesty's sake! What did you want him to take it off for? To scream in terror? To mock him? Are you trying to break my heart and your uncle's?"
The Empress Dowager was truly enraged—her chest heaved as though she could barely catch her breath. She looked at the stunned Fuhua, then slumped back onto her chair. In a stern voice, she ordered Fuhua to kneel outside the hall. She also declared that Fuhua's attendants had corrupted her and ordered them to receive twenty strokes of the staff.
Seeing the situation turn dire, Wen Wan used the pretext of consoling Fuhua to discreetly send Jiaoyue away to summon Qi Junmu.
Even now, recalling that scene felt like a dream to Fuhua.
But the burning sting on her cheek told her it was no dream.
The Empress Dowager's weary voice sounded again. "Your Majesty," she said, "what do you think of this?"
Fuhua snapped back to attention and also looked toward the Emperor.
Qi Junmu's expression was calm. "Elder Sister is my own blood sister. Of course I stand by her side. Lin En is my cousin and my saviour. The Lin family is Imperial Mother's natal home. I too wish to grant Cousin Lin En a proper and honourable standing. If Imperial Mother truly wishes Lin En to become an imperial son-in-law, there is still Yueqing in the palace..."
"I said last time—Yueqing will not do," the Empress Dowager said coldly. Qi Junmu and Fuhua both looked at her. She closed her eyes and said softly, "Lin En does not love Yueqing. He loves Fuhua."
Fuhua fell silent, her expression dim.
Qi Junmu let out an abrupt, mocking laugh, then said calmly, "In Imperial Mother's heart, Cousin Lin En's feelings matter more than anything—more than your own daughter."
The Empress Dowager furrowed her delicate brows. "That is because—"
"That is because Cousin Lin En saved me. It is all because of saving me that Cousin Lin En became what he is today." Qi Junmu's tone grew ever calmer—so calm that both the Empress Dowager and Fuhua felt a chill run down their spines.
Qi Junmu lifted his gaze slightly toward the Empress Dowager and said with an air of lightness, "Since that is so, let the debtor pay the debtor. Cousin Lin En's act of saving someone has nothing to do with Elder Sister. He saved me, and it is because of me that his face was ruined and he cannot show himself. If Imperial Mother's conscience still troubles her, shall I offer this throne to Cousin Lin En in return for his life-saving grace back then?"
"Your Majesty, do not speak such nonsense!" Fuhua straightened up, forgetting for a moment that Qi Junmu was the Emperor, and the sharp rebuke slipped out.
"What kind of talk is that? Are you trying to anger me to death?" The Empress Dowager had not expected Qi Junmu to say such things either. She rose abruptly, her eyes reddening in an instant, her whole body trembling with fury.
At his side, Ruan Jiqing dropped to his knees with a thud, head lowered, body curled in on itself, not daring to breathe a sound. Fortunately, since this concerned the Princess's private affairs, he was the only servant present in the hall.
The Emperor's reckless words would not spread—but Ruan Jiqing could not help worrying: if the Left Chancellor heard of this, would he misunderstand that Qi Junmu intended to destroy the Lin family?
After all, since ancient times, no emperor had ever spoken of yielding the throne to an outsider. If such words got out, Lin En would not survive the day.
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