PMM - 27

In the distant palace, a palace woman softly spoke, “Let’s go.”

“Your Majesty, won’t you see His Majesty? You’ve been with him for six years, and now this is how he treats you?”

Many of the concubines knelt outside the palace, softly crying. Qi Yun forced a bitter smile. “It’s useless.” After six years of accompanying Liang Zhen, she understood just how terrifying this man could be when he was ruthless.

Now, he was focused on pampering a consort who hadn’t even arrived yet. For the old ones like them, getting close would only bring humiliation. In Liang Zhen’s presence, to survive, one had to learn to obey and hide.

The palace door opened, and a eunuch stepped out, straightening his back. He glanced at the concubines kneeling on the steps, his eyes showing disdain. He said in a sharp voice, “Ladies, go back. His Majesty is busy and cannot see you.”

“I don’t believe it. Move aside!” The woman in purple, kneeling on the ground, stood up angrily.

The eunuch sneered. “Someone, His Majesty’s decree—deal with the insolent ones according to palace rules.” The guards dragged the struggling woman away, and the other concubines, witnessing how the once favored concubine was treated, shuddered.

“Do the consorts still insist on seeing His Majesty?”

“No, no, Your Majesty. I’m tired today. I won’t disturb His Majesty anymore.” One by one, the consorts found excuses and left the palace steps. Qi Yun sighed as she watched the scene and returned to her palace.

This whole scene was because of a woman who hadn’t even arrived yet. Liang Zhen was extremely fond of her, having supposedly spotted her while touring Yingdong. To please her, the emperor was building a grand palace, driving all the old consorts to the Northern Palace.

The Northern Palace was far from the emperor’s main palace, and without his summons, it was difficult for the consorts to see him. It was no different from the cold palace.

Qi Yun lowered her eyes, suppressing the jealousy in her heart. The emperor was doing all this to flatter his new consort. If that woman was kind-hearted, then the old consorts might still have peaceful lives. But if she wasn’t, that would mark the true beginning of their nightmare.

Right now, Qi Yun couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t afford to make the emperor dislike her, so she would continue playing the gentle and virtuous role. The only way to turn things around was for that woman to fall out of favor.

A cold light flickered in her eyes, and after a long while, she gently curled her lips.

Lian Qi opened the memorial in his hands and asked his personal guard, Yin Zhou, “How is the training going?”

“Reporting to the Young Master, everything is proceeding according to your orders. The men are all stationed on the outskirts of the city. But we can’t post any notices, so progress is slow.” Yin Zhou sighed, feeling frustrated. They were training in secret, unable to do so openly because Yi Qiancheng’s subordinates were still in Yingdong, keeping a close watch on their every move.

Lian Qi showed little expression. “Recruit in secret and expand the army. Be careful, even if it’s slow, we can’t let Fang Mu notice.”

He couldn’t let Lian Sheng be in danger. It was crucial to maintain calm in Yingdong, unnoticed by Yi Qiancheng.

“Yes!” Yin Zhou hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Young Master... I must say this—your injury is still not healed. Don’t overexert yourself. The army training can’t be rushed; the priority is for you to recover.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Lian Qi could wait, but Ah Sheng couldn’t. The thought of her being with Yi Qiancheng made him unable to control the fire burning inside. He gritted his teeth, unsure whether to be angry at his own impulsive words or at the fact that Lian Sheng had no heart.

One day, he would openly bring Ah Sheng back.

Fang Mu was patrolling the city in Yingdong, and the citizens, knowing that they were soldiers of Sha Ji, treated them with great respect, offering eggs and vegetables from their homes.

Fang Mu, a tall man, smiled shyly at their enthusiasm, appearing humble and approachable. The people became even more enthusiastic, and every time he went out on patrol, someone would greet him, “General Fang is here again?”

Fang Mu, sincere and grateful for the people’s warmth, would often help them with small tasks, like pushing carts or intimidating beggars.

In addition to keeping an eye on the city’s situation, Fang Mu’s more important task was to monitor the movements of the Lian family. Though he was simple-minded, he was not foolish. He knew that the most powerful person in the Lian family was the eldest son, Lian Qi, so he had his people keep a close watch on him.

The eldest son of the Lian family, Lian Qi, has been recuperating lately and hasn’t gone out. Fang Mu let out a sigh of relief but kept his guard up, not daring to relax in the slightest. The general entrusted him with the city of Yingdong, which showed how much the general valued and trusted him. He couldn’t afford to disappoint the general.

“Master Fang, the city lord has asked me to convey his invitation. He wishes to host you and the soldiers tomorrow at his residence for a gathering,” one of the city lord’s men said.

“No need. I’m just doing what the general instructed. Please convey my thanks to City Lord Lian,” Fang Mu replied, frowning, confused. The city lord had never been particularly kind to him or his men, so why would he suddenly invite them to a feast?

But no matter the reason, Fang Mu had no intention of getting too close to the Lian family. His task was surveillance, not to build relationships. The messenger, growing anxious, tried to convince him with many polite words, but Fang Mu remained unmoved. His expression unchanged, the messenger had no choice but to return, discouraged.

Upon hearing that Fang Mu had refused, City Lord Lian’s expression grew darker. He had initially thought that Fang Mu appeared to be naive and easily manipulated. However, it seemed that this man was deeply loyal and would never listen once he set his mind to something.

Fang Mu didn’t stay in the city lord’s residence. He and the Shaji soldiers were stationed separately at a barracks, self-sufficient in food and clothing. General Yi Qiancheng ran a strict military camp, and Fang Mu followed the same rules. City Lord Lian couldn’t possibly kill all the soldiers without raising suspicion.

If Lian couldn’t deal with Fang Mu, Liang Zhen wouldn’t believe in his sincerity, and Lian Tian would have no chance of marriage.

Originally, City Lord Lian had planned to send Lian Qi away the next day and invite Fang Mu over to lay a trap. He had hoped to poison the feast and catch all the Shaji soldiers in one go, but Fang Mu refused to cooperate.

Lian Lord’s advisor, Yuan Ye, was the one who had been sent to ask for Yi Qiancheng’s support and had arranged the marriage with Lian Sheng. He understood his master’s frustration and advised, “Lord, we can’t rush this. You mustn’t let the eldest son notice anything wrong. Besides, the Shaji soldiers are not to be underestimated. Yingdong is still recovering, and it’s not wise to stir up trouble just yet.”

“This can’t be done, and that can’t be done. Then tell me what will work!” Lian Lord was impatient.

Yuan Ye thought for a moment before suggesting, “Why not ask His Majesty for help? He commands the imperial forces and has the support of the Huan Shui. Dealing with Fang Mu should be easy for him. If His Majesty wishes to marry the girl, he must show sincerity. You don’t need any dowry, just ask His Majesty to help deal with the Shaji soldiers. Then, all you need to do is keep Lian Qi occupied, and once the Shaji soldiers are gone, the girl will be sent to the capital. By then, Lian Qi will have no choice but to ally with you.”

With no other options, City Lord Lian decided to give Yuan Ye’s suggestion a try, hoping that His Majesty’s genuine desire to marry would lead him to help eliminate Fang Mu.

...

After Yi Qiancheng moved back in, Lian Sheng remained unaffected. She had instructed Lu’er to pull out several quilts from the cupboard and piled them up between them, creating a “mountain of quilts.” Once they lay down, neither of them could see the other.

Yi Qiancheng: “...”

Moreover, Yi Qiancheng woke up early, and Lian Sheng almost never saw him when she got up. The servants reported that the general was practicing his sword in the courtyard. Yi Qiancheng had some unusual hobbies—such as taking cold baths early in the morning.

As a pampered young lady, Lian Sheng didn’t really understand what the general was up to. She only noticed that her husband’s mood seemed off lately. He appeared to be in a constant state of irritation, discontent with everyone.

Lian Sheng thought to herself, Yi Qiancheng had always been temperamental. This seemed like his usual state, so she decided to go on with her small life in peace.

Nanny Liu had been observing Lian Sheng’s condition for several days, and she sighed inwardly, realizing that the general and the young lady had not yet gotten close. Nanny Liu’s suspicions grew stronger about the general possibly having a hidden ailment. During Lian Sheng’s afternoon nap, she called Lu’er over. “Child, do you know how to make nourishing soup?”

“Nourishing soup? What kind of nourishing soup, Nanny? I know how to make one that nourishes Qi and blood,” Lu’er replied.

“Well then, I’ll give you a prescription in a few days. You can make it for the general, and hopefully, it will do the trick.”

Yi Qiancheng’s mood soured whenever he looked at Lian Sheng’s innocent and puzzled face, which only made him angrier. However, he couldn’t bring himself to act harshly, so he just endured it, focusing instead on military matters. He decided to send Fu Chengyu to the Yuanshui area to hold back Xiang Han.

In the entire Daliang kingdom, power was divided into four factions. Five cities surrounded the imperial capital. To the north was the dominant force, Yi Qiancheng; to the south, the dominant force was Xiang Han. Besides them, there were Liang Zhen, City Lord Ling Jiuyao of Huan Shui, and Feng Mu, the neutral faction that didn’t seek power but merely defended itself.

After the merger of Yingdong and Shaji, Xiang Han would surely become impatient. He had been eyeing Feng Mu for a long time but had been unable to take control. This time, during the struggle for Feng Mu, he would not let it go easily.

Xiang Han, who had ascended to power by killing his uncle, was a ruthless and calculating opponent. He was both cold-hearted and intelligent, making him a formidable adversary.

Fu Chengyu had not yet avenged his grudge against Huan Er, and this fox-like figure would be a perfect match to deal with Xiang Han. When Fu Chengyu was informed, he surprisingly did not object.

“Alright, I’ll go.” Recently, his mood had been off. He couldn’t stay in Shaji any longer; he feared he would lose control and do something he would regret. With Yi Huan here, it was easy for him to be distracted. The only way to regain control was to leave, and the farther, the better. Only then would he become the Fu Chengyu who cared for nothing.

Once the plan for the Yuanshui mission was decided, Fu Chengyu led his soldiers out the next day. Fu Yi had already gone to Feng Mu to make preparations, so Fu Chengyu didn’t have to say goodbye to anyone.

He departed at dawn, riding his horse through the dark. The path ahead was not visible, and behind him was only darkness. He suddenly felt a sense of melancholy.

Walking alone in the darkness, he had been traveling for so long.