#44: The Dream of Gaining a Deer and Catching Fish (I)

When Luo Wei regained consciousness again—or perhaps became somewhat aware—she realized Song Lan was sitting by her side.

It was already night, and the hall was unlit, so Song Lan hadn’t noticed her slightly opening and then closing her eyes.

Luo Wei closed her eyes, pretending to sleep, and felt his fingers gently stroke her cheek.

No matter the season, his hands were always cold—she had held young Song Ling’s hand before; his hands were always warm, even somewhat scorching. But Song Lan, even when their fingers were intertwined, both their hands were as cold as ice.

She heard his low voice, very soft, like he was talking to himself.

“You really...”

He only said three words before stopping.

His wandering fingers were like the fuse of a venomous snake. In her daze, Luo Wei felt a wave of nausea-inducing disgust. She thought that if a real venomous snake were crawling beside her now, she probably wouldn’t feel this way.

But he was more poisonous than a venomous snake, colder than a venomous snake.

Song Lan sat silently by her side for a long while. Seeing that she didn’t wake up for a long time, he finally turned and left.

After his footsteps completely disappeared, Luo Wei opened her eyes and unconsciously touched her wound.

The wound had been bandaged by the imperial physician, with medicine applied, and a lingering bitter medicinal smell filled her surroundings.

She knew she should have woken up earlier, asking about Yanluo’s current life and death during this rare moment of Song Lan’s distress, and saying a few words to distance herself.

But at the moment, she didn’t dare to ask, perhaps because she was afraid to ask, or perhaps because she was too exhausted today, she really didn’t have the energy to deal with Song Lan, and feared exposing any flaws in front of him.

A palace maid pushed the door open. Seeing her awake, she was about to call out, but Luo Wei hurriedly coughed: “No, no need...”

This palace maid was still young. Seeing her cough, she quickly rushed over: “Your Majesty, I’ll go fetch the imperial physician for you.”

Luo Wei shook her head and held her hand, speaking gently: “There’s no need.”

She scrutinized her for a few moments, then relaxed her brows: “Are you the maid surnamed Li sent by Noble Consort Yu?”

Maid Li looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. Hearing this, she nodded: “Yes, Yanluo Sister instructed many times that if she could no longer serve in Qionghua Palace, I should come to personally attend to Your Majesty. She even gave me the keys and tokens of the chief palace maid.”

Luo Wei held her hand and glanced at the medicine left by the physician beside her: “Good, Maid Li. Now that you’re in charge, first dismiss the palace maids serving outside the inner hall, following the previous routine when Mistress Feng was here. My injury isn’t severe; I’m just too tired and don’t want to see anyone.”

Maid Li asked: “Then what about Your Majesty’s wound? Who will take care of it?”

Luo Wei replied: “The physician will naturally come when it’s time to change the dressing. I just need rest and don’t require attendance. It’s enough for you to keep watch tonight.”

Maid Li thought for a moment and reluctantly agreed, solemnly bowing to her: “Your Majesty, please rest assured. Yanluo Sister has always treated me well, and I will definitely serve you attentively.”

Yanluo was surely already punished. Earlier in her half-dreaming state, she had heard people discussing how “Mistress Feng” was.

But this Maid Li didn’t seem to mind and still persistently called her “Yanluo Sister.”

After Maid Li withdrew, the hall suddenly became much quieter. In the darkness, Luo Wei struggled to sit up. She originally intended to get out of bed and go to the inner room, but she lacked the strength. In the end, she clutched the brocade quilt in front of her and curled up into a corner of the bed.

The silk was slippery and cool to the touch. She inexplicably recalled Song Lan’s demeanor just now, almost unable to suppress the surging pain in her heart.

Back then, the standoff between the various noble families and civil officials of Biandu nearly triggered a bloody coup. Yu Qiushi pushed Song Lan forward as a pawn. To save his life and prevent the capital from being drenched in blood overnight, Luo Wei momentarily softened her heart and placed Song Lan on the throne.

Initially, she had no other thoughts, only hoping to do her best to stabilize the political situation, quickly uncover the true culprit behind the Citang Case, and wait until the culprit was brought to justice and Song Lan grew up, everything would be stable, and she would leave this place filled with blood and storms, following her deceased fiancé.

At that time, Luo Wei had never thought about what consequences her momentary soft-heartedness would bring.

Just as she had never thought about what kind of heart the younger brother she and Song Ling had carefully nurtured possessed.

Luo Wei took a couple of breaths, forcing herself back from reminiscing, wiping off her cold sweat, and began to think about the current situation.

But this night was full of hidden pain and injuries, with cold sweat continuously dripping without cessation.

She didn’t know when she fell asleep or when she woke up. The nightmares cycled repeatedly, chaotic like tangled threads.

Around the end of the midnight hour, the distant sound of a watchman’s gong jolted her awake from a familiar nightmare.

As soon as she opened her eyes, Luo Wei heard faint footsteps by the window.

Someone!

How could there be someone!

Who dared to spy on her window?

Although all the attendants around the inner hall had been dismissed by Maid Li, the guards patrolling the outer halls of Qionghua Palace and the palace maids were still on duty. She governed the harem strictly; who dared to break the rules under her watch?

It seemed to have rained during the day. A damp night breeze blew through the half-open flower window. She leaned against the edge of the bed, suddenly noticing a familiar scent mixed in the night wind—cool, tranquil, the fragrance of jasmine and sandalwood.

Luo Wei couldn’t help but startle.

In that brief moment of distraction, the footsteps by the window actually stopped.

Immediately, someone swiftly lifted the flower window, like a ghost, and in the blink of an eye, they were right in front of her!

She was inside the forbidden palace; when had she encountered such a terrifying event?

Even in the most outrageous plays in brothels and teahouses, it was rare to hear of anyone daring to sneak into the Empress’s chambers at night.

Where were the Vermilion Bird guards? Where were the Linwei guards? And the imperial army patrolling the imperial city, the palace maids on duty...

Luo Wei was utterly shocked, so bewildered that she couldn’t even cry out.

The person who jumped in through the window didn’t hesitate to lift the gauze canopy in front of her bed and barged in. Luo Wei reflexively reached for another hairpin placed near her pillow. Just as she raised her uninjured right hand, he grabbed it, lightly twisting it.

The hairpin slipped out of her hand like that.

Borrowing the dim moonlight filtering through the window paper, she saw that the intruder wore the uniform of the Linwei guards—gold-embroidered narrow sleeves, high-tied long hair.

Among the Linwei guards, there was actually such a person, entering her hall undetected, moving like a ghost, swift and silent?

Why did he come?

Luo Wei’s heart raced with both urgency and anger. However, the man held her right wrist, and with just a little force, he could agitate the wound on her other side.

If she hadn’t been injured today, she might have been able to exchange a few moves with him, or at least make some noise to alert those outside the hall. But now—

The man held her right hand with one hand, and with the other, covered her lips. He moved closer, exhaling a breath by her ear.

“Shh.”

Luo Wei was infuriated by his presumptuous actions, disregarding her wound, wanting to pull away his restraint.

But this action startled him. He hastily withdrew his hand, carefully settling her injured left shoulder back down, his voice tinged with exasperation: “Your Majesty, it’s me.”

His tone was gentle and smiling, casual and nonchalant. The fragrance of jasmine and sandalwood was so close to her. Upon hearing these words, Luo Wei abruptly stopped all movements. At this moment, unable to see his face, she almost wanted to hug his neck and cry out loud.

The thought flashed for only a moment before cooling down. Luo Wei steadied her mind, slowly pulling his hand away from her lips, and coldly asked: “How did you get in here?”

Ye Tingyan sat beside her, casually pulling out a pill-like medicine from his sleeve, shoving it to her lips. When Luo Wei refused to take it, he grew somewhat angry and threatened: “This is the most deadly poison in the world. Once swallowed, your seven orifices will bleed within moments. If you die, I won’t survive either. We won’t be able to leave the imperial city alive, will be hacked to death by a mob. Let’s become a pair of doomed lovers, how wonderful.”

Though he was spouting nonsense, his reasoning made sense. This was the forbidden palace. Even though he had entered unnoticed, if he intended harm, Song Lan would dig up the earth to find the culprit.

Thus, Luo Wei relented, obediently swallowing the fragrant pill.

After Ye Tingyan fed her the medicine, his fingers didn’t leave. They caressed her red lips ambiguously, his thumb sliding down to press against her chin.

He gently applied force, lifting her face up, and leaned closer himself.

Only then did Luo Wei clearly see his seductive peach-blossom eyes. At this moment, there was no trace of a smile in those eyes—they were pitch black, unfathomable.

“When news of your assassination attempt reached His Majesty, he was extremely enraged. He dispatched most of the palace guards to search for the culprit and eventually found Mistress Feng attempting to drown herself among the lotus flowers at Huiling Lake.” Ye Tingyan stared intently at her, his voice low and unhurried. “She failed in her suicide attempt and was thrown into the Vermilion Bird Office but refused to say a word. His Majesty summoned several senior ministers to the Qianfang Hall, unusually rejecting their request to follow protocol and send her to the Ministry of Justice, ending the meeting in discord.”

“I waited in the outer hall until all these people left, including the Grand Tutor who had a private discussion with His Majesty, before going in to speak. His Majesty gave me a crimson token, instructing me not to leave the palace tonight, but to secretly interrogate Mistress Feng at the Vermilion Bird Office. Before dawn, if there’s no response, execute her on the spot.”

Luo Wei’s heart raced, nearly aggravating her wound. Ignoring her restrained position, she asked: “Why did His Majesty send you to question her?”

“I don’t know,” Ye Tingyan’s face showed a faint smile, seemingly mocking. “Perhaps there are things he doesn’t dare let the Ministry of Justice know—anyway, I stayed in the palace tonight. When all was quiet, I suddenly thought of you. Are your injuries severe?”

Luo Wei stiffly replied: “Nothing serious.”

“The lotus flowers by Huiling Lake were blooming beautifully. Their search ruined quite a few; it’s such a pity.” Ye Tingyan didn’t mind her reply, suddenly bringing up something else, then continuing on his own: “I remembered you once said you wanted me to become a eunuch to serve you. I thought about finding a eunuch, but the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. So I changed into a guard’s uniform, risking my life to come here at night. I just came to check on your injuries. If nothing… then it’s good.”

He repeatedly stroked her cheeks and neck, his voice very calm, devoid of any former intimacy, yet for some reason, it made her tremble.

Since that day at Xiuying Temple, this was the first time the two met privately. But there was no time to dwell on much; Luo Wei struggled to grasp his hand, forcing a smile: “I’m fine, it’s just a minor injury—have you learned anything staying at the Vermilion Bird Office till now?”

“I’m kind-hearted; I haven’t started questioning yet,” Ye Tingyan replied gently. “If I were to interrogate, I’d wait until after midnight when it’s even darker. You know, that’s when people are at their most vulnerable.”

He leaned closer, catching the scent of hibiscus oil mixed with medicine in her hair.

Luo Wei thought he was

going to kiss her, but instead, he buried his head in her shoulder and hugged her tightly, in a pose of utmost attachment.

He caressed her face, his fingers warm, momentarily making her feel like tears were welling up.

“How dangerous her identity is, you understand better than I do,” Ye Tingyan whispered in her ear, his tone light as if coaxing. “You must tell me the truth. Why did you save her back then?”