#45: The Dream of Gaining a Deer and Catching Fish (II)

Luo Wei unconsciously clenched her fingers, opened her mouth, then tightly closed it again.

Ye Tingyan patiently held her, waiting for her response without saying more.

“I don’t know.”

After a long silence, Luo Wei suddenly spoke.

“What?”

“I’m answering your earlier question, ‘Do you know?’ No wonder His Majesty sent Lord Ye to handle the case. If I hadn’t been careful, I would have almost fallen into your trap,” Luo Wei said very calmly. “You ask me why I saved her, but I have no idea who she is.”

She curved her lips, playing with his usually unbound long hair behind him: “Qiu Xueyu and I did have some acquaintance when we were young. She had a carefree nature that suited my temperament. But how much could that acquaintance count for? We rarely met later on and drifted apart. Her entire family was implicated; they should have all been executed. How could I know she would appear in the inner palace?”

The midnight hour had passed, and the night was pitch black—it was supposed to be the most vulnerable time for a person.

Listening to these words, Ye Tingyan suddenly felt that the icy shell around Luo Wei was just too thick.

She was in his arms, fragrant and soft. They had once kissed and held hands, yet she had never let down her guard against him even for a moment.

He recalled the girl under the crabapple tree, laughing innocently, and felt momentarily dazed.

Was it these years that had forced her into this state, or had he never truly understood her?

Luo Wei continued: “Later, when I selected servants for the palace, I saw her at a glance and thought she bore a slight resemblance to Qiu Xueyu. Feeling sentimental, I assigned her to serve me closely. Later, because she was meticulous and discreet, I trusted her more. In the registry, she was from Yuezhou, surnamed Feng, named Yanluo—clearly documented. She went through two provinces and thirteen rounds of selection. How could I suspect? The mistake of allowing the daughter of a condemned official into the palace lies with the officials overseeing the process. Why are you interrogating me, Lord Ye?”

She touched her wound: “Now that I think about it, she must hate me to death. She once came to beg for my help, but I refused to get involved and didn’t save her family. I thought she was already dead. Who would have known she survived and concealed herself by my side? If not for my martial skills and careful diet, she might have struck long ago. That day when you sent a message, I was momentarily distracted, giving her the chance.”

Luo Wei felt slightly dizzy after speaking so much—these words had gone through her mind several times. If she spoke too slowly, she feared she wouldn’t be able to finish.

After finishing, she realized she had made a mistake.

—This was the explanation she prepared for Song Lan. Song Lan only knew Yanluo as her close palace maid, unaware of their intimacy. But facing Ye Tingyan, this was clearly a lame lie!

Ye Tingyan tightened his embrace around her waist, asking indifferently: “Is that so?”

Luo Wei broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

During their many private meetings, Yanluo had always accompanied her!

If Yanluo truly hated her enough to risk her life to assassinate her, why didn’t she simply report their affair to Song Lan?

That would hurt her far more than this stab.

Ye Tingyan released her, carefully placing her on the flower-patterned pillow behind her. Seeing her stiff expression, he couldn’t help but chuckle: “Your Majesty, why stop? What are you afraid of?”

He sat on her bed, leaning his body, deliberately squeezing her further in and taking half of the soft pillow behind her.

Their faces were almost touching. In the darkness, Luo Wei’s hand groped for the hairpin that had fallen between the brocade quilts.

But before she found it, Ye Tingyan suddenly spoke: “The case implicating Qiu Xueyu’s entire family was orchestrated by His Majesty, the Grand Tutor, and the literati of the realm. At worst, you merely had some acquaintance with her and didn’t help her. Even if Qiu Xueyu hates you, she wouldn’t hate you more than His Majesty. Reporting our affair to him and getting us killed—what benefit would that bring her? You should tell me this. Isn’t it easy to find reasons?”

This man!

She immediately regretted blurting those words, still hoping he might overlook something. But he was like a worm in her belly, discovering flaws in her defenses even before she did.

Ye Tingyan continued caressing her face with warm fingers, sighing lightly: “People are vulnerable at this hour. Why don’t you believe it?”

Luo Wei had lost this round but fortunately not the whole game. After a brief thought, she decisively reached up to Ye Tingyan’s neck, changing her story: “Those words were meant to deceive others. If you want the truth, the truth is that I indeed had a deep connection with A Fei. Knowing she was implicated and having no other way, I saved her life. Yu Qiushi discovered her identity—it was my fault. To avoid implicating me, she stabbed me with the hairpin.”

She leaned to his ear, her lips brushing his cheek, planting a casual kiss: “Can you ensure her life for three days for me?”

Ye Tingyan rubbed her face, gently saying: “If you were asking me to ensure her life, I wouldn’t dare promise. But for three days—yes.”

Luo Wei tightened her grip around his neck: “During these three days, she must suffer less torture in the Vermilion Bird Office. Superficial injuries are fine, but nothing that harms her fundamentally.”

“Alright,” Ye Tingyan obediently replied, mimicking her by playing with her long hair hanging behind her. Suddenly, he asked, “What if I told you…”

He cleared his throat: “If I told you that sparing her life today could immediately pull Yu Qiushi down, would you agree?”

Luo Wei’s heart skipped a beat, but she instinctively answered firmly: “No.”

Ye Tingyan was completely surprised by her quick response, dumbfounded: “Your Majesty doesn’t want to consider?”

Luo Wei was about to shake her head but realized she seemed too obvious, hesitating for a moment. Just then, Ye Tingyan continued: “A servant, an old friend, in exchange for eliminating a major threat and avoiding years of trouble—this deal is quite profitable. Didn’t you handle the Xiyuan murder case well?”

Thinking of Zhang Buyun, she felt another stab, unseen bleeding wounds, only the sound of wind roaring in her heart.

“She knows so many of your secrets. If I kill her directly for you, it would relieve your worries and topple Yu Qiushi—a stone killing two birds,” Ye Tingyan’s fingers traced circles on her back, sending tingling sensations outward. He spoke slowly, genuinely puzzled: “Not tempted, Your Majesty?”

Luo Wei wanted to refute but caught herself, sneering at why she needed to explain to someone like him. In his eyes, anything could be sacrificed if it achieved the goal.

So she simply replied: “I have other uses for her.”

Ye Tingyan asked again: “Why three days?”

Luo Wei answered: “In three days, my injury will allow me to walk, and I can see her.”

After speaking, there was a long silence. As Luo Wei was about to speak again, Ye Tingyan straightened up and planted a moist kiss on her cheek.

One kiss, seemingly filled with lingering affection and unspeakable sorrow.

He rose from the bed, smoothing the wrinkles on his robe, reciting casually: “When I left, the willows swayed tenderly; now I return, the rain and snow fall heavily... So, Your Majesty does have feelings.”

Luo Wei masked the inexplicable palpitation from that kiss, sneering: “Feelings are useless. I’ve already said she has other uses for me.”

Ye Tingyan chuckled softly.

For some reason, Luo Wei felt unusually soft tonight: “What are you laughing at?”

Ye Tingyan evaded the question: “I need to hurry back to interrogate. If I leave late, I might be discovered. It’s a pity I can’t view your chambers by candlelight.”

Half-lifting the gauze curtain, he turned his head: “Do you think I look good in this forest guard’s robe?”

The hall was so dark; besides that passionate crimson, she could hardly see anything. Yet Luo Wei blinked not once while lying: “Lord Ye is a peerless gentleman.”

Ye Tingyan didn’t care whether she was truthful, amusedly continuing: “Compared to pink robes, which looks better?”

Luo Wei patiently said: “Are you leaving or not?”

Ye Tingyan replied: “Then I’ll visit you another time.”

After saying this, he lowered the curtain but didn’t leave, as if waiting for her response. Luo Wei, leaning on the soft pillow, whispered: “Okay.”

Ye Tingyan walked towards the door: “Next time, have that little palace maid surnamed Li keep watch.”

Luo Wei was startled: “What did you do to her?”

“Nothing much, just some incense to make her sleep better, maybe even deeper.”

The gauze curtain fluttered, and he disappeared. The moonlight was bright, casting the shadow of the flower window in the hall. All around was silent, as if nothing had happened.

•

The Vermilion Bird Office originally had two halls—one located on the Imperial Street outside the royal city, formerly the old quarters of the Gold Hairpin Guard and previously the Royal City Office. The other was set a hundred steps east of the Qianfang Hall, not particularly close to Qionghua Palace. Fortunately, Ye Tingyan was very familiar with the royal city, skillfully avoiding the guards of the heavy halls without delay.

He changed back into his navy blue official robe in Yuan Ming’s room before returning leisurely. The Vermilion Bird Guards all knew he was the Emperor’s close minister and treated him with great respect. Seeing him return, they greeted him warmly: “Has Lord Ye rested well?”

Ye Tingyan pretended to rub his eyes and yawned: “Very well.”

He took the offered candlestick and walked deeper into the Vermilion Bird Office: “How is the prisoner?”

One replied: “As per your instructions, she has been alone in the deepest cell of the Vermilion Bird for half a day, without food or drink, and not yet tortured, awaiting your interrogation.”

Ye Tingyan nodded: “All of you may leave.”

Everyone knew the female prisoner was a serious offender for attempting to assassinate the Empress, and the Emperor had specifically sent a close minister to interrogate her, likely involving confidential matters. Thus, they tactfully withdrew, even clearing the guards around the interrogation area.

Yuan Ming was retained by Ye Tingyan. He took the candle and whispered: “As instructed by you, I left a candle in her cell.”

Ye Tingyan pushed open the door and saw Yanluo tied to the rack facing the entrance. She seemed extremely exhausted, her head drooping as if half-dead, her body bearing various wounds from resisting capture in the morning.

Fortunately, the Vermilion Bird hadn’t tortured her yet, and there was light in the cell. Despite the confinement, she hadn’t gone insane.

Ye Tingyan gestured for Yuan Ming to close the door, then approached a few steps. Yanluo seemed oblivious, her head bowed, only her lips trembling slightly. He leaned closer to listen and found her intermittently singing a verse.

“Reflecting. How much can it bear, the sorrows and storms, half obstructed, why insist on debating right and wrong to death?”

After hearing this line, he was about to speak when Yanluo paused, her breath carrying a hint of hope: “Fortunately, facing the clear breeze and bright moon, the moss spreads, the cloud canopy rises high. Jiangnan is beautiful, thousands of cups of fine wine, a melody... Full Courtyard Fragrance.”