Chapter 27: Not Her
Yan Xuerui, usually compliant with Gu Yan, now furrowed her delicate brows, her steps hesitant.
Though she had lived a secluded life for years, she knew the gravity of "defying an imperial decree." The last time Gu Yan had "spoken truths in his wine," she had pressed him with questions for a long time afterward, yet she still couldn't quite grasp his temperament.
The eunuch nearby paled in shock. Meeting Gu Yan’s heavy gaze, he took a step forward but instinctively recoiled, his voice trembling as he urged, "Marquis, you absolutely must not!"
When immortals clash, mortals suffer. Whether Grand Tutor Gu would ultimately face consequences remained unknown, but if they botched this task, they would surely face severe repercussions.
The eunuch delivering the decree lowered his voice, whispering confidentially, "Marquis, do not fret. The palace... is not targeting your wife."
"The esteemed Immortal Xu in the palace is divinely insightful. He calculated... that person's..."
Princess Changle and Consort Chen were taboo subjects in the palace. The eunuch dared not speak their names directly, instead saying euphemistically, "He calculated that person's exact whereabouts. What a coincidence, the divination pointed to this very neighborhood where our Marquis's residence is located."
"There are twelve residences in total, with some forty to fifty women of marriageable age among them. It's merely for a cup of tea in the Imperial Garden."
The lane where the Marquis of Jingyuan's residence was located was close to the palace, and most of the estates belonged to high-ranking officials and nobles. Though the Emperor was aged, he was not foolish. Summoning the wives and concubines of important ministers one by one would not only be beyond his energy but also risk future historians condemning him.
As for how to identify that princess and report back to the Emperor, that would depend on Daoist Master Xu’s divine abilities.
The eunuch spoke in veiled terms, but Gu Yan’s eyes flickered, instantly grasping his meaning.
His mind raced with countless thoughts when suddenly, a pair of delicate, slender hands gently rested on his arm, offering a soothing touch.
"Marquis, the spring scenery outside is beautiful. Appreciating the mountains need not be confined to dawn or dusk. Since His Majesty has summoned me, I ought to obey the imperial command."
Yan Xuerui spoke softly. Although she missed Ming Wei, she understood priorities. Even for the sake of their children, she could not let Gu Yan continue down this reckless path.
"Marquis."
Yan Xuerui gently tugged his sleeve, her fingertips lightly brushing over the prominent veins on the back of his hand. "Don’t worry, I can handle it."
In the past, she might not have been able to cope, but after recent hardships, she was no longer afraid of meeting people. Her mother-in-law had taught her imperial etiquette, so even if she were to stand before the Emperor, she would not be discourteous.
Besides, as the eunuch had said, it was only about having a cup of tea in the Imperial Garden. Whether she would even see the Emperor remained uncertain.
A prolonged silence fell.
Gu Yan grasped her hand and said coldly, "In that case."
"I will accompany my wife into the palace."
He wanted to see for himself what kind of person this Immortal Xu was.
...
The carriage wheels rolled forward, and inside, the husband and wife sat facing each other. Gu Yan closed his eyes, turning the jade thumb ring on his finger.
The Emperor had summoned his wife to the palace to search for that missing princess. Gu Yan had heard of this matter.
By the time he had begun to rise to prominence in court, more than a decade had already passed since the incident. The Emperor tabooed any mention of it, and over time, most people only knew that His Majesty’s preoccupation with Taoist practices was due to a princess lost many years ago, with no further details.
Because of his ties to the Xu family, Gu Yan knew a bit more.
There had once been a deeply favored imperial consort in the palace. She was not from a noble family, and her birth, death, and origins were unknown. She had met the Emperor from among the common people. The woman was artless and free-spirited, quite different from the proper consorts in the palace, and she won the Emperor’s deep affection. He granted her the title "Consort Chen," and the two often referred to each other as "husband and wife," sharing a love akin to that of ordinary folk.
Once Consort Chen appeared, all other beauties in the rear palaces were cast into shadow. The six palaces stood empty, and many consorts grew dissatisfied, complaining to Empress Xu, who managed the harem. Consort Chen, being a commoner, was unfamiliar with palace rules and spoke her mind bluntly, offending Empress Xu on multiple occasions. Empress Xu used palace regulations to punish Consort Chen, and the two became irreconcilable, further fueling the Emperor’s disdain for Empress Xu.
Later, many incidents occurred. Consort Chen became pregnant but grew increasingly dispirited. To allow her to rest well, the Emperor moved her to the Western Palace in the capital. The Emperor did not neglect state affairs because of this, traveling daily between the main palace and the Western Palace. However, after Consort Chen gave birth, a fire broke out in the Western Palace. The Emperor never even laid eyes on the child, who disappeared without a trace.
It was only known that she was a princess. The Emperor granted her the title "Princess Changle" and ordered an extensive search throughout the capital for female infants with red moles on the soles of their feet.
A month later, Consort Chen died of melancholy. The Emperor was grief-stricken, suspended court for three days, and personally accompanied her coffin to the imperial mausoleum.
That same year, the Emperor deposed Empress Xu and purged both the former court and rear palace extensively. After some time, the Emperor destroyed all portraits and daily records of Consort Chen’s life. Though not explicitly forbidden, everyone knew never to mention Consort Chen in the Emperor’s presence.
Even the "Princess Changle," who had been lost among the common people before growing up, could only be referred to indirectly. The Emperor’s preoccupation with Taoist practices had lasted over a decade. Court officials, initially shocked and admonishing, had now grown accustomed and indifferent.
...
When collaborating with the Xu family, Gu Yan had once asked bluntly, "Was Empress Xu involved in the death of Consort Chen back then?"
Empress Xu was a standard noblewoman. On the day she was deposed, she did not accept the decree. Instead, she donned her magnificent phoenix robes, drank poisoned wine, and died with dignity.
The younger Empress Xu angrily shook her sleeve and said through gritted teeth, "If my elder sister really had harmed Consort Chen, why would the Emperor establish another daughter of the Xu family as empress?"
The Xu family were generations of high ministers. If the Emperor deposed the empress and forced his wife to die without cause, at that time, the Upright and noble families had not yet reached their current balance of opposition—the noble families held dominance. Even as the Son of Heaven, could the Emperor have executed all the sons of noble houses?
The Phoenix Harmony Palace had been searched countless times, every corner and clue examined, yet no evidence was ever found!
To silence the officials and give the Xu family an explanation, the Emperor appointed the younger Empress Xu. As time passed, this past incident was completely sealed away, and no one spoke of it again.
Now, a Daoist recommended by the Virtuous Prince... the princess... wait?
Gu Yan suddenly opened his eyes, his deep and piercing gaze fixed directly on Yan Xuerui.
"Marquis... Marquis."
Yan Xuerui was startled, unsure what had come over Gu Yan again, and asked softly, "What is it?"
Gu Yan remained silent, his gaze drifting downward to the low table between them in the carriage. There, the hem of her rosy silk skirt trembled slightly, and beneath the swaying fabric, half of an exquisitely embroidered shoe was faintly visible.
The moon-white satin was spotless, embroidered meticulously with colorful threads depicting twin lotus blooms on a single stem. Two small, round pearls adorned the tip of each shoe, making a faint sound with each step, as if lotuses bloomed beneath her feet.
Yan Xuerui followed his gaze and instinctively drew back, using her swaying skirts to cover her feet.
"Gu Yan!"
Her beautiful eyes widened, and a flush of embarrassment spread across her fair cheeks. This man played the part of a virtuous man in their chambers, so why was he so frivolous when he ought to be serious!
Couldn’t he see the timing was entirely inappropriate?
She had rarely gone out in the past, attending only a few banquets hosted by the Empress in the palace and never having the opportunity to meet the Emperor. Today, she might actually see the true Son of Heaven. Though Yan Xuerui showed no outward signs, she couldn’t help feeling nervous inside.
Here she was, treating it as a grave matter, while Gu Yan was staring at her feet. Everyone had limbs and feet—what was so interesting about them!
Gu Yan reluctantly withdrew his gaze, lost in thought: It’s not her.
For a moment, he had suddenly recalled her background. The Emperor had lost a daughter, and she, too, was not the biological child of the Yan couple.
She was of similar age to "Princess Changle."
Consort Chen’s fate aligned with what he had previously surmised.
He had initially thought he might have overlooked something beneath his very nose, but then he remembered: she was from Yangzhou. On the night the child went missing, the Emperor had immediately ordered the sealing of the eastern and western city gates for several days. How could the child have ended up a thousand miles away in Yangzhou?
The practice of foot-binding had long been abolished in our dynasty, but scholars and officials still favored small feet. To cater to the powerful, the perverse practice of foot-binding persisted privately among the common people. Gu Yan truly saw nothing appealing about those deformed feet—until he removed her silk socks.
She was slender in stature, with dainty, exquisitely petite feet. Her ankles were as pale and lustrous as fresh lotus roots, her toes naturally tipped pink, and her arches curved like crescent moons. With a gentle grasp, her warm, delicate feet fit perfectly in his palm.
His calloused fingertips brushed against the soles of her feet, making her tremble and curl her lustrous toes, the arches tightening instinctively... He adored this sight of her and had often held them in his hands, caressing them fondly.
The soles of her feet were pristine as jade, without a single blemish, let alone any red mole.
...
No, something flashed through his mind, too fleeting for Gu Yan to grasp.
Pushing down his doubts for the moment, he suddenly looked up and asked, "What did you just call me?"
Yan Xuerui’s heart skipped a beat, and she turned her face away, refusing to meet his eyes.
She had always addressed him as "Marquis." In her eyes, he was the head of the household, her mother-in-law’s son, the father of their children—what was wrong with calling him "Marquis"?
Only when cursing him silently in her heart did she ever use his full name, Gu Yan. Perhaps she had been too nervous earlier and had slipped up.
Was he angry?
She stole a glance at him from the corner of her eye. He sat perfectly still, his expression unreadable, revealing nothing.
Yet, she had a strange intuition that he wasn’t angry—if anything, he seemed somewhat pleased.
How odd.
Yan Xuerui muttered to herself inwardly, then lifted her head to gaze at the carved redwood ceiling of the carriage. In this strangely tense atmosphere, the carriage gradually came to a halt, and a voice called from outside, "Marquis, Madam, please step out."
***
Meanwhile, in the palace Taoist temple. Fang Zhixu had bathed and changed into a fresh Taoist robe, his hair neatly tied under a crown, a faint scent of sandalwood lingering around him.
Suddenly, he touched the silver mask on his face and said, "Someone, bring me a bronze mirror."
Yao Er entered promptly upon hearing his call, placing the bronze mirror on the table and softly saying, "Foster Father, the lotus pods are ready."
Lotus pods typically grow in June and July, far from the ripe season now. That woman loved eating lotus seeds, and Foster Father had gone to great lengths to procure these lotus pods. To avoid making her stand out, every lady in attendance today would be served a plate of them.
Hers would be the largest and freshest.
Yao Er pursed her lips. Foster Father was known for his compassion and kindness, yet when it came to this woman, he seemed to lose all sense of reason. Just to catch a glimpse of her, he had gone through such elaborate efforts to bring so many noble ladies into the palace.
Unwilling to single her out, he could only hope to see her discreetly among the crowd.
Foster Father often preached about "forgetting the self and all worldly attachments," yet today he was fussing over his appearance, even asking for a bronze mirror.
...
Yao Er kept these thoughts to herself, not daring to voice them, and instead said respectfully, "I was truly exhausted yesterday. May Foster Father grant me leave to rest today?"
She still remembered the lie she had told Fang Zhixu. Even if it were exposed today and Foster Father punished her, she would accept it—so long as it helped him achieve his wish! Still, the last time she was expelled from the Marquis’s estate, she had been utterly humiliated. There was bad blood between her and that woman, so it was better not to show herself.
Fang Zhixu waved his hand dismissively, too preoccupied to bother with Yao Er. After adjusting his attire, he called for a young servant in blue to push him out.
He had planned everything meticulously—using the search for the princess as a pretext, she would blend in with the crowd without being thrust into the spotlight. The imperial garden was vast, with layered rockeries and murmuring streams, offering plenty of opportunities for them to meet.
He knew his current appearance was less than presentable, so he had taken care to change his clothes, wear scent, and even spent a restless night rehearsing their reunion in his mind. Yet, despite all his preparations, he had never imagined it would unfold like this.