Chapter 5: Unforgettable Skills?

“Why are you suddenly eating that, Your Majesty?” Xiao Zhima asked, her eyes wide with bewilderment.

“Just felt like it,” Qin Wan replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

The emperor already wanted her dead. If he saw her living it up in the Cold Palace, feasting on chicken and broth, it would only make her life harder.

She picked up a piece of the mold-covered pickled vegetable with her chopsticks and brought it close to her mouth. The pungent, sour smell hit her like a physical blow.

No, she couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t.

She was about to discreetly spit the offending vegetable back onto the plate when a tall figure dressed in bright yellow silk strode through the door.

Immediately, Qin Wan dropped her chopsticks and rose to her feet. “Your Majesty,” she said, her voice carefully neutral. “What brings you here?”

Jiang Beiyue’s lips curled into a humorless smile. “Is this not also Zhen’s palace?” he drawled, his gaze sweeping over the ramshackle room. “Zhen goes where Zhen pleases.” He paused, his eyes settling on the meager food laid out on the table. “You seemed quite content living here,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “What happened? Even the door couldn’t stand your presence?”

In Qin Wan’s heart, a roar thundered: “It’s because of poor quality, poor quality!”

Outwardly, however, she kept up a façade of docility. “Perhaps the door was so overcome with excitement at your arrival, Your Majesty, that it simply fell apart.”

“Indeed,” Jiang Beiyue scoffed. He’d never noticed how skilled this woman was at twisting words to her advantage.

The truth was, he couldn’t shake off the memory of the previous night. He still couldn’t comprehend why Qin Wan, a woman who had been desperate to become his, would choose that exact moment to knock him unconscious. And then, when he offered to release her from the Cold Palace, she refused!

Was this woman insane?

His gaze, dark and unreadable, settled on her. “Zhen came here,” he began, his voice deceptively mild, “to address the events of last night.”

“You refused my reward, and while your humility is commendable, Zhen cannot allow it. After much deliberation, Zhen has decided that since you prefer the Cold Palace, Zhen shall grace you with two eunuchs to attend to your needs. It’s the least Zhen can do to alleviate your… loneliness.”

With that, he gestured to the two figures standing behind him. Two adolescent boys, barely old enough to shave, shuffled nervously into the room. They were both dressed identically in the plain robes of palace eunuchs. Despite their nervous demeanors, Qin Wan couldn’t help but notice their delicate features and clear, bright eyes.

“From this day forward,” Jiang Beiyue said, addressing the two boys directly, “you are in the service of Consort Leng.”

“We are at Your Majesty’s service,” the boys chorused, bowing deeply.

Qin Wan gaped at them. This wasn’t a reward, this was blatant surveillance! That cunning, two-faced…

“Th-thank you, Your Majesty,” she stammered, forcing a grateful smile onto her face as she dipped into a curtsy.

“Think nothing of it,” Jiang Beiyue replied dismissively. “Zhen has matters to attend to. Zhen bids you farewell.”

With that, he turned and swept out of the room, leaving the two bewildered eunuchs in his wake. He would keep a close eye on Qin Wan through these boys. He refused to be caught off guard again.

As he passed through the courtyard, something in the corner of his eye made him pause. He turned his head slightly and noticed, with a mixture of amusement and confusion, a large dog happily gnawing on a chicken leg by the woodshed. Turning his head back towards the figure inside the room, his expression subtly shifted.

News of the emperor’s second visit to the Cold Palace spread through the inner palace like wildfire. Yesterday’s events – the emperor flipping Qin Wan’s favor tile and the subsequent “assassination attempt” – had already sent shockwaves through the harem. Many had secretly delighted in Qin Wan’s misfortune.

Today, however, their delight turned to disbelief. Not only had the emperor summoned Qin Wan again, but he had then visited her personally in the Cold Palace – twice in two days! Rumors flew thick and fast. Some whispered that the emperor had offered to release Qin Wan from her confinement, only to be met with a defiant refusal.

The absurdity!

Consort Zhang, Consort Shu, and Concubine Xi scoffed at the mere suggestion. It was their daily ritual to gather for afternoon tea, where they would sip fragrant brews, nibble on delicate pastries, and, most importantly, dissect the latest palace gossip.

The emperor, having ascended the throne less than two years ago, was a workaholic, often poring over state affairs late into the night. He rarely summoned his consorts, and as a result, he had yet to produce an heir. In such an environment, the mere mention of a consort’s name in connection with the emperor was enough to send the rumor mill into overdrive.

Of the three women, only Consort Shu and Concubine Xi had ever received the emperor’s favor. Consort Shu had the unfortunate experience of falling asleep during their encounter, while Concubine Xi, summoned late at night, had only experienced the emperor’s “attentions” in complete darkness. Both had been promptly presented with contraceptive tonics the next morning.

“So, did they… you know… actually do it?” Consort Zhang asked, her voice dripping with barely concealed curiosity. She scooped up a dollop of creamy tofu pudding with her silver spoon and brought it to her lips.

As the highest-ranking consort present – her father was one of the emperor’s most trusted advisors – the other two women looked to her for guidance.

“I heard the assassin appeared shortly after Consort Leng was summoned,” Consort Shu offered tentatively. “And… the emperor didn’t send for the contraceptive tonic afterwards. Perhaps… they didn’t actually do it?”

“But then why would the emperor visit her again today?” Concubine Xi chimed in. “Unless… unless that little vixen is so skilled in the arts of the bedchamber that the emperor can’t get enough of her.”

“You imbecile.” Consort Zhang shot Concubine Xi a withering look.

“Can’t you see what’s really going on?” she said, her tone laced with exasperation. “The emperor only summoned her because of General Leng. The northern barbarians are becoming bolder by the day. The emperor needs the general’s unwavering loyalty and support to defeat them, and what better way to secure that than by showing favor to his precious little sister?”

“Ah,” Concubine Xi breathed, finally understanding dawning on her face.

Even Consort Shu, who had suspected as much all along, nodded in agreement.

“Still, I can’t help but worry,” Consort Zhang said, a hint of unease in her voice. “What if the emperor decides to use this opportunity to release the Cold Consort[ e/n: 冷 Lěng is a surname, but also means cold, cool; lonely ] from her confinement? Or worse, what if she manages to get pregnant?”

The three women stared at each other, their eyes wide with apprehension. Finally, Consort Zhang and Consort Shu turned to Concubine Xi, a silent consensus forming amongst them.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Concubine Xi squeaked, her hand unconsciously flying to her perfectly coiffed hair.

“Your palace is the closest to the Cold Palace,” Consort Zhang said slowly. “Perhaps you could discreetly gather some information about last night’s… events.”

Concubine Xi laughed nervously. “You can’t be serious. I mean, it’s not like I’m right next door…”

Consort Zhang slowly raised her teacup to her lips, her eyes fixed on Concubine Xi over the rim.

“Right, right,” Concubine Xi said hastily, pushing herself away from the table. “Consider it done!”

Meanwhile, back in the Cold Palace, Qin Wan was studying the two eunuchs standing awkwardly before her.

She couldn’t fault the emperor for his taste. The boys were both handsome in a delicate, almost feminine way. They were young, probably no more than seventeen or eighteen, and their eyes held a youthful innocence that belied their current situation.

They might be here to spy on her, but there was no need to be cruel.

“Do you have names?” she asked them gently.

The boys exchanged nervous glances. “We answer to whatever Your Majesty wishes to call us.”

Qin Wan smiled. “Alright then. You,” she said, pointing to the boy on the left, whose rosy cheeks and face, when contrasted with his white teeth and bright eyes, reminded her of a certain nut[e/n: I didn’t get it at first till I asked the internet overlords:
1. **Rosy Complexion:** The person’s face is described as rosy-red, which can be reminiscent of the color of some peanuts’ outer shells.
2. **Red Lips and White Teeth:** The contrast of red lips and white teeth could be visually compared to the inner peanut, with its soft, white interior and, in some cases, reddish skins.], “will be Xiao Huasheng, Little Peanut.”

She then turned her attention to the boy on the right, whose cherubic face had given her an idea. “And you,” she declared, “will be Xiao Guiyuan, Little Longan Fruit.”

If nothing else, the names were at least easy to remember. With Xiao Zhima, Little Sesame, she was well on her way to pot of eight-treasure porridge.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a shout from the courtyard. “The General has arrived!”