That night, the palace attendants served the evening meal. Just as Zuo Canglang sat down, Murong Yan arrived.
The two of them took their seats at the table while Weiwei and Keqing stood by to serve. Murong Yan glanced at Keqing and said, "After you left, this girl kept watch over Nanqing Palace. She is a loyal servant."
Zuo Canglang smiled and replied, "Keqing is honest and kind; I have always liked her."
Keqing lowered her head. Murong Yan continued, "Returning to the palace this time, I feel you have become much more sensible." With her intelligence, she surely knew that Keqing had overdosed her medicine. He had expected her first act upon returning to be dealing with Keqing. Even so, he had no intention of moving Keqing away; she was merely a maid—if Zuo Canglang wanted to vent her anger, he would let her.
Yet, she seemed to have no intention of settling scores at all.
Zuo Canglang personally served him food, saying, "If one experiences enough, one eventually learns the ways of the world." Murong Yan took her hand. Seeing this, Wang Yunzhao coughed softly and led Weiwei and Keqing out. Only then did Murong Yan pull her into his arms, saying, "I have made up my mind. Regarding the Wen family, I will visit the Duke of Dingguo in person tomorrow to explain. You and Wen Qi were only husband and wife in name; it is not impossible to dissolve the engagement now."
Zuo Canglang poured him a cup of sweet wine and said, "Wen Qi’s wife, Qiu Shu, is currently practicing as a lay nun in a convent. Your Majesty might as well bring her back first. She is his first wife; I doubt anyone would object. With her in the residence, there will naturally be no place for me."
Murong Yan patted her hand. "You are still the most thoughtful."
Zuo Canglang added, "As for a title, I do not mind. In any case, I will have no descendants in this life. As long as I can stay by Your Majesty’s side and enjoy your favor, what use is an empty title?" Murong Yan held her close. "With a title, things are at least more legitimate."
Zuo Canglang fed him wine, a trace of mockery hidden within the smile at the corners of her lips. Had she heard these words before, she didn't know how moved she might have been. But legitimate? Stripping her of her status as the Lady of the Wen family was equivalent to severing her ties with the Wen clan. Consequently, Wen Qi’s old subordinates would no longer have any connection to her. Now that Zhou Xin was in the army, she naturally no longer needed the power to command the military.
By giving her the rank of a consort, she would have no imperial heirs and no faction of her own. Thus, she would be imprisoned within these deep palace walls, her rank lower than Jiang Bilan’s. All she could rely on would be his favor. From then on, rootless and branchless, she could only survive on love.
She said softly, "I do not need legitimacy. While Your Majesty is here, I will stay by your side. If one day Your Majesty passes away, I am willing to have my body cast in clay and stone, to hold a lantern and a halberd, and guard the imperial tomb forever."
Murong Yan’s arms tightened around her waist. At that moment, every word she spoke was so sincere and tender that it was impossible not to be moved. After the passing of a Great Yan Emperor, a high-ranking general would indeed be buried with them at the entrance of the tomb passage, becoming a statue of clay and stone to lead the way for the monarch with a lantern.
He lowered his head to kiss her forehead, saying almost in a sigh, "A-Zuo."
Zuo Canglang fed him another cup of wine. It turned out that as long as one’s heart remained unmoved, those sweet words truly sounded beautiful when spoken.
After the meal, Murong Yan clearly intended to stay the night at Nanqing Palace. An imperial physician came to change Zuo Canglang’s dressings. She intentionally let him see the wounds on her body before saying, "Though I was brought into the palace by Your Majesty today, I have not yet paid my respects to the Queen. Your Majesty... should go to Qifeng Palace, lest Her Majesty..."
Murong Yan nodded. "She has always been willful and will inevitably make things difficult. I will order her to visit Nanqing Palace less in the future; you need not worry."
Zuo Canglang smiled. "Her Majesty is the Mother of the Nation and has borne a prince and a princess. How could I provoke her?"
Murong Yan said, "You and your temperament." He stood up. "Rest well and recover. I know you cannot stand being cooped up in this palace. In a few days, once your injuries are better, I will take you out for a walk."
Zuo Canglang prepared to rise to see him off, but Murong Yan said, "It’s fine, stay in bed."
So she did not get up. After Murong Yan left, Weiwei came in and asked, "General, why did you let His Majesty leave?"
Zuo Canglang shrugged. "He has legs; if he wants to go, he goes."
Weiwei said anxiously, "Now that His Majesty has left, he’s surely gone to Qifeng Palace! Why don't you think of yourself?!"
Zuo Canglang beckoned her over. Only when Weiwei reached her side did she say, "I just returned today. With the Queen’s temperament, she must be very resentful. If His Majesty goes there, she will inevitably test him, which will only annoy him."
Weiwei thought for a moment and had an epiphany. "So the General let His Majesty go on purpose? It’s wonderful that you think this way! No matter what, to survive in the palace, one must see whose hands His Majesty’s heart is in!"
Zuo Canglang said, "Fine, I’ll dig out his heart for you to see."
Weiwei looked horrified. "General!"
Zuo Canglang leaned over and simply laughed. The laughter gradually faded, leaving the palace chamber in silence.
At Qifeng Palace, as soon as Murong Yan entered, he saw shattered porcelain all over the floor. His brows furrowed slightly. Jiang Bilan was also in a panic; she had assumed Murong Yan would stay at Nanqing Palace tonight and hadn't expected his sudden arrival, leaving her no time to clean up.
Murong Yan stepped around the fragments of vases and curios, asking in a heavy voice, "What is the meaning of this?"
Jiang Bilan quickly said, "Your Majesty, the servants were careless and broke my favorite glazed jar. I was just reprimanding them."
Murong Yan glanced at the floor. "The servants of Qifeng Palace are truly bold. It is one thing to break a vase, but to throw the Queen’s phoenix bracelet on the floor as well?" Jiang Bilan was speechless. Murong Yan leaned down slightly, picked up the jade bracelet that had snapped into several pieces, and looked at Huayue, who was kneeling on the ground. "Can such a servant still be kept?"
Jiang Bilan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, it has nothing to do with them. It was... it was I..." She bit her lip, unable to continue.
Wang Yunzhao spoke up softly, "Your Majesty, is Princess Yide still asleep? His Majesty specifically painted a picture for the Princess today; I shall have someone fetch it at once."
Jiang Bilan snapped out of it and quickly said, "Someone, bring the Princess here."
Princess Yide was as beautiful as a doll carved from pink jade. She could not speak yet but loved to smile. Murong Yan took his daughter into his arms. Seeing her chubby, pink face, his expression finally softened slightly. "You are the Queen; a Queen should have the magnanimity of a Queen."
Jiang Bilan knelt on the floor. "It was all my fault."
Murong Yan said, "Rise. Do I not know your temperament? But you must also understand that even in an ordinary household, having three wives and four concubines is a common occurrence."
Jiang Bilan was slightly stunned. By saying this, did he intend to take Zuo Canglang as a consort?
Murong Yan teased Princess Yide, saying, "The next few days will be chaotic at Nanqing Palace. If you have no business there, do not go."
Jiang Bilan slowly clenched her teeth. Murong Yan played with Princess Yide for a while longer before asking, "How is Ze'er?" The wet nurse then brought Murong Ze over. The boy was still asleep. Murong Yan tapped the tip of his nose and said, "It has been hard on you, looking after two children these past few days. I will not stay long."
Jiang Bilan said, "It is already late. Is Your Majesty still leaving?"
Murong Yan replied, "Yes." He offered no further explanation.
Jiang Bilan saw him to the palace gates, her eyes slowly filling with tears. As soon as that woman returned, he acted as if he had lost his soul. Behind her, Huayue whispered, "Your Majesty, the King has already gone far."
Jiang Bilan closed her eyes. After a long time, she suddenly said, "Huayue, accompany me for a walk."
Huayue thought she was going to Nanqing Palace and was about to dissuade her, but she saw the Queen heading toward the outer courts. Before long, they saw a squad of the Forbidden Guard patrolling the palace grounds. Feng Ping stood to one side, speaking in a low voice to a soldier—Nanqing Palace now had an occupant, and new guards needed to be dispatched.
Seeing Jiang Bilan approach, he quickly dismissed the guards and walked over, bowing. "Your Majesty."
Jiang Bilan trusted Huayue and did not send her away, saying directly, "His Majesty came by today and let something slip. He seems to intend to take that wench as a consort." Feng Ping’s brows furrowed. Jiang Bilan continued, "Send word to my father for me. What should I do now?"
Feng Ping said, "Your Majesty, if I may speak plainly, this is actually a good thing for you."
Jiang Bilan’s brows knotted. "A good thing?"
Feng Ping explained, "If His Majesty wants to make her a consort, he must first strip her of her status as the Lady of the Wen family. Without that identity, her prestige in the army will be far from what it was, and Wen Qi’s old subordinates will become estranged from her. Within the palace, no matter her rank, she will inevitably be beneath Your Majesty. From then on, she will have to perform the morning and evening greetings to pay her respects to you every day. Even if His Majesty protects her, the rites cannot be discarded. Your Majesty is the Mistress of the Six Palaces; do you not have the power to manage a mere consort? Furthermore, she can no longer bear heirs. Since ancient times, a mother’s status has risen with her son. Does Your Majesty still need to fear her?"
Jiang Bilan felt as if she had just woken from a dream. "You mean, I should just ignore it?"
Feng Ping said, "Yes. She has just entered the palace, so His Majesty will surely protect her. But by making her a consort, he is undoubtedly moving her from the shadows into the light. For Your Majesty, this is beneficial and harmless. There is no need to make things difficult now; the days in the palace are long. You already hold the winning hand; there is plenty of time to deal with her slowly."
Jiang Bilan said, "You have a point."
Feng Ping added, "Now that she is back, there will be many eyes and ears in the palace. When Your Majesty comes to find me in the future, you must be cautious to avoid being seen by those with ill intentions, lest it cause unnecessary trouble."
Jiang Bilan hummed in agreement. Thinking that meeting him like this was indeed inappropriate, she said no more. Just as Feng Ping was about to leave, a maid approached from outside. To avoid suspicion, he did not leave immediately but hid behind a peach tree.
The maid naturally did not see him and bowed directly to Jiang Bilan. "Your Majesty, Eunuch Wang just selected a maid and quietly took her to Fuhe Hall."
Jiang Bilan frowned. "Which maid?"
The maid whispered, "In reply to Your Majesty, the maid is named Zhitong, a lamp-bearer from Dezheng Hall."
Jiang Bilan asked, "What is Wang Yunzhao doing taking her to Fuhe Hall?"
The maid bit her lip and, after a long pause, reported tremblingly, "His Majesty... His Majesty... after leaving Qifeng Palace, His Majesty went straight to Fuhe Hall."
Jiang Bilan stumbled back a few steps, her delicate body hitting the peach tree, causing petals to fall like rain. she raged, "That wench! When did she crawl into the dragon bed?!"
The maid kowtowed repeatedly. "This... this servant truly does not know!"
Jiang Bilan snapped, "What use are you all to me? Get out!" The maid scrambled away. Jiang Bilan fumed, "Go! Prepare the litter for Fuhe Hall!"
Huayue picked up her cloak and was about to leave when Feng Ping spoke from behind the peach tree, "Your Majesty, you must not!"
Jiang Bilan was exasperated. "You saw it too! He brought back Zuo Canglang without a word, showing me no face at all, and now he’s involved with a lowly maid!"
Feng Ping asked, "Your Majesty, according to the laws of Great Yan, can the King favor a palace maid?"
Jiang Bilan froze. Feng Ping continued, "He can. Not just a palace maid—any woman he takes a fancy to, he can have."
Jiang Bilan leaned weakly against the side of the peach tree. "But he clearly... he clearly promised he only loved me... he clearly said so!" Unable to hold back any longer, she covered her face with her hands and crouched on the ground. Feng Ping called out, "Your Majesty."
Huayue also hurried forward to support her. She pushed Huayue away and said, "Go and investigate for me. That Zhitong—what exactly is her background!"
Huayue complied and hurried away.
Feng Ping stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please stand up first. The ground is cold."
Jiang Bilan did not move. He suddenly reached out and, with a gentle pull, Jiang Bilan was involuntarily brought to her feet. He was a martial artist, after all; her slight struggle was negligible. Jiang Bilan was stunned, feeling only that his hand was rough yet broad.
Feng Ping was also startled. That slender hand felt as if it had no bones. Even though the contact was brief, the sensation of that smoothness lingered on his fingertips, impossible to shake.
There was a moment of awkward silence between them. Jiang Bilan turned away from him. Feng Ping bowed slightly and said, "Rather than grieving alone, Your Majesty might as well send the news to Nanqing Palace. That person’s feelings for His Majesty are no less deep than Your Majesty’s. If she finds out about this... It is late; Your Majesty should return. I shall take my leave."
After he left, Jiang Bilan thought about it and found it made sense. She dispatched a maid to Nanqing Palace.
At that time, Zuo Canglang was taking her medicine. Weiwei brought fresh water for her to rinse her mouth, while Keqing stood to the side, looking quite lost. Zuo Canglang neither made things difficult for her nor treated her like a sister as she once had.
She was at a loss.
As Zuo Canglang was rinsing her mouth, a maid suddenly entered mysteriously and said, "General, His Majesty has just gone to Fuhe Hall."
Zuo Canglang looked up at her. "And?"
The maid knelt and said, "I heard that Head Eunuch Wang sent a maid named Zhitong there. Once I knew, I hurried to report to the General."
Zuo Canglang looked her up and down. "You certainly seem well-informed about His Majesty’s movements."
The maid said, "I have always admired the General, so when I heard of this, I kept an eye out for you."
Zuo Canglang nodded. "Very well. Weiwei, reward her with ten taels of silver."
Weiwei was fuming and glared at the maid, reluctantly handing over some silver. Once the maid had left, she said, "General, such a petty person is clearly here to stir up trouble! How can you listen to her?!"
Zuo Canglang said, "You also know she’s here to stir up trouble, which shows she’s quite endearing."
Weiwei huffed. Zuo Canglang said, "I don't need anything else here. You may go."
Weiwei complied, saying, "Then the General should rest. I will prepare a few sets of clothes for you. There are still many things in the palace to tidy up."
Zuo Canglang hummed. As Keqing was about to leave, she suddenly said, "Keqing, you stay."
Keqing didn't know what she intended and had to stop. Zuo Canglang waited until Weiwei was gone before saying, "For someone like you, being a palace maid is truly a waste. If there were an opportunity now for you to stay by His Majesty’s side and have a title, would you be willing?"
Keqing was surprised. "I... what kind of title could someone like me have?"
Zuo Canglang said, "There will surely be many sisters serving His Majesty; why couldn't you be one of them?"
Keqing bit her lip. "I... I know I betrayed the General. Would the General still help me?"
Zuo Canglang said, "Why wouldn't I? At the very least, we have known each other for a long time."
Only then did Keqing turn around to look at her. Zuo Canglang said, "But I have never liked intrigue. Before this, I want to make one thing clear: I can help you, even get you a title. But you were unfaithful to me once. In the future, I will not harm you, but naturally, I will not help you either. If you are willing, give me your word."
Keqing bit her lip. A man like Murong Yan—he had loved Jiang Bilan since childhood and thus doted on her. Zuo Canglang loved him in secret, so he favored her as well. If she could have even one night of love with him, would she still need Zuo Canglang’s help? Besides, no matter what, could it be any lowlier than being a palace maid?
She bit her lip and said, "I am willing. Will you truly help me?"
Zuo Canglang said, "Just remember today’s words and do not regret it."
Keqing gave a cold smile. If one could leap from being a maid to an imperial consort, how could there be regrets? Only people like them, for whom favor and power were within easy reach, would think that power and fame were unimportant.
***
