Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Killed by Your Own Hands

Emperor Long Yi, feeling cornered by Leng Jiu's logic, challenges her, "How can you prove her words are false?"

Leng Jiu, with a playful glint in her eyes, suggests using the imperial physicians to verify if Prince Lan Ze is a virgin, which would disprove the accusations if true.

Unable to contain himself, Long Yue Li bursts into laughter at the Empress Dowager's cunning plan.

Leng Jiu gave him a cold look, which Long Yue Li met with an unchanged smile.

Long Yi clearly knew they could verify and immediately called, "Summon the imperial physician!"

Soon, two old imperial physicians arrived. After confirming that Lan Ze was indeed a virgin, they promptly returned him to his room. Moments later, they emerged, declaring to the emperor, "He is undoubtedly a virgin."

Leng Jiu leaned close to a gloomy Long Yi, whispering so only they could hear, "Perhaps Your Majesty should re-interrogate those palace maids using harsher methods for different answers. My actions today weren’t to undermine you but to remind you not to let anger cloud your judgment, lest you're exploited."

Brushing past Long Yi's shoulder meaningfully, she glanced at the silent Li Fei and walked out. Pausing, she looked back at Long Yue Li, slouched against the wall, "Didn't Uncle Emperor want to share interesting stories from outside?"

Long Yue Li approached her, smirking ambiguously, "I thought the Empress Dowager had forgotten about me."

Walking away together, they left behind a crowd with varying expressions. Once out of sight, Long Yue Li teased, "The Empress Dowager indeed resolves matters swiftly. But I wonder, would she help me if I were in trouble next time?"

Leng Jiu found his insinuation amusing, "Troublemakers last a thousand years. Don't worry, you won't die easily!"

"Are you implying I’m a troublemaker?" Long Yue Li wasn’t bothered, leaning in mysteriously, "Empress Dowager, I too am a virgin. Are you interested in verifying?"

The sound of tea utensils clinking crisply echoed in the hall. Lu Chang glanced at the Empress Dowager drinking tea quietly, then at Lan Ze waiting outside. Eventually, he asked, "Should I summon Prince Lan Ze? A man standing outside your hall might tarnish your reputation."

The cup lid halted. After a moment, Leng Jiu said indifferently, "Let him in."

"Yes!"

Lu Chang signaled a eunuch to relay the message. Leng Jiu continued with her tea, the clinking sound seemingly penetrating one’s soul.

"Prince Lan Ze greets the Empress Dowager!" Lan Ze looked up at the dignified figure on the couch, then respectfully bowed.

In silence, Lan Ze dared not raise his head. Leng Jiu, after enjoying her tea, finally set the cup down, "You may rise."

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Leng Jiu gazed indifferently at Lan Ze, her demeanor cold and proud, showing none of the familiarity he knew: "Prince Lan Ze, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

Lan Ze looked at her aloof and distant expression, feeling a mix of emotions. The lively and friendly person he once knew was now an unapproachable figure of nobility and elegance. He never imagined that the woman who once quietly listened to his music on the palace wall, whom he considered a confidante, was actually the Empress Dowager. Perhaps he should have realized earlier; her grace and poise were not that of a mere palace maid. And the way Prince Xuan treated her was clearly that of an equal. He had neither wanted to guess nor accept the truth, leading to his embarrassing discovery of her true identity, a shock beyond words.

Bowing again, "Prince Lan Ze has come specially to express gratitude for Your Highness's life-saving grace."

"I did not save you; I merely sought the truth of the matter."

"Yet Your Highness saved me from danger, which is indeed a great favor. If Your Highness has any commands, Lan Ze will not refuse."

Leng Jiu tilted her head, half in jest, half serious, "You are but a lowly hostage prince. What can you do for me? Or rather, what are you capable of doing?"

Lan Ze was taken aback, speechless for a long time.

After a while, Leng Jiu rose from her couch, descending the seven steps to stand in front of him. Her magnificent dress trailed past his feet, "The purple orchids in the garden are in full bloom. Would the Prince like to accompany me to appreciate them?"

"At your command!"

Dismissing her attendants, Leng Jiu led the way to the flower garden, with Lan Ze following. In the sea of flowers, Leng Jiu entered a pavilion surrounded by blooms. Purple orchids flourished around it, resplendent in their beauty. Though they had the air of delicacy and privilege, they still retained the subtle elegance of orchids.

Watching Leng Jiu delicately handle the orchids with her back to him, Lan Ze finally asked the question in his heart, "Your Highness, is there a palace maid named A Jiu in the palace?"

Leng Jiu, with her hands colored by cinnabar, plucked an orchid flower: "What does it matter whether she exists or not?"

Lan Ze's heart was filled with an inexplicable bitterness at Leng Jiu's words. If he had never met her, he wouldn't harbor these complicated thoughts. If not for the incident that day, he might never have known her true identity. They could have lived under the same sky, forever strangers. How much better that might have been. Yet, fate had its plans, and he ended up knowing. Once certain thoughts take root, they can't be suppressed, ultimately turning into vain wishes.

"Forgive me, Your Highness! I have overstepped."

Lowering his head after speaking, Lan Ze suddenly caught a whiff of a fragrant scent. He noticed a single orchid offered by Leng Jiu, following her lightly stained fingertips to her radiant face and clear, yet bewildering, eyes. He asked, puzzled, "What do you mean, Your Highness?"

Leng Jiu, looking at the orchid in her hand, mused, "To me, you are like this orchid. You exude an elegant and solitary aura, like an orchid in a secluded valley. Sadly, you are ultimately tainted by the opulence of the secular world. My preference has always been for that which remains pure amidst the dust of the world. But as beautiful as orchids are, they're too fragile. That's why, despite their beauty, they'll never be my favorite."

Lan Ze met her gaze directly, asserting firmly, "Does Your Highness know that orchids have their own predicaments? Many things are not as easily achieved as one might wish."

"Are you blaming fate? Or are you willing to be controlled by others for a lifetime? If so, you are truly disappointing."

Leng Jiu placed the orchid in his hand and turned to leave, "If you wish to see A Jiu again, become someone who can control his own destiny. Otherwise, A Jiu will forever be dead, killed by your own hands."