Chapter 38: “I also hope to be understood by Your Majesty…”

Chapter 38: "I also hope to be understood by Your Majesty..."

After a moment of surprise, Emperor Jingyuan paused thoughtfully.

He tapped his palm lightly with a folding fan: "Why share this with me so openly?"

Huo Ling's smile deepened: "I thought Your Majesty would be pleased to hear this news."

The main reason Li Yichun held sway among the Qiang Rong was the support he received from Great Yan.

Outwardly, the person who interacted and collaborated most closely with Li Yichun was Zhou Jiamu.

Zhou Jiamu was already the chief general of Xingtang Pass, commanding a hundred thousand troops in western Yan. As a Qiang-Yan mixed-blood, he also held considerable prestige among the Qiang people.

If he were to further gain the trust of the Qiang Rong leader, his clout in western Yan would grow unchecked.

The catch was—Zhou Jiamu was Prince Duan's man.

Western Yan—a desolate, resource-poor expanse—might not have been high on Emperor Jingyuan’s list of priorities, but he certainly did not wish to see such a scenario unfold.

Huo Ling’s disclosure hinted at two things:

First, Li Yichun and Zhou Jiamu did not see eye to eye.

Second, Huo Shiming and Zhou Jiamu were not aligned either.

Huo Shiming alone could not offset Zhou Jiamu’s power.

But the combined weight of Huo Shiming and Li Yichun could counterbalance Zhou Jiamu.

This balance of power was far more satisfying to Emperor Jingyuan than a single dominant force.

Emperor Jingyuan indeed smiled: "Is this your own idea, or your father's?"

"It is my idea," Huo Ling replied firmly. "But I speak for the Huo family."

Initially, Huo Ling had advised Huo Shiming to collaborate with Li Yichun because securing the support of the new Qiang Rong leader was equivalent to gaining the backing of tens of thousands of Qiang people. However, this support was covert—something that could not be openly declared in the short term.

By making this support public, Huo Ling was allowing the emperor to see Huo Shiming's true value.

What could outweigh gaining the emperor’s favor?

Then, Huo Ling added: "I once told Your Majesty that if I were Your Majesty's subject, I’d treasure Your Majesty’s trust. I meant every word."

"Western Yan is Your Majesty’s domain. As subjects, we may have personal motives, but when it comes to matters concerning the Qiang Rong and Great Yan’s decades-long strategy in western Yan, we owe Your Majesty full transparency."

Sometimes, laying one’s cards on the table was not a bad thing. To earn the emperor’s complete trust, one must hold nothing back.

Huo Ling trusted the emperor would recognize her candor and loyalty.

"Sharp as ever," Emperor Jingyuan remarked.

Hearing his praise, Huo Ling eased up, knowing she had read the emperor right: "I’m cleverer than Your Majesty thinks."

Emperor Jingyuan hid his smile behind his cup: "Now who’s showing off?"

Huo Ling said, "So Your Majesty wouldn’t look down on me. Otherwise, you'd always see me as a little girl."

"No," Emperor Jingyuan shook his head, correcting her words. "I say you’re a little girl because you are indeed young in age."

"But I don’t treat you as a little girl."

Huo Ling asked, "Then how does Your Majesty see me?"

"A woman." The crimson hem of his robe brushed over the black-and-white chessboard as Emperor Jingyuan took Huo Ling’s hand. "A truly enchanting woman."

Huo Ling moved her wrist, interlacing her fingers with his.

Crimson and pink overlapped—heavy yet light, intense yet subtle—adding an unspoken layer of tension and closeness.

"Does Your Majesty wish to know how I see you?"

Emperor Jingyuan smiled. Still such a competitive girl. "Go ahead, I’m listening."

Huo Ling gazed at their tightly clasped hands. "In this world, there are those who have spent over a decade with me yet never took the time to truly understand me; those who try to understand me but fail; those who adore my appearance more than they appreciate my soul."

"Your Majesty stands apart from everyone else."

"Your Majesty can understand me and actually tries to. And I—"

Huo Ling met Emperor Jingyuan’s gaze, her voice softening, each word enunciated clearly. "—also hope to be understood by Your Majesty."

Emperor Jingyuan said, "A Ling, you sure know how to keep me on my toes."

Huo Ling lowered her long lashes, loosening her grip on his hand. "Is this too much to ask?"

Emperor Jingyuan tightened his hold, preventing her from pulling away. "But your candor should be rewarded."

Huo Ling’s eyes brightened, pushing her luck. "Then if I presume to guess Your Majesty’s thoughts again in the future, will I still be punished?"

Emperor Jingyuan: "You’ll still be punished."

Huo Ling eyed him skeptically. "Is this punishment... the official kind?"

Emperor Jingyuan flipped the question back at her. "Was the punishment I gave you earlier proper or not?"

Huo Ling looked away with a laugh, saying nothing more.

Only after she had laughed enough did she look back at Emperor Jingyuan, signaling for him to release her. "Let’s get back to business. I haven’t finished speaking about the affairs of Yanxi."

Now that she’d bared this much, Huo Ling went on to detail her negotiations with Li Yichun and her personal impressions of him—details no memorial could ever capture.

Though her words revolved around Li Yichun and the Qiang Rong, what Emperor Jingyuan truly grasped was her sharp mind and remarkable talent.

"If the Qiang people become fully part of Great Yan, becoming one of its provinces, there will no longer be distinctions between Qiang and Yan, nor prejudice against mixed-blood descendants. Regardless of bloodline or origin, all shall be subjects of Great Yan."

The vision in just these words put common folk to shame.

And she was so young, with no formal schooling in statecraft, yet she could cut straight to the heart of the tension between Qiang and Yan through her own understanding of Yanxi and her sharp intuition.

Even more remarkable was that, after seeing through it, she took action—persuading Li Yichun to push for Han customs among the Qiang Rong.

To Emperor Jingyuan, these actions still showed her greenness and rough edges.

But it was undoubtedly wise—and correct.

Emperor Jingyuan looked at her like she was an uncarved, naturally exquisite piece of jade. She wanted his guidance, his understanding—his hand to shape her.

"A Ling," he murmured, voice rough, extending his hand toward her again after she finished speaking. "Come here."

Huo Ling started to stand but hesitated.

She shoved the chess pieces aside with her sleeve, letting them scatter across the bamboo mat and floor. As the pieces clattered across the floor, Huo Ling climbed onto the table, looking down at Emperor Jingyuan from above.

Li Man, posted outside, hesitated upon hearing the commotion but eventually stepped inside.

Before he could speak, Emperor Jingyuan's voice came from behind the screen: "Out."

Li Man hastily retreated, even firmly shutting the door that had been left slightly ajar.

Hearing the sound of the door closing, Huo Ling smirked, pleased with her little stunt.

"Still not coming down?" Emperor Jingyuan asked, his voice edged with danger.

Huo Ling said nothing, only mimicking his earlier gesture, tracing the outline of his ear with her fingers. The moment she pinched his earlobe, she fell into his arms.

She didn’t try to steady herself, pressing herself against Emperor Jingyuan, resting her head on his shoulder. "Your Majesty, did I learn well?"

Feeling her complete relaxation, he stroked her hair with slow, absent-minded caresses.

"Perfectly."

Huo Ling closed her eyes, savoring his touch. After a long while, her breath brushed his ear as she whispered, "Your Majesty, will you be visiting the royal hunting grounds soon?"

Emperor Jingyuan paused. "Did Thirteen tell you?"

"Mhm." She laughed softly. "He claimed everything was set up so no one would disturb our time together."

Recalling the memorial he had read the day before, Emperor Jingyuan replied calmly, "He hasn’t arranged anything."

This time, Huo Ling kept track of time.

As soon as it was time for the midday meal, she signaled for the meal to be served.

Li Man entered cautiously, glancing at the scattered chess pieces before signaling the other attendants to pick them up quickly.

Noticing their actions, Huo Ling said, "Sorry for the mess, Eunuch Li."

Emperor Jingyuan gave her a wry glance.

Meeting his teasing gaze, she stayed perfectly calm.

Before parting, Emperor Jingyuan handed her several calligraphy works by Yan Zhenqing that he had prepared in advance. "I promised to guide you, and I won’t go back on my word. Calligraphy takes time—ease up on the practice."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Knowing she was teasing him, he couldn’t help but smile.

They didn’t discuss their next meeting, for it was obvious—their next encounter would be when she accompanied him to the royal hunting grounds.

Upon returning to the palace, Emperor Jingyuan ordered Li Man to fetch the hunting proposal from the Ministry of Rites.

He scanned the memorial and found his answer at once.

The royal hunting grounds were a seven- or eight-day journey from the capital. The round trip, combined with the half-month stay at the hunting grounds, added up to a full month.

During this month, with the emperor absent from the capital, urgent matters could still be rushed to Emperor Jingyuan for approval. However, trusted officials had to stay behind in the capital as a precaution.

The Ministry of Rites' memorial inquired who would stay behind.

Traditionally, one steady and experienced figure was selected from each of the civil officials, military officers, and imperial clan.

Choosing civil and military officials was straightforward. As for the imperial clan, the most senior, Prince Su, should have been the natural choice. However, Prince Su had been ailing these past two years and rarely appeared in public, making his selection more symbolic than practical.

Thus, Emperor Jingyuan skipped Prince Su altogether this time.

"Thirteenth Brother has just returned from Yanxi. There's no need for him to travel again so soon. This time, he shall remain in the capital on my behalf."

After this ostensibly dignified explanation, Emperor Jingyuan issued the edict right then.

At Prince Duan's residence, Prince Duan and the Princess Consort of Duan sat wordlessly when Li Man arrived with the imperial decree.

Upon hearing the edict, Prince Duan went rigid.

Li Man rolled up the scroll and smiled as he reminded, "Your Highness, please receive the decree."

Prince Duan tightened his lips but still raised his hands to accept it.

Once Li Man left, the Princess Consort of Duan rose gracefully from her knees and returned to her seat. "You carefully orchestrated this hunt for a chance to spend time with that Huo woman. And now, see how that worked out—ha."

Their second son, Ji Yuankang, was not yet three years old—an age when children were most at risk of illness and unfit for long journeys. The Princess Consort had to stay in the residence to care for him and could not accompany the imperial party to the royal hunting grounds.

This had been Prince Duan's so-called plan.

But now, Emperor Jingyuan's decree had ruined his plans completely.

Clutching the edict, Prince Duan thought of Huo Ling's distant attitude that morning, and a sudden frustration welled up inside him—a sense that things were slipping beyond his control.

The Princess Consort of Duan watched him secretly pleased with the emperor's decree.

First, it denied Prince Duan any chance to be alone with Huo Ling.

Second, the complexities of the hunting grounds would work better for her father's plans.

She couldn’t wait any longer. The Princess Consort could see that Prince Duan had reached his limit and would soon force a confrontation. This hunt would be the final—and best—opportunity to act.

The setting sun blazed crimson across the sky, casting golden light over the earth and onto Huo Ling's shoulders, turning her pale pink gown to shimmering gold.

***

She entered her residence, carrying several calligraphy scrolls.

The gatekeeper hurried forward to inform her that Prince Duan had sent gifts earlier.

"I see."

Huo Ling first returned to her study to store the scrolls—you couldn’t be too careful with treasures like these.

Only after securing them did she inspect Prince Duan's gifts.

The first box contained an exquisitely lifelike wooden carving of a wild goose, bearing some resemblance to Snowgoose.

Upon closer inspection, Huo Ling found the character for "snow" carved beneath the left wing.

The remaining boxes also contained gifts that were not particularly valuable but quite ingenious.

"Have these stored away," Huo Ling instructed Wu Mo. "Prince Duan is likely to call in the next few days."

That morning, Prince Duan had spoken with such conviction, as if he were determined to seek her company at the royal hunting grounds.

But if the Emperor said Prince Duan hadn’t made proper arrangements, then he certainly hadn’t.

No doubt Prince Duan would soon come to her again, airing his troubles and pleading for her leniency.

Wu Mo didn’t doubt Huo Ling’s judgment, but still...

"He’d made himself scarce for over half a month, and now he’s suddenly at leisure? Did he somehow convince Princess Consort of Duan?"

"If he had convinced Princess Consort of Duan, his first recourse would not be to see me—it’s to go to the palace and petition for an imperial edict granting him a concubine."

Wu Mo imagined Prince Duan kneeling in the palace, pleading for such an edict, and laughed until her sides ached.

"Is it really that funny?" Huo Ling asked.

Wu Mo nodded vigorously. "Milady, what do you think His Majesty’s reaction would be?"

Huo Ling considered Emperor Jingyuan’s usual demeanor. "His Majesty would likely dismiss him with an order to return whence he came."

Wu Mo dissolved into fresh giggles.

Once she finally calmed down, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, she asked, "Then what should we do? Should we still receive Prince Duan?"

"No. I can already guess what excuses he’ll make."

"Just refuse all visitors outright?"

Huo Ling shook her head. "That would be too blunt. For now, I’d prefer not to invite complications. How about this—haven’t we yet visited the villa bestowed by Emperor Jingyuan in the western suburbs? Let’s go stay there for a few days, take the waters, and enjoy the scenery."

When Prince Duan arrived the next day with gifts, the gatekeeper informed him that Huo Ling had gone to the western suburbs.

"Why did she suddenly go there?" Prince Duan asked, but the gatekeeper faltered, unable to give a clear answer.

Prince Duan thought it was merely bad timing, never dreaming Huo Ling meant to evade him.

"Did Commandery Lady mention when she would return?"

Seeing the gatekeeper shake his head, Prince Duan had no choice but to leave the gifts behind and depart.

Meanwhile, Huo Ling and her party arrived smoothly at the western suburbs, where they beheld the villa bestowed by Emperor Jingyuan.

Since the western suburbs were the only place in the capital with natural hot springs—and given that every emperor of Great Yan enjoyed residing there for periods during summer and winter—the nobility too had scrambled to build estates there. Over the decades, every desirable plot had been secured. Acquiring a property with hot springs had become wholly out of reach.

Now, only an imperial grant from Emperor Jingyuan could secure such a large estate with hot springs.

After a brief settling-in, Huo Ling took up residence.

She spent her days practicing calligraphy, poring over chess treatises, taking the waters, or taking leisurely walks to admire the scenery of the western suburbs.

The beauty of the western suburbs, favored by generations of emperors, spoke for itself.

After several days of peaceful stay, Cui Hongyi came bearing some fruits, claiming they were fresh southern delicacies.

It wasn’t until on the eve of their return that Huo Ling finally returned to the Commandery Lady’s manor with Wu Mo and Wu Feng.

***

The last time Emperor Jingyuan visited the royal hunting grounds was seven years ago. Thus, most officials fortunate enough to accompany him this time brought their families along.

Emperor Jingyuan, however, only brought two young princesses and Ji Yuanwan.

Princess Ningxin had initially harbored only vague suspicions, but upon hearing that Prince Duan had remained in the capital, she felt those suspicions were now partially confirmed. Seeing Emperor Jingyuan’s choices, she understood everything clearly.

At this thought, Princess Ningxin turned her head and glanced through the carriage window at Huo Ling, who was not far away.

The emperor’s entourage was massive. The journey from the capital to the royal hunting grounds was long, and with the fine weather, many preferred not to stay cooped up in their carriages, opting instead to ride beside the guards.

Xu Shidu and Huo Ling were among them.

Since Xu Shidu’s horsemanship was average, Huo Ling stayed protectively by her side, adjusting to her pace.

Princess Ningxin had encountered many extraordinary talents in her lifetime, yet she had to admit that Huo Ling was the best of them all.

Frankly, Princess Ningxin mused that if Huo Ling ever asked for a position as a retainer in her estate, she would gladly appoint her as the head advisor of the princess’s household—if only to admire that face more often.

Who could fault a girl for her beauty?

She had once thought her brother was a lost cause, but it seemed her elder brother was just as troublesome.

Princess Ningxin sighed, brushing it off: *At least she’s not Prince Duan’s consort yet. It’s not a big problem.*

"You’ve been riding for nearly half an hour. Should we return to the carriage for a rest?" Huo Ling asked Xu Shidu.

Xu Shidu shook her head. "No, I need to practice more on the road. What will I do when we reach the hunting grounds?"

"This isn’t how you practice mounted archery," Huo Ling said. "Trust me, take a break first. We’ll take it slow."

Remembering Huo Ling’s skill at arrow games, Xu Shidu immediately relented. "Alright, I’ll quit. But you don’t have to return to the carriage with me."

Xu Shidu grinned mischievously. "So many people are checking you out."

As Princess Ningxin’s daughter, Xu Shidu had inherited her mother’s love for gossip.

After hearing tales of Huo Ling’s grandfather—*"riding a white horse, hat rakishly tilted—pure charm"*—she had personally brought over a sleek white horse the evening before, insisting on gifting it to Huo Ling and urging her to ride it during the hunt.

In such harmless matters, Huo Ling was happy to oblige.

Today, she had deliberately changed into a black riding outfit, tied her hair into a high ponytail, and adjusted her brows, trading her usual soft elegance for a dashing, gender-neutral look.

Naturally, all eyes were on her.

Huo Ling merely smiled at Xu Shidu’s teasing. Once Xu Shidu returned to the carriage, she rode alongside it.

"A Ling," Xu Shidu rested her hands on the windowsill, hesitating before finally whispering, "Do you like Prince Duan?"

Huo Ling turned to her. "Why ask me this so suddenly?"

Xu Shidu was genuinely concerned for her friend. "I just think it’d be a shame if you entered Prince Duan’s household. If you don’t like him *that* much, or if he isn’t the only option, I could ask my mother to introduce you to some eligible nobles."

As for her uncle?

No big deal—he’d just lose a wife. But if A Ling entered Prince Duan’s household, it would be for life.

Huo Ling looked surprised, then laughed. "You’re my friend, not the princess. Don’t sour her ties with Prince Duan over me."

"Oh, right." Xu Shidu pondered. "Actually, my mother might not even need to introduce anyone. Half the capital’s nobles are tagging along anyway."

"There are a few who aren't engaged and don't mind crossing Prince Duan. Want me to point them out? If any catch your eye, you could make a move?"

The summer breeze was stifling. Huo Ling, on horseback, winked at Xu Shidu and whispered, "I've got my eye on someone."

As she spoke, she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sun and glanced toward the imperial carriage. The Emperor inside was looking right at her.

"Who is it?"

Xu Shidu's eyes widened with excitement. Seeing Huo Ling's attention elsewhere, she assumed Huo Ling was sneaking a peek and quickly followed her gaze.

But in that direction, apart from the carriage, there were only the imperial guards surrounding it.

Xu Shidu asked again.

Huo Ling broke from her thoughts and shook her head with a smile, clearly not going to explain. Left with no choice, Xu Shidu had to bottle up her curiosity.