Chapter 42: Understanding the Emperor’s Heart.

Chapter 42: The Emperor's Heart Revealed

The sky stretched clear and blue under a blazing sun, while a mighty wind swept across the plains.

In the distance, undulating mountain ranges lay nestled among the sea of clouds, like a colossal blue-green serpent coiling and winding through billowing mist.

A hawk soared from the mountains, diving suddenly to skim low over the emperor's banners behind the imperial seat.

The black banners cracked like whips in the wind. The golden dragon patterns embroidered atop them shimmered dazzlingly under the scorching sunlight.

Everyone was bathed in this radiant glow.

Under imperial authority, even the most outstanding hunter was merely prey.

Huo Ling sat astride her horse, raking her fingers through her hair like a comb. She tugged the ribbon free with her teeth and tightened her loosely gathered hair into a firm knot once more.

Stray strands brushed past her brows and eyes, yet in this moment, she felt neither fear nor excitement—only stillness.

She was utterly calm.

Faint cheers from Xu Shidu and Wu Mo reached her ears, their voices cheering her on wildly. Huo Ling paid them no mind. She unhooked the bow slung across her back, gripping it in one hand while holding the reins in the other, her peripheral gaze fixed on the officiant.

When the officiant raised a small flag high and then swung it down sharply, Huo Ling kicked her horse into a gallop.

The first target was placed around the bend.

Most riders eased up instinctively when taking a turn, but Huo Ling did not.

She took the turn at full speed—just as she loosed her arrows without slowing.

If the only requirement was just hitting the mark, she could manage it effortlessly.

The arrow flew, and without a glance at its result, Huo Ling lowered her body closer to the horse’s back.

With just this motion, she pulled ahead of the riders behind her.

The second target was set farther away. Huo Ling drew the bow to its fullest before releasing.

The kick of the bow sent a numbing tremor through her arm, but after years of grueling drills, she had long grown accustomed to the sensation.

So, she pressed on.

Huo Ling was so engrossed in the competition that by the time she entered the fourth lap, she had already pulled half a lap ahead of the Heir to the Duke of Jingguo, who trailed in second place.

Emperor Jingyuan wore an unadorned blue imperial robe today, adorned with a simple gold-inlaid jade crown, his posture relaxed as he leaned against his seat.

Only Li Man, standing behind him, noticed how the emperor’s right hand clenched the armrest tightly each time Huo Ling took a turn or fired an arrow without slowing—his well-kept hands betraying the strain with visible veins.

Like the rest of the spectators in the arena, his gaze never strayed from Huo Ling’s figure.

Clad in crimson riding gear, her hair tied into a high ponytail, two red ribbons fluttered wildly in the wind behind her, like a phoenix in flight.

The blue sky, white clouds, and emerald grasslands faded into insignificance before such blazing brilliance.

By the sixth lap, Huo Ling had firmly secured her victory.

Emperor Jingyuan released a quiet sigh and tried to shift his right hand from the armrest.

The accident struck in that split second—

The already lightning-fast white steed suddenly kicked into overdrive, lurching wildly ahead.

At first, the crowd assumed Huo Ling was driving the horse intentionally. But when the horse raced past the target without her straightening up to draw her bow—still plastered against its back—some began to sense something was wrong.

A ripple of gasps spread.

Emperor Jingyuan braced his right hand on the armrest and abruptly stood, bellowing, "Get the imperial guards to save Commandery Lady—now!"

"Go now!"

Li Man and Cui Hongyi immediately sprinted toward the base of the stands.

Ignoring the stunned glances around him, Emperor Jingyuan locked eyes on the scarlet blur below, his right hand at his side clenching tighter and tighter. With a furious sweep of his sleeve, he sent the table flying with a kick and stormed down from the stands, leaving the officials gaping in his wake.

It was out of control.

Huo Ling realized it before anyone else could.

Screams reached her ears—someone seemed to be shouting—but she had zero bandwidth to process her surroundings. All her attention was fixed on resolving the crisis before her.

The steed beneath her was now fully unresponsive to her commands. Despite multiple attempts, she couldn’t rein it in, just clinging to her balance atop its back.

This was clearly abnormal. If this continued, it wouldn’t be long—perhaps two or three more laps—before the horse collapsed, its strength spent.

From the corner of her eye, she saw imperial guards closing in, but against the galloping steed, they were powerless to stop it.

The fierce wind scoured her face like sandpaper, making it nearly impossible to keep her eyes open.

Yet it didn’t hinder her thoughts.

Based on past experience, the only way to deal with a completely uncontrollable horse was to kill it.

These imperial guards, elite protectors of the emperor, might well have considered this—but they couldn’t guarantee her safety while shooting the horse down. Hence their hesitation.

If they wouldn’t act, then she would do it herself.

To maintain balance, Huo Ling had been gripping the reins with both hands. But now, she suddenly released her right hand and reached for her waist.

Before she could grasp the ever-present dagger at her side, the horse jolted violently, throwing her entire body to the left.

Her left hand strained with all its might to hold the reins as her right wrenched the dagger loose and plunged it deep into the white horse’s neck.

The horse reared wildly, hooves churning dirt.

Huo Ling pulled the dagger out.

Blood sprayed.

She flinched as hot blood splattered her face.

This was her last chance to escape. Seizing the brief moment the horse was suspended midair, Huo Ling hurled herself clear, shielding her head and face as she tumbled into the nearby grass.

As the impact left her chest aching and the taste of blood rising in her throat, a heavy thud sounded not far away.

Had she been even a few breaths slower in abandoning the horse, or ended up far worse off upon falling, she might well have been crushed beneath its collapsing weight.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached, as if people were gathering around.

Huo Ling was half-drenched in horse's blood, her vision blurred by a red haze, with warm blood still trickling from her hair. She couldn’t make out who was around her, but those indistinct figures were of no importance.

A persistent ringing filled her head, and her vision swam with spots. Huo Ling was on the verge of fainting, but she bit down hard on the tip of her tongue, clinging to her last shred of consciousness. Only when she caught a familiar scent did she grip the hem of the approaching figure’s robe and spit up a mouthful of congealed blood.

Emperor Jingyuan was half-kneeling before Huo Ling.

At this moment, he forgot all imperial decorum.

From the moment the horse lost control, to Huo Ling drawing her dagger to kill it and rolling into the grass, his only concern had been her safety.

Even though he knew the blood soaking her wasn’t her own, when Emperor Jingyuan pushed through the crowd and saw Huo Ling lying bloodied on the ground, his blood ran cold.

He reached out with his right hand, wanting to lift her from the ground, yet afraid any careless movement might worsen her injuries.

As he hesitated, Huo Ling slowly opened her blood-filmed eyes, her chest heaving as she summoned what little strength she had left.

"Your Majesty…"

She called out to him softly, her voice barely audible.

Emperor Jingyuan disregarded all else, gathering her up in his arms as gently as possible.

Huo Ling smiled faintly before slipping into unconsciousness.

Gazing at the girl in his arms, Emperor Jingyuan raised his right hand, intending to touch the raw scrape on her neck, but his fingers flinched before touching.

After several attempts, he finally gave up, resting his fingertips lightly on Huo Ling’s brow. With trembling hands, he brushed aside a lock of black hair, matted with blood and clinging to her face.

"Your Majesty!" Li Man scrambled to Emperor Jingyuan’s side, drenched in sweat. "The imperial physician has arrived."

Emperor Jingyuan remained motionless in his position. Only after the physician, wiping sweat from his brow, took Huo Ling’s pulse and confirmed she could be moved did the emperor dismiss the guards and personally carry her into the imperial carriage.

"Return to the palace."

The Commander of the Imperial Guard knelt nearby, begging for punishment. Though the incident was not directly his fault, as the training grounds' security was his responsibility, he could not escape blame.

As the imperial carriage departed, Emperor Jingyuan did not spare the Commander a glance. Only his voice, flat and unreadable, carried from within the carriage.

"Investigate this."

***

Large raindrops struck the roof, windowsill, and ground, their steady drumbeat relentless.

Huo Ling awoke to this odd combination of quiet and clamor.

Perhaps because horse blood had splashed into her eyes, they burned terribly. She wanted to rub them but winced as the movement tugged at her wounds.

Wu Mo, who'd been dozing at the bedside, stirred at the sound and hurriedly pulled back the bed curtains. "Miss, you’re awake!"

Knowing Wu Mo was there, Huo Ling stopped moving. "How long was I unconscious?"

"Not even two hours."

"And His Majesty?"

"At first he never left your side, but then… Eunuch Li spoke to him, and he left."

Huo Ling shut her eyes against the discomfort. "So it's just you and me in the hall now, right?"

Wu Mo nodded, then realizing Huo Ling couldn't see, quickly replied, "Yes. His Majesty posted a few guards, but they're all stationed outside."

"What did the imperial physician say? Are my injuries serious?"

Wu Mo looked relieved. "You reacted quickly and handled it well, and you fell directly into the grass. Most of your injuries are just scrapes—they look bad, but with proper care for half a month and the ointment prescribed by the physician, there won’t be any scars. The bigger concern is the impact to your chest. If you feel tightness in your chest, it’s likely because of that."

"So the injuries aren’t too severe." Huo Ling opened her eyes, gazing deeply at Wu Mo before suddenly saying, "I need to take sick."

Wu Mo was startled by the implication in her words. "Miss..."

"I can’t waste this injury. An injury plus an illness—that’s the best outcome."

Wu Mo understood her meaning but hesitated. "But His Majesty was very worried about you. Miss, after you fainted at the training grounds, it was His Majesty himself who carried you into the imperial carriage and brought you back to Changle Palace... Maybe this is already enough..."

Huo Ling reached out, gripping Wu Mo’s hand with all her remaining strength. "I can’t be sure if this is enough. So I must leave no room for doubt."

The pawns at her disposal had always been few.

Her most reliable piece had always been herself.

A piece, once on the board, has to gamble everything if it wishes to leap beyond the game and become the player.

From the moment she decided to mount that horse for the competition, she had already prepared herself mentally.

When playing a scheme, one must employ it to its fullest.

Just getting hurt wouldn’t achieve the best effect.

Wu Mo’s wrist ached from the tight grip. She didn’t know how her mistress, in such a weakened state, could muster such strength.

But from it, she clearly sensed Huo Ling’s resolve.

Wu Mo's eyes welled up suddenly. Her lips trembled, but she still stood up, fighting back tears as she walked out. "His Majesty was afraid the hall would be too hot, but also worried you might catch a chill, so he had the ice buckets moved behind the screen. There must still be some unmelted ice left. I’ll fetch it."

"Good." Huo Ling gave a small, satisfied smile and closed her eyes again. "Be careful. Don’t let anyone notice."

In the Emperor's quarters, Emperor Jingyuan was reviewing the findings reported by the Commander of the Imperial Guard.

To uncover so much in less than two hours showed that the Commander had not dared to delay, rushing to report as soon as his investigation concluded.

Now, the Commander knelt below, unable to see the Emperor’s expression—only the hem of his robes.

Emperor Jingyuan was still wearing the same dark blue day robe from earlier in the day. From the hem to the collar, smears of dried blood stretched across the fabric, enough to make anyone wince.

The Commander, of course, knew where that blood had come from. But even after returning to the palace for so long, had His Majesty truly not found even a moment to change his clothes?

Emperor Jingyuan got to the last page and let out a cold laugh. "A lowly stablehand at the imperial hunt, angry about his boss skimming his pay, slipped something to a noble's horse to make that noble hold his superior accountable? Is this the conclusion of your investigation? Do you believe it yourself?"

He flung the documents at the Commander.

The Commander didn’t dare dodge, forcing himself to reply, "Your Majesty, by the time we investigated, that stablehand had already poisoned himself and left a suicide note. I know the note isn’t trustworthy, but I wanted to brief you immediately."

Biting back his anger, Emperor Jingyuan was deeply displeased at the waste of his time. "Keep investigating. Don't come back without the full story."

Just as he was about to say more, there was a sudden commotion outside the door.

Emperor Jingyuan frowned slightly as Li Man entered, escorting a soaking wet Wu Mo.

Emperor Jingyuan shot to his feet: "What’s wrong with your mistress?"

Wu Mo knelt down, weeping: "Your Majesty, please go see my lady at once. She suddenly came down with a fever and has been calling your name over and over."

Emperor Jingyuan brushed past the Commander of the Imperial Guard and rushed out of the hall.

By the time Li Man scrambled to catch up, hastily opening an umbrella, the emperor had already plunged into the rain, heading toward the nearby Changle Palace.

Li Man jogged to keep pace, holding the umbrella over the emperor, but his clothes were already soaked through.

Glancing at the emperor's expression, Li Man didn’t dare say a thing.

Only when Emperor Jingyuan entered Changle Palace and approached the bedside to see Huo Ling did he hesitate, realizing his soaked and messy state. Seizing the moment, Li Man tactfully advised, "Your Majesty, you shouldn’t get near the Commandery Lady like this. Shall I get you some dry clothes?"

The emperor gave a dismissive wave.

Understanding the gesture, Li Man immediately signaled to Cui Hongyi behind him.

Before long, the imperial physician and Cui Hongyi arrived in quick succession.

After changing his clothes in a side chamber and scrubbing his hands thoroughly, Emperor Jingyuan found the physician returning from the main hall.

Before the physician could bow, the emperor immediately asked, "How is the Commandery Lady?"

"Your Majesty, the Commandery Lady has come down with a raging fever, likely due to the fright she suffered at the training grounds today. I’ll brew a medicinal decoction for her to take. Once she rests well through the night, the fever should break by morning."

Emperor Jingyuan let out a relieved breath, dried his hands with a cloth, and returned to the main hall.

Parting the sky-blue bed curtains, he sat by the bedside, just staring at Huo Ling.

The fire in her eyes from the afternoon was still vivid in his mind, yet now she lay before him, pale and weak. The emperor couldn't put his finger on what he felt—it seemed that, unwittingly, she had grown increasingly capable of getting to him.

"Your Majesty..."

As if sensing his presence, Huo Ling's eyelashes fluttered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes, staring blankly at Emperor Jingyuan.

The emperor pressed a hand to her forehead. "Awake?"

"Your Majesty, I feel terrible."

Her voice was stuffy, sounding downright pitiful.

"I know." Emperor Jingyuan leaned in slightly, speaking softly to conserve her strength. "You're injured and ill—of course you feel unwell."

Huo Ling smiled faintly before suddenly sounding aggrieved. "I didn't win the top prize after all."

Her words tugged at the emperor's heart. "This is on me. I shouldn't have let you participate in that competition."

"What does this have to do with you? Nobody saw this coming."

Emperor Jingyuan gently stroked her cold cheek with his warm palm. "Though the match was left unfinished, everyone could see you were the clear winner."

"Then what reward have you prepared for me?"

The emperor coaxed her, "Name your prize. How does that sound?"

Huo Ling's eyes brightened. "You mean it?"

"It’s true."

"There’s one reward I truly want," Huo Ling said. "I want to see the complete map of Great Yan."

Emperor Jingyuan was taken aback—what kind of request is that?

But since Huo Ling was still ill, he refrained from asking the reason at this moment and simply smiled. "There isn’t one here at the villa. Wait until we return to the capital, and I'll show it to you then."

Li Man brought over the cooled medicine. Emperor Jingyuan carefully avoided Huo Ling's wounds as he helped her sit up. "Want me to feed you?"

"Your Majesty, ever waited on someone before?" Huo Ling was skeptical of his feeding skills. "I'd rather drink it all in one go. Taking it sip by sip just makes it taste worse."

Huo Ling chugged the whole bowl of medicine and rinsed her mouth several times with water, but her brows remained tightly furrowed.

Emperor Jingyuan picked up a piece of candied fruit from the tray and brought it to her lips. "Have this to sweeten your mouth."

"I don't want this." Huo Ling avoided his hand and leaned in, pressing a light, fleeting kiss to the corner of his lips. "This works better."

The bitterness of the herbs and the warmth of her touch spread across his lips. Emperor Jingyuan chuckled. "Cheeky."

"If you feel shortchanged, you can kiss me back."

"Who’s really losing out here?"

Even as he said this, Emperor Jingyuan lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her lips.

Huo Ling pouted. "Your kiss feels like you're humoring a kid."

Emperor Jingyuan deepened the kiss, pressing firmly against her lips, but mindful of her condition, he kept it brief. "Because I *am* humoring a little girl."

Huo Ling was satisfied. She lightly bit her lip and whispered, "I’m tired."

Emperor Jingyuan's gaze darkened as he brushed his thumb over her lips. "Get some rest. The medicine will help you sleep. You'll be better by tomorrow."

Huo Ling held his hand and pressed it against her cheek, nuzzling against it. "Will you stay with me?"

Her voice grew slurred with sleepiness, yet she forced herself to stay awake. "When I was little, I had a high fever once. Back then, I didn’t understand—when I was sick and in pain, all I could do was cry. But I cried the whole night, and no one even checked on me."

"I thought that was how it was for everyone when they fell ill. Later, when my younger brother also had a high fever, I realized—not everyone gets abandoned when they’re sick."

Her eyes, already red and swollen from the fever, welled up, the corners bright red.

"After that, I never wanted to be sick again."

"Because no one cares."

Emperor Jingyuan had often heard Huo Ling speak of Huo Shiming's brave exploits, but never before had she revealed such conflicts within her family.

He watched her closely.

She had always seemed so vibrant, always on top of things, and though he knew she was young, he often overlooked her true age. Only now, as she lay pale and small beneath the brocade quilt, softly recounting the grievances of those years, did he realize how much more mature she was than her peers.

Princess Jiale, who was around her age, had cried nonstop after seeing her fall from the horse. Yet Huo Ling, who had experienced the fall herself, only now had tears welling in her eyes.

Such maturity always came at a price. And until now, he had never truly understood her past.

"Alright." Emperor Jingyuan bent down and kissed away the tear lingering at the corner of her eye, feeling it burn all the way to his heart. He whispered a promise by her ear, "I’m not going anywhere tonight. I’ll stay right here with you."

"Really?"

"The Emperor's word is law—how could I lie?"

Huo Ling gave a contented smile and obediently closed her eyes. But after just a few moments, she sneaked a peek with one eye. Seeing that he was still there, she quickly shut it again, as if that would prevent him from catching her in the act.

Emperor Jingyuan chuckled and covered her eyes with his palm. "Enough tricks. Sleep now."

Huo Ling's lashes fluttered twice, brushing against his palm. "Fine."

Then she actually fell asleep.

As her breathing gradually steadied, Emperor Jingyuan withdrew his hand. His gaze shifted from her peaceful face to the bandages around her neck, and it suddenly occurred to him—her family was far away in Yanxi.

She had entered the capital all alone.

The Duke of Chengen's residence, the Marquis of Wuwei's residence, and the Duke of Liu's residence all wished her harm.

Though she bore the title of Commandery Lady, she was walking on thin ice.

He was her only true support in this place.

If a mere guard couldn't protect her, how could the Emperor himself fail to?