Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The waist adornment was highly particular about design and coordination. His ornament had been meticulously crafted by the finest artisans in the palace over several months, achieving near perfection. Suddenly adding a jet-black, weighty jade plaque disrupted the overall harmony.

Moreover, it was painfully obvious—everyone would notice it.

If he removed the adornment now, he feared Fu Huang would be displeased.

Because he suspected Fu Huang might precisely want it to be overly noticeable, something everyone could see.

Whether it was the jade pendant or the clothing.

Xiao Ai analyzed for him, suggesting it might be because Fu Huang lacked affection.

"Think about it—he’s cut off from family ties, a man alone. Now that he treats you like a true brother, naturally, he wants everyone to see you two as one. This indirectly binds you to him."

Fu Ye found this explanation quite reasonable, reflecting just how pathetic Fu Huang was.

A pathetic emperor—that was a dangerous thing.

So Fu Ye wore the imperial dragon-patterned black jade plaque everywhere, even donning the royal robes Fu Huang had bestowed upon him in the afternoon, making a show of himself before Fu Huang.

He hoped this might soothe Fu Huang’s heart.

Though Fu Huang remained expressionless, busy with court business, Fu Ye believed he had noticed.

If he and Xiao Ai guessed correctly, Fu Huang must have felt pleased deep down upon seeing it.

Content, Fu Ye then went to Ziyang Palace to wait upon the Empress Dowager.

Fu Ye was skilled in medicine, so he and the imperial physicians took turns caring for her. The Empress Dowager’s health waxed and waned, her body weak. Sometimes, waking from a daze, she would see him dressed in Fu Huang’s robes, serving her medicine, and mistake him for Fu Huang.

The first time, she bolted upright in terror.

The second time, she calmed slightly.

By the third time, watching Fu Ye tenderly spoon-feed her medicine, it stirred memories of the mother-son affection she once shared with Fu Huang many years ago.

After several such instances, she even began dreaming of him. One day, in a daze, she fell into the old nightmare—Fu Huang, sword in hand, covered in blood, wrenching the fifth prince from her arms. The metallic reek of blood in the hall nearly made her faint. Trembling, she reached out, pleading as she once had with the late emperor to spare Fu Huang: "Don’t kill him, Erlang, don’t—"

Before she could finish, warm blood splattered her face, and a severed head rolled to her feet.

She shoved the blood-soaked table away, standing as blood dripped from her brow into her eyes, turning the world into a blood-red nightmare. She saw Consort Li and others weeping over their sons’ corpses, while Fu Huang’s soldiers surrounded Qingtai Hall, a black tide of menace like demons from the underworld.

The old terror gripped her—the grief of kin turning on kin, the dread of death. Through the fog of fever, she heard Fu Huang ask softly, "Has Her Majesty recovered?"

The Empress Dowager clutched at his sleeve, crying out, "Erlang!"

The other froze, and she suddenly realized she had mistaken him again.

Fu Ye held her hand, swathed in the imperial dragon cloak Fu Huang had given him.

Perhaps weakened by prolonged illness, the Empress Dowager succumbed to weeping. Her graying hair spilled across the pillow as she turned away, tears dampening the gold-threaded embroidery of the "Hundred Sons and Thousand Grandsons" design.

Fu Ye wisely refrained from asking or speaking. The silence lingered until the Grand Dowager arrived. Rising to greet her, Fu Ye watched as the aged matriarch settled by the bed, asking softly, "Has Her Majesty improved?"

The Empress Dowager rested her head on the Grand Dowager’s lap without a word, tears streaming. The Grand Dowager stroked her graying hair and gently requested Fu Ye and the others to leave.

Bowing, Fu Ye turned and saw several imperial consorts standing beyond the curtains. Incense smoke curled from the gilded Boshan burner, enveloping them like time-worn clay statues holding their breath in the haze.

Stepping out of Ziyang Palace, he felt a chill running through him. Having spent so much time with these people, he had grown attached to them and now experienced another layer of the royal family's complex and heavy emotions—much heavier than when he'd just heard Xiao Ai or Eunuch Qin recount their stories. It weighed on him so heavily that he felt nearly crushed.

Palace Matron Sun, perhaps sensing his discomfort, offered an explanation: “Dressed like this, Your Highness, you bear some resemblance to His Majesty in the past.”

Fu Ye smiled faintly. “Do I?”

Palace Matron Sun nodded. Standing tall and straight, her gaze distant, she seemed lost in memories of Fu Huang.

Fu Ye said, “It’s a pity I never had the chance to see him back then.”

Palace Matron Sun replied, “The year His Majesty was first crowned Crown Prince, he performed the archery rites at a palace banquet. Young noble ladies from the capital crowded behind bamboo curtains to catch a glimpse of him, so eager they dropped their silk fans. At that time, there was even a handsome men ranking, and His Majesty topped the list.”

Fu Ye listened, trying to picture the scene of noblewomen vying for a look, and felt a pang of regret. He wished he could have seen Fu Huang back then.

Xiao Ai asked, “Do you really want to see?”

Fu Ye: “Can I?”

Xiao Ai said, “The main system recently introduced a new feature that can simulate historical scenes by merging the memories of all characters in the novel world. I can apply for you to try it. But it might take some time—the new feature is in high demand.”

Fu Ye was thrilled and urged her to apply immediately. So much so that when he returned that evening and saw Fu Huang, he was still excited.

Fu Huang had been staying at the villa palace for several days, but conducting affairs there was inconvenient. With so many imperial consorts around, the constant comings and goings of ministers were troublesome. Burdened with state affairs, Fu Huang decided to return to the main palace. This time, he left behind a large contingent of gilt-armored guards to secure the villa palace, even stationing hundreds of soldiers outside for additional protection. Still uneasy, he gave Fu Ye numerous instructions. Noticing Fu Ye’s frequent glances that night, he finally asked, “What is it?”

Fu Ye recounted how the Empress Dowager had mistaken him for Fu Huang earlier.

Fu Huang listened in silence, but then Fu Ye added, “Palace Matron Sun also said we look alike. I told her it couldn’t be—how could my imperial brother possibly be as handsome as me?”

The corner of Fu Huang’s mouth twitched, and he tapped Fu Ye’s head with a scroll.

Fu Ye laughed as he tidied the documents on the desk.

Truthfully, when he had leaned in earlier to look at Fu Huang, he had been struck by his imperial brother’s striking features—his narrow, cold eyes slightly upturned, naturally resembling a phoenix’s, accentuated by his sharp cheekbones and slightly downturned lips, giving him an air of imperial haughtiness.

But Fu Ye, always sharp-tongued and silver-tongued, could flatter endlessly about things the Emperor lacked. Yet when faced with something genuinely praiseworthy, he found himself at a loss for words, only smiling faintly with lowered eyes.

Fu Huang glanced up at him, thinking how brightly he smiled in the candlelight. How could a man smile like that? It was more disarming than cannon fire on the battlefield.

Fortunately, the imperial physician arrived to check on Eunuch Qin, and hearing voices next door, Fu Ye excused himself.

Eunuch Qin had sprained his ankle and had been ordered to rest in bed. Though his injury was nearly healed, Fu Huang had forbidden him from moving around. Fu Ye personally knelt to examine his injury, and Eunuch Qin, deeply moved, took the chance to bond them. “How is His Majesty’s injury? Has the medicine been applied?”

Fu Ye froze. “His Majesty is injured?”

He truly hadn’t known.

Of course, Fu Huang would never mention it himself. Fu Ye was the one for dramatics.

Musing over how dissimilar the two brothers were, Fu Ye took the chance to make Fu Huang sound pitiful: “When we saw Chonghua Temple ablaze from the palace, His Majesty, fearing Your Highness was inside, was beside himself with worry. To reach it faster, he rode hard the whole way. The mountain path was rough—by the time he dismounted, the horse’s back was stained with blood.”

!!

He hadn’t known any of this!

Eunuch Qin added, “His Majesty has always borne pain quietly. Such a minor injury probably meant nothing to him—after all, he’s suffered far worse!”

Fu Ye, ever tenderhearted, was clearly touched. Stepping outside, he saw Fu Huang wrapped in a cloak, preparing to inspect the guards.

Even after making the palace nearly impenetrable, Fu Huang remained uneasy—enough to personally inspect the guards.

"Brother Emperor!"

Fu Huang turned to look at him in the night and said, "I’m going to check outside the palace. Don’t wait up for me."

"Did Your Highness injure your leg?"

Fu Huang brushed it off, "It’s long healed."

With that, he descended the jade steps with Li Dun and the others.

He glanced at Fu Ye, who was wearing his robes, but couldn’t see any resemblance between them. Fu Ye possessed unmatched beauty, while he himself couldn’t compare even a fraction.

The travel palace was vast—it took over an hour just to walk a full circle around it. Apart from the four main gates, many areas were poorly lit, and the quiet mountain forest was filled with nothing but the biting wind. Fu Huang scanned the area carefully. Along the way, dead leaves and twigs crackled underfoot, and the cold wind numbed his cheeks and neck.

When he reached the southern gate, he saw a row of well-lit tents.

Since he had been frequently calling in officials to the travel palace these past few days, and the journey from the capital was long, Chancellor Xie and the others, being elderly, had camped outside the palace to avoid the hardship of travel. The Golden Armor Guards' tents were also here. It was already late at night, and the surroundings were silent except for the wind. As he passed by the large tents, he suddenly overheard off-duty Golden Armor Guards exchanging whispers.

One said, "Today, that Liu Jiahui was boasting again, saying His Highness Prince Huan was friendly with him. Isn’t that ridiculous?"

"He insists the prince likes men and keeps finding excuses to approach him."

"How can he even tell? Maybe he’s the one who likes men."

"Can’t blame him, though. His Highness Prince Huan is truly stunning, not to mention his royal status. If one could gain his favor, they’d rise through the ranks in no time!"

"Not to mention others—take Xie Liangbi, for example. That guy’s always been arrogant, but these days, he’s been using his patrol shifts as an excuse to cozy up to Prince Huan."

"Xiao Yichen’s been working connections lately, trying to transfer into the Black Armor Guards. Says he wants to serve as Prince Huan’s personal guard."

"And then there’s Wei Simo—such an elegant man. I heard from Old Chen that he once caught a distant glimpse of His Highness Prince Huan on the Heavenly Avenue and was lovesick after that. His father went to great lengths to get him into the Golden Armor Guards. Every time he sees the prince, he gawks like an idiot but doesn’t dare approach. It makes me want to introduce them myself."

"He might stand a chance! He’s so handsome, and our prince is notorious for loving pretty faces!"

Li Dun and the others stood silently behind Fu Huang, sensing the emperor’s chilling presence. They had no idea what he was thinking, but he said nothing and simply walked away.

The emperor moved silently through the night, entering the palace gates where the Golden Armor Guards’ commander stood in respectful welcome under the bright lights.

Fu Huang paused for a moment before saying, "Summon all the Golden Armor Guards."

The Golden Armor Guards were far less combat-capable than regular soldiers, with almost no battlefield experience. They served more as symbols of imperial authority and occasionally took on patrol duties within the palace. Fu Huang surveyed them and singled out a few individuals.

No one understood why the emperor had picked them. Only after four or five selections did they realize—the emperor seemed to be choosing the best-looking among them.

The emperor had always been stern, so no one dared to speak. They stood in the cold wind for a while before hearing him say to the Golden Armor Guards’ commander, "Swap them out."

Even their commander seemed puzzled by the emperor’s decision.

The Golden Armor Guards were responsible for the palace’s outer defenses and often accompanied the imperial family on travels. During selection, appearance and height were considered—good looks could enhance the imperial image. Did the emperor think the travel palace didn’t need such adornments and wanted to take the handsome ones back to the main palace?

As for male beauty, the emperor certainly had no interest in it.

In the past, when the emperor had no consorts for a long time, there were those who tried to win his favor through flattery—they all met brutal deaths.

It seemed His Majesty loathed the very idea of male favoritism.

Yet, among those singled out, not all were handsome. Two were rather plain-looking and had been bragging at dinner about how they’d chatted merrily with the maids by the Empress Dowager and even His Highness Prince Huan in front of Ziyang Palace earlier that day.

The emperor’s criteria for selection were completely baffling!

But the emperor was gloomy, and no one dared to ask further.

After the emperor left, Xie Liangbi, the bolder one among them, said to the commander, "Sir, I wish to remain stationed at the detached palace."

The commander looked at him, "...Then you must speak to His Majesty yourself."

Xie Liangbi: "..."

Fu Huang was gone for more than two hours. Upon returning, he found Fu Ye already asleep. He dismissed the attendants with a wave and stood by the bed, staring at Fu Ye's face.

He was truly beautiful.

It was an unapologetically flamboyant beauty—thick, jet-black hair, luminous skin, with a lively, almost provocative allure.

The weather was no longer as cold, and the Zheng Yang Palace felt much warmer. Fu Ye slept restlessly, likely feeling a bit too warm, so the blanket was tossed sideways, leaving his feet exposed.

Fu Huang tucked his feet back under the blanket, but after doing so, his hand lingered, gently stroking the slender ankles.

Fu Ye was quite thin, but unlike Fu Huang's gauntness, his bones were much finer, and his skin had a healthier sheen, smooth as fine jade.

After sitting for a while, Fu Huang pulled back the covers again, carefully examining his feet, head bowed, blankly running his fingers over each toe in turn.

Eunuch Qin was not on duty recently, and on night duty was an inner official who rarely attended closely. Catching a glimpse through the drapes, he saw this scene and held his breath.

Shortly after, when the emperor emerged, the inner official lowered his head even further.

His Majesty fixed him with a cold stare.

The emperor had never visited the detached palace before, so the Zheng Yang Palace had no permanent attendants. They had all been assigned here not long ago. Meeting the emperor for the first time, he wasn’t as fearsome as the rumors suggested—just lean and unsmiling.

But now, under the emperor’s icy gaze in the darkness, the inner official shivered, his knees going weak.

The emperor of legend, renowned for his bloodthirstiness, now had a tangible presence before him.

The emperor drifted out slowly and did not return for the rest of the night. The young eunuch let out a relieved breath, looking through the gauzy drapes to see His Highness Prince Huan shift in his sleep, his thin, warm robe draping over his slender frame.

Eunuch Qin didn’t understand why His Majesty had suddenly come to his quarters so late at night.

Instead of sleeping in his own chambers, he chose to rest here.

Though it could hardly be called rest—he simply lay there, lying awake lost in thought. Noticing the noticeable swell beneath the emperor’s robes, Eunuch Qin was surprised.

His Majesty’s constitution appears to be strengthening gradually now.