Chapter 20: CH 20

Chapter Twenty

‘Greetings to Prince Lingrui.’

A hand extended to lift the willows hanging from the canopy of trees, bringing to view three figures who emerged from the forest.

With a light smile, Long Zijin said, ‘Ninth brother, you’re quick. I was under the impression Mother wanted a word with you.’ His face was open, the curiosity brimming within his eyes clearly displayed.

At the front of the group, Xia Sang led the way. The Emperor strolled over with Xu Xi following closely behind him.

‘Our mother misses her children wants me to issue a decree redeploying our third brother back to the capital,’ the Emperor mildly. He turned, his gaze landing on the still waters of the lake. The sunlight did not reflect off his eyes, which remained subdued.

‘Misses her children? It’s only her son she longs for day and night, isn’t it?’ Long Zijin scoffed, raising a brow. ‘Of the twelve countries in Yuncang, Xi Liang’s territories are among the most extensive, her lands rich in resources and her wealth unparalleled.’

‘So, she is also the lamb awaiting slaughter,’ the Emperor said idly.

Long Zijin laughed lowly, ‘It’s a pity that they still have to witness your methods if they want you to be the sacrificial lamb atop the dining table.’

The Emperor did not reply. He stood alone a distance front, his hands clasped behind his back, his pellucid gaze faraway on the unmarred surface of the winding lake. Long Zijin glanced at the Emperor, then followed his gaze to look in the direction of the lakes.

Jovially, Xia Sang said, ‘It’s strange, but Prince Lingrui, I’ve noticed from a while ago that you’ve been staring in the direction of the Lin Gardens.’

Long Zijin laughed. ‘You’re sharp. Don’t you know of the treasures that lie within Lin Gardens?’

The colour drained out of Xia Sang’s face. Lin Gardens…

‘Pardon me for asking, but Prince Lingrui, who were you speaking with earlier? I saw that person depart in the direction of Lin Gardens,’ Xia Sang said carefully, shock visible within his eyes.

‘Nian Xuanji.’ The answering voice was frigid.

Xia Sang jumped and said anxiously, ‘This is bad.’

A line appeared between Long Zijin’s brows. ‘Isn’t that man in there?’

‘Qingfeng was wounded by those things and His Majesty made him rest for the day.’ An uncharacteristic frown appeared on Xu Xi’s usually impassive face.

Alarmed, Long Zijin said hurriedly, ‘Ninth brother, I only wanted to make fun of her…’

As worried glances were exchanged amongst the group, their faces instantly paled – Emperor had disappeared!

***

Though many things had occurred in recent days leaving Xuanji with neither the time nor the mood to appreciate her surroundings, now, she could freely admit that the imperial palace did live up to its majestic splendor as described in history books.

As she walked along the winding path by the lake, she did not see any guards or servants, as though they had all vanished. The further she walked, the further she seemed to be distancing herself from the grandeur of the imperial palace, as though she was crossing over into a different world altogether – a deserted, maze-like world.

Finally, she stopped before a stone archway. Hanging high above the gates was a dusty, faded signboard which read: Lin Gardens.

The signboard seemed to have endured the passing of hundreds of years, for it was dilapidated, making the words faint and difficult to decipher.

Beyond the archway was a dense forest. Within the crevices of the canopy of leaves, the sunlight seemed to be unable to penetrate the forest, causing the entire gardens to be shrouded in a deep darkness.

Passing through this place would lead her back to Fengjiu Palace?

Xuanji closed her eyes, wiping away the tears glistening at her eyes. She did not hesitate further, striding past the stone archways to enter the Lin Gardens.

What were these flowers and trees? Were they vegetation belonging to this world?

She was curious – the leaves of these trees were thick and shaped in the form of a heart, their fringes mottled with dark purple circles, a layer of fine fuzz covering their surfaces. Though their flower buds were small, the deep blue of their petals was extremely captivating.

Scattered across the grounds were many different flowers, blanketing the entire forest in a myriad of colours. As the wind blew, the flowers furled, rippling across the gardens, their fragrance lingering in the air.

In a daze, Xuanji felt as though she had unknowingly fallen into an endless sea.

As she pressed forward, the uncertainty in her heart grew. Exactly how large was this garden? All around her was a boundless wall of towering trees, and her only way forward was a small, meandering pathway, which seemed to lead her to greater seclusion.

Exactly where did this pathway lead to?

Abruptly, a violent howl pierced through the air. Xuanji instinctively clasped both her hands over her ears, a quiver shivering through her.

This sound… it reminded her of wolves.

Wolves?!

She had seen them before in the zoo, and could not be mistaken.

Horrified, she spun around only to freeze in place, a light-headed feeling washing over her as she nearly fainted in her fright.

Where was the pathway that she had just come from?

What pathway? The small trail that she had been following seemed to have been smothered away by a supernatural force, every trace of its existence erased. All that was left was an unending sea of trees in this vast garden…

Who would come for her?

No! No one would come for her.

Everyone knew that if one lost their way, the best course of action would be to stay in position and wait for help to arrive. But all she could do was to continue walking forth, because she did not have any other options.

Her jaw set, Xuanji pressed forward.

Further front, another tall tree loomed into view. This stupendously huge tree had fallen squarely across the pathway, cutting off her only route.

As the shiver down her spine intensified, from the corner of her eyes, Xuanji saw a faint glow, and stared fearfully in its direction…

What were those things?!

Their physical appearances greatly resembled dogs, with their raised ears, sharp teeth, and a coat of greyish-brown fur, yet they were definitely not dogs, nor were they wolves.

Because wolves did not have wings!

Xuanji froze, her heart rising to her throat, as she stared at the image before her. The large ‘wolves’ had their attention fixed a distance ahead, their sharp and frightening claws digging into the grounds, as though preparing to leap over in the next instant.

It was a lone cub that had captured the unwavering attention of all the large wolves. The small cub circled the dead body of another wolf, whose corpse was mutilated and slashed open – a horrifying image. The ebb and flow of its blood, pooling across the grounds, dyed the entire area a bloody red, yet the small wolf circled unrelentingly by its side, whining mournfully.

The small wolf did not even reach one fifth of the size of those large wolves. It was afraid, the shivers in its body clearly visible, yet the stubbornness in its eyes was equally unmistakable as it gnashed its teeth, glaring at its cousins, as though they were its enemies.

Was the dead wolf perhaps its father or mother?

No – this young wolf had a coat of shockingly white fur, a stark contrast to all the other greyish-brown wolves.

Xuanji thought, she must really be insane. What she ought to be doing now was to find a way to escape this sinister place. Instead, she found herself rooted in place, her heart racing anxiously over the fate of this young wolf.

Finally, one of those large wolves could no longer curb its impatience, and pounced in the direction of the small wolf.

Xuanji cursed softly, and before she knew it, had already ran over to snatch the young wolf into her arms.

The Heavens knew that when she had visited the zoo, she, Xin Zhuizhui and Jia Yuhuan had once taken small pebbles to throw at the wolf within the enclosure.

Truthfully, in the very beginning, the attention of those large wolves was not on her. Now, several pairs of enraged eyes were intent upon her person. Without warning, a howl pierced through the air just as the grey blur of an enormous wolf pounced towards her.

Eyes widening, Xuanji understood in a split second that the vicious speed of this large wolf left her with no opportunity to escape. Her hands tightened in their grip around the little snow wolf, her eyes squeezing shut in despair.

Pain did not come.

All that lingered was the faint smell of ambergris.

A strong arm wound around her waist just as her face was pressed into a warm embrace.

Xuanji snapped open her eyes, her gaze falling fearfully to the secure arm tightening around her.

A frigid voice rang from above her head, the hint of suppressed anger unmistakable. ‘Nian Xuanji, you’re just a troublemaker!’

It was the Emperor.

Xuanji held the little wolf securely within her embrace; the Emperor’s unyielding arm tightened around her.

As Xuanji lifted her head, she saw his that his attention was intent upon the pack of large wolves before them.

The wolf which had attacked her stood a several steps away, growling angrily, yet it did not dare to move forward. From the faint glimmers of sunlight which seeped through the dense network of leaves, Xuanji saw the gleam of numerous silver needles embedded into the front paws of the wolf.

Surprised, Xuanji turned to look at the Emperor – so he did know martial arts.

She did not understand why, but his sudden appearance caused an inexplicable security to fill her heart. It was a familiar feeling, blurring with the days prior when she had faced the Empress Dowager’s accusations and he had snatched her from the jaws of death.

Abruptly, the memory of her young servant, flogged to death under his orders, surfaced in her mind, just as she remembered his callousness in Huayin Palace. The reassuring wave of security deserted her.

Quietly, she said, ‘Why did you save me?’

The Emperor only said coldly, ‘Throw that thing away.’

‘Throw?’ she said uncertainly.

‘If you are so desperate to die, then by all means, continue holding onto it,’ the Emperor said icily, raising a brow. ‘Your luck isn’t so bad after all. If it were another day and the wolves were not distracted by it, you would be their target.’

A ticklish sensation dotted her hands. Xuanji looked down to see that the little wolf was licking her palms, staring at her.

‘They will kill him!’

‘He deserves to be killed, if he cannot protect himself.’

Today, the Emperor was dressed in pale blue robes which melded into the boundless white of the snow stretching across the grounds. Yet his words were even colder than the snow.

Xuanji bit her lips and wanted to loosen her hold on the little wolf, yet the wolf suddenly extended both its paws to clutch at her sleeves, an innocent action, as though an unconscious display of affection.

Now, how could she bear to abandon him?

Eyes darkening, the Emperor released his hold on her and said icily, ‘As you wish.’

She stood there blankly, watching as he strode away. His retreating back, tall and imposing, was a picture of decisiveness.

She glanced at the sharp claws of the large wolves, then looked back in his direction – she knew that this man had the ability to save her and the little wolf!

‘He’s still so young. Weren’t you once a child? Didn’t you once need someone to protect you too?’ She shouted at his back, coldly presented towards her, her voice hoarse.

He stilled.

Coldly, he said, ‘I’m afraid I will have to disappoint you. I did not.’

For the first time, she could clearly discern the contempt in his voice.

She froze as an indistinct thought crystallised in her mind: this was the man’s true feelings towards her.

A blunt feeling speared through her heart.

She did not understand.

She… cared?

How many times have they met, and how many experiences have they shared?

So, how could she say she cared…

But something continued to rise in her heart, the undulating swell of emotions a suffocating pressure. Unthinkingly, she blurted out, ‘If you needed someone to protect you then, I would have….’

He stilled.

‘Who do you think you are?’ With a sweep of his arms, he turned to face her, his hard gaze piercing through her.

Xuanji smiled bitterly. Exactly what was she saying?

Abruptly, the flicker of an emotion crossed the Emperor’s eyes.

Xuanji only felt her vision blurring, only heard a shrill howl pierce through the air. Before she could react, she was already engulfed in his embrace, his arms secure around her waist.

Stark against his snow-white robes was the red smear of blood, rushing forth, as though a dam had been broken.

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Horrified, Xuanji moved instinctively to check his wounds, yet the grip around her waist loosened. As she lowered her head, she saw that he had changed his grip to hold onto her with his left arm while his right hand clutched around the hilt of his raised sword.

Despite the long, winding gash on his right shoulder, his posture was arrogant.

She could not help looking at his eyes. His face was calm like the unmarred surface of a lake, yet his eyes remained sharp.

She suddenly recalled that word: disdain.

Perhaps, that was the only emotion truly felt by the Emperor.

Suddenly, all her fear left her.

Xuanji glanced at the little wolf. It seemed to read her mind, clambering up her arm. She smiled, tearing a small part of her robes to help bandage the Emperor’s wounds.

The Emperor’s gaze swept across her.

The large wolves, though having been injured, nonetheless remained eager for the opportunity of a counterattack. Taking advantage of this brief reprieve, they pounced towards them, attacking. Xuanji heard a swift thud, and scolded herself for diverting the Emperor’s attentions, yet the sound of several painful howls filled the air, just as the pack of large wolves quickly retreated.

At the same time, something fell to the floor.

Confused, Xuanji glanced down to see that it was that sword from earlier. Slowly, the Emperor lowered his arm, which had been raised.

Her heart raced uneasily. Only now did she finally have an inkling of his thoughts.

Silver needles; the sword; a careless glance in her direction: all of these were to deceive the wolves. The dagger which the Emperor had kept hidden within his sleeves was where his attention truly lay.

Except, he clearly had the ability to take the lives of all the large wolves, so why…

Suddenly, a smattering of urgent footsteps filled the air. Xuanji spun around to see several figures hurriedly emerge from the forest – Long Zijin, Xu Xi, Xia Sang, and a young man dressed in green.

That young man’s face darkened, and he swiftly strode past the group to stand before them.

‘Senior, you’re injured?’ His voice was equal parts anxious and furious.

The Emperor only said, ‘It’s fine.’

Hearing the Emperor’s mild voice, the young man relaxed, and his eyes moved towards Xuanji and the little snow wolf. Abruptly, he paled, and said in shock, ‘Why is this thing here?’

Xuanji was surprised. This young man addressed the Emperor as his senior, and seemed to recognise the little wolf?

‘Qingfeng, I wish to take it back with me,’ the Emperor said, raising a brow.

The others exchanged a glance amongst themselves.

Brows furrowing, Long Zijin said, ‘Ninth brother, this…’

What exactly was this little wolf? Xuanji’s misgivings deepened just as the young man named Qingfeng said, ‘Senior, allow me to kill these animals.’

‘It will not be too late to kill them later, if they should dare to attack us once again.’

‘Your Majesty is wise. Our priority now is to leave this place as soon as possible. Your Majesty, your injuries are not light,’ Xu Xi said in a heavy voice, before turning to address the young man. ‘Qingfeng, do you understand why His Majesty has spared the wolves? If he had chosen to kill them, he risked the returning attack by the King of the Wolves.’

Xuanji’s mind was still twisted in confusion when the Emperor released his hold on her, turning to leave. The other men swiftly followed.

This man… these men… At the very least, she was still the Emperor’s wife, yet she had been ignored and slighted by every one of them without concern or fear of rebuke. Because within this garden, each one of these men knew with full certainty that, in the Emperor’s heart, she amounted to nothing…

With a bitter smile, Xuanji grabbed hold of the little wolf, hurrying behind them.

The little wolf was slumped over her shoulder, yet his eyes remained on the dead wolf ahead of them, as though reluctant to part.

The other grey wolves stood their grounds, howling, but fearing the Emperor’s viciousness, did not give chase.

Xuanji had only walked a few steps when a sharp pain burned from her feet. She lifted her skirts to see that her ankles were painfully swollen and mottled with purplish-black hues.

The tall figures of the few men ahead of her had already disappeared into the forest. Xuanji clenched her jaw, enduring the pain to continue pressing forward, yet ultimately, she could not withstand the crushing pain, staggering as she fell to the ground.

The little wolf jumped down and circled around her anxiously.

Miserably, Xuanji forced a smile at the wolf and said, ‘You should run for your life. Don’t be so stubborn in the future – the dead will not revive, it’s more important to protect yourself. Otherwise, the people who died for you will never be at peace.’

The little wolf whimpered softly, yet it suddenly leapt forth to gnaw at her sleeves, as though trying to drag her away.

Sadness welled in her heart, just as a scathing voice cut through the silence, ‘So you do understand this.’

Xuanji froze and looked up. Standing before her was the lone figure of a man staring coldly at her, his sleeves fluttering gently in the wind.

Who else could it be, but the Emperor?

Not long after, Long Zijin and the others also returned.

Everyone’s stare… Awkwardly, Xuanji tried to stand, but her swollen ankles could not exert any strength. Her face burned, just as Xia Sang moved forward and said kindly, ‘Your Highness, allow me to support you.’

Xuanji bit her lips, and was about to reach for Xia Sang’s outstretched hands when the Emperor said, ‘Come up here.’

Now, she was not the only person shocked. Everyone stared at the Emperor, who had bent down.

He wanted to carry her on his back?

At a loss, Xuanji stood still, not knowing what to do.

Finally, Long Zijin broke the silence and said, ‘This trouble was caused by me. Ninth brother, you’re also injured, so let me…’

‘I appreciate your kindness, Prince Zining,’ Xuanji quickly interrupted.

In order to demonstrate with absolute certainty the lack of dealings between her and the few Princes whose actions have nearly caused her life, Xuanji hurriedly clambered onto the Emperor’s back.

Her actions were clumsy and inelegant, and the others stared at the sight of this imperial consort.

Long Zijin scoffed.

The Emperor said, ‘Tenth brother, since you know that you’re in the wrong, then you can receive your punishment from Lin Sizheng when we return.’

Though unwilling, Long Zijin did not dare to protest, bowing as he said, ‘Yes.’

‘You’re one family. There’s no reason for you to strain your relationship because of me, an outsider,’ Xuanji said quietly by the Emperor’s ear.

Though she thought that her voice was soft, Xuanji did not know that everyone present was highly trained in martial arts, and could hear better than the average person. Long Zijin’s eyes flickered towards her.

The Emperor did not reply. Xuanji gave a half-smile – she was being foolish again…

Suddenly, a low whine sounded from the ground. It was the little wolf, whimpering. It seemed to be trying to climb up onto Xuanji’s body, but was hesitant, afraid of the Emperor.

Xia Sang laughed and said, ‘Let me wait upon our little Master.’

As he said these words, he bent down to scoop the little wolf into his arms, yet the little wolf quickly backed away, glancing back at them with a guarded look.

‘What animal is he?’ Xuanji asked curiously.

Xia Sang said lightly, ‘It’s unsurprising that you would be unfamiliar with this animal. This is a wolf; a rare animal in the world. Legend has it that they were mythical animals in the ancient times.’

One, two, three…

Xuanji could not help herself as she burst out laughing against the Emperor’s back.

She could feel the man’s grip on her tighten a fraction, as though deciding if he should throw her off his back.

Everyone turned to look at her.

Qingfeng sneered, ‘Ignorant people are easily surprised!’

Now, it became even more difficult for Xuanji to contain her laughter.

‘What are you laughing at?’ The Emperor, who had been remaining silent, finally said.

‘This animal has wings…’

‘Have you seen wolves without wings?’ the Emperor said in reply.

I’ve even thrown stones at wolves without wings!

Of course, Xuanji did not dare to reveal this, and only said, ‘Your Majesty, you should just throw me down.’

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

‘Nian Xuanji.’ The Emperor’s voice darkened.

This man’s cold fury – she was afraid!

Xuanji did not dare to laugh any longer, silently chiding herself for her insanity. This was Yuncang, not her original world where everyone was born equal.

Hurriedly, she tried to explain herself. ‘When I was young, my tutor once told me of these animals, and what his descriptions were different from what I’ve seen today, so I –’

‘Oh? What was it your tutor said?’ Qingfeng said with a cold sneer.

Everyone’s footsteps had slowed, as though waiting for her ridiculous answer in amusement.

Frantic, Xuanji quickly searched her memory for the unique characteristics of wolves in the modern world, but the more she panicked, the less she could remember. Yet a dim memory suddenly surfaced in her mind: it was an afternoon which she had spent with Xin Zhuizhui and Jia Yuhuan in a café, where Xin Zhuizhui had been busy updating her archaeological journal while Jia Yuhuan had chattered on about the latest books that she had read, mentioning something about wolves in the passing…

What would her two friends be doing now? Those simple days would never come to pass again. A sad longing rose in her heart as she remembered with fondness Jia Yuhuan’s mischievous voice and Xin Zhuizhui’s serious eyes…

Recalling what Jia Yuhuan had said about wolves, Xuanji said softly, ‘He said, these animals only have one mate in their entire lives.’

Just like how they did not understand why she had laughed earlier, she was similarly unable to fathom their sudden laughter. Even Xu Xi, reticent and sullen, also glanced in her direction.

‘Minister Nian has certainly become a poor judge of character if he had hired that tutor,’ Long Zijin snorted. ‘Wolves only have one mate in their entire lives?’

With a supercilious glance at her, Qingfeng sneered, ‘Concubine Nian, have you seen the savage way wolves have fought to secure more territory and mates?’

As he said these words, contempt flashed in his eyes, and he quickly strode past them.

Xuanji smiled bitterly.

This was truly not the world she had come from.

She bit her lips, lowering her head.

As the rays from the sunlight dazzled her vision, it appeared as though the Emperor had too, tilted his face back a fraction to glance at her, yet this also seemed to be a mere illusion on her part.

Xia Sang said kindly, ‘Your Highness, as you’ve only just entered the palace, you may be unaware that the Lin Gardens is forbidden territory. Within the gardens is a pathway that leads to Cangshan, where the King of the Wolves resides in seclusion. The grey-brown fur of the wolves that you’ve seen is their natural form. Except, in Yuncang, there is a legend –’

Xia Sang paused, his eyes taking in the sight of the little snow wolf, before he continued in a worried voice. ‘A wolf with fur white as snow is a natural-born King. Out of jealousy and fear, the King of the Wolves has chosen to act against this snow wolf. Originally, according to the laws of our ancestors, men and wolves are to coexist and live in harmony, with neither party infringing upon the affairs of the other. Occasionally, Qingfeng will survey the gardens, but now that we’ve brought this snow wolf away… I’m afraid that the King of the Wolves will not back off easily.’

***

Sunset.

Xuanji laughed as she looked at the little snow wolf which was currently rolling on the floor, as though the simple action made him immensely happy. Once they had left the Lin Gardens, the Emperor had departed with the others.

Before parting, Xia Sang had quietly pointed to her the direction back to Fengjiu Palace. Diefeng and her other servants had long returned, and upon seeing her, Diefeng’s worried face immediately lightened with relief.

However, as an ordinary servant would not have the opportunity to come across a wolf before, her servants were all fearful of the little snow wolf and did not dare approach it, only watching from afar. Xuanji helped the wolf to bathe, before returning to the courtyard to play with it.

Actually, her mind was faraway… Absurdly, her heart was filled, thought after thought, image after image, of that man.

‘Nian Xuanji, when will you finally understand his intentions?’

A new voice rang through the air as the owner of the voice stopped in front of her.

Startled, Xuanji lifted her head to see the new arrival. ‘It’s you?’

After a moment’s contemplation, she ushered the newcomer into her room, and did not call for anyone to attend to them.

When the doors closed shut, that person swept back the hood of her cloak to reveal a stunning face.

Jixiang.

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