Chapter Ten – Palace Turmoil
1726 Words
Bai Li sat in quiet meditation, eyes closed, unmoved by all that Qin Lan had said.
Seeing her words fall on deaf ears, Qin Lan sighed and sat quietly to the side.
After a long pause, she lifted her head and looked at Bai Li with sorrowful eyes. Her voice was soft, yet piercing:
“If you won’t help me kill him… it’s no different than killing me.”
Bai Li slowly opened his amber eyes, which shimmered with a strange light. He glanced at her, his expression unreadable.
“We made an agreement,” he said calmly. “I will help you—but I will not take a life.”
Qin Lan gently touched her lower belly, her face filled with tragic resignation.
“Yi Zhi refuses to return to me… It must be Heaven’s punishment, making me carry the child of a man I do not love…”
Bai Li sighed and shook his head. “You are entangled in the karma of your own desire. The deeper it grows, the harder it will be to escape. I advise you—wake up before this destroys you and everyone around you.”
Qin Lan gave a ghost of a smile, bitter and hollow. “I still have two wishes left, don’t I?... Then let this be my second wish: take this child’s life.”
Bai Li closed his eyes again. His voice was indifferent, detached.
“If that is your wish, then I shall grant it. But remember: you sowed the seed—you shall reap the fruit.”
Qin Lan smiled faintly, as if nothing mattered anymore. She rose and walked away.
The Emperor of Huage rarely doted on the women in his harem. If he ever showed favor, it was to the Empress—Qin Lan. The royal bloodline had gone without an heir for three years. She was finally pregnant… and now, she chose to end her own child’s life.
Bai Li could not make sense of it.
What was fate, really?
He tried calculating the stars again, but the lines of destiny were blurred.
“Why?” he muttered. “Why can’t I see it clearly?”
The more he tried, the more tangled it became. In the end, he gave up.
If all was preordained, what need was there to worry?
“Your Highness! Urgent dispatch from the imperial city!”
A soldier burst through the doors.
Prince Lin Yi Zhi grabbed the scroll and read it. His face turned ashen.
“Call for Tu Long. Now.”
Tu Long entered moments later and instantly noticed something was wrong.
“What are your orders, Your Highness?”
Lin Yi Zhi’s hand clenched around the letter, palm slick with cold sweat.
“How many days until the second month is complete?”
“Three days, Your Highness.”
“No… no, it’s too late…” Lin Yi Zhi began pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath.
“Your Highness… What is it?” Tu Long asked, perplexed.
Lin Yi Zhi turned abruptly.
“Tu Long, I must return to the capital—immediately. You stay and wait for the princess.”
With that, he strode to the door.
Tu Long stepped in front of him.
“Your Highness—what about Her Highness?”
“It’s urgent,” Lin Yi Zhi said grimly. “The Empress fell and lost the child. The palace is in chaos. I must return at once. Tell the princess what happened and escort her home.”
With that, he was gone.
Tu Long stood frozen. The Empress miscarried? After three years without an heir—no wonder the Prince looked so shaken.
But… no, this wasn’t just about an heir.
A sinking feeling hit Tu Long. A face flashed in his mind—the princess.
If she ever regretted marrying into the prince’s house… he’d take her away. He’d leave everything behind.
Left Yanxi never expected this turn of events.
She had rushed to Qunhe, riding day and night, but still arrived too late—Lin Yi Zhi had already gone.
“Your Highness, the Prince left around midday. If we leave now, we might still catch up…”
“No need,” she cut in coldly.
Turning back to her maid, she said, “Shan’er, let’s go to our room.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Tu Long paced outside the door, full of worry. Just as he was about to knock, Shan’er stepped out.
He rushed to her. “How is Her Highness?”
“She hasn’t said a word,” Shan’er replied, frowning. “But… she seems preoccupied.”
Tu Long clenched his jaw. “Did she give any orders?”
“She did,” Shan’er nodded. “She instructed that you return to the capital with the gifts from the Western Lan Emperor—along with the signed treaty. She said His Majesty would be pleased.”
“And what of Her Highness?” Tu Long asked quickly.
Shan’er hesitated.
“She said… once the Emperor sees the gifts, he’ll surely summon the Prince back to fetch her.”
“…She wants a decree,” Tu Long realized aloud. He was silent a moment, then smiled bitterly. “I understand. Go take care of her. I’ll depart at once.”
Shan’er bowed. “Thank you, Lord Tu.”
Tu Long stood alone in the courtyard, heart heavy.
She wants the Emperor to order the Prince’s return—only then will she go back. She’s not letting this go. If the Prince left under imperial orders, then she’ll use imperial orders to bring him back.
But if she knew the real reason he had returned…
What would she do to Empress Qin Lan?
That thought alone sent a chill down Tu Long’s spine.
Left Yanxi was not the same gentle woman he once knew. She hadn’t said a single harsh word—but Tu Long could feel her fury. Her silence was the storm.
He remembered another man—one who wore a gentle smile on his handsome face as he sat atop the Dragon Throne, a presence so crushing it made your knees weak.
Lin Yi Zhi rode day and night until he reached the capital. His first stop: the palace.
The Emperor, Lin Ran, did not greet him with his usual warmth.
“Brother, is it true? Did the Empress really…”
“Yes,” Lin Ran said coldly. “She fell down the stone steps. The child is gone.”
Lin Yi Zhi’s heart sank. “How… is she now?”
“She’ll live,” Lin Ran said, looking up.
“Brother—why do you say that with such certainty?”
“Because she hid her pregnancy from me for over a month,” the Emperor replied, voice bitter. “She planned this. She wanted to end the royal bloodline herself.”
Lin Yi Zhi froze. “Surely… that wasn’t her intent—perhaps she simply didn’t realize—”
“She knew.” Lin Ran’s gaze turned icy. “She knew exactly what she was doing.”
“…Maybe,” Lin Yi Zhi whispered, knowing how hollow his words sounded.
Lin Ran lowered his head. “In the end, I suppose… it spares me from more disgrace. But how can I ever face our ancestors again?”
“Brother!” Lin Yi Zhi cried. “That was your child!”
Lin Ran gave a weary smile. “Do you want to see her?”
Lin Yi Zhi fell silent. After a moment, he shook his head.
“You won’t go?”
“I cannot. It’s not proper for me to visit the inner palace. Please convey my regards.”
Lin Ran was quiet for a while.
“She did all this… just to see you, you know.”
“Brother,” Lin Yi Zhi said, furrowing his brows, “it’s been three years. I will not go back.”
“I believe you,” Lin Ran interrupted. “But I don’t believe her.”
A long silence.
“…When I sent her into the palace,” Lin Yi Zhi said quietly, “you promised me you’d treat her well.”
“I did. For three years I gave her everything—tolerance, affection, even her whims. And still, she betrayed me.”
They sat in silence once more, two brothers with a single shared sigh.
“You’ve come all this way. Go home and rest. I’ll speak with her.”
Lin Yi Zhi nodded.
“I believe the Empress will one day remember the bond between you.”
Lin Ran blinked.
He said bond of husband and wife?
Lin Yi Zhi had neglected his own wife for three years—everyone knew it. And now he spoke of marriage bonds?
Could it be… that Left Yanxi had truly changed?
Lin Ran chuckled to himself. He was more curious than ever to meet her again.
In the Moonlight Palace, Empress Qin Lan lay on a gilded couch, her face pale but her lips curled faintly.
She had heard Lin Yi Zhi had returned.
He wouldn't leave her, she told herself. He came back because of her. Of course he would come to see her soon…
Just then, someone entered the room. Her eyes lit up—only to fade again when she saw it was Lin Ran.
His smile was cold. “He won’t come.”
Qin Lan stared blankly at him.
“He asked me to pass along his wishes. Said it wasn’t proper to enter the inner palace,” Lin Ran said as he sat down.
Her face grew even paler.
So he knew…
He had always known… that it was Lin Yi Zhi in her heart.
Lin Ran’s voice was gentle, but sharp as ice.
“I respected you as Empress. I protected you. I indulged you. And this is how you repay me?”
Qin Lan said nothing, eyes dazed.
Lin Ran reached out and caressed her cheek, soft as a whisper.
“He said you would eventually remember our bond as husband and wife… But somehow, I doubt it. Don’t you agree?”
Qin Lan felt a cold shiver run through her entire body. The man before her—he looked the same.
But something… had changed.
- Writer
