Hearing my reply, the Grand Dowager Empress felt very pleased. She didn"t wait to ask for Lv Li"s opinion and declared that Lv Li was to be given to Zhao w.a.n.g. She also announced that Lv Li would be bestowed upon the t.i.tle of Lady.
I was pleased with how things played out and pretended to instruct Lv Li a few words before walking away with her, claiming that there were some preparations to be made.
Back in the Xing Sheng Palace, Lv Li kowtowed to me three times before saying, "I will never forget how Your Majesty saved me today!"
I nodded and then replied in a low voice, "Lv Li, I know you don"t like the idea of marrying Zhao w.a.n.g."
Lv Li replied, "Yes, I don"t want to marry him. And I gave him that scratch for a reason. But I didn"t expect the consequences would be this dire. Even the Emperor was infuriated, and I also got Your Majesty into this mess."
I wanted to ask her why she disliked Zhao w.a.n.g so much, but then I thought it might be a waste of time now that the marriage was sealed. I then sighed and said, "Well, as the way things stand now, marrying Zhao w.a.n.g is the only way to keep you alive. I have done my part and the rest of your life is entirely in your hands."
Lv Li nodded and began sobbing.
I said, "Get up and go prepare yourself. You are to go with Zhao w.a.n.g in a while."
Lv Li got up on her feet, backed down a few steps before throwing herself back at my feet, crying, "Your Majesty! It pains me to leave you like this!"
I lowered down my head and said, "Lv Li, just go. I consider my debt to you over the incident at the river to be paid in full. No matter who you were and will become, you and I must go our separate ways going forward."
Lv Li answered with tears welling up in her eyes, "I was sent by others to Your Majesty"s side, but I can swear to heaven that I have never done Your Majesty any harm in the past. I only wish Your Majesty will live a happy life." As she said this, she took out a jade pendant and handed it to me with her two hands, "Your Majesty, the person who sent me over gave me this. I will not be on your side anymore and I hope this thing will keep your company in my stead."
That was a translucent white jade carved with the dragon texture. On the one side carved the word "Qi" and on the other was the word "immunity". It looked like a formal symbol of royal decree that granted the owner immunity for capital offence.
I smiled. This thing looked awesome, but in reality, it was nothing more than a hoax to trick innocent, young girl.
But still, it was a gesture of good will from Lv Li.
And so I took the jade pendant and then smiled to Lv Li, "Go on."
Lv Li got up and started walking out, constantly looking back as if to capture the last glimpse of me.
I stayed alone in the palace for a while and then summoned Xie Yi in, instructing him to tell those men sent by Qi Sheng that Lv Li was now Zhao w.a.n.g"s Lady, and that if he still wanted to punish her, he should go ask Zhao w.a.n.g.
Xie Yi took her order, and before she walked out, she turned back with a hesitant look on her face, "Your Majesty, if I were as loyal as Lv Li, would Your Majesty treat me the same way you treated Lv Li?"
Loyalty won"t come out of the blue. It is something that has to be earned.
I smiled, and replied, "Well, this is difficult. It"s not like I can marry you to Zhao w.a.n.g too. But I could always ask whether Chu w.a.n.g would consider taking you in."
Xie Yi didn"t say anything and instead just backed down submissively.
With Lv Li gone, a huge stone was lifted off my heart. It was only then that I realized that I hadn"t eaten anything yet. I ordered the maids to prepare me food and while I was eating, I kept thinking when I would hear back from Qi Sheng.
But I didn"t get any messages from Qi Sheng even after nightfall.
I didn"t know what those men told Qi Sheng, but since that noon, I hadn"t heard anything from Qi Sheng. He didn"t go to Zhao w.a.n.g"s residence, nor did he come to my place to rant his anger.
I was very much surprised by this.
While I was chewing on the drumstick, I kept thinking what a strange man Qi Sheng appeared to be.
When Xie Yi saw me like this after she came back from outside, she walked up to collect the plates and ordered someone to bring in the pot for me to wash my hands. She kept rambling, "It has taken Your Majesty quite a while to become as slim as you are now. You shouldn"t be eating these things. I wonder who is so bold as to get you these, Your Majesty."
Surprised, I looked up, and in a trance, I thought that nagging Lv Li was still by my side.
Realizing that I was looking at her, Xie Yi was a bit embarra.s.sed and whispered, "Your Majesty?"
It"s then that I finally came back to myself. I waited for everyone to clear the room before saying, "Xie Yi, you don"t need to imitate Lv Li. You are not her, and if you are smart, you should find a way to get out of here as soon as possible."
Xie Yi"s body stiffened when she heard me say that. She lowered her head in a stubborn manner and said, "No, I will not go. I know what kind of woman Your Majesty is, and I would feel much comfortable with me being at Your Majesty"s side."
I smiled and didn"t say anymore.
Xie Yi paused, and then she whispered to me, "His Majesty rode out of his palace last night."
I was stunned by this information.
As if not realizing my reaction, Xie Yi kept helping me change into pajama while saying, "His Majesty only returned after daybreak and it is said that his clothes were all damp with dew. When he returned, he simply gave the order to kill Lv Li before attending to the state affairs. The emergency message came from Yunxi and so the royal meeting lasted very long. After the meeting, His Majesty summoned a few senior officers to Da Ming Palace and they even dined together."
She said those words matter-of-factly, but I was in awe of what I had been hearing. I thought Lv Li was a top-notch spy. Who would have thought that Xie Yi was actually more competent in this regard?
I looked at Xie Yi with a stunned face and stuttered, "Wait, Xie Yi, what are you saying?"
Xie Yi cast a glance at me and proceeded with a calm face, "I am a spy sent by His Majesty. My parents are all dead, and I have no relatives. I only have a 12-year-old brother who is now held hostage by His Majesty. My brother means the whole world to me."
Frankly, I had known that Qi Sheng was behind Xie Yi"s arrival to my place. After all, back then, Jiang shi had only been in Youlan Hall for half a year and she was a restricted woman. It"s highly unlikely that someone should become a trusted confidant to her in such a short time. The profession of being a spy was no ordinary errand-running job. It had its famous occupational hazard of being killed, and unless you had something real to offer, it"s unlikely that someone would ever stick their necks out for you just because you were nice to them.
But I had never seen a spy being so candid about her ident.i.ty without ever having to coax her into doing so.
I took a step back and sat by the bedside. Then I looked at Xie Yi and said, "Xie Yi, spies don"t usually do what you just did. I can protect Lv Li, but I can"t promise that I will be able to protect you and your brother."
Xie Yi remained silent and simply stood by my bedside.
This kind of despicable behavior was clearly meant to force me into accepting her. I was rendered speechless and continued, "Plus, things are not as easy as it was made out to be between me and the Emperor. I might be safe for now, but I am definitely out of royal favor. Killing Lv Li is just the first step and more will come. I have been targeted and now I am barely able to keep head above the water. I am simply in no position to protect you nor your brother."
Xie Yi suddenly raised up her head and whispered, "Your Majesty, His Majesty likes you."
I was rendered speechless yet again by her words.
However, Xie Yi was being very serious about what she had just said.
What difference does it make whether a man likes you or not?
Indeed, in the past, Qi Sheng acted as if he had some affection towards me. But it doesn"t mean anything. I had been a man for twenty years and I am fully aware how fast a man could change, especially in this cruel area where people could die for literally nothing on a daily basis.
Save me the speech of an eternal love. You don"t really know how long a relationship can last until the day you die.
But this kind of sweet talks works every time on young girls! It has taken me quite some efforts to instill some senses into Lv Li. Am I supposed to start all over again with Xie Yi?