"Why does everyone want to enter the palace to be the emperor's woman?"
That day, Yang Ruoning sneaked to Qingping Temple again. She sat cross-legged in front of the Buddhist hall, leaning to the side, her head bent as she stared at Jiang Yuefeng, who was diligently praying.
Yang Ruoning asked her out of the blue.
Hearing her question, Jiang Yuefeng slowly opened her eyes. She looked up at the statue of Guanyin and replied, "Some do it for glory and wealth, others are forced by their family's status."
"So, no one does it for love," Yang Ruoning said.
"That is probably the hardest thing to obtain: imperial love," Jiang Yuefeng replied.
"Love for an emperor, forever unattainable. It is like this now, and it will be the same thousands of years later," Yang Ruoning sighed.
Jiang Yuefeng turned her head to look at her, "Thousands of years later too? Ruoxuan said you no longer have emperors."
Yang Ruoning looked at her, "Actually, we still do, but only as a symbol of the nation, without any power. However, even so, their mission and responsibility still outweigh personal feelings."
"Ruoxuan said that in your world, people can love anyone they want," Jiang Yuefeng shifted her gaze and looked back at the Buddha statue.
"Yes, in a sense, we are much freer," Yang Ruoning said, looking at her. "Yuefeng, I believe Jason must have told you a lot about our world, right?"
Jiang Yuefeng looked at her and nodded, "It is indeed a magical world."
Yang Ruoning, "Yuefeng, do you want to see Jason's world?"
Jiang Yuefeng smiled slightly, "If it were possible..."
"Yuefeng, we can try. Perhaps you can also pass through that tunnel."
Jiang Yuefeng lowered her eyelids, "How can I leave alone, leaving Xu'er behind..."
"Qingye can come too," Yang Ruoning said.
Why not? Rather than letting Qingye die in this world, it would be better for them to leave together. Yang Ruoning thought, this was truly a win-win solution.
Jiang Yuefeng smiled and said, "Ruoning, Xu'er is the ruler of a nation, how can he just leave whenever he wishes?"
Yang Ruoning pouted and remained silent. She wasn't sure if she should tell Jiang Yuefeng about the future she saw in the wormhole.
Jiang Yuefeng suddenly asked, "Ruoning, is General Luo treating you well?"
Yang Ruoning froze. She knew Jiang Yuefeng must have heard the rumors circulating in the marketplace. Yang Ruoning stammered, "Yes, we... are doing alright."
Jiang Yuefeng looked at her with some concern, "Ruoning, there are some things I still want to remind you of. Luo Yuan may not be what he seems. His schemes run so deep that no one can truly know what he is thinking. I fear you are merely infatuated for a moment, and will end up getting hurt."
Yang Ruoning understood her meaning. She replied, "I understand everything Yuefeng says. There will be no outcome between Luo Yuan and me. He has a woman he will eventually marry, and I am merely one of his many women."
"Since you know, you should leave him sooner rather than later," Jiang Yuefeng turned her face to look directly at her, and said somewhat seriously, "Have you never suspected why there are no maids or servants in his mansion?"
"I thought he was away on military campaigns for years and had just returned to the capital, so he didn't need household staff. Besides, keeping so many servants seems quite expensive..." As she spoke, Yang Ruoning became less certain. She suddenly thought that Luo Yuan, who had a house full of treasures gathering dust, wouldn't lack the money to hire servants to clean.
Jiang Yuefeng continued, "Have you never considered that perhaps the mansion is not suitable for retaining loose tongues and informants?"
Yes, those secrets, the secrets of plotting rebellion and seizing the throne, Yang Ruoning thought.
Jiang Yuefeng added, "I once bestowed five palace maids upon him, but within a year, those maids either died of sudden illness or met with accidents."
Hearing this, Yang Ruoning's eyes widened in shock. "They all died? You mean Luo Yuan... killed them...?"
"Yes, so Ruoning, the Luo mansion is not a place to stay long. He favors you now, perhaps because you are too unique. But if he suddenly loses interest in you, I truly don't know what he might do to you. He... doesn't know about you, does he?"
Yang Ruoning's heart suddenly sank. She said, "He knows. He knows I came from the future. He knows all my strange things."
Jiang Yuefeng suddenly grabbed Yang Ruoning's arm, becoming flustered. "Ruoning, does he know that you are looking for me?"
Yang Ruoning covered Yuefeng's hand with her own, comforting her, "Don't worry, I haven't told anyone about us."
Jiang Yuefeng breathed a sigh of relief. "It's best not to let outsiders know about us."
Yang Ruoning nodded. Jiang Yuefeng's strange reaction made Yang Ruoning even more convinced that what happened between her and Jason was far more than she had let on. The jumbled secrets felt like a giant maze, and Yang Ruoning was lost within it, unable to find her way.
Yang Ruoning and Jiang Yuefeng chatted for a while longer. When dusk began to fall, she left.
She returned to the mansion first. Uncle Zhong told her that Luo Yuan had not yet returned due to some urgent matters. So, Yang Ruoning took the goods from the order she had prepared yesterday and went to Fan Lou.
Since the new shop was still under renovation, Susu was temporarily staying at Fan Lou. Now that she no longer had to entertain guests and was focused on her business, she looked radiant. Their business had been good these days, with an increasing number of clients, including many high-ranking officials. Recently, they had accepted an order from Mama Hua at a preferential price to custom-make lingerie for every courtesan in the establishment. It was a large order, and Susu and the few part-time female workers they currently had were finding it quite challenging. Before leaving, Susu also informed her that their new shop would be ready soon.
On the way back to the mansion, Yang Ruoning couldn't resist buying some wine. It was just a small pot, not much, just enough to satisfy her craving. She knew Luo Yuan disliked her drinking.
Fortunately, when Uncle Zhong opened the door, he said Luo Yuan had not returned yet. Yang Ruoning quietly slipped to a secluded corner of the back garden, sipping the wine and gazing at the moon.
The wine today had a sharp taste upon entering her mouth, but after swallowing, it left a refreshing fruity aroma. No wonder this wine was a few more coins more expensive than usual. The weather was clear and cold, and a round moon shone exceptionally brightly. There was not a sound around her. Yang Ruoning leaned against the wall, thinking of Jiang Yuefeng's words at the temple that day.
The palace maids who died mysteriously, Yang Ruoning thought, were just one of the countless bones along Luo Yuan's path to imperial power.
The path to emperorship was paved with countless bodies; she had learned this from the historical data on Jason's computer. Luo Yuan was no exception. She didn't think of him as a heartless person because of this.
However, the historical data also told her that an emperor's tenderness was a sharp dagger hidden beneath silk sheets. Were those dead maids her future? Those lingering embraces and tender moments, those overly sweet gazes, how could they be feigned? She thought he loved her. She used to feel guilty and remorseful for having to leave him eventually. But now, Yang Ruoning felt that perhaps in his heart, she was just a novelty, something to be collected, like the treasures in his house gathering dust; or perhaps it was simply possessiveness, the satisfaction of taming a wild beast. Regardless of the form, Yang Ruoning felt deeply insulted.
Suddenly, there was a barely audible sound of tiles shifting on the roof. But because the courtyard was so quiet, Yang Ruoning heard it clearly.
Someone was on the roof!
Yang Ruoning silently retreated into the shadows beneath the eaves. In the pale moonlight, she saw a masked figure in black leap down from the roof with agility.
The figure in black stood with his back to her, clearly not yet having discovered her in the corner.
What action would give her the best chance of survival? Should she smash his head with the wine pot while he wasn't looking? Probably useless. Should she scream for help? This place was secluded; she wasn't sure if Uncle Zhong at the front could hear her shouts.
As she hesitated, the masked figure suddenly turned and looked towards her corner. Startled, Yang Ruoning hurled the wine pot in her hand fiercely at the figure. The figure swiftly dodged to the side and, with a伸手, caught the wine pot.
The masked figure raised his head, the moonlight illuminating his handsome features. He frowned slightly, "Why are you secretly drinking here?"
It was Luo Yuan's voice.
Yang Ruoning let out a huge sigh of relief. She walked out of the shadows, took the wine pot from his hand, and said, "Sir, your mansion gate is that way. There's no need for you to come home from the roof in the middle of the night dressed in black. You've really scared me half to death."
Luo Yuan removed his mask. He took the wine pot from Yang Ruoning's hand and drank it down in one gulp. "I was just thirsty."
Yang Ruoning looked up at him and thought, it seemed there would be many things to busy herself with tonight.
"Why don't you ask where I went dressed like this?" Luo Yuan suddenly asked.
Yang Ruoning glanced at him, took the wine pot back from his hand, and as she turned to walk back, said, "You must have your own business to attend to. If you want to tell me, you will tell me. If you're not telling me now, you have your reasons, so I won't ask further. Oh, right, sometimes black clothes are quite conspicuous. Perhaps you should consider a yellowish-green, like trees, in the future."
Luo Yuan lunged forward and grabbed her arm. He lifted Yang Ruoning's chin, his eyes filled with inquiry. "Why do I feel like you've been... distancing yourself from me lately?"
Yang Ruoning reached out and patted his chest. "You're overthinking. It's just that we've both been too busy lately, going out early and coming back late, so we've met less."
Luo Yuan tightened his grip around her waist. "Really?"
"Yes, don't you worry yourself," Yang Ruoning said.
"Ruoning, when all this is over, I will definitely make it up to you. Believe me, I won't keep you waiting too long."
"No rush, take your time," Yang Ruoning replied. "You must be tired. I'll ask Uncle Zhong to prepare a bath for you. Get some rest early."
Luo Yuan smiled, his voice deepening. "Together."
Yang Ruoning broke free from his embrace. She was breathless from his kiss and said, "No, I still have a lot of things to do and cannot delay. Let's arrange another time."
Luo Yuan looked at her, his gaze darkening. He grabbed her wrist, his grip becoming a little stronger.
Yang Ruoning felt a little guilty under his gaze and avoided his eyes.
Then, he said, "Then, as you wish." He released her wrist and walked away.
Back in her room, Yang Ruoning sat cross-legged on the bed. The laptop on her lap had files open, but her attention was not on them at all. She chewed on her fingernails, thinking about the scene just now. What did Luo Yuan mean by "soon"? Was he about to revolt? Should she tell Qingye and Jiang Yuefeng?
At that moment, the door creaked open. Luo Yuan had returned after his bath. Yang Ruoning looked up at him. The sight made Yang Ruoning freeze instantly.
Luo Yuan walked in wearing only a thin, sheer white silk robe.
Oh, f*** it. Yang Ruoning flung the laptop off her lap.
In a way, everyone was just getting what they needed. Feelings and such, because they were too unreal, there was no need to care, Yang Ruoning thought.