Chapter Ninety-Two: A Stifled Night

When Ling Zhetian returned to Azure Cloud Palace, Feng Qiujie was sitting by the bed waiting for him, lost in thought.

Seeing him come to the bedside and begin undressing, Feng Qiujie very sensibly shifted inward to make room. Ling Zhetian’s expression darkened at once. In the past, Feng Qiujie would always lie in bed waiting for him. Every time she saw him come in, she would immediately fling out her arms and legs, sprawling out in a starfish shape, and he would simply shove her into the corner of the bed. But today, how rare it was: Feng Qiujie was being so obedient, even taking the initiative to make space for him.

“Feng Qiujie,” Ling Zhetian sat at the bedside and looked at her, his face grave, “do you know who I am?”

If Feng Qiujie had forgotten even him again, like last time, then he would truly go mad. He did not want to go through that agony a second time.

“You are the Emperor, and I am your wife.” Feng Qiujie looked at him calmly and gave the correct answer.

Ling Zhetian was stunned. Feng Qiujie usually either called him by name or shouted at him. Since when had she ever addressed him so respectfully, with “you,” and referred to herself in such a manner?

He seized her shoulders and shook her hard. “Are you sure you really are Feng Qiujie? Do you truly know who I am?”

After being shaken like that, Feng Qiujie nearly wanted to leap up and slap him to death. He was so infuriating, so punchable. But she forced down the irritation in her heart and did not show the murderous urge on her face. Instead, she said very calmly, “Yes, I am sure. I know you are the Emperor.”

“Then what?” Ling Zhetian looked at her, and his expression began to turn unpleasant.

“Are you going to rest, Your Majesty? Let me help you change.” As she spoke, Feng Qiujie moved closer and helped him take off his outer robe. Ling Zhetian could not bear it any longer; he simply pushed her down and kissed her lips. But as he kissed her, he began to feel it was pointless, because Feng Qiujie, pinned beneath him, did not move at all. Even when he kissed her, she gave no response, merely staring at him with wide eyes, dazed and blank.

Suddenly he lost all interest, got up from her body, put on his outer robe, and left her with a single sentence: “Rest first.” Then he walked out of Azure Cloud Palace.

Seeing him go, Feng Qiujie immediately sat up, folded her legs beneath her, and pondered what she should do. Looking at Ling Zhetian now, could he have gone to some concubine to satisfy himself? That was entirely possible. She had been so cold to him just now, and although he seemed thoroughly annoyed, he had forced himself not to flare up. It had to be said that since she had left for more than a year and returned again, Ling Zhetian had treated her far better than before. Perhaps he was afraid of losing her again. He rarely even scolded her now. Just like moments ago, he had said nothing at all.

Although Feng Qiujie still had some confidence in his character, there were a few concubines in the palace. Should she follow him and take a look? What if Ling Zhetian had really gone to one of their chambers? Would she not be driven mad with anger?

After much thought, Feng Qiujie decided to tail Ling Zhetian just a little. After all, a man’s infidelity was a terrifying thing, and she had to prevent such a thing from happening.

Ling Zhetian left Azure Cloud Palace, but instead of going to any concubine’s quarters, he went straight to the imperial infirmary. He wanted to ask whether Feng Qiujie might have fallen into one of those conditions she had once suffered from before. The Emperor’s midnight visit greatly alarmed the old imperial physicians, who all served him with utmost diligence and terror.

Ling Zhetian briefly described Feng Qiujie’s condition, and after the physicians discussed it among themselves, they reached a unanimous conclusion: Feng Qiujie might be suffering from a split personality.

Hearing this, Ling Zhetian’s face darkened even further. Feng Qiujie had only just returned, and they had barely enjoyed a few peaceful days. How had this kind of trouble started again?

After thinking it over, he still had the physicians write out a prescription so her body could be properly restored and she would not encounter any further problems.

After leaving the imperial infirmary, Ling Zhetian was preparing to return to Azure Cloud Palace to sleep when he ran into a melancholy-looking Ling Shunu on the way.

“Ah Nuo, why aren’t you sleeping in Splendid Palace? What are you doing here?” He frowned and walked over. When he had left earlier, he had instructed the wet nurse in Splendid Palace to take Ah Nuo back to sleep. Why was he still here?

“I can’t sleep.” Ah Nuo was sitting on a clean stone, resting his chin in his hands and gazing at the moon in the sky. There was a faint sorrow on his face; he was practically a little gloomy prince.

“What exactly can’t you sleep?” Ling Zhetian sat down beside him as well. He was not sleepy yet anyway, and he had not had time to talk with Ah Nuo for several days. Since he was awake, it was fine to sit here and keep him company for a while.

“Father Emperor,” Ah Nuo looked at him, a trace of hesitation in his voice. “Can you promise me one thing?”

“What is it?”

Ling Shunu hesitated for a long time, and at last seemed to have made up his mind. Then he said, “Please betroth Princess Kimura Hina to me.”

“What?” Ling Zhetian was startled by those words. “Betroth?” The child was only five this year. Did he even know what betrothal meant? Why would he suddenly want to marry a consort? He was only five—how could he be so precocious?

“Please, Father Emperor?” Ling Shunu climbed onto Ling Zhetian’s lap and began tugging at his collar with both little hands in a spoiled manner. Anyone seeing Ling Zhetian’s helpless expression would probably have laughed. “Ah Nuo really likes her. Please?”

Ling Zhetian rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Even if he agreed, Kimura Hina would never agree, would she? The age gap was simply far too great.

“Stop making a fuss.” Ling Zhetian took his hand and pried his fingers off his collar. “Why do you like her?”

“Because she’s pretty,” Ling Shunu said with innocent, wide eyes, looking utterly guileless.

Ling Zhetian was entirely speechless. If Ling Shunu were ten years older, he would certainly consider it. But right now he was nothing more than a tiny milk child; talking about such matters now was simply too early. After thinking for a moment, he picked Ah Nuo up and comforted him. “Be good, Ah Nuo. Go speak to your mother first about this. It’s very late now. Come back to the palace and sleep.”

As the dignified Emperor of the Ling Dynasty, he and Ah Nuo might both be male, but such matters were still difficult to discuss. It seemed that tonight he would have to go back and thoroughly instill this idea in Feng Qiujie, to have a proper discussion with her. Tomorrow he would let Feng Qiujie teach Ah Nuo carefully and have a serious talk with him. Raising a child was not something simple; he had to be disciplined well from a young age, or it would become troublesome later. Ah Nuo, though not his biological son, had been raised by him personally, and his feelings for the child ran deep. He had always treated him as if he were his own son, hoping he would become accomplished in the future.

After sending Ah Nuo back to Splendid Palace and coaxing him to sleep, Ling Zhetian returned to Azure Cloud Palace.

When he got back, Feng Qiujie had not yet slept. In fact, she had only just finished following him and had not even caught her breath.

“Tomorrow, go and speak to Ah Nuo properly and teach him well.” Ling Zhetian sat at the bedside, began to remove his outer garments, and prepared to sleep well and welcome a better tomorrow.

“Yes.” Feng Qiujie answered him with a single, very obedient word.

“You also need to investigate why he has such an idea, why he would suddenly want to marry a consort, and see whether someone has been planting notions in his head.” Ling Zhetian was deeply concerned about Ling Shunu. He was the only bloodline of Yan Wuying, so he had to be protected. Ling Zhetian had investigated the background of everyone in Splendid Palace, fearing someone might be harboring ill intentions and mean harm to Ah Nuo. For this sort of thing to happen now truly caught him off guard, leaving him both amused and helpless.

“Yes.” Feng Qiujie still gave only that simple word. At this point, she was truly sparing with her speech. In truth, who knew how many times she had already cursed Ling Zhetian in her heart? That boy’s mental age was already sixteen or seventeen; it was perfectly normal for him to have such thoughts. If he did not, that would be what truly needed worrying about.

“Can’t you answer with something other than yes for once?” Ling Zhetian could no longer hold back. Was Feng Qiujie really taking the wrong medicine tonight? It was as if saying a few more words to him would kill her.

“Fine.” Feng Qiujie finally did not answer “yes.” She changed it to “fine.”

As soon as Ling Zhetian heard that, he was about to erupt when a palace maid’s voice came from outside the door. “Your Majesty, the medicine has been boiled.”

“Bring it in.” The moment Ling Zhetian finished speaking, a little palace maid came in carrying a bowl of pitch-black medicine. In an instant, the whole room was filled with the smell of herbs.

Feng Qiujie was puzzled. Why was there medicine? Was Ling Zhetian ill?

Before she could make sense of it, Ling Zhetian handed the bowl of medicine to her and coldly issued a one-word command: “Drink.”

“What is this?” Feng Qiujie sniffed the rather unpleasant scent of Chinese medicine, her brows knitting slightly. She was not sick, so why should she drink medicine?

“Medicine.” This time, Ling Zhetian spoke to her one word at a time.

Feng Qiujie nearly wanted to jump up and beat him. Of course she knew it was medicine, but medicine came in many kinds. She was asking what sort of medicine this was. But thinking that Ling Zhetian would certainly not hand her poison, she could not be bothered to ask further and simply took it and drank it all in one go.

Seeing her actually drink the medicine so obediently, Ling Zhetian was also taken aback. He had originally thought Feng Qiujie would use all sorts of tricks to refuse, yet she had done so readily. Was this really Feng Qiujie?

“Your Majesty, it is late. Let me help you change for bed.”

“Fine.” Ling Zhetian replied in a low, gloomy voice. He suddenly felt that life was no longer very interesting.

He liked Feng Qiujie when she was like before, making a ruckus on the bed, liked the bright, joyful expression on her face. He did not like her being as she was now—quiet and sweet, yet somehow lifeless. He liked Feng Qiujie lively, bouncing about everywhere, not this present self of hers, so obedient that she agreed to everything.

As it turned out, people really were all cursed with cheap, contradictory hearts. This was not right, that was not right, so what on earth was right? Ling Zhetian spent that night in utter frustration.