From CEO to Concubine

A long procession of eunuchs with heavy wooden buckets of hot bathwater, maids rushing to the imperial buttery to order ginger soup, and a hasty summons sent to the Imperial Medical Bureau for an imperial physician to attend to Lord of Handsome Fairness Yue in Yuyang Palace at once. 

Upon issuing those commands, Yan Zheyun had known that he would not be resting easy tonight. Initially, he had considered trying to keep things on the low to attract as little attention as possible. But when Hua Zhixuan started running a temperature and the blisters on his fingers had started bleeding, Yan Zheyun had changed his mind. 

The bigger the commotion, the more likely to startle the one person who could administer justice in the inner palace without repercussions. But the emperor's ear was not easy to reach. Yan Zheyun could only stir up as much trouble as possible while still toeing the line and pray that news of it successfully made its way to Qianqing Palace. 

"Little Master." A cloak draped around Yan Zheyun's shoulders. Xiao De pushed the small brazier in the main chamber closer to Yan Zheyun before stooping down next to him to peer up into his face worriedly. "This servant knows you're concerned about Little Master Hua but you need to take care of your health too. I've prepared a divan for Little Master to rest on, would you like to lie down? Shuangxi will keep watch over Little Master Hua tonight, he will be better in the morning." 

Yan Zheyun closed his eyes. "Let me rest for one ke," he muttered, referring to approximately a quarter of an hour. "Then help me get dressed." 

"Get dressed?" There was a frantic note in Xiao De's protest. "Where does Little Master wish to go at this hour? It is already nearing the second watch—"

The lengths of the watches varied according to the season but second watch was approximately around 9:30 pm. In modern times, especially in huge metropolitan cities, the nightlife would only be beginning. But here, in the inner palace, it was unbecoming for a concubine to be outside of their palace without permission once it reached dinner time. 

Hua Zhixuan had fallen asleep after drinking the medicinal brew that the imperial physician had prescribed for his fever. He lay in Yan Zheyun's bed now, face contorted with discomfort as he tossed and turned in fitful slumber. Shuangxi had suggested asking for Gracious Consort Yao's help in obtaining a palanquin to carry his young master back to Yuanyin Palace. But Yan Zheyun had dismissed the idea. He could see where Shuangxi was coming from. No doubt, this servant didn't want to risk his master getting into more trouble for breaking the curfew. 

But Yan Zheyun had other plans. And their first step required Hua Zhixuan to stay overnight with him. 

"What do you think Noble Consort Li would do if she heard that one male concubine remained in the room of another after nightfall?" he asked suddenly. 

Xiao De paled. "But Little Master had good reason, the imperial physician could vouch for you!" 

"So he could. But if I were Noble Consort Li, I would not waste this opportunity to interrogate and embarrass the concubines involved, especially if one of them just so happens to be the emperor's new favourite." He removed the lid of his cup of tea and dipped a finger into the already cold liquid before writing on the wooden table with it, repeating the gesture until the characters 'Liang', 'Pei', and 'Li' were formed. 

"Little Master suspects that multiple people are involved?" Xiao De's voice had dropped to a whisper. 

Yan Zheyun shrugged. He smeared the characters once Xiao De had read them. "It's hard to say. There's also a very high chance that this is the result of one person's idiocy. But it doesn't change the fact that we are treading on thin ice at the moment." 

Xiao De's mouth flattened into a thin line. "Little Master knows this and yet chooses to endanger himself." 

Yan Zheyun crossed his legs and leaned back in his seat, burrowing deeper into the folds of his cloak as he subtly nudged the brazier closer to Xiao De with his foot. He'd noticed that Xiao De was covered in a thin layer of sweat from running around fulfilling incessant errands and he hadn't had the time to change out of his damp clothes yet. If he weren't careful, he would catch a cold too and Yan Zheyun didn't have the resources to care for so many sick and ailing persons at once. 

"I have to take responsibility for my mistakes," he said. But that was only part of his reasoning. If he played his cards right, he just might be able to undo all the hard work Noble Consort Li put into separating Hua Zhixuan and him. 

When he thought about it that way, causing this fuss was worth it, especially when they had justice on their side. 

Fifteen minutes later, Yan Zheyun stood up and walked back into his bedchambers. Xiao De helped him select a set of simple but warm winter robes and Yan Zheyun even remembered to retrieve the bracelet Noble Consort Li had given to him, in the hopes that it would earn him some 'brownie points' during the inevitable argument later. As he snapped it back on his wrist, he heard the soft sounds of stirring coming from his bed and walked over to sit on the edge. 

Hua Zhixuan's lashes fluttered before parting, his gaze hazy and disoriented as he struggled to focus on Yan Zheyun's face. His cheeks were still unnaturally flushed but at least he was no longer in a dead faint. 

"Brother Yan?" Just trying to speak triggered an uncontrollable bout of coughing. The symptoms were familiar to Yan Zheyun, who had suffered from a whole slew of respiratory illnesses at the start of winter thanks to the perpetual chill in his rooms in Zheshan Palace. From what Shuangxi had told him, the storeroom that Hua Zhixuan had been forced to live in for the past three days had been even worse, with broken windows and a hole in the roof that made it rank and damp. 

"How are you feeling?" Yan Zheyun asked once Hua Zhixuan settled back lifelessly against the pillow. He smoothed down the blankets without thinking before realising that the gesture felt so familiar because he used to do it all the time for the twins whenever they were bedridden with the flu. 

"I'm okay," Hua Zhixuan croaked. "On the other hand, Brother Yan has gone to such lengths to take care of me but this is only going offend them even more…" Hua Zhixuan's defeated attitude was a far cry to his usual bubbly energy. Yan Zheyun didn't want him to dwell on the consequences they might end up facing. 

"Don't think about that now, I'll handle it. Since you're awake, it's time for another round of medication. You're notoriously difficult to spoon-feed whilst unconscious, did you know?" 

"…" Hua Zhixuan winced as he struggled to sit up. Yan Zheyun couldn't tell if this was because of the pain he was experiencing or his reluctance to drink the very bitter concoction that Shuangxi carried in. But he was obedient and accepted the bowl Shuangxi handed over to him after testing that it wouldn't be too hot to touch. 

"Little Master, please take your medicine while it's still warm." 

"Brother Hua." Yan Zheyun waited until Hua Zhixuan gulped down the entire bowl and shoved two honey dates into his mouth before speaking again. "Don't concern yourself with anything else tonight apart from recuperating." 

The hard edge in Yan Zheyun's tone might have tipped Hua Zhixuan off because his expression turned fretful. "What are you planning? You've already broken so many rules for me today, even keeping me here…you've just earned the favour of His Majesty, don't lose it over me!" He reached out to snag Yan Zheyun's sleeve. "You know that I don't have any intention of becoming a favourite and just want to live a peaceful life if I cannot fulfil my dreams of becoming a court official. Brother Yan…let's just forget it? The consequences aren't worth it and I know what these young masters from the noble houses are like. When they realise that bullying me won't get to you, they'll soon get bored." 

Hua Zhixuan's hand was icy when Yan Zheyun tucked it back beneath the covers. "You've said it yourself, Brother Hua," he replied simply. "Become an official or have a peaceful life, you can only pick one or the other. Or have you forgotten what our goal has been all along?" 

It was at this moment that Xiao De stepped back into the room with a worried, "Little Master, a eunuch from Changchun Palace sends word that Noble Consort Li requests the urgent attendance of both Little Master Hua and yourself now." 

Hua Zhixuan made to rise but Yan Zheyun pushed him gently back into the sheets. "I've already said earlier, you only need to focus on getting better today."

Ignoring Hua Zhixuan's disagreement, he headed back out, muttering a set of instructions for Xiao De. "You need to be dramatic," he said. "Emphasise Brother Hua's plight and the injustice of the situation. Can you do this?" 

"Little Master, shouldn't this servant accompany you?" 

"No. I don't trust anyone else to complete this task." 

Xiao De bowed. "Leave it to me." 

——————————

Yan Zheyun's mother enjoyed her inner palace dramas but Yan Zheyun's father had a huge fondness for historical epics. A long time ago, Yan Zheyun had chased an entire series that focused on the founding of the Han Dynasty with his old man. Back then, he hadn't paid a lot of attention because he was a 10-year-old with better things to do be doing than watching bearded actors talk in idioms in could hardly understand. 

But one scene had stood out to him in particular. 

"Pa." He'd tugged on his father's sleeve, his eyes riveted to the screen. "If Liu Bang knew that this Hongmen Feast (1) was a trap by the enemy, why did he show up?" 

His father had replied, "Because he knew that if he didn't go, Xiang Yu's formidable army would destroy him. But if he went, he still had a chance to turn the tides." He had then launched into a complicated and dry explanation about the military positions of both camps that Yan Zheyun had tuned out after five minutes, content to just sit there in his little corner of the couch and think to himself, [I don't get it, this Liu Bang sounds like an idiot to me.] 

Now, he would like to sincerely apologise to Liu Bang for his childish ignorance. 

Although it was already very late at night, all the lanterns were lit in Changchun Palace. Accompanied by Qiu Ji, who was quaking so hard that Yan Zheyun could sense the nervous tension radiating off of him, he stepped over the threshold and was greeted by the sight of Noble Consort Li at her customary seat. In front of her stood Liang Ruhan, Fu Cui, and a couple of other familiar faces that he recognised from his time at Zheshan Palace. 

He kept his expression even as he walked over. 

"This concubine pays his respects to Noble Consort Li Niangniang and wishes her a good evening. May I know why Niangniang has summoned me here tonight?" 

Fu Cui, whose temper had always been the most volatile of the newcomers, scoffed aloud. "Lord of Handsome Fairness Yue, if you're shameless enough to hide a man in your room, at least have the courage to own up to it instead of playing at being innocent—"

"Oh, so you do know that I'm Lord of Handsome Fairness Yue." Yan Zheyun didn't deign to spare him more than a glance. "In which case, shut up. This concubine is greeting the noble consort, you have no place to speak when your superiors are conversing." 

In contrast to his conversational tone, his bluntness was like a hard slap across the face. Fu Cui's head reeled from the unexpected insult. He opened his mouth to argue but a sharp look from Liang Ruhan forced him to hold his tongue in discontent. 

Noble Consort Li was watching Yan Zheyun with an unreadable expression. Her usual makeup was replaced with just a light touch of rouge on her lips and cheeks. It made her look younger and more harmless but Yan Zheyun would have to be a fool to be taken in. 

"Lord Yue, where is First-class Attendant Hua? I have been informed by Talented Lord Liang and the other concubines of Yuanyin Palace that even though the second watch has already sounded, he has yet to return from Yuyang Palace. Is this correct?" Her words were stern but impartial like she truly was intending to question him fairly about this matter. 

This suited Yan Zheyun's purposes perfectly. Instead of explaining, he launched into a serious report of his own. 

"On the behalf of Brother Hua, this concubine thanks Noble Consort Niangniang for her concern and would like to entreat Niangnniang to send a higher-ranked imperial physician to treat him as he is currently bedridden." 

The hierarchy in the inner palace was so staunch that different ranks of imperial physicians treated different ranks of concubines and servants. Unless someone with power permitted it, a first-class attendant like Hua Zhixuan could only have access to a low quality of care. 

Yan Zheyun had been counting on Noble Consort Li to keep up with the pretences of compassion she'd been so willing to make. Sure enough, her frown deepened and she waved her head eunuch over at once. 

"Send for Imperial Physician Xu to examine First-class Attendant Hua at once." 

"This concubine thanks Niangnniang for her kindness." Before Yan Zheyun could say anything more, Liang Ruhan couldn't stand it any longer. He stepped forth and bowed to Noble Consort Li as well. 

"Noble Consort Niangnniang, this concubine is concerned that Lord Yue is hiding something." He glared daggers at Yan Zheyun. "How is it that First-class Attendant Hua was well enough to visit him in the afternoon but bedridden by night? This concubine thinks this is suspicious and implores Niangniang to investigate!" 

Yan Zheyun didn't hide his scoff. "A thief crying 'stop thief!' (2)? As expected of such a talented lord. This concubine hasn't even asked why First-class Attendant Hua was locked in a storeroom and only freed after my servant informed the eunuchs of Yuanyin Palace that this was at Gracious Consort Yao's behest. Or why First-class Attendant Hua's kneecaps are so bruised that he couldn't walk and required support for the entire journey between the two palaces. Or why he has injuries from the cold on his hands and toes, so severe that he may have lost the ability to grip a brush for good.. Or why he has 37 visible incense burn marks on his forearms. Or why…"