From CEO to Concubine

The list went on and on. Yan Zheyun had spent the entire afternoon grilling Shuangxi for the full story, making sure he hadn't missed out on anything that would help him to put forward a case against the perpetrators of the incident, many of whom were standing in the room with him now. He'd also memorised the summary the imperial physician had presented to him of Hua Zhixuan's condition. It had felt reminiscent to that time he'd interned in his father's conglomerate and had worked for six months with the legal department to sue another company for a breach of contract. Back then, he'd catalogued the evidence too. 

This was just how his mind worked. It didn't matter that the laws were different now. Noble Consort Li, Talented Lord Liang, and even the emperor operated within a certain framework of rules that Yan Zheyun could count on. 

They had hurt Hua Zhixuan and were in the wrong. It was as simple as that. If the abuse hadn't surfaced, everyone could pretend that it wasn't happening. But once it came to light, Noble Consort Li's hands were tied by the very powers she wielded. As the holder of the phoenix seal, Yan Zheyun didn't believe she could just turn a blind eye. 

If Noble Consort Li's face had been unhappy before, she was positively enraged now. Now that he was observing her, Yan Zheyun thought that it was unlikely for her to have condoned such treatment of Hua Zhixuan. Gracious Consort Yao had told him over chess that there was nothing Noble Consort Li wanted more than the phoenix title. If word got out that one of the new concubines had been abused under her watch, her reputation would be at stake. 

He guessed that Liang Ruhan and company had only told her half the story, namely that Hua Zhixuan had gone on a merry visit and not returned. It was such a perfect opportunity to put Yan Zheyun in his place that maybe she had found it impossible to resist. 

But now, Yan Zheyun had spilt all the gory details that painted an appalling bullying scenario. She had no choice but to clean up this can of worms he so graciously opened for her if she didn't want to receive the censure of the emperor when word of it got out. 

Of course, she might resent him for this. But Yan Zheyun resented her for hauling him out of his warm house at night. 

"What on earth is going on in Yuanyin Palace?" she asked sharply, imperious stare shifting from Yan Zheyun to the group of young men who had been the reason she'd become involved in this mess in the first place. 

"Lord of Handsome Fairness Yue!" Fu Cui failed to heed Liang Ruhan's silent warning this time around. "Why are you making such false accusations against Talented Lord Liang?!" His voice was shriller than normal and Yan Zheyun chalked it up to panic. 

Yan Zheyun lowered his lashes. It wouldn't do to have them spot any signs of the deep-seated satisfaction he could feel coursing through him. "My, aren't we loyal? This concubine has yet to mention who he thought might be responsible for First-class Attendant Hua's state and already you are so quick to defend Talented Lord Liang." 

His lips quirked. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought that you were wagging your tail for your master."

You bitch. 

Everyone in the room heard the unspoken insinuation. Fu Cui stared at Yan Zheyun in aghast. Yan Zheyun knew that despite this not being their first argument, his appearance was so deceptive that it was hard to imagine vitriol falling from the host body's plush pink lips until it actually happened. 

Lashing out at Fu Cui might do little for the situation but some lessons needed to be taught. 

[Just because I normally can't be bothered to speak to you, you've assumed that I'm dumb?] He needed to correct this misconception before they thought that he was a rug they could step over. Today they had dared to lay hands on Hua Zhixuan. Tomorrow it might be Shuangxi or even Xiao De. Yan Zheyun didn't have so many allies that he could afford to have them taken down one by one. 

"Watch your tongue, Lord Yue," Noble Consort Li snapped. "You might be of a higher rank but in front of this noble consort, you must contain yourself. If you wish to bicker, do it on your own time, this noble consort doesn't want to hear it." 

Immediately, Yan Zheyun flattened his spikes. "This concubine has learnt from Niangnniang's admonishment." He knew when to give and when to take. If Noble Consort Li wanted to pull rank on him, he was very happy to accommodate her, insofar as it helped him to further his objectives.

"Talented Lord Liang." Mollified by his show of subservience, Noble Consort Li turned her ire onto Liang Ruhan, who was wearing a pinched look. "What do you have to say about the situation?" 

Under the weight of her assessing gaze, Liang Ruhan didn't dare to waste any more time. 

"This concubine asks Noble Consort Niangniang to investigate thoroughly." He tried to keep his expression straight but there was no hiding the derision he felt towards Yan Zheyun. "Lord Yue's accusations are baseless. Imperial Concubine Pei had been generous in assigning Attendant Hua his quarters in one of the side houses of Yuyang Palace. As far as this concubine is aware, Attendant Hua has been living there ever since moving in." 

Fu Cui was quick to concur with him. "Indeed, Niangniang. As for Attendant Hua's injuries…well, shouldn't we be asking Lord Yue about that? So many servants saw Attendant Hua walk out of Yuanyin Palace just fine and now you show up saying that he's…what? Badly injured?" 

Liang Ruhan deepened his bow. 'Niangniang, if we were truly guilty of hurting Attendant Hua, why would we come and report his disappearance to you?" His tone was earnest The arrogance that he routinely displayed towards Yan Zheyun dissipated in front of Noble Consort Li Coupled together with his pretty face, he looked young and endearing. 

They sang a proficient duet. Yan Zheyun would have found it entertaining if it didn't fill him with such disgust. 

"They have a point, Lord Yue." Noble Consort Li regarded Yan Zheyun severely. "If they'd been responsible for Attendant Hua's state, why would they call this noble consort's attention to it and risk having their actions discovered?" 

[Because I'm their real target.] It had taken a while to decipher their intentions but it was apparent now that they hadn't hurt Hua Zhixuan out of spite. Their motives were more insidious than that. What those were exactly, though, was still hard to say. 

He didn't have to wait long to figure it out. 

"Niangniang." The speaker was one of Liang Ruhan's quieter followers, who trailed behind the group like a little tail. He was from a side branch of the Guo Family and could be considered a distant relation to the Wu and Liang Families through Wu Bin's marriage to the Guo daughter. "T-this concubine would like to suggest questioning First-class Attendant Hua. Surely, if anyone would know who had inflicted his injuries upon him, it would be the victim himself?" 

A chorus of assent broke out. "Yes, Attendant Hua will surely clear up our name for us!" 

Liang Ruhan nodded. The victorious gleam in his eyes didn't go amiss. "I'm sure he will, Attendant Hua has no reason to pit himself again us, we've only ever lived in harmony." He glanced at Yan Zheyun pointedly. "On the other hand, there are certain members of this harem who think they can get away with anything just because they've obtained a little bit of favour." 

His words were calculated to rub Noble Consort Li the wrong way, implying that Yan Zheyun was this cocky because he had let that one measly night with the emperor get to his head. They were meant to egg Noble Consort Li on in the hopes that she would take him down a peg or two. 

Yan Zheyun was confronted for the first time this evening with the prospect that Hua Zhixuan had double-crossed him too. He had been certain that he was walking into a trap. He had even been prepared for Liang Ruhan and his supporters to have premeditated the whole thing. Bribing the servants, preparing a clean and cosy chamber to stand-in as Hua Zhixuan's, even convincing Imperial Concubine Pei to turn a blind eye. None of this was surprising. 

But their confidence that Hua Zhixuan's story would corroborate with theirs was. If Hua Zhixuan changed his tune and pointed his finger at Yan Zheyun instead, Yan Zheyun would be left in a very tricky position.

He tried to set aside his bias towards Hua Zhixuan and consider whether such a betrayal was a possibility. 

Of course, it was. If it could happen with Xiao Ma, it could happen with anyone. This was why he had been reluctant to establish close relations with the other concubines, had only chosen Hua Zhixuan initially because of the promise he'd shown as a formidable future ally. But his heart wasn't made of stone. It had been inevitable that he came to see Hua Zhixuan as a friend, especially when the winter months had dragged out and he'd had no one besides his three constant companions back in Zheshan Palace for support. 

No wonder Liang Ruhan had cooked up this ridiculous idea of bullying a concubine for no good reason at all. Yan Zheyun had been wondering when he'd degenerated into such abject stupidity, tormenting Hua Zhixuan and then allowing himself to get caught almost straightaway.

Turned out, Yan Zheyun was the foolish one today. Or so he would be, if Hua Zhixuan really had turned against him. 

But somehow, Yan Zheyun didn't think so. Hua Zhixuan wasn't like Xiao Ma, who had been a hapless stable boy with no choice but to obey instructions if he wanted his adoptive father to survive. But Hua Zhixuan? Yan Zheyun had heard enough didactic rhetoric on the values of Confucianism in the past couple of weeks to know that Hua Zhixuan was the sort to valiantly martyr himself for the right cause if allowed. 

Someone with this much faith in their tenets…Yan Zheyun chose to believe that he wouldn't abandon them in the face of adversity. 

[…this entire day has been one huge gamble, what's one more round?] 

"If Niangniang wishes to question Attendant Hua, this concubine has no reason to refuse. I have no motivations to harm Attendant Hua, whom you all know to be close to me." Yan Zheyun stepped to the side and made an inviting gesture towards the direction of the door. "Attendant Hua will surely testify for my innocence once asked. However, as his health is still ailing, may this concubine trouble Niangniang to pay Yuyang Palace a visit?" 

As he'd anticipated, Noble Consort Li's face was filled with reluctance. "This noble consort will wait until Attendant Hua is well enough to be present at morning assemblies to question him," she decided at last. "In the meanwhile, if any further harm should befall Attendant Hua, all of you present shall be held accountable, do you all understand?" 

It was freezing outside at the moment and for the pampered noble consort to go from her cosy chambers into the blustery evening wind was asking for too much. Yan Zheyun had been counting on this. 

"As Niangniang wishes." If he could put this off by a couple of days, he could confront Hua Zhixuan about this turn of events and try and come up with a suitable counter for it. 

Fu Cui exchanged a fervent look with Liang Ruhan. "But what about Lord Yue's transgressions?" he asked, after Liang Ruhan indicated for him to do so with a slight nudge of his chin. "Niangniang, although we have yet to determine the cause of Attendant Hua's injuries, Lord Yue has nonetheless broken the rules by keeping Attendant Hua in his chambers instead of reporting the incident to Niangniang." 

Noble Consort Li's mouth twisted into a tired frown. "Or Gracious Consort Yao, for that matter," she added uncharitably. "As the master of Yuyang Palace, his lackadaisical attitude towards the concubines within his authority is deserving of reproach—"

"Now now, Niangnniang, if you must badmouth me, at least do it to my face." 

At this sudden, unexpected interruption, everyone turned to stare in the direction of the speaker. Gracious Consort Yao stepped into the main chambers without preamble, so at ease that anyone would believe this were his palace instead. 

Noble Consort Li's expression turned livid. 

"Preposterous! How dare you show up at this hour without permission?! The curfew applies to even consorts!" she shouted. "Did you command the door eunuchs to not announce your presence?! How can you set a good example for the new concubines if you're flouting the rules yourself? This noble consort has always closed one eye to your audacity but you've gone too far today, Yao Siya." 

She was about to yell for the servants outside to be brought to her for interrogation but another voice, too deep and stern to be Gracious Consort Yao's, cut in bitingly. 

"Is this sovereign's permission good enough for Noble Consort Li?" 

Yan Zheyun's heart, which had already sunk to his stomach when faced with Hua Zhixuan's potential treachery, vaulted back up again. 

[He's here..] Things just became so much more interesting.