From CEO to Concubine

Hua Zhixuan was waiting in the main chamber when Yan Zheyun finally returned. The third watch had sounded by now but Yan Zheyun frowned upon seeing him bundled up in blankets and coughing his lungs out in the permeating chill. As Yan Zheyun was favoured, the departments knew better than to undercut his residence on resources, so the underfloor heating was burning and there was a generous amount of coal to be fed into the braziers. 

But this wouldn't be enough to prevent Hua Zhixuan from dying of pneumonia if he insisted on neglecting his health like this. 

"Go back in at once," Yan Zheyun ordered with a scowl. As this was his home, the door eunuchs didn't need to announce his arrival, and no one within had been anticipating the suddenness of his appearance. As such, Hua Zhixuan started and nearly toppled off the seat he was perched precariously on, eyes drooping from exhaustion. Shuangxi caught him before turning and dropping into a low bow. 

"This servant greets Lord of Handsome Fairness Yue!" He kowtowed before Yan Zheyun could stop him. "Lord Yue, please accept this servant's display of gratitude for saving my little master!"

Xiao De came up to him immediately to remove his cloak and hand him a beautiful copper hand-warmer to thaw his numb fingers. Yan Zheyun accepted it gratefully and brought it up close to his cheeks to help him regain some of the feeling in his face too. The winter gale was blustery tonight. Although the emperor had been kind enough to permit the use of sedans to escort all concubines back to their palaces—even the ones from Yuanyin Palace who had just earned his ire—the bitter cold had still penetrated deep into Yan Zheyun's bones. 

Hua Zhixuan woke up immediately and rushed over to Yan Zheyun's side. It was only because Yan Zheyun caught his arm in time that he didn't join Shuangxi on the floor. 

"What are you doing?" he snapped, memories of how frustrating caring for a sick, recalcitrant Lixin had been flooding back into his brain. "You're a hair's breadth from meeting your ancestors and still you insist on these pointless niceties?" The close shave he just had at Changchun Palace as well as the stress of dealing with the prospect of Hua Zhixuan's condition worsening took its toll on his temper and he could no longer keep up the facade of the mild-mannered gentleman he always played in front of his companions. 

But instead of trying to mollify Yan Zheyun by listening to his instructions, Hua Zhixuan was uncharacteristically insistent on saluting him. 

"Brother Yan," he called out hoarsely, voice thick with emotion, "please accept this one's gratitude and please also accept—" He cut himself off with a sigh, morose with a shame that Yan Zheyun suspected he knew the reason for. With a large gulp, Hua Zhixuan forced himself to say it. "Please accept this one's apologies." 

Yan Zheyun guided him gently into the nearest seat. Yan Yun's body was naturally frail but Hua Zhixuan felt even frailer at this moment, his soft but insistent push meeting no resistance as he allowed Yan Zheyun to push him back down onto the chair. 

"Shuangxi, retrieve another blanket for your master. Xiao De, watch the door please." Yan Zheyun had not forgotten about his other little servant, who still hadn't gained his trust. Xiao De didn't require telling twice. He stepped boldly out into the cold, shutting the doors behind him as he went to survey the surroundings and ensure as best as he could that no one was loitering around in the dark, eavesdropping on the conversation. 

It wasn't ideal to broach this sensitive subject out here in the main chamber but Yan Zheyun could tell that Hua Zhixuan was set on it, his conscience unable to let him rest peacefully in Yan Zheyun's bed until it was cleared.

"Tell me what you want to tell me," Yan Zheyun said, once the eunuchs left to fulfil their tasks. He took the seat next to Hua Zhixuan in the small reception area that was meant for his guests. Although there were only two of them left in the chamber, the atmosphere was heavy with the weight of the secret on Hua Zhixuan's chest. 

Yan Zheyun bid his time. He still trusted Hua Zhixuan, otherwise, he wouldn't be giving him the time of the day right now. 

Sure enough, Hua Zhixuan didn't disappoint. His eyes watered and his nose turned even redder, but he dug a hand into the thick folds of his blanket and drew out a crumpled piece of parchment, which he slid over the table to Yan Zheyun. 

Yan Zheyun picked it up and skimmed its contents. It was a letter written in a strong, unrelenting script, instructing Hua Zhixuan that he was to collaborate with the Liang Family's third son to take down the Yan slave. Although the author remained anonymous, Yan Zheyun didn't have to be a genius to guess who was responsible for this command. Hua Zhixuan had made it clear from day one that he was nothing but a mere pawn to his family. Now that he'd successfully entered the inner palace and had even developed a friendship with the emperor's troublesome favourite, it was time to make use of him. 

"The 6 noble clans are targeting you," Hua Zhixuan said quietly. "Brother Yan, they're not going to stop until they get rid of you, you're standing in the way of their plans…" Although he often seemed thoughtless and carefree in his daily behaviour, Yan Zheyun had always known just how sensitive Hua Zhixuan was to politics. This was his defence mechanism. Only by knowing where the trouble lay would he be able to protect himself by avoiding it. 

But unfortunately for poor Hua Zhixuan, just because he wanted to be at peace with the world didn't mean that the world wanted to be at peace with him. 

Yan Zheyun rolled his eyes, too tired to be as considerate of Hua Zhixuan's feelings as he usually would. 

"These noble lords are giving this one too much credit," Yan Zheyun said with a cold smile. "What sort of threat can a mere ex-servant like me possibly pose?" For once, he didn't bother disguising his mockery but Hua Zhixuan didn't seem shocked to see this other side of him. As he'd thought earlier, Hua Zhixuan was sensitive to these matters, had a knack for reading people that gave him a bright future ahead of him if they could just find a way to send him back to the morning court, where he rightfully belonged. 

Hua Zhixuan's brows furrowed. "Brother Yan, you mustn't take this lightly," he insisted. "His Majesty might have managed to seize some power back from the old noble clans in recent times but their influence has yet to be culled. They are capable of far more than you can imagine. Now that your presence is preventing the concubines they sent in from garnering favour with the emperor, they will stop at nothing to remove you." 

Yan Zheyun believed him. He'd seen how wayward the Wu Household was and their family was already in decline. What of the others who were still strong enough to challenge even imperial authority? The letter from the Hua Family had reeked of disdain towards him, viewing him as nothing more than a little stone in their path, to be kicked aside as soon as possible so they could proceed on their intended path. 

But still, he felt that this was a bit naive of the old clans, to be honest. "If they think I'm the only thing preventing His Majesty from choosing one of their representatives as a favourite, they've underestimated the most important person in their so-called plans." 

Hua Zhixuan looked like he wanted to say more but was abruptly silenced when Yan Zheyun reached out to press a thumb against the tight knot on his forehead, smoothing it out unceremoniously the way he'd used to do to his brother whenever Liheng had spent too long glaring at a difficult mathematics question. 

"B-brother Yan!" Hua Zhixuan stammered, clutching at his forehead in embarrassment. 

"Worry about yourself," Yan Zheyun reminded. "Now that you've failed your mission, Liang Ruhan is going to tell on you. How are you going to answer to your family?" 

If it were up to Yan Zheyun, he would advise Hua Zhixuan to drop them like a hot potato. But these were different times with different values. It was not his place to make decisions. If Hua Zhixuan chose to continue serving the Hua Family out of filial piety, he would respect that, even if it meant one more enemy to guard against. 

The corners of Hua Zhixuan's mouth turned down. He was pale and jittery from his illness and fear but his eyes were bright as he met Yan Zheyun's gaze. "I've decided not to correspond with them any further," he said with grim determination. "If the Hua Family's reach extends far enough past the imperial city's walls such that they manage to strangle me to death here, only then will I admit defeat. But before that, Brother Yan, I choose to throw my lot in with you." 

This was the first time Yan Zheyun had ever heard Hua Zhixuan take a stance against the people who terrified him. He reached over and gave him a gratified pat on the shoulders. "With such reassurance from you, Xiongdi, I'm comforted in the thought that I'm not alone." 

After another coughing fit, Hua Zhixuan cleared his throat and asked, "So what's our next step?" 

Yan Zheyun shrugged. "I haven't thought of one, but for now, since His Majesty has so kindly excused us from attending morning assemblies until you recover, how does Brother Hua feel about being convalescent for a couple more days…or weeks?" 

Hua Zhixuan beamed despite himself. "This one would love to pay his humble respects to the noble consort, it's such a shame that this dastardly ailment just won't go away."

——————————

The sound of a chess piece hitting the wooden board broke Liu Yao out of his reverie. By reflex, his eyes flitted in the direction of the latest gameplay, only to realise that the black dragon had been cornered by the white rivers it had sought to conquer. 

Across from him, Yao Siya's eyes twinkled with mirth. "Your Majesty has become prone to rookie mistakes these couple of days. Should this consort-subject be insulted? Your Majesty's body is here with me but is your mind off dealing with the pressing matters of the morning court or is your heart lingering in the bower of one of my little sisters or brothers?" 

Liu Yao was used to a bit of harmless disrespect coming from that annoying mouth. He ignored Yao Siya's blatant teasing in favour of retracing the last few moves they'd made to see where he went wrong. 

But Yao Siya being Yao Siya, wasn't content to let the matter slide, no matter how clear Liu Yao made it that he wasn't interested in pursuing that conversation. 

"Don't bother, Your Majesty, you haven't been playing up to par ever since that night in Changchun Palace." Yao Siya folded his arms behind his head and leaned back in his seat, legs sprawling freely beneath the table as he stretched out his stiff limbs. His robes were richly embellished and more than fitting for a consort but his manners were appalling, almost boorish. 

They'd been sitting in his side chamber of Tianlu Pavilion for two shichen now because Liu Yao needed a distraction from the thoughts racing through his head. But just because he had chosen Yao Siya for company didn't mean he wanted to use Yao Siya as a confidante. 

"If you're so free that you're trying to pry into my business, it must mean that Cao Mingbao hasn't delegated enough work to you. This sovereign is not averse to rectifying this with immediate effect."

That seemed to sober Yao Siya up immediately. He held out both his hands in a frantic gesture of surrender. "Please don't, Your Majesty!" he exclaimed in exaggerated horror. "Please have mercy on this poor consort-subject!" 

"This sovereign notes that you are very attached to your inner palace title and lavish lifestyle. To remind you of your actual duties—"

Yao Siya leapt up from his seat and dropped to one knee before Liu Yao. His intricate robes fanned out around him in pretty waves but failed to soften the sharp edge that had replaced the cheerful languor in his aura. "This subject is at fault," he said in tones of great seriousness. "May Your Majesty please quell your anger, this subject will leave the task of trying to cheer Your Majesty up to the other, more capable members of the harem." 

"Is that your idea of cheering me up?" Liu Yao asked wryly. It felt more like an attempt to disgust Liu Yao to the point where he snapped and dismissed him without collecting a full report. There was no doubt that Yao Siya was one of the most capable subordinates that Liu Yao had. But he was also the laziest. If Liu Yao hadn't grown up with him and seen the full extent of his abilities, he might have been tempted to replace him a long time ago. 

Yao Siya's grin was unperturbed. "Your Majesty should have known before admitting this subject to the harem that you were asking for too much. But today, this subject is pleased to inform Your Majesty that I have a bit of useful information this time around." 

"For once," Liu Yao muttered. "Report." 

"As Your Majesty commands." Now that they were talking business, Yao Siya's insouciant attitude faded, and the laughter in his eyes was replaced with a glint that reminded Liu Yao of a honed blade. 

In a sense, this was what Yao Siya was.

"Your Majesty ordered this subject to investigate all of Lord Yue's ties in the inner palace and to the court. On the day that misfortune befell Attendant Hua, this subject used the opportunity to become more acquainted with him." The corner of his lips curled up like he was recalling something particularly interesting. "He was very desperate for me to help him rescue Lord Yue and more than certain that Lord Yue would get into trouble if Your Majesty didn't intervene. I found his certainty suspicious and kept a lookout. Sure enough, I came across an interesting finding." 

As Yao Siya described his discovery, white-hot anger seared through Liu Yao's veins. Yao Siya spoke about uncovering a message relay system linking from the personal eunuchs and maids in the inner palace out to the servants of the merchants who delivered supplies into the imperial city. This wasn't the first of its kind to be brought to Liu Yao's attention but he'd thought that after shocking the morning court into submission by meting out heavy-handed punishments against officials who were caught colluding with the harem, the old noble clans would cease in their attempts to contaminate the inner palace with their politicking. 

And they had, for a short period. But now, it seemed like they were getting restless once more. 

"If Your Majesty doesn't mind this subject asking, wasn't this the effect you intended?" 

"What gave you that impression?" Liu Yao asked levelly. 

Yao Siya ticked off a list. "A while ago, Your Majesty had requested for my men to perform a background check to see if Lord Yue's family came from the south. Upon discovering that it hadn't, Your Majesty's suspicions were heightened. During the spring festival banquet, the harem attempted to disgrace Lord Yue in front of Your Majesty but you chose to beat them at their game by favouring him instead, which was also why you visited Changchun Palace that night. Thus, the harem and by extension the old noble clans, now fear Lord Yue's influence on Your Majesty, and all their efforts in the near future will be directed towards getting rid of him instead of bothering you. Is this subject right?"

Liu Yao's mouth thinned. "Do you think it wise to let your sovereign know that you've been guessing his thoughts?" Whilst not a crime, to do so was considered one of the biggest taboos in court. Only Yao Siya dared to without any hesitation and this frank honesty was one of the reasons why Liu Yao trusted him. 

"This subject doesn't disapprove of Your Majesty's tactics." He let out a rueful laugh. "Though I do feel sorry for Lord Yue." 

Liu Yao didn't say anything to that. He had no mood to play chess anymore, dismissing Yao Siya and sitting alone in front of the chessboard, heart sinking as he counted the pieces he had left. He didn't tell Yao Siya that he'd been both right and wrong. 

Right because Liu Yao couldn't shake off the feeling that Yan Yun was a mere product of a nefarious ploy to addle his senses, his every gesture calculated to throw Liu Yao off guard. Everything, from the quiet steadiness in his eyes to the cadence of his speech was too haunting and Liu Yao didn't believe that two different people could be so similar. 

Such coincidence was too good to be true and Liu Yao had told himself time and again not to be taken in. If the old noble clans thought that they could use Yan Yun against him, he would retaliate by using Yan Yun against them.

However, Yao Siya was also wrong. Because every time Liu Yao had touched that body or made those lips gasp, or protected, or reassured, or cared, he'd told himself he was only doing this as part of his schemes. 

But the thing about self-deceit was that it could be easily countered by a healthy dose of self-awareness. 

Liu Yao knew that he was lying. 

He'd done what he'd done purely because he'd wanted to.. And this, more than anything, made him despair.