From CEO to Concubine

His Majesty was ill. 

No one in the inner palace knew where the news started spreading from but within a day, it reached the ears of the concubines who lived within the imperial city. Trapped within the limitations of their respective stations, they had no choice but to rely on the servants around them for more information. Some eunuch swore that he had seen the entire imperial medical bureau mobilising with Imperial Physician Fu leading the charge towards Qianqian Palace. Another maid insisted that all the memorials and scripts that His Majesty slaved over day by day had been transported out of Tianlu Pavilion and out through the gates that separated the inner palace from the administrative area of the imperial city. Presumably, they would be given to the cabinet to handle in the emperor's stead. 

But regardless of how titillating these little gold nuggets of gossip were, none was as shocking as the one about Lord Yue. Once again, the source was unknown but it was soon no secret that Lord Yue had attempted to sneak into Qianqing Palace in the middle of the night dressed as a low-ranking eunuch and had even been mistaken for an assassin! Even more incredulously, not only had the emperor spared him from punishment, but he now had permission to remain by the emperor's side to serve him in his time of need!

"Some people have all the luck," Chen Qi muttered sourly before yelping when an unceremonious hand swatted him across the back of the head. 

"Does that sound like sheer dumb luck to you?" Yao Siya replied. "Go put on a eunuch's outfit and seek an audience with His Majesty, this consort is curious as to how long you'd last." 

Chen Qi's face heated up and he scowled. They were seated by Hua Zhixuan's bedside and in the interest of keeping the air free of Chen Qi's habitual dour sulking, Yao Siya was about to chase him out when a small tug to his sleeve stopped him. 

Hua Zhixuan blinked up sleepily. He was feeling better these couple of days, his fitful nights changing into a perpetual drowsy languor that Imperial Physician Fu had reassured him was just the result of his body trying to regain energy. "Langjun, don't scold Lord Chen, he's just worried that Brother Yan hasn't been back in a while." 

Chen Qi hadn't thought it possible that Attendant Hua could be more irritating than Gracious Consort Yao was but it seemed like his neighbours in Yuyang Palace lived to prove him wrong. 

"Who's worried about your stupid Brother Yan?! Hah, you're still so concerned about him, even though he abandoned you at the first chance to go and suck up to His Majesty—OUCH!"

Yao Siya lowered his hand. He was perched on the edge of the bed, where he'd been for most of the duration of this illness that had befallen Hua Zhixuan. 

"Don't listen to his rubbish," Yao Siya soothed, the difference in his treatment of Hua Zhixuan and Chen Qi like that of heaven and earth. "If your Brother Yan didn't go to find His Majesty, he wouldn't have been able to send Imperial Physician Fu to you." 

Hua Zhixuan smiled shyly up at him. "Zhixuan knows. Brother Yan is kind to me." 

Yuyang Palace wasn't the only place to discuss Lord Yue's daring escapade. But the relative tranquillity that had been maintained under Gracious Consort Yao's watchful eye was absent elsewhere. 

"It's not fair!" Porcelain shattered against the wall in one of the houses in Lijing Palace. The loud crashing noise followed by the hysterical shouting was enough to cause alarm in the main house and Zhao Qiaoting, who had been quietly embroidering a new scent pouch for Noble Consort Dou, who had taken such good care of her after she'd moved in, glanced up in surprise. 

"Ignore her," Dou Minying said, without lifting her head from her poetry scroll. She was lounging on a divan beneath the window, seemingly at peace despite the commotion that ensued outside, but Zhao Qiaoting had been trained by her beloved father to be observant. She didn't miss how Dou Minying's eyes had lingered on the same line of calligraphy for the duration of a small cup of tea (1) now.

"Does Niangniang not want to advise Attendant Zhang?" Zhao Qiaoting asked softly. After the demotion from Lady of Bright Deportment to Third-class Attendant, Attendant Zhang's life had taken a drastic hit. The other concubines, who had once flocked to her in the hopes that she would be able to help them advance in the inner palace, now avoided her like she had the plague. Only Noble Consort Dou had continued to treat her as normal, permitting her to remain in her current house and only commissioning the change of its furnishings to suit her new status. 

Others might misinterpret this as Noble Consort Dou's subtle way of punishing Attendant Zhang for dragging her into the emperor's bad graces too but Zhao Qiaoting didn't think so. She'd seen how frustrated and heartbroken Noble Consort Dou had been after blossom viewing that day. 

Dou Minying sighed and covered her eyes with a lovely white hand. "This consort promised to take care of her," she muttered. "But this consort is afraid that this task is too difficult to fulfil." 

Zhao Qiaoting wisely didn't respond to that. She continued her sewing and thought to herself, [But it's not Niangniang's fault if Attendant Zhang wants to dig her own grave.] 

Whether they were happy for Lord Yue or not, this revelation that he was once again the only concubine allowed in the emperor's presence shook the inner palace. Rapidly, various versions of the original tale started materialising. Some said that he had used spring medicine to seduce the emperor again, extracting so much yang energy from the dragon body that the emperor had fallen ill as a result. Others said that he must have planted a venomous 'gu' in the emperor to control him. 

Happiness, relief, hatred, spite, envy. The inner palace often experienced a spectrum of emotions when it came to news about Lord Yue and the emperor. 

But today, Changchun Palace discovered a new one; fear.

"Mianxin, do you think it was Grandfather?" she whispered, hands wringing at her handkerchief as she paced about the main chamber where she held assembly every morning. It was almost empty at present because she had dismissed everyone else apart from this most trusted of her maids, but it wasn't enough to alleviate the feeling of nervousness that felt like fingers wrapping around her throat. "He has started telling me less and less ever since I blocked Li Ling from entering the palace…"

She felt like she might have made a fatal mistake. 

Just a couple of days ago, she had been arranging for the fabrication of evidence to frame Lord Yue for the worsening of Attendant Hua's illness. She'd known that he hadn't been responsible for it but had wanted to use it as an opportunity anyway. 

But a rabbit that was pushed too far also knew how to bite (2). Moreover, Lord Yue was no weakling. Li Fang would never have dreamed that he would break a whole list of rules just to hide behind the emperor. Worst still, it was effective, and now not only was Li Fang unable to touch him but she was also terrified by a new discovery she had made. 

Lord Yue had been taking care of Attendant Hua and was familiar with his illness. Li Fang's grandfather had been curious about Attendant Hua's health. 

And now, the emperor was also ailing. 

Despite what her grandfather might think, Li Fang was not just a mindless pawn for him to manipulate. She knew how to deduce for herself and the conclusion she had arrived at was frightening. 

"Hurry," she mumbled. "I need to know what's going on, get me more paper, Mianxin!" 

No one wanted to tell her anything. After her last letter to her grandfather, she had only heard back from her mother, who had written to tell her to stay calm and wait for good news, they were doing everything they could to make her empress. Just mere shichen ago, Li Fang had believed wholeheartedly in these comforting words. Now, she still did, but she wasn't sure whether the 'husband' they had in mind for her was still the same one she was married to. 

At any rate, she needed to know if her family were involved in this. As for the role she played in chasing Lord Yue to the emperor's side…

Her gaze hardened. It was a miscalculation on her part, she could admit that much. But wasn't her grandfather to be blamed too? Li Fang didn't buy into the argument that the less she knew the better it would be for her. If her grandfather had just shared his plans, none of this would have happened. 

——————————

Yan Zheyun didn't know about the dark thoughts some of the other concubines were harbouring towards him, but even if he did, he wouldn't have been surprised and wouldn't have cared much either. 

He was slightly preoccupied at the moment. 

Now that Liu Yao was no longer concealing his illness, he spent his days lazing about Qianqing Palace with Yan Zheyun for company. Now that a very low dose of the black fragrance incense was burning in the background, the amount personally tailored by Imperial Physician Fu and overseen by Yan Zheyun, Liu Yao's symptoms had eased up somewhat. He was still mildly anxious and had developed a runny nose that reminded Yan Zheyun of how snotty his siblings used to get whenever ill, but apart from that, the other worse symptoms had tapered off and Yan Zheyun no longer worried as much about him dropping dead suddenly.

Not to mention, the casual attitude Liu Yao displayed made it hard to take things seriously. Yan Zheyun wasn't sure how sick leave worked in ancient times but it was obvious by now that Liu Yao didn't require a medical certificate and certainly did not have to answer to anyone when asked when he would resume morning court. It was as though he had been body-snatched overnight, going from the industrious ruler of the country to a lackadaisical young man who had no interest in doing anything that remotely resembled hard work. 

At least, this was how it appeared on the surface. 

But once night fell and the servants in the day were dismissed and replaced with Head Eunuch Cao, who frequently disappeared to do Liu Yao's mysterious bidding, Liu Yao's true colours surfaced. He still kept Yan Zheyun close, insisting that they shared his bedchambers since Yan Zheyun had promised to take care of him until he was completely recovered. 

This wouldn't have been as troublesome if Liu Yao didn't constantly have all manner of people reporting to him in the middle of the night, adding to the uncertainty that Yan Zheyun was feeling. 

Liu Yao asked for his loyalty and Yan Zheyun had given it but had Liu Yao really accepted his honesty? Enough to let him sit in on important meetings? Yan Zheyun kept waiting to face the music, believing every morning that this was the day Liu Yao finally sat him down and questioned him on all the incongruities he had let slip, like how come he knew about addiction, how come he liked tangyuan, how come his personality wasn't as mild as he used to portray himself as being…

But Liu Yao didn't ask and Yan Zheyun didn't know how to broach the subject himself without appearing like he was caving to a guilty conscience. 

…if this was Liu Yao's special brand of torture, it was very effective. And he felt like it had to be. Liu Yao wasn't someone who would believe in a verbal promise just like that, Yan Zheyun didn't feel like he had done much to earn such trust either, not yet anyway. 

Clearly, the matronly momo updating Liu Yao on Meiqing and Meihong thought the same because her gaze, with its tinge of disbelief, kept drifting back to Yan Zheyun. 

"Xi Momo, is this sovereign so unattractive or this sovereign's Yan Yun so breathtaking that you cannot help but stare at him whilst speaking to me?" 

Xi Momo startled and dropped to her knees. Yan Zheyun winced at the noise her bones made when they hit the ground. She wasn't young anymore and he didn't like seeing someone who could be an elderly aunt or grandmother to him grovelling on the floor. 

"This old servant was in the wrong!" 

Yan Zheyun reached out and squeezed Liu Yao's hand. It was evident to him that Liu Yao's displeasure didn't truly stem from having an old lady check his…—boyfriend? Bed-partner?—out. Xi Momo had been second-guessing Yan Zheyun's right to listen to what she was disclosing and Liu Yao, as emperor, didn't appreciate that. 

He felt Liu Yao squeeze back and his heart settled back into place. 

"Stand up and be succinct in your report, this sovereign has other matters to attend to." 

In the day, when there were more pairs of eyes around, Liu Yao played the role of the demanding invalid perfectly, with Yan Zheyun as his hapless second male lead, running around at his beck and call and feigning crying fits and fainting spells in turn as and when required. All the better to create a false impression that the emperor truly was very unwell, feeling so poorly that his favourite concubine was distraught from it. 

But now, surrounded only by his closest allies, he didn't have any need to play pretend. He sat in a blackwood chair, Yan Zheyun massaging his shoulders behind him as he listened to the developments his subordinates presented to him. They were more like subordinates than servants, Yan Zheyun had realised, even though plenty of them took on the role of eunuchs and maids too. They never announced their true identities but Liu Yao seemed to know them all personally, and they all operated together like a well-oiled machine, reminding Yan Zheyun of a well-organised company with its different departments all functioning as one. 

He could appreciate it. Would have loved to participate, even, except he had no idea what capacity he was here in and couldn't find the words to ask. 

"In response to Your Majesty," Xi Momo said, "After Meiqing and Meihong were released from the Eastern Depot, this old servant instructed them to continue with their tasks. Perhaps they had guessed that they would be carefully observed from now on because they have kept their heads low for the past couple of days. Meiqing has exhibited no signs of suspicious behaviour. She had cried upon returning to her room but resumed carrying out her duties with diligence."

Liu Yao hummed. "If she turns out to be innocent, promote her to deputy chief maid after this incident is over but find a different palace for her to work in."

Yan Zheyun understood this to mean that no matter this maid's involvement, Liu Yao would not be comfortable keeping her close anymore. It was the sort of paranoia that was understandable and made far more sense than the almost lax attitude he directed towards Yan Zheyun. 

"As Your Majesty commands. Meihong, however, is a different story." Xi Momo's expression darkened. "She might have the good sense to act like all is normal but unfortunately for her, she didn't choose allies as smart as she is. Yesterday afternoon, a eunuch from the imperial buttery sought her out and the both of them argued before they parted ways unhappily. This servant reported the matter to Head Eunuch Cao for further investigation as it is out of this servant's jurisdiction." 

"You have done well. Don't seize either of them for now but continue monitoring the situation until you have further orders." 

Just how complicated was Liu Yao's network? Yan Zheyun wondered if he would ever get to find out. He had been so distracted by the conversation between the both of them that he hadn't noticed that his hands had stilled until a larger pair enveloped them. 

"Yan Yun is tired?" Liu Yao pulled over to stand by his side. Yan Zheyun blinked down at him and marvelled yet again at how dark Liu Yao's eyes were. He didn't get it. He should have been used to it by now, genetically, there was nothing special about their shade, but Yan Zheyun just found them more beautiful than any other pair he'd ever seen. 

He was also painfully aware that Xi Momo had retreated from the room, which he supposed he should be grateful for since it meant that she wasn't around to witness his embarrassment when Liu Yao pulled him close to bury his face in Yan Zheyun's very flat but still too soft belly. 

"Your Majesty is tired," Yan Zheyun replied before hissing as he felt a sharp punishing pinch to his hip. "Liu Yao. Liu Yao is tired." 

Mollified, Liu Yao pulled away to lean back in his seat, covering a yawn with one hand as he played with a lock of Yan Zheyun's hair with the other. He was astonishingly tactile, Yan Zheyun was learning, this odd need to fiddle with Yan Zheyun's hands or hair or clothes not fitting in with the prim and proper impression he exuded when in his official robes. 

Yan Zheyun took in the droop of Liu Yao's eyelids, the slight swelling of his eyes, and his unnatural paleness, before sighing. Fewer symptoms didn't mean no symptoms and as the person who was accompanying Liu Yao through this pseudo-medical detox, no one knew better than he just how much Liu Yao was still suffering. 

He just wanted this to be over and done with. 

"How much longer?" he asked quietly. 

Liu Yao brought the silky black lock up to his lips. 

"The spring examination is in two days," he said.. "This sovereign is looking forward to it more than ever now."