Chapter Thirty-Seven: Taken by Surprise

The study was silent, and the scent of sandalwood curled through the air.

She held a book in her hands, the plain sleeve of her robe covering her wrist, making her hands appear all the more delicate and slender. Hearing Ji Wuqing’s question, she tilted her head slightly, as if pondering the matter.

“Your Majesty, everyone has a side that is inscrutable to outsiders. You are no exception,” she replied, already turning a page with graceful seriousness and quiet poise.

“That’s not right. How could you be considered an outsider?” He continued to hold her within his embrace, a smile lingering at the corner of his lips, though his tone turned a touch plaintive, almost playful.

“...Though I’m not sure what you mean by that, to hear you say so does make me happy,” she replied after a pause, her words measured and formal, as if intentionally keeping a distance between them.

Such was always their way: she advanced and retreated, maintaining the proper space and detachment.

“Xue’er, such words wound me a little,” he said, his tone ambiguous. Yet seeing her remain serenely indifferent, his lips curved into a warm smile.

Listening to Ji Wuqing’s words, she couldn’t help but feel a tug at her heart, the pages of the book turning without meaning. Ji Wuqing was always so gentle, his tenderness towards her bordering on indulgence. Why was that?

As she pondered, the man behind her suddenly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, lifting her from the chair and setting her gently on the floor.

“It’s rare to have nothing pressing today. Let me take you somewhere,” he said.

Yinqiu Pavilion.

In the seventh month of autumn, maples danced in the shadows, twin birches marked the season, and the evening moon returned as night fell.

This was an abandoned palace within the royal compound—not remote, but seldom visited. Weeds had grown to waist height outside, proof of years of neglect. Yet the plaque above the gate still bore clear, legible characters.

“Your Majesty, you brought me in such haste—just to admire the scenery here?” Xuexue raised her brows in disbelief, her hands brushing against the tall grass, the touch tickling her palms.

“Xue’er, what is this? I almost hear a complaint in your voice.” Ji Wuqing’s tone was teasing, unconcerned by her mild protest. He took her hand and led her through the overgrowth.

He went ahead, folding fan in hand, shielding her from the brunt of the weeds.

Their robes, one white and one blue, trailed through the grass, swaying with each step—a picture of rare grace.

What kind of place was this, really? Xuexue couldn’t help but wonder.

“Your Majesty, there are many such desolate corners in the palace. The world believes the palace is a place of splendor and wealth, that people would break their heads to get in. Who would imagine such desolation within its walls?” she remarked quietly.

“Xue’er, you are mistaken. What they long for isn't these wasted acres, but the glory and power within the palace. Those who fight to enter do not wish to linger in places like this.” Ji Wuqing led her up the steps, stopping before the doors.

The palace doors bore intricate lotus carvings, now chipped and worn by time.

Yinqiu Pavilion? Why had Ji Wuqing brought her here?

“Your Majesty, was this once a consort’s residence? So desolate—was it perhaps... the late emperor’s doing?”

“You’re astute, Xue’er.” Ji Wuqing laughed softly, affectionately squeezing her fingers. “This was indeed the palace of one of my father’s favored concubines.”

With a flick of his fan, the doors swung open—swiftly and silently, not a mote of dust stirred. The skill was astonishing.

Yet, though the grounds outside were bleak, within the doors was a different world.

The spacious courtyard was pristine and tidy. It seemed long uninhabited, yet everything was preserved perfectly.

“It has been fifteen years since Yinqiu Pavilion was abandoned.”

“It seems this place must have meant something to Your Majesty,” she ventured. Otherwise, why would he bring her here?

“To be honest, it means little to me,” Ji Wuqing replied in a detached tone.

She was silent. Surely he wasn’t so idle as to bring her here for nothing?

“Your expression is amusing, Xue’er. Are you so eager to know more about me?” Seeing her slightly exasperated face, Ji Wuqing laughed. “Very well, I’ll tell you—this was my mother’s palace.”

His mother’s palace? So the favored concubine was his mother!

Xuexue was indeed surprised. She hadn’t imagined that the refined lady she’d met was once a royal consort. Even more astonishing was that Ji Wuqing would share such old secrets with her. A tangle of unease and panic stirred within her. Why would he confide this to her?

“Don’t push me away, Xue’er. I only want you to understand me better.” Sensing her resistance, Ji Wuqing refused to let her retreat, holding her hand tightly as he led her further inside. “Besides, don’t you want to know me? I am your husband, after all.”

“All right, Your Majesty, as you say,” Xuexue sighed, resigned, obediently following his lead. The air of surrender in her voice stung him a little.

“Am I so unworthy that you must resign yourself to me?” he asked, a hint of wounded pride.

If his mother was a favored concubine, then what was the true relationship between him and Xuexue?

“Your Majesty, is Lady Mother truly your birth mother?” she ventured boldly. Given their closeness, it seemed entirely possible.

Ji Wuqing did not answer immediately. Leading her through the palace gardens, he began to recount in a low voice, “In truth, Mother was not born to a noble house. She came from a martial clan, a daughter of the rivers and lakes. About twenty years ago, she met my father by chance. She was bold—a rare woman—fell for him at first sight, and stealthily entered the palace as a maid. My father, over time, grew fond of her as well.”

“And then?” It sounded like a romantic tale.

“In the end, Father defied all opposition and made her his consort. Yet, for reasons unknown, after giving birth to a prince, she left the palace. No one knows why. I’ve asked her before, but she only smiles and says if she could do it all over again, she would still enter the palace, but try to prevent what should never have happened.” Ji Wuqing gazed at the courtyard’s every blade of grass and tree, his expression distant.

Though his mother came from the martial world, she hardly seemed free-spirited—she, too, was ensnared by love.

“Your Majesty, I’d thought Lady Mother had long since let it go. But love is not something one can control. It’s enough to follow your heart,” she said softly. What she truly thought was that love was something to be avoided, something that could drive one to death for its sake.

But what role had the Empress Dowager played in all this?

If Lady Mother was Ji Wuqing’s birth mother, how many people truly knew this secret?

She furrowed her brow, feeling that his telling her this was unwise. It was a troublesome matter, touching on the grudges of the previous generation.

“Why are you frowning?” His hand brushed her brow with gentle warmth. “Are you blaming me for telling you all this?” His guess was spot on—a hint of mischief on his face, not anger.

“I wouldn’t dare. I’m merely surprised.” Surprised by Lady Mother’s past, surprised Ji Wuqing would share such secrets.

She had always suspected his relationship with the Empress Dowager was not as harmonious as it appeared, but she hadn’t expected that they were not truly mother and son.

It was the kind of melodramatic twist one hardly believed.

“Xue’er, do you want to know why I told you all this?” Ji Wuqing gazed into the quiet face before him. She seemed always to hide her emotions deep inside.

“I... don’t know if Your Majesty tells me because you trust me, or for some other reason. But since you took me to meet Lady Mother, what choice do I have left?” If she could have, she wouldn’t have spoken so bluntly, but she knew this young emperor could see through her heart. It was better to be clear.

“Clever Xue’er, you delight me.” Ji Wuqing turned her face to his, looking straight into her empty eyes. “I have no other intentions. I simply want to share my secrets with you.”

Though she would never believe him...

Xuexue sensed the gentleness, the seriousness, the veiled dominance in his eyes.

“Do you remember what I said before? That I like you—truly, I do.” His voice was as warm and smooth as jade, yet brooked no refusal.

Whether or not she liked him was unimportant. After all, she belonged to him.

She blinked in panic, betraying her inner turmoil.

A strange voice tore at her mind, and this sudden intimacy left her at a loss for how to respond. At last, she mastered the odd feeling and her expression settled back into calm.

“Your Majesty’s affection is more than I deserve, but I thank you all the same.” What more could she say but thank him? She was rational to a fault—rational almost to the point of cruelty.

All around them, the silence deepened; even the wind seemed to still, unwilling to disturb the moment.

“So be it. Stay by my side, that is enough. You need think of nothing else—just do as you wish.” Ji Wuqing drew her gently into his arms, sighing softly by her ear.

He was tender, like a husband soothing his wife, and truly, that was what they were.

Xuexue leaned into him, lost, feeling Ji Wuqing’s gentle embrace.

Yet that strange voice in her heart grew ever clearer. No, Ji Wuqing, things between us should not be like this...