Chapter 13: Taking Matters into His Own Hands—Getting Rid of Her
What initially seemed like a light and insignificant letter now appeared unusually intimate under the dim moonlight, each word from Song Yue carrying a strange sense of familiarity.
Xuan Sibai's fingertips turned pale as he held the letter, his long lashes casting shadows over eyes clouded with emotion. If one looked closely, they might notice a subtle tremble in his hands. His gaze drifted toward the rabbit nestled in Xiaocui's arms. Then, without a word, he turned and silently slipped back into the house, his white figure vanishing beyond the doorway.
The candlelight flickered to life, illuminating the contents of the letter once more. The handwriting wasn't exactly elegant, but each character was written neatly and carefully—so much so that he could vividly picture Song Yue earnestly lecturing him in his ear. As for the content, it was just a series of mundane reminders.
Just like a nagging housewife.
For some reason, a faint smile crept onto Xuan Sibai's lips. But when he turned the page, his expression darkened slightly.
This woman kept urging him to reread the Tao Te Ching over and over. Between the lines… was she afraid he might do something against his conscience?
With a calm but sullen expression, he forced himself to finish the letter. Finally, on the last page, he found a few kind words that slightly softened his mood. He pushed the door open.
Xiaocui was already waiting outside with the rabbit in her arms, equally curious. "What did the lady say? And this rabbit…"
"She likes the little thing," Xuan Sibai said coolly, lifting his eyes. "Told me to take good care of it in the courtyard until she comes back."
"Can't let it die."
Xiaocui let out a breath of relief.
It was night in the palace as well, and peace was nowhere to be found.
Seated in front of the alchemy furnace, Song Yue was keeping a close watch on the two golden pills she was refining. This time, the alchemy room had no restrictions in place. Not only was Li Deshun beside her, but even Master Wu had shown up.
Li Deshun stood quietly at her side, not daring to speak. As for Master Wu, though he was full of questions, he didn't dare voice any of them—he simply stared anxiously at her back, afraid to disturb the emperor while she was refining pills.
Little did they know, Song Yue was resting her head on her hand, pretending to stare seriously at the furnace, when in fact, her mind was elsewhere, chatting with the system.
[Hey hey, why'd you send Xuan Sibai a rabbit?]
Song Yue: I think Little Sibai poisoned me this time because his worldview hasn't shifted yet—he's still blinded by hatred. Just reading those self-cultivation books might not be enough; he needs to care for something cute and pure to cleanse his soul.
[Aren't you even a little worried he'll roast that rabbit?]
Song Yue: He wouldn't dare!
[…Fine, you win. You win. But here's another question: why are you staying up all night refining golden pills?]
Song Yue: Considering that Consort Li was the one who invited the fortune-teller, I acted as if I were truly pleased. If there's no problem, I'll certainly submit Consort Li's token tonight. So, I chose to spend the night preparing elixirs.
[Okay, fair—but why do you have two outsiders watching you do it?]
Song Yue: To prove I'm genuinely passionate about cultivating immortality—since I didn't take the fortune-teller's pills, people are bound to suspect whether I'm truly practicing the refinement of immortality. That's why I specifically had two people watch me the entire time. Besides, I do have golden pills to refine.
Her little scheme was well thought-out, but Master Wu had his own calculations. With his showdown against the fortune-teller scheduled in the next day or two, he wanted to gauge the emperor's stance.
After a long internal struggle, he finally ventured to ask, "Does Your Majesty know about tomorrow's duel?"
"I do." Song Yue immediately ended her chat with the system, putting on a look of interest. "I heard the fortune-teller is a reclusive master who rarely shows himself. His coming to the palace is truly... quite the coincidence…"
"Yes, yes, a master from beyond the world. But if he fails to summon rain…" Master Wu's real concern began to show.
Song Yue smiled even more naturally. When it came to feigning ignorance, she was a professional: "You mean, if the fortune-teller fails to summon rain? If he can't even get the Dragon King to send down a bit of rain, how can he be considered a true master? If he can't handle such a simple task, what right does he have to stay in the palace?
This time, not only would she foil the fortune-teller's plan to poison her, but she'd also use the opportunity to kick both of those freeloading conmen out of the palace!
The next day, Master Wu hurried off to set up his ritual altar. Meanwhile, Song Yue lounged on the consort's reclining chair, yawning loudly. She waved Li Deshun over and absentmindedly asked, "You're not that young anymore. Why aren't you sleeping? Isn't that bad for your health?"
"Your Majesty…" Li Deshun was caught off guard by the sudden concern. He bowed in a fluster, thinking the emperor was about to scold him.
But after a long silence, Song Yue said nothing. Her eyes were closed again, and she leaned back against the carved chair as if she'd fallen asleep.
Li Deshun let out a quiet sigh. Having served the young emperor for so long, he was used to his unpredictable ways. Nothing surprised him anymore. As usual, the emperor seemed to have forgotten the pills in the furnace after growing tired of alchemy, so as the attendant, it was his job to handle the rest.
However, when Li Deshun took out the contents of the furnace, the pills in his hands didn't feel like they usually did. Holding them up to the light—he gasped.
"Gold?!"
"That's right, pure gold," Song Yue said with another yawn, standing up with a tired look on her face. "I heard that when I was low on funds, I even borrowed silver from Commander Mo in my own name? These should be enough to repay him."
Two solid gold pills. Judging by their weight, they were worth several dozen taels of silver—enough to cover part of that personal debt.
Li Deshun held the golden pills in his hands, his face still full of disbelief. If it weren't for his senses confirming everything, he might've thought he was dreaming.
He had always assumed the emperor borrowed money from Mo Qingqiu just because he seemed easy to take advantage of—asking under the guise of a loan but never intending to repay it. But today… the emperor actually produced gold from the alchemy furnace?
This matter mustn't be spread around... or others might start eyeing it.
After sending Li Deshun off to repay the debt, Song Yue secluded herself in the imperial study for two full days, successfully avoiding all the servants palace attendants. It wasn't until Master Wu and the fortune-teller had finished their duel that she finally emerged, pretending to have just remembered the passage of time.
"How time flies! Two days gone just like that," she murmured to herself, then turned to ask a maid, "By the way, how come there hasn't been any rain these past two days? The sun's been blazing—it's blinding."
"Um…" The palace staff, well aware of the so-called duel between the fortune-teller and Master Wu, looked hesitant. "Indeed, no rain has fallen."
That very day, the emperor flew into a rage and summoned both the fortune-teller and Master Wu. In front of the entire court, he lashed out furiously and ordered the two to pack up and get out—
In the great hall, Song Yue sat on the dragon throne and slammed her hand down on the armrest, looking absolutely furious. Dressed in bright yellow, she radiated a majestic presence that made every official flinch. "Useless fools! All of you, get out!"
Master Wu kept his head down, too afraid to speak. The fortune-teller also knew that after two consecutive days of failed rain-summoning, the emperor had completely dismissed them both as charlatans. Left with no choice, he followed Master Wu in a dejected retreat.
Song Yue was overjoyed inside, but her expression remained one of anger as she sat upright on the throne, waiting for the officials to leave.
Driving away two freeloading swindlers in one move—this was her first bloodless victory since taking the throne!
None of the ministers dared provoke her while she was clearly still fuming. They left as fast as they could—everyone except Mo Qingqiu, who remained in place as if he had something to say.
Song Yue waited until everyone had cleared out, then let her gaze roam freely over him. That delicate face… he didn't look like a military man at all. Except for the cold, firm line from his jaw to his neck that hinted at some masculinity, he really just looked like a refined scholar… On closer inspection, maybe even a bit handsome.
[System]: Host, calm down. He's the one most opposed to you keeping male concubines in the harem.
Song Yue: ...If I put him in the harem, I might as well dig my own grave.
She retracted her gaze with mild indifference, cleared her throat, and returned to her serious tone. "Minister Mo, it seems you have something to say to me?"
Mo Qingqiu himself didn't even know why he stayed behind. Fingering the gold in his sleeve, still warm from earlier, he struggled to find the right words. That lost and uncertain expression struck Song Yue as strangely amusing.
She curled her lips into a faint smile and, for the first time, stood up from the dragon throne with real interest. She stepped down the golden stairs one by one. The bright yellow robe was a bit too large for her slim figure, but that didn't stop the imperial aura from radiating around her.
This was the first time Mo Qingqiu had seen the Emperor of Great Yan from such close range, and also the first time he'd ever witnessed the emperor walking directly toward him so casually. He was momentarily frozen, unable to react.
It wasn't until Song Yue stopped just a step away, slapped his shoulder like an old friend, and spoke with complete ease, "You didn't hesitate to lend me silver when I needed it most. I made a note of that kindness. Now that I've finally managed to refine this gold, I'm paying you back—with interest. Just accept it, no fuss.
Mo Qingqiu's gaze toward her subtly changed. In the end, he gave her a long, steady look and bowed deeply.
Perhaps, just as Eunuch Li had hoped, the Emperor was slowly growing and maturing. Maybe they didn't need to lose hope so quickly. Even if there was only a sliver of it, it shouldn't be abandoned.
Song Yue knew Mo Qingqiu was wholeheartedly devoted to the country. From the way he looked at her, she more or less guessed what he was thinking.
Why did they all… look at her like that? Like a weathered old father watching his son slowly grow up? What on earth had Ji Wuchao done to make them this emotionally scarred?
Besides, she hadn't even done anything particularly heroic just now—just chased away two con artists. Was that really worth such heartfelt reactions from everyone? She felt a little conflicted.
…
The fortune-teller and Master Wu, after being banished from Yan, completely lost their former prestige among the common folk and were labeled as mere swindlers, never again stirring up waves. The fortune-teller, disheartened and in despair, eventually made his way to Kowloon Bay.
When he arrived, dressed in ragged Daoist robes, at the Lord's residence, he found the Lord dressed in all white, sitting casually at a stone table in the courtyard. He was lazily playing with a long blade of grass, teasing a plump white rabbit at his feet with a half-hearted air. The relaxed scene shocked the fortune-teller so much that his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Since when did the Lord have time for such leisure? In that moment, when he caught sight of the Lord's soft and nearly perfect profile, he even mistook him for a gentle and kindhearted young man!
However, the moment Xuan Sibai noticed the fortune-teller's pitiful state, his gaze grew cold. His deep, dark eyes fixed silently on him. Though he could barely believe it, he asked directly: "The mission in Yan… failed?"
"…Yes," the fortune-teller replied, his voice low. "Master Wu and I were both driven out of the palace by Ji Wuchao, and we've been permanently exiled from the Yan Kingdom…" He still couldn't fully grasp how they had failed. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like a stroke of misfortune. "Ji Wuchao was just incredibly lucky. I suspect Li Deshun said something to him. he got temperamental and overreacted… Still just a child at heart."
He recounted the events of that day, one by one, his face filled with regret. The more he spoke, the more it felt like everything had been the result of chance. Frustration swelled within him, but he had nowhere to vent it.
But the more Xuan Sibai listened, the darker his expression became. His eyes grew heavy with thought as he muttered softly, "This Ji Wuchao… perhaps isn't as simple as he seems. No matter. I was planning to visit the Yan capital anyway—might as well enter the palace and deal with him myself."