Chapter 25: The Princess Is Ruthless
“So it’s Lord He. Forgive me…I’m bathing, so it’s inconvenient to pay my respects.”
Though He Ningxin was well into middle age, she still retained her allure and was pleasing to the eye.
“Chief Steward Long is too polite. Now that you are head of the inner palace and acting Minister of Works, your rank is higher than mine.”
He Ningxin made no attempt to hide her gaze, greedily drinking in the sight of Long Chen’s powerful muscles.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of Lord He’s visit to my humble abode?”
Long Chen raised his arms, rubbing them and deliberately flexing his biceps. He Ningxin’s mouth went dry at the sight—she was nearly tempted to leap in and bathe with him.
“The Fourth Princess has recommended you for the post of Minister of Works, but there’s been much opposition at court, and now they’ve set a difficult challenge.”
“The shortage of firewood in Daughter City has persisted for decades, with no solution ever found. The Personnel Ministry’s challenge is a deadlock.”
He Ningxin unconsciously stepped closer, standing right next to the bath, her eyes drifting downward through the steam.
Even knowing Long Chen was a eunuch, He Ningxin still couldn’t help but look.
“And so?”
Long Chen suddenly turned and stood up, exposing the flawless lines of his back—the very image of a martial general.
Xiang Ning picked up a towel to dry him, then draped a robe over his shoulders.
He Ningxin bit her lip in secret frustration, thinking: No wonder the Fourth Princess dotes on him so; though he’s a eunuch, he’s more of a man than most men!
“Please, Lord He, let us move to the bedchamber.”
Dressed in his nightclothes, Long Chen invited He Ningxin to sit in the bedroom.
Xiang Ning poured tea, and He Ningxin downed more than half a bowl in one go.
“You are a man of talent, Chief Steward Long—both scholarly and martial. The Eldest Princess wishes to win you over. If you agree, she will recommend you as Minister of Works.”
Long Chen smiled. “If the Fourth Princess can’t persuade the ministers, would the Eldest Princess succeed?”
He Ningxin nodded seriously. “Yes, because the Eldest Princess is the Princess of the East Palace.”
The implication was clear: though the Empress had not named an heir, everyone assumed the Eldest Princess would succeed, so she carried weight at court.
Long Chen understood perfectly.
“My thanks to the Eldest Princess for her kindness, but the Personnel Ministry’s challenge is simple; I can solve it.”
He found life in the Western Palace quite agreeable and had no intention of changing allegiance.
In truth, he was tempted by the East Palace as well—the Eldest Princess, Di Yuwei, was a stunning beauty.
But Di Luoxi was a tigress—if Long Chen dared to switch allegiances, she’d kill him after exacting her vengeance.
The instinct for survival triumphed over desire. Long Chen refused without hesitation.
“I’ve long heard of your resourcefulness. Very well, let us see your methods.”
He Ningxin was somewhat disappointed; if Long Chen had joined the East Palace, she might have had her chance.
She rose to leave, but Long Chen suddenly said, “I have a medicinal bath here that enhances cultivation. If Lord He ever has the time, you’re welcome to try it.”
He Ningxin froze, her cheeks instantly flushed, a trace of anger flaring on her face. She nearly pointed at Long Chen to scold him, but in the end she merely swept her sleeves in a huff and left the side courtyard.
“Chief Steward, Lord He is the Eldest Princess’s confidante. Was it wise to tease her like that…?”
Xiang Ning was worried.
Long Chen just laughed. “I’ll bet you she’ll come.”
Women like He Ningxin, who maintain such a dignified façade, become even more wanton once they let go—Long Chen looked forward to it.
“I don’t think she’ll come.”
“If she does, I’ll sing ‘Golden Armor’ for you.”
Long Chen grinned, pulling Xiang Ning into an embrace.
“No way, that’s too indecent…”
Xiang Ning tried to run, but Long Chen caught her and began tickling her on the couch.
“Chrysanthemums wither, the ground is strewn with wounds, your smile has faded to yellow…”
Long Chen sang mischievously, and Xiang Ning curled up like a kitten, helpless with laughter.
…
Western Palace bedchamber.
Long Chen entered to find Di Luoxi writing at her desk, wielding a purple brush as she composed a work of calligraphy.
“Princess, your calligraphy grows ever more exquisite,” Xuan Yi applauded in admiration.
Setting down her brush, Di Luoxi beckoned, “Little Dragon, what do you think of my writing?”
Long Chen glanced at it and nodded approvingly. “Not bad.”
Hmm???
Di Luoxi frowned. “Not bad? Only not bad?”
Clearly, she was confident in her skill.
“Little Dragon, the Princess’s calligraphy was taught by the great master Wang Xianzhi,” Qing Yue said earnestly.
Long Chen picked up the purple brush and wrote the same characters, but his script was full of strength and uprightness.
“Wow, Little Dragon, you’re good at calligraphy too!” Qing Yue was surprised—Long Chen seemed capable of anything.
Di Luoxi examined his writing closely, then praised, “Not bad at all, Little Dragon. You can do anything except what’s below your waist!”
Pfft—
Long Chen nearly coughed up blood.
“I can write in other styles too—let me show you.”
He proceeded to write in Slim Gold script and cursive. Di Luoxi was dazzled.
“Did you invent this slender style yourself?”
Di Luoxi especially liked the Slim Gold, finding it graceful—like a woman, elegant and upright.
“Yes, I created it myself,” Long Chen replied shamelessly. There was no Song Dynasty in this world, nor Emperor Huizong, so no one would know otherwise.
Suddenly, Di Luoxi’s eyes flashed coldly. “From today on, this slender script is mine. Understood?”
Long Chen cursed inwardly: Shameless!
“Yes, Princess. This is your own creation—the Orchid Script.”
“The characters are like orchid leaves: graceful and solitary, as if rare orchids in a hidden valley.”
Long Chen played along obediently, flattering her.
Di Luoxi was very pleased. “Good. Then it shall be called the Orchid Script. Write a few more for me to study.”
Long Chen took up the brush and wrote “Spring River Flower Moon Night.” Di Luoxi watched, entranced.
“Who first saw the moon by the riverside? In what year did the moon first shine on man? Life is endless, generation after generation; year after year the river moon looks the same.”
“What beautiful writing and poetry, Little Dragon. What a pity—you’re a eunuch.”
Long Chen’s brush danced. “If I weren’t a eunuch, Princess, would you take me for your own?”
Xuan Yi and Qing Yue had been watching intently, but at this they burst out laughing.
“Little Dragon, go fetch your precious thing back from the cleansing house.”
“Grafting flowers on trees, dead wood in spring—reviving the withered, rebirth of the phoenix.”
The two laughed uncontrollably.
Di Luoxi was amused too. “If you weren’t a eunuch, I’d cut it off myself!”
Damn, that’s ruthless!
Long Chen wrote over a thousand characters’ worth of poetry, all of which Di Luoxi hung on the walls.
“Your calligraphy is impressive. Do you have a solution for the Personnel Ministry’s challenge?”
Di Luoxi asked as she admired the poems.
“I’ve got it, but I’ll need your help.”
“What sort of help? Just say the word.”
Di Luoxi was in high spirits.
“I wanted to ask: is there earth fire anywhere within Eastern Zhou?”
“Earth fire? What’s that?”
“It’s the kind of thing where smoke rises from the ground and combusts on its own.”
Di Luoxi sat on the couch and thought for a moment. “Fifty miles north of the city lies Hell Mountain. The earth there burns all year, with toxic fumes inside. Is that what you mean?”