Chapter 18: A Sudden Turn

Chapter 18

A Sudden Turn

When Nie Shuang returned, the performances of the descendants from the Empress Dowager’s family were already over. She tried to slip back quietly, but a few people still noticed her. Song Qilin, who had been frowning the entire time, finally let out a sigh of relief upon seeing her. She sat back down beside him, acting properly.

“Why did you take so long? Were you wandering off somewhere?”

He whispered.

“The maid who was with me disappeared all of a sudden, so I had to walk back on my own. But something happened along the way.”

Before Song Qilin could ask further, Princess An Le entered the hall, apologizing for being late.

“On my way here, something unexpected happened, Your Majesty,”

She said to the Empress Dowager, who scolded her playfully.

“What incident did you encounter, Your Highness?”

The Left Side Chancellor Han grasped his hands as he asked. The atmosphere was rather relaxed, and high-ranking officials in the front seats were able to join in the conversation.

Princess An Le responded with a slightly nervous tone.

“I saw a man hiding by the roadside, attempting to assault a woman.”

Chancellor Han gasped in exaggerated shock.

“How audacious! Who was he targeting, and is the woman safe, Your Highness?”

Song Qilin, who sat in his seat, furrowed his brows. He reached over and held Nie Shuang’s hand, squeezing it gently as if to comfort her, silently vowing to protect her no matter what. Chancellor Han was allied with the Minister of Logistics, who had once caused trouble for him and was sentenced to exile for three thousand li[1]. Song Qilin realized this was a malicious plot aimed at him, and he was frustrated that Nie Shuang had been dragged into it.

“It was Nie Shuang, the Furen of General Song,”

After Princess An Le announced, the hall erupted in whispers. Some looked disbelieving, while others displayed pity. Still, many acted as though it had nothing to do with them, secretly relishing someone else’s misfortune. Chen Yuelan, her eyes still red from earlier, couldn’t help but smile. It gave her immense satisfaction, though she wasn’t involved in the scheme. She felt grateful to whoever was behind it.

Song Qilin clenched his jaw, pulling Nie Shuang closer into his arms, as if to shield her. He gently cupped her face, pressing her cheek against his chest, whispering reassuringly,

“It’s okay, don’t be afraid...I will protect you. Whatever happens, I’ll bear the burden.”

Nie Shuang curled her lips, wanting to pull away and see what was going on in the hall, but his grip was too tight. Her cheek pressed painfully against his hard chest. Does this fool not know how to hold back his strength!?

His sleeve covered her so completely she felt like a baby bird being sheltered under its mother’s wing. Song Qilin remained calm, his cold gaze meeting the stares of everyone around them, forcing many to look away. His stance made it clear just how much he was willing to protect his wife. Fine! Let him defend her. That way, they could both fall from grace together!

"Uh...The General’s Young Furen...this is her first time in the palace. She likely got lost and stumbled upon this unfortunate incident..."

Chancellor Han’s voice sounded awkward, as though he was trying to defend her, but instead, it made Nie Shuang seem like an ignorant woman, wandering around without care, lacking proper decorum or modesty in her interactions with men. The hall buzzed with murmurs.

It’s over for the Young Furen now. Even though General Song may still be captivated by her at the moment, her reputation was tarnished. The day he grew tired of her, she would no doubt face divorce. After this, who in high society would want to associate with her? Look, the daughter of a merchant like her could only come this far. Deep down, they felt satisfaction, believing that she deserved what was happening.

"Chancellor Han need not worry. I’ve already had the perpetrator detained. There’s no escaping the death penalty for him."

“What!?”

The Deputy Minister of Logistics interrupted in shock. Chancellor Han quickly addressed Princess An Le.

“This must be a misunderstanding, Your Highness. Perhaps they were merely acquaintances, and this was a minor lapse in decorum. Surely, it doesn’t warrant death.”

“Humph! How could it not warrant death? I don’t know who he is, but the one he assaulted was me. Fortunately, the Young Furen happened to pass by and saved me.”

Everyone was stunned into silence. Chancellor Han was the first to regain his composure and asked,

“Your Highness, did you not just say that the intended victim was Young Furen Nie Shuang? How could it be you?”

“You misunderstood, Chancellor Han. You asked who the man was targeting. I just happened to be wearing the same color as her. When he attacked, he didn’t even look at my face. After being caught, he called me Nie Shuang and claimed we had arranged a secret meeting. Now tell me, who do you think he intended to assault?”

The situation had taken an unexpected turn. The Emperor furrowed his brows tightly, his face darkened with displeasure, casting a chilling atmosphere over the vast hall. Who was Princess An Le? She was the beloved daughter the Emperor cherished and indulged. Her mischievousness was a rare source of joy within the cold walls of the palace. Even today, when she had arrived late, no one had dared to scold her. The man who dared lay a hand on her wouldn’t keep his head for long!

“Outrageous! Who is this man? Take him away and sentence him to death by ten thousand slices and a thousand cuts!”

The Deputy Minister of Logistics collapsed onto the floor with a thud, but dared not make a sound. The death by ten thousand slices and a thousand cuts! Since the Emperor had ascended the throne, no one had been sentenced to such a punishment, which involved slicing the victim’s flesh piece by piece until they had suffered ten thousand cuts before being let to death. The agony was unimaginable. Worse still, if the investigation continued, anyone connected to the crime could be implicated. The perpetrator was none other than his own son, born to a concubine but still a key figure in his household. How could a father not be devastated?

Even Chancellor Han was now too afraid to utter another word.

“Father, I have already ordered the eunuchs to detain him for now. Since today is Grandmother’s auspicious birthday celebration, it’s best we deal with the matter after the event. Besides, I owe the Young Furen a debt of gratitude. If she had passed by but didn’t help me, who knows what might have happened to me by now.”

Hearing this, the Emperor suppressed his anger. Today was the Empress Dowager’s birthday, and it would be inappropriate to spoil the atmosphere. He decided not to mention the incident further but couldn’t help glancing towards the Young Furen of the General’s manor. Since she had saved Princess An Le, it was only fitting to reward her. Thus, the Emperor issued a decree to bestow upon her four chests of gold, four chests of pearls, twenty bolts of silk, and many pieces of jewelry.

Song Qilin, hearing this, quietly sighed in relief and released Nie Shuang from his protective embrace, allowing her to step forward and kneel to receive the imperial decree.

Nie Shuang stepped forward, knelt, and kowtowed with the full formalities. Fortunately, she had watched enough historical Chinese dramas and had often played make-believe with her friends as a child, so she was able to perform the rituals without awkwardness.The Emperor had heard bits and pieces about her, mostly rumors that she was the daughter of a merchant’s concubine and that she was unattractive and lacked proper etiquette. However, the woman before him now looked nothing like the rumors suggested.

[1] Li (Chinese: 里), also known as the Chinese mile, is a traditional Chinese unit of distance. The li has varied considerably over time but was usually about one third of an English mile and now has a standardized length of a half-kilometer (500 meters or 1,640 feet or 0.311 miles).