Chapter 193: Chapter 190: You, Are Here
Shang Ruyi’s throat tightened.
Chu Ruoyan continued earnestly, "Second Brother has always been troubled by this ailment in recent years. But strangely, it suddenly got better a few months ago and didn’t flare up again until this journey to the Northern Border."
"..."
"You might not know, but this time outside Yanmen City, he could have shot Ashina Shali’s vital spot."
"..."
"Unfortunately, when he was about to release the arrow, his leg cramped again, causing him to miss."
"..."
"I was terrified when I heard about this incident. What if it happens again on the battlefield, and he loses his life? So, I must find a way to treat him. But for some reason, Second Brother doesn’t care about it and says it’s unrelated to me; it’s not a disease of the body and tells me not to worry."
"..."
"But I can’t ignore it, so I asked the Imperial Physician in the palace to look for ancient books and found this remedy."
Upon saying this, she again looked earnestly at Shang Ruyi, "Madam, you must give this prescription to Second Brother. No matter what, have him try it; getting cured is always good, don’t you agree?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi stared at her blankly.
After a while, she reached out to take the brocade box and smiled, saying, "Yes."
Looking at Chu Ruoyan again, especially at those bright and innocent big eyes, Shang Ruyi suddenly felt a bit helpless. Helpless that the bit of jealousy she had felt before seemed so unnecessary in the face of such sincerity and innocence.
Thinking of this, she gently said, "I’ve heard that drinking goat’s milk or cow’s milk can cure leg cramps."
Chu Ruoyan widened her eyes at her, "Really?"
Shang Ruyi smiled, "I’ve heard of it, don’t know if it works. But if the Princess wants to help him get well, why not try it?"
Chu Ruoyan immediately laughed, "Alright, I’ll try it next time."
Shang Ruyi nodded.
Just then, a few little eunuchs carried a sedan chair from outside the main hall and stopped at the foot of the steps. One of the little eunuchs greeted with a smile, "Madam, please."
Shang Ruyi asked, "This is—"
The little eunuch smiled, "This is instructed by the Empress, as it’s getting dark and the road isn’t easy to walk, so we are offering this convenience to Madam."
Shang Ruyi quickly said, "Thank you all."
"Not at all. Please."
Thus, Shang Ruyi bowed to Chu Ruoyan and then, after expressing her apologies, sat on the sedan chair, which the little eunuchs promptly lifted to take her leave from the Empress’s Eastern Palace, retracing her steps along the way.
Although the sedan chair seemed small, the little eunuchs were clearly accustomed to it, not only walking steadily but also handling it deftly. Shang Ruyi found herself sitting without any jostling, merely watching the high walls on either side slide past like flowing water.
As if in a dream.
She felt somewhat confused. This trip to the palace seemed to have no urgent matters, yet for some reason, her mood was a hundred times heavier than when she arrived.
Probably because of the small brocade box in her hand.
Gazing down at the brocade box and recalling Chu Ruoyan’s bright eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt. Although this wasn’t the first time she felt guilty for disrupting someone else’s romance, this time, the guilt was clearer and more apparent than ever before.
Her choice was correct, but she was indeed mistaken.
From the first glance at Chu Ruoyan, she knew she could never win over another’s emotions. However, it was only now that she realized her best outcome in this relationship was to withdraw entirely.
Before long, they passed Anning Gate.
But just as they passed Anning Gate, a group of eunuchs suddenly emerged from the side, and the leading eunuch greeted them, causing the little eunuchs to immediately stop. One politely asked, "Mr. Pang, you are—"
Mr. Pang replied, "From here on, we’ll take over and escort Madam."
After speaking, he waved his hand, and his group of little eunuchs came over to replace the previous ones and lifted the sedan chair anew.
Shang Ruyi was momentarily taken aback but thought that perhaps there was an order within the palace and said nothing more, watching the person step aside as the new little eunuchs continued to carry the sedan chair forward.
As they walked on, she noticed something was amiss.
If she wasn’t mistaken, after exiting Anning Gate, they should turn right to retrace the route back. But the little eunuchs carrying the sedan chair turned left, walked several hundred steps, and were about to pass through the towering and majestic Xuanwu Gate!
Shang Ruyi whispered, "This eunuch, where are we headed?"
Mr. Pang glanced at her with a smile but did not reply.
Shang Ruyi’s heart began to beat more violently.
She knew this was Ziwei Palace. As the wife of an outer minister entering the palace, a moment of misstep could lead to irreversible disaster, possibly implicating the Duke Mansion. But now, she had no idea where they were taking her.
As she nervously looked around, not daring to question loudly, Mr. Pang continued walking ahead, smiling as he spoke, "Madam, please calm your worries; we will arrive shortly. Along the way, please be patient. You are a noble guest, and we dare not harm you."
Upon finishing, he waved his horsetail whisk, urging several little eunuchs to speed up.
Thus, for the next long stretch, everyone remained silent, quickly moving forward. Passing countless corridors and palace gates, Shang Ruyi became somewhat dizzy, and by the time she finally saw a wide and tranquil palace standing before her, she no longer knew where she was.
And that palace, compared to the previously tall Zuocang Palace and the splendid Eastern Palace, was different. This palace appeared serene and elegant, its base not high, only reaching a person’s knee. Moreover, somewhere came the faint sound of trickling water, evoking a feeling of leisure and laziness.
As she walked closer, she noticed the palace’s large doors were all open, and in such a cold winter month, the open doors did not bring a chill across the halls. Instead, there was a sense of wild abandon, defying the elements.
Upon seeing this scene, Shang Ruyi’s brow immediately furrowed.
The palanquin stopped, and several little eunuchs steadily placed her on the ground. Mr. Pang smiled and gestured to Shang Ruyi, "Madam, please."
Shang Ruyi had no choice but to step down, yet she dared not proceed, cautiously asking, "Eunuch, what is this place? Did the Empress not instruct you to escort me out of the palace?"
Mr. Pang did not respond to her question, instead pointing at a pair of shoes on the steps, "Madam, to enter, you need to change into these shoes. Do not tread mud inside."
Seeing him ready to leave after speaking, Shang Ruyi became anxious, "What exactly is this place?"
Mr. Pang glanced back at her with a slight smile, saying, "Madam will know upon entering. Standing here and asking will yield no answers."
"..."
After saying this, he waved his horsetail whisk and turned with the little eunuchs, departing.
Shang Ruyi was stunned, watching as they briskly walked away, disappearing from sight in moments. Around the palace, it was desolate, leaving her alone below the steps.
As she lowered her head to look at the exquisite shoes on the steps, her breath hitched.
It was a pair of emerald-green silk shoes, adorned with a few tiny, glistening pearls, jade pieces, and parrot-colored feathers, incredibly luxurious.
Gazing at these shoes, Shang Ruyi fell silent.
No wind stirred in the surroundings, yet a heavy feeling surrounded her from the tranquil atmosphere, as though someone was watching her silently, urging her onward. At this moment, no other paths were left to take.
After thinking for a moment, she finally took a deep breath, bent down, removed her shoes, and gently put on the silk shoes.
A bit large, not quite fitting.
Once she stood firmly, she adjusted slightly, then raised her head and slowly stepped into the silent palace in front of her.
Upon stepping into this palace, she discovered the floor was warm, and as she listened again to the trickling sound of water, she immediately understood — beneath the floor must be a hot spring, heating the entire palace, explaining the boldness of opening the doors wide in such harsh winter.
Inside the palace, although the large doors were open, layers of curtains hung down like barriers, not only obscuring vision and gathering warmth but also preventing the outward cold winds from entry.
Shang Ruyi carefully treaded on the warm floor, entering the doors, as the layers of curtains seemed like dream-like smoke, lingering around her. She continuously lifted them, sidestepping them, finally, after passing one after another gentle obstruction, a massive screen appeared in front of her.
Even though everything after entering Ziwei Palace was much larger than she normally saw, she had indeed never seen such a large screen, over tens of steps wide, more than two yards high, virtually forming a wall, forcibly dividing the spacious palace into two halves.
Behind the semi-transparent jade screen, something seemed faintly visible.
At that point, with no other path forward, she had to continue inside.
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, slowly bypassed the massive screen, and entered the inner chamber of the palace.
Upon entering, the first thing in view was a huge bed leaning against the screen.
And on the floor beneath the bed was an even larger carpet, nearly covering most of the palace. Upon closer inspection, it was not an ordinary carpet but a vast territorial map extending from the Western Regions near Shang Ruyi’s feet, step by step toward the belly of the Central Plains.
By placing such an expansive territorial map on the floor, one could see the profound thoughts of the person who did so.
Shang Ruyi’s gaze followed the map, inch by inch forward, eventually stopping at the center of the map — Eastern Capital Luoyang.
A person, dressed in elegant white, stood like an Immortal, tall like jade, standing there.
He clasped his hands behind his back, smiling as he looked at Shang Ruyi.
"You, have arrived."