Volume One, Chapter 10: Standing Up for Justice

No one responded, yet the murmuring grew increasingly distinct. Could his cold have worsened? That made no sense; under her care, the Emperor’s condition had clearly improved by more than half.

She stopped pondering and pushed the door open, shivering instantly. Despite being inside the palace, it felt no warmer than the air outside. She casually pinched the candle wick by the front door, lifted her skirt, and made her way inside by the dim, ghostly light. The further she went, the more she realized the temperature was no different from the threshold.

She understood now: in such a massive bedchamber, not a single piece of charcoal was burning! No wonder it was so cold.

Before she could think further, she spotted Xu Qing curled up in a corner of the bed, struggling to wrap himself in the bedding.

"Mother... didn't you promise to spend my birthday with me..."
"Mother, you broke your word..."

As she finally heard the fragmented, delirious words from his lips, she placed a hand on his forehead and felt a searing heat. He had indeed developed a fever.

Lou Hongling sighed inwardly. Xu Qing’s birth mother, Empress Wenhui, had passed away before he ascended the throne due to a sudden, virulent illness. In her previous life, she had sensed something amiss, and she suspected Empress Dowager Deng was behind it. She made a mental note of this; it might one day become the key to toppling the Empress Dowager.

Just as she turned to fetch a basin of hot water to ward off his chill, he grabbed her wrist with such force that she nearly stumbled, collapsing onto the edge of his bed. She whispered softly:

"Your Majesty, this servant is going to fetch you a basin of hot water."

Her voice finally roused Xu Qing’s consciousness. A moment later, he released her hand and opened his eyes.

"It’s you..."
"Yes, it is. Your Majesty, please do not get up; I will be right back."

Xu Qing nodded slightly, granting his consent.

By the time Lou Hongling returned, Xu Qing had already risen and lit the surrounding candles. The temperature in the hall had risen slightly. Xu Qing sat at his desk reading a book to pass the time; his complexion was still pale, but he no longer looked as fragile as before.

Lou Hongling placed the basin aside and carefully used a cloth dampened with hot water to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. She did not ask questions, and her movements were natural.

She was fully focused on wiping his brow, but as the cloth moved across his face, she found herself meeting his gaze—deep, dark eyes beneath sharp brows, holding an indecipherable emotion.

Lou Hongling’s hand paused. Suddenly, she realized she had overstepped. Oh no, palace maids were strictly forbidden from approaching the Emperor without cause. Would this be seen as sycophancy? She retreated a step and hurriedly knelt.

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"It is of no consequence," Xu Qing said quietly, then added, "Besides Xuan Ming, you are the only one who truly treats me as an Emperor."

***

Suddenly, a vital thought struck her, and she straightened up, looking at him.

"Your Majesty, where is the charcoal for your chambers?"

Xu Qing was taken aback. "Linlang and the others said that silver-thread charcoal is currently in short supply, allocated primarily to the Changle Palace. They said I must make do with this common charcoal for now. But the smell is foul; it is unbearable."

Suspicion gnawed at Lou Hongling. She picked up a candle and leaned toward the exquisite bronze brazier, opening its hollow lid to inspect the contents. She then exclaimed indignantly:

"What is this? This is nothing but the coal used by common palace maids!"

She knew the silver-thread charcoal could not possibly be in short supply. Her own family had once been wealthy; though her father disliked extravagance, he always ensured that she and her mother were provided for, using the monthly allotment of silver-thread charcoal for their household. If even minor officials could afford such things, how could the master of the entire realm be told there was a "shortage"?

She wanted to explain the truth to Xu Qing, but seeing his helpless expression, she realized he was already well aware of the deception. Anger flared within her, a sudden sense of justice overriding her caution. She lifted her skirts and prepared to rush out.

"Your Majesty, wait for me."

Seeing her leave, Xu Qing called out:
"Wait, hold on..."
"Hongling will be right back."

She left the chamber in such a hurry she didn't even bother with a bow.

"Wait... remember to close the door."

*Whoosh.* The only response was a gust of cold air, making Xu Qing shiver again. He sniffled, pulled his blanket tighter, and moved closer to the candlelight.

Well, she treated him like an Emperor, but not entirely.

*Clang.*

Lou Hongling went straight to the secondary hall and burst into Linlang’s room. The noise startled Linlang awake. Once she saw who it was, she began to curse:

"Lou Hongling! Are you looking for death?"
"Looking for death? Is it me, or is it you?"

Lou Hongling unceremoniously yanked the brazier from under the heated brick bed. The coals were burning brightly; just by standing near it, one could feel the intense warmth, the glow reflecting off the intricate carvings, clearly marking it as something far from common.

"What is this? Do you really think you are worthy of the Emperor’s silver-thread charcoal?" Lou Hongling glared at her.
"This... this was a gift from His Majesty?"

"A gift for you?" Lou Hongling’s tone was filled with mockery. "Are you saying His Majesty voluntarily chose to use common coal while giving you the precious silver-thread charcoal? Shall we go ask him together?"

"You..." Linlang’s eyes darted around, unable to form a defense.

Lou Hongling didn't waste another word. She rushed to Linlang’s bedside and found the remaining stash of silver-thread charcoal. Linlang was too guilty to speak, and Lou Hongling, having no patience for her, packed it all up to take away.

The commotion drew Peiyu, Daimao, and the others from the neighboring rooms. They stood at the door, stunned by the scene.

Lou Hongling looked back at Peiyu and Daimao, her gaze sweeping over them. "What about your rooms? Do I need to search them too?"

"You... you are spouting nonsense... I have nothing!" Daimao was intimidated by the aura radiating from her.

Peiyu, however, deflated first. "I... I will take what is left to your door right now."

Linlang and Daimao glared at Peiyu with frustration, but Peiyu dared not speak further and fled to retrieve her stash.

Once the pile of charcoal was laid before her, Lou Hongling tallied the amount needed for the month and shook her head in dissatisfaction. "Not enough. There is still some missing."

Linlang and the others widened their eyes. "That is all there is!"

*Smack.*

Lou Hongling stepped forward and delivered a sharp, precise slap. Before Linlang, who had fallen to the floor, could react, she delivered another one to the other side of her face.

Having practiced martial arts, her strength was considerable. Blood trickled from the corner of Linlang’s mouth. Her usual arrogance vanished under the pressure of absolute dominance. She looked up in terror at Lou Hongling’s cold, ice-like expression.

"Do you think you can simply get away with stealing the Emperor’s property?"

She had lived a life before this, having plotted and schemed in the imperial court for the sake of the previous dynasty—did they really think they could intimidate her?

Xu Qing’s constitution was already frail. She could tolerate their laziness, and she could even endure their bullying directed at her, but to dare tamper with his health?

How many lives did they have? She would not let anyone harm the one she had sworn to protect.