AEOGA CH81

After the banquet ended, outside Qiankun Palace, the Changli palace attendants prepared to lead Helian Yu to Feiquan Palace to retire for the night. Helian Xi stepped forward and said, “I will take my sister there.”

Inside the hall earlier, in such a formal setting, it had not been suitable for the siblings to catch up; over the entire banquet, they had barely exchanged a few words.

Helian Yu had many questions for her younger brother. However, as they were currently on the road and she feared eavesdroppers, she merely smiled without speaking, saving her words for when they could close the door behind them back at the palace.

Helian Xi, on the other hand, could not hold back and asked directly, “After I left, did you live well, Sister? How is Imperial Consort Father’s health?”

Helian Yu said, “I am fine in every way, but Imperial Consort Father is not doing well.”

Helian Xi immediately grew tense: “Is Imperial Consort Father unwell? What illness does he have?”

“It is an illness of the heart,” Helian Yu sighed. “Ever since you left Xifeng, Imperial Consort Father missed you day and night and fell ill. Even after calling the imperial physicians and taking medicine, his pent-up sorrow remains unresolved.”

Helian Xi said, crestfallen, “It is my unfilial conduct. I failed to serve my father, leaving him to worry for me.”

“That sorrow is not entirely because of you; you need not blame yourself too much,” Helian Yu whispered. “Imperial Consort Father harbors resentment in his heart—he resents the Empress Regnant.”

As the sister and brother were talking, Qin Yulong followed far behind them, watching. After hesitating for a long while, he finally shuffled up and nervously called out, “Hello, Sister.”

Helian Yu’s attention was drawn by this greeting. Turning her head to look, she saw the youth who had handed a handkerchief to Helian Xi during the banquet to wipe his tears.

The youth was distinctly different from Xifeng men. Most Xifeng men wore makeup and powder, delicate as a swaying willow, prizing feminine gentleness as beauty. This youth, however, was handsome, with sharp features and a masculine aura, utterly unlike the men she was accustomed to seeing.

Helian Yu had never held rigid stereotypes about men. She liked gentle and frail men, but she also appreciated steadfast and strong men. She knew that the men of both Yelang and Changli pursued a masculine ideal, and Helian Yu did not dislike that; she only despised male chauvinism.

Seeing that this youth appeared upright and bright, and was good to her brother, Helian Yu felt quite favorable toward him.

She raised her eyebrows and smiled: “You are Ah-Jiu’s friend? You certainly don’t act like a stranger, calling me Sister right away.”

As fellow imperial consorts, addressing each other as brothers was a common occurrence, though most of it was insincere sweet-talk and superficial camaraderie. A small portion possessed genuine brotherhood, such as Virtuous Consort and Noble Consort Zheng.

Since this youth was a true friend to her brother, there was nothing wrong with him following suit and calling her Sister.

Qin Yulong said bashfully, “Ah-Jiu’s sister is my sister.”

A palace attendant introduced: “Seventh Highness, this is Imperial Concubine Qin, who resides in Feiquan Palace along with Imperial Concubine Helian.”

Helian Yu nodded and gave a gentle smile: “So that is how it is; what a sweet mouth. Since we are walking the same way, let us return together.”

Qin Yulong was flattered. Did this count as… being liked by the sister?

Helian Yu pondered privately.

No wonder their relationship was so good; living in the same palace naturally made them closer.

While having someone to look after him in the palace was a good thing, Helian Yu grew anxious once more.

Imperial Concubine Helian. She remembered her brother’s rank had been this at the very beginning.

It had been a full year, yet he hadn’t risen a single rank. She wouldn’t believe it if anyone claimed the Emperor favored him.

Without imperial favor, and being a foreigner to boot, how was he supposed to survive in the palace?

Helian Yu worried endlessly for her younger brother.

The three of them returned to Feiquan Palace together. Apart from the main hall, there were four side halls—East, West, South, and North. In name, Qin Yulong lived in the East Side Hall while Helian Xi lived in the West Side Hall, but in reality, Qin Yulong constantly ran over to the west side to share a bed.

However, Helian Yu and Helian Xi were bound to have a long, overnight talk tonight, so Qin Yulong tactfully took his leave and returned to the East Side Hall, which had been uninhabited for a long time.

Helian Yu had been arranged to stay in the South Side Hall, but she followed Helian Xi into the West Side Hall.

Helian Xi caught her drift and dismissed all the palace attendants, allowing the siblings to talk privately in the bedchamber.

Once the room was cleared, Helian Yu carefully scrutinized Helian Xi from head to toe: “Tell me, have you suffered any grievances in Changli?”

“Although I cannot stay long in Changli, if anyone bullies you, just tell me.” Helian Yu’s beautiful eyes narrowed dangerously, speaking the harshest words in the most pleasing tone: “Anyone who dares to bully my brother—even if my time here is limited, I will wipe them out clean for you.”

Helian Xi felt both moved to tears and helplessly amused: “Sister, rest assured, no one bullies me. Everyone is very good to me, and they are all my friends.”

“How could there be genuine friends in the imperial palace?” Helian Yu snorted coldness. “You grew up in the Xifeng palace; can’t you see through it? That one earlier seemed decent enough, and at least treats you with some sincerity for now, but don’t pour your heart out completely. The drama of brothers turning against each other is not unheard of in the inner palace.”

Helian Xi wanted to say a good word for his friends, but after thinking it over, he kept his mouth shut. Having grown up in the Xifeng royal family, unless one experienced it firsthand, no one would believe that such pure and precious friendships could exist between people.

Fortunately, Helian Yu did not dwell too much on this. Her gaze settled on Helian Xi’s smooth forehead, locking onto it for quite a while before she spoke with melancholic emotion: “My younger brother has grown up.”

When Helian Yu was seventeen, she had already taken a husband. That was the first time she earned military merit, and when the Empress Regnant asked what reward she wanted, she requested a marriage decree to marry the man after her heart. To this day, he remained her sole primary consort.

Having seen too many scenes of her Imperial Consort Father weeping in solitude due to her Imperial Mother having too many men, Helian Yu had resolved since childhood that she would either not marry at all, or marry the one she loved, keeping only him for her entire life so he would never suffer from jealousy or heartbreak.

Yet her poor brother still had to share a single husband with so many men.

Helian Yu looked around. The bedroom furnishings were exquisite, but it was far too small, making her increasingly dissatisfied: “Look at you, it’s been a year and you haven’t even snagged a position as head of a palace, still living in such a tiny side hall. Is this Emperor treating you poorly?”

Helian Xi hurriedly shook his head: “His Majesty treats me very well.”

“And His Highness the Empress treats me very well too.”

Helian Xi thought for a moment, still not wanting to hide things from his sister, and said apprehensively: “Sister, His Majesty… he deeply loves His Highness the Empress alone. Aside from His Highness the Empress, he does not touch anyone in the harem.”

Helian Yu clearly did not believe it: “Then did the cinnabar mark on your forehead vanish on its own?”

Helian Xi’s face flushed slightly. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered: “It was the one from earlier.”

Helian Yu froze for a moment.

She silently stood up, walked to the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and took a sip of water to calm her shock.

Grasping the teacup, she sat back down on the edge of the bed. Her expression had turned deadly serious as she lowered her voice: “Have you gone mad? An imperial consort committing adultery is a capital crime; even if you don’t die, it’s impossible to have a good end. Have you forgotten the cautionary tale of the Fifth Imperial Daughter?”

She paused, then added: “The deep palace is lonely, and the Emperor is no good partner. If you find someone you like, I won’t object. Just be extremely careful and don’t let anyone find out.”

Helian Xi’s eyes grew slightly warm. Even after hearing this, his sister only worried for his safety and cared about his happiness, never blaming him for losing face, nor caring that this might drag their family down.

He said, “Sister, rest assured. His Majesty and His Highness the Empress both know. In fact, in this palace, all the consorts you saw seated at the same table during the evening banquet are pairs of lovers…“

Even with the most dense ones, Wang Yiming and Lin Chanzhi, everyone in the harem could already see the signs.

Helian Yu: “…”

Her worldview was experiencing a slight shattering.

“The Changli Emperor… he can tolerate this?”

How vital was a monarch’s dignity? Helian Yu was certain her Imperial Mother did not love a single one of her consorts, yet when consorts who couldn’t bear the loneliness were caught comforting each other… they were all beaten to death on her Imperial Mother’s orders.

Which Emperor could tolerate this?

“Why couldn’t he tolerate it?” Helian Xi said. “He doesn’t care about us at all; he only cares about His Highness the Empress, and about the economic, agricultural, and military value we can create for him. He gathered us in the imperial palace to work twenty-four hours a day for him, and has even issued marriage decrees for three of the pairs, with a fourth marriage decree already written and waiting for the remaining pair to come fetch it.”

Helian Yu: “…”

From ancient times to the present, there had been no shortage of open-minded emperors, but this one was truly a bit too open-minded.

Helian Yu attempted to find a reasonable explanation: “Does this Emperor have a cuckold fetish?”

Helian Xi shook his head: “His only fetish is probably His Highness the Empress.”

…

Helian Yu was worthy of being someone who had seen grand scenes. After a moment of shock, she quickly calmed down and began investigating her brother’s partner: “That Imperial Concubine Qin—what is his background?”

Originally thinking he was just a friend, she had let it slide. Now knowing he was her brother’s true lover, Helian Yu naturally had to inspect him strictly.

Speaking of this, Helian Xi grew hesitant again.

Back when he had just returned from the battlefield, covered in wounds, all his other injuries had healed, but the mark on his shoulder remained—one look made it clear the injury had gone deep to the bone at the time.

After learning that those injuries were almost entirely inflicted by Changli’s Qin Yulong, Helian Yu had once voiced harsh threats to slaughter that man and sever his head to pair with wine.

If her sister found out that he had gotten together with Qin Yulong…

He could hide it for a time, but not forever. Helian Xi said with a resigned resolve: “Qin Yulong.”

“Qin Yulong? ‘To repay the Sovereign’s favor from the Golden Terrace, I wield the Jade Dragon to die for my Lord’—that name is quite well-chosen, though it sounds a bit familiar…” Helian Yu muttered to herself, when her eyes suddenly flashed with harshness and her tone abruptly spiked, “Qin Yulong?! That bastard who injured you?!”

Crack—

The teacup in Helian Yu’s hand was unexpectedly shattered to pieces.

“Good, very good. Not only did he injure my brother, but he also abducted my brother!” Helian Yu stood up in a fury, preparing to march outside: “I’m going to slaughter him.”

Helian Xi hastily pulled her back: “Sister, calm your anger! Sister, don’t be impulsive! Tonight, tonight you and I still have other matters to discuss!”

“No matter is more important than this!” Helian Yu was fuming with rage. “He is a general of an enemy nation!”

“However, if an enemy nation’s emperor is fine, why isn’t an enemy nation’s general fine?” Helian Xi whispered. “Besides, the two nations will soon become allies.”

Helian Yu’s rage subsided slightly. Hearing that proper business was involved, she sat back down and said, “The Changli Emperor has not yet agreed to an alliance.”

“His Majesty will agree,” Helian Xi said. “His Majesty has long intended to win over Xifeng as an ally, except he isn’t winning over Imperial Mother—he is winning over you, Sister.”

Helian Yu raised an eyebrow: “Winning over me? I am an imperial daughter who isn’t even the Crown Princess yet, and I have lost my military power. What exploitability do I have?”

Helian Xi said, “His Majesty said that you, Sister, are naturally more valuable than any other imperial daughter, and far more valuable than the one currently sitting on the throne.”

Helian Yu casually lowered her eyes: “What price must I pay? I will not lead wolves into the house, nor will I do anything that harms Xifeng’s interests.”

Helian Xi conscientiously acted as a messenger: “His Majesty said the world has suffered under Yelang for too long, and the three nations need to stand united to resist Yelang, control the economy to encircle and intercept them, and cut off Yelang’s lifeline. Imperial Mother single-mindedly seeks peace and lacks the courage to resist Yelang. His Majesty believes that you, Sister, are a far more suitable ally than Imperial Mother, and is willing to lend you a helping hand. After the deed is done, he wants not an inch of Xifeng’s territory, nor a single coin or grain of wealth—only an equal treaty for a century of peace.”

Helian Yu glanced at him: “I indeed wish to wipe the Yelang people out, but is this Changli Emperor some kind of saint? To go to such great lengths without asking for any profit, demanding only such a treaty and even blocking his own path to territorial expansion—does he take me for a fool?”

Helian Xi immediately said, “His Majesty also said that peace is hard-won. A prosperous country and a peaceful populace, forever free from the flames of war, is the greatest profit in the world.”

Helian Yu: “…”

Could this Changli Emperor read minds? He had actually anticipated every single aspect of her thoughts and prepared the answers in advance.

This feeling of being completely seen through was truly terrifying.

Helian Yu said in annoyance, “With ‘His Majesty said’ constantly on your lips, don’t tell me you’ve been turned into a traitor by Changli.”

“I am naturally loyal to you, Sister, and loyal to Xifeng,” Helian Xi whispered. “But what His Majesty said really makes a lot of sense.”