Her Fool of a Father

Xie Yunjian froze, staring blankly at Wen Yunmian. "I never imagined you possessed such insight, my lady. With this approach, my teacher may well escape a death sentence. Had you not reminded me, I doubt I would have thought of it. I would only have pleaded blindly for mercy in court."

Wen Yunmian smiled. "It isn't that you couldn't have thought of it. Your concern simply clouded your judgment."

Xie Yunjian lowered his gaze. His brow was sharply defined, and when he was silent, his lips pressed into a straight line.

After a moment, Xie Yunjian asked Wen Yunmian, "Is there anything you would like to ask me, my lady?"

Wen Yunmian paused, then nodded honestly. "I want to know why His Majesty suddenly flew into a rage at court two days ago."

At her question, Xie Yunjian thought for a moment. "I recall that your father told His Majesty he had another daughter who had yet to serve him in bed. He said this daughter had an excellent constitution and would conceive easily, and urged His Majesty to favor her for the sake of the realm and the imperial line. The Duke of State Pacification also stepped forward to support the marquis's proposal, putting pressure on His Majesty."

Wen Yunmian's gaze turned cold. So this really did involve that fool of a father of hers!

Jun Chenyu only tolerated them to a degree because he had feelings for Consort Shu, and because the influence of the Duke of State Protection's Residence was so deeply entangled in the court that it could not be easily touched. Yet her foolish father thought attaching himself to the Duke of State Pacification gave him the right to pressure the sovereign. Little did he know that without the duke, their Marquis’s Residence might have been torn out by the roots that very day!

How could a sovereign who had ascended the throne as a boy and held supreme power upon reaching adulthood be a simple man?

She had witnessed Jun Chenyu's brutality and heartlessness, which was why, even now, she still quailed in his presence.

Yet her father was hurling himself headlong onto the blade.

A ball of fire burned inside Wen Yunmian, but she knew this was no time to continue talking with Xie Yunjian. She said gently, "Thank you for telling me, Young Lord."

Xie Yunjian nodded calmly. "You're too courteous, my lady. If there is anything else you wish to know, simply write to me. You can have someone wait for me here."

Wen Yunmian's lips curved into a smile. "Very well."

Xie Yunjian raised his hands in a formal bow, then turned to leave. Wen Yunmian stood quietly in the wind, watching his retreating figure.

Xie Yunjian, may you live as you please in this lifetime, unburdened by the affairs of your country or your family.

Only when Xie Yunjian disappeared at the end of the palace path did Wen Yunmian return to Peony Pavilion.

When she returned, Yun Yang and Yun Fei were already waiting outside her room. Dusk had closed in, and the snow was falling harder. Seeing Wen Yunmian, both hurried to meet her.

"My lady, you're finally back. Imperial Physician Ni sent word earlier. His Majesty summoned him to Chanyang Palace that night to take his pulse and treat the poison. He earned His Majesty's approval and has now been retained to attend him."

Wen Yunmian nodded. Mi Yuheng was not the only physician attending the emperor; there were plenty of highly respected imperial physicians. Though Jun Chenyu now appreciated him, he would still have to demonstrate genuine skill to truly rise above the rest.

"Yun Yang, have someone deliver a letter to Imperial Physician Ni. I need his help with something."

Yun Yang paused, then promptly nodded. Wen Yunmian turned and wrote a note before handing it to her. "Give him this."

Yun Yang was cautious by nature. "My lady, we don't know Imperial Physician Ni well. If we give him this note outright, might it give him something to hold over you?"

Wen Yunmian broke into a smile. "No. He would scorn doing such a thing."

Besides, in her previous life, Mi Yuheng had fallen for her at first sight.

She had once teased Mi Yuheng, calling him an utterly loyal yet untamable wolfhound. He was an imperial physician, yet possessed none of a physician's cultured refinement.

His love was something he could proudly offer, but in Wen Yunmian's heart, aside from Jun Chenyu, who had wounded her most deeply, there was only Xie Yunjian, whom she could never forget.

After learning what had happened at court today, Wen Yunmian had no choice but to turn the situation around quickly.

All the women in this palace were merely flowers that bloomed for a fleeting instant before Jun Chenyu's eyes.

If she delayed a few more days, there might no longer be a place for her in Jun Chenyu's heart. Wouldn't all her earlier efforts have been wasted, then?

That evening, word arrived from Mi Yuheng. He worked quickly indeed, sending Wen Yunmian an imperial physician's robe outright.

Wen Yunmian also rummaged through the trunk she had brought into the palace and found a garment she had made herself.

May this garment break the current stalemate.

Yun Yang came in to report. "My lady, Imperial Physician Ni said he would wait outside Chanyang Palace for you at midnight."

"Understood. Come help me change."

The garment was difficult to put on, so she needed someone's help. Yun Yang entered wholly unprepared and suddenly found herself looking at Wen Yunmian's exquisite figure, graceful, voluptuous, and smooth as polished jade.

Yun Yang's little face instantly flushed. Though she dared not show too much excitement, she was utterly certain of one thing: her mistress truly had a magnificent figure.

Even she, a woman, could not help blushing at the sight, let alone His Majesty...

Wen Yunmian studied herself in the bronze mirror. The garment fashioned from white silk hugged her superb figure, full in front and curved behind.

Every strip cut from the silk served its purpose, wrapping snugly around each part of her. Her rounded breasts were lifted, all but spilling out.

Wen Yunmian remained perfectly composed. "Help me tie the cords at the back."

Staring at the garment before her, Yun Yang blushed. "My lady, are you really going to wear this underneath when you go to see His Majesty?"

Wen Yunmian looked at Yun Yang with a smile in her alluring eyes. "Doesn't it look good?"

Yun Yang bit her lip. "It does. It looks wonderful. I'm only afraid..." His Majesty won't be able to restrain himself.

The sight was far too overwhelming.

After adjusting the garment underneath, Wen Yunmian put on the imperial physician's robe. She deliberately unpicked the stitching in several concealed places.

That would make it easier for Jun Chenyu to tear it open, wouldn't it?

Once she was ready, Wen Yunmian picked up the medicine chest and headed to Chanyang Palace alone. She avoided the eunuchs and palace maids along the way, and sure enough, she found Mi Yuheng waiting outside the hall.

"Greetings, my-"

"Shh." Wen Yunmian stopped him. "Did His Majesty order you to take his routine pulse reading today?"

Jun Chenyu was terribly busy during the day, spending almost all his time meeting ministers in the Imperial Study. Thus, the physicians responsible for his health only went in to take his routine pulse reading at night, when he had a moment to spare.

Mi Yuheng nodded. "It wasn't supposed to be me today, but another physician, Physician Liu." He was very clever. Upon receiving Wen Yunmian's note today, he had understood that she intended to regain the emperor's favor, so he added, "That's why I switched shifts."

Wen Yunmian's lips curved. "Thank you."

"You're too courteous, my lady."

Just as Wen Yunmian was about to go inside, Mi Yuheng said, "Now that I've repaid this favor, could I ask you for another one, my lady?"

Well, he really hasn't changed from my previous life. Shameless as ever.

Wen Yunmian stopped helplessly. "What favor?"

"Give me a carriage." As though realizing he sounded a little blunt, Mi Yuheng forced a smile. "Would that be all right, my lady?"

Wen Yunmian stared at him. "Why?"

"Because it's cold on my way into the palace for duty. So cold that my poor little face freezes stiff." Mi Yuheng's foxlike eyes were utterly shameless. "I can remain loyally devoted to you, my lady."

"Fine. I agree."

"Don't forget, then."

Wen Yunmian ignored him and walked toward the hall doors with the medicine chest.

"This way, Imperial Physician Ni." A young eunuch led her inside. Wen Yunmian kept her head lowered, concealing her face as much as possible.