CH 24

It was night, already nearing nine. The lights in each palace gradually faded, only leaving a few lanterns at the palace doors, swinging in the wind.  From afar, it appeared desolate and bleak.

Meng Sangyu was laying on the bed, in her arms was a little balled up A’Bao. The one human and one dog took turns tossing and turning, clearly both unable to fall asleep. 

“A’Bao, can you not sleep?” Meng Sangyu asked quietly as she tapped on A’Bao’s little nose.

A’Bao wriggled toward her soft chest, burying his entire little face into her arms and whimpered quietly as a response.  This cute behavior of this made Meng Sangyu laugh. She picked up A’Bao and got out of bed with her feet bare, walking towards the couch, “If you can’t sleep then let’s just sit by the window and watch the stars.  The starry skies of the winter nights are more beautiful than in the summer, you didn’t know this did you?”

A’Bao wriggled in his arms, scrunching his little nose and whimpering, as he lifted one paw and pointed it toward the embroidered shoes beside the bed.

Meng Sangyu didn’t notice and took a few more steps forward. A’Bao wriggled more vigorously, almost flipping out of her arms.  She now followed the direction of A’Bao’s paws with her eyes. Taking a look, she couldn’t help but laugh, “Is A’Bao reminding me to wear shoes?”

A’Bao gave a whimper and stopped moving. 

Meng Sangyu rubbed A’Bao’s head as she walked over to wear shoes, her eyes crescent-shaped with a smile.  A’Bao’s little paws little paw again pointed toward an outer garment hanging on a screen divider. Meng Sangyu again laughed as she put on the outer garment, then wrapped A’Bao completely into her arms, only letting out a little dog head.

“My A’Bao is so smart! It would be even better if you could talk!” Meng Sangyu contemplated as she slowly made her way to the window side. She knew A’Bao’s intelligence was strange, but so what? No matter how smart he is, he was still her A’Bao. Also, as her, Meng Sangyu’s, pet, he naturally should be the most unique.

A’Bao again responded with a couple of whimpers and then curled up in her arms.  He lifted his head and looked toward the night sky with countless blinking stars.  The night sky was thick and heavy, as if someone had spilled ink on it. The heavy pressure it gave juxtaposed and exemplified the brightness and clarity of the stars.  The one human and one dog puffed out white foggy breaths from their noses, their expressions similarly distant and calm. 

“Do you see those few stars A’Bao? That’s the Orion constellation.  Legend has it that long long ago…” Meng Sangyu pointed at the constellation that she could recognize and began to slowly describe the story of those stars.  A’Bao perked his ears and quietly listened, his pitch black eyes unblinkingly looking at the person giving him all of his warmth.

Meng Sangyu continued to point across the sky, but when she saw Jiang’zi Palace just not far off, she suddenly went silent, her expression solemn.

Seeing the woman still furrowing her brow and in a daze, Emperor Zhou’wu knew – she must have remembered the Worthy Consort who is currently laying in the arms of that fake. Although she said she won’t save, won’t deal with, won’t bother with the matter, but in her heart she still felt bad. He had originally thought Shen Huiru was cold on the outside but warm within, needing his tolerance and protection to survive in this palace.  But the truth has proved that no matter inside or out, that woman was cold. Unlike this woman before his eyes, precisely because her inner heart was completely soft, she had to use an aggressive outer appearance to hide herself, protect herself. Only when you truly see through her will you know how adorable she is, how much your heart hurts for her.

Meng Sangyu returned from deep thought, she lowered her head and saw that A’Bao was staring at her in a daze.  His pair of pitch black eyes reflected the sky of stars, so bright, so deep, so focused, as if she was the only person in his world. 

Isn’t it exactly so? To A’Bao, she was his entirety! Other than herself, who could he rely on? The loneliness and sadness in her heart was cleanly driven out by this thought.  Meng Sangyu felt a warmth in her heart, she lightly tapped A’Bao’s nose, murmuring, “A’Bao, it’s so nice to have you by my side…”

A’Bao gave a whimper, opened his mouth and gently sucked on her finger.  The two master and pet put their foreheads together and smiled as they looked each other in the eye.  At this moment, they only had each other in their worlds.

In the distance, with Qian’qing Palace as the center, lights began to gradually get lit up, dyeing the pitch black night an orange.  The noisy sounds of human voices began to travel over, breaking the gentle and warm atmosphere between the two master and pet.

“What’s wrong?” Meng Sangyu wrapped up A’Bao and walked to the palace entrance to ask.

“Your Ladyship, it seems something has happened at Qian’qing Palace. We have already sent someone to ask, we should receive news quickly.” Nurse Feng quickly walked over to report.

“Qian’qing Palace? His Majesty?!” Meng Sangyu’s heart jumped, Emperor Zhou’wu also stiffed his back.

The eunuch who had went to ask quickly returned, panting as he knelt down in greeting, “Your Ladyship, there were thieves in Qian’qing Palace. The guards responsible for the night shift said that a very expensive antique has been lost from the imperial study.  They are currently under lock down to catch the thief.”

“Okay, you may leave.” Meng Sangyu waved off the eunuch.  She looked toward Nurse Feng and lightly laughed, “Lost an antique? They probably lost His Majesty! The hidden guards should have acted after knowing what the fake Emperor has done.  If they don’t send His Majesty out now, Shen Huiru may strangle His Majesty to death herself.”

Cold shivers ran down Emperor Zhou’wu’s spine, he had to admit Meng Sangyu’s words were very likely to be true.  And even if Shen Huiru couldn’t harden her heart to do it right now, after she gradually comes to taste the delicious flavor of power, she would not let him live any longer.

Detecting A’Bao’s shivering, Meng Sangyu thought he was cold.  She quickly carried him back inside. Because it was likely that the Emperor had already been taken to safety, it is clear that the hidden guards will not leave the Shen father and daughter to create too big of a mess that can’t be cleaned up after.  Her tightly clenched heartstrings slightly relaxed as she carried A’Bao and laid back into her blankets that were still warm from earlier.

Emperor Zhou’wu also let out a breath of relief.  The heart that was going up and down in anxiety for three months was finally on solid ground for the first time.

The master and pet pair were quickly entrapped by a sweet deep sleep face-to-face.

In Qian’qing Palace, the fake emperor hurriedly returned as soon as he received the news.  Shen Huiru also got to the palace from a hidden passage. She was currently in a fit of rage in the hall.

“Incompetent fools! A bunch of incompetent fools!” Her hair was a mess and her expression twisted.  She was doing all she could to suppress the urge to throw and break all the things in the hall.

“Your Ladyship, the security of the capital has always been under the control of His Majesty’s trusted aids.  We servants dare not to touch it, for fear of making them suspicious! Also, these hidden passages have too many routes in all different directions, in addition to numerous trap mechanisms. Several hundred of us servants entered, but only not even twenty lived to come out.  Your Ladyship, us servants have really done all that we can, we beg for forgiveness!” Chang’xi begged lowly, the fake Emperor followed him and kowtowed.

Shen Huiru’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her eyes were red with a fiery rage with flames that could reach the skies. There was also a thread of unseen terror.  His Majesty has been saved, if he were to wake, what should she do? Her nails dug into her palms, she didn’t dare to think too deeply about it.

Just at this moment, Wan’qing walked in.  In her hands was a letter. She gave her greetings and said, “Your Ladyship, the Grand Preceptor asked someone to pass you this.”

Shen Huiru’s body went stiff for a quick moment, she could guess what Father wanted to say to her.  It was likely no other than to hurry her to act quickly. It’s true, they didn’t have any more time to slowly set up their layout now that His Majesty has been taken away.  Those hidden guards are as if ghosts, they leave no trace of their steps*. If they were really to take the lives of the family of Shen, no one in the Shen family could escape! The Shen family would be tagged as treasonous traitors and be reviled for generations! Right now the only thing they could do is take the chance while His Majesty has not awakened to rise up and take control of the Household Division and the Imperial Guards into her own hands and use ultimate power to protect herself.

She released her tightly clenched fists, using a hand spotted with blood to take the letter. She opened and finished reading the letter with no expression, then three it into the firepit and watched as it was consumed by the flames.

“Chang’xi you may leave.” She waved her hand.  Only after Chang’xi fearfully retreated out of the room did she turn to look at the fake emperor kneeling at her feet, “Turn our card tomorrow, and ask for us to serve in the bedchamber every night, up until we are pregnant.  Everything afterwards have nothing to do with you. You can favor whoever you like.”

The fake emperor looked up, shocked, his face full of terror.  Meeting her ice cold eyes, he again quickly lowered his head, cupped his hands and heeded. 

Shen Huiru did not take another look at him, she walked out of the secret passageway, her footsteps weak. She will remember this day well.  On this day, she completely broke of her and Gu Shaoze’s past.

The next day, Meng Sangyu woke up to A’Bao using saliva to wash her face. Seeing that she woke up, A’Bao who had been joyfully licking her lips froze for a moment, then buried his face into her nape.

“Little one, you know to be embarrassed?” Meng Sangyu propped herself up on one arm, she was all smiles as she poked at A’Bao’s soft little belly.

A’Bao quickly hugged onto her wrist, using his saliva to wash her hands, not letting go even one finger.  These things were things that he has already become more and more proficient at. Meng Sangyu started laughing and the two master and pet messed around for a bit as usual until Nurse Feng pulled apart the bed curtains to usher them out of bed unwillingly.

“Does Qian’qing Palace have any other news out?” Helping A’Bao put on a milk cow outfit, Meng Sangyu asked casually.

“Word is that a few servants have died at Qian’qing Palace, all of whom serve His Majesty closely.  If His Majesty had not gone to Jiang’zi Palace yesterday, he himself would have met danger as well. When the skies were not yet lit His Majesty had already called for the Nine Gates Infantry Commander to enter the palace. His Majesty gave him a berating and ordered him to catch the criminal within ten days.  Otherwise he will take away his position and have him contemplate over his faults at home.” Nurse Feng put an outer garment on her master as she reported in a low voice.

“Where could he go to find the criminal? Could the hidden guards be so easy to catch? This is the Shen family taking the opportunity to take power! It’s too bad that with Minister Li here, even when the position of Nine Gate Infantry Commander gets emptied, who can actually get the position is still to be debated. In regards to networking strength, even Grand Preceptor Shen is unable to compare to Minister Li. He was too quick with this move. The results may not be what he wants.” Meng Sangyu picked up A’Bao who had a new look and walked to the dressing table.

Nurse Feng wrung a hot towel dry and passed it to her to clean her face. Then she picked up a comb to help her comb through a head of black hair. A’Bao sat on the dressing table, watched enviously at Nurse Feng’s gentle actions. These fine threads of black hair, when would he finally get a chance to feel them with his own hands?

Meng Sangyu flicked his little nose and used a cloth to help him wipe his face.  Then she took out a box of skin nourishing cream to rub on herself. 

Bi’Shui and Yin’Cui each carried in a tray, on each tray was several expensive medicinal ingredients and cloths.  The walked to their master and showed her so she could look them over.

“What is this?” Meng Sangyu raised her brow.

“This is the reward Her Ladyship Noble Consort Li has given you this morning, telling you to rest up well and not to over think. Before you are better you do not need to go greet her.”

Yin’Cui put down the tray and took out an accessory box for her master to pick the accessories to match her dress.

“Ha~~ she’s pitying me.  She must know of my body condition then.” Meng Sangyu gave a mocking laugh, picking up a ginseng to her nose and giving it a sniff. She complimented it’s quality.

Emperor Zhou’wu dropped his head to hide the pain in his eyes.  He thought to himself: When we get back to our body, the first thing we will do will be find renowned physicians to rehabilitate Sangyu’s body. That old imperial physician Qu doesn’t seem bad, we can ask Junwei to go ask around.

While he was dozing off, Meng Sangyu already carried him to the table to have their meal. Because she didn’t need to go greet Noble Consort Li, the master and pet pair took turns taking bites, taking their time eating. Playing around several times during the meal, they both had to change a set of clothing to clean up.

Outside the hall it was already bright and sunny. Birds chirped and the flowers fragrant, a rarely seen good weather.  Meng Sangyu was enticed, thinking that A’Bao had already not been out for almost a month, she took him to the imperial garden to enjoy the scenery.

The two master and pet just walked into the imperial garden when they saw the Worthy Consort, who had just bathed in imperial favor last night, with the fifth prince in the garden drinking tea by the bridge. Beside them sat a circle of concubines, the perfumed clothes and elegant hairdo, the joyous chatter and laughing, the atmosphere was at its climax.

Meng Sangyu stopped her steps. She wanted to change her route but it was too late, the Worthy Consort had already seen her and was sending a palace maid over to invite her.  Meng Sangyu sighed and slowly walked over with A’Bao.

*are as if ghosts, they leave no trace of their steps

Original: 神出鬼没，来去无踪 [Shen Chu Gui Mo, Lai Qu Wu Zong]

Explanation: I got lazy so I kind of just conglomerated the two phrases. 神出鬼没 and 来去无踪 are both describing that you can’t tell where someone comes from or where they go – that you can’t track someone down.  In particular 神出鬼没, has the character god/spirit and ghosts so it’s a phrase that has more to do with the fantastical – thus the as if ghosts/ghostly translation. 来去无踪 on the other hand is literally saying there are no traces of someone’s coming and leaving.