The fight was quickly put to a stop. No lives were lost, but everyone involved bore injuries and bruises.
The Five Cities Military Department couldn't control either side, so they sent them directly to the emperor.
The emperor, upon hearing about it, also dismissed it, telling them all to scram.
"I've been wronged!"
Zhu Zan certainly did not "scram." Instead, he knelt outside the hall doors and shouted.
"I refuse to accept this! Your Majesty should punish him! He covets my wife and dares to flirt with her in broad daylight…"
His voice was so loud that eunuchs and palace maids in the distance turned to look.
The eunuchs standing outside the hall were so flustered they could only exclaim in frustration.
"My Lord Heir!" the Chief Eunuch said, "Please, stop shouting. This is not a matter of pride."
Zhu Zan glared at him and spat.
"He has no shame, so why should I save face for him? Everyone ought to know about his disgraceful behavior," he said.
Having your wife flirted with isn't exactly a badge of honor either, the eunuchs thought with mixed feelings.
"Of course it's a badge of honor for me," Zhu Zan said. "It simply shows how dazzling my wife is. This is something I take pride in."
What on earth is this nonsense! The eunuchs stared at him in stunned disbelief.
"However, this honor is ours—it's not a reason for Lu Yunqi to covet her or act inappropriately," Zhu Zan said righteously, hobbling forward. "Your Majesty, I cannot accept this! Lu Yunqi has already broken my leg..."
The eunuchs hurriedly stepped forward, blocking his way.
"I beseech you, Lord Heir! Please stop making a scene."
"His Majesty is in a good mood right now—don't ruin it."
"And as for your little unauthorized escape, just because His Majesty hasn't mentioned it doesn't mean it didn't happen."
"Be careful, or he might send you off to the northern lands, where you won't see your wife for a whole year."
Perhaps it was these words that finally struck a nerve in Zhu Zan. He angrily flung his sleeves and turned around, only to spot Lu Yunqi kneeling quietly on the side.
"You dog! Just wait—I'll beat you up every time I see you," he whispered furiously.
Lu Yunqi didn't even spare him a glance, remaining kneeling and motionless.
Zhu Zan stormed off, his earlier limping from the "broken leg" now completely gone.
The eunuchs heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off their brows. Sending this god of trouble away at last!
They turned to look at Lu Yunqi.
"Lord Lu, His Majesty is not blaming you. Please return now," they advised, noting his swollen face, along with the traces of blood still left around his ears.
Despite his silence and lack of complaints, his injuries were by no means few.
"I need to see His Majesty," Lu Yunqi said.
The eunuchs exchanged awkward glances. Zhu Zan's wild antics and loud protests could be handled with coaxing and warnings, as they knew he was harmless toward servants. Lu Yunqi, however...
This man didn't make a sound, didn't show anger or joy, but he was like a shadowy snake watching you. You'd never know which word you said might offend him, but he'd remember it. And then, without a sound, he'd strike, leaving you unsuspectingly smiling even in death.
He didn't care about status or rank. Whether you were a high-ranking official or a lowly merchant, if you crossed him, he'd bite back mercilessly.
More than one eunuch had met a grim end because of him, and there was also that poor Imperial Hospital Director still rotting forgotten in the Jinyiwei prison.
What use was being the Imperial Hospital Director? What use was being a trusted confidant of the Empress Dowager? One month without seeing the Empress Dowager, and she had already forgotten him. In the hospital, new faces replaced the old. Who still remembered him?
What was his name again? Even the eunuchs couldn't recall it for a moment.
A truly terrifying person. A truly terrifying situation.
There's a reason they say, "Better to offend a gentleman than a scoundrel."
The eunuchs exchanged glances.
"Very well, my lord. Please wait here. We'll try again," one of them said.
Lu Yunqi didn't speak. He remained kneeling, watching the eunuch hurry off. After nearly an incense stick's worth of time, as the sunlight waned, a eunuch finally returned in a rush.
"Lord Lu, His Majesty summons you," he said.
Lu Yunqi moved to get up but stumbled due to the long kneeling and his injuries. The nearby eunuchs rushed forward to help him.
Lu Yunqi waved them off and staggered to his feet, heading toward the hall.
The eunuchs trailed him from a distance.
"Is it worth it for a woman?" one eunuch couldn't help but mutter.
"That Miss Jun doesn't even look all that special, and her personality is so fiery. How could you ever tame her?"
"You don't understand," another eunuch chuckled quietly. "The harder she is to get, the more unforgettable she becomes. The fierier the mare, the more enticing to ride."
The first eunuch rolled his eyes at him.
"As if you'd know better than me! What have you got that I don't?" he said.
The other eunuch spat and muttered a few insults, the two bickering under their breath as they watched Lu Yunqi enter the hall.
The summer evening inside the hall was stiflingly warm.
"What are you up to this time?" the emperor scolded angrily. "Aren't things already chaotic enough?"
Lu Yunqi only knelt silently.
"The Duke of Chengguo is at the height of his power right now. I won't humiliate him, and I certainly won't disgrace myself!" the emperor said coldly. "If you keep giving him leverage like this, and he takes the chance to eliminate you, don't expect me to be able to save you."
Lu Yunqi lifted his head.
"Your Majesty had promised to give me Princess Jiuli," he said.
At the mention of promises, the emperor's face shifted momentarily.
"That Miss Jun is not the princess," he said angrily. "And besides, I already gave her to you. It's not my fault she died."
Not waiting for Lu Yunqi's response, he began pacing back and forth.
"She tried to kill me! How could I let her live?"
His voice grew increasingly agitated as he seemed to recall the scene, tinged with lingering fear.
"I trusted you. I trusted her. Who would've thought she'd suddenly pull a blade on me? It's lucky I dodged in time!"
He stopped suddenly.
"Have you finished investigating what happened back then? Aside from that palace maid, were there any other accomplices?"
"None," Lu Yunqi replied woodenly. "Bing'er took her own life. Princess Jiuli is dead. We couldn't find out what they knew."
The emperor exhaled, looking at Lu Yunqi's pale face. In the twilight, even he felt a touch of unease.
"Yunqi," he said softly, his tone calming down. "I know you couldn't bear to do it, but if Jiuli came to kill me, that means she knew the truth. You know better than anyone what kind of person Jiuli was—stubborn to the core, wild and untamed. If you hadn't killed her, she'd have certainly killed you."
He sighed heavily.
"She was someone you couldn't keep."
Lu Yunqi did not respond, his gaze fixed on the ground.
The twilight bathed the smooth stone floor in a soft glow, but it seemed to him that he could see blood seeping into the cracks below.
The one who couldn't be kept.
Could she really not be kept?
..................…..
The twilight faded, and night fell, plunging the Imperial City deeper into shadows. Lu Yunqi walked through the darkness, leaving the palace as Jinyiwei officers gathered around him.
In addition to horses, they even brought a carriage.
"My lord, please take the carriage," Captain Jiang advised in a low voice.
Zhu Zan, with his years of brutality in the army, had mastered the art of ruthless blows. Given the state of Lu Yunqi's injuries, they were undoubtedly severe.
But Lu Yunqi ignored them, walking straight to the horses.
"Lord Lu."
A voice called out from behind him.
Lu Yunqi turned slightly, his peripheral vision catching an elderly figure trembling out of a nearby government office.
"Lord Lu, please wait. This old man would like to borrow something from you," Huang Cheng said amicably.
...…
...…
(Even the eunuchs had forgotten the Imperial Physician's name. I've forgotten it too. Just one chapter today.)