After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 92

“Qi Lang had no parents to arrange his marriage. Considering that his mother once nursed San Lang. However, he seems utterly indifferent to such affairs, always refusing. He wouldn’t suddenly change his temperament overnight.”

As Empress Ma spoke, she wiped Emperor Chenming’s face with a damp handkerchief. He opened his eyes briefly, watching as she continued, using an old cloth to fasten his forehead protector. She was far less meticulous than Concubine Lü—her movements somewhat rough—but there was an undeniable honesty to them, a steadiness that made him feel as if he had returned home.

“That Concubine Lü isn’t even an unmatched beauty. If you ask me, if she had firmly refused, would such disgraceful things have happened to her?”

Emperor Chenming frowned. The Empress fell silent, helping him lie down. 

“Your Majesty, the war is more urgent. Why not have him fight alongside San Lang as punishment?”

The Emperor said nothing and soon drifted into an unexpectedly peaceful sleep. He didn’t stir until the early morning light seeped in, when the Jinwu Guards arrived with evidence retrieved from Lu Huating’s person.

On the wooden tray lay a bloodstained bronze fish token and a gold hairpin.

Emperor Chenming glanced at them, recalling Concubine Lü’s accusations, then averted his gaze indifferently. Instead, Empress Ma reached out to touch the curling pomegranate blossom on the hairpin and scoffed, 

“A paper flower? Even the maids in Concubine Lü’s palace wouldn’t wear something this cheap.”

Her offhand remark made Emperor Chenming pause.

He had showered Concubine Lü with wealth, endless rewards of gold and silver. She loved riches, and every ornament she wore—whether in her hair or on her body—was made of solid gold or jade. She had never adorned herself with something as simple as a paper flower.

—

It happened to be a ten-day holiday, and Emperor Chenming was in bed to recuperate. In the afternoon, Li Huan and Xiao Yunru arrived to tend to his illness. Xiao Yunru brought medicinal incense and personally assisted in his care. 

“What happened in Prince Yan’s manor kept me awake all night,” she said. “But I can’t help but feel that there’s some misunderstanding. If Advisor Lu had truly been scheming for power, he would have married a princess long ago. Why not summon Yin Zi, the maidservant from Concubine Lü’s palace, and question her? That may shed some light on what really happened.”

Emperor Chenming had always regarded his sensible daughter-in-law with favor. Seeing her worried despite being pregnant, he deliberated for a moment before deciding to grant Prince Yan’s household a chance to explain themselves.

—

Not long after, the Crown Prince’s sedan chair hurriedly stopped outside the Empress’s palace.

That morning, Li Xuan had received Ruo Chan’s plea for help and learned that Qun Qing had been taken to the Court of Judicial Review overnight. He had quarreled with Meng Guangshen over the matter.

Meng Guangshen had said, “Someone must take responsibility for extracting a confession. If Your Highness insists on protecting Lady Qing, then either I or Your Highness must bear the consequences. Who do you wish to bear them?”

“We did not report this to you last night because we heard that the Crown Princess is with child and did not want to disturb your joy. Congratulations, Your Highness, on your upcoming child. Meanwhile, I have already lost a son in service to your grand cause.” His voice was icy. 

“I hope Your Highness will not let personal affections cloud your judgment and disappoint me.”

Meng Guanlou’s downfall had already occurred, and Meng Guangshen left to handle the aftermath. But his words had successfully restrained Li Xuan. On his way to the Court of Judicial Review, Li Xuan changed course, turning back toward the Emperor’s quarters. He needed to gauge his father’s stance before seeking imperial grace to save Qun Qing.

Li Xuan entered and bowed in greeting, but Emperor Chenming merely sipped his medicine, ignoring him.

After all, the Crown Prince’s handling of Prince Zhao and the captured bandits had indirectly led to the current military predicament.

Moments later, the sound of shackles made both Li Xuan and Li Huan look up.

Lu Huating had been brought from the Imperial Prison.

He had been roughly cleaned up for his audience with the Emperor. Though it was said he had been beaten severely the night before, his freshly washed face still carried an effortless elegance. His posture was upright, showing no sign of suffering.

Yet as he knelt, bl00d seeped from his sleeves, drawing the attention of both Li Huan and the Emperor.

Knowing he had endured harsh punishment, Emperor Chenming’s expression was complicated. 

“Do you admit your guilt?”

Lu Huating remained composed. 

“I do. I did indeed violate palace regulations by entering Caiye Palace.”

The Emperor’s expression darkened.

“But,” Lu Huating continued, “I swear on my deceased mother’s name that I have never acted improperly toward Concubine Lü.”

“Concubine Lü is greatly favored by Your Majesty, held in the highest regard. Countless officials seek to be on good terms with her. Without bribing her palace maids, one could not even enter Caiye Palace. How could I have dared to offend her?”

Li Xuan’s gaze was cold. “Your words alone mean nothing. As a court official, trespassing in the inner palace is already a crime.”

Lu Huating’s eyelashes quivered slightly. 

“I already have someone in my heart, and I would never entangle myself with a consort.”

His words made Li Huan frown. He murmured, “What are you saying?”

But under the Emperor’s scrutiny, Lu Huating kowtowed once more. This time, even more bl00d bloomed through his sleeves, vivid like scattered petals.

“The person I admire is Lady Qing, a shangyi attendant in Concubine Lü’s palace. She holds an official rank and likely has no desire to marry, so I have never dared to confess. I knew that trespassing into Caiye Palace would be held against me, but just to catch a glimpse of her, I was willing to take the risk. I accept whatever punishment Your Majesty deems fit.”

Li Huan and Xiao Yunru were both present in the main hall. Li Huan’s expression was twisted with tension, but he held back from speaking, biting his lip silently—Lu Huating clearly had a plan.

Li Xuan, looking stern, raised his phoenix-like eyes and slapped the floor. 

“Qi Lang, don’t speak recklessly!” he warned. “In front of the Emperor, this is no place for nonsense.”

Lu Huating added coldly, “I wouldn’t dare show any disrespect to His Majesty.”

Emperor Chenming rubbed the bridge of his nose. After a pause, he asked doubtfully, “If what you say is true, then why did the officials of the Imperial Court torture you and cause you to be seized by the Jinwu Guards?”

“She didn’t torture me,” Lu Huating replied, “She was trying to save me by performing acupuncture beforehand. It was the Ministry of Justice that broke the law and forced me to falsely accuse Prince Yan. If she hadn’t intervened, my life would have been in grave danger.”

Li Xuan looked at Lu Huating, his face tense with emotion.

Emperor Chenming inhaled heavily, then smiled coldly. “If that’s the case, then you two must be in love—and Concubine Lü has falsely accused you without reason?”

Lu Huating replied, “If it were a false accusation, there must be a reason behind it. The case involving Marquis Lü has already been handed over to the Court of Judicial Review. Perhaps Concubine Lü feared being implicated and decided to strike first.”

Emperor Chenming slammed his bowl onto the table.

Li Xuan spoke up, “Father, Qi Lang has always been eloquent and quick-witted. Everything he says today is merely his side of the story.”

“This concerns Concubine Lü’s reputation—I would not dare utter a single falsehood,” Lu Huating said. “The pomegranate gold hairpin on me does not belong to Concubine Lü. It belongs to Qun Qing.”

Li Xuan’s breath caught, his fingers clenched tightly. On the table, the golden tray trembled, and the pomegranate ornament upon it stung his eyes.

Meanwhile, the trembling maid Yinzi was brought in. Cuiyu reported, “Your Majesty, Your Highness, when I questioned Yinzi about the conversations between the Advisor and Concubine Lü in recent days, she could answer if I asked in the correct order. But if I questioned her out of sequence, she suddenly ‘forgot’ everything!”

The Empress frowned. 

“That Concubine Lü—relying on His Majesty’s favor, she’s truly lost all sense of propriety…”

Just then, Zheng Fu entered and announced, “Your Majesty, Concubine Lü claims she is unwell and is kneeling outside, begging for an audience.”

Emperor Chenming’s patience had worn thin. He turned to Lu Huating and said coldly, “You’ve been alone for years. It’s rare for you to have someone you truly care for. Since you’ve pleaded before me, I’ll grant you this favor. If you succeed in suppressing the bandits and atone for your past mistakes, I will personally bestow marriage upon you two. As for Concubine Lü—this matter ends here. From today onward, no one in the palace is to speak of it again. If I hear even a whisper, I’ll punish them without mercy.”

Lu Huating’s jade-like face flickered briefly, but he quickly knelt and gave thanks. 

“Since Your Majesty has uncovered the truth, I humbly request that Qun Qing be released from the Court of Judicial Review as soon as possible. As long as she remains detained, I cannot rest easy.”

Li Xuan felt a sharp pang in his chest. His phoenix eyes locked onto Emperor Chenming. “Father, Qun Qing once served in the Crown Princess’s palace. I’ve never heard of any ties between her and Lu Huating. Wouldn’t this marriage be too hasty?”

“Silence!” Emperor Chenming’s voice was like a blade. “You are the Crown Prince, yet you show such weakness. How can you hope to rule the realm? Prepare yourself—you will be sent north to oversee disaster relief.”

Rebuked so publicly, Li Xuan’s gaze darkened, but he held his composure. As he turned toward the exit, his eyes swept coldly from Li Huan to Lu Huating, his face growing even paler.

“So, you intend to weaken the Eastern Palace’s influence? I will not consent,” he murmured as he brushed past Lu Huating.

“I do not consent either,” Lu Huating replied quietly.

Just as he was about to leave, Li Huan grabbed his sleeve, demanding in a low voice, “You’re marrying a suspected spy into the Prince Yan’s manor? Have you lost your mind?”

His fingers brushed against something damp—bl00d. Startled, he quickly released him.

Lu Huating raised an eyebrow lazily and leaned in close to whisper, “And who are you to question me?”

—

Qun Qing had assumed she would remain in custody until trial, but unexpectedly, by the next day, palace attendants opened the prison doors and allowed her to leave.

Ruo Chan stood outside, holding two bundles. In a hushed voice, she told Qun Qing that she no longer needed to report to Concubine Lü’s palace. 

“His Majesty has demoted Concubine Lü to Noble Lady and confined her to Caiye Palace. Yinzi was also punished and sent to the Yeting.”

Qun Qing was not surprised.

From the moment she had advised Concubine Lü that night, this outcome had already been within her calculations.

Shouxi accompanied them but, for some reason, said nothing. After escorting them to the Shangyi Bureau, he simply bowed and left.

Inside the bureau, the female officials greeted her with strange expressions, murmuring, 

“Congratulations.”

Qun Qing flipped through the pile of documents that had accumulated during her absence, baffled by what there was to congratulate her for.

Preparations for the Empress Dowager’s birthday were underway. Temples across the palace would be involved, and it would be a grand celebration. Qun Qing had already signed up to assist.

As long as Emperor Chenming still cared for the Empress Dowager, Li Pan would not be truly punished. She still had much work ahead of her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zhu Su approaching with two items in hand.

“The Advisor asked me to deliver these to you,” Zhu Su said.

Lu Huating had kept his word—he had returned Lin Yujia’s confession.

Qun Qing quickly skimmed it, then tucked it into her sleeve. With this, she would no longer be at Lin Yujia’s mercy.

But tucked beneath the confession was another document—an imperial decree.

She unfolded it and held it up to the light, scanning it once, then twice. Her fox-like eyes flashed with disbelief.

She hadn’t misread it.

A marriage decree.

Her name and Lu Huating’s were written side by side, and a rush of heat surged straight to her head.

“Where’s Lu Huating?” she asked.

Zhu Su hesitated before answering, her gaze evasive.

“The Advisor has gone south with Prince Yan to suppress the bandits. He said… he’ll return in three days—to marry you.”