FID – Chapter 1050

Chapter 1050: Why Was He Born Doomed to Bitterness?

After joking around, under the light, Liu Yusheng could clearly see the heavy dark circles under the man’s eyes.

She suddenly remembered how much harder the journey had been for him. While she could ride in the carriage, he had been on horseback the entire time, barely able to nap.

Since entering the palace, she had already slept half a day, but Feng Qingbai hadn’t had a moment to rest.

Her heart tightened painfully.

“Since no one’s watching, why don’t you rest here with me? When it’s time for your shift, I’ll wake you.”

He lifted the corner of his lips. “Very well.”

He had come just to keep her company while she slept.

He hugged her and lay down on the bed. Snuggled in his arms, Liu Yusheng fell asleep, completely forgetting to ask about Xue Honglian and Qian Yi.

Any distraction was thrown out of her mind.

Even the thought of keeping watch for him and waking him at the proper time vanished entirely.

…The allure of the man is irresistible.

Somewhere in a dark corner of the palace, a man lay lazily on a beam of the hall, stretching a hand to rub his nose and suppress the itch of an impending sneeze.

“Those two bastards only pull me out when they need something! Push me too far and see if I don’t poison you both!”

One of them had dragged Xue Honglian out to take his shift just to accompany his wife.

The other, just to sleep soundly, had woken him up from his hibernation.

Fine, let him out, make him keep watch! Since arriving in Xiliang, nothing good has ever come his way!

Was he born with a life of bitterness or what?

“Fu Xing, don’t speak casually during your shift.” A sudden warning came from beside him.

Xue Qinglian grit his teeth. To hell with you, ungrateful bastards!

With a light snort, he shifted on the beam and started to sleep.

Keep watch? He, Grandpa Xue? He was afraid everyone in the Xiliang palace would collectively shorten their lifespans.

“Worthless dog servant! How dare you spy on me! Guards, drag him down and beat him to death!”

A sharp, vicious, hysterical scream came from inside the palace.

Xue Qinglian just curled his lip, turned over, and slept.

This chaos inside had started shortly after entering the palace and had continued ever since.

After returning to the palace, the eunuch immediately summoned the imperial physician. The results were the same as all the other doctors: no poisoning, no wounds, nothing could be detected.

Even the imperial physician was helpless.

The eunuch had completely gone mad.

In just half a day, he had killed nearly ten palace eunuchs and maids for various reasons.

And all of this, he dared to do only because he was the emperor’s confidant—that damn perverted, immortal bastard.

Ignoring the harsh shouts and scolding echoing through the hall, Xue Qinglian slept soundly, completely untroubled.

He knew the poison he had administered. No matter how many of the empire’s top doctors the perverted eunuch summoned, none would be able to detect a trace.

Now, his poison arts, stimulated by Nannan and enhanced with the elixir from the Immortal Water, had already reached near perfection.

Who in the world could rival him?

Tch, the higher you are, the colder it gets. Invincibility is the loneliest of all.

The next morning, when Liu Yusheng woke, the man’s presence beside her was already gone. The place where he had slept was slightly cool to the touch; he had left some time ago.

“Qian Mei, wake up and come out quickly. The palace has sent new maids to replace us, and there’s news that tonight the emperor will host a banquet to honor the elders. We all have to attend.”

Hearing Qian Xue’s voice from outside the door, Liu Yusheng paused for a moment, then hurriedly got up. “I’m awake, I’ll be right there.”

The emperor holding a banquet to welcome and honor them meant that tonight, she would finally see the legendary Xiliang Emperor in person.

After washing up, Liu Yusheng went to the main hall and saw quite a few people already there. Apart from the Saintess Tribe members, there were palace matrons leading a line of palace maids. Their faces were respectful, but the matrons’ eyes carried a trace of disdain.

Liu Yusheng quietly sighed. From this, she could already sense the precarious position of the saintesses in the palace.

Their status was similar to that of imperial consorts, yet also very different.

Their purpose was different: the saintesses were merely tools for the emperor to prolong his life. Those used this year would be replaced next year, leaving the previous ones with no status at all.

To put it bluntly, consorts might enjoy enduring favor, but saintesses had an expiration date.

Once that date passed, they became expired items, treated like trash.

It was only because the palace continuously received them for the emperor’s use that the Saintess Tribe gained a tiny bit of status.

Elder Qian Fang had examined the palace maids and selected twelve to remain, who would be responsible for the six maidens’ daily care.

Those sent away mostly had resistance or disdain in their eyes. Even if they stayed, they wouldn’t serve the maidens wholeheartedly.

Liu Yusheng admired the elder’s discernment and realized that anyone able to serve as a traveling elder must be exceptional.

“The arrangements for the maidens are basically settled. We will stay in the palace for about half a month before returning to the village. During this time, you may walk around and see the palace, but the residences of the high-ranking consorts are off-limits,” the elder instructed Liu Yusheng and the others after assigning the palace maids.

“Elder, can we really walk around the palace? I thought it was dangerous, that the consorts could have anyone beaten or killed just for displeasing them?” Qian Lan, being younger and naturally curious, had previously restrained herself. Now, hearing the elder’s words, she immediately asked questions like an inquisitive child.

“We are of the Saintess Tribe, so we do have the right to move around the inner palace, as long as we don’t offend the high-ranking consorts,” the elder explained lightly, a trace of self-mockery in her eyes. “That’s about the extent of our privileges.”

Every time they escorted the saintesses into the palace, they were allowed to stay for a while, walking around, seeing the grandeur of the palace.

At such times, even the high-ranking consorts had to show them courtesy.

After all, they were delivering people to the emperor.

With the elder’s approval, and Qian Lan eagerly inviting her along, Liu Yusheng went along and left the Palace of Longevity with them.

She saw row upon row of grand halls, painted beams and carved rafters, nestled among gardens and waterside pavilions, breathtaking in beauty.

Having often been to the Nanling Imperial Palace, she wasn’t particularly amazed, but Qian Lan beside her kept exclaiming in delight, and even the slightly older Qian Xue’s eyes were wide with wonder.

“So beautiful! There are so many pavilions, and the gardens are so neatly arranged!”

“They’ve planted so many flowers up ahead, none of which I know! I’ve never seen them before!”

“Look at that artificial hill over there! It’s so high! How did they even stack it up?”

For a moment, the air around her was filled with the excited exclamations of the girls. Liu Yusheng smiled wryly and followed behind them, surveying the surroundings carefully.

Right now, what she most wanted to know was where Feng Qingbai and Xue Honglian were, and also that little girl Qian Yi. That girl’s nature was too straightforward, and with little defense against others, she could easily cause trouble.

If Liu Yusheng could find out where they were, she could slip nearby during her own walks and perhaps see them.

Those trying to gather information naturally needed to stay somewhat together, so they could share news.

Plus, in case of any problem, she’d know where to look for them.

“Ah!” Qian Lan suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Liu Yusheng’s thoughts. She looked up and saw a group of people directly in front of her—Qian Lan had bumped right into them.