Chapter Forty-Seven: Seduction

With worries for Lu Jue weighing heavily on her heart, Feng Yewu slowly traced her hand along the high wall, making her way toward his quarters.

“Oh, Your Majesty! How could you walk here all by yourself? Please be careful with your wound!” Hanyue, busy directing a couple of palace maids in cleaning Lu Jue’s residence, caught sight of Feng Yewu already at the door.

She hurried over to support her.

“It’s nothing. A little walking will help my recovery,” Feng Yewu replied, though it was clear from her pallor that the journey had been far from easy.

“How is Lu Jue?” she asked, voicing the question that troubled her most.

Hanyue’s brow furrowed at the inquiry, evidently recalling the scene she had just witnessed. For a moment, she hesitated, unsure how to explain.

“Master Lu’s life is out of danger. The imperial physicians are still inside attending to him.”

“Take me in. I wish to see him,” Feng Yewu said, striding into the room.

“Your Majesty!” The physicians inside immediately dropped to their knees, bowing in haste.

“No need for formality. Please rise,” Feng Yewu commanded, and only then did they stand.

“How are Lu Jue’s injuries?” she asked the chief physician directly.

“Master Lu’s wounds have been stabilized for now. There is no immediate threat to his life.”

At this, Feng Yewu felt a quiet relief settle over her heart.

But another physician, his expression troubled, spoke up with a new concern.

“However, Your Majesty, you may not be aware—Master Lu’s greatest issue is not his recent injuries, but old ailments.”

“What do you mean by that?” Feng Yewu’s brow knit in displeasure.

“The truth is, Master Lu has long suffered from lingering illnesses. After enduring such harsh punishment this time, it’s a miracle he wasn’t crippled. The new wounds have triggered the old maladies, which is why his condition is so dire.”

A sigh escaped Feng Yewu’s lips—there was nothing to be done but let Lu Jue rest and recover.

“Very well. I understand.”

She cast a glance at the unconscious figure on the bed before stepping outside, where she stood quietly among the flowers and greenery Lu Jue had tended in his courtyard.

A sigh escaped her again. Lu Jue lavished so much care on these blossoms—why could he not perceive the feelings she held for him? The thought weighed heavily on her heart.

“Is Your Majesty worried about Master Lu’s injuries?” Hanyue asked gently, her tone full of concern as she watched Feng Yewu’s troubled face.

Feng Yewu, unwilling to admit to such vulnerability, replied, “Lu Jue was hurt because of me. Naturally, I feel some guilt.”

“There’s no need for self-reproach, Your Majesty. Master Lu’s actions show he cares for you as well,” Hanyue replied softly.

That simple phrase struck a chord in Feng Yewu’s heart. The words, “he cares for you,” moved her more than she wished to show. Unable to ask Hanyue directly, she could only stand in silence for a moment before turning to give her orders.

“See that some attendants are assigned to Lu Jue. Let him rest and recover these coming days.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Hanyue replied at once, making careful note of the instructions.

In the days that followed, when Lu Jue finally awakened, he found three or four maids attending him.

Meanwhile, Feng Yewu was occupied with affairs at the Prince of Pingyi’s stronghold, leaving her little time to visit.

“Master Lu, please sit up. Allow me to wash your face,” one of the palace maids said with a coquettish smile, swaying her hips as she approached his bedside.

“That won’t be necessary. I can manage myself,” Lu Jue replied awkwardly, refusing her offer and reaching for the towel to tend to himself.

“Why are you always so polite with us, Master Lu? You’re never this distant when Sister Hanyue visits,” the maid teased, shamelessly comparing herself to Hanyue, clearly intent on seducing him.

But Lu Jue felt nothing for her. The more enthusiastic she became, the more uncomfortable he felt.

“Master Lu, my feelings for you are as clear as day and night,” she declared.

When she had first arrived, the maid had harbored no such intentions. At the time, Lu Jue was pale and disheveled, resembling nothing more than a beggar. Only in recent days, as he gradually regained his health and could move about, had his true features become apparent. The maid, captivated by his looks, had fallen in love—though her affections were entirely one-sided.

“Miss, please do not speak so. I am of humble birth, nothing more than a lowly servant in the palace. I beg you to show restraint,” Lu Jue replied, startled by her boldness and eager to reject her advances.

But she was not so easily dissuaded.

“Master Lu, you overstate things. In these high-walled courtyards, who among us is not of humble status?”

With no one else around, and after agreeing among themselves, the maids had decided to take turns attending Lu Jue during his recovery. Now it was this maid’s turn, emboldened by their privacy.

For in this rigid and rule-bound palace, maids were forbidden from forming personal attachments. Discovery would bring dire consequences. But Lu Jue’s quarters were far from the inner palace, devoid of guards or spies. Were it not for his injuries, he would no doubt be left alone entirely.

The maid had chosen her timing carefully, knowing she would not be disturbed.

“Master Lu, while I may not compare to the beauties of the inner palace, I was chosen to serve His Majesty. I am not lacking in charm,” she said, admiring her own reflection in the bronze mirror as she spoke.

“After all, the current ruler is but a woman. If the throne were held by a man, I would not be a mere maid today.”

“You… do you even hear what you’re saying?” Lu Jue was shocked by her increasingly reckless words.

“What of it? Hmph. I know how favored you are by Her Majesty, but that does not bother me,” she continued, her gaze turning wild before shifting to a chilling coldness.

“She’s just a woman, with nothing but a better birth to her name.”

Only then did Lu Jue realize the maid had lost her senses.

“So, she’s ‘just a woman,’ is she?”

A slow, deliberate clap sounded at the door.

At some point, Hanyue had arrived at the threshold, several other maids in tow. As she applauded, the others fell silent, fear written across their faces.