Su Wei knelt in the cool pavilion. From early morning, she waited until the sun blazed high in the sky, but Su He’s command never came.
A Shadow Guard does not blame their master. They only reflect upon themselves.
Su Wei kept mulling over what she had done wrong. But the honor her Master had offered—she simply couldn’t accept it.
She could not stand beside her Master in that position. Shadow Guards had been drilled with strict rules since childhood, and the very first was: Su He was their Master for life.
The Master must be exalted, the King above the clouds. Her Master had become the most noble person. It was her duty to bow her head and let her Master tread upon her.
They were just another path for Su He to walk upon.
“Rise.” The Palace Attendant’s voice sounded from behind Su Wei. “Her Majesty commands you to return.”
Su Wei responded, “Shadow Nine understands.”
She pressed her hands on the ground and, with some difficulty, pushed herself up. Kneeling for so long, her body was about to give out. She didn’t know which wound was seeping blood again. The prolonged kneeling had numbed her legs completely. Her face was deathly pale, her lips drained of all color. Even in the warm sunlight, her body shivered faintly.
The Palace Attendant lowered her eyes, deliberately avoiding looking at Su Wei’s body. Such matters were not her place to concern herself with.
Su Wei paid little mind to her own physical condition. It was normal for a Shadow Guard to bleed and suffer injuries. Only, her steps were slow, and she wondered if her Master would blame her.
Her heart full of anxiety, the moment she stepped into the Sleeping Palace, she fell to her knees. Raising her head, her eyes were a picture of terror. “Master, this subordinate has come late.”
Su He was drinking tea and only shifted her gaze over upon hearing this. She feigned anger. “Yes, you’ve kept Gu waiting for quite some time.”
These words only deepened Su Wei’s guilt. She pressed her lips together tightly, a hint of sorrow inadvertently showing in her eyes. She knocked her head on the floor. “This subordinate acknowledges her fault. I beg Master to punish me.”
“Come here.” Su He hooked a finger, beckoning. She had changed into informal robes of a rippling, captivating purple that made her face all the more heart-stirring.
Su Wei shuffled over on her knees. She obediently raised her head, listening with rapt attention to her Master’s commands.
Su He licked her lip. She pinched Su Wei’s face, forcing the Shadow Guard to rest her chin on her Master’s lap.
“…Master.”
Su Wei’s voice was very soft. Her eyes were wide, and she didn’t dare move, allowing her Master to position her as she pleased.
The Palace Attendant watched, aghast and fearful, eventually simply lowering her head. Out of sight, out of mind.
“Why are you trembling?” Su He made a small surprised sound. “Could it be that Gu isn’t allowed to punish you?”
Su Wei immediately looked up, hastily denying it. “No. Master can dispose of Shadow Nine however she wishes, at any time.”
Su He let out an “Ah,” stretching the last syllable a little long. She lifted her teacup, pressing her finger against Su Wei’s lower lip and making her open her mouth. With a sigh of satisfaction, she placed the cup’s rim between Su Wei’s lips.
This gesture left Su Wei utterly helpless to resist. She parted her lips and teeth slightly, doing her best to drink the water Su He was feeding her.
It was just that her Master truly had no experience in feeding someone. Su Wei felt water spilling from the side of her lips. Just as she was about to adjust her posture, Su He stopped her: “Don’t move.”
Su Wei instantly froze. She blinked. Her tongue curled the water back, swallowing it down, even as it dripped over her chin and onto Su He’s robes.
The cup of water was poured very slowly. By the end, Su Wei’s lips were red from the pressure, her eyes gazing softly at Su He. A Shadow Guard’s eyes will contain only their Master.
“Was it good?”
“Anything bestowed by my Master is naturally good.” As soon as she finished, Su Wei’s expression turned troubled. She frowned. “But your robes are wet.”
This outfit of Su He’s was exceedingly precious. Whether the embroidery or the fabric, it was of the highest quality. To ruin it like this was truly a pity.
But Su He did not mind these details. “Pay that no mind.”
The Master picked up her chopsticks. She dismissed the servant who had been serving the dishes and began to serve herself. She asked, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
Su Wei answered honestly, “This subordinate cannot eat spicy food.”
Su He’s tone was quite displeased. “How can that be? A Shadow Guard must endure every kind of hardship.”
She herself loved spicy food, and the dishes were mostly heavily salted and heavily spiced. Su He casually picked up a piece of beef and brought it to Su Wei’s mouth. “Open.”
Su Wei hesitated in her heart for only a split second. She still opened her mouth and ate it. After a few seconds, her face flushed a deep, choking red. A fiery, searing pain spread from her throat to her stomach. She coughed and choked, finally unable to help turning her head away and coughing violently.
Su He’s expression was mild. She had the Palace Attendant replace her chopsticks and proceeded to eat gracefully. She said in a low voice, “Quieter. It’s a bit noisy.”
Su Wei immediately covered her mouth. Her breathing was ragged. Tears were streaming down her face. She was a complete, miserable mess. The wounds on her abdomen and legs had split open, the faint scent of blood mixing in the air.
Su He did not touch that beef dish again.
“Your Majesty, the Grand Prince requests an audience.”
Su He’s expression didn’t change. “Let him wait. Can’t he see Gu—”
Before she could finish, the door was forced open. The current sovereign’s elder brother, Su Bai, barged right in.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Su He wasn’t angry. She wiped her mouth and hooked her fingers through Su Wei’s hair. “For what matter does elder brother hurry here with such urgency?”
Su Bai snorted coldly. “Your Majesty was too reckless in court today. How could you wound Elder Ji?”
“Elder brother is also disregarding the rules.” Su He laughed lightly, her gaze sweeping inch by inch over Su Bai. Her elder brother wasn’t bad-looking, it was just that his temperament was unruly and rather stupid.
Su Bai choked for a moment but still held his spine straight. “Your Majesty, this subject is offering earnest advice. Please do not destabilize the current situation.”
“What elder brother means is that Elder Ji alone can overturn this court? Or perhaps, the implication is… Gu’s position should be yielded to someone else?”
Su He’s tone wasn’t cold, it was even rather gentle, as if she were genuinely troubled by this question for a long time.
But it sent a chill of cold sweat down Su Bai’s back. This younger sister of his was long since not what she used to be. He had rushed over in a moment of impulse, thinking he could get an explanation.
But he had utterly forgotten how Su He had climbed up by stepping through the flesh and blood of her siblings.
Su He lowered her gaze and wiped the tears from the corners of Su Wei’s eyes. She asked again, “Has elder brother sobered up?”
Su Bai clenched his teeth. “It was this subject’s offense.”
“Good that you’ve sobered up. I was just afraid you’d stay drunk forever, and thus lose your life on the road to the Yellow Springs.”
Su He chuckled softly a couple of times. She watched Su Wei’s body trembling, the former flush of red having drained away entirely, leaving only pallor. She supposed she had indeed been cruel enough.
She raised her hand and removed the white jade eardrop from her own earlobe, pressing it onto Su Wei’s left ear. Shadow Guards did not wear jewelry. Su He applied force with her hand, and tiny beads of blood seeped through. The white jade swayed gently in the air, adding a strange, different touch of brilliance to Su Wei.
“Does elder brother have any other business?”
Su He looked at Su Bai with an innocent expression. “Would you care to stay and share a meal with your younger sister?”
Su Bai’s face was gloomy. Being suppressed by Su He in just a few words already made him deeply uncomfortable. His gaze fell on the woman kneeling beside Su He. Suppressing his displeasure, he retreated.
“Aiya.” Su He turned her head towards the Palace Attendant. “Didn’t you see Su Wei has fainted?”
She smiled. “Hurry and summon the Imperial Physician.”
