I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 19

The rumors of a haunting in the palace were getting more and more ridiculous. By the time Wei Ying heard them, they had morphed into a tale about a concubine who had been deeply in love with the Emperor. The two were said to be in perfect harmony, often playing the erhu under the moonlight. The concubine later died from a wrongful accusation, and her spirit took residence in the erhu. Now, her ghost wanders the palace grounds every night, playing a sorrowful tune.

From this, various theories arose: the erhu spirit theory, the vengeful ghost theory, the broken imperial favor theory, and more, all of which spread like wildfire through the palace.

Luckily, with everyone convinced the place was haunted, no one dared to go near the abandoned palace grounds. This suited Wei Ying perfectly, as she now had a private spot to practice her erhu every night, standing in the cold western wind, playing with an air of profound sadness.

This particular night, she was, as usual, happily playing her little erhu when a familiar voice sounded in front of her.

“You’re here… playing the erhu?”

Yun Shao’s brows were tightly furrowed, especially after hearing the mournful, ghost-like wail of the instrument. It sent shivers down her spine. She thought to herself that the person in front of her was not only impossible to understand with common sense but also with twisted logic.

Wei Ying’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. “Maiden! You’ve finally come.”

A soft emotion washed over Yun Shao. She was slightly stunned before she spoke softly, “You were waiting for me?”

Wei Ying pattered over to her, getting close—then she took a deep breath.

Ah~ I feel so lucky again!

Yun Shao’s body stiffened. The expression on her face was complex. She was bothered by the suddenness but couldn’t help a tiny, little flicker of joy. Her brows furrowed even more. She felt as though she had been bewitched.

Perhaps she had been under a spell since the first time they met, when she saw the young girl under the flowering tree, munching on melon seeds with a crunching sound.

“What are you doing here playing the erhu? Not sleeping so late at night…” Yun Shao’s face was stern, and her frown deepened as she spoke. Running around all night without sleeping, no wonder her health is so poor.

Wei Ying tilted her head. “Maiden, why are you always so wrinkled and unhappy? Come on, give me a smile.”

Yun Shao: “…”

She tried to curve the corners of her mouth slightly, but the girl opposite her didn’t notice.

Wei Ying sighed. “Fine, if you don’t want to smile, then don’t. Maiden, I can’t keep calling you ‘Ghost Maiden,’ can I?” she said, tilting her head and winking at Yun Shao, trying to use her charm to win the favor of the lucky star. “Will you tell me your name, please?”

A profound silence fell. The dusk gathered, and the night wind was cold.

Wei Ying shivered from the cold, covering her mouth with a low cough. Then, a hand grabbed her and pulled her into the room. She couldn’t make out the furnishings but obediently followed the “ghost,” all the way to the couch where she had received the massage last night. She was gently pushed onto it.

She clutched her chest. “Wuwu. Be gentle this time.”

Yun Shao was silent.

For some reason, she felt the girl’s current appearance was exactly like that of a poor woman who had been kidnapped by a flower thief and whose resistance was futile.

And she herself was that flower thief.

Wei Ying: “Aren’t you coming?”

Yun Shao opened the wardrobe and took out a thick winter coat, covering her with it. “It’s cold outside.”

“Oh, so you were cold.” The girl mumbled softly, her expression quite disappointed.

Yun Shao’s eyes darkened. “You’re disappointed?”

Of course, Wei Ying thought to herself, a close encounter with a lucky star could add who knows how much luck! She secretly tugged on the lucky star’s sleeve. When she felt no resistance, she moved closer, almost pressing against Yun Shao. “Maiden, maiden, you still haven’t told me your name. It’s okay if you don’t want to say your real name; just make one up!”

Yun Shao pressed her lips together. After a long silence, she said softly, “Yun…”

Wei Ying’s eyes curved into a smile. “Yun? Then I’ll call you Maiden Yun.”

Yun Shao’s delicate white fingers curled. She turned her head and asked with a subtle change in tone, “Maiden Yun?”

Wei Ying: “Yes! It’s much better than ‘Ghost Maiden,’ right?”

Yun Shao lowered her gaze. “…Mm.”

Wei Ying was confused. Maiden Yun always looked so gloomy and unhappy. With that sorrowful tone, Wei Ying was starting to feel sorry for her. So she picked up the erhu. “Come, I’ll make you happy!”

With the first note of the erhu, Yun Shao’s heart seized up. She almost died on the spot.

The mournful notes of “Moon Reflected on the Second Spring” echoed in the room. Yun Shao clutched her chest, feeling even more heartbroken.

“Are you trying to give me a funeral?” Yun Shao asked faintly when the song ended.

Wei Ying: “Hehe, didn’t you feel the passion overflowing in my song?”

Yun Shao fell silent again.

Wei Ying shook her head, feeling it was a pity that Maiden Yun had no appreciation for music.

Yun Shao asked, “Why are you playing the erhu here?”

And such a desolate, ghostly tune at that.

Wei Ying thought for a moment. She hadn’t told anyone about this plan, but in front of this “ghost” whose face she couldn’t even see, she felt a strange urge to spill everything. She blinked. “Actually, I’m preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. The Empress Dowager doesn’t allow me to do my ventriloquism anymore, so I can only play the erhu.”

She expected the person in front of her to react as she had before, frowning and scolding her. But after a long wait, she only heard a soft laugh.

Wei Ying: “Huh?”

Yun Shao curved her lips and asked again, “Why play the erhu?”

Wei Ying spread her hands. “It’s the only musical instrument I can play besides one other.”

Sure enough, Yun Shao immediately asked, “And the other one?”

“The suona.”

Another wave of silence.

After a long pause, Yun Shao said, “That’s good.”

Wei Ying almost thought she misheard. “What did you say?”

Yun Shao smiled, saying softly, “It’s very good. Go ahead and play. No one will dare to punish you.”

The “Palace Intrigue Princess” who was observing everything began to feel dazed, thinking this emperor was a bit abnormal.

Yun Shao also felt she was abnormal.

The girl had left, and she sat alone in the dark room, smiling as she thought of the girl’s appearance, her eyes curving.

…This person might be a little sick, but she wasn’t exactly normal herself.

The moment Wei Ying said “suona,” her heart skipped a beat. She actually thought, She’s so cute.

This thumping feeling was exactly the same as when she first saw Xiao Lihua.

Thinking of Xiao Lihua, the thumping in Yun Shao’s heart came to an abrupt halt. With a cold face, she fumbled in the room, finally pulling out a long-forgotten suona from under the bed.

She was sure she was sick too.

Wei Ying returned to her room and sat at her desk, solemnly writing the character for “Yun.”

Palace Intrigue Princess: Oh, wow, she’s starting to write down people’s names.

Then Wei Ying walked to the corner of the east wall, stuck the paper with the character “Yun” on it, and bowed three times with utmost seriousness.

Palace Intrigue Princess: “…”

Is this why you asked for her name?

For the past few days, while practicing her dance, Xiao Qianxue didn’t forget about the Noble Consort’s back pain. She personally brewed a plaster and let it dry in the sun for several days. When it was finally ready, she became shy and didn’t dare to take it to the Noble Consort herself, insisting on dragging Wei Ying along.

Before they left, Wei Ying stopped her. “Wait, let’s get our gear ready before we go.”

Xiao Qianxue was puzzled. “Gear ready?”

Wei Ying clapped her hands. Lu Ya took two pairs of knee pads from the wardrobe and bent down to tie them onto Xiao Qianxue. This way, if the hot-tempered Noble Consort got angry and punished them by making them kneel, they wouldn’t suffer too much.

Xiao Qianxue looked bewildered but obediently allowed Wei Ying to get her fully “armed.”

After a moment, Wei Ying clapped her hands, looked at the female protagonist with satisfaction, took her hand, and smiled. “Let’s go.”

When they left, they ran into Consort Xian.

As soon as Consort Xian saw them holding hands, her eyes lit up with a familiar, big-bad-wolf-like glint.

“Are you two going to the Imperial Garden?” Consort Xian asked with a smile.

Xiao Qianxue: “N-no. We’re just taking a dose of medicine to the Noble Consort.”

Consort Xian’s eyebrows raised slightly. “To Bao Yun Palace? It’s kind of you to remember Noble Consort’s back pain. Oh, right, I just made some mooncakes. Take two with you.”

Wei Ying deftly took the mooncakes, thanked Consort Xian, and tucked them into her clothes. They hadn’t gone far when a mournful voice came from behind them.

“Why aren’t you holding hands anymore?” Consort Xian stood in the dappled light and shadow. Her expression was hard to make out, but her eyes were unusually bright, watching them unblinkingly.

A cold sweat broke out on Wei Ying’s back. She felt as if she was being stared at. Xiao Qianxue, however, didn’t think much of it and took Wei Ying’s hand again.

Consort Xian clutched her chest and let out a soft groan, watching the two girls walk away side-by-side. She whispered, “Their friendship is truly good.”

The nanny next to her: “…”

Bao Yun Palace was luxurious and ornate, with gold and jade everywhere. When they arrived, the Noble Consort was holding a small horse, ready to go for a ride in the back garden.

It turned out that Bao Yun Palace also had a sizable back garden, but after the Noble Consort moved in, she ordered it to be leveled and turned into a small equestrian field. Every day, she would ride horses, hunt, practice sword fighting, and bend her bow there.

At that moment, the Noble Consort was in riding attire, her hair tied up. Her long coat was cinched at her slender waist, and her long, straight legs were in riding boots. She was young, vibrant, beautiful, and heroic.

Xiao Qianxue gasped, and Wei Ying quickly pulled her back, informing the Noble Consort of their purpose and pulling out the plaster.

The plaster was black and sticky with a slightly pungent smell.

The Noble Consort only glanced at it, and her expression soured. She sneered, nimbly got on her horse, and galloped past them, kicking up a cool breeze.

She didn’t accept it, nor did she refuse it.

Xiao Qianxue stood stubbornly in place, unwilling to leave. She carefully tucked the plaster away and looked back at the equestrian field.

In that instant, the autumn sun reflected in her eyes. Wei Ying saw a flicker of tears, a gentle ripple that was heart-wrenching. But it vanished just as quickly.

Xiao Qianxue lowered her eyes.

Wei Ying leaned in. “Did you cry?”

“No.”

Wei Ying noticed the tiny cuts on the back of her hands, injuries she’d gotten while carefully selecting and boiling the herbs. This girl had been a pampered lady before leaving home. It must have been very upsetting for her to have the first gift she had made with such effort be rejected.

Wei Ying thought for a moment, trying to understand the female protagonist’s mood. But no matter how much she thought, she didn’t quite get it. She could only take out a mooncake. “Come on, have one first. We might be standing here for who knows how long.”

Xiao Qianxue shook her head. “No, you eat it.”

So Wei Ying, without a care in the world, started eating. The fresh-from-the-oven mooncake had a fragrant, slightly burnt crust and a soft, sticky filling. It was delicious. After eating half a mooncake, she was a little full and took out a pot of tea.

Xiao Qianxue snapped out of her downcast mood and looked back to see Wei Ying sitting in a lounge chair, a banana leaf umbrella shielding her from the sun. With one hand, she held the teapot, and with the other, a pastry, enjoying the sun very leisurely, just like she did in the Yu Lu Palace.

“Yingying, you…” Xiao Qianxue’s pupils widened. “Why did you bring so many things?”

Is this what she meant by being fully “armed”?

Wei Ying’s expression didn’t change. “Oh, I told Lu Ya to bring these things over if we didn’t return in half an hour.” She moved over. “Qianxue, you should sit too.”

Xiao Qianxue shook her head again. “No, that would make me seem insincere.”

Wei Ying almost spit out the tea in her mouth. She laughed. “You’re not worshipping Guanyin. Why worry about sincerity?”

But in the end, Xiao Qianxue didn’t join her in her enjoyment on the lounge chair. Instead, she stood stubbornly in the autumn sun, her lips turning white without a single complaint.

Wei Ying sighed inwardly: What a silly child.

Palace Intrigue Princess: “Host, sincerity can move mountains.”

Wei Ying: The Noble Consort won’t be moved.

In the original book, the Noble Consort was always a big boss the female protagonist had to overcome. She constantly looked down on the protagonist and gave her a “palace intrigue gift package” of trouble. Their relationship was as hostile as fire and water, even more so than with Gong Bei Nu.

Wei Ying rubbed the porcelain cup. She thought to herself that the power of the plot was manifested in all sorts of ways. For example, Xiao Qianxue and Gong Bei Nu disliked each other, and their initial favorability was a negative value.

Based on this, even though she had averted the incident of wearing the same dress, the Noble Consort would still dislike Xiao Qianxue for no reason… This damned plot force.

Her guess was correct.

The Noble Consort rode around the equestrian field, and when she thought of Xiao Qianxue’s face, a surge of irritation welled up inside her. She didn’t know why, but this person hadn’t offended her, yet she found her very annoying to look at.

She bent her bow to a full moon. The arrow left the string with a sharp snap, embedding itself in a nearby willow tree, its white feathers trembling.

After a few laps around the field, the Noble Consort returned to Bao Yun Palace, and was surprised to find that the two people were still there. One of them was lazily sitting in a lounge chair like a lazy cat, which made the other one, standing, look especially honest and pitiful.

Noble Consort: “…Suddenly, I don’t find Xiao Qianxue so annoying anymore.”

Palace Intrigue Princess: “Host, host, the Noble Consort is looking at you with very dangerous eyes!”

Wei Ying didn’t raise her eyes.

Of course, they were dangerous. Eating pastries and drinking tea in front of Bao Yun Palace was a clear sign of disrespect to its owner. Any Noble Consort would want to strangle her. However, as long as she made herself annoying, it would make Xiao Qianxue seem less annoying in comparison.

Hehe, I really am a genius!

It was just as she expected. The Noble Consort had originally intended to drive them both out, but when she saw Wei Ying sitting lazily and disrespectfully in the rocking chair, while the other one stood ramrod straight, her face pale without moving an inch, she instantly changed her mind.

“Who told you to sit here?”

Wei Ying’s heart said, “Hehe.” She obediently stood up and lowered her head. Fortunately, her original identity was an insignificant cannon fodder. Especially standing next to the protagonist, the Noble Consort had initially wanted to punish her, but her gaze was unconsciously drawn to the female protagonist, to Xiao Qianxue.

Xiao Qianxue even slowed her breathing.

Noble Consort: “You’ve been standing here this whole time?”

Xiao Qianxue quickly nodded. “Yes.”

“Why didn’t you leave?”

A strange blush appeared on Xiao Qianxue’s face as she said softly, “Your Highness’s back pain hasn’t gotten better…”

The Noble Consort was stunned. She gripped her riding crop, at a loss for words. After a moment, she said, “This consort’s back doesn’t hurt.”

She just used it as an excuse to avoid bowing to the Empress Dowager. Did this thoughtless concubine actually believe it?

She frowned in disgust. “Fine, leave the medicine here and go quickly.”

Xiao Qianxue nodded happily. Then, under the Noble Consort’s sharp gaze, she explained the purpose and usage of the medicine in detail. At the end, she said, “Your Highness can try it, it’s really very useful!”

The Noble Consort’s head ached from her fervent gaze. She frowned and said perfunctorily, “Alright, alright.”

Xiao Qianxue had waited all day and finally got what she wanted. She was so happy she felt she could fly. On the way back to Yu Lu Palace, she bounced and skipped, as excited as a child rushing to eat—

After standing all day, she was truly starving.

The small kitchen in Yu Lu Palace had its lights on all the time, and steam rose from the steamer. When they returned, the maids busied themselves again, quickly serving the hot food.

Xiao Qianxue’s eyes gleamed as she picked up her bowl and ate with a smacking sound.

Wei Ying felt sorry for her. She couldn’t help but serve her food and pour her water, watching her silly child praise every bite.

“Yingying, you were right,” Xiao Qianxue looked up. “Love really does need courage!”

Wei Ying shook her head. “This time, it’s not love that needs courage.”

Xiao Qianxue: “Huh?”

Wei Ying: “Love really needs a best friend.”

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