Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Tidal Moon

Seventh year of King Zheng of Qin, third month, thirteenth day.

Li Yu, as usual, strolled through the streets of Xinzheng, holding a wooden stick in one hand and a beautifully wrapped gift box in the other. Watching the bustling crowd, he soon arrived before the gates of the Han royal palace. Producing a jade token, he handed it to the city guards, who, after a quick inspection, returned it and let him pass.

With prior experience, Li Yu made his way to the secluded Youlan Pavilion with ease. He knocked at the door, which was opened by a maid whose eyes were vacant and movements mechanical, as if she were a puppet devoid of emotion—a testament, perhaps, to Lady Mingzhu's rigorous training.

Li Yu couldn't help but marvel inwardly: My wife is truly ruthless.

“I am Fang Yu. At the invitation of the King of Han, I’ve come to discuss perfumes with Lady Mingzhu. Would you kindly announce my arrival?”

“Please wait a moment,” came the reply before the door shut.

So began Li Yu’s tedious wait. At first, he scarcely minded, but as time dragged on, he realized Lady Mingzhu was likely toying with him. Unperturbed, he set down the stick and gift box, squatted on the ground, and began to idly play with the grass and flowers, arranging them thoughtfully as if engaged in some crucial task.

Upstairs, Lady Mingzhu watched him from the shadows, intrigued by his curious antics. Deciding to get a closer look, she had a side door opened and quietly approached, hoping to see what mischief Li Yu was up to. But she underestimated his sharp senses; before she drew near, Li Yu sprang up, eyeing her suspiciously before hastily scattering his floral arrangements as if to hide something shameful.

A woman’s curiosity, once piqued, can gnaw at her like a bone stuck in her throat, compelling her to get to the bottom of things.

“What is the Grand Tutor doing?” she asked, her interest plain.

Li Yu lowered his head, as if embarrassed to meet her gaze. “Just passing the time while I wait.”

“Oh? Does the Grand Tutor find it tedious, waiting for me?” Her voice was as alluring as ever.

Tedious? Of course you know! he thought, but answered with feigned anxiety, “When one desires something but cannot attain it, each day drags like a year. Waiting an hour for Lady Mingzhu feels like a month to me.”

Amused by this novel philosophy, Lady Mingzhu sauntered over, her tall, shapely legs moving with feline grace. The scent of orange roses wafted over as she tilted her waist, her long, dark hair cascading over her ample bosom, and her eyes glimmered with a faint, inscrutable smile. Li Yu felt his heart pounding wildly, his face burning with a flush he could not hide.

Lady Mingzhu, pleased to see his agitation, teased, “You waited an hour for me, but do you realize I waited an entire night for you?” Perhaps recalling the dream she once glimpsed, she enjoyed their little games.

Li Yu took a step back and bowed, “I was delayed yesterday. Fang Yu begs your pardon, my lady.”

“You were quite the wild thing the other day,” she continued, stepping closer and teasing him. “My doors have yet to recover from your visit.”

In this lonely, secluded mansion, a charming companion brought relief from her ennui—and this boy was truly a sight to behold, a living work of art she longed to ruin. The thought made her unconsciously lick her crimson lips.

“I have brought you a gift to express my regret,” Li Yu offered after a moment’s thought.

“Oh? And what might the Grand Tutor have brought for me?” Her enchanting eyes sparkled with mischief as she studied his blushing face.

How could he not flush? Any man would be undone by such a seductive woman constantly referring to herself so coyly. Li Yu understood she was merely playing for amusement, and he, too, delighted in the game. In truth, the thrill of courtship often outshines the result.

“I have some skill in painting. If you please, I would like to make a portrait of you,” he said, lifting his gaze to meet hers.

“Oh? And how does the Grand Tutor wish to paint me?” Her smile deepened, her natural allure heightened by her fragrance.

Li Yu felt a warm rush surge through him and quickly covered his nose.

“Is the Grand Tutor repulsed by me?” she laughed, more dazzling and bewitching than ever—truly the siren of the tides.

Thoughtfully, she offered him the violet silk handkerchief from her bosom. Li Yu reflexively took it and dabbed at his heated nose, which only deepened his embarrassment. He hastily tucked the handkerchief away.

Seeing this, Lady Mingzhu asked, “Why do you keep my handkerchief, Grand Tutor?”

Li Yu bowed again. “I’ve soiled your personal belonging. I dare not return it.”

“And how will you compensate me?” she asked, noting with delight the telltale stain—proof of her effect on him.

“I have another gift for you,” Li Yu said, handing the gift box at his feet to the maid beside her.

“What is it?” Lady Mingzhu’s eyes narrowed with curiosity.

“A cake. I spent two hours making it myself. I hope you won’t find it lacking,” Li Yu answered directly.

Lady Mingzhu signaled for the maid to bring it inside, and then, turning to Li Yu, she lifted her chin imperiously. “For your sincerity, I’ll let you off this once,” she declared, then swept into the courtyard with a flourish of her sleeves. “Come in,” she called over her shoulder, not bothering to look back.

Li Yu didn’t see the momentary playfulness that flashed across her otherwise solemn face.

It was only his second time entering Lady Mingzhu’s residence, yet excitement tinged his steps. The courtyard was vast and empty, lacking the vitality flowers and greenery might bring. Li Yu mentally made plans for how he’d fill such a mansion with life, all while admiring the enchanting figure leading the way—her long, shapely legs accentuated by sensual heels, her hips swaying with a rhythm that could set a painter’s fingers itching.

It was a scene of surpassing beauty, her unique fragrance adding to the intoxicating picture. Li Yu found his nose burning again, quickly plugging it with the silk handkerchief, yet his eyes refused to look away.

Unlike the mature, seductive grace of Lady Zhao, Mingzhu’s allure was more primal—a poisonous rose, dangerous and irresistible. Li Yu had never believed in ranking women’s beauty; each had her own charm, and beauty itself was too abstract to be measured—that was the wonder of the world.

Inside, the gift box had already been opened and the pristine double-layered cake displayed on the table.

Lady Mingzhu, seeing a cake for the first time, was intrigued. “Is this a pastry?”

“Yes,” Li Yu replied, voice muffled.

She glanced at him, noticing his face was flushed and his hand pressed to his nose. The sight was so comical she burst into laughter, her melodious voice lingering in Li Yu’s ears like celestial music.

Seeing her radiant smile, Li Yu stood transfixed, forgetting even to cover his nose as a trickle of blood began to stain his robe.

“Fool,” Lady Mingzhu said, a rare blush coloring her cheeks.

“Grand Tutor, how does one eat this?” she asked, shifting the subject.

Li Yu wiped away the blood and busied himself with the cake. “It’s meant for birthdays. I learned today was yours, so I stayed up all night to bake it for you. To eat it, you must light the candles, make a wish, and blow them out. It’s very effective.”

Lady Mingzhu had nearly forgotten her own birthday; it surprised her that Li Yu had found it out. Her own husband, wary of her, had never celebrated it, and the thought of her only relative brought a chill to her heart. Gazing at Li Yu, her eyes softened.

“You must close your eyes, silently wish for what your heart desires, and not speak it aloud. Then blow out the candles, and the great god of heaven will know your wish and help it come true,” Li Yu explained.

Taking his words to heart, Lady Mingzhu closed her eyes solemnly. To the ancients, the divine was real and not to be mocked. Li Yu watched her tranquil face, filled with joy, wishing he could gaze at her forever.

When her wish was done, she blew out the candles with a breath scented faintly of violet. Li Yu, struck by a sudden impulse, dabbed a bit of cake on her pretty cheek.

Lady Mingzhu stared, momentarily puzzled, then saw Li Yu laughing at her and grew indignant, grabbing a piece of cake and hurling it at him. He dodged and retaliated, sending another piece flying her way. She tried to evade but was caught by his double shot, cake splattering her hair and knocking her hairpin loose.

In her fury, she forgot her martial arts skills and chased after Li Yu like a child, while he darted nimbly around the chairs.

“Fang Yu!” she cried, calling him by name in her anger.

He ducked behind the table, panting, “Are you feeling better now, my lady?”

“Better, my ass!” she cursed, discarding all pretense of ladylike decorum as she resumed the chase. She hadn’t been so disheveled in years and was determined to catch him, no matter how handsome he was—today, she’d make him pay.

Li Yu, out of breath, suddenly spun around and caught the furious Lady Mingzhu in his arms. Her scent enveloped him, her flushed, sweat-dampened face right before his eyes. Unable to resist, Li Yu claimed her lips in a deep kiss.

Lady Mingzhu’s mind went blank as his tongue coaxed her lips apart and she retaliated with a fierce bite.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Li Yu yelped, slapping her shoulder for mercy, but she only grinned wickedly and refused to let go.

With no other recourse, he kissed her even more fiercely, his arms tightening around her slender waist to dull the pain.

When Lady Mingzhu could barely breathe, she shoved him away, her face flushed with both anger and embarrassment. “How dare you!”

Li Yu spat the blood from his mouth, his expression fierce. “To die beneath a peony is a death worth having. I love you, my lady. With my talents, I could go anywhere in the world—why come to this feeble Han kingdom? Because your beauty should not wither in obscurity. If no one cares for you, I will; if no one loves you, I will. You should be a carefree butterfly, not a caged canary in a lonely palace, forced into roles you never chose. I believe I can make you happy.”

He finished, bracing himself for whatever consequences might follow.

Lady Mingzhu was stunned. No one had ever considered her feelings—not as a child, when she was trained relentlessly in etiquette, deportment, poisons, and martial arts, nor as a bride, when she was married off to the aging King An of Han without a word for her wishes. Her husband, wary of her family, treated her with cold indifference, and if not for her expertise in medicine, she would never have attained her current status—a position glamorous in name, but in truth, a gilded cage.

She knew Li Yu’s feelings for her were real; otherwise, she wouldn’t have appeared in his dreams. Yet what could it matter? The Han kingdom was like a rotting net, shrouded in darkness, where one false move could destroy you.

Today, for the first time in her life, she felt something she wanted to cherish. She had to protect him.

Her bright eyes flickered as she looked at Li Yu, still brimming with passionate resolve.

“Go now. I’m tired,” she said, her voice weary as she summoned the maids to clean up the mess and retreated to her bedchamber to compose herself.

Li Yu understood that haste would only spoil things. Since he had bared his heart and she had not rejected him outright, there was hope. Cheerfully, he made his way toward the gate.

Suddenly a shout shattered the quiet: “His Majesty is here!”

Startled, Li Yu glanced down at his disheveled clothes and the blood stains on his face, frantically searching for somewhere to hide. The courtyard was utterly bare, not even a blade of grass for cover. He dashed back inside, where Lady Mingzhu watched his frantic antics with a bemused smile.

“Where’s all that bravado now, Grand Tutor?” she teased.

“Why are you so calm? Don’t you realize we’re about to be caught in the act?” Li Yu blurted.

“Nonsense! Who’s being caught in the act? Come with me!” She led him to her chamber, her shapely hips swaying enticingly.

Pointing to a steaming wooden tub, she said, “In you go.”

“Is that really wise?” Li Yu hesitated, but inwardly was delighted.

“Or would you rather meet the king outside?” she retorted.

“No need!” he replied, quickly stripping and hiding his clothes under the bed before slipping into the tub.

“Who told you to get undressed?” she snapped, turning away as she caught sight of his bare form. Outwardly calm, inwardly she was just as nervous and a little excited—her stifling life had just been upended by Li Yu.

Li Yu kept his nose and mouth above water, listening intently to the voices outside.

“Why did Your Majesty not send word of your visit?” Lady Mingzhu’s voice.

“I have a headache today. Why are your clothes so disheveled?” King An’s voice.

“I spilled some medicine while preparing Your Majesty’s prescription and was about to bathe when you arrived,” she replied.

“You’ve worked hard. I’ll wait while you wash.”

“Your affairs take precedence, sire. I can bathe later.”

“No hurry. I’ll wait in the front hall.”

A rustle of movement followed.

Meanwhile, Lady Mingzhu caught sight of Li Yu eavesdropping in the tub. That rascal.

As the water rippled, a long, snowy-white leg slipped into view, followed by a dark thicket pressing down over Li Yu’s nose.

So fragrant, he thought, instinctively licking.

A trickle of mysterious liquid began to flow, and Li Yu drank like a starving infant, only stopping when slender fingers gripped his hair, twisting his head. He retaliated with a gentle nip.

Above him, a suppressed moan and trembling thighs signaled her release of tension. Li Yu waited patiently until her leg withdrew, then surfaced for air, the recent, exquisite image seared into his mind forever.

“My lord, your medicine is ready,” Lady Mingzhu’s voice rang out.

“My head feels so heavy… thank you, my lady,” King An replied.

“Just a moment…”

Li Yu, still savoring the moment, suddenly found himself yanked from the water by his hair.

“Lady Mingzhu, you are truly a peerless beauty,” he grinned obsequiously. “To win your heart, I’d die without regret.”

“Then die!” Lady Mingzhu retorted, raising her hand to smack him.

Li Yu tried to dodge but was held fast by his hair, so he seized her in a defensive embrace, hands and lips roaming with bold precision. Lady Mingzhu smacked his bare back, biting his tongue once more.

Li Yu, all in, lifted her into the tub, tearing at the thin nightgown she’d just changed into. His fingers pressed gently on the peaks of her bosom, making her gasp and open her mouth. He eagerly took her in, savoring her as the rarest delicacy.

Her eyes glazed, she gazed at the ceiling, fingers twisting in his hair as she whispered, “Do you know the consequences of this?”

Li Yu looked up, meeting her gaze. “For you, I’d risk death,” he answered with rare seriousness.

“I won’t let you die,” she replied, caressing his face with unprecedented tenderness.

Li Yu ducked underwater, lifting her legs onto his shoulders.

As her waist arched and her song rose in a sweet, lingering cry, her legs tensed and gripped him tightly, until, spent and trembling, she collapsed into his arms.

He swept her from the tub like a princess and carried her to the soft bed.

Outside, the sky above Xinzheng was again shrouded in a purple haze, the rising moon echoing the setting sun, shining with eerie brilliance. Rose petals on the sheets stood out starkly; Li Yu realized, surprised, that Lady Mingzhu, for all her seductive airs, had been untouched before.

He felt as if he’d won the grandest prize.

Watching him bounce naked on the bed, Lady Mingzhu couldn’t help but laugh.

“Wife, come away with me,” Li Yu said gently, taking her hand.

“The world is vast. Where could we go?” she asked, her eyes dreamy and uncertain.

Seeing her lost expression, Li Yu’s heart ached for her. After a moment’s hesitation, he stood and solemnly bowed.

Lady Mingzhu, watching his ridiculous naked bow, burst out laughing, her earlier confusion dispelled.

Li Yu gazed at her tenderly. “Wife, let me introduce myself again. My family name is Li, given name Yu, styled Mengde. I hail from Qin. I came to Han for one purpose: to find my bride.”

Lady Mingzhu bolted upright, her chest rising and falling. “What did you say?”

“My real name is Li Yu. Fang Yu is my alias,” he replied seriously.

“You’re the Grand Craftsman of Qin, sworn brother to King Zheng?” she asked, hardly able to believe that the man in her bed was the rising star of the age. Wasn’t he supposed to be a peerless prince? He looked the part, certainly, but this nosebleed-prone, naked man hardly matched the legend.

In truth, few had ever seen Li Yu, and rumors had distorted his image. Lady Mingzhu had to laugh at herself for her expectations.

The day’s events had been a rollercoaster, and she hardly knew how things had come to this. At first, her attraction to Li Yu had been for amusement—he seemed a delightful boy to ruin.

Yes, she had intended only to destroy, to ruin everything beautiful.

Her own life was a tragedy; why not break the rules? But step by step, Li Yu had opened her heart, showing her the joy of being human. His confession was sincere, and she had fallen, bit by bit.

Part of her wanted to sleep with him out of revenge—for all those who had used her, ruined her life. She had meant to cast it all away, to belong to him until her cousin returned, after which it wouldn’t matter. She was weary of it all and wanted, just once, to live for herself, even if only for a fleeting moment. That was why she’d asked Li Yu—if he would not regret, neither would she.

But to her astonishment, Li Yu had given her a new hope.

She seized his arm, demanding fiercely, “Tell me. Why did you come to Han in secret?”

Clutching his arm, Li Yu pleaded, “Wife, would you believe me if I said I crossed half the world to pursue you?”

She looked at him skeptically, unconvinced. He begged her to let go so he could explain, and then told her the whole story: orphaned, raised by a modern foster father, growing up lonely and unloved, hearing tales of Lady Mingzhu’s beauty and resolving to come to Han to win her as his bride.

Though flattered, Lady Mingzhu still didn’t entirely believe him—life was more precious than beauty, after all. But Li Yu swore a solemn oath, and she looked at him with a complicated expression.

Perhaps there really were men who valued love over power.

Li Yu: …Actually, I want both.

“What are your plans now?” she asked, anxious for his future.

“I still have matters to resolve in Han. I can’t return to Qin yet. If you’re willing, you could wait for me at the marquis’s residence.”

It wouldn’t be hard for Li Yu to smuggle someone out of this mansion, even someone as highly placed as her.

“No. You clearly have important work in Han—I can help,” she replied, leaning close and running her nails lightly down his back, sending shivers through him.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. “You little enchantress, you’ll be the death of me.”

“Do you mind?” she whispered, lips brushing his ear.

Li Yu answered her without words.

The bed rocked in rhythm, the curtains billowed softly, and the whole world seemed to dissolve into a haze of passion.

“Yu Lang, I can’t take it anymore—please, have mercy!” she pleaded at last.

Li Yu, victorious, held her close. “I know you only as Lady Mingzhu, but what is your real name?”

She rolled her eyes at him—sleeping with someone whose name you didn’t even know, some peerless prince he was!

“My given name is Chao Xiyue. That’s where the title Mingzhu comes from. I also founded a secret organization called Chaoyu Jin, where I go by the name Chao Nüyao—the man-eating demoness.”

She revealed her secrets, and Li Yu was deeply moved. Holding her close, he confided, “Qin will move against Han soon. I want to minimize bloodshed, but I must carry out the plan myself. That’s why I can’t leave Han for now.”

Xiyue sat up, surprised. “Truly?”

Li Yu was puzzled by her reaction. “I’m about to destroy Han, yet you seem pleased.”

“Of course. I’ve had enough of this rotten kingdom, where everyone lives in self-delusion. I feel nothing for it but hatred,” she replied coldly.

“Then let me help you get your revenge,” Li Yu said, drawing her into his arms.

“Beware of my cousin, Bai Yifei—he’s difficult to deal with,” she warned.

“I’m prepared. Don’t worry,” he replied confidently, then asked, “What about King An?”

Xiyue sneered. “He lives in his own fantasy world, unable to tell dream from reality. He’s still lying outside.”

Li Yu: …Seriously?

He sprang up to dress, and Xiyue teased, “You just said you’d take me to Qin—why so scared now?”

“I’ll take you away in secret, but if we’re caught now, all my plans will be ruined.” He embraced her again. “Give me five years. When the world is at peace, we’ll have the grandest wedding ever, with the whole world to witness our happiness.”

Xiyue wriggled in his arms. “Are you sure you dare marry me? Even if Han falls, I’ll always have been his wife—that can’t be changed.”

Li Yu smiled. “There’s nothing in this world that cannot be done. And if there is…” he mimed a slashing gesture at his neck.

Xiyue’s excitement only grew.

Watching her delighted expression, Li Yu couldn’t help but picture the infamous Ximen official. He shuddered at the thought of Han Fei chasing him with a sword—may that day never come.

He kissed Xiyue, then dressed and left the chamber, only to find King An sprawled on the ground, clutching a table leg and snuffling like a fat pig. Li Yu felt a twinge of sympathy—the pasture atop his head was particularly lush today.

Perhaps he’d send King An a green hat someday.

Poor soul.