Chapter 24
03. Cotyledon【子葉】
As Dongbaek began frequenting the imperial palace, his face soon became familiar to the palace people.
Although there was no need to visit the palace every day, the imperial library was simply too magnificent to resist. While Zhang Rang’s house also contained a wealth of books, it didn’t have the extensive collection of military strategy, martial arts, and other topics related to warfare and combat that the imperial library boasted.
It was nonsensical for even a prince’s close associate to freely access the imperial library. But who was Dongbaek? He was the only adopted son of Zhong Changshi Zhang Rang who could even make birds fall from the sky, and a promising young man favored by the imperial family.
Whether her looks truly worked in the imperial palace or not, both the Emperor and Prince favored her, and even the Empress showed her special treatment.
Thankfully, unlike the Empress’s case, the Emperor’s gaze held no sexual desire.
Though she looked like this now, Dongbaek had lived over 20 years in her previous world. Even without dating experience, she wasn’t oblivious.
The Emperor loved beautiful things. If he gathered all the beautiful things he’d collected from across the empire, it would be a truly astounding sight. That’s why the women in his harem were all outstanding beauties, notably the current Empress He and Consort Wang.
Thinking about it, Dongbaek understood why the Emperor particularly liked her. Both Empress He and Consort Wang were sharp-featured, alluring beauties with tall statures and sensual figures that exuded sexual appeal.
Even excluding the sensuality, Dongbaek was exactly the Emperor’s type.
I’m really thankful he hasn’t tried to make me his male lover. Dongbaek internally breathed a small sigh of relief.
Some court officials looked unfavorably upon Dongbaek who received the Emperor’s favor. They thought, How dare the child of a eunuch act so boldly? But what could they do? They weren’t significant enough to criticize Dongbaek.
Of course, not everyone viewed Dongbaek negatively. There are always people who appreciate diligent students. Though no one approached him, as political entanglements were a separate matter.
“D-Dongbaek, are you here?”
“Ah, Your Highness.”
Dongbaek responded to Prince Bian’s familiar voice at the doorway and approached. The librarian was performing a deep bow.
For Prince Bian to come to such an unfamiliar place! The four-year-old prince was very shy and rarely left his palace. Yet he had gathered the courage to visit the library just to see Dongbaek. It was clear how much the prince liked him.
Dongbaek, who could read even crafty old foxes like an open book, couldn’t miss the prince’s feelings. He brightly smiled while lifting up the waist-high prince.
“I was about to visit you soon, Your Highness. Why did you come all this way?”
“B-but…”
Prince Bian, who had readily let himself be picked up, mumbled something in a barely audible voice. Though unclear, Dongbaek didn’t need to ask again. Understanding the prince’s words, he patted his back and replied.
“Yes, shall we have lunch together at your palace then?”
“…Y-yes! Good!”
Usually, Dongbaek would spend the morning reading in the library and have a light lunch before visiting the prince’s palace, but today the prince had personally come to invite him to lunch. He couldn’t refuse.
The prince repeatedly asked if he was too heavy on the way, but Dongbaek just laughed. He could freely wield a heavy sword with one hand and even win arm wrestling matches against strong men. This much was nothing.
Of course, Prince Bian also knew that Dongbaek was stronger than he looked. Yet he kept asking, showing how embarrassed he was. Dongbaek mischievously asked to tease the prince.
“You’re not heavy, but if you want to get down, I can let you down.”
“Ah, n-no, mmm… I-I don’t want to get down…”
The prince stammered severely, extremely flustered even by Dongbaek’s light teasing. In the end, Dongbaek carried the prince who couldn’t even properly answer all the way to his palace while comforting him.
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Around 3 PM that day, Empress He stormed into the prince’s palace. She was clearly furious, her face flushed red enough to show through her white powder makeup.
Her neat, well-groomed fingernails were ruined, crushed between her teeth. She paced back and forth in the prince’s room while biting her nails. Suddenly, with a violent gesture, she swept the flower pot off the table onto the floor. With a crash, what must have been an expensive, precious pot instantly transformed into ceramic shards. Still unsatisfied, the Empress screamed while repeatedly pounding the table.
Seeing his mother’s behavior, Prince Bian trembled in Dongbaek’s arms. Dongbaek patted him and quietly soothed him.
Only then did Empress He stop her violent outburst and approach the trembling prince. Her voice shook as she gently caressed the prince’s cheek.
“My prince, this mother of yours believes in you. You know that, right? You will become a great emperor. I’m sorry for showing such a sensitive side of myself today. But…”
Empress He trailed off, glancing sideways at Dongbaek. Dongbaek just smiled faintly, as if he hadn’t seen or heard anything. Though Empress He liked Dongbaek, that was different from trusting him.
‘Only the physician and that woman know about this. If that woman quietly miscarries without anyone noticing, everything will be resolved. There will be no reason to tremble in fear that the child in her womb might be a boy….’
Empress He chose silence, not thinking Zhang Rang would tell Dongbaek even the palace’s dirty secrets.
But she didn’t completely hide her thoughts either. The venomous smile curling her lips as she held the Crown Prince was full of murderous intent—a smile that the young prince couldn’t see. Dongbaek, however, noticed it and bowed his head bitterly, fully grasping the situation.
Thanks to the Empress’s sudden outburst, Dongbaek’s duties ended earlier than planned today. Empress He issued a polite dismissal to Dongbaek, saying she had things to discuss with Prince Bian.
After leaving the prince’s palace, Dongbaek considered returning to the library but soon shook his head. He wasn’t in the mood to read.
Deciding to finish early for the day, he headed to the stables to fetch his horse, Bidan, whistling as he walked. As the high, clear whistle echoed in the sky, Zhao immediately flew toward Dongbaek. Fluttering to reduce speed, Zhao landed gracefully on Dongbaek’s left arm and folded its wings.
“You’re done early today? Did something happen?”
“Empress He had something to say to the prince. It’s good to leave early.”
“What’s gotten into her? She usually says whatever she wants, even in front of you.”
“Ah, but this seems serious. Looks like Consort Wang might be pregnant.”
“What?! That jealous vixen must’ve been spewing fire from her mouth. She didn’t take it out on you, did she?”
“Luckily, no.”
Dongbaek shrugged nonchalantly.
She didn’t need to ask Zhang Rang. Dongbaek was a dimensional traveler, and with just a bit of information, she could roughly piece together the situation based on what she already knew.
Empress He had always been jealous of Consort Wang. Eight or nine times out of ten, Consort Wang was the cause of her anger, and she always showed it openly. If she was trying to hide something while being this furious, while mindful of others…
It could only mean one thing, the birth of Emperor Xian of Han (Liu Xie), who would later be enthroned by Dong Zhuo. Considering the timing, if the child were born now, he’d be old enough to have some discernment by the time the Emperor died following the Yellow Turban Rebellion. The timing was perfect. Dongbaek was almost certain.
She had roughly grasped what had happened. The question was what action she should take in this situation.
‘But there’s nothing I can really do. There’s no reason I need to actively intervene either.’
It seemed Empress He planned to eliminate both Consort Wang and the child in her womb at once. Though it might seem a bit cold, there was no reason to prevent their deaths while antagonizing Empress He. She had never even met Beauty Wang.
‘Come to think of it, Empress He probably tried to kill Beauty Wang in the original timeline too. Yet Liu Xie was born… If I want to make the most of my knowledge, it’s better not to intervene and let things flow naturally.’
It’s not like Liu Xie’s birth would cause me any major problems… Ah, wait. In the original story, Prince Bian dies.
The flow of the original story that she hadn’t fully realized blocked reality. Byeon stuttered and was somewhat slow, but he was still a good child… Could she just let this child die?
Unlike Consort Wang and her unborn child, she had met Byeon face to face several times and built some emotional connection. That difference felt quite meaningful to Dongbaek.
But thinking about it, there was another problem. In about five years, everyone she knew would die. Her adoptive father Zhang Rang would die around the same time as Prince Bian. Both are at the hands of the same person—Dong Zhuo.
The foolish Prince Bian, the clever Prince Xie. Dong Zhuo chooses Prince Xie. If Prince Xie didn’t exist, would Dong Zhuo still kill Prince Bian…?
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Thank you for reading! ♡
