Huh? Hua Chun stared at him blankly.

If it wasn’t to share his bed, why call her to stay and sleep here? She had her own residence, and there was nothing urgent in the palace. He was the one whose words caused the misunderstanding—was she supposed to be blamed for it?

She laughed awkwardly a couple of times, not daring to ask him why. Whatever the Emperor said, went—resisting would do no good anyway, she’d just get crushed under a cold command in the end, so she might as well save herself the trouble, and honestly cupped her hands: “This subject obeys.”

Glancing at her, Yuwen Jie said to Eunuch Qin beside him: “Arrange it.”

“Yes,” Eunuch Qin answered, giving Hua Chun another look before going to have the side hall prepared.

“Your Highness.”

On the palace path, someone leaned close to Yuwen Yi’s ear and murmured a couple of words.

“Oh?” Prince Xi raised an eyebrow, quite surprised. “Now that really is strange.”

Kept in Zichen Hall? He’d always thought the Emperor regarded Hua Jinghua as nothing more than a stone—yet the moment he made a small move, the Emperor guarded him like a treasure with such alertness.

How interesting indeed.

“Understood. Go handle other matters for now.”

“Yes.”

The palace walls were tall and imposing; walking alone down this sparsely populated path always felt lonely. Better to be someone above others, surrounded by a crowd wherever they went—never lonely.

Yuwen Yi looked up at the sky, full of evening glow.

There were far too many troublesome people in his way; clearing them out was truly exhausting work. But he wasn’t in a hurry—he could wait slowly, always waiting for darkness to give way to dawn, and then it would be his sky.

Step by step, carefully.

The Hua residence was already in chaos—news of officials being detained in the palace had gotten out, and Madam Wan was thoroughly panicked.

“Our Hua’er is such an upright official, never once taken anything extra from anyone—the Emperor mustn’t wrong her like this!”

Master Hua watched the imperial guards carry off the congratulatory gifts from the back courtyard and just sighed. “What’s the use of saying that here? The Emperor can’t hear you! Hua’er still isn’t back—most likely…”

“I told you so,” Madam Wu sneered. “If only the Eldest Young Master hadn’t been so selfish and refused to plant someone in the palace who could speak up for us. Look at us now—who’s going to say a good word to the Emperor? The Second Miss in the cold palace?”

“You shut your mouth!” Madam Ren snapped angrily. “With your Third Miss’s looks, what good would it have done sending her into the palace? The Emperor didn’t even glance at her! Don’t make things worse and drag us down more.”

“You…”

“Enough arguing, all of you!” Hua Zhengrong burst out angrily, slapping his hand on the table. “All you do all day is bicker—can’t you do anything else? Hua’er is in such danger right now, and you still have the mind to fight over this?”

Madam Wan hurried over to support Hua Zhengrong, saying anxiously, “My lord, why don’t you go into the palace?”

Master Hua startled, frowning at her: “How… how would I get into the palace? I’m just a commoner.”

Madam Wan frowned, saying quietly, “Isn’t there the eunu—”

Before she could finish, Master Hua clapped a hand over her mouth.

“You just sit tight!” he said angrily. “Times are different now—don’t come up with such reckless ideas!”

She was worried too, though! Madam Wan sighed helplessly, wringing her handkerchief, looking outside. She waited and waited but no news came, so she finally went out to wait at the Prime Minister’s residence instead.

“My lady, don’t be so anxious.” Pin Tan brought Madam Wan inside, saying quietly, “His Majesty hasn’t blamed the master, and is even shielding him—only, for some reason, he’s had the master stay overnight in the palace.”

“What?!” Madam Wan’s face paled. “Overnight?”

Pin Tan nodded, then comforted her: “It’s not what you think. The master is clever and can protect himself—please set your mind at ease.”

No matter how capable, she was still just a girl after all. Wan Liufang began to regret it all over again—if she’d had the chance, she truly wished Jinghua could just be an ordinary girl, marry, have children, live a full life, without having to live on edge like this every day.

But things had already come to this, and there was nothing a woman like her could do—she could only stay with Qing Niao and offer what comfort she could.

At the Hua residence, Master Hua had no idea what Hua Jinghua was actually doing in the palace. Watching the sky grow darker and darker with no word coming, he finally couldn’t hold back and went to his study to write a letter.

Zichen Hall was far grander than the Prime Minister’s residence—even the side hall was gilded and jade-adorned, splendor filling every room.

After bathing, Hua Chun comfortably rolled into bed, and smelling the sleep-inducing incense, she was quickly drifting off.

“Prime Minister Hua!”

Before even half an incense-stick’s worth of time had passed with her eyes closed, a commotion started up outside again: “The Empress Dowager is on her way over here, you’d better get ready.”

It was already dark—why would the Empress Dowager come again now? Afraid they were up to something improper? Hua Chun sighed painfully and sat up to get dressed.

Sleeping in the same hall as the Emperor really wasn’t a simple matter.

Yuwen Jie was also about to retire when he heard the announcement outside, frowning slightly, and instructed: “Bring Prime Minister Hua here.”

“This subject is already here,” Hua Chun said, half-asleep, entering with her shoulders slumped in reluctance to bow: “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Seeing her sleepy, disgruntled look, the sovereign found it rather amusing, the corner of his mouth curling slightly as he said, “Prepare to receive the Empress Dowager.”

“Yes.”

The rules of the palace were such a hassle. Grumbling all the way, Hua Chun knelt to perform a formal bow toward the door.

“Your child pays respects to Mother.”

The moment the Empress Dowager entered, she saw the sovereign and his minister, one standing, one kneeling, the atmosphere seemingly quite pleasant.

Had she worried for nothing?

Sweeping her phoenix eyes over the Emperor’s expression, the Empress Dowager was surprised to find he seemed to be in rather good spirits. On the way over, she’d been thinking that keeping Prime Minister Hua in Zichen Hall might be another deliberate way to make things difficult for him. It seemed her son had grown more sensible after all.

She’d rushed over in the middle of the night not because she wanted to, but because of that urgent letter she’d received—she had no choice but to move. She’d come to see whether Prime Minister Hua was missing any limbs, so she’d have something to report.

As it turned out, he was perfectly fine, even able to perform a formal bow to her.

“Rise,” she said, reaching out to help the Emperor up, then walking straight to the seat of honor.

Yuwen Jie turned, about to walk off, when he nearly tripped over the person still kneeling on the ground.

“Prime Minister Hua?” He raised an eyebrow.

The kneeling figure didn’t move, letting out a faint snore.

“…”

With the Empress Dowager about to turn around, Yuwen Jie had no time to spare—he bent down directly and hauled the person up, giving them a shake like laundry, and said quietly by their ear: “Stand up straight for me!”

Jolted awake from her dream, Hua Chun’s eyes flew wide open, every hair on her body standing on end, and her heels instinctively snapped together into a military stance: “Yes!”

The Empress Dowager took her seat, composing herself before looking at them: “Why did Your Majesty have the Prime Minister rest here today?”

Yuwen Jie lowered his eyes: “The Prime Minister hasn’t been getting enough sleep lately. I felt for how hard he works, so I let him rest nearby in the palace—that way he won’t need to rise so early for tomorrow’s court session either.”

“Oh?” The Empress Dowager was surprised. “My son has grown so thoughtful?”

“With most of the court’s key officials thrown into prison for their crimes, this child could hardly afford not to cherish his own right-hand man,” Yuwen Jie said indifferently, looking up at the Empress Dowager. “Mother, coming so late—was there something you needed?”

“Nothing much,” the Empress Dowager smiled. “Just wanted to see how the Prime Minister was doing, and… it’s been a while since my son picked a consort’s token, hasn’t it?”

That subject again—Yuwen Jie pressed his lips together. “I’ve been too busy lately, no time to spare.”

“This one thinks perhaps the Emperor has simply grown tired of the people already in the harem, hence no interest,” said the Empress Dowager. “As it happens, I’ve got my eye on a lovely girl of sixteen—how about bringing her in as a consort for you?”

Yuwen Jie frowned. Here we go again—the reason his harem had so many people in it had little to do with his own wishes and everything to do with his mother stuffing it full. The few people he himself wanted to bring in were only two or three.

“Whose daughter is it this time?”

“You know her well.” The Empress Dowager covered her mouth with her handkerchief, smiling gently. “The Third Miss of Prime Minister Hua’s household—her given name is Xunyue.”

The one he’d met twice but could never quite remember what she looked like? Yuwen Jie was displeased: “This child isn’t particularly fond of her.”

“Emperor.” The Empress Dowager gave him a reproachful look. “You know how to cherish your right-hand man—how can you say such a thing in front of Prime Minister Hua?”

What else was he supposed to do—lie through his teeth? Yuwen Jie grew a little irritable, his expression darkening.

Hua Chun, still dozing, was jolted awake by the sudden chill beside her, opened her eyes, and saw the Empress Dowager looking at her kindly.

“What does Prime Minister Hua think?”

Huh? What happened? Hua Chun was utterly lost, having no idea what the Empress Dowager was talking about. But given the situation, she could hardly ask her to repeat it, so she simply nodded along: “Whatever the Empress Dowager thinks is good.”

“See, Prime Minister Hua thinks it’s suitable too,” the Empress Dowager smiled. “Then it’s settled.”

Yuwen Jie laughed coldly: “Of course he’d think it suitable—she’s from his own family.”

Blinking, Hua Chun was utterly confused. How had the conversation suddenly turned tense again?

“Since Mother is fond of the idea, then bring her in and arrange it,” the Emperor said. “As long as Mother is happy.”

Bring her in? Arrange it? Hua Chun caught on—this was about Hua Xunyue, wasn’t it? Judging by the Emperor’s expression, like someone being forced into an unwanted marriage, even if Hua Xunyue entered the palace, she probably wouldn’t be favored much.

But this was Master Hua’s decision, his daughter, not hers. If she tried to stop it, she’d only be blamed for interfering—better to just watch and see.

“It’s getting late, I won’t keep you any longer,” the Empress Dowager said with a smile. “Rest early, both of you.”

“Respectfully seeing off the Empress Dowager,” Hua Chun said, swallowing a yawn, eyes misty with sleepiness.

Yuwen Jie’s expression turned grave, and once the phoenix carriage had vanished from sight, he said coldly: “Is your Hua family trying to fill my entire harem with people surnamed Hua?”

Hua Chun startled, raising her hand like a schoolchild: “Reporting, Your Majesty—I’m also surnamed Hua, and I don’t want to enter the harem.”

The sovereign narrowed his eyes, gaze dropping to her chest, unusually full tonight: “What’s hidden in there?”

“Huh?” Hua Chun was a bit dazed, following his gaze to look down.

Oh crap, she’d forgotten to bind her chest wrap!