The sunlight shone brilliantly on the Imperial Way as a black stallion slowly walked along it. As my gaze followed the golden figure on horseback, just as our eyes were about to part, he suddenly smiled at me.

I glanced at the consorts and palace maids bowing around me, wondering whether I should return his smile when suddenly my waist was gripped tight and I was lifted into the air. When I came to my senses, I was already sitting in front of Xiao Huan.

This was right in front of the Taihe Gate, with hundreds of civil and military officials, imperial consorts, and thousands of soldiers watching. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I hurriedly turned back and whispered, “What are you doing? Have you gone mad?”

He laughed softly without speaking but squeezed the horse’s flanks. The stallion, startled by the pain, shot forward like an arrow straight toward the Taihe Gate.

The officials and consorts were still kneeling, not having risen yet. The ceremonial guards along the Imperial Way were shocked by this sudden turn of events, standing dumbfounded in their places.

From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed Chief Eunuch Feng Wufu running after the horse in exasperation, hissing under his breath, “What are you all standing there for? Quickly follow!”

The young eunuchs carrying the ceremonial parasols heard him and hurriedly followed behind, struggling with their heavy burdens, looking somewhat disheveled.

Finding them rather amusing, I couldn’t help but smile, the corners of my mouth lifting.

The Taihe Gate was before us in an instant. Xiao Huan reined in the horse and asked with a smile, “Are you happy now?”

I nodded, smiling, “Though I think you must have gone mad, acting just like some outrageous, tyrannical emperor.”

“Indeed, that’s what I think too. I played the part of a mischievous emperor for once,” he sighed with a laugh, dismounting first before helping me down.

Feng Wufu caught up with the young eunuchs, covered in sweat.

Xiao Huan released my hand and stepped back to stand in the center of the Imperial Way. I also stepped back, kneeling at the side of the path.

Feng Wufu composed himself before calling out, “Rise!”

This word was echoed by the young eunuchs stationed along the Imperial Way, and only then did the masses kneeling in the square rise. I rose as well, keeping my head lowered, standing in line with the other imperial consorts before the Taihe Gate.

Among these seemingly expressionless people before me, how many had truly witnessed what just happened? How many were secretly pondering the meaning of it all?

Starting tomorrow, how many different kinds of rumors will spread throughout the palace and beyond?

After all, since Xiao Huan had ascended to the throne at age twelve, he had never made any mistakes in deportment or ceremony, whether during grand occasions like festivals and sacrificial rites, or even in daily interactions with his ministers. Because of this, in his youth, flattering officials had praised him as having the bearing and virtue of an enlightened ruler from birth.

Thinking this, I glanced at Xiao Huan standing in the center of the Imperial Way. He had already resumed his solemn expression, gazing straight ahead, allowing himself to be directed by the ceremonial officials from the Court of Imperial Entertainment.

The victory celebration was grand, and the subsequent feast was extremely lively. This banquet was mainly to reward the battle-weary soldiers, making the atmosphere even more vibrant.

Amidst the exchange of wine cups, I quietly set down my cup and tugged at the sleeve of Xiao Huan, who sat beside me on the imperial throne. He turned his head slightly, looking at me questioningly.

I turned his neck and quickly kissed his cheek.

He hastily cleared his throat and sat up straight, though his face reddened somewhat. I lowered my head to hide my smile – let them think what they will let them look all they want.

A secret joy welled up within me. At this moment, I didn’t even want to notice the deep gaze Consort Du Tingxin cast our way.

Lowering my head again, I saw another gaze directed at me from below the throne – it was Father. He held his wine cup, watching me with an expressionless face. He must have seen everything just now.

I turned my face away, no longer looking at him.

The grand feast continued until the lanterns were first lit. The Taihe Hall was filled with candlelight inside and out, illuminating the square before the hall as bright as day. The palace night was rarely this bright and warm.

As the hour of You began, the imperial consorts gradually took their leave. I also rose to request permission to return from Xiao Huan. He nodded slightly: “It’s getting late, the Empress may return to her palace first.”

He deliberately didn’t tell me to rest early, only to return to my palace first – this meant he would summon me to the Hall of Mental Cultivation later.

I nodded to show I understood and made my farewell: “Your subject wife takes her leave.” Raising my head, I saw Du Tingxin sitting at Xiao Huan’s side, her gaze clear as she looked directly at me.

This talented lady, praised by the childless Empress Dowager for having ice and snow in her bones and surpassing intelligence, who had made her name in poetry throughout the capital at age thirteen – her gaze toward me was cold to the point of indifference.

I suddenly realized that in the entire back palace, she was the most intelligent one.

Whether it was the pampered and arrogant Wu Liangming, the resilient and ruthless Xing Yiyong, or other shrewd and clever consorts, in her eyes, they were all laughable clowns.

Because among all the consorts in the back palace, she alone consistently received Xiao Huan’s trust and protection. And she alone, almost without my noticing, had planted a seed in my heart while doing almost nothing. I only realized its existence when that seed had already grown into a towering tree, large enough to make my chest ache.

It turned out I had also underestimated Du Tingxin all along. This woman who grew up in the Forbidden Palace was not merely accomplished in poetry, calligraphy, and painting – when it came to human nature, her methods surpassed everyone else’s.

At this moment I should have been consumed by jealousy and hatred, but that rustling voice in my heart was gone. From the moment Xiao Huan smiled at me on the Jinshui Bridge, that voice had disappeared.

No matter where he was, no matter what identity he bore, that smile had never changed. It was the same smile that the young man in blue had given me in the autumn wind of Jiangnan. When I first saw this smile, I thought: what I had been waiting for all along had finally arrived.

I raised my head and smiled at Du Tingxin – I’m sure this must have been my most radiant smile.

The composure in Du Tingxin’s eyes quickly faded, replaced by stunned bewilderment.

I turned and walked out of the Taihe Hall.

Returning to the Chuxiu Palace, I removed my makeup and changed into casual clothes. Estimating there was still time, I leaned against the lamp to read.

Regarding reading, my interests were not particularly refined. Since childhood, I had only enjoyed reading unofficial histories and literary sketches, getting headaches when faced with classics and poetry. Because of this, Father often said I lacked ambition and was poorly educated, but I ignored him and continued reading my adventure novels.

Immersed in the various fascinating stories within the books, night deepened without my notice. Just as I was preparing to bathe before waiting for the summons to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Feng Wufu arrived with his usual smile.

Entering the inner chamber, he first gave a bow: “His Majesty instructed that he has words to speak with Your Highness before retiring, and requests that Your Highness need not bathe before coming.”

I nodded: “Understood. Please lead the way, Master Feng.”

Feng Wufu escorted me to the phoenix palanquin outside the Chuxiu Gate. After I was seated, he suddenly said: “His Majesty has been away from the capital for over a month, and there are many accumulated state affairs, but His Majesty’s body cannot withstand exhaustion right now. When you arrive at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, I hope Your Highness can find a way to make His Majesty retire early.”

I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. For Feng Wufu to entrust such matters to me showed he was beginning to see me as one of his own. I smiled: “Even if Master Feng hadn’t mentioned it, I would remind His Majesty.”

Feng Wufu responded with a smile: “That’s good then.” He lowered the palanquin curtain.

The East Warm Chamber of the Hall of Mental Cultivation’s front hall was the Emperor’s bedchamber, while the West Warm Chamber was his study. Xiao Huan usually reviewed memorials and official documents on the couch beneath the window of the West Warm Chamber.

As I alighted from the palanquin, I could see the lamplight through the window and Xiao Huan’s silhouette beneath it.

I walked in to find Xiao Huan alone in the warm chamber, bent over a low table reading memorials.

I approached the table and pressed down the memorial in his hand onto the table: “Your secret lover has arrived, shouldn’t you put aside these mundane matters?”

He looked up with a slight smile: “I lost track of time. It’s so late when I called for you – were you waiting anxiously?”

“I was reading an interesting literary sketch, so it wasn’t too bad,” I smiled.

“Oh? What was it?” he asked with a faint smile, propping his head on his hand.

“A recently circulating ghost story from the market streets – you haven’t read it.” I winked at him, “Well? Isn’t your Empress well-informed about such things?”

He smiled: “Come to think of it, I was also fascinated by literary sketches in my youth, finding their subtle meanings more interesting than the principles in the Four Books and Five Classics. Later, Master Ling said that as the Son of Heaven, those fictional stories should be read in moderation, not too much. Now even if I wanted to read them, I wouldn’t have the time.”

Although all First Ministers of the Grand Council would be appointed as Grand Tutors and hold the honorary title of Imperial Mentor, my father had taught Xiao Huan for three years before the late emperor passed away, so they had not only the relationship of ruler and minister but also that of teacher and student.

I rarely heard Xiao Huan mention my father. After a pause, I smiled at him: “That’s fine too – I can tell you about what I read.” I raised my eyebrows at him, “By the way, didn’t you say you had something to tell me? What was it?”

The night had deepened, with no wind outside the window. Inside and outside the hall was completely silent. He gazed at me wordlessly. Under the flickering candlelight, tiny fragments of light flickered in those deep black eyes, finally gathering into a smile that spilled from the corners of his eyes. He said softly: “I suddenly forgot.”

I blinked, looked at his bright smile, blinked again, and then threw myself at him in an embrace: “Are you teasing me?”

He laughed lightly, his clear voice like tassels brushing past my ear, causing a ticklish sensation.

My hands slid to his back, gently embracing him.

Leaning on his shoulder, a thought quietly crept up from the depths of my heart. After hesitating for a long while, I decided to voice it: “Brother Xiao, shall we bathe together?”

Whether he was truly unwell or not, he suddenly coughed twice, finally saying softly: “Alright.”

For a grown man to be more easily embarrassed than me – no wonder he was harassed as a catamite by Kumor. It wouldn’t do to continue being so hesitant and mild, so I decided to use the bedroom arts I had recently learned from the older palace women tonight.

After bathing together and retiring to the East Warm Chamber, I understood two things that night: First, “that” could be done more than once per night; Second, doing “that” could be very pleasurable.

Just before falling asleep in a daze, I buried my head against his chest: “Brother Xiao, at this rate, I really will bear children for you. I don’t want to bear your children.”

He gently rested his chin on top of my head and asked with a smile: “Is that so?”

I silently pressed my face against his chest without answering. The skin on his chest was somewhat uneven – it was the scar from the sword wound I had inflicted, stretching over two inches long.

Something warm slid from my eyes. After I gave birth to an heir, would Father want to assassinate the emperor and install a young ruler? Xiao Huan was not a ruler content to be a puppet – Father must have realized this by now.

Could they not continue fighting? I couldn’t voice these words, because I understood that even if I said them, those two men’s steps would not stop here. They had already fallen into an abyss, powerless to escape.

The day after Xiao Huan returned to court, Father came to see me at the Chuxiu Palace.

Since our last meeting, the white at Father’s temples seemed to have increased, though his features remained characteristically gaunt as always.

After entering and sitting down, neither of us spoke, leaving the room in silence.

Xiaoshi, standing to the side, saw something was wrong and led all the palace maids out of the room.

After a while, Father spoke first, asking: “How have you been since returning from Shanhai Pass?”

“About the same as before,” I replied stiffly.

Father turned to look at me, seeming to want to say something, but finally just nodded: “That’s good.” He paused, then continued, “Now that you frequently enter and exit the Hall of Mental Cultivation, keep an eye out. If you see Supervising Secretary Shen Changliu of the Bureau of Revenue submit a memorial, send someone to notify me.”

Supervising Secretary Shen Changliu of the Bureau of Revenue had placed third in the palace examination of the sixth year of Deyou. Since passing the examination, he had been kept in the Hanlin Academy, only being promoted to Supervising Secretary of the Bureau of Revenue this autumn. Shen Changliu was known for being proud and aloof during his time at the Hanlin Academy, never associating with any powerful figures at court. He was said to be a very difficult person to deal with, and even in his Hanlin Academy days, he had spoken outrageous words, strongly criticizing many policies of the current Grand Council.

After Xiao Huan began personal rule, the power to review memorials with vermillion comments was taken back from the Grand Council to the Imperial Household Department, greatly reducing the number of memorials sent directly to the Grand Council for review. If Shen Changliu submitted a memorial impeaching the First Minister, it would be sent straight to the emperor’s desk.

Was Father saying this because he feared Shen Changliu might suddenly attack, catching him unprepared?

I nodded: “I understand.”

Father remained silent for a long time.

I turned my head: “Is this position so worth clinging to?”

Father’s fingers, which had been tapping the armrest, stopped: “What?”

“I’m asking, is this position so worth clinging to?” I said coldly, “Must you be so cautious, so afraid of losing power?”

Father slapped the armrest, then paused: “What do you know?”

“I know nothing, but at least I don’t raise assassins to murder officials, don’t secretly form factions for personal gain.” I sneered, “Do you know why Brother stays away for years? Because in that house, seeing you, seeing the faces of your trusted followers and disciples, is sickening…”

“Silence!” Father suddenly stood up, his hand trembling as he gripped the table.

I turned my face away. After a long while, the expected slap didn’t come. Father’s voice sounded tired: “The thirtieth of the twelfth month is your mother’s death anniversary. If you can manage to leave the palace that day, that would be good.”

When he mentioned my mother, I don’t know why, but words I had kept hidden in my heart for over ten years burst out: “What death anniversary? You don’t even know when my mother died – you just made the day she left home her death anniversary, didn’t you?”

Father’s voice trembled, his shaking handheld before my face: “Who told you that?”

I bit my lip and lowered my head.

Father finally slowly lowered his hand. After a long while, I heard him sigh softly: “If you can come, that would be best. If not, then so be it.”

After saying this, Father turned to leave, but hesitated, taking out a package from his sleeve and placing it on the table before leaving without another word.

I waited until Father was far away before standing to pick up the leather paper package and open it – it was sesame candy again.

Those sweets I had once loved were this time a complete package, the fragile golden candies lying safely in their paper wrapping, showing how carefully the person who brought them had kept them in his sleeve.

For someone as dignified and serious as Father to stop his grand blue cloth sedan chair with eight bearers in the noisy market to buy a package of children’s candy – it must have been quite a strange sight, right?

I put one piece in my mouth – sweet, still the taste I remembered.

Xiaoshi came in and, seeing me, said: “Miss, the Master… left so quickly again?”

I handed her the package: “Share these with the others.”

Xiaoshi took it with a nod: “By the way, Miss, the Empress Dowager has sent someone to request your presence.”

The Empress Dowager summoning me right after my father left? I looked up at the sky outside – the bleached, colorless winter sky carried threads of cold, not weather I enjoyed.

Passing through the desolate Cining Garden in winter, I arrived at Cining Palace. Surprisingly, there were very few people in the palace. The Empress Dowager’s maid Jiaozu led me into the warm chamber.

No lamps were lit inside, making it somewhat dark. The Empress Dowager sat on a couch near the window, with an unfamiliar Imperial Physician standing beside her.

I went forward to pay my respects. The Empress Dowager gestured for me to sit down, saying with a smile: “The Empress was ill a few days ago, and I couldn’t visit. How is your health now?”

I was trapped at Shanhai Pass then – others might not know, but how could she not? Unable to guess what she was planning, I respectfully answered: “Thank you for your concern, Mother Empress Dowager. It was just a minor illness and has already passed.”

“That’s good.” The Empress Dowager said, fidgeting with the white jade ring on her finger, gradually changing the subject, “When I was the Empress’s age, I was still just a Junior Talented Lady in the Palace of Eternal Life. Back then, my heart was full of young girl’s fancies, thinking all day about how to see the late Emperor once, how to make him happy, how to make him smile at me… The late Emperor had such a beautiful smile – no matter how difficult things were, just thinking of his smile helped me get through.”

She smiled gently as she continued: “The Emperor looks like his father – the same eyes and brows, the same nose, even the same temperament. Never angry, never enraged, wearing a slight smile when he has nothing to say, quietly watching you. When the Emperor was young, I thought this child was like his father, hiding his thoughts too deeply – he would likely suffer in the future.”

She suddenly looked up at me: “Empress, there are many things in this world that you won’t regret doing when you’re young, but eventually, when you’re older, you’ll think back on the mistakes made in your reckless youth, think of those people who will never return.”

Why was the Empress Dowager telling me all this? Testing me? Or hinting at something? I didn’t believe she just wanted to chat. Collecting my thoughts, I carefully replied: “Mother Empress Dowager’s words are precious wisdom. Your daughter-in-law understands.”

The Empress Dowager smiled: “Just some idle chat, how could it be wisdom?” But then she added lightly: “However, if the Empress can remember this, that would be best.”

As she spoke, the Empress Dowager beckoned to the Imperial Physician who had been standing aside with a lowered head.

The Imperial Physician came before me and bowed, saying: “This humble servant needs to check Your Highness’s pulse. Please extend your hand.”

I gave him a strange look. According to custom, Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau visited the consorts daily to check their wellness pulses. One had already visited me this morning – why especially summon me to Cining Palace for another check?

I looked up at the Empress Dowager, who nodded slightly to me. Still unable to guess her intentions, I raised my hand and placed it on the pulse cushion on the table.

Just as the physician placed his fingers on my pulse, Jiaolu hurriedly entered from outside, curtsied, and said: “Empress Dowager, His Majesty has arrived and awaits your summons in the outer hall.”

The Empress Dowager slightly furrowed her brow, then smoothed it saying: “Please invite His Majesty in.”

As Jiaolu went to carry out the order, the physician checking my pulse looked up at the Empress Dowager, who nodded to him, and only then did he release my hand and step back.

The moment he released my hand, I suddenly realized this physician hadn’t been checking my pulse at all – his fingers had been slightly curved like claws, clearly gripping my pulse point. The pulse point connects to all the major meridians and acupoints of the body. If this person was a master of internal martial arts, one burst of his internal force could have taken my life instantly.

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead just as Xiao Huan entered. After paying his respects, he looked at the physician standing to the side and smiled: “Why is Physician Yang here? Mother Empress Dowager, why did you summon the Empress to Cining Palace?”

The Empress Dowager gave a slight laugh: “I remembered the Empress was ill recently, so I had Physician Yang check her pulse.”

Xiao Huan smiled, but this time his words carried some firmness: “Your son also understands medicine. If Mother wishes to know about the Empress’s health, you can ask your son. Does Mother think your son’s skills are so poor they cannot compare to Physician Yang’s?”

Hearing Xiao Huan’s words, Physician Yang knelt and said: “Your Majesty studied under Medical Director Li, your attainment far surpasses ordinary physicians, and your medical skills are naturally superior.”

Seeing Xiao Huan speak this way, the Empress Dowager smiled and waved her hand, her tone softening: “I thought that with year-end court affairs being busy and the Emperor’s health always being poor, I wanted to help ease the Emperor’s burden. Now that the Emperor is here, we can forget about it.” She then instructed, “Physician Yang, with the Emperor present, you may withdraw.”

Physician Yang acknowledged and picked up his medicine chest from the table before withdrawing.

After he left, Xiao Huan smiled and asked the Empress Dowager: “What did Mother wish to know?”

The Empress Dowager looked at him deeply: “I wanted to know if the Empress is with child.”

“She is,” Xiao Huan said without hesitation.

I was startled – when had this happened? He had never mentioned it.

“That’s best then.” The Empress Dowager said, suddenly rising and walking to Xiao Huan, raising her hand to gently stroke his cheek, “You’ve grown thinner again.”

Xiao Huan lowered his eyes: “I’m sorry to worry Mother.”

The Empress Dowager said no more, lowering her hand and returning to sit on her couch: “Very well, I have nothing else. You may go.”

I looked at Xiao Huan, who smiled slightly at me, indicating I shouldn’t worry.

Leaving together with Xiao Huan, when we reached Cining Garden, I didn’t care that there were still eunuchs following behind. I quickened my pace to grab his hand, lowering my voice to ask: “Brother Xiao, just now you told the Empress Dowager I’m pregnant – is it true?”

He laughed softly: “I was deceiving her. How could it be detected so quickly?”

I thought of the physician who had gripped my pulse point – if Xiao Huan hadn’t arrived in time, what would the Empress Dowager have done to me? Forced me to reveal what messages my father had passed to me? Imprisoned me? Or simply kill me? What was the Empress Dowager’s purpose in doing this? What did she want? What did my father want? I couldn’t figure it out, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by the tangled threads.

“Cangcang,” Xiao Huan gently squeezed my hand – his hand was somewhat cold but dry and steady, “Don’t return to Chuxiu Palace these few days. Stay by my side, don’t leave.”

I nodded, smiling teasingly: “If you keep me in the Hall of Mental Cultivation every day, won’t the other consorts be jealous? What if they make dolls with my birth data written on them to curse me?”

“Three thousand beauties’ worth of favor in one body – you’re so privileged, it wouldn’t hurt to let them curse you a bit,” he said with a smile.

“Pah! Do you think you’re so great? I have to endure their curses just to be with you?” I pretended to snort disdainfully.

As we were talking, we turned a corner and were met by a cold gust of wind, making Xiao Huan furrow his brow and cough several times. Though the cold poison in his body was long-standing, he had never coughed like this just from encountering wind before. I quickly moved in front of him to block some of the cold wind, smiling at him: “Walking in front of Your Majesty like this – is it disrespectful? Will you punish me?”

“That’s quite a serious offense,” he pretended to furrow his brow in thought, “Then you shall be banished to serve tea and water in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.”

“Your Majesty is too cruel – how can you banish me to serve tea and water in the Hall of Mental Cultivation? How about banishing me there to eat, drink, and occupy your bed?” I bargained.

“No good,” he solemnly shook his head, “That wouldn’t be punishment – it would be a reward.”

“Even that’s a reward? Being confined in the stuffy Hall of Mental Cultivation – I’d rather be banished to Yumen Pass to count camels…” I laughed.

By the time we returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Xiao Huan was still coughing. I had someone bring him a bowl of hot loquat syrup for his cough, smiling as I made him sit on the couch: “Brother Xiao, I’ve thought of a good method – one that won’t draw attention but will let me stay by your side.”

He was somewhat curious, coughing as he smiled: “What is it?”

I smiled mysteriously: “Wait while I return to Chuxiu Palace once.”

Hurrying back to Chuxiu Palace, I removed my cumbersome floor-length embroidered phoenix dress and changed into a white damask short jacket and crimson skirt that I had Xiaoshi find – the attire of a palace maid.

I washed off my heavy makeup and arranged my hair in a stacked bun, looking at myself in the mirror – I did look like a palace maid. Well, I wasn’t a beauty like Du Tingxin who would radiate brilliance no matter what she wore.

After changing, I walked out with my head lowered. Though I encountered two groups of consorts and talented ladies along the way, none of them noticed anything amiss.

Leisurely arriving at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Shiyan stopped me at the door, his voice still cold and stern: “Which palace are you from? What business do you have?”

Without blinking, I answered: “A married woman from Chuxiu Palace, coming for a tryst with her lover.”

Shiyan froze, staring at me wide-eyed: “Wh-what?”

I looked up and winked at him: “Commander Shi, the weather’s cold – smile more to keep warm.”

Shiyan stood there speechless as I happily lifted my skirts and skipped inside. After a few steps, I heard him say softly from behind: “Your Highness… His Majesty is in a meeting…”

But it was too late – I had just entered to find Xiao Huan sitting behind his imperial desk with Minister of Revenue Zhao Mingde and Right Vice Minister of Works Li Linhai standing before it, while Feng Wufu attended at the desk’s side. They all stared in surprise at the palace maid who had sauntered in so brazenly.

Seeing me, a flash of amusement crossed Xiao Huan’s eyes as he nodded: “Come here.”

I quickly lowered my head saying “Yes, Your Majesty” and walked with small steps to stand behind him.

Zhao Mingde and Li Linhai were in the heat of discussion and soon resumed their argument.

After listening for a few sentences, I realized they were arguing about repairs to the Grand Canal. Li Linhai advocated taking advantage of the lower water levels in winter and the agricultural off-season to immediately recruit laborers to dredge the canal, while Zhao Mingde said with New Year’s and the Emperor’s birthday approaching, the Ministry of Revenue couldn’t spare the funds.

Li Linhai, being hot-tempered, actually pointed at Zhao Mingde’s nose saying the silver allocated to the Ministry of Works was fixed while funds for New Year’s and birthday celebrations were flexible – who knew if Zhao Mingde was embezzling? This stepped on Zhao Mingde’s tail, and the two high officials began quarreling before the emperor.

My head spun listening to them. People say being an official at court is such a grand and glorious thing, but as far as I know, these court officials’ main daily business besides routine duties is arguing vigorously with their colleagues – from the Six Ministries to the Grand Council, and from the Grand Council to the imperial presence.

Each one is a talented scholar from the Hanlin Academy, they quote classics and make veiled accusations, refusing to stop until they’ve thoroughly humiliated their opponent while highlighting their dedication to the public good and incorruptible integrity.

In my opinion, why is it so complicated? If someone doesn’t like someone else, they should just strip to the waist and fight it out somewhere – whoever wins gets their way, and afterward, they can still be good brothers, pat each other on the chest and drink together. That would be better than now, with everyone arguing until cross-eyed like fighting roosters.

Xiao Huan had been frowning silently, waiting until their faces were red and necks bulging before lightly snapping: “Silence! What sort of behavior is this?”

Only then did Zhao Mingde and Li Linhai stop, kneeling to apologize though both still craned their necks, unsatisfied.

“Each of you will write a memorial and submit it,” Xiao Huan said, waving his hand. “Now withdraw.”

Zhao Mingde and Li Linhai accepted the order and backed out. Xiao Huan turned to look me over with a smile: “This outfit is quite pretty – is this the method you mentioned?”

I nodded, stroking my chin with a smile: “Your Majesty has such unique tastes, finding me pretty dressed as a palace maid?”

He pondered for a moment: “Well, let’s say Cangcang is naturally beautiful, suited to both bold and subtle looks, lovely in any attire…”

“Enough,” I interrupted him, “No need to force such praise – just say I’m well-suited to being a palace maid.”

After the evening meal, when Feng Wufu came to ask how to arrange for me, Xiao Huan casually said to add a palace maid’s registration tablet in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, with the name Bai Qi.

I didn’t understand at first until Xiao Huan glanced at me and deliberately explained slowly: “The wife of little Bai – that makes Bai Qi.”

Well, now that I was officially registered at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, I stayed by his side while he reviewed memorials.

Before long, without looking up, he commanded: “Bring fresh tea.”

I hurried to take away his cooled tea and bring hot tea.

Then he spoke again: “The lamp is dim.”

I quickly trimmed all the candle wicks in the room, making them brighter.

Just as I returned, he pointed to a stack of memorials beside him: “Move these.”

…He wasn’t letting me idle, truly treating me as a palace maid.

But as the night deepened, he grew quiet. Watching his silhouette, my eyelids grew heavy. The charcoal fire in the warm chamber was strong, making one drowsy, and I unknowingly fell asleep at the table.

When I woke up, I raised my head to see Xiao Huan still bent over the memorials, seemingly having not changed position at all.

I went over and snatched the memorial from his hands, closing it and putting it aside: “What hour is it now? There’s no rush at this moment – do you think your body can still handle such strain?”

He looked up with a slight smile: “Very well, you may withdraw and have Wufu arrange your quarters.”

“What?” I stared at him wide-eyed, “Why do I need quarters arranged?”

“You’ve abandoned being Empress to be a palace maid in the Hall of Mental Cultivation – if you don’t stay in the maids’ quarters, where do you want to stay?” he smiled, completely at ease.

“Your bed in the East Warm Chamber is so big…” my head ached, “You’re not afraid of rolling off in the middle of the night sleeping alone.”

“No good, that bed isn’t for women,” he shook his head.

“Didn’t we sleep there just last night?” He was driving me crazy – if he said no again, I would simply refuse to leave.

“Cangcang,” he suddenly reached out to cup my face, “If you want to sleep in my bed, you’ll have to bathe with me.”

To say such suggestive words so calmly!

My face grew warm as I raised my eyebrows, turned his head, and kissed his thin lips: “Together then – who’s afraid?”

At that moment I felt happiness surge in my head – everything was as perfect as perfect could be.

It was already very late when we went to bed. As I was falling asleep, remembering that New Year’s and his birthday were approaching, I asked drowsily: “Brother Xiao, your birthday is in a few days – what birthday gift would you like me to give you?”

He paused for a moment before laughing: “Well… could you be slightly less noisy that day?”

I seized on the key point: “What do you mean slightly less noisy? Am I noisy all day?”

He laughed: “Not noisy, not that noisy…”

He was too fond of teasing me today. My teeth itched with frustration as I grumbled: “I’m asking seriously!”

He smiled: “Any small thing will do – just don’t use another coral tree to overwhelm me.”

In previous years, as the future empress and daughter of the First Minister, I had to give Xiao Huan a birthday gift. Back then, afraid of trouble, I would always just go to the storehouse and haul out a coral tree to hand over. I had never paid attention to such small matters, yet this fellow remembered.

“Fine, no more coral trees,” I yawned, pouting. “Stingy.”

He laughed softly without responding.

I yawned again, turning over and wrapping myself in the blanket, then after a pause: “Say, are coral trees really that bad?”

I received a flick to my forehead.

This was the tenth day of the twelfth month in the eighth year of Deyou of the Great Wu. It was an extremely peaceful and ordinary day, both in the inner court and outer court.

It was twenty days until New Year’s Day of the ninth year of Deyou and the twenty-first birthday celebration of Emperor Deyou.