I was stunned. The Emperor? What does he want with me?
Seeing my confusion, Father sipped his tea and explained: “The previous Emperor passed away last year, and a new Emperor has ascended the throne. As you were betrothed to the Crown Prince by the previous Emperor, you are the future Empress. The summons likely considers your feelings, allowing you to adapt to the palace while waiting for the ceremonial officials to choose a day for the coronation ceremony.”
I felt dizzy. Am I still a Crown Prince’s consort? I only vaguely remember the old Emperor and the Crown Prince I once bit, but I have no other impressions.
I pondered for a long time but couldn’t recall what happened. Too much time has passed, and I’ve dealt with too many people to remember clearly.
“Alas, the brain becomes less functional with age,” I said, rubbing my head as I walked out of the front hall, leaving my father glaring at me: “This child is becoming more unruly, actually speaking to me like this!”
“Yes!” I answered, excited about those cute little concubines: “Father, you don’t know how fun they can be.”
“Fun? So you threw them into the river like little mice?” Father’s eyebrows twitched.
I shrank back: “They didn’t share their good food or include me in their fun…” My voice dropped as my father’s expression darkened.
“Just because of this?” he raised his voice slightly.
“They made fun of me! They said I was forced by you to marry the Emperor!” I pouted, casting a sideways glance at my father. Though they hadn’t said it outright, I “translated” their implication.
“Nonsense! I am upright and honorable; how could there be talk of forced marriage! Pure nonsense!” Father slammed the table, his authority undeniable.
“So, I just helped them wake up a bit,” I said, sipping the tea in front of me. Mmm, good tea.
“Hmph. What about smashing Flower Concubine’s jade hairpin last time?”
” Although Father didn’t say it directly, that “hmph” was clearly an evaluation of those talkative concubines, giving me tacit approval for my mischief.
Why “again”? Because the beloved Imperial Husband hasn’t formally appeared yet! Throwing all the concubines into the river? He doesn’t care at all—it’s tacit approval.
I picked up the tea elegantly, bringing it to my lips without touching them, and suddenly shouted, “Wow, Duo’er, you little brat, actually brewing tea with expired leaves! Hmph, I’ll dock your salary for a month!” I gave Duo’er a meaningful glance.
Duo’er understood and knelt down, kowtowing frantically: “Have mercy, Your Majesty, I beg for your mercy.”
“Well, alright, since you realize your mistake, I’ll dock only half a month’s pay.” We played our roles, making Yun Fei turn pale with anger.
Yun Fei, the legitimate daughter of a proper prince, was worth only half a month’s salary of a maidservant! This was unbearable! Her hand clenched into a fist, but remembering her purpose, she suppressed her fury and put on a pitiful expression.
“Oh, look at my memory. Yun Fei has been here so long, and I didn’t know she actually likes expired tea!”
Someone, bring all the expired tea leaves from Feng Xia Palace to Yun Fei! Oh, and send more in the future.” I pulled Yun Fei’s hand with a cunning smile, “Yun Fei, make yourself at home. If anything bothers you, just tell me!”
Yun Fei’s face twisted in anger, trembling like a sieve. But she endured, waiting for that person to arrive.
Oh my, she’s not revealing her true colors yet? This woman is indeed cunning! Angry to the point of bursting, yet not acting – what is she? Hmm… there might be another possibility.
Just then, a sharp voice rang out: “His Majesty has arrived—”
Yun Fei immediately knelt down, faster than anyone else, even quicker than a 0.5-second neural response.
I understood her intentions. I knocked over both tea cups on the table, sending them crashing onto the carpet, the lids rolling to a pair of yellow satin boots.
Picking up the cup lid, Jin Mo looked at the kneeling people and the shocked woman, gripping the lid tighter: Meeting again, huh? Hmph. But who will emerge victorious is yet to be determined.
How beautiful!
His elegant eyebrows framed his cloud-like hair, and his deep, cold eyes drew people in. A straight nose, thin lips, and a half-smile added to his handsome depth.
What a stunning creature, I thought.
Suddenly, something tugged at my foot. Returning to my senses, I saw Duo’er signaling me.
“Oh, oh…” I knelt down, kowtowing dramatically, “This concubine greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!”
“Ahem, well… I remembered something about a palette, just a paintbox used for painting. After painting, it has all kinds of colors—red, green, blue, yellow, purple, cyan—colorful and interesting!” I said with a seemingly naive tone, glancing at Yun Fei.
Jin Mo looked at Yun Fei, then at me, smiling innocently: “Is the Empress talking about Yun Fei?”
The atmosphere became tense. I awkwardly smiled at Yun Fei, who looked furious: “How could I… how could I…” Damn, this Jin Mo is ruthless! With one sentence, he ruined any chance of improvement between Yun Fei and me!
Yun Fei gritted her teeth and replied: “Of course not. Your Majesty treats this concubine very well.” Shi Piao Ling, I’ll remember this!
Soon, various concubines arrived, and everyone sat down to drink tea and chat. Since the Emperor was meeting them for the first time, they were extremely excited, eagerly eyeing the stage, ready to perform and hoping to gain the Emperor’s favor. It was well-known that the Empress had power in name only, relying on her father, a prime minister.
“Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, and it’s rare to have such leisure. May this concubine dance a song to entertain Your Majesty?” asked Flower Concubine.
“Good, good. It’s rare for Flower Concubine to be so thoughtful. I will watch with anticipation,” Jin Mo replied, causing a burst of excited whispers. They finally had a chance to perform!
On stage, Flower Concubine danced gracefully, every movement soft and charming. As Jin Mo’s gaze changed, the women’s glances toward her fluctuated.
Flower Concubine ended with a beautiful pose, and Jin Mo immediately applauded, calling out, “Excellent! Reward of 30 bolts of brocade and one coral branch.”
Instantly, glances of jealousy and disdain filled the hall.
Soon, the concubines eagerly took turns to showcase their talents.
Damn it! If I don’t show off some skills, you’ll really think I’m just a pushover!
After pondering for a moment, I softly recited: “The large strings clamorous like sudden rain, the small strings delicate like whispers. Clamorous and delicate, intertwined and plucked, large pearls and small pearls falling on a jade plate.” What was the rest again? Oh well, I’ve forgotten the words!
“Clamorous and delicate, intertwined and plucked, large pearls and small pearls falling on a jade plate… Excellent! The empress truly has a literary talent!” Jin Mo murmured, repeating my words with admiration. Suddenly, his gaze toward me changed, but I couldn’t quite explain how.
Huh? That’s it? I looked at him in surprise. He actually smiled at me?! I rolled my eyes and turned away, causing him to laugh even more heartily.
“Butterfly Consort pays respects to Your Majesty, long live, long live, long live! Pays respects to the Empress, may you live for thousands of years! This concubine is late due to some matters and begs for Your Majesty’s and the Empress’s forgiveness!” A stunning woman walked in, adorned in pearl and jade ornaments that sparkled with her steps.
“Rise,” Jin Mo said, smiling softly. “How could I blame you when you’ve dressed so carefully?”
“Your Majesty, I didn’t mean to be late.”
“I was delayed while preparing a performance for you and the other sisters,” the Butterfly Consort said in a coquettish tone.
