Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“Alright, it will all be as Your Majesty says.” Jian Qiu hurried to soothe her utterly crazed mistress. She did not feel fear-only even more heartache for her mistress. In her heart, ever since Prince Hong Hui died of illness, her mistress had already gone mad, so no matter what her mistress demanded or did, she did not find it strange.

Hui Chun stood to the side, shrinking into herself, her face full of panic and unease. Taking advantage of the moment when no one noticed, she slowly slipped out.

“Hateful!” The Empress’s gaze was like blades, as if she wanted to devour someone alive. “How dare those bastard whelps treat my Hong Hui like this! I will never let them go. Jian Qiu, send people to the temples. You must have those masters pray for my Hong Hui day and night, ward off disaster for Hong Hui, and add blessings and fortune for Hong Hui. You absolutely cannot let those bastard whelps hurt my Hong Hui again. I want you to do it immediately-right now-without the slightest delay. Do you hear me!”

“Yes. This servant will send people at once.” Jian Qiu obediently turned and left the Empress’s bedchamber.

She found Jiang Fu Hai and assigned the task. After receiving the order, Jiang Fu Hai naturally did not handle it in person, but sent a young eunuch instead. The young eunuch did not go handle it himself either, but ran to the Ula Nara Residence and handed the task to the Ula Nara Clan to carry out. The Empress’s affairs were the Ula Nara Clan’s affairs.

No matter what the Ula Nara Clan thought, this had to be done. A disciple of the Ula Nara Clan received the task and immediately took a large stack of banknotes to the major temples outside the city. Naturally, this news could not be hidden from Li Si Qi.

“She really thinks she has it all figured out.” Li Si Qi gave a cold snort. “Even if she sends people to every temple under heaven to pray for her son, it won’t help. Does she really think she can bully me like I’m some newbie?”

“Don’t worry, Master. It’s only her having nightmares. It won’t affect anyone else.” Little Teapot chuckled. “Let her toss around like this for a month-even if she doesn’t die, she’ll still suffer badly. While you’re in confinement, the Empress will behave a little more.”

“She won’t be able to behave.” Li Si Qi looked delighted at the thought. “Consort Hua is about to give birth, right? The Empress definitely won’t let her go. I wonder if her child can be born safely. Don’t let another mother-and-child death happen. If this harem doesn’t have Nian Shi Lan, how boring would it be?”

“Master, do you want to protect Consort Hua?” Little Teapot said seriously. “The child in Consort Hua’s belly is in real danger. Even though she has people protecting her, the Empress’s people have also slipped in. An accident could easily happen.”

“If an accident happens, then it happens.” Li Si Qi did not hide at all that she wanted to watch the show. “If we save Consort Hua’s life, that mole will get exposed. The Empress and Consort Hua are old enemies-they have to keep fighting for it to stay interesting.”

“No problem.”

“Any other discoveries in Yan Xi Palace?”

“Nothing unusual for now.” Little Teapot replied. “The key people all took puppet pills, so they won’t do anything that counts as betrayal. Master, aren’t you being a little too good to Noble Lady Tian and Attendant Jing? You’re almost becoming their nanny.”

“Just doing it along the way.” Li Si Qi said casually. “Dealing with them isn’t tiring, and they’re not vicious people either. If I’m going to live here for a lifetime, I should at least have one or two people I can talk to. They’re pretty good.”

“Understood.”

… Imperial Study. A nightingale-like voice sang a lingering Kun Qu aria while the emperor rested with his eyes closed. From the gentle rhythm of his fingers tapping, it was clear he was intoxicated by the opera. The look of pure enjoyment showed that the emperor really did like Yu Ying Er’s voice.

After the song ended, Yu Ying Er asked in a coquettish voice, “Your Majesty, this servant has already sung two songs. Can this servant rest for a little while?”

“Rest.” The emperor opened his eyes. He still had some patience for a young woman.

“This servant thanks Your Majesty.” Yu Ying Er’s talent was climbing the ladder the moment she got a chance. She immediately sat close beside him and coaxed, “Your Majesty, when will this servant be able to go pay respects to the Empress?”

“You want to pay respects to the Empress?” The emperor looked her over, not missing the ambition in this fool’s eyes. Every woman in the harem had ambition-he understood that. After spending this time with her, the emperor knew very well that her ambition did not make her smart. She seemed no different from Attendant Jing in Yan Xi Palace.

“Your Majesty, can’t this servant go pay respects to the Empress?” Yu Ying Er leaned all over him as she continued to act sweet. “Your Majesty, the Empress treated this servant very well, and this servant respects the Empress too. Of course this servant wants to go back and pay respects to the Empress.”

As her words fell, the emperor’s expression grew flatter and flatter. Enjoying the soft warmth in his arms, his voice turned cool. “If you want to go to Jing Ren Palace to pay respects to the Empress, you need the status of an imperial consort. So it seems you want to enter the palace as well?”

“Your Majesty, do you not like this servant?” Yu Ying Er was stupid, but not truly foolish. She understood at once that she needed him to loosen his mouth and grant her a rank, and this was the crucial moment. In her impatience, she began to use her hands without holding back.

Feeling her movements, the emperor froze, disbelief flashing in his eyes. Yu Ying Er happened to lift her head and catch his expression. A smug glint flashed through her eyes, and her hands became even bolder. The emperor could not help letting out a muffled grunt as he scolded under his breath, “How dare you!”

“This servant is serving Your Majesty.” To achieve her goal, Yu Ying Er kicked off her shoes and climbed onto him…

With that kind of overstepping, even death would not have been too harsh. Yet… the first time he experienced this kind of “service,” the emperor allowed it. Not long after, strange, indecent sounds spilled from the Imperial Study. Su Pei Sheng’s face did not change.

He calmly told Xiao Xia Zi to prepare hot water, knowing it would not end anytime soon. He leaned against a pillar and closed his eyes to rest. As the emperor’s personal eunuch, he could be said to never leave the emperor’s side. To preserve his energy, he was used to resting whenever there was a spare moment.

A while later.

“Master!” Xiao Xia Zi’s urgent voice interrupted his rest.

Su Pei Sheng did not get angry. He asked softly, “What is it? What happened?”

“Master, Noble Lady Wan is here.” Xiao Xia Zi pointed to the figure slowly approaching in the distance. “What do we do now?”

“It’s over!” Su Pei Sheng slapped his forehead. “Last night, His Majesty told Noble Lady Wan at Sui Yu Xuan to come at this hour to attend on him. Who knew Lady Yu…” He shook his head, then hurried to meet her. He absolutely could not let Noble Lady Wan enter the Imperial Study at a time like this. Otherwise, even he, the chief steward, would not escape a beating.

“This old servant pays respects to Noble Lady Wan.” Su Pei Sheng hurried over and bowed at once.

“Master Su, please rise.” Zhen Huan was a little surprised. “Master Su, why…” As she spoke, she glanced toward the Imperial Study. “Is His Majesty busy with something?”

“Replying to Noble Lady Wan, His Majesty is discussing state affairs with the ministers.” Su Pei Sheng produced a plausible excuse. “May I trouble Noble Lady Wan to wait in the side hall for His Majesty’s summons?”

“Alright.” Zhen Huan nodded with a smile. “I’ll wait in the side hall for His Majesty.”