Chapter 222 I've Got a Demonic Temptation
Even though the tragedy of Consort Lin and Xiao Duo happened a long time ago, Consort Lin has already settled down in the Cold Palace.
But Narcissus could never forget the two of them, one dead and one injured.
Shui Xian knew all too well that in this deep palace, the hierarchy between master and servant was like an insurmountable chasm, and the fate of countless palace servants depended on the master's every thought, their lives, honors, and disgraces were not in their own hands.
In her previous life, she was like this, and so was Xiaoduo; both of them sacrificed their lives, whether willingly or unwillingly, for the sake of their master-servant relationship.
Taking advantage of her position as assistant in charge of the six palaces and acting as the Empress Dowager, Shui Xian, after careful consideration and consultation with Emperor Zhaoheng, issued a new edict that shook the inner palace:
"From this day forward, all palace servants may submit their applications to the Imperial Household Department to leave the palace and return home. No palace head may forcibly obstruct, detain, or report such applications for any reason. The Imperial Household Department must handle these applications impartially and must not shirk responsibility or create difficulties. Once approved, the funds for returning home shall be issued and the servants shall be properly repatriated."
The issuance of this edict caused a great shock throughout the inner palace and even affected the court.
It broke with the palace rules that had lasted for hundreds of years, and for the first time explicitly granted lower-level palace staff a certain degree of autonomy in choosing whether to stay or leave.
Although there are still many limitations, it is undoubtedly the first time in history!
This means that the absolute control that each palace master had over the palace servants under his name was forcibly broken.
When the news spread, countless low-ranking eunuchs and palace maids felt a glimmer of hope and were deeply grateful to Consort Jin for issuing the decree.
However, this also touched upon the core interests of the high-ranking concubines.
Reliable and familiar servants are hard to find. If everyone could easily be hired, wouldn't it be extremely inconvenient for them to use people in the future, or even to do certain secret things?
The first to become restless were the concubines, led by Consort Wan.
They dared not directly confront Narcissus, who held power in the palace and enjoyed the emperor's favor.
Emperor Zhaoheng's recent protection of Narcissus is self-evident and can be described as blatant favoritism.
However, they will not sit idly by and wait for their doom.
Consort Wan and the others gathered before Emperor Zhaoheng, ostensibly to pay their respects, but in reality to complain.
Some were outspoken, others were melancholic, all trying to sow discord in front of Emperor Zhaoheng, subtly discrediting the new rules for narcissus.
Consort Wan, holding the soup she had personally prepared for Emperor Zhaoheng, served it to him while continuing to offer her advice despite his displeasure.
"Your Majesty, Consort Jin is kind-hearted and considerate of her servants, which is a good thing. However..."
Consort Wan first praised the narcissus before explaining her true purpose.
She sighed, "These palace rules were established by our ancestors and have stood the test of time for several dynasties; they have their reasons. To suddenly change them now, allowing palace servants to resign voluntarily, could lead to a shortage of staff and inadequate service in the various palaces..."
"Even... if some unscrupulous people take the opportunity to escape supervision and leak palace secrets, wouldn't that be penny-wise and pound-foolish, disrupting the established order?"
Consort Huang immediately chimed in, saying that she had been getting very close to Consort Wan recently.
“What Consort Wan says is true! The Imperial Noble Consort herself is… well, she knows the thoughts of those below her very well. Is it… perhaps not appropriate to try to win people’s hearts in this way?”
Although she did not say it explicitly, her words implied that Shui Xian's background and motives were suspicious, suggesting that because she came from a slave background, she favored palace women.
Consort Huang noticed the slightly cold gaze Emperor Zhaoheng cast at her, and forced herself to speak:
"We are all worried that if this continues, the palace servants will become unruly, and who will be willing to serve with peace of mind? Won't the harem fall into chaos?"
She knew Emperor Zhaoheng would be displeased with these words, after all, who in the harem didn't know how much Emperor Zhaoheng cared for Shuixian?
However, Consort Huang had allied herself with Consort Wan, and Consort Wan had told her to say what she was told, so she had to say it.
If Consort Wan wants to play the bad cop, then she must play the good cop.
As far as she knew, Consort Wan was so opposed to Narcissus's new policies because a palace maid in Consort Wan's palace was causing trouble to leave the palace.
In fact, since Shui Xian promulgated the new policies, many palace servants have resigned, causing considerable turmoil in each palace.
Previously, whether a palace servant could leave the palace was entirely up to their master. Now, how has that power been handed back to those lowly servants?!
Consort Huang thought angrily: Even servants can decide their own fate, the heavens are about to rebel!
Consort Huang was not the only one who thought this way.
Emperor Zhaoheng sat upright on his throne, listening expressionlessly to their back-and-forth banter. They didn't explicitly say anything bad about Shuixian, but their words were full of accusations against her.
They also prepared a perfect way out for Emperor Zhaoheng, without mentioning that the decree concerning Narcissus had been approved by Emperor Zhaoheng.
Emperor Zhaoheng listened calmly until they had finished speaking, then slowly raised his eyelids, his gaze calm yet carrying an invisible pressure as he swept over the crowd.
"The Imperial Noble Consort, out of compassion for the hard work of the palace servants, has given those in genuine need a way out. This is an act of benevolence and virtue. How can it be said that it has disrupted the established order?"
Emperor Zhaoheng completely disregarded the ancestral rules mentioned by Consort Wan and others, and immediately defended Narcissus.
His gaze shifted to Consort Huang, who was speaking most enthusiastically, and his tone grew colder:
"As for winning people's hearts... I would like to ask, if you manage your subordinates well and treat them kindly, the palace servants will naturally be grateful and unwilling to leave. Why then should you fear them resigning according to the rules?"
Emperor Zhaoheng's tone was flat, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
"Could it be that you feel you treat the palace servants too harshly on a daily basis, and are afraid that they will leave you immediately once they have a choice?"
These words were like an invisible slap, landing hard on the faces of Consort Wan, Noble Lady Huang, and the others, leaving them instantly red-faced and speechless.
How do you answer that? Every answer is wrong!
Emperor Zhaoheng, too lazy to look at their fascinating expressions, waved his hand, his tone indifferent yet unmistakably resolute.
"I am aware of this matter. The Imperial Noble Consort handled it appropriately, which pleases me greatly. If you have nothing else to say, you may leave now. From now on, do not bother me with such trivial matters again."
This reprimand was a strong defense of Narcissus, rendering all the concubines' provocative words a joke.
Whether it was the concubines from a few days ago, or Consort Wan and Noble Lady Huang today, their faces were pale and ashen as they bowed and withdrew dejectedly.
They wouldn't resent Emperor Zhaoheng; deep down, they didn't want to blame him.
So they blamed all their resentment on Narcissus. If it weren't for her... how could they have been so humiliated in front of Emperor Zhaoheng?!
——
While Shui Xian was hated by the other concubines in the harem, Emperor Zhaoheng grew increasingly fond of her.
It is unknown how many days in a row Emperor Zhaoheng has been staying at Lihe Palace.
Inside the gauze curtains, the passionate lovemaking had just ended.
An ambiguous atmosphere still lingered in the air, carrying a stuffy and humid feeling that flowed between the two people in their intimate pose.
Narcissus lay languidly against Emperor Zhaoheng's chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and feeling the warmth and rare tranquility afterward.
Emperor Zhaoheng gently stroked her smooth back with his large hand, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.
However, whether it was due to the gossip of the concubines in the harem in front of him recently, or due to the hidden unease deep in his heart, he was unsure.
After a long silence, he suddenly spoke in a low voice, which carried a tension that was easily overlooked in the darkness:
"Xian'er..."
"Um?"
Narcissus lightly lifted the index finger that was resting on his chest and responded with an extremely languid sound.
Shui Xian never expected that she would hear Emperor Zhaoheng, the ruler of a nation, speak in a low voice, his tone filled with uncertainty and unease:
"Back when...when you first served me in bed, did you ever have a single ounce of sincerity towards me?"
The question was abrupt and even somewhat unbecoming of his imperial status.
At this moment, Emperor Zhaoheng was not an emperor, but just a man, a man who cared whether the woman who cared about him truly loved him.
He possessed her body, her submissiveness, and her physical attributes.
Narcissus even bore him children without complaint and assisted in managing the six palaces.
But he would still occasionally recall the way she trembled nervously in front of him when Yi Guichun offered her to the dragon bed.
She recalled that she might have initially approached him only on Yi Guichun's instructions.
Upon hearing the emperor's question, Narcissus's heart skipped a beat, and her sleepiness vanished instantly.
She nestled against his chest and could clearly feel his heart pounding rapidly and distinctly as he asked that question.
In a flash, she almost instantly came to a decision.
Answer truthfully?
When she was first reborn, she was filled with hatred and scheming. How could she have any sincerity?
However, if he were to say directly that she had no love or heart, it would inevitably hurt him and might even arouse suspicion.
She reacted almost instantly.
She didn't look up, but instead nestled closer to him, rubbing her cheek against his warm skin, her arms encircling his waist, her voice soft and hoarse from the afterglow:
"emperor……"
She avoided talking about the past and only talked about the present.
"Your Majesty, my whole heart and soul belong to you now. What does the past matter anymore?"
Instead of answering directly with a yes or no, she focused on the present moment.
Emperor Zhaoheng paused slightly as he stroked her back.
Candlelight filtered through the thin gauze curtains, casting a dim light. He couldn't see her expression, but he could sense her complete dependence and hear her soft, tender words.
The phrase "My whole heart belongs to the Emperor" was like the softest feather, gently brushing over and dispelling the hidden unease in his heart.
Yes, does the past even matter anymore?
He held the narcissus tightly, feeling only contentment in his heart.
The important thing is now, she is in his arms, she has borne him children and managed his harem.
Stand by his side when he is abandoned by everyone, and comfort him when he is lost and lonely.
The important thing is that she said at that moment that her whole heart belonged to him.
An indescribable sense of satisfaction welled up inside me, dispelling all the gloom that had been building up recently due to what others had said.
"I've gone mad."
He kissed her cheek, his tone regaining its usual composure, revealing an undisguised doting affection for her.
"My fairy, of course, only has me in her heart."
Before he finished speaking, he had already turned over and enveloped her again, expressing his surging and burgeoning emotions through his actions.
The heat that had just subsided inside the tent rose again, even more intense than before, carrying an eagerness to confirm their belonging to each other.
Narcissus responded gently to his ardent advances, but her mind remained clear.
She skillfully weathered the test, but at the same time, she realized more clearly that deep down, the emperor did not fully trust her.
From now on, I need to be more careful in my words and actions. I need to make him feel the "emotion" but I cannot let him realize that beneath this "emotion" lies a clear heart that has been frozen by his past life experiences.
Between them, their passion gradually reached its peak, like a dazzling firework, magnificent yet... fleeting.
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