The golden brick floor of the Golden Throne Hall was repeatedly rubbed with loofahs dipped in deer blood by young eunuchs, leaving it mirror-clear. Midday sunlight slanted through nine carved diamond-shaped windows, casting diamond-shaped spots of light on the floor. Even the golden dragon reliefs circling the hall's pillars were illuminated, their scales gleaming. Chen Weiwan huddled behind Xiao Yu, her fingertips clinging to the dark-patterned hem of his dark formal attire. The pearl tassels on her ebony hairpin swayed gently with her breathing, and she watched the emperor dozing on the throne with amusement.
The emperor reclined on a red sandalwood throne carved with dragons, its bright yellow satin cushions deeply indented. His goatee trembled with his even breathing, like a reed swaying in the autumn breeze. The red brush in his hand hovered over a bright yellow memorial, its tip condensing with ink, nearly landing on the gold embroidery of his dragon robe. The hall was so quiet that one could hear the crackling of burning ambergris in the gilded three-legged incense burner. The eunuchs standing at the steps bowed their heads, their eyelids drooping. One young eunuch even let out a soft snore, prompting the chief eunuch, Li Zhong, to quietly poke his side with a whisk.
"Your Highness, look how soundly Father is sleeping. His beard is trembling." Shen Weiwan stood on tiptoe and poked Xiao Yu's waist. The nine oriental pearl pendants on the pearl headband shone with tiny silver lights. "Just like the old yellow dog napping in my backyard."
Xiao Yu glanced at her helplessly, and the Pisces pendant on the jade belt buckle made a slight sound: "Don't be silly, your father has been dealing with military reports all morning and didn't even have time for breakfast. It's normal for him to feel sleepy now." As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Shen Weiwan's eyes rolling around, and the light and shadow of the window lattice were reflected in her pupils, just like a little fox who found a chicken coop.
Chen Weiwan fished an egg-sized pebble from her sleeve. She'd found it yesterday at the foot of the exquisite rockery in the Imperial Gardens. She'd had Chuntao polish it with a fine cloth dipped in scented oil for half the night, leaving the edges as smooth as warm jade. She crouched low, her skirt, embroidered with gold phoenixes, making almost no sound as it swept across the golden tile floor. While the eunuchs in the front row bent their heads to adjust their court boots, she scurried to the side of the throne, the wind from her skirt swaying the smoke from the incense burner.
The gilded base under the four legs of the throne was polished to a level where one's reflection could be seen. Shen Weiwan aimed at the gap where the left rear leg of the throne met the gold brick, and with a push of her fingertips, she accurately placed the pebble there. As she retracted her hand and retreated behind Xiao Yu, the emperor yawned loudly and stretched his arms suddenly.
"Hmm?" The dragon throne suddenly creaked with an unusual sound and tilted thirty degrees to the right! The emperor jerked, his eyes widening with shock, their whites bloodshot. The red brush in his hand fell to the ground with a "clack," and the ink splattered across the front of his bright yellow dragon robe, leaving a small, messy stain. He instinctively grasped the carved coiled dragon on the throne's armrests, exerting force on his waist and abdomen to steady himself. The python-patterned jade belt nearly snapped, and he nearly fell off the throne. The hem of his bright yellow dragon robe brushed against the jade paperweight in front of the throne with a clang.
"Father!" Xiao Yu quickly stepped forward to support him, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help twitching, and his forced face looked a little distorted.
Shen Weiwan poked her head out from behind Xiao Yu with a look of "concern", her voice carrying just the right amount of panic, and even her eyebrows raised in an innocent arc: "Oh, father! Is it time to repair the dragon throne? I'll find you the best carpenter right away. Master Wang from West Street is very skilled. He can even repair a lame bench into a rocking chair!" She blinked her big, bright eyes, but her fingertips secretly twisted the tassels at the corner of her skirt, tangling the silk thread into lumps.
The emperor held Xiao Yu's hand to steady himself, staring at Shen Weiwan in shock, his goatee curled up in anger, like an old hen with its feathers standing on end: "Are you up to something again, girl?!" He lowered his head to glance at the legs of the dragon chair, and sure enough, he saw the pebble with a little dirt on it, which was the common stone at the foot of the rockery in the imperial garden yesterday.
"How dare I, Father!" Shen Weiwan immediately hid behind Xiao Yu, the silver bells in her hair tinkling softly as she moved, as if accompanying her. "This throne must have fallen into disrepair. How about I have someone replace it for you? It's made of South China Sea rosewood and inlaid with oriental pearls. It's guaranteed to be rock-proof! It might be a little cold to sit on, though. You'll need ten layers of Persian carpet to cushion it."
The eunuch chief steward Li Zhong, who was standing next to him, had already been trying to hold back his laughter until his face turned red, with smiles seeping into his wrinkles. He quickly knelt down with a plop, sweeping a semicircle on the ground with his whisk: "Your Majesty, please calm down. I will call the craftsmen from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to repair it, and make sure the dragon throne is as stable as Mount Tai! If it shakes again, I will cut off my head and use it as a stool for you!" He stole a glance at Shen Weiwan's cunning smile, and secretly sighed that this Seventh Imperial Concubine was bolder than a city wall.
The emperor looked at Shen Weiwan's sparkling eyes, which were like two black grapes soaked in water. His heart was as clear as a mirror, and he wanted to tease her: "Humph! You must have put something under the chair legs! Last time you used a whistle to trick Concubine Liu into crowing like a rooster, and this time you're messing with my throne again! If you dare to mess around again, I'll send you to the clan office to copy "Female Commandments" a hundred times!"
"Your Majesty, I am innocent!" Shen Weiwan raised her hands in surrender. The pearl pendant in her hair dangled so brightly that it almost hit her nose. "I was clearly picking up the fallen pearl flowers just now. If you don't believe me, ask Your Highness!" She tugged at Xiao Yu's sleeve, and the golden phoenix on the cuff was deformed.
Xiao Yu suppressed his laughter and took a step forward. The hem of his dark-colored uniform swept across the ground: "Father, Weiwan is indeed looking for the pearl flower. Perhaps the base of the dragon throne is rusted, which is why it is unstable." He caught a glimpse of Shen Weiwan secretly sticking out her tongue, the pink tip of her tongue almost touching her chin. He quickly turned his head to look at the emperor to prevent himself from laughing out loud.
The emperor was so angry that his goatee was almost raised to his eyebrows, but he was helpless against this eccentric daughter-in-law. Finally, he waved his hand, and the golden dragon pattern on the cuffs of his dragon robe trembled with it. "Forget it, forget it. Since you amused me, I will forgive you this time. If you dare to mess with my throne again, I will punish you by having you peel eggs in the imperial kitchen for three months and grind the eggshells into powder for me!"
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