Chapter 22 The Newly Appointed Succubus, A-Zhu. The Emperor: I dreamt of her. ...
Kunning Palace
She patiently waited for several days, painstakingly set up the "stage," and finally "invited" the emperor... Empress Wang, who had hoped to see a good show, felt that she had been tricked by A-Zhu.
In this palace, Empress Wang may have many unavoidable situations, and there are many times when she has to suppress her anger and hold her breath.
But what is Ah Zhu?
Empress Wang, her face displeased, looked at A-Zhu as he entered the hall, as if a storm was brewing.
"Your Majesty the Empress."
As soon as he entered the palace, before Empress Wang could even begin to question him, Azhu knelt down.
Actually, as soon as A-Zhu finished serving tea and left the hall, he was already berating himself in frustration, as if he wanted to grab himself and yell at him—A-Zhu, A-Zhu, how could you be so useless?
It's rare for Her Majesty to give you such a high regard, why are you trembling?
Disrespecting the emperor is a serious offense, especially since how many people in the palace are fortunate enough to serve the emperor?
"Your Majesty, you are so forgiving and loving."
"Since I entered Kunning Palace, I have been granted favors several times, but this time I have truly failed to live up to my expectations..."
Ah Zhu, who rarely reflects on himself, even shed tears when he kowtowed and admitted his mistakes.
"It is because this servant is incompetent and has failed Your Majesty's kindness."
Of course, the reason why A-Zhu was so distressed that he cried and kowtowed to admit his mistakes was because he really didn't want to lose this opportunity.
Based on her past experience of appeasing the maids in the inner palace, once she admitted her mistake, A-Zhu naturally began to look for a plausible excuse.
"...It's truly Your Majesty's power that's unpredictable and your aura is extraordinary. This servant...this servant couldn't help but feel fear and failed to complete this task well..."
Seeing that Ah Zhu didn't try to argue, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed to admit his mistake as soon as he entered...
Other things were one thing, but when Empress Wang heard Ah Zhu's stammering explanation that he was pressured by Emperor Xuanpei's imposing manner, her eyes darted around slightly.
Back then, no one thought that the King of Qin would inherit the throne, including Wang Yushu herself.
The late emperor's arranged marriage came suddenly, and the Prince of Qin rushed back to the capital from the border day and night.
When Wang Yushu first saw the King of Qin, he was startled by the chilling aura emanating from him, as if she could smell the thick stench of blood.
Wang Yushu was only a teenager back then.
She was afraid, but she was spoiled terribly and always cared about her reputation, so after being afraid came anger—anger at the King of Qin for scaring her, and anger at herself for being so weak.
In order not to lose face, Wang Yushu held her head even higher and refused to show any fear, sometimes even speaking directly to the King of Qin.
Back then, when he was still the King of Qin, he wasn't as inscrutable as he is now.
Several times, Wang Yushu saw him get really angry. When he got angry, he would run to his study with a sullen face and not come out... Later, the Prince of Qin became Emperor Xuanpei.
The might of Heaven is unfathomable, as deep as the abyss and as imposing as the mountains.
Looking at A-Zhu, who was somewhat frightened and annoyed, Empress Wang, whose anger had subsided considerably, even smiled a little.
When they first met, even she couldn't help but feel intimidated... Of course, even though the current Emperor Xuanpei is no longer as imposing as he was back then, like a drawn blade, what is Jiang Azhu?
Having beauty but lacking courage, they naturally fear the emperor even more.
"Alright, get up."
Once she calmed down, Empress Wang was exceptionally easy to talk to. She even raised her hand to let A-Zhu stand up.
"It is also your first time meeting the Emperor. It is inevitable that you will be timid when serving the Emperor for the first time. This was my oversight."
"You've learned your lesson this time."
Empress Wang did not reprimand her further, but warned A-Zhu as she continued to express her gratitude: "But A-Zhu, if you do not do your best next time, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Azhu, profusely grateful, knelt down again.
She vowed, "Yes, this servant will do her utmost and serve you wholeheartedly from now on, and will not fail Your Majesty's kindness."
......
A-Zhu, who wished she could swear an oath to serve Emperor Xuanpei well, was sitting in the imperial carriage on her way to Hanyuan Palace.
The one serving by his side was naturally Eunuch Chen.
Meanwhile, Eunuch Chen was still thinking about A-Zhu.
Meeting A-Zhu in Kunning Palace tonight was truly unexpected for Eunuch Chen.
Even Eunuch Chen was quite certain that since Kunning Palace had chosen A-Zhu, they must have also investigated A-Zhu's identity... So what kind of show is the Empress putting on tonight?
Not understanding the intricacies of the situation, and sensing that the eunuch Chen was unpredictable and wouldn't speak casually, they didn't dare to even jokingly mention it, and simply followed in silence.
Emperor Xuanpei, whose expression remained as calm as ever, was also thinking of Azhu.
However, unlike Eunuch Chen, who was full of worries and speculations about Empress Wang's intentions, Emperor Xuanpei simply thought about Azhu and the hairpin in her hair.
The hairpin that Aunt Hua hurriedly stuck into A-Zhu's temple, the one on the left... was a little crooked.
Emperor Xuanpei was a person who really liked to organize things.
From the time he could remember, he would arrange everything neatly and clearly.
But this is the palace, and it's clear that even if he is a prince, he won't always get his way.
He had seen countless memorials that the late emperor had carelessly tossed onto the imperial desk.
I've seen jade pendants that should be worn in pairs, but the Crown Prince only wore one;
There were even pastries that the late Empress had sent to the Imperial Study. These pastries were so exquisite in appearance that they tasted even better. They were displayed on two layers, but there was an extra one on the top layer, and the circle formed by them was deformed... There are countless similar incidents.
Not to mention that Emperor Xuanpei also had a foster mother, Consort Shu, who was filled with anxiety and wished he could behave like a puppet.
Consort Shu would desperately urge him to endure, to back down, to endure again and again, to back down again and again.
In this palace, when he had no choice but to endure countless times, Emperor Xuanpei would silently and almost compulsively arrange his favorite things neatly, ensuring that not a single corner was crooked.
Later, as his power grew, Emperor Xuanpei, having reached his limit of tolerance, fled to the border with the intention of never returning.
There, we braved wind and rain, rolled through yellow sand and mud... and rode horses, drank wine, and even fought alongside those so-called roughnecks.
The forced rigidity of Emperor Xuanpei has temporarily disappeared amidst the bloodshed.
Later, Emperor Xuanpei, upon re-entering the palace, learned to turn a blind eye.
The Hanyuan Hall was arranged entirely according to Emperor Xuanpei's wishes. As for the other places in the palace and other people... Emperor Xuanpei rarely looked at them closely.
They even treated it as if it weren't theirs, pretending not to see it no matter how much it didn't suit their taste.
Emperor Xuanpei had been living peacefully with his "rigid and forceful" ways for so many years, but tonight, he unexpectedly saw Azhu up close—Azhu's discipline was beyond question.
She was dressed formally and neatly, even her hair, which was hanging down on both sides, was neatly tied up.
Not only was she enveloped in a faint sweet fragrance, but her skin was also as white as snow, as smooth and translucent as if it were finely sculpted white porcelain. Even her eyelashes were symmetrically long, thick, and trembling slightly.
She even had a widow's peak, just a tiny point perfectly centered.
She really, really suited everyone perfectly, and everything about her seemed to touch people's hearts... except for the hairpin by her temple, which was crooked.
Emperor Xuanpei suddenly closed his eyes to stop thinking about it, but the fingertips resting on his knees couldn't help but tap lightly.
***
Hanyuan Hall
At this moment, the arched curtains in the rear hall had all been lowered.
Seeing that Emperor Xuanpei had no interest in state affairs after returning from Kunning Palace, Eunuch Chen did not dare to say anything and only served Emperor Xuanpei diligently until he had washed up and rested.
Accompanied by the ambergris in the palace, Emperor Xuanpei forced himself to close his eyes and fall asleep—anything that he had to endure in his youth and that made him feel uncomfortable would fade away after a good night's sleep.
......
"Your Majesty—"
Along with the melodious and gentle voice of a nightingale, a soft, warm body rushed towards them.
Emperor Xuanpei, who was always mindful of the rules, reached out early and embraced the soft, fragrant woman in his arms. When the person in his arms raised her head, he noticed that the hairpin at her temple had been knocked askew.
"Your Majesty, look, my hairpin is crooked." She grabbed his shirt and laughed sweetly, her long eyelashes fluttering.
Emperor Xuanpei, whose eyes were also filled with a smile, raised his hand, but suddenly missed!
—! Emperor Xuanpei on the couch suddenly opened his eyes.
Outside the hall, Eunuch Chen, who was dozing off, suddenly heard a shout coming from inside: "Chen Delu—!"
!!
Eunuch Chen suddenly raised his head, and after a moment of clarity, he hurriedly responded and scrambled into the back hall.
"Your Majesty."
A note from the author:
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Here I come, here I come, mwah!
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