Chapter 11 - New Year's Eve Leaf Card Gossip Party
Time passed slowly and quickly. After the Mid-Autumn Festival and Double Ninth Festival, it was winter in Chang'an.
After a heavy night of snow, the first New Year's Eve after Li Siyan ascended the throne arrived.
Without the Empress in the palace, the heavy burden of the New Year fell on Su Xing's head. Ordinary families only needed to have a drink and stay up all night together during the New Year, but it was different in the palace. Not only was there a grand court meeting on New Year's Day, but there were also a series of complicated processes such as exorcising the plague, worshiping ancestors, feasting ministers, etc., and it was impossible without a leader.
My head started to ache just by listening to it, but Su Xing was very excited to take over this huge task and felt deeply honored for Li Siyan's trust in her.
She even led a group of palace maids to kneel down in thanks: "I will definitely live up to your Majesty's trust!"
I was writing down the daily records nearby, thinking to myself, what a weird thing! How could there be such a born slave?
Under Su Xing's command, everyone in the Purple Palace began to get busy preparing for the New Year, because this was the first important festival after the Dog Emperor ascended the throne. Everyone worked hard in an attempt to show face in front of the emperor.
Even the lazy master Xia Fugui came to the Zichen Palace several times to promote the high-quality palace maids produced in the Yiting Palace to Qingfu, and repeatedly emphasized that the people I come out of are much better than those little bastards in the Eunuch Bureau. Whoever uses them will know.
It just so happened that Yanying Palace was short of people, so Qingfu went with him to see how it worked. When he came back, he was followed by a long line of children, like an old mother duck leading a group of ducklings across the river.
While others were busy celebrating the New Year, I still kept records of the dog emperor's daily life day after day, watching him erode the power of the former crown prince bit by bit, and sit more and more firmly on the throne under him.
Indignation? Discontent? Initially, yes, but later on, a calm numbness settled over me.
I seemed to have gradually forgotten the meaning of life, and lived entirely by habit, without hope or motivation. The day of leaving the palace fifteen years later was too far away, and I didn't know how to get through it. At first I would read books, but after I finished reading the books, I often would be in a daze, and occasionally I would write something, but life in the palace was so depressing and boring that I didn't even bother to pick up the pen because I couldn't find anything to write about.
The whole person seems to be slowly withering away.
I felt that I couldn't go on like this, so I asked Wei Xizi to bring me some books when he left the palace on leave.
"It doesn't matter what type it is, notes, legends, or sketchbooks, as long as they have words on them. I really can't stand not having books to read."
As a fellow intellectual, Wei Xizi deeply understood my request and readily agreed, "Okay, I'll report this to Your Majesty."
"Why tell him?" I narrowed my eyes.
"Ah... you are not allowed to bring anything into the palace. Without the permission of His Majesty, I can't bring any books in..." Wei Xizi reminded me weakly.
After struggling for a long time, I decided to go find Li Siyan.
He inherited a room full of books from his biological father, but he never reads them himself. I think it's a waste of resources and I've been coveting it for a long time.
I picked a time when he was in a good mood to bring up this matter with him. This was the first time we had communicated outside of work in six months.
He was very surprised and stared at me blankly, as if he had seen some strange Western scene.
I think my request is quite reasonable. How can a writer not be given the opportunity to read? How can a writer who doesn't read be able to do a decent job? I'm confined to the palace all day, unable to go to the Hongwenguan to play. So, can't I also read the books of the late emperor?
Sure enough, he quickly agreed: "Okay, you can read the books on this wall as you like, no need to inform me."
I nodded and thanked him procedurally.
"How are you, Lord Shen, these days?" After a pause, he suddenly asked without thinking.
...I think he is mocking me.
How could my life be good? Imprisoned in the palace, staring at my enemy every day, while rumors of an affair between me and my enemy spread outside... If it weren't for my aunt and Xiaochuan still being in his hands, who would be willing to live such a miserable life?
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'm fine." I replied stiffly.
"Do you like reading?" He chatted with me persistently.
"Yes." I said coldly.
The dog emperor was being particularly nagging today. After I clearly signaled him to stay away from me, he remained silent for a long time before suddenly starting to speak again: "Longxi is short of an auxiliary army. I wanted to send Tang Ling, but the Prime Minister recommended Du Yong."
"Your Majesty can send whoever you want."
"I want to hold a special examination."
"Open, without further delay."
"The court has been quiet lately, and government affairs are idle. I'd like to find someone to accompany me in reading and painting. I think..."
Without even looking up, I said, "That's easier. There are many scholars in the Hanlin Academy, all of whom are knowledgeable and talented. Your Majesty can just pick a few."
After I retorted, Li Siyan was obviously at a loss for a moment, and then his helplessness turned into anger and shame. He said coldly: "I hate the sour scholars in the Hanlin Academy the most."
"Then it would be better not to study at all," I said. "Since Your Majesty looks down on those of us who study, then you should stop pretending to be cultured and avoid being contaminated by those sour attitudes."
Li Siyan sneered and said, "You are right. I really hate your false righteousness. It's a pity that you have such pride, but you still have to serve as the attendant of the enemy who killed your family. I believe you must be suffering day and night, and you wish you could kill me."
"It's okay. I'm used to it." I answered honestly. "I think that if Your Majesty doesn't like it, there's no need to specifically learn those arts. Being an emperor doesn't require these things. Look at the Qin Emperor and the Han Emperor. They didn't like reading, but they still ruled the world, didn't they?"
In terms of verbal skills alone, Li Siyan can rarely really beat me, but he has his advantage: bullying by taking advantage of his power.
He waved his sleeves and said, "I have already made up my mind. There is no point in saying more. Starting from the New Year, come to my study in the evenings to read with me."
I was so angry that I wanted to ask you if you were sick and couldn't understand what people were saying, but then I thought, the dog emperor has always been so unreasonable, and it's useless to resist.
If it were six months ago, I would have had a huge argument with him, but now I just feel numb. After realizing that arguing won't change anything, the desire to argue has died down. I just said dejectedly, "Okay."
Being in a depressing environment for a long time will indeed wear away a person's temperament. I feel a little sad for no reason. I used to be such an energetic girl, how come I have become like this now?
Li Siyan was very happy with my good behavior. He reached out and rubbed my hair, smiling and said, "That's good."
I closed my eyes in despair, feeling like I was being rubbed like a small animal.
Let’s talk about New Year’s Eve again.
New Year's Eve is a national holiday, so I didn't have to go to work and slept in a nice long sleep.
I was woken up by the noise at noon. I put on my clothes and opened the door, and we made awkward eye contact with the guard who was dancing the Nuo dance outside.
"What are you doing, brother?" I glanced at the long procession of shaman dancers and guessed, "Exorcising the plague?"
The guard shyly handed me a peach charm and said, "It's a palace ritual to ward off evil spirits. His Majesty has instructed us to perform a ritual for Madam Shen's courtyard as well."
It turned out that he was sent by the Dog Emperor.
I nodded, casually clipped the peach charm on the window, and went back to my room to fall asleep.
The New Year's Eve banquet was supposed to be held in the harem, but since Li Siyan's harem was empty, he obviously couldn't toast to the air, so the banquet was changed to entertain several trusted ministers in the Yanying Palace.
In this way, the group of young eunuchs that Qingfu had previously selected for Yanying Palace came in handy, and we in Zichen Palace were able to have some free time.
It was finally night. As soon as the two servant leaders, Su Xing and Qing Fu, left, the atmosphere in the Zichen Hall became much more relaxed. Xiao Jinlian and Xiao Jinliu cut a few window paper-cuts for me. I kept praising their skillful hands. The window paper-cuts I made when I was a child looked like ghost paintings, and everyone who saw them despised them. Only Meng Xu, the flatterer who couldn't tell good from bad, was willing to accept the window paper-cuts I cut and carefully pasted them on the window.
Xiao Jinlian comforted me: "Mrs. Shen's hand is the hand that holds a pen, it is precious, how could she hold a pair of scissors?"
I held my forehead and said, "You don't know, my father taught me to read and write because I couldn't learn housework no matter how hard I tried. He was afraid that I wouldn't be accepted by a husband, so he taught me how to read and write. This way, even if I was kicked out of my husband's family in the future, I would be able to make money with my own ability."
When I mentioned my father, Xiao Jinliu revealed a somewhat melancholy expression and said, "My sister and I entered the palace to replace the village head's daughter. The village head gave my father three strings of cash, and he agreed. I don't know how he and his brother are doing now."
I couldn't help but ask, "He sold you out, and you're still thinking about him?"
Little Jinliu shook her head. "There was a disaster at the time, and not a single grain of rice was left at home. Although sending us two sisters to the palace was cruel, it was better than the whole family starving to death."
Xiao Jinlian also added: "Yes, compared to the countryside, the palace is not bad. There is food and clothing. If you are lucky, you can even become a female official like Aunt Suxing."
I laughed and said, "You all think the palace is good, but why do I feel that the palace is extremely sad?"
Another palace maid, Chan'er, happened to be passing by and came over to say, "Madam Shen is different from us. We have been in the palace since we were young, illiterate, and only knew how to do servant work, so we thought the palace was good. But Madam Shen's background, appearance, and talent are all top-notch among women, and she has also seen the world outside. Of course, she can't live in the palace."
"Yes, it's freer outside." I held my chin and recalled, "When I was working at the History Museum, I often went to the East Market on my days off to buy Yu Lu Su Shan, or go to the bookstore to buy books, or go to other mansions to visit friends. But now all these are gone."
Chan'er asked curiously, "What is Jade Dew Su Shan? Is it the same as the ice bowl in the palace?"
I thought about it and said, "It's somewhat similar, but the cheese at Sushan is a bit sweeter. The owner of the place I often go to is called Yunniang, and her cooking is excellent. If the opportunity arises in the future, I'll treat you to a meal."
Chan'er was a straightforward person, so she didn't refuse and said with a big smile, "Okay, Madam Shen, if you invite us next time, you are not allowed to refuse."
Su Xing is not here today, so the little palace maids are not as restrained in their words and actions as before. They don't avoid me when they see me, and they even joke around.
"Today is New Year's Eve. I have made an appointment with Huiyue, Suxi from our palace, and A Luo from Penglai Palace to play pitching pot together. Why don't you guys come too?" Chan'er suggested.
Little Jinlian and Little Jinliu nodded excitedly. I also became interested and said proudly, "Oh, I'm an expert at throwing pots. Don't accuse me of bullying you later."
Chan'er said, "When we usually play cards and pots together, we never dare to invite Madam Shen, for fear that His Majesty would be angry."
Xiao Jinlian quickly pulled Chan'er's sleeve, signaling her not to say too much.
I shook my head and said, "I understand. He never likes to see me happy. He gets angry when he sees me smile."
This time, even the carefree Chan'er didn't dare to respond. She laughed and changed the subject, saying, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Just follow me."
Chan'er took us to an open space in front of her house. Suxi, Huiyue, and A'luo, three little palace maids, were already waiting there. They were all surprised to see me.
Especially A'Luo from Penglai Palace. I am a famous figure in the palace now. This little girl didn't know where to look when she saw me for the first time.
I greeted her in a friendly manner and she timidly said "hmm".
Little Jin Liu whispered to A Luo, "Don't be afraid. Madam Shen is very kind and not as scary as people say."
A'Luo looked at me timidly again. I always felt that her look was very strange. Maybe she was looking for where my three heads and six arms were hidden?
However, the friendship between young ladies is always established quickly. After we played three rounds of pitching pots together, Luo decided that I was a very good person and asked me for advice on pitching pot techniques.
"How did Sister Chen hit every shot? That's amazing!" Ah Luo's eyes were full of stars.
Chan'er was also sighing: "How did Madam Shen get such good hands? Not only does she write beautifully, she's also so good at pitching pots. All the prizes tonight belong to you!"
"Hahahaha, thank you for your compliment. It's just practice." I said modestly, handed the prize I just won to Xiao Jinlian, and instructed her, "Jinlian, go to the imperial kitchen, take this gold and add some wine and dishes, and send them to my room. We should celebrate the New Year in a festive manner!"
Xiao Jinlian was overjoyed: “Wow, Madam Shen wants to treat us to a drink?”
I waved my hand proudly and said, "If you don't have enough gold, feel free to ask me for more. Come back soon!"
The palace maids were naturally excited. On a snowy day, a group of little palace maids came into my room laughing and giggling. Fortunately, my room was bigger than those of ordinary palace maids, so it didn't seem cramped even with so many people in.
When we heard that we were going to play cards, Chan'er volunteered and brought her godsister Xiaodie from Xuanwei Palace, making it just the right number of people to play two tables.
I stole a few cushions from Li Siyan's cabinet and invited the ladies to sit down. Unexpectedly, after hearing that the cushions had once supported the emperor's buttocks, they all refused to sit. Dejectedly, I switched to Su Xing's cushion. We chatted about gossip while we waited for Xiao Jinlian to bring the food and wine.
"...I wouldn't normally say this, but since you're all sisters here today, I'm going to boldly share my thoughts with you. I'm telling you, Grandpa Qingfu didn't follow our Majesty from the beginning. He initially followed the late Crown Prince, but accidentally made a small mistake and was expelled from the Eastern Palace. He was then exiled to the residence of our Majesty, who was then the Fourth Prince. Only later did he gain recognition."
Su Xi, who worked at the Zichen Palace, said mysteriously.
Little Jinliu shuddered. "Does Grandpa Qingfu also make mistakes? I think he's so scary. It's like he can see through my thoughts at a glance."
I speculated, "I remember that the late Crown Prince formed a clique and was punished by the late Emperor. Perhaps Qingfu felt that he had no future in the Eastern Palace, so he took a risk and managed to get expelled from the Eastern Palace and went to work for His Majesty Li... in the palace."
After the third prince died, the late emperor had only three princes left. The eldest prince was the crown prince of the Eastern Palace, and the second prince was the crown prince's lackey. Since the second prince's biological mother felt that Li Siyan's existence was a manifestation of her failed love, the second prince always looked down on Li Siyan and often found fault with him.
The eldest prince was the crown prince, and he felt that there was no need to lower his status to argue with his younger brother. This led to him nurturing a tiger to harm himself, and by the time he realized it, it was too late.
These old almanacs were told to me as stories by my brother, a professional historian who loved to collect all kinds of gossip. He would also add exclusive comments: "... You see, whether it is the royal family or ordinary people, if there are too many sons, there will inevitably be fights..." I deeply agree with him.
Chan'er also nodded and said, "I think it's possible. It's said that Grandpa Qingfu and the Empress Dowager had some friendship when they were alive. Perhaps it was this relationship that made Grandpa Qingfu join the Empress Dowager when Your Majesty was still a prince."
"I see!" Su Xi slammed the table and said, "Grandpa Qingfu has good taste!"
Normally, these palace maids wouldn't dare discuss Qingfu's gossip so brazenly, but with me here today, they felt like they had received a golden medal of immunity from death and were not afraid of anything.
Anyway, I am here to hold up the sky even if it falls. In their eyes, I am not so good at other things, but I am the best in the inner court at attracting hatred. Not only can I attract hatred steadily, but I also have a thick blood. The same crime that would have dragged other palace maids out and beaten them to death would only result in a slight, insignificant punishment for me.
With such a god around, of course I have to tell all the gossips that I usually don’t dare to talk about!
At this time, Xiao Jinlian knocked on the door outside and said, "Madam Chen, the wine and food are here."
The women cheered, some opened the door, some poured wine. Little Jinlian was very good at ordering dishes, including sunflower leaves, Hu pancakes, roasted lamb, sashimi, and a combination of meat and vegetables. Everyone had a happy meal together, and many palace rumors were revealed during the meal.
Ms. A Luo contributed the most explosive gossip of the day: "Aunt Su Xing and Grandpa Qi, our palace's chief steward, are a couple. I saw them going back to their room together last time."
My chopsticks fell to the ground with a thud. I looked to the side and saw that the other girls were also shocked.
"Oh my god, I can't believe it! Su Xing looks serious and solemn in daily life, but he's secretly having an affair. Oh! Is Manager Qi handsome?" I was so excited that I couldn't control myself and a lewd look appeared on my face.
It turns out that humans have a primitive love for gossip.
"What's the big deal? I heard last time that our Xuanwei Palace was going to have an incoming bride." Xiaodie, unwilling to be outdone, also actively provided information from the sewers, even adding fuel to the fire: "It is said that it is the wife of the Wang family of Langya, and the wife of the Wei family of Julu."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole table exploded, and everyone began to discuss heatedly the queens they would serve in the future. I whistled excitedly, saying, "It's good to have new queens. It's great to have new queens. If there are more queens, the dog emperor will be drained of his energy, and he won't have to torture me every day!"
"Wang, Wei, these are all noble ladies from high-ranking families." I analyzed from the perspective of a historian: "I think our throne may seem secure, but in reality, we are far from secure. Otherwise, why would we take in such a string of daughters from powerful families? It must be due to ill intentions."
The girls looked at each other, and finally Chan'er spoke up: "Madam Shen's words make sense, but we sisters don't understand things like the kingdom and power. We just think that with the arrival of the bride, our lives will be busier. Oh, and I heard that there will be a beauty pageant next year, I wonder if it's true or not."
Huiyue, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly said, "It's probably not true. My godmother said that His Majesty has no intention of holding a beauty pageant. Even if there is one, it will be after the Queen enters the palace."
I was so impressed, wow, there are so many hidden talents at this table, I can find out any information.
"We've almost finished our food, why don't we open two tables and play mahjong!" Xiaodie took out two decks of cards from her sleeve like a magic trick. This girl, like her godsister Chan'er, is a leader among the girls and everyone follows her orders.
"Okay, okay. Set the cards quickly and divide them into two tables. Be careful not to spill the wine." Su Xi was the first to take action, directing Xiao Jinlian and Xiao Jinliu to move the tables with ease.
I rolled up my sleeves and said with a smile, "Hey, let me show you what the Anyifang Pai Wang is."
Ah Luo said, "Since Madam Shen is so powerful, then Sister Suxi and Sister Chan'er must play against Madam Shen. Only then can they be considered evenly matched. When it comes to playing cards, they are the two most capable among our palaces!"
Su Xi accepted the challenge calmly. He confidently sat down across from me, raised his chin, and said, "Alright! Today I'm going to see how powerful Madam Shen is!"
I slammed the cards on the table and said provocatively, "The underdog defeats the overdog!"
It has been a long time since I laughed so heartily. At this moment, I seemed to have returned to the time when my relatives had not been killed and I was still the carefree Miss Shen in Chang'an City. It was freezing cold outside, and there was a charcoal fire in the small house. The girls gathered together to play. Without Su Xing Qingfu and the Dog Emperor around, everyone laughed so happily and naturally, exuding the vitality that a young girl should have.
Let’s drink while we have wine. No matter what happens in the future, I am happy at this moment.
Then my brief happiness ended at the poker table.
The people in the palace are really powerful. Each person has become hundreds of times more cunning. I lost three games in a row and was pinned to the ground and rubbed repeatedly by the two female Zhuge Liangs, Su Xi and Chan Er.
"Oh, is this the power of the Anyifang Card King?" Su Xi laughed so hard that her body shook with laughter. She raised her white hand and slapped a white strip on my chin. She laughed with Chan'er and said, "If Madam Chen is the Anyifang Card King, then I am the Gambling Saint of Zichen Palace!"
Chan'er was also sarcastic: "Maybe the residents of Anyifang don't like playing cards."
I had two strips stuck under my nose and another on my chin, Xiao Jinlian had two on her face, but Suxi and Chaner's faces were clean.
These two women were incredibly powerful, and usually kept a low profile. But once they sat down at the poker table, their aura was like Zhang Liao guarding Hefei, Tian Dan defending Jimo, and one man standing guard against ten thousand. They made me and Xiao Jinlian, two weaklings, tremble in fear.
"Do you admit defeat?" Su Xi asked with a smile.
"Of course not. Try again!" I became more and more courageous as I was frustrated.
Snap, Snap, Snap. The consequence of not admitting defeat was that three more pieces of paper were stuck on my face, shaped like the little zombies jumping around on the Ghost Festival.
The notes were stuck so close together that they swayed up and down with my breathing, which looked very funny.
"I admit it, I admit it..." After a few more rounds, I was defeated and said angrily.
"I'm willing to accept the loss! Madam Shen is straightforward. Come on, come on, perform a show for the sisters!" Chan'er cheered.
Gambling in groups is not allowed in the palace, and losers at the card table usually have to perform for the sisters to entertain them.
With a face full of notes, I racked my brains to think of what I could do. I scratched my head and said, "I can't sing or dance. How about I write a few Spring Festival couplets for everyone?"
Ah Luo said disappointedly, "Writing is so boring... Is there anything else?"
I didn't want to spoil their fun, so I thought about it carefully and suddenly an idea struck me: "I'll do a sword dance!"
There is one thing that all children, especially those of officials, cannot escape: performing in public.
That night, I recalled the fear I had when I was a child performing children's programs such as Seven-Step Poem, Children's Singing, Three Strokes and a Turtle for my relatives and friends.
In order to develop my performance ability, my second uncle specially asked his friend Aunt Su from the Jiaofangsi to teach me the introductory course of sword dancing. From then on, his niece, I, swept all the programs at relatives' gatherings, and everyone who watched it said it was good.
As I grew up, I changed from a child who performed for my parents to an adult who forced other children to perform. The dragon slayer eventually became an evil dragon. Because I had been doing evil for too long, this evil dragon almost forgot that I was once a dragon slayer girl and had the skills of sword dancing.
"That's great!" The girls clapped their hands and laughed, "What about the sword?"
I looked around and led them into the yard. I broke off two branches covered in icicles and said with a smile, "I have the sword. Stand back. I'm starting."
After saying that, I drank the rest of the wine in one gulp, imitated the tone of a wandering knight, threw the jar into the snow, and swayedly performed the starting posture.
The girls applauded and cheered, and Xiaodie gave me a set of praises very professionally.
The alcohol started to take over and I began to get drunk.
"The avenues of Chang'an are connected with narrow streets, green oxen, white horses and seven fragrant carriages are pulled by them, jade sedan chairs crisscross the master's house, and golden whips are sent to the marquis' house." I sang loudly, holding a branch, and began my performance.
This sword dance was adapted from a song by a poet of the time, and required both dancing and singing.
Logically speaking, sword dancing is an extremely vigorous performance, but I drank too much and felt dizzy, and I completely lacked that majestic aura.
Fortunately, my audience were all experts in supporting me. They watched me jumping around with elm branches in their hands and listened to my out-of-tune singing. They didn't boo me but applauded and cheered enthusiastically, which greatly increased my confidence.
Ah Luo yelled the loudest: "Good! Madam Shen is amazing!"
I danced even more vigorously, striding forward, raising my eyebrows and singing, "How enviable are the mandarin ducks, They come and go in pairs, don't you see? I hate the solitary phoenix embroidered on the curtains, I'd rather have a pair of swallows embroidered on the door curtains."
While singing, I was wielding a sword and dancing in the snow. I don’t remember some of the movements very well, and I was controlling my body entirely by instinct.
My skirt fluttered with my dance steps, and the alcohol in my body evaporated, burning my cheeks red in the sun.
The stripes on my face were also swaying in the wind. The paste mixed by Xiao Jinliu was not very strong. Four of them fell off when I was dancing with the sword. After turning around twice, only two were left on my face.
Step by step, I kept my back straight, exerted force on my wrists, and the branches formed neat and beautiful flowers.
Aunt Su once said: The sword is used to prove the truth, and the dance is used to express the meaning. Sword dance is a complete and unrestrained skill. Whatever you think, your sword dance will be like.
My bun was loose and all my hair was hanging down, making me feel depressed and crazy.
Alcohol is really a good thing. It makes people forget their worries and sorrows. People cannot be sober, and once they are sober, they will easily suffer.
Those girls were laughing, clapping, and responding to me enthusiastically. I also laughed and danced with my sword in response, but I don't know when their voices gradually died down. I felt strange, but my feet did not stop. Suddenly, the girls all knelt on the snow, motionless.
"I will untie my precious silk robe and belt for you, and sing the songs of Yan and dance the dances of Zhao for you... Huh?"
Confused, I fell silent, put down the branch, and drunkenly walked over to ask, "What's wrong with you?"
In the chaotic world, I vaguely saw Xiao Jinlian look up at me in panic, moving her lips and saying very softly, "Madam Shen, look behind you."
My feet felt light and I turned around to look.
At the entrance of the courtyard, two large Buddha statues, Su Xing and Qing Fu, stood expressionlessly on both sides, and in the middle stood the expressionless Dog Emperor.
Three times as deadly, three times as annoying.
Li Siyan wore a dark robe today, paired with a sleek cloak, looking noble and oppressive.
Maybe he had been drinking, there was a slight blush on his face, and with his evil and handsome face, he looked a bit drunk.
Oh, what a beautiful face, how could it be on the dog emperor? I thought regretfully.
"Chen Ying, come here." The owner of the face opened his lips and ordered.
I stood there, glaring at him coldly.
"Tsk, it's New Year's Day, how unlucky."
I threw the branch away, staggered to the door, raised my leg under the gaze of more than a dozen pairs of eyes, and kicked the door shut with a bang.
The moment the door closed, Xiao Jinlian's body trembled violently. Several palace maids were stunned. Even Chan'er, the bravest one, was so scared that she collapsed on the ground, unable to utter a word.
A chamberlain not only ignored the emperor's summons, but even kicked the door in front of the emperor.
She must be tired of living.
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