Linde Hall.
When Ji Ming entered, He Yanchen was by the window, toying with a little parrot, in a good mood as he scooped up a spoonful of food to feed it.
“Your Majesty, Beauty Yu requests an audience.”
Recalling what had happened that morning, He Yanchen’s lips curled coldly. ”Tell her to get lost. I don’t want to see her.”
Ji Ming froze, then mustered his courage to add, ”Your Majesty, Beauty Yu is crying terribly outside. It seems she’s been injured…”
At the rate she was going, if she wasn’t let in soon, the whole of Linde Hall would be flooded with tears.
Crying again?
He Yanchen listlessly tossed the spoon aside and turned to take his seat behind the imperial desk. “Let her in.”
This time, Yue Li waited properly to be announced. Once Ji Ming came out, she lifted her skirts and trotted inside.
“Your Majesty…”
The moment she saw the man, Yue Li gave a perfunctory bow, then moved to his side on the verge of tears, her slender fingers clutching his sleeve.
Seeing her like this, He Yanchen felt something was off.
Yue Li’s thoughts were simple—her little schemes could never hide from him.
She looked soft and obedient, but her methods of competing for favor were bold, and the way she looked at him always carried ambition. She shouldn’t be like now, full of dependence, throwing herself at him the moment she arrived.
“Why are you crying?” He Yanchen put on an appearance of concern, though every word dripped with mockery and carelessness.
Seeing that he didn’t call out her breach of etiquette, Yue Li pushed her luck and sat down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she choked out, “Your handmaiden’s hand is injured.”
With that, she rolled up her sleeve, baring a section of pale wrist for him to see.
On that snow-white arm was a glaring red mark, like a scrape left by gravel.
He Yanchen had assumed she was making trouble out of nothing, but it turned out she really was hurt.
He took the woman’s hand and asked, “How did this happen?”
At his question, Yue Li seemed to gain a backer, tears welling in her eyes. “Beauty Zheng bullied me.”
“I merely passed by her, and she shoved me. I almost fell and hurt my hand.”
Yue Li braced her hands on his shoulders, her tone petulant. “Like this, how am I supposed to serve Your Majesty properly?”
“Your Majesty must punish her!”
He Yanchen stroked her thin back, a lazy smile lifting his brow. “Weren’t you unable to serve me anyway?”
Yue Li froze, only then remembering that her monthly cycle had come.
“How is that the same?” She swayed her waist slowly against the man, her voice sweet and cloying. “My hands can serve Your Majesty too…”
“It’s not as if Your Majesty doesn’t know.”
She gazed at him with those pure, innocent eyes, yet the words that left her lips were so wanton.
He Yanchen’s gaze darkened, and his hand slipped beneath her outer robe.
“Your Majesty…” Yue Li stubbornly caught his wrist. “Your Majesty still hasn’t said whether you’ll punish Beauty Zheng.”
“Which hand did she shove you with?”
Yue Li frowned, thinking. “I don’t remember…”
The man leaned back lazily against his chair, took her hand, and pressed a kiss to her palm.
“Then both hands are guilty. I’ll have someone chop off both of hers.”
Yue Li’s almond eyes flew wide. “N-no need to be so brutal…”
The man seemed surprised by her refusal, his gaze sweeping over her coolly as Yue Li said, “How about just striking her palms instead?”
She held out two fingers: “Twenty strikes.”
He Yanchen let out a soft laugh from his throat, hooked her sash, and drew her into his arms, bending down to kiss her.
Yue Li wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her little head up to respond eagerly.
Her back was pressed against the imperial desk, which dug into her uncomfortably. Kissed until her thoughts scattered, soft, sweet moans slipped from between her lips, especially noticeable in the quiet study.
With a “clatter,” a memorial placed at the edge of the desk was knocked to the floor by her unwitting movement.
He Yanchen released her. Yue Li’s red lips were still slightly parted, her eyes glistening as she looked at him, her wrist reddened a little more from his grip.
She said in a coquettish voice, “My hand hurts so much.”
“Your Majesty must strike her thirty times instead.”
The man bent down and kissed the tip of her nose, a hint of a smile in his low, husky voice: “How are you so pitiful?”
Afraid that things would spiral out of control if she stayed any longer, Yue Li straightened her clothes—then her eyes lit up when she saw the memorial on the floor.
“Is Your Majesty going to review memorials? Shall this concubine grind the ink for you?”
Without waiting for his answer, she bent down to pick up the memorial and laid it before him.
He Yanchen leaned lazily back in his chair, ignoring her.
Yue Li, pushing her luck again, sat down in his lap, her slender fingers resting on his shoulders. “You review the memorials, and this concubine will massage your shoulders.”
“If I don’t review them, you won’t massage me?”
The woman pouted and held out her reddened wrist before his eyes. “If you don’t review memorials, you won’t be tired. How could you bear to order this concubine around?”
The moment the words left her mouth, He Yanchen gave her bottom a slap. “Get up already.”
Yue Li’s little face flushed red, and she heard him say, “Didn’t you say you’d grind my ink?”
The woman brightened at once and stood up enthusiastically to grind the ink for him—and He Yanchen actually began reviewing the memorials.
Yue Li wore all her emotions on her face, her round almond eyes curving into little crescent moons with delight, and her hands worked without the slightest slack.
As long as he attended court properly and reviewed his memorials properly, Prince Xian would surely not get his way.
Then she could go on enjoying her life of wealth and luxury!
Half an hour later.
Yue Li’s ink-grinding had noticeably slowed.
After grinding for so long, her hand ached and her back was sore. In the past, they’d always ended up rolling onto the bed before she’d ground for long—when had she ever actually ground ink this long?
Yue Li’s little face scrunched up, and she quietly rubbed her wrist with her other hand, sneaking a glance at the man from the corner of her eye—only to see him earnestly writing vermilion annotations on the memorials.
Yue Li pouted. Oh well. As long as he was willing to work hard, that was what mattered.
He Yanchen caught sight of her swallowing her grievances, and the corners of his lips curved. His mood suddenly lifted.