Hearing the dignified First-Rank Duke of Jingwei being evaluated by Xuduo with the phrase “honestly holding it in”—this truly made Fu Lingxi burst into laughter!
“Haha!” A burst of hearty, light laughter rang out.
Fu Lingxi pinched another piece of White Jade Cake and satisfyingly stuffed it into Xuduo’s small mouth, teasingly saying, “You truly are the little lucky sparrow of our Yukun Palace. A reward! Eat up, little girl, and try not to choke.”
If the rule-abiding Suran were here, the “roasted duck” at the little girl’s lips would have flown away.
Hearing her master tease her again, Xuduo blinked at her. She really wanted to tell her master that even though her face looked round and young, she was likely older than her master. But then she thought about how she had suffered in her childhood and eaten so little that her frame remained thin and small; even now, she wasn’t as tall as her master…
She forced the words back down.
Small was fine. As long as her master was happy and she got a sweet treat, everyone was happy!
Seeing the little girl eat with such relish, Fu Lingxi felt hungry as well. She felt that Xuduo was somewhat like her gluttonous assistant from her previous life. Seeing it this way, she found that their personalities were quite similar—both loved a good snack—which gave Fu Lingxi a sense of closeness to her.
Particularly seeing the look of happiness on little Xuduo’s face when eating something good, Fu Lingxi’s appetite unknowingly opened, and she followed suit by nibbling on half a palm-sized piece of White Jade Cake.
Perhaps because the drowning had injured her spleen and stomach, followed by the weakness of the fever, she hadn’t eaten much over the past few days. Given her body’s condition, she couldn’t eat meat for the time being; she needed something light to nourish her intestines. This was why, when she had just broken her fast, she had vowed to eat vegetarian for a day as penance.
Having read the original novel, she knew that more than half of the head servants in the various halls of the harem were Emperor Taiyong’s eyes and ears! Being cautious was definitely the right move.
[Hiss, I almost forgot. This is an ancient romance “child-bearing” novel set on a fictional continent; it features ancient martial arts!]
“Little Xuduo, have you really had enough?”
Fu Lingxi suddenly remembered the book’s setting, and her eyes brightened as she thought: Can I begin cultivating again?
Seeing the little girl looking fully satisfied, she asked again with a smile, “Drink some tea to moisten your throat. You’re still developing and growing; don’t let yourself go hungry.”
“Mm-hmm! Master, your servant is truly full!” Xuduo’s eyes crinkled into smiles as she rubbed her belly, saying contentedly, “When your servant had her meal earlier, she even ate several pieces of sauce-fragrant meat!”
“That’s good. You’ll need to put in a lot of effort and work hard in a moment!” Fu Lingxi smiled and pinched the girl’s fleshy cheek, asking casually, “By the way, during the three days I was unconscious, do you know whom the Emperor chose to attend to him?”
“Your servant knows, of course.” Hearing her master’s question, Xuduo nodded happily and reported like beans spilling from a pouch:
“On the first day, Lady Jing’s attendance was intercepted. Because Her Highness Tongyi also fell into the water, the Emperor was invited to Jingren Palace by Noble Concubine Zhen. However, the Emperor only had dinner at Jingren Palace before returning to Qianqing Palace to rest. He did not summon any other consorts to attend to him.”
“Mhm. And the day before yesterday?” Fu Lingxi stroked her chin, thinking to herself:
[That makes sense. He had to show some face to his favored official, the Prince of Andong, which also appeased Noble Concubine Zhen’s father’s clan. But… the fact that the Emperor truly didn’t summon any consort to attend to him while being ‘caught in a dilemma’ between the new concubines… Could it be that the Emperor is truly impotent?!]
Speaking of which, she had read several dozen chapters of the original work. She had only seen the fierce power struggles between the first and second female leads, with minor supporting characters suffering every time. Prince Huai also had quite a bit of screen time, but the Emperor himself rarely appeared.
Whenever the Emperor did appear, he was basically reviewing memorials. Even when he summoned consorts for the night, it was usually a requirement for the concubines to go to Qianqing Palace to receive his favor—it had a bit of a Qing Dynasty flavor to it.
When she was skimming the book back then, a strange thought had occurred to her: why did the dog Emperor always summon Prince Huai to the palace for a gathering before summoning a consort to Qianqing Palace?
Or to put it another way: why did the Emperor always summon Prince Huai to the palace before summoning a consort?
Among the clever people in the palace, who didn’t know that the Emperor was a misogynist who hated being touched by others?
[Could it be… the dog Emperor is actually borrowing seed?!]
“In response to Master: the day before yesterday, it was Lady Jin’s turn to attend. The Emperor went to Zhonghua Palace for dinner, but he left before the palace gates were locked. Your servant heard that Zhonghua Palace did not ‘call for water.'”
There was an unwritten rule in the harem: if “water was not called for,” it meant the consort had not actually been slept with.
“Little Xuduo is indeed capable!” Fu Lingxi praised the girl in a savvy manner and continued to press, “And yesterday?”
“Yesterday was Lady Jing’s turn. She was summoned to the East Warming Pavilion of Qianqing Palace, and water was called for.” Xuduo’s voice grew quieter as she said the last few words.
“Oh… Yesterday, did Prince Huai enter the palace to pay respects to the two Empress Dowagers?”
“Mhm, yes he did! How did Master know?” The surprised Xuduo nodded repeatedly, looking at her master with adoration as she gossiped in a low voice: “I heard from my friends at Jingyang Palace that yesterday Ruan Ji accidentally collided with Prince Huai in the Imperial Garden… Perhaps for that reason, during lunch today, the Emperor summoned Ruan Ji to serve at Qianqing Palace…”
“Mm-hmm, Ruan Ji is elegant and beautiful, a person of extraordinary presence…” Fu Lingxi nodded thoughtfully. Since it involved the dog Emperor’s private chambers, she immediately shifted the topic and asked:
“That Ruan Ji has received the Emperor’s grace is a fine thing. By the way, Little Xuduo, how are the First and Second Princesses doing now?”
[So, the female lead has already started her ‘business’… It’s a pity, though. The original owner risked her life to save the First Princess and earned the rank of ‘Concubine,’ while Ruan Ji clearly got nothing at all! Keke, this comparison feels quite satisfying~]
“In response to Master, both Highnesses have regained consciousness. However, they are still young; after catching a chill, they still suffer from occasional fevers.”
“Well, with the miraculous hands of the Imperial Physicians, as long as the Highnesses can wake up, it is good! May the Bodhisattva protect them; I hope the two Highnesses recover quickly!”
Hearing this, Fu Lingxi murmured a few words with a sincere expression and palms pressed together. Only then did she open her eyes and smile as she instructed Xuduo: “Come, Little Xuduo, accompany me for a stroll around the main hall of Yukun Palace.”
Since her rebirth, she had been either lying down or sitting. If she didn’t exercise, how could her body stay healthy?
“Yes.” Xuduo enthusiastically supported her master as she rose, responding respectfully.
Fu Lingxi had lived in Yukun Palace for three days, yet she hadn’t been able to have a proper look around. As a result, she still didn’t get to stroll through the main hall.
Just as she was leaning on little Xuduo and walking toward the front of the hall, she heard a clamorous shouting coming from outside the palace walls.
“…Xuduo, go and tell Little Yezi and Little Yinzi to bring over a ‘Treasure Chair’!”
Leaning against a finely carved palace pillar and seeing Eunuch Fang, Ziluan, Suran, and the others coming out to check the situation, Fu Lingxi narrowed her fox-like eyes and let out a low hum: “This Concubine wants to see just what kind of dowry the Duke can send me this time!”
Now was a perfect opportunity to test the abilities of the servants around her!
A first-class palace maid was not someone who could be appointed casually. Each had to pass the evaluation of the Bureau of Ceremonies in the Internal Affairs Office, and each possessed an outstanding specialty.
For instance, Suran was meticulous and insightful, proficient in accounting, and skilled at handling interpersonal relationships.
Xuduo had sharp ears and eyes, was lively and amusing, possessed exquisite needlework skills, and even knew a bit of martial arts.
Ziluan was cautious and reserved, loyal and honest; not only was she skilled at styling hair and makeup, but she also had a talent for cooking.
Seeing that it was still Lin Pingzhi leading the crowd of eunuchs and attendants into the palace gates, Fu Lingxi cast a glance at Suran. Seeing that she understood, Suran immediately bowed to take her order and headed into the inner hall.
Staring at Lin Pingzhi, Fu Lingxi slightly knit her brows, mocking him in her heart:
Look at that. It’s him again—the dog Emperor’s trusted personal eunuch, Lin Pingzhi!
Tsk tsk. The Emperor appeared to treat her with special favor and affection, yet the two of them hadn’t even spent time together. What exactly did this Emperor Taiyong mean? Did he truly intend to make her a “Grand Favored Consort” just to set her up as a massive target for the rest of the harem?!!