If word were to get out that he had actually crept over to a palace maid’s daybed in the middle of the night, what face or authority would he have left?
The Emperor subconsciously forgot how he usually dealt with servants; in his desperation, he genuinely began to give serious thought to Yanwan’s proposal.
Lowering his gaze to take a closer look, he saw that this woman was actually smiling?!
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he stared at Yanwan dangerously. “What are you laughing at? Do you think waking Noble Consort Xian up would turn out well for you?”
She was a mere little palace maid; if Noble Consort Xian were to find out about this, was she not worried that Noble Consort Xian would punish her?
Or could it be that she and Ruyi had some secret agreement he was unaware of?
Yanwan pulled his hand down, her red lips curving upward. She seemed completely oblivious to the Emperor’s probing gaze, speaking instead with double meaning:
“Is Your Majesty not here with me? Your Majesty, you simply do not understand women…”
*These were all tactics to reel you in; who said I was actually going to wake Noble Consort Xian?*
Although the Emperor harbored a few romantic thoughts toward Yanwan in his heart, this girl was still young after all—to put it truthfully, he was older than her by sixteen or seventeen years.
With such an age gap, he had treated Yanwan merely as a young girl.
Yet having it put this way by her now, he suddenly came to the realization that there was, after all, a boundary between men and women.
The Emperor sat up awkwardly and cleared his throat, though in his mind he ran through her words once more.
Saying he did not understand women—did she mean he did not understand Noble Consort Xian, or that he did not understand her?
Among the women filling this palace, which one of them was not respectful and reverent upon seeing him, yearning to present only their finest side before him?
Even the ever-lofty Concubine Shu constantly showcased her talents and admiration when facing him.
When speaking with him, who would ever dare say half a sentence while leaving the other half for him to guess? The maiden before his eyes was truly the only exception!
He turned his gaze toward Yanwan, only to find her lying there in a lazy posture, staring at him with a sweet, radiant smile. Sweeping his gaze further down, her small hand was even casually resting on his knee.
Being looked at by her like this, the Emperor stiffened his face awkwardly and scolded:
“Where are your manners! What does lying there look like? I am warning you—if Noble Consort Xian learns of this matter, I shall hold you solely responsible!”
Yanwan let out a smile, mentally cheering victory. Sitting up, her small mouth chattered out a prompt guarantee:
“Your Majesty may rest assured, my lips are sealed tight! Not only will Her Ladyship remain unaware of tonight’s events, but I will also keep my mouth firmly shut regarding matters of the Cold Palace, guaranteeing not a single word will leak out.”
Naturally, she could not speak of it; these matters were merely for teasing the Emperor in private.
If Ruyi were to find out, she truly would not come out of it well.
With matters having reached this point, the Emperor had no choice but to trust that she would keep the secret.
He could not bring himself to kill her, and as for rendering her mute—he was the Emperor, not a beast!
With this thought, the Emperor angrily ripped off the blanket and prepared to step off the bed. Beside him, Yanwan fawned over him and stepped forward, intending to assist him.
Before she could even draw near, the Emperor raised his hand and pressed his index finger against her smooth forehead, pushing her far away with a look that suggested he could not bear her help.
Yanwan obediently let herself be pushed away, an innocent expression appearing on her face as she looked at the Emperor with wide, earnest eyes full of sincerity.
Regrettably, the Emperor was no longer buying into this act at the moment.
Although he had decided to spare her, his mood remained thoroughly foul. He left behind a cold, harsh warning:
“Keep your distance from me! Remember, if I find out that you have leaked even a single shred of news, you shall be executed without mercy!”
Looking at the Emperor’s receding figure, the irritability in his movements as he lifted the door curtain to the inner chamber revealed his inner displeasure. Yanwan could not help but burst into a soft laugh.
The way he flew into a rage out of sheer embarrassment was genuinely somewhat comical.
As if nothing had happened, she turned around and returned to the daybed to continue sleeping. The Emperor, meanwhile, tiptoed into the inner chamber, carefully lifting the bed curtains to slip back into his blanket.
Turning his head to see Ruyi fast asleep, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Recalling what had just transpired, he slapped his forehead in speechlessness. How could he have committed such foolish acts?
He had actually been held by the throat with a leverage point by a little girl—not only had he failed to punish her, but he had even handed her another piece of leverage!
Just as the Emperor was about to lower his arm, he suddenly caught a whiff of a sweet fragrance emanating from his sleeve. Panicking with a guilty conscience, he instantly sat up, tugging at his clothes to sniff them.
Raising his hand, he fanned and fanned until his hand went numb, only for the lingering scent to finally fade. The Emperor let out a long breath, leaned back with a handsome face full of exhaustion, and quickly drifted into dreamland.
……
After the night’s commotion, the Emperor felt as though he had barely fallen asleep before Li Yu called him from outside the door.
Ruyi sat up. As an imperial concubine, she could not allow the Emperor to be late for the morning court. Seeing that the Emperor was still asleep, she reached out to nudge him gently, calling in a soft voice:
“Your Majesty, it is time to rise. You still need to attend court. Allow your servant to assist you in dressing.”
After Yanwan finished styling her hair and tidying herself up, she led a group of young palace maids into the inner chamber to serve. They saw the Emperor sitting before the vanity mirror with a sullen face, while Ruyi, dressed in an inner robe, was gently combing his hair.
Yanwan soaked a towel in the silver basin held by a young maid and wrung it dry lightly. Having angered the Emperor last night, she needed to be more well-behaved today to avoid having the Emperor pick faults with her and make trouble.
Yet the moment she extended her hand, the Emperor snatched the towel away from her, even shooting her a glare in the process.
Ruyi merely assumed that the Emperor did not want a palace maid serving him intimately. A satisfied smile appeared on her fair, full cheeks, and her movements as she combed his hair became even gentler.
Seeing Yanwan standing to the side at a loss, Ruyi smiled generously and instructed:
“Yanwan, go prepare the garments I am to wear today. I have things handled here.”
“Yes, this servant shall go at once.”
She left decisively, which only made the Emperor feel even more displeased in his heart.
Last night, he had nearly been sent off by a cup of water from this maid, yet today she could look him in the face without batting an eye—without even a shred of guilt?
Wiping his face and hands casually with the towel, the Emperor tossed it onto the vanity table with a toss.
Feeling stifled in his heart, he could not speak his mind nor vent his anger due to Ruyi’s presence. After a moment’s thought, he simply raised his hand and called Li Yu in to change his clothes.
Yanwan accompanied Ruyi in seeing the Emperor off at the palace gates. Unexpectedly, while the Emperor maintained a gentle demeanor in front of Ruyi, his face hardened the moment he turned to catch sight of her, wearing an expression of clear dislike.
Yanwan was speechless. *So petty…*
Seeing this, the corners of Ruyi’s lips curved upward, feeling satisfied with the Emperor’s actions. It seemed that after the incident with A’ruo, Hongli had begun to avoid suspicion; he surely could not bear to make her sad again.
It was just that Yanwan was timid, and she was not a traitorous person like A’ruo who craved wealth and fortune—the Emperor was truly overthinking things.
Ruyi’s brows relaxed, and she offered a calm, generous counsel:
“Your Majesty, Yanwan is timid by nature. If there is anything she has done inadequately, I hope Your Majesty will show extra tolerance.”
Regrettably, Ruyi’s good intentions sounded to the Emperor like some sort of joke.
The Emperor let out a dry chuckle, shooting a sideways glance at Yanwan, who was pretending to be an ostrich beside them.
*She, timid?*
There was likely no one bolder than her in this entire palace. He truly did not know whether this woman was too good at acting, or if Ruyi simply failed to understand the true nature of those around her.
The Emperor did not bother to refute Ruyi, offering instead a tender smile:
“Ruyi, you have always been virtuous and attentive to those around you. I simply adore a woman like you who acts with such grand generosity—respectful to superiors and tolerant to subordinates, a truly sensible person rarely seen in this palace.”
Having her character and way of handling things affirmed like this by her beloved youth, Ruyi pressed her lips together, though a flicker of joy still seeped through.
Her cheeks flushed red, her dark eyes filled with happiness, and her raspy voice carried a touch of playful affection:
“How could your servant be as good as Your Majesty says? Your servant understands Your Majesty’s intent and will surely be a tolerant, generous, and thorough Noble Consort Xian!”
The Emperor’s expression softened, yet a deep light flashed through his eyes. Helping Ruyi up as she bowed, the two smiled at each other, a picture of tender affection between an emperor and his concubine.