The calm indifference in his eyes seemed to falter, replaced by a darkening gaze that froze over like ice.
“Your Majesty, this servant’s patience is limited. Your Majesty would do well to listen to this old thing and stay away from this servant, hmm?”
That final upward lilt carried a heavy warning.
It was the first time he had been so angry with Jiang Wan. To be honest, it was terrifying—the kind of terrifying that chilled one to the bone and made cold sweat break out all over.
As if in the blink of an eye, one’s life could be forfeited to him.
Perhaps it was Jiang Wan’s act of removing the needles, or perhaps it was her increasingly unrestrained behavior, that caused him to momentarily fail to suppress the rising urge to kill.
Jiang Wan’s heart instinctively trembled. Then, meekly, she withdrew her hand. The corners of her eyes tinged with a faint crimson, a tear hanging at the edge, about to fall but not quite. She pressed her lips tightly together without making a sound.
Xie Changlin gave her one last glance before leaving with a darkened expression.
Only after his figure disappeared from sight did the little empress, still standing in place, grit her teeth so hard they creaked.
Scaring her? This was nothing! If she were afraid, she wouldn’t be Jiang Wan!
Qiaoqiao unclenched her sweaty palms. Watching Jiang Wan, whose expression changed faster than flipping a book, she finally let out a sigh of relief and stepped forward to ask softly, “Your Majesty, shall we return to the palace now?”
“Mm.” Jiang Wan nodded, sweeping her gaze over the few people behind her. “Did someone from the Ceremonial Directorate come to punish you?”
They all knelt in unison, their voices low. “We deserve the punishment, Your Majesty. It was our negligence in serving you. Please forgive us.”
Jiang Wan frowned and comfortingly patted Qiaoqiao’s bowed head. “Was it a deduction of wages?”
“Eunuch Rongqing ordered everyone in Eternal Joy Palace to receive ten strokes of the cane and a one-month wage deduction.”
“The wages will be compensated from my own funds. Add an extra month’s wages for each person, and bring some good wound medicine for them to apply to each other.” Jiang Wan lowered her eyes and sighed with self-reproach. “I’m sorry. It was my willfulness that implicated you.”
In this world, when had an empress ever apologized to palace maids and eunuchs?
The unspoken grievances in the hearts of Eternal Joy Palace’s people instantly vanished. Moreover, remembering that the Ceremonial Directorate hadn’t directly disposed of them this time was also because she had protected them, they felt even more grateful to this young empress.
Jiang Wan returned to the palace with them and didn’t ask anyone to attend to her. Instead, she sat at her desk to handle the affairs of the inner palace. Whatever she didn’t understand, she set aside, picking the simpler tasks first.
The account books sent by the Four Offices and Six Bureaus were completely beyond her comprehension. Still, just by looking at the total amounts, she could tell the inner palace’s extravagance knew no bounds.
With the national treasury already depleted, they were still spending like this?
She sighed with emotion and then moved the account books to the pile of things she didn’t understand. In the end, she realized that after an hour had passed, she had only finished two or three tasks. The rest were already stacked higher than her head.
Someone, save her! There were even characters she didn’t recognize and had to learn on the spot. How was she supposed to manage the inner palace?
After letting out a long sigh, Jiang Wan pulled out her little romance novel again to pass the time.
Today’s story was about a young lady from a wealthy family pursuing a bookstore teacher. Under the pretense of studying, the lady secretly held the teacher’s hand while practicing calligraphy, drew close, and flirted. Slowly, pink bubbles began to float around the two of them~
Jiang Wan had learned something new again.
She narrowed her eyes at the pile of tasks before her, a gleam of cunning flashing in her eyes.
However, she would have to wait a bit longer. Xie Changlin had just gotten angry today, so it wasn’t the time to provoke him.
Thus, it was not until early the next morning that Jiang Wan had a young eunuch carry the ledgers of affairs and accompanied him to the Qu Palace.
“Hmm? Your Eminence isn’t here? Where did he go?”
Rong Qing was also absent. The one who replied was called Xin Chang, another young eunuch. “Your Majesty, this servant does not know.”
Those who followed Xie Changlin would never casually reveal his whereabouts to others, even if they knew—after all, their dog’s lives were at stake.
“Then shall I wait for him upstairs?”
With that, she took the ledgers and the food box and headed upstairs on her own.
After all, the room she visited last time contained nothing more than a desk, a soft couch, and a chessboard. Staying there for a while shouldn’t be life-threatening.
Xin Chang hesitated, wanting to stop her but not daring to. After a moment of internal struggle, he lowered his head with a look of resignation and served Jiang Wan tea.
If Nine Thousand Years returned and saw the Empress, displeasure could cost him his head.
What could he do? In this palace, he occupied the lowest and most despised position. His life had long ceased to be his own, especially after serving the most unpredictable master.
Just as he stood anxiously by the door for half an hour, movement finally came from downstairs. He glanced at Jiang Wan, who was still enjoying tea cakes, and hurried down to report.
Soon, Xie Changlin, dressed in red robes and idly toying with a small string of red prayer beads, leaned lazily against the doorframe.
Hearing the noise, Jiang Wan turned around, her eyes curving into a smile. “You’re back!”
“Does Your Majesty have business?”
“I was hoping Your Eminence could teach me how to handle affairs in the rear palace, so I won’t be completely in the dark.”
Upon hearing this, Rong Qing silently retreated to the side, his lowered expression indescribable.
Asking Nine Thousand Years to teach? He almost wanted to mourn for the people of the rear palace.
“This servant can have someone find a matron to go to Eternal Joy Palace.”
“How could I trouble a matron with such matters? If word got out that the newly appointed Empress couldn’t even read properly, how embarrassing would that be?”
Xie Changlin let out a light scoff. “Then how is it any less trouble for Your Majesty to bother this servant?”
Jiang Wan, however, smiled innocently. “Isn’t it because I’m risking my life to find an excuse to get close to Your Eminence?”
Once again, she was so straightforward, without the slightest concealment, which gave Xie Changlin a headache.
What exactly did this little Empress want? Neither soft nor hard tactics worked on her?
He waved his hand, signaling Rong Qing and Xin Chang to withdraw, then walked in and sat opposite Jiang Wan, leisurely pouring himself a cup of tea. “Does Your Majesty truly believe this servant can do nothing to you?”
“No, it’s that I truly don’t care about my life.” Jiang Wan picked up a tea cake with her fair, delicate hand and offered it to him, just as she had last time. “I defied my father and offered my own life to Your Eminence. Isn’t that sincere enough?”
Xie Changlin continued his movements without pause, only lifting his eyelids to give her a cold glance. “Just to avoid serving in the bedchamber?”
Jiang Wan shook her head, her expression turning serious. “It’s because I like Your Eminence.”
She had read some romance novels, and the sweet love stories in them were indeed lovely. But Jiang Wan always felt that the methods of confession in those stories were too roundabout. While twists and turns might add a bit of charm, they weren’t suitable for her.
If you like someone, you should just say it.
She truly liked Xie Changlin—she had liked him since that fleeting glimpse five hundred years ago. Now she was here to repay a favor and serve as his Love Tribulation, so naturally, she had to work harder. How could this fearsome deity understand her feelings if she kept them hidden?
Especially since this benefactor had shown murderous intent toward her just yesterday…
She pondered all night, increasingly convinced that she must make her stance clear—she couldn’t just lie low! Lying low would cost her her life!
Xie Changlin’s lips curled into a deep, mocking smile, as if mocking her, or perhaps himself. “Falling for a eunuch? A treacherous eunuch?”
“I don’t care what you are.” Jiang Wan pursed her lips, her voice crisp and youthful, filled with certainty. “Just take it as me falling in love at first sight, captivated by your looks. Even if you were a woman, if I say I like you, then I like you!”
Once again, those dark, clear eyes seemed to sparkle with stars every time she looked at him, inexplicably shining and impossible to ignore.
Xie Changlin suddenly recalled the young empress he had seen at the coronation ceremony and slowly lowered his eyelids.
That was the first time—the first time someone had looked at him with such pure eyes, free of any disdain, untainted by complex emotions like hatred or disgust, or even fear. Instead, they were filled with deep joy, unmistakably crashing into his line of sight.
Joy? How could anyone feel that way upon seeing him?
Perhaps that was why he had been a little more patient with the young empress these past few days.
All subtle emotions vanished from his brow, leaving behind an expressionless face as he glanced indifferently at the stack of documents beside him. “Your Majesty, are all these things you’ve brought over things you don’t understand?”