The rain outside the window grew heavier, accompanied by terrifying thunder and lightning.
On the bed, Xiao Shizhi leaned against Bai Fuxue’s shoulder, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Bai Fuxue noticed her fluttering eyelashes and comforted her:
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here with you.”
As a qualified imperial consort, Bai Fuxue gently embraced Xiao Shizhi, her fingers running through her hair.
Xiao Shizhi said hoarsely, “Aren’t you surprised that I, as an emperor, am afraid of thunder?”
In most people’s minds, emperors are fearless, decisive in judgment and execution, with nothing in the world able to expose their weaknesses.
Inside the bed curtains, Bai Fuxue covered her with a blanket while she herself wore only a thin undergarment, her slender waist marked with suspicious fingerprints.
This made the already delicate beauty appear even more fragile and endearing.
Bai Fuxue pressed her against her chest and said with a smile, “Not surprised at all. Your Majesty can come to my chambers to rest whenever it rains.”
Perhaps there was truly some calming effect in Bai Fuxue’s presence, or maybe it was just psychological.
With her cheek pressed against soft peaks and her nostrils filled with the pleasant scent of a woman, Xiao Shizhi indeed stopped paying attention to the terrifying thunder outside.
Drowsy and completely relaxed, she sank into deep, sweet slumber.
Bai Fuxue kissed her forehead and chuckled softly:
“How long has it been since you’ve had proper rest?”
The next day.
Half of Bai Fuxue’s bed was already cold, impossible to tell how long Xiao Shizhi had been gone.
Songluo entered quickly with a joyful expression, ready to attend to her mistress’s morning toilette.
Songluo said, “Congratulations, my lady! His Majesty specifically instructed this servant not to wake you before he left. This shows how much His Majesty cares for you.Bai Fuxue was still half-asleep, sitting up drowsily as the sun was already high in the sky.
Bai Fuxue yawned and prepared to go back to sleep.
Her breasts were particularly red this morning.
Although nothing had happened last night, holding Xiao Shizhi all night had left her waist quite sore.
Songluo quickly supported Bai Fuxue’s back, saying, “My lady, have you forgotten about today’s Summer Flower Viewing Party? You must rise quickly.”
Bai Fuxue: ?
What party?
Isn’t summer meant for sleeping?
What are you talking about?
Songluo didn’t notice Bai Fuxue’s dazed expression and continued:
“His Majesty is truly diligent in governance and caring toward his people, having left before dawn.”
Songluo smiled as she served Bai Fuxue a bowl of jade-green congee, saying, “At that time, my lady was still sleeping nestled in His Majesty’s embrace.”
Songluo added, “My lady should help relieve His Majesty’s fatigue.”
After finishing the bowl of congee, Bai Fuxue was dressed in cool summer garments by her maids.
Though awake, Bai Fuxue’s mind was still foggy as she said:
“Isn’t it expected for His Majesty to work hard? As an emperor, can he not even endure this much hardship?”
Her face clearly showed: Is this even worth praising?
Songluo: !!!!!!
Songluo and the other maids immediately knelt on the floor, trembling like sieves.
The hidden guard on the beam paused with his brush, silently contemplating. He needed to record Consort Bai’s words and actions daily.
How was he supposed to write this down?
Songluo was terrified out of her wits, and said in fear: “My lady, such words must never be spoken aloud!””
The commotion finally woke Bai Fuxue completely, and she slowly nodded, sealing her lips.
Songluo looked ready to cry, “If such words were heard by those with ill intentions, it would be the grave crime of disrespect toward the sovereign!”
Bai Fuxue: “…”
After Bai Fuxue finished dressing, she was already a bit later than the agreed time with the other palace ladies. She sat swaying in her palanquin as she made her way to the Moon-Viewing Pavilion in the Imperial Garden.
The summer sky was cloudless for miles, and the trees in the Imperial Garden were lush, shading most of the sunlight.
“I greet my elder sister,” Consort Lin said with a light smile, bending slightly in a curtsy. “Congratulations on gaining His Majesty’s favor.”
Bai Fuxue quickly urged her to rise, saying, “Thank you, sister, for your help that day in the Cold Palace.”
Bai Fuxue stepped down from the palanquin and walked alongside Consort Lin when they spotted Noble Consort Rong’s procession from afar.
Noble Consort Rong’s expression was displeased as she said:
“You two are truly remarkable, arriving late and chatting merrily as if you hold no regard for me and Her Majesty the Empress.”
Xiao Shizhi sat in the Zichen Hall reviewing memorials, the incessant chirping of cicadas coming from outside the window.
The weather was so fine that one could hardly tell there had been a heavy storm the previous night.
Xiao Shizhi had just finished meeting with her ambitious uncle, the Prince of Su, and was utterly exhausted.
A man dressed in black landed lightly before her. “Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty.”
He then handed a stack of papers to the Empress with both hands.
Xiao Shizhi’s weary expression instantly brightened. “How is Consort Bai today?”
The shadow guard’s lips moved, hesitating to speak.
How to put it?
He couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Li Dequan bent over to hand the papers to Her Majesty and couldn’t help but interject:
“Your Majesty, please take care of your health. The consorts are holding a flower-viewing party in the Imperial Garden. You could go and relax.”
Beside Xiao Shizhi were documents about searching for rice seeds, blueprints for repeating crossbows, and some simple improvements to brewing techniques.
She was so busy she felt like she might drop dead from overwork.
Xiao Shizhi commanded, “Read it.”
Li Dequan began reading the brief itinerary on the paper, but his eyes suddenly widened in fear, and he knelt on the ground.
Trembling, Li Dequan said, “Your servant dares not read it.”
Xiao Shizhi thought to herself, what could Bai Fuxue possibly have done? At most, she was just being lazy.
She said sternly, “Read it aloud.”
Li Dequan stammered, “Consort Bai said, she said… ‘Shouldn’t it be expected for His Majesty to work hard? As the emperor, can he not even endure this little hardship?'”
As soon as the words fell, the entire Zichen Hall plunged into an eerie silence.
Li Dequan’s heart sank instantly.
Which emperor could tolerate such contempt from a consort?
This was a crime punishable by execution of the entire clan!
How did the Bai family raise their daughter!
Xiao Shizhi’s pupils dilated in shock as she picked up the papers to examine them closely.
Her heart raced wildly. Damn it, she had been guarding day and night against her uncle making a move on Bai Fuxue, which was why she had the shadow guard watching…
Xiao Shizhi stood by the window, her mind unprecedentedly calm.
To kill a person and destroy their spirit this was exactly it.
Li Dequan cautiously ventured, “Your Majesty, Consort Bai might have spoken unintentionally. There must be some hidden reason.”
Xiao Shizhi waved her hand wearily, her eyes looking even more aged.
Xiao Shizhi thought to herself: I’m not suffering from hard work; I’m suffering from a miserable fate.
She sat back down at the dragon desk and continued reviewing memorials.
As if nothing had just happened.
When the noon break arrived, Xiao Shizhi’s work finally came to a temporary halt.
She went to the Imperial Garden to relax.
Bai Fuxue was indeed right. Compared to that person, Xiao Shizhi’s current workload wasn’t particularly heavy.
The situation left by the previous emperor to Xiao Shizhi was manageable. Aside from her uncle’s covetous ambitions, everything else could be considered acceptable.
From a distance, Xiao Shizhi spotted the beautiful consorts gathered together admiring the flowers.
Only Bai Fuxue stood alone by herself.
Xiao Shizhi watched from a distance, neither too far nor too close, as Bai Fuxue’s solitary figure somewhat diminished his impulse to strike her dead.
The concubines chatted and compared themselves with laughter, their eyes seemingly gentle but actually full of calculation.
Only Bai Fuxue sat dazedly by the pond, yawning, her ears filled with the chatter of her peers.
“This gown of mine is made from the Shu brocade fabric bestowed by His Majesty last year it’s already out of style.”
“Sister, how can you say that? Most of last year’s Shu brocade fabric ended up in your palace.”
“I am the one truly neglected. His Majesty hasn’t visited for over half a year, but at least the servants are still respectful, and I lack no luxuries. Sisters, take a look at this filigree gold bracelet.”
“I’m not as fortunate as you sisters. I only have a cat for company it’s really quite dull.”
She claimed to have only a cat, but that cat was a tribute from the western regions.
The lion-like cat huddled in the arms of a palace maid, a chain tightly fastened around its neck, digging deep into its flesh.
The cat was already very weak, but its thick fur made it appear less pitiable.
Bai Fuxue lazily remarked, “I am a bit better off than you sisters. Last night, His Majesty spent the night at the Pearl Mirror Hall.”
She added, “Every time His Majesty visits, it’s always so noisy. I’d actually prefer a bit more peace and quiet.”
With these words, Bai Fuxue had drawn all the envy and resentment onto herself.
Xiao Shizhi, not far away: “…”
There she goes again, playing hard to get.
The court is never at ease, the Bai family is constantly in turmoil, and you’ve only just regained your position, how could you possibly not want me to visit?
Throughout the entire flower-viewing gathering, everyone’s expressions were sour.
Yet Bai Fuxue remained the one held dearest in the heart of the Empress.
They could only resort to veiled sarcasm and feigned flattery.
But Bai Fuxue was like a salted fish, leaning against the railing, her attention entirely focused on the fish swimming in the pond.
After the flower-viewing gathering ended, Bai Fuxue’s gaze followed the large white cat as it moved behind the rockery.
Liang Chongrong gritted her teeth and said to the palace maid beside her, “What’s the use of bringing this wretched creature? It still couldn’t steal the spotlight from that bitch Bai Fuxue!”
Lifting her eyes to see the large white cat, lion-like in appearance, an inexplicable rage surged within her.
She yanked the cat to the ground.
Meow!
Because its neck was restrained, the poor cat could only let out terrified cries but couldn’t escape.
Bloody marks were left around its neck from the tight chain.
The palace maid behind her was unfazed. “Your Highness, please calm your anger. His Majesty might just be seeking novelty. Consort Bai was favored by the late emperor and is already twenty-three, how many more years can her beauty last?”
Liang Chongrong kicked the cat herself. “Wretched creature! Wretched creature!”
Liang Chongrong was considered a veteran in the palace but had never enjoyed much favor. Because her family could contribute at court, she was given one of the tribute cats during last year’s gathering of nations.
This was her greatest honor.
But who would have thought the Empress would never come to see the cat, as if Liang Chongrong didn’t even exist in the harem.
The poor cat went from being cared for by palace maids to enduring hunger and thirst, with an iron chain around its neck and frequent beatings.
Standing behind the rockery, Bai Fuxue felt a sharp pang in her heart.
That was a snow-white Maine Coon!
The poor cat lay on its side, struggling to breathe on the rocks, its beautiful pupils filled with agony.
Its body trembled uncontrollably, as if sensing Bai Fuxue’s presence. It slowly lifted its head and let out a soft meow.