Bai Fuxue finally understood the joy of being a decadent ruler, the decadence lay in being able to torment someone all night long without anyone daring to stop her.
Through a layer of curtains, soft and seductive gasps echoed throughout the palace.
The next day.
Bai Fuxue woke up in Xiao Shizhi’s arms and looked up to see Xiao Shizhi’s smiling eyes.
The young empress smiled gently, showing no trace of last night’s dominance.
Yet her shoulders were covered with countless bleeding bite marks.
Bai Fuxue’s smile froze at the corners of her lips as she turned her head away, cursing inwardly.
Xiao Shizhi: “It’s getting late. I’m about to attend the morning court session. Rest well, my beloved consort.”
Who knew how many times Bai Fuxue had cried last night? She lifted a leg, intending to kick Xiao Shizhi.
Her slender, beautiful ankle was caught by Xiao Shizhi, whose fingers brushed against the sole of her foot.
Xiao Shizhi: “It’s still early. Don’t cause trouble.”
Xiao Shizhi leaned down, her lips brushing against Bai Fuxue’s earlobe as she whispered hoarsely, “Stop being so unruly.”
Bai Fuxue buried her entire face in the quilt, the tips of her ears so red they seemed about to drip blood.
Xiao Shizhi didn’t tease her further. After tucking her in, she left.
Before leaving, she said to Songluo, “In two hours, your mistress has a lesson. Don’t let her sleep in.”
Songluo replied energetically, “This servant understands!”
Watching the empress depart, Songluo once again felt proud of her mistress.
Her mistress truly held a special place in the empress’s heart!
Bai Fuxue lay on the bed like a dead fish, with not a single spot on her body untouched.
Even the tips of her fingers had been kissed countless times.
That damned woman.
Bai Fuxue drifted into a heavy sleep and was awakened again by Songluo.
Songluo said, “Mistress, please wake up. The court lady Her Majesty appointed for you is waiting outside.”
Bai Fuxue opened her eyes in confusion and mumbled a dazed, “Huh?”
She understood every word individually, but why did they make no sense when strung together?
Bai Fuxue flopped back onto the bed defiantly, thinking, “What are you going to do about it?”
Songluo anxiously said, “Mistress! Her Majesty assigning you a court lady is a sign of her high regard for you.”
Bai Fuxue wrapped herself up like a silkworm cocoon and said, “Let me sleep a little longer.”
Songluo tried to pull Bai Fuxue up but couldn’t use too much force.
The young maid was so anxious she nearly burst into tears.
Bai Fuxue had been tormented until nearly dawn and had managed only about five hours of sleep at most.
Damn it, even the King of Hell would praise her for her stamina.
In the real world, she had been overworked to the brink of death at her company.
Now, after transmigrating into a book, she was still being driven hard by her “boss,” nearly dying in bed.
After completing her basic duties, she still had to attend lessons. Did Xiao Shizhi want to ascend to the heavens or what?
The court lady waited in the parlor with a worried expression, her face scrunched up like a bun.
Earlier, her senior colleague had flatly refused to come, leaving her, the newly promoted court lady, to teach Consort Bai.
Among the court ladies, who didn’t know that Consort Bai was as stubborn as a rolling knife impossible to reason with, and during lessons, she would just lie back in her chair!
Songluo approached the court lady with a troubled expression. “Madam, Consort Bai has not yet risen. Please wait a moment longer.”
She cautiously observed the court lady’s expression, expecting her to be angry.
The court lady smiled kindly and said, “This humble official will wait here. It’s no trouble at all.”
Her smile grew even more relaxed as she took a sip of fresh tea.
Out of sight, out of mind.
The female official had initially thought she would only wait for half an hour, at most an hour.
But two hours passed, and she ended up wasting most of her day sitting in a chair.
Songluo came running in and said, “Your Excellency, my lady has woken up. She will be here shortly!”
The female official: “…”
She sat in the chair, questioning her life.
If it were any other consort, she would have assumed it was a deliberate power play.
But Bai Fuxue was not like that.
Songluo apologized, “I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”
The female official forced a smile and said, “It’s fine, it’s fine.”
She had expected to see Bai Fuxue sitting properly in a round-backed chair, waiting for her. Instead.
The lazy little beauty on the bed waved at her, wearing only cotton undergarments with a blanket draped over her.
Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her shoulders were dotted with faint marks.
Perhaps from sleeping too long, there were creases on her cheeks.
It only made her look even more stunning.
The female official was utterly speechless.
She said, “Your Highness, you haven’t even washed up yet. How can you receive someone in this state?”
Bai Fuxue yawned and sprawled on the bed, saying, “I already washed up, but I got sleepy and went back to bed.”
The female official: ?
Songluo quietly retreated from the bedchamber, leaving the two of them alone.
The female official’s hand trembled slightly as she held the book, her face alternating between pale and flushed with anger.
Bai Fuxue looked at her eagerly and said, “Sit down.”
The female official: “…”
Even angrier now!
The female official posed a soul-searching question: “Your Highness, don’t you want to practice the qin well and play it for His Majesty?”
Bai Fuxue wrapped herself up like a silkworm cocoon and said, “No, I don’t.”
The female official, exasperated, said, “Don’t you want to study diligently and have common topics to discuss with His Majesty?!”
Bai Fuxue shook her head, “No, I don’t.”
Should she recite core socialist values to His Majesty or study how to swing from a lamppost?
Or maybe draw a table by hand?
The female official: “…”
She felt utterly defeated and hopeless.
She began to reflect on whether she had offended her senior colleagues, which led to her being assigned to Bai Fuxue.
Suddenly, Bai Fuxue thought of something and sat up abruptly as if resurrected, saying:
“Did His Majesty order you to teach me so that I could improve my competitiveness in the harem?”
Although the female official felt this phrasing was problematic, she nodded.
Bai Fuxue narrowed her eyes, feeling as if she had seen a glimmer of victory.
Xiao Shizhi was troubled by the civil service system and sighed as she gazed at the bright weather outside.
She put down her charcoal pencil and said, “Li Dequan, what is Bai Fuxue doing?”
Li Dequan replied, “Your Majesty, at this hour, Her Highness is likely attending lessons.”
Xiao Shizhi hummed in acknowledgment and reached out to stroke the large, snow-white Maine Coon cat.
This big fellow had a huge appetite and would lie by the window after eating.
Tangyuan: “Meow”
Xiao Shizhi jealously rubbed its furry ears and stood up, preparing to take a walk in the imperial garden.
A hidden guard descended from the rafters and whispered, “Lady Liang attempted to poison the water supply at the Pearl Mirror Hall. She has been subdued by your subordinate.”
Only then did Xiao Shizhi remember that Lady Liang was the former owner who had mistreated the big cat.
Xiao Shizhi coldly asked, “Where did the poison come from?”
The hidden guard replied, “Your Majesty, it came from Prince Su’s residence, but there is no evidence.”
Xiao Shizhi gave a cold hum and said, “Lady Liang need not be kept alive.”
Prince Su, unwilling to give up, noticed the improving relationship between the Emperor and the Bai family and once again set his sights on Bai Fuxue.
As the only legitimate daughter, she had originally been the honored consort of the previous emperor, but now she had become the favored consort of the late emperor an insult in itself. If she were to die in the palace, the Bai family would surely be thrown into turmoil.
The shadow guard vanished from the Zichen Hall.
Li Dequan reported, “Your Majesty, Consort Rong and Virtuous Consort Liu are drinking and admiring flowers in the imperial garden.”
Xiao Shizhi had a fixed route for her daily walks, and some consorts had calculated precisely when she would pass by.
They lay in ambush, waiting.
Xiao Shizhi’s ears were filled with the melodious and flirtatious sound of singing.
She felt little interest, thinking to herself that if she had to favor every consort she encountered, how was she any different from a courtesan?
Xiao Shizhi frowned bitterly.
Even a courtesan didn’t have to work as hard as she did.
She bypassed the singing consorts and took a different path. Before she could get close, she heard Consort Rong’s voice.
Consort Rong asked, “Is His Majesty really going to pass by this way?”
Virtuous Consort Liu replied, “Yes, I’ve observed this for over half a month.”
Consort Rong giggled flirtatiously, “Come take a look, sister, isn’t my kingfisher-feather hairpin beautiful?”
Virtuous Consort Liu exclaimed, “It’s exquisite! Your ladyship has skin like ice and bones like jade, a peerless beauty. His Majesty will surely be captivated!”
Xiao Shizhi silently changed her route again.
Li Dequan found it increasingly difficult to understand the Emperor’s thoughts. Could it be that His Majesty didn’t fancy these beauties?
Xiao Shizhi walked along a secluded, winding path and from afar spotted a beauty sitting in front of a pavilion.
Her feet dangled above the water, and the koi in the pond, mistaking them for food, opened their mouths eagerly.
The little beauty laughed joyfully, “Quick, bring some fish food.”
She wore a light silk shawl over a ruqun dress adorned with a beautiful rose pattern.
Her laughter was like silver bells, the beauty played with the water, and the koi swam around.
Li Dequan immediately realized that Consort Bai was also deliberately trying to “coincidentally” meet the Emperor.
He expected the Emperor to leave directly, but to his surprise, Xiao Shizhi walked straight up to her.
She embraced the little beauty from behind and said, “Bai Fuxue, you skipped class.”
Xiao Shizhi curled her lips into a smile. This little beauty was finally starting to scheme against her.
She lifted Bai Fuxue’s chin and asked, “Why are you here instead of attending class?”
The little beauty leaned against her softly, wrapping her arms around Xiao Shizhi’s neck, and said,
“Your Majesty, I feel terribly uncomfortable whenever I have to attend class.”
Xiao Shizhi smiled faintly, allowing her to cling to her. “You’re just lazy.”
Bai Fuxue pouted coquettishly, “Your Majesty, the class schedule is too packed. I don’t like it!”
Just lie flat, what’s the point of competing?
We compete in bed, and we compete outside of bed.
This kind of life is unbearable.
Xiao Shizhi said, “If you think this is tiring, what about me? I have to deal with so many memorials every day.”
Bai Fuxue thought to herself, how could we be the same? In the book, you were a tyrant-like emperor who neglected state affairs and only cared about beauties.
Bai Fuxue looked at her calmly and asked, “Your Majesty, have you finished reviewing today’s memorials?”
Xiao Shizhi: ?
Wasn’t “coincidentally” meeting a little beauty supposed to lead to some intimate time?
Bai Fuxue put on a stern face and said, “What time is it now? How can Your Majesty indulge in leisure so carelessly?”
Li Dequan, standing behind them, broke into a cold sweat. The Emperor hated nothing more than being lectured by consorts!
Xiao Shizhi: “I only slept for two hours last night. I’m a bit tired now.”
Bai Fuxue frowned and said, “Will state affairs diminish just because Your Majesty is tired? Will the livelihoods of the common people improve simply because Your Majesty is exhausted?”
Xiao Shizhi: “.”
She immediately regretted going out for a walk.
Work, work until you drop dead.
Xiao Shizhi’s downturned lips curled upward again as she said, “Fine, I’ll go review the memorials. You shall practice the qin in front of me.”
“Everything shall proceed according to my schedule.”
Bai Fuxue: ?
Fuck.