It was clear Lu Huai usually ate plain, bland food—just this one bowl of spicy noodles, and he had refilled his tea several times. At first, Shang Fuqu was still somewhat reserved, wishing she could bury her face in her bowl.
But the cook’s skill was simply too good; as she ate, she forgot there was someone sitting across from her. She rolled up her sleeves and pushed her empty bowl forward.
“Xiaodie.”
At almost the same moment, another empty bowl was pushed forward by a hand with well-defined knuckles.
Xiaodie’s serving motions were already quite practiced—anyone could tell she did this a lot at home. But serving the Emperor was a first, and she was so nervous she barely dared to breathe.
Eunuch Qi, standing nearby, watched with quiet alarm. His Majesty had always been disciplined and cautious in his conduct. Perhaps it was because Consort Shang ate so deliciously, so appetizingly to watch, that this time he actually ate half a bowl more…
Once the empty dishes were cleared away, Shang Fuqu stared at the pile of books.
Nine books, stacked neatly—just looking at them made her head spin.
“Your Majesty came so early today, and even brought me a gift…”
High EQ: a gift.
Low EQ: adding to her misery.
“These are all new.” Lu Huai didn’t waste words with her, cutting straight to the point with a serious introduction. “They should keep you occupied for a while.” As he said this, his phoenix eyes brightened, and he suddenly looked more spirited.
Before it was the Three Character Classic; now it was the Four Books and Five Classics; who knew, in the future she might have to study the entire corpus of classics, histories, philosophies, and collections—the scholars of the Imperial Academy would have to step aside for her.
“Your Majesty~”
She drew that call out in nine twists and eighteen bends. Shang Fuqu quickly adjusted her smile and, for the second time, tried to move closer. The young Emperor seemed to think of something pleasant, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He didn’t mind the slight change in distance; instead, he lowered his eyes to look at her, signaling her to continue.
He was tall and slender, and the shadow cast by the lamplight could easily envelop her. Shang Fuqu furrowed her brow and pressed a hand to her chest, saying pitifully:
“Your servant is dull-witted; I’m afraid I will fail Your Majesty’s high expectations. But among the women of the harem, there are plenty of gifted sisters. Perhaps… you could give a few of these books to them?”
Such a damned privilege—how could she bear it alone?
If it were spread among several people, she might suffer a little less.
Her abacus was clicking loudly, and as she spoke, she kept sneaking glances at his face. Lu Huai’s expression remained indifferent, still betraying nothing. But his gaze seemed to darken, settling silently upon her.
Shang Fuqu hurriedly lowered her head, adopting a humble, docile posture.
Wondering inwardly what exactly about her had caught his interest, a low voice suddenly sounded from above her: “First, turn off that screen of yours for Us.”
Ever since the mental screen had been shared, for the entire meal the little figure in her head had been bustling about.
Eating a meal like it was a matter of life and death.
The beauty before him, her misty eyes widening instantly, showed an expression of disbelief and shock. Once she recovered, she tried her best to hide it by lowering her eyelids, but her raven-black lashes still trembled violently, betraying the turmoil in her heart.
“Your Majesty…”
How did he know… No—she had tested it before, and confirmed that the System was visible only to her.
At this thought, Shang Fuqu bit her lower lip quickly, reined in her emotions, and shifted to innocent curiosity.
“Your Majesty, I don’t understand what you mean.”
The Son of Heaven gave a soft laugh, his gaze enveloping her as he looked at this beauty seriously for the first time. He had a pair of deep phoenix eyes, naturally carrying an air of majesty and sharpness; smiling now, they were like ink on a cinnabar mountain, unable to conceal his youthful spirit.
The lattice doors closed, and the sleeping quarters fell silent.
Shang Fuqu dared not look up and meet his gaze, afraid of giving away her secret.
But after only a moment, as if realizing something, her pupils trembled slightly. “Your Majesty… you have one too?”
Lu Huai nodded. “Mm.”
He could see the little figure and the Value Points, but not the other things on her mental screen. Still, the little figure alone was enough to reveal her true state.
He didn’t tell her this, of course.
Shang Fuqu: …
Taking a deep breath, her mind made the connection quickly. Pointing at the pile of books, she asked, “So… the things Your Majesty is making me study… could they also be related to this?”
If she thought about it that way, it actually made sense.
Otherwise she truly couldn’t fathom why an emperor whose life consisted of little more than holding court, reviewing memorials, and returning to his sleeping quarters would fixate so single-mindedly on grinding her like this.
When she first got the System, Shang Fuqu had been utterly stunned. She’d thought its contents were divine texts—so novel and fascinating they overturned her entire worldview. She’d believed she was heaven’s chosen, destined to save all mankind!
But after the shock of learning she was merely cannon fodder in the book’s plot, and now hearing the general rundown of how Lu Huai’s System worked, she fell into a long silence…
After a long while, she voiced her self-doubt.
“Is it that I don’t stand high enough?”
Otherwise, why would even using a System in this day and age require serving as the emperor’s beast of burden?
Lu Huai clearly misunderstood.
“Your rank as a Lady-in-waiting of the lowest rank is indeed a bit low.” After serious consideration, he beckoned Qi inside. “Convey my oral decree: promote Lady Shang to the rank of Beauty.”
In others’ eyes, Shang Fuqu had enjoyed the emperor’s exclusive favor since entering the palace, so a promotion was perfectly reasonable.
“You haven’t been in the palace long, so we can’t skip over the proper steps. But from now on, I will protect you.” The Son of Heaven made this promise with genuine sincerity, without a trace of impurity.
As if anything less would sully the pure, mutually beneficial relationship between them.
That familiar burning gaze was like the chili oil in tonight’s bowl. In the past, being stared at like that would have made Shang Fuqu feel a little embarrassed.
Now that the truth was out, her heart was as still as water.
Because—this was an advanced exploitation machine.
She was nonetheless deeply grateful, and genuinely believed him. After all, nothing was more secure than being tethered to the same rope.
Wasn’t this, in its own way, winning at the starting line? Just on a different track, that was all.
Shang Fuqu asked tentatively, “So… I must study every day from now on and complete those System tasks?”
Losing her freedom by entering the palace—she wasn’t afraid of that.
But having to study in the palace—now that scared her.
Warm orange light brushed past her temples, casting a soft shadow across the girl’s delicately contoured profile. Noticing her hesitation, Lu Huai slowly rose to his feet. “I won’t let you suffer any loss.”
Shang Fuqu hurriedly kowtowed. “Your Majesty is the true Son of Heaven—a word from you is as good as nine tripods. Naturally, I trust you.”
With the great blade of the book’s plot hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment, turning herself from a mere concubine into a business partner might just secure a perfect ending.
And she’d get paid for it.
That was a deal she’d take.
Ever since that first night, Shang Fuqu had learned the emperor’s habits—a small lamp was always left lit in the sleeping quarters, the light soft and hazy. This time he hadn’t called Qi in. Standing beneath the lamp, the young emperor unhurriedly undid the jade belt hook at his waist and removed the black-and-gold dragon-embroidered outer robe.
His back was to her, the tips of his hair brushing against his slender waist. She couldn’t make out his expression—only those beautiful, jade-white, immaculate fingers.
Lu Huai did not turn around, his voice as calm as ever.
“Just follow the coursework assigned by the Imperial Academy. From now on, you only need to complete these lessons each day. We’ll count today as done—start tomorrow.”
Knowing that everyone has their own strengths and abilities differ, he made no harsh demands.