Zhuang Laoyan’s gaze fell upon Tingzhu, who was kneeling before her. She took a sip of the tea made from the tea leaves the emperor had just given her. “I’m punishing you to kneel for thirty minutes. After that, you may rise. Perform your duties as usual. Understand?”

“This slave thanks master for the kindness.” Tingzhu kowtowed three times, gratitude in her heart. In the house were several basins of ice, so it wasn’t that hot. For her master to have her kneel here, how could she not know that her master sympathized with her? If it were a different master, after they discovered this matter, would they still allow her to stay? She only received such a little punishment. It was already a huge kindness.

Actually, Zhuang Laoyan did not believe in such superstitions. However, this bit of news had been deliberately uncovered by Noble Imperial Concubine Yan and given to her. If Zhuang Laoyan did not respond even a little, it would reflect poorly on her. But the method of punishment was up to her hands. Tingzhu was a servant who was clever, wise, and able to grasp the situation quickly. She did not have the heart to throw her away.

When the entire harem thought the emperor would not flip a name tag, the emperor visited Jingyang Palace two nights in a row. The empress was the emperor’s principal wife. The other concubines did not have a reason to be jealous.

On the third night, the emperor visited Noble Consort Shu. The next day, he quickly bestowed her many gifts. It seemed that the favor Noble Consort Shu received had not decreased.

After Noble Consort Shu was Zhaorong Xu, Consort Ning, and Consort Xian. It made the imperial concubines think that the emperor changed his habit of rarely visiting the harem during the summer.

After the above group of women had been visited once each time, the emperor did not flip a name tag for two nights. It really confused the imperial concubines.

“Your Majesty, the interior supervision eunuch has come to pay respects.” Once Gao Dezhong said these words, Feng Jin knew he was here to ask if he would flip a name tag.

“Allow him entrance.” Feng Jin stopped his hand. Gao Dezhong approached to receive his brush, and saw upon the paper a large character of “Kong¹,” flamboyant and bold, a flying dragon and dancing phoenix.

Once the interior supervision eunuch knelt before Feng Jin, Feng Jin shifted his gaze to the tray of name tags. Suddenly he said, “Are the peaches at Taoyu Pavilion almost ripe?”

Gai Dezhong was shocked. He quickly said, “Perhaps they are good to eat now. However, they are not fully ripe.”

“Not yet ripe has its own advantages.” Feng Jin lifted a name tag. “We have not visited Chongyi Zhao in a while. Tonight let’s go to Taoyu Pavilion.”

Now that she knew she’d have to book a night with the emperor, Zhuang Laoyan ate the peaches that had been picked from the forest outside. She narrowed her eyes as she took in the light of the room. Took a bite. Half of the peach gone.

When Feng Jin had finished going through all the memorials and proposals, it was still early. Then he saw Gao Dezhong rush in. “What happened?”

“The empress dowager had one of Master Rou’s maidservants beaten to death by rod.”

“What’s the reason?” Feng Jin’s tone did not change.

Gao Dezhong did not dare to even wipe the sweat on his forehead. “This slave has heard that that palace maid was in a rush and bumped into the empress dowager’s procession.”

“How could that happen?” Feng Jin laughed coldly.

“Apparently the empress dowager wanted to take a look at the peach garden. Who would have known that a palace maid of Consort Rou was picking peaches from the peach garden, and bumped into the empress dowager as she was leaving, giving the empress dowager a fright. As such, she was beaten to death.”

“Presently, what’s so good to see about a few peaches that are not fully ripe?” Feng Jin said, his words dripping with ridicule. “We will accompany Imperial Mother in taking a look at the peach garden.”

After Zhuang Laoyan heard that the empress dowager was visiting the peach garden, she went outside to wait for her. She never would have thought that a palace maid from Consort Rou’s side would steal some peaches and bump into the empress dowager. Even Consort Rou was lectured an earful.

It appeared that Consort Rou, who had enjoyed much glory in the imperial harem, was forced to kneel, her face pale. Zhuang Laoyan approached and said, “May the empress dowager have mercy. Elder Sister Consort Rou did not know her servant would be so daring.”

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“If you are unable to even manage your own people, what can you actually do?” The empress dowager glanced at Zhuang Laoyan, cold as ice. “When is your input necessary in this grieving one’s matters?!”

“This concubine is at fault.” Zhuang Laoyan acted as if she were frightened as she knelt, doing so in a well-behaved manner.

“Imperial Mother usually prays to Buddha. Do not let a servant with thieving fingers spoil your benevolence,” said Feng Jin a few steps away. “The two beloved concubines were unaware of that servant’s actions. Imperial Mother should let them rise.”

The empress dowager looked at the two kneeling women. She slowly opened her mouth to say, “Since the emperor has said so, you two may rise.”

“Thanking the empress dowager. Thanking the emperor.” Zhuang Laoyan stood and moved to the side. She focused on the pearl on her embroidered shoes. A smirk on her lips.

“Emperor, it is not this grieving one that wants to give them trouble.” The empress dowager glanced at the pale-faced Consort Rou. “As the master of her own palace, she actually does not have the ability to control her servants. It truly brings this grieving one disappointment.”

In an indifferent tone, Feng Jin said, “Imperial Mother should not be so upset. It’s only a servant. Since she is already dead, there’s no need to hurt the body with these negative emotions.”

Once the empress dowager heard Feng Jin’s words, she understood he did not want to punish Consort Rou. She glanced at Consort Rou, unsatisfied. She boarded her sedan and left.

“Your Majesty…” Frightened, Consort Rou looked at Feng Jin, her little face still white.

“Return first.” Feng Jin’s tone was calm. “Investigate about the matters regarding that palace maid well.”

“This concubine will make her leave,” said Consort Rou, biting her lip as she left. After she had walked a distance away, she could not help but turn around for a look. And she saw the emperor take Chongyi Zhao’s hand. At the same time, Chongyi Zhao lifted her head with a smile. The gazes of the two met. Then the two naturally looked away from each other.

“Your Majesty, this concubine’s body is full of sweat…” Zhuang Laoyan lightly pushed away the emperor who wanted to kiss her. Her gaze shy and timid.

“We also have not bathed yet. Beloved concubine should attend to Us well.” Feng Jin stole a kiss from Zhuang Laoyan’s lips. He ordered the servants from the outside to prepare a bath.

The servants understood what to do. They naturally prepared a large bathtub with dragons carved onto its surface. As Feng Jin carried Zhuang Laoyan into the tub, she only thought one thing: this bathtub was a lot bigger than the one she usually used.

Some things would naturally occur when a naked man and woman were together in a bathtub. If not, then it would be abnormal. For this reason, while Zhuang Laoyan had her arms thrown over Feng Jin’s neck, pants escaping her lips, she thought when a man and a woman took a bath together, things would indeed be very exciting.

It took one hour for them to finally finish. Zhuang Laoyan lay down as if she had no bones in her body, letting the emperor help her dress. She reached out to hold his arm, a smile gracing her lips. “Your Majesty is so slow.”

“What? You think We are not doing a good job?” Feng Jin reached out to pat the beauty’s waist. “How about beloved concubine help Us dress instead?”

“Your Majesty should not bully others.” Zhuang Laoyan’s face was slightly red, and she lowered her voice to say, “This concubine’s waist is sore.”

After Feng Jin heard these words, he laughed. He finished helping Zhuang Laoyan into her clothes. He bent down and pulled the beauty on the bed close to his chest. To the servants outside, he said, “Come.”

The eunuchs and palace maids standing outside entered with their heads lowered. They dared not lift them. After they quickly cleaned up the room, they carried the bathtub out. Everyone knew what had transpired inside the chamber.

He stroked Zhuang Laoyan’s still-damp hair. “What does beloved concubine do usually?”

“Reading, practicing calligraphy, embroidering purses, raising flowers, and practicing the guqin. This concubine is not very good at them, however.” Zhuang Laoyan rubbed her head on Feng Jin’s neck, sending a sense of unease. “But this concubine thinks that after much practice, the results will be better.”

“These are all material goods. Just treat them as hobbies. There’s no need to try so hard.” Feng Jin patted her back and said gently, “Beloved concubine is fine as you are.”

“Really?” With just one sentence, the originally dejected mood of the beauty seemed to have vanished, turning bright and joyful. Feng Jin saw the woman in his arms look up at him, her eyes shining. He nodded.

The pair of hands wrapped around his neck seemed to have tightened. When Feng Jin once again looked down, the beauty resting her head on his shoulder. Apart from joy, there also seemed to be dependence on him.

Feng Jin’s heart trembled. He finally lay down on the bed carrying the beauty.

At daybreak, Gao Dezhong, Tingzhu, and the rest of the servants waited outside for their masters to call them. Last night, the inner chamber had rumbled and shook. It seemed the masters would not wake up too early.

Gao Dezhong looked at Chongyi Zhao’s two personal maidservants. They seemed very rule-abiding. They also never inquired about anything with him. In fact, he had a better opinion of them than those palace maids who thought themselves smart.

An hour later, a sound from the inside. Gao Dezhong led a few servants into the chamber. It indeed appeared like in the past: Chongyi Zhao was still lying on the bed, with the emperor awake by himself.

If one were to talk about favor, although Chongyi Zhao could not be considered the most favored, she was allowed to sleep when the emperor had woken up. She should be the only one with this privilege. Even Noble Consort Shu had to wake up early the morning after the emperor had visited her, and help the emperor into his clothes. Judging by the emperor’s quiet actions, Gao Dezhong understood the master lying on the bed should still frolicking in the land of dreams.

In the house was the scent of lovemaking. Gao Dezhong had been attending to the emperor for many years. As such, he would not pry. After he had helped the emperor into his clothes, he saw the emperor return to the bedside to plant a kiss upon Chongyi Zhao’s forehead. And Gao Dezhong quickly dropped his head again.

The empress dowager punished Consort Rou’s palace maid to death by rod for having sticky fingers. Even Consort Rou was lectured by the empress dowager for one whole night, the rest of the imperial harem knowing this matter. Some indulged in schadenfreude. Some pretended it didn’t happen.

“That palace maid was stupid. Although the peach garden isn’t large, it’s still possible to secretly pick a few peaches. Why did she have to be so frightened and run and bump into the empress dowager’s procession? It’s a mystery whether she didn’t grow a brain or a pair of eyes,” said Xiuyi Su with disdain. “Consort Rou sure is unlucky, having such a servant.”

“Indeed. Truly a stroke of misfortune. If not, why would they have gone to Taoyu Pavilion to steal a few peaches? And even bump into the empress dowager.” Noble Consort Shu’s smile did not quite meet her eyes as she picked a grape with her fingertips. The neat, clean, and beautiful nail scratched the skin of the grape, revealing the fresh flesh.

“None of the women in the imperial harem are simple.” She threw the grape into a green jadeite basin that was in the shape of a lotus leaf, which was by the side. Noble Consort Shu wiped her hand with a handkerchief and looked at Xiuyi Su. “These words can be said in my residence. But outside, keep your mouth shut for me. Understood?”

“Yes.” Xiuyi Su nodded, fear apparent from her appearance. But what she didn’t understand was, if everyone knew this matter, why those words could not be said.

Hmm, I wonder why that palace maid was even at the peach forest. And did the empress dowager really had her killed for bumping into her?

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