The Emperor’s eyelids twitched; had someone else taken over the shell of his Little Concubine? Where had his playful Little Concubine gone?
He still preferred the lively Little Concubine, who looked so endearing that he couldn’t help but want to kiss her.
Now this pretentious one, who didn’t quite hit the mark, though still very cute, wasn’t the mischievous Little Concubine he wanted to cuddle with.
It seemed that Nanny Qi’s visit that afternoon had caused quite a few changes, turning his Little Concubine into this well-behaved figure.
He subtly continued, "Let the meal be served, and let my Beloved Consort join me."
Lian Hua, upon hearing the words "Beloved Consort," got goosebumps. Oh, how cheesy His Majesty sounded when he said it so seriously; he could outdo her in pretense, making her quite uncomfortable.
Despite her thoughts, she managed a forced smile and bowed, "Thank you for your graciousness, Your Majesty."
After the Emperor had spoken, he turned to Nanny Qi to inquire, "Would Nanny join us for the meal as well?"
Nanny Qi slightly bowed and replied, "This old servant thanks Your Majesty, but it is not proper etiquette. You should just dine with Master Lian."
With that, she began to call people to set the meal.
The Emperor shook his head helplessly and led the way into the hall to sit down, with Lian Hua and Nanny Qi following behind.
Once inside, Nanny Qi took her place standing to one side, and Lian Hua, a bit unsure of herself, wondered whether she should sit down now since His Majesty had just invited her to dine together, but the meal wasn’t served yet. It was quite a dilemma.
Seeing her uncertainty, the Emperor said formally, "As my Beloved Consort is now with child, it is not suitable to stand for long; please, sit as well."
Lian Hua immediately beamed with joy, her eyes twinkling like stars as she walked over to take her seat, but she heard a cough from behind and quickly composed herself, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Then your servant will respectfully comply."
Only then did she walk over, bow slightly, turn around to reveal a dignified smile, and slowly sat down, half-leaning against the chair.
Lian Hua wore a faint smile but inwardly, she was crying out in frustration. This posture was the standard etiquette that Nanny Qi had taught her that afternoon. It looked good but was extremely tiring. The sisters in the harem loved to sit this way, but she just couldn’t do it.
Once Lian Hua had sat down, the Emperor gently patted her leg under the table to reassure her. He then turned to Nanny Qi with a look of concern, "Nanny, you are getting on in years; there’s no need to stand. Please, sit with us." Without his Little Concubine seated, Nanny Qi wouldn’t sit.
Nanny Qi still had a stern face, "Thank you, Your Majesty, but this old servant is in good health and used to standing; it’s not necessary."
The Emperor persisted, "Nanny has had a taxing journey today, you should indeed sit and dine with us, or else I won’t be at ease."
Nanny Qi softened her expression but remained resolute, "If that’s the case, this old servant will take her leave first, so that you may dine in peace."
Now was the time to establish clear rules for this young girl by the Emperor’s side, to teach her the importance of knowing her place within the hierarchy of the Palace Concubines. She could not be the first to break the rules.
The Emperor felt somewhat helpless, as Nanny Qi was still so stubborn, so he could only say, "Let’s go along with Nanny then. But after you leave, make sure to eat well and rest well. We can talk about the other matters after you’ve rested well tomorrow, alright?"
Without waiting for Nanny Qi to respond, he immediately called Zhang Qing to take good care of Nanny Qi, arranging everything thoroughly to ensure all is well.
Nanny Qi kept silent, apparently agreeing to the Emperor’s arrangement and bowed before she left.
Lian Hua tried hard to keep her expression neutral, not to show her happiness. Once everyone had left, she secretly lifted her gaze. Seeing that everyone had indeed left, she couldn’t help but stretch her neck to look outside to make sure the coast was really clear.
No wonder she acted ; today, Nanny Qi had scared her several times, it was terrifying.
The Emperor looked amusedly at his Little Concubine, who seemed to come back to life after Nanny Qi left, regaining her usual vivacity.
He pinched her cheek and said, "No need to look anymore, she has already gone far."
Lian Hua shook her head and grabbed His Majesty’s hand that had pinched her face, still gazing towards the door.
She took the Emperor’s big hand away, got up, and tiptoed to the door. Using the door to shield her figure, she peeked outside to affirm that no one could see her, only then completely relaxing.
The sight made the Emperor laugh out loud. His Little Concubine was truly acting like a thief. What exactly had happened this afternoon that made his Little Concubine so suspicious and insistent on confirming that no one was outside?
Hearing the laughter of the Emperor, Lian Hua couldn’t help but turn around, hips akimbo, and said fiercely, "Your Majesty, how can you laugh at me? You don’t know how terrifying Grandma Qi is. Today she scared away the Noble Consort and the Chief Steward. After the door was closed, I thought it was over, but it was just beginning. What I experienced today was, simply, simply—"
A sharp glint flashed in the Emperor’s eyes; his Little Concubine’s words were extremely informative. Zhang Qing had already reported to him about the Noble Consort’s visit, and he suspected that after today, the Harem would stir into action. Cao De, that scoundrel, had been at ease for too long and should start doing some work.
However, why did his Little Concubine refer to Nanny Qi as Grandma Qi? It should be okay to call her that in private; Nanny Qi was almost like his senior, but as he was the Emperor, he couldn’t call her that, so let his Little Concubine do it instead. It sounded affectionate this way.
Lian Hua, with hands on hips, began pacing back and forth, unable to find the right words to describe her ordeal. She became so anxious that she involuntarily grabbed at her hair, mumbling, "Simply, ah ah ah, how should I say it...?" What exactly is it! So annoyingly frustrating!
The Emperor stood up, walked over, and took her hand; he embraced her and kissed her forehead, suggesting, "Is it utterly inhumane?"
Lian Hua immediately looked up, finding the word perfect, and couldn’t help but admire His Majesty, exclaiming, "My Lord, you truly are rich in knowledge, yes, yes, yes, it’s utterly inhumane! And also, utterly despicable, that’s right!"
Catching on with His Majesty’s words, she too came up with one, and after speaking, she couldn’t help feeling a bit proud. She had some knowledge up her sleeve too; it was just a momentary lapse.
The Emperor secretly chuckled. He didn’t think it was that exaggerated. Although Nanny Qi was a bit stern, she was always reasonable in her actions. His Little Concubine was pregnant, and Nanny Qi was even more anxious than he was, so how could she be too harsh?
Zhang Qing mentioned that his Little Concubine had blurted out everything about catching the fish herself, completely voluntarily. The little confused one, sometimes clever, sometimes muddled, after hearing what Zhang Qing said, he knew she was in for a treat.
Nanny Qi disapproved of such behavior and was sure to express it somehow, he just wasn’t sure how yet.