Yun Jiao didn’t, the Emperor asked, so she had to speak.
When others bullied her, did she still have to keep it a secret for them? Not only did she want to apply eye medicine, but she also wanted to add pepper to it. If the Emperor got annoyed because he thought she was being spiteful, then he wasn’t that good anyway. In short, she didn’t care what men thought.
Yun Jiao had considered many possibilities, but she never expected that the Emperor would laugh.
"What is the Emperor laughing about?" Yun Jiao was puzzled.
"She is highly esteemed as the Empress of a nation, having long established an unbeatable position in the harem. Even if I favor you, and one day raise you to the rank of a concubine, your clothes, food, expenses, and status can never surpass hers. Yet she resorts to such childish pranks to deal with you," Xie Zhixing paused, a thin smile playing on his lips. "I just find it amusing."
The Empress wasn’t wrong; he indeed had a distaste for foolishness.
Being foolish and troubling oneself might have some charm, but causing trouble for others was less bearable.
"I won’t hold this against her. Be more cautious in the future. If you encounter something you can’t handle, send someone to find me."
Xie Zhixing respected his identity and did not wish to confront the Empress over such trivial matters or bring them up again — the Emperor and Empress were one and the same, and in the eyes of others, the Empress was ignorant and jealous, causing unrest in the harem, which wasn’t a good reputation either.
Yet, he gave Yun Jiao a promise, providing her with direction for support in times of trouble.
Those who acted domineeringly in the harem often had their families as support, while a daughter of a minor official could easily be overshadowed.
From now on, her support would be him.
"Well, that’s wonderful."
Yun Jiao smiled happily at the Emperor, but she didn’t take it to heart.
"Didn’t the Emperor go to Concubine Lan’s place last night?"
She changed the subject, recalling the fiery beauty by the bonfire.
"After leaving, I was truly uneasy at heart. Before reaching Concubine Lan’s tent, I turned back. Seeing that you were already asleep, I didn’t wake you."
Xie Zhixing smiled faintly, but the reality was quite different.
Seeing that Yun Jiao wouldn’t let him stay, he pretended to leave and went to chat with Prince Duan. Timing it just right, he returned. Sure enough, she was fast asleep, no longer pushing him away.
This feeling was quite novel. As the Emperor, and good-looking, he had never been rejected, only faced with countless women showering silver taels to get into his household. Last night, the hospitable and sociable Prince Duan got drunk and had long since fallen asleep. Amid his drunken stupor, he was awoken by his beloved brother to chat for a while, and just when his drunkenness seemed to wane, his brother decided to leave.
He troubled himself and also troubled Prince Duan.
All just for a feint so that he could sneak back to Yun Jiao’s side after she fell asleep.
"Oh, I slept well, no need for the Emperor to worry."
Xie Zhixing’s complex mental activities, his unsaid thoughts, didn’t reach Yun Jiao.
She only felt that the Emperor was squandering his opportunities.
If it were her, she would have surely had a grand bout with Concubine Lan last night.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Because the Emperor is good-looking."
"...Stop looking now, you don’t need to attend to me dressing, go wash up yourself, don’t miss the hour for the morning greetings."
If Yun Jiao indeed made a mistake, Xie Zhixing could excuse her from corporal punishment, though copying scripts couldn’t be omitted. After all, with the Empress losing her authority, the harem would be fraught with troubles.
Yun Jiao nodded and went to wash up swiftly.
She didn’t like spending much time on grooming, preferring to sleep more. Yet, she wouldn’t be too late arriving at Jianzhang Palace. However, today, when she reached the Empress’s tent, she realized she was almost the last one to arrive.
"This concubine greets the Empress."
Yun Jiao paid her respects.
The Empress sat at the head, casting her gaze downward on Yun Jiao, with her dignified face covered in a layer of unshakeable gloom. She was well aware that no matter how much the Emperor favored his concubines, he couldn’t exceed her authority in arrangements, yet he casually found a reason to allow Attendant Lady Xi a better and larger tent, and not just that, even though he was supposed to accept Concubine Lan last night, he stayed with Attendant Lady Xi instead...
What kind of enchanting means did this enticing woman possess for the Emperor to go to such lengths for her?
The Empress pondered extensively.
At last, it wasn’t until the nanny gently set down a teacup that she snapped back to reality. "Rise."
"Thank you, Empress."
As Attendant Lady Xi got up with unsteady feet, everyone unsurprisingly thought — the Empress was still so petty.
Yun Jiao returned to Concubine Li’s side, noticing differences from usual today.
The women in the harem were mostly delicate, not venturing much outside their boudoirs before entering the palace. After the bumpy journey by carriage, they all had more or less some discomfort. Yet today, except for Lady, they fiercely plastered three layers of powder on their faces, with rouge painted as red as if competing with someone in secret.