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墨書 Inktalez
"Master, Master, something big has happened—" Early in the morning, Xiao Quanzi wouldn't let me have a moment of peace. I remained unfazed, continuing my comic creation. Little Seven had told me that the comic was a bestseller, and I had to admit that this was rare good news for me. Everything I couldn't do or didn't have time for in the modern world was being accomplished piece by piece here.
Honestly, I was quite happy. With that thought in mind, I cheerfully continued my work.
Xiao Quanzi ran over, panting for a moment before catching his breath.
"What happened?" I asked casually.
"Huan, Consort Huan is pregnant. The palace is in an uproar. The Emperor has also ordered a grand celebration in the Imperial Garden tonight for all to enjoy together and celebrate this joyous occasion."
"Pregnant?!" My mind went blank, and I immediately lost my grip on the brush, watching as the ink bled into the lines. Is it Huan Shuangshuang? Pregnant? I smiled; it truly was good news.
Xiao Quanzi didn’t notice my expression: "Master, you don’t know, those women are almost going crazy. What do they call it? You taught us before, um," Xiao Quanzi scratched his head in deep thought. "Right, that saying about how many families rejoice and how many families worry—"
I corrected him: "It's how many families rejoice and how many families grieve."
"Yes, yes, that's it." Xiao Quanzi said happily.
I crumpled up the half-finished drawing and tossed it into the simple wooden trash bin.
Xiao Quanzi looked up in shock and then knelt on the ground to pick up the drawing, exclaiming, "Master, this drawing was fine; why did you throw it away?"
I set down my brush and replied calmly, "A drawing with one mistake can no longer be used. It's better to discard useless things than to keep them."
"By the way, Master," Xiao Quanzi suddenly remembered something and said, "The Emperor also mentioned that during tonight's banquet, he would grant Consort Huan one wish as a reward. I wonder if Consort Huan hopes to become one of the Consorts or desires more gold and silver treasures or something else? It’s so exciting! What do you think, Master?"
"It’s none of my business; don’t tell me about it in the future. I'm going to take a nap now. Remember to wake me up before the banquet starts." For some reason, I suddenly felt a bit tired and wanted to sleep quietly alone.
"Yes, Master." Xiao Quanzi looked at his suddenly silent master with confusion. For some reason, there was an illusion that my master’s back seemed a bit lonely.
"Master, Master, wake up, wake up."
"Is the banquet about to start?" I groggily awoke. Rubbing my forehead, it felt a bit hot; it hurt terribly—I must have overslept.
"Yes, Master! If you don’t get up to dress soon, all the ladies will steal the spotlight tonight; there won’t be any place for you!" Xiao Quanzi complained.
I lazily replied, "I hope it has nothing to do with me." In just a few days, Xiao Quanzi had inherited all the trivial matters from Yun Ying. Now even this was something to worry about.
My body felt weak as I reluctantly got up. After some effort, I managed to find a white robe that was presentable enough to wear. Looking at my pale face in the mirror, devoid of any color, I had no choice but to apply some rouge to avoid drawing attention from those who might notice and say something. I put on light makeup, casually selected a few hair accessories, and finally draped a long robe over myself before heading out with Xiao Quanzi amidst his protests.
As we walked, he chattered incessantly, "Master, if you don't wear those beautiful dresses in your wardrobe soon, they'll be gathering dust! And the jewelry in the storage will rust if you don't wear it!" When I ignored him, he sighed in exasperation, "Master—"
After walking for a while, we encountered Little Benefactor. I looked at him; he was dressed in splendid brocade, a limited edition designed by Jun Jin for those little nobles. This brat really knew how to enjoy himself!
I didn't say anything to him; instead, he began critiquing my attire: "If you make your lips any paler, the Crown Prince will think he's run into a ghost!" He then gave me an incredulous look. "Can't you learn from other women and dress up a bit more flamboyantly? Be careful or your father might be taken away by another woman."
I couldn't be bothered to lift my eyes. "Even if I tried to take him, he wouldn't be mine."
He nodded in agreement. "That's true; as the Emperor, my father should naturally have three palaces and six courtyards."
Seeing his smug expression made me reluctant to continue this pointless conversation; it was a waste of my time. Moreover, for some reason, I felt unusually weak all over; even walking felt light and airy.
Noticing that I was ignoring him and continuing on my way, he quietly followed behind me. After a while, he surprisingly said something shocking: "If it were me, I would only want one woman I love for my entire life." He glanced at me shyly after saying this, nearly causing me to faint on the spot.
He truly didn't make things easy for me. Hearing such cheesy words come from his mouth was like seeing the sun rise in the west.
As we walked along, beautifully dressed women flaunted their elegance and beauty as they passed by with their heads held high. Compared to them, I felt like a wildflower next to a peony. Fine, I decided to slow down and take a stroll through the Imperial Garden first; I'd wait until all the consorts were seated before entering. Then I could blend in unnoticed like air.
Little Benefactor clearly had no patience to waste with me; he arrogantly left me behind with a group of attendants.
Seeing that Xiao Quanzi was eager to explore, it seemed he had never witnessed such lively scenes since entering the palace. So I let him go off on his own for some fun without needing to follow me. He happily departed.
I wandered among the flowers until I grew tired. Just then, I spotted a pavilion not far away and decided to take a break there. As I sat by the pavilion watching the fish play in the water, a male voice called out from behind me: "Firefly."
I turned around and felt delighted to see him; after all, it was genuinely nice to meet an old friend in the palace.
"Huan Wen, what brings you here?" I asked.
He still looked charming and graceful as ever. "The Emperor wants us ministers to enjoy ourselves together; as a minister, how could I possibly miss out?"
I sneered, "I see you came to admire the beauties hidden in the palace, just for your own enjoyment."
He was still the same as before. After hearing my words, he swaggered over, lifting my chin with his folding fan, and said with a playful smirk, "I wonder if the beauties you mentioned include yourself?"
In a fit of anger, I threw a punch at him. He dodged swiftly, and with a sly smile, I turned around and pressed on his laughter point. Instantly, he burst into laughter, his face contorting in a way that showed he didn't want to laugh but couldn't help it. I finally couldn't hold back and patted his shoulder while laughing heartily; it was so amusing.
Lost in our playful antics, we didn't notice a figure in bright yellow not far away, coldly watching us from the pavilion. After a long while, he silently turned to leave. However, the eunuch accompanying him inexplicably felt a chill emanating from the Emperor, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
After bidding farewell to Huan Wen, I quietly sat at the end of the ladies' section. Throughout the journey, I kept thinking about how seriously he had asked me when we parted: "Are you doing well?"
Seeing his rare sincerity and earnest expression, I could only nod silently. I quietly distanced myself from that ambiguous scene. I could never hurt him, but I also couldn't fall in love with him. Even though I knew I liked him, it was merely as a close friend.
The afternoon passed in a haze of sleepiness, and now my stomach was growling with hunger. So, in a corner where no one was watching, I indulged myself in food without restraint. Just as I stuffed my mouth full, I inadvertently looked up and saw Huan Wen sitting not far across from me, raising his cup in my direction with an expression that was half-smile, half-tease. Realizing how ungraceful I must have looked at that moment made me feel somewhat embarrassed.
At this banquet, all the Emperor's consorts were seated on the left side while ministers sat on the right. I didn't want to look up; I knew that the Head of the Family was seated right next to the Chancellor—second only to the Emperor himself. I didn't want to see him or his expression. The matter of Xie De Fei still haunted me; I never expected that behind Xie Weiying's death and my vengeance lay so many hidden secrets. Because of Gao Lu's dishonesty, my punishment for him was to withhold medication for three days to suppress his insect poison. I thought that would be enough to make him suffer unbearably.
Seated according to rank, Huan Wen was positioned right in the middle. I knew he would eventually surpass everything in the future. Among the consorts on the left side beside the Emperor sat Consort Huan; at this moment, Huan Shuangshuang was sitting next to Consort Xian due to her pregnancy. Next was the stunningly beautiful Consort Wang, followed by the taciturn Consort Li. Behind them were Wang Dieyi and several other women whose names I couldn't even recall—many of whom I'd barely seen before. Yaya sat quietly in a central position. How long had it been since the Emperor thought of her? I felt a pang of sadness for her.
All this time, I remained unaware that a burning gaze had been fixed on me since my arrival—a gaze that had witnessed my ungraceful eating habits and perceived the ambiguous exchanges between Huan Wen and me through our eyes. At this moment, his expression was as cold as ancient ice, creating an awkward atmosphere at the banquet.
Yet oblivious to everything around me, I continued eating without any decorum.
When I inadvertently looked up again, my eyes met those of the Head of the Family and another unfamiliar gaze staring at me. After staring for a while, I finally recognized him as Wang Dao—the man Brother Sima and Brother Three had introduced me to before. He was watching me intently while sipping his drink. Feeling self-conscious, I touched my face—was there something dirty on it? Or perhaps my complexion was too pale? Had my blush not been applied properly?
Just then, the Emperor suddenly spoke up: "Consort, today is a joyous occasion! As promised, I'll grant you one wish—speak up! I'll definitely fulfill it."
Everyone held their breath and turned their attention towards Huan Shuangshuang who sat obediently beside Consort Xian with her head bowed and a joyful expression on her face.
Finally lifting her head to look at the Emperor she said: "Your Majesty's grace has already been received by both of us long ago; how could Shuangshuang dare to ask for more?"
Sima Rui's expression remained unchanged: "It's fine; go ahead and say it. I will keep my promise."
"Then—" Huan Shuangshuang finally spoke up after much urging from the Emperor: "Today Your Majesty has set up this banquet for me; I'm overwhelmed with gratitude and nervousness. There isn't anything particularly special tonight for everyone’s enjoyment; I've heard that Sister Ying has been learning various dances since childhood—why not let her choose three different types of dances tonight to entertain everyone? Would Sister be willing to fulfill Shuangshuang's small request?"
As everyone turned their gaze towards me simultaneously, I froze for a moment and awkwardly smiled while putting down the chicken leg in my hand—how did this conversation suddenly involve me? Learning dance since childhood?! How come I didn’t know about this? Looking over at Huan Wen, he wore an expression of glee as if saying: How come you didn’t know you learned dance since childhood? In fact, even I didn’t know?!
Sima Rui initially wanted to refute Huan Shuangshuang's words and bestow upon her some gold and silver jewelry to spare her from embarrassment. However, when he saw her exchanging flirtatious glances with that man, an uncomfortable feeling stirred within him. He coldly looked down at her and cruelly said, "I wonder if Consort can fulfill Shuangshuang's wish, while also helping me keep my promise."
I felt a cold sweat trickle down as I met the expectant gazes of those around us. Goodness, I was truly in a difficult position; I couldn't refuse. Gritting my teeth, I respectfully stepped forward and knelt, saying, "This servant shall certainly relieve the Emperor's worries. However, I ask that the Emperor allow this servant to prepare some attire."
"Mm, you may go prepare," Huan Shuangshuang said, looking at me kneeling on the ground with a pale face. She seemed to think that this would surely stump me, a slight smirk appearing at the corners of her mouth as she awaited my embarrassment.
She naturally wouldn't propose any requests to become one of the Consorts; such foolish thoughts were only held by dimwitted people. If the Emperor truly intended to bestow her with such an honor, he wouldn't let her choose for herself. If she asked for gold and silver jewelry as a reward, it would likely be looked down upon by the Emperor, who would see her as a vain woman. After considering all this, there seemed to be no good wishes to express; instead, it might be better to take this opportunity to humiliate that woman—surely that was a desire shared by many of the concubines.
Hmph. Huan Shuangshuang scoffed.
I stood up, feeling a bit dizzy for some reason—had I really slept too much today?
Sigh, I just hoped that I wouldn’t suffer too much later. I wondered if the Dai Dance or tap dance could be performed on stage? They were all waiting to see me make a fool of myself; how could I just throw any dance out there and embarrass myself? Let me think.
Let me think.
I can only say that what follows might be quite tragic, but there’s nothing to be done about it. Everyone, just wait and see.
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