Moonlight Over Pear Blossoms - Chapter 4

For several nights in a row, Gu Qiyuan summoned me to swing. I wore through more than one length of white silk in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The harem was abuzz. Everyone said Consort Jing had extraordinary ways of winning the emperor’s favor. Only I knew he was using me as a stress reliever.

To be fair, being emperor was hard. There was no end to affairs of state or the memorials he had to read. Plenty of those memorials said nothing at all. Some officials sent greetings every day; some shared their daily lives; others professed their loyalty over and over. The veins in Gu Qiyuan’s forehead stood out as he read them.

“He asks every day whether I want mangoes,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m allergic to mangoes. Why would I want them?”

I watched him write a reply: *Are you unwell in the head?*

Help. I thought of every sad thing that had ever happened to me, yet I still couldn’t keep the corners of my mouth down. I laughed aloud.

Gu Qiyuan narrowed his dark eyes. There was a hint of danger in them.

I scrambled to recover. “Your concubine… your concubine would be glad to ease Your Majesty’s burden!”

Before he could reply, I had someone bring me a block of wood. My carving hobby had finally saved my life. Wood shavings flew, and a little stamp took shape beneath my hands. I dipped it in red ink and pressed it down. The bright character for *Read* appeared on the paper.

“Now Your Majesty can save time grading homework—er, reviewing memorials,” I said with a fawning smile. “It pains your concubine to see you work so hard.”

Gu Qiyuan picked up the stamp and ran a finger over the tiny cat carved into it. I had modeled it after Tongtong.

Except when I had to live in the dorms for closed training, I’d lived with Sister Wenyi. Tongtong was her Ragdoll cat. Once I took up carving, I made so many little versions of him that I could do it with my eyes closed. Without proper tools, though, this one wasn’t as lifelike.

Gu Qiyuan stared at the stamp in silence, and I thought he disliked it.

“The carving is rough. Your Majesty should have an artisan make a finer one…” I reached out to take it back.

Instinctively, he closed his hand around it. A moment later, as if coming to his senses, he looked at me, paused for two seconds, and tossed it back. A faint smile touched his mouth.

“You can stamp the pointless memorials.”

Me: “?”

Had no one ever taught him to do his own work?

“Your Majesty, women of the harem aren’t allowed to meddle in government…” I said timidly.

“It doesn’t matter,” he replied casually.

Me: “…”

I looked at the mountain of memorials, smiling on the outside and swearing up a storm inside. With a clap of thunder, another workhorse had entered the arena.

Some people fell in love; some gazed at the sea at night. I stamped papers every day until I couldn’t lift my hand. Thump, thump, thump went the stamp. Every so often I shot Gu Qiyuan a glare. What a slave driver!

Perhaps he noticed. He paused, then hesitantly held a piece of dried mango to my lips.

Me: “…”

I had made that myself! The nerve of him, offering me my own food as a favor.

The governor-general of Min-Zhe was stubborn. Even after being scolded, he kept sending memorials to ask whether Gu Qiyuan wanted mangoes. I was numb from stamping them. To settle the matter once and for all, I replied, *Then send them.*

A great many mangoes arrived. I dried some of them to keep as snacks. This unpaid labor was too bitter to endure without something sweet.

Gu Qiyuan thought the imperial kitchen had sent the treats. Seeing me enjoy them, he picked one up and tried it. When Eunuch Li learned they were dried mangoes, he was so frightened he wanted to summon an imperial physician. I told him not to panic.

Sister Wenyi had also been allergic to mangoes, but once she had accidentally discovered that dried ones didn’t trouble her. After that, she and I made them every so often.

Sure enough, nearly an hour passed, and Gu Qiyuan felt no discomfort. It was as though a new world had opened before him. He ate one piece after another and couldn’t stop.

When he offered me a piece, I bit it fiercely. It was the last one. The damned emperor wasn’t getting it!

In my haste, my lips and teeth brushed his fingers. His fingertips were slightly cool and dusted with sugar. Without thinking, I licked them.

“!”

Stupid mouth! Was there anything you wouldn’t lick?

Afraid they’d drag me out and cut out my tongue, I hurriedly pretended to be busy. “Wow, so many pointless memorials!”

Gu Qiyuan’s long lashes quivered. He withdrew his hand and lowered his head, continuing to read as if nothing had happened.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did I dare sneak a look at him. Hmm… he didn’t seem angry. But why had he been staring at the same page for so long? Didn’t he usually read ten lines at a glance?

Oh, well. Maybe he wanted to slack off too. An emperor was as dangerous as a tiger. If he was taking it easy, I certainly wasn’t going to work harder.