Chapter 9

The governess said that in bed, I must listen to the emperor.

So when the emperor said, “Don’t move,” I really didn’t dare move again.

“Do you truly know what it means to attend to the emperor at night?” The emperor saw that I kept still and couldn’t help but ask me again.

I turned my head and blinked at him. “Isn’t this attending to the emperor at night?”

He chuckled softly again, and the pleasant agarwood fragrance on him spread.

It didn’t seem so bitter anymore.

“Sleep,” he said gently.

I nodded, closed my eyes, then opened them again. “Emperor.”

“Mm?”

“Can I move now?” If I don’t move at all, I can’t fall asleep.

“You can.” There was a hint of laughter in his voice.

Relieved, I relaxed and turned to face the emperor.

I saw his high nose bridge and the smile pressed at the corner of his lips.

He really was good-looking.

“Emperor,” I called him again.

He didn’t open his mouth, just softly answered, “Mm.”

“What’s your name?” I turned over and looked at the canopy above, a bit puzzled. “Everyone calls you emperor, but I don’t think that’s your name, just like everyone calls my father Lord Shen or Minister Shen.”

The emperor opened his eyes and stared with me at the dark canopy above, its color indiscernible.

A strong bitterness rushed over.

I couldn’t help but turn my head to look at him, only to see his thin lips part slightly. “Qi E.”

I didn’t catch it. “Hm?”

He turned his head too, his cold gaze meeting mine.

“My name, Qi E.”

The teacher taught me only a few characters, and I didn’t know which two characters made up Qi E.

But I still pretended to be mature, nodded, and imitated others by patting Qi E’s shoulder. “That’s a good name.”

Qi E’s expression froze for a moment.

After a while, he removed my hand and said indifferently, “Tomorrow I will find you a master.”

Huh?

Why do I have to study again!

Qi E kept his word, and the next day he really found me a female master.

The female master had just finished greeting me when a palace servant came to say Consort Shu had arrived.

“I will begin teaching Consort tomorrow. For today, I shall take my leave.” The female master didn’t linger, bowed, and turned to leave.

Her faint fragrance faded as she left, replaced by a pervasive stench.

Li Xingzhi led a group of people past the female master and entered the Grand Hall.

Doudou told me that Li Xingzhi was the daughter of Grand General of the North Li Yue, and also the niece of the current Empress Dowager.

Two days before I entered the imperial palace, Qi E conferred her the title of Consort Shu.

She was also Qi E’s consort.

Why could Qi E have two consorts?

“Since I’m free today, I came to sit with you. You don’t mind me being a bother, do you?” Li Xingzhi glanced at the departing female master, then sat down on a chair nearby.

The unpleasant smell invaded my nose, and I instinctively got up to leave.

Father said that when you meet someone who smells bad, you should stay far away.

But before I could go, Li Xingzhi grabbed my hand.

She angrily said, “You dare ignore me?”

I was a bit scared, but no matter how I struggled, I couldn’t break free. I could only beg her, “Let me go.”

“Shen Lan, what do you think you are? Don’t think that just because you received the emperor’s favor, you can disregard me.” She yanked my hand forcefully and sneered, “Do you really think the emperor would like an idiot like you? He just wants to use your father. Once your father is useless, you’ll be the first ones he kills.”

I glared at her, then lowered my head and bit her wrist hard.

When she cried out in pain and let go, I pulled Doudou back several steps and said to her, “Don’t speak ill of the emperor. He would never kill me or my father.”

“You dare bite me?” She was furious and raised her hand to slap me.

I bent down to dodge, then pulled Doudou and ran to the door.

“You hurt me first, and you spoke ill of the emperor. Serves you right!” I stuck out my tongue at her and turned to run outside.

But as soon as I turned, I bumped into Qi E.

I didn’t know when Qi E had arrived.

Maybe Li Xingzhi’s stench was so strong it covered up Qi E’s bitterness.

“Consort Shu truly is clever, even thinking ahead for what I will do in the future.” Qi E shielded me in his arms, looking at Li Xingzhi in the Grand Hall with a half-smile.

Li Xingzhi’s face turned deathly pale and she immediately knelt down.

“I… I didn’t mean it that way.” Her shoulders trembled slightly, and she raised her head with red eyes, speaking delicately, “It’s just that I’ve been in the imperial palace for days, and Your Majesty hasn’t come to my palace…”

Qi E said nothing, just held me and walked inside.

As we passed her, I couldn’t help but pinch my nose.

Qi E asked me, “What’s wrong?”

I answered instinctively, “She smells a bit bad.”

As soon as I spoke, Li Xingzhi, kneeling on the ground, turned even paler, her face full of disbelief.

Qi E, on the other hand, seemed to find it amusing, chuckled twice, then said to Li Xingzhi, “Now you know why I haven’t come to see you?”