The Daily Life of a Concubine

Chapter 42

"Your Majesty." She stuck out her tongue. "It's just that... I can't hold the brush. It's not that I don't want to copy the text." Her little head lowered more and more, almost resting beneath his chest.
Emperor Rui let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, my beloved consort is so delicate that she can't even hold a brush." After laughing, the emperor tightened his grip slightly, lifting her up a bit. "My beloved concubine, I'll leave Xiao Xiazi with you. If you need anything, just call for him."
Xiao Xiazi was De Fu's apprentice, and the emperor's intention in leaving him behind was far too obvious.
"Mm, thank you, Your Majesty. You're so kind. I knew you always cared for Jing'er the most." After saying that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a forceful kiss on the corner of his lips. "That's my thank you gift."
After the kiss, she didn't forget to tease him a little.
"That's not enough of a thank you, Jing'er. I miss you."
Even though it was broad daylight, the emperor restrained himself, not going all the way, but still thoroughly enjoying what he could.
"Your Majesty, you're too much. I'm not talking to you anymore." After being teased, Bai Jingxian looked at the emperor, now dressing himself, with an exasperated expression. "Hmph."
"You little heartless one, who do you think I'm doing all this for?" If it weren't for his suspicion that she was pregnant, he would have already taken her fully. He was enduring great restraint, yet here she was, blaming him.
"Alright, don't be mad. I'll come to keep you company tonight. Things have been busy lately, so I might not be able to visit you as much. If you need anything, tell Wang Momo, and she'll find Xiao Xiazi." He bent down and gave her a gentle kiss, calming her grievances.
After soothing her, the emperor finally left the bedroom. "Take good care of He Liangdi. There will be rewards for all of you." With that, he flicked the string of beads in his hand and strode down the steps.
"Yes, we bid farewell to His Majesty."
As soon as the emperor left, Bai Jingxian couldn't resist falling asleep. When Chun Feng and the others entered to tidy up, they found that their mistress had already dozed off.
Wang Momo personally straightened out the mess on the bed, scolding the maids in a hushed tone, before leaving the room.
Chun Feng and Chun Jing exchanged a glance and smiled.
It was good to be favored by the emperor.
Although the emperor took his consorts to the summer palace to escape the heat every year, the departure was still a grand affair. Bai Jingxian personally went to the front of Taihe Hall to see them off. When the consorts saw she was the only one staying behind in the palace, many cast ambiguous glances in her direction.
Naturally, Bai Jingxian paid them no mind. She couldn't be happier staying in the imperial city by herself. Did the Internal Affairs Office not have enough to keep her cool during the summer?
They were overthinking things.
At Lan Yue Pavilion, Bai Jingxian was most eager to know if the task she had Wang Momo handle was successful.
"Momo, did everyone take the pills?"
Wang Momo smiled at her mistress's question. "Don't worry, everything went smoothly. I'm just curious to see how happy the emperor will be this time."
The more imperial sons and daughters, the better. With them, the emperor wouldn't have to endure so much.
"That's good. I wonder who will be the first lucky one to win the prize, aside from the empress?" Bai Jingxian mused with some excitement. "Momo, do you have any contacts in the summer palace?"
Wang Momo was indeed quite capable, a trusted hand.
But this time, Bai Jingxian was disappointed. Wang Momo had no connections there. "You give me too much credit, my lady. I haven't been to the summer palace often. The last time I went was ten years ago."
The staff at the summer palace rotated every three years, so there was no one left she knew.
"I see. Well, it's no matter. It's just that not having our own people near the emperor is always inconvenient. Momo, if the opportunity arises, why don't you try to get closer to Xiao Xiazi?"
De Fu might not be approachable, but getting to know Xiao Xiazi was feasible.
Though she couldn't harm the emperor, it was always good to lay some groundwork for the future.
"Mistress, Xiao Xiazi is De Fu's apprentice and has a certain status at the Qianzheng Hall. It might not be easy to get close to him." Wang Momo felt uneasy about this.
Bai Jingxian understood her concerns. "Don't worry, I won't push you to do anything against your conscience. I would never harm the emperor, who is my greatest support."
That's right—in the harem, the emperor was her sole reliance, the golden thigh she clung to. How could she harm him now? The future, though... who could say?
Hearing this, Wang Momo breathed a sigh of relief, though she still wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea.
"Never mind, I didn't think it through. You may go now and send in Xiao Li."
This matter was better handled by Xiao Li. Despite his youth, the boy was astute.
"Yes, I'll fetch him right away."
Watching Wang Momo's retreating figure, Bai Jingxian felt a bit of exasperation. While she trusted Momo's loyalty, the woman still had a scale in her heart, weighing the emperor higher than her. She could force her to comply, but that would break Momo's spirit, which wasn't worth it.
Not worth it at all.
It was better to trouble Xiao Li instead.
After all, Xiao Li was reliable.
Would a living person really be stifled to death by their circumstances?
Chun Feng, standing nearby, looked slightly concerned. "My Lady, does Wang Momo have divided loyalties?" she asked softly as she served tea.
Bai Jingxian shook her head. "No, she's loyal to me. It's just that in her heart, she favors the emperor more. But it's fine, it doesn't matter much."
She had no intention of harming the emperor, so Momo's preference wasn't a big deal to her.
In fact, having Momo around made many things easier.
"Keep a close watch on the small kitchen. I suspect the people in the main hall won't be sitting still." Most of the harem had left, leaving only her and some concubines and palace women.
No one in the harem could be underestimated.
At least for now, she had to protect herself for the sake of her unborn child.
"Don't worry, My Lady. Chun Shui and I have been keeping a close eye. If one of us is attending to you, the other is watching the kitchen. No one will slip through. Xiao Li has even promoted Xiaoshu to help guard the kitchen tightly."
Ever since the empress's spy was uncovered, the kitchen had been sealed tight like a fortress.
That palace maid who had been found out was transferred, despite her many pleas. But once Wang Momo made a decision, no one dared say a word.
The empress's spy had been removed from the Western Hall.
"Good. Also, keep a closer watch on the well. We don't want a repeat of what happened before, with someone poisoning the water without us knowing." She still remembered the incident at the Qingliang Hall. It had been terrifying.
"Yes, I'll consult with Xiao Li, and we'll make sure Lan Yue Pavilion is tightly guarded." Chunfeng clenched her fists in determination.
Seeing her enthusiasm, Bai Jingxian chuckled. "No need to be so tense. This is just a turbulent time. Once things settle down over there, we'll be safe here too."
After all, someone had to bear the brunt of it.
Now, she just wondered who that lucky person would be.