But soon, she remembered something and, wrapping her arms around his neck, asked, “Your Majesty, what did you say earlier?”
Emperor Jingxi: “Earlier? What did I say?”
A wu: “When you kissed me, what did you say?”
His voice had been so hushed she hadn’t caught it clearly.
The emperor let out a soft “Ah” and replied, “It was nothing. I’ve forgotten.”
A wu frowned slightly and lifted her gaze curiously.
To Emperor Jingxi, she looked just like a timid deer peering from the woods.
He chuckled lowly.
“Sneaky little thing.”
A wu immediately pouted and turned her face away.
“Hmph!”
This only made him laugh more.
Fresh from their intimacy, his laughter was deep and rough, like aged fruit wine-utterly intoxicating.
Just then, faint noises came from outside, followed by the hushed voice of a palace maid seeking permission to enter.
A wu tensed slightly, still unsettled from earlier events.
Surely they weren’t here to record things again?
But Emperor Jingxi only murmured to her, “Are you ready? Shall I have them come in to clean you up?”
Hearing this, A wu nodded, and only then did the emperor call for the attendants.
There was no verbal response from outside, but the lanterns brightened, casting a soft glow into the room, accompanied by the faint sound of water.
A wu peeked over and saw a group of maids carrying golden basins, towels, and other washing supplies.
She relaxed slightly-thankfully, there were no eunuchs present.
That would have been awkward.
The maids swiftly attended to her, cleaning her with practiced efficiency.
Though A wu felt a little self-conscious, she closed her eyes and endured it, knowing it would soon pass.
Emperor Jingxi, however, washed himself-clearly, he disliked being touched by others, and the maids seemed accustomed to this.
Once cleaned and dressed in fresh, snow-white undergarments, the bed was also remade, restoring everything to its original state.
A wu nestled comfortably in the man’s embrace.
The bedding carried a faint sweetness, the fabric was luxuriously soft, and the man beside her was so warm and captivating her heart swelled with satisfaction.
Yet amid this contentment, A wu remembered the matter concerning the Crown Princess.
She knew this man’s temperament-once he left the bed, his demeanor would shift entirely.
If she wanted to discuss something, now was the best time.
She rolled over, her soft, slender body winding around him, and murmured sweetly, “There’s an important matter I haven’t yet spoken to Your Majesty about…”
Emperor Jingxi knew immediately she wanted something.
He half-closed his eyes comfortably, waiting for her to speak.
A wu then began talking about the Crown Princess-how she bullied her, deliberately humiliated her today, and showed her no respect.
In short, the Crown Princess was terrible!
A wu had suffered!
After finishing her complaints, A wu blinked her sparkling eyes, eagerly awaiting Emperor Jingxi’s reaction.
The emperor idly twirled a strand of her hair around his fingers, his touch absentminded.
A wu called out softly, “Your Majesty…”
Her voice was sweet and drawn out, clearly hinting at her grievance, as if expecting him to take her side.
Emperor Jingxi asked, “So, what does A wu want?”
A wu puffed out her cheeks indignantly.
“What do you mean, ‘what do I want’? Didn’t Your Majesty hear me? The Crown Princess set me up! She sent Nie San to seduce me! Luckily, I met Your Majesty, and luckily, I didn’t fall for it-otherwise, I might have ended up as Nie’s wife!”
The emperor’s fingers, which had been playing with her dark hair, stilled.
A wu noticed it immediately.
As expected, this was the most critical point for this old man.
She bit her lip lightly.
“Your Majesty, no matter how insignificant I am, I still serve by your side. She’s just a junior-how dare she act so arrogantly and disdainfully toward me? Doesn’t that mean she doesn’t respect you either? Won’t you do something about it?”
Emperor Jingxi lowered his gaze slightly, glancing at A wu in the dim light.
A wu looked utterly wronged, her eyes reddening as she muttered resentfully, “So, Your Majesty doesn’t favor A wu at all and won’t stand up for me…”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Of course, the Crown Prince is your priority. The Crown Princess is the future empress. How could A wu ever compare? From now on, I’ll just kowtow three times whenever I see her!”
The emperor watched her pitiful expression, as if she were on the verge of bursting into tears.
He sighed softly.
He knew this little vixen was putting on an act, whispering grievances into his ear, but he couldn’t help softening.
So he stroked her hair gently.
“The Crown Princess is the wife of the heir apparent. You’re only a sixth-rank noble consort. There’s no fairness to be had between you.”
A wu’s heart turned to ice at his words.
This old man!
This stingy old emperor!
How cruel!
Why was she only a sixth-rank noble consort?
Because he hadn’t granted her a higher position!
Miserly old emperor!
Just moments ago, they had been so intimate, whispering sweet nothings yet now, he was so cold!
A wu felt utterly aggrieved.
This old man truly had a heart of stone!
But then Emperor Jingxi added, “However, I will give her a warning. You won’t suffer any real grievances.”
Hearing this, A wu recalled the dishes he had specially bestowed upon her at Changshou Palace.
She realized this was probably his way of “warning” the Crown Princess.
Emperor Jingxi continued indifferently, “The Duke of Ying’s title was hereditary for three generations. Currently, only two generations have inherited it. In a few days, I will issue an edict revoking the third-generation inheritance. After the current Duke of Ying, the title will be downgraded.”
His words would carry immense weight in court-like a thunderclap.
For the Duke of Ying’s household, it would be as if half the sky had collapsed.
This meant the Crown Princess’s father would lose his duke title, inheriting only a marquisate instead.
As for the Crown Princess’s elder brother, he would only be entitled to a barony.
In short, the family lost an entire generation of dukes.
Calculating one generation as thirty-four years, this meant the clan had at least thirty fewer years of inherited privilege than originally anticipated.
This was an earth-shattering matter.
Yet these words seemed to fall on deaf ears when they reached A wu.
She responded with utter indifference, “So what? How does that affect her?”
Emperor Jingxi glanced at the delicate woman in his arms, suddenly exasperated by her lack of ambition.
Though the Great Hui dynasty had always discouraged imperial consorts from meddling in politics, she couldn’t possibly remain this ignorant, could she?
So he pinched her cheeks and said, “Study harder from now on, learn more etiquette. Don’t embarrass me when you go out. Your achievements reflect my dignity.”
A wu replied nonchalantly, “I understand the demotion in hereditary titles perfectly well. It just means the Crown Princess’s father can no longer be the Duke of England—he’ll have to settle for being a mere marquis!”
Emperor Jingxi: “…Correct.”
A wu: “And what of it?”
It’s still a life of luxury and privilege!
The Emperor gave her a deep look.
“What exactly do you want? These are matters of state, not child’s play. Senior court officials aren’t toys for your amusement.”
His former mentor, the imperial tutor and now the Crown Princess’s relative, needed this man to serve him loyally, quell rumors, suppress dissenting voices in court, and accept the harsh penalty of losing a generation’s duke title.
That was already a significant punishment.
As for the Crown Princess…
Emperor Jingxi could only say she was young and naive.
If not for her, he wouldn’t have needed to so openly pressure the Duke of England into staking his reputation to champion the Emperor’s cause.
No doubt the entire Duke of England’s household wished her dead.
If she dared cause more trouble now, he only needed to mention it to the Duke, and they’d come crawling in terror.
Yet the woman in his arms was even more unreasonable.
Did she expect him, as Emperor, to personally scold his daughter-in-law for bullying his favorite?
He was a father-in-law too-such behavior would be beneath his dignity.
A wu bit her lip and gave him a sidelong glance.
“Then is the Emperor someone I can play with as I please?”
Her watery eyes shimmered with coquetry as she uttered those lightly teasing words, like a feather gently tickling one’s heart.
The Emperor’s gaze darkened instantly, his pulse quickening.
Leaning down, his lips brushed against her ear as he murmured, “You certainly know how to handle me.”
A wu clung to his arm, pouting.
“Your Majesty, however insignificant A wu may be, I’m still your woman. If the Crown Princess bullies me, she’s bullying you, showing you no respect!”
In honeyed tones she continued, “Though I don’t understand grand principles, even I know juniors should show deference to their elders’ companions. Even the humblest servant deserves respect.”
Emperor Jingxi raised an eyebrow at her self-righteous expression.
A wu clung to him, pouting, “A wu doesn’t care! Since Your Majesty brought A wu into the palace, if A wu gets bullied, it means Your Majesty failed to protect me. I’ll come straight to you and make a scene!”
She even lowered her head and playfully bit his arm, “I’ll just bite you then!”
Emperor Jingxi’s voice carried helpless affection, “What exactly do you want, little one?”
A wu snorted and lifted her delicate chin, “Not much really. But Your Majesty, let me make this clear. If that woman dares to disrespect me in the future, I won’t show her any mercy! Just don’t take her side when it happens!”
The emperor looked at this audacious creature and chuckled, “Very well. As long as you don’t go too far, no one would dare complain to me.”
Delighted by his words, A wu practically rolled up her sleeves in excitement, already envisioning all the confrontations she’d have with the Crown Princess.
With the emperor’s backing, who did she have to fear?
Except for the Empress Dowager, she feared no one!
Not even the Empress could put on airs before her now!
Seeing her eager expression, as if preparing for three hundred rounds of battle with the Crown Princess, Emperor Jingxi sighed deeply.
“Why don’t you turn your attention away from the Crown Princess? Observe the other consorts, learn from the Empress, or at least show some filial piety to the Empress Dowager.”
A wu blinked, “Why?”
The emperor’s gaze turned meaningful, “What exactly is your relationship with the Crown Princess?”
“Huh?” A wu frowned, momentarily confused.
With a gentle flick of his finger against her forehead, Emperor Jingxi said, “Noble Lady Ning, you really should be more perceptive.”