If it were this formal every day, life would be unbearable.
Still, she greeted him with proper etiquette.
Emperor Jingxi motioned for her to rise, and the two of them entered the bedchamber one after the other.
A wu stole a cautious glance behind her.
This time, the officials from the Imperial Household Department and the palace record-keepers were present, but none seemed inclined to follow them inside.
After Emperor Jingxi took his seat, he asked, “Did you visit Her Majesty the Empress Dowager today?”
A wu stood there with her head slightly bowed and replied meekly, “Yes. I go to pay my respects every day. Today, Her Majesty kept me for a few words and even bestowed some gifts upon me.”
After a moment’s thought, she added, “I also went to pay my respects to the Empress. I greeted her with utmost reverence, but she said there was no need to come in the future. She mentioned being occupied with palace affairs and likely wouldn’t have time. She also instructed me to focus on serving Your Majesty well.”
Using the Empress’s name to give herself a break-how clever.
Of course, Emperor Jingxi wouldn’t cross-check with the Empress.
Instead, he asked, “Have you had dinner? What did you eat?”
A wu recounted everything in detail, making sure to mention the turtle soup:
“It was absolutely delicious!”
Seeing how much she enjoyed it, Emperor Jingxi remarked:
“Your constitution is delicate. If you wish to nourish yourself, bear’s paw and donkey-hide gelatin are more suitable, especially the latter because it’s ideal for women.”
“These are warming tonics. Snow frogs and bird’s nest, on the other hand, are cooling tonics, but you may also consume them.”
A wu said, “Her Majesty the Empress Dowager also gifted me a daily portion of bird’s nest to be taken in the mornings.”
Emperor Jingxi listened, looking slightly surprised and then his expression turned subtly complicated.
A wu noticed and glanced at him in confusion.
Emperor Jingxi averted his gaze, the corners of his lips quirking up in a faint smile. “It’s nothing.”
A wu couldn’t shake the feeling that he had realized something but wasn’t telling her.
Puzzled, she asked, “Is Your Majesty keeping something from me?”
Emperor Jingxi replied, “No.”
A wu studied him closely.
“But I feel like “
Before she could finish, Emperor Jingxi interjected, “I still have to return to Fengtian Hall later.”
Huh?
A wu had assumed he would stay-it had been several days since his last visit.
Emperor Jingxi said nothing more, his light-colored eyes silently fixed on her.
Under his unwavering gaze, A wu’s face gradually flushed.
The bedchamber suddenly felt too warm… though more importantly, she had to make the most of their time-she needed to attend to him.
If he was going back, then their time together would be limited.
It then dawned on A wu that his previous overnight stays had likely been exceptions, improper by protocol.
He couldn’t bend the rules for her every time.
Not daring to delay any further, the two of them quickly freshened up before undressing.
A wu wasn’t particularly dexterous.
Though her fingers were delicate, they weren’t nimble, and she fumbled with Emperor Jingxi’s sash for a long while before finally loosening it.
Head lowered, she muttered under her breath, “Why does it have to be so troublesome?”
Her voice was so soft that none of the eunuchs, attendants, or other personnel outside could possibly hear.
Emperor Jingxi half-lidded his eyes, watching the rosy tips of her ears, thinking that he might have been too hard on her.
Unwilling to waste more time, he reached out, guiding her fingers with his own, and deftly untied the sash.
As the sash slipped from her fingers, A wu felt a pang of embarrassment and mumbled a meaningless complaint under her breath.
Emperor Jingxi chuckled, pulling her slender waist closer, “Silly.”
A wu felt the man’s laughter fall right by her ear, warm and tingling.
Her face flushed even redder.
“I’m not stupid at all, you’re the “
She swallowed the last word abruptly-one mustn’t disrespect the emperor.
Then the man scooped her up and carried her to the bed.
Strangely, he didn’t rush into anything.
Instead, they undressed each other leisurely while chatting.
Emperor Jingxi asked casually, “Have you started learning the qin?”
A wu: “Yes.”
She briefly recounted her progress, and Emperor Jingxi seemed quite pleased.
He then asked, “What did the court ladies teach you today?”
A wu mumbled vaguely, “Accounting… bookkeeping.”
Emperor Jingxi: “Did you understand it?”
A wu hesitated.
“It’s too hard… I didn’t really get it.”
Emperor Jingxi lifted his eyelids.
“How could you not understand?”
A wu: “Huh?”
Her lips parted slightly.
“I just… didn’t understand.”
Emperor Jingxi: “Bring it here. Let me see what’s so confusing.”
???
A wu stared at Emperor Jingxi in shock, meeting the seriousness in his eyes.
He wasn’t joking.
She stammered, “Now?”
Emperor Jingxi: “Mm.”
A wu felt as if she’d been struck by lightning!
What was this?
Weren’t they supposed to be spending the night together?
Why was he making her study at a time like this?!
Seeing her dawdle, Emperor Jingxi grabbed his silk robe and draped it loosely over himself.
“Didn’t they give you a book? Bring it here. I’ll take a look.”
A wu took a deep breath, expressionless as she scrambled up, pulled the book from the side, and handed it to him.
Emperor Jingxi lounged lazily against the bed, flipping through the pages under the dim lamplight.
“What’s so hard about this?”
His tone made it sound so simple.
A wu pouted indignantly.
“It’s really difficult…”
In the dim light, Emperor Jingxi’s gaze swept over her briefly.
That single glance made her feel utterly belittled.
Emperor Jingxi sat up and ordered the palace maids to light more lamps.
Then he leaned back against the bed and patted the spot beside him.
“Come, sit here.”
Like a kitten, A wu immediately curled into his embrace, nestling against the crook of his shoulder, arms and legs wrapping around him.
Emperor Jingxi: “I don’t have much time. I need to return to Fengtian Hall soon. Quickly, tell me—what exactly didn’t you understand?”
A wu leaned in closer.
“Right here…”
Emperor Jingxi: “This is the settlement method, using the four-column accounting system. If you didn’t grasp the earlier bookkeeping principles, the later parts would only confuse you more.”
A wu frowned, looking miserable.
“A wu isn’t running a business. Why do I have to learn this?”
Emperor Jingxi remained stern.
“If you refuse to learn, I won’t stay tonight. I’ll leave right now.”
He made it as if to rise.
What?!
A wu hastily clung to his arm.
“No, Your Majesty, please stay!”
If he left without spending the night with her, where would she hide her face?
She might even lose the daily bird’s nest soup the Empress Dowager bestowed every morning.
A wu wanted to cry.
Emperor Jingxi glanced at her arms wrapped tightly around him, then at her face.
“Then listen carefully. I’ll explain the basics. Tomorrow, you can ask Consort Hui or the court ladies for further guidance. If necessary, they can even tutor you privately to make up for this lesson.”
Private tutoring?
That meant even more studying?!
A wu hurriedly said, “No need for that! I’ll learn, I’ll learn right away!”
Emperor Jingxi briefly explained the accounting method to her, keeping it concise and straightforward, making it easy for A wu to understand.
Once she grasped the general framework and main principles, the finer details and complex recording techniques became much clearer.
A wu had initially struggled because she was unfamiliar with the subject, overwhelmed by the intricate rules and procedures.
Finally, as the explanation concluded, Emperor Jingxi nodded in satisfaction, closing the book and placing it on the small table beside the couch.
He then remarked, “Three years into my reign, a major corruption case emerged in the court. The embezzlers exploited loopholes in the treasury records, prompting me to reform the accounting system-the very method still in use today.”
A wu responded, “Oh, I see…”
She had no idea that behind the emperor’s casual words lay a massive scandal-one that had led to the execution of over three thousand officials, including high-ranking ministers and vice-ministers.
Instead, A wu found herself counting on her fingers how old she had been back then?
Just a year old?
A chubby, fair-skinned baby who couldn’t even walk yet?
Amused by the thought, she shared it with Emperor Jingxi.
The emperor paused briefly before ruffling her hair.
“Time flies,” he murmured.
A wu sighed wistfully.
“Perhaps this is what they mean by ‘You were born before me, and I came too late—”
“Enough,” Emperor Jingxi cut her off sharply.
A wu immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, swallowing the last word.
The emperor gave her a sidelong glance.
“Call yourself foolish, yet you still don’t admit it. Can’t even speak properly.”
A wu lowered her head meekly.
“Your Majesty, please don’t be angry with A wu.”
Emperor Jingxi arched his brow.
She softened her voice further.
“Your Majesty should… favor your concubine soon. I can’t wait any longer…”
The emperor’s expression shifted slightly, his gaze darkening.
Leaning in, his lips brushed her ear as he murmured hoarsely, “You want it that badly?”
A wu flushed, her heart racing.
“Yes… I miss Your Majesty… terribly.”
His kisses descended upon her like a sudden downpour.
This time, they tangled together almost immediately, their robes still half-draped over them.
A wu hadn’t expected him to be so impatient.
Instinctively, she clutched at his robes.
Emperor Jingxi growled for her to continue, but her trembling hands couldn’t manage the fastenings.
Looking down, he saw the delicate woman beneath him-flustered, on the verge of tears, her face burning red.
With a low exhale, he straddled her, thrusting forcefully while tearing at his own garments, tossing them aside without care.
Time was indeed running short-he needed to hurry.
He had to return to Fengtian Palace to rest before the morning court session.
Occasionally, he could spend the entire night at Langhua Palace, but only at the right time, discreetly, without drawing attention.
After all, the crown prince was still inspecting military affairs in the north.
As a father, he had already taken the woman his son longed for into the palace, holding her in his arms and indulging freely.
If he also violated palace regulations by staying overnight, it would only complicate matters further.
For a fleeting moment, Emperor Jingxi thought of words unbecoming of an emperor-words that spoke of moral failing.
But what could he do?
They had already crossed this line.
Now she could only keep a low profile and avoid drawing too much attention, lest those old censors at court start writing endless memorials of admonition.
Only after completely appeasing the Crown Prince’s anger would this matter finally settle, and then she could afford to be more relaxed.
A wu was actually a little worried.
She didn’t want to go through all this trouble only to end up with an unsatisfying experience, fearing that it might be too brief.