Yanliu watched Mingyue lying on the bed. Although she remained silent, her eyes were open, seemingly fine. Yanliu began to tidy up the torn scraps of cloth scattered on the floor.
Suddenly, Mingyue spoke, startling her.
"Princess, what did you say? This servant doesn't understand."
Yanliu was contemplating what color curtains and bedsheets to change to. Mingyue's sudden words caught her off guard, and she was momentarily confused.
"I said, Ji Shiyou is going to move in here. Do we have a chance?"
Mingyue got out of bed and pulled Yanliu over. She sat down on a chair in the room, a smile in her eyes.
"The Princess agreed? To let His Majesty live in the side hall?"
Yanliu looked at Mingyue, feeling something was amiss. The Princess harbored a deep hatred for His Majesty and was determined to kill him. How could she agree to let His Majesty live there, and with such a joyful expression?
"If not the side hall, then he'll live here, sharing my bed."
Mingyue's face was filled with delight, appearing somewhat agitated.
"Here? Share a bed? Princess, could it be that last night, you and His Majesty... consummated the marriage?"
Yanliu's face was filled with astonishment, followed by joy in her heart. Had something happened last night? Had the Princess and His Majesty reconciled and decided to live harmoniously? Yanliu's mind raced with possibilities as she stared intently at Mingyue. Her gaze seemed to pierce through her clothes, full of curiosity.
"You insolent girl, what nonsense are you spouting? It's not what you're thinking. Let me tell you. At first, when he proposed it, I was resolutely against it. But after I thought it through, I didn't stop him. Think about it, our plan is to kill him. But we rarely see him, and when we do, he's always surrounded by guards or eunuchs. It's hard to make a move, and he's very vigilant, with martial arts superior to mine. Killing him is almost impossible. But if he moves in, it's a different story. Right under our noses, there will be many opportunities to strike. Moreover, when he's asleep, I can launch a surprise attack. Such an opportunity, it's too good to pass up. They say even tigers doze off; I refuse to believe he can keep his eyes open while sleeping. No, I must seize this time and prepare thoroughly. I aim for him to walk in alive today and be carried out horizontally tomorrow morning."
Mingyue became more and more excited, leaving Yanliu behind and heading out of the room to make preparations. Yanliu stood stunned for a moment, then resumed tidying up. Despite her inner turmoil, there was nothing she could do. She would remain steadfast and do her duty as a maid, taking good care of the Princess until she was out of danger.
Ji Shiyou's mood was exceptionally cheerful today. Even the normally annoying memorials seemed more pleasant to his eyes. It truly proved that happiness is earned through one's own efforts. Thinking about sleeping in Mingyue's arms again tonight, a smile touched his lips.
"Your Majesty, are you experiencing some good fortune?"
Dongnan replaced Ji Shiyou's cup with a fresh cup of hot tea and asked cautiously. It had been a long time since Ji Shiyou had been in such good spirits, and he was very curious.
"Of course. Go and pack. From today onwards, I will be moving to Lanyue Palace to sleep. You alone will accompany me to serve. Mingyue prefers quiet. Do not bring anyone else."
Ji Shiyou quickly scanned the memorials, wishing he could finish all his work immediately and leave the study to return to Lanyue Palace. He wondered what Mingyue was doing now; he missed her.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Upon hearing this, Dongnan was also happy for Ji Shiyou and quickly offered his congratulations. Just then, Xingsheng appeared out of nowhere, interrupting his words.
"Can't you make any noise? You scared me to death!"
Dongnan complained to Xingsheng, wondering why he chose to appear at this particular moment. Based on his experience, he had intended to use Ji Shiyou's good mood to solicit a reward. But with Xingsheng's appearance, Ji Shiyou's attention would surely be diverted. He would inquire about the Empress, and Dongnan's reward would be lost.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
"As an imperial guard, one should move without a sound," Xingsheng said coldly, not even looking at Dongnan, after paying his respects to Ji Shiyou.
"After I left, what did the Empress do? Who fell out of favor in the palace today?"
As expected, upon seeing Xingsheng, Ji Shiyou put down his memorials. He cared about nothing else and inquired about Mingyue's situation.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, after the Empress left her chambers, she has been fiddling with the items from the Wu Man Kingdom that you sent. After breakfast, she has remained in Lanyue Palace and has not gone out."
Xingsheng strictly followed Ji Shiyou's instructions to protect and monitor. He did not look or listen too closely within the Empress's chambers, and therefore, he was unaware that Mingyue's agreement to Ji Shiyou's request was malicious.
"It seems this gift was well-chosen. Seeing the object reminds her of the person. She's not going out to cause trouble anymore. What is she doing staying in the palace?"
Ji Shiyou praised himself inwardly, thinking how clever he was. By sending items from the Wu Man Kingdom, Mingyue had quieted down. The entire harem was no longer in chaos, and he no longer had to rush around putting out fires; the world had become peaceful.
"The Empress has been sharpening her knives."
Xingsheng replied expressionlessly. He was also puzzled. The other consorts in the harem were either doing needlework or studying culinary arts and makeup. The Empress was unique, sharpening knives, and doing so for several hours. He felt it was unusual, which was why he came to report. In fact, unless there was something out of the ordinary, he would not report to Ji Shiyou. But seeing the Empress sharpening her knives and even smiling eerily, Xingsheng felt it was unusual and came to find Ji Shiyou.
"Sharpening knives? Why? I understand. You may leave."
Ji Shiyou couldn't figure it out either. He dismissed Xingsheng and picked up his memorials again. However, his speed of reviewing them increased; he was eager to return and see for himself. Dongnan quickly ground ink for him, not daring to interrupt Ji Shiyou, nor daring to mention any rewards.
Rushing as fast as he could, he finally returned to Lanyue Palace before dinner. Ji Shiyou felt something was not quite right. Mingyue neither glared at him nor uttered any taunts, which surprised him. According to Mingyue's temperament, it wouldn't be strange if she had thrown out the items Dongnan brought into her chambers. However, Mingyue merely looked at him coldly, said nothing, and even sat at the same table to eat with him. Perhaps the morning training had taken effect, Ji Shiyou mused. At that moment, he had been somewhat infatuated, and Mingyue must have felt something too, right? Thinking of this, Ji Shiyou held his rice bowl, staring blankly at Mingyue's earlobe.
"Eat, or go to bed if you're not eating."
Seeing Ji Shiyou staring at her, Mingyue let out a roar, startling Ji Shiyou. He quickly devoured a bowl of plain rice. After finishing, he realized he hadn't even taken any dishes.
"Shall we sleep?"
As soon as Ji Shiyou placed his bowl on the table, Mingyue's voice rang out, making him tremble.
"It's... it's too early, isn't it?"
Looking at the sky outside, the sun had not yet set. The sky was filled with colorful clouds, it was dusk. The moon had not yet risen, and they were going to sleep? Ji Shiyou looked at Mingyue incredulously, speaking timidly.
"I said sleep, so we sleep. What's all the fuss about?"
Mingyue slammed the table, her voice rising by an octave. Yanliu and Dongnan turned their faces away, pretending not to hear.
"Fine, if you want to sleep, we'll sleep. I'll cooperate."
Ji Shiyou looked terrified. He had no choice but to cooperate. Mingyue had already grabbed his collar and was dragging him towards the back hall's sleeping quarters.