"Let's play another round."
"Your Majesty, I'm tired," Mu Qingyao said with a stern face.
She was genuinely exhausted. It was almost sunset, and she was weary. The man, however, looked utterly engrossed, as if thoroughly enjoying himself. She refused to indulge his whims.
"Do you want His Majesty to accompany you in other activities? This is, after all, my wedding celebration."
His voice was deep with a hint of playful, yet menacing, ambiguity.
Mu Qingyao blushed in embarrassment. She hadn't expected this wicked and roguish side of him in private. What did he mean by accompanying him in other activities? She felt an urge to punch him.
"Fine, one more round, but this is absolutely the last one. No third round."
"Good," Murong Liuzun readily agreed. He picked up his pieces again, and the second battle commenced.
This game stretched from sunset to dusk.
Because Mu Qingyao was so tired, her concentration wavered, making this game much quicker.
In the end, the Emperor won against Mu Qingyao by four pieces, and he stood up, thoroughly satisfied.
"I've gained a lot tonight."
Murong Liuzun stretched his body, loosening his limbs.
Mu Qingyao drooped her head listlessly and yawned.
The dew thickened, and July was already early autumn. A chill permeated her body, making her legs feel cold. She quickly moved to warm herself, preparing to rest.
"Your Majesty, please proceed. Qingyao needs to sleep for a while."
As Mu Qingyao spoke, she walked towards the bed. Emperor Xian, standing behind her, wore a pensive expression. He spoke slowly, "Wait a moment."
Mu Qingyao stopped, turning to look at the man high above her, her face a mask of confusion. What else did he want?
He said nothing further, but slowly approached her.
Mu Qingyao blinked, watching him. What did this man intend? If he tried to force her, she wouldn't hesitate to hurt him. She was unaccustomed to such intimacy with a man devoid of emotion.
Mu Qingyao was lost in her thoughts.
The young and handsome Emperor walked to her side, reached out, took the golden hairpin securing her hair, turned, and walked towards the grand bed.
A flash of gold, and the hairpin, gliding past his rolled-up sleeve, actually drew a bloody gash.
Blood slowly dripped down, staining a piece of white silk brocade on the bed, gradually forming a lotus shape. He then withdrew his hand, pressing the wound with the other.
"This is My compensation to you tonight."
He smiled wickedly, showing no sign of pain, then put down the hairpin and turned to leave.
Mu Qingyao suddenly found a certain charm in his personality. For an Emperor to act in such a manner, it showed that while he might be calculating her, he also afforded her equal respect, which was rare.
Outside the palace doors, Ah Jiu's respectful voice could be heard: "Your Majesty, why did you not summon me to serve you?"
The voice gradually faded. Mu Qingyao, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion, turned and walked to the bed, carefully folding the white brocade stained with the Emperor's blood and setting it aside.
This was something an Emperor had done for her. Regardless of her reluctance, deep down, she cherished his actions.
She was so tired; it was time to sleep.
The full moon shifted westward, a few scattered clouds drifting lazily. The night was nearing its end, and dawn was approaching.
As dawn broke, the early-rising maids of the Fengluan Palace busied themselves. The Emperor had favored the Empress last night.
This indicated that the Empress's status in the harem was unparalleled. Consequently, the eunuchs and maids in the vast palace became exceptionally diligent.
As yet, they knew nothing of the new Empress's temperament, daring not to slacken. Any misstep could lead to their demise.
The female historian arrived early to collect the brocade, officially marking the Empress's entry into the imperial harem's annals.
The news of the Emperor favoring the Empress spread like wildfire throughout the entire harem and even beyond the palace walls.
The Emperor's aversion to women had led many inside and outside the palace to question if the new Emperor had any peculiar habits or hidden ailments. This news, however, completely shattered such idle speculations.
It turned out the Emperor had simply not yet met the right person.
In the sleeping chambers of Fengluan Palace, Mu Qingyao slept soundly. Her personal maids, Meixin and Mochou, waited by the bedside, exchanging glances.
Their mistress's sleeping posture was truly unsightly. They wondered if the Emperor had noticed, but his favor suggested he was quite pleased with her.
"Empress, it's time to rise. You must go to Guangyang Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager shortly." From now on, they had to change their address. The palace was unlike other places; any careless slip of the tongue could bring trouble upon them.
Mu Qingyao had only just fallen asleep when she heard a muffled voice by her ear, eliciting an annoyed hum: "Let me sleep a bit longer. Don't you know I played chess for so long?"
"Chess?" The two maids exchanged bewildered glances. What did their mistress mean by that? But they hadn't heard the full sentence, only the word "chess." Perhaps their mistress was dreaming of playing chess.
Meixin looked helplessly at Mochou: "What should we do if Her Highness doesn't wake up?"
"Let her sleep a bit longer," Mochou replied impassively.
Unlike Meixin, who grew up in a commoner family and paid little attention to formalities, Mochou was less cautious.
"What's the harm in being a little late? Does the Empress Dowager really wake up so early, waiting for the Empress to pay her respects?"
Meixin considered this and realized it made sense.
The Empress Dowager was old; it was unlikely she would wake up early to wait for the Empress to pay her respects. If the Empress went too early, she might disturb the Empress Dowager's rest, which could be construed as malicious.
Therefore, the two maids quieted down.
Little did they know, in Guangyang Palace.
The Empress Dowager was already seated on her grand bed, her face exceptionally displeased. She glared at the eunuch beside her and, after a long silence, finally asked, "Are you certain His Majesty truly favored the Empress?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. The female historian has already obtained the Empress's blood, and the Empress's status has officially been recorded in the harem's annals."
The one speaking was Eunuch Li, the Empress Dowager's personal attendant, who replied cautiously.
He had served the Empress Dowager for over twenty years and understood her nature.
The Empress Dowager had risen from a sixth-rank concubine to the position of Empress, a testament to her deep schemes and venomous heart. She had climbed to her current high position over countless corpses.
Although he had served the Empress Dowager for over twenty years, he still dared not be careless, for the Empress Dowager was not one to dwell on past affections. Had she been, Empress Li would not have died.
"Damn it, does he truly like that woman?"
The Empress Dowager narrowed her dangerous eyes. In that case, that woman could no longer be tolerated.