From the moment he heard the first sentence, Xie Yan’s initially casual gaze became dangerously focused, and the dark color of his pupils deepened. The court attendants and palace maids in the great hall showed no signs of anything unusual, but he was certain that for some reason, only he could hear the defiant thoughts of this particular palace maiden.
This made him somewhat alert.
The group of palace maidens below the hall had exquisite appearances, their black hair flowing like clouds, creating the illusion of being in a garden with blossoming flowers. Xie Yan’s gaze swept across their faces, searching for the palace maiden who seemed to have spoken. However, as his gaze landed on each of them, all the palace maidens blushed uncontrollably, their expressions resembling shy blossoms. Their faces lowered even more, and their reactions were quite similar. This made it impossible for him to discern any clues.
But he keenly caught the name “Wang Qiang,” which he had seen in the list of names. He vaguely remembered her as the daughter of the fourth-ranking permanent general, Wang Hu Zhi. So he narrowed his slender eyes and coldly asked, “Where is Wang Qiang?”
His gaze remained fixed, not missing a single expression on the faces of these palace maidens.
It wasn’t until he spotted a woman at the far edge of the group, with a fierce expression on her face, seemingly shooting daggers with her eyes, that he heard her thoughts echoing with phrases like, “I can’t believe even the illustrious Nine-Five Sovereign is swayed by appearance. Men in this world are truly shallow.” Her thoughts were mixed with curses and strong criticisms directed at the palace maiden with the Wang surname.
As these behaviors continued, Xie Yan became even more certain that the one who had spoken was indeed this woman. A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he calmly descended from the dragon throne.
In ancient times, women considered their husbands as the center of their universe and treated them as their top priority. Emperor Jing was a tall and handsome man with narrow phoenix-like eyes, a straight nose, and a commanding presence. His looks alone were enough to make countless women fall for him, and when combined with his noble status and the aura of a long-standing emperor, it was natural that he could have the vastest territory and the most beautiful women in the world. These palace maidens were just a few among many, and they had already mentally prepared themselves to step into the role of concubines.
During the emperor’s inspection, their hearts beat irregularly, and their minds were filled with unrealistic fantasies. They hoped to catch the emperor’s eye and become his favored ones, to share his burdens and help him dress. However, there was only one emperor, and his favor could not be divided among many. If he favored someone else, it might not be available to them. Therefore, the palace maidens naturally viewed their outstanding colleagues as potential rivals.
Among them, Wang Qiang was exceptional. She was the most beautiful among this group of palace maidens, and not only did the matrons in charge of them have high hopes for her, but the other palace maidens also admired her beauty when they saw her. So when Emperor Jing called her name, although the other palace maidens were jealous, they couldn’t help but be impressed.
As the named Wang Qiang stood up, she had long anticipated this day, but her cheeks were flushed with excitement and anxiety. Her heart raced with joy and nervousness, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
As Emperor Jing approached, the flush on Wang Qiang’s face became even more enchanting, and she was almost breathless with anticipation. She subconsciously clutched her dress, ready to step forward and greet him.
However, before she could stand up, Emperor Jing suddenly walked past her and headed toward the woman behind her.
Wang Qiang’s smile froze, and the shyness and blush on her face faded away instantly. She turned around in disbelief and saw Emperor Jing walking directly to the corner where Qin Manman was standing, asking for her name.
The whole court was in an uproar. Wang Qiang’s body trembled, and she glared at Qin Manman with poisonous eyes.
Almost no one had expected such a development, including the Wang Gonggong who followed behind the emperor. He wore an expression of disbelief as he closely examined Qin Manman’s appearance. He couldn’t understand why Emperor Jing favored such an unremarkable woman. There were plenty of women in the harem with her level of beauty. Especially with the exquisite and delicious dishes prepared by Wang Qiang, he couldn’t fathom Emperor Jing’s choice. After all, compared to the feast of delicacies Wang Qiang presented, Qin Xiu could be considered “plain rice and simple dishes”!1not quite sure about this but I guess Wang Gonggong’s talking about appearances and such
Wang Gonggong, who had served Emperor Jing for many years, was puzzled by the emperor’s choice. If even he couldn’t understand, the palace maidens were even more baffled.
Before entering the palace, Qin Manman had a well-known reputation. People had mixed opinions about the behavior and talent of the second young lady of the Qin family, and the palace maidens had been secretly watching her, taking her special talent into consideration.
However, once they entered the palace, they found that Qin Manman had an average appearance and an extremely peculiar and unusual way of thinking. Her attempts to seduce the Emperor had failed multiple times, making her seem completely non-threatening. They had all dismissed her as a rival and didn’t even consider her as competition.
Little did they know, this seemingly ordinary and clueless woman had captured the favor of Emperor Jing! The palace maidens were on the verge of fainting. Now, when they looked at Qin Manman’s face again, they felt that beneath her deceptive beauty was a “disgusting face.” Perhaps all her previous foolish behavior had been an act to lower their guard and allow her to “play dumb”! She had quietly ensnared Emperor Jing and played them all.
The palace maidens were furious that they had been fooled for the second time by Qin Manman. They glared at her with eyes filled with jealousy, envy, and teeth-gritting hatred. If it weren’t for Emperor Jing’s presence, they would have eagerly torn her to pieces and devoured her.
Basking in the attention, envy, and rage of the others, Qin Manman felt like she was floating on a soft cloud, on the verge of bursting with beauty. She screamed in her heart, “Ahhhh, I take back what I said about Emperor Jing being shallow! He actually has a discerning eye and spotted me in the crowd. He’s truly wise and heroic! System, did you see that? Wang Qiang, that wicked woman, looks like she’s about to explode with jealousy. Her gaze at me is practically dripping with envy! I told you, being beautiful doesn’t matter. The real winner laughs last! Maybe tonight or tomorrow night, I’ll be serving in the Emperor’s bed!”
The system was still uncertain and said, “Host, the data here shows that Emperor Jing’s favorability towards you hasn’t increased. Is there something strange going on?” It wasn’t trying to conspire, but the fact that Emperor Jing had taken an interest in Qin Manman, who had no outstanding family background and no advantages in appearance among a group of beautiful palace maidens, was quite unbelievable.
The system’s words were like a bucket of cold water poured on her enthusiasm, and Qin Manman became displeased. “Humph, as my system, you should support me instead of constantly doubting me!”
“But I just have this feeling that something isn’t right…”
Qin Manman didn’t want to hear any more. Her heart and eyes were filled with the tall and imposing man in front of her. The screams of the other palace maidens may have sounded shrill and annoying, but he remained unperturbed, his lips slightly curved. He lowered his eyelashes and said, “Palace Maiden Qin, virtuous and gentle, diligent and submissive. From this day forward, you are appointed as a beauty2kinda ironic since you know she’s pretty ordinary.”
With these words, everyone in the hall, including the internal supervisors holding the register of palace maidens, was stunned, as if in a daze. Palace maidens had no ranks, but being appointed as a beauty was equivalent to the sixth rank. She hadn’t even served in the Emperor’s bed yet, and she was already given the title of beauty. Wasn’t the promotion too fast? Wasn’t Emperor Jing’s favor toward Palace Maiden Qin too great? She was the only one among the palace maidens!
The system was at a loss for words because Qin Manman was the fastest-promoted among all its hosts. She had stood out in the selection ceremony based on her genuine talents and knowledge, without relying on the beauty available for sale in the marketplace. It had no room to intervene or make suggestions anymore.
Qin Manman, caught up in the sudden happiness, didn’t notice Emperor Jing’s subtle smile. His expression appeared gentle and refined, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. His gaze carried a hint of scrutiny, almost as if he were examining some kind of monster or demon.
On the other side of the palace,
Upon learning from the palace attendants that Emperor Jing, Xie Yan, had appointed Qin Manman as a beauty, Yin Minglu, who had been eating small bites, suddenly froze. A piece of pastry dropped into his soup bowl, splashing some droplets onto his face.
Being attended to by the servants, he clumsily wiped his clothes. He couldn’t believe his ears. “Did you say His Majesty appointed a palace maiden named Qin as a beauty?” As he said this, he almost bit his tongue, thinking that he must have heard it wrong. Could it be that his virus implantation had failed last night? Otherwise, how could Emperor Jing not treat her as a demon and instead appoint her as a beauty after hearing Qin Manman’s thoughts and her interactions with the Beloved Consort System?
This was impossible! He projected a small figure in his mind and sternly asked, “Speak! Did you slack off last night?”
The small figure looked downcast, rubbing its eyes as if it hadn’t fully woken up. Hearing Yin Minglu’s question, it tilted its head and made a gesture, as if saying, “I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about. Can I go to sleep tonight?”
Yin Minglu wasn’t buying into the cute act. He said, “Don’t think that pretending to be a cute and clueless AI like Siri will let you off the hook. You’ll continue working tonight!”
The small figure pouted unhappily.
Yin Minglu was still unaware of what had happened. Because he was lost in thought with his blank expression and soulless eyes, the palace attendants couldn’t help but feel heartache and sympathy. They comforted him gently, saying, “Don’t worry, Your Highness. She’s just a beauty; His Majesty probably wanted some novelty.”
Seeing Yin Minglu not even eating his favorite cloud cake, the palace attendants hurriedly consoled him, “Yes, His Majesty’s most important concern must be Your Highness. Don’t let yourself suffer over a woman of unknown origin. It will only harm your health.”
When Yin Minglu finally snapped back to reality, he was shocked, “???” What are you talking about? I don’t quite understand.
Author’s note: My dear readers, I’m back again. My conscience is hurting.
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