Although he was tempted to reveal the hidden person, Xie Yan knew that this was not the best time in front of these delicate and beautiful women. He still didn’t have a legitimate reason to dismiss the harem.
But since he was already here, he pretended to be leisurely and found a corner to sit down. Coincidentally, it was right in front of the thicket where Yin Minglu was hiding. Yin Minglu inwardly lamented his luck. The garden was so vast, why did Xie Yan have to choose this spot? Now, he didn’t even dare to slip away.
Seeing the Emperor take his seat, the women were extremely excited. They immediately lifted their skirts and rushed to secure positions as close to the Emperor as possible. What was once an unpopular and secluded corner became a sought-after spot thanks to Xie Yan.
Because of her quick reflexes, Wang Qiang managed to squeeze past others and sit on Xie Yan’s left side. Due to her haste, her chest was heaving, but her face displayed a satisfied smile. Those who failed to secure a place next to the Emperor sat elsewhere with a sense of regret, but they didn’t dare to move too far away from him, fearing they might miss their chance and never regain their status.
The seating arrangement in the garden had become quite peculiar. In the Imperial Garden, which was filled with beautiful flowers and lush grass, there were many places with good Feng Shui. However, a small, sun-exposed area that would normally be undesirable was now packed with people. These beauties surrounded a single man, their eyes filled with adoration and infatuation. The young eunuchs couldn’t comprehend it; they wondered how these women, who usually took such good care of their delicate skin as if they were pampering their own mothers, were now willing to expose themselves to the sun.
When Qin Manman snapped back to reality, she realized that no one had thought to save her a seat. Her face darkened, and she casually found a lower-ranking maiden and ordered, “Move aside, this seat belongs to me.”
Qin Manman had the highest rank among the women in the group, and now she was the favored one in the harem. The other women were envious but had no choice but to make way for her.
“Your Majesty,” after securing a seat, Qin Manman fixed her gaze on Xie Yan, her face displaying joy. Her behavior was that of a charming young girl, and she curtsied with a slight tilt of her head, her cheeks blushing. Not to mention her appearance, even her beautiful attire and the ethereal chiffon fabric that danced in the breeze, which made her look like a fairy, outshone many of the women present. Moreover, her transformation from being arrogant and domineering to acting like an innocent girl in front of the Emperor drew the envy and curses of the other women.
Xie Yan glanced at her and, after reading her thoughts, responded coldly, “No need for formalities. Beautiful ladies, what are you all doing, being so lively?” They managed to attract the playful cat over.
Before Qin Manman could answer, a clever maiden chimed in, “We’re playing themed poetry, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, everyone is having a great time. We’ve just reached the themes of ‘wind and snow’ and ‘spring scenery.’ Your Majesty, why don’t you join us? We can continue together,” Qin Manman said enticingly with a sweet voice, but in her heart, she thought, “Perfect, now that the Emperor is here, I can recite the poem again and outshine these girls who are trying to attract his attention. I have confidence in this poem. Lines like ‘Already a hundred zhang high cliff of ice, yet the flower branches remain charming’ and ‘She’s not vying for spring, only bringing spring with her. When the mountain flowers bloom, she laughs among them’ may appear to describe spring, but they are actually metaphors for me, showcasing my unconventional and carefree nature. Perhaps the Emperor will be impressed. So, Your Majesty, please continue and let me finish this wonderful poem!”
“Oh?” Xie Yan raised an eyebrow. He had already heard Qin Manman’s thoughts from her emotions but pretended not to know. He then deliberately said, “Since it’s a themed poetry contest, let’s change the theme. All you beautiful ladies can participate, and as an incentive, the winner will receive a reward.”
Qin Manman’s expression soured instantly. Why was Emperor Xie not following the usual script? She had only recited half of her spring-themed poem! Before she could protest or suggest continuing with the theme of spring, the other beautiful women heard about the reward and eagerly agreed, clapping their hands and exclaiming, “That sounds wonderful!”
With Qin Manman being the only one opposing, everyone else stared at her, and some even covered their mouths to mock her, saying, “If you like the theme of spring scenery so much, then go ahead and compose it yourself. We, sisters, are only interested in His Majesty’s reward. Whatever theme His Majesty chooses, we will write our poems accordingly.”
“That’s right! Didn’t sister think the theme of spring scenery was vulgar before? Why are you contradicting yourself now? So fickle.”
Someone kindly advised her, “Could it be that sister cannot compose poems on other themes? The younger sisters here may not be well-versed in poetry, but if His Majesty wishes to reward us, we’d like to make an effort. If sister finds it disagreeable, perhaps she should return to the palace for a rest.”
Hidden in the bushes, Yin Minglu secretly nodded in approval. He wished he could applaud these women; their ability to confront others was direct and effective.
Let her return to the palace? On what grounds! In front of so many people, Qin Manman could barely maintain her composure, her fingertips digging into her palm for a moment, and her facial features twisting briefly. Moreover, if she were to return to the palace, wouldn’t it allow these girls to stick to the Emperor even more? She wasn’t that foolish. She reluctantly took her seat, appearing calm on the surface but secretly praying that the Emperor’s chosen theme would not be too challenging, providing her with an opportunity to shine.
Of course, Xie Yan’s choice was deliberate. To prevent this enchantress from finding loopholes and memorizing poems in advance, he decided to choose the theme himself.
Lowering his long eyelashes, Xie Yan lightly tapped the table and began to announce the theme, “Māo Nú1“猫奴” (Māo Nú) cat slave”
The theme “Cat slave,”. which referred to cats, was not very common, but it was not difficult either. It was a daily and familiar subject for many of the beautiful women who had kept cats as pets. They responded to the theme as if they were students answering a teacher’s questions:
– “My white cat pounces on butterfly shadows, its playful cat paws leaving behind cute plum blossom imprints on my light-colored paper.”
– ‘Amidst the howling wind and snow, the lynx desires the warmth of the felt blanket.’ (Outside the window, there’s a heavy snowstorm, and the weather is cold. My cat longs for warmth, hiding inside my felt blanket and refusing to come out.)”
– “Hearing the dog’s barking by the village stream, I search for the lynx’s tracks on the wild path.’ (I heard a dog barking at the village entrance, which startled my cat. Now I’m searching along the wild road looking for it.)”
These verses were simple and straightforward, lacking any extraordinary elements, but they vividly portrayed the daily lives of the women and their connection to their cats. As a result, the poems were both engaging and swiftly composed.
Xie Yan’s phoenix-like eyes revealed a smile as he praised, “Excellent poems, each one is praiseworthy.”
The rewarded ladies were elated, and they became even more enthusiastic about composing poems. The rewards continued to flow. However, Qin Manman was caught off guard and couldn’t recall any poems related to cats from her nine years of compulsory education. She felt mentally dazed.
Just when she struggled to recall some vague cat-related lines, the Emperor changed the theme once again, this time to “Tofu”. Qin Manman was completely shocked. She wondered why the themes were all so obscure. There must have been historical poems and essays about tofu, but the problem was she had never memorized any of them!
Her knowledge base was completely inadequate, and she lacked the literary prowess of the native girls in the gathering who had been deeply influenced by their upbringing. She listened to the slow and deliberate “reward. reward. reward.” from Emperor Xie Yan.
The rewarded beauties cheered and rejoiced.
She racked her brains, but after struggling for a long time, she couldn’t come up with a single word. She was left breathless, sweating profusely from anxiety.
Having just received a reward, Wang Qiang, upon seeing Qin Manman’s predicament, felt a great sense of satisfaction. She delicately held a soft silk handkerchief and deliberately smiled, saying, “Aren’t you the self-proclaimed talented lady? With such a simple theme, why aren’t you composing a poem? I’d like to see your masterpiece, Sister. Could it be that you’ve never eaten tofu from childhood to adulthood? So, you can’t compose poetry? That would be quite rare!”
Although she appeared surprised, her smiling lips and the glint in her eyes hinted at a deeper meaning, clearly indicating her disbelief.
The other court ladies cooperatively joined in to tease her: “How could that be possible? It’s widely known that the Qin Residence, where Sister Qin lives, frequents the Huanghui Temple for vegetarian meals every month. And isn’t it true that those vegetarian meals contain lots of cabbage and tofu? How could Sister Qin have never eaten tofu? Wang Jiejie, you shouldn’t make baseless claims.”
“Alright, alright, it’s my mistake. So, Sister has eaten tofu but can’t write poetry? That would be…” Wang Qiang covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her expression akin to a mischievous cat who had just tasted honey, radiating a restrained smile that stopped short of going too far.
Being teased like this in front of the Emperor, Qin Manman’s face turned extremely pale. She was both angry and embarrassed, but the fact remained that she couldn’t compose poetry. Almost everyone in the audience had been rewarded, but she was the exception. She couldn’t bear the shame.
As she saw Emperor Xie Yan’s gaze turning increasingly indifferent and calm, far from the previous warmth, Qin Manman felt a growing sense of panic. It was clear that the Emperor appreciated talented women, and her mediocre performance in this poetry event had disappointed him. Furthermore, he began to bestow rewards on Wang Qiang and the others, elevating their statuses, but conspicuously skipped her. This made Qin Manman even more convinced that she was falling out of favor.
At this moment, an elderly figure from one of the palace staff quietly leaned in and whispered to her, informing her that the Emperor had recently ordered the repair of damaged medical texts in the Imperial Hospital. If someone could relieve his worries and help with this task, he might bestow upon that person the title of Noble Consort.
Noble Consort! Qin Manman gasped, clearly tempted by the prestigious title. The rank of Noble Consort was higher than that of any of the four consorts, and considering the current emptiness of the Emperor’s harem, there wasn’t even an Empress, let alone a Consort. To become a Noble Consort would make her the highest-ranking woman in the harem.
For any woman, in the face of such a tremendous temptation, it was nearly impossible to remain calm. Qin Manman was no exception, and her heart raced. In recent days, her once high favor had diminished, and she watched as the other beauties, like Wang Qiang, who had previously been inferior to her, were now rising in status. Meanwhile, she showed signs of losing favor. Qin Manman couldn’t help but feel upset, especially since she wasn’t as naturally beautiful as some of the other ladies. Her panic grew as she felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff. Once the Emperor forgot about her, she wouldn’t need Wang Qiang and the others to fan the flames; she would be banished to the cold palace.
So, when she heard the palace servant’s words, Qin Manman clung to the opportunity as if it were a lifeline. She was grateful for having chosen that medical text in the marketplace, and she took the initiative to take on the task. After copying a portion of it, she tentatively sent it to Emperor Xie Yan.
The Emperor seemed pleased and immediately rewarded her. Her palace, once deserted, was now bustling with activity again, and countless palace servants flocked to her with rewards, almost breaking down the threshold. Bathed in the jealous glances of numerous beauties, Qin Manman felt as though she had grasped the secret to winning a man’s favor. She began the days of copying medical texts in exchange for favor.
On the other hand…
After the poetry banquet, with the reluctant gazes of all the beauties, Emperor Xie Yan remained unmoved, staying behind alone until the very end.
Only when everyone had left the Imperial Garden did Emperor Xie Yan, unhurriedly, walk towards the thicket. He grabbed the crouching figure with one swift motion, half pulling them into his embrace, and a faint smile appeared on his face. He said, “You were indeed here.”
The person in his grip struggled for a moment but found themselves unable to break free. They shrank down like a startled quail, especially as they weakly tugged at their clothes, feigning, “Your Majesty, I was just playing around in these clothes, it didn’t mean anything else.”
“Oh?” Xie Yan raised an eyebrow, unsure how much of it he believed. Seeing the young person attempting to escape, he immediately caught their slender wrist. Yin Minglu was already tired from crouching in the thicket, lacking strength. When he was suddenly caught by the wrist, he stumbled, and could only half-fall into Xie Yan’s arms.
Xie Yan, with the physique of an adult, possessed considerable strength. After capturing the young person, to prevent them from attempting to escape again, he locked them in his embrace and pressed them onto a nearby table.
The youth’s dark green hair immediately scattered and covered the ground, contrasting with their panicked face, creating a somewhat enchanting scene. Being able to appreciate such a view from a dominant position brought a sense of delight to Xie Yan, who started to smile with a relaxed demeanor.
In this posture, Yin Minglu was utterly dumbfounded. He cautiously asked, “Brother Emperor, are you angry with me?” Due to guilt and fear, he now obediently addressed him as Brother Emperor.
“I am not angry,” Xie Yan replied, his smile appearing nonchalant.
“Your Majesty, you won’t beat your younger brother, will you? Actually, your younger brother knows he was wrong,” Yin Minglu said, trying to keep a brave face, despite the intimidating posture.
“Don’t worry, how could I bear to hit you?” Xie Yan smiled gently, his fingers lifting slightly. He touched the young man’s face briefly, sending a shiver down his spine. However, the fingers moved in a different direction, plucking a leaf from above the young man’s head.
Oh, picking a leaf? Why act so ambiguously? You scared me half to death. Yin Minglu patted his still-thrilling heart.
Little did he know that in Xie Yan’s eyes, he looked like a beautiful picture. His dark hair, slightly disheveled, cascaded down the back of his neck. His pale complexion, possibly due to a pampered upbringing, was prone to leaving marks. It contrasted with the two red marks Xie Yan had just left on him, making him look pitiful.
Xie Yan continued to silently observe, not uttering a word, with no intention of being rough. He thought that he should be more patient.
The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrients~
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