Chapter 25


    The Xuanwu Emperor sat on the round stool, turning away and ignoring Jiang Xinyue.


    Jiang Xinyue pouted pitifully, looking as if she were about to cry. She knelt on the floor and shuffled along, with her two tiny fists propping up her chin and blinking herrge, aggrieved eyes.


    Her eyes brimmed with tears, resembling the little white dog kept near the swing in Hexi Pce.


    The Xuanwu Emperor sighed and stroked her bruised cheek, lifting her up and cing her on hisp. "Does it hurt?"


    Jiang Xinyue quickly shook her head, seizing the opportunity to cling to him obediently with a smile. "No, no...it hurts the Emperor more."


    "What hurts the Emperor?"


    "Striking your humble servant wounds the Emperor''s heart!"


    She embraced the Emperor bashfully, their foreheads touching, rubbing her nose against his. "Your Majesty, your humble servant was wrong, causing the rift between you and Concubine Li..."


    Her face flushed red. "Your humble servant had no idea it would escte like this. I just...wanted to let off steam at Layue."


    She did not deny purposefully approaching Layue.


    "You still do not realize your mistake."


    The Xuanwu Emperor turned his head aside, looking at her sternly. "There were many ways to vent about Shuang Jiang, yet you chose the most foolish by harming yourself. Layue is merely a pce maid - you could have punished her directly, but you chose self-harm instead. Were you foolish or not?"


    Jiang Xinyue rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking: If I did not harm myself to make you worry, how would you punish Concubine Li''s maid so severely?


    Pce maids in service to different mistresses had different fates.


    "There are many clever consorts in the pce. Your humble servant has the Emperor; I need not be so clever. Being a little foolish...doesn''t the Emperor protect me anyway?"


    "You seem rather proud of that, don''t you?"


    Jiang Xinyue pouted and shook her head slightly. "A little!"


    The Xuanwu Emperor understood - she meant that with so many clever consorts in the pce, she was content being called foolish yet protected by him. She did not mind him calling her foolish.


    Had he said the same to Concubine Li, she would have been crestfallen, secretly trying to prove her intelligence and change her image in his heart.


    Although the Emperor, he was not divine and would inevitablypare Concubine Li and Zhenji.


    In this regard, he preferred Zhenji''s nature.


    Pure yet slightly spoiled, kind yet not timid, spirited yet not hurtful. She never concealed her little thoughts before him, adorably naive and lovable - impossible to be angered.


    Wang Dequan had received orders to fetch the Emperor''s scar-healing medicine for Xi Que and Shuang Jiang to apply on Zhenji.


    However, the Xuanwu Emperor took the medicine from Xi Que and silently applied it on Jiang Xinyue himself.


    He gently dabbed, careful not to hurt her, frequently meeting her gaze and blowing on the medicine every few dabs. The doting eyes he would give a dog brimmed with indulgence that could unwittingly captivate.


    Fortunately...the recipient was Jiang Xinyue.


    A modern twenty-first century woman determined not to be lovesick, but to be a pampered concubine living freely.


    The Emperor was but a tool for herfortable life.


    After Concubine Li''s great humiliation yesterday in Yikun Pce, everyone expected a confrontation between her and Zhenji...oh no...


    This morning, the Emperor decreed Zhenji the fifth-grade Zhen Fangyi, another promotion as Jiang Xinyue wished - not the sixth-grade "Precious Chicken."


    A catfight?


    Impossible.


    Concubine Li had many to punish consorts she disliked.


    In Hexi Pce was a pure white puppy the size of two palms, a gift from the Internal Affairs Department weing Zhen Fangyi''s move.


    Usually, Jiang Xinyue left it to her maids, only holding it asionally out of interest.


    The adorable puppy was especially affectionate towards its master, earning the name "Little Ai Jiang" from Xi Que.


    On ordinary days returning from Yikun Pce, Little Ai Jiang would be the first to greet Jiang Xinyue.


    "Where''s Ai Jiang? Why didn''t Ai Jiange out?"


    Jiang Chuan rushed out of Hexi Pce, only to find his mistress had returned. He knelt and kowtowed. "Forgive me, Mistress. Little Ai Jiang was lured out by someone with food. We are searching for her."


    He presented a gnawed bone found at the gate, clearly eaten by Little Ai Jiang.


    Jiang Xinyue nced at the bone. "Ai Jiang is so small and rarely leaves. Search everywhere and ask around all the nearby pces."


    She had been so focused on protecting others that she neglected the puppy''s safety at home.


    Biting her lip, she felt guilty.


    Though Little Ai Jiang was affectionate, she was extremely timid and would never stray far from Hexi Pce.


    If someone had lured her out, it must have been a treacherous servant in Hexi Pce - Little Ai Jiang fully trusted the pce maids.


    In Yanqing Pce—


    "Ahhh!"


    A shrill scream pierced the pce grounds. Consort De frowned and covered the third prince''s ears. "What happened? What mischief is she up to again?"


    The senior maid Jinyan rushed in. "Your Highness, a dead dog was hung at Concubine Su''s chamber door. She was so terrified that she fainted."


    Jinyan had seen it - bloody and gruesome, utterly horrifying.


    "A dog?"


    Consort De immediately thought of the puppy from Hexi Pce that the third prince and second princess adored. "Who keeps dogs in the pce?"


    Jinyan pondered. "Many keep cats, but it seems only Zhen Fangyi keeps a dog."


    Consort De massaged her brow. "Zhen Fangyi has provoked someone again? Such a cruel method...s...go to Hexi Pce and inform Zhen Fangyi..."


    The third prince said Zhen Fangyi doted on Little Ai Jiang. This would surely devastate her.


    Before Jiang Xinyue arrived at Yanqing Pce, the Xuanwu Emperor and Empress Zhu came first.


    It was because after regaining consciousness, Concubine Su insisted through her sobbing that Jiang Xinyue wanted to harm her, sending maids to summon the Empress to judge the matter.


    The Emperor, happening to dine in Yikun Pce, heard about Hexi Pce''s puppy''s gruesome death hung at Concubine Su''s doorstep and followed the Empress over.


    The Empress was already there!


    Concubine Su rushed into the Emperor''s embrace, saying: "Your Majesty, what has your servant done to offend Zhen Fangyi? Ever since I was honored by your affection, she has targeted me at every turn, and now she has pulled this stunt. I was truly terrified, wuwuwuwu..."


    Empress Zhu looked disdainfully at her dramatic disy and said coldly: "Concubine Su keeps using Zhen Fangyi, but did you not see with your own eyes that she hung Little Ai Jiang at your doorstep?"


    Concubine Su sniffled and lifted her head from the Emperor''s embrace, shaking her head again: "Besides her, who else would hate your servant so much?"


    "Who hates you?"


    Jiang Xinyue hurried over and overheard her usation. Rolling up her sleeves angrily, she squatted down: "Your servant pays respects to Your Majesty, and to the Empress Mother."