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Chapter 63: The King Consort Returns to the Palace

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“Because Your Majesty does not trust Ling Xiao.” Ling Xiao’s penetrating eyes were looking right into the Emperor’s double pupils ones.

He gathered his courage and stated, “Your Majesty, would it not have been easier to just directly ask Ling Xiao, than always beat around the bush to probe?”

Hearing those words, the Emperor raised an eyebrow. His double pupils eyes serene and deep as he watched him. Ling Xiao looked straight at them without evading, there was calmness in his eyes.

A ripple appeared in the Emperor’s heart when he saw that. The little eunuch, who would always speak so carefully in front of him, finally turned into someone who dared to questioned him.

Without a doubt, it must be this person’s inherent character, which was both blunt and direct, bringing with it a breath of freshness.  

The Emperor got up and walked in front of Ling Xiao, staring fixedly at him for a long time, his gaze penetrating. As if attempting to see all of Ling Xiao from both in and outside.

The Emperor’s sight made Ling Xiao feel defiled and a feeling of shame quickly spread from his heart, his face couldn’t help but heat up a little.

He quietly and weakly called out to the other, “Your… Your Majesty…”

Ling Xiao’s voice called out to the depths of the Emperor’s heart, causing it to soften and become a mess.

The Emperor couldn’t help but want to know the true self of the man before him and so he asked, “Then tell Us, what do you think?”

Ling Xiao thought to himself for a while, then ratherly slyly said, “The things in Ling Xiao’s mind are not what Your Majesty assumes.”

The slyness in Ling Xiao’s eyes naturally did not escape the Emperor’s notice and that reply, which wasn’t really a reply, did not please him.

The Emperor reached out to hold Ling Xiao’s chin so he could look at him straight in the eyes, making it so that the latter’s thoughts could not be hidden from him. He then asked once more, “And what is it that We are thinking of?”

“……” Ling Xiao stared blankly, the Emperor was obviously unhappy with his previous reply.

Ling Xiao pursed his lips under the Emperor’s attentive gaze. He didn’t dare to make anymore random remarks, yet how was he supposed to talk about the truth?

Being cornered, Ling Xiao didn’t know what he should say at the moment and turned panicky in front of the Emperor.

He raised up and then placed down his hand several times, at loss at where he should put it. His mouth closed and opened, but no words came out.

His brows wrinkled in worry. He wanted to express something, but was unable to say anything.  All he ended up doing was to show the Emperor a simple and honest appearance.

The Emperor took in this scene and thought it was a bit funny, causing his lips to quirk up a bit.

This quirk was seen by Ling Xiao, causing him to feel teased and embarrassed. Soon, steam rushed from his head and his face turned completely red.

His heart gradually sped up, jumping so much it gave Ling Xiao the feeling it was going to burst out of his chest.

And yet, the Emperor who caused Ling Xiao to blush this much, narrowed his eyes in what appeared to be satisfaction while wearing an attitude of appreciating the view.  

Ashamed into anger, Ling Xiao glared at him and blurted out resentfully, “Shouldn’t Your Majesty be clear on what kind of thoughts you hold?”

The moment he finished saying so, Ling Xiao regretted it. If he said these words to any other common men, then it would be fine, but the person he is confronting right now is the Emperor.

Ling Xiao timidly snuck a look at the Emperor, only to find that there was no anger on his face, rather, he looked a bit baffled.

What Ling Xiao didn’t know was…

Though he was dissatisfied, his soft voice combined with his red cheeks did not express his annoyance like he wanted. Instead, it gave the feeling of tickling one’s heart like a tantrum throwing child.

Like a kitten, extending its pink claws to lightly paw at the Emperor’s heart, giving an unbearable itchy feeling.

Before Ling Xiao could even react, the Emperor was unable to stop himself from coming closer as he pressed his forehead against Ling Xiao’s.

At such a close range, the Emperor’s gaze was even deeper than ever before, startling Ling Xiao. The double pupils eyes were dark like inks, their might easily noticed with one glance and the hidden depth within sended shivers down any person’s spine. He felt like his gaze was being attracted by a magnet, unable to remove his eyes away from the Emperor’s.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

He didn’t know whose heartbeat it was, echoing in the quiet room, thump after thump in Ling Xiao’s ear, making him feel a little dizzy.

The Emperor’s appearance was hazy under the flickering candle light, yet strongly engraved in Ling Xiao’s eyes. It soon made him think of how handsome the Emperor was, so handsome it made his mouth dry…

Ling Xiao slowly moved closer to the Emperor, bewitched by his beauty.  

He softly licked the Emperor’s lips once.

As he touched the Emperor’s thin lips, Ling Xiao suddenly came back to his senses, astounded at what he has just done. He almost jumped out of the Emperor’s embrace, however, the latter tugged and kept him in place.

What naturally followed that was the Emperor’s overbearing and lingering kiss.

“Hn…” Ling Xiao stared blankly, his eyes meeting the Emperor’s one. Expressed in the other’s eyes was the intent on teasing Ling Xiao for his earlier movements.  

Though Ling Xiao was unhappy, his body became weak and powerless by the kissed he just shared with the Emperor, and therefore it was impossible for him to push the latter away.

The Emperor’s tongue gradually deepened, arousing Ling Xiao through their entanglement, carrying an undertone of guiding him, like he was telling him—— this is what a real kiss is like.

Ling Xiao was kissed until he was completely muddleheaded, his resisting hand had turned into an indulging one without his notice.

Under the hazy candlelight, two intertwining figures were reflected on the window, causing an ambiguous feeling to raise within.

The atmosphere was just right, and Ling Xiao’s expression was beginning to slacken under the pleasure.

As their desire grew stronger, a passion neither had ever felt before, aroused in the two men.

The Emperor restrained himself, but Ling Xiao had already lost his senses and started to unconsciously pull at his own clothing.

He wanted to get rid of the heat within his body by taking off his clothes.

But at this moment, the Emperor suddenly stopped and pushed him a little farther away.

Ling Xiao helplessly stood there before the Emperor, with his clothes a bit disorganized and his expression absent-minded, giving him a soul devouring bewitching effect, as if trying to seduce one to come closer and eat him whole. Frowning, the Emperor silently endure the urge to approach and with great difficulty, turned his eyes away.   

“We are now aware of your feelings.”

The Emperor’s voice carried a husky sex appeal that made Ling Xiao feel limp all over from just hearing it.

Ling Xiao vacantly blinked and moved toward him.

The Emperor pursed his lips, then turned around and walked, only to stop by the entrance.

“We still have to travel back to the country tomorrow. You should rest early. We will go out to enjoy the wind for a while.”

With that said, the Emperor opened the door and walked out, his footsteps quicker than Ling Xiao could ever remember being before.

Once the door was open, the wind outside blew in and scattered the heat in the room. It also brought Ling Xiao back to his senses.

Only then did Ling Xiao rouse from his desire, his eyes followed the Emperor’s departure. When he thought about what had just happened, his cheeks quickly redden.

Once again, the Emperor’s kiss made him lose all senses.

This time, his actions can even be interpreted as an attempt to seduce the Emperor!

Ling Xiao hated how he could not give himself a painless death.

Furthermore, the Emperor has misunderstood his feelings!

A misunderstanding…

When Ling Xiao thought so, a complicated look appeared in his eyes. Was that really how things were?

Or was it only so in the beginning?

Ling Xiao thought for a while, then suddenly shook his head, trying to prevent himself from pondering further on the matter.

The following morning, when Ling Xiao woke up, there was only a single person standing watch by his side.

The man before him was completely dressed in black, while a longsword was attached to his back. The final touch in the martial artist’s appearance was a black cloth, which covered his face.

Ling Xiao recalled seeing him before, back at the battlefield, when that person stood in front of the Emperor.

When the man noticed that Ling Xiao had woken up, he quickly knelt before of him.

“This subordinate’s name is An Ya. The Master has ordered me to escort the King Consort back home.”

Ling Xiao stared blankly at the man before moving his gaze to the sky outside. The sky’s color was already pretty bright, confusing Ling Xiao as he asked, “What about the Emperor?”

“Master has already departed ahead of time riding on a fast horse.” An Ya succinctly replied.

Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow, the Emperor has left already?

Did something happen in Mu Country?

Ling Xiao wanted to ask An Ya, however the latter’s face was expressionless. Under the respectful expression was restraint, which made one feel the need to back away and put some distance between them.

Ling Xiao could tell he would not be able to get anything out from asking this person, so he didn’t bother with it anymore.

Therefore, he just commanded him, “Then go and prepare for the journey. Who else will be traveling with us?”  

“An Xiang, An Fen, An Liu and An Yong.”^[1]

Ling Xiao was at lost, they were all surnamed An?

He moved his questioning gaze at An Ya, however the man acted as if he did not see anything and quietly kept kneeling, waiting for further orders from Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao sighed and told him, “All right, you may go. Call in An Xiang for me, would you?”

Ling Xiao randomly picked a person to be called in.

Soon after, a woman dressed completely in black entered the room.

Coincidently, she was the same maid who accompanied him to the prison yesterday.

While Ling Xiao was slightly surprised, An Xiang knelt in front of him.

Ling Xiao sat on the bed and said, “You may stand. Was the reason the Emperor departed so urgently perhaps mean that something had happened in the Mu Country?”   

An Xiang shook her head, “This subordinate does not know. However, a country cannot go on with its monarch missing for so long. The Master has already been absent for a prolonged period.”

Ling Xiao could tell the meaning behind those words; the Emperor had to return hastily and handle the government affairs…

Ling Xiao was quite satisfied by this reply and therefore asked another question, “Then Lan Wei… did Great General Lan Wei follow him back?”

An Xiang lowered her head and replied, “Yes, Master only left us five subordinates behind to escort Young Master back to the palace.”

Speaking to this point, An Xiang feared that Ling Xiao will misunderstand the small number of men, and added to the reply, “Please do not worry Young Master. Us five subordinates are all capable. Our martial arts are only second to General Lan. We will not allow any harm to befall you.”

Hearing that, Ling Xiao paused for a moment, as he knew right away that An Xiang misunderstood his meaning. He found it funny as he said, “I am not worried about that.”

With that said, Ling Xiao sighed, “I was just confused.”

“Wasn’t Lan Wei got expelled from the capital by the Emperor? How did he become a Great General then?”

Pausing for a moment, she then saluted and answered, “This… subordinate does not know. However, Master always had his own views.”

Though she said she doesn’t know, An Xiang also mentioned the Emperor having his own opinions. No matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like she did not know.

However, she is most likely unable to speak any further on the matter and therefore stopped.

Ling Xiao also did not want to make it any harder on her, so he switched topics, “Fu Yujun… how did the Emperor deal with Shao Country’s Second Prince?”

An Xiang respectfully replied, “He had agreed to Master’s terms and became Shao Country’s Sovereign King, making the Shao Country a vassal state to our Mu Country.

Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow. It seems like Lan Wei can be quite resourceful.

With the matter at hand answered, Ling Xiao stood up, “Let’s go.”

An Xiang was surprised and visibly confused, she couldn’t help but call out to Ling Xiao.

“Young Master?”

Ling Xiao turned back to look at An Xiang questioningly.

An Xiang asked, “Are you going to go see him?”

Only after staring at her blankly for a while did Ling Xiao understand that An Xiang was talking about Fu Yujun. Ling Xiao couldn’t help but laugh and lightly shake his head, “No, I meant we should hurry up and leave. If we are fast enough, with luck, we might even catch up to the Emperor.”

An Xiang looked at Ling Xiao in surprise.

Ling Xiao looked away, “Since I have made my mind to return back to Mu country, it would be best if I don’t meet people from another country, especially their sovereign king, as much.”

Ling Xiao’s words made An Xiang slightly smile, “It looks like General Lan properly explained it for you, Young Master.”

This was the first time Ling Xiao saw An Xiang smile and he was rather amazed. He couldn’t help but say, “So not all of you who are fully dress in black are also facially paralyzed.”

An Xiang went stiff and the smile on her face disappeared.

Ling Xiao felt it was a pity, but his attention was focused on another matter.

How did An Xiang know it was Lan Wei who cleared things up for him?

An Xiang clearly saw the confusion on the other’s face, so she plainly explained, “It was after Young Master spoke with General Lan that Young Master did not meet with Shao Country’s Second Prince.”

“So you came to the conclusion that I had listened to Lan Wei?” Ling Xiao ranted, sounding like he was blaming An Xiang for being too arbitrary.  

An Xiang hurriedly explained, “Not only that, but this subordinate also had heard your exchange with General Lan… quite distinctly.

“……” Ling Xiao pursed his lips, his face black.

An Xiang quickly knelt on the ground, “Please, calm down Young Master. This subordinate didn’t mean to do so. It is just that this subordinate’s skill is too adequate…”

An Xiang felt a bit embarrassed as she spoke, causing her to stand up, shifting a bit, “General Lan also knew that this subordinate could hear him.”

Ling Xiao was dumbfounded at what he had heard, “Lan Wei knew?”

An Xiang went on to say, “General Lan’s martial arts are above us subordinates. It is not possible for him to mistake how much can this subordinate overhear from a certain distance. Most likely he wanted this one to hear him persuade you.”

“Wait.” Ling Xiao interrupted her, “Do you mean you intentionally allowed Lan Wei to persuade me?”

An Xiang quickly lowered her head, knowing that she had leaked too much. Her lowered head evidently showed that she was not willing to speak anymore.

However, Ling Xiao was not about to let her off, as he approached her, “An Xiang, tell me the truth. Have we… already meet before?”

After being stunned for a moment, she quickly shook her head, trying to hide it.

Ling Xiao continued, “Among all of the Emperor’s chamberlains, you are the only one to call me ‘Young Master’ and not ‘King Consort’ when you see me. It is also obvious that the others have been warned not to speak too much in front of me and therefore, remain silent whenever they are near me. And yet, you are different. Instead, sometimes you talk too much. Were we by chance acquaintances?”

An Xiang shuddered. As she did not dare to face him, her gaze evaded his.

From the way she had behaved, it was positive that this woman really…

Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow and with both hands behind his back, he pursed his lips and coldly asked, “Who are you? Tell me! That is an order, An Xiang!”

“Young… Young Master…” An Xiang frowned, her face complicated.

Ling Xiao continued to pressure her, “If you don’t tell me, then I will go ask the Emperor. I’ll also add in how close we are.”

An Xiang’s face turned pale.

Ling Xiao added, “The Emperor permits my wanton actions. If you do not obey my order, I don’t know how he would tolerate you.”

“Young Master!” An Xiang was rather resentful, “This subordinate does not have any intent to harm Young Master, why would you make things so difficult for this one?”

Ling Xiao softly sighed. In order to face her, he squatted down and knelt in front of An Xiang, “Then why do you have to make things difficult for me?”Do you know how frustrating it is to know nothing?”

“Even though everyone knows them, I alone do not. Have you ever been this frustrated before?”

“……” For a while, An Xiang was at a loss and she remained silent. However, she soon gave up on struggling and calmly stated, “Young Master, this subordinate knows you, but you did not know that that was An Xiang.”

“What do you mean?” Ling Xiao pursed his lips.

An Xiang said, “The Emperor once conferred two maids to you, Ji Xiang and Fu Kang, do you remember?”

This time it was Ling Xiao who was at a loss. He didn’t know what those maids had to do with An Xiang.

Could it be…

A thought flashed through his mind and he looked at her, stunned.

An Xiang nodded and answered, “Ji Xiang is An Xiang.”

“……”

Looking at his stunned face, An Xiang kept her head low.

Ling Xiao rubbed his forehead and got up. The Emperor has already placed people by his side from quite a while ago.

“Then what about the other one?” Ling Xiao asked.

An Xiang answered, “The other one is An Yong. You have not met her yet, Young Master.”

“I see.” Ling Xiao pursed his lips, “No wonder you have always called me Young Master, even after I stopped being the Steward. I did indeed tell you two to call me ‘Young Master’ when we arrived at the Shao Country’s Prince’s palace.”

An Xiang nodded.

Ling Xiao rubbed his temple, “If so, then shouldn’t the Emperor already know about my secret for a while now?”

Naturally, his secret was about him still being a male.

An Xiang’s face slightly redden, “This subordinate… didn’t manage to report back yet to the Master, after you were exposed.”

So, the Emperor didn’t know because he hadn’t been exposed yet.

Ling Xiao was most certain about that. The Emperor had personally told him before that this was the only thing he has successfully managed to hide from him.

But…

Ling Xiao tiredly rubbed the area between his eyebrows, “Just how many people did the Emperor send out undercover?”

An Xiang was silent for a while before answering, “Young Master, you should not inquire about the Master’s might. It is not something you can easily assess. Master had started to nurture his secret guards and agents since he was ten years old. Their number cannot be counted.”

A chill ran down Ling Xiao’s spine causing him to tremble. It is only now that he became aware just what kind of a powerful person he had tried to lie to and exploit.

But luckily now, he had nothing to lie and hide from the Emperor.

……

In the end, Ling Xiao did not manage to catch up to the Emperor.

The Emperor had his horse gallop as fast as possible and so he managed to reach Mu Country three days earlier than Ling Xiao could.

On the day Ling Xiao arrived at Mu Country, the Emperor who had planned to meet him, brought people along and waited in a place far away from the palace.

Behind the Emperor stood a majestic group of people, consisting of his chamberlains.

When Ling Xiao got off the carriage, that group of people loudly shouted, “We hope the King Consort is well.”

He has yet to be officially given the title, however everyone already looked upon him as the King Consort.  

While Ling Xiao could not tell what was going on, the Emperor had personally gotten off his carriage, then approached Ling Xiao and pulled him back in it to sit with him. Ling Xiao was stared at on the whole way back to the palace.

Once in the palace, the Emperor directly took him to the Imperial Study’s courtyard, which was near. There were numerous maids and eunuchs waiting there already.

“From hereafter, this courtyard shall be the place where you live. Take a look and see if you like it.”

The Emperor told him.

Ling Xiao observed the courtyard in front of him.

The space was large with many pavilions and kiosks. All sorts of pruned flowers and plants grew around them and there was also a small pond with a few ornamental fish swimming in it.

The moment one walks closer, they would be able to see them breaking the water surface in a rush to outdo each other.

This place also had an independent small kitchen. The small kitchen had a small door in the back, which leads directly to the stocking area. It was built that way so a person could go and get some things to be delivered over.

This courtyard was like an independent small world.

He could see that the Emperor truly made a lot of effort to prepare this residence.

Ling Xiao’s heart was a bit moved.

He had deceived the Emperor, yet not only was he not blamed, but the latter also arranged such a good courtyard for him. He could tell that the Emperor was sincerely thinking about him.   

Ling Xiao couldn’t help but think ‘If only he was a woman…’

His mind naturally made a female version of the Emperor appear, tall with a biting cold grandeur, while his chest has…

Suddenly, chilled by his own imagination, Ling Xiao quivered. He didn’t dare to continue that train of thought.

The Emperor is the Emperor, he’s fine as he is now.

The Emperor, who was paying attention to Ling Xiao the whole time, saw his face suddenly change so he asked him, “What’s wrong?”

Ling Xiao quickly shook his head to express that nothing was wrong. Seeing that the Emperor was still curious, Ling Xiao quickly shifted the topic, “Your Majesty, Ling Xiao really likes this place.”

The Emperor stared at him for another moment, but decided to not make it harder for him anymore. He lightly patted Ling Xiao’s hand, “As long as you like it. If you need anything else, just tell Us.”

“All right.” Ling Xiao replied.

Although he thought that being provided for is shameful, it was the first time Ling Xiao had ever experienced this kind of love where he could get anything just by asking, a kind of bright life.

And he did not hate this kind of experience.

On the contrary, he was somewhat falling in love with this kind of feeling.

The Emperor did not stay for too long. Many matters needing to be dealt with were accumulated and it was already not easy for the Emperor to squeeze out time to pick Ling Xiao up.

He had already returned to the Imperial Study to deal with official business.

Before leaving, the Emperor sent Xiao Lizi to accompany Ling Xiao.

Xiao Lizi had been promoted to Eunuch Steward. The clothes he wore were no longer the blue simple eunuch clothes, but the embroidered red gown in clouds.

The red gown increased Xiao Lizi’s youthful looks. Ling Xiao could tell from his smile alone that he was flushed with success.

Ling Xiao did not hold back and called out sarcastically, “Oh, Steward Li.”

Xiao Lizi was lost momentarily, his face was white as he bowed, “Ste… no, King Consort, you’ve scared this servant.”

“Scared?” Ling Xiao sneered.

If Xiao Lizi was truly on Ling Xiao’s side, the Emperor would have already dealt with him a long time ago. The Emperor was able to put up with Ling Xiao because of two reasons; first, he was very fond of him. The other was that Ling Xiao posted no threat to the Emperor with the little to none political power he held.    

Back when he was still the Steward, the Emperor made sure Ling Xiao would just be a mere figurehead. The one he thought he had found, Xiao Lizi, judging by his current position, had probably long been on the Emperor’s side.   

Although he knew that what Xiao Lizi had done was pardonable, Ling Xiao was still a bit disgruntled about it.

He gave Xiao Lizi a harsh glance, causing him to go stiff. The latter knew deep down that he just made an important person unhappy, so he licked his lips and tried to think of a way to curry favor with Ling Xiao. Trying to keep their conversation private, he first had the other servants leave.

He approached Ling Xiao and said, “King Consort, Xiao Lizi also had no choice. You see, the Emperor already had the old ‘Steward Ling’ commit suicide on his orders.”

Since Ling Xiao had no reaction, Xiao Lizi continued, “When the Emperor had ordered ‘Steward Ling’s death’, it caused great alarm among the servants in the palace. They feared they would be implicated in the mess for having any relation to you.”  

“This one is just a lowly servant with no say; I had to in order to survive. But fortunately, heaven helps the just and the King Consort is a fair man. Since the death sentence from before was just a pretense, it must mean the Emperor sincerely loves you.”

While speaking, Xiao Lizi fawningly got closer to Ling Xiao, “His Majesty truly loves you and that cannot be denied. King Consort, you probably don’t know, but the very first thing His Majesty did when he returned, was to see whether this courtyard was ready or not. He had personally checked to see if nothing is amiss one last time before bringing you over.

Xiao Lizi’s face grew brighter the more he talked, almost as if the one favored was not Ling Xiao but himself, “Just think about it, who else is as privileged as you?”

Ling Xiao rolled his eyes.

Being snubbed by Ling Xiao, Xiao Lizi rubbed his nose. His eyes, which were looking down, suddenly lit up. He voiced his thoughts as he spoke, “King Consort, you probably don’t know, but there are people who worry because of your return.”  

“Worry?” Ling Xiao raised an eyelid.

Seeing that Ling Xiao was interested, he hurriedly continued, “It is only natural.”

“The Emperor plans to confer you a title and he even prepared such a nice courtyard for you. Without a doubt, the Emperor’s three concubines, Concubine Xian, Concubine Li and Concubine Ran, had probably long turned green with envy.”

“Concubine Xian has always been warm and virtuous, so she will most likely not bother you. Concubine Li does not have anyone to back her up in Mu Country, so she will most likely not dare to do anything. However, Concubine Ran is different. Her father is the current high official of the Ministry of Appointments. His power has been expanding after the Prime Minister had fallen from prestige. The Emperor has also treated her better than the other two, which helped her father gain even more power. So before you joined the harem, one could say that she alone had all the Emperor’s favor.

Speaking so much, Xiao Lizi swallowed his saliva and cleared his dry throat to continue talking, “Now that you are here, the one who will lose the most will be none other than her. How could she not be infuriated?”

Ling Xiao knew that what Xiao Lizi said was reasonable. He had followed Mo Qi in his past life and mingled among the members of the harem before, so he naturally knew how terrible it can be.

It’s just that he had never imagined those words spoken to him. They were unpleasant to hear.

Furthermore, what does these concubines fighting each other for favor, has to do with him?

Could it be that he still had to fight a group of woman for a man?

The mere thought of it scared Ling Xiao and made him shake his head.

Seeing that, Xiao Lizi assumed that Ling Xiao was denying his words and anxiously said, “King Consort, please trust this one. What this servant said is all true.”

“Do not forget that besides Concubine Ran, there is still Concubine Xian. Please be careful.”

Xiao Lizi went nearer to Ling Xiao, “Although she does not have a powerful backer, she has stayed in the palace for many years; there is definitely something about her. I’ve also heard that recently, a red-dressed maid with a charming appearance, appeared by her side. Concubine Xian brings her along very often when she wanders around the Emperor. She might be planning some evil scheme.”

“This servant had seen the woman dressed in red only once before. She had shyly and timidly called to the Emperor, casting flirtatious glances. This servant knew right away that she was trouble.”

“This servant was also able to find some information, such as her name; Hong Ye.”

Hong Ye?

Ling Xiao was astounded.

“King Consort, let this servant tell you…”

“Enough!” Xiao Lizi just kept talking without end, so Ling Xiao, feeling jittery, had to interrupt him.

How could he not know about the nature of the harem’s concubines better than Xiao Lizi?

In his past lifetime, just how many of them did he had to deal with in order to help Mo Qi?

The only useful thing he heard from the other’s mouth was about Hong Ye; she was actually over at Concubine Xian’s side.

What kind of relationship is there between Hong Ye and Concubine Xian?

The Emperor forgave Hong Ye?

According to what Ling Xiao knows, it was impossible. The Emperor was not someone who easily forgives his subordinates.

Then, why was Hong Ye fine and still in the imperial palace?

Ling Xiao was a bit perplexed.

Speaking of which, Concubine Xian was also very suspicious.

Someone like her who has no one to back her up, could not have stayed in the imperial palace for as long as she did. However, if the Emperor really did favor her, then it would make sense.

The Emperor and her mutually respected one another as husband and wife. Although it seemed like he doted on her as well, it was more out of consideration for her personality and nature. She had already been managing the harem for many years under his order.

Even as the years had passed and more concubines joined the harem, such as Concubine Li and Concubine Ran who also obtained the Emperor’s love, her position was always stable, never swaying the entire time.

Even in his past lifetime, when Ling Xiao helped Mo Qi secure the Empress position, Concubine Xian still did not fall from her position of prestige.  

The one consistently managing the harem was Concubine Xian.

This truly left Ling Xiao baffled.

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Footnotes:

[1]All the An means dark, secret, hidden, etc.

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