Lin Qiao, who had had a great time listening to the gossips today, hummed a tune as she returned to the Palace of Eternal Joy. At the palace gate, she met an old man.
Pei Liyu: “......”
Lin Qiao: “......”
The two stared at each other for a while. Then, with tears streaming down his face, Pei Liyu plopped down on his knees. “Empress Dowager, you must uphold justice for this old official!”
Pei Liyu's wail resounded through the sky, making Lin Qiao's head ache.
“All right, all right. What on earth has made you so aggrieved?”
It seemed that she had heard this old man's name when listening to the gossips...
Pei Liyu wiped the tears off his face. “Your Majesty, the Emperor refuses to hold a beauty pageant. The country cannot be without an heir! Your Majesty, you must uphold justice for this old official!”
A beauty pageant?!
Lin Qiao's eyes sparkled with anticipation. How could she miss such a fun thing? She could watch beautiful women and listen to gossips. It was her favorite.
Seeing that Pei Liyu was about to wail again, Lin Qiao quickly said, “Stop. I'll take care of it. Of course I will. You may go and make preparations.”
Tears and snot running down his face, Pei Liyu broke into a big smile. “This old official obeys the order!”
...
Spring Flower brought in the dinner. There was fragrant glutinous rice porridge and shiny big drumsticks. The dishes were not luxurious, but they were not cloying.
Lin Qiao rubbed her hands in anticipation.
Autumn Moon suddenly walked in. “Your Majesty, the Emperor is outside.”
Lin Qiao was puzzled. “Is it the first or the fifteenth day of the lunar month? Besides, didn't I excuse him from paying his respects?”
Autumn Moon shook her head. “This slave doesn't know either.”
Lin Qiao looked at the drumsticks and swallowed her saliva. Then she put down her chopsticks. “All right. Ask him to come in.”
It had been almost a year since the last Chinese New Year. Lin Qiao slowly realized that Luo Nanchen had changed a lot.
The 17 - year - old young man was tall and had a straight and slender figure. The close - fitting robe he wore accentuated his pine - like uprightness. He was tall and slender but not rough, like the moon after a summer rain, neither too hot nor too cold.
His fair and smooth face showed a sharp and cold - handsome outline. He was cold and aloof but also imposing. His deep and bright eyes emitted a sharp and powerful light. His nose was straight. He was like a flawless statue.
As the poem goes: Zongzhi is a handsome young man. He raises his wine cup and looks at the sky. He is as fair as a jade tree in the wind.
Today, Lin Qiao finally understood that not everything in books was false. There were also some truths, like the fact that the characters in the books were all so good - looking...
Especially the male protagonist in the story of the big male lead. He was so damn good - looking...
Spring Flower poked Lin Qiao in the back. When the first poke didn't work, she poked several more times.
Lin Qiao came back to her senses and looked very calm, without any sign of embarrassment from being charmed by the good looks just now. “The Emperor is here? Take a seat.”
Luo Nanchen didn't say a word and sat down beside Lin Qiao.
Although they had a distant but mutually beneficial relationship where she used him to become the empress dowager and he used her to become the emperor, just sitting there in silence made Lin Qiao feel awkward. So she tried to make small talk. “If the Emperor doesn't mind, you may dine with me.”
“Sure.”
Hey, he actually agreed.
Lin Qiao told Spring Flower, “Go and get a set of chopsticks and bowls for the Emperor.”
After the chopsticks and bowls were brought, the two ate the meal casually, but Lin Qiao's good appetite was almost gone.
“Your Majesty, is there anything you want to talk about today?”
Luo Nanchen put down his chopsticks and looked at Lin Qiao quietly. “You've agreed to the matter of the beauty pageant proposed by Grand Tutor Pei?”
Lin Qiao pouted. He was really a silent person. He wouldn't say anything unless asked.
“Yes, I agreed,” Lin Qiao nodded. “You're already 17 this year. There isn't even a single maid by your side. There's only me, the empress dowager, in the whole harem. This is not right. It's really not right. It would be a laughingstock if word got out.”
Luo Nanchen kept a straight face. “I'm not afraid of being laughed at. Why should the empress dowager be afraid?”
He was right. She had been living in the deep palace for a long time, and nothing was under her control. She wouldn't even hear if others laughed at her.
However, if there were no more interesting things in the palace, she would be bored to death...
Lin Qiao pretended to be profound and spoke in a pompous tone. “Anyway, I've already agreed to Grand Tutor Pei, and he should start making preparations. The Emperor may not be interested now, but when he sees the beautiful ladies, he may change his mind.”
Luo Nanchen pursed his lips and said nothing, making his face look even stiffer.
Lin Qiao couldn't understand. The original story was a ruthless one titled “The Harem Spreads All Over the World”. Although there was a female protagonist, she was just the most popular female character chosen by the fans later, not the one the author had originally planned. According to the setting, Luo Nanchen was not the kind of person who would remain chaste for love.
But now, Luo Nanchen didn't even touch a single woman. Could it be that...
Lin Qiao leaned over cautiously. “Your Majesty, I have something to ask you. Don't be shy. Just answer me truthfully.”
Luo Nanchen stiffened his neck and let out a grunt.
Lin Qiao stammered, “Are you... are you...”
Luo Nanchen was obviously still angry and replied impatiently, “Are you what?”
Lin Qiao gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and blurted out, “Are you impotent?”
Silence.
Even Spring Flower's choking cough was so clear.
There was no sound for a long time. Lin Qiao tentatively opened her eyes and saw Luo Nanchen right in front of her. His expression was the same as when she had called him a bean sprout five years ago, but he didn't react as violently as before.
He used to be like a young beast baring his teeth, but now he was like a lurking lion.
If you ignored his blushing ears.
After a moment, Luo Nanchen stood up and looked down at Lin Qiao. His presence was extremely oppressive. His deep eyes glinted with an unfathomable light. He gritted his teeth and said word by word, “Whether I'm up to it or not, the empress dowager can give it a try.”
The distance was too close. Luo Nanchen's face was right in front of her, and his breathing was clearly audible.
Lin Qiao subconsciously took a strategic step back. Her double chin was almost showing. But as she stepped back, Luo Nanchen stepped forward. The more she retreated, the closer he got.
Seeing those beautiful eyes getting closer and closer, Lin Qiao had nowhere to retreat and fell off the stool all of a sudden.
“I dare not. Your Majesty is too kind.”
Luo Nanchen stopped his hand that was originally going to help Lin Qiao. He pretended to be calm and watched Lin Qiao fall off the stool in a mess. “The empress dowager needn't be so polite either.”
Lin Qiao got up and regained her dignity as the empress dowager. She tidied up her clothes.
“It's getting late today. Your Majesty may go back first. I'm going to bed.”
Luo Nanchen's eyes flickered. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.
In the end, he said nothing. He just let out an almost inaudible sigh and said, “The empress dowager should rest well. I'll come again tomorrow.”
“Y-you're coming again tomorrow?!”
Luo Nanchen stopped his about - to - step - out foot and said leisurely, “Of course. The empress dowager shouldn't forget that if I treat you the slightest bit badly, all the court officials are watching.”
That's right. She was Luo Nanchen's step - mother. If there were rumors that the adopted son had grown up and mistreated his step - mother, it would be bad for the Emperor's reputation. But somehow it just felt...
It just felt so stifling.
Alas, this naughty boy.