Chapter 6

In his arms lay a warm and fragrant softness, making half his body stiff and the other half burning hot—a simultaneous experience of ice and fire that was unbearable.  

Only then did Chu Ji feel grounded. The person he held in his arms was real. He had truly returned.  

Chu Ji embraced the warmth, lying flat on the bed for a while to calm himself. Outside, a eunuch knocked on the door. “Your Majesty, it is nearly the fifth watch. You must rise now.”  

The sky was still dark, the world outside shrouded in gray. Inside, lamps had already been lit as Eunuch An and a procession of eunuchs and palace maids filed in to attend to the morning rituals.  

Nie Long’s face flushed crimson as she buried it against the man’s chest, unmoving. Chu Ji shifted slightly, leaning down to whisper by her ear, “I must rise for court now. Will you sleep a little longer?”  

A soft murmur came from the figure in his arms. “Mm…”  

Seeing her like this, Chu Ji’s earlier embarrassment inexplicably dissipated, replaced by a bright and cheerful mood.  

He chuckled softly, gently patting her back in reassurance before lifting her off him and tucking her back under the covers. Only then did he rise to dress.  

Nie Long lay in bed. The night before, they had slept under separate quilts, yet now they shared one. She clutched the edge of the blanket—this was clearly the one the Emperor had used last night. Had she rolled into his quilt while asleep?  

Biting her lip, she dared not lift her head and pretended to sleep instead, cocooned tightly under the blanket. She turned slightly, facing inward with her back to the outside.  

Beyond the gauzy canopy, the Emperor stood with arms outstretched as young eunuchs dressed him in the Dragon robe and fastened his waist belt. After grooming and washing, he stepped out of the chamber as the composed young sovereign once more.  

Chu Ji glanced at the small lump beneath the canopy and smiled. “Attend to the Empress well. Do not disturb her.”  

The palace maids bowed in acknowledgment.  

……  

Nie Long, still flustered, felt as though her mind was a tangled mess—thinking too much yet nothing at all. Eventually, she drifted back to sleep.  

When she awoke again, the sky was fully bright. She turned toward the maids waiting outside the canopy and asked, “What time is it?”  

“Your Majesty, it is just past the hour of Chen.”  

Nie Long mentally converted the time—around eight in the morning. The Emperor had risen for court at four. Thinking about it, her life seemed far more comfortable than his—at least she could wake naturally.  

The corner of her lips curled slightly, her spirits lifted by a good night’s rest.  

“Your Majesty, shall this servant assist you in rising?”  

Nie Long extended her hand, allowing the maid to help her up. After washing and dressing, she changed into formal palace attire, different from the Empress’s wedding gown she had worn the day before.  

This set was woven in bright red and imperial yellow, its skirt embroidered with nine phoenixes in flight. The slightly raised collar accentuated her swan-like neck, making it appear even more slender.  

The palace maid Qiu Yue was exceptionally skilled. As Nie Long sat before the dressing table, the intricate crane cone hairstyle was deftly arranged. Qiu Yue opened the jewelry box, selecting several ornaments—mostly gold—and adding a red coral hairpin.  

Gilded hairpins dangled by her temples, and Qiu Yue adorned the hairstyle with two freshly picked flowers from a nearby tray for embellishment.

This wasn’t the end of it. Nie Long watched as Qiu Yue picked up another golden hairpin with dangling ornaments. Glancing at her own head full of jewels, it wasn’t that it looked bad—the opulent grandeur certainly made a statement—but after a while, it became somewhat glaring to the eye, like a walking jewelry stand with everything piled on top, straining one’s vision.

With a resigned sigh, she gently pressed Qiu Yue’s hand down and removed several of the excess golden hairpins from her hair, along with some floral ornaments, leaving only a single phoenix hairpin.  

“This will do. Wearing so many accessories makes my neck ache.”  

Seeing Qiu Yue about to protest, she smiled and said, “When it’s time for the ceremonial rites later, I can always put them back on.”  

Qiu Yue swallowed her words. Then, catching sight of the stunningly beautiful Empress in the mirror smiling at her, she blushed involuntarily—she had never seen anyone so breathtaking.  

During breakfast, Nie Long met the eunuchs, palace maids, and matrons assigned to her palace.  

“Your Majesty, Kunning Palace has twelve palace maids, ten eunuchs—including two chief eunuchs—along with myself and Aunt Wenpei, making a total of twenty-four attendants.”  

This didn’t include the lower-ranking maids responsible for cleaning and menial tasks outside.  

Nie Long studied the matron who had spoken. She appeared to be around thirty, with a taller and more robust frame than most women, well-proportioned and energetic, her sharp eyes hinting at shrewdness—clearly a capable woman.  

As for the Aunt Wenpei she mentioned, she was slightly older, around forty, with faint streaks of gray in her hair. Plump but well-maintained, her features were soft and round, her eyes crinkled with deep laugh lines, giving her a friendly and approachable demeanor.  

But those assigned to serve the Empress were never as simple as they appeared on the surface. Without exceptional skills, they wouldn’t have secured their positions.  

With so many palace maids, eunuchs, and matrons in the palace, and most of the imperial residences unoccupied, serving in the Emperor’s or Empress’s quarters offered the only real chance for advancement. Elsewhere, it was just a matter of going through the motions—like a monk tolling the bell day after day without purpose.  

After all, without catching the attention of the palace’s masters, who would remember a lowly servant?  

Of the twelve palace maids, four were senior attendants, four were second-rank, and four were third-rank. Since waking up, Nie Long had mostly been attended by the four senior maids.  

The two matrons—Aunt Wenpei, who handled external affairs for Kunning Palace—was more diplomatic, with deep experience and good connections in the palace, making her the perfect choice for managing external matters.  

The taller, sharper-eyed one was Ting Qin, the Empress’s personal matron, responsible for assisting with palace affairs, managing the maids and eunuchs—a position of real authority.  

The four senior maids were Chun Feng, Xia Yang, Qiu Yue, and Dong Hua, each with their own duties. The remaining eunuchs and maids rarely had direct access to the Empress, only handling peripheral tasks as instructed.  

After meeting them, Nie Long dismissed the group, keeping only Chun Feng and Qiu Yue by her side. She still wasn’t quite accustomed to being waited on hand and foot.  

Chun Feng was the older of the two, around twenty-two, steady and composed—the unofficial leader among the four maids. Qiu Yue, on the other hand, was more dexterous and lively, still carrying traces of innocence, having only recently entered the palace.  

Seeing Nie Long reclining lazily on the chaise longue, flipping idly through a book left behind by the Emperor the previous night, Qiu Yue suggested, “Your Majesty, why not take a stroll in the imperial garden? I heard the flower house received a new batch of roses yesterday—they’re said to be blooming beautifully!”

Chun Feng tapped her head playfully and teased, “Do you want to go see it yourself, or are you hoping Her Majesty will take you?”

Qiu Yue covered the back of her head and blurted out, “Of course I want Her Majesty to take us…!”

Only then did she realize she’d been tricked by Chun Feng and glared at her indignantly.

Nie Long found their antics amusing and felt her own interest piqued. “There’s no harm in going to see it,” she said.

Kunning Palace wasn’t far from the Imperial Garden, and Nie Long didn’t feel like taking a palanquin. Strictly speaking, since arriving in this world yesterday, she hadn’t yet taken the time to properly observe its scenery. Was the sun still round here? Was the sky bluer than in modern times? Was the air fresher?

With these thoughts, her anticipation grew.

The entourage followed behind her, flanked by four palace maids representing the four seasons, with four second-tier maids and eunuchs bringing up the rear.

Unfamiliar with the palace layout, Nie Long walked slowly, taking in the scenery along the way.

Although the palace names here matched those from the imperial palaces in her previous world’s history, the layout and architectural style differed.

If the Forbidden City of her past life was exquisite and magnificent, the imperial buildings and decorations here were more rugged and grand, with an overall wild, natural aesthetic.

There were fewer winding paths—most roads ran straight through, and any turns led to intersections where sentry posts stood, guarded by sword-bearing sentinels.

Upon entering the Imperial Garden, the narrow winding paths multiplied. The ground was paved with smooth, colorful pebbles that shimmered faintly under sunlight, creating a beautiful sight.

Flowers of every variety bloomed on either side—spring always brought abundance. Crabapple, roses, winter jasmine, lilies… they were all there. The moment they entered, the sweet fragrance of blossoms filled the air.

A young eunuch dedicated to tending the plants moved diligently among them, watering and pruning with scissors, treating them as reverently as if they were ancestors.

Spotting the Empress’s procession, he hastily knelt in greeting. Nie Long couldn’t help but smile at his nervous, slightly foolish demeanor. “No need for formalities,” she said gently.

Only after Nie Long’s party had passed did he rise, staring dumbly after the noble figure until someone smacked the back of his head. “You fool, what are you gawking at? The Empress isn’t someone you can stare at! Watch your manners, or you’ll lose your eyes!”

The eunuch mumbled, “They say the Empress only entered the palace yesterday… but she’s so… beautiful!”

How enviable the Emperor was!

No wonder he was called the Emperor.

The eunuch grinned foolishly and returned to his work.

Nie Long settled in a lakeside pavilion furnished with stone tables and chairs. Palace maids and eunuchs promptly brought tea and pastries, arranging them carefully.

Taking a sip of tea, Nie Long savored the rich, lingering fragrance of premium leaves and mused that this life wasn’t so bad. If only she didn’t have to deal with the Emperor, it would be like early retirement.

Perhaps due to heavy state affairs and the current Emperor’s diligence, it wasn’t until after Nie Long had finished touring the garden and rested back in the palace that the Emperor finally arrived at Kunning Palace.

He strode in, resplendent in his bright yellow Dragon robe, his handsome features alight with amusement at the sight of the young woman lazily reclining on the chaise lounge. Waving away the servants who had begun to bow, he approached the lounge and finally spoke:

“I heard the Empress was in high spirits today—even visited the Imperial Garden to admire the flowers?”

Nie Long was startled and tried to rise to greet him properly, but a large hand stopped her. Chu Ji pressed down on her shoulder and took a seat on a nearby chair.  

He casually poured himself a cup of tea, drank two cups in succession, and then said, “Recently, reports on this year’s spring plowing have been coming in from all regions. I’ve been rather busy. If there’s anything you’d like to eat or play with, just give the order. If the palace doesn’t have it, we’ll find it outside.”  

Nie Long wasn’t sure whether he was merely being polite because she was Nie Jue’s sister or if he was genuinely this easygoing. She could only straighten her posture, nod, and reply respectfully, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s consideration.”  

A trace of helplessness flickered in the man’s eyes. *No need to rush*, he thought to himself before shifting the topic to the afternoon’s sacrificial ceremony.  

“Eat well at noon and rest afterward. We’ll go to the ancestral temple to offer incense at midday.”  

“…Understood.”