Chapter 8

Thinking of the tragic end of the villainous emperor in the plot—who was now her husband—Nie Long’s lips twitched. But she wasn’t much better off either. At least he had survived until the end of the story, while she hadn’t even gotten a chance to appear.  

Nie Long quickly abandoned her initial nonchalance about transmigrating and set a goal for herself in an instant: to live quietly for as long as possible. Even if this wasn’t her original world, she didn’t want to die miserably.  

Perhaps because she had been silent for too long, the others didn’t dare speak either. Consort An knelt on the ground, her expression unreadable.  

Chun Feng gently reminded her, “Your Majesty…”  

Nie Long glanced at the woman kneeling so properly, who seemed to be pleading for mercy but was actually openly seeking approval to abandon the legitimate heir to die. If anything went wrong in the future, the first to bear the blame would be her, the empress.  

If she agreed now and let Prince An send the child to the estate to perish, she would be the one shouldering the responsibility and infamy later—branded as heartless and cruel.  

But if she refused, the imperial physicians had already declared the child beyond saving, suffering from a contagious disease. If anything went wrong in Prince An’s household, she would be held accountable again.  

This Consort An, who had managed to survive as a top-tier villain and live gloriously till the end, wasn’t entirely brainless. She had thrown Nie Long a massive dilemma right from the start.  

However, her attitude was far too arrogant. Even if Nie Long weren’t the empress, she still had Duke Nie’s Mansion backing her—not someone to be easily provoked.  

Nie Long didn’t know whether the original empress in the novel had faced this situation before her marriage or how she had handled it. But Nie Long was thoroughly disgusted by this woman and unwilling to casually give up on a four-year-old child’s life.  

“Chun Feng, give the order. Have Granny Tingqin take some of our palace’s eunuch guards and accompany Consort An to Prince An’s residence to fetch the Young Master. Arrange for him to stay…”  

Nie Long had initially intended to bring the child into the palace, but she feared his illness might truly be contagious. If the emperor were infected, that would be disastrous. So she changed her mind. “This palace has a villa on Chang’an Avenue, not far from the palace. Have the child stay there. Summon the imperial physicians to examine him thoroughly—what illness he has, whether it can be cured—and report back to me.”  

As she spoke, Consort An’s eyes widened further in shock. This wasn’t what she had planned!  

She stared at the woman seated above her—newly married into the palace, still carrying the delicate innocence of a maiden, breathtakingly beautiful—who had effortlessly resolved the dilemma she had thrown at her with just a few words. Her hands clenched tightly at her sides.  

Even though she was several years older, she couldn’t help but admit that this woman was enviably fortunate.  

“Have someone report this matter to His Majesty—every detail, no omissions.” The last few words were drawn out lazily, carrying a meaningful weight.  

Chun Feng, the head palace maid, was quick-witted and immediately grasped her mistress’s intention. She promptly acknowledged the order and went to carry it out.  

Xia Yang took Chun Feng’s place, bringing freshly heated tea to replace the cooled cup.  

Nie Long took a sip, holding the cup in her hand, and looked curiously at the still-kneeling Consort An. “Consort An, are you dissatisfied with this arrangement?”  

All eyes turned to her, and Consort An broke out in a cold sweat.

She quickly kowtowed three times, saying, “Thank you for your grace, Your Highness. Your arrangement is more than perfect. This humble one was truly foolish to trouble Your Highness with such filthy matters. I will return and settle the Young Master properly according to Your Highness’s instructions. Even if the imperial physicians cannot cure him, I will ensure he is comfortable.”

Nie Long’s gaze turned icy as she stared directly at the woman below who was trying to retreat. “No need. Since I have arranged for someone to handle this matter, I will take full responsibility!”

“The Young Master is, after all, my little nephew. It is pitiful that he has been without his birth mother since childhood. As the mother of the nation, how can I stand idly by? Consort An should focus on taking care of the two younger ones in your household. There is no need for you to intervene in this matter.”

Consort An’s face instantly darkened. She had brought up this matter today with two intentions: first, to legitimize the boy’s impending death, and second, to seize the opportunity to make things difficult for Nie Long and shift the blame onto her.

Unexpectedly, not only had she failed in both objectives, but she had also lost control over the boy. A sense of foreboding crept into Consort An’s heart, a feeling that things were spiraling out of her grasp.

Her hands, pressed against the floor, trembled slightly as she struggled to find something to say…

Outside the door, a eunuch announced, “His Majesty has arrived!”

Her vision darkened, and her limbs went weak. She had to rely on those beside her to steady her as she turned toward the door and knelt to welcome the emperor.

Nie Long stood up, preparing to bow in greeting, when a tall, imposing figure in bright yellow robes strode over. A large hand reached out to lift hers as a deep voice resonated, “The Empress need not stand on ceremony.”

“All ladies may rise.”

“We have heard that the son of Prince An has fallen gravely ill. Consort An, how have you been caring for the Young Master?”

Consort An trembled and fell to her knees again with a thud, not daring to lift her head, let alone meet the emperor’s gaze.

“This humble one… this humble one admits fault. The Young Master was mischievous and kicked off his blankets at night, catching a chill the next day. I immediately summoned the imperial physicians, but for some reason… his condition worsened. I will return and take better care of the Young Master.”

The young and imposing emperor raised a hand slightly and said, “No need. Proceed as the Empress has instructed. You are not to interfere.”

Before she could even sigh in relief, the emperor continued, “We have yet to punish you for your disrespect and rudeness toward the Empress today. You are hereby confined to your residence for one year to copy Buddhist scriptures as a warning to others. Do you accept this punishment?”

Consort An trembled and hastily cried out, “I accept, I accept! This humble one thanks Your Majesty for your mercy, thanks the Empress for your grace!”

She had thought this would be the end of it—a year confined at home merely meant she couldn’t socialize outside. Behind closed doors, no one would know whether she actually copied the scriptures. She was almost gleeful, thinking that the Empress’s standing in the emperor’s heart was nothing special.

But then, the young and ruthless emperor issued another command: “Xiao Anzi, draft another edict. Prince An has failed to maintain order in his household, neglecting both internal and external affairs. How can he shoulder greater responsibilities? Give him three months to return and rectify his household affairs!”

“This servant obeys.”

Consort An collapsed to the ground, her heart now truly crushed underfoot.

The emperor, who had been stern and solemn moments ago, now turned slightly and wrapped an arm around the petite empress’s waist, smiling as he asked, “Are you satisfied with this arrangement, Empress?”

The heat from the large hand on her waist was scorching. Nie Long bit her lip and tried to subtly lean forward to escape, but the man’s grip only tightened. He lowered his head, meeting her limpid, autumn-water-like eyes.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Nie Long dared not defy him, fearing the emperor’s wrath should he be humiliated. After all, this man was the insurmountable super-villain from that novel—how could a mere background character like her, not even worthy of being cannon fodder, dare to oppose him?

Thinking this, she gritted her teeth and forced a smile, saying, “Your Majesty’s wise judgment naturally satisfies this humble consort.”

The others were stunned. No one had expected this iron-willed young monarch to hold the little empress in such high regard. Seeing his markedly different attitude toward her, they silently noted in their hearts that they must never offend the empress and would need to warn their sons and daughters to tread carefully around the Nie family’s descendants.

Since ancient times, the whispers of a pillow had been the most terrifying. The young empress was charming and delicate—no wonder the emperor doted on her so. Moreover, with her as the sole occupant of the harem, even if the emperor took concubines in the future, she would likely have already borne the heir and secured her position. She was an unshakable mountain, solid and immovable.

They couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. Had the old fox, the late Duke Nie, foreseen this outcome? Now that a daughter of the Nie family had become empress, her position was unassailable, ensuring the Nie clan’s prosperity for at least another century.

Some even began scheming—did their families have any suitable young women? Perhaps they could persuade their lords to recommend them for the imperial selection. Even if none could match the empress’s beauty, she was still just a woman. In a few years, after bearing children, her looks would inevitably fade. Then, they could seize their share of favor.

Their thoughts ran wild, but the emperor and empress, standing at the front and engaged in their own subtle battle, remained oblivious. Chu Ji waved his hand, dismissing the crowd, then wrapped an arm around his little empress and led her into the inner chambers.

To onlookers, the imperial couple appeared deeply affectionate, inspiring envy. Yet none knew that Nie Long had been struggling against him the entire time, unable to break free from the man’s grasp. Her small hands pressed against his large palms, her cheeks flushed, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a mix of shyness and anger.

The sight stirred something in the emperor’s chest. A low chuckle escaped his throat as his warm breath brushed her neck and ear, staining her skin pink. Nie Long’s temper flared, and she mustered the courage to glare at this tyrant.

The arm around her waist tightened abruptly. His gaze darkened as he rested his chin atop her forehead, gently nuzzling her for a long moment before sighing. “My treasure, I truly don’t know what to do with you.”

His voice carried helplessness yet was laced with deep sweetness, as if even worrying over her brought him joy. Perhaps the more rational a man was, the more helplessly he would fall when encountering his destined calamity—utterly defenseless.

His words were too soft for Nie Long to catch clearly. She tilted her head up to look at him, her eyes wide and dewy, unbearably tender.

Chu Ji inhaled sharply, then pressed fleeting kisses to her forehead and eyelids. “Are you hungry? I’ll join you for dinner.”

The lingering warmth on her forehead and eyelids left Nie Long’s heart in disarray. What was wrong with this villainous emperor? After just one meeting, he was already this intimate with her. Were ancient people always so unrestrained, or was the emperor especially so?

“You’ve worked hard today. In the future, if you don’t wish to see those people, simply send them away. Should anyone dare to disrespect you like Consort An did, tell me immediately. I’ll handle it for you.”

He cupped her face, only to find her pupils dilated, staring at him with strange horror—as though he were some kind of monster.

Chu Ji was momentarily stunned, then remembered that today was only the second day they had met. No wonder his familiarity had startled her. The man could only rein in his outward emotions slightly, releasing her as he turned to Xiao Anzi, who was waiting nearby, and said, “Go summon the meal!”

Nie Long looked at the table full of her favorite dishes, the sense of strangeness in her heart growing even stronger.  

Then, seeing the emperor across from her eating with relish—clearly accustomed to such flavors—she wondered, could the emperor’s tastes really be so similar to hers?  

Chu Ji noticed her hesitation to pick up her chopsticks and used the serving chopsticks assigned to the palace maid to place a few bites into her bowl. “Eat quickly before it gets cold,” he urged.  

Nie Long stared at the piled-up food in her bowl—sliced chicken fillets, steamed fish pieces—all dishes she loved. She particularly favored these two, especially fish. In fact, nearly half the table was filled with fish-based dishes.  

As if sensing her thoughts, Chu Ji explained, “I had the Imperial Kitchen prepare your preferences based on what the Nie family told me. Since you’ve married into the palace, I should at least make sure you feel as comfortable here as you did at home.”