“The Emperor has arrived!” a eunuch’s shrill voice echoed, growing closer.

“This concubine/servant greets the Emperor, long live the Emperor, ten thousand years, ten thousand years!”

Chu Jiujiu bowed with the other concubines. There were many beauties, and even with her head lowered, her posture and figure still stood out.

As she bowed, she didn’t dare to look around. A figure in bright yellow robes passed before her eyes; the man’s steps were steady and silent.

Chu Jiujiu thought:  【This person must know martial arts. I wonder if martial arts really allows you to fly.】 The image that appeared in her mind was: a dark and windy night, a black shadow moving around on the rooftops.

Because the scene was so quiet, her thoughts were like a stone thrown into still water, causing ripples.

Many concubines could hear her thoughts, recognizing it as Consort Rou’s voice. Thinking Consort Rou was speaking, they trembled in fear.

Almost instantly, a deadly aura swept towards her.

Chu Jiujiu, remarkably insensitive, didn’t notice any such aura.

The Consort Xin standing next to her: !  She regretted her actions.  She could feel that as soon as Chu Jiujiu finished her thought, the Emperor’s sharp gaze, filled with killing intent, swept towards them. It seemed that she wasn’t the only one who could hear Consort Rou’s inner thoughts.

The deadly pressure made the concubines hold their breath, except for the remarkably insensitive Chu Jiujiu.

Finally, the man’s magnetic, deep voice sounded, “Rise.”

The concubines finally breathed a sigh of relief, but Chu Jiujiu, standing among them, couldn’t deny her curiosity about what the villainous emperor looked like, but she dared not look directly at him. If her eyes met his, it wouldn’t just be embarrassing; she might be killed.

It was better to be cautious. Chu Jiujiu quietly hid among the concubines.

But… she looked to either side.  Consort Xin, Consort Liang, and Consort Hui, who had been standing beside her, were now far away.

Chu Jiujiu: “?”  Completely confused.

But she didn’t think much of it.  It was better to have them far away; she could have some peace.

The concubines tried their best to strike their most alluring poses, but most, while ambitious, lacked courage, trembling with fear.

“No need to be so stiff, I’ve come to see you all,” Han Chu’s lazy tone didn’t relax the concubines in the slightest.

“This concubine/servant thanks the Emperor for his grace.”

Chu Jiujiu couldn’t help but think: 【You’re so frightening, how could anyone not be stiff?】

Many concubines who could hear her thoughts: !!! You’re even more frightening!!

A large space was instantly cleared around her; the other concubines were practically crammed together.

The concubines who couldn’t hear Chu Jiujiu’s thoughts were inexplicably pushed into a tight group by the others.

Li Gonggong, beside Han Chu, thought she was taking a risk, trying to attract the Emperor’s attention with this method.

Chu Jiujiu was wondering what was going on when, the next second, she was singled out by the Emperor.

“Consort Rou?” Han Chu’s lazy tone held a hint of killing intent.

Chu Jiujiu, caught off guard, didn’t hesitate to step forward and bow, “This concubine greets the Emperor, long live the Emperor, ten thousand years, ten thousand years.”

【Why did he call me? He wouldn’t be… going to kill me, would he? I haven’t done anything wrong! Heavens and earth! I’m even more wronged than Dou E…】

While her heart was filled with anxiety, outwardly she kept her head down, appearing incredibly calm.

The air in the pavilion seemed to freeze, the silence almost suffocating the concubines, before being broken by the man’s deep voice.

“Look up.” Han Chu’s gloomy voice reached her ears.

Chu Jiujiu instinctively looked up at him.  The man, dressed in bright yellow imperial robes, had ink-like eyebrows and eyes, a stunning appearance, and an aura like a snow lotus in the deep mountains, noble and untouchable.

The villainous emperor’s breathtaking beauty struck her pupils. She froze for a moment before quickly lowering her eyes, drenched in sweat.

【It’s over! I accidentally looked at him! Although he’s outrageously handsome, he’ll definitely kill me! I’m going to die! I’m going to die!】

Han Chu: “…”

Li Gonggong looked at her in shock. She hadn’t spoken, so why was her voice heard?

“Do you have something to say?” Han Chu stared at her intently.

Chu Jiujiu heard this, it was no different from hearing a doctor say, “Eat whatever you want.”

“Your Majesty, this concubine has nothing to say.”

Han Chu stared at her intently, only to hear her voice follow, though Consort Rou hadn’t spoken.

【My grilled fish! Let me at least have one more bite of grilled fish…】

Consort Li, standing nearby: “…”  Of all times, she’s still thinking about food…

Chu Jiujiu wasn’t kneeling but standing, so she could see from the corner of her eye Han Chu’s jade-like fingers lightly tapping the armrest, one tap after another, like a death knell.

The man’s gaze was filled with ice and gloom.

【He’s so terrifying, so terrifying, so terrifying!】 Chu Jiujiu, a naive modern woman, had never experienced such a life-or-death moment.  His pressure made her hair stand on end, but her beautiful face remained incredibly calm.

Han Chu quietly listened to her thoughts, his eyes like a fan, half-hidden by his eyelashes. His silence was chilling, making her feel like she could become soil and nourish the earth at any moment.

Li Gonggong lowered his eyes, his previous shock gone. He thought: Consort Rou will likely meet her end.  With such a strange phenomenon, how could the Emperor possibly let her live?

The frequency of his tapping on the armrest unconsciously drew Chu Jiujiu’s attention, as if she were feeling the approach of death.

“You may leave,” he said lightly after a moment.

At that instant, the sword hanging over Chu Jiujiu’s neck seemed to disappear. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but outwardly remained calm and composed, bowing, “This concubine thanks the Emperor for his grace.”

She took small steps back towards the other concubines, her ethereal beauty and graceful figure captivating everyone, making them reluctant to look away.