Chapter 2: A Big-Hearted Woman

After picking her flowers, Yun Ying returned to Qingzhu Pavilion ahead of Gu Zhenzhen’s smug gaze.

She took a short nap, drank a chilled cup of osmanthus and sour plum juice, then leisurely began arranging flowers and reading, quietly passing the time.

Unknowingly, the sun had set and dusk had fallen.
Another day had passed.

In the Hall of Diligent Administration, Emperor Zhao Chong had just finished reviewing memorials. A eunuch entered quietly, carrying a gold-lacquered wooden tray holding the name plaques of the imperial concubines. Zhao Chong glanced at it and initially had no intention of selecting anyone. But then he remembered something the Empress Dowager had said the previous day and pressed his fingers against his brow.

“His Majesty has been living far too abstinently lately. I fear the concubines will be waiting in vain again.”
“The Empress Dowager already spoke yesterday—surely His Majesty won’t skip the selection again tonight?”
“His Majesty just rewarded Beauty Gu. She might have a chance tonight.”

In the silence, the inner voices of the attending eunuchs reached Zhao Chong’s ears one after another—as they had been ever since he mysteriously gained the ability to hear people’s thoughts over a month ago.

By now, he was used to it.

His mother had reminded him yesterday to balance his diligent governance with occasional visits to the harem, also mentioning that he had no heirs yet. Clearly, she was urging him to summon concubines more often.

But with this mind-reading ability, he found it difficult to enjoy anyone’s company.

What if he heard something he shouldn’t during such moments?

He’d already listened to the thoughts of a few concubines—each one duplicitous in their own way…

As this thought surfaced, an image appeared in Zhao Chong’s mind.

That morning in the imperial garden, he hadn’t seen the face of the concubine standing there, only her slender back. But he clearly heard her thoughts. While Beauty Gu had flaunted herself with arrogance and provocation, the other woman’s thoughts remained calm and flower-focused:
“This one isn’t blooming well.”
“This one is quite nice.”

Looking back, the way she ignored Beauty Gu’s words was rather amusing.

Cairen Yun…

His mother had spoken. He couldn’t delay returning to the harem any longer.

Zhao Chong looked again at the tray of plaques.

“Please, Heaven, let it be Consort De! Consort De!”
“Your Majesty, Consort De!”

Hearing the eunuch’s desperate thoughts, Zhao Chong paused, nearly laughing aloud.

Consort De’s plaque had been placed in the most prominent position. He had noticed it earlier.

Clearly, she had “thanked” this eunuch generously.

Zhao Chong curled his lips slightly, then casually picked up a plaque and turned it over.

Hearing the stunned inner reactions around him, he said mildly,
“Prepare the imperial sedan for Qingzhu Pavilion.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The eunuch glanced at the chosen plaque—Cairen Yun’s—and sighed inwardly as he retreated from the hall with his attendants.

Not long after, news spread to Yun Ying that the Emperor had flipped her plaque and would be visiting Qingzhu Pavilion that night.

The young eunuch who brought the message smiled flatteringly.
“Congratulations, Cairen Yun. Among the newly selected concubines, you’re the first to receive such favor.”

“Thank you, Gonggong.”

Yun Ying responded politely and signaled Bifu to reward the eunuch with a silk pouch.

The eunuch gratefully accepted and left in high spirits.

The entire Qingzhu Pavilion was soon filled with excitement. Bifu and Biliu hurried to prepare everything for Yun Ying.

Only Yun Ying remained relaxed.

Serving the emperor? She’d done it before. Nothing about it felt new or nerve-wracking.

She suddenly recalled that in her previous life, she had also been among the first of the new concubines to serve the emperor.

But back then, it had taken careful scheming to make it happen. This time, she had done nothing—and still, the emperor had chosen her first.

That, to her, was more surprising than the fact of being chosen.

After bathing and changing, she sat before the vanity mirror and gazed at her delicate, stunning reflection for a few moments. Then, calmly, she instructed:
“No need for full makeup. Just a light touch of lip rouge. Keep the hair simple.”

Biliu and Bifu were momentarily stunned.

They exchanged a quick glance. Bifu tried to persuade her,
“Madam, tonight is your first time serving His Majesty. You should dress carefully.”

The weather had been hot lately, and since they had mostly stayed in the pavilion, their mistress hadn’t been bothering with cosmetics. But this was different—it was the emperor.

“It doesn’t matter,” Yun Ying replied with a soft smile.
“With the summer heat, looking fresh and natural should please His Majesty more.”

Though she said this to reassure Bifu, in truth, Yun Ying simply found dressing up to be a hassle.

She knew the emperor’s temperament. Even though he’d flipped her plaque, he wouldn’t arrive early. And once he did, it wouldn’t be long before he wanted to rest. She might as well stay comfortable and be herself.

She also understood that while the emperor appreciated beauty, he wasn’t someone who indulged in it. A momentary attraction would not make him treat her differently in the long run.

It was better to save the effort.

As long as she was tidy and respectful, that would be enough.

Bifu and Biliu accepted her explanation and didn’t press further.
They quietly and efficiently helped her get ready.

As Yun Ying expected, the emperor’s imperial sedan arrived at Qingzhu Pavilion at the third quarter of the xu hour (around 8:45 PM).

Before Zhao Chong even stepped down from the sedan, he looked up to see a young woman in a moon-white floral bird-patterned gauze dress stepping out from the corridor.

The lighting was dim, and he couldn’t clearly see her expression.

At that moment, she seemed to have no particular thoughts, and he heard nothing from her mind.

A breeze lifted the hem of her dress and the long black hair draped across her shoulders. In the night, she looked serene, almost ethereal, as she slowly approached.

Zhao Chong’s gaze lingered on her as she arrived at the sedan and bowed gracefully with her head lowered.

Still, no thoughts emerged.

“Rise,” Zhao Chong said.

He stepped down and offered his hand to help her up.

When she lifted her face, he saw a delicate and radiant expression. Her lips curved into a gentle smile, and her bright eyes briefly met his before obediently lowering.

But her heart remained completely calm.

None of the other concubines had ever greeted him with such composure.

Perhaps, in contrast to all the others, her demeanor was rather… pleasant.

Zhao Chong gave her another glance before leading her into Qingzhu Pavilion.

The inner chamber was filled with a faint floral fragrance.

Standing before the flower table, Zhao Chong looked at the carefully arranged white gardenias in the vase and recalled that this was the same flower she had picked in the imperial garden earlier that day.

“You like gardenias?” he asked her.

Yun Ying answered with a faint smile,
“If it’s beautiful, this concubine likes it.”

Zhao Chong remembered what had happened in the garden.

As they spoke of flowers, he paid attention to her inner voice—but she hadn’t recalled anything about that encounter.

After a brief pause, he casually asked,
“Did you arrange these flowers yourself?”

“Yes,” she nodded with a smile.
“Since I had some free time, I picked a few to arrange.”

She didn’t mention the imperial garden or Beauty Gu.
Not even a thought of Beauty Gu surfaced in her mind.

So it was true then—Cairen Yun really was…

Big-hearted.

Zhao Chong silently came to this conclusion. Looking at her again, he found her increasingly pleasing to the eye.

He smiled, took her hand, and led her away from the flower table.
“It’s getting late. Let’s rest.”

Before long, the gauzy canopy was drawn, dimming the candlelight.

Yun Ying lay obediently under the thin brocade blanket, eyes closed, waiting for the emperor to approach and begin a more intimate interaction.

Unfortunately, she had recently grown used to early sleep. As soon as her head hit the pillow, sleepiness washed over her.

And since the emperor didn’t approach right away, she unknowingly fell asleep.

Zhao Chong looked at her peaceful sleeping face and couldn’t help but chuckle.

He had only hesitated slightly on whether to proceed—and she had simply fallen asleep.

Oh well.

He reined in his thoughts, pulled her into his arms, and closed his eyes to rest.

Yun Ying slept soundly.

In her past life, she had shared a bed with Zhao Chong for seven years. Sleeping beside him now didn’t make her uncomfortable.

But the next morning, when she awoke groggily and realized she had fallen asleep before doing her duty as a concubine, she was a little stunned.

Especially since Zhao Chong was no longer in bed. She didn’t know when he had gotten up.

As she was still gathering her thoughts, the gauze canopy was suddenly lifted by a hand.

Yun Ying looked up and saw Zhao Chong standing neatly dressed beside the bed, no trace of displeasure on his face. She immediately smiled brightly.

“Did Your Majesty rest well last night?”

Zhao Chong raised an eyebrow, his tone unreadable.
“Seems like you certainly did.”

“Your Majesty is wise,” Yun Ying said as she got up.
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s blessings, this concubine slept very well.”

[Sigh…]
[Failing in front of His Majesty during our first night? That’s a new one.]

Recalling that she had fallen asleep first, Yun Ying couldn’t help but feel a little sheepish.

Zhao Chong heard her inner voice and found it amusing—she didn’t seem flustered at all. In fact, she was patting herself on the back.

He narrowed his eyes at her.
“You’re the first one to fall asleep before me.”

Yun Ying froze.

“…This concubine behaved improperly before His Majesty. I beg your forgiveness.”

She lowered her head and gave a deep, respectful bow.

Zhao Chong once again listened for her thoughts.

[Oh well.]
[I was definitely rude last night. If I get punished, I can’t complain.]

Zhao Chong: …?

That quick to give up?

Once again reminded of how unusual this woman was, Zhao Chong, who had never really planned to punish her, simply said,
“Just this once. Don’t do it again.”

He added,
“Rise.”

Just then, the chief eunuch outside respectfully reminded Zhao Chong it was time for morning court. Without further words, the emperor turned and strode out of Qingzhu Pavilion.

After sending off the imperial sedan, Yun Ying returned to her room.

Bifu and Biliu came rushing over. Bifu, worried again, hesitantly asked,
“Madam, why did His Majesty seem unhappy?”

Yun Ying flopped onto the bed.

Resting her head on the brocade pillow, she yawned lightly.
“His Majesty said ‘just this once’—so don’t worry. He’ll come again.”

If he didn’t plan to visit again, he wouldn’t have said “just this once.”

Bifu and Biliu slowly processed her words, their emotions a mix of joy and unease.

That the emperor would return was good news, of course.

But “just this once”? What had their mistress done to provoke such a remark?

Their unease lasted only an hour before it was completely dispelled—when Emperor Zhao Chong sent a lavish set of rewards to Qingzhu Pavilion.

Not only were there gold, silver, and jeweled accessories, but the corridor was filled with beautiful potted flowers and plants.

Bifu and Biliu were stunned.

And so, the news of Yun Ying being chosen to serve the emperor, followed by her grand reward, quickly spread once again through the six palaces.