Chapter 60 – Splitting the Emperor

After Shen Qing finished her curtsey and rose to her feet, she walked right up to Xuanyuan Ling.

“What a coincidence, meeting Your Majesty here,” she said.

Coincidence?

Xuanyuan Ling looked at her with a half-smile, half-smirk, then responded with a noncommittal grunt.

Yes, what a “coincidence.”

Shen Qing’s face was all smiles as she inched closer toward him.

Xuanyuan Ling just stood there watching her shuffle step by step in his direction.

This little thing always had a knack for acting cute. She was so cautious and careful that it made his heart soften by half without even realizing it.

But just as he realized his heart had softened, Xuanyuan Ling quickly straightened his expression and deliberately put on a stern face.

At that moment, Shen Qing looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Your Majesty, are you still going to stroll around?”

Xuanyuan Ling replied very seriously, “I still have memorials to review later.”

Mm, playing the part again.

Shen Qing’s expression was a little disappointed, her eyes full of reluctance. “Then I respectfully see Your Majesty off.”

Xuanyuan Ling: “…”

He said later, not now!

He was both amused and exasperated. “Shen Qing!” Was she doing this on purpose?

“Your concubine is here,” Shen Qing looked up at him again, her eyes lighting up as though hearing her name made her genuinely happy—like there were little stars twinkling in them.

That smiling gaze of hers was irresistible, and her eyes reflected his figure. She stared at him with full attention, as though he was the only person in her world.

Xuanyuan Ling was gritting his teeth. What the hell was going on with this girl? Just one night apart and she seemed even more beautiful?

But he was the Emperor—how could he let her seduce him like this?

He feigned anger and said, “Who allowed you to come to the Imperial Garden? Your green nameplate has been revoked, and instead of reflecting on your conduct, you’re out flaunting yourself!”

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing’s expression turned a little pitiful. “Your Majesty…”

As she spoke, she tried to move closer and tug at his sleeve—one of her signature tactics.

Naturally, Xuanyuan Ling couldn’t let her get her way and waved her off immediately.

But with that one wave of his hand, Shen Qing stumbled a step backward with a startled cry.

Xuanyuan Ling instinctively reached out to grab her, and just like that, she ended up in his arms. He froze. He hadn’t intended to touch her, yet now this petite body was nestled against his chest. As he looked down, she beamed up at him with laughter in her eyes. “Your Majesty is so kind.”

The hand he had placed on her waist—putting it down wasn’t right, keeping it there wasn’t right either. He was frozen stiff.

As he stood there stiff and motionless, Shen Qing’s smile only grew brighter. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Let go!” Xuanyuan Ling was about to lose control.

Shen Qing immediately acted as if she were truly frightened. “Your Majesty, your concubine dares not do it again. I will return right away.”

As she spoke, she let go right away.

The sudden emptiness in his arms made Xuanyuan Ling instinctively reach out again, only to catch himself. When he realized what he had nearly done, he glared at his own involuntary reaction, his face darkening.

Shen Qing knew when to stop—she’d had enough fun. Any more and he’d really get angry.

So she looked up at him, her expression frightened and aggrieved. “Then I’ll take my leave, Your Majesty.”

Xuanyuan Ling’s face darkened even further—like the bottom of a pot.

Zhao Hai couldn’t bear to look. Why does His Majesty become like this in front of Lady Shen? If he really wanted to ignore her, why come all the way to the Imperial Garden today? He clearly knew that Zhaohua Palace was nearby—there’s no way Lady Shen wouldn’t notice the Emperor’s arrival. Obviously, he came to see if revoking her green nameplate had scared her.

But turns out, she wasn’t scared at all—and now His Majesty had cornered himself.

Zhao Hai found it oddly funny seeing the Emperor so flustered. No, no, he shouldn’t think that—this was the Emperor, after all, he had to show respect.

After Shen Qing walked quite a distance away, she nearly couldn’t hold back her laughter. She covered her mouth and giggled to herself.

Really, it was the first time she had ever seen Xuanyuan Ling so aggrieved. What a shame she could only see it once—if it happened again, he might truly get angry. Next time, she’d have to coax him.

Still, it was so funny! Hahahahaha!

Chunhua, who had been terrified earlier thinking Xuanyuan Ling might place Lady Shen under house arrest, now stood frozen seeing her mistress laugh like that.

Xuanyuan Ling let out a long breath, then turned to Zhao Hai. “Have someone block off Zhaohua Palace. She’s not allowed to leave.”

Zhao Hai quickly acknowledged the order, though he thought to himself, Lady Shen has already been punished in front of His Majesty—of course she wouldn’t dare go out again. There’s no need to block off the whole palace.

But this wasn’t to restrict Lady Shen—it was to keep others from approaching her while she was supposedly “out of favor.” It was to prevent those without eyes from bullying her. In the end, wasn’t the Emperor protecting her again?

After giving the order to confine Shen Qing, Xuanyuan Ling didn’t go to see her again.

Coincidentally, it was the fifteenth, and Xuanyuan Ling made his routine visit to the Empress’s palace. As the central figure of the harem, any incident involving Shen Qing would be seen as a reflection of the Empress’s poor management. Speaking of Shen Qing’s house arrest, the Empress knelt and said, “It is this consort’s failure to discipline Lady Shen properly, resulting in her offending Your Majesty.”

“Mm.” Xuanyuan Ling’s face showed no emotion.

“I heard that Lady Shen even dared go to the Imperial Garden today. Truly brazen. This consort will instruct her again in palace rules—Your Majesty can rest assured.”

Xuanyuan Ling glanced at her. “I’ve already punished her.”

The Empress’s heart skipped a beat. Wasn’t she thoroughly cast aside? Her green nameplate revoked, put under house arrest—that kind of punishment was severe. How could he still defend her now?

“This consort spoke out of turn.”

Xuanyuan Ling said, “There’s no need to mention her again.”

Now the Empress was uncertain. Is he still angry at Lady Shen? Or is he trying to cover for her?

She couldn’t make sense of it, so she decided not to think about it. Honestly, she only brought it up to comfort the Emperor a little—she hadn’t expected to irritate him. She wouldn’t mention Shen Qing again. As far as she was concerned, that woman no longer existed.

Meanwhile, back in Zhaohua Palace, Shen Qing was officially grounded. Guards had sealed off the entire area so tightly that even water couldn’t leak through. Fang Yun and Chunhua were genuinely worried, but seeing Shen Qing’s nonchalant attitude rubbed off on them. Though they were still concerned, life had to go on.

Shen Qing even started teaching Chunhua and Fang Yun how to play Go. The two of them took turns playing with her—it was a way to pass the time and keep the mind sharp. She even suddenly thought: Should I bring out mahjong?

She could even call for Xiao Quanzi to make a perfect four-player table.

Despite being under house arrest, Shen Qing was living quite the comfortable life.

As for the concubines in the harem waiting for the Emperor to select their nameplates—they were delighted.

Back when Shen Qing was favored, the Emperor spent at least half the month with her. Now that she’d fallen from grace, wouldn’t that time be divided among them instead?