Chapter 13
Hearing this familiar inner voice, the old emperor’s originally bright smile became a little forced. The next moment, he understandingly clapped his hands. The palace attendants, long prepared, brought out the delicacies one by one.
After a day of running around, the members of the Jiuque household were all so hungry that their chests almost touched their backs. They quickly expressed their thanks.
Chunyu Shuang, Xie Mingchen, and Wei Yuan all showed varying degrees of restraint. Even Wei Yuan, though serving in the palace, felt a bit burdened at having to eat with the emperor.
The only one unaffected was probably Jiuque.
Once Emperor Jingtai said they could help themselves, she truly did, eating with unrestrained joy.
“Mmm! This drunken chicken is so good! And this mille-feuille—how is it made? So good it brings tears! And this sand cake! Heavenly! Soft and fluffy, with a hint of coolness—is it chilled? Truly worthy of the imperial kitchen! Delicious!”
The old emperor, who had intended to listen to Jiuque’s thoughts through the names of the dishes, was a bit surprised at the long list. But seeing her so absorbed that she barely lifted her head, a slight sense of ease crept into his expression.
Ah, people think the emperor has it easy, and indeed he does. But being emperor is tiring too, especially when the entire court wears masks. You see the loyal, patriotic exterior, but have no idea if the heart beneath is genuinely vibrant and red.
Over the years, the only one who made him feel the inside matched the outside was this little girl he’d only known for less than a day.
Although she hadn’t had much appetite due to today’s events, seeing Jiuque eat so happily made Emperor Jingtai somewhat hungry as well.
He eagerly tried a piece of the mille-feuille in front of him. Hmm, the imperial chef’s skills were excellent. The pastry melted in the mouth, and with a light bite, the sweet aroma emerged. The sand cake, filled with golden-thread jujubes, was rich in flavor, and the fried quail was crisp, fragrant, and savory—quite good…
Unconsciously, Emperor Jingtai had eaten most of what was before him. Jiu Fu, attending him, widened his eyes, glancing at the happily eating Jiuque, then at his cautious adopted son, feeling frustrated at how stubborn some people could be. Some eat poorly themselves but are easily influenced to eat more when others around them enjoy their food.
Even Jiu Fu began to suspect: could Jiuque really be the emperor’s hidden gem? His Majesty must find her very pleasing to the eye.
After a while, Jiuque finally finished eating. She exhaled contentedly, looking at the few remaining snacks with lingering attachment.
“It’s a pity this is the palace—I can’t take it to go…”
Emperor Jingtai paused, somewhat helpless. Well, better to ask about business matters.
“Did you gain anything from today’s outing?”
Hearing the emperor’s question, the four of them tensed. Chunyu Shuang and the others instinctively looked at Jiuque.
Jiuque: “……Why look at me? I’m not an official, am I? Though I am a county lady, that’s just an honorary title. You three are the real officials! Shouldn’t you answer to impress your superior?”
Even Chunyu Shuang felt resistant to this thought. Today, the emperor was unusually gentle in front of them, but the three knew well that normally, he wasn’t like this. This was an emperor forged on the battlefield, decisive in killing, once furious enough to execute half the court. Their small official positions couldn’t possibly provoke his anger. And they weren’t fools—they knew exactly who the emperor’s gaze was fixed on.
With no choice, Jiuque stepped forward and recounted everything she had seen today.
“…The women in Tonghua Alley… it seems there are more concubines yet to be investigated; more manpower is needed…”
Emperor Jingtai listened carefully, taking in both her words and her thoughts. Though the gain wasn’t huge, at least she hadn’t lied.
When Jiuque paused, the emperor noticed her inner hesitation.
“The old emperor just ate; is it appropriate to show him this kind of painting now? He won’t get furious, will he? Ugh, it’s all that damn top scholar’s fault—dead or alive, he still makes things so disgusting!”
Hmm? This piqued the emperor’s curiosity. A bit of stubbornness flared within him: what couldn’t he look at? He had seen countless grotesque corpses on the battlefield; death in all forms no longer startled him.
“Such a pity. A top scholar should serve the country and people well, yet behaved so badly. And the examiners were all useless—they couldn’t see Yu Lang’s true nature! But, was there no concrete evidence?”
The emperor shifted topics quickly, catching Jiuque off guard. Instinctively, she retrieved the painting from her sleeve.
Having brought it out, she handed it to Jiu Fu; she couldn’t expect everyone to be blind.
Seeing the vividly drawn Avoiding Fire diagram, Emperor Jingtai was slightly surprised. But at fifty, he had seen many storms—he wouldn’t be furious. Could it be that Jiuque herself was embarrassed?
Jiuque hesitated to speak. The emperor, sharp-eyed, noticed this and naturally prompted:
“Did Yu Lang hide this? Though unfit for public display, it can only be called a minor moral flaw?”
Jiuque reacted strongly:
“Your Majesty! Yu Lang’s conduct was corrupt! Though dead, I must say—it’s deserved!”
“Oh? Why?”
“…Your Majesty hasn’t seen what we saw today. His two concubines are… in the painting.”
The words left everyone present stunned.
It wasn’t unusual for men to view such paintings, or for women to see them before marriage—but drawing one’s own concubines? What a strange fetish!
Emperor Jingtai pressed his hand on the table awkwardly.
“Uh, this… indeed offends propriety…”
“Your Majesty!”
Knowing she had to clarify, Jiuque glanced around. Seeing few people present, she spoke softly:
“Some faces here aren’t Yu Lang’s concubines! I saw many beauties today—at least one or two are depicted here.”
Even after reviewing this mentally several times, Emperor Jingtai was still confused. Beauties seen today? Jiuque entered the palace from the Lin Mansion, then went out to investigate—nothing seemed unusual…
Looking down at the erotic and spicy Avoiding Fire painting again, the fine details of the faces were small, making it hard to discern. But suddenly, the emperor connected the dots:
Today was his birthday banquet. Who else would attend? The wives and daughters of ministers, the daughters and wives of royal relatives, even the daughters of his consorts!
