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The Emperor was so charmed by her look that he couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her lips, prompting her to coyly dodge in embarrassment.

"Why are you still calling yourself a servant? Haven’t you received my decree?" the Emperor said, thinking he should call for Zhang Qing to ask—earlier in his hurry to see someone, he hadn’t paid much attention to Zhang Qing’s movements.

Lian Hua looked up with a smile brimming in her eyes and said, "I have received it, I’m a Beauty now~" Mentioning this reminded her of her six hundred taels, and she couldn’t help but burst into joyful laughter, haha.

The Emperor pinched her nose and said with a smile, "Yes, my Beauty Lian. Then why do you still call yourself a servant?"

"Uh... It seems like a habit, I can’t change it so quickly." After replying, Lian Hua hesitated for a moment, then added, "I don’t really want to call myself ’your concubine’ either."

Referring to herself as "your concubine" reminded her of the many sisters in the Harem...

At this thought, she couldn’t help but pout, feeling displeased inside.

The Emperor, thinking she didn’t want to refer to herself that way, said, "No matter, in front of me you can call yourself whatever you want, but outside you still need to follow the rules, so no one can use it against you, understand?"

Lian Hua nodded, unable to contain her happiness. At least when she was behind closed doors with His Majesty, she wouldn’t have to speak that way, and that was enough for her. As for outside, that was another matter.

She buried her head back into His Majesty’s embrace, "Your Majesty, you are so good to me!"

The Emperor stroked her hair and teased her, "Hmm? Since you think I’m good, how about giving me a kiss?"

Lian Hua’s cheeks flushed red. His Majesty was bringing up last night when she couldn’t help but kiss him—it was embarrassingly cute!

She gently broke free from His Majesty’s embrace, looking away awkwardly, and tried to distract him, "Ah, Your Majesty, you must be hungry, right? We should have a meal quickly!"

So saying, she walked into the hall.

The Emperor watched her affectionately, this little ingrate still so shy, not willing to give him even a little interest.

Well then, he would collect on it tonight.

After they had their midday meal, Lian Hua sadly asked His Majesty if he was going to leave.

The Emperor rubbed her head and said he would leave after her noontime rest.

Lian Hua felt incredibly sweet inside, and remembering the noontime rest, she was reminded of the imperial decree hanging above their bed. She couldn’t resist sharing her clever idea with His Majesty.

She led His Majesty to the bed, pointed at the hanging decree, and said, "Your Majesty, do you think it looks good here?

I spent a long time thinking before deciding to put it here, so I can always be reminded of your kindness to me.

" She finished speaking with gleaming eyes, not blinking as she looked at him, hoping for a few words of praise.

The Emperor followed her hand with his eyes and listened to her words. Sensing her gaze, his own eyes were fixated on the hanging decree, his feelings quite complex.

He silently looked at the bright yellow decree, pondering his response.

Hang it above the bed... why does it seem so odd?

With it there, wouldn’t you bump into it whenever you’re in bed?...

If you lie down, as long as your eyes aren’t closed, the decree will be swinging in front of you...

In the middle of the night, if you need to get up, you’d bump into it...

The imperial edict represented the Emperor’s authority and his will, a dignified and sacred object. If it hung above the bed, would he still be able to be intimate with her?

If, during their moment of intimacy, he looked up and saw the bright yellow imperial edict, would it not feel like a desecration of his ancestors? Could his mood to continue?

Ordinary people, upon receiving an imperial edict, placed it on an altar as if it were their forefathers, to signify its importance.

His Little Concubine’s idea was certainly novel, to hold it in such regard and come up with such a "great idea." Perhaps the Side Hall was too cramped with no place to put it, and after searching high and low, she had thought of here...

The more the Emperor looked, the more disheartened he became, unable to praise her.

Lian Hua saw that His Majesty had been quiet for some time and looked at the edict hanging above the bed with him, asking with some confusion, "Your Majesty, is it the height that’s wrong? Oh, right, you’re tall, and if you stood up, it could hit you. Let me tie it higher."

As she spoke, she tried to let go of His Majesty’s hand and climbed onto the bed barefoot to re-tie it.

The Emperor’s throat tightened, and he quickly grabbed her hand, struggling to say, "No need."

Lian Hua stopped what she was doing and looked at him, puzzled. When he said no need, did he mean not to adjust the height? It didn’t sound like that!

The Emperor cleared his throat and with an unchanged expression, said, "I will treat you even better in the future. If there are more edicts for you later, would we hang them all over the bed?

Lian Hua furrowed her brows, thinking over His Majesty’s words, which made sense. But then she said, "If not here..."

The Emperor cut her off before she could finish and said, "Besides, I am right by your side, what need is there for reminders? Between you and me, such formality is unnecessary. Knowing that you hold me in your heart is enough for me."

Lian Hua scratched her head, feeling that His Majesty made a lot of sense. If two people have each other, what’s the need for such superficiality? She nodded and raised her thumb in praise, "Your Majesty, you truly are wise and farsighted."

The Emperor sighed in relief, knowing she had dropped the idea.

Without hurry, he went over to take down the edict from the bed and placed it on the vanity, saying, "I’ll have someone store it for now, and we’ll find a place for it once the Main Hall is repaired, how about that?

" He’d have to urge the Ministry of Works to get started once he was back.

"Okay!" Lian Hua said cheerfully. His Majesty was so considerate, knowing that her place was small and there was nowhere else to put it, he had thoughtfully resolved her dilemma.

As they talked about the imperial edict, she remembered the words on it and couldn’t help but wrap her arms around His Majesty’s neck, hanging her weight on him and asking with a giggly smile, "Your Majesty, what does ’gentle, respectful, modest, and deferential’ mean? I don’t understand these words."

The Emperor held her waist firmly, knowing she was referring to the words on the edict and wanting him to praise her again in person. He smiled and said, "It describes exactly how my little darling is."

Lian Hua saw that His Majesty had seen through her intent and couldn’t help but burst into giggles, her eyebrows lifted in joy.

After a while, still not satisfied, she asked coquettishly, "And what about ’virtuous and graceful’?"

The Emperor looked down at his little concubine, who had grown increasingly charming, warming and sweetening his heart. He couldn’t resist leaning down and whispering, "It’s also my little Lian Hua..." and with that, his lips met hers, kissing her passionately.

When they parted, Lian Hua’s face was red, and she was slightly out of breath. It was one thing when His Majesty kissed her elsewhere, but kisses there always led to a tangle, which was utterly embarrassing...

At that moment, Xiao Qing called from outside, "My lady, it’s time for your medicine."

Xiao Jizi had told her yesterday that if His Majesty and the lady were together, she had to ask for permission before entering.

Upon hearing this, Lian Hua frowned immediately. Didn’t she drink it yesterday? Why did she need to drink it again today?

She couldn’t help but pull nervously at His Majesty’s sleeve, her eyes beginning to look pitiful.

Seeing her like this made the Emperor feel sorry for her, but he was also secretly glad that he had returned in person; otherwise, her servants certainly couldn’t have made her take her medicine.