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The Emperor led Lian Hua by the hand, listening to her talk as he silently pondered how to let her know what she had done wrong.

In the past, punishment was the norm, but it was no longer an option now. What to do?

Should he just take note of it for now? Yet, what good was simply taking note when she still didn’t know what to do?

It was indeed worrisome; his beloved Little Concubine was now with child, exceedingly delicate and demanding careful handling—too harsh and it would be unacceptable, too gentle and it wouldn’t have any effect; he had to pamper her.

How should he put it—he quite enjoyed it.

Well then, well then, he was reluctant to say, let her be herself. After all, he was there for her. But plans never keep up with changes; he hadn’t been at it long before he started thinking about punishing her. Truly a dilemma.

A man’s word is his bond, yet he still needed to teach her. If he didn’t teach his own people, then who would?

Along the way, Lian Hua became happier and happier, feeling as if His Majesty was her best listener, who patiently heard whatever she had to say. How pleasant.

When they nearly reached the Side Hall and came across Nanny Qi, Lian Hua’s eyes were still smiling merrily.

After Nanny Qi had paid her respects to the Emperor, Lian Hua realized that she was still holding His Majesty’s hand. It was a bit embarrassing to be seen like this by Nanny; perhaps Nanny had something to say?

In front of Nanny, better to follow the rules...

Lian Hua tried to pull away, but the Emperor chuckled softly, squeezed her hand firmly before letting go, causing her face to turn crimson. She approached Nanny Qi, still with a blushing face.

She walked over to Nanny Qi, feeling slightly embarrassed, and asked with concern, "Nanny, how are you feeling?"

Nanny Qi had long since seen the couple walking hand in hand, a beautiful sight indeed.

In the past, she would certainly have nagged about decorum and proper conduct, but today she found herself unable to voice such concerns. The Emperor and the young lady were a perfect match, creating a harmonious and warm atmosphere, both of them appearing happy in their expressions.

Such a scene was rare to see; one could clearly discern the Emperor’s joy, as his face was less stern and his gaze filled with tenderness.

The Emperor shouldered such a vast empire and seldom had a chance to relax. It was rare for someone to bring him joy; why spoil his mood?

Well then, rules are rigid, but people are adaptable. Like the Late Emperor, there was no point in talking about rules, and with someone like the Emperor, he knew restraint even without being told.

Besides, apart from being lively and a bit too active, the young lady had no other faults and was good at heart—not at all like the Noble Consort, impeccable in etiquette, yet there was something not quite right.

Well then, as long as the young lady behaved properly in public and gave no one cause to criticize, the private details could be overlooked.

Hearing Lian Hua’s question, Nanny Qi softened her gaze and said, "This old servant is well, thanks to Master Lian’s concern."

Her speech was still rigidly formal, yet lacked the previous detachment.

Lian Hua’s eyes crinkled with a smile: "As long as you’re well, Nanny. You were frightened today; make sure to eat a bit more at dinner to calm your nerves."

The Emperor felt a touch of humor, finding that his Little Concubine could relate anything to food, while others would use medicine to calm nerves, she suggested eating.

Passing by, he patted her head and said, "You were startled today too, return to the Side Hall and rest a while, I’ll join you after speaking a few words with Nanny Qi."

Lian Hua glanced at His Majesty, then at Nanny Qi. She was really thirsty and a little hungry, and she nodded resolutely before turning to Nanny Qi, "Nanny, do come to the Side Hall for the meal later." After speaking, she winked.

Nanny Qi understood that this was the young girl’s intention of inviting her to dine together, and a touch of affection naturally welled up in her eyes as she nodded to her.

Lian Hua was satisfied, and she left with Xiao Qing and Xiao Jizi, all in high spirits. She wanted to go back to drink some water and eat some cake first, then she needed to arrange meals for His Majesty and Nanny Qi—a responsibility of great importance!

The Emperor watched with hidden amazement. In less than two days, had his Little Concubine and Nanny Qi already developed a secret between them?

His Little Concubine was quite extraordinary; Nanny Qi was famously strict and difficult to win over in the palace, always showing a harsh countenance to those she disapproved of—just like she did with the Noble Consort.

He remembered a time when he was still the Crown Prince, it was Nanny Qi’s birthday, and somehow the Noble Consort, who was then still a Liangdi, found out about it. Liangdi Xue personally kneaded dough and prepared a bowl of longevity noodles for Nanny Qi.

He had privately planned to celebrate with Nanny Qi, and the Noble Consort specifically sought him out, insisting on joining him. After a moment’s thought, he agreed, appreciating Liangdi Xue’s filial piety.

However, when they met Nanny Qi, her face was like a slate, extremely indifferent as she stated that there were distinctions between superiors and inferiors, insisting she could not partake and even asked the Crown Prince and Liangdi to leave—the atmosphere turned extremely awkward.

Liangdi Xue forced a smile, claiming she had gotten herself covered in cooking fumes while making noodles personally and begged Nanny Qi to take just one bite. Nanny Qi’s face turned cold as she retorted, "Is Liangdi ordering me to eat? If so, then I shall."

They parted on bad terms, and later on, he learned that Nanny Qi did not like the Noble Consort; thus, no matter how much the Noble Consort pleaded, he never took her to celebrate Nanny Qi’s birthday again.

The Noble Consort seemed to have done many other things to please Nanny Qi afterwards, but to no avail; to this day, Nanny Qi remains neither warm nor cold towards her.

Therefore, seeing his Little Concubine and Nanny Qi behaving this way, he was very surprised. What magic did his Little Concubine possess to affect Nanny Qi so?

Hadn’t Nanny Qi just last night been complaining about his Little Concubine? How could such a significant change have occurred in less than a day?

Odd and bizarre, his Little Concubine was truly exceptional, everyone loved her.

Nanny Qi watched as Lian Hua walked away.

Once the figures had disappeared from sight, she turned back to look at the Emperor, only to see that his soul seemed to have followed the young girl, his eyes fixated on the direction the young girl had gone, his face reflecting a thoughtful expression.

She couldn’t help but clear her throat, reminding the Emperor that she was still there; if he wanted to see the young girl and finish talking, he should hurry, for this old woman wouldn’t be in the way.

The Emperor, hearing the cough, came back to his senses, turned his head, and with a serious face said to Nanny Qi, "You were frightened today, would you like me to summon the Imperial Physician?"

Nanny Qi was, after all, of advanced age; having the Imperial Physician take a look would ease the mind and prevent any potential health issues.

Nanny Qi waived her hand, "No need for that, this old servant wasn’t really frightened. Master Lian has protected me well. Besides, what haven’t I seen in my long life? A mere serpent is nothing to be afraid of."

As she spoke, she felt quite emotional; although the young girl appeared impulsive, her thoughts were actually very meticulous. She didn’t see the serpent until it was nearly upon her and dead—it was the most frightening moment, which had passed, so how could it have scared her now?

Afterward, she only saw dead serpents, not a single living one; such circumstances couldn’t scare her.

What truly worried her was whether the young girl was alright. With that in mind, Nanny Qi said, "What I fear is that Master Lian might be distressed, possibly having nightmares at night. After all, it was she who first discovered the serpent; if anyone was frightened, it should have been her..."

At that critical moment, the young girl managed to keep her composure impressively, but she wondered if she had been scared,

If not for the young girl, she might now be dead.