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Lian Hua truly hadn’t considered the consequences; at the time, all she wanted was to catch the brat who released the serpent and prevent him from escaping, as it would be harder to catch him later.

She hadn’t thought about who would expose her, nor had she considered the consequences of being exposed. ..

The Emperor tenderly kissed her cheek; His Little Concubine wasn’t foolish—she simply didn’t think about complicated matters.

That should have been his responsibility, his burden.

But as they moved forward, his Little Concubine would surely encounter certain people and events, and teaching her to think one step ahead in everything wasn’t a bad thing.

The Emperor began to slowly explain to Lian Hua, slowly teaching her how to think and making her understand the pros and cons.

Today, not many who were repairing the Main Hall could be granted an audience, and since they did not know who she was, they were intimidated by her bluff.

There were no shortages of astute and tricky individuals in the harem; many were experts in discerning expressions and speech. If she handled situations like this in the future and showed weakness during confrontations or gave away hints, others could easily catch her vulnerabilities.

Unable to justify herself amidst verbal disputes and exposing her faults on the spot would amount to the crime of deceiving the Emperor.

Even if he arrived later to smooth things over, it wouldn’t be right or proper. Moreover, with people creating issues out of nothing, framing her as a bewitching consort, it would give others reasons to criticize her and solidify her bad reputation, something he was unwilling to see.

After listening to His Majesty’s words, Lian Hua’s eyes began to feel warm, and she started to tear up, deeply moved.

She stood up, turned around, and threw herself into His Majesty’s embrace, tightly hugging his waist and saying softly, "Your Majesty, I realize my mistake now; I won’t do it again..." This time, she genuinely understood her fault.

His Majesty always considered her welfare, yet she had taken advantage of His Majesty’s favor somewhat recklessly. Moving forward, she must not be so impulsive in her actions, lest she harm herself and cause trouble for His Majesty.

The Emperor felt a pang of pity for her in this state, conflicted between wanting her to grow and fearing she would overthink.

He still wanted to see her carefree, laughing, and frolicsome nature, but there were some truths she had to understand.

He kissed her ear and whispered softly, "My dear girl, Nanny Qi said something quite apt: ’Your Majesty will cover for you in every situation.

’ Today, I give you a decree: no matter when and where, you may request an audience with me; whatever happens, you may ask me to make decisions.

In this way, if you ever find yourself unable to manage a situation, you can legitimately come to me for a resolution. "

As he spoke, he let her go and took off the Coiling Dragon Jade Pendant he wore and gave it to her: "This was the jade pendant from when I was the Crown Prince. To see it is akin to seeing me. Keep it safe."

This jade pendant had been bestowed by the Late Emperor when he was enthroned as the Crown Prince, a dragon-shaped jade pendant that all Crown Princes possessed, with extraordinary significance, second only to the Crown Prince’s Seal, and extremely precious.

In this dynasty, anyone with eyes would understand the significance of this jade pendant.

Lian Hua’s eyes were moist and misty; she was still processing the words of His Majesty when suddenly he gave her a jade pendant, and she was somewhat slow to react.

Stunned, she accepted the jade pendant, touching it repeatedly, feeling its smooth warmth.

Looking down, she saw the pendant was a creamy white, sleek, and the coiled dragon on it was highly spirited, exuding a supreme and intimidating aura.

She couldn’t help but wipe her eyes and scrutinize it carefully; the more she looked, the more she realized the extraordinary power of the pendant—even someone inexperienced like her could recognize its unparalleled value.

Hadn’t she made a mistake? Why wasn’t His Majesty punishing her, but instead rewarding her with such a precious jade pendant?

This was unacceptable; the pendant felt increasingly hot in her hands. She quickly shook her head and pushed the pendant back, "Your Majesty, I can’t accept this pendant; it’s too precious. Please, punish me instead; I would feel better that way."

The Emperor looked at her somewhat frightened appearance, chuckled, and pinched her cheek, saying, "How could I bear to punish my Nannan? This is a token of trust; keep it safe."

Lian Hua felt very pleased and sweet inside upon hearing his words, having already forgotten all about her previous punishment.

She looked back at the jade pendant and started to worry again, "Your Majesty, I already have your safety buckle, and now there’s no place to wear this jade pendant..."

She already possessed His Majesty’s safety buckle, akin to a token of affection, and with one more she didn’t know where to put it, and she had nothing to give His Majesty in return.

After speaking, she couldn’t help but raise her head and blink innocently at His Majesty.

It made the Emperor itch inside, and he suggested to her, "Remove the safety buckle and wear it at your waist, this jade pendant can then be worn at your chest. How does that sound?" Thinking of her wearing it, his throat tightened a bit, his voice slightly hoarse.

This jade pendant was too conspicuous; it was more suitable worn close to her body.

Seeing her still a bit hesitant, fearing she wouldn’t accept it, the Emperor added, "If there’s ever an issue and I’m not around, use it to find me."

Thinking of what his Little Concubine valued most, he added two more words, "It’s useful."

Sure enough, hearing the words "It’s useful," Lian Hua no longer hesitated, and nodded solemnly as she accepted it. Having it meant she could meet His Majesty, which was very important.

She held it in her hands, looking it over from side to side, then quickly walked to the vanity, and carefully placed the jade pendant on the surface, immediately pulling out the safety buckle from her neckline, and setting it alongside the pendant on the vanity.

The Emperor didn’t know what she intended to do until he followed and saw her pulling out the safety buckle. His throat rolled with emotion, deeply moved.

He had been too reserved for too long, and it had been so, so long since he had touched her...

Lian Hua fished around in her sewing basket, two pieces of intricately sewn blue cloth obstructing her view, which she found bothersome, so she removed the cloth pockets and set them aside on the vanity.

She continued to dig, pulling out several strands of silk thread, then turned her head, biting her lip with a sweet, laughter-filled gaze at His Majesty, picked up the jade pendant, and began to thread the silk through its sides and started braiding.

The Emperor breathed a sigh of relief; he understood now. His Little Concubine was heeding his suggestion and was braiding a cord to wear the jade pendant on her body.

He stood behind her, unable to resist watching her nimble hands swiftly braid the cord, as quick as when she styled her hair.

His Little Concubine looked so lovely when she was focused, making him unable to resist reaching out to caress her little earlobe and pinch the baby fat on her face.

It made her laugh out loud, coquettishly chiding, "Your Majesty, don’t mess around~," melting his heart completely.

Finally, when she had finished braiding, the Emperor helped her put on the jade pendant.

Lian Hua touched the jade pendant, beaming, and said, "Your Majesty, could this be my amulet?"

She had just realized, he intended to protect her, and this jade pendant was like an amulet.

The Emperor smiled and lightly pinched her nose, saying, "Mm." It was his amulet for her, to protect her when he was not around.

Indeed, Lian Hua smiled brilliantly, her full set of neat little teeth showing, and praised enthusiastically, "Your Majesty, you are handsome, knowledgeable, and understand so much, you treat me so well, how can I ever repay you?" Her face was as bright as if she had found a bargain.

His Majesty embraced her, a thought crossing his mind, and he asked, "You wish to repay me?"

It wasn’t impossible...