Page 48

From her reactions since the afternoon, it was impossible to tell what she thought about the flower viewing banquet.

He was afraid she was keeping it to herself, silently enduring any grievances.

Thinking of this, the Emperor grasped her arm and halted her movements.

She looked up, baffled, her eyes seeming to ask, "What’s wrong?"

The Emperor’s voice was somewhat strained, "Are you, well?"

He was afraid mentioning the banquet might remind her of something unpleasant, yet he was also afraid that not asking might leave her brooding. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he could only vaguely ask if she was well.

Lian Hua was stunned. What was going on? Could it be that His Majesty’s eyesight was failing? She was standing right in front of him, healthy and well; why would he ask such a thing?

Observing His Majesty’s intense gaze, she sensed a subtle nervousness.

Lian Hua thought, such a solemn enquiry might carry a deeper meaning, perhaps others understood "well" differently?

Yet she didn’t know any other meaning of being well, so she tentatively answered, "Your Majesty, this servant ate two bowls of rice as usual for dinner, had quite a few dishes, and even drank a bowl of soup. Just now, I was so sleepy I almost dozed off; I would consider sleeping soundly as being without worries. I can eat and sleep; wouldn’t you say that is being well? "

The Emperor was astounded, never expecting such a response.

But upon further reflection, being able to eat and sleep was indeed being well; otherwise, how else could one concretely measure it?

An unexpected yet reasonable reply, it was her style, simple and straightforward.

The Emperor couldn’t help but chuckle softly, pinching her nose, "Well said; you deserve a reward."

Lian Hua’s eyes sparkled, and her drowsiness vanished. His Majesty, known to be stingy, had actually mentioned the word "reward" from his own mouth. This was the first time he had spoken of rewarding her; she almost wished she could record it.

Her heart throbbed with excitement; was this her moment of fortune? Had she finally advanced from maid to matron? She wondered what he would reward her with. Should she perhaps refuse it initially?

Various thoughts raced through her mind, her excitement turning her face red. Yet, she managed to say, "Oh dear, this servant hasn’t achieved anything notable; a reward from Your Majesty would surely overwhelm me~"

Afraid that His Majesty might tease her by retracting the offer, she stayed alert, ready to interject and pretend to accept reluctantly.

Watching her eager eyes, the Emperor felt this scene seemed familiar. Wasn’t this exactly like when he used to think there was an issue with her character?!

He remembered once thinking the Side Hall was too cramped and was about to suggest a change of location seeing her expression back then, which made him quickly drop the idea.

Back then, he had sternly cautioned her to serve her time diligently, and her face had looked like she had suffered a great loss. Had he not been in a rush to attend the morning court, he would have given her a proper reprimand then.

Now seeing her like this again, he no longer harbored thoughts of her flawed character but instead found her to be both sincere and adorable.

Embracing her, the Emperor chuckled, "Now, I am certain you are alright."

"Ah?" His Majesty was deviating from the norm?

She had planned it all. If His Majesty were to hint at not giving the reward, she knew exactly how to interject.

If His Majesty insisted he would reward her, she wouldn’t need to do much, just wait to receive the reward.

If asked what she wanted as a reward, she was rather conflicted, not yet sure what specifically she desired; she could perhaps negotiate to defer her decision until she thought of something.

But what now, what she had mentally prepared none was applicable.

Lian Hua’s shoulders slumped, indeed His Majesty was still so stingy, and she sighed anxiously, "Ah, Your Majesty, a servant’s life is not easy, thinking of a reward is so hard."

This caused the Emperor to embrace her and laugh heartily.

Outside the room, servants had never heard His Majesty laugh so heartily before. Zhang Qing was not present, Zhang Sancai was on night duty tonight, and the sound of laughter made him drop his jaw as he quietly resolved to tell his godfather about it.

Inside the room.

Lian Hua sighed again, "Thank goodness for the reward from the flower viewing feast, it is a small solace. I wonder when the Noble Consort will send the prize over, including her Gold Threaded Eight Treasures Hairpin, which looks very luxurious."

When the Noble Consort took it off from her head, she noticed clearly—it was pure gold. She wondered if she could exchange it directly with the Bureau of Palace Attendants for silver.

As she brought up the flower viewing feast, the Emperor asked indifferently, "Hmm? How did you see this flower viewing feast?"

Lian Hua furrowed her brow, a troubled expression on her face, "Uh... how should I put it? Even thinking about it now is quite embarrassing."

The Emperor looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

Lian Hua made an excuse, attempting to change the subject, "Your Majesty, it’s late, how about we retire for the night now?"

Is she unwilling to say? Whether there was something on her mind or not, the Emperor was confused.

Seeing that His Majesty was waiting for her response, Lian Hua bit her lip, broke free from his embrace, and said, "Alright, alright, I will say it. I feel very sad. I practice writing diligently every day, but I never thought making poetry would be required; it’s too difficult."

Watching her sit by the bed, the Emperor followed her, "Is that all?"

If it were just that, based on his understanding of her, she wouldn’t have cried so miserably.

His Majesty was too shrewd; seeing she couldn’t fool him, Lian Hua hesitantly added a bit more: "Not entirely, just, just felt a bit embarrassed."

The Emperor crouched in front of her, looking her in the eyes, "Is it because of what they said that you felt embarrassed?"

Lian Hua shook her head, paused, and said, "No, what the Consorts say doesn’t bother me.

Like Beauty Consort said I must have been hungry to write such a poem—she was actually not wrong.

At that moment, all I could think about was food; things like nature’s beauty seemed trivial compared to a bite of food. "

Indeed, this was the truth, corresponding to the image the Emperor had of her.

She fiddled with her fingers, looking down, and continued, "People’s experiences differ, so what they perceive also differs.

The Consorts think the poem’s mention of a bun was vulgar because they have been brought up in luxury, hearing such things from people around them from a young age, and naturally, they think the same.

It’s not that they inherently see the bun as vulgar. "

"It’s not easy for girls raised in seclusion to understand the hardships of the folks.

Surrounded by beauty and luxury, not seeing the joy and sorrow of the common people, naturally, they cannot empathize.

But to say they lack empathy and are cold because of this isn’t right either.

If a pet they’ve cared for a long time fell sick, they would also feel saddened and pained, because they face these pets every day. "

"I am not trying to make excuses for anyone. As His Majesty’s Concubines, it’s our duty to be loyal to His Majesty and share His worries."

"The reason I don’t mind what Beauty Consort said is that her words and what I perceive are different, so naturally, there’s no need to take it to heart."

After speaking at length in one breath, Lian Hua paused, looking towards the Emperor anxiously.