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There are some words His Majesty can say, but she cannot. She is just a Little Daying, how can she presumptuously discuss matters concerning the senior concubines? Moreover, some words, if spoken too directly, could lead to His Majesty punishing her at any time.

The Emperor sensed her unease and comfortingly stroked her head.

He couldn’t believe she could articulate such profound principles. Was this still the Little Concubine who usually seemed unaware of worries?

In her words, there were many aspects that deserved deep contemplation.

She used simple principles to point out a phenomenon that has existed from ancient times to the present: the scholarly class often despised the peasants who supported them, and this ideology was subtly instilled in the upbringing of their offspring.

The proverb goes, ’A frozen three-foot ice is not formed in a single day. ’

Considering her past experiences weren’t very good, her words now seemed even more precious.

The Emperor looked at her tenderly and asked, "So you mean to say, it wasn’t because of what Beauty Li and the others said that you felt embarrassed?"

Lian Hua hurriedly nodded in agreement. Yes, that was exactly what she meant to say.

"Then why did you feel embarrassed?" Though that was the principle, he still had to ask, not wanting her to dodge the question. He already had an inkling of why she felt embarrassed.

Lian Hua felt a darkness before her eyes; after saying so much, how was it that they hadn’t moved past this topic? Are all Emperors so astute?

She bit her lip, glanced at the Emperor, and had to tell the truth, "Actually, I can’t specify, but I feel tremendously embarrassed with His Majesty watching over me."

Indeed, she couldn’t specify. The social disparity between His Majesty and herself was immense.

Scenarios like this had happened before, like at the Noble Consort’s birthday feast, which was akin to today’s flower-viewing feast. Back then, she was only upset that her Dew Tea was stolen, failing to curry favor with the Noble Consort.

But the sensations during today’s flower-viewing feast felt different. She could not say exactly how.

"What?" The Emperor, once again taken aback, had guessed whether it was because she felt her poetry was indeed poor, too embarrassed to recite it publicly. This response was truly unexpected.

Lian Hua cautiously glanced at His Majesty, unsure if he would believe her words.

The Emperor, somewhat irked, said, "Are you saying that if I were not present today, you would not have felt so embarrassed?"

Lian Hua looked up at His Majesty, unsure if telling the truth would get her punished. After weighing her words, she ventured, "That... that... I can’t quite say, perhaps it would be better if you weren’t here..."

Alright, so it was because of him crying. He finally understood; this young woman was truly unreasonable.

The Emperor stood up and said sternly, "Go to sleep."

"Oh." Lian Hua climbed into bed, and muttered another phrase: "It was His Majesty who wanted to talk, so why is he upset now? I know His Majesty was making fun of me all through the flower-viewing feast..."

The Emperor pulled the quilt over her, covering her from head to toe, and lay down beside her.

Lian Hua rolled the quilt back and with a playful smile asked, "Eh, when you first asked if I was well, were you asking if I was okay during today’s flower-viewing feast?"

"I never said such a thing." The Emperor didn’t want to entertain her.

"Is that so? I thought His Majesty cared if there was anything wrong with me." Lian Hua scooted closer to His Majesty and asked next to him.

"Eat in silence, sleep without speaking, go to sleep!" The Emperor pulled her into his embrace, stopping her from speaking further.

"Oh."

The voice ceased.

The next day.

Lian Hua slept until nearly noon, and no one by her side woke her, as they had already gone to the morning court.

She stretched lazily, too tired from the previous day, now feeling a bit sore. She thought she would ask Xiao Qing to give her a massage later.

Feeling hungry, Lian Hua finished washing up and opened the door, planning to ask Xiao Qing if there was anything to eat.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Xiao Qing muttering something not far away.

The current Xiao Qing was no longer the undernourished sprout she had been when she first entered the palace.

Having stayed in Canglan Court for several years and being better fed than before her arrival, she always managed to have her fill, even during the toughest times with Lian Hua.

So, her height had shot up, especially in recent months, nearly catching up with Xiao Jizi.

It was foreseeable that she would eventually be taller than Xiao Jizi.

Xiao Jizi, too, had been around for a while, looking much more robust compared to when he first came. Given the manual labor he performed in Canglan Court, his strength had also greatly increased. With fewer worries than before and no need for scheming, his spirits were significantly better.

Lian Hua couldn’t help but smile, feeling like a mother hen seeing her chicks fatten up, and there was nothing better than this.

At that moment, Xiao Qing saw Lian Hua and quickly stood up, calling out to the side, "Xiao Jizi, Young Master is awake."

Xiao Jizi promptly came over with a tray, tottering along.

Having seized a free moment the previous night, Xiao Jizi had asked Xiao Qing about the flower-viewing feast and learned what had happened. He clenched his fists, reminding himself not to be hasty. It seemed the problem was still the same, the Young Master’s low status made others overlook him.

But at least the Young Master was protected by His Majesty and had nothing to fear. And with his current status, there was nothing much he could do except to do his job well.

Later, he also took the time to calm Xiao Qing down and taught her some social skills.

That morning, a palace maid had delivered the prize for winning the poetry contest of the previous day, and Xiao Jizi accepted it.

By the time Lian Hua awoke, she was greeted with the scene before her.

"What is this?" Lian Hua asked in confusion. Upon seeing the items on the tray clearly, she exclaimed excitedly, "His Majesty’s safety buckle and Noble Consort’s Gold-threaded Eight-treasure Hairpin! They’ve been sent so quickly."

"Yes, someone from the Noble Consort’s palace just delivered them," Xiao Jizi said with a smile, looking at Young Master.

These items were from the flower-viewing feast, and astonishingly, Young Master didn’t feel repulsed, making Xiao Jizi feel somewhat admiring, realizing Young Master was no ordinary person.

Lian Hua excitedly picked up the Noble Consort’s Gold-threaded Eight-treasure Hairpin, shaking it slightly, feeling its heft. She joyfully said, "This feels like solid gold, the Noble Consort is really generous. I wonder how much silver it could fetch?"

Exchange for silver? Xiao Jizi was momentarily stunned, wondering if he had misheard, then listened as Young Master continued to speak.

"It really has eight different types of gemstones, doesn’t it, Xiao Qing? Can you count them?" Lian Hua, unsure of the count herself, beckoned Xiao Qing over.

Xiao Qing hurriedly walked over, leaned in close, and after counting on her fingers, said, "Young Master, it really is eight types, wow..."

"How much silver could this be worth, am I going to get rich today? Ha ha," said Lian Hua, getting more excited and starting to pick at the gemstones on the beaded hairpin.

Xiao Jizi was shocked as he knew the hairpin was crafted in the palace and trading it was a great offense. He quickly interjected, "Young Master, it’s a palace creation, it can’t be sold or damaged."

Oh, she remembered, there seemed to be such a rule. She reluctantly stopped, feeling slightly displeased and asked, "If His Majesty permits, could it then be sold?"