This was a battle of vastly mismatched strength—no smoke of gunpowder, yet every step was fraught with peril.
After quarreling with Ling Buyi, Shao Shang was in a state of turmoil. One moment she thought about how to shake off those shadowing her, the next her heart softened, realizing Ling Buyi had only good intentions and she shouldn’t have been so harsh earlier—she should have been gentler.
But before the workday even ended, the Yellow Gate Commandant from the Emperor’s side arrived to deliver an oral decree: from this day onward, Shao Shang was to reside permanently in the Everlasting Autumn Palace and not return home. On one hand, she could double her efforts in mastering etiquette; on the other, she could assist in preparing the Empress’s birthday banquet.
In short, spending day and night by the dignified and virtuous Empress would allow Shao Shang to be influenced by her noble character—obviously, the Emperor hadn’t considered the possibility of being tainted by bad company.
Shao Shang was instantly deflated, as if struck by lightning or doused with a bucket of expired pickling brine. She stood frozen in shock before finally snapping out of it. First a quarrel, then immediate detention—wasn’t the situation crystal clear?!
Inwardly, she cursed Ling Buyi’s ancestors for eighteen generations—that bastard with no virtue! She hadn’t squandered his family fortune, ruined his future, or turned his head as green as the Hulunbuir grasslands. Yet he had turned a proper marriage into something resembling a highway robbery with post-modernist flair—truly a unique taste! In any case, she and he were now sworn enemies, locked in a feud to the death!
“Esteemed Eunuch, I accept His Majesty’s decree and understand his kindness, but…” Shao Shang made a last-ditch effort, “could I first return home today to gather my personal belongings? I’ll enter the palace first thing tomorrow without delay.” She needed to go home and humbly consult Old Man Cheng and Director Xiao on how to deal with that bastard surnamed Ling!
To her dismay, the Yellow Gate Commandant beamed. “No need to worry, Cheng Niangzi. Lord Ling has already prepared everything for you. His attendants will soon deliver all you require. You can trust Lord Ling’s efficiency—he has served His Majesty flawlessly since he was fourteen, leaving no detail overlooked.”
Shao Shang felt dizzy, as if she were on the verge of a qi deviation.
Sure enough, before dinner time, Liang Qiu Fei led a procession of heavily laden eunuchs and palace maids, filing in to deliver all the daily necessities to the new quarters the Empress had assigned Shao Shang. All she could do was watch as the bustling crowd arranged everything inside.
Four towering sets of lacquer wood cabinets were placed against the walls one by one; eight tall bronze palace lanterns were positioned at the corners—four in the shape of flying swallows, two as palace maids, and two as intertwined branches, with the first six designed to conceal smoke within;
Six brand-new embroidered brocade bed canopies—two of soft silk, two of sheer gauze, along with breathable ramie fabric and heavy brocade;
Three tables—a square dressing table, a long writing desk, and a small round side table for snacks or flowers;
On the dressing table sat two nested cosmetic cases—a large two-tiered painted jewelry box and a smaller nine-compartment set for powders and perfumes, both evidently filled to the brim;
Beside them were neatly arranged seven or eight folding fans—woven bamboo, lacquered wood, and even ones stretched with floral brocade…
When Shao Shang turned around, the lacquer wood cabinets were already packed with a dazzling array of silks and fine linens, from outer robes to undergarments, shawls to cloaks—even intimate wear—everything was accounted for.She couldn't help but sigh, "Guard Fei, your Young Master acts with astonishing swiftness." To have everything prepared so quickly—could these items have been stored at home in advance? At this thought, her heart softened slightly, and she decided to forgive Ling Buyi just a tiny bit.
Liang Qiu Fei stood far away under the corridor, his lips moving silently, when a junior palace attendant eagerly answered with a smile, "Young Lady Cheng may not know this, but originally Lord Ling intended to return to his residence to fetch these items. However, His Majesty directly opened the palace treasury for him to select what he needed."
Shao Shang swallowed the chaotic energy churning in her stomach and forced a smile. "That explains it—no wonder everything was settled so quickly." Fine, it was her lack of experience showing. Now she wouldn't forgive him even a tiny bit!
"...But those clothes were indeed sent for by Lord Ling from his residence," the junior attendant added.
Shao Shang: Could you finish your sentence in one go?
"Does your lord have any other messages for me?" she asked loftily, watching as the attendant eagerly rushed inside to direct the palace maids.
Liang Qiu Fei seemed to know something, his face bitter. "My lord said to follow your wishes—all the guards have been withdrawn. If you need anything, you may seek him out yourself."
While others might not understand, Shao Shang knew exactly what this meant. Delighted, she exclaimed, "He agreed? Then... can I go home now?" To correct one's mistakes is a great virtue—she decided to forgive him a few more drops.
"...You still cannot return home," Liang Qiu Fei's voice grew even quieter. "My lord said it's either all the guards stay or all are withdrawn. These next few days, you should... think carefully."
Shao Shang turned these words over in her mind before their meaning struck her. She sneered coldly, "Does your lord truly believe that without him, I wouldn't survive in this palace?"
Liang Qiu Fei didn't dare lift his head. After a long pause, he mustered his courage. "Young Lady, my lord only... only has your best interests at heart—" Before he could finish, the furious girl cut him off. "As if I don't know what's best for myself! As if only he cares about my well-being!"
After this outburst, nearly drawing the attention of nearby eunuchs and attendants, Shao Shang could only stomp away in frustration.
Liang Qiu Fei didn't dare speak another word, fleeing the Everlasting Autumn Palace as if his life depended on it. As he ran, he swore to himself that he would seek advice from his elder brother—who had four romantic confidantes—on how to speak to young ladies.
Shao Shang stormed back to her temporary quarters, swiftly writing a few lines on a bamboo scroll before sealing it in a cloth pouch with wax. She handed it to a palace maid to deliver outside the palace to the Cheng family. To her dismay, the maid hesitantly explained that without the "right connections," messages from the palace couldn't be sent out. If she recklessly sought outside guards to deliver the letter, she would be beaten to death for the crime of "private dealings and unauthorized transmission of palace affairs."
Taking a deep breath to steady her dantian, Shao Shang slammed the table with force before turning to seek the Empress's help.
Yet the Empress seemed entirely unaware, responding with mild surprise, "Send a letter? There's no need. Zisheng said he would inform your family on your behalf—didn't he tell you? I'm truly delighted you're willing to stay in the palace to keep me company, though I worry you might feel lonely."
Staring at the Empress's cheerful, smiling face, Shao Shang suppressed her internal anguish and retreated once again in defeat.In the following days, Shao Shang seemed to be cut off from the outside world. Her days were filled only with studying, eating, resting, and accompanying the Empress on leisurely walks while gossiping. Within the confining palace walls, time passed especially slowly, with even the dripping of the water clock resembling slow-motion scenes from an old film—each drop taking an eternity to fall.
By the second day of her stay in the palace, Shao Shang had already counted the number of whiskers and eyelashes on the tabby cat kept by the palace maids. On the third day, she tallied the exact number of stone slabs from the gate of Everlasting Autumn Palace to the corridor. Now she finally understood why the Empress was so learned—with nothing else to do, one could only pass the time by slowly reading scrolls.
Ling Buyi still came daily, but Shao Shang resolutely refused to speak to him, not even meeting his gaze. However, it seemed Ling Buyi had no intention of speaking to her or exchanging glances either. He remained as courteous, gentle, and dignified as ever—radiant like the moon on a spring night, refreshing like an autumn breeze. From the moment he stepped through the gates of Everlasting Autumn Palace, the eyes of all the palace maids sparkled with joy.
Shao Shang couldn’t tell anyone they had quarreled, so she had to bottle it up until she was nearly suffocating.
Yet, despite their seemingly normal behavior, the Empress had already noticed something amiss within just three days.
That night, when the Emperor stayed at Everlasting Autumn Palace, she couldn’t help but voice her concerns. The Emperor feigned ignorance at first, claiming to know nothing. The Empress lightly struck the phoenix couch and whispered, “...They’re pretending as if nothing happened, but their words and actions lack the closeness they once had.”
“Zisheng actually behaved intimately with Shao Shang in front of you?” the Emperor asked, somewhat excited.
The Empress stopped hitting the couch and instead hit the Emperor. “I said closeness, closeness! Not intimacy! What are you thinking, Your Majesty? Before, if a leaf or petal fell into Shao Shang’s hair, Zisheng would brush it away. They would walk hand in hand, chatting and laughing. And the way they looked at each other... Alas, all of that has changed these past few days. Your Majesty, have they quarreled?”
The Emperor replied, “They just exchanged a few harsh words. It’s nothing serious.”
The Empress lowered her head in thought before realizing, “Your Majesty, Shao Shang didn’t choose to stay in the palace of her own accord, did she? Did Zisheng force her to remain?”
“Force is too strong a word,” the Emperor said dismissively. “Young couples quarrel—it’s all part of the game, just playful banter.”
The Empress pressed, “Your Majesty, Shao Shang has been listless these past few days. She looks utterly pitiful. She’s used to freedom—how can she endure the constraints of the palace? This won’t do!”
“Zisheng is pitiful too!” the Emperor immediately countered. “He’s lost weight again these past few days.”
“In Your Majesty’s eyes, Zisheng is always losing weight,” the Empress retorted, a rare moment of defiance.
Seeing the Empress was upset, the Emperor pulled her into his arms and coaxed, “You don’t understand. As the saying goes, ‘No resentment, no marriage.’ How can two people be wed without quarreling? Before, they were always so harmonious—I felt something was missing. Quarreling is good. A fight now and then isn’t bad. When they reconcile, there’ll be no more barriers between them. Besides, they’re only having a civil quarrel...”
The Empress gasped. “A civil quarrel? Does that mean there’s also a martial quarrel? Do they have to start fighting for it to count?”The Emperor chuckled. "Don't be alarmed, Shen An. If they really start fighting, it wouldn't be called quarreling anymore—it'd be 'domestic brawling.' A martial quarrel is like what happened between Uncle Prince Ruyang and the Old Princess, where everyone knew about it and all sense of propriety was lost. Those two haven't even reached that point yet."
Hearing the Emperor speak so cheerfully and fluently, as if quite familiar with such matters, the Empress felt somewhat downcast. After a while, she said softly, "What if they don't reconcile? What if they remain deadlocked like this?"
The Emperor seemed to recall past events and sighed. "How could they remain deadlocked forever? Alas, there are no lovers in this world who stay at odds eternally. After quarreling, they either reconcile or part ways for good. But..." He smiled again. "Don't worry, Zisheng and Shao Shang won't end up like that. With me here, they'll live happily ever after..."
The Empress remained silent for a long time, resting her head on the Emperor's arm. Then, with both earnestness and tenderness, she pleaded, "Your Majesty, though Shao Shang may occasionally act immature, her nature is pure and honest. Her heart is clean. She treats me with utmost sincerity and filial piety. Could you do me this favor and allow her to return home every day to catch her breath?"
The Emperor laughed and sighed. "That little girl does have a knack for being likable. Very well, for Shen An's sake, I'll allow it until your birthday banquet. After your birthday, whether they've reconciled or not, I'll let her go. But you mustn't tell Shao Shang about this, or she'll just calmly count the days until she can go home!"
Seeing the Emperor had already conceded, the Empress could only smile and nod in agreement.
Author's Note:
Hello everyone, I am the handsome draft keeper. My master left yesterday for a business trip to a beautiful city. It's just for a few days, so the update originally scheduled for Thursday will be postponed by one day to Friday at the usual time. Please take note~
This volume has about seven or eight chapters left. My master plans to wrap it up with a few longer chapters. Hopefully... uh, she can manage it smoothly...
My master has actually been reading all your comments, but she can't always access a computer, and replying on her phone isn't convenient. However, she once proudly declared that the reason so many talented little angels haven't been able to guess the upcoming plot is because everyone is thinking with normal logic—but the heroine's life is comical, even though she takes it all very seriously~
Thank you, little angels, for showering me with your support!
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