Chapter 2

Hehe.

Dad was always saying I was a good girl, too.

The Empress told me to wait on her bed. She would teach me once she finished her work.

But I’d always been a good sleeper.

The moment I lay down, I fell asleep.

When I woke the next morning, I was terribly annoyed with myself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t learn anything last night.”

The Empress was very forgiving. “Never mind. Come back for another lesson tonight.”

I flung myself at her and hugged her. “You’re so nice!”

I decided that from now on, I would always get along with the Empress.

That was what I thought.

The Empress thought otherwise.

At the morning and evening greetings, I lazily nodded off.

She scolded me in front of all the other consorts, told me I had no manners, and made me stand as punishment.

Made me stand! In front of all those people!

I wanted to talk back.

But I was afraid she’d punish me again, so I swallowed it.

As soon as we were dismissed, I went weeping to the Emperor.

“I don’t want to go to morning greetings anymore. I can’t get up, and the Empress punishes me if I doze off. She’s so mean.”

The Emperor didn’t seem to have slept well the night before.

He had two enormous dark circles under his eyes.

He gazed blankly at me for a while, then waved a hand. “Then don’t go. Go home and cry.”

I was just about to leave.

He called me back. “You’re not to sleep at the Empress’s tonight.”

“Why?”

“I’m going there.”

“Oh,” I said. “Are you going to attend her in bed?”

He closed his eyes, his head throbbing.

It took him a long time to force out a single word. “Out.”

He’d actually snapped at me!

The Emperor wasn’t nice, either.

That night, I tossed and turned in my own bed, unable to sleep.

I’d been in the palace for half a month, and I’d spent every night of it at the Empress’s. I was used to her bed.

So I hugged my little pillow, put my light-footed martial arts to use, and slipped over to her palace.

And what did I find? The Emperor bullying the Empress!

He had her pinned to the bed.

He was pulling at her clothes, too.

The Empress was about to cry.

Righteous fury took over. I hurled my pillow at the Emperor.

“You lecher! Let go of the Empress!”

The pillow struck him. Furious and embarrassed, he turned to glare at me through gritted teeth. “Who gave you permission to come here? Get out!”

I wasn’t about to indulge him.

I marched over, grabbed his collar, and threw him to the floor.

“You get out! What’s so impressive about bullying a woman? I’ll beat you up!”

Ever since I was little, Dad had called me a martial arts prodigy.

Before entering the palace, I’d beaten everyone in the army camp.

If Dad hadn’t told me not to fight in the palace, because tears worked better than fists, I wouldn’t have wanted to reveal my skills so soon.

The Emperor got up, his face black with fury.

I glared back, fists raised.

Just then, the Empress gave a quiet laugh.

“Go back for now, Your Majesty. The Noble Consort doesn’t know the rules. I’ll teach her properly.”

The Emperor swept his sleeve aside and stormed out.

The Empress straightened her clothes, rose, and smiled at me. “Striking the Emperor? Do you have a death wish?”

I snorted. “Dad says he has five hundred thousand soldiers. No one would dare touch me!”

Her smile vanished, and her voice sharpened. “You must never say that again.”

I’d just helped her.

And now she was scolding me.

My eyes reddened with hurt. I was just about to tell her I hated her when she produced a plate of osmanthus rice cakes as if by magic and drew me down beside the table. “Eat. I made these especially for you.”

I was still angry!

I wasn’t eating!

She picked up a cake and held it to my lips with a smile. “Go on. Be good.”

My mouth opened all by itself.

Traitorous mouth. So greedy.

The Empress propped her head on her hand and quietly watched me eat.

Now and then, she topped up my tea.

After eating more than half the plate myself, I felt a little embarrassed. “Don’t you want some?”

She smiled. “You eat.”

She wiped the crumbs from the corner of my mouth with a handkerchief. “His Majesty wasn’t bullying me. It’s the fifteenth today. It’s my turn to attend him in bed.”

I thumped my little fist on the table. “Pah! He was absolutely bullying you.”

Dad had been right.

Scholars loved giving elegant names to the filthy things they did.

Hypocrites!

The Empress arched an eyebrow. “Do you still want to learn your bedchamber duties, then?”

“Not even a dog would want to learn that!” I declared righteously.

“I’m never attending him in bed. Not as long as I live!”

Then I made the Empress promise never to do it again, either.

When she didn’t answer, I cried.

In the end, she gave in with a sigh. “All right. I promise.”