After Becoming a Concubine, I Took Down the Princess - Chapter 50

Before Yan Heng and the grown-up Liang Xiao met, she was deeply tormented by the “Love-Silk Knot” (Qing Si Kou).

Although she only met the toddler-like Liang Xiao in her dreams, those dreams were truly “indescribably wonderful.”

What left the deepest impression on her was one time she dreamt of a “monster” with Liang Xiao’s head but a fox’s body. After being scared awake that night, she dared not fall asleep again.

However, what she dreamt about most was her first encounter with Liang Xiao.

The nine-year-old child was huddled behind a huge rock, blinking her innocent, round eyes, looking at her curiously.

This scene stayed with Yan Heng for a long time.

After they met, the dreams became even more bizarre. Especially when the two had not yet expressed their feelings for each other, the ambiguous entanglement led Yan Heng to have many unspeakable “spring dreams.”

These dreams made Yan Heng’s feelings for Liang Xiao increasingly blurry, and eventually she fell for her.

Speaking of which, the two of them might actually have to thank this little item.

**

“Does the Love-Silk Knot still work now?”

On a lazy afternoon, Liang Xiao asked, embracing Yan Heng.

Yan Heng raised her left hand and fiddled with the dangling jade beads: “Actually, I can’t say for sure.”

Liang Xiao pondered for a moment, then took the Love-Silk Knot off Yan Heng’s wrist: “This object makes a person devoted, compelling them to develop feelings even if they didn’t originally love. This is improper.”

“Improper?” Yan Heng propped up half her body and turned her head to look at her.

Liang Xiao dangled the Love-Silk Knot: “Otherwise, how can I know whether A-Heng truly loves me or if it’s because of the Love-Silk Knot?”

Yan Heng found it funny, and teased Liang Xiao: “It seems to be true, ah. Why do I feel no love for Your Highness the moment it’s taken off?”

Her smile was hidden in her eyes, but her face was serious.

Liang Xiao knew she was deliberately teasing her, and stroked her chin, saying: “Then I shall lock you up and not let you go anywhere.”

Yan Heng pretended to be shocked: “I am so scared, Your Majesty.”

Liang Xiao kissed her lips, and while grinding against them, she teased: “A beauty in a golden cage.”

The Love-Silk Knot was taken away by Liang Xiao. She returned the bracelet to her Mother Consort’s palace.

The place was swept and cleaned daily, and the weeds had been cleared away. It looked as if someone really lived there.

She placed the Love-Silk Knot by the headboard in her Mother Consort’s bedroom and quietly sighed.

Back then, her Mother Consort must have trusted her Father Emperor so much, believing that they could love each other just as deeply even without the Love-Silk Knot, that she dared to take it off.

**

As night fell, calming incense was lit in the Qian Yuan Dian (Palace of Heavenly Purity). Yan Heng leaned on the small couch, helping Liang Xiao with state affairs.

After an unknown wait, Liang Xiao put down her brush and gently stroked Yan Heng’s cheek.

Liang Xiao whispered: “Mother Consort, Father Emperor is getting old, what do you think of me?”

Yan Heng hated being called that by Liang Xiao the most, always feeling like she was doing something scandalous.

She stretched out a claw and slapped Liang Xiao’s face to push her away: “Your Majesty, you are the Emperor.”

Liang Xiao sighed languidly. Her Empress had no sense of fun.

She buried her face in Yan Heng’s shoulder hollow, biting her in frustration.

Yan Heng let out a soft “Ah” and patted Liang Xiao’s back: “Are you a dog?”

Only Yan Heng dared to speak to the Emperor like this. Usually, when the servants saw Liang Xiao, they didn’t dare to breathe loudly.

Liang Xiao then smacked her lips and tackled her onto the soft couch: “A dog that eats a fox.”

**

Extra Story Two

As the Empress’s personal maid, Hua Zi felt extremely proud.

Her Empress was the only Empress to receive exclusive favor since the founding of Great Ning.

The current Holy One dismissed the imperial harem, and despite opposition from the court, resolutely elevated her mistress to the position of Empress.

Many plays and operas thus appeared among the populace, all singing the praises of the non-conventional love between the Emperor and Empress.

Hua Zi was most experienced in taking care of the Empress.

She woke up at Yin hour (3-5 AM). After washing up, she would first wait outside the door where the Emperor and Empress slept, waiting for them to wake up.

Once, a new little palace maid, not knowing the rules, thought the Empress would wake up early. But when she pushed the door to call them, she saw things she shouldn’t have and was sent by the Emperor to tend to the flowers and plants in the front courtyard.

Around three-quarters of Yin hour (approx. 4:45 AM), His Majesty would get up first to attend the morning court, instructing Hua Zi to be quiet and not wake the Empress.

Yan Heng was habitually late to wake up and would absolutely not open her eyes until Si hour (9-11 AM). By this time, His Majesty had usually finished morning court, and would either return to the Qian Yuan Dian to handle state affairs or come to the Kun Yuan Dian (Palace of Earthly Harmony) to personally serve Yan Heng.

Thus, whenever the Emperor came here, Hua Zi got some leisure time. She only needed to wait outside or go to the kitchen to hand over the menu and supervise the preparation of lunch.

Don’t be fooled by Hua Zi’s relatively young age, barely twenty-three; she already had the presence of a head palace madam. The little palace maids around her were afraid of her.

The Emperor would accompany the Empress for meals, so Yan Heng had long instructed the kitchen not to make the daily meals too spicy, even if it meant her own palate had to be plainer.

When the two of them were together, they preferred not to have others present. Thus, Hua Zi enjoyed wandering around the back palace by herself, getting to know everyone everywhere.

Curious little palace maids would always chat with her, and all their questions revolved around just how much the Emperor liked the Empress.

“It must be that she is placed right on the tip of His Majesty’s heart. All you girls can do is envy her.”

After lunch, Yan Heng, who woke up at Si hour, would swing on the swing in the garden or read storybooks.

In the past, the storybooks were secretly brought in from outside the palace by Eunuch Qian. Later, Liang Xiao personally had Yue Ying procure them.

Yue Ying, who came from the ranks of the Shadow Guard, thus became a frequent customer at various stalls. The question he asked most often was: “Boss, do you have any newly written storybooks?”

This man never looked at the content when buying things, and once even bought back a story written about Yan Heng and Liang Xiao as the protagonists.

The writer described their love as world-shaking and ghost-crying, a love that would never be severed even if the mountains had no ridges and heaven and earth merged.

Yan Heng’s face blushed after reading just two pages, and the book was eventually taken by Hua Zi to the kitchen to be used as kindling.

An afternoon nap was mandatory. The Emperor would sometimes come, but more often she stayed in the Qian Yuan Dian (Palace of Heavenly Purity).

Hua Zi couldn’t help but sigh, “Our Emperor is truly diligent and loves the people.”

In the evening, Hua Zi still didn’t have much work. As long as Liang Xiao entered the room, Hua Zi could retire. Whether it was for dinner or serving the bath, the Emperor would personally attend to it and would absolutely never leave it to others.

The evenings were too idle, so she would play cards with Hua Zheng and Eunuch Qian. Since they were always short one player, they would usually randomly grab a palace maid or eunuch who was not on night duty that evening to play tile-cards.

When they were tired from playing, it was time to rest. Every day was like this, truly carefree and comfortable.

**

In the summer of the fifth year of Yong’an, Liang Xiao found a newborn tabby cat from somewhere. It was only as big as a person’s palm and utterly adorable.

Thus, Hua Zi had an extra chore besides looking after Yan Heng.

The tabby cat was named Banli (Chestnut), a name personally chosen by Liang Xiao, because her own fox (referring to Yan Heng) was fond of chestnut shortbread.

Banli was even more lively than Yan Heng. It would leap up and down in the garden. Once, it chewed the jasmine sapling that Liang Xiao and Yan Heng had planted together almost to death, nearly becoming the first stray cat to be abandoned in the back palace.

After the jasmine grew tall, Liang Xiao ordered a small table and chairs to be placed next to it. In their leisure time, the two would lean there and share intimate words.

Since Banli almost chewed the saplings to death last time, it was strictly forbidden from running wild there again. The task of supervising Banli naturally fell to Hua Zi.

When looking for Banli, she often saw Liang Xiao and Yan Heng sitting there. Sometimes, as the two chatted, they would end up cuddling closely.

At such times, Hua Zi would always silently cover Banli’s eyes, refusing to let go, even as the kitten kept meowing.

Some things were not meant for a kitten to see; it would be led astray.

**

Yan Heng once asked Hua Zi if she wanted to leave the palace and get married. She shook her head: “I only want to stay by the Empress and the Emperor’s side. I won’t go anywhere else.”

Yan Heng knew she had a stubborn personality and didn’t press further, only saying that if she ever wanted to leave the palace in the future, she would be free to go.

Hua Zi thought to herself that after seeing the Emperor spoil her beloved to such an outrageous degree, all the men and women outside already seemed dull and uninteresting.

She was perfectly content to stay in the palace with a little kitten for company.

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