Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 53

Chapter 53: The Seventeenth Day of the Villain Being Emperor

The moment the palanquin stopped, Chu Xin jumped down as if her seat were on fire.

“Sister, may I enter now?” Chu Xin stood before the gates of Cining Palace, still unable to fathom why the Emperor had summoned her to the Empress Dowager’s residence.

“Master Chu may go straight in; Her Majesty gave orders in advance,” the female official at the gate replied with a smile.

After a polite thank you, Chu Xin took a deep breath and entered. “Subject Chu Xin greets Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager,” she said, head bowed, preparing to kneel.

“Rise.” Wen Qingyun, who was already standing, caught Chu Xin’s arm and pulled her up before she could hit the floor.

Chu Xin stood ramrod straight, but kept her head so low she could only see the hem of her own robe and the Emperor’s boots.

“Mother, why don’t we have Chu Xin join us for the hunt as our judge?” Wen Qingyun asked with a smile.

“You’ve already brought her here; can I even say no?” the Empress Dowager replied, her gaze lingering on Chu Xin. She remembered Chu Xin from years ago—a delicate little girl visiting the palace with her mother. Now, that girl had grown into a crimson-robed official capable of governing a prefecture.

“Chu Xin, can you hunt?” Wen Qingyun asked.

“Reporting to Your Majesty… I can barely draw a standard bow, and my aim is entirely up to fate,” Chu Xin admitted sheepishly.

“No matter. Just follow us and see who is better, Mother or I,” Wen Qingyun patted Chu Xin’s shoulder. “If you see a rabbit, you can give it a try.”

Under imperial command, Chu Xin changed into a set of riding leathers. Compared to her loose official robes, the riding suit was form-fitting, emphasizing her tall but increasingly gaunt frame.

Wen Qingyun squeezed Chu Xin’s arm, frowning. “Too thin. There’s no meat on these arms at all. Here, feel mine.” She extended her right arm.

Dazed, Chu Xin slowly reached out and gave the Emperor’s arm a light squeeze. It was firm—she could clearly feel the well-developed muscle.

“Feel that?” Wen Qingyun asked.

“Your Majesty’s constitution is robust. This subject is far beneath you.” Chu Xin pulled her hand back quickly.

“If you know that, then train your body,” Wen Qingyun laughed. “I order you to develop muscle on these arms by the end of the year. I don’t expect you to match me, but at least reach half my strength. If you can’t, stay in the palace so I can supervise you.”

Chu Xin gave a dry response, her heart hammering against her ribs.

…

Despite being nearly fifty, the Empress Dowager was in excellent health. Since her daughter took the throne, she was no longer a prisoner of the palace; she rode and hunted whenever she pleased, looking younger than she had four years ago.

The competition was fierce. Within fifteen minutes, the Empress Dowager had downed two fat rabbits. Not to be outdone, Wen Qingyun went after a large buck. She dropped the reins, drawing her bow while her horse was in full gallop. The arrow pierced the stag’s eye, and it fell instantly.

“Good shot,” the Empress Dowager praised, her competitive spirit ignited.

As the judge, Chu Xin was frantic, trying to track both the Emperor’s kills and the Empress Dowager’s gains. She realized then how much she lacked in physical stamina; she could barely keep up with their horses. She vowed to improve so that next time, she wouldn’t just be eating their dust.

Two hours later, they returned.

“Well? Who won?” Wen Qingyun asked, wiping sweat with a handkerchief.

Chu Xin checked her notes. “In terms of weight, Your Majesty leads. In terms of quantity, the Empress Dowager has one more kill.”

“So, who won?” Wen Qingyun pressed.

“It is a win-win for both. This subject’s incompetence resulted in zero kills, so I am too ashamed to declare a loser,” Chu Xin answered, desperately trying to keep the peace.

The Empress Dowager laughed. “Stop teasing her. Next time, we’ll set the rules beforehand.”

“Mother, I’m just playing with her,” Wen Qingyun smiled. “Don’t drive a wedge between us.”

The Empress Dowager glanced at Chu Xin, then back at her daughter. “Oh? Afraid I’ll steal her away?”

“Chu Xin is very important to me. Naturally, I must keep a close eye on her,” Wen Qingyun said smoothly.

The Empress Dowager’s eyes turned subtle. “Then it’s my fault. I won’t speak up for her next time; you can tease her all you like.” She felt she had just discovered something quite extraordinary.

…

“I remember today is your birthday,” Wen Qingyun said after the Empress Dowager had departed. “These are my personal skills. Pick what you like, and I’ll have something made for you.”

Chu Xin was stunned. Today is April 25th? The Emperor remembered my birthday!

“I… I don’t know how to choose, Your Majesty.”

Wen Qingyun nodded. “True, they aren’t processed yet. I’ll have them turned into something useful later. For now, I’ll give you a different gift.” She beckoned a female official. “Get on.” She gestured toward her own imperial Sweat-Blood Horse.

“Your Majesty, shouldn’t I ride my own?”

“And fall behind again?” Wen Qingyun countered. “Get on. I need to bathe and change soon.”

Chu Xin mounted the horse. Wen Qingyun then vaulted up behind her, sitting firmly in the saddle. The sudden closeness made Chu Xin stiffen. Wen Qingyun ignored it, wrapped an arm around Chu Xin’s slender waist, and spurred the horse forward.

The momentum forced Chu Xin back against the Emperor’s chest. As they thundered through the Divine Military Gate, the guards looked on in shock. The Emperor riding in the palace was one thing; carrying someone with her was unheard of.

They arrived at the Imperial Treasury. “Everything here is mine. Pick one thing for your birthday,” Wen Qingyun commanded.

Chu Xin looked at the mountains of treasure. “Your Majesty, I…”

“Pick one. Or do you look down on my collection?”

“No! I just…”

“Then pick. I’m in a hurry.”

Chu Xin hurriedly chose a finely crafted “thousand-mile eye” (telescope).

“That’s a Western toy the Governor of Fujian sent. They call it a telescope. It’s better than our domestic ones,” Wen Qingyun said, handing it to her. They went outside to test it.

Chu Xin was amazed. “Your Majesty, with this, our navy’s effectiveness would soar!”

“I already sent a batch to Wang Yuejiao,” Wen Qingyun noted. Then she sighed. “The Westerners’ firearms are becoming formidable. If not for my Firearms Battalion, they might have caused trouble on the coast already. I need a navy strong enough to deter them, or they will become just another kind of pirate.”

…

Chu Xin returned home just before the palace gates locked, clutching her gift. Her father, Master Chu, met her with a complicated expression.

“Did you and the Emperor talk about your birthday?” he asked.

“No, I didn’t even remember it until she mentioned it,” Chu Xin said, her ears turning red as she remembered the horse ride.

Master Chu’s brow furrowed. The Emperor was twenty-two and had no interest in men. If she liked women… Well, that was one thing, but if she took Chu Xin into the harem, all of his daughter’s hard work to become a high-ranking official would be wasted. Since the time of the Great Ancestor, the harem was forbidden from politics.

“Father? What are you thinking?”

“Nothing. Your mother is waiting for you.”

Late that night, Master Chu whispered his fears to his wife. “The Emperor had her stay overnight twice. She rode with her on one horse today. What if she wants to bring Xin’er into the harem?”

“Being loved by the Emperor isn’t a bad thing, is it?” Chu’s mother asked.

“As a minister, no. But as a consort? She is meant to be a Grand Secretary, to leave her name in history! If she becomes a concubine, she’ll be labeled a ‘seductress’ who distracts the monarch.”

They decided to watch and see.

A few days later, Chu Mother asked Chu Xin about marriage.

“Marriage?” Chu Xin frowned. “Why? Serving the Emperor is enough. If I marry, I can’t give her my full devotion.”

“You’re twenty-one, Xin’er. I just worry about you being alone when I’m gone.”

“You’re healthy, Mother! Don’t say such things. You have to wait for me to earn you the title of a First-Rank Lady of Honor.”

Chu’s mother smiled. If her daughter became a First-Rank official—a pillar of the state—then perhaps she truly didn’t need to worry about the harem.