I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 22.1

The air was filled with the radiant bloom of fireworks, bursting one after another against the deep, dark night sky. The concubines looked up, laughing and enjoying the show with their friends. Many of the girls were barely teenagers, and the young emperor on his palanquin was only in his early twenties. They were all young and, seeing the splendor of the fireworks, couldn’t help but forget the palace’s rigid rules and give in to pure joy.

Even the Empress Dowager gazed at the fireworks in a daze. In the past, palace banquets never featured such grand displays. It was in the first year of the Phoenix Era that Eunuch Fu Shou led a group of ministers to welcome the young emperor back from her years among the common people. During that year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor, claiming the palace was too lonely, personally lit the fire beacon and set off a night of brilliant fireworks.

Few knew, however, that the emperor had made those fireworks with her own hands. Standing under the moonlight in her dragon robes, the beautiful young monarch had crafted a night of splendor, a spectacle of the mortal world, to offer to her golden canary. The light that had flowed in the young emperor’s eyes that night, even after all this time, the Empress Dowager still remembered. It felt just like yesterday.

The Empress Dowager unconsciously rubbed the prayer beads on her wrist and looked toward Xiao Qianxue, who was also watching the fireworks. The girl’s smile was radiant as she tugged on Yingying’s sleeve. “Yingying, look, look! That firework is so big! Wow, it’s purple!”

Yingying smiled, finding her truly adorable. Xiao Qianxue was so happy she looked like she could dance just from watching the fireworks.

“I’ve never seen fireworks this… big in Yunzhou!” Xiao Qianxue said, beaming, her eyes crinkling and her cheeks flushed. “Every Lunar New Year, my mother would take me to see the fireworks in the city. It’s a shame I can’t see her again… but it’s great that I have you to accompany me this year!”

While enjoying the moment with the female protagonist, Yingying didn’t forget her “after-sales service” and the experience of her “distinguished VIP client.” She kept glancing toward the emperor, who was standing in front of the fire beacon, her face a deathly pale mask, as if in shock.

Relieved that her client’s “experience” was well-received, Yingying was about to turn back to Xiao Qianxue when she noticed the young emperor, her expression hazy, was walking toward the fire.

The fire beacon was only half-burned, and the deep red flames were licking at the emperor’s bright yellow sleeves. The emperor’s side profile, illuminated by the firelight, revealed dark eyes that held an expression of profound, single-minded obsession, as if they contained a lifetime of pain and a vow to never regret.

Her slender figure was moving step by step into the flames, moments away from being consumed. Yingying’s heart pounded, and she blurted out, “Be careful—”

Fortunately, Fu Shou came to his senses and pulled the emperor back. He looked completely shaken. “Your Majesty, you, you…”

The emperor’s eyes returned to her, her expression calm. “I just wanted to get a closer look at the fire.” She continued to stare at the crimson flames, saying nothing more.

Yingying sighed in relief. She only wanted to scare the dog emperor a little, not for her to suffer from a breakdown. Her distinguished VIP client couldn’t be harmed; her precious “blind boxes” (the rewards from the system) all depended on this dog emperor!

“Yingying?” Xiao Qianxue asked. “What did you just say to be careful of?”

Yingying coughed, her thoughts in a jumble, not even in the mood for her usual flirtatious banter.

Taking advantage of everyone gathered to watch the fireworks, Gong Bainu approached Yingying and Xiao Qianxue, continuing her role as the excellent, hate-attracting villain. She successfully diverted Xiao Qianxue’s attention.

“I heard you two are learning to dance from Consort Xian?” Gong Bainu scoffed, her voice full of mockery. “Don’t even bother. My sister’s ‘Waist-Bending Dance’ is famous throughout the capital. You two would only make a fool of yourselves and embarrass Consort Xian.”

Xiao Qianxue’s lips thinned, and she frowned.

“At last year’s banquet, my sister’s dance captivated His Majesty. Many scholars even wrote poems for her—’The beautiful woman shines like flowing light’—but never mind, you two country bumpkins from the sticks wouldn’t understand even if I recited them.”

Xiao Qianxue remained silent.

Seeing her lack of a response, Gong Bainu thought she had successfully crushed their morale. She puffed out her chest proudly and continued her cheerful taunts. “I’ll be playing the pipa later. It’s made of Kunshan jade with strings of East Sea silk. Oh, never mind, what am I saying to you two hicks? Hey, you better plug your ears later, because you’re not worthy of listening to my pipa music.”

Yingying blinked.

Gong Bainu’s sharp words softened for a moment, and she frowned, wondering if she had been too mean. But as a good little villain, she quickly recovered and continued her verbal jabs.

Xiao Qianxue’s face showed a troubled expression. “Are you… trying to make me angry?”

Gong Bainu’s face went pale. The question was a lightning strike, leaving her both humiliated and furious. “No way! I don’t think you look good when you’re angry! You look ugly!”

The more she explained, the more she sounded like a classic tsundere young lady who was secretly in love. Her face flushed, she covered her cheeks and ran off, her embroidered gold skirt fluttering behind her.

Xiao Qianxue watched her retreating figure and once again sighed. “She’s a good person, just a little strange.”

Yingying tucked her hands into her sleeves and nodded. “Yes, exactly. You’re absolutely right.”

Lady Li sighed with emotion. “I really envy your friendship. That day, Lady Gong begged for mercy on your behalf and made Consort Shu so angry she yelled at her, asking whose side she was on. And she even talked back!”

“What did she say?” Xiao Qianxue asked, curious.

Lady Li recalled the scene from that day. “She said, ‘I’m just too honest and don’t want to lie. Besides, those two really are beautiful. Unlike you, Sister, who secretly learned ventriloquism and didn’t even tell me.’ Consort Shu was so mad she couldn’t eat all day. She was fanning away the anger in her heart and wanted to kick Gong Bainu out of her palace to go hang out with you guys.”

Lady Li continued, “I had to hold her back. So all her anger was directed at me.” She looked like she was about to cry. “In a few days, she might even kick me out. Wuwuwu.”

Yingying opened her arms, ready to comfort her wounded soul. Lady Li rested her head on the girl’s shoulder, sobbing. “Yingying, you’re so good.”

“It’s my duty,” Yingying said.

As Lady Li wiped her tears, her eyes accidentally met the emperor’s. The Son of Heaven stood not far away, watching them embrace, her eyes cold. The burning fire beacon illuminated her bright yellow dragon robes. Although standing in the firelight, the emperor’s black hair shadowed her eyes, and her jade-like face was flickering in the swaying light, like a god or a demon.

Lady Li suddenly burst into tears, her face a mess. “Why?” Yingying asked, patting her back. “Why are you crying again?”

Lady Li said, “The emperor glared at me! Does she want to execute me? I’m doomed! Wuwuwu… I’d rather just go end it myself. Maybe then His Majesty would spare my family.”

Yingying was at a loss. She had no idea how Lady Li could leap from a single glare to the conclusion that her whole family would be executed. But she was always patient with girls and held Lady Li, giving her the warmest comfort on that autumn night.

After being comforted for a while, Lady Li finally stopped crying and clung to Yingying’s hand. “Yingying is so good.”

Watching this, Xiao Qianxue felt a pang of jealousy. She squeezed to Yingying’s right and hugged her tightly. “Yingying is the best!”

Caught between the two of them, Yingying was nearly squeezed into a new shape. She could only inwardly “spit” at the dog emperor. If it weren’t for the emperor, this wouldn’t have happened. The dog emperor was just a dog, only hurting these pure and beautiful girls, then leaving her to comfort their wounded hearts one by one.

Looking at the full hall of giggling concubines, she sighed with a hint of melancholy. Heaven bestows great responsibility upon a person by first tormenting their will and straining their muscles. But although the responsibility was great, she didn’t feel tired.

The system, “Palace Strife Machine,” kindly reminded her, “Host, the dog emper… no, no, no, the emperor is watching you.”

Yingying didn’t turn around. Still embraced by the two girls, she returned to her seat without a single glance at the emperor behind her.

The emperor: Q_Q It’s another day of questioning the color of my own hat.

After the fireworks, the concubines returned to their seats. With the sound of music, the banquet officially began. The emperor recited a prayer to the bright moon for the nation’s prosperity and peace. Then, the emperor and empress raised their cups, and the concubines followed suit, drinking the clear wine under the moonlight.

Next, the concubines were to perform. The Empress Dowager had been looking listless until she saw Gong Bainu and Gong Beizhu approach. Her eyes finally lifted, and she watched their performance with renewed focus. Gong Bainu’s boasts were no exaggeration; years ago, Gong Beizhu’s “Waist-Bending Dance” had indeed made her famous throughout the capital, inspiring countless scholars and poets to write in her praise. Consort Shu, not considered a peerless beauty in a harem full of beautiful women, was at most a cut above average. But when she danced, she seemed to be cloaked in light, becoming radiant and graceful, possessing not a captivating face but a captivating dance.

Gong Bainu’s ten fingers plucked the pipa strings, and the sound rolled like a tidal wave, one wave after another.

Xiao Qianxue couldn’t help but gasp.

Lady Li began to mourn again. “As expected of a daughter from a noble family, she’s so talented and graceful. All the sisters in the palace are beautiful and capable. I’m the only one who can’t do anything.”

“It’s okay, don’t be sad,” Yingying comforted her. “Pull yourself together.”

After the Gong sisters’ dance was finished, the emperor’s voice floated down from the high platform, neither too loud nor too soft, to bestow her praise. She also awarded them two plates of jewels. Gong Bainu, hugging her pipa, happily thanked her and returned to her seat, giving a particularly smug glance to Xiao Qianxue and Yingying.

Hmph, she thought. I don’t believe these two country bumpkins can perform any dance that could surpass my sister’s and mine.

Xiao Qianxue blinked. Yingying also blinked back at her. Gong Bainu’s provocation was like a fist hitting cotton; her temper instantly deflated. She just huffed and returned to her seat.

Soon after, it was Xiao Qianxue’s sword dance. Consort Xian played the zither, its strings resonating with the sound of clashing metal. In time with the music, the girl danced with her sword. The sword’s gleam reflected the moonlight, scattering a pool of silver light on the ground. She was heroic and dashing, so cool that it made everyone gasp.

Yingying, as Xiao Qianxue’s number one fan, shouted from below, “Sister, you’re amazing!”

Lady Li also whispered, “Sister, you’re amazing too!”

With a bend of her waist, Xiao Qianxue performed a cool and smooth sword flourish. The crowd gasped again, completely captivated. The concubines’ eyes were filled with fervent admiration, and they wanted to shout “Sister, you’re amazing!” too. The atmosphere suddenly became charged.

The girl pointed her long sword, and its cold blade flashed toward Gong Bainu. Gong Bainu’s face went pale with fright. She slumped in her seat, watching helplessly as the sword tip grew closer. Xiao Qianxue smiled at her, and with a flick of the sword, she lifted a jade wine cup from Gong Bainu’s table. She then did a quick reverse flourish, and the cup flew into the air, only to fall back down. Xiao Qianxue extended her sword, and the jade cup landed perfectly, balancing on the trembling tip without spilling a single drop of wine.

The concubines were in awe: Ah, Sister is so cool! Sister, you’re amazing! Even the Noble Consort on the platform, who had been looking bored, now watched the sword dance with intense concentration.

The emperor watched the dancer. The figure before her seemed to overlap with another person from the past. Her expression grew hazy. Her bright yellow sleeves fluttered. Suddenly, she stood up, gripping the edge of her table so tightly that the veins on her pale hands bulged. The golden food trays scattered, and the wine cup fell to the floor with a crisp sound.

The zither music stopped abruptly. Consort Xian looked up, confused, at the emperor. Xiao Qianxue, also confused, sheathed her sword and knelt.

The emperor stared at her, her dark eyes filled with a whirlwind of emotions, as if she had a thousand words to say, but they all dissolved into silence. The concubines didn’t understand the emperor’s strange behavior. They thought Xiao Qianxue’s dance had offended her, and they stopped laughing. The atmosphere instantly became heavy.

Gong Bainu wore a gloating expression. She knew it. What kind of good dance could this crude country girl possibly perform? She had thought it was something special, even though the sword dance was very cool and made her want to join the other concubines in shouting how awesome she was.

No! I can’t give in!

The emperor stared at Xiao Qianxue for a long time before looking away. “The dance of Noble Lady Xiao is a masterpiece worthy of heaven. Reward her.”

Gong Bainu was stunned. Reward? Did I hear that right? When she saw that the emperor was giving Xiao Qianxue even more treasures than she had received, she angrily twisted her handkerchief, wishing she could stab the smiling girl returning to her seat with her sword.

Still smiling? What’s so funny? she thought. It’s just that His Majesty gave you a few more things. She looks like she’s never seen anything like it. A country bumpkin is a country bumpkin after all. Gong Bainu comforted herself and finally felt a little less angry. Then she met Yingying’s gaze.

Yingying gave her a sympathetic, “I-can’t-even” look, spreading her hands with a sad, somber expression.

Feeling looked down upon, Gong Bainu’s composure shattered again. She was completely furious. Duan Yingying is definitely mocking me! This is an outright provocation!

Palace Strife Machine: Wow, Host, you’ve grown. You’ve learned how to mock people perfectly.

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