Palace Fighting: Naive Concubines' Ascent to Power-Chapter 531 - Eavesdropping in Broad Daylight

He liked her for this very reason, always optimistic and resilient.

After the Emperor entered, Consort Xu De followed him in.

Noticing that the Emperor was silent, Consort Xu De glanced at him strangely.

She realized that the Emperor really had a wicked sense of humor, having repeatedly bumped into him eavesdropping at corners and now blending into the crowd to enjoy the spectacle. Tsk, tsk, this was still an Emperor. If the people outside knew that their illustrious and valorous Emperor loved to eavesdrop, who knows if their perception of him would shatter.

At that moment, a circle of people had gathered in the Side Hall. Several Young Eunuchs stood with their backs to them, while the others watched a chubby girl perform in the middle, eliciting bursts of applause.

This chubby girl, whom Consort Xu De had seen before, was one of Nanny Qi’s companions. Unexpectedly, she possessed such talent, mimicking Consort Zhen’s feigned frailty to perfection, so much so that even Consort Xu De couldn’t help but be impressed.

She watched the scene with a smile and saw her sister through the gaps in the crowd, her smile deepening.

No wonder Lian Hua couldn’t hear anything or notice anyone coming—the side hall was simply too lively. A master with a group of Palace Maids and eunuchs, all who loved a spectacle without fearing the consequences, watched Pang Ya perform brilliantly, completely captivating everyone’s attention in a heated scene.

Even Nanny Qi couldn’t manage it and had to talk with Huang Zude in the inner room.

The two most significant figures in the courtyard were here, and His Majesty thought they wouldn’t return for a good while, hence they were relaxed, never expecting anyone to come.

As a result, both the Emperor and Consort Xu De were able to enter and watch for quite some time without being discovered.

"Good!"

Another small climax arrived, and the crowd enthusiastically clapped and cheered.

Consort Xu De even cheered, her voice lost among the others.

The addition of a female voice went unnoticed.

The Emperor gave Consort Xu De a glance.

Consort Xu De gestured that she would be quiet, sharing the same curiosity as the Emperor about what would happen next.

Lian Hua leaned against the chair, cheered, and then feeling thirsty, absentmindedly reached for some water to drink.

Standing beside her, Xiao Jizi, smiling broadly, had been keeping a close watch on Lian Hua. Noticing her action, he quickly went to help her pour.

After pouring, he lifted the cup to Lian Hua’s side. Lian Hua nodded briefly at him, took the cup, and gulped down a few sips before continuing to watch Pang Ya with relish.

By then, Pang Ya had moved on to portraying Cai Hua. After playing Consort Zhen, she wasn’t satisfied and started portraying Cai Hua, another character that made her grit her teeth in anger.

Xiao Jizi made sure Lian Hua held the cup steadily, then relaxed and stood up straight to watch the performance.

He had always felt there was something off about the real Cai Hua, and Pang Ya’s portrayal confirmed his suspicions even more.

He admired his own keenness, but then something felt amiss.

Why did the shadows on the ground seem denser? And why were two shadows unusually long, darkening the room with their addition?

He hadn’t noticed before because everyone had crowded in to watch the performance, which had already blocked the light, and they had grown accustomed to it.

He could notice because these two shadows seemed taller than anyone else.

Xiao Jizi looked toward the entrance, his heart skipping a beat, oh dear!

He exclaimed, "His Majesty!"

His legs went weak, and he felt like kneeling; he didn’t know how long the Emperor had been there.

The Emperor noticed his gaze and glanced at him. He immediately stiffened, as if frozen, and dared not make a reckless move.

Unfortunately, it was just at this moment that Pang Ya had just finished performing the disgusting scene of Cai Hua. Everyone clapped and cheered, Pang Ya thanked them repeatedly, and Xiao Jizi’s voice was drowned out by the crowd.

The words "His Majesty" stood out vividly to Lian Hua, but at that moment, she thought nothing of them.

She led the applause and, with a "clap", put down her cup, huffing as she commented, "Even a little palace maid dares to deceive us, showing her our might. You all did very well, Pang Ya did very well, making me feel as if I was there, good!"

"Master Lian flatters us. This is merely our duty," said the rest of the eunuchs and Pang Ya in response.

Lian Hua nodded in satisfaction, about to speak further.

"Master, His Majesty, His Majesty..." Xiao Jizi, shivering, desperately interrupted, whispering a reminder, fearing Lian Hua might say something earth-shattering.

"Hmm?" Lian Hua paused, hearing the words "His Majesty" for the second time in a short span.

She looked towards Xiao Jizi, suddenly recalling a phrase, and immediately had an epiphany, involuntarily raising her thumb, "Xiao Jizi, you reminded me well."

Xiao Jizi was close to tears, desperately trying to make himself less noticeable.

His Majesty was watching, and now that his master knew it and had even called him out, was he not worried he would die too quickly...

Sure enough, he saw His Majesty glance at him again, immediately feeling a chill on his neck, and with his head bowed, he almost wanted to kneel.

The Emperor thought he had been discovered and was about to step forward when Lian Hua’s voice sounded again, making him retract his foot and pause to watch, smiling ambiguously at his Little Concubine.

All of this happened very quickly, in the time it takes to breathe.

After praising Xiao Jizi, Lian Hua immediately turned and said fervently, "My minions, I have recalled a phrase often said by His Majesty!"

Everyone perked up, holding their breath, eager to hear the profound insights.

Xiao Jizi internally cried out, hastily bracing himself against the table to keep his legs from giving out. Today was his day to die; his master had not realized that His Majesty had arrived!

What? There was someone beside His Majesty, was that Consort Xu De?!!

He felt as if struck by thunder, his situation worsening, his mind filled only with thoughts of it being over!

The Emperor looked at Lian Hua’s flushed, excited face, raised an eyebrow, and thought, this little rascal still remembers what he said? Very good!

Consort Xu De, her face brimming with a smile, watched Lian Hua. It was her first time seeing her sister behave this way, finding it quite amusing. She had always thought of her sister as naive and gentle, with a very squeezable face, occasionally showing her claws to strangers, but never as passionately eloquent as this.

Seeing the atmosphere well set, Lian Hua clenched her fist, cleared her throat, and said resoundingly, "That is: ’He who offends us, no matter how far away, shall be annihilated!’"

She forgot the exact words, but this rendition was definitely correct.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow; when had he taught her that?

After a moment, he recalled that one night, while telling her stories, he mentioned, "It is suitable to display the heads of barbarians along Gao Street in the mansion, as a warning to those far away. He who dares to defy the powerful Han, though far away, shall be annihilated." He thought she had fallen asleep, but it turned out she had listened and even understood it.

This was good, proving that often discussing history with her was beneficial.

His Little Concubine, indeed, had him close to her heart.

The Emperor’s heart felt as if brushed by the spring wind, blooming brilliantly, looking at the small figure before him full of smiles, his thoughts of punishment considerably fading, and he merely wanted to hear what else she would say next.

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