Chapter 52 Will Be Good to You

Chapter 52 Will Be Good to You

Hearing the Jingxi Emperor say this, A Wu wanted to cry. She bit her trembling lip: "A Wu never thought that..."

The Jingxi Emperor brushed his thumb across her damp eyelid: "I won’t abandon A Wu."

A Wu nodded: "Mm, A Wu naturally believes in Your Majesty. Your Majesty treats A Wu best."

She spoke hastily, the words tumbling out, but this only made the Jingxi Emperor’s chest tighten.

She was merely trying to please him—this instinctive distrust ran deep within her.

Through the unspeakable ache in his chest, the Jingxi Emperor suddenly recalled that night at Nan Qiongzi’s villa, where they had been entwined in passion, only to coldly abandon her afterward, walking away without a backward glance.

Abandoned, A Wu had sat there hugging her knees, like a fledgling bird lost in the forest.

Just now, when he had stepped out of the bedchamber and glanced back, the terror in her eyes had overlapped with that night’s memory.

For a fleeting moment, his mind went blank, and a piercing pain, like eagle talons, seized the softest part of his heart.

Then came a hesitant voice: "Your Majesty?"

The Jingxi Emperor lifted his gaze, clearly catching the faint unease shimmering in her misty eyes.

He watched her silently like this for a long while before finally bracing himself on his knee, slowly pulling away.

Two people so intimately joined, now abruptly separating—his movements grew labored.

With every inch, she resisted his withdrawal.

His lips pressed together in restraint as he inched outward, only to feel her clenching around him even more distinctly.

The brocade drapes hung too still, allowing the faint, suggestive sounds to reach both their ears with startling clarity.

A Wu let out a soft whimper, and she instinctively clutched the Jingxi Emperor’s arm.

She didn’t understand what was happening—nothing like this had ever happened before. All she could do was tilt her flushed face up, gazing at him helplessly.

The Emperor fought to regain control, his voice hoarse as he soothed her discontent: "Not now."

A Wu’s eyes brimmed with aggrieved tears.

The Jingxi Emperor gathered her yielding body into his arms, kissing her tear-streaked cheeks with patience and tenderness.

As they nestled close, his murmurs were filled with lingering affection, every syllable a tender stroke.

For an emperor to lower himself and coax with such gentleness—it was dangerously easy to surrender to.

A Wu was reduced to a kiss-drunk haze, her tear-glazed eyes fluttering half-shut.

Even knowing this fruit was bitter, she couldn’t resist taking a bite—at least the juice that spilled when the skin broke would be sweet.

The Jingxi Emperor could feel the young woman in his embrace had been reduced to a state of dazed longing, her very soul adrift as she pressed closer to him.

He gripped her slender waist and laid her down.

Reluctant, she gazed at him in confusion, hungering for more.

He propped himself up on his arms, taking her delicate hands in his, spreading them open, and pressing them onto the bed as he gazed down at her.

Looking into her eyes, he declared, "A Wu, I am the emperor, the father of the nation."

A Wu lay limp, her eyes swimming with tears, like a sparrow caught in a hawk's talons—powerless to resist and unwilling to, her mind hazy as she gazed up at him.

His amber eyes were calm and authoritative.

When the kisses suddenly stopped, she still wanted more.

But the man refused to give them to her.

As if punishing her, he deliberately denied her the satisfaction of desire, so cold and unyielding. Her heart was full of nothing but hurt. She didn’t understand why.

The Jingxi Emperor dug his fingers into her hands.

A Wu whimpered in pain, tears pooling in her eyes as she looked up at the man above her.

The Jingxi Emperor gazed down at her, speaking low and slow, "The Son of Heaven acts as the parent of the people, ruling the world as its king. Thus, all the world's people are my children."

His words were deliberate, each syllable striking A Wu’s ears with perfect clarity, yet her mind was in chaos, unable to form any response.

She thought the man was like a sea demon from sunken palaces, with deep, mesmerizing eyes that lured shore maidens for his keeping.

The Jingxi Emperor commanded, "Look at me."

A Wu obeyed, meeting his eyes, and found them strangely gentle, as if caressing her.

With just his gaze, he could make her kneel in surrender.

Their eyes locked, time seeming to freeze.

Then, the Jingxi Emperor slowly lowered himself, his stern features drawing nearer until his forehead pressed against hers.

In that instant, warmth washed over her, his breath lingering like a soothing spring, and A Wu felt her body and mind relax completely.

The Jingxi Emperor tilted his head slightly, their noses brushing lightly, like affectionate birds.

A Wu closed her eyes in contentment, her toes curling with pleasure.

Though he had done nothing more, she felt a pleasure beyond anything she'd known.

This moment surpassed all others.

This gentle intimacy, more intoxicating than physical desire, because of restraint, consideration, and the sweet illusion of shared love.

Just then, a warm voice murmured into her ear, "I wish to treat A Wu with the heart of a parent."

A Wu went still.

After a pause, she realized—this was his promise, an emperor's sacred vow.

Though time might change and hearts might wander, in this moment, her heart was touched.

The Jingxi Emperor’s striking features were grave with sincerity as he said, "A Wu, before, only the emperor mattered. From now on, I am not just the emperor, but A Wu's devoted protector."

A Wu silently gazed at the man above her. The promise felt so heavy that she dared not speak lightly.

Jingxi Emperor intertwined his fingers tightly with hers and whispered lovingly, "I will arrange a grand celebration for A Wu’s seventeenth birthday—with many performers, music, and whatever songs A Wu wishes to hear. You can pick every single one."

A Wu replied softly, "Alright."

Jingxi Emperor locked eyes with her. "Now, tell me, what does A Wu want most?"

A Wu tilted her head slightly, thinking carefully.

Then, she smiled shyly. "A Wu most wants Your Majesty to kiss me."

His heart skipped a beat.

Despite the suggestive words, her smile remained pure and clear, like a sunlit stream at dawn.

He watched her intently, then slowly lowered his head, giving her a slow, deep kiss.

Her lips were incredibly sweet, melting against his.

At this moment, his heart was undoubtedly content.

Yet somewhere deep in his chest, a hollow emptiness remained.

It only takes a moment to wound, but healing it might take an eternity.

In the depths of her heart, she might always remember that night—after their intimacy, he had turned and left, abandoning her there.

**********

A Wu was overwhelmed by a flood of affection, dizzy with emotion.

After the initial intoxication, a sharp thought cut through, slowly pulling her out of her trance.

She started thinking it through.

In truth, his initial intentions were good—not meant to humiliate.

She hadn't appreciated it, which upset him.

He hadn’t meant to abandon her; she had misunderstood.

Later, he hadn’t grown angry. Instead, he'd stopped what they were doing to comfort and coax her.

In that moment, his tenderness had transcended mere physical desire.

He was truly good at sweet-talking, capable of ensnaring her body and soul, making her lose herself completely.

He knew how to rule an empire, control his own desires, and master her as well.

This was something she had never felt with Lu Yunjian or the Crown Prince. Deep down, she understood—neither had satisfied her emotionally. The Crown Prince might still be naive, but Lu Yunjian had outright accused her of being heartless. He had demanded what she couldn’t give, and in his frustration, he had spiraled into madness.

By contrast, the Emperor was so powerfully in control. If he desired a woman, he could truly make her beg for more.

If A Wu were still that naive fisherman's daughter from before—

She might have been so thoroughly charmed that she’d forget even her own parents!

A Wu took a deep breath, making herself stop overthinking. No matter what, she ought to feel grateful and quietly happy that he would coax her like this.

The Emperor's love shone like stars—even a shooting star would streak across the sky.

She had already gained so much, and for the days to come, at least for now, she could sleep soundly without a care!

In the following days, the Jingxi Emperor came to A Wu’s chambers nearly every day. He didn’t always spend the night, but he would always eat with her, talk to her, and during these meals, the usual rules seemed to loosen up.

This put A Wu even more at ease. She happily went to her lessons, practiced the guqin, and occasionally—when the Jingxi Emperor pushed her to—read books, particularly Daoist scriptures.

A Wu protested against this, but the Jingxi Emperor insisted, holding her in his arms and explaining each line to her.

With no choice, she sulked but listened.

The Jingxi Emperor also told her about his courtesy name, Zhi'an.

A Wu repeated quietly, "Zhi'an?"

The Jingxi Emperor asked, "Do you know where it comes from?"

A Wu scrambled to think before suddenly realizing, "‘Hold fast to the Great Form, and all the world will come. They come and meet no harm, but dwell in peace and harmony!’"

The Jingxi Emperor's voice was gentle and encouraging, "Hmm? A Wu, explain what it means."

A Wu: "..."

She mumbled uncertainly, "It means the energy released by the sage flows through heaven and earth..."

The Jingxi Emperor: "What kind of energy?"

A Wu ducked her head and whispered, "...Good energy."

The Jingxi Emperor frowned, looking unconvinced. "Good energy? What do you mean by good energy?"

A Wu almost said it was like fart energy, but she knew if she said that, this man might just spank her.

He really would spank her!

So she racked her brain again and finally managed to give a proper answer: "It's yang energy. The sage releases yang energy, and wherever it reaches, there is peace and harmony!"

The Jingxi Emperor nodded in satisfaction. "This is the origin of my courtesy name. A Wu, memorize the entire passage. Tomorrow when I visit you at night, I’ll test you on it first."

A Wu: "..."

She nearly burst into tears!

*********

As she slogged through memorizing the Daoist scriptures, A Wu heard huge news—the Crown Princess was expecting.

It was said that the Crown Princess had almost taken a fall in the Crown Prince's residence that day, and upon examination, it was discovered she was two months pregnant.

A Wu counted on her fingers—it must have happened around the time she had gone missing.

She couldn’t help but smirk, though she couldn’t say whether she was happy or not. She just thought, men...

Even the most earnest young man was no different.

The Crown Princess's pregnancy was naturally a joyous occasion for the palace. The Empress Dowager immediately dispatched imperial physicians and female palace officials to lavish her with care.

Since the Crown Prince was inspecting military affairs in the north, the Jingxi Emperor discussed with the Empress to send extra gifts and tonics to the Crown Princess to reassure her.

The Jingxi Emperor also specifically mentioned that the Crown Prince should not be distracted, so they would not inform him of the news until his return. Naturally, no one raised any objections.

Regarding the Crown Princess's pregnancy, the Jingxi Emperor offhandedly mentioned it one evening when he visited A Wu's chambers.

A Wu chimed in with congratulations. "Congratulations to the Jingxi Emperor."

The Jingxi Emperor gave her a meaningful glance and asked, "You’re in high spirits today?"

A Wu: "Ah? I’m happy on Your Majesty’s behalf!"

Jingxi Emperor: "For me?"

A Wu: "Of course! What else would it be?"

The Jingxi Emperor rested his knuckles against her neck, gently kneading.

A Wu felt as if his stare was a knife’s edge, contemplating where to strike.

She whined innocently, "What did I do to upset Your Majesty? I obey you in everything!"

Even her qin practice—she endured half an hour daily until her fingers ached. Wasn’t that effort enough? As for the scriptures, she had memorized enough to perform at rich folks’ rituals!

The Jingxi Emperor studied her for a long moment. "You obey me in everything? So obedient?"

A Wu: "Of course!"

Her eyes danced with mischief as she gazed at him. "Whether kneeling, lying flat, or on hands and knees—isn’t it all up to Your Majesty?"

She tilted her head, pondering. "Or does Your Majesty prefer standing?"

Hearing this, the Jingxi Emperor stared at her expressionlessly before finally grinding his teeth. "Lower your voice—do you want to embarrass me?"

With a few teasing words, the matter was brushed aside. But after their romp, as A Wu lay limp on the bed, she slowly realized something amiss.

She bore a grudge against the Crown Princess—she should wish her misfortune.

Yet she still felt a little guilty toward the Crown Prince and hoped he would prosper, wishing him an heir soon.

The Jingxi Emperor treated her well, and his only son was about to have a descendant—oughtn’t she be glad?

So, adding and subtracting—should she be happy or not? Did the Jingxi Emperor want her to be happy or not?

It was too messy to dwell on—her head ached just considering it. Best to let it go!

Since the Jingxi Emperor didn’t bring it up again, she’d feign ignorance.

In the following days, A Wu was kept busy—attending lectures, practicing the qin, and constantly grilled by the Old Emperor, who forced her to memorize scriptures. It was exhausting. Entering the palace was like enrolling in school, and being a *student*—who could have imagined?

She’d thought she’d latched onto an emperor, only to find a strict tutor instead!

Fortunately, the Winter Solstice soon arrived, bringing a slight reprieve from duties.

This was A Wu’s first Winter Solstice in the palace, and she was unfamiliar with the customs. She watched as palace maids flitted about, scrubbing and polishing, and the court delivered various festive items, including several new robes embroidered with yangsheng designs—a fox-hatted boy astride a sheep.

The midday meal was lavish: roasted lamb, dumplings, newly cured pig’s feet, and goose gizzards—tiny portions, just enough to tease the palate.

—Were they worried the concubines would pig out and plump up?

A Wu dug in eagerly, already looking forward to the next day’s feast.

Glancing at the two young maids beside her, she thought that once she could order whatever she wanted, she’d treat them to their fill.

Sometimes, watching others eat heartily warmed her heart too!

Eating alone isn’t much fun.

After the meal, it was time for class, and A Wu had to freshen up carefully, then lightly applied some makeup.

While Yi Lan helped A Wu with her makeup, she couldn’t help sighing, "Your skin is amazing, Noble Lady!"

Her complexion was naturally flawless—delicate and radiant. The makeup just hid its glow.

A Wu didn’t mind. "Well, if others wear it, I might as well too, so they don’t get jealous of how pretty I am."

At her words, the two palace maids burst into laughter.

Noble Lady Ning was funny and bold, unafraid to speak her mind. She treated them well, and everyone adored her.

Once she was ready, the escorting maid was already there to take her to the Chengyan Hall, where a female palace official would give instruction to the imperial consorts.

Upon arriving at the hall, she saw phoenix palanquins, small sedan chairs, and all sorts of carriages—a quite a spectacle.

A Wu asked curiously, "What’s all the fuss about?"

The female palace official replied respectfully, "As today is the Winter Solstice, the Empress specially invited the female disciple of the great scholar Sun Fengzhi to give a lecture. All the imperial consorts will be in attendance. They say even Princess De Ning’s coming."

Ah...

What a crowd!

The female palace official added courteously, "And the Crown Princess too."

A Wu froze.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing at all. Bracing herself, she walked in—and immediately spotted the Crown Princess and De Ning. They seemed close, holding hands and chatting.

A Wu lowered her head, trying to stay unnoticed. But who could have guessed the Crown Princess would spot her right away?

The Crown Princess looked over. De Ning looked over. Soon, everyone else was looking over too. Suddenly, all eyes were on A Wu—even the female palace official giving the lecture turned her gaze toward her.

With everyone staring, she had no choice but to bow to the Crown Princess and Princess De Ning.

As a Noble Lady, her rank was the lowest in the hall, and she had to pay respects to everyone above her.

The Crown Princess smirked faintly before looking away. Princess De Ning, however, frowned unhappily and said, "Aren’t there rules in the palace? On such an occasion as the Winter Solstice lecture, how improper for a Little Noble Lady to arrive so late."

She sounded young and sweet, making her words seem more charming than petulant. But precisely because of that charm, it made A Wu look even worse.

Eyes darted toward A Wu, and the hall fell silent. The Crown Princess stood to the side, smiling but saying nothing, simply watching.

A Wu stayed silent, head bowed.

Showing up late today was rude.

No big deal. She’d climb the ranks eventually!

Right as tension peaked, Consort Hui suddenly appeared. She first greeted Princess De Ning and the Crown Princess, then smiled and tugged at A Wu. "Noble Lady Ning, what are you standing around for? Come, the lecture is about to start."

Consort Hui had once been highly favored by the Jingxi Emperor. Though only a consort, even the Crown Princess couldn’t afford to slight her. Thus, Consort Hui smoothly escorted A Wu to her seat.

Once seated, A Wu gave Consort Hui a grateful smile. Such a sweetheart!

When she makes it big one day, she will surely treat her well!

The lecture started soon after. A Wu knew that to be promoted, she must listen carefully—especially with the protocol officers recording nearby. She sat prim and proper, listening intently, even more focused than when she had studied in her childhood.

The female disciple’s surname was Hu, and everyone addressed her as Female Palace Official Hu. Her hair was coiled high, and she carried herself like a learned scholar.

A Wu scribbled furiously with her brush, striving to take notes.

After the lecture ended, the crowd dispersed, and A Wu headed back to Langhua Palace.

Out of nowhere, Princess De Ning walked up, directly picking up her notes and flipping through them.

Then she snorted, "To write characters so poorly truly shames the 'Noble Lady' title."

With that, she ripped up A Wu’s notes.

A Wu burned with anger, face turning scarlet. Those notes took her forever! Ballin’ her fists, she said, "Your Highness, even if my writing is poor, you are not a female palace official—what right do you have to tear my notes?"

Princess De Ning shot back, "I ripped them, so what? Do I need a reason?"

A Wu was seething, face turning scarlet.

Princess De Ning looked rather adorable and was the Jingxi Emperor’s own daughter, the Crown Prince’s sister—who knew she’d be such a brat!

The princess had expected her to lash out in anger, but seeing her flushed face, biting her lip, looking aggrieved yet unable to speak up, just made her madder.

Sure, her mom picked the wrong play, but it was just a casual selection, nothing deliberate.

Yet the Emperor had taken offense, even going so far as to publicly let a mere Little Noble Lady choose the play—talk about humiliation!

Afterward, the Emperor had even sent a female palace official to her mother’s chambers, made her kneel and recite the rules. Such a reprimand was a humiliation, reserved only for erring consorts.

But... no matter what, her mother deserved at least some dignity! She shouldn’t have been treated like this by the Emperor!

Blinded by rage, she raised her eyebrows arrogantly and declared, "Go cry to my dad, then! See if he’ll punish me!"

She turned to the gathered crowd and announced, "Bet nobody’s dumb enough to snitch!"

With that, she strode away.

The other ladies shut their mouths. This was undeniably excessive, but... she was Princess De Ning.

Everyone knew the princess had a temper—it was best to avoid her.

No one would dare report this. After all, she was the Emperor’s only daughter—why poke the bear?

After suffering such humiliation, A Wu returned to her chambers, dove into her bed curtains, and sobbed.

***********

Consort Hui followed and comforted her until she finally stopped crying.

But as A Wu wiped her tears, she gritted her teeth and said, "I won’t study anymore! That lecture went over my head, and I struggled so hard to take notes, only for them to be torn up. If this is how the princess acts, who knows what she’ll do next?"

She felt that Princess De Ning was at least upfront—but what if someone else used underhanded tactics? She wouldn’t be able to defend herself, so it was better to just hide.

Consort Hui sighed. "At least the princess was upfront. Once this passes, things might improve."

In her view, the princess was just a child—not the real issue. The problem lay with the one behind her, clearly unwilling to let things go and pulling the princess’s strings.

In the imperial harem, who would dare oppose Princess De Ning? Even the empress shows her considerable leniency.

A Wu, however, began to ponder: "Even if I don’t study well, as long as I spend more nights with the emperor, can’t I still be promoted?"

She started thinking—remaining as a Noble Lady was absolutely unacceptable. She needed to climb the ranks, get summoned to his chambers more often, and at least work her way up to consort like Consort Hui. If she could rise to the status of an imperial consort, that would be even better.

So she began consulting Consort Hui on how to become a consort—what academic assessments were required, how many nights in the emperor’s bed were needed, or how many years one must endure.

Seeing her genuine desire for promotion, Consort Hui had no choice but to explain in detail, even recounting her own path to becoming a consort step by step, giving her the inside scoop.

After listening carefully, A Wu felt that Consort Hui’s path was unattainable for her. Relying on academic assessments was impossible—she would have to try a shortcut.

With this in mind, she meticulously cared for her health and memorized the *Dao De Jing* cold, planning to first flatter the Jingxi Emperor when he arrived, then work her charms on him to get summoned to his chambers more frequently. She absolutely needed the Imperial Household Department and the palace chronicler to record it all—these would be the foundation of her future promotions!

This was far quicker than slogging through tedious books!

Once everything was prepared, the Jingxi Emperor arrived in the evening.

His arrival was quite a spectacle, with a whole entourage in tow from the Imperial Kitchen Department, palace eunuchs, and eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department.

Just what she needed!

Mark it down—the emperor’s visiting Noble Lady Ning tonight!