Volume 1, Chapter 8: Morning Meal (1)

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Shen Ran quietly stared at Zhao Yuanzhuo, who knelt on the ground, for a while.

After an unknown length of time, he suddenly laughed aloud: “Leave it to my disposal? No regrets, no complaints?”

Repeating these eight words softly, Shen Ran said, “You just showed great disrespect to me. What if I still decide to punish you with castration as a penalty?”

Zhao Yuanzhuo’s body trembled.

A flicker of fear flashed in his eyes, yet he did not rise and still said, “I leave it to Your Majesty’s disposal.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Ran said calmly, “Continue.”

The sharp sound of a heavy object slicing through the air came into his ears. Zhao Yuanzhuo, puzzled, raised his hand and caught the long sword thrown by Shen Ran.

Even kneeling, his movements were clean and decisive.

Though he had never truly been on the battlefield, he had practiced martial arts since childhood and inherited his father’s true teachings. Even after days of hunger and having been whipped before, it still took several men to barely restrain him. Given time, his achievements would undoubtedly rival Zhao Shoude’s, perhaps even surpass him.

Yet, such a young man was to be made a eunuch by Liu Shizhuang.

“Consider this your reward.”

Shen Ran curled the corner of his lips without any real smile: “From now on, you shall be my second-class guard.”

Zhao Yuanzhuo’s eyes widened in surprise.

Shen Ran paid no mind to his reaction and continued, “As for other matters…”

“Let us see how you behave when you meet the Empress.”

…

When Xue Wu woke, Shen Ran was nowhere to be seen. The bed was empty except for a faint lingering scent of dragonbirth incense, proving that last night was not a mere dream—she had truly stayed overnight in Weiyang Palace. Xue Wu was startled and instinctively sat up.

Seeing Xue Wu rise, the waiting maid immediately stepped forward and bowed—

“Your humble servant greets the Empress.”

Xue Wu looked closely and recognized the woman as the court attendant in charge of serving tea—Wen Xi.

Wen Xi was thirty-two years old, the most senior female attendant beside Shen Ran. It was said she had cared for him since he was a child and was the only attendant who could exchange even a few words with him. Her status in Weiyang Palace was considerable. All eunuchs in Weiyang Palace were managed by the chief eunuch Yuan Bao, and naturally, the maids were overseen by Aunt Wen Xi.

Shen Ran had never let her serve any palace consort, including Liu Ruyi.

Xue Wu quickly stood to help her: “Aunt Wen Xi, no need for such formalities.”

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Wen Xi repeatedly said, “I dare not.”

Supporting Xue Wu back onto the bed, she smiled, “My status is humble; Your Majesty must not be so polite. Please, have a seat.”

Xue Wu had no choice but to sit down again. “Aunt Wen Xi, where is His Majesty?”

Wen Xi replied, “His Majesty had some urgent matters to attend to and left temporarily. He will return soon. But before he left, he instructed me that if Your Majesty wakes, you should first take your morning meal.”

Having said that, she immediately ordered the palace staff to bring in the food.

The maids filed in one after another, setting a table piled high with breakfast.

Even if ten people ate together, it would be impossible to finish it all.

What surprised Xue Wu greatly was that at least half of the dishes were her usual favorites.

Wen Xi smiled and served Xue Wu a bowl of clear bird’s nest soup: “Your Majesty, please try this bird’s nest first. It was slow-cooked over low heat for three to four hours. It is best eaten on an empty stomach in the morning and has beautifying and nourishing effects.”

Xue Wu took the bowl but placed it back on the table, shaking her head: “I’ll wait for His Majesty to return before dining together.”

She had heard that ordinary women always waited for their husbands to eat together. All the more so for Emperor Shen Ran—if he were to dine in a consort’s chambers, the consort would never start eating before him. As Empress, she must set an example in the harem; there was no reason for her to eat first.

Wen Xi said, “I understand your thoughts, Your Majesty. But these dishes were specially prepared on His Majesty’s orders after he inquired with your palace maids. If they cool, it would disappoint His Majesty’s sincere intentions. Please, Empress, taste at least a little. His Majesty said he is not one to adhere strictly to rules. True feelings and false appearances do not lie in such formalities. To outsiders, you are His Majesty’s Empress, but to him, you are his wife. Between husband and wife, ease is best. Excessive formality only breeds distance.”

Xue Wu was silent for a long moment before asking, “Did His Majesty really want to say this to me?”

Honestly, she found it hard to believe Shen Ran would say such things to her; perhaps to Liu Ruyi, but not to her.

Wen Xi said, “I dare not deceive Your Majesty.”

After a pause, she added, “Your Majesty, I must say something I ought not. His Majesty may sometimes be ill-tempered, but that is with outsiders, strangers, and those he dislikes. For those he truly cares for, he would risk his life to protect them.”

“Truly cares for?”

Xue Wu murmured this phrase softly.

Shen Ran did have someone he truly cared for, but how could that person be her?

Having been overly protected by her family since childhood, this Empress was not a scheming woman. Wen Xi immediately saw what Xue Wu was thinking and sighed silently. After years of estrangement between the Emperor and Empress, Shen Ran’s sudden change of character would make anyone suspicious. One could not rush matters.

Thus, Wen Xi changed her tone:

“Empress, besides that, His Majesty also said that if you enjoy your breakfast today, the imperial chefs will be richly rewarded. If not…”

Xue Wu pursed her lips, growing a little nervous, clearly fearing Wen Xi would mention punishments such as flogging or execution.

Wen Xi said, “A month’s salary deduction.”

Upon hearing this, Xue Wu breathed a sigh of relief.

Such a punishment was already quite lenient.

Old habits die hard; she did not expect Shen Ran to become a sage overnight.

But to avoid the chefs bearing undeserved hardship, after a moment’s silence, Xue Wu finally lowered her head and tasted the bird’s nest soup. The rich flavor confirmed its excellence, so she slowly finished the entire bowl and later ate some of her favorite snacks as well.

It was at this moment that Shen Ran returned.

He wore different clothes from when he left but still common attire.

Xue Wu seemed to sense something.

She looked up and met Shen Ran’s gaze.

Quickly, she stood and bowed, “Your Majesty—”

Shen Ran stepped forward, grasped her hand, and smiled, “Ah Wu, you always do this. I told you, no need for such formality.”

His gaze fell on the table. “How was the breakfast?”

Recalling Wen Xi’s earlier words, Xue Wu immediately answered, “Very good.”

After a pause, she added, “I ate quite a bit.”

Seeing Shen Ran return, Wen Xi silently withdrew.

Shen Ran chuckled and pulled Xue Wu to sit by the table. “Then, Ah Wu, tell me which dish was best. I want to try it too.”

This question posed no difficulty for Xue Wu. After last night’s interaction, their relationship was no longer as distant as before.

She pointed to a basket filled with assorted small pastries. “I think these spring rolls are—”

As she spoke, she glanced at the basket, then suddenly fell silent.

Following the principle of eating no more than three pieces, although there were many types of pastries, each had only three pieces. Just now, Xue Wu, liking the pastry, had eaten two pieces in a row. The last piece had already been bitten slightly and was just left there when Shen Ran returned.