Chapter 3 — Palace of the Moonlit Tower

I had guessed that this time, in order to protect herself, she would expose her pregnancy even earlier. Yet within the inner palace, she was far from the only one residing there. Not a single soul wished to see her successfully bear an imperial heir. Sure enough, the moment the lifeless corpse of Eunuch Cao was dragged away like a discarded, dead hound, the Noble Consort covered her mouth and began to retch violently. Unwilling to endure the wrath of Emperor Nghiem, she hastily used the unborn child within her womb as a protective shield.

Your Majesty... Your humble concubine feels terribly nauseated...

The senior maid standing beside the Noble Consort immediately caught her meaning.

Reporting to Your Majesty, since yesterday Her Grace the Noble Consort has lost her appetite and frequently suffered from dry heaving.

Emperor Nghiem froze for a brief moment, then immediately ordered for the imperial physician to be summoned. Before long, the pulse diagnosis confirmed her pregnancy. Emperor Nghiem was overwhelmingly overjoyed. After all, this was to be his very first child. At twenty-five years of age, and having spent the past few years endlessly grieving his departed moonlight of a first love while ignoring the inner palace entirely, the issue of an imperial lineage had always remained a persistent worry gnawing at his heart. Consequently, he deliberately chose to sweep the previous incident under the rug to shield the Noble Consort. The matter was thus quietly buried. I remained in my position as the tea-serving maid directly before the imperial presence. As night fell, the candles inside the Imperial Study blazed brilliantly. Emperor Nghiem personally went to comfort the Noble Consort, though he did not stay through the night. For one, the Noble Consort had only just conceived and was unfit for imperial favor. For another, he was hardly a fool; naturally, he saw right through the clumsy theatricals the Noble Consort had pulled earlier that day. To an absolute monarch who had clawed his way to the throne across mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the single most unforgivable taboo was being manipulated by others.

While I was serving tea, a solitary tear happened to slip from the corner of my eye. It was entirely intentional. It would have been difficult for Emperor Nghiem not to notice.

Are you still feeling aggrieved? Or perhaps you resent Us for failing to secure justice for you? Your actions today were fierce and resolute, but do not ever engage in such suicidal behavior again.

I hurriedly dropped to my knees.

This humble servant wouldn't dare. It is simply that... this humble servant worries Her Grace the Noble Consort will continue to suspect me of harboring ambitions to climb high and latch onto power. Your Majesty would do better to permit this humble servant to return to the Imperial Kitchen. Back in my hometown, there truly is a childhood sweetheart with whom I share a mutual affection; once I reach the age of twenty-five, I shall leave the palace and take him as my husband.

I had to project the image that I held absolutely no ulterior motives concerning Emperor Nghiem. Taking one step back in order to advance two steps forward would, in reverse, only heighten his predatory desire for conquest. The grand hall remained silent for a long, drawn-out moment. Emperor Nghiem let out a soft sigh.

Very well, you are a person belonging to Us; no one shall dare to lay a finger on you lightly. Cast aside these idle thoughts.

A person belonging to Us...

Such phrasing carried an intensely ambiguous weight. My words just then had merely been a probing test. By this point, I had come to understand precisely how significant a position this face of mine held within Emperor Nghiem's heart. Yet this was merely the beginning. Only by completely capturing the emperor's soul could I ever hope to attain whatever my heart desired.

That very night, after departing from the Imperial Study, I made my way to the Department of Rites and Law, using a bribe of silver to purchase the corpse of Eunuch Cao. I stabbed his lifeless body several dozen additional times before watching with my own eyes as he was reduced to nothing but ash inside the crematorium furnace. Ultimately, he had still been allowed to die far too easily!

Upon returning to the duty quarters, I sought out Old Mother An. Having entered the palace at the tender age of twelve, I had relied entirely upon her protective shelter throughout the passing years. In my past life, utterly powerless to enact vengeance upon the Noble Consort, and following a brutal, savage beating delivered by Eunuch Cao that left me crippled, I had dragged him down with me into mutual destruction. On the day the roaring flames engulfed the room, Old Mother An stood outside, weeping until her tears ran completely dry. As an old veteran of the inner palace, she possessed intimate knowledge of countless deeply buried imperial secrets. I questioned her regarding Emperor Nghiem's cherished moonlight. Old Mother An gently stroked the contours of my brows and the corners of my eyes, letting out a faint sigh.

White Angelica, if you have already resolved upon the path you wish to walk henceforth, then you have no choice but to follow it through to the bitter end.

Within these palace walls, once the struggle has begun, there remain only two possible destinations.

Either ascend to the heavens in a single bound, or suffer a horrific, unmitigated death.

A horrific death... I had already tasted its bitterness once. This time around, I would undoubtedly soar straight to the heavens!

Guided by the recollections shared by Old Mother An, the shadow of that unattainable moonlight gradually materialized within my mind. I could practically visualize a living, breathing person in vivid detail. From this day onward, I would transform myself entirely into her. My own identity was utterly worthless. Yet Emperor Nghiem's moonlight possessed the terrifying power to reshape the very tides of destiny.

Early the following morning, following a simple routine of washing and arranging my hair, I proceeded to the imperial presence to serve. The inner palace was perpetually overflowing with beauties adorned in dazzling, elaborate cosmetics. Thus, I resolved entirely against treading the path of flamboyant, seductive allure. Just as Emperor Nghiem reached out to lift his teacup in appreciation, I swiftly pressed my hand down over the back of his.

Your Majesty, the weather is stifling, and this tea has only just been brewed—it is still dangerously scalding.

Your Grace should set it down upon the desk for the moment; if this humble servant fans it a few times with a cattail leaf fan, it will cool much more rapidly.

The moment my hand made contact, I instantly pulled it back. There was not the slightest trace of intent to vie for favor or project seduction. Emperor Nghiem felt no suspicion whatsoever. He merely offered a faint smile, quietly yielding to my suggestion.

You truly are remarkably considerate.

As the noon hour for the midday meal approached, a certain imperial concubine dispatched a servant bearing a bowl of thoroughly enriched, ten-ingredient tonic soup. At a mere single glance, I noticed Emperor Nghiem subtly knit his brows. Amidst such blistering, oppressive heat, should he consume that entire bowl of potent tonic, it was highly likely he would be forced to immediately seek out someone in the inner palace to vent his surging energies.

Noble Concubine Le gazed toward Emperor Nghiem with a look of eager expectation.

Your Majesty, this humble concubine spent a full two hours personally stewing this soup utilizing an array of precious ingredients.

Noble Concubine Le was the daughter of the Minister of Revenue. Her father was a cunning, slippery old fox, yet he had somehow sired a daughter utterly lacking in wits. Emperor Nghiem gently massaged the bridge of his nose.

We are aware, We shall drink it later. The midday sun is far too fierce; you should return to your quarters first.

Noble Concubine Le cast several lingering, reluctant glances in his direction before finally turning away with visible grievance. Before departing, she shot a vicious, venomous glare straight at me. I understood completely: at this very moment, well over a dozen imperial concubines residing within the inner palace had already marked me as a thorn in their sides, a target aching to be plucked out. One had only to recall that the Noble Consort herself had once merely been a low-ranking maid within the Bureau of Fine Apparel, yet had relied solely upon that very same facial resemblance to monopolize the sacred favor entirely. That alone sufficiently demonstrated just how deep and unyielding Emperor Nghiem's obsession with his moonlight truly ran.