Chapter 1 — Phong Gia Chi Han

Every time your highness comes to the end of the lunar month, she sends me in late at night to serve tea to the Saint. Waiting until dawn, I guided my tired body back to Phuong Nghi Palace. When I was twenty-five years old, my heart really felt tired and could no longer bear it. On the bed, I sadly asked the Emperor to grant me a title. He just gently wiped the tears from the corner of my eyes, his expression still calm:

“The Queen cherishes her old love, I'm afraid I can't bear to let her go, don't make things more difficult for her.”

I silently tightened my grip on the bed sheet, my hands shaking. The Emperor's deep feelings, everyone knows. The next day, I knocked on the door of the Queen Mother's palace, volunteering to replace the eldest princess and go to the border to reunite. The Queen Mother was overjoyed:

“From now on, whoever accepts me as a daughter-in-law, please rest assured and marry her.”

"Emperor, why are you still standing there? Quickly help your sister up."

In his skewed eyes, the Emperor arrived late, his face pale as iron. 1. The Queen is on her period again. In Phuong Nghi palace, above and below are covered with a layer of silence as oppressive as death. Even the cup of tea to gargle was knocked over by the lady's face with a dark expression:

"This hot tea, are you planning on burning this palace?"

I quietly knelt down, leaned close to her heels, and picked up each piece of broken porcelain into my palm. The lady's faith has always been steady. This time it was half a month late, making her realize that she was pregnant and secretly rejoiced for many days. Who would have thought that in the end it was just a battle of nothingness. That night, Phai Hanh Canh gently stroked my neck and suddenly held my hand:

“Why is there a cut in this place?”

The question seemed unintentional, but contained some dissatisfaction. He always liked my small, white hands the most. He often laughed that my bones were so small that I could fit anywhere in his hand.

“Is it the queen who punishes you?”

Seeing that I didn't answer, he leisurely changed his position, his voice cold:

“What, do you still resent the queen?”

My heart trembled and I quickly shook my head:

“It was a negligent slave who tore her hand while embroidering.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the queen." As soon as the words ended, the green curtain shook slightly. After waiting for a while, a low voice rang out in my ear, with a hint of passion, like a warning:

"You still know how to be reasonable. The Queen is the mother of the royal palace and does not tolerate a dirty word."

2. I was originally just a palace maid specializing in simple tasks in Phuong Nghi Palace. Once while cleaning flower pots, Phai Hanh Canh thoughtlessly complimented him: "Your hands are like soft sprouts." Immediately the nanny next to the lady slapped her, then was sent to the back of the yard to clean up the palace eunuch's poop box. The Queen comes from a wealthy family, with her ancestors being servants and generals, rich and noble. She and Phai Hanh Canh were childhood friends and were already young husband and wife. On the wedding night, Phai Hanh Canh promised that the eldest son would be born to her. Later, one after another, concubines entered the palace, but he did not care, the six palaces were as cold as space. The Emperor's love was deep and he was praised by the world. Just one flaw, the lady still has no news in her stomach. As the days passed, the concubines in the harem began to rise up, but did not dare to openly compete for favor. They just wait for the lady to be at her bedside when it's inconvenient. Everyone knows that the emperor is only in his twenties ten, the blood is burning hot. Can one fast for seven or eight days, sometimes even a month, endure for a long time? Surely there will come a day when he summons others' happiness. The lady also knew their thoughts, but could not outright forbid them. After thinking about everything, in the end, I had no choice but to personally send someone to Phe Hanh Canh. Among Phuong Nghi's maids, I am neither beautiful nor clever. Her parents are dead, she is an orphan, and has no relationship with her mother. It is an easy-to-control piece that can be thrown away at any time. I no longer remember clearly how I held a cup of tea and walked through the dark night. I don't remember when he bowed his head and entered Duong Tam Palace, his expression was half smiling and half not. I only remember that after the night had passed, he was satisfied as he looked at my shrinking figure and smiled softly:

“This cup of tea, given by the queen, is very pleasing to me.”

3. This morning, for unknown reasons, Phap Hanh Canh woke up very early. When I sneaked out of bed, he grabbed my wrist tightly. Looking up, I only saw those gloomy eyes looking straight at me. Before he could react, he pulled him back and kissed him:

“Last night I spent half an hour hanging out with tangerines, but now I'm up so early, aren't you tired?”

The voice was hoarse, slightly satisfied. I was stunned, just about to speak, but he forced me down into the messy layer of brocade. When I dragged my aching body to the palace gate, the sun was already high. Today is the day when the palace maids come out of the palace. The sister who entered the palace with me, Chi Ngoc, had already packed her luggage and stood at the palace door hesitantly without taking a step. Seeing me appear, she breathed a sigh of relief and choked up:

"Why are you so late? I was almost chased away by the gatekeeper!"