Chapter 6 — The System Told Me to Stay Silent, But the Tyrant Hears Every Word

When I finally regained consciousness, I found myself resting upon an unimaginably vast and luxuriously soft bed. Above me hung heavy curtains of shimmering gold, intricately embroidered with the auspicious symbols of dragons and phoenixes intertwined. The air around me was faintly perfumed with the delicate, lingering scent of ambergris. I bolted upright, my eyes widening in disbelief. This place… was this not the imperial dragon bed of Xiao Mo?! Why on earth was I here? I hastily looked down at my own body, relieved to find my garments still neat and completely intact. Thank goodness, oh thank goodness, my virtue remained fully intact.

Just at that moment, the grand chamber doors swung open, and Xiao Mo walked in carrying a bowl of sobering broth. He had already discarded his heavy dragon robe, now wearing only a loose white undergarment beneath, his dark hair tied up in a casual, effortless manner. This stripped away much of his usual majestic imperial aura, replacing it with an easy, domestic indolence.

You are awake?

He placed the bowl on the bedside table, his voice slightly raspy. I stared at him, my mind descending into absolute chaos. As for what had transpired after I lost myself to drink the night before, I could remember not a single fragment. I only vaguely recalled that… I seemed to have harbored some rather scandalous, impure thoughts about him? Oh, this was truly the end; such an offense was equivalent to treason against the emperor, punishable by decapitation! Terrified out of my wits, I let out a muffled thump as I dropped straight to my knees right there on the mattress, immediately preparing my final words.

Your Majesty! This lowly subject deserves to die ten thousand deaths!

This humble subject did not mean to offend your sacred countenance! I was thoroughly intoxicated, and my mind was utterly addled!

This wretched subject has an eighty-year-old mother above, and a three-year-old child below…

I wept bitterly while spewing utter nonsense. Xiao Mo merely stood in silence, watching me without a single word, his deep gaze as complicated as a tangled skein of yarn. Only after I had finished wailing did he slowly open his mouth.

Chen Gou, do you know what punishment awaits the crime of deceiving the emperor?

My heart turned instantly cold. The bill was finally coming due. In my frantic bid to cling to life, a desperate scheme blossomed within my mind, and I resolved to weave a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering lie.

Your Majesty! The truth is… the truth is that I am actually a man!

I thought to myself that once he learned I was a male yet harbored such improper, scandalous fancies toward him, he would surely feel revulsion and might even banish me from the palace in a rage. That way, not only would I preserve my precious little life, but I would also successfully accomplish my mission. I truly was a clever little imp. I raised my head, bracing myself to meet a gaze filled with utter disgust. But what met my eyes instead… was a smile. That smile was like a gentle spring breeze brushing across the water, carrying a hint of knowing amusement and a generous dash of indulgence. He simply said, I know. I stared at him in utter bewilderment. Know? Know what? I have known that you were a woman from the very first day you entered this palace.

A thunderclap echoed in my mind! My brain completely paralyzed itself.

You… how could you possibly have known?

I stammered, feeling as though my entire worldview had been ruthlessly smashed to dust. Xiao Mo sat leisurely by the edge of the bed, picked up the bowl of now-lukewarm sobering broth, and took a slow, unhurried sip.

Do you take the imperial palace for some mere marketplace? For a mere woman to sneak in and pose as a eunuch—did you truly believe my imperial guards were nothing more than idle vagrants fit for drawing a free salary?

I was utterly stunned. So from the very beginning, I had been firmly within the palm of his hand. All those petty, clever little tricks I had fancied so brilliant were, in his eyes, nothing more than the pathetic antics of a clown dancing for his amusement.

Then why did you…

Why didn’t I expose you? Xiao Mo finished the question for me.

He set the bowl aside, his dark, bottomless eyes fixing their gaze intently upon me.

Because… it was rather entertaining.

Entertaining? I felt so deeply humiliated I could have died on the spot. What an absolute scoundrel! To think that from start to finish, he had simply been treating me like a monkey in a sideshow! What a malicious, wicked dog of an emperor with such a bizarre sense of humor! I raged and cursed him furiously within the privacy of my own mind. Hearing this internal tirade, the corners of Xiao Mo’s lips curled even higher.

Indeed, precisely so.

What I enjoy most is this very expression of yours—outwardly submissive and impeccably polite, while cursing me to high heaven in your heart.

I stood there in profound speechlessness. Just what did it feel like to experience absolute social death? At this very second, I was tasting that bitter cup to its fullest. I felt a sudden urge to dig a hole and crawl inside. Now that my hand had been completely exposed, I couldn't even be bothered to keep up the charade. Abandoning all pretense of shame, I leaped down from the bed, planted my hands firmly on my hips, and glared fiercely into his eyes.

Xiao Mo! You truly are a pervert! A shameless peeping Tom! This has gone entirely too far!

In my fury, I completely forgot about all the proper forms of address like Your Majesty and this humble subject, howling his personal name straight to his face. Xiao Mo froze for a fraction of a second before bursting into laughter, looking even more delighted than before.

Not bad at all, you have shown remarkable progress. You have finally found the courage to scold me directly to my face.

He rose to his feet, stepping closer and closer until he had me completely cornered. Instinctively, I scrambled backward.

You… what are you trying to do? I am warning you, do not come any closer!

He pinned me against the wall, lifting my chin gently with his fingers. His handsome face magnified right before my eyes, his warm breath lightly brushing against my cheek.

Chen Gou, do you know something?

You are the very first person who has ever dared to speak to me in such a manner.

His voice was low, rich with a resonant timbre, vibrating like the strings of a cello. I stared at his exquisitely carved features at a dangerously intimate proximity, my heart fluttering wildly, completely out of my control. Good heavens above, what is he planning to do? Could it be that he intends to silence me permanently? Or perhaps… does he want to kiss me? Save me! I haven't even brushed my teeth yet!

Hearing the fierce, chaotic battle raging within my thoughts, the amusement in Xiao Mo’s eyes overflowed. Yet, he did not kiss me; instead, he merely traced the line of my lips lightly with the tip of his finger.

I have no intention of killing you.

I intend to keep you right by my side, simply to amuse me.

From that day onward, the dynamic between Xiao Mo and myself descended into something utterly bizarre. I was no longer cast in the role of the timid little eunuch of the past, but instead openly reclaimed my identity as a woman, taking my rightful place as… his regular playmate? My daily duties consisted entirely of playing matches of go with him, reading ancient texts together, and allowing him to eavesdrop on my unfiltered inner monologues at his leisure.