Sang Yan: "..."
The Emperor's words were full of traps!
Detestable!
More than that, regret!
Why on earth bring up incentives?
The Emperor must be insane!
Is it so easy to take his belongings?
"Your Majesty jests. As the king of this nation, rich with all under heaven, I am but a feeble woman, how could I have anything rare to offer Your Majesty?"
She could only play dumb and then change the subject, "Ladies first. Your Majesty, I shall make my move now."
He Ying watched her move, his gaze involuntarily falling on her hands.
They were the hands of a beauty.
The fingers were pale and slender, bonelessly soft, the tips whiter than the chess pieces.
He watched for a long time, for the first time in his life, he felt an impulse to touch.
However, thinking of his strange illness, he refrained in the end.
Actually, he wasn't afraid of getting sick, but he didn't want her to see the horrifying sight of his illness.
She was already scared of him, he couldn't let his strange illness make her fear him more.
He Ying pinched a black chess piece and followed with his move.
Sang Yan seized the initiative, initially holding the advantage, but gradually, she fell into a disadvantage.
"Wait, I moved wrong, let's go here."
She started to regret her moves.
She had forgotten she was playing chess with the Emperor.
Seeing this, He Ying indulged her and smiled, "One wrong move leads to another, Miss Sang, be careful."
Sang Yan carefully made her move, "Right here."
He Ying moved one piece, foreseeing three steps, and easily placed his piece.
Sang Yan started scratching her head, hesitating several times, uncertain where to move next.
"You can concede."
"Alright. I concede."
Sang Yan did not want to play chess with the Emperor and decisively conceded.
Seeing this, He Ying felt it lackluster and said, "Never mind, I'll give you another piece."
Sang Yan: "..."
She could only clutch the chess pieces and move two in succession.
The situation briefly turned around.
But this position did not last long before she was at a disadvantage again.
Had she known earlier, the ancients were indeed intelligent, truly living up to their reputation.
"I am slow-witted."
She did not want to play chess anymore.
Her intelligence was severely bruised.
Indeed, she was better suited to being idle and ineffectual.
Seeing her discouraged, He Ying laughed, "I find playing chess with you rather interesting. Would you be willing to be a Chess Maid in the palace?"
He had no physical desires towards Sang Yan for the time being, feeling it was enough to see her when he wished.
Sang Yan, unaware of the inner workings, suddenly felt this was He Ying's purpose—to keep her in the palace under the guise of playing chess.
Cunning Emperor!
Such deep scheming!
Since ancient times, the palace has been a place of loneliness.
She must be mad to consider staying.
But her refusal had to be tactful: "Thank you for your appreciation, Your Majesty, but I am unworthy."
"Unworthy in what way?"
"I… have a fierce fate; if by chance I doom Your Majesty, I could not escape grave culpability."
"It doesn't matter. As you said, I am the True Dragon Emperor, protected by dragon energy."
"..."
She was at a loss for words.
The Emperor's mind moves too quickly.
"Don't you agree?"
The Emperor knew but asked anyway.
Sang Yan, so frustrated she wanted to curse, still had to force a smile, "Not at all."
Seeing her frustration, He Ying felt a peculiar joy, holding back a laugh, "Since that's the case, you should accept the grace."
Truly accepting his grace would mean being trapped in the harem forever.
The cost was too great.
Sang Yan felt that she could struggle for her freedom, so she knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. This is unreasonable."
He Ying frowned, "What's unreasonable about it?"
Sang Yan responded, "I am already a married woman."
"Woman, and what of it?"
"How could a woman stay long in the palace?"
In fact, aristocratic women have also been female officers in the palace.
Ye Mingling from the Etiquette Bureau, who is the Minister of Rites Cui Shao's wife.
But He Ying did not bring this up. Instead, he said, "So you are asking me for a title?"
"..."
This man must be mad!
What is he babbling about?
She dared not look at the expressions of the palace maids and eunuchs; they must all be thinking she was crafty and seducing the Emperor.
"The Emperor has misunderstood."
She was truly annoyed and cooled her voice to show her stance, "I have already vowed to remain faithful to my deceased husband, never to remarry in this life."
Actually, she wasn't the original host and held no feelings for the host's husband.
But at this moment, she could only use him as a shield.
Surely, the Emperor of a nation wouldn't go so far as to forcibly marry a subject's wife?
He Ying, unaware of the true situation, took it that she was deeply in love with her deceased husband. He had admired her in the past, but now, this sounded truly harsh, "Very well. Then stay in the palace."
He left with a gloomy face, sleeves flung angrily.
All the palace maids and eunuchs had knelt down when Sang Yan did, only daring to get up after the Emperor was out of sight.
Sang Yan also got up, her face a mask of worry as she sat on the chair, unsure of what to do.
"The Emperor holds you dear, sister."
Assisted by Xiangxiu, Sang Ruoshui approached and took the seat the Emperor had occupied.
Thereby feeling his residual warmth.
With a heart both envious and jealous, she said, "Sister, why must you speak so? You have needlessly hurt the Emperor's heart."
Sang Yan coldly scoffed in disdain, "Your Emperor has no heart at all. Only naive girls like you would be easily deceived by him."
Emperors have always been heartless.
He Ying was no exception.
He couldn't touch women yet still sought to entice them.
Ironically.
"The Emperor, supreme in his power, skilled both in letters and arms, revered by all, is a unique ruler of all ages, how could he deceive me?"
Listen to this brainwashed fan's rhetoric.
Sang Yan immediately lost any urge to argue further: to them, just the title 'Emperor' was enough to earn their adoration.
"Alas, everyone's drunk but I'm awake..."
*
Qingning Palace
He Ying sat on the couch, cursing several times, "Ignorant woman! Ignorant woman!"
"Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."
Pei Muyang, holding tea, softly advised, "Miss Sang truly mistook mothballs for pearls, genuinely ignorant; your Enlightenment and Valour, Your Majesty, could not possibly concern itself with a foolish young girl—"
"Who did you say was ignorant?"
He Ying's eyes narrowed, displeased with anyone calling Sang Yan ignorant.
Pei Muyang, as though just realizing, immediately smacked his mouth, "Oh, I misspoke, I am the ignorant one, please forgive me, Your Majesty."
As an imperial eunuch, no matter how clever, it was necessary to feign a bit of stupidity, making small mistakes now and then, lest he arouse the Emperor's suspicion and see his career end.
"Enough."
Pei Muyang's words had somewhat pleased the Emperor.
Indeed.
That little rabbit, so timid, with such superficial judgment, mistaking mothballs for pearls, and her lingering thoughts on her deceased husband because she did not yet know his worth.
How could he, the Emperor of the nation, be inferior to a Princely Heir?
He Ying's mood somewhat improved, and his rationality returned, he ordered, "Princess Consort Sang is ill, you go to the storeroom and pick some items to send over. Also, send two Imperial Physicians over for treatment."
Pei Muyang bowed in response, "Yes. With the Grace of Your Majesty. Princess Consort Sang upon feeling Your intent will surely recover quickly."
"What intent?"
He Ying felt that Pei Muyang's mind was occasionally foolish but said nothing, merely murmured to himself, "She's somewhat clever. I hope she doesn't disappoint me."
He still needed Princess Consort Sang to push Sang Yan towards him.
Truly, whatever he desired, he could simply take, but concerning Sang Yan, he did not mind taking his time.
Pei Muyang accepted his orders and left.
The hall quieted down.
Soon, Yu Huai De came to report, "Imperial Concubine has arrived."
"See her not."
He answered crisply.
"Yes."
This time, Yu Huai De did not persuade further and turned to leave—
"Wait—"
He Ying changed his mind, "Never mind. Let her come in."
It was still necessary to add fuel to the fire concerning Sang Ruoshui.