Miss Sang!
A single title, different implications.
"Lady!"
Xiangxiu exclaimed in alarm.
It turned out that when Sang Ruoshui heard this title, she stumbled and fell.
Let the Clothing Bureau make the clothes!
That's a treatment only Ladies have!
What does the Emperor want to do?
Does he consider Sang Yan his woman?
Sang Ruoshui fell into Xiangxiu's arms, leveraged her strength to stand up, lay back on the bed, and dared not look in the Emperor's direction again.
She would go mad.
Sang Yan was also shocked, feeling the Emperor was a lunatic, deliberately tormenting people—he knew well how much Sang Ruoshui liked him, yet he was still stirring up their sisterly affection!
"Emperor, this is unreasonable."
She knelt down and solemnly said, "I, of lowly status, cannot bear it."
He Ying did not like these words, nor did he scold her, but instead looked to Pei Muyang, "Teach her how to speak."
Pei Muyang, adept at reading the Emperor's Heart, immediately said, "Thunder and dew are all God's grace. Miss Sang, you should thank Him quickly."
Sang Yan: "..."
The Emperor is using his power to oppress people!
This vile feudal society!
She, annoyed, suppressed her anger and said, "Emperor, though Princess Consort Sang is merely your concubine, in her heart, you are her husband, and should inquire about her illness. Isn't such indifference disheartening?"
This Emperor has no heart!
Whoever falls in love with him is unlucky!
"Are you teaching me how to conduct affairs?"
He Ying frowned, his cold voice carrying a slight warning.
Sang Yan kowtowed, but did not yield, instead saying, "I dare not. I only empathize, for if I were ill, and my husband at my sickbed cared for another woman, I would be heartbroken—"
"Shut up!"
He Ying slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Remove that 'I' from your speech!"
Sang Yan: "..."
Initially scared to death by his anger, she then became confused—was the 'I' the focal point? Why did it feel like the Emperor was angry because she mentioned another man?
"Emperor, calm your anger."
Pei Muyang knelt down, speaking for Sang Yan, "Miss Sang surely misspoke."
He felt the Emperor liked Sang Yan more than he had imagined.
A person like him, besides serving the Emperor well and winning his favor, also sought to win the favor of the lady in the Emperor's heart.
Sang Yan had not misspoken, yet could not say it again.
The Emperor, with his profound thoughts and unconventional actions, it would be bad if she pushed him to assert his authority.
For some reason, she always felt the Emperor capable of such actions!
He Ying, seeing her bow her head in silence and seemingly rebellious, frowned and asked, "Do you admit your mistake?"
Sang Yan did not feel she was wrong, and modern civilization's education wouldn't allow her to blindly submit to the powerful, so she said, "Emperor, esteemed as the Emperor, if you say I, a subject, am wrong, then I am wrong."
"Are you implying I am abusing my power?"
"I dare not."
"I see you are not afraid at all."
"I am dull-witted, should I speak wrongly, I hope the Emperor will forgive me."
"I think you are quite clever! Deliberately using your cleverness to irritate me!"
His words instantly made their conversation ambiguous.
Sang Yan sensed trouble, weakly said, "I dare not."
He Ying, recalling her timidity of a rabbit, waved his hand, "Enough. Rise. Think before you speak next time."
"Yes. I shall heed Your Majesty's instructions,"
Sang Yan stood up, ready to leave service, "I will now go to the side hall to reflect."
Having said that, she left.
"Stop!"
He Ying frowned and called out.
"Sister—"
Sang Ruoshui, who had gotten out of bed, staggered to her, clutching her sleeve, tears welling up as she pleaded, "Sister, the Emperor seldom visits, please entertain him well on my behalf."
Sang Yan: "..."
Damn.
What is this?
A sister entertaining her brother-in-law?
Forget it.
Looking at Sang Ruoshui's haggard face, she convinced herself: The most important concern is the patient.
She helped Sang Ruoshui back to bed, turned around, and gave the Emperor a slight smile, trying to display a flattering demeanor.
"From my family home, I brought some snacks. Would the Emperor like to try some?"
"Granted."
His tone was like bestowing a favor.
Sang Yan endured it, went to the side hall, and leisurely brought some sushi, smiling as she presented it, "Please, Your Majesty."
"What is this?"
He Ying had not seen such food before.
Sang Yan simply explained, "Sushi."
"Why is it called that?"
"Because—"
Sang Yan, unsure of how to explain, casually replied, "Because the first person who made it was called Sushi."
He Ying: "..."
He looked somewhat appetized.
He reached out to take some—
Suddenly, Pei Muyang knelt down, grinning, "I see this delicacy is rare, please grant this humble servant one."
He was ostensibly seeking a reward, but covertly testing for poison on behalf of the Emperor.
He Ying understood his meaning and responded with a smile, "I had almost forgotten your gluttony. Granted."
Pei Muyang immediately picked up a sushi and popped it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and praised it, "Delicious. Delicious. Truly a delicacy of the mortal world."
Sang Yan pretended not to see through the unconvincing performance of the master and servant. As soon as the Emperor took a piece, she brought one over to Sang Ruoshui.
Sang Ruoshui took one, and as she ate, said, "Thank you, sister."
Despite her jealousy of Sang Yan having won the Emperor's favor, she was grateful that Sang Yan had risked the Emperor's anger to speak on her behalf numerous times.
Seeing her eyes red-rimmed, seemingly on the verge of tears, Sang Yan smiled resignedly, "We're family, what's there to thank? If you truly wish to thank me, just take good care of yourself. That would be thanks enough."
Upon hearing this, Sang Ruoshui's tears suddenly fell.
Perhaps illness made one fragile.
At that moment, she felt a motherly affection emanating from her sister.
"Want more?"
"Mm."
Sang Ruoshui, while crying, took another sushi—rice sticking to the corners of her mouth.
Sang Yan saw this and reached out to wipe it away.
The warmth between the sisters was touching.
But it suddenly stopped.
"Clothing Bureau female officer Sun Cai Rong pays respect to the Emperor."
"Arise."
He Ying glanced at Sang Yan by the bed and ordered, "Go measure Miss Sang."
Measurements should not be taken in front of the Emperor.
Sang Yan then said, "Could we go to the side hall?"
He Ying nodded.
Sang Yan led the female officer to the side hall.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, she returned with the female officer.
He Ying had finished the last piece of sushi, took the handkerchief Pei Muyang handed him, wiped his hands, and asked, "All measured?"
The female officer, Sun Cai Rong, bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, it's done."
She thought of those enticing measurements, recalling the accidental touches of her skin—like cooling jade, no sign of sweat.
Truly a natural beauty!
No wonder she caught the Emperor's eye.
He Ying tossed the handkerchief back to Pei Muyang, took a sip of tea with a nonchalant tone, "Make ten sets. Use the finest materials. Three days."
He didn't consider three days to be tight at all.
Sun Cai Rong did not mention the tight schedule either, respectfully responding, "Yes."
"You may leave."
"Yes."
As Sun Cai Rong was leaving, she couldn't help but glance at Sang Yan.
During the measurement, they had engaged in brief small talk.
Thus, she was also shocked—a widow with a husband-killing fate caught the Emperor's eye! Was this fortune or disaster? She was truly curious.
She had a premonition—the harem was going to be unsettled.
"Your servant thanks Your Majesty."
At this point, Sang Yan could only accept and let things be.
Whatever will be, will be.
"Since you're giving thanks, why not join me for a game of chess?"
"…"
As a chess novice, Sang Yan couldn't refuse and could only weakly suggest, "How about Connect Five?"
He Ying, unaware of the circumstances, asked, "Do you like this game?"
With an embarrassed smile, Sang Yan replied, "It's the only one I know how to play."
He Ying nodded with a smile, "Granted."
Sang Yan: "…"
That 'granted' is really annoying!
Everything in the Imperial Palace had to be permitted by him, utterly demeaning!
Alas.
Really want to get away.
Soon, a palace attendant prepared the chess set.
Sang Yan, preferring white, quickly chose the white pieces.
The pieces seemed to be made of white jade—clear and translucent in appearance, cold and smooth to the touch, very comforting.
Indeed, everything in the Imperial Palace was a treasure.
Sang Yan, getting a bit greedy, suggested, "Your Majesty, how about a little wager?"
He Ying, hearing her ask for something for the first time, found it quite novel and asked, "What kind of prize do you have in mind?"
"If I win, may I keep this chess set?"
"That's possible, but what if you lose?"
"If I lose…"
Sang Yan thought for a moment and said, "I'll make sushi for the Emperor."
She noticed the Emperor was a gourmet too.
Just now, aside from one sushi for the eunuch and two for Sang Ruoshui, he had eaten all four remaining pieces.
He seemed to be quite the food lover.
The reality was He Ying was bored waiting for the measurements, and had inadvertently eaten too much.
Though he enjoyed it, he didn't need her to cook.
"I have sixty top chefs in my Imperial Kitchen; what is there they can't make?"
He certainly didn't want food as a wager.
Sang Yan saw his intention and felt troubled, "Then what would Your Majesty like for a wager? I should state, I can only offer so much. If Your Majesty asks for something I cannot give, then let us forget this wager."
"You're only prepared to win, not to lose?"
"I've already said, I can only give so much."
"How do you know what you can give is limited?"
He Ying laughed, his gaze intensely fixed on her, almost demanding, "Or is it that, you know what I want? And you're unwilling to give it to me?"