He glanced once and then withdrew his gaze.
"Serve the breakfast—"
Little Fuzi waved his whisk and commanded the two lines of queues below.
Subsequently, Palace Attendants on either side walked in, carrying plates of exquisitely prepared breakfast.
After all the dishes were well arranged, Little Fuzi began to set the food.
Osmanthus cake, congee, various medicinal dishes, and nourishing soups, as well as small steamed buns clear as crystal, and plenty of meat porridge and meat soups encompassed the table, dazzling in variety.
Shen Qi picked up his chopsticks, but didn't start eating right away; instead, he scanned the entire table.
The Palace Maids certainly didn't have such a fine breakfast, and with that thought, Shen Qi's eyes fell on a plate of delicate pastries not far away. No sooner had he glanced that way than Little Fuzi, sharp-eyed, picked up a piece and placed it on his plate.
However, to everyone's surprise, Shen Qi narrowed his eyes and then spoke, "No need for Us, imperial maid Susu has rendered good service in attending to Us, this plate of pastries is a reward for her."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's gaze fell upon Su Zhiruan.
Su Zhiruan hadn't anticipated that His Majesty the Emperor would suddenly make such a decision, and now all eyes were on her.
There were looks of jealousy, bewilderment, and sycophantic intent.
She steadied her spirit, folded her hands together, and knelt to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for this servant's reward."
In the bedchamber, the least surprised was Little Fuzi, who had spent the previous night listening at the corner of the wall; even if the Emperor had granted Miss Susu a title now, he would have found it normal. Instead, he was curious as to why she hadn't received an official decree that morning.
Little Fuzi picked up the plate, and Su Zhiruan accepted it.
The most shocked of all, though, was another imperial maid serving on the other side.
She felt she must still be half asleep—how could it be that just over the course of a single night, her close sister had become the Emperor's favorite! And even received pastries bestowed by the Emperor?!
Shen Qi continued with his breakfast, while the Palace Attendants below went about their duties.
Towards the end of breakfast, an uninvited guest arrived in the side hall.
Their approach was heard before they were seen.
"This Consort wishes to see the Emperor. You all go and announce my arrival!"
The voice was loud and shrill.
With just one sentence, Su Zhiruan quickly recognized it was the voice of the Noble Consort; she cautiously glanced at Shen Qi sitting before her.
Clearly, at this moment, Shen Qi was displeased, his brow furrowing almost instantly, "Noble Consort? What is she here for?"
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your consort has brought the sweet osmanthus and silver ear snowball soup that I made by hand, please grant me an audience!" The door to the side hall of Zichen Hall was open during the Emperor's breakfast, and the Noble Consort, peering outside, hurried to pay respects upon seeing Shen Qi, her voice becoming much sweeter, "Your Majesty!"
"Let her in." Shen Qi had already seen her; it wouldn't be proper to turn her away now, especially since she is the Empress Dowager's niece.
The Noble Consort lifted her head joyfully, stepped through the door, and, taking the food box from the Palace Maid close to her, approached Shen Qi. She moved so quickly she pushed Su Zhiruan aside, nearly pressing against Shen Qi, and started in a coquettish voice, "Your Majesty~ It has been so long since I've seen you; I've nearly become sick with longing. Listen, does my heart not flutter~" As she spoke, she attempted to place Shen Qi's hand on herself.
All the Palace Attendants around them assumed an air of detached concentration, including Su Zhiruan who had been jostled aside.
She wasn't particularly upset about what had just happened, but she remembered quite clearly the last time she had been punished to kneel. One day, she would make sure the Noble Consort repaid her in full.
"Noble Consort, I have not set foot in the harem for a whole month so that you all could cultivate your character and virtues. Behaving like this, what example does it set for the servants!" Shen Qi pushed the Noble Consort away, his tone indifferent yet exuding an innate authority.
The Noble Consort didn't seem to expect that she had truly angered the Emperor; the fluttering of her heart earlier was fake, but now it was real, "Your, Your Majesty..."
After being pushed away, she ended up right beside Su Zhiruan.
Before she could speak, she noticed the pastries in Su Zhiruan's hands. It was as if she had found something to deflect the topic and quickly began to boast, "Your Majesty! This servant is holding pastries from the Imperial Kitchen, and one is missing! That missing piece wouldn't happen to have been secretly eaten by this servant, would it?"
Su Zhiruan's eyes widened slightly. She had assumed that the Noble Consort, being able to attain her position, would have some intelligence, but this was a sheer lack of intellect, lacking any logic, saying whatever came to mind—the quintessential beauty without brains. It was the first time she'd witnessed such a person in the competitive harem.
Even if she, a mere Palace Maid, wanted to sneak a bite, she certainly wouldn't dare to do so with the Emperor's breakfast.
"That was bestowed by me," Shen Qi interjected, his gaze coldly settling on the Noble Consort, "The missing piece was eaten by me. Do you have any opinions about that?"
The Noble Consort opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word; she glared at Su Zhiruan as if she were glaring at an enemy.
With a longer look, she recalled that this Palace Maid was none other than the same 'Susu' she had forced to kneel a few days ago.
She had never expected, truly did not anticipate, this little wench receiving such treatment.
Her eyes reddened with anger, and then with a turn, she broke into tearful sobs, "Your Majesty~ Is it possible that all this time you have been solely with this Palace Maid, not visiting the harem for a full month? Even Aunt, the Empress Dowager, feels aggrieved for me. It's been so long since I've seen Your Majesty, and today my longing turned into illness. Unable to see the Emperor, your consort is utterly weak~ I even thought that if Your Majesty was too busy with state affairs, then as your consort, I would personally stew soup daily and bring it to your side as a token of my heart~ I truly wish to see Your Majesty every day, to take care of you daily. Your consort is even envious of these slaves who can see the man of my heart every day~"
At her speech, all the servants lowered their heads in unison, not daring to look up.
Shen Qi hadn't expected to be bothered by an uproarious Noble Consort early in the morning. He put down his chopsticks, his expression and eyes filled with deep weariness. He massaged his temples and knocked the jade ring on his finger against the table, producing a series of crisp sounds.
During this time, Su Zhiruan, following by his side, had come to grasp the temperament of this master of realms. Generally, when he exhibited this gesture, it indicated his mood was very poor.
The Noble Consort wanted to continue with more words to prove her sincerity was as undeniable as the sun and moon, but Shen Qi cut her off with a single sentence.
"Since the Noble Consort wishes to see me daily, even envying these servants, then I can satisfy your wish." Shen Qi said, annoyed by her words; he looked up at the Noble Consort and casually pointed at Su Zhiruan beside him, "Exchange places with her?"