In recent days, the Little Palace Maid Lian Hua had been entertaining some private thoughts. She heard the Palace Maid Sisters talking in secret, saying that once you climbed into the Emperor's bed, you would be dressed in gold and silver and indulge in the finest foods; naturally, she felt somewhat tempted.

The life of a Palace Maid was bitterly hard, with a tense environment, excessive work, poor food, and poor sleep, especially for Lian Hua, who had a large appetite and was picky about her food; she never ate well. Having heard the Palace Maid Sisters talking secretly, Lian Hua secretly began to make plans.

One day, when the Emperor returned from court, he was furious, his face dark with anger, and the eunuchs and Palace Maids in the court were trembling with fear, afraid of provoking his wrath and becoming fertilizer beneath the soil.

Xia Hua was on duty as the Account Manager that day, which meant she was responsible for setting up the Emperor's bed and mosquito net before he retired for the night, and attending to him as he went to sleep.

His Majesty was not fond of women, and only called someone to his bed once every few days; he was usually very strict about rules, with clear rewards and punishments.

By the time it was almost bedtime, His Majesty's expression was still very poor. Although His Majesty was handsome like a jade tree in a flower, Xia Hua was still very afraid. She feared making a mistake that would anger him, for His Majesty did not show mercy when doling out punishments, and she couldn't help but think of having Lian Hua take her place.

Lian Hua had done the Account Manager's job before, but not frequently. Normally, this task was highly coveted, being easy and requiring little effort, and most importantly, who wouldn't want to appear more frequently in front of His Majesty?

Moreover, during the times when the concubines served in bed, the generous concubines, in order to curry favor with those close to the Emperor, would openly and covertly give rewards, so this job was only assigned to Lian Hua when the Palace Maid Sisters did not want to do it.

When Xia Hua spoke to Lian Hua today, Lian Hua agreed immediately, not knowing how bad His Majesty's mood was today. She had been seeking such an opportunity for a long time, knowing that as a Little Palace Maid responsible for miscellaneous chores, her chances to get close to His Majesty were extremely limited. Now that Sister Xia Hua was willing to let her take on this lucrative duty, she felt a slight gratitude towards her.

Even though she had been very tired from the day's work, the thought of not having to work after climbing into bed, lying down to eat and drink luxuriously, and having everything provided for her, excited Lian Hua greatly. The fatigue of the day seemed to vanish, making her tremble slightly with nervousness, causing her to fumble several times while untying His Majesty's robe knots.

The Emperor, becoming impatient, thought to himself how badly trained this Little Palace Maid was, being so inept that she couldn't even untie a knot.

Looking down, he saw the Little Palace Maid sweating slightly on her forehead, her expression somewhat panicked, around fifteen or sixteen years old, chubby cheeks making her look naively adorable.

He thought it was just a servant, no need for punishment — just replace her.

At this time, Lian Hua's mind was full of scenarios on how to seduce His Majesty — she should start with a coquettish smile and then pretend to trip and fall into his arms, after which bedding him would follow naturally, just like it was written in the stories.

The result of doing two things at once was that it took several attempts to finally unbutton the knots, and after unbuttoning them, Lian Hua let out a small sigh of relief.

The Emperor had been watching Lian Hua all the while, and seeing this, he felt even less inclined to reprimand her harshly. Let it be, it was just a small flaw. With more practice, she would improve.

However, seeing Lian Hua sigh in relief, her eyes began to spin dizzily, her cheeks turned a faint red, she placed the removed clothing to one side, her body hesitating, and her eyes occasionally stealing glances at the Emperor, as if she was deeply pondering something.

The Emperor's first thought was that something was off with this Palace Maid, a fire arising in his heart. He coldly snorted internally, waiting to see what she intended to do and whether she could withstand his wrath!

Already in a bad mood, the Emperor's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.

Lian Hua, not noticing the Emperor's dark expression, was pondering how to fall just right into His Majesty's arms.

As Lian Hua dilly-dallied and hesitated, the clothes were changed, and His Majesty was about to go to bed. If she did not act then, it would be too late!

Nervously, Lian Hua let out a "yah" and, in her fluster, fell forward towards the Emperor.

Seeing this, the Emperor understood everything; this Little Palace Maid was trying to seduce him. What audaciousness, akin to throwing all the rules to the dogs!

The Emperor caught the Little Palace Maid who had flung herself at him, but the impetuous momentum was too great, and both tumbled onto the bed.

As the Emperor supported her by the waist, Lian Hua, whose nose hit his ribs, pained and tearing up, raised her head and mimicked a flirtatious smile at the Emperor.

Although out of order, a seductive smile was essential, fearing that otherwise, she wouldn't be able to climb into bed.

The Emperor, taken aback, found the Little Palace Maid quite attractive when she smiled, her neat white teeth, creamy and tender cheeks, curved eyebrows, and innocent, deer-like eyes, and her soft waist.

In an era where thin was considered beautiful, and all the concubines in the Harem were skinny as poles and uncomfortable to embrace, none were as soft as this Little Palace Maid. He couldn't help but pinch her.

Lian Hua was stunned. This was not like the script at all; why was His Majesty suddenly pinching her... Such actions were only seen in lewd stories. How could this be... With a sudden flush of red across her face, she stood dumbfounded.

The Emperor, somewhat moved, decided to let this Little Palace Maid climb into bed since she so wished it, and would just promote her to a low rank the next day and send her away. Thinking thus, the Emperor rolled over and pressed down on the Little Palace Maid.

As the spring breeze passed over the night, Lian Hua felt as if her body had been run over, sore and aching. Early in the morning, carrying a small bundle and leading a twelve-or-so-year-old Little Palace Maid, she walked towards Canglan Court near the Cold Palace.