The *Women's Precepts* slid to the floor.
Her hairpin came loose during their passionate kiss, and her jet-black hair tumbled down in an instant, a beautiful sight that made the Emperor's heart tremble.
The candlelight reflected off Jiang Xian's profile, casting a warm glow on her full, sensual lips and face. A shadow happened to fall on the outer corner of her eye, tracing a sharp point that made her eyes look all the more like those of a charming, seductive fox.
"How many times tonight?"
The Emperor was a talkative man. His stamina was so good that even vigorous exercise didn't stop him from speaking. "I'll do whatever you wish."
He had thought she would be more reserved after being punished by the Noble Consort. Instead, Shu Changzai wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and said with a light laugh, "You may take as you please, Your Majesty. This concubine will certainly keep you company."
'Don't even ask. The answer is we're pulling an all-nighter.'
The Emperor raised an eyebrow. 'Right.' Her copying books in the side hall was just her way of showing him she'd been wronged by the Noble Consort, wasn't it? It was a blatant attempt to complain, but he didn't find it annoying. He simply gathered her into his arms. "I know you've been wronged."
Jiang Xian didn't feel wronged at all.
Daji offered a sideline correction:
[No, you are very wronged.]
[If another concubine bullies you, as long as the Great King hasn't flayed her and broken her bones, then he is the one who has failed you.]
'...The standards a favored concubine from the Shang Dynasty had for men were so high.'
On second thought, Jiang Xian let a hint of grievance show on her face, just to let the 'big boss' know about her hard work and great contributions. Then, under Daji's technical guidance, she mixed a bit of coquettish pride into her aggrieved expression. "Actually... I don't feel completely wronged. When I think about how I'm suffering because of Your Majesty's favor, I'm actually quite happy."
A smile danced in her eyes.
To the Emperor, she looked even more like a small, naive fox who had been thoroughly spoiled.
'If you establish a persona that's too morally upright in front of your boss, you'll always be the one asked to back down whenever conflicts arise with your peers just to keep the peace. The biggest taboo in the workplace is unconditional compromise. Endure it for a moment, and you'll get a benign lump; take one step back, and you'll get an ovarian cyst. All these illnesses come from bottling up your anger. I can back down, but they'd better pay me for it.'
Hearing her words, the Emperor laughed heartily. "You're quite the little troublemaker."
When it came to finding entertainment, the Emperor probably had the most choices of anyone in the world. And when a person has too many choices, they easily become Fickle. Xie Che had a storehouse dedicated to novelties presented by his vassal states and the barbarians. The one that held his interest the longest was a mechanical puzzle box, but once he learned how to take it apart and put it back together, he set it aside.
Once he beat a game, Xie Che would lose interest.
Yesterday, he found Shu Changzai interesting. Looking at her again today, she felt different.
"It wouldn't be right for me to cancel your punishment, so just consider it as you taking the blame on my behalf," the Emperor said, resting his chin on the top of her head. She could feel the slight vibration when he chuckled.
Jiang Xian decided to quit while she was ahead.
Daji: [Quit, my ass! Listen to me and start acting spoiled and playful with him.]
Under the tutelage of a legendary femme fatale, Jiang Xian learned another useful piece of knowledge: in the workplace, you should quit while you're ahead when fighting for your rights during a probation period. But when it comes to an Emperor and his concubine, you have to act up as much as possible during the honeymoon phase. You have to grab onto that little bit of novelty and pity and make a huge scene, establishing your "drama queen" persona.
Humbly accepting the lesson, Jiang Xian remained relentless in the Emperor's arms, acting up for most of the night. It went on until the Emperor was nibbling her earlobe, chiding her through gritted teeth, "Such a precious little thing you are. The Noble Consort only made you copy some books. Is that reason enough for you to come and torture me like this?"
Jiang Xian: [What's he mean by that?]
Daji's interpretation: 'I love it. I suggest you step it up.'
The Emperor couldn't figure it out. How had the inexperienced girl from yesterday, who only knew how to take what was given, suddenly learned a whole new repertoire of tricks to use on him today? She traced patterns on his back with her fingertips, her nails lightly scratching and making him itch. He grabbed her hand and demanded, "What are you up to?"
"I'm copying the *Women's Precepts* on Your Majesty's back."
The little fox looked completely innocent.
There were indeed jealous women in the harem, but none of them would ever show it, for fear of angering him. There were too many concubines. The Emperor's women were like an imperial banquet; even if the Emperor could only take a few bites, the sheer number of dishes had to be impressive. It was all about the pomp and circumstance.
Why would a single dish fight to be chosen first?
They only thought about how to avoid being taken off the table.
Daji intimately understood the fine line of teasing an Emperor, and Jiang Xian was a faithful executor of the task.
By the end of the night, the Emperor was stroking the Beauty's back, finding her all the more to his liking.
He had originally planned to exercise some restraint tonight, but they still ended up fooling around until the middle of the night. Remembering the rules this time, however, the Emperor did not let her stay in his bedchamber. Instead, he summoned a heated sedan chair to send her back to Yizhu Pavilion. Jiang Xian tilted her head and dozed off in the sedan. When she arrived at Yizhu Pavilion, the palace maid Mian Xia helped her out, her heart aching. "My lady, you must be exhausted. I've drawn some water for you. Please wash up before you rest."
The lingering afterglow of having been favored still graced her features.
Once back in her room, Jiang Xian waved a hand. "Light the lamps."
"Light... light the lamps? My lady, are you afraid of the dark...?"
"No, I have to copy the book."
Mian Xia was utterly shocked.
Human sleep duration varies depending on genetics. There was an urban legend that the elites of Wall Street only needed four to six hours of sleep a day because money never sleeps. Coincidentally, the Jiang Xian of her previous life had been blessed in this regard, an advantage that carried over to her life in the harem. She could sleep for four hours and still be energetic enough to pay her morning respects without the slightest hint of fatigue.
The palace maid couldn't dissuade her, so she had no choice but to light the candles and grind the ink stick.
Jiang Xian wrote by lamplight through the night, and just before dawn, she finally finished the ten copies of the *Women's Precepts* that the Noble Consort had ordered.
She herself was fine, but her palace maid, Zhenqiu, was so distressed her eyes turned red. She had been the one to accompany her lady to Qiankun Palace. While her lady was serving the Emperor, she had waited outside with Mr. Liang, so she knew how long her master had been put through the wringer. And then she had come back and forced herself to copy the book. "My lady, your body is so delicate. How can you withstand such torment?"
"You're right."
Her master rarely agreed with her, but then her tone immediately shifted. "Between serving the Emperor and copying the book, there's no time for a morning run today. I was originally planning to finish the *Women's Precepts* and then take you all for a five-lap run to stretch our legs."
Jiang Xian sounded genuinely regretful.
She glanced out the window, looking rather disappointed. Mian Xia's hands moved faster than her eyes; she quickly snuffed out the candle. "Please go to bed, my lady."
She was terrified her master would drag her out to train for a triathlon.
※
When Noble Princess Consort Rong learned that Shu Changzai had been favored by the Emperor until the middle of the night and was only then sent back to Yizhu Pavilion in a heated sedan chair, her pretty face grew even darker.
"Shu Changzai is truly audacious," her palace maid said, sharing her mistress's indignation. But then she added placatingly, "Her birth is lowly. His Majesty is just favoring her for a couple of days because she's a novelty. Your Highness has no need to concern yourself with such a person."
Noble Princess Consort Rong shook her head. "I am not jealous of her. I'm just incredibly annoyed."
Noble Princess Consort Rong truly didn't give the daughter of a poor County Magistrate a second thought. It was just that she had punished the girl in the morning, only for the Emperor to summon her to his bed that very night. It made her feel a little humiliated and unhappy. And the thought that a mere Changzai was the cause of her frustration... made her even more displeased. "The Emperor is infatuated right now, so it's not convenient for me to touch her. We'll just wait."
How long could a minor Changzai possibly hold the Emperor's attention?
Promotions in the palace were all about status. Take Consort Guo, for example. If she were to be promoted after serving the Emperor, she would become a Little Yi, a rank not far from a full concubine. Even if the Emperor grew cold toward her after the novelty wore off, she would at least be the master of her own palace.
But a low-ranked concubine, after being promoted for serving the Emperor, would only become a Changzai. She'd still be someone that anyone could push around.
It was just a title. Her lowly birth doomed her to a life without security, peace, or riches.
It wasn't worth getting angry over a Changzai and ruining the Emperor's impression of her.
Noble Princess Consort Rong patted the hand of her palace maid, Qiu Yun, a smug look on her face. "Don't worry. I can't be bothered with her. As if a little slut like that is even worthy of my anger."
Noble Princess Consort Rong felt she had seen reason.
That is, until she saw Shu Changzai's face, even more alluring and vibrant than the day before, during the morning greetings the next day. Then, she was thoroughly disgusted all over again.