Hearing that there would be no food, Zhou Shengsheng promptly picked up her tools and went to work. However, her injured right hand ensured she wouldn’t eat today.
As a palace maid from her own country, she wasn’t wearing the uniform attire of the Yong Kingdom’s palace. This made her stand out, and her attempt to sneak a steamed bun was immediately noticed due to her mismatched clothing.
Patting her empty stomach, Zhou Shengsheng quietly slipped out during the night when everyone was asleep.
The imperial garden at night was usually deserted, except for the occasional woman trying to “accidentally” meet the emperor and showcase her talents.
Zhou Shengsheng’s reason for choosing this spot was simple.
Listening to the heartfelt melody of “Phoenix Seeks Phoenix” played by a woman in the southwest corner and admiring the graceful dance of a beautiful lady across the way, Zhou Shengsheng smiled.
“How appetizing,” she thought.
[Ah Pang, bring me a bowl of snail noodles to liven things up.]
Ah Pang yawned: [Shengsheng, it’s too smelly.]
[Then leave out the pickled bamboo shoots…] This was her last bit of stubbornness!
---Hunger Strikes---
Tonight was particularly difficult for Haishan.
The emperor, who usually spent the entire night reviewing memorials, was unusually distracted and visibly irritable.
“Your Majesty, the moonlight is exceptionally beautiful tonight. Perhaps a stroll in the imperial garden would be refreshing?” he cautiously suggested.
Ming Siran paused.
The usually manageable state affairs now felt torturous.
His gaze kept drifting to the spot where the ink was being ground.
Memories of that person’s pale hands and the crimson mole under the lamplight kept distracting him.
Suddenly, he slammed down the half-read memorial and stood up, saying firmly, “Let’s go.”
Haishan called out, “Prepare the carriage…”
But Ming Siran interrupted, “Just follow me.”
Haishan bowed in acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, Zhou Shengsheng, happily slurping her noodles, had no idea that her former “son” was about to arrive on the scene.
As Ming Siran stepped into the garden, which he hadn’t visited in a long time, he heard the distant sound of a zither and spotted a woman dancing under the moonlight.
“How lively. The imperial garden has turned into a stage,” he remarked.
Haishan broke into a cold sweat and was about to shoo the two women away when Ming Siran spotted the figure he had dreamt of all night, hidden among the flowers.
“Wait,” he stopped Haishan and walked over himself.
Ah Pang, who had been spinning in the air, suddenly stopped and flew down.
[Shengsheng, Ming Siran is coming!]
Zhou Shengsheng, who had been eating with gusto, wiped her mouth skillfully and, in a moment of inspiration, said, [Ah Pang, give me a steamed bun! Quick!]
Though confused, Ah Pang complied.
So when Ming Siran approached, he saw this scene:
A young woman crouched under the flowers, pitifully holding a plain steamed bun and taking desperate bites.
She seemed to have been starving for a long time, each bite taken with great effort, yet her eyes remained clear and resilient, like a small white flower growing in the wilderness, evoking sympathy in anyone who saw her.
Ming Siran frowned and glared at Haishan.
‘Is this your arrangement?’ his eyes seemed to say.
[Has he left? I can’t keep this up. Eating plain steamed buns is so boring! But thinking about it, those eunuchs in charge of meals are even worse—they didn’t even leave me a bun!]
Ming Siran: ……
“Get rid of those women,” he said coldly, suppressing his anger.
After all, she had extraordinary abilities. How could she not manage to feed herself? Recalling the investigation report brought back by Li Rong, Ming Siran lowered his gaze.
Haishan had already knelt down. Upon hearing the order, he immediately went to carry it out.
It seemed that Zhou Shengsheng’s position in the emperor’s heart was still uncertain.
---Divide and Conquer---
“Look at her speed. She probably won’t get to eat again.”
“Haha, I heard she used to serve in the imperial court but was demoted here after making a mistake. Guess what it was?”
Someone asked, “Why?”
“What else? She tried to seduce His Majesty and angered him.”
“Oh my, doesn’t she ever look in the mirror?”
“Exactly. Some people are shameless, leaving their homeland only to seduce men!”
This last remark was loud enough for the entire courtyard to hear.
Zhou Shengsheng sneered and glanced back at the disdainful woman.
After scanning her from head to toe, Zhou Shengsheng made a face of disapproval.
“Some people are ugly but don’t realize it,” she sighed, shaking her head.
The palace maid, hot-tempered, immediately grabbed a bucket of dirty water and came over.
Zhou Shengsheng was about to dodge but caught sight of someone at the door and froze.
She let the woman pour the entire bucket of water over her, leaving her drenched.
Haishan, seeing this, hurried over.
“Eunuch Haishan,” Zhou Shengsheng put down her broom and bowed gracefully, despite being soaked in dirty water.
Haishan quickly helped her up. “Oh, Miss Shengsheng, you’ve been wronged. His Majesty has ordered you to return to serve in the imperial court.” As he spoke, he glanced at the maid who had poured the water.
The maid, unable to believe it, screamed, “Impossible! She tried to seduce His Majesty! How could she return?!”
“You insolent wretch! Spreading malicious rumors! Take her out and execute her!” Haishan barked.
The eunuchs behind him dragged the terrified maid away.
The others, witnessing this, immediately focused on their tasks, not daring to speak.
For a moment, Zhou Shengsheng was confused.
Wasn’t this kind of “killing the chicken to scare the monkey” tactic reserved for the female lead? Why was it used on her?
---The Emperor’s Dilemma---
Ming Siran had ascended the throne at the age of twenty and had ruled for six years.
Never before had he felt such satisfaction.
Glancing casually at the person grinding ink beside him, he reminded himself internally:
This was to uncover the truth behind Yu Yanyan’s death. That was the original reason he had brought her back.
It was not for personal desire.
However, the young emperor had forgotten that Jiang Zhiyu, whom he had initially brought back as a substitute for Yu Yanyan, had long been pushed to the back of his mind.
“Your Majesty! Urgent news from the front! A plague has broken out at the border!” Li Rong entered with a serious expression.
“Your Majesty, Lord Liu from the Imperial Observatory has arrived,” Haishan also entered, followed by a middle-aged man in official robes.
Zhou Shengsheng observed quietly. This was the part of the plot where Ming Siran contracted the plague, nearly died, and was cared for by the female lead, Jiang Zhiyu, who risked her life to nurse him back to health, ultimately winning his love.
While she was lost in thought, the others had already exchanged several words.
But the last sentence completely snapped her out of it.
“Your Majesty, I have observed the heavens and found that this plague is a punishment from the heavens due to a calamity star from the north. To appease the heavens, we must offer the calamity star as a sacrifice, and Great Yong will be spared!”
And the only country to the north was the Zhu Kingdom.
