Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 212 Emperor Jealous (Part One)

Chapter 212: Chapter 212 Emperor Jealous (Part One)

Emperor watched carefully and at last understood that his Little Concubine was brewing wine and making Peach Wood Swords.

Indeed, both activities pleased him greatly.

Once the wine was ready, it would be buried in the yard for a year or so, until Nannan was born and could drink, then they would enjoy it together under the moonlight—how splendid that would be.

He had a thing or two to know about swordplay, and a Peach Wood Sword suited him well.

A sword made and given by the Little Concubine was incomparable, for even if made poorly, as long as she was the maker, he would be delighted.

Lian Hua had indeed been busy these days, occupied with brewing wine, preparing for the Peach Wood Sword, and designing its patterns.

When she first saw the small peach tree she had planted, the idea of crafting a Peach Wood Sword for Xu Zhaoyi sprung to her mind.

Xu Zhaoyi with her gallant charisma suited a precious sword, and she also seemed to be someone who favored bladed weapons.

She had specifically asked Nanny Qi beforehand if there was any taboo regarding wooden swords in the palace.

Nanny Qi said it was fine as long as the wooden sword had no sharp edges, like the ones used by the performers of the Music Bureau during their sword dances.

With her mind at ease, Lian Hua began the preliminary preparations.

Peach Wood, being wood of yang and the essence among the five types of woods, had the virtues of warding off evil, stabilizing the home, and bringing both fortune and wealth—how wonderful!

However, the peach tree in her courtyard was only as thick as two fingers and too tender, which was far from adequate.

Selecting the right material for a Peach Wood Sword was critical, with a tree age of fifteen to twenty years being optimal. Older wood could be too loose, while younger wood wasn’t hard enough. Moreover, the chosen wood should be of good quality and have few knots for the sword to be crafted clean.

Fortunately, there was a peach grove in the Imperial Garden, which was just perfect for harvesting material. Her nanny wouldn’t allow her to go herself, so she had to send people to cut it, and without her guidance, the Young Eunuchs cut down several trees before finding the suitable one.

After several days of busyness, there was now some progress, and with the Peach Wood soaking well, they could move on to the next step.

Now that the right Peach Wood had been chosen, it was peeled and turned into properly sized planks that were soaked in water.

This was a crucial step. Normally, the wood needed to soak in clean water for about ten days, but she knew a method that could significantly shorten the soaking time and simplify the subsequent processes.

Once soaked, she could proceed with the following steps of boiling and drying.

During this period, she had not been idle at all—her mind was filled with thoughts of what design to carve on the Peach Wood Sword that would be worthy of Sister Zhaoyi, pondering it every day.

After considering many designs, her drawing skills were poor, and only she could understand her sketches, which she made solely to remember her concepts. After many comparisons, she had finally settled on the design for the Peach Wood Sword and could finally relax a bit.

The osmanthus wine was already brewed and sealed, buried under the small peach tree in her courtyard, waiting for several months before being dug up. She had brewed several pots, so there was no fear of running out.

With the design for the Peach Wood Sword decided, all that was left was to wait; once the Peach Wood boards were ready, she could begin carving.

Lian Hua stood up and stretched lazily, feeling incredibly comfortable. Glancing at the night, it seemed to be getting late.

When she turned around, she saw His Majesty gazing at her with tender affection.

Lian Hua gave a bashful smile, feeling utterly content—life was beautiful indeed.

"Your Majesty, have you finished reviewing the memorials?"

The Emperor, with a gentle smile, got up and came beside her, wrapping his arms around her, "Hmm, it’s almost the end of Hai Hour, are you tired?"

These past days, his Little Concubine had been working so hard, and it pained him to see her like this.

Lian Hua nodded slightly, then shook her head again: "A bit, but not very sleepy yet. Is it already the end of Hai Hour?" she said as she twisted her body, feeling a bit sore.

Normally at this time, she would have already been asleep, but these past few days she had been so engrossed in her task that she didn’t realize how late it had gotten until she relaxed.

The Emperor saw her like this, figured it was the soreness from maintaining the same position for too long, and had her sit back down, gently massaging her shoulders.

Lian Hua let him knead, her expression one of utmost enjoyment. She always accepted His Majesty’s tender affection wholeheartedly, feeling as sweet inside as if savoring honey, and she couldn’t help but praise him:

"My Lord, you do everything so well, not only do you look handsome, and your handwriting is beautiful, but your massage skills are also truly wonderful!"

"It feels so comfortable. I like you even more now~"

"Mm... exactly here, it’s very sore. You really understand me~"

The Emperor, hearing her sweet nothings, felt very pleased and enjoyed the massaging as well.

His Little Concubine was beautiful and her whole body was soft, tender, and petite, making massaging her delicate form a pleasure in itself.

Hearing her talk about soreness, he couldn’t help but whisper in her ear, gently urging her: "Nannan, you needn’t work so hard. With your sentiment, I am already content."

"Hmm? What?" Lian Hua lazily responded, her eyes closed, focused on enjoying His Majesty’s massage.

She didn’t think much about what His Majesty had said, responding instinctively.

The Emperor smiled warmly. Even now, his person was hiding something and not telling him, so considerate, such a low-key Little Concubine. When others did something for him, they couldn’t wait to announce it to the world, yet his Little Concubine didn’t make a fuss about it at all.

Nevertheless, there was no need for such discretion. He didn’t mind those things; what he cared about more was her. He decided to lay his cards on the table, "I can’t bear to see you so tired. It’s fine to prepare gifts slowly, no need to rush."

At his words, Lian Hua opened her eyes slightly, smiling warmly.

Her His Majesty was always so caring about her, but this matter couldn’t be postponed. She had already delayed it for quite some time, and the longer one owes a favor, the heavier it gets.

"My Lord, I understand, you need not worry. During the day, Nanny watches over me, and when it’s almost time, she insists I rest. I just want to finish it quickly and send it over, otherwise I feel uneasy."

These past few days, Nanny Qi had been watching over her. Whenever she saw Lian Hua getting tired, she ordered her to rest and didn’t let her continue with the task, so in fact, she wasn’t that tired, it was okay.

The Emperor paused for a moment, something about this didn’t sound right to him?

He resumed kneading without showing any change in expression and began to probe: "It’s the thought that counts with gifts, whether early or late, why does it make you feel restless?"

Lian Hua turned her head and said, "Yes, you’re right. But considering Sister Zhaoyi has helped me several times and sent such a valuable congratulatory gift, I must return the favor soon and express my gratitude for Sister Zhaoyi’s kindness."

The Emperor’s breathing grew heavier, fully understanding now. The ungrateful wretch had put so much thought into a gift, not for him but for Xu Rongying!

If she wanted to give a return gift, she could have just told him, selected something from his treasury, and sent it over.

Although Xu Rongying indeed helped her, and he had secretly agreed to a request from Xu Rongying, essentially repaying her on Lian Hua’s behalf, why should she tire herself by preparing it personally!

Besides, how could Xu Rongying be more important to her than he was? In this palace, no, in this world, he should be the one worthy of her utmost effort, aside from her parents, of course.

Even in the case of her parents, the person she would share her life with in the future was him, which meant he was even more important!

In short, no matter what, he must come first in his Little Concubine’s heart.

The more the Emperor thought about it, the angrier he became and he lost control of his strength, unintentionally squeezing harder, pinching her vehemently a couple of times.