Palace Fighting Naive Concubines’ Ascent to Power
Chapter 82: Your Majesty, what are you doing here?

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Your Majesty, what are you doing here?

It’s no wonder they were discovered; Lian Hua and her companions thought there were hardly any visitors in this area, and after picking hawthorns, caught up in their joy, they momentarily forgot themselves and made more noise than usual.

As for the Emperor and his entourage, without the Emperor speaking, no one dared to speak, and the group quietly strolled through the garden.

Nearing Canglan Court, the Young Eunuch reported that no one was in the courtyard, which left the Emperor feeling quite disappointed. Behind that disappointment was a tinge of unwillingness to accept it, thinking at this Shichen, that Little Concubine must have gone off to seek out some amusement and was unable to sit still for even a moment.

Since he had already come this far, he decided to take a walk around the area before leaving, deep down, the Emperor was still faintly hoping to encounter Lian Hua, to see what his Little Concubine was up to and how she was faring.

Indeed, hard work pays off when one is earnest, and from afar, the Emperor heard the noise made by the Little Concubine, a voice and tone he could never mistake.

The Emperor gestured for everyone to stop; he stood quietly, listening to the distant sounds, wondering what made the Little Concubine so happy as she chirped away with her two servants, seeming to be in high spirits.

The Emperor felt a subtle excitement and anticipation, his arms and legs awkwardly unsure where to be positioned. In his more than twenty years of life, not even life-and-death situations had made him this restless. Yet, here he was, about to meet a Little Concubine, and he was this unsettled.

There was a trace of self-mockery in the Emperor’s feelings, but even more so, there was anticipation.

This was the closest path back to Canglan Court for the Little Concubine. So long as someone approached, he would see them; he just needed to stand here and wait for someone to come along.

In this way, it would appear as though the Little Concubine had come upon him by chance, revealing no trace of his deliberate arrangement. He had already planned what his first words would be.

The Emperor straightened his clothes, restoring his usual serious and dignified demeanor. He looked no different from usual, only the subtle lift of his lips betrayed his emotions.

Zhang Qing could vaguely guess His Majesty’s thoughts and quietly led the others a few steps back.

The voices grew nearer, clear enough now to make out what was being said.

Hearing that sweet voice, the Emperor couldn’t help but smile, a joy he couldn’t suppress.

Just at that moment, a surprised exclamation shattered the scene:

"Your Majesty, what are you doing here?"

The nearby voices abruptly halted.

Turning his head, the Emperor saw that a few people had approached without him noticing. Wasn’t the person in the lead Beauty Li?

Beauty Li, with a face full of surprise, made a reverence and said, "Greeting Your Majesty; today, having no duties, I came to wander the garden. I never expected to encounter Your Majesty here, I am truly fortunate." As she spoke, she bowed respectfully.

To catch Daying Lian, she had expended significant effort over the past few days, wandering daily in the Imperial Garden. However, Daying Lian’s whereabouts were unpredictable, unlike those of other concubines, with no discernible pattern.

Even assigning the Young Eunuch to watch her was futile. Sometimes, she wouldn’t leave for the entire day, and other times, she would slip out the moment you blinked, vanishing without a trace.

And when they did keep watch and saw her leave, by the time the Young Eunuch reported back, Beauty Li would arrive to find her already gone, with their secluded location making it impossible to find her.

It exhausted her to no end, her feet swelling from frequent walks, never able to catch her quarry. The more she struggled, the more Beauty Li resented her, turning the act of capturing the Little Daying into her obsession, nearly forgetting her initial intent.

That afternoon, upon hearing that the Little Daying had gone out again, Beauty Li brought her entourage to try her luck in the vicinity. She had almost given up hope since the Imperial Garden was so vast. Approaching Canglan Court, she could go no further, completely worn out, needing to rest intermittently after every few steps.

Just as Beauty Li was attracted by the noise and recognized it was from Canglan Court, she was overjoyed, thinking that she had finally caught someone. Her movements became more agile as she led her people over quietly.

However, she unexpectedly encountered His Majesty on the way, which was a delightful surprise. It was incredibly difficult to run into His Majesty in the Imperial Garden, and today she must have hit the jackpot.

If she were fortunate enough to be taken back to Star Palace by His Majesty, she would be the second person to be summoned to His Majesty’s bedchamber after the Noble Consort during these days...

Thinking of this, Beauty Li was extremely excited inside. She was thankful that she met His Majesty first and prayed internally that the Little Daying wouldn’t come over and spoil it.

The Emperor started to get anxious. The voice of the Little Concubine from nearby had disappeared; she must have noticed the commotion here. But he had no choice but to deal with the person in front of him.

He spoke impatiently to the person in front of him, "Get up, and leave if there’s nothing else." Saying this, he began to walk towards the place from where the noise had come.

After getting up, Beauty Li quickly stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, where are you going?"

The Emperor paused, glancing at her coldly. This Beauty Li was clueless. Asking about his whereabouts, did she have a death wish? That Little Concubine, though appearing simple, would never do such a thing.

Beauty Li hurried to explain, "No, no, that’s not what I meant. I’m just saying that if you wish to stroll through the garden, I could accompany you. It’s really no fun to walk alone; perhaps I could join you?"

The Emperor, showing signs of urgency, couldn’t believe that someone could be so lacking in tact, even trying to stop him. He said coldly, "Step back." With no further attention to her, he hurried off following the direction of the previous noise.

Beauty Li was about to follow when Zhang Qing arrived, with a few young eunuchs at his side. They blocked Beauty Li, bowing with a smile that didn’t reach their eyes and said, "My lady, please do not proceed."

With that, they too hurried off, leaving only two people behind to watch Beauty Li and prevent her from following.

Nanny Sun and Dong Mei were beside themselves with worry, escorted by a Young Eunuch. Their mistress was brainless indeed, not knowing how to read the room. They were frightened at how she dared to follow His Majesty even when he was in such a mood. Quickly, they went to pull Beauty Li away and persuade her as several groups of people teamed up to stop her.

Beauty Li stamped her foot in frustration. It was not easy to encounter His Majesty in private, and she was exceedingly displeased, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Meanwhile, Lian Hua was cheerfully returning with several large bags of hawthorns, humming a tune and laughing along the way. Suddenly, she heard the words "His Majesty" and froze, startled.

Everyone quieted down and pricked up their ears to listen to the commotion in the distance, realizing that it was His Majesty with Beauty Li.

Lian Hua hadn’t seen His Majesty for a long time. The moment she heard he was nearby, she stopped in her tracks, somewhat dazed.

Xiao Qing tugged at her sleeve with unease in her eyes.

Seeing Xiao Qing brought her back to her senses, feeling a bit distressed inside. She didn’t know how His Majesty was faring, but assumed he must be doing very well. She thought it would be good to catch a glimpse of him if they crossed paths.

But then, looking at the hawthorns in the others’ hands, Lian Hua immediately became alert again.

She had already angered His Majesty; who knew what would happen if she saw him like this!

No, carrying all this contraband, she absolutely couldn’t run into His Majesty, lest it be confiscated. She might even be punished for it, and then everyone in Canglan Court could be in big trouble.

No, absolutely not; she must not be discovered!

With this realization, Lian Hua, who had initially wanted to see His Majesty, suddenly lost all desire to do so. She led Xiao Qing and Xiao Jizi quietly back the way they had come. After getting some distance, they broke into a run.