Chapter 1546 - 1544: This Is Not the Same

Chapter 1544

She had never seen him this angry before, nor had she seen his face so harsh.

The chill emanating from him made her shiver.

The person before her suddenly felt especially unfamiliar.

"Or..." She cautiously began.

Zhao Qichen suddenly interrupted her.

"Exaggerating?" He looked at her in disbelief.

"You think it’s an exaggeration? Do you even know... what the penalty for attempting to assassinate the Emperor is?"

The woman dressed in black was prowling mysteriously around the Imperial Garden, and if he wanted, he could easily accuse her of plotting against the Emperor.

By then, it wouldn’t be a simple case of being sentenced to death.

"But..."

Whether it was an innate kindness or the result of years of healing and saving lives,

she just felt it wasn’t right to take a life so easily.

"I still think it’s too much of a waste for her to die!"

"Why not punish her for something else instead?"

Zhao Qichen’s expression turned even grimmer, but seeing her reluctance, he had to shelve it for now.

"Then what do you suggest?"

Lin Siyin suddenly looked at him intently.

"Why not... just let her stay in the palace?"

She suddenly recalled Shao Yao’s words.

With three palaces and six courtyards, and beauties numbering in the thousands, it was bound to happen eventually.

Since that was the case, it didn’t matter when, how many, or who.

Zhao Qichen: "..."

"Do you know you’re talking nonsense?"

He thought she would say ’spare her life but not her punishment’, and then give that woman a good lesson.

Whether kicking her out of the palace or implicating her family in demotions and imprisonments, he could accept any of those.

But he couldn’t accept this answer.

"Why!"

He felt hurt and had a bad premonition in his heart.

He felt like she was trying to push him to another woman.

"There’s no why!"

"Isn’t this quite normal?"

"Don’t worry, even if she stays in the palace, I won’t let her have a good life!"

"Moreover, it will be... a lifetime of misery!"

If she’s kicked out of the palace, she could still marry and possibly live comfortably in this life.

But staying in the palace is different.

She could suppress her all her life.

Handing her husband over was impossible—absolutely impossible.

Zhao Qichen felt somewhat relieved, but still refused her suggestion.

"No!"

"I won’t agree to that!"

"I told you, from now on, there will only be you in this palace!"

He suddenly wanted to expel all palace maids from the palace.

Serving people, eunuchs and Sisters could serve just as well; at least that’s how it was around him, and it would save trouble with unruly palace maids.

Lin Siyin was a little puzzled, daringly complained.

"Throughout history, haven’t Emperors had the three palaces and six courtyards? What makes you different?"

"Aren’t you afraid of what others will say about you, I am more afraid that others would call me a jealous woman!"

She thought he would be angry, would tell her she was discussing the ancestors.

But unexpectedly, the chill in his eyes slowly dissipated, leaving only a teasing smile.

"So you’re worried about that!"

"Haha..."

"..."

What are you laughing at, what’s so funny? Lin Siyin complained about him in her mind.

Zhao Qichen smiled and put his arm around her shoulder.

"You’re right, I didn’t think this through!"

"If you really want to keep her, then keep her!"

"But I have only one request!"

Lin Siyin looked up: "What?"

"Never let me see her again!"

He couldn’t help it; he was afraid he couldn’t restrain the urge to throw her into the Punishment Department or kill her outright.

"Okay!"

Lin Siyin agreed emphatically.

"It’s settled then!"

Sometimes she felt she was crazy, but other times she thought she was doing the right thing.

In her mind, she was tangled, unable to cut off the confusion.

She simply shook her head to clear those thoughts away.

"Stop dawdling, I’m hungry!" She hadn’t eaten yet.

After speaking, she stood up and walked out.

Zhao Qichen followed with a wry smile, ultimately saying nothing.

...

The next day.

Lin Siyin used her Phoenix Seal for the first time, issuing a Benevolent Decree, appointing Sheng Chunhua as an Eighth Rank Chosen Attendant.

She wrote with the hands she normally used for writing prescriptions, carefully crafting a lengthy letter, and finally solemnly stamped it with the Empress’s unique Phoenix Seal.

After blowing the ink dry, she proudly admired her masterpiece.

"Tsk tsk! I haven’t written for days, but my handwriting is still so smooth!"

Shao Yao laughed beside her too.

"The Empress’s handwriting is indeed beautiful!"

Though the maid couldn’t read a single character, it didn’t stop her from flattery.

Lin Siyin nodded, thinking how she indeed had a sense of aesthetics.

"As expected of a palace-selected maid, she indeed has a good sense of appreciation!"

"The Empress praises too much; I’m just stating the truth!"

After some mutual compliments between the mistress and maid, the Benevolent Decree was passed into the harem.

More precisely, to Sheng Chunhua.

Last night the Emperor left in anger, and before leaving, had her confined.

An entire night in a small dark room was almost the death of her.

Before receiving the decree, there were all sorts of rumors from the guards outside.

Some said she was doomed.

Others said she was going to prosper.

Covering her head, she felt like she wanted to crawl into a hole.

She didn’t want to die nor prosper, she just wanted out of this hellish place.

She barely got through the night.

Half-alive with exhaustion and fatigue.

Then suddenly someone outside announced that the Empress’s Benevolent Decree had arrived.

After a long recitation of words she didn’t understand (actually, Lin Siyin didn’t understand either, she just copied them),

the final sentence fully caught her attention.

"Appoint Lady Sheng as Eighth Rank Chosen Attendant, arrange a place for residence, starting today learn the palace rules, strive to..."

Before the eunuch delivering the decree could finish speaking, Sheng Chunhua was already crying tears of joy.

’Father and Mother, I succeeded!’

’I’ve finally entered the harem, now I’m a legitimate mistress!’

A low rank didn’t matter, improvement could be made!

Not being in favor with the Emperor didn’t matter; besides the Empress, she was the only one in the harem, the Emperor was bound to tire of the Empress at some point!

"Hahaha... hahaha..."

She nearly couldn’t contain her emotions.

She was ecstatically fantasizing about everything, dreaming of one day becoming a concubine or consort.

However, what happened next was like a cold bucket of water poured over her head.

"What? Is this where I’ll be living?"

"You must be mistaken!"

Looking at the rundown Cold Palace before her, Sheng Chunhua was nearly losing her mind.

The little eunuch in front of her spoke slow and leisurely.

"No mistake, the Empress said this place is serene and suitable for learning the palace rules!"

Sheng Chunhua: "..."

"I... I’ve been in the palace for years, I don’t need to learn the rules, I know them all... I don’t want to live here!"

The little eunuch immediately refused.

"This is different!"

"Before, you learned the rules of a palace maid, now you must learn the rules of the harem!"

"It seems the Chosen Attendant Sheng has yet to understand her own status!"

Having said that, he couldn’t help but let out a mocking laugh.