Wen Fuyue actually woke up the moment Wei Sinian gently picked her up in his arms. However, she was so sleepy that her mind was hazy, and Wei Sinian didn't notice or hear her inner thoughts.
Just as Wei Sinian turned around to leave, she fully woke up. Turning her head, she watched his slowly receding back, her heart filled with complexity.
It was just too hard to get used to!
The tyrant had suddenly turned into a gentle and considerate handsome man. Wen Fuyue had a hard time accepting this, feeling as if she had eaten too many glutinous rice balls at once and was choking.
Fortunately, Wei Sinian had to go to court, giving Wen Fuyue a chance to calm her nerves. So as soon as he left, Wen Fuyue immediately got up, changed her clothes, and returned to the palace.
"Your Ladyship," Wen Yu looked at Wen Fuyue, who had been absent - minded since morning, and couldn't help but ask with concern, "Did you not sleep well last night? You can take a rest after we return to the palace."
"No need," Wen Fuyue yawned. Only then did she realize that she hadn't gotten up so early for a long time. Rubbing her eyes, she said, "Just make me a pot of tea when we get back. That'll wake me up."
Thinking that since she had entered this book, she had almost always slept until she woke up naturally, Wen Fuyue felt a twinge of guilt.
How decadent, Wen Fuyue!
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Thinking of Wei Sinian, who had to get up early to go to court every day, she felt a faint trace of sympathy.
Being a noble concubine was really great. There were few things to do and many benefits, unlike being an emperor, who was busy to death every day. After court, he still had to review memorials. Sometimes when Wen Fuyue was already asleep, Wei Sinian was still burning the midnight oil.
As Wen Fuyue let her thoughts wander, she sat in the sedan chair and watched the scenery along the way.
The various buildings in the palace were magnificent. All kinds of flowers and trees were interspersed among them, and from time to time, palace servants would hurry past Wen Fuyue. Together, it was as beautiful as a painting.
Was that...?
Suddenly, a woman in a cyan palace dress flashed by. Her walking posture was slightly abnormal, as if she had difficulty moving.
Wen Fuyue found her extremely familiar. Looking closely, she was shocked to find that it was An Ling'er.
What was An Ling'er doing here so early in the morning?
Xiao Fuzi had been silent beside her, like a shadow, but always paying attention to Wen Fuyue's movements.
Seeing her staring silently in that direction, Xiao Fuzi asked, "Is Your Ladyship looking at Concubine An?"
"Yes," Wen Fuyue nodded and then looked at him. "Why is Concubine An wearing a maid's clothes and appearing here so early in the morning?"
Hearing this, Xiao Fuzi smiled and respectfully said to Wen Fuyue, "Your Ladyship may not know. Since yesterday, Concubine An has been punished by the Emperor. She has been fined half a year's salary and has to clean the dead leaves in the lake for a month."
Wen Fuyue was silent for a moment. A strange flutter passed through her heart, and then she withdrew her gaze.
An Ling'er was indeed involved in this matter. Perhaps she was only slightly involved and had informed Wei Sinian in time, so she had managed to save her life.
But cleaning the dead leaves in the lake?
A faint smile crept onto Wen Fuyue's lips. Suddenly, she thought Wei Sinian was a bit interesting.
It was already late autumn. The leaves were falling from morning till night without a moment's stop, unless another month passed and all the leaves had fallen, leaving only bare branches.
When Wei Sinian punished her to clean the fallen leaves, in fact, An Ling'er had to work non - stop from morning till night, unless it was dark. And by punishing her to this lakeside, he was obviously giving her a severe warning.
Sure enough, Wei Sinian was not simple. He always got straight to the point. But since he was the emperor and of noble status, no one could refute him.
When Wen Fuyue came back to her senses, she found that they had already arrived at the palace gate. As soon as she sat down, she heard Liang Xinyue's voice.
"Good morning, Noble Concubine Wen," the young girl in a cyan dress walked quickly with a bright smile and ran towards her.
"Slow down, be careful not to fall," Wen Fuyue couldn't help but remind Liang Xinyue, who was running towards her in a hurry, holding up her skirt.
"What's wrong?" Liang Xinyue stopped, out of breath, looking at her with a puzzled expression. She suspiciously glanced at her own skirt. "Did I get something dirty on my clothes? Why are you looking at me so strangely today?"
"Cough, cough," Wen Fuyue was rarely choked by her own thoughts. Under Liang Xinyue's curious gaze, she said, "It's nothing. I just saw An Ling'er being punished this morning when I was returning to the palace. She was also wearing a cyan dress."
"...Bad luck!" Liang Xinyue's face wrinkled instantly. Looking like a steamed bun, she complained to Wen Fuyue, "It's too much! How can you compare me with her?"
"Okay, okay, it's my fault," Wen Fuyue said guiltily and smiled at her. "Come on, I'll take you to make something delicious."
With that, Wen Fuyue casually grabbed Liang Xinyue's sleeve and led her towards the small kitchen.
"Noble Concubine, this..."
Seeing Wen Fuyue heading towards the small kitchen, Xiao Fuzi rarely looked panicked, his heart pounding.
The Emperor had been furious last time and had sealed the small kitchen. Was the Noble Concubine relying on the Emperor's favor and going against the Emperor for the sake of a small kitchen? How could this be!
Xiao Fuzi watched Wen Fuyue and Liang Xinyue, anxiously pacing back and forth.
"It's okay," Wen Fuyue explained. "I talked to the Emperor last night, and he agreed."
"Yes, it was this servant who was being over - cautious. Please punish me, Noble Concubine," the panic on Xiao Fuzi's face disappeared, but upon hearing this, he immediately knelt on the ground, looking at Wen Fuyue, secretly shocked in his heart.
The Emperor's tolerance for the Noble Concubine really exceeded their expectations.
"It's okay. You can go now."
Back in the long - absent small kitchen, Wen Fuyue felt a surge of enthusiasm to do something big. She and Liang Xinyue swept the dust for two minutes. Then they looked at each other and shouted in unison, "Wen Yu!"
Wen Yu quickly came in. Seeing the two dusty girls, a faint smile curled up on her lips. She said to them, "Your Ladyships, please go out first. I'll bring people to clean up now."
"Wen Yu, you're so nice!" Wen Fuyue sighed. "Then we'll go out and pick some osmanthus first. We'll have osmanthus cakes later!"
"Okay, Your Ladyship."
When Wei Sinian returned from court, he saw a harmonious scene in Wen Fuyue's courtyard. Several people were sitting together, with several plates of pastries in front of them.
"What's this?" Wei Sinian was a bit confused. Looking at the osmanthus cakes in front of him, he smelled the unique fragrance of osmanthus. "Osmanthus cakes?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Wen Fuyue noticed his arrival this time.
Several people immediately got up to pay their respects.
Liang Xinyue had just taken a big bite of the pastry. When Wei Sinian came, she almost choked.
Seeing Wei Sinian looking at the osmanthus cake in her hand with a slightly displeased expression, Liang Xinyue immediately got up and left.
Tsk, he hadn't even had a taste yet, but this person had beaten him to it. Didn't Wen Fuyue even wait for him?
After seeing Liang Xinyue go far away, Wei Sinian this time ordered An Fu, "An Fu, bring a chair for me."
[...The tyrant emperor remains the same. Fortunately, Liang Xinyue left. Otherwise, she would have been so angry with him!]