Chapter Ninety-Two: Your Man Says You’re a Washed-Up Wife

“There’s nobody else in the palace keeping dogs, is there?” Shen Fuyu remarked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “After all, it was Consort Hui who decided to keep a little female dog.”

Classic—she causes trouble and then blames someone else.

“Ah, do you mean I’ve actually done something terribly wrong?” Shen Fuyu asked, though she already knew the answer.

“What do you think?” Qin Zhiyi looked at her. Though Consort Hui could be vexing, in this matter, she had done nothing wrong.

“I don’t think so,” Shen Fuyu replied with a smile. “The Empress Dowager already punished me by ordering me to copy the ‘Virtues for Women’. I should get to it.”

“You could copy it a thousand times and it would never get into your head!” Qin Zhiyi, thrown off by her quick change of topic, could only fume. He should have known this woman would seize every chance to provoke him!

She’ll be the death of me one day!

Yinling prepared the ink for her, laid out the calligraphy paper, and placed the book of ‘Virtues for Women’ on the desk. Shen Fuyu picked up the brush and copied a few lines, unable to help but sigh inwardly—how many centuries had it been since she last copied out a book by hand? Her only memories of such chores dated back to middle school, perhaps even elementary school.

After scrawling out seven or eight crooked characters, even Yinling could hardly bear to look. Too much ink had bled onto the paper, leaving a trail of black splotches, and there were even mistakes.

“My lady, you can’t possibly submit this, can you?” Yinling’s heart was in her throat. If the whole thing turned out like this, the Empress Dowager would be furious.

“My lady?”

Shen Fuyu had lain her head upon the desk and was breathing evenly.

She had fallen asleep!

At this rate, she wouldn’t finish copying it two hundred times in half a year!

When it was time for lunch, Qin Zhiyi finally felt a rare sense of peace. Just as he was about to summon the meal, he glanced over and saw Shen Fuyu fast asleep at the desk.

After a moment’s thought, he lifted her onto the bed and covered her with a quilt.

At last, he could eat lunch undisturbed.

Quite nice.

Shen Fuyu slept so deeply that not even the aroma of the meal could rouse her. Qin Zhiyi dined alone and felt an unprecedented sense of ease.

For the first time, he enjoyed a meal in Crescent Moon Palace in perfect comfort.

“Has the Worthy Consort not woken up yet?” Qin Zhiyi inquired.

“No, Your Majesty,” Yinling replied with her head bowed. “She copied a few lines, then fell asleep at once.”

“You may go.” Qin Zhiyi waved her away. In the afternoon, he read military treatises for a while, but then sleepiness crept over him. Glancing at Shen Fuyu sprawled across the bed like a starfish, his face darkened.

The couch would do just fine.

It was only a bit small; a short nap wouldn’t hurt.

“Yinling, why aren’t you inside attending to them?”

Yinling, standing at the door, looked up to see Green Tea approaching. “Her Ladyship is sleeping. His Majesty ordered not to disturb them.”

“Oh?” Green Tea’s smile was polite, but her body edged closer to the doorway.

“Don’t be so unruly. If you disturb the Emperor and Her Ladyship, it won’t end well for you,” Yinling warned, holding her back.

Green Tea’s expression twisted with disdain as she hissed, “What’s this? You’re getting uppity now? While we were away, you wormed your way into Her Ladyship’s favor—think you’re on our level? Who do you think you are?”

“That’s up to Her Ladyship to decide,” Yinling shot back. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, sister. The last few lessons are still fresh in my mind. Don’t forget your place—if you disturb the masters, no one will save you!”

“You!”

Green Tea glared, seething. This wretched girl, now that she’s gotten close to Her Ladyship, dares to lecture her?

“I just wanted to peek in. If the masters need serving, can you manage alone?” Green Tea feigned innocence. “You only started waiting on Her Ladyship halfway through. I don’t trust you.”

Yinling said nothing. Green Tea and White Lotus had come to the palace with Her Ladyship, and she had deferred to them before—they were considered important among the attendants.

Now, though, they seemed of little consequence.

“By the way, Her Ladyship likes to have some fruit when she wakes. Go prepare it,” Green Tea commanded, chin raised. “I’ll mind things here.”

Yinling glanced at her, said nothing, and left.

Once Yinling was gone, Green Tea finally relaxed. Getting her out of the way was the first step. She beckoned to White Lotus in the corner, who immediately understood. With no one else around, she brought the person behind her forward.

“Have you found out everything?” White Lotus asked in a whisper.

“I saw it all,” Green Tea replied. “Her Ladyship is asleep, and the Emperor, not wanting to disturb her, is resting on the couch in the outer room.”

“Miss, this is as far as we can help you,” Green Tea told the woman dressed in a palace maid’s attire behind White Lotus. This was Shen Tangyu in disguise, wearing White Lotus’s clothes to sneak in as a maid. “I’ve just sent Yinling away, but she’ll be back soon. I’ll stand guard at the door for you.”

Shen Tangyu nodded, quietly slipping into the main hall of Crescent Moon Palace. The hall was so silent, she moved with light, cautious steps toward the couch. Qin Zhiyi was lying there, apparently asleep.

Her heart pounded, and she pressed a hand to her chest, unable to hide her triumphant smile. That wretch Shen Fuyu had humiliated her yesterday! Today, she would make Shen Fuyu watch helplessly as the Emperor favored her right before her eyes!

The thought made Shen Tangyu smile at last. She was only a step away from becoming Imperial Consort.

She drew a packet of powder from her sleeve and crept closer to Qin Zhiyi, planning to scatter the powder in the air—her mother had prepared it for her, and even a trace in the air would make anyone lose their senses!

A sudden sound startled her so badly that her hand shook, spilling the powder. Heart pounding, she looked closer and realized that in Qin Zhiyi’s arms was a dog!

That noise had come from the dog!

Shen Tangyu clenched her teeth in rage. It was that wretched beast Shen Fuyu kept! How dare it ruin her plans!

Infuriating! A wretch’s dog is every bit as loathsome—she would find a way to kill it at the first opportunity!

Qin Shihuang’s round black eyes suddenly snapped open. Seeing Shen Tangyu stalking toward it with murderous intent, it hastily grabbed a sheet of paper in its mouth and placed it in front of itself, rolled over to show its belly, and guided Qin Zhiyi’s hand onto its own body, casting a triumphant look at Shen Tangyu.

The sheet of paper fluttered to the ground, bearing clumsy handwriting—clearly Shen Fuyu’s.

Your man called you an old hag and said I’m the cutest.

Qin Shihuang’s smile grew even brighter, wriggling ingratiatingly in Qin Zhiyi’s sleeping arms!

Shen Tangyu, enraged, lunged forward, reaching out to seize Qin Shihuang and hurl it away. The damned beast! Even a dog dared to mock her! Clearly, wretches breed wretches, even their dogs are despicable!

But the drug was taking effect—Shen Tangyu felt her body growing weak. Gritting her teeth, she seized Qin Shihuang’s front paws, determined to wrench the creature out of Qin Zhiyi’s embrace!