Chapter Ninety-Three: Then Let Her Serve as a Palace Maid

A fierce bark split the silence.

The fluffy little dog had grown anxious. This place was warm beyond measure, and this ill-intentioned woman was trying to steal its nest.

As the woman in the palace maid's clothes drew nearer, her expression growing ever more malicious and her movements ever more ruthless, the little creature struggled all the harder. Then, with a snap of its jaws, it bit down on her slender arm.

A shriek tore from the woman. Clutching her injured arm, she stumbled backward and crashed into the shelf behind her. The objects upon it all came tumbling down at once, leaving the floor in utter chaos.

The emperor jolted awake. He was about to demand why she was making a scene again, when he saw that the woman before him, dressed as a maid, had a bloodied wound on her arm and had fallen hard to the ground.

"How daring. Who dares break into the Moonstring Palace without permission?" His gaze turned icy. Someone had slipped in while he slept soundly. Who was this woman, and what did she want?

"Your Majesty..." She was still somewhat dazed. Biting her lip hard to force herself awake, she lifted her wounded hand and spoke in a pitiful voice. "It is your humble servant..."

She had also been affected by the drug, so the emperor must surely be burning with desire as well. The pain kept a sliver of reason alive in her, and she inched closer to him step by step. "Your Majesty, allow your servant to attend you..."

Her body, no longer under her control, leaned forward of its own accord until she was nearly pressing herself against him.

Whoosh.

The emperor wiped the water from his face with visible distaste. "Do not splash me as well."

"I thought Your Majesty was also troubled by love, so I came to douse the flames," replied Shen Fuyu with a grin. Holding a basin in one hand, she splashed water over the drenched woman. "Oh, so it is Eldest Sister. I thought some foolish little maid was trying to seduce the emperor!"

"Isn't it already clear in your heart whether I am affected or not?" The emperor drew Shen Fuyu over at once and pulled her to his side. Irritated, he shot her a look. This woman knew perfectly well that the pill she had given him could cure nearly any poison. Its effects were already absurd enough; of course it could dispel an aphrodisiac. Yet she still played dumb and insisted on dumping water all over him!

"As for you," he said coldly, "I ordered that no one be allowed in. Speak. What exactly are you plotting?"

Under the sharp rebuke, the woman on the floor seemed to come back to herself. Panicking, she dropped to her knees at once. "Your servant..."

"Wasn't she here to seduce Your Majesty?" Shen Fuyu blinked. "You know she used forbidden medicine, don't you?"

"..."

You're the only one with a mouth, are you?

The emperor's face had gone fully dark, disgust practically carved across it. "Today I have truly seen it. The famed young lady of the Shen family is capable of such disgraceful, lowborn tricks!"

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I was only confused for a moment!" In the blink of an eye, Shen Tangyu looked like a frost-bitten eggplant. She could never have imagined that the emperor would be unaffected by the drug, much less that Shen Fuyu would lie in wait and pour a bucket of cold water straight over her body and soul.

"I admired Your Majesty, and only because of that did I make such a foolish mistake. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy!" She launched into the same pitiful routine she had always relied on. "I, too, have cherished you with all my heart. Please grant my wish!"

She bowed low. The wound on her wrist throbbed faintly, and she deliberately exposed a little more of it, hoping that the bloody injury would stir the emperor's pity. If she could become the emperor's woman, then with her own talents and the power of the Shen family, she would surely win his heart in time—and trample Shen Fuyu underfoot.

The emperor's expression remained cold. The more pitiful Shen Tangyu tried to make herself seem, the more nauseated he felt. The women of the harem were all much the same; what woman there was not both gifted and beautiful?

The more he saw, the more repelled he became.

The atmosphere shifted at once, and Shen Fuyu, who had been waiting to watch the drama unfold, suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

"The thing I hate most is..."

Before he could finish, Shen Fuyu slapped a hand over the emperor's mouth. The sharp crack rang out cleanly. She gave a cold laugh. "Eldest Sister, what if your feelings are sincere? His Majesty is devoted only to this palace. What he hates most is a shameless woman like you, one who dares compete with me for favor!"

"Besides... you're ugly. On what grounds should His Majesty wrong this palace to indulge your feelings? Dream on!"

The emperor's brows slowly drew together.

What was she up to now?

She even dared cover the emperor's mouth!

"His Majesty only loves this palace, doesn't he?" Seeing his frown, Shen Fuyu released him and immediately nestled sweetly into his arms. With a giggle, she said, "Some people are just toads trying to eat swan meat."

"Naturally, I only like you," the emperor replied, unable to say much else, so he simply followed her words.

But he did not understand. Wasn't the result the same either way?

Why go through so much trouble?

Such humiliation made the proud Shen Tangyu feel as if she had been slammed to the floor in front of everyone. The flirtatious words between the man and woman sounded tender and affectionate, yet each one was another knife twisted into her heart.

"Fourth Sister..." But she was unwilling to give up. Forcing down her anger, Shen Tangyu trembled her lips and burst into tears. "As your elder sister, I never meant to snatch anything from you, but my heart is sincere toward His Majesty as well. I know you and His Majesty are truly devoted to each other. I ask for nothing else—only to be allowed to serve at your side, and at His Majesty's side, is enough."

Since Shen Fuyu had already put it so bluntly, Shen Tangyu decided to throw caution to the wind. Since she had been caught in the act, there was no need to keep pretending. So long as she made herself look innocent enough, what man would not be moved?

"So that's how it is." Shen Fuyu's eyes turned, and she smiled. "Eldest Sister really is the most reasonable one after all. No wonder Father and Grandmother always favored you back when we were at home."

Seeing an opening, Shen Tangyu felt a flicker of joy and quickly turned to the emperor again. "Every word I said is true. Please, Your Majesty, grant this humble servant's sincere devotion!"

The emperor looked to Shen Fuyu. "My consort shall decide."

His gaze then turned icy, his meaning plain enough: if she dared to bring this woman into the harem, he would turn hostile.

Shen Fuyu panicked. If she died this time, there was no guarantee she'd be so lucky next time and gain so much rage in return. She hurriedly said, "Well, since Your Majesty said so, a ruler's word cannot be taken back!"

The emperor nodded slightly, eager to see what mischief she would pull.

"Fourth Sister, please grant your elder sister this one heartfelt wish! I can do anything you ask!" Shen Tangyu had already gone all in.

"Then become a palace maid," Shen Fuyu said with a bright smile. "Eldest Sister is really shameless. Since you said that as long as you can serve me and His Majesty, anything is fine, and you also like wearing a maid's clothes so much, then I'll take you into the Moonstring Palace. You may start as a second-rank maid. Work hard now. I believe in you!"

"A maid?" Shen Tangyu stared, eyes wide. She had never imagined this wretched woman would say such a thing. She was the dignified eldest young lady of the Shen family!