Chapter 61

As the weather was good, Lengmei reclined comfortably on the couch, bathed in the sunshine.

When she was about to pick up a grape and put it into her mouth with her slender fingers, Lengmei paused as if she had thought of something. Then she put the grape back and beckoned one of her maids over.

“What has the bitch Tang Xia been doing these days?” Lengmei asked lazily, raising her eyes slightly.

“Your Grace.” The maid bowed to Lengmei and whispered in her ear, “According to the spy’s report, the empress is practicing novel dance in her yard as if she is plotting something.”

Lengmei snorted as she looked into the distance, muttering, “Hm, it seems that what I’ve done is not enough! How could that bitch practice dancing leisurely?”

Lengmei stood up from the couch immediately. “You, change the dress for me. I need to go out.”

That maid found the new dress delivered by the Garment Department from Lengmei’s numerous clothes. Then the maid dressed Lengmei in the light red palace costume Lengmei liked to wear.

The maid tied the hair, pasted the yellow decal on Lengmei’s forehead, and put on a golden hairpin for Lengmei before Lengmei went out with her maids.

After Lengmei walked through several palace gates, she saw Little Orange standing there and appreciating a pot of peony.

The clusters of bright red peonies were blooming, which delighted people.

As Little Orange stood aside, his comely face appeared somewhat gorgeous, making it hard to tell whether he was a male or female.

Lengmei walked towards him with her red lips raised slightly.

“You are in such a good mood, Eunuch,” Lengmei said to Little Orange.

Little Orange turned his head around as he heard her words. Seeing it was Lengmei, he frowned slightly.

“It is such a beautiful day. Why don’t you wait upon His Majesty but appreciate flowers here? What a good pastime you have!” Lengmei wore a bigger smile at the sight of Little Orange’s reaction.

“Greeting, Your Grace.” Little Orange bowed to Lengmei as he pretended to be obedient, saying, “His Majesty has approved me to be here. I guess you are not wandering here.”

“Yep! You are right! I came here for you!” Lengmei smelt the flower picked by her in her hand as she said, “It took me so much time to find you. As you are a smart guy, I will not beat around the bush.”

“I do not deserve your time, Your Grace. You can just order your maids to do whatever you want, so there is no need for you to spend much time looking for me.” Little Orange wore an alienated smile at Lengmei.

“You don’t need to be so modest. Everyone knows that His Majesty trusts you most!” Lengmei took up the cup and blew the tea slightly before she sipped it.

“I came here and wanted to ask you about how His Majesty plans to deal with the former emperor Helian Jue.”

“Well.” Little Orange looked away. “You are making me in trouble, Your Grace. I’m just a servant. How can I know such court things?”

“Hm? Is it true?” Lengmei looked directly at Little Orange. “You don’t know that?”

“Your Grace, it is something that determines the nation. I truly don’t know!” Little Orange said lowering his head.

“Never mind. It is not wasting my time for I am able to see the fine view.” Lengmei stroked the peony in her hand and clenched it suddenly. After a while, she loosened her grip, casting the broken peony on the floor.

The maid standing beside Lengmei took out a handkerchief immediately to swipe Lengmei’s hands gently.

When her hands were clean, Lengmei stood up, stroked her dress, and tightened her hairpin, saying,

“Now that you don’t know, I guess nobody in the palace knows that. I won’t embarrass you. Forget it! I’m a little tired now for I have got here for so long.”

Lengmei looked directly at Little Orange but said to her maid. “Let’s go.”

As she finished her sentence, Lengmei put her hand on her maid’s hand and was about to leave.

“Your Grace.” Little Orange said suddenly, “You’d better stay in your palace these days as the palace is not peaceful and orderly. You do not want to make His Majesty unhappy with you, right? So do not make trouble for yourself.”

Lengmei snorted without looking back and left, accompanied by her maid.

As he followed Lengmei with his eyes, Little Orange looked grim. Then he lowered his head and looked at the peony crumbled by Lengmei. After a good while, he let out a sigh.

Little Orange went back to the palace gate and found the commander of royal guard, saying, “As the palace is not peaceful these days, the one locked up in the cell… Remember to keep him in custody carefully.”

One who could become the commander could not be stupid, so he understood what Little Orange meant immediately, “Eunuch, don’t worry. I will exert greater control over him.”

Then the commander increased the guards in the prison instantly.

Little Orange nodded with satisfaction and said, “I appreciate your hard work. Now excuse me for leaving.”

“My pleasure, mind your step.”

Although Lengmei had not got the information she wanted from Little Orange, she did not worry too much about it. Instead, Lengmei took a book and read it carefully.

After a long time, Lengmei reckoned it was time. Then she summoned one maid and instructed her something in a gentle voice. Lengmei went on reading at the sight of her maid leaving.

After a while, her maid came back and said to Lengmei reverently.

“You are prophetic, Your Grace. Little Orange did look for the commander and the commander did increase the guards in the prison. Now not a single fly can fly into the prison.”

“Ha-ha, he is just a servant with a limited field of vision. And he owns such a simple mind that he will easily get manipulated by me.” Lengmei sneered. “However, the prison is not a place that I can readily play politics. I need to get prepared with detailed plans.”

“You are so clever, Your Grace. It will be easy for you.”

Lengmei thought for a while and came up with a plan. “Come here.”

The maid got closer and crouched beside Lengmei.

“I need you to buy off those servants in the palace so that they can ‘accidentally’ say out that our empress still loves the former emperor, Helian Jue.

What’s more, she wants to save Helian Jue out of prison and helps him become the emperor again. Note that you should be careful and not be caught.”

Lengmei squinted her eyes slightly and said, “I’m going to see how she can deal with the problem this time!”

Hearing Lengmei’s words, the maid adulated, “You are as resourceful as the military counsellor, Your Grace.”

“You talk too much, just do your work!”

Tang Xia prepared an evening banquet in the palace just for Chu Tiankuo this evening.

As the sky darkened, everything became somewhat indistinct. The red platform was just set up appearing quite magnificent, which went well with the dress Tang Xia wore.

Tang Xia became nervous before the evening banquet started. As she looked at those servants coming and going, Tang Xia was on edge with her fingers twisting her dress.

As Tang Xia’s small act was noticed by the audience, they sent out messages on bullet screen to encourage Tang Xia.

“Don’t be frightened, anchor. Just do it!”

“Don’t be afraid, anchor. You can do it!”

“Come on! I will send a gift to you.”

“Wow! Diamond! What a Tuhao! Certification accomplished.”

“Can I ride on your coattails, Tuhao?”

“Look here, Tuhao. I’m lovable, too.”

…

Tang Xia was moved by these messages, “OK, I see. Thank all of you, I will make it!”

As she finished her sentence, Tang Xia got prepared carefully without looking at the messages any more.

After a while, Chu Tiankuo came. Tang Xia stood up from the seat immediately and hid behind the platform.

As Chu Tiankuo sat on the seat, there was no one else but a palace maid with a plain appearance who poured wine for him.

Chu Tiankuo became a little expectant as he heard that Tang Xia had been practicing dancing these days. Although he could have checked it out, he held back his curiosity and looked forward to what surprise Tang Xia would show to him.

Suddenly, candlelight was extinguished and then relit after a while.

It seemed that someone was on the platform. When Chu Tiankuo scrutinized who it was, he found that Tang Xia in a dancing dress stood on the platform.

Tang Xia wore a gold navel-baring dancing dress embellished with paillettes while her hands were tied with red silk. As Tang Xia left half of her hair falling over her shoulder, her skin was partly hidden and partly visible which was quite enchanting.

Then the musician standing aside started to play the music. Tang Xia in the dancing dress began to dance along with the soothing music. “Isn’t it waltz?”

Chu Tiankuo felt touched and surprisedly looked at Tang Xia who danced carefully because he didn’t expect what Tang Xia prepared for him was waltz. He suddenly recalled that as a guard, he had danced the waltz with Tang Xia in the former world, so he was moved.

As Tang Xia did not complete her dance, she stepped down from the platform. Feeling a little tired, Tang Xia took a deep breath slowly and offered her slender hand to Chu Tiankuo, saying, “Would you like to complete the dance with me, Your Majesty?”

Chu Tiankuo did not respond to her immediately but lowered his head pondering something.

As Tang Xia felt disappointed believing that Chu Tiankuo did not want to dance with her, Chu Tiankuo seized her hand before she was able to withdraw her hand. He embraced her.

“Hm?” The unexpected hug made Tang Xia a bit of uneasy.

Chu Tiankuo whispered in her ears, “How can I not say yes if my empress wants me to dance with her?”