Refusing to Serve Me? Then Off With Your Head!

The King At Troubled Times

After the previous emperor's death, the young crown prince inherited the throne. All factions were eager to make their moves back then. Though Father was there to suppress them as the regent, the opposite faction led by Uncle Yan who was the military's Fan Wang wasn't willing to bow down. I also heard that Rui Wang frequently took his beloved daughter Qin Yu Zheng to Uncle Yan's manor; rumors had it that he apparently wanted to have a marriage alliance with Uncle Yan.

That was a bad news for me.

———- Whenever times like these came, I really wanted to shake off my men clothing and announce to the world: Actually I am a woman. Truth be told, with this young lady's background, I too wasn't a bad choice for political marriage...... As long as I could turn Yan Ping's head back to me.

Yan Ping had started to acknowledge me lately, he was no longer as cold as he used to be. But he was obviously not as warm as to discuss marriage proposals with me.

One day, while I was testing in my chamber, I received Xiao Huang's summon to enter the palace.

I cleaned myself up and rode a horse to the imperial palace. By the time I arrived, the morning court has just ended and the officials were retreating back from the Great Hall. I accidentally bumped into the official uncle from the military department. He poked fun at me, "Xiao Yi, even the emperor is getting married, when will you? Do you want uncle to matchmake you with a pretty maiden?"

I wiped the sweat on my forehead before respectfully bowing over to him, "Xiao Yi is not in a rush. I shall wait to drink the celebratory wine from uncle first!" Who told you to always visit our manor and steal my spicy lobster?

In the end, he discourteously slapped me on my back. "Little bastard, you actually made fun of your uncle? Quick, enter the palace now! Don't let the emperor wait for too long!" he scolded me.

After his wife divorced him, he sent away all the female servants from his manor. Even the old mamas were sent to live elsewhere; his manor was no different than a monastery.

I looked at his thick eyebrows and his eyes that were staring fiercely at me. After that, he laughed heartily before heading back to his horse. Something seemed to be stuck at my throat; I decided to give in to him the next time he try to fight over my food again. What if he didn't ate enough and didn't have the energy to hit me?

When I arrived in Zhong Hua Palace later, Xiao Huang was already pacing anxiously in the hall. Seeing me, he grabbed me over and quickly begged me, "Xiao Yi, my Imperial Mother wants to select my empress and consorts."

I looked at him up and down, the fifteen year old Xiao Huang was indeed handsome. His eyebrows were thick and straight. Unfortunately, he didn't hold back when it came to food so he had a lot of meat on him. He was a little chubby. Add that with that pitiful look on his eyes; there was no heroic air in him at all.

I kindheartedly comforted him, "Actually, selecting an empress and consorts are fun. They can keep you company in the palace; they can eat with you, play with you, sleep with you. You will not be lonely anymore."

He angrily threw away my arms before fiercely glaring at me. He looked a little disappointed, as though I could not understand what he wanted. "Xiao Yi, I do not need people to keep me company. Besides, you are there to do all those things with me. It is better for you to enter the palace than those consorts that I didn't know."

I shivered from the fear and shock.

Last night, I passed by Father's study and accidentally heard his discussion with Uncle Tong about political marriage between Uncle Yan's manor and Rui Wang's manor. I also heard about the empress dowager selecting the new empress from her maiden family's clan. All the courtiers were excited by this news, waiting to send their daughters into the harem.