funbook-pk Chapter 293 As Long As You Have a Piece of Sincerity
Chapter 293 As Long As You Have a Piece of Sincerity
Chapter 293 As long as you have a sincere heart
Xia'er continued, "I saw from afar that Jing, the eunuch, led a group of eunuchs to deliver many rewards."
Hua Yan's features were roughly clear, presumably because the Tang family merchant guild had offered up the Snow Cloud Silk.
I thought that since the Emperor had come to honor Consort Chun, he would not come to the side hall. But before I could even drink a cup of tea, the long, drawn-out call of the eunuch Jing came from outside.
Hua Yan had no choice but to get up and prepare to go outside the hall to greet him. Green Willow sighed and whispered a reminder, "Your manners! You should at least pay attention to them." Hua Yan then hurriedly tidied her temples.
"What is Shu'er doing?"
The Emperor's deep voice sounded above her head. Hua Yan curtsied, but before she could fully stand up, a slender hand reached out in front of her.
She paused slightly, then raised her hand, letting the Emperor's warm palm gently envelop her fingertips. His thumb lightly caressed the back of her hand before leading her slowly into the flower hall inside the palace.
Hua Yan lowered her eyes and said softly, "The weather is getting warmer. I just did some embroidery and was about to ask Your Highness to take a walk in the Imperial Garden."
The Emperor smiled faintly. “It’s no fun being confined to the palace all day. The Imperial Garden is just a small place. When it gets hot, come with me to Changchun Garden to escape the heat. It’s built by the water and the garden is spacious. It’s a good place to cool off and relax.”
As he spoke, his gaze fell on the sewing basket on the table. "It looks like you're embroidering sachets? Is there any for me?"
Hua Yan was thinking about the summer retreat at Changchun Garden when she heard this and was slightly taken aback. She then chuckled and said, "...Yes, these were originally intended as Dragon Boat Festival gifts for the Emperor and the Empress."
"Just sachets?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow.
Among the concubines in the harem, apart from the naturally aloof Consort Song, only Hua Yan remained unfazed by either favor or disgrace.
He was neither overly attentive nor deliberately distant. He always maintained a perfect sense of propriety, making him enigmatic, yet he held him in high regard.
Sometimes, even the Emperor himself couldn't explain why he was so fond of her. In the end, he could only attribute it to her beauty and talent—there was probably no one in the entire palace more outstanding than Consort Meng.
"What other gifts would Your Majesty like? Although my family is not wealthy, when I entered the palace, Lady Yun also gave me a dowry."
Hua Yan's words carried a rare touch of playfulness, making her eyes and brows even more expressive.
The Emperor's heart softened at her appearance, and he couldn't help but reach out and pull her into his arms. Hua Yan's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed, but she still lowered her eyes, intentionally avoiding the Emperor's gaze.
"I--"
"As long as you have a sincere heart."
The Emperor paused deliberately, his voice low and gentle.
Hua Yan was stunned, her mind going blank for a moment. She looked up at the Emperor, only to find his gaze intense, as if he could see right through her. She subconsciously pursed her lips, a sense of panic rising within her.
Jingming and Lvliu stood aside, exchanged a glance, and lowered their heads in unison, about to perform a meditation, when they felt an unfriendly gaze sweep over them.
Jingming pursed his lips, gave Lvliu a wink, and the two quietly left the bedchamber.
The hall fell silent. Hua Yan was held in the Emperor's arms, the faint scent of his ambergris lingering around her nose, yet she felt increasingly uneasy. She opened her mouth, unsure how to reply.
"Why is Shu'er silent?"
"Your Majesty, how about I present you with a painting?" Hua Yan asked dryly, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
The emperor understood, and a faint sense of loss rose in his heart.
He released her hand, took a slight step back, but his gaze remained fixed on her face. Hua Yan seemed completely unmoved by him. Thinking of this, the Emperor fell silent, then asked directly, "Why does Shu'er not like me?"
Upon hearing this, Hua Yan's heart tightened, and she quickly lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty is the supreme ruler, and I naturally respect you."
As the Emperor looked at her lowered eyes, a strange emotion welled up within him. Her respect felt like a needle piercing his heart.
"Only respect?"
The emperor suddenly spoke in a cold voice, his tone carrying a hint of anger.
He stepped forward and looked down at her, saying, "Shu'er, you don't need to consider yourself a concubine of Consort Chun. In my heart, you have never been a concubine."
Having said that, the emperor said no more and turned to leave the side hall.
Hua Yan stared at his retreating figure, frozen in place for a moment. Only when the figure in black completely disappeared outside the palace gate did she slowly withdraw her gaze, her fingertips unconsciously twisting her sleeves, her palms already damp with a thin layer of sweat.
Green Willow quietly entered the bedchamber and saw that Flower Face's face was as pale as paper, which made her heart tighten.
She hurried forward and asked in a low voice, "Did Shu'er offend the Emperor just now? I saw that the Emperor looked displeased, and when Eunuch Jing was a moment too slow, he kicked him..."
Hua Yan: "......"
Forcing herself to composed herself, she managed a weak smile. "It's alright."
Seeing this, Green Willow became even more worried, but dared not ask any more questions. She could only help her sit down and pour her a cup of hot tea.
Hua Yan took the teacup, her fingertips touching the warm porcelain, but she felt no warmth at all. The Emperor's words, "In my heart, you have never been a concubine," kept echoing in her mind.
A sense of bewilderment welled up inside me.
Once Hua Yan had recovered some of her spirits, Lv Liu cautiously said, "Wearing sachets on the Dragon Boat Festival is a custom, but it's really nothing new. Even if Shu'er doesn't try to stand out and compete for favor, it's not good to always be so... 'cold'."
"What should we do then? Even if we wanted to prepare other gifts, it's too late."
Green Willow: "......"
“My lord, it’s not really a matter of the gift, it’s that we haven’t done our best.”
Hua Yan was even more confused and said irritably, "What nonsense is this? It's just a sachet, take it or leave it."
Just then, Consort Chun's voice came from outside the door.
"--I want!"
A sense of helplessness welled up in Green Willow's heart; neither of her masters was a source of peace of mind...