Volume 1, Chapter 32: Sentiments

It was unclear whether the fish soup and side dishes had been prepared by Shen Ran himself, but they were certainly conducive to healing wounds. As for the cherries, they were exceptionally rare and difficult to store—a precious fruit that, even within the imperial palace, was reserved for the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and the highest-ranking consorts. Even for them, the annual supply was limited to a mere taste of the season.

The intent behind Shen Ran ordering these to be delivered to Zhao Yuanzhuo was blindingly obvious.

Upon hearing this, Xue Wu felt a jolt of alarm. Subconsciously, she moved to intervene. "Your Majesty..."

Shen Ran smiled and took hold of her hand. "It is just some food, hardly worth mentioning. I have tasted your sincerity, so naturally, I must return the gesture. Ah-Wu, do not insist on refusing me, or I shall truly be angry."

With Shen Ran having spoken thus, Xue Wu could hardly continue to decline. Her lips parted slightly, and finally, she lowered her head, her face flushing with color. "This consort thanks Your Majesty."

Yuanbao fought desperately to suppress the twitching of his lips and bowed his head so low that, had his belly not been so large, his forehead might have nearly touched his toes.

Precious fruits like lychees and cherries were certainly available in the palace, but they were always prioritized for Liu Ruyi; the Empress Dowager would receive her share, but others need not even dream of them. Yet now, they were being sent off to a mere guard as if they were worthless trifles.

Although Zhao Yuanzhuo had received a caning that day—a common punishment for a guard regardless of where he was placed—Shen Ran had quietly arranged for him to be housed in the side hall of the Weiyang Palace and had personally overseen the imperial physicians' diagnosis and prescriptions. He spoke with harsh words, yet behind the scenes, he was terrified of accidentally crippling the man and having no way to answer to the Empress.

Xue Wu and Zhao Yuanzhuo remained unaware of these details, but as the man who served Shen Ran closely, how could Yuanbao be ignorant? The way Shen Ran was behaving was hardly the treatment one afforded a common guard, especially one who was the descendant of a disgraced official.

Though Shen Ran had been gentle with Liu Ruyi in the past, Yuanbao felt this was a different kind of tenderness. Liu Ruyi was enchanting and fiery, always finding new ways to please him; her smile never faded in his presence, so it was only natural for Shen Ran to favor her. She was gentle, beautiful, considerate, and understanding—a woman who would exhaust every effort to please her husband. Every man in the world would love such a woman.

However, Xue Wu was clearly not of that sort. She was thin-skinned, cold in temperament, and knew neither how to act coy nor how to curry favor. Yet, in these past few days, whenever Shen Ran was with her, he had clearly been restraining his temper, coaxing her with infinite patience. He had become so composed that his temper seemed to have vanished entirely.

This struck Yuanbao as utterly incredible. He racked his brain but could not fathom the reason for Shen Ran’s sudden change. When he asked Wenxi, the other man only replied vaguely, telling him to serve the Emperor and the Empress well. He would certainly serve the Emperor well, and as for the Empress... whoever Shen Ran favored, he would serve. It had been Liu Ruyi before, and now it was Xue Wu; perhaps there would be others later. To him, it made no difference.

Yuanbao gestured with a delicate hand and immediately ordered the servants to pack the fish soup and side dishes into food boxes, adding a full bowl of cherries to be sent to Zhao Yuanzhuo.

Once everything was arranged, Yuanbao did not immediately withdraw. Rolling his eyes, he offered a fawning smile to Shen Ran and Xue Wu. "Reporting to Your Majesty and the Empress, the weather is exceptionally cold today. Since you have both spent quite some time in the kitchen, you have inevitably picked up the scent of grease and smoke. If you were to soak in the Clear Dew Pool, it would be most refreshing, and you would surely enjoy a restful sleep afterward."

Xue Wu froze.

As these words left his lips, the already burning heat on Xue Wu's cheeks flared into an even deeper crimson. Bound by the fact that Yuanbao was someone who had followed Shen Ran since childhood, she found it difficult to object. Although the bathing quarters for the Emperor and his consorts were separate, all women in the inner palace belonged to the Emperor. While she could not easily enter his bathing quarters, there was no impediment to him entering hers.

It was not unheard of for an Emperor to favor a consort in the hot springs, and if Shen Ran were to... how could she refuse? The scenes from their wedding night flashed before her eyes. Xue Wu subconsciously tightened her slightly cool fingers and bit her lip in hesitation.

Shen Ran arched a brow, looking at Yuanbao with a faint, inscrutable smile. Then, turning his head to gaze into Xue Wu’s eyes, he spoke slowly, "What does Ah-Wu think?"

After a moment's pause, he did not wait for her answer, adding, "If you are unwilling, there is no need to force it."

His eyes held a smile that masked their cold, piercing depths, leaving only a bewitching, shimmering brilliance. In an instant, Xue Wu’s heart skipped a beat, and a dull ringing filled her ears. She felt dazed, as if lost in a fog, unable to clear her mind.

After a brief silence, Xue Wu bowed slightly and whispered, "This consort shall follow Your Majesty's will."