LOT - 4

Rong Mu suddenly snapped back to his senses. He pursed his lips and turned around with a helpless smile. "Eunuch Lang, how about you just call me Young Master Rong?"

The Emperor wanted to play a part against him, so he likely wouldn't care about such a minor detail. Originally, Rong Mu had been anxious about lying to the Emperor, but since the man had immediately countered with a scheme to use him, they were even. This realization actually calmed his nerves quite a bit.

Lang Xi looked slightly conflicted. "This... this isn't quite according to the rules..."

Rong Mu, still carrying his modern mindset, replied, "It's fine. At worst, I’ll just discuss it with him."

Lang Xi was shocked. "Ah?"

It’s fine? With him? Discuss it? Was "him"... referring to His Majesty?!

The look of hidden admiration in Lang Xi’s eyes faded, replaced by a gaze of concerned pity.

This Young Master Rong... after just one night, had he already been scared out of his mind by His Majesty’s imperial majesty?

Lang Xi opened his mouth, for once finding himself speechless.

What a pity. Such a beauty, yet his brain wasn't right. He had thought the boy might survive for a while longer, but now it looked like he might not see tomorrow.

***

Rong Mu didn't know what kind of wild scenarios Lang Xi was dreaming up. After standing in the breeze for a while, he found himself getting hungrier.

Lang Xi was about to lead the way, but Rong Mu stopped him. The youth in white stood in the wind, his purple-and-white hair ribbon fluttering over his shoulder. His eyes were bright and clear as he stared at the gardens of Ziyuan Hall. "Eunuch, I want to go look at the flowers first."

Lang Xi: "But we have to wait for His Majesty to return for..."

Rong Mu: "I know. Waiting here is the same. When His Majesty returns, I’ll be able to see him the moment he arrives."

Wasn't he supposed to be playing the favored Consort persona? The better he acted, the higher the Emperor would perceive his utility.

However, acting aside, he had to ensure his strange metaphysical condition was stable. Rong Mu hadn't fully figured out his flower body yet, despite human food being right there, for some reason, he had a desperate craving for raw dew this morning.

Lang Xi couldn't guess the limits of the Emperor's tolerance for this Consort. But having held his position by the Emperor's side for so many years, his secret was simple: do more, speak less, and never ask what shouldn't be asked.

He slowly stepped aside, watching Rong Mu walk toward the garden. "Ming Chun, go keep an eye on him."

A small palace maid behind Lang Xi stepped forward. "Yes, Eunuch."

Ming Chun looked up at the beautiful Consort walking ahead of her, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. She had worked in Ziyuan Hall for a year and had seen plenty of people sucking up to the powerful while treading on the weak. 

She thought her life would end one day under the Emperor's wrath, but she hadn't expected... a gentle and kind Consort to appear in Ziyuan Hall.

When had a lowly servant like her ever been looked at with such caring eyes? Even her own parents had treated her as a piece of cargo to be sold.

Ming Chun followed closely. Curiously, the closer she got to Consort Rong, the more peaceful and serene her heart became. Even her old fear of death wasn't as sharp... she wondered if Eunuch Lang felt the same.

Eunuch Lang was usually so strict in private, aside from speaking softly to the Emperor, when was he ever like this with anyone else? Could it be that he, too, was captivated by Consort Rong’s god-like face?

The more Ming Chun thought about it, the more likely it seemed. With such a magnificent, jade-like appearance, it would be hard for anyone, aside from the Emperor, not to like such a handsome man.

***

Ziyuan Hall was the Emperor's private residence and was always heavily guarded. Even the garden was lined with guards in black armor. Rong Mu glanced at them, noticing their gear looked similar to the guard who had escorted the carriage yesterday, they likely belonged to the same imperial unit.

The black armor looked truly imposing and cool. He had to admit, this tyrant actually had some decent aesthetic taste.

As he passed the Emperor's Guards, he habitually gave a small nod of greeting to a guard. The guard froze, then gave a stiff cupped-fist salute in return.

Usually, when the Emperor was away, the entire palace was as silent as a tomb. But this morning it was bustling, and even Eunuch Lang looked a bit more relaxed.

The guard, having just changed shifts, didn't know exactly what had happened last night. He had only heard from the brothers on the previous shift that a mysterious male beauty had entered Ziyuan Hall.

He had scoffed at first. What beauty could possibly have even half the majestic aura of our Emperor? It wasn't until the youth had been past him for several moments that the guard finally reacted.

Well... it doesn't always have to be dragon and phoenix. A clear breeze and bright moon vibe is also quite rare.

While he was secretly marveling, he saw the refreshing little deity crouch down by a cluster of flowers. A palace maid carefully managed the hem of his robe for him. 

Then, both of them watched with wide eyes as Rong Mu stroked a green leaf, brought the shimmering morning dew to his lips, and drank it down in an instant, letting out a comfortable sigh.

The Guard: "..."

Ming Chun: "!!!"

Ming Chun cried out, "Ah! Young Master!"

Starving, Rong Mu didn't care if people thought he was a lunatic. He hurriedly replied, "It's very green and healthy", before drinking a few more mouthfuls. Only then did his entire body feel clear and comfortable, even his parched throat felt better.

Ming Chun was nearly in tears. she wanted to find Eunuch Lang for advice, but Lang Xi had disappeared to the side hall to set the table. For a moment, every attendant, maid, and Black Imperial Guards on duty stood frozen, staring at Rong Mu.

Unaware, Rong Mu finished his meal and walked over to his original body to give it some extra affection. This lotus currently only gave off a faint fragrance, its buds still closed. 

He wondered what it would look like when it fully bloomed. Would it be as beautiful as the ones he’d seen back in the modern world?

Rong Mu stretched. Now that he was mostly full, he’d still have to play along and fake eat a meal with the Emperor later. He wondered if the man would notice...

"What are you all doing?" A deep voice suddenly rang out from outside Ziyuan Hall.

The people in the hall finally seemed to snap back to life, dropping to their knees in a clatter to beg for forgiveness. The sound made Rong Mu's own knees ache in sympathy. Then, he saw the Emperor step inside, his noble robes brushing over the threshold.

Shang Cizhou walked slowly toward Rong Mu. "I couldn't see clearly last night, but in the daylight, my Consort is truly beautiful. Even these people are dazed from looking at you."

Ming Chun, being the closest, began to tremble violently.

Looking at the smiling Emperor, Rong Mu cursed inwardly. This guy is trouble... His master was peerlessly handsome and looked every bit the gentleman, but he was rotten to the core.

Judging his role, Rong Mu blinked. With a flick of his wide sleeves, several delicate flowers he had just secretly hidden appeared in his palm.

Having seen too many terrified faces, seeing one that wasn't particularly afraid of him was eye-catching. Shang Cizhou watched the youth startle for a second, then his face immediately lit up with a touch of liveliness and joy.

The change was so fast that if Shang Cizhou hadn't been watching closely, he might have been fooled.

"Your Majesty must be starving! Come, let's eat breakfast!"

The familiar tone made Shang Cizhou pause. Taking advantage of the moment, Rong Mu grabbed the Emperor's hand and stuffed the messy pile of flowers, including two that had already lost petals, into the man's large palm.

The youth's long hair carried a faint scent, bound by a purple-and-white silver bell ribbon. His slightly upturned eyes were particularly expressive, as if they held all the vitality of spring.

It was a level of vividness and brilliance Shang Cizhou had never seen before, so much so that for a fleeting moment, he felt a flicker of doubt about his own perfect plans.

But the daze lasted only a second. In the next moment, Shang Cizhou remembered his true intention for keeping Rong Mu.

He let out a low chuckle and leaned down slightly, sniffing the clear fragrance in Rong Mu's hair, playing the part of a ruler who had lost his head over a beautiful, bewitching Consort.

Rong Mu swallowed hard. Then, he heard the tyrant whisper in his ear, his voice soft and half-menacing: "I can choose not to ask who you are for now. But I am terribly jealous regarding my own things. If you dare entice them to look at you again, I’ll pluck out their eyes and feed them to the dogs. Do you understand, my Consort?"​