Chapter 40

Nie Qinglin glanced at the nameplate on the gift box, which read: “From Ge Qingyuan, son of the Minister of Justice.”

Before she could grasp the faint memory it stirred, the little eunuch was already preparing to put the small gift box away.

“This one looks quite interesting. Send it to my bedchamber,” Nie Qinglin said with a smile.

The rest of the gifts were nothing special—just a formality to glance over.

Finally, the Grand Tutor’s congratulatory gift was presented.

Of course, the Marquis Wei’s tribute to His Majesty wouldn’t be something as vulgar as gold or silver.

Instead, it was a scroll, though it was unclear which dynasty’s master had painted it.

When the two little eunuchs carefully unrolled the painting, a beautiful woman appeared before their eyes.

The woman in the painting stood beneath a red plum tree, reaching out to shake a white kitten perched on a branch.

Though she was depicted in profile, her delicate brows, skin like congealed fat, and serene expression leaped off the paper.

The entire painting was elegantly colored, with hairpins and floral details rendered in lifelike detail.

The beauty in the painting bore a striking resemblance to her own reflection in the mirror—clearly, it was a portrait of her.

Nie Qinglin’s heart skipped a beat.

When did the Grand Tutor have an artist see me in women’s attire?

Upon closer inspection, the signature bore the Grand Tutor’s personal seal.

Nie Qinglin nearly sighed to the heavens: The Grand Tutor is too stingy! He didn’t spend a single penny, just shut himself in his room and frugally painted a portrait as a congratulatory gift.

However, Wei Lenghou was truly a once-in-a-century prodigy—brilliant in intellect, ruthless in execution, and a master of political maneuvering.

Now, it turned out his painting skills were no less impressive.

Detailed portraits of beauties were the ultimate test of an artist’s finesse, and who knew how much time the ever-busy Grand Tutor had wasted meticulously crafting this painting.

As she examined the scroll, she could keenly sense a pair of burning eyes staring at her from behind the beaded curtain. N

ie Qinglin offered a faint smile in the Grand Tutor’s direction, acknowledging his thoughtfulness.

The moment her radiant smile appeared, the gaze grew even more scorching.

When the banquet began, the Grand Tutor had originally intended to step behind the beaded curtain to drink with the Emperor.

But just then, a guard hurried over and whispered something in his ear.

The Grand Tutor immediately rose and left the hall.

The moment he departed, the atmosphere in the grand hall instantly became livelier.

The music bureau’s strings and pipes played, and dozens of dancers began their graceful performance.

Everyone soon became immersed in the music and dance.

However, seated high on the dais, Nie Qinglin distinctly noticed that among the gathered noble sons and young masters, one person’s gaze kept drifting toward her.

Following the gaze, she saw a young, handsome man dressed in a blue brocade robe, with thick brows and bright eyes.

He didn’t resemble any of the imperial relatives or nobles she had met before, and she had no idea which household he belonged to.

Instead of enjoying the beautiful dancers, he kept staring intently in her direction.

After sharing a few drinks with the ministers, the Emperor, “overcome by wine,” left the hall early.

Her bedchamber had undergone renovations after the snake incident—a moat now encircled the palace, filled with realgar water to prevent any more venomous creatures from intruding.

Pity the biggest snake can’t be stopped by this little moat…

Nie Qinglin thought ruefully.

Entering the bedchamber, she immediately spotted the gift box of the child climbing the tree placed on the bookshelf.

With nothing else to do, she picked it up and reclined on the soft couch, idly playing with it.

After adjusting the mechanism, the little clay child began climbing the tree again.

Nie Qinglin stared intently at the two clay figurines when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her.

She remembered the summer when she was eight years old—her father had gone to the summer palace to escape the heat.

Back then, her father’s hunting instincts stretched far and wide, even to the wives of his ministers.

To cover his tracks, he openly declared he was “sharing joy” with his subjects, bringing along several high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Justice, and other departments, along with their families.

Then, seizing the opportunity, he lured the beautiful wife of Vice Minister Ge of Justice, Lady Bai, to a secluded spot in the palace gardens to indulge in his debauchery.

Surprisingly, Vice Minister Ge was a man of extraordinary tolerance—despite wearing a cuckold’s hat as large as a bronze bell, he remained unperturbed, serving his emperor loyally and treating his unfaithful wife as if nothing had happened.

Even after the Emperor’s infatuation faded, Vice Minister Ge’s career remained prosperous.

Even after the Grand Tutor’s coup, the Ge family stood firm, still serving in court, now as the Minister of Justice.

Of course, she only learned of her father’s “heroic deeds” as she grew older.

At the time, she had no playmates her age, so she befriended Lady Bai’s ten-year-old son.

That young boy was quite mischievous, full of inventive games, and she often sneaked away from her mother and the palace maids to climb trees with him in the gardens.

At first, she was afraid of heights and hesitated to climb.

The young Ge boy actually pulled down his pants, threatening to pee on her if she didn’t climb up—scaring her into scrambling up the tree in no time…

This little box vividly recreated that scene, making it impossible for her not to recall those memories.

But what was the intention behind this gift from her childhood friend? Most officials went all out to curry favor with the Grand Tutor, yet he chose to send this.

Even if it reminded her of their childhood bond, what could she, a powerless Emperor, do to help him?

As she watched, a thought suddenly struck her.

Remembering how they used to climb the tree to pick apricots, she reached out and plucked the largest “apricot” from the clay tree.

Rolling it open, she found a hidden slip of paper with a short poem written in small, neat characters:

Green apricots hang ripe, tempting the greedy,
Climbing high, vying for the lush branches.
Asked what sights lie at the summit,
A distant temple, white waters by the mountainside.

At first glance, the poem seemed like a playful depiction of childhood mischief, hardly remarkable for its literary flair.

But Nie Qinglin suddenly remembered the word games she used to play with young Ge.

Back then, though she was young, she was quick at deciphering characters, winning many marbles from him.

Sure enough, when she broke down the poem, she discovered its hidden meaning.

The first characters of the first two lines—’green’ (qīng) and ‘strive’ (zhēng)—combined to form ‘quiet’ (jìng). The first characters of the last two lines—’person’ (rén) and ‘temple’ (sì)—formed ‘wait’ (dài).

Quietly wait?

Nie Qinglin’s expression stiffened.

The slip of paper suddenly felt scorching in her hands.

Her first thought was: Is this a test from the Grand Tutor?

But upon reflection, such convoluted methods weren’t his style.

This must be young Master Ge’s own doing.

But what did he want her to wait for? Minister Ge was already advanced in years.

If she recalled correctly, she had seen a petition in the imperial study long ago—Minister Ge had requested retirement, waiting only for a suitable successor before returning to his hometown.

Without his father’s influence, what waves could this supposedly loyal young hero of Great Wei hope to make?

Nie Qinglin sighed and held the slip of paper over the incense burner, watching as it curled into fine ash, leaving no trace behind…

After the time it took an incense stick to burn, the Grand Tutor, undeterred by the realgar moat, arrived gracefully.

Entering the room, he saw the little Emperor still in her ceremonial robes, lazily sprawled on the couch.

He chuckled, “Today is Your Majesty’s birthday. Why are you lying here like a sluggish kitten?”

“The banquet dishes were too greasy. After a few bites,the mouth felt tired. Rather than suffering on the throne, We thought it better to rest here.”

Seeing the Grand Tutor enter, Nie Qinglin reluctantly sat up.

The Grand Tutor removed his outer robe and sat beside her, pulling the Dragon Pearl into his arms.

“Those were just ceremonial dishes—meat, vegetables, and soups all arranged according to ancestral rites. This humble minister knew the lazy kitten would be picky, so I had the kitchen prepare another table. Since you haven’t eaten, accompany me for a meal.”

With that, he summoned Nanny Shan to help the Emperor change into casual attire.

The light dress was made of pink gossamer silk, layered over a thin white satin underskirt.

With every slight movement, the hem trailed like peach blossoms drifting along a Jiangnan stream.

Yet Nie Qinglin felt uncomfortable in it.

Under Nanny Shan’s daily massages, her once barely-there chest had grown noticeably, sometimes aching even without touch.

The undergarments she wore were also cunningly tailored, lifting and shaping her into two plump little mounds.

What was once a flat plane now required navigating over hills—a most inconvenient development.

The dress’s neckline was also cut daringly low, exposing a generous expanse of delicate skin and even a hint of the pink undergarment beneath.

The Grand Tutor, however, seemed to adore the dress, his eyes shamelessly lingering on the exposed skin.

“Your Majesty has gained some flesh recently. It seems my efforts haven’t been in vain.”

Nie Qinglin’s cheeks flushed slightly, pretending not to understand his meaning as she gracefully took her seat at the table.

The dishes the eunuchs brought out were indeed different from those in the main hall.

The main course was a plate of crystal fish jelly with shredded rabbit meat—tender strips coated in delicate fish aspic, melting in the mouth.

There was also a traditionally roasted mountain bird, marinated in fresh broth, wrapped in red clay, and slow-roasted for three hours before cracking open the crust.

The result was crispy outside, tender inside, bursting with flavor.

The other dishes followed the same principle—few in number but exquisite in quality.

The Grand Tutor filled the Emperor’s cup with wine.

“This is cherry rice wine brewed by the imperial kitchens last year, freshly opened and seasoned yesterday. It’s sweet and sour—perfect for Your Majesty.”

He brought the cup to the Dragon Pearl’s lips.

Nie Qinglin reluctantly took a small sip.

The wine was indeed fragrant, without a hint of harshness.

Though Wei Lenghou claimed to be hungry, he wasn’t in a hurry to eat.

Instead, he focused on feeding the Emperor, piling delicacies into her mouth.

After struggling to swallow his “affection,” Nie Qinglin hastily grabbed a teacup to rinse her mouth.

“Grand Tutor, please eat at your leisure. We truly can’t take any more.”

The Grand Tutor arched a brow, his phoenix eyes smiling.

“If you can’t eat more, at least drink more. Now that Your Majesty is an adult, you can’t keep acting like a child who only drinks syrup.”

The Dragon Pearl smiled bitterly.

Her past experiences drinking with him had been unpleasant.

Now that she was trapped under this demon’s claws, every word and action had to be cautious.

If she drank too much, who knew what dangerous things she might say? She shook her head firmly, refusing to drink more.

The Grand Tutor’s lips curved as he poured the wine into his own mouth.

Suddenly, he leaned down, capturing her soft lips and feeding the wine directly into her mouth.

The Dragon Pearl’s mind blanked.

Her teeth parted slightly as a sweet-and-sour flood filled her mouth, along with a little serpentine tongue that wreaked havoc, licking and exploring every corner.

Excess wine trickled down the corner of her lips, trailing down her chest, staining her skin and dampening the undergarment, turning the pale pink into a deep, suggestive red…

Dizzy from the Grand Tutor’s skilled kisses, she barely registered when he pulled her from the table, rolling them both onto the dragon bed…