As a result, the emperor's visits to the harem seemed to become rare. Even if he came occasionally, he mostly went to Concubine Hua's residence, and he rarely came to my place either.

But then I thought, even if the emperor doesn't come to my place often now, it's still sooner than a year from now. So, when the emperor summons me, I will give this rare opportunity to Xia Dongchun.

After all, I still have Xia Dongchun's 50,000 taels of silver notes in my hand.

Fifty thousand! Giving the emperor to her this time is not a loss.

......

For the past half month, life in the palace has been as peaceful as still water.

Until this afternoon, the eunuch from the Jingshifang came to the west wing hall of the Yanx Palace and told me that the emperor would come in the evening.

Instead, I slowly walked towards Xia Dongchun's east side hall.

"Sister Xia, I have good news—the emperor will be visiting the Yanxi Palace tonight."

Xia Dongchun's hand paused slightly, and her eyes in the mirror suddenly lit up, but with a hint of disbelief and suspicion:

"Oh? Are you serious? Why didn't the eunuch from the Imperial Household Department come to inform me?"

"The eunuch did come, but he went to my west side hall first to inform me of this matter."

Xia Dongchun couldn't help but frowned slightly when he heard this:

"Hmph, so the eunuch from the Imperial Household Department reported that the Emperor came to the Yanxi Palace, not directly to me, but to you? Are you kidding me?"

"Sister, you're too kind. How could I possibly have such thoughts? Sister, you know, it doesn't matter which palace the eunuch from the Imperial Household Department goes to deliver the message; what matters is where the Emperor is going tonight. What do you say, yes or no, Sister Xia?"

Xia Dongchun listened to what I said, his face full of doubts, so I added:

"I read my dreams and astrology last night, and the Queen Mother of the Nine Heavens said that Sister Xia's third night with the Emperor is today, and there's no need to wait a year. If you wait until tonight, you'll be pregnant with a dragon heir. Although the eunuch from the Imperial Household Department sent me this message, the Emperor will eventually come to you. Sister Xia, hurry up and dress up, and wait for the Queen Mother of the Nine Heavens to appear!"

After saying that, I returned to my west wing hall.

......

I slowly walked into the west side hall.

When Baojuan saw me coming back, she came up to me with a look of anxiety and concern on her face:

"My lady, where have you been? Why have you returned so late? I've been waiting anxiously. The Emperor has called your name card this evening and said he'd like to have dinner with you. My lady, I'll help you get ready right away. I'll make sure you look extraordinarily gorgeous to catch the Emperor's eye!"

Gently waved his hand:

"No need, Baojuan. Just wear your hair in a simple bun tonight. No need to be too fancy."

"But, my lady, this is a rare opportunity! The Emperor rarely comes, how can you be so casual? Let me dress you up properly, I'm sure you will be the most beautiful among all the beauties."

"No need. Oh, by the way, I heard that the emperor likes to drink duck soup..."

"Then did the young lady ask me to prepare it in the small kitchen in advance and present it to the emperor when the time comes?"

"No, I went to the East Side Hall to tell Lady Xia to prepare it, and then told her that I would call her over later."

"But, my lady! The Emperor has finally come here, how can we leave this good opportunity to Concubine Xia!"

"I told you to go, so go quickly!"

Seeing my resolute attitude, Baojuan nodded in agreement, although she still had doubts in her heart.

"Yes, my lady. I obey your command."

......

The night was as dark as ink, the soft light of the palace lanterns sprinkled in the hall, and the emperor arrived as promised.

Baojuan and I, along with the other servants, quickly bowed and saluted, saying in unison:

"Your Majesty, good luck."

The emperor waved his hand and asked us to stand up.

We sat down at the dining table one by one. The emperor glanced at the dishes on the table, frowned slightly, and said:

"This dinner seems a little bland."

I bowed slightly and explained softly:

"Your Majesty, I've been feeling a little unwell lately. The Imperial Physician has advised me to avoid greasy food, so the meals prepared by the kitchen these days have been relatively light. I'm used to them and find them delicious, but I didn't expect Your Majesty to dislike them. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

"I see. Your health is very important and you need to take good care of yourself. However, although the dishes on this table are light, they also have a certain elegance. I think they must have taken a lot of thought."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding. I noticed that Concubine Xia in the East Wing Hall was stewing duck soup. The aroma was so fragrant, I thought it must be delicious. How about I send someone to ask Concubine Xia for some so that Your Majesty can taste it?"

Upon hearing this, the Emperor smiled playfully:

"If this happened to Concubine Hua, she would definitely not choose to invite other concubines to eat together at this time."

"Your Majesty came to my place and found it unpalatable. I am truly guilty of this crime and have no time to think about anything else. If Sister Xia's duck soup can satisfy your Majesty, then I should really thank you, Sister Xia."

After hearing this, the emperor smiled heartily:

"Well, since you say so, I will try Lady Xia's duck soup to see if it is as delicious as you say."

......

In a short while, the door of my west wing hall was gently pushed open, and Xia Dongchun, dressed in gorgeous clothes and with pretty makeup, walked in with light steps. Behind her followed a maid, who was holding a bowl of steaming and fragrant duck soup steadily in her hand.

As soon as Xia Dongchun entered the room, she bowed gracefully, her voice filled with joy and respect:

"Your humble servant Xia Dongchun pays homage to His Majesty. May Your Majesty be blessed with good health and happiness."

The Emperor looked up and said:

"Lady Xia has arrived. She is so beautifully dressed today. I heard you were stewing duck soup, and I am honored to have tasted it."

"It is my great honor that Your Majesty likes this. I specially ordered this duck soup to be simmered over low heat, adding a variety of nourishing ingredients. It is both delicious and nourishing. Your Majesty, please enjoy it slowly."

The emperor smiled slightly and motioned the eunuch beside him to take the duck soup from the maid. He took a sip and nodded in praise:

"Mm, it tastes really good, very fresh and delicious. Lady Xia is really thoughtful and has great cooking skills."

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. It is my honor to share your worries and offer you a little gift from my concubine."

I sat quietly aside, observing the laughter and chatter between the emperor and Xia Dongchun. They were having a very pleasant chat, so I quietly winked at the palace maids around me, signaling them to quietly leave the room. I slowly stood up and walked towards the incense burner.

I gently took out an exquisite sachet from my sleeve, which contained the "love incense" I carefully prepared.

I know that although this incense can help people feel excited, it is also a silent battle, a test of one's emotions and rationality.

However, at this moment, I seemed to have made my decision.

I carefully opened the incense burner, slowly poured the spices from the sachet into it, and lit it. In an instant, a light and elegant fragrance began to spread in the air.

I stared at the rising smoke, as if watching a silent drama about to be performed.

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