Chapter Sixteen: Pulling Your Hair!

“Yes, it’s finished.” Shen Fuyu pointed at the broken pieces on the floor. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Qin Zhiyi fell silent.

From a distance, Shen Fuyu once again received a surge of anger from the Empress Dowager. Clearly, her unique way of administering punishment had not escaped the Empress Dowager’s notice. Wonderful! Let her stew in her anger.

“Enough,” Qin Zhiyi said. He had never intended to interfere in the matter of the punishment. As long as Shen Fuyu was unharmed, his own plans would not be delayed. “Come with me.”

“Really? In broad daylight, where does Your Majesty wish to take me?” Shen Fuyu sidled up to him, a blush creeping across her face. “Aren’t you neglecting your imperial duties? Is this how an emperor should behave? Can you face the people of Da Xun with such conduct? Should you really be cavorting with your concubine like this?”

“Silence,” he commanded.

Qin Zhiyi grabbed Shen Fuyu’s wrist and led her out of the Crescent Moon Palace. Her incessant chatter trailed behind them, grating on his nerves. “If you don’t stop, I’ll have someone force a draught of silence down your throat!”

“Oh, how terrifying!” Shen Fuyu batted her eyes, a spark of curiosity lighting within her. She had lived a long life and tasted every poison imaginable, yet never had anyone tried to make her drink a mute elixir.

Sidling closer, she asked, “Your Majesty, what does this mute medicine taste like? Is it sweet?”

“How should I know?” Qin Zhiyi was flummoxed. Who would ask such a thing? “If you’re curious, I’ll find someone who’s drunk it and have them answer you another day.”

“Someone who’s taken it won’t be able to answer me,” Shen Fuyu replied.

Qin Zhiyi frowned. “Why not?”

“Because they’ll be mute after drinking it.”

“But how could someone who hasn’t drunk it answer you?” he retorted.

“And yet, once they’ve drunk it, they can’t speak,” Shen Fuyu replied, glancing at him. Suddenly, she asked, “Your Majesty, do you think the chicken or the egg came first?”

She continued, “If a blind man brings his dog to a restaurant, and the sign says ‘No Dogs Allowed,’ is the sign for the dog or the blind man?”

“Enough! One more word and I’ll personally see to it that you’re punished!” Qin Zhiyi tightened his grasp on her wrist, nearly tempted to snap it. How could there be such a vexing woman? If not for her usefulness, he would have gotten rid of her first!

“I brought you here for something important. Stop with this pointless chatter. Get in.” He pulled her onto the soft sedan, his face cold as he stared out the window. No matter what Shen Fuyu said, he would ignore her until they arrived.

She prattled on for a while but, realizing Qin Zhiyi would not respond, Shen Fuyu’s eyes gleamed with mischief. She reached out and plucked a hair from his head. He frowned but stubbornly pretended not to notice, so Shen Fuyu grew bolder.

One strand, two, three…

Though the sedan was quiet, the notifications in her space chimed incessantly as she harvested anger from him. Each time she raked in a large amount, the chimes rang out in rapid succession. Nimbly, her finger curled another strand around itself and yanked it free.

Another one.

“Are you finished?” Qin Zhiyi finally raised his hand to shield his head, thoroughly annoyed. Was it time to have an imperial physician examine this woman’s mind? If she truly was mad, he would have reason to eject her from the palace.

“Petty. It’s only a couple of hairs! What’s the big deal?” Shen Fuyu looked at the small tuft in her hand, lying brazenly, “You have so much hair, losing a little won’t make you bald. Why’s the emperor so stingy?”

Qin Zhiyi looked from the hair to Shen Fuyu, nearly apoplectic. “You call this a little? Two strands? How is this not making me bald?”

The dignified emperor even lost his composure.

Shen Fuyu blinked, utterly unabashed. “If that’s such a problem, I’ll just stick them back on for you.”

With that, she wet her finger in her mouth, clearly intending to paste the hair back onto his scalp.

“Get out!” Qin Zhiyi snatched the hair away, horrified. Use saliva—was she trying to disgust him?

“Touch me again and I’ll have your hands chopped off!” He tossed the hair aside, feeling a pang in his heart. He took several deep breaths to steady himself. Qin Zhiyi, don’t get angry. She’s just a woman of the inner palace. You must be a good emperor, responsible for all your people. You cannot fall because of her!

Fortunately, the eunuchs carrying the sedan hurried along. Before long, after the hair-pulling episode, they arrived at their destination.

After all, the Crescent Moon Palace was quite close to the imperial throne room, one of the most prominent residences in the harem. But today, their destination was not the throne room, but the Star Observatory nearby—eternally guarded, secluded, and discreet.

Following Qin Zhiyi, Shen Fuyu descended from the sedan. The words “Star Observatory” greeted her. The surroundings were watched over by imperial guards. Palace attendants waited outside, and the place was so silent that even the birds seemed to hold their breath. Every servant moved with exaggerated care, as if afraid to make the slightest sound.

“Your Majesty, isn’t this the residence of the Grand Diviner?” Shen Fuyu, always eager to break forced silences, deliberately raised her voice beside Qin Zhiyi. “Are all the palace attendants you assigned here mute? It’s as quiet as a grave. If you came here at night, you could mistake it for a haunted burial ground.”

Her brash voice shattered the calm of the Star Observatory. The palace servants shot her strange looks. The Grand Diviner was notoriously eccentric and hated extraneous noise. They tread on eggshells here, and even the emperor deferred to the Diviner.

This must be one of the emperor’s concubines, they thought. With such raucousness, her days were surely numbered…

The Star Observatory had three floors. The first was so cluttered with sundry items that its original purpose was unrecognizable—these were things the Grand Diviner, Rong Xuan, forbade anyone from touching. The second floor was his usual haunt, used for divination, observing the stars, or receiving guests. The third floor held only a small bedroom. Rong Xuan disliked being served, so the palace attendants waited outside, only entering when summoned.

Qin Zhiyi led Shen Fuyu straight up to the second floor. For once, Shen Fuyu fell quiet. She had inherited the original body’s memories: the current Diviner, Rong Xuan, was a true sorcerer, able to foretell fate and divine the nation’s fortune. Qin Zhiyi owed his throne to him in no small part. Shen Fuyu, having lived many lives, knew well that some mysteries, however uncanny, were real. Therefore…

“Your servant greets Your Majesty. Greetings, Noble Consort.”