Who Would Understand, Her Ladyship Wrote A Hundred Palace Regulations - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Attending 2

Although he didn’t think Ning Wanyin had the ability to serve him well, a pawn that jumped onto his palm wasn’t useless.

Moreover, men tend to be fond of women who do everything to please them.

She had made an effort to learn chess and painting for him, and although her talent wasn’t great, her sincerity was.

Who would kill someone who thought of them all the time without reason?

For both benefit and sentiment, he could temporarily spare her.

“Get up,” Helian Qi stretched out his hand to Ning Wanyin.

Ning Wanyin carefully placed her delicate hand in the monarch’s palm, and at that moment, she knew she had temporarily saved her life.

But it didn’t mean the emperor would always protect her.

Now that they had met for the first time, the emperor had a good impression of her, and she happened to be useful.

But if she made one wrong move, she might lose the emperor’s favor.

“Your Majesty, would you like to play a game of chess?” Ning Wanyin asked with a gentle smile.

Helian Qi had seen her mediocre painting skills and didn’t expect much from her chess skills. However, he was in a bad mood today and didn’t feel like enjoying himself.

Playing a game of chess might help him vent his frustration.

“Yes.”

Wang Degui quickly had the palace maidens add more palace lamps and led the other palace servants out.

The bedroom was quiet.

Only the sound of the Go stones falling on the board could be heard.

They played back and forth.

Gradually, Helian Qi’s lazy expression turned serious.

The game was surprisingly evenly matched.

He couldn’t help but look at the woman across from him.

The palace lamp illuminated her beautiful face, making her look like a hibiscus flower, delicate and charming.

“Your Majesty, it’s your turn,” the beautiful woman placed a stone on the board and smiled at him.

Helian Qi snapped back to reality and praised her unexpectedly, “You’re quite good at chess.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,”…

The game was evenly matched, and they lost track of time.

Outside, Wang Degui’s reminder could be heard: “Your Majesty, it’s time to attend to court matters.”

Helian Qi realized that he had played chess with the woman all night.

The three games were draws, and it was hard to determine the winner.

If he had thought of her as just a pawn to use before, he didn’t want her to lose easily now.

Now, he had found a worthy opponent, and he was excited.

Helian Qi stood up and looked at Ning Wanyin with a slightly softer gaze: “I’ll go attend to court matters first, and we’ll play again later.”

“Yes,” Ning Wanyin bowed.

Helian Qi was about to leave when he remembered something and said: “You played chess with me all night, you must be tired. Rest well, and you don’t need to go pay your respects to the empress dowager today—”

He didn’t really expect her to agree.

Ning Guiren seemed like a gentle and obedient woman who would follow the rules and etiquette.

If she couldn’t be his pawn, it was nice to have her play chess with him to pass the time.

Ning Wanyin was taken aback. Not going to pay respects to the empress dowager?

Paying respects to the empress dowager was a filial duty. Not going would be a great disrespect, and the empress dowager could send her to the cold palace without any justification.

But the emperor’s words needed to be carefully considered. He must have had a deep meaning behind saying that, and it wasn’t just a casual remark.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your understanding. The concubine is indeed feeling unwell, and going to pay respects to the Empress Dowager in this state might make me lose composure in front of her. So, I won’t go,” Ning Wanyin probed, looking at Helian Qi.

Ning Wanyin spoke with great caution, carefully observing the emperor’s expression. If the emperor didn’t mean what she thought, she would immediately change her words and go pay her respects to the empress dowager!

Helian Qi’s footsteps paused as he was leaving, and he looked at the little woman in front of him in surprise.

Whether she was being arrogant due to her favored status or had understood the deeper meaning behind his words, her actions were exactly what he wanted.

Helian Qi’s irritated mood all day finally lifted.

He bent down and personally helped Ning Wanyin up from her bow, smiling slightly, “You rest well.”

Ning Wanyin breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she had gambled correctly. Her mind was racing, and she decided to take advantage of the situation.

She looked up at Helian Qi, hesitating before speaking, “Your Majesty…”

“Hmm?”

“The concubine didn’t attend to you last night…” Ning Wanyin’s face flushed slightly, and she whispered, “Will Your Majesty come tonight?”

Helian Qi was once again shocked by Ning Wanyin’s boldness. She dared to attend to him for two consecutive days…

This was truly…

Audacious and exactly to his liking.

“Yes,” Helian Qi agreed.

Ning Wanyin was overjoyed and bowed, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
…

Helian Qi walked out of Lingxue Pavilion with a smile on his face.

He saw the eight black water vats at the door…

“Ning Guiren likes lotus flowers. Dig a pond in the courtyard of Lingxue Pavilion to raise lotus flowers,” Helian Qi instructed.

Wang Degui was taken aback, but he quickly obeyed, “Yes.”

The emperor was actually modifying the palace for a small noble consort.
This was truly…

Ning Guiren was good at manipulating the emperor!

Helian Qi thought of Ning Guiren’s appearance, which seemed to be a woman who liked to adorn herself. She was indeed suited for luxurious and precious things.

Helian Qi instructed further, “Pick some precious jewelry and silk from my treasury to reward her.”

As the emperor’s chief steward, Wang Degui knew the contents of the treasury very well. When the emperor specifically mentioned “precious”, he didn’t dare to suggest ordinary items. Instead, he asked respectfully, “Last month, we received a batch of soft jade brocade from Nanhai, and a set of golden flower silk inlaid with a hundred pearls and butterflies, adorned with jade, tourmaline, and pearls, totaling twenty-eight pieces. What do you think, Your Majesty?”

Helian Qi nodded in satisfaction, “Yes, do that.”

“Yes!” Wang Degui replied, secretly shocked. The emperor was indeed favoring this Ning Guiren.

Just as he was thinking this, the emperor, who was in a good mood, said, “The Attendant Department doesn’t need to submit the roster. I’ll come to Lingxue Pavilion tonight.”

Wang Degui stumbled, what?
Favored for two consecutive days?

Ning Guiren’s means were truly shocking!

…

After the emperor left.

Lian Rui and Dan Li entered to attend to Ning Wanyin, “Mistress, it’s time to pay respects to the Empress Dowager!”

“Not today,” Ning Wanyin said lazily as she sat on the soft couch.
“Lian Rui, prepare a bath. I’m going to sleep.”

“Yes,” Lian Rui immediately went to make arrangements. She had been serving Ning Wanyin since she was young and knew that her master had a reason for everything she did, so she didn’t ask any questions.

But Dan Li, who had never seen a concubine dare not to pay respects to the empress dowager, was shocked and reminded her, “Guiren! If you don’t go pay respects to the Empress Dowager, it’s a great disrespect! You’ll be punished by the Empress Dowager!”

Ning Wanyin said calmly, “The Emperor told me I don’t have to go.”

“This… this… the emperor just said that casually. How could you really not go?” Dan Li was incredulous.

Ning Wanyin wouldn’t explain the game she was playing to others, so she said, “You can go now. I want to rest.”

Dan Li had to leave the bedroom.

“Why are you out here? Don’t you need to attend to your Mistress paying respects to the Empress Dowager?” Xiao Guizi saw Dan Li and asked in surprise.

Dan Li looked shocked and lowered her voice, “Our Mistress is being arrogant because of her favored status and doesn’t want to pay respects to the empress dowager…”

“What?” Xiao Guizi was stunned.
“This Guiren is really lucky, but she’s not very smart. If she offends the Empress Dowager, will she still have a place in the palace? I think we should start looking for a new master!”

While the palace servants were thinking about this, Ning Wanyin had already bathed and was lying on the couch.

Since she had sought refuge with the Emperor, it was her duty as a pawn to offend the Empress Dowager.

A favored concubine should act like one.

Offending the Empress Dowager and the Xue and Cen families, making enemies of the entire palace, was what she was supposed to do.

She would let the emperor know that she was the most useful pawn to him.

Ning Wanyin had never thought of relying on love and affection when she entered the palace. Even if the emperor truly fell in love with her, would it be wise to entrust her life to the emperor’s whims?

Emperors were not people who were limited by love and affection.

She didn’t believe the emperor would lose his mind over a woman. If she were in his position, she wouldn’t either.

All the efforts Ning Wanyin had made were to make herself useful to the emperor. The emperor’s love might fade, but someone useful to him would at least be spared.

She had specifically worked hard to learn chess so she could play with him.

She had practiced chess every day for three years.

As for painting…

It was just something she learned casually.

Playing chess required equal skill to be enjoyable, but if her painting skills were also excellent, how would it showcase the emperor’s superiority?

One skill, one lack of skill – it was all calculated.