Zhao Xu rubbed his eyebrows, then held Ning Shu’s hand. Ning Shu suppressed the urge to shake his claws off.

  “How could my empress oversee so many people in the harem by yourself? Mistakes are inevitable. I don’t blame you,” Zhao Xu said. “These people hid themselves very well.”


  Ning Shu was very grateful. “Thank you, Your Majesty but I have failed your trust in me.”


  Fuck. He was obviously still suspicious of her.

  When the imperial physician came out of the room, Zhao Xu asked, “How is Attendant Zhou?”


  “The bleeding has stopped. The female physician says that the wound was deep but not at a vital point. Attendant Zhou is no longer in danger.”


  Zhao Xu’s face showed no signs of happiness at the good news. He seemed deep in thought.

  Ning Shu breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Although the injury will leave scars, her life has at least been saved.”


  “Will the emperor come and see Attendant Zhou with this subject wife?” Ning Shu asked.

  Zhao Xu said lightly, “We wish to see that dancer and interrogate her. Perhaps she has accomplices.”


  “The empress can check on Attendant Zhou for us.” With that, Zhao Xu left.

  Ning Shu glanced after him. The emperor was a cold, ruthless man. What kind of true feelings would a man in such a position have when he could have any woman he wanted?

  That was why Attendant Zhou had been so proud of Zhao Xu scattering the harem for her. To win the love of an emperor, for him to be true only to her for the rest of his life…


  Ning Shu curled her lips in disdain. When she walked into the room, she saw that a female doctor was dressing Attendant Zhou’s wound. Since the wound was on her back, she lay prone on the bed.

  Attendant Zhou’s eyes were tightly closed and her face was pale. Even now, her facial features were still exquisite. The favored concubine system had fine-tuned them. While her appearance didn’t change, she looked better than before.

  As for the assassin’s fainting and convulsing, Ning Shu assumed that was Attendant Zhou’s doing.

  Heh. Now Zhao Xu wasn’t only suspicious of her, but also of Attendant Zhou who had blocked the knife. The dancer suddenly lost the power to resist just as she threatened Attendant Zhou’s life. Anyone would be suspicious of that.

  Although she had escaped catastrophe for now, a seed of doubt had been planted in Zhao Xu’s heart.

  Being unable to save the emperor and injuring herself wasn’t worth it.

  Not to mention that she couldn’t attend to the emperor while injured.

  From Ning Shu’s point of view, Attendant Zhou’s actions were completely pointless. The current Attendant Zhou hadn’t been honored and favored, so she didn’t leave much of an impression on Zhao Xu. Even if she had been successful in her attempt, he wouldn’t feel much.

  It was probably a task from the system that made Attendant Zhou so desperate, but that system’s protocols were too simplistic.

  It knew that there were assassins, so it designed the play of ‘rescuing the emperor’ in an attempt to maximize the benefits.

  But if even one thing went wrong, the scenario would play out differently.

  Attendant Zhou was just a puppet, running around like a string of data executing the system’s commands.

  Ning Shu turned to Consort Zhuang whose face was still pale. “Attendant Zhou was from your palace. Take good care of her.”


  “Ah…” Consort Zhuang turned her head towards Ning Shu in a daze and said, “This consort understands.”


  Ning Shu glanced at Attendant Zhou and turned away. Consort Zhuang followed Ning Shu out of the room.

  “Your Majesty, do you think Attendant Zhou is a fox spirit? Maybe she fainted because she used up all her magic! Why else would the assassin suddenly have a seizure?” Consort Zhuang looked to Ning Shu for confirmation.

  Ning Shu: … What a baffling train of thought.

  Editor: Shark

  Translator: Kaho