Ning Shu was pissed when she heard Zhao Xu ask her to reward Attendant Zhou. What did he mean? Did he want her to pay for Attendant Zhou’s reward from her own pocket?

  Cheapskate!

  Ning Shu asked, “Why doesn’t Your Majesty wish to reward Attendant Zhou personally? She would be very happy. She’s looking forward to seeing Your Majesty again.”


  “We are not an imperial physician so what’s the point of us going there? We are the ruler of a nation. As such, the nation’s burden is ours to bear and there are unending government affairs for us to handle,” Zhao Xu said, seeming pleased with himself. “Whether you send it or we send it is the same.”


  Fuck, that ruthlessness! In the end, it all came down to Zhao Xu being suspicious of Attendant Zhou.

  Ning Shu stood and curtsied, looking panicked. “This subject wife was wrong! This subject wife will send something to Attendant Zhou later. Please rest assured, Your Majesty.”


  “Empress, we’ve been easily irritable recently.” Zhao Xu rubbed his eyebrows.

  “Your Majesty, this subject wife is fine. Your Majesty must take care of your body.” Ning Shu barely restrained the urge to roll her eyes. He always got angry with others when irritable and she had no choice but to endure it.

  Zhao Xu swept his sleeves back and left the Palace of Prolonged Autumn. It is only then that Ning Shu gave Qiu Ling an order. “Send a servant to make two sets of jewelry for Attendant Zhou.”


  “Are you alright, Your Majesty?” Qiu Ling looked at Ning Shu worriedly.

  “I’m fine. Just go,” Ning Shu said lightly.

  Ning Shu originally predicted that Attendant Zhou would stay in bed for two months.

  Unexpectedly, it only took half a month for her to find her way to the Palace of Prolonged Autumn to salute her and thank her.

  When Ning Shu asked her to rest yet again, Attendant Zhou said she had to come to thank the Empress for her grace.

  Ning Shu:???

  Her ability to recover was amazing.

  Consort Zhuang ran to the Palace of Prolonged Autumn first in the morning. She leaned into Ning Shu’s ear and, with a panicked expression, said, “Miss, this consort has said before that Attendant Zhou is a fox spirit. She recovered after just ten days in the Palace of Moonlight! How could a normal person recover so quickly?”


  “If this consort was cut by a hairpin, it would still take ten days to recover. Yet she suffered such a serious injury and is fine so soon? What is she if not a monster?” Consort Zhuang’s tone was mysterious.

  Ning Shu was speechless. “Don’t talk nonsense. If the emperor heard this, he would scold you again.”


  Consort Zhuang pressed her lips together and said, “Your Majesty, that fox spirit is about to come over. You can see the truth just by looking at her! Her face is rosy. Does she look anything like someone who was badly injured?”


  “Alright, sit down,” Ning Shu said in an annoyed tone.

  When it was time for greetings, the concubines filed in and lined up neatly to salute Ning Shu.

  “You may sit.” Ning Shu looked at Attendant Zhou at the end. Although her complexion wasn’t as rosy as Consort Zhuang claimed, it was quite good for someone who’d been injured and suffered serious blood loss.

  “Why didn’t you stay in bed to recover? After all, you’ve suffered such a serious injury,” Ning Shu asked.

  Attendant Zhou stood up. “Although I’m not feeling well, this attendant still wanted to thank the empress. Your Majesty took care of this attendant. This attendant is grateful and will remember this forever.”


  Ning Shu: →_→


  Was this what they called ‘speaking in opposites’?

  “You were injured trying to rescue His Majesty so it’s only natural that you’re rewarded. You must take care of your body. If you need any medicines, go to the imperial physician to have them prescribed.” Ning Shu smiled as she spoke, maintaining the elegant and virtuous manner of an empress.

  “This attendant thanks the Empress for her grace.” Attendant Zhou curtsied towards Ning Shu.

  “Sit down. You mustn’t salute since you were injured,” Ning Shu said generously.

  Editor: Shark

  Translator: Kaho