Demon Emperor

Chapter 19 Sleeping
early morning.

Zichen Palace is a sleeping quarters, but Ruan Hu has recently been frequently handling state affairs and reviewing memorials in the warm pavilion here.

This demon is more diligent than the real emperor.

He met with important ministers in the outer palace during the day and rested in the inner palace at night.

Ruan Hu sat on the high seat, with his ministers kneeling on either side below, taking turns to answer questions or raise concerns.

"In my opinion, the most urgent task is still the Prime Minister."

"The position of Prime Minister is the head of all officials; it cannot be left vacant!"

"Your Majesty, I would like to recommend someone..."

Early in the morning, these important ministers of the state were making a fuss about the position of prime minister, as everyone had their eyes on this position.

They argued all morning, but nothing else was said or accomplished.

Ruan Hu sat there watching them argue, using the opportunity to get to know the people in the court one by one.

noon.

Ruan Hu returned to the warm pavilion from the front hall. The palace maid opened the door, and the eunuchs followed and rushed in.

Light shone through the window paper onto the table.

Ruan Hu opened a scroll of memorials, picked up his pen, and pondered for a long time.

"His Majesty!"

Hearing the sound, Ruan Hu turned his head to look over.

A woman with exquisite makeup and her hair styled in a bun entered the hall and knelt down at the lower end.

"How did you come?"

Ruan Hu looked down at her, and she looked up at him.

In this way, Ruan Hu could clearly see her bright eyes, high nose bridge, and full red lips.

Ironically, Ruan Hu didn't even know her name.

"Get up!"

The beautiful woman stepped forward and sat down to the side, carefully grinding ink. She seemed to notice the worry on Ruan Hu's face.

Is Your Majesty troubled by matters of state?

Ruan Hu nodded without saying a word.

Ruan Hu held the documents in one hand and dipped a brush in the inkstone with the other.

At last.

He drew a big X on it and then threw the pen away.

Ruan Hu was not worried about national affairs; what worried him was that he couldn't write.

To be precise, I don't know how to use a calligraphy brush.

Before becoming emperor, I felt that anyone could do it, but after Ruan Hu took the throne, I felt that everything was wrong and there were problems everywhere.

Judging from his appearance, it's only a matter of time before this demon who usurped the emperor's throne is exposed.

This isn't like patching up a broken east window and west wall, leaving drafts everywhere; it's like this wasn't a house from the start, but a sieve.

At this moment, the beauty looked at the rough, large X that Ruan Hu had drawn.

"Your Majesty's handwriting..."

Ruan Hu: "How is it?"

The beauty said, "The brushstrokes are like dragons and snakes, truly majestic and powerful."

Ruan Hu laughed. What does it matter if you're exposed? When you're in a high enough position and have enough power, it doesn't seem to matter that much anymore.

When Ruan Hu threw down the pen, everyone around him was shocked. The leading eunuch knelt down first, followed by the other eunuchs and palace maids.

In an instant, an atmosphere of fear and unease filled the hall.

The unease subsided only after the concubine exclaimed that he was truly majestic and powerful, and Ruan Hu laughed.

Ruan Hu: "Bring the pen back to me."

The eunuch held up a pen and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. If anyone has angered Your Majesty, this servant will immediately send someone to arrest that treacherous person."

Ruan Hu waved his hand, dismissing him.

The eunuch glanced at the concubine and understood: "Yes, this servant takes her leave."

Next.

Ruan Hu looked at the official documents and memorials, ticking off what he thought was feasible and crossing out what he thought was infeasible.

Of course, these official documents and memorials were not sent out directly; they had to be discussed in person later.

The concubine grinds ink, serves tea, and enjoys the warmth and fragrance of her body; time passes much faster in this setting than when the sarcastic eunuch runs around nearby.

Ruan Hu yawned after reading the memorials for half a day.

It's getting dark.

The night breeze is slightly cool.

The concubine draped a purple-gold cloak over Ruan Hu and whispered in his ear, "What do you want to ask me?"

"Your Majesty, it's getting late."

After saying this, his face flushed red.

With seven parts shyness and three parts anticipation.

"Are you going to visit me today?"
-
There is no cold palace in the imperial city, at least no palace with that name, but there are places similar to it. The courtyard is secluded, with a corridor at the entrance, where tall banyan trees block out the sunlight and moonlight.

Lights were on deep inside the courtyard.

A woman of stunning beauty sat on the bed, with an antique bronze mirror beside her.

Only one maid was left inside to serve, and a twelve or thirteen-year-old eunuch carrying a lantern was guarding the door.

Judging from her appearance, she was the concubine surnamed Su who had been boating with the emperor on the pond in the Imperial Garden.

After the emperor fell into the water, he did not say anything about her, nor did he blame her.

But without realizing it, she arrived at this place.

Ruan Hu has been very busy lately.

Busy distinguishing between the loyal and the treacherous, busy fighting against the treacherous officials and villains inside and outside the court, and the demons and monsters in the sky and on the ground.

He himself was unfamiliar with everything around the emperor, so how could he remember that there was such a woman in the harem?

"Cough cough."

"Cough cough cough~"

The woman, dressed in a single garment, parted the gauze curtains on the bed and looked at the palace maids outside who were brewing medicine.

Hearing the noise, the palace maid turned around.

"Your Majesty, it will be ready soon."

Consort Su was more beautiful than the other concubine, but her figure was inferior.

However, at that time, a plump figure was not the mainstream for women, so her slightly thin, resembling a cattail, figure seemed even more attractive than her appearance.

How could someone like that not be envied?

Consort Su was not asking about the medicine.

Her pale face looked outside. She already knew about the Emperor's return from the hunt, so she asked.

"What about Your Majesty?"

Where did His Majesty go?

Why hasn't His Majesty arrived yet?

"Have you forgotten me?"

The palace maid stood up and said hurriedly.

"We haven't been allowed to go out lately, so I don't know what it's like outside. I'll think of a way to go out and ask around tomorrow."

Consort Su accepted the medicine brought by the palace maid, took a sip, and still asked with concern.

"Go and ask someone outside; perhaps he can know."

The eunuch was called in, and at first he hesitated and tried to change the subject.

However, under Su Zhaoyi's urging, he finally revealed the truth.

"This servant heard that His Majesty went to Consort Li's place."

In an instant, Consort Su's expression changed.

Her hands gripped the edge of the bed tightly, her nails digging into the wood as if trying to carve them into the wood.

Her greatest enemy in this predicament is Consort Li.

She had always hoped that the emperor would learn of her plight and rescue her, but now she heard that the emperor didn't remember her at all, and only remembered his enemy.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Cough cough~"

As delicate as a cattail, the pale-faced woman vomited a large pool of blood in her anxiety, mixed with the medicine she had just drunk.

It sprayed right onto the mirror.

Then his body went limp and he collapsed beside the bed.

Blood stained her lips red.

His eyes were filled with resentment.

The concubine gazed at her reflection in the mirror not far away, but it seemed as if she could vaguely see a scene of lovers making love in another palace.

"Den!"

At this moment, the bronze mirror emitted a hollow sound, and the image in the mirror suddenly rippled.

The palace maids and eunuchs panicked and rushed forward.

"Miss!"

"Miss!"

"What's wrong with you?"

No one saw a disheveled figure appear in the bronze mirror.

The figure receded little by little in the mirror, disappearing through the doorway.

They headed towards the palace where Consort Li was located.

At this very moment, if someone were to turn around and look behind the bronze mirror, and lift the curtain that was covering it...

You will then find that the bronze mirror is engraved with patterns of ghosts and gods, and is supported by a well-shaped wooden frame. A wooden statue of a god is also inlaid in the center of the wooden frame.

The statue had a long face like a horse.

(End of this chapter)