32 The Noble Consort

The Imperial Guards were startled and hastily knelt in salute. Shi Nian stood frozen in place, still reeling from the shock, when the man suddenly stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.

Her cheek pressed against the cold fabric of his robes. Her instinct was to struggle, but then she heard him whisper, his voice trembling, "My little beauty, is it really you?"

She went rigid.

The man’s tone was filled with such joyful, childlike innocence. "I thought I was dreaming... It really is you. You didn't die? Or did you come back to see me from... the underworld?"

By the end of the sentence, a trace of nervous tension crept into his voice, as if he were afraid of something.

Shi Nian’s heart softened inexplicably. "It’s me. I didn't die..."

Before she could finish, he abruptly released her, lowering his head to gaze at her intently. In the night, every feature of the girl’s face was so familiar. In truth, they hadn't spent much time together, but since that night of the great fire on Mount Canglong, her face seemed to have been carved into his heart, making it impossible for him to forget.

He had thought she was dead. He had thought she had turned to ashes in that fire.

Yet now, she appeared before him, vibrant and alive.

Feeling unnerved by his stare, Shi Nian repeated, "It’s true, I’m not lying to you. I’ve come back..."

Suddenly, he let out a cheer and swept her up into his arms! Shi Nian gasped in fright and clung to his neck, but he only laughed heartily, spinning her around in a circle. Even after he finished, he didn't set her down, instead planting a heavy kiss on her forehead. "Yes, you’ve come back. I am so happy."

Shi Nian’s heart hammered in her chest. What was wrong with these men? Liu Che had spun her around, and now Zhu Houzhao was doing it too! Was this a trend among emperors?!

But looking at his expression—the bright eyes, the upturned corners of his lips, such genuine joy—she couldn't help but smile along with him.

"This humble servant congratulates Your Majesty! Congratulations to the Lady!" Qian Ning suddenly knelt on one knee and shouted, "The reunion of Your Majesty and the Lady is truly a great joy. It seems Heaven knows your destinies are not yet finished, which is why this meeting was arranged! This is surely divine will, Your Majesty!"

"Well said!" Zhu Houzhao replied. "Qian Ning, you are becoming increasingly eloquent. I shall reward you handsomely!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Houzhao finally set Shi Nian down, but he kept holding her hand, occasionally kissing her fingertips, his eyes never leaving her face as if he could never get enough of looking at her. Although Shi Nian felt somewhat uncomfortable, she thought to herself that since she had "returned from the dead," Zhu Houzhao seemed very pleased. If he remained in this state and couldn't think of anything else for the moment, perhaps Nie Cheng and Lu Zhiyao could use the opportunity to escape...

"Your Majesty, is this the 'bandit bride' you brought back?" A slightly sharp, thin voice suddenly sounded. Shi Nian turned her head and saw an elderly eunuch with a pale, clean-shaven face.

Her heart skipped a beat. Being able to stay by Zhu Houzhao’s side, with this appearance and age—could this be the legendary Liu Jin?

"Indeed, this is the bride I personally snatched away. Eunuch Liu, you haven't met her yet, have you? What do you think? Isn't she a perfect match for me?"

"The Lady is as beautiful as a flower, and naturally a perfect match for Your Majesty," Liu Jin said with a smile. "It’s just that this servant thought I would never have the honor of seeing the Lady’s jade face in this lifetime. I never expected her to appear so suddenly here in the Leopard House..."

Zhu Houzhao paused. "That’s right, why did you come here? Did you come looking for me?"

He suddenly recalled that when they were on Mount Canglong, she had once said she wanted to be an emperor's wife, a consort. Could it be that she had found out his identity and sought him out on her own?

As this thought crossed his mind, Zhu Houzhao’s first reaction was not annoyance, but relief. He had never felt that being an emperor was a good thing, and he was tired of people approaching him solely for his status. But in this moment, he felt fortunate. If she wanted to be a consort, then it was a happy coincidence that he could make her one.

Qian Ning was right; their destiny was ordained by Heaven.

He looked at Shi Nian with anticipation, but the girl’s expression was hesitant, as if she didn't know how to answer. He paused again, as if waking from the clouds of ecstasy, his mind gradually clearing as he remembered many details he had previously ignored.

No, she hadn't come for him. When they bumped into each other earlier, she had clearly been trying to escape. The dungeon guards had said those people used his private seal to abduct the prisoner, and she was holding that very seal in her hand...

She had come to save someone.

As Shi Nian watched the man’s expression gradually calm down, alarm bells rang in her mind. Liu Jin, however, was triumphant. Though he didn't know how this woman had popped up, Qian Ning’s reaction made him nervous. They were already locked in a fierce power struggle; if Qian Ning managed to gain the help of a favorite concubine, he would have no chance of winning!

Fortunately, Qian Ning had bet on the wrong horse this time. This woman was full of suspicious points; as soon as His Majesty realized it, he would surely cast her aside...

Thinking of this, he fanned the flames. "It’s fortunate that Your Majesty left that private seal with the Lady, otherwise you might not have known she was here and would have missed her!"

*Damn you, you wretched eunuch, playing dirty the moment you arrive!*

Shi Nian was anxious and angry, only now realizing how dangerous her situation was. Her act of forging the imperial decree and abducting a prisoner would be exposed upon investigation. Zhu Houzhao would surely guess that her accomplices were still in the Leopard House. If he ordered the palace to be sealed and searched, it would only be a matter of time before Nie Cheng and Lu Zhiyao were dragged out...

"Heh." A soft chuckle suddenly escaped Zhu Houzhao.

Shi Nian looked up in surprise. Zhu Houzhao’s expression was indifferent as he commanded, "Qian Ning, issue an order: the lockdown is lifted. Tell them they don't need to search anymore. Furthermore, keep the palace gates open until the hour of the rat tonight; anyone with a token may enter or leave. Go."

"Your Majesty?!" Liu Jin exclaimed in shock.

Qian Ning’s heart also skipped a beat. This order was completely unprecedented. Even without suspicious individuals in the palace, the gates were never kept open that late. He wanted to question it, but catching a glance from the Emperor, he suddenly understood and shouted, "Yes, this servant will handle it immediately!"

Qian Ning led his men away in a grand procession. When Zhu Houzhao turned back, Shi Nian was indeed dumbfounded, her expression one of utter disbelief. This reaction pleased him. He leaned down, pinched her cheek, and smiled. "Are you hungry? It’s time for dinner. Let’s not stand in the cold wind; let’s go back inside, and I’ll treat you to something delicious."

During her time in the Han Dynasty, Shi Nian had been inside the imperial palace, but since the productivity of that era wasn't highly developed and Liu Che wasn't one for excessive luxury, her horizons had been limited. But this time, she truly saw what it meant to be the wealth of the Imperial House.

Outside, the air was freezing, but the bedchamber was as warm as spring. Lacquered gold and jade ornaments filled the room, with silks covering the floor. Palace maids dressed in magnificent gowns with high-piled hair and swaying accessories moved about, leaving a trail of fragrance. The long table was laden with rare delicacies and strange, exotic dishes served on gold and jade plates, dazzling to the eyes.

Yet, as Shi Nian looked at all of this, she had no appetite at all.

"Why aren't you eating?" Zhu Houzhao asked.

The man wore a bright yellow dragon robe. Since he was indoors, he had removed his golden crown and replaced it with a simple hairnet, giving him a more casual air. Seeing him like this made him seem like a stranger—a far cry from the arrogant, wild bandit on Mount Canglong. This magnificent palace and the five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on his robes reminded Shi Nian that she was facing the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming.

This realization made her alert. Judging by that decree, he had guessed everything he needed to. So why open the palace gates? They had trespassed, forged imperial orders, and abducted a prisoner—did he not care about these three capital crimes at all?

Or was he planning some other conspiracy in the shadows...

Her mind raced, and having formed a plan, she was just about to speak when Zhu Houzhao chuckled again. "Decided how to fool me?"

"Your Majesty..."

Zhu Houzhao rested his chin on his hand, looking somewhat helpless. "You really don't need to think so much. When I said to open the gates, I meant it. It’s been an hour already; as long as they aren't cowards or weaklings, they’ve surely found a way out by now."

Shi Nian truly didn't know what to say this time. After a long silence, she could only manage, "Your Majesty, I don't understand..."

***

Zhu Houzhao stared at her. The girl looked bewildered, as if she were genuinely puzzled. In truth, he was puzzled himself. He wasn't surprised that she knew his identity; the Emperor's suppression of bandits on Mount Canglong was known to all. Even without that, she had his private seal, so guessing who he was wouldn't be difficult. But because of this, he couldn't understand why she hadn't come to find him if she knew he was the current Emperor. And now that she had finally entered, why was she only thinking of escaping?

In this world, wouldn't any woman, regardless of her prior intentions, flock to him once she learned his true identity? Or was it that she didn't know how good he could be to her?

Thinking of this, Zhu Houzhao took her hand and said earnestly, "It’s just one prisoner. If you want to save him, I’ll let him go. You are my 'bandit bride,' which means you are the mistress of this Leopard House. Who stays and who goes is entirely up to you."

The mistress of the Leopard House...

Shi Nian’s expression changed, and she looked at Zhu Houzhao nervously. *No, don't tell me—snatching her once on Mount Canglong wasn't enough, and he wants to keep her?*

*Does she have to be an imperial consort all over again?!*

Zhu Houzhao glanced at the dinner, which had barely been touched. "Oh, I remember now. No wonder you don't want to eat. You once said your cooking was extraordinary and that you could make dishes no one else could. You must look down on the skills of my imperial chefs, right?"

"Your Majesty..."

"When will you make me noodles again?" Zhu Houzhao smiled. "I thought you were gone, and I felt such regret, thinking I would never be able to eat such delicious noodles again in this lifetime..."

Shi Nian suddenly stood up and said stiffly, "Your Majesty, I cannot make noodles for you."

"Why not?"

"Because you once promised to take me back to the capital, and you failed to do so. Therefore, I will not make noodles for you."

"But you’ve already returned."

"That was me returning on my own! That doesn't count!"

She was acting like a petulant child. Even though the Emperor was usually patient with women, the people around them were terrified. But Shi Nian had only one thought: she could not agree, or she would repeat the same mistake she made with Liu Che!

Zhu Houzhao was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "If you want to settle accounts with me, then I should settle accounts with you as well."

"Settle... what accounts with me?" Was it about today?

"You weren't dead, so why did you lie to me?"

In the flickering candlelight, Zhu Houzhao gazed at her. "Do you know? After the great fire on Mount Canglong, I led men to search the mountain for five full days, trying to find you."

Shi Nian’s heart skipped a beat, but she remained silent.

Of course she knew. When they sealed Mount Canglong to search for her, she had been hiding in Zhending Prefecture and had heard that the Emperor had gone up the mountain himself. At the time, she had worried that the situation on the desolate mountain after the fire was unclear, and it would be troublesome if he encountered any danger.

"Unfortunately, I searched for so long, but I found nothing. They said you were dead, and I believed you must have died, leaving not even a corpse behind... My heart was heavy, so I killed all those mountain bandits, not sparing a single one. But even after killing them, I still felt no relief. Nothing I did felt right. I was always thinking, *if only I could see you one more time.*

"This afternoon, when I saw that seal in the dungeon, do you know how happy I was? My little beauty, I don't care why you came or what you intended to do. I like you, so none of that matters. I can forgive your crimes of deceiving the Emperor and forging imperial decrees, as long as you stay by my side obediently."

As he said this, he stood up, walked over to her, and pinched her chin. "Don't you want to be a consort? To live in a grand house, wear fine silks, and eat the best food? You can have all of that now. Tomorrow, I will take you back to the Forbidden City and make you a Noble Consort. Wherever you want to live and whatever you want to do, I will be with you..."

Shi Nian stared at him blankly.

The man before her was the most powerful person in the entire Great Ming. He possessed the world and acted on his whims; he could always get whatever he wanted. Just like now, he used a mix of soft and hard tactics, his methods endless. He spoke of the noble title of a Consort as if he were promising her a small trinket, so lightly.

And all of this, just to obtain a woman whose background he hadn't even fully uncovered.

Zhu Houzhao saw her expression and assumed she was tempted, feeling a sense of relief. He remembered Liu Jin’s words: if he hadn't happened to catch her, would she have already escaped without leaving a word behind?

Fortunately, she was willing to stay.

Thinking this, his emotions stirred, and he reached out to pull her waist toward him. The girl looked up in panic, and the expression only made her look more adorable in his eyes. He lowered his eyelashes, gently brushing his nose against hers, and called out, "Shi Nian..."

It was the first time he had called her by her name. She had actually told him her name long ago, but he had never used it, always calling her his "little beauty" as if they were just playing around. But at this moment, he suddenly wanted to say her name.

He felt the name sounded beautiful, and it suited her perfectly.

The servants in the hall lowered their heads in deference. He held her in his arms and whispered, "Shi Nian, Noble Consort Shi..."

After saying this with a teasing tone, he lowered his head to kiss her lips, but the girl seemed to be startled awake by the title, and she blurted out, "I’m married!"

He froze. "What?"

Her face was a little pale, but she looked him in the eye resolutely and repeated, "I didn't come to find you because I was already married. So, Your Majesty, I cannot be your Noble Consort."