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Turning around, she walked with her head held high and graceful steps to Young Master Piao, and slowly opened her lips to speak, "On the dance stage, her waist is like a water snake, her willow branches swaying gently, intoxicating the spring night..."

Before she could finish reading, Young Master Piao gave a cold snort, stood up, and pulled Liu Rongrong into the inner room. "Hmph, I thought this Pig Kid could come up with any new words. These lewd songs and lame tunes are not for you to recite. Rongrong is far more professional than you. I still prefer women to accompany me. You... go back to where you came from. This--is Imperial Decree."

"Your Majesty! Please wait!" Despite being told to leave, she refused to budge.

"His Holy Emperor has issued Imperial Decree, Young Master Zhu, please return. Rongrong doesn't feel that Young Master Zhu has wronged her in any way, so please don't disturb Rongrong's time with His Your Majesty any further." Liu Rongrong gently narrowed her alluring eyes.

"Hey! You made Little Eight think for so long, what would it have been like to wait until she finished speaking before leaving?"

Li Chenjing's displeased tone made the Young Master Piao, who had already turned to leave, turn back and look at him, who could be considered to have offended the emperor. His eyes held a deep meaning, but he did not say it aloud. He simply raised his thin lips slightly and shrugged, "Fine. I will listen to your clichéd words for the sake of Little Jing."

Zhu Bafu breathed a sigh of relief, readjusted her breathing, and spoke again, "The dancing pavilions and singing stages, the water snake's waist, the willow's gentle turns, intoxicating the spring night..." Her lips trembled, and she looked at Liu Rongrong with a hint of apology, "Since ancient times, there has only been one hero, with gold, silver, power... wrapped around his waist."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The words had barely left his lips when the room fell silent.

Liu Rongrong finally understood where the Little Scholar's apology came from; it turned out...

"... Your Holy Emperor, if Rongrong heard correctly, this... is an insult directed at Rongrong?" The tone was a mix of laughter and tears, and Liu Rongrong gasped slightly.

"..."

"Heh. Young Master Zhu, what a fine piece of writing! 'Since ancient times, only one hero has ever emerged, his waist overflowing with gold, silver, and power.' Are you implying that Rongrong doesn't care who it is, as long as they have money and power, is that it?"

"..." Zhu Bafu lowered his head. Yes, that was exactly what she meant. Was this what those sage books called "dying in remonstrance"? Insulting the woman beside the emperor's pillow, and by extension, insulting the emperor's taste, was like saying... Hey, the woman you're sleeping with is just deceiving you, playing you. You really think she likes you that much? Wake up! If you weren't the emperor, if you weren't rich and powerful, who would care about you? You think the word "pure" is Brothel would give you? Don't be ridiculous...

Having said all that, she wasn't far from losing her head...

Why can't she learn her lesson?

Her father was ruined by giving reckless advice and was punished by having his property confiscated. What kind of emperor is that...? Let him die! Let him sleep with Brothel until he dies... If any member of the Zhu Household dies, it'll be because of their foul mouths, they'll die from their filth!

The sound of a woman sobbing came from Liu Rongrong. She had nestled in Young Master Piao's arms, weeping bitterly, her heart breaking. A beauty's tears, a hero's grave; this time, it seemed impossible for her to escape death...

"Rongrong, don't cry." Young Master Piao gently comforted her, his tone as calm and unhurried as ever, his eyes, which were fixed on Zhu Bafu's head, making it impossible to tell whether he was angry or upset.

"Your Holy Emperor, he has gone too far! He has gone too far! Your Holy Emperor only asked him to write a poem, but he went around insulting Rongrong, saying she was heartless and only cared about wealth and glory."

"Wealth and honor, don't you want that, Rongrong?" Feigning surprise, Young Master Piao looked at the woman in his arms and gave a mischievous smile.

"... Your Holy Emperor? What are you saying?" Liu Rongrong was startled and cried even harder, feeling heartbroken.

Ignoring the woman's surprise in his arms, Young Master Piao moved her hand away from his and strolled out from the inner room. "Since ancient times, heroes have only been one, their waists adorned with gold, silver, and power. Using the Chunfen Pavilion as a theme, isn't this a perfect description of your livelihood? Rongrong, I don't think that Pig Kid was insulting you. He was merely responding to the theme with a poem, bowing and apologizing to you, just in case you misunderstood its meaning, right, Pig Kid?"

"..." The deeper meaning Your Majesty's words was... not to execute this woman who dared to offend his confidante? And to... exonerate her?

"However, it's not entirely untrue that this Pig Kid used insults. On the surface, he's talking about the Mortal Realm women, but deep down he's probably cursing me, isn't he?" He leaned closer to Zhu Bafu, who was still in a daze, but after receiving Li Chenjing's displeased gaze, he looked away and sighed, "Rongrong, this Pig Kid's poem has enlightened me, and I've suddenly become much more insightful..."

"Your Majesty... what do you mean?" She seemed increasingly unable to fathom the Holy Emperor's deeper meaning.

"What? At this moment, Rongrong doesn't understand me anymore? Fine, you don't understand me, but I suddenly understand completely how I feel about Rongrong." He raised his hand and chuckled, "So, I'm so pathetic, only because I can't be a hero of this world, that I wanted to hide here with Rongrong for refuge. Gold, silver, and power—as long as you have these, you can be seen as a hero. Indeed, only Chunfen Pavilion can do that, hehe... You Pig Kid, well written! I'll reward you!"

"Huh... huh?!"

Did she miss something at some point?

Or is she blind?

The Young Master of the Prime Minister's name had his name, "Mortal Realm," replaced by Young Master Piao's order. A new fan-shaped plaque was hung on the Chunfen Pavilion, and on it was written her treasonous poem that she had just written. The pen was written by the Holy Emperor, who, like the Young Master of the Prime Minister, did not leave his name or signature.

Why does that flamboyant calligraphy hanging at the Chunfen Pavilion look so eerie?

Hey... doesn't this kind of sign sound like it's warning people who smoke opium pipes that "smoking is harmful to your health"?