The Birth of a Villainess

Lin Xiaofei and Qu Xing Xu returned to Hong Pei Lou after they shared some sweet moments outside. Qu Xing Xu stood from the side. He took the teapot and started to pour some of the liquid into the small cups on the table.

It was common in every household that the wife should serve the husband. Even concubines must serve the wife and husband and couldn't eat with them unless invited. But at this moment, their situation was reversed, and it was as if Qu Xing Xu did not know or notice it at all as he continued to be a 'good and doting' husband to Lin Xiaofei.

In fact, even Lin Xiaofei, who was once a concubine in the past, didn't seem to care and was already used to his behavior. On the contrary, she was pleased by his performance.

After making sure that Lin Xiaofei has taken a sip of the tea he had just poured, Qu Xing Xu also sat on the chair opposite her. 

L.i.c.k.i.n.g her lips dry, Lin Xiaofei started the conversation first, "It seems that the peace in the empire will soon continue to vanish. What do you think about it?"

As the Duke of Xin and the only person second only in power to the Emperor, Qu Xing Xu should be concerned about the situation in the empire. 

Staring intensely into her eyes, Qu Xing X took some moment to answer before he said, "Does it matter?"

"What?" Lin Xiaofei was stunned at his response. "Shouldn't it matter? You're currently the Duke of Xin, and with the several problems the Emperor has faced and couldn't solve in the earliest, as the second person at the status ladder, won't the nobles soon look in your way and ask for your help?"

What Lin Xiaofei said was not wrong. Although some nobles refused to say it willingly, Qu Xing Xu might be the only one who could solve the problem clouding the empire. 

Despite them wishing to curse at him for achieving many praises and even the admiration of the masses, Qu Xing Xu's talent in political and military matters was superb and was not to laugh at all.

Hence, the nobles will undoubtedly swallow their own blood and choke on it before knocking on the duke's door and beg for his help.

As far as she knows, her husband has abstained from court matters and hasn't attended any court discussions. However, Qu Xing Xu should be planning something by doing so intentionally for these past few years.

Qu Xing Xu smiled mysteriously. He looked into her eyes and was once again impressed by her discerning eyes. He touched the rim of the teacup and lightly said, "The nobles will surely come to the manor and enquire for my opinion. They might even pull me out of our bedchamber only to get something from me and solve their problems. But then again, since when did I care about the state of the empire?"

Lin Xiaofei ignored his comment about their bedchamber. She stared at him for a long moment and heard his voice again, "Although it is rightfully for me to go and help them since it is the duty of a duke. However, thinking that I must help that fool seated on the golden chair and clear his problem off his shoulder bores me too much."

"Besides, I don't think that fool will want to hear anything from me much less, listen to what I have to say." He concluded and sipped from his cup.

Smiling wickedly, Qu Xing Xu continued to stare at his beautiful wife while also feeling light after taking some burden off his shoulders (the Bai family).

…

Inside the Imperial Palace.

In the Emperor's courtyard, several servants hurried in and out the doors. Sweat lingered in their foreheads and even wet their backs as they were afraid of being scolded by the head eunuch and punished for being slow.

"What are you dawdling around! Bring more water and call the imperial physicians once again!" The head eunuch ordered as he swung his arms around before looking at the bed in front where the sickly figure of the Emperor was.

"Your majesty…" The head eunuch whispered. His voice filled with concern. He approached the bed, kneeling before it as he looked at the thin arm hanging on the edge of the bed. The d.e.s.i.r.e to hold it soon surged in him, but he held back because the servants were clearly around them.

Honestly, the head eunuch didn't know what happened to the Emperor. However, as soon as he read the letter, he tremendously shook as if he had seen some ghost. And immediately after that, the Emperor fell sick. 

At first, they thought it was normal for the Emperor to be sick since he hadn't been taking enough sleep, and with his findings, his beloved empress has put a green hat on his head. Therefore, they already expected the Emperor's timely sickness. However, who knew that the Emperor gradually lost most of his weight and even his complexion has gone drastically abnormal. It was as if he was struck with an illness for ten years.

But how could that be possible? 

Hence, the head eunuch's first thought was to check the letter sent to the Emperor before he fell sick. And as he was going to read it, the paper flew out of his fingers as if it had its own will and fell to the brazier. It burnt before he could take a glimpse of the words written in it.

And even when he focused his attention on the person handling the letters and scrolls sent to the Emperor, the man he wanted to interrogate suddenly passed away.

It was bizarre and almost scary when the head eunuch tried to think about it.

Curling his fingers, the head eunuch looked at the Emperor lying on the imperial bed and determinedly stated, "Your majesty, you must stand strong and get well soon. Only you could tell me what is going and protect the empire."

Suddenly, the hand hanging on the edge of the bed twitched once before the head eunuch could see it.

....

Author has something to say: My Laptop just said his goodbye to me and it was hard to write on my phone. Please bear with me because I didn't expect this to happen so my update could be later than I and the readers expected. But Don't worry, I will try to update regularly if I can.

Shen Mo: Question.... Is the head eunuch in love with the emperor? Oh my...