213: reverse scale

Of course, she couldn't escape.

So Tu Nan could only be led onto the dance floor by The Emperor.

Regardless of what the people present were thinking, the dance floor was quickly cleared to provide enough space for The Emperor to perform.

The band, being very perceptive, switched to a romantic piece with a suitable rhythm.

"This official is not a suitable choice."

Tu Nan wanted to protest but really couldn't say more; it was only normal for several nobles present to have sharp ears.

"Oh?"

The Emperor had already begun to lead her in circles.

His hand applied a slight pressure to her waist as he demanded, "I am not familiar with the steps, so you'd better focus."

"I'm not familiar with them either!"

"Then let's learn together."

The Emperor answered very casually.

After the two had turned in the dance floor for a while, pair after pair of people followed them onto the floor.

Making His Majesty's entertainment more atmospheric was a basic ability they had to possess as subordinates.

As the music entered the second major melody, everyone began to smoothly exchange partners while spinning.

As several Female Beasts glided past His Majesty, their expressions shifted from anticipation to disappointment.

One after another, Tu Nan didn't know how many daggers she had been stabbed with by the glares of the young misses.

"It's time to change partners, Your Majesty."

She reminded The Emperor.

"Is that so?" The Emperor's hand around her waist did not loosen in the slightest.

He didn't need Tu Nan to perform any fancy moves; he just led her through the basic steps.

"That's the advanced version. It's been too long since I practiced, I've forgotten."

"I will teach you," Tu Nan said through gritted teeth.

The Emperor leaned close to her ear.

"No need, I don't want to learn." His hand resting on Tu Nan's waist slid slightly as he said in surprise,

"You've gained quite a bit of weight."

Malice rose in Tu Nan's heart, and she stepped directly onto his foot.

"Ah~ Apologies, Your Majesty." She gave a fake smile. "As you know, I tire easily."

She was hinting for The Emperor to be mindful of her physical condition.

"Ha." The Emperor laughed inexplicably. "Then we won't dance. Let's go."

He stopped abruptly, left Tu Nan standing there, and walked off the floor on his own.

To the onlookers, it seemed as if Tu Nan had said something to provoke The Emperor's anger.

But in truth, Tu Nan was not afraid.

In such a setting, Tu Nan wasn't afraid at all of what The Emperor might do to her.

Could he be so insane as to turn her into a cat on the spot?

No. In her heart, she was very certain of His Majesty's 'tolerance' and 'justice'.

The reason she stood frozen in place was... when The Emperor had leaned close and chuckled just now, Tu Nan caught the scent of his breath.

She discovered something.

There was no scent of alcohol on The Emperor at all?

But that glass of wine he drank earlier was one she had specifically chosen.

The alcohol content was low, but the aroma was rich.

That was both to make it easy for the Empress Dowager to mix drugs into it and to make it convenient to swap back to harmless wine later.

What urgent matter did The Emperor have that required him to leave temporarily, yet he still had the mind to remove the scent?

Tu Nan recalled carefully.

It wasn't just his breath... his entire body didn't seem to be tainted by the smell of wine.

***

The Emperor returned to the Empress Dowager's side with a long face.

"Imperial Mother, why are you standing here?" he asked coolly. "Are you tired as well?"

The Empress Dowager twitched the corners of her mouth.

The Emperor felt bored.

"Is it that some people are to stay in the palace? Pamela, right? Who else? Call them over."

The Empress Dowager stared at him for a long time, then said carefully,

"Stay? It is not convenient to have people stay in the palace at will. Why did Your Majesty stop dancing?"

"Like a block of wood, what's the fun in that."

The Empress Dowager was unsure of his intentions, but she wanted tonight's chaos to end as soon as possible.

"If Your Majesty is not interested in these things, it would be fine to go rest first. There is no problem letting them enjoy themselves here."

"You are right, then I am leaving."

The Emperor was not at all polite; he stood up and left.

Once he was far away, the Empress Dowager finally sat back in her chair, pressing her temples with a headache.

"Empress Dowager..."

Tu Nan approached her with a face full of worry.

Tu Nan had to try and fill in the pit The Emperor had dug for her with a shovel of dirt.

Moreover, she also wanted to probe the Empress Dowager's attitude.

The Empress Dowager gave Tu Nan a cold look, wanting to lash out, but she forced herself to endure it.

Instead, she spoke to Tu Nan with a pleasant countenance.

"Fine, it is His Majesty being willful."

She didn't know if she was explaining it to Tu Nan or to the nobles who were pricking up their ears to listen to the commotion.

"He is angry that I am making arrangements for him. Alas, this motherly heart of mine..."

The Empress Dowager shook her head, showing a hint of distress and helplessness.

"What did you say just now?" the Empress Dowager asked.

"I just said I wasn't familiar with the dance steps and couldn't teach His Majesty."

Tu Nan appeared as terrified as a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

So that was it; the Empress Dowager now understood.

Disobedience, confrontation. No wonder... "In my view, it is no big deal. You might as well follow him now and properly beg for forgiveness."

"Ah?"

To ask a subordinate to beg for forgiveness while His Majesty was in a fit of pique—was she serious?

The Empress Dowager really wasn't afraid of sending her to her death.

"What? He is The Emperor, do you perhaps have some dissatisfaction?"

"This official dares not." Tu Nan lowered her head.

"Then go."

With speculation in her eyes, the Empress Dowager urged Tu Nan.

Tu Nan took Peng Tianyu and chased out in the direction His Majesty had left.

"How is your body? Are you tired? Should I... carry you?"

It seemed Peng Tianyu was one of those who had overheard her conversation with His Majesty.

Tu Nan rolled her eyes.

"Shut up and just follow me."

There was no sign of His Majesty on the road, so Tu Nan led Peng Tianyu straight to His Majesty's sleeping quarters.

Sure enough, The Emperor had already returned.

"Your Majesty."

Tu Nan was led inside by Yuan Zhe, while Peng Tianyu was left outside the door.

"Weren't you tired? What, come back to life?"

The Emperor spoke with Yin and Yang sarcasm.

"What is Your Majesty saying? Wasn't that because I was afraid of affecting your plan?"

"Plan?" The Emperor tossed the thing in his hand aside. "This plan is too tedious."

"A few days ago, you said that this arrangement would control the scope of the disturbance and keep the commotion small."

"I thought about it today, and I find it annoying to look at."

"What part is annoying?"

Tu Nan asked sincerely.

The recent dinner 'lessons' had made her accustomed to asking questions immediately whenever she didn't understand something in front of The Emperor.

"The kind of annoyance that expects me to sell my looks."

? Tu Nan suspected she had misheard.

How could such crude words come out of The Emperor's mouth?

"What, you didn't see that Pamela's expression? Did you see her drool? Who allowed her to look at me like that?"

"Was it you?"

"...You think too highly of me. She is the Empress Dowager's person, as you know." Tu Nan no longer wanted to defend herself.

His Majesty seemed to be making a scene without reason.

She suddenly followed up on those words, seemingly casually.

"It was you who praised Pamela as barely presentable, saying that out of several people, only she was tolerable to you. That's why I went to pass the word to the Empress Dowager."

No, in fact, The Emperor had never said that. Tu Nan waited... "She's just passable. Taking a closer look today, she's too ugly."

The Emperor was very arrogant.

Tu Nan's heart beat very fast; this was not right.

Very... not right.

Her heartbeat was too loud, and perhaps her complexion had changed. The Emperor narrowed his eyes.

He stood up very sharply.

Staring into her eyes, he approached.

"Your Majesty..."

Tu Nan spoke very softly and slowly.

"Is your cough... better?"

The Emperor's pupils instantly turned into vertical slits.

The endless pressure made Tu Nan dizzy, nauseous, and chilled to the bone.

She probably shouldn't have asked.