Chapter 195 - 196: Seducing the Emperor
When Steward Jia first learned that the old madam had given the estate to Hua Manman, he was very uneasy.
He had heard tales of this Second Miss, Hua Manman, and they painted her as a spoiled, bossy, and unreasonable person.
’Now that the estate is in her hands, who knows what kind of trouble she’ll stir up!’
But after actually meeting Hua Manman, he realized the rumors were all lies.
The Second Miss wasn’t spoiled at all. In fact, she was exceptionally easygoing and pleasant to be around.
She didn’t pretend to know everything and boss people around regarding the estate’s affairs, nor did she have any intention of driving away all the tenant farmers.
Everything on the estate remained as it was.
Steward Jia hurriedly replied.
"Thank you, Lady Hua. This humble one wishes you and the Prince a peaceful Mid-Autumn Festival in advance."
He paused, then continued cautiously.
"The Jin Family’s siblings you sent to the estate are doing quite well. When they heard I was coming to the Prince Mansion, they specifically asked me to thank you. Jin Ling’er also made a sachet for me to give to you. She hopes you won’t find it too plain."
Hua Manman took the sachet from Steward Jia.
The moon-white sachet was embroidered with clusters of pale yellow osmanthus flowers.
Bringing it closer, she could smell the sweet fragrance of osmanthus.
She smiled and said, "That’s very thoughtful of Jin Ling’er. I like this sachet very much."
For this trip to the Prince Mansion, Steward Jia had brought two large baskets of plump, meaty crabs, as well as a full cart of fruits and vegetables. All of it was produce from the estate, carefully selected and washed, and it looked extremely appealing.
It was far too much food for just Hua Manman and Prince Zhao to eat. It would spoil if left for too long, so their only option was to give it away.
Hua Manman selected some of the items to be sent to the Zhong’an Bo Mansion. The rest she distributed among Prince Zhao’s trusted aides, so they could also celebrate the festival.
These trusted aides were pleasantly surprised.
They hadn’t expected to receive festival gifts.
While Prince Zhao treated them well, with generous monthly salaries and allowances, he never paid any mind to festivals and would certainly never think of giving gifts for them.
Today was the first time they had truly felt the holiday spirit.
Seeing their happiness, Li Ji gave them half a day off to go home and reunite with their families.
That evening, the Emperor was hosting a moon-viewing banquet in the palace, and Prince Zhao had received an invitation.
As the sun was about to set, he left the Prince Mansion with Hua Manman and entered the palace for the banquet.
The attendees of the moon-viewing banquet, aside from the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress, were the Concubines of the harem and the various princes and princesses.
It was strictly a family affair.
So when Prince Zhao, an outsider, appeared, all eyes turned to him in unison.
Li Ji acted as if he didn’t see them, walking straight to his designated table and sitting down. Hua Manman sat beside him.
She gave the room a quick scan and spotted many familiar faces.
Among them was Hua Jieyu.
Perhaps because of her pregnancy, Hua Qingqing looked a bit rounder. Fortunately, she had always been very thin, so even with the extra weight, she still looked slender.
She wore a loose, high-waisted ruqun, and with her bright eyes, pearly teeth, and skin as white as snow, she exuded a sweet aura that screamed, ’I am very happy.’
One look was enough to tell that she had been living very well in the palace recently.
Naturally, Hua Qingqing also saw Hua Manman.
She gave her younger sister a gentle smile.
Probably due to the pregnancy, her smile gave Hua Manman the impression of a doting mother.
Hua Manman: "..."
’My eyes must be playing tricks on me.’
Delicious dishes were brought out one after another, filling the entire table.
Hua Manman’s attention was immediately captured by the food.
Some of the Concubines volunteered to perform for the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress to liven things up.
The Emperor, of course, granted them all permission.
These Concubines were all clearly prepared. After receiving permission, they took to the stage one by one to display their talents.
Some sang, some played instruments, and some danced.
Each performance was unique and captivating, leaving the audience dazzled.
Hua Manman ate her delicious food while enjoying the show, feeling that life was wonderful.
Just then, a long-unheard system notification suddenly sounded in her ear—
"BEEP! Host has successfully triggered an important plot mission!"
"Host, please take the stage immediately, dance, and seduce the Emperor."
"Mission time limit: one hour. Upon completion, Host will be rewarded with one lucky bag."
"If Host fails to complete the mission within the specified time, the mission will be deemed a failure, and Host will receive the heartache penalty."
"Host, please complete the mission as soon as possible!"
...
The chicken leg in Hua Manman’s hand suddenly lost its appeal.
’This damn system is here to screw me over again!’
In *Palace Intrigue*, there was a plot point where Hua Manman showed off her dancing skills at a banquet, publicly seducing the Emperor.
In the end, not only did she fail to win the Emperor’s favor, but she also angered a host of Concubines. This not only led to her being ostracized but also implicated her sister, Hua Qingqing, who became the subject of much gossip.
Hua Manman had thought that by avoiding the plotline of becoming an imperial concubine, the subsequent palace struggles would have nothing to do with her.
But she never expected the system to issue such a suicidal plot mission.
Hua Manman questioned the system in her mind.
’I’m Prince Zhao’s lady now, not one of the Emperor’s Concubines! How am I supposed to seduce the Emperor?!’
However, the system only had one reply.
"Host, please complete the mission as soon as possible!"
Hua Manman: ’F*ck you! You damn system!’
System: "Host, please complete the mission as soon as possible!"
Hua Manman: "..."
’I’m so mad I could die!’
Li Ji had been watching the performance, but he noticed the woman beside him holding a chicken leg motionless for a long time, so he turned to look at her.
"What’s wrong?"
Hua Manman put down the half-eaten chicken leg and said with a look of utter despair, "I suddenly feel like dying."
Li Ji was perplexed. "What is it now?"
Hua Manman heaved a long sigh, a lament from the depths of her soul.
"Living... is just so hard!"
But no matter how hard it was, she had to keep on slogging through.
Hua Manman wiped the grease from her mouth, stood up abruptly, and marched onto the stage with a bold and spirited stride.
’It’s just a dance, right?’
’Who’s afraid of who?!’
’Open your damn dog eyes and watch me, system!’
Hua Manman’s demeanor startled the Dancing Girl who was about to go on stage. The dancer involuntarily stopped in her tracks and stared at her, stunned.
Hua Manman bowed to the three great figures seated at the head table, announcing that she wished to take advantage of the beautiful moonlight to present a dance for everyone.
The Emperor agreed with a smile.
Li Ji hadn’t expected his little wife to know how to dance and couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.
He watched Hua Manman with composed interest.
It wasn’t just Prince Zhao; Hua Qingqing was also looking forward to it. She remembered that her younger sister was a very skilled dancer, so her performance was sure to be spectacular.
Hua Manman whispered a few instructions to the musicians, then returned to the center of the stage. As if by magic, she pulled two bright red handkerchiefs from her sleeves.
As the cheerful sound of gongs and drums began, Hua Manman started to twist to the beat, flinging the red handkerchiefs in her hands back and forth. She didn’t forget to plaster an exaggerated, festive smile on her face.