Volume One, Chapter 12: The Empress's Confession, The Alluring Poolside

The Empress glanced at the sky outside the door; indeed, it was getting late. Recalling how Cao Mo had kept her waiting for over an hour last night, she couldn’t help but issue a cold reminder, “No dawdling tonight. Just get it over with quickly.”

“Your Majesty...” Cao Mo looked troubled. “It’s not that I’m deliberately delaying, but I cannot let Your Majesty’s vigor wane, nor tarnish Your Majesty’s esteemed reputation.”

“I do not mind,” the Empress said coolly, rising from the dragon throne with a composed yet indifferent tone.

“Your Majesty may not care, but I must,” Cao Mo declared earnestly. “As the saying goes, if the lord is humiliated, the minister dies. In my eyes, Your Majesty’s prestige is more precious than my own life!”

“Is that so?” The Empress cast him a sharp glance.

“My loyalty to Your Majesty is witnessed by heaven and earth, illuminated by sun and moon. I would never utter a single false word...” Cao Mo began again, but the Empress cut him off with a cold voice.

“Enough!” she said, shooting him a sidelong glance without courtesy. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. If you’re so fond of the Empress, then fine—two hours instead of one. That way, you can’t accuse me of being stingy!”

“But within these two hours, I don’t want to hear the Empress’s voice stop. If you cannot accomplish that, then don’t blame me for charging you with dereliction of duty!”

“Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not fail my mission!” Cao Mo kowtowed deeply.

Two hours? Ha ha ha! With the mastery of the Master Rank Eight in the Kuiyuan Internal Classic under his belt, Cao Mo felt terrifyingly powerful. Two hours—or even a whole day and night—would pose no difficulty at all. Just watch, Your Majesty!

...

Having left the imperial study, the Empress boarded the dragon carriage once more and returned to the Huaqing Palace. After spending the entire day basking in imperial favor and attending closely to the throne, it now seemed perfectly reasonable for Cao Mo and Bai Huer to accompany the Empress inside.

The grandly decorated pool was already filled with hot water by the palace eunuchs. Steam billowed and mist swirled in the air.

Standing by the pool, the Empress removed the jade bracelet from her wrist. Instantly, the visage previously concealed by the bracelet transformed, revealing an exquisitely beautiful and unparalleled countenance. Her Adam’s apple vanished, her chest rose, and her figure regained a graceful, alluring curve.

Since she needed to exchange identities with Cao Mo, she had to revert to her female form in order to wear Cao Mo’s face mask. Otherwise, even with the mask, the jade bracelet would still give her away.

“Do you think I am a powerless emperor, unable to command authority in court, and even in the harem, my lawful Empress needs you to help soothe her?” The Empress suddenly looked at him as she stripped off her dragon robe and tossed it to Cao Mo.

Ah, my foolish Majesty! You are a woman yourself—how do you expect to pacify the Empress?

Cao Mo internally grumbled but answered respectfully, “Your Majesty’s words are mistaken. From my perspective, Your Majesty’s situation is not as dire as you imagine.”

“Explain,” the Empress said with sudden interest.

Cao Mo pondered carefully. “Your Majesty, though the Empress Dowager appears all-powerful, she only holds regency because you are the sole emperor and the only heir of the late emperor. Thus, the real threat to Your Majesty is not the Empress Dowager—at least, not for now.”

“Go on,” the Empress urged, her eyes now appraising Cao Mo anew, the false eunuch.

“Therefore, Your Majesty need not worry about the Empress Dowager in court for the time being. You can even leverage her power to accomplish your own aims.”

“A valid point,” the Empress smiled lightly, a hint of admiration in her gaze. She knew this already, but it was rare for a lowly eunuch like Cao Mo to grasp such insight.

“And after that, what then?” she asked again.

“Afterwards...” Noticing the Empress’s smile just then, Cao Mo was momentarily taken aback. Since last night, this was the first time he’d seen this beautiful emperor smile—and truly, her laughter was radiant, captivating, utterly unique. He longed to show her the sunshine.

Snapping back, he carefully replied, “To deal with the Empress Dowager is simple. Her power ultimately derives from Your Majesty’s own authority. So all you need is to find a scandal that implicates her and seize the opportunity to depose her.”

Cao Mo was not merely speaking idly—history bore precedent. In a previous life, Emperor Qin Shi Huang reclaimed power from Empress Dowager Zhao by exploiting her affair with Lao Ai.

“Not a bad idea,” the Empress said, looking at Cao Mo. “But what if the Empress Dowager has no scandal at all?”

“Then manufacture one. No one is perfect; everyone has weaknesses. The Empress Dowager is human too—she cannot be without vulnerabilities.”

Cao Mo spoke with conviction, though he noticed the Empress’s gaze turning strange.

No! Surely the beautiful Empress was not suggesting he become the new Lao Ai?

“Everyone has weaknesses, do they not?” she said. “I find you, little eunuch, rather unusual.”

The Empress’s estimation of Cao Mo had risen considerably. She never truly intended to have him deal with the Empress Dowager. Though the Dowager professed fondness for Cao Mo, if she were truly deceived, she would either be foolish or not the Empress Dowager she claimed to know.

Still, the Dowager was not without flaws. She had a daughter, Princess Linqing. Though the Dowager craved power, she loved her daughter dearly—a true doting mother.

An idea sparked in the Empress’s mind. She looked at Cao Mo again. “Do you have any weaknesses?”

“I do,” Cao Mo answered honestly. “I am a fake eunuch; my life depends entirely on Your Majesty’s will.”

“Good. Go change your clothes,” the Empress said, her mood greatly lifted and her appreciation for Cao Mo deepened. Clever, loyal, smart, and aware of his place—a talent like him was wasted merely as a pretend eunuch.

“Yes!” Cao Mo took the dragon robe and reluctantly glanced once more at the Empress’s long legs before retreating to a nearby chamber to change.

After he left, the Empress shed her undergarments, revealing a flawless, statuesque, and sensuous form, like a living work of art. In that moment, even the air seemed to bloom with fragrance and vitality.

Then, she lifted her long legs and dipped her jade-like feet into the warm water. Ripples spread across the surface as she slowly sank into the bath. Her snow-white arms rose, droplets glistening on her delicate skin.

As she bathed, she gently massaged the curves before her.

Because her figure was so exquisitely graceful, the jade bracelet, while serving as a magical concealment, also constrained her body. Thus, whenever she slept in the palace or bathed in Huaqing Palace, she would remove the bracelet and massage herself to promote circulation and dispel stagnation.

For a time, the entire pool was filled with an intoxicating scene of sensuality, stirring the blood and quickening the pulse.

Nearby, Nangong Li, standing at attention, had already turned her back, unable to bear watching.

If only Cao Mo were here—he would surely risk his head to declare his loyalty: “Your Majesty, please allow me to serve you!”