I don't want to marry the Emperor!

4

As Yu Jiang delivers a heavy tray of stacked shimmering silk into Yu Ning's room, he sees pieces of clothes scatter everywhere in the usually clean room. Then hears Yu Ning cry out, "No! can't you see?! That looks so ugly... Sob. Mom I have nothing to wear. Sob. How am I going to go in these rags?! Sob" from her dressing room, before a few more dresses are harshly thrown out of the room.

Yu Jiang took in a deep breath and reluctantly made his way into the chaotic room. As Yu Jiang quietly sets down the stack of colorful silk on a table, he hears Yu Ning's mother try to console her before ordering a maid to bring the seamstress to the room right away.

Knowing full well that with Yu Ning's sour mood, he will probably be forced to do more ridiculous things than usual, if he stays any longer, Yu Jiang quickly and silently left the room before his presence is picked up by the other people in the room.

---

With the news of the Emperor taking in concubine candidates spread throughout the country, Yu Jiang noticed that everyone in the Yu Manor immediately dropped their usual tasks and catered to Yu Ning's every whim and cry. Which Yu Jiang thought was senseless, but since it gets him out of his own chores, not that he even does half of them, Yu Jiang has no problem going with the flow of things. In fact, with how peaceful things have been for him since Yu Ning began focusing all of her attention on herself only, Yu Jiang does not even mind helping the Yu Manor pray to the gods for Yu Ning to get accepted as a concubine candidate.

Just the thinking about the thought of Yu Ning leaving brought a small smile to his face as he makes his way into the fairly empty kitchen.

"What took you so long?" A stern looking middle age lady asks Yu Jiang

With an apologetic smile on his face, Yu Jiang tells her, "Yu Ning had me run some extra tasks for her. I'll get started on my chores right away."

With that, Yu Jiang scuttles towards the small dish room before the middle age lady could give him even more chores to do.

---

By the time Yu Jiang finished his chore, the sky was aglow with a bright orange-reddish-yellow color. The middle age lady seems to have also left the kitchen as well. So as Yu Jiang places away his last plate, he makes his way towards a tall wooden roll of various cabinets, reaches up to a medium size box, and takes out a ripe peach.

After checking to make sure that no one is lurking in the area, Yu Jiang carefully tucks the peach into his sleeve and makes his way towards the small shed by the edge of the servant's quarter.

---

Upon entering the small shed, as usual, Yu Bai is sitting at the table with two bowls of soup, waiting for Yu Jiang. 

"Welcome home Jiang Gege." Bai beams with a bright smile, as she waves her hand for Yu Jiang to sit down.

However, as usual, Yu Bai's face is covered in a thick layer of filth, so instead of making his way over to Yu Bai right away, Yu Jiang walks towards the broken water basin and rinse a small cloth in cold water.

He then wipes away the filth on Yu Bai's face like usual and rinse out the cloth. As he did this, he hears Yu Bai mutter out, "sniff. Why does Jiang gege always use so much force. How is Bai going to attract the Emperor if Bai's face is ruin. Wuwu"

The first part of what Yu Bai said was normal, however the second part caught Yu Jiang's attention. As he turns around to face Yu Bai, he sees her twiddle her fingers together and cast her face slightly down with a nervous expression.

"What did you mean by the second part?" Yu Jiang asks in a calm voice as he puts the piece of cloth back on the side of the water basin.

With her head still slightly down and turn to the side, Yu Bai grips the seat of the wooden chair and timidly mumbles out, "Jiang Gege, it's rumor that the Emperor is taking in concubine candidates... um. Bai has applied."

Yu Jiang knew the process is a competition, so everyone and anyone can apply, but it had never crossed his mind that Bai would apply. 'She is only 16 years old. That's not even legal, right?. However, Yu Ning is barely 18 years old and she applied.'  Yu Jiang thought to himself before unconsciously voicing out, "You're too young."

"No. Yu Ning is only about a year older than me and she applied. Yaling Pan is also my age and she is already married." Bai quickly defends herself with a pout.

As Yu Jiang continues to process what she said, Bai timidly raises her head, glance at Yu Jiang with big apologetic eyes and said, "Gege, the selection ceremony will be in three days. Please help Bai. Once Bai becomes Empress, Bai promises to take good care of gege."

The softness and pleading in her tone, did slightly sway Yu Jiang's heart. However, having grown up in a mafia family, Yu Jiang knows exactly how dangerous and tricky harems are. If a person is weak and/or naive they will be manipulated, used, kill, and dispose of immediately. So if the harems in this world are anything like the mafia world or the stories he's heard of in films and books, it is stupid to willingly join the Emperor's harem. 

However, as Yu Jiang was about to open his mouth to reject the idea, he sees tears begin to fall from Yu Bai's eyes as she whimpers out, "sniff. Jiang gege please help Bai. This is Bai's only dream. Bai promises to work really hard. Please. Bai promises to never asks anything of Jiang Gege ever again."

Yu Jiang was still firm that joining a harem is stupid, but upon hearing Yu Bai's say it is her only dream and seeing the sincere pleading and sadness on her face, Yu Jiang reluctantly agrees.