Refusing to Serve Me? Then Off With Your Head!

Chapter 40 Diligence was Virtue

Xiao Huang's bare arm was glistening with sweat as he carried a shovel to clean the accumulated manure in the stable that had not been cleaned for a very long time. There were streams of sweat on his back, one that disappeared after flowing down the waistband of his pants.

E Huang dragged me by my arm, "Your Ladyship, this servant is more than enough to watch over him. You should go and rest!"

Ever since I bravely rejected the emperor's suggestion to castrate our new servant, His Majesty had never brought up the matter again. Just, on the second day, a group of eunuchs clutching a decree almost broke our door.

The content of the edict was the same as the paper that Feng Zhao Wen showed me previously. Just, this time, it was written on a yellow silk and had beared the mark of the imperial jade seal.

The emperor was getting anxious.

Other than me who would rather die than surrender and the resentful Xiao Huang, everyone else were joyful.

Uncle Tong sighed with teary eyes, "The old Master had always been worried about this. He thought you wouldn't be able to marry. Even though your future husband is far from what the old Master has in mind for you, at least you can still marry. I now have the cheek to face the old Master once I die."

E Huang disagreed with what Uncle Tong said, "Uncle Tong, every single noble in the capital would kill to be able to make their daughters the empress. Don't you think you are being too disrespectful?

The four jiejies behind her looked at Uncle Tong in hostility for the first time since they met.

After congratulating us, the eunuch in charge of reading the decree immediately gave way. The large entourage behind him was a breath-taking sight. They were carrying treasures and gifts that were given by the palace to us. Our courtyard was packed with all kinds of things; from jade hairpins in the shape of phoenix, to magnificent buyaos and red agates from the east.

(TN: The headgear above is a buyao.)

I became fixated on all the trays containing those treasures for a very long time. I stared at the courtyard speechlessly and calmly waved them off to send them away.

Facing such precious gifts, I honestly felt that.... dying over surrendering wasn't a necessary thing after all.

Xiao Huang was shocked by how fast I changed my mind. He repeatedly asked me, "Are you sure he hasn't forced you or threatened you?"

After Feng Zhao Wen left yesterday, he had asked me the same question for around 20 times.

Xiao Huang must had been bored and idle.

While E Huang and the four jiejies managed the gifts, I took him around our house, showing him what needed to be done; from the dirty stable to the backyard's toilet.

E Huang could not understand why I was so happy while ordering Xiao Huang about. She trailed after me from behind, calling, "Your Ladyship! Your Ladyship!" My head hurts from the way she kept calling me, so I sent her to the frontyard.

Xiao Huang took 4 hours to deal with the stable and two hours to deal with the toilet. He kept throwing up while doing the second task. In the end, he crouched in front of a large water tank on the backyard, taking big gulps of water. When he finished drinking, he raised his head and was greeted with the sight of stacks and stacks of firewood. He paled.

In the end, he laid on the ground, refusing to get up no matter what. He whined while mumbling to himself before pointing accusingly at me, "You are exacting revenge based on your personal selfish reasons!"