Chapter 05

That day, Shen Nuo with the help of Zhanhua was able to sneak back into his room right under the nose of the Emperor. A close shave...

But he couldn't avoid the Imperial Decree that was issued that evening. The Emperor had ordered Shen Nuo to visit the Imperial Chamber that night to receive his punishments for breaking the confinement...

So Shen Nuo that night, sat forth his mirror and looked at himself again. He couldn't help but cry out in amazement.

"Wow! Like the Chinese version of Medusa!" He said in an amused voice. "Liyi, how comes I did not know you're this talented?"

Liyi threw away the comb in satisfaction, looking very pleased. "I just did what master asked me to do. Master, what's Chinese version of err... Medusa?"

"Forget it!" Shen Nuo stood up from his seat. "Liyi, how about my smell? Do I still smell great?"

Liyi smiled sheepishly, blocking her nose with the back of her sleeve when Shen Nuo turned around. "Master smells great!"

Yeah, Shen Nuo was going to greet the Emperor. How can he go without scenting himself so that he can look great? It was just that Shen Nuo didn't want the Emperor to forget him for a life time. So he decided to use a natural scent to please the Emperor.

That evening, he ate raw garlic, roasted garlic, cooked garlic, steamed garlic, and even washed himself in a bath dipped with a lot of chopped garlic. He was smelling great indeed.

And the servants and maids within the radius of hundred meters around all were choked into tears.

The Dog Emperor would punish me again if I get late. Shen Nuo thought. Li Yanlong just look at me and say that you can't stand my ugly face now. Ok? Then spit at my smell, wear that scary face and say that you're not happy! Then you can chase me to the Frost Palace and confine me for another three months for ruining your good mood!

The moment he entered the Imperial Chamber, a goddess like maiden who sat by the enormous Dragon Bed screamed out in horror. "Aaaaaah! A ghost!!!"

Shen Nuo didn't expect to have a third party in the room. He looked at the unique pale pink dress that she was wearing and the beautiful hairpin made of precious ruby on her hair. His lips stretched into a vicious smile. He bore his incisor fangs.

"Greetings, Consort Lian!"

The Emperor came out of the inner chamber with a stack of scrolls in his hands. He froze stunned at the white faced ghost who stood infront of him. His hair flew in all directions like a statue of flying snakes.

"..."

Shen Nuo smiled broadly. "Shen Nuo greets the Emperor!" He said moving his sleeves with extra strength and the smell of garlic hit the nose of the Emperor.

Emperor Li Yanlong gritted his teeth. He felt like retching. Garlic was what he hated the most. Even the Imperial Kitchens avoided garlic in the meals that were daily served to him. Almost everyone in the palace knew about it. How dare Shen Nuo!

He narrowed his eyes darkly. "Did your maid fetch you out of the soil in the back yards, Consort Shen?" He asked in a cold voice.

Shen Nuo looked calm and collected. "Wrong, Your Majesty, my maid just fetched me out of the kitchen."

Li Yanlong's eyes even narrowed. "Isn't it the maid's work to cook? Are you embarrassing me or are you rebelling?"

"None of them." Shen Nuo said in a reassuring voice. "It was Your Majesty who took away all my maids except one. If I want to eat on time, how shall I eat if I don't cook?"

Yanlong's mouth twitched at the ends. So this is the new trick you came up with! Carry on!

He walked up the wooden stair and sat on the bed by Consort Lian's side, placing the scrolls beside them.

He gave her a loving smile. She was still shocked by the ghost she saw. She calmed down slowly and burrowed into Li Yanlong's embrace looking at him with tearful eyes.

Shen Nuo smirked at the Emperor.

As if! You shouldn't be thinking of sleeping with anyone let alone her at least for a week. I mean, can you? Is that place still working!!?

Li Yanlong pulled Consort Lian into his snuggle and kissed her head lovingly. "Consort Lian, your brother just broke the confinement and dared to have a stroll in the city. You say, how should we punish him?"

Consort Lian curled the ends of her ruby lips into an alluring smile. "Your Majesty!" She said in a furious whisper, eyeing Shen Nuo who stood in a corner, who was completely ignored. "This consort doesn't dare to interfere in the personal matters of Your Majesty!" She said virtuously.

Li Yanlong nodded in satisfaction. "Look at how merciful your sister is, Shen Nuo!"

Shen Nuo smiled bowing and unceremoniously sat by the seat forth the jade desk. "Shen Nuo agrees with Your Majesty." He poured himself some wine from the wine jug on the desk.

"Consort Lian is indeed a sister that is one in a thousand! This Consort really admires her!"

"Get up! Consort Shen! Zhen didn't invite you to take a seat!" The Emperor growled. "Since she isn't willing to punish you, let Zhen decide it for you."

Shen Nuo stood again obediently. But his bright and beautiful eyes shone full of bad intentions. "Ok."

Consort Lian quickly spoke. "Your Majesty, brother Shen Nuo was prisoned in Mingyue Palace for three months. It's normal for him to feel bored. Please don't be hard on him."

Li Yanlong raised his dense brows in amazement. "You shouldn't be soft to him. Forgot how he poisoned you?"

Consort Lian flinched convulsively. But she switched back in an instant. She smiled innocently. "But I don't wish him to get punished, Your Majesty. It's normal to have conflicts inside the harem."

Li Yanlong smiled tightening the embrace. "My good girl!"

Shen Nuo knew what she was doing. Did she think he would get jealous of her for having the Emperor's favor? What a rat!

Shen Nuo smiled deeply. It was just that right now, he missed Pepsi and popcorns so much...

Yeah, there was a time indeed when he lied on his bed at the dormitory like dead fish and watched Chinese historical romance dramas until dawn. He would finish loads ands loads of popcorn buckets and Pepsi bottles for a start.

This time, what's the difference? The only difference was that the characters he saw in the phone had just come alive! Isn't it something amazing?

Rather than watching it in the TV or the phone, watching it lively was quite something...

"Since my Consort Lian refuses to punish him, let him serve you tonight!" Li Yanlong brushed the soft hair strands on her face to the back of her ear. "Shen Nuo, serve your sister tea!"

He said grimly, pulling Shen Nuo out of his blind illusions.

Consort Lian smiled pleasantly. That smile would have looked harmless and beautiful. But Shen Nuo saw that it was full of sarcasm and mockery. So he also smiled politely. Serve her tea right? Got it!

He poured a cup from the jug on the table and brought it toward the bed with careful steps. And...

After directly dumping the tea cup over Consort Lian's head, Shen Nuo immediately retreated looking frantically horrified. "Oh noh!" He stammered pulling an innocent look that didn't hurt anybody. "I...I didn't mean that! Please I'm sorry."

Consort Lian was dumbstruck. She was speechless. It wasn't tea. It was wine. If it was hot tea, how can Shen Nuo dump it onto her head and pretend it wasn't intentional? Hahaha!

The wine trickled down the sides of her face ruining her makeup completely. And on her face, Shen Nuo saw the craters of the moon.

"Wow! Sister Lian, you're very beautiful!" He said in blind fascination. Then he shot a quick glance at the Emperor whose mouth felled half open.

Dog surnamed Li ... You want me to serve women? Did you eat dog shit? Who said I'm afraid of you dirty Dog Emperor Li Yanlong? Fuck your nine lifetimes good luck!

The Emperor looked at Consort Lian's ruined face in disbelief. Isn't she very beautiful? But why is she looking... ugly without makeup? He facepalmed feeling a headache coming on. "Consort Lian, you... You leave now! Have a quick wash."

Consort Lian was nearly crying. She turned to go obediently. Oh yeah! She has to run away quickly. She mustn't let the Emperor see her face with ruined makeup at all. She was suddenly in a hurry. Just as she got down the single wooden stair down the bed...

"Oooou!" Shen Nuo yawned stretching out one leg and Consort Lian, caught off guard, stumbled on the slender foot that appeared out of nowhere.

CRASH!!!!

Consort Lian collapsed onto the jade desk by the side at loss of balance. Her hairpin got stuck into the curtain that was hung by, loosening her hair.

Thanks Mr curtain for your help! I'll repay you with a clean wash later ok?

Shen Nuo smiled maliciously and reached out to help immediately when Consort Lian hit her head onto the desk. She screamed.

"Oh, sister, can't you just look at where you're stepping? Or are you night blind?"

He taking chance, successfully messed her hair into a crow nest. Now she looked even horrible than a Medusa.

Shen Nuo smiled secretly in satisfaction and gracefully gave her a middle finger in his heart. This is for framing me for poisoning you!

He helped Consort Lian onto her legs pulling a genuinely concerned mood. "Slowly, ok, slowly... Don't stumble again!

Consort Lian's face was red than a beetroot. She stared at Shen Nuo for a moment before starting to cry loudly. That night, she cried until her voice was heard to the furthest corner of the Palace.

The Emperor meanwhile was calmly having some wine. A slight smile stretched across one of the corners of his lips. The cub finally revealed it's claws. But he hid his smile immediately and pulled out a murderous glare. "Shen Nuo!!!"

"Eh?" Shen Nuo said innocently. "Am I wrong again? Where exactly?"

Consort Lian couldn't face the embarrassment anymore. She fled out of the room with the river of her tears.

Shen Nuo stood for a moment. @#$k! He was alone with the Dog Emperor again! He looked at the Emperor who was calmly drinking wine.

A cold shudder ran down his back. Doesn't he love his Consort Lian very much? Why doesn't he seem to care at all? What was he playing at? Something was definitely wrong. And...and why was Li Yanlong looking suddenly frightening???

He bit his lower lip slowly and ventured forth again. "Then, Your Highness, this consort will also take his leave!"

"Stop!"

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