Chapter 877: The Young Empress (14)

“The Imperial Consort certainly has an excellent appetite. It seems I have been negligent and allowed you to suffer some hardship.”

Tang Guo sipped her tea contentedly as though she hadn't noticed the stiff expression on Jing Cheng's face.

Turning to the Chief Steward beside her, she gave an order.

“From now on, add four more dishes to the Imperial Consort's lunch and dinner.”

“And prepare more snacks for him as well.”

Jing Cheng: ...

Wasn't something about this situation completely wrong?

“Since you are my Imperial Consort,” Tang Guo continued, “I will not allow you to go hungry. If the food is still insufficient, simply send someone to inform the Chief Steward. He will make the necessary arrangements.”

What could Jing Cheng possibly say?

The Empress genuinely didn't seem to mind how much he ate.

Not only that, she was increasing his meals.

Four extra dishes for lunch.

Four extra dishes for dinner.

The small anxiety he had been carrying vanished instantly.

His impression of the Empress improved considerably.

And she was even arranging special snacks for him.

This time, when he looked at Tang Guo, his gaze softened noticeably.

Whatever the Empress's purpose might be, he was willing to cooperate fully for the sake of all that food.

Then he remembered that the Jing family had always been loyal to the Empress.

In that case, the Empress treating him somewhat differently wasn't strange at all.

To Jing Cheng, her actions could only mean one thing.

Trust.

She was drawing closer to him.

Rewarding him.

That probably meant she had some important task she intended to entrust to him later.

After reaching that conclusion, Jing Cheng accepted the rewards with a completely clear conscience.

Not long after Tang Guo departed, additional gifts arrived.

They weren't jade ornaments.

Nor gold or silver.

Nor expensive silks.

Instead, it was a sword.

A truly exceptional sword.

The moment Jing Cheng saw it, his eyes lit up.

His favorable impression of the Empress increased by several more levels.

Meanwhile, Tang Guo sat within her own palace, watching Jing Cheng happily practicing swordsmanship through the System's surveillance.

Winning someone's favor by giving them exactly what they liked was simply too easy.

Not long afterward, the Chief Steward quietly entered and leaned close.

“Your Majesty, the Imperial Consort is deeply grateful for your gifts.”

“Oh?”

Tang Guo raised an eyebrow.

“What else did he say?”

The Chief Steward smiled.

“He said that if Your Majesty ever has any instructions for him, he will certainly carry them out to the best of his ability.”

Tang Guo: “...”

System: Hahahahaha!

So he thought the Host was preparing to assign him an important mission.

It never once crossed his mind that the Host simply found him interesting.

“I understand.”

Tang Guo rubbed her forehead.

“Tell him that I will indeed have something for him to do in the future.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

For the next several days, Tang Guo made no effort to visit Jing Cheng.

Jing Cheng wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

This outcome was entirely within his expectations.

The Empress had never been particularly close to anyone.

Her trust in him stemmed from loyalty.

As for Nanyun Chuan, he was simply skilled at charming people.

Su Qing could play the qin and entertain the Empress.

The others?

Winning the Empress's favor was far from easy.

Before entering the palace, his parents had already warned him.

Behave yourself.

Stay in your residence and practice your swordsmanship.

Don't compete for favor.

If the Empress ever requires your assistance, simply do your best to help her.

The more Jing Cheng thought about it, the more convinced he became that his parents possessed extraordinary foresight.

As he swung his beloved new sword, a feeling of immense satisfaction filled his heart.

The Empress had rewarded him with such a magnificent weapon.

Naturally, he would devote himself wholeheartedly to carrying out any task she entrusted to him.

【Host, congratulations on gaining a loyal subject.】

The System couldn't resist teasing her.

He truly hadn't expected the Host to experience something like this one day.

Tang Guo watched Jing Cheng's graceful swordsmanship and smiled.

“I'm not angry at all.”

“One day, he'll develop entirely different thoughts about me.”

Over the past two days, both Nanyun Chuan and Su Qing had left the palace.

Naturally, the two of them met.

Soon afterward, they also encountered Tang Nuoyue.

At that particular time, Tang Nuoyue had finally devised a method to transform herself from a fool into a normal person.

In truth...

Tang Nuoyue's plan for regaining her intelligence was remarkably simple.