The empress looks around and lowers her eyelashes as if embarrassed. "I wish for privacy. Can we talk somewhere else?"

Xu Zhemgming hesitated for a while. He looks at the door of the Lotus Hall. Court lady Han got it and said, "I will relay the message to the emperor if you can't make it back when he comes out."

He nods and replies, "Thank you court lady Han. Then I'll be troubling you."

The two walk shoulder to shoulder. The lady is walking too slow and Xu Zhengming matches her pace. The maids behind them are a little distant.

Although Xu Zhengming is a great womanizer, he still felt uncomfortable walking with this lady. No one speaks and the atmosphere around them is awkwardly quiet.

Fortunately, the uncomfortable feeling somehow dissipated when the empress finally speaks.

"The sun today is covered with thick clouds. I like this kind of weather. That is why I insisted to walk around on my own feet instead of riding a sedan. Does Eunuch Xu find the weather good today as well?"

"The weather? Yes, yes. It's good, quite good."

Xu Zhengming wants to slap himself. He sounded like an awkward lame man talking to his crush. How was it good? It looks like it would rain sooner or later.

Then the atmosphere became dead quiet once again.

He argued with himself if he should start a conversation or not. But if he did, what topic would it be? This lady... she didn't bring him for a walk to compliment the weather, did she? If this lady has something to say to him, she better say it now.

After a long walk, they arrived at the imperial garden. They headed to the lake-side and stared at the waters for a while.

Xu Zhengming is full of wild thoughts. Is it possible that this lady fancies him? He observed her for a long time. If he is to classify her, this lady is the Innocent Type.

Based on his gathered data as he was conducting his study, the Innocent Type believes in almost everything. She will be likely not realizing any hidden agenda of others, thus trust others very easily. This type is usually sweet, and in some cases gets embarrassed too quickly. She is usually quite slow in picking up new concepts, but that's what is unique about her.

This type of girl usually has many friends who love her and want to protect her from bastards that want to take advantage of her.

Xu Zhengming turns his head behind him. The maids are all looking at him with killing intent. His data seem accurate.

"Actually Eunuch Xu, I don't know where should I start." She looks at him with twinkling eyes. "I am still hesitant to ask this to you or not."

She played with her fingers as she tries to calm herself with a succession of deep breaths.

"Please... please keep it between us." Her cheeks burning, and her long eyelashes trembling.

Xu Zhengming wanted to hold her hands but he might end up floating in the lake if he does so. Her maids are just too overprotective.

"I will, your highness. Please speak your heart's content. I am listening intently."

Xu Zhengming's eyes filled with sincerity. But deep inside him, he is already thinking of a way in how to let her down without hurting her. He expects that this lady would confess to him. He doesn't want to hurt this lady. She's beautiful, graceful, elegant, and bashful at times. It's a shame he became a eunuch. The truth that he became one without being castrated might be revealed. This hurts him too much, but what can he do?

He could only offer a gentle smile to the lady to soothe the tension within her.

"The thing is..." She pressed her lips together before opening them to utter the next words.

"How did you capture his majesty's heart?"

Xu Zhengming's smile froze. "Pardon?"

The empress smiled bashfully and slightly pushed his arm. "Don't make me say it twice. It's too embarrassing." Her entire face turned somewhat red.

Xu Zhengming felt goosebumps as he noticed the ashen faces of her maids.

"Listen, Eunuch Xu..." The empress continued. "I'm asking you, how did you capture his majesty's heart?"

The thoughts he had in mind all shattered into pieces. So, it's not the case?

"Ha. Ha. Ha... what is her highness talking about? Did the rumors reach you as well? Please don't believe what they say, it's not true."

"Ah? It's not true?" The empress gives her a complicated look. "I do not know if I should be happy or upset knowing the truth."

"What does her highness mean? Do you fancy the emperor? I heard he's already married but if her highness doesn't mind, I think you would pass to become a royal noble consort or at the very least, a concubine."

The empress looks at her for a while and started to laugh. Xu Zhengming find it strange. Did he say something wrong?

Not having an idea, he continued to blabber nonsense. "Or her highness could choose to pour her love on me instead." He winked at her but for some reason, the lady laughed even hard.

"If I am not in love with his majesty, I might have taken a like to Eunuch Xu." She tried her best to suppress her laughter. "My bad, my bad. I did not introduce myself first. Please excuse my rudeness." She finally managed to gather her composure again and smiles at him sweetly. "I am Xue Chi. His majesty's empress."

Hearing this Xu Zhengming was caught off-guard and left speechless. It was really rude of him not to recognize a lady of high status. He even thought that this lady likes him, and even said shameful words to her.

"Please forgive this lowly one's ignorance, your highness." He was about to kowtow but the empress stopped him.

"I fancy the emperor but his majesty can't return the feelings I have. I thought the emperor likes you and I was hoping if you could help me but..." She can't help but sigh in disappointment.

Though he regrets that he had no chance to hit on her, he felt sorry for the empress.

"I might be not much of a help but I want to extend my hand to you, your highness." He looks at her with eagerness in his eyes. "I will find out what the emperor likes in a woman and will share my gathered information with you."

The empress' face brightens up and beamed a smile. She grabs both of his hands and held them tightly.

"Eunuch Xu, please do. I am willing to offer what you want in exchange. Jades? Gold bars? Silk? Anything!"

"I do not need anything for the meantime, your highness. Please take it as a servant complying to orders."

Actually, Xu Zhengming rarely asks nothing in return for a favor. The truth is, he wants what the empress offered. It's just he felt embarrassed for his actions earlier and expressed his gratitude for not punishing him. Aside from that, he can't assure if he really could get information due to the emperor's unpredictableness.

"No. No. That won't do. You are not my servant." The empress thinks for a while. "How about we become friends? Whenever you need help, I'll do anything in my power to help you." She smiled sweetly.

Xu Zhengming felt like he's being crushed by overwhelming pressure. "But... this lowly one doesn't deserve to be friends with her highness."

The empress laughed and even slaps Xu Zhengming's arm. "What are you saying? I make friends to anyone I'd like to."She giggled for quite some time before finally turning back to the little eunuch. "Well then... You should go back to the emperor as soon as possible." She tiptoed and leans near to his ear and whispers. "His majesty is temperamental after all."

She taps his shoulder before she walks further from him, back to her maids. She then cheerfully waved at him and Xu Zhengming could only bow his head as the empress and her maids slowly disappears in his sight.