"What is she doing there?"

The emperor gritted out the question glaring at front. His jaw clenched as his grip on the railing turned harder every second to suppress his fueling rage.

Xian Xu knew the question was directed to him and that made his back filled with cold sweats....

Your highness, what's the point of asking me when you clearly saw what your idiot concubine was doing out there?

Though he was too scared to reply to his highness's question, he couldn't help stammering out,

" You..your gra...grace"

"What.is.she.doing?", Zhu Zhen cut him off asking again.His voice was eerily soft making a shiver roll down Xian Xu's spine.

"Your highness, miss Li is with the other maids waiting for the taels Princess Qiao tan is about to distribute."

That was not a new information to the emperor.For the last 15 minutes he had been observing his little wife from over the stairs who was jumping excitedly for the taels that were thrown at the maids by the princess.

Her eyes was glittering with glee when she looked at the taels with uncovered greed in her eyes.

"Maids?", The emperor felt his every cell burning in rage with humiliation..His jaw clenched as an attempt to suppress his rage.

"Does she really think she is a maid?",he asked..His voice cold.

She is not?

Xian Xu was puzzled with the emperor's question and didn't know how to respond.

You demoted all your concubines to maids,remember?

Xian Xu really really wanted to rebut the emperor but he would love his head to be attached to his neck, so he decided otherwise..

Logically, it was natural for G.Li to be excited when it comes to money. Because-

1.She has always been greedy all her life.

2.She really wanted to change her broke status as that stingy brat emperor didn't bother to pay her a single penny despite her devoted service.

Most importantly, she wanted to get out of that palace very badly and she needed money for that.

So when goddess princess Qiao tan declared to distribute taels amongst the maids, she joined them shamelessly.

I am a maid too, aren't I?

Poor, poor G.Li.When it was her turn to have her share of taels, a voice called behind her ruining her joy totally.

"Miss Li"

It was Xian Xu!

Dang! What is this wanker doing here right now?

G.Li pretended to be deaf and acted like she was not the one who was being called.

Xian Xu again called,

"Miss Li!"

And the hand of Pei Nian, the personal maid of the princess that was about to give her the bag full of taels stopped midway.

"Miss?",she muttered confused.

Why would a maid be called 'Miss'?

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

G.Li felt like cursing out loud! She couldn't afford to lose her awaited prize after coming so close. So, she did the first thing that came across her tiny head.

Looking here and there as if she was searching someone,she shouted,

"Hey, Miss Li! whoever you are, can't you hear mr.Xian Xu calling you? Come on, show yourself!"

Then facing Pei Nian with her most innocent expression she added dramatically,

"Hehehe,I think that wench Li is not in the hall right now. Please give me my share fast so I can get back to my work. It is really hard for a maid to get free time in this palace, you know"

She opened her hands to take the bag of taels but Pei Nian was too suspicious to give the bag away..

G.Li was becoming more impatient as Pei Nian hesitated to give her money. To eradicate her own suspicion, Pei Nian looked at the now dumbfounded Xian Xu and asked,

"Who is she?"

Xian Xu who was taken into shock by G.Li's recent antics however managed to get out some words,

"She..she is our emperor's.."

"Maid", G.Li didn't let him finish and squealed out the word.

I am the emperor's maid.Just maid.",she eyed Pei Nian cautiously.

Before the personal maid could react, she yanked the bag of taels from her hand and walked out of the hall leaving the dumbstruck Xian Xu standing there like a statue.

A chill rolled down Xian Xu's spine imagining the face of the emperor who was observing the whole situation from above the stairs....

"Just maid,huh?"

Zhu Zhen wasn't even aware of the hurt that flashed in his eyes when her words rang again and again in his mind. His grip on the wooden railing turned tight to the point of cracking but it didn't help the burning rage that engulfed his every living cell.

"Just maid"

He whispered the words again to himself. He didn't know how these two word managed to throw his sanity out of the window making him want to burn the whole world to ashes.

A sinister cold smile appeared on his lips as his eyes shone with a demonic glint.

"It seems like someone is badly asking to be reminded where she really belongs to."

Gongsun Li was in a great mood when she entered the royal chamber dangling the bag of taels in her hand while singing out loud,

"I am loaded, I am rich

tonight I am hella rich..."

Humming the song cheerfully,she plopped on the sofa with a huge grin on her face. Her eyes glittered with joy as she started opening the bags.

One taels

Two taels....five taels!!!!

She got five taels!!! Although she didn't have any idea how much these coins were worth, she was happy with whatever she got. She couldn't help grinning ear to ear as she flipped the coins in her finger.

I love big coins and I can't lie!!!!

After playing with the coins to her heart's fill, she put them back into the bag. That night when she laid down on the sofa, her grip on the bag didn't lose for once as she fell into deep slumber with a huge grin plastered on her lips.