"The winter is not far", the emperor said covering G.Li with a blanket who was dozing off on his lap. She was tossed and turned by Zhu Zhen all night and was too tired.

Zhu Zhen smiled looking at her pouty lips trembling at her sleep and couldn't resist himself from kissing her lips.

"Laoye! Let me sleep ah" Gongsun Li whined making him laugh out loud but his expression turned gloomy as a thought crossed his mind.

"Li'er." he whisper called her, his fingers affectionately grazing her scalp.

"You have to be more serious with your training."

"Huh?" G.Li opened her eyes at the mention of training.

"Tan'er is going to continue training you. Zhen hopes to give you the noble lady title next week."

"Next week?!" G.Li bolted in upright position with surprise.

Zhu Zhen's eyes flashed dangerously as he grabbed her nape

"Be careful, wife. Do you still have the intention to run away?"

She shook her head vigorously, her eyes widened in fear. His gaze turned soft at her denial and he brought her head to her chest with a sigh.

"Don't play games with Zhen anymore. Zhen has too much to deal with anyway."

"Jiangqie doesn't dare, Laoye."

"Good" Zhu Zhen kissed her forehead. "Now get ready. Tan'er must be waiting for you."

Gongsun Li gulped secretly.

"Oh my heart, stop beating so fast."

Deep in her chest her heart was sweating bullets,

"Why should I stop beating fast, you fool? Who knows if I can beat anymore once you enter the training chamber, tears'?"

........

"That's not how you make a sachet." Princess Qiao Tan sighed at her annoying student. Gongsun Li gulped, It was her third day at training and she literally was sucking at her job. No matter how hard she tried, princess always managed to find some error in her work.

"Pardon this undeserving servant, madam." She muttered for the hundredth time of the day.

"Okay, okay. Try from the beginning." Princess Qiao Tan ordered. Gongsun Li hid her fingers in the hem of her dress and massaged her fingers to reduce the pain she was feeling from all the hard work she had been doing for three days. Princess Qiao Tan did not even allow her to sleep more than two hours at night making her copy huge scriptures late at night. Huge eye bags formed under her eyes with all the lack of sleep she was going through. Not only her sleep, princess Qiao Tan even restricted her diet allowing her to eat only two times a day. According to her, G.Li was too chubby to be a noble lady. Although, G.Li's stomach rebelled dangerously against the princess, she accepted all the hardships as she did not want to disappoint the emperor by being a good for nothing wife.

As she confessed her love for him now, she should try hard to be a worthy wife of the empress. The emperor was going through enough troubles anyway, she did not want to burden him by being another worthless existence. Zhu Zhen was in the summer palace for three days and Gongsun Li missed him so much. She was eagerly waiting for her husband so that she can show him how expert she had become in playing zither. Although there were rumors of ten guards fainting outside the training room when she played it for the first time.

Gongsun Li also learned calligraphy well and copied a good amount of scriptures.

Learning so many things in the expand of three days, you are quite a talented girl, Li.

She praised herself in her head while patting her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" The princess narrowed her eyes at her stupid student.

"Nothing, madam." Gongsun Li laughed nervously before returning her attention in making sachet.

"Pardon nubi if she offends you, furen but qie Li seems very promising with her efforts." Pei Nian who stood beside the princess bowed and whispered by her ears.

"Hmm" Qiao Tan agreed, her sharp eyes observing the oblivious Gongsun Li. In three days, this maid really managed to learn many things. It seemed like if she was attentive, she could be quite talented. Earlier, she showed no interest in being the official wife and now she had become pretty diligent in her training. It showed how she really changed her decision to run away.

After an hour or so, Gongsun Li managed to make her sachet. Although it looked like it was made by a child due to her inexperienced handiwork, her eyes shined with sheer excitement as if she just invented electricity.

"Madam! Madam! Nubi made the sachet!" she squeaked in happiness swinging the sachet before her eyes. Princess sneered at her ugly creation before an evil plan formed in her head.

"It is so beautiful" she gasped dramatically. "You should gift it to Huangshang. He would feel happy if you honored him with your elegant creation."

"Really?" Gongsun Li blinked her doe like eyes with bafflement at the unexpected appreciation from the princess.

"Yes." Qiao Tan replied making Gongsun Li's eyes lit like thousand volt bulb with happiness. She kneeled down in front of the princess excitedly and thanked her again and again for her appreciation.

"Of course, madam. Nubi will gift the sachet as soon as Huangshang returns." She grinned and went outside.

Poor Li, she was too engrossed in her childish excitement to notice the evil smile in the corner of princess' lips.

That night Gongsun Li slept with the sachet clutched tightly in her hands dreaming about her husband's happy face once she gifts her handmade sachet to him.