Peach Blossom.

Tao Ye thought that Si Yu should have fallen asleep with Zhang Xiaowan's service and company, so how could she have expected that he would appear at this time?

She was nervous and knelt down hurriedly, stuttering: "Your servant...your servant pays respects to the emperor."

Si Yu said nothing, just sighed slightly.

Tao Ye certainly didn't dare to stand up without permission. She was confused and didn't dare to guess how long Si Yu had been standing nearby, or whether he had heard her and Cai Wei's conversation...

In the distance, the sound of a night watchman's bell could be heard faintly, as if the eunuch on duty was announcing "It's the third watch".

Apart from that, the night was very quiet and the sound of snowflakes falling could be clearly heard.

After a long silence, Si Yu finally spoke up: "Why did you say it out loud?"

Tao Ye was a little confused and couldn't figure it out for a while.

"I know that you have been living in the Wang family for more than half a year under the name of Man. Naturally, I know the truth. No one is investigating your past, so why do you insist on telling it?"

After the question was expanded and restated, Tao Ye understood it, but she didn't know how to answer it: "Your servant... Your servant..."

Tao Ye couldn't answer, so she could only lower her head, not daring to let Si Yu see her face.

"In your heart, I am not as good as Wang Jing, right?" Si Yu's tone was very normal.

"I...I dare not..." Tao Ye stammered, burying her head lower and lower. Her heart was beating wildly, and she kept thinking about how to get through this difficult moment.

Seeing Tao Ye's forehead almost touching the ground, Si Yu couldn't help but feel sympathy for her: "Don't kneel, the ground is so cold!"

Tao Ye had been feeling cold in her knees for a long time, and upon hearing this, she quickly stood up. However, her knees were a little sore and the ground was a little slippery, so she almost fell down.

Si Yu reached out and helped her.

After Tao Ye stood firm, he quickly took a step back.

Although she had met the emperor many times, this was the first time they were alone together. She was really nervous and kept her head down.

Si Yu stared at Tao Ye and sighed slightly: "I'm not fierce, why do you always keep your head down?"

Tao Ye raised her head slightly and saw Si Yu's face. Although he was not handsome, he was indeed amiable. He did not have the airs of an emperor, only a hint of gloom.

"Back then, Wang Jing was charming and talented, and it was not uncommon for countless women to admire him. But you must have known Wang Jing for a short time, and all you saw was a stubborn, haggard cripple! I am really curious, what else could attract you about him?"

Tao Ye thought about it, and it seemed that she couldn't list any good qualities of Wang Jing. If she had to, there would be only one thing: "He... he is a man who values ​​love and friendship. He has always been devoted to only one person. Even in the face of the temptation of wealth and the oppression of power, he still has a special liking for her."

Si Yu couldn't help but laugh, his laugh was a little cold: "He has a special liking for you, but it's not you, so what does it have to do with you?"

Tao Ye lowered her head again. She knew of course that Wang Jing's love had nothing to do with her.

"Even if he had something in the past with you, in his eyes, you are nothing but a shadow of Mantangjiao. Are you willing to be a shadow forever? Or do you plan to remain single for the rest of your life?"

Faced with Si Yu's question, Tao Ye was unable to answer.

How could she be willing to be a shadow? She did not belong to this era, and would leave sooner or later. Of course, there was no need to talk about marriage here, and how could she say that she would never marry for someone?

She definitely couldn't tell Si Yu these reasons, so she could only not answer.

But her silence was always understood by Si Yu as persistence.

Si Yu looked at Feixue and sighed: "Wake up! As long as you don't get married, the princess will keep torturing you in various ways! If you marry Wang Jing, she will torture you to death!"

Tao Ye looked at Si Yu's helpless expression when he spoke, and accidentally said what was in her mind: "You are an emperor, and you can't do anything to a princess?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tao Ye quickly covered her mouth... Wasn't she mocking Si Yu?

This time, it was Si Yu who lowered his head. He seemed to be ashamed: "You are right. I don't even have the ability to protect you. Maybe I am not qualified to tell you these things..."

Tao Ye smiled awkwardly. She felt that nothing she said would be right at this moment.

"But I won't keep being a coward. I'm waiting for someone from afar to return. I have a big plan to realize, and it won't take too long... Just wait and see, one day, I will be an emperor who stands tall and proud!" Si Yu smiled, his eyes became bright, and the self-confidence that had been suppressed for so long seemed to be about to burst out.

Tao Ye glanced at Si Yu secretly. She didn't dare to ask, but she secretly felt that the "person in the distance" should be Wang Yi.

Suddenly, her past worries flashed back in her mind. She remembered the piece of paper she had revealed to Chen Ji... It originally belonged to Wang Yi and was likely related to Si Yu's "big plan"...

Si Yu took a step closer to Tao Ye, with a more obvious smile on his face: "When that day comes, if you are willing to come to my side, I...will be waiting for you anytime."

After hearing this, Tao Ye felt even more worried. She was afraid that she had done something bad to him. He was actually a very good emperor.

"Go back to your room and rest. I have given you permission. You don't have to continue to "reflect on your mistakes" here."

"Thank...thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Tao Ye put her hands on her waist and bowed slightly.

Si Yu gave Tao Ye another gentle smile, turned and left Fangle Palace.

Tao Ye didn't know where he was going, so she stood there silently, watching his back getting farther and farther away, leaving a string of uneven footprints on the white snow.

On a snowy night, a lonely palace maid looked at the emperor walking alone at midnight.

This scene was seen by Zhang Xiaowan who was sitting quietly by the window.

Zhang Xiaowan originally thought that this night would be the beginning of her being favored by the emperor. She carefully arranged the bed, helped Si Yu wash his feet, and even prepared a lotus seed soup for him before going to bed.

But Si Yu always looked uneasy. Although he accepted everything Xiaowan gave him, he kept glancing away. Even after Xiaowan helped him lie down, he was still absent-minded.

Lying on the same bed, Si Yu hardly looked at Xiao Wan, let alone anything else. When Xiao Wan talked to him, he responded casually at first, then he felt a little annoyed and pretended to fall asleep.

Xiaowan was very disappointed, but there was nothing she could do. She was a girl, and if the other party didn't have that intention, she wouldn't take the initiative to come!

In the end, she could only pretend to be asleep.

She already felt ashamed of not being favored, but what she didn't expect was that Si Yu actually got up later.

When Si Yu got up, he did so very quietly without lighting a lamp or calling the servants. He probably didn't want Xiao Wan to see him.

In order to avoid embarrassment, Xiaowan had to pretend not to know, but squinted her eyes in the dark and stared at Si Yu's every move.

After Si Yu put on his clothes, he picked up Bai Ri's cloak and prepared to go out, but after opening the door a crack, he stopped there.

Xiaowan was very curious, so she sat up quietly, poked a hole in the window paper and looked out. She saw that it was snowing outside, and Caiwei was talking to Taoye.

At such a distance and separated by a window, Xiaowan certainly couldn't hear what Caiwei said to Taoye, but she could guess roughly.

Si Yu was waiting inside the door, looking out through the crack from time to time, until Caiwei left and returned to the house.

When Tao Ye was the only one in the yard, Si Yu walked out on the snow and closed the door, his movements still very gentle.

Xiaowan simply got up, put on her clothes, opened a window, and watched Si Yu go out.

As she expected, Si Yu took the cloak because he was afraid that Tao Ye would catch a cold.

That was the cloak that Xiaowan had made for Si Yu herself, but Si Yu put it on Tao Ye's shoulders without hesitation. That action was so warm and so hateful!

Xiao Wan was still fantasizing that Si Yu would come back quietly after talking to Tao Ye, but the fact was that Si Yu just left, so decisively in the middle of the night.

She looked at Tao Ye who was standing there and Si Yu whose back was gradually disappearing. She thought that perhaps no one would know that she was not favored, but the news that Si Yu left in the middle of the night would spread quickly, right?

By then, the entire harem will be a joke to her!

Thinking of this, Xiaowan smiled to herself.

But for some reason, she heard another laugh! And it sounded like a man's laugh!

Xiao Wan was startled. Is there someone else in the bedroom? Even if there is, it can't be a man!

"Cai Ling! Cai Ling!" She called out twice nervously.

But no one answered.

She remembered that Cai Ling should be on duty next door tonight, because Cai Ling was the head maid here and seldom worked night shifts. She would only be on duty on important nights.

And this night, Si Yu stayed overnight, which was of course an important night.

Xiaowan felt for a candle in the dark, lit it, and saw someone... But wasn't that Cailing? But she didn't understand why Cailing was standing with her back to her? And why didn't she say anything?

"Cai Ling... why are you standing in my room in the dark?" Xiaowan held up a candlestick and walked towards Cai Ling's back.

When she got a little closer, Xiaowan felt something was wrong. She looked carefully at the person in front of her. Although he was wearing Cailing's usual clothes and had Cailing's usual hairstyle, he seemed to be taller than Cailing and his shoulders were slightly broader... like a man!

"You... who are you?" Xiaowan was suddenly frightened and took two steps back.

"Greetings to Zhang Shuyuan!" The man turned around and gave Xiaowan a cold smile.

His face and voice really are that of a man!

Xiaowan was so panicked that she couldn't help but scream. The candlestick in her hand fell to the ground and the candlelight went out.

The man hurried over to cover her mouth and whispered, "Look carefully at who I am!"

Xiaowan actually felt that the man looked familiar, but she was so frightened that she didn't have time to take a closer look. Besides, the man was dressed as a woman and was wearing makeup, so it was really hard to tell who he was.

When she looked carefully, she gradually recognized him and was shocked again: "It's... Mr. Chen? You... you are not dead?"

Outside, several maids had heard Xiaowan's scream and ran in in panic.