Return of the Pearl

The queen was still some distance away from the Yangxin Palace, but the sounds of playfulness drifted into her ears like silk threads.

Xiao Yun's gentle voice sounded with a hint of pleading: "Hongli, let me go!"

Almost at the same time, Qianlong's voice, full of joking and playful meaning, followed closely, "It's not dark yet, shall we continue?"

The queen took firm and heavy steps, and each step seemed to carry endless anger and determination. Every time she took a step, the "dong dong dong" sound hit the ground like a hammer, and also hit people's hearts like a hammer again and again.

Xiao Yun was frightened by the sudden footsteps. Her beautiful eyes were filled with fear and panic. Her voice was trembling as she shouted, "Hongli, someone is coming."

When Qianlong heard this sound, his brows furrowed. A trace of doubt and anger flashed through his mind. He thought to himself, these footsteps must be from one of the concubines. But who on earth had the audacity to trespass into the Hall of Mental Cultivation? The answer seemed to be on the verge of coming to his mind.

The queen's pace was getting faster and faster. There seemed to be a raging fire burning in her heart. The anger made her almost lose her mind. Her eyes were full of determination and anger, as if she wanted to destroy everything. She was getting closer and closer to the Yangxin Palace. The sounds of playfulness became clearer and clearer. Her heart was filled with endless grief and resentment.

Qianlong held Xiao Yun tightly in his arms, and continued his intimacy with her as he slowly walked towards the inner hall. His hands roamed freely on Xiao Yun's body, occasionally brushing her skin. Xiao Yun couldn't help but let out a soft and slightly shy cry. The sound was melodious and lingering, like the cry of a nightingale, and it sounded particularly crisp and pleasant in this silent palace.

The queen's anger burned in her heart, and her eyes spewed out flames of anger, as if she wanted to burn everything to ashes. She stomped her feet hard, and the "dong dong" sound hit the ground like a heavy hammer, just like her inner anger was constantly venting.

The queen's face was full of resentment and anger, her brows were furrowed, her lips were clenched, as if she wanted to suppress all the anger in her heart. She did this in the hope that they would hear her anger and thus restrain themselves. However, not only did they not restrain themselves, but they continued to intensify.

When the queen finally stepped into the hall, the scene before her made her even more furious. The hall was empty, with only clothes scattered on the ground, which were traces of their joy.

Qianlong had already carried Xiao Yun back to the inner hall, leaving behind this mess. Xiao Yun's face was filled with shyness and embarrassment. She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at the empress. Her voice was filled with a bit of coquettishness and helplessness as she whispered softly, "Hongli, you..."

Qianlong naturally knew clearly the meaning of Yun'er's unspoken words, however, he turned a blind eye to it and continued to act recklessly. The queen witnessed all this and felt that her dignity had been greatly challenged.

The queen walked to the door angrily and even had the urge to push it open and go in. The laughter and joy at this moment were like sharp thorns, piercing deep into her heart and making her feel so painful that she wanted to rush in immediately and question Qianlong why he treated her like this.

Just as she slowly raised her hand, about to touch the door, Qianlong's voice, filled with majesty and anger, exploded in her ears like thunder, "Empress, you have the audacity to enter my study without my permission! Now, you dare to push the door open and enter. You are simply ignorant! Kneel before me!"

The Queen's hand that was knocking on the door suddenly froze in mid-air as if struck by lightning, and she didn't dare to move at all. In the end, she could only bend her knees slowly and helplessly, and was forced to listen to the joyful sounds coming from the house.

At this moment, her heart was filled with resentment and unwillingness, but how could she dare to disobey the emperor's order? She could only endure it all in humiliation, her heart filled with bitterness and resentment.

Xiao Yun was indeed feeling a little embarrassed. She lowered her head slightly, her cheeks flushed, but Qianlong didn't care at all and continued with his actions. Perhaps it was because he knew someone was listening, but instead made him even more excited.

Qianlong gently held Xiao Yun in his arms. His movements were gentle and careful, as if he was holding an inestimable treasure in his arms. His eyes were full of tenderness and there was a satisfied smile on the corner of his mouth.

Qianlong walked slowly towards the washing area, taking every step steadily, for fear of disturbing the person in his arms. Xiao Yun's head rested gently on Qianlong's shoulder, with a faint blush on her face, as beautiful as a blooming peach blossom.

Qianlong carefully wiped Xiao Yun's face, his fingers gently sliding across her skin. With endless tenderness and love, he carefully combed her hair. His movements were so focused, as if the whole world only had the two of them.

Then, Qianlong very gently placed Xiao Yun on the soft couch in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. His eyes were full of concern and love. Then, he carefully tucked in the corners of the quilt for Xiao Yun, as if he was protecting a rare treasure, ensuring that she could rest safely in this comfortable environment.

Then, Qianlong turned and walked to the side. His eyes lingered on the neatly arranged clothes for a moment. He carefully selected a set of clean, tidy, and fine-quality clothes. He put them on slowly, and every movement seemed so elegant and calm.

After he had tidied his clothes, Qianlong slowly walked to the door, placed his hand lightly on the door, and then gently opened the door. He walked out with steady steps, each step firm and steady.

On his face, there was still a clear trace of the tenderness and gentleness he had just shown when he was with Xiao Yun. That gentle expression seemed to still be telling of the deep love between them, which moved people.

However, when Qianlong stepped out of the room and saw the queen, the gentleness on his face was completely replaced by indifference in an instant. That cold expression was like ice, which made people shudder.

At the same time, a subtle sense of disgust flashed in Qianlong's eyes, and that disgust was like a wisp of haze, quietly permeating the depths of his eyes.

The empress's anger and questions were choked by the moment Qianlong opened the door, and she didn't know how to express them. She had originally wanted to persuade Qianlong not to favor one person so exclusively, but now, the emperor had actually done such a ridiculous thing in this solemn Hall of Mental Cultivation. Would her advice still be effective? She felt extremely depressed and resentful, as if all her strength had been drained away. She lowered her head silently, her eyes filled with resentment and helplessness.