Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace: Fawning

As the sun sets, the sunset glow is like fire, dyeing half of the sky of the Old Summer Palace golden red.

In Qinghui Pavilion, the emperor sat in front of a rosewood desk with a frown on his face, reviewing a mountain of memorials. His handsome face was now filled with fatigue.

Outside the window, a few birds were chirping on the branches, and the occasional clear bird calls made the pavilion seem even more silent.

At this time, Jinzhong was standing outside the palace bored, leaning against the door and looking around from time to time.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes lit up immediately. He saw Lan Qi wearing a blue eunuch uniform, holding a lunch box in her hand, walking towards Qinghui Pavilion.

Jinzhong saw this and, without even bothering to pick up his hat from his feet, hurried forward to greet her. He pulled Lan Qi to a corner and said in a low voice, "Master Lan, you're finally here. Today, my master has been ordered by the Emperor to deliver something to Concubine Xian. This is the only chance I have to take on duty and let you in. You must seize this opportunity. If successful, please abide by the agreement we made that day in the Bamboo Garden."

Lan Qi's eyes were as clear as a painting, and she smiled softly, "Don't worry, eunuch."

These four short words instantly calmed Jinzhong, who was originally uneasy.

Jinzhong leaned back, folded his hands over his chest, and said, "Then I, your servant, would like to congratulate you on your continued success."

Lan Qi smiled slightly, her eyes flickering. "My Lord, what you said is not correct. You should wish us continued success."

Jinzhong was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "My lord, that's right."

After saying that, Lan Qi gently straightened her eunuch uniform and walked into Qinghui Pavilion with steady steps.

Jinzhong straightened his back and watched Lan Qi leave. His brows, which were already slightly furrowed, tightened even more.

Before Zhuyuan, Jinzhong had never seen Lanqi. He only heard a few words of gossip when he first started working for Li Yu.

All that was known was that this noble Consort Lan was the great-niece of the current Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager, intent on controlling government affairs, extended her hand to the imperial court and constantly tried to send women to the Emperor. The Emperor, already suspicious, hadn't even entered the palace when he issued an imperial decree, appointing Lan Qi as a noblewoman and sending her to live in the Old Summer Palace.

Despite having such a good background, he ended up like this.

I think Lan Qi must be feeling unwilling about this as well.

Rather than waiting for death alone in the Old Summer Palace, it is better to take a chance with your life.

Slender as the moon, graceful as spring.

Jinzhong originally didn't want to help Lanqi, but after Lanqi recited the poem, they reached a certain consensus.

Yanwan has no family background and suffered a lot when she was a maid in Qixiang Palace. After finally becoming the emperor's concubine, she was also looked down upon. Jinzhong saw it all, but could only let Yanwan wait for an opportunity.

If she wants to make a name for herself in the future, Yan Wan must find a powerful backer.

The Queen came from a prominent family, so naturally she looked down on Yan Wan. Concubine Chun was out of favor, and Concubine Xian had always been resentful of Yan Wan for abandoning her childhood sweetheart. Not to mention Concubine Jia, who humiliated Yan Wan whenever she had the chance.

Judging from the current situation, Lan Qi is undoubtedly the best choice.

If Lanqi is favored, she will be a stepping stone for Yanwan to become the queen in the future. If she fails, it will not bring trouble to herself. It is a good deal in any case.

Thinking of this, Jinzhong's mouth corners gradually curled up slightly. He adjusted his cuffs, picked up the hat on the ground and put it on his head, then obediently closed the door of Qinghui Pavilion.

Inside the hall, Hongli put down the red brush in his hand, rubbed his swollen temples, and sighed deeply.

Lan Qi placed the wooden box on the table, picked up the bird's nest, and walked up to the emperor. She said in a deliberately raspy voice, "Your Majesty, you have been reviewing memorials all afternoon. You should drink a bowl of bird's nest to moisten your throat."

Hongli responded lightly, took the bird's nest without raising his head, picked up the spoon casually, scooped up a spoonful of bird's nest and put it into his mouth.

The texture of bird's nest is soft and glutinous and melts in your mouth. There seems to be a sweet fragrance spreading between your lips and teeth, mixed with a faint, indescribable fragrance, like the fragrance of some flowers, but more fragrant and charming than the fragrance of flowers.

He frowned slightly. The taste of the bird's nest seemed a little different from usual.

Hongli raised his eyes and his gaze fell on the "eunuch" in front of him who was lowering his brows and looking pleasing. Just as he was about to ask, he saw the "eunuch" suddenly kneel down on the ground with a "thump".

Only then did Hongli realize that the person in front of him was not Li Yu.

"What are you doing?" He put down the bowl in his hand, and said with a bit of majesty in his tone, "I didn't say I would punish you."

Lan Qi lowered her head, not daring to speak. She only felt that her heartbeat was as deafening as a drum, almost jumping out of her chest.

Seeing her silence, Hongli became even more confused. He glanced sharply at the "eunuch" kneeling on the ground and asked in a cold voice, "Which palace are you from?"

Lan Qi took a deep breath, tried hard to suppress her inner panic, and turned to leave.

When the emperor saw this, he became alarmed.

He stood up suddenly, took a step forward, and grabbed the "eunuch"'s shoulder.

"Who sent you?" the emperor asked sternly.

Lan Qi was so frightened by this sudden change that her face turned pale, she staggered and her hat fell to the ground.

The black and shiny hair cascades down like a waterfall, setting off the exquisite face and making it look even more charming.

The emperor was stunned for a moment, as if time had stopped, his gaze fixed on that familiar face.

Before the emperor could even think of Lan Qi, she knelt on the ground with tears in her eyes, choking with sobs, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I have simply missed my husband too much over the past three years. I resorted to this desperate measure just to see Your Majesty and ease the pain of longing for him."

Seeing the woman in front of him calling him "concubine", the emperor searched his mind several times but could not remember who the woman kneeling on the ground was.

At this moment, Jinzhong pushed the door open and walked in with the imperial guards.

Because the emperor had just called out "assassin", Jinzhong was extremely nervous. In his anxiety, even the hat on his head flew off.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?" Jinzhong didn't care about his appearance and crawled all the way to stand in front of the emperor.

"Lady Lan? Why are you here?"

When the emperor heard Jinzhong's cry, he came to his senses. He remembered that the woman in front of him was Nianhulu, whom he had sent to the Old Summer Palace three years ago.

The emperor had never seen Lan Qi before, and he didn't know she was so beautiful.

"I know that the emperor does not like my identity, and I do not expect to accompany him. Today I go to Qinghui Pavilion, one is to visit the emperor, and the other is to hope that the emperor will allow me to leave the palace and become a nun, so that I can always be with the green lamp and the ancient Buddha." After saying this, Lan Qi kowtowed heavily to the emperor.

"Lady Lan, why are you doing this?" Jinzhong advised, "If you have any grievances, please tell the Emperor, and he will naturally make a decision for you."

"Jinzhong, please go out first. I have something to say to Concubine Lan." The emperor played with the jade pendant on his waist, but his eyes were fixed on Lan Qi without blinking.

"Yes."

When Jinzhong passed by Lan Qi, he glanced at her and raised the corner of his lips.

Then he retreated with the guards.

It seems that the emperor has taken a fancy to Lan Qi.

Inside the palace, the emperor extended his hand toward Lan Qi with a loving look in his eyes. "I remember you. You are the Empress Dowager's great-niece, Niuhulu Lan Qi."

Lan Qi shook her head and denied it: "No, once I enter the Forbidden City, I will be the emperor's woman and will be loyal to him my whole life."

"I know that my status is inappropriate and Your Majesty is unwilling to favor me. So please, Your Majesty, give me my freedom."

Hongli was silent.

He has no shortage of beautiful concubines in his harem.

But he really didn't want to miss a beautiful woman like Lan Qi.

"You are quite honest. If you are willing, please stay in Qinghui Pavilion tonight and talk with me."

There were tears in Lan Qi's eyes. When she smiled, it was like a spring breeze, with a hint of sad tenderness. She gently placed her hand in the emperor's warm palm. When she stood up, the emperor pulled her hard, and Lan Qi fell defenselessly into Hongli's chest.

Hongli leaned close to Lanqi's cheek, looked at her with lustful eyes and said, "So the fragrance just now wasn't from bird's nest, but came from you."

Lan Qi shyly hit Hongli's chest and said coquettishly: "Your Majesty——"

"How dare you hit me!" Hongli lowered his head and sucked her earlobe, then put his arm around her waist and whispered, "Tonight I will punish you by making you a real woman."

Lan Qi raised her rosy little face, and Hongli's lips fell on her forehead, eyes, and nose. Finally, he could not control the temptation and kissed the softness that he had been thinking about day and night.