Ping Zhao Lu

"Your Majesty, please don't forget my Yangchun noodles." Xu Zhouye said cheerfully with a broad smile on his face, "He Yuan is here too, so I'll trouble Your Majesty to make an extra portion."

Chu Heyuan, who was sitting next to him, nodded in agreement when he heard this, and looked at Chu Yunxiao with anticipation.

Chu Yunxiao's face was solemn as he said to the little prince, "I only promised the Queen and the prince that you should do it yourself. If you don't know how, I can teach you myself."

After hearing this, the joyful smile on Chu Heyuan's face disappeared without a trace in an instant, as if blown by a gust of cold wind, and frozen there in an instant.

He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly came to his senses, hurriedly waved his hands and shook his head, stammering to explain: "Father...Father, Your Majesty, I just had dinner and am not hungry at all. Besides, I still have to go back and copy the Thousand Character Classic..."

Before he finished speaking, he stood up hurriedly, saluted Chu Yunxiao and Xu Zhouye, then pulled Shi'an beside him and fled out of Fengluan Palace like a fly, as if he was afraid that he would be left behind if he was a step slower.

He didn't want to disturb his father and his father's world anymore.

……

Yaohua Palace

Lipin frowned tightly, her face full of anxiety, and she couldn't wait to ask, "Your Majesty went to the Queen again?" The palace maid standing beside her nodded timidly and replied softly, "Yes..."

Hearing this answer, Lipin was immediately enraged. She raised her hand and slammed it hard on the table in front of her, making a crisp sound. She felt extremely irritated, as if countless ants were gnawing at her.

Ever since entering the palace, I have been trying every way to get close to His Majesty, but every time it was in vain, and I have never even had the opportunity to serve him closely.

Thinking of this, Lipin's face became even gloomier and uglier.

Seeing Concubine Li so angry, the maid was terrified. She fell to her knees with a plop and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, His Majesty had previously publicly declared at the celebration banquet that he would dismiss the entire harem as soon as the opportunity arose... Your Majesty, you are so eager to approach His Majesty now, I'm afraid..."

Halfway through her words, the palace maid seemed to realize that something was wrong, so she quickly shut her mouth and dared not continue.

However, Lipin was extremely angry at this moment. She stood up suddenly, kicked the maid fiercely, and cursed: "Of course I know! Why do you need to say anything?"

The maid was caught off guard by the kick and covered her stomach in pain. She sobbed with tears in her eyes and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, please calm down... Please, Your Majesty, spare this slave..."

Listening to the disturbing crying, Concubine Li became even angrier. Just as she was about to kick the maid again, she suddenly stopped as if she remembered something.

She slowly leaned over, stretched out her hand to pinch the maid's jaw, and raised the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing a strange smile. She said sarcastically: "Humph, I was almost mad at you just now. Fortunately, I woke up in time. Look, I still have you!"

The maid was startled by Lipin's sudden change. Her body trembled involuntarily and she stammered, "My...My Lady...what do you want me to do?"

Lipin suddenly shook her jaw away with all her might, then stood up abruptly, looking down at her with a condescending attitude, her eyes flashing with anger and impatience, and said sternly: "You only need to be a tea-serving maid in front of His Majesty!"

The palace maid kneeling on the ground was trembling slightly, her face was as pale as paper, and she stammered, "But...but, Your Majesty, I really don't have the qualifications..." Her voice was full of fear and helplessness.

Lipin glanced at her coldly with a sidelong glance, a scornful smile on her lips, and said sarcastically: "Are you stupid? Don't you know how to use money to get connections? If you can't even do this little thing, what's the point of keeping you!"

Upon hearing this, the palace maid was so frightened that she immediately kowtowed, her forehead hitting the ground with a thud. She explained in a terrified tone, "Your Majesty, please calm down! You don't know, Eunuch Zhao isn't someone you can easily bribe! He's a big favorite with Your Majesty, and many people try to curry favor with him. If this bribe doesn't work and he reports us instead, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

When Concubine Li heard this, she became more and more anxious. She widened her eyes and roared in frustration, "Then what do you want me to do?" At this moment, she had lost her patience and her emotions were almost out of control.

These days, Concubine Li has been worried about this matter and is as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. She is in a state of panic all day long but still can't think of a way to get close to the emperor smoothly.

Especially when she thought of Liu who had attempted to assassinate the emperor and ended up with such a miserable end, her heart became more and more panicked and uneasy.

However, if she fails to complete the task assigned by her master, she will also face death...

Concubine Li is going crazy!

If only my sister were here with me...

Concubine Li's face was gloomy, and her anxiety burned like a raging fire. She sighed heavily, sat back in her original seat in frustration, and muttered to herself, "No matter what I do, it's a dead end..."

Before she finished speaking, tears were already welling up in her eyes. She tried hard to hold them back, but the sadness and despair were already revealed through her eyes.

I just sat there blankly, time seemed to have stopped, and I didn't know how much time had passed.

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, an idea flashed through Lipin's mind. Her originally dull eyes moved slightly, and a spark of hope instantly ignited.

She slowly raised her head, bit her lip, and said in a firm and resolute tone, "Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well die a good death!"

After saying that, she stood up suddenly, clenched her fists tightly, as if she had made some decision.

*

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, the candles in Fengluan Palace were brightly lit, illuminating the entire room as if it were daytime.

Xu Zhouye was enjoying the Yangchun noodles made for him by the emperor himself.

Chu Yunxiao sat quietly beside Xu Zhouye, gazing at him gently, his eyes full of love and doting.

At this moment, the hot steam in the bowl slowly rises, forming wisps of misty white fog in the air, making the whole scene look particularly warm and moving.

"Is it delicious?" Chu Yunxiao asked softly, his tone as gentle as water.

"It's delicious." Xu Zhouye raised his head and nodded seriously.

In a short while, Xu Zhouye had eaten up the whole bowl of noodles like a whirlwind, without even a drop of soup left.

But even so, he still seemed to feel a little unsatisfied, staring at the empty bowl with a reluctant look.

Seeing this, Chu Yunxiao couldn't help but chuckle: "Don't eat too much at night, otherwise it will easily cause indigestion." As he said that, he reached out and gently patted Xu Zhouye's shoulder.

Xu Zhouye nodded obediently, picked up the handkerchief beside him and wiped his mouth clean, then stood up, naturally took Chu Yunxiao's hand, and said, "Then Your Majesty, please accompany me for a walk, it will help you digest the food."

Chu Yunxiao smiled, shook his hand tightly, and replied, "Okay."

So, the two of them held hands and were about to step out of the room together to take a walk in the yard.

Just then, a eunuch ran over in a hurry.

When he got closer, he quickly knelt on his knees and saluted the emperor and empress: "Your servant greets the emperor and empress!"

Chu Yunxiao frowned slightly, his face showing displeasure, and scolded: "Why are you so flustered?"

The eunuch kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is Concubine Li who is anxious to see you!"

When Xu Zhouye heard this, his eyes moved slightly, and a barely perceptible hint of thought seemed to flash across his eyes.

Chu Yunxiao's face darkened instantly as he uttered two words coldly: "No."

Upon seeing this, the eunuch kowtowed again, his forehead even flushed from the excessive force. His voice was filled with anxiety as he said, "Your Majesty, Concubine Li insists on seeing you and claims to have something extremely important to discuss with Your Majesty! She is waiting outside the Golden Throne Hall right now, and no matter how I persuade her, she refuses to leave, Your Majesty!"

When Chu Yunxiao heard this, his brows furrowed even more tightly, and the expression on his face became more and more displeased.

At this moment, Xu Zhouye turned around and gently soothed the emperor, who was on the verge of a rage, "Your Majesty, calm down. In my opinion, since Concubine Li is so insistent, this matter must be very serious. Why not go over and take a look? I am willing to accompany Your Majesty."

Chu Yunxiao's tense expression relaxed slightly after hearing Xu Zhouye's words, but he still nodded reluctantly and said, "Well, if that's the case, I'll go and see what's going on."