Ping Zhao Lu

Inside Fengluan Palace, red curtains hung high and candlelight flickered.

Lying on the bed, Xu Zhouye dazedly opened his eyes and glanced around from the top of the bed. When he found no one lying beside him, he couldn't help but feel an inexplicable sense of loneliness.

He calmed himself down, slowly sat up, and called softly, "Su Ming."

A moment later, Su Ming hurried over and knelt respectfully beside the bed: "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"Go and get ready. I need to take a bath." Xu Zhouye's voice was low and a little tired.

"Yes." Su Ming responded and turned to leave.

Just as he was about to leave the room, Xu Zhouye suddenly asked, "What will the Emperor do about the imperial physician's matter?"

Su Ming hurriedly stopped and replied with a bow, "Your Highness, all those imperial physicians have been expelled from the palace."

Upon hearing the news, Xu Zhouye was slightly stunned, but quickly regained his composure.

"Then can Rong Yu still be content?"

Su Ming quickly replied, "Young Master Rong, no, it's Madam Rong now. His Majesty has issued an edict, ordering Madam Rong to go to Qianling Mausoleum to guard the late emperor's tomb starting tomorrow."

Rong...Taijun?

A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Zhouye's eyes.

He didn't expect that when he woke up, Rong Yu'an had become the concubine of the late emperor.

All this was completely detached from his experiences in his previous life.

This time, after being reborn, many things seemed to have changed because of him...

Seeing that Xu Zhouye hadn't responded yet, Su Ming couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?"

Xu Zhouye came back to his senses as if waking from a dream. His eyes flickered for a moment before he said, "It's all right. Go ahead and get busy."

"The slave retire."

Su Ming retreated upon hearing the sound and left in a hurry.

Xu Zhouye sat on the couch, gazing deeply into the distance, his mind full of thoughts.

Why didn't Chu Yunxiao continue to stay...

*

Golden Palace

The emperor, dressed in a black robe, sat at the table with his back against the dragon throne, his posture languid. He waved his hand gently, calling Zhao Dequan over.

"Is the Queen awake?"

"I'm awake, and I'm preparing water for bathing."

Zhao Dequan said respectfully.

Chu Yunxiao slowly lowered the hand that was supporting his head, raised his eyes slightly to look at him, thought for a moment and said, "Have you ever... asked anything?"

Zhao Dequan frowned, as if pondering his response. "According to reports from the people below, the Queen asked Eunuch Su about the whereabouts of the offending imperial physicians and about Rong... the Empress Dowager."

Chu Yunxiao's eyebrows twitched slightly, and his expression seemed unhappy. "Is that all you asked?"

Sensing that the emperor's mood seemed off, Zhao Dequan's heart trembled, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. However, he still bravely answered truthfully, "Yes... That's what the queen asked."

As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, Chu Yunxiao's face darkened, and his eyes were dark and frighteningly cold.

At this time, a eunuch slowly approached, respectfully walked before the emperor, and bowed to report: "Your Majesty, the maidservant accompanying the Queen has come to ask if she would like to stay in Fengluan Palace tonight."

Hearing this, Zhao Dequan was shocked.

The queen was too bold. The emperor could sleep wherever he wanted, and it was never the concubines' turn to take the initiative to ask.

He couldn't help but secretly glance at the emperor's expression, trying to read some information from his face.

The emperor's expression was no longer as gloomy as before, but instead showed an indescribable joy.

Chu Yunxiao raised the corners of his lips slightly, his voice was low and magnetic, and with a barely perceptible smile he said: "Tell her to tell the Queen that I will not go. She can come in person at any time."

"Yes." The eunuch responded and then stepped back.

Zhao Dequan was shocked again.

The Golden Throne Hall had always been the emperor's bedroom, rarely allowing concubines to spend the night there. Even the empress was only occasionally summoned by the emperor to spend the night there. But the emperor before him seemed unconcerned with these rules, actually allowing the empress to come anytime. This was unprecedented!

It seems that pleasing the Queen in the future will also be pleasing His Majesty.

Zhao Dequan thought to himself.

At this moment, after hearing the maid's report, Xu Zhouye's expression was dazed for a moment.

He originally wanted to test the emperor's reaction and see how tolerant Chu Yunxiao was of him.

Unexpectedly, Chu Yunxiao directly allowed him to enter and leave the Golden Palace at will. At this rate, wouldn't he be able to enter the Imperial Study as well?

Xu Zhouye raised his eyebrows slightly, and his slender white hands stirred a pool of warm water like plucking the strings of a musical instrument, causing ripples to appear, as if reflecting his current amorous feelings.

After a long moment, Xu Zhouye slowly emerged from the bathtub. His dark hair was loose and tangled, the wet strands clinging to his fair skin, adding to his indescribable sexiness and laziness.

He pulled a towel from the clothesline, gently wiped off the water droplets on his body, and then gracefully put on a white robe. The white robe was soft in texture and well-tailored, making him look even taller and more slender.

He then took a red belt, wrapped it around his waist, and tied it into a simple knot at the side. This small detail made him look casual yet elegant.

After dressing neatly, he walked out of the inner room barefoot, his steps light and steady, as if the ground beneath his feet had become extra soft because of his presence.

He walked leisurely to the couch and sat down.

"Your Highness, the ground is cold, you should put on your shoes." Qinghe squatted down, picked up the shoes beside him, and advised softly.

Xu Zhouye looked at Qinghe, a smile flashed in his eyes, but his face remained calm, "I won't wear it anymore." He turned his head slightly and looked out the window. The moonlight shone through the window onto the ground, like a layer of silver frost.

Qing He frowned and said worriedly, "But... How can Your Highness get to the Golden Palace like this?"

After hearing this, Xu Zhouye raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing an expression that seemed to be a smile, and said with a smirk, "Did I say I was going?"

He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the night outside, and an inexplicable emotion surged in his heart.

"Ah?" Qinghe was stunned and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"But as for His Majesty..." Qinghe hesitated to speak, as she was worried that the emperor would blame her.

Xu Zhouye straightened his sleeves and said casually, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

After saying this, he turned around and sat down beside the bed, and asked the palace servants to leave.

……

Chu Yunxiao waited for his queen in the Golden Palace for nearly an hour, but no one came.

As time went by, the air pressure around him dropped lower and lower, as if the air around him had frozen into ice. Zhao Dequan, standing nearby, knew something was amiss and silently sweated inwardly. If the Queen didn't show up soon, they, the servants, would be in trouble tonight.

Chu Yunxiao had a blank expression on his face and said nothing, just quietly knocking on the imperial desk. The crisp knocking sound echoed in the silent hall, making people feel an invisible pressure.

Finally, after a long time, Chu Yunxiao slowly spoke in a low and majestic voice: "Go to Fengluan Palace."

Zhao Dequan was stunned at first, then quickly reacted and responded. He knew the emperor had lost his patience and needed to act quickly. So, he quickly ordered his men to prepare a sedan chair and escort the emperor to Fengluan Palace.

At the same time, Xu Zhouye extinguished the candle, lifted the curtain, and lay down gently.

After an unknown amount of time, steady footsteps could be heard outside the tent. Xu Zhouye opened his eyes slightly, turned sideways, and pulled the blanket aside. Then, he deftly lifted the hem of his clothes slightly, revealing a hint of alluring charm.

Chu Yunxiao slowly opened the curtains. With the help of the faint moonlight, he saw Xu Zhouye's seductive sleeping posture. His eyes became a little dark, and his throat rolled twice unconsciously.

Xu Zhouye felt the burning gaze behind him. He turned over at the right moment, and his clothes loosened up just right, inadvertently revealing a piece of scenery.

Seeing this, Chu Yunxiao's eyes darkened, a dark color surging in them. He sat down beside the couch, reached out and gently stroked Xu Zhouye's cheek, his fingertips caressing his lips affectionately, and said in a hoarse voice, "If I hadn't come tonight, wouldn't the Queen's efforts have been in vain?"