Ping Zhao Lu

So, Xu Zhouye put the food that had never been touched into the steamer, gently lit the fire, and waited patiently for the food to become steaming hot again.

After everything was ready, he carried the food box in his hand and walked calmly towards the imperial study.

After a while, Xu Zhouye arrived at the door of the imperial study.

At this moment, Zhao Dequan, who had been waiting outside the door, spotted his figure and hurriedly ran towards him.

Bowing respectfully, he said, "Your servant pays respects to the Queen!"

Xu Zhouye nodded slightly and replied softly, "No need to be polite."

After saying this, he raised his foot and was about to step over the high threshold.

However, just as he was about to step into the imperial study, Zhao Dequan suddenly rushed forward and stretched out his arms to block him.

Zhao Dequan said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, the Emperor has specifically ordered that no one is allowed to disturb us at this moment."

Hearing this, Xu Zhouye paused slowly.

He slowly turned his head, frowned slightly, and stared straight at Zhao Dequan, as if he wanted to hear a reasonable explanation from him.

Zhao Dequan looked embarrassed and bowed deeply again, then replied helplessly, "Your Highness, I am only following orders. The Emperor gave me these instructions just now when he entered the Imperial Study. I dare not disobey His Majesty's orders. I hope Your Highness will understand."

Seeing this, Xu Zhouye first glanced at the exquisite food box in his hand, then slowly raised his eyes, looked inside the hall, hesitated for a moment, and finally walked in despite Zhao Dequan's obstruction.

"Your Highness!"

Zhao Dequan was shocked and hurriedly followed.

At this time, in the imperial study

Chu Yunxiao was busy dealing with government affairs.

When Chu Yunxiao noticed Xu Zhouye walking towards him hurriedly, with Zhao Dequan following closely behind him with a panicked look, he just raised his head slightly, glanced at him indifferently, and then calmly shifted his gaze back to the memorial in his hand as if nothing had happened.

Without waiting for Xu Zhouye to explain his intentions, Zhao Dequan was the first to kneel down and said, "I am guilty of failing to stop the Queen. Your Majesty, I beg for your punishment!"

Xu Zhouye frowned and looked at Zhao Dequan who was kneeling on the ground.

I thought: Last time I was told I could come in whenever I wanted, but today they're trying to stop me. The emperor's heart is so fickle.

Xu Zhouye withdrew his gaze and turned his eyes to Chu Yunxiao behind the imperial desk.

He was busy reviewing memorials, and said coldly without raising his head: "You go down first." He said this to Zhao Dequan.

Xu Zhouye naturally didn't include himself.

Zhao Dequan got up upon hearing the sound, and seeing that the emperor had no intention of blaming the queen, he quickly left the hall.

And be considerate enough to close the door.

Xu Zhouye was startled when he heard the door close. But he immediately came to his senses and walked forward with the food box.

After putting the things on the table, Xu Zhouye moved closer to Chu Yunxiao. When he reached out to hold the emperor's arm, Chu Yunxiao dodged him in time, so he was left empty-handed.

Xu Zhouye looked at him in confusion.

Chu Yunxiao seemed unaware and continued to focus on the memorial in his hand without looking away.

Seeing that the emperor didn't want to pay any attention to him, Xu Zhouye's already depressed mood became even worse.

"It's obvious that you are annoyed. In that case, I will not be an eyesore to Your Majesty. I will take my leave."

As he said that, he was about to leave.

Chu Yunxiao put down his pen unhappily, making a crisp sound, "Don't leave."

Xu Zhouye paused. What does that mean?

Not allowed to enter, not allowed to touch, and not allowed to leave?

Why are you so angry!

Thinking of this, a surge of anger inexplicably rose in my heart.

He turned around, losing his usual composure. "I don't know how I have offended Your Majesty. I have to endure such cold treatment for no reason. If you don't allow me to do this or that, what's the point of me staying here? It would be better for me to leave and save Your Majesty the trouble."

Chu Yunxiao felt very upset after hearing these words.

He didn't care about his reserve, he stood up and walked forward quickly, holding her in his arms, "How could I find the Queen annoying?"

Xu Zhouye obviously didn't buy his tricks. He gently pushed the person away without even looking at Chu Yunxiao and took a few steps back. "Your Majesty, please take care of your government affairs. I will not disturb you any longer."

There was no way Chu Yunxiao would let him leave, so he grabbed him in his arms and held him tightly.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

Xu Zhouye was angry and did not respond to his kiss. He directly bit Chu Yunxiao.

Chu Yunxiao couldn't help but gasp in pain, but even so, he slowly left those soft lips.

He stared at the person in front of him with a heavy gaze.

Xu Zhouye was equally unwilling to be outdone, and met Chu Yunxiao's oppressive gaze without fear.

The two looked at each other, and the atmosphere became extremely solemn for a moment.

After a long time, the emperor could no longer suppress his emotions. Although he was reluctant, he finally let go of the person in his arms.

Then, he broke the silence with a slightly bitter tone: "Love is the most difficult word to understand, and the most unforgettable..."

This nonsensical remark made Xu Zhouye startled, and he was stunned for a moment.

After coming to his senses, Xu Zhouye asked with a puzzled look on his face, "What does your Majesty mean?"

Chu Yunxiao kept silent, but just continued to stare quietly at the person in front of him who easily affected his emotions, trying to find some clues from the face that looked a little innocent because of confusion.

As Xu Zhouye still couldn't wait for the emperor to give a clear answer, a trace of impatience gradually appeared on his face. He frowned and said, "Your Majesty, please speak frankly."

Chu Yunxiao turned around and sat back on the dragon throne. He asked in a deep voice, "What does the Queen think of my fourth brother?"

Such a roundabout and meaningful question made Xu Zhouye think of his recent encounter with Prince Huai at the Lakeside Pavilion, and also of what Zhao Dequan said at the door about the emperor not allowing anyone to disturb him.

Suddenly I understood.

However, this back-and-forth probing made Xu Zhouye unhappy. A hint of anger suddenly appeared on his handsome face. He said angrily, "You are a natural beauty, a rare talent among men."

As soon as he finished speaking, a turbulent wave suddenly appeared in Chu Yunxiao's originally calm eyes, but he forcibly suppressed it in an instant.

He stopped gazing at his queen.

He took the memorial beside him and looked through it.

Seeing this, Xu Zhouye felt a mixture of joy and bitterness. Without saying a word, he turned and left resolutely.

Looking at the man's resolute back as he left, the emperor no longer had the heart to pay attention to the insignificant memorial. He tossed it aside in annoyance, leaned back tiredly, and closed his eyes slightly.

After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes and his gaze fell on the food box on the table.

Chu Yunxiao straightened up slightly and reached out to gently open the lid of the jar.

A faint fragrance instantly spread and lingered at the tip of his nose.

He slowly picked up the small spoon beside him, scooped up a small piece of tofu and put it into his mouth.

However, at the moment the tofu entered his mouth, the emperor's brows slightly frowned, and then a slight and helpless chuckle came from the depths of his throat.

Then he quietly ate up all the food in the handle box, leaving no residue.