Ping Zhao Lu

On the way back to the bedroom, Qinghe looked solemn and looked at Xu Zhouye from time to time, but each time he seemed to be hesitant to speak.

Xu Zhouye naturally sensed her doubts, tilted his head slightly, and said calmly, "Don't worry, I know what Rong Yu'an is planning."

Hearing this, Qinghe's expression froze for a moment, and after he reacted, a sincere smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

In the past, the master of this family always listened to Rong Yu'an and did whatever this outsider said.

She saw it all, and although she felt quite dissatisfied, she didn't dare to say much.

However, things seemed to have changed in recent days. The master was no longer so obedient to Rong Yu'an, and even showed obvious dissatisfaction with some things.

Although she had her doubts, she was still deeply relieved by her master's awakening.

But today, she suddenly agreed to fight for a position as the king's servant for Rong Yu'an. As her master's confidant, she couldn't help but feel uneasy, fearing that her master would be deceived by a hypocrite like Rong Yu'an again.

Now that she could hear Xu Zhouye explain the reason with her own ears, she could finally put her mind at ease.

……

It was already noon when he returned to Fengluan Palace. The sky was one degree brighter than when he went to Cining Palace.

Detailed sunlight pours through the carved window lattices onto the floor paved with square bricks.

As soon as Xu Zhouye stepped into the main hall, the eunuch who was guarding the door with his back hunched hurriedly came to greet him, "Your Highness, the Emperor went to the Imperial Study a while ago and specifically instructed this servant to inform you to come back later."

The familiar voice made Xu Zhouye stop in his tracks, and he stared blankly at the person in front of him who was bowing and nodding.

It’s Su Ming, for sure.

In his previous life, Su Ming was the one sent by Chu Yunxiao to take care of him. It was said to be serving him, but in fact it was just surveillance.

I thought that after his defeat, Su Ming would find another way out.

I never thought that I would follow him loyally until the end, until the end of my life.

"Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?"

Seeing that no one responded, Su Ming bowed and asked.

Xu Zhouye finally came to his senses and replied softly, "I understand." Then, she walked past him to the couch and slowly sat down. "What's your name?"

"Your Highness, my name is Su Ming. Your Majesty sent me here to serve you." Su Ming lowered his head and replied slowly.

Xu Zhouye nodded slightly, "I find you very appealing to me. From now on, the position of the chief eunuch of Fengluan Palace will be handed over to you."

Su Ming was startled, then knelt down to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Your Highness, for the promotion!"

Xu Zhouye smiled and raised his hand to signal him to stand up. "My maid Qinghe is still not familiar with the affairs of the palace. I will trouble Eunuch Su to give her more advice in the future."

Su Ming bowed and replied, "Your Highness, do you have any other instructions?"

Xu Zhouye hummed and ordered, "Your Majesty hasn't eaten yet. Ask the kitchen to make some snacks and send them to the imperial study."

"Slave, go right away."

After saying this, Su Ming bowed and took his leave.

After everyone left, Qinghe, who was tense, breathed a sigh of relief.

The palace has strict rules and regulations, and everyone serving the master speaks in a very formal manner, which is not as relaxed as the Duke's Mansion.

Sensing her distress, Xu Zhouye raised his lips and soothed her, "The palace is not like the Duke's Mansion. You must be cautious in everything you do and weigh every word you say. It's not normal to be used to it, but you'll be fine after some time."

Qing He chuckled softly upon hearing this, "I understand, thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."

Seeing that he had regained his usual lively self, Xu Zhouye smiled indulgently, then changed the subject and gently warned, "Find a few smart people to go to Rong Yu'an. Remember, don't let him get into trouble on our territory, especially with regards to his relationship with Concubine Xian."

Qing He immediately understood, "Your Highness is wise. I can see that this virtuous concubine is targeting you, but..." She paused here, looking hesitant, "I don't understand, Your Highness, how did you recognize all the concubines when you first entered the palace?"

Xu Zhouye calmly picked up a pastry beside him and took a bite. "My brother always said you were confused, but I didn't agree. Now it seems to be true."

“…” Qinghe lowered his head guiltily.

Xu Zhouye chuckled instead, "I don't blame you. During the time when Nanny Li was teaching me, you were busy running around the mansion. It's normal that you can't remember what Nanny Li said."

Before entering the palace, Nanny Li patiently told him about the situations of all the concubines in the harem. Even if Nanny Li didn't tell him in this life, he could still recognize them clearly with the memory of his previous life.

After all, there are many people here who framed him.

It was enough to impress him.

Qinghe pursed her lips. Why did she feel that the more her master spoke, the more uneasy she became?

So she thought for a moment and finally admitted her mistake sincerely, "I'm sorry, Your Highness. It was my fault for not paying attention. I will never do it again."

Xu Zhouye smiled calmly and gently pushed the cake on the table towards her. "Hibiscus Pastry, your favorite."

Seeing this, Qing He happily took it and said, "Thank you, Your Highness!"

*

imperial study room

Su Ming slowly walked to the door of the imperial study, carrying snacks and tea. He handed the tray to Zhao Dequan, who was guarding the door, and then took out a few taels of silver from his sleeve and stuffed it into his arms. "The Queen ordered me to bring some food to Your Majesty. I'm sorry to bother you, Eunuch Zhao."

Zhao Dequan smiled knowingly and replied amiably, "You are too kind, Eunuch Su. As a servant, how dare I find the Queen's orders troublesome?"

As he spoke, he looked around warily, then leaned over to Su Ming's ear and whispered, "His Majesty just lost his temper. When you return, remind His Highness not to mention the Queen Mother in front of His Majesty."

Su Ming nodded seriously, "Thank you for the reminder, eunuch."

Zhao Dequan said you're welcome, then turned and went into the imperial study.

At this moment, Chu Yunxiao's face was grim. When Zhao Dequan slowly approached, he suddenly threw the memorial in his hand, almost causing the visitor to accidentally knock over the cakes.

Zhao Dequan's body trembled, and he quickly knelt on the ground, quietly waiting for the emperor's anger to erupt.

Chu Yunxiao raised his head slightly, glanced at him coldly, and said in a deep voice, "What are you doing here?" Then, his eyes fell on the plate of food in his hand, his brows furrowed, and he asked sternly, "When did I ask you to prepare these?"

Zhao Dequan lowered his head even lower and replied nervously, "Your Majesty, the Queen learned that you hadn't eaten yet, so she sent someone to prepare some food."

Hearing that it was prepared by the Queen, Chu Yunxiao's frown relaxed slightly, and he said indifferently with a sullen face: "Leave it here, and tell the Queen later that there is no need to do this, so as to avoid tiring him."

Zhao Dequan was embarrassed. He stood up and carefully placed the cakes and tea on the side of the desk, removed the tray, then bent down to pick up the letter that was thrown on the ground and put it back on the desk.

"The slave retire."

"Ah."

Chu Yunxiao responded indifferently, his eyes swept across the letter that was put back, his eyes closed slightly, and a cold look flashed in his eyes.

Nearing noon, sunlight shone through the window onto Chu Yunxiao's desk. He finally put down the memorial in his hand, rubbed his brows, stood up and ordered Zhao Dequan to go to Fengluan Palace.

Along the way, Chu Yunxiao felt inexplicably relaxed, but his expression remained calm.

The palace maids of Fengluan Palace saw Chu Yunxiao coming from afar and knelt down to salute him.

Chu Yunxiao walked into the palace and saw Xu Zhouye sitting by the window, reading a book intently. He walked over quietly and sat on the other side of Xu Zhouye.

Feeling the movement around him, Xu Zhouye suddenly came to his senses. Seeing that it was Chu Yunxiao, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Your humble servant pays his respects to the Emperor." Xu Zhouye stood up and saluted.

"Your Majesty, please don't be polite." Chu Yunxiao said casually, waving his hand for him to sit down, "I came here now because I want to have dinner with you."

Xu Zhouye's face remained calm as he nodded and said, "I will give the order right away."