Ping Zhao Lu

Luo Siyan was eventually tortured beyond recognition, with not much flesh left on his body.

At the emperor's command, his body was cut into pieces and thrown to feed the wild beasts.

……

Midnight, Golden Palace.

Chu Yunxiao lazily rested his head on Xu Zhouye's legs, enjoying the relaxing massage service with great pleasure.

Xu Zhouye gently massaged his head, whispering, "Your Majesty, your headaches keep coming back. You must pay more attention to them. You must not act recklessly and disregard your health while desperately dealing with the heavy workload of government affairs."

Chu Yunxiao closed his eyes tightly, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, as if he was deeply touched by these caring words. He gently moved his head to allow himself to immerse himself more comfortably in this gentle feeling, and responded, "The Queen is right."

Hearing this, Xu Zhouye couldn't help but reveal a helpless yet doting smile, and continued to remind him: "Also, you must eat on time. Don't go hungry, otherwise it will hurt your body."

Chu Yunxiao nodded without hesitation and replied, "Yes, I will listen to the Queen."

The corners of Xu Zhouye's lips curled up again, forming a graceful arc. However, after a moment, as if he suddenly remembered something important, his fingertips paused.

Chu Yunxiao, noticing this change, immediately opened his eyes, turned his head to look at Xu Zhouye, and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Xu Zhouye frowned slightly, and said thoughtfully, "I have heard a little about the man from a medical family that Shang Tingwei mentioned earlier. I heard that the medical skills of their founder were truly miraculous, and he was hailed as a miracle doctor by the world. I imagine that this descendant, Xiang Heng, must also possess unique skills and should not be underestimated... Your Majesty, perhaps you could ask him to take a look at your nagging headache?"

After hearing this, Chu Yunxiao couldn't help but chuckle and said, "I understand. I'll find a suitable opportunity someday and summon this person to the palace."

Xu Zhouye nodded, then changed the subject and continued, "As for the matter of Luo Cejun, we might as well find an appropriate excuse to get over it... It just so happens that he already suffers from heart disease, so this excuse makes sense."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunxiao lazily closed his eyes again and replied nonchalantly, "The Queen will have the final say on this matter."

Seeing this, Xu Zhouye smiled with satisfaction, and then said, "Then I have something else I would like to discuss with Your Majesty."

Chu Yunxiao still had his eyes closed and responded casually, "Queen, please feel free to speak."

Xu Zhouye slowly lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on Chu Yunxiao's forehead. He then spoke softly, "The last time I left the palace, I happened to meet a child. I found that child intelligent, well-behaved, and adorable, which truly delighted me. I'm thinking that the Crown Prince must be feeling a bit bored studying poetry and books alone these days. Why not let that child enter the palace and serve as his companion? That way, he'd have a companion to study with, allowing them to learn from each other and learn from each other. It would also add a bit of fun, so he wouldn't be so bored. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Chu Yunxiao got up from Xu Zhouye's legs, looked at the person in front of him affectionately, raised his hand and stroked the side of his face, "It's up to the Queen to decide." After saying that, he kissed him.

*

Afterwards, Chu Yunxiao gently cleaned Xu Zhouye's body, then held him tightly in his arms, and soon fell asleep.

Xu Zhouye leaned quietly in Chu Yunxiao's arms, feeling the warm and solid chest behind him rising and falling with his breathing.

After a long time, seeing that Chu Yunxiao was already fast asleep, he carefully raised his hand and gently pried open the pair of hands that were tightly wrapped around his waist. His movements were so gentle that it seemed as if he was afraid of waking up the person next to him.

After confirming that Chu Yunxiao was not woken up, Xu Zhouye slowly moved his body and gradually got out of Chu Yunxiao's arms.

After finally getting off the bed, he quickly put on his shoes and socks, picked up a coat and put it on, then walked towards the door quietly.

When Xu Zhouye reached the inner door, he paused and listened for any movement outside. After making sure everything was as quiet as before, he slowly opened the door and walked out.

Then he gently called Xuan Qi who was guarding outside the hall.

Xuan Qi heard the call and immediately turned around and walked quickly into the hall. He came before Xu Zhouye and bowed respectfully and asked, "Your Highness, what can I do for you?"

Xu Zhouye lowered his voice and said, "The Wang father and son will arrive in the capital the day after tomorrow at the latest. You must settle them down well by then. Also, remember to tell Wang Cheng to have his child go to the palace to accompany the Crown Prince to study the day after arriving in the capital."

Xuan Qi nodded in understanding and replied, "Now that Wang Cheng knows his child can enter the palace as a study companion, he will no longer have any concerns and can focus on his work."

Xu Zhouye smiled slightly without saying a word. He only agreed with half of Xuan Qi's answer.

The main purpose of letting Wang Ruo enter the palace to accompany Wang Cheng in his studies was to warn him not to change his mind halfway, otherwise the child would not be able to live safely in the palace.

*

Three days later, the sun was shining brightly and the breeze was blowing gently.

An exquisitely decorated carriage slowly drove into the gate of the palace. The curtain opened and a thin, handsome and cute boy got out of the carriage. It was Wang Ruo.

The moment he stepped into the palace, Wang Ruo felt as if he was in a dreamlike world.

Everything before him left him dumbfounded. On both sides of the broad avenue stood tall and majestic palaces and pavilions, with carved beams and painted rafters, magnificent and golden; pavilions and waterside terraces were scattered around, with blooming flowers and shady green trees.

He couldn't help but widen his eyes and look around like a curious kitten.

Along the way, Wang Ruo was very excited. He looked at the exotic flowers and plants on this side, and then at the exquisite sculptures on the other side. He was full of novelty and surprise at everything around him.

However, the palace servants would remind him softly from time to time: "Young Master, you must not look around like this in the palace, lest you accidentally bump into the nobles and cause unnecessary trouble."

Hearing this, Wang Ruo quickly retracted his gaze and nodded obediently, indicating that he understood. Although he still felt itchy in his heart, he tried hard to restrain himself from looking around.

Not long after, Wang Ruo came to the East Palace under the guidance of the palace servants.

The moment he raised his foot and stepped over the threshold, a sense of solemnity came over him.

This palace was magnificent and grand in scale, and its interior decoration was exquisite, even better than anything he had seen along the way.

Wang Ruo was once again deeply shocked, his mouth slightly open, unable to close for a long time.

At this time, Chu Heyuan was sitting quietly on a stone chair in the courtyard reading a book.

Suddenly, he felt someone coming, so he put down the book in his hand and stood up.

I saw a strange little boy standing there timidly, with a hint of confusion and fear in his eyes.

Chu Heyuan couldn't help but feel puzzled. Is this Wang Ruo, the one his father mentioned, who would accompany him to study? Looking at his appearance, he doesn't look very bright...

Seeing that the prince was silent and expressionless, Wang Ruo lowered his head in fear.

A nearby palace attendant noticed Wang Ruo fumbling with the hem of his clothes, and couldn't help but feel worried for him. He hurriedly whispered, "Young Master, this is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Hurry and pay your respects!"

Wang Ruo was startled back to his senses by the reminder and quickly knelt on the ground. In his childish yet respectful voice, he said, "Wang Ruo pays his respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Hearing Wang Ruo's greeting, Chu Heyuan nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Well, get up." Then, he looked calmly at the well-behaved boy in front of him and said slowly, "From today on, you will be my study partner. No matter where I go in the future, you must follow me."

Wang Ruo stood up slowly and obediently, then nodded obediently and replied, "Yes, Wang Ruo will definitely follow the orders of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Seeing Wang Ruo so obedient and well-behaved, Chu Heyuan felt a little bored, so he turned around and walked towards the bedroom. As he walked, he said without looking back: "I don't want to study today, I just want to have a good rest. You can do whatever you want."

"Yes..." Wang Ruo looked up at the prince's leaving back and replied with some disappointment.