The cold emperor reigns supreme, the arrogant empress begs for a truce.

Chapter 77: It Must Be a Woman

After learning more, Leng Yuling discovered that Zi Qiao wasn't from the capital, but had only recently arrived there, supposedly to find someone.

“It must be a woman.” Leng Yuling teased, but Zi Qiao just smiled and became even more certain of her statement. “I was just saying it casually. You wouldn’t happen to be traveling the world for love, would you?”

Ziqiao did not answer Leng Yuling's question, but instead asked her, "Miss Leng doesn't seem to be from an ordinary family, so why are you out there all by yourself?"

Speaking of this, Leng Yuling's face darkened. It had been three days since she left the palace, and she hadn't heard any news that the Empress was missing, nor had she seen Mo Zhen send anyone to look for her.

Before Leng Yuling could speak, Ziqiao asked again, "Miss Leng, what's wrong? Have you run into some trouble and need my help?"

Upon hearing this, Leng Yuling smiled and shook her head. Although she had left the palace, she had nowhere she wanted to go, and she was unwilling to leave until Ma Zhiyun's illness was fully recovered.

Moreover, there were people she worried about and cared about in this palace. Thinking of this, she casually said something to Ziqiao and then went back to her room.

It was still the same inn where she stayed before her wedding to Mo Zhen, and the room was the same as before, but the innkeeper had changed.

In the evening, Leng Yuling, who had just woken up, heard a knock on the door.

"Miss Leng."

Leng Yuling responded softly, put on her coat, and then went to open the door. She saw Zi Qiao standing at the door, looking very refined. After seeing Leng Yuling, he said, "I heard from the waiter that the capital is very lively at night, and there are also lantern riddle guessing games. I wonder if Miss Leng has time to go and have a look tonight?"

These past few days, she wandered around the capital city out of boredom, but apart from the bustling city, there weren't many activities that she found particularly interesting. Even the riddle-solving game that Ziqiao mentioned was an extremely boring thing for her.

However, she still nodded in agreement, since it's better for two people to be bored than for one person to be bored.

Since Zi Qiao had already revealed the fact that she was a woman, she changed back into women's clothing. When Zi Qiao saw Leng Yuling dressed as a woman, he was stunned for a moment.

"Aren't you leaving?" Leng Yuling asked, seeing Ziqiao's stunned expression, but she didn't realize that he was stunned by her good looks.

After regaining his senses, Ziqiao smiled and made a "please" gesture.

As they walked, Ziqiao said, "I only thought Miss Leng was pretty, but I never expected her to be such a beauty. My apologies."

Upon hearing this, Leng Yuling was first taken aback, then laughed heartily. Was this how the refined ancients always praised others? It seemed rather interesting.

“Brother Ziqiao is also a rare gentle and refined gentleman in Southern Chu, so…” Leng Yuling paused before looking at him and saying, “Let’s not flatter each other.”

Leng Yuling is a very straightforward person, so when she met someone who was equally straightforward, her mood naturally brightened.

-

When they arrived at the place for guessing lantern riddles, the moonlight had just completely darkened, and the entire venue was filled with lights. Each lantern had a riddle written on it, which looked better than Leng Yuling had imagined.

"White and square, tender and fragrant, it can be used in dishes and soups. Beans are its father and mother, but it's different from its parents. This is too childish." Leng Yuling couldn't help but laugh as she read the riddle on the lantern.

Ziqiao followed her gaze and looked over before asking, "Miss Leng, do you know the answer to the riddle?"

"It's just white tofu, is it that hard to guess?" She paused, then pointed to the lantern next to her and said, "This is a pear."

Following the direction Leng Yuling pointed, Ziqiao looked at the riddle on the lantern: A yellow robe hides black beans; take a bite and sweet juice flows out.

He couldn't help but smile and said, "It really is a pear."

Actually, she was quite interested when she first saw the dazzling lights, but as soon as she got closer, she instantly lost interest.

After walking a few steps, she didn't want to go any further. Ziqiao stopped as well. Seeing that she seemed uninterested, he said, "These riddles aren't very interesting. Why don't we go to a nearby teahouse, have some tea, and listen to some storytelling?"

"Great!" She perked up as soon as she heard that it was a storytelling performance. She remembered the last time she secretly slipped out of the palace and overheard people gossiping about her and Mo Zhen at the inn. This time, she wanted to see what other gossip they had to share.

Seeing Leng Yuling's excited expression, Zi Qiao couldn't help but smile, feeling even more that she was someone whose appearance was somewhat different from his own.

If she sat quietly with a slight smile, no one would think she was a lively and cheerful woman. However, the original owner of this body was indeed a quiet and gentle woman; it was just that the transmigrator, Leng Yuling, was not.

However, it is precisely this kind of personality that makes people like her, and that cannot be denied.

There were quite a few people who came to listen to the storytelling. The storyteller vividly told the story on the stage, and the audience listened attentively.

Leng Yuling didn't know whose story the storyteller was telling, but it sounded like her story with Mo Zhen.

As soon as she sat down, Ziqiao poured her tea and said, "The storyteller was probably referring to the story of the Southern Chu Emperor and the Empress from the Northern Desert."

Because it involved the emperor and empress, the storyteller dared not say it directly, but could only hint at it. However, everyone who heard it knew whose story it was.

Leng Yuling took a sip of tea, but she had already guessed that it was about them when she came in. However, she was not displeased. Instead, she wanted to hear what kind of people she and Mo Zhen were in the eyes of the common people.

She put down her teacup before saying, "They're quite bold." Generally speaking, it's not allowed to discuss the Emperor and Empress in private, but they used anonymity, and the people liked to listen, so naturally no one reported them.

Zi Qiao didn't speak, he just smiled, without indicating whether he agreed with Leng Yuling's point of view.

For the rest of the time, Leng Yuling listened to the storytelling quite attentively.

The storyteller said, "The Queen became the most favored woman in the palace for a time. Other women hardly had the chance to even see the King, but she was different. With her charm, she kept the King by her side and became the object of everyone's envy. But since the King favored her, who dared to touch her?"

"Is what this storyteller said all made up?" She had never tried to seduce Mo Zhen to stay in her Jingling Palace. On the contrary, her greatest hope every day was that Mo Zhen would not come. But alas, Mo Zhen still came every day.

"Perhaps the Empress also advised the Emperor to treat his concubines equally, but the Emperor didn't listen," Leng Yuling said unhappily. "How come this storyteller's words make it seem like the Empress is a femme fatale?"

Upon hearing what Leng Yuling said, Ziqiao looked at her with a hint of doubt, but said nothing.