cold clothes

Zhao Yin quickly arrived at the main hall's dining room, just as Zhao Qun arrived at the same time. Zhao Qun was slightly taken aback when he saw Zhao Yin, then smiled happily as he thought of something, stepped forward and patted Zhao Yin's shoulder, saying, "Finally, I see my fifth brother again. Today, since my fifth brother is free, we brothers should have a good drink together."

Zhao Yin said, "Very well, Your Majesty, I will certainly accompany you."

When the Empress heard Zhao Qun mention drinking, she frowned and complained, "Quan'er, you should drink less."

"Don't worry, Mother, I know what I'm doing. At worst, my fifth brother will be watching me tonight," Zhao Qun said cheerfully.

The Empress sighed. She couldn't help but nag a little more, true to her motherly nature. In reality, she didn't restrict Zhao Qun much. From a young age, Zhao Qun was well-educated, intelligent, studious, and diligent in martial arts—always a model prince, whom the Empress adored. It was only because he had strayed from the right path last time that they had argued. Now, fearing that Zhao Qun might truly become estranged from her, she was even more cautious and dared not say more.

The Empress then glanced at Zhao Yin.

Zhao Qun is quite close to Zhao Yin, unaware that she has repeatedly failed to assassinate him. It's time to keep Qun'er away from Zhao Yin; he might not be as harmless as he appears. Besides, his luck is exceptionally good. Looking back at her previous attempts on Zhao Yin, either the poison took effect and he survived, or the Taoist priest saved him. When Zhao Yin returned to the capital, she planned to eliminate him, but he escaped again.

Since learning that Zhao Yin might be impotent, the Empress has lowered her guard against him. Who else but her would want Zhao Yin dead?

The Empress couldn't think of a definite answer for the time being, so she asked her to sound out Zhao Yin later.

The Empress gestured for Zhao Qun and Zhao Yin to sit down. Palace maids served dishes and helped them wash their hands. At this moment, Zhao Qun clearly saw Zhao Yin's left hand, which was wrapped in bandages, and asked anxiously, "How did you get your hand injured, Your Highness? When did you get hurt? Who hurt you?"

"Well, I accidentally knocked over a porcelain bottle last night, and a shard cut my hand, but it's nothing serious."

"What were the eunuchs in your palace doing? Why were you left to clean up the porcelain shards?" the Empress asked.

"It's not in the palace, but in the Ministry of Justice."

"Then you don't have to clean it up yourself, right?" Zhao Qun said.

"It was already past midnight, and most of the servants were asleep. It was my fault, and I shouldn't have troubled others," Zhao Yin said humbly.

Zhao Qun chuckled: "You don't look like a prince at all."

Zhao Yin smiled but remained silent.

"While diligence is commendable, one must also take care of one's health," the Empress said gently, offering words of comfort.

"Yes, Queen."

The Empress subtly winked at the lady-in-waiting beside her, who immediately understood and instructed the palace maids to bring over the hot soup. As the palace maid beside Zhao Yin served him the soup, she glanced nervously at him. Zhao Yin keenly noticed this and, just as the maid pretended to accidentally spill some soup on him, he reached out his right hand and steadily caught the porcelain bowl.

"Is she a new palace maid? She still lacks composure," Zhao Yin said with a gentle smile.

The young palace maid turned pale instantly and quickly knelt down, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me! I didn't mean to!"

Oh no, we haven't fulfilled Her Majesty's instructions.

The Empress narrowed her eyes and said in a deep voice, "Yu Jing, how do you discipline your palace maids?"

The female official Yu Jing immediately knelt down: "I have failed in my duty of discipline, please punish me, Your Majesty the Empress."

"Go down."

"Yes."

The female official Yu Jing quickly led the little palace maid away. The Empress's eyes flickered, and she smiled but didn't reach her eyes as she said to Zhao Yin, "Did you get any soup on your face? I just happened to have the Clothing Bureau make you a new set of clothes. Go and change."

The dress had a low neckline, so the scar on Zhao Yin's neck couldn't be hidden.