So sweet! She's pampered like a precious gem in her little world.

Jingyin couldn't explain why he treated the little girl in his arms so differently.

If it were merely because she was the orphan of General Shen's family, then bestowing upon her a mansion, bestowing upon her the title of princess, and assigning people to serve her well would suffice.

Why should he personally go out and coax the person back to the Zichen Palace?

The small, thin girl in his arms was sleeping peacefully, her fair and delicate face bearing a lingering sorrow.

She was only five years old when she witnessed her entire family being brutally murdered overnight.

The cold-hearted young emperor felt compassion at that moment.

From now on, he will take care of her.

He will make her the happiest girl in the world, the one everyone envies.

He only hoped that she would be free from illness and worry, and live a long and peaceful life.

Before the imperial carriage even reached the Zichen Palace, Jingyin had already decided on the title for the little princess.

Yuanjia.

Yuan, as the head, wanted her to be the most honored woman in the world.

Jia means beauty, goodness, happiness, and joy.

Princess Yuanjia.

Jingyin harbored his own selfish motives; his courtesy name was Xuan Ce.

The character “元” is the same as the character “玄”.

A princess from a different surname was able to receive a title that shared the same characters as the emperor's.

After the imperial edict is issued, those restless officials from the previous dynasty will probably be unable to resist making their move again.

It doesn't matter; he is no longer the helpless puppet he once was.

He had the ability to secure his throne and the ability to protect his people.

-

Zichen Hall is the main palace where Jingyin (Emperor Jingyin) sleeps.

It was already late at night when they returned, and there was no time to prepare a new palace for her to live in.

Jingyin simply took his men back to his own palace.

The chief eunuch, Eunuch Li, was horrified to see his emperor carrying a little girl into the bedchamber.

He usually kept in close contact with the Eighteen Guards of Shadow Cloud, and he heard about what happened at the Shen residence tonight even before the imperial carriage arrived.

Even though I was mentally prepared, I still didn't expect His Majesty to not only carry the person all the way back, but also carry him directly into his own bedchamber!?

Li Zhi followed closely in Jingyin's footsteps, "Your Majesty—"

But before he could utter a single word, he was stopped by a sharp glare.

Well, another little devil you can't mess with.

They've only just been brought back, and His Majesty is already protecting them like they're the most precious thing.

Li Zhi silently stopped at the entrance of the sleeping quarters and turned to look at the boundless night.

This palace is about to change drastically.

After Jingyin entered the inner room, he dismissed the palace servants.

He had originally intended to temporarily place the person on the carved dragon-shaped Arhat bed in his own bedroom, but after walking to the bedside, he turned back and leaned down to gently put the person down.

Shadow Seven and Shadow Nine entered the palace as ordered, and saw their noble and supreme emperor half-squatting by the bed, reaching out to take off the shoes and socks of the little girl lying on the bed. His movements were clumsy but extremely gentle, as if he was afraid of disturbing the girl's dream.

The two women were originally on a mission in the suburbs when they were urgently recalled.

Unexpectedly, His Majesty assigned them the new task of serving Princess Yuanjia.

Yingqi didn't think there was anything wrong with it. The Eighteen Guards were like loyal servants to Jingyin, completely obeying his orders.

Regardless of the task, they should accept unconditional obedience.

Ying Jiu was the youngest and felt somewhat resentful. The Eighteen Guards had followed His Majesty through thick and thin, and now she was being asked to serve as a maid to a little girl who was barely a teenager. Naturally, she found it hard to accept.

After the two entered the inner room, Jingyin ignored them and took care of removing the little girl's shoes, socks, and outer garment. He then pulled the brocade quilt over her and lowered the gauze curtain.

Only then did he get up and walk out of the hall, with Ying Qi and Ying Jiu following silently.

Jingyin stopped at the door and said in a low voice, "It's getting late tonight. Give her a quick wash and change her into some comfortable clothes. Be quiet so you don't wake her up."

After pausing, he added, "From this day forward, the two of you will take care of Princess Yuanjia personally. You must take good care of everything concerning the princess. I mean everything. Do you understand?"

The two were still wondering to themselves after hearing what His Majesty had said so much in one go.

Upon hearing the last part, the tone suddenly turned cold and sharp; it was the Emperor they knew.

After watching them enter the room, Jingyin turned and went to the Imperial Study in Yanying Hall. Tonight's matters were not yet over.

-

Chu Yu didn't know when she fell asleep. When she woke up in a daze, it was pitch black all around her.

The mattress beneath me and the brocade quilt covering me had an excellent feel and were filled with a faint scent of ambergris.

Realizing something, her heart trembled with shock. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she closed her eyes shakily, her breathing slowing down.

How did she end up sleeping in the emperor's bed?

【Little Milk Cake!!!】

[What's wrong, host?]

What's going on now?!

Because of the original owner's physical condition, she had been asleep for so long and was completely unaware of everything happening around her.

This is ancient times; there are no cell phones or watches, so she can't even tell the time.

[Host, you slept the whole way back to Jingyin's palace and are now lying on his dragon bed.]

Little Milk Cake spoke calmly, but inside, a sharp explosion was already raging.

Its host is just too much!

She had only just transmigrated here, yet her target was already carrying her back to his own palace!

He even let her sleep in his dragon bed!

That's the dragon bed!

Jingyin's dragon bed!

The emperor's bed, which countless noble ladies in the capital could only dream of, was successfully slept on by its host at the tender age of five.

Whether you say it or not, you could brag about it for a lifetime.

Chu Yu was equally horrified.

Everything that happened tonight left her bewildered and helpless.

She originally thought that, according to the plot, Jingyin would take her back to the palace and place her in a palace, and then she would have time to think about how to get closer to him and warm his heart.

Who knew this person wasn't following the plot from the very beginning!?

[Little Milk Cake, are the NPCs in your system this capricious?]

【……ah?】

[Jing Yin, isn't he your NPC?]

A deathly silence fell over the other end.

Little Milk Cake looked at the bold red "Encrypted" text in the system and abandoned any thought of explaining it to her.

The host cannot know these things yet, at least not now.

but……

Who told her that the target was an NPC?

Is this how you use this word?

Little Milk Cake chose to change the subject.

[Host, the target's current affection level is zero. Please try again!]

Chu Yu: "..."

Is it possible for her system to be sent back to the factory for repair?

He doesn't seem very bright no matter how you look at it.

Where is Jing Yin?

[Beside you.]

Chu Yu: "!!!"

She turned her head in horror to look at both sides, and then tentatively reached out to touch it.

nobody.

scared her to death.

Um, I meant he was on the daybed next to you.

Chu Yu felt a little weak.

How does that song go again?

Sometimes, communication between people is useless.

……

Jingyin was a light sleeper and extremely alert to everything around him.

He reacted quickly upon noticing someone on the couch, and just as he was about to make a move, a soft, warm ball of flesh pressed against him.

"Well--"

He recognized the little girl's scent, and his tense muscles instantly relaxed, allowing the little bundle of joy to cling to him and continue sleeping soundly.

The little girl is still young, and I guess she's afraid to sleep alone, so she came to him to be held and sleep.

This daybed was where he usually read and drank tea; it wasn't as comfortable as a bed.

Worried that the little girl might get sore from sleeping on the cold, hard couch, Jingyin carefully picked up the little dumpling and returned to his dragon bed to lie down.

Chu Yu still clung tightly to him.

It's as if they have an extreme lack of security and are desperately seeking protection for themselves.

Jingyin reached out and gently stroked her slender back, coaxing her softly, "I'm here, no one dares to bully you, sleep peacefully, be good."

——oo——

The Eighteen Shadow Guards were created by me, inspired by the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai under Emperor Guangwu of Han.

No offense intended, Liu Xiu is an emperor I greatly admire!

The Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai correspond to the Twenty-Eight Constellations, so our Xiao Jing's Eighteen Shadow Cloud Guards correspond to the Eighteen Martial Arts, right? hhhh

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