Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 193 Beauty under the Moon
Outside the underground palace, Ji Jianming could clearly hear loud noises one after another inside the underground palace, and his face immediately became filled with shock and doubt.

The detectives around looked at each other in bewilderment. They were all experts, so they could naturally hear clearly that there was a fight going on...but the sound insulation of the black ring was obviously very good, otherwise it would have been exposed long ago. Even so, the sound could still be heard...What level of battle was going on down there?
The martial arts master and Marquis Weiming are fighting?

Ji Jianming's face changed again and again. He thought to himself that no matter how powerful Wei Minghou was, he didn't have the bridge to communicate between heaven and earth. If he really died in the underground palace, his head would be chopped off by the emperor and Su Qingqi in turn, but he only had one head... So he rolled his eyes and prepared to rush in to see the situation.

But before he could move, the tightly closed door in front of him suddenly shattered, and a black shadow shot out from inside through the rubble and smoke. Seeing Ji Jianming standing in front of him, he smashed it with his mace without hesitation.

Ji Jianming was also a master, and his reaction was not slow at all. He was stunned for a moment before he drew his sword from its sheath, and with a "clang" it blocked the heavy mace.

But what no one present expected was that Ji Jianming, nicknamed 'General Loss', had just exchanged a move with the thief when his right hand holding the knife made a bone-breaking sound. Then his tall figure shot backwards in an instant, knocking down several thick sycamore trees, and continued to rush into the main building of Wutong Garden.

The sounds of fallen trees, damaged houses and passers-by screaming mixed together, and the elegant Wutong Garden instantly became a mess.

After Li Jingnan knocked Ji Jianming away with his mace, he did not want to fight anymore. He stomped on the ground and rose up from the ground, disappearing into the night like a ghost.

The other detectives around reacted and saw their boss being beaten. They were furious and wanted to chase him with knives. After running a few steps, two more people rushed out of the underground palace. One of them said in a deep voice: "Don't chase him. Chasing him will kill you. With your skills, you can't withstand a few of his moves."

Looking back, Zhao Wumian was holding the unconscious Chou Manjiang in one hand and pulling the little maid with a knife. His breathing was a little rapid, and it was obvious that he had just finished a fight and rushed over.

The Wuhen Sword was thrown into the underground palace, and the Queen Mother had picked it up.

Since Wei Ming Hou had spoken, they immediately lost all their anger. They watched Zhao Wumian throw Chou Manjiang to the ground and gave orders in an orderly manner: "Send some people to check on Captain Ji's injuries and comfort the guests at Wutong Garden. The rest of you follow me to find someone at Hei Lei. Remember not to miss the sign."

In fact, there were quite a few people gathered in front of the exit of the underground palace. Most of them were retainers of princes and nobles who came to see the situation. After hearing this, they passed the message on, and quite a few wealthy gentry showed gratitude.

Not letting this group of people investigate in the capacity of the Detective Department was also giving them face. Otherwise, if the news of their presence in Hei Lei were to spread, it would be embarrassing. This can be considered a good fate.

Many people originally thought that Weiming Hou was too young and too powerful, but now it seems that... the Marquis is a master of martial arts and is considerate and respectful in his work. Who dares to say anything bad about the Marquis? It's too late to curry favor with him.

Zhao Wumian didn't care what these people thought, and the Queen Mother didn't care either. She glanced at Zhao Wumian's hand that was holding her forearm, and then looked at Zhao Wumian's face.

Zhao Wumian silently let go and led the team to the underground palace to look for someone.

The Queen Mother rubbed her wrist and felt like laughing again.

The underground palace was quite large, and Zhao Wumian did not let anyone out before finding the three young masters from noble families. However, after searching inside and outside three times, he finally found Pei Yuzhong who was seriously injured.

"Brother Zhao, I don't know where Brother Shen and Brother Tian were captured, but they are of high status, and Huanzhen Pavilion will definitely not kill them so easily."

After Pei Yuzhong finished speaking, he was carried to Madam Yang to heal his wounds.

Knowing that further searching would yield no results, Zhao Wumian let the man go.

After all the trouble, it was already midnight.

The Queen Mother folded her hands on her belly, standing under a paulownia tree, quietly watching Zhao Wumian handling chores. Although she was wearing a cloth skirt and a wooden hairpin, the luxurious and graceful air she had cultivated since childhood made no one dare to approach her and talk to her.

Logically speaking, it was late at night, and Zhao Wumian should have asked someone to send her back to the palace first... but he just left the Empress Dowager aside.

The Queen Mother was not angry, she just felt curious and disconnected... Zhao Wumian was always so distant and close in treating her in these details. Sometimes he treated her with respect as an elder, as if he was cautious in his words, and sometimes he treated her with a normal attitude, as if he was hugging her casually and now he was ignoring her.

After thinking about it, the Queen Mother shook her head, thinking that it was abnormal for her to think so much about such a trivial matter.

When the news spread, Luo Chaoyan specially sent a court official to help Zhao Wumian deal with the follow-up matters. Zhao Wumian then got away and came to the Queen Mother, comforting her:
"As Pei Yuzhong said, Shen Cekai is of a noble status, and Huanzhen Pavilion will not easily harm him. Your Majesty, please rest assured for now. I will continue to investigate this matter."

The Queen Mother shook her head slightly. She was not a weak woman who would just cry when something happened. Now that Shen Cekai was captured, no matter how worried and anxious she was, she didn't need to show it on her face.

"It's late, let's go back to the palace."

Someone brought a carriage, and the two men got on and drove away.

The Queen Mother was still sitting in the carriage, with Zhao Wumian driving the horse.

The carriage drove out of Wutong Garden and came to the wide street. The noisy sounds in my ears immediately became much quieter. Apart from some pedestrians talking, the only sound was the occasional "click" sound when the carriage rolled over the uneven tiles.

Neither of them spoke. Zhao Wumian was trying to figure out the purpose of the people from Huanzhen Pavilion, while the Queen Mother didn't know what she was thinking. The atmosphere became inexplicably strange.

When the carriage turned a corner and was about to head to the palace, the empress dowager suddenly stepped out of the carriage, opened the curtain, and sat next to Zhao Wumian, stroking her skirt with both hands. Her voice was once again filled with laughter, just like before, "Didn't the Marquis say that he wanted Nan'er to drive for you?"

"… Queen Mother, we are all going back to the palace now. There is no need to play the game of the Marquis and the maid anymore."

"Haven't you returned to the palace yet?"

"There's no one around, what's the point of acting?"

The Queen Mother frowned, "I'm just driving the horse, not riding you."

Zhao Wumian had no choice but to loosen the reins, and the empress dowager immediately smiled.

Zhao Wumian suspected that the Queen Mother saw that he didn't want to respond to such ambiguous and charming words and that's why she said that on purpose.

But the Queen Mother grabbed the reins and turned the horse's head in a different direction.

Between the two speculations, that the Queen Mother had never driven a carriage and that she did not want to return to the palace, Zhao Wumian did not hesitate and was certain that it was the latter.

"Your Majesty, if you go with me to another place in the middle of the night, what if it damages your reputation?"

"What Queen Mother? I am now Nan'er, the Marquis's maid with a sword." The Queen Mother looked at Zhao Wumian blankly and pointed at the carriage...where Zhao Wumian's Wuhen sword was placed.

"Then Nan'er, as Marquis Weiming, I order you to return to the palace immediately." Zhao Wumian also frowned.

The queen mother looked at him expressionlessly.

Zhao Wumian silently looked away, "The Queen Mother can't afford to play with this."

The Queen Mother chuckled, her laughter was crisp, but she asked with a smile: "Does Marquis Weiming really not want to be alone with me?"

The Queen Mother seemed to be smiling, but who knew if the question was just a joke or if she really meant it?
"The Queen Mother is so beautiful, I'm afraid of making a mistake." Zhao Wumian told part of the truth... The girls obviously liked to hear this.

But the Queen Mother's face suddenly turned cold, "So the Marquis really doesn't want to be alone with me? He didn't even deny it... Am I some kind of vicious woman?"

"There's no need to set a trap for me in a place like this, right?"

"Is it, or isn't it?" The Queen Mother's eyes were still cold.

"Wherever the Queen Mother wants to go, I will protect her closely."

The cold expression on the Queen Mother's face disappeared instantly. She rode away happily, humming an unknown tune.

Zhao Wumian didn't know what this tune was, but listening to her cheerful voice made people feel light-hearted.

Zhao Wumian relaxed, leaned against the carriage, crossed his legs, and acted like a leisurely marquis out for fun. He analyzed to himself, "My always serious boss suddenly smiled and said he would treat everyone to a meal. Under high pressure, even ordinary things can make people feel good... This is all due to comparison."

"What do you mean, Lord?"

Zhao Wumian pointed to a brothel passing by and said, "Compared with the women in the secular world, I suddenly felt that the Queen Mother was out of my reach, and that's why I often feel pressured."

"If you really feel pressured, you wouldn't compare me with women in the mortal world." The Queen Mother glanced at Zhao Wumian with her phoenix eyes, "Besides, I am unattainable."

Zhao Wumian didn't respond, but watched the carriage slowly drive for a while, and then arrived at a place that Zhao Wumian was quite familiar with.

The moonlight spread across the sky, and towering green bamboos stood tall. Through the dense bamboo forest, one could vaguely see the vast lake in the center.

It was late at night, so naturally there were not many people here. The woods were silent except for the occasional sound of a bird flying by.

Zhuwu Lake... When they first entered the capital, several martial arts masters fought here.

The Queen Mother obviously didn't know about these things. She got off the carriage briskly, tilted her head to look at Zhao Wumian, and asked, "My Lord, have you been here? Do you want me to introduce you to it?"

"I've been here once, and I know that this was built by the late emperor for the Princess of Qin... But in my opinion, this is just an ordinary bamboo forest and lake. There is no story related to me, so I'm naturally not interested in coming here." Zhao Wumian took out a horizontal sword from the carriage, and then took a look at the Queen Mother.
"The Queen Mother wants to go out of the palace for fun. Why is she not going to some entertainment venue? Why is she coming to this godforsaken place?"

"The scenery is beautiful, why can't you come?" The Queen Mother smoothed the wrinkles of her skirt and walked into the bamboo forest.

"Most of the people who like traveling are girls." Zhao Wumian nodded, agreeing with him.

The Queen Mother tilted her head to glance at him, and said in a gloomy tone, "My Lord is a man of the world, and has traveled the world, and is used to seeing the scenery of all corners of the world. But with my status as a concubine, although I have no worries about food and clothing, it is difficult for me to leave the capital. But this bamboo forest and lake are already an extremely rare scenery for me."

Zhao Wumian thought of Mu Lier's words. If he really wanted to please the empress dowager, he could take her out of the capital for a trip. However, Zhao Wumian did not have the identity to take her out of the capital. Even if he brought it up, the empress dowager would probably not be at ease... After all, given their relationship, they were not that trusting of each other.

He said, "I haven't seen too many sights. After I lost my memory, I don't remember most things. My impression of the mountains and rivers of Dali is only in Jin and the capital."

"Will the Marquis leave the capital in the future?" asked the Queen Mother.

Zhao Wumian saw that the Queen Mother was probably chatting with him instead of teasing him, so he answered truthfully: "Of course I can't stay in the capital forever... At least now, I still have a lot of things to do."

The Queen Mother nodded silently, and did not make any excessive request such as taking her with her to explore the world... It was already extremely rare to go out of the palace to play for a night, and the Queen Mother would not be so inappropriate as to make such a request.

When the two men walked into the bamboo forest, the birds scattered, but they were not scared by the two men. Instead, there was a black cat with a black body except for its four white claws, walking with its head held high in the bamboo forest. Its steps were slow and leisurely, and it looked very proud.

The Queen Mother pointed at the black cat and said, "This cat is called Dark Cloud Stepping on Snow, but I'll call it Yuzu."

As she spoke, the Queen Mother glanced at Zhao Wumian again, "Because Xiangge likes to eat grapefruit, especially those from the Jiangnan area... If the Marquis wants to please Xiangge, don't forget it."

Zhao Wumian ignored this and asked curiously, "You even gave it a name... Has the Queen Mother seen this cat many times?"

"When I'm bored on weekdays and come here to enjoy the scenery, I often see Youzi catching birds in the bamboo forest to eat."

The black cat named Youzi looked like the overlord of the bamboo forest. All the birds fled in all directions when they saw it. It looked back at Zhao Wumian and the Queen Mother and then looked away. It was not afraid of people at all and continued to walk slowly in the forest as if patrolling its territory.

"It looks like a nun." When Zhao Wumian saw its appearance, he thought of Guan Yunshu and couldn't help but smile.

"What nun?"

"Just a little girl."

"You sound very intimate." The Queen Mother withdrew her gaze and did not ask any more questions.

The road in the bamboo forest was a little difficult to walk on, so she gently lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands, revealing her embroidered shoes.

After walking a few steps, a gravel road appeared in front of me. This gravel road led to the lake, but for some reason, it became narrower and narrower, and the bamboo forest became denser, blocking more moonlight, making it seem a little dim.

Zhao Wumian was worried that the Queen Mother might fall due to poor visibility, so he moved closer to her.

The Queen Mother glanced at him and then explained, "From wide to narrow, the light becomes dimmer, as if going from the world of the living to the underworld, so it is called the Yin-Yang Road. The late emperor built this road specifically as a metaphor for wanting to go to the underworld to find the Princess of Qin and Queen Chuyi."

"Most of the men in the Luo family are romantic. I have seen that they are romantic." Zhao Wumian nodded slightly.

Be it Emperor Jingzheng or Prince Jin, their behavior is actually not in line with their status... They are too fond of women, which makes them seem unlikely to be men with great power. But Zhao Wumian admires them both. After all, isn't he the same?

He was still thinking about sending the Queen Mother back to the palace and then going to accompany Miss Su.

Zhao Wumian glanced at the Queen Mother. Her expression was somewhat lonely and sentimental. He guessed that she was thinking of him?

Whether it was the Princess of Qin or Empress Chuyi, their status was similar to hers, but after their death, people would build roads and hold memorial ceremonies for them. What about her? Because of her status as the Queen Mother, who dared to act rashly in front of her? As a result, she was so high and far away that there were not many people around her who could talk to her.

And her future life was also in sight, so she was naturally in a low mood. The Queen Mother looked at the ground in front of her feet and walked slowly, as if she was looking for something lost.

She said, "Marquis Weiming, when you asked me if I was willing to give up my status as queen and leave the palace to be a normal woman... To be honest, I was a little moved at the time, but the Shen family still needs the status of royal relatives to gain a firm foothold. The Shen family is not like other aristocratic families, and its foundation is still shallow. How can I be willful because of my own selfish desires?"

"Why didn't you bring me to Zhuwu Lake in the middle of the night?"

The Queen Mother glanced at him sideways, her eyes full of resentment, "If the Marquis does not want to, we will return to the palace now. You don't have to be on good terms with me for a while and bad for a while."

The two walked further and further on the Yin-Yang Road. The road was so narrow that it could only accommodate one person. At the end of the Yin-Yang Road, there was a small pavilion. The pavilion was surrounded by bamboo forests and there was no access to the lake at all.

Zhao Wumian sat down in the pavilion. "Why did the Queen Mother bring me here specifically? It can't be just to chat about this bamboo forest, right?"

The Queen Mother asked curiously, "You agree to everything I say?"

"Just now it was 'bad', now it's 'good', right? Naturally, I will agree to whatever the Queen Mother says."

The empress dowager was slightly stunned, and then immediately smiled, sat down opposite Zhao Wumian, and supported her face with her small hands. There was no trace of the lonely look she had just now.

Zhao Wumian suspected that the Queen Mother was just pretending to be in a bad mood.

The pavilion was surrounded by a bamboo forest and the light was very dim. Only a few rays of moonlight fell down and sprinkled into the pavilion, illuminating the dust in the air.

The queen mother's beautiful eyes were brighter than the moonlight. "Where are your lyrics?"

"What word?"

"Nan Gezi, are you going to deny your identity, Lord?" The Queen Mother was immediately dissatisfied. "You just said that it's your turn now."

"Just for this, the Queen Mother brought me to Zhuwu Lake?"

"If Marquis Weiming had given me the lyrics at the poetry meeting just now, and everything would have been settled, I would definitely not have gone to the trouble of bringing you here." The Queen Mother gently pinched a bamboo leaf floating on the stone table with her fingertips, then placed it to her lips and blew gently.

A fragrant breeze carrying bamboo leaves fell on Zhao Wumian's face.

The Queen Mother covered her mouth with her sleeves and smiled softly, "Do you think this is boring?"

“It’s really boring.”

The Queen Mother was dissatisfied, "Is this what you call 'good'?"

Zhao Wumian shook his head. "But as I just said, everything is a matter of comparison. I naturally find it boring, but the Queen Mother has lived in the deep palace for ten years in misery, so it is normal for her to find such trivial things interesting and fun."

The Queen Mother was stunned, then looked at Zhao Wumian deeply, and then was silent for a moment, but raised her finger and pointed at Zhao Wumian's head.

Zhao Wumian touched his head...and some bamboo leaves fell on his hair.

The Queen Mother immediately laughed again, "Can you say something?"

Seeing the Queen Mother so happy, Zhao Wumian also smiled and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about it. The situation of the poem is exactly the same as the Queen Mother's. It is too miserable. If I tell it, it will make the Queen Mother sad."

"Your Majesty is very considerate." The Queen Mother's hand touched the side of her face, and her calf swayed gently under her skirt. "Then Your Majesty, can you write a more cheerful one?"

"I don't have much literary talent and can't write good words."

"Then just tell me the sad one."

"Let's make up a happier one." Zhao Wumian looked serious, raised his head and looked at the strands of moonlight that looked like hair, and remained silent for a long time.

The Queen Mother tilted her head to look at him, remaining silent.

After thinking for a while, Zhao Wumian said, "Nangezi: Thoughts on Zhuwu Lake, um... Shen Nange, so beautiful..."

Zhao Wumian really didn't have much knowledge. He was okay at copying poems, but if he wrote one now, it would be just the level of a doggerel.

The Queen Mother's smiling expression froze for a moment, and then she said with a very resentful look: "Is this the talent of Marquis Weiming? How did Miss Su fall in love with you?"

"Because I am a man who knows how to say sweet words."

"Tell me what you want to hear?" The Queen Mother's expression was full of doubt.

"Miss Su is not here, so I can't tell you. It won't work without true feelings."

"As a Jianghu traveler, you are used to the days of swordplay and fighting. It's normal that you are not good at sex. Why do you have to be so stubborn? I won't laugh at you." The Queen Mother sighed and felt bored again, but she didn't want to go back to the palace so soon, so she said:

"You should treat me as your Miss Su and say some sweet words to me. I can help you correct it. Otherwise, with your level of not even half a bottle of wine, it will take a long time for you to make progress with Xiangge and the emperor."

"boring."

"Your Majesty was so considerate just now, but now you say I'm boring?" The Queen Mother glared at him and said, "How about we make a bet and add some spice?"

"tell me the story."

The Queen Mother stood up, holding up the hem of her skirt with both hands, and turned around gently like a little girl. "My Lord, please treat me as your Miss Su. Say something sweet. If I am satisfied, you win, and vice versa. How do you think?"

"This is too subjective." Zhao Wumian sighed. It was just such a trivial matter, but the Queen Mother could still hold on to him for so long.

But thinking of the Queen Mother's lonely look just now, he thought that she must be too bored after living in the deep palace for a long time, so he would play with her. Therefore, Zhao Wumian said, and nodded again, "But men like us who come from the rivers and lakes always accept bets and keep our promises."

“But there are also many villains among those who come from the underworld.”

"…I just think it's cooler to say that."

The Queen Mother chuckled, her eyes curved into crescents, "If I win the bet, can you take me out of the palace to play in the future?"

Although it was troublesome to bring the Queen Mother along, Zhao Wumian understood that she wanted to go out and have some fun after being so miserable in the harem, so he nodded slightly and asked, "What if I win?"

"What does Marquis Weiming want?" the Queen Mother asked curiously.

Zhao Wumian thought about it and he didn't want anything from the Queen Mother, so he said, "Just make the Queen Mother happy, I don't want anything."

"Don't you want me to help you and His Majesty get together?"

"Just don't stop it. For things like this between men and women, just let it happen naturally. Forcing it is not beautiful."

The Queen Mother nodded. She wished it were so... After all, Luo Chaoyan was going to be with Zhao Wumian, so wouldn't Xiangge have any chance?

"Then, my Lord, can you please tell me something sweet?"

"Give me a lead?"

The Queen Mother sat down in front of the stone table, raised her hand to tuck her hair in front of her forehead, and smiled like a fox on her face. She asked charmingly, "Do you like me?"

"I love it so much."

"To what extent?" The Queen Mother raised her face slightly, with a look of girlish innocence... In fact, she was imitating Su Qingqi, even though she was not familiar with Su Qingqi at all.

"Like the carriage we rode in."

"Carriage?" The Queen Mother looked at him puzzledly.

"On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, during the Lantern Festival, the Queen Mother will be sitting in Kunning Palace, looking out the window at the fireworks outside the Imperial City. I will then drive a carriage over to you and say, 'Queen Mother, tonight is the Lantern Festival, how about we go out and have fun?' Then you will dress up like you do today, sit in the carriage, leave the Imperial City, watch the fireworks, guess lantern riddles, eat a full load of barbecue that you rarely eat in the past, and buy a whole carriage of your favorite rouge and jewelry, so heavy that even the horses can't carry it. But if they can't carry it, then they can carry it. The carriage will stop there, and we will continue to go to the capital to celebrate the Lantern Festival... How does that sound?"

The Queen Mother was stunned, and only came back to her senses after hearing this, with a hint of hope in her eyes, "It would be great if it could be like this."

"I just like you to this extent." Zhao Wumian said with a smile.

The Queen Mother was stunned again.

Speechless for a moment.

Yuzu's cat passed by at this moment, and its claws stepped on the leaves on the ground, making a slight 'crunching' sound... At this moment, the Queen Mother realized that, oh yes, this was just a bet and she was not really told it.

"How is it?" Zhao Wumian said proudly, "If Miss Su wants to hear it, I can definitely make up a lot of love words to make her happy."

The Queen Mother was silent. She looked away into the dark depths of the bamboo forest and thought to herself, if only Zhao Wumian had really said these words to her... It wasn't because she liked Zhao Wumian, but because she really wanted to go out and play during the Lantern Festival.

Zhao Wumian knew this about her, so he said this...

The Queen Mother said coldly, "If I am not happy to hear this, then you will not win."

In fact, I was very happy when I heard it, but after I realized that it was just a bet, I became unhappy.

Zhao Wumian was helpless, "It's not fair, this bet is too subjective."

"Since you know it's unfair, why do you still make a bet with me?" The Queen Mother glanced at him.

"...I'm willing to admit defeat. When does the Queen Mother want to come out and play?"

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Of course it's the Lantern Festival."

On the way back to the palace in the carriage, the Queen Mother held the reins, her legs hanging in the air and swaying gently. She was obviously in a good mood. She chanted:
"The stars are turning in the sky, the curtains are falling on earth. The pillow and mat are cold and my tears are flowing. I get up and take off my silk clothes to ask how late the night is. The lotus pods are small and the lotus leaves are sparse. The weather is the same as before, and the clothes are the same as before. Only the feelings are different from the old days."

This song is actually the "Nan Ge Zi" mentioned by Zhao Wumian before. He told the Queen Mother about it on his way back.

This was originally a poem of women's complaints, and the general meaning was the sadness and loneliness of "things are different, people have changed, and everything is over". It was indeed very similar to the empress dowager's situation...but such a sad poem sounded so cheerful in the empress dowager's mouth.

When you are in a good mood, every word you say will sound cheerful.

Zhao Wumian sat cross-legged next to the empress dowager, holding the Wuhen Sword, looking at the Forbidden City so close at hand, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, the Empress Dowager was sent back to the palace safely.

At this time, the palace was under curfew, the palace gates were closed, and the guards in black armor were patrolling in front of the gates.

When the carriage arrived at the door, the Queen Mother pulled up the veil on her head so as not to let the guards know her identity... The Queen Mother and the Marquis returned to the palace very late at night. Once this matter got out, her reputation would be completely ruined.

"I'm sure you've all heard about what happened at Wutong Garden." Zhao Wumian said to the guards at the gate, "I want to discuss this with His Majesty."

Given Zhao Wumian's status, of course no one dared to stop him. They quickly opened the palace door a crack and let Zhao Wumian in.

After returning to Kunning Palace, the Queen Mother jumped off the carriage lightly, turned her head to look at Zhao Wumian who was still sitting on it, and said with a slightly curved eyebrow, "I am waiting for the Marquis to come to Kunning Palace to pick me up on the Lantern Festival."

Zhao Wumian nodded slightly. A gentleman’s word is as good as gold. Now that the words have been spoken, there is no reason to go back on them.

"Your Majesty, please take a rest early."

"So does the Marquis."

Zhao Wumian turned his horse around and left Kunning Palace... It would be fine to take the empress dowager out for fun, but he forgot to let her stay overnight in Kunning Palace.

Looking at the carriage going away, the Queen Mother smiled softly with her hands covering her mouth. She did not turn around and enter Kunning Palace until the carriage completely disappeared from her sight.

(End of this chapter)