Five years after her death, she awoke on the dragon bed.

Chapter 383 The Empress is quite magnanimous
Murong soon arrived at Shou'an Palace.

Seeing Empress Dowager Chen looking at him with a strange gaze, he raised an eyebrow: "Mother, please speak frankly."

"You've visited the Cold Palace several times; have you developed an interest in Lady Tao?" Empress Dowager Chen asked bluntly, without any attempt to conceal her intentions.

Murong was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this: "Mother is overthinking it."

He's interested in Tao? That's ridiculous.

"Then why do you always go to the Cold Palace?" Empress Dowager Chen asked, puzzled.

That cold palace is a filthy place; who would wander around there for no reason?

Murong was silent for a moment before replying, "I went to the Cold Palace on business, and it has nothing to do with Tao Shi."

"What is it?" Empress Dowager Chen asked, her curiosity growing.

Murong was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "In short, I have no interest in the Tao family. If Mother has nothing else to say, I'll be leaving."

Without waiting for Empress Dowager Chen to speak again, he turned and walked away without looking back.

Empress Dowager Chen looked at Fang Ruo: "What is the Emperor running away from?"

If the emperor wasn't guilty, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to leave.

Murong himself was indeed a little guilty. Others could not possibly tell him what he was doing in the Cold Palace, but when his own mother asked, he found it difficult to speak.

He was just taking a walk in the Cold Palace out of boredom and chatting with Tao Shi for a while, so how did it get to Empress Dowager Chen's ears?

Will this matter reach the Empress's ears? Will the Empress also think that he has feelings for Tao?
Murong had never thought things were so complicated before, but now he always brought up the Empress.

That's right, he didn't go to Xianfu Palace on the first day of this month. I wonder if there are any rumors circulating in the inner palace...

Seeing Murong sitting in the imperial carriage in a daze, Ji Qing dared not say a word.

He, as the emperor's close attendant, knew best why His Majesty had gone to the Cold Palace. It was because His Majesty was too proud to admit that he liked the Empress.

His Majesty was merely discussing with Lady Tao that he did not like the Empress...

Just as Ji Qing was lost in thought, Murong suddenly said, "Prepare the carriage for Xianfu Palace."

Thus, the imperial procession proceeded in a grand procession toward Xianfu Palace.

Lou Suying was genuinely surprised by Murong's sudden appearance. She was watching little Muchen playing with his dove-drawn cart. The weather was getting hot in June, and she didn't feel like going out.

An ice basin was placed inside the hall, making it much cooler than outside.

When Murong entered, Lou Suying was looking at their young prince with a loving expression.

It was Jinshu who first noticed Murong's arrival and alerted her master.

Lou Suying stood up with Yan Hui's help: "Is Your Majesty not busy today?"

Murong walked slowly to Lou Suyi, thinking with each step that he hadn't seen her for days, but he didn't seem to miss her that much.

How could this possibly be a sign of liking someone?
He had read poems about love, and knew that loving someone could drive one mad with longing...

"Just passing by and stopped by to see the Empress," Murong replied calmly.

Lou Suyi smiled and said nothing more.

The atmosphere between them was no longer as tense as before, as if the previous unpleasantness had disappeared.

Murong looked at Lou Suyi's protruding belly: "Has Imperial Physician Liu examined the Empress? How is the baby doing lately?"

Lou Suyi answered truthfully: "Imperial Physician Liu comes to see me every day, and the child is perfectly fine."

The two fell silent again after exchanging questions and answers.

After a moment of silence, Murong suddenly said, "Does the Empress have anything she wants to ask me?" Lou Suyi didn't understand what he meant and shook her head in confusion.

Murong suddenly felt displeased. His mother had summoned him to Shou'an Palace because she felt he had developed some inappropriate feelings for Tao.

The Empress couldn't possibly be unaware that he had been to the Cold Palace, but didn't she think there was anything wrong with him going there?

"Does the Empress know that I visited Lady Tao in the Cold Palace?" Murong bluntly asked.

Lou Suying hadn't expected this. She nodded and said, "I've heard about it."

The news spread throughout the inner palace, and Xianfu Palace naturally received the message as well.

"If I take a fancy to Lady Tao and want her to leave the Cold Palace, what does the Empress think?" Murong suddenly probed.

He wanted to know if the Queen cared about him even a little bit, and even more so, whether she would be jealous or envious.

Lou Suyi remained silent.

Murong is the emperor. If he wants to release Tao Shi and let her out of the cold palace, even if she is the empress, she can't stop him, right?
He suddenly asked her about this matter, was it because he planned to release Tao from the cold palace?

No wonder I suddenly came to see her today; it turns out it was about this.

"Well... if Your Majesty has already made a decision, my opinion is not important." Although Lou Suyi felt that Murong was being unfair, she didn't want to offend him.

He was the emperor, so he certainly wasn't discussing it with her. If she said no, would he really refuse to let Tao Shi leave the cold palace?

Murong's expression turned cold, and he said sarcastically, "The Empress is quite magnanimous."

Lou Suyi became furious upon hearing this: "If His Majesty makes a decision and I say no, will His Majesty change his mind? His Majesty is truly magnanimous to pardon the murderer who harmed the child."

After saying that, she ignored Murong and took Xiao Muchen's hand, heading out of the palace.

Murong frowned slightly, thinking to himself that he only said one sentence, but she said a long string of words.

Seeing that the situation was not right, Ji Qing quickly whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty is the victim. It's no wonder that the Empress misunderstood what His Majesty said. If it were me, I would have misunderstood too."

Murong also realized that he had made a mistake by testing Lou Suyi with such a thing.

She has always been a person with her own ideas and cannot stand the slightest grievance. How could Lou Suyi be happy when he said he would release Tao Shi from the Cold Palace?

Lou Suying wandered around outside, finding it unbearably hot. However, she didn't want to face Murong, lest they start arguing again. Half an hour later, thinking Murong had left, she returned.

But as soon as she entered the bedroom, she saw the emperor lying on her bed.

For a moment, she wanted to turn around and leave, but then she felt it wasn't necessary. This was her territory, and even if she were to leave, it wouldn't be her place.

"Empress, come here." Murong Chaolou, dressed in plain clothes, beckoned.

Lou Suying pursed her lips and walked to the bedside. Murong sat up and took her hand: "Do you believe the rumor that I have ulterior motives towards Lady Tao?"

Lou Suying thought about it and felt that the possibility was very low: "I believe His Majesty is not that kind of person."

Murong Wan'er: "I looked down on Lady Tao before, and I certainly won't in the future. I was just saying it casually. I have no intention of letting Lady Tao leave the Cold Palace. Please don't misunderstand."

Lou Suyi wondered if she had misunderstood. It was clearly him acting crazy; if he suddenly asked such a question, anyone would think he wanted to release Tao Shi from the Cold Palace.

"My visit to the Cold Palace was for another purpose, and it had nothing to do with Tao herself," Murong added.

He was mesmerized by the woman's face so close to his.

The Queen's face was so small, smaller than the palm of his hand. Her eyes were bright and expressive, with long eyelashes that seemed to touch his heart.

Lou Suyi felt a chill run down her spine from his strange gaze: "Is there something wrong with my face?"

Murong's gaze seemed to want to burn a hole in her face.