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

Chapter 74 Shared Demise...

As the dragon boat race drew to a close, Murong turned back to continue watching the race, and everyone's attention shifted to Lou Suying.

Lou Suyi stared at the back of Murong's head, wanting to smash him to death with a hammer.

"It seems the Imperial Guard led by Marquis Dingyuan is going to win." Consort De suddenly turned to look at Lou Suyi, her words carrying a hidden meaning. "Does the Abbess think Marquis Dingyuan will win?"

Lou Suyi didn't know that Qi Yanye wouldn't win, but it was a fact that Consort De was very cunning.

Even if Murong and she only had a physical relationship, he wouldn't want to hear her bet on her ex to win, right?

"My eyesight is poor, I can't see the situation of the competition clearly," Lou Suyi replied calmly.

Consort De, however, wouldn't let the matter rest: "How about I make a bet with the nun?"

"I am a nun and do not participate in such bad things as gambling," Lou Suyi replied calmly. "Your Highness, Consort De, why don't you find someone else to gamble with?"

Empress Dowager Chen frowned upon hearing this: "Alright, just watch the dragon boat race."

Even a fool could see that Consort De was deliberately targeting Lou Suyi.

She hadn't realized before that Consort De was so jealous, even jealous of nuns.

At this moment, Empress Dowager Chen looked down on Consort De.

Consort De is nothing but incompetent. Despite having been the most favored concubine in the past, she has yet to be able to serve the emperor. She misjudged her before.

Before long, the dragon boat teams rushed toward the finish line together.

Lou Suyi yawned, thinking that watching the dragon boat races would be less comfortable than sleeping a little longer.

Just as she was yawning with her mouth wide open, Murong suddenly turned around and saw the unseemly scene of her yawning.

She reluctantly closed her mouth, noticing a strange look from Murong.

"As expected, it was the Imperial Guard led by Marquis Dingyuan who won." Consort De clapped her hands lightly, turned around and looked at Lou Suyi, and smiled maliciously.

Lou Suyi felt baffled.

Although she and Qi Yan had indeed reached the point of discussing marriage, Qi Yan now has a wife, so what does it matter to her whether he wins or loses?

Consort De must have lost her mind.

"Your Majesty, since the Marquis of Dingyuan won, shouldn't the Marquis's wife be rewarded?" Consort Liang suddenly interjected.

“Speaking of which, Abbess Kongchen is an old friend of Marquis Dingyuan. When Marquis Dingyuan won the dragon boat race, the happiest person must have been Abbess Kongchen, right?” Consort De smiled and glanced at Lou Suyi.

"Your Highness Consort De is mistaken! I am a nun and do not concern myself with past affairs. What connection do I have with Marquis Dingyuan? I am curious, Your Highness Consort De and Marquis Dingyuan, do you have some past relationship? You seem particularly interested in Marquis Dingyuan." Seeing that Consort De wanted to drag her down with her, Lou Suyi decided to drag Consort De into the mess as well.

Consort De did not expect Lou Suyi to be so eloquent. Not only did she not fall into her verbal trap, but she also dragged her into the mess. This damned nun is too annoying.

"Summon the Lady of Dingyuan Marquis." Murong then spoke.

Lou Suyi felt that Murong was giving Consort De a way out, otherwise she could have continued to fight with Consort De for another three hundred rounds.

Before long, Lady Chi arrived before the Emperor and greeted all the nobles present.

The moment she saw Lou Suyi, she lowered her eyes, concealing the sharp glint in them.

Before long, Qi Yan also arrived before the Emperor. After paying his respects, his gaze couldn't help but drift towards Lou Suyi. Lou Suyi thought Qi Yan was insane, staring at her in front of so many people. Didn't he notice that Lady Chi was also there? Moreover, with so many people in the palace, what worried her most was what her former bed partner, His Majesty the Emperor, would think if he saw this scene.

She believed that no man in the world would want to see the woman he had slept with coveted by other men, especially a king.

Qi Yan was actually unable to contain his emotions.

Although he often moved around in the palace, and even volunteered to do the work every time he inspected the palace, he never encountered Su Yi.

He finally had the chance to see Su Yi during the Dragon Boat Festival, and naturally, he couldn't take his eyes off her face.

Seeing this, Consort De knew her opportunity had come. She asked with ill intent, "Why is Marquis Dingyuan staring at Abbess Kongchen?"

Qi Yan then realized that everyone was staring at him and Su Yi. He suddenly felt that this was his chance and decided to take a gamble.

He won the dragon boat race, and by all accounts he should be entitled to a prize. If he were to ask His Majesty for plain clothes, would His Majesty grant his request?
Consort Liang chimed in at the opportune moment: "Consort De, you probably don't know this, do you? Marquis Dingyuan and Abbess Kongchen once discussed marriage. If it weren't for Kongchen's accident five years ago..."

She hesitated to speak, but her words were enough to spark the imaginations of everyone present.

Seeing that the atmosphere had been built up to this point, Qi Yan gritted his teeth and was about to kneel down to request an imperial decree when Murong said, "Minister Qi, you led the Imperial Guards to victory this time, so you are hereby awarded a thousand taels of gold. The Lady of Dingyuan Marquis is a capable wife and mother, and she and Minister Qi are deeply in love, so she is hereby bestowed with a 'Hundred Years of Harmony' headdress and a mandarin duck embroidered screen. The couple, the Marquis of Dingyuan and his wife, are a loving couple and are well-known in the capital. They are a model for the gentry and deserve to be commended."

After the emperor uttered these words, no one dared to utter a sound.

Qi Yan had originally intended to take this opportunity to demand Lou Suying, but now he no longer had the chance. After all, the new emperor had said that he and Lady Chi were a loving couple and a model for the gentry.

If he were to ask for plain clothes at this point, wouldn't that be a slap in His Majesty's face?
He only regretted not being decisive enough, missing the opportunity to ask Su Yi for help. He didn't know when he would be able to see Su Yi again.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your imperial grace! Long live the Emperor!"

Chi's voice startled Qi Yan from his thoughts, and with no other choice, Qi Yan could only kneel down to express his gratitude.

Lou Suying secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Qi Yan would go crazy in public and demand her back from Murong. If Qi Yan had actually asked for it, things would have been complicated between them from then on.

Fortunately, Murong's words blocked Qi Yan's escape route. Although it was a false alarm, her legs were still weak.

With such a strong pregnancy reaction today, she was really afraid that she would lose control and that people would find out that she was indeed carrying a little one.

I wonder if I'll have a chance to escape tonight...

Afterwards, the imperial procession went to admire the pomegranate blossoms in a grand procession, and then it was time for lunch.

Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) are definitely a must for lunch.

Lou Suyi was also seated at the table because she had Empress Dowager Chen's support.

When she saw the rice dumplings in front of her, she leaned closer and smelled the musty smell on them, and suddenly felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.

"Suyi, this is a vegetarian zongzi, you can eat it without worry." Empress Dowager Chen said kindly when she saw Lou Suyi staring at the zongzi but not touching it.

Lou Suyi felt a churning in her chest, her face as pale as snow, and when she looked up, she met Murong's deep and unfathomable gaze.

She quickly lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and stammered, "My stomach hasn't been feeling well lately, and I have trouble digesting zongzi. I'll eat other delicacies instead."

As she spoke, she calmly instructed Yan Hui to take the alkaline rice dumplings away.

(End of this chapter)