A middle-aged emperor, childless, was blessed with a beautiful and pregnant concubine who entered th

It sounded like praise, or perhaps just a casual response, completely different from the way Emperor Qianwu and Empress Dowager looked on with loving expressions when the sun was shining brightly on New Year's Eve in previous years.

The crown prince saw it, but his face remained expressionless; inwardly, he couldn't help but feel his heart sink.

As the banquet was about to end, Zhou Mingyi was talking to the Empress Dowager when she caught a glimpse of the Crown Princess getting up and leaving her seat.

After a moment, Shiliu quietly leaned closer and whispered a few words in her ear.

Zhou Mingyi's gaze shifted slightly.

In a side hall, the Crown Princess saw Shi Liu exchanging purses with a young eunuch.

She lowered her eyes, and the corners of her lips curved slightly.

It's good that you saw it.

You only start to think more after you see it.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip.

The tea had gone cold, but she drank it and thought it was just right.

After the banquet, the Empress Dowager insisted on sending Zhou Mingyi back to Weiyang Palace.

Zhou Mingyi was flattered and said, "Your Majesty, it's cold outside, please don't see me off."

The Empress Dowager patted her hand and said, "I want to talk to you."

The two walked slowly back to Weiyang Palace. The night breeze was a bit cool, but the Empress Dowager's hands were warm, and she held Zhou Mingyi's hand tightly.

When they reached the palace gate, the Empress Dowager stopped and gestured for the palace servants behind her to step back a few steps.

"Ah Chang".

Zhou Mingyi lowered her eyes: "Your Majesty, please speak."

The Empress Dowager looked at her with eyes full of affection.

"You are a good person. I have lived for so many years, what kind of people haven't I seen? I can tell whether you are truly devoted to the Emperor."

Zhou Mingyi's eyes were slightly red, and she softly called out "Empress Dowager".

In her heart, she thought that if it weren't for those two "children," the Empress Dowager might not have even noticed her.

It was those two children who were destined never to be born that softened the Empress Dowager's heart.

Perhaps it was because the Empress Dowager was old that she was so soft-hearted.

But Zhou Mingyi didn't feel guilty.

Princess Chaoyang's arrogance in her previous life was inseparable from the support of Emperor Qianwu and the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager was a devout Buddhist for many years. When she learned that Chaoyang had killed her brother, a living person, why didn't she think of it as a life?

Zhou Mingyi appeared moved, but her heart grew colder.

The Empress Dowager patted her hand, "It's windy, you should go inside."

"If you need anything in the future, just come to me."

"As long as I live, I will protect you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingyi's tears fell at the opportune moment.

The Empress Dowager pulled her into her arms, gently patted her back, and sighed.

After Zhou Mingyi entered Weiyang Palace, the Empress Dowager turned and left.

As soon as she left, Zhou Mingyi wiped away her tears, turned around, and went into the inner hall.

"Has the purse been sent to His Majesty?"

Shi Liu quickly bowed and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, rest assured, everything will be done according to your instructions."

Zhou Mingyi nodded. "Has His Majesty replied?"

The pomegranate moved closer, and His Majesty granted permission.

Zhou Mingyi nodded, then asked, "Has everything been arranged on the other side as well?"

Shi Liu leaned closer and lowered her voice: "Your Majesty, please rest assured."

"At three quarters past 9 PM, wait behind the artificial hill next to Taiye Pond in the West Garden."

Zhou Mingyi nodded.

Aoyagi is a fine knife; I'll make good use of it tonight.

Zhou Mingyi looked down at her newly changed clothes, a moon-white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), very simple and elegant.

She changed into a fuchsia dress.

The vibrant colors accentuated her snow-white skin, which Emperor Qianwu would surely appreciate.

The note she gave Xie Jing contained only one sentence: "At three-quarters past Hai hour, behind the artificial hill in the West Garden."

There was no signature, no name.

When Qingliu stands there in her emerald green attire, the Crown Prince will mistake her for someone else at first glance.

Wouldn't it be interesting to get closer and find out it's Aoyagi?

Xiao Weirou, who was following Xie Jing from a distance, discovered that Xie Jing was determined to stay in the palace at night, but only to have a secret rendezvous with Qingliu, a concubine who was originally a palace maid...

The expression on her face will definitely be even more interesting.

She smiled, almost impatiently...

Zhou Mingyi looked at herself in the bronze mirror, then pulled up the hood of her cloak to cover most of her face.

"Let's go."

The first quarter of Hai hour.

Crown Prince Xie Jing had not yet left the palace; he was holding a piece of paper in his hand and had been looking at it for a long time.

The note was handed to him by a young eunuch. The handwriting on it was crooked and messy, as if it was deliberately written poorly, but he could tell at a glance that it was a woman's handwriting.

"At the third quarter of Hai hour, behind the artificial hill in the West Garden."

He thought of many people, but none of them were right.

Once that thought popped into my head, I couldn't suppress it...

Could it be her?

Could it be... that audacious woman he's been longing for?

At the New Year's Eve banquet, she sat beside the Empress Dowager, dressed in a scarlet palace gown, gentle and dignified, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

She didn't look at him once from beginning to end.

He remembered everything she wore that day, what she was wearing, and how she styled her hair.

Xie Jing closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He knew he shouldn't go.

She was the Emperor's concubine, and he was the Crown Prince. If this step were to be taken and people found out…

But the words on that note hooked at him like a hook, causing him a sharp pain in his heart.

What if?

What if it's her?

What if she also has that little bit of a thought in her heart...?

Xie Jing opened his eyes, folded the note, and put it into his sleeve.

He stood up and walked outside.

"Your Highness?"

"Aren't you going back to the East Palace?"

Xie Jing glanced at her and casually said, "You should go back first."

The three concubines exchanged glances.

Finally, Xiao Weirou nodded, "Yes."

As soon as Xie Jing left, Xiao Weirou signaled her personal maid to follow, and told several concubines to return to the East Palace first, and then immediately followed.

The concubines looked at each other.

Consort Li said, "I wonder what urgent matter Your Highness the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have? Why don't we go back together?"

Consort Lü and Consort Liu exchanged a glance, clearly not wanting to get involved. Every matter in the palace was complicated, so they decided to let the Crown Princess handle it herself.

Xiao Weirou followed Xie Jing at a distance. Recalling what she had just seen—a palace maid beside Consort Zhen handing a purse to a young eunuch—her heart pounded like a drum.

She knew she shouldn't think like that, but she just couldn't control herself.

Xiao Weirou gritted her teeth and followed after him.

She wanted to see who the Crown Prince was going to see in the middle of the night.

At 3:45 PM, in the West Garden.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of Taiye Pond, and the moonlight shining on it gave it a cold, white glow.

In the shadow of the artificial hill, a figure dressed in turquoise stood quietly, with his back to the way he came.

Xie Jing's heart skipped a beat when he saw that patch of green in the distance.

He quickened his pace and walked towards the artificial hill.

As you get closer, you can see the outline of that figure—slender, delicate, like a shy blade of grass in the moonlight.

That figure does indeed resemble her somewhat.

"You..." he began, his voice hoarse.

The figure moved and slowly turned around.

Xie Jing's words came to an abrupt end.

It's Aoyuki.

"What are you doing here?" His expression changed, and so did his voice. "Who sent you?"

Qingliu lowered her eyes and said as instructed, "I... received a note telling me to come here at 3:45 PM. It says... it says His Highness wants to see me."

Xie Jing's mind went blank.

A note? What note?

Before he could think it through, a sharp, angry shout suddenly came from behind him:

"Xie Jing!"

Xie Jing suddenly turned around.

Crown Princess Xiao Weirou stood not far away, her face ashen and her whole body trembling.

She pointed at Qingliu, her fingers trembling uncontrollably:

"You...you came all this way in the middle of the night just...just to see her?!"

Xie Jing opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but found that he couldn't explain it at all.

Seeing one's own concubine is not a big deal.

Why in the middle of the night? Why sneak around? Why come alone?

Why not return to the Eastern Palace and meet openly and honestly?

How do you explain this?

"Wei Rou, listen to me—" He took a step forward.

But the Crown Princess wouldn't listen at all.

She rushed forward, grabbed Qingliu's wrist, her nails digging almost into her flesh: "Qingliu! You shameless hussy, what tricks have you played? Inviting His Highness to this deep palace in the middle of the night? Do you want to make our Eastern Palace a laughingstock?"

Having said that, Xiao Weirou calmed down.

"Your Majesty, no..." Qingliu turned pale with fright and struggled to get away.

"What? What are you wearing? A light green dress! Dressed like that in the middle of the night, who are you trying to seduce?!"

The commotion was too loud. Although Xiao Weirou was trying her best to control it, the guards patrolling nearby heard it and hurriedly approached.

"Who goes there?!"

"An assassin?"

The torchlight, growing brighter as it approached, illuminated the area as if it were daytime.

Xie Jing stood there, his face ashen.

It’s over.

It's completely over.

Meanwhile, in another part of Xiyuan.

Zhou Mingyi stood in front of an inconspicuous little pavilion and looked up.

This is a banana grove deep in the West Garden, very secluded and rarely visited.

There is a small hall in the garden called "Chongzhi Hall", which was a place for worshipping Buddha in the early years. It was later abandoned. Occasionally, eunuchs would come to sweep it, but no one was allowed to stay at night.

She had someone tidy up the place, add a charcoal brazier, and change the bedding and pillows.

Pushing open the palace door, a wave of warmth washes over you.

Emperor Qianwu was standing by the window with his back to her. Hearing the noise, he turned around.

The candlelight shone from the side, casting his face in half-light and half-shadow.

He changed into dark casual clothes, lacking the majesty of a dragon robe, but exuding an indescribable air of languor.

His posture remained upright, his eyes still deep, and the way he stood there resembled a pine tree in the snow.

Zhou Mingyi stood there and looked up at him.

With just a normal glance, Emperor Qianwu's eyes darkened.

"What are you standing there for?"

Zhou Mingyi smiled, took off her cloak, and walked over.

As soon as she approached, he pulled her into his arms.

"Your hands are so cold," he said, cupping her hands in his palm and gently rubbing them. "Why aren't you wearing more clothes?"

Zhou Mingyi buried her face in his chest, her voice sweet and coquettish, sounding almost like she was being affectionate.

"I wore them, walked all the way, and they got cold."

Emperor Qianwu chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down her spine.

"Then I'll warm you up."

He carried her, walked to the edge of the bed, sat down, and held her in his arms, warming her with his own body heat.

The charcoal fire inside the hall burned brightly, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere, but his embrace was even warmer than the charcoal fire.

Zhou Mingyi leaned against him, closed her eyes, and concealed the coldness in them.

"Your Majesty..." she deliberately dragged out her voice, which sounded like it had a hook.

"I miss you."