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

Emperor Qianwu felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

In his youth, he also encountered beautiful and bold concubines who dared to hook his belt and gently pull him into the inner palace to seek pleasure.

But those seemingly bold women, though outwardly fierce and charming, are actually incredibly vicious inside.

Unlike the woman before me.

She had been in the palace for less than a year, and was as clean as a blank sheet of paper. She had never harmed anyone, but instead, two of her children were killed by someone.

Those two princes who died at birth were the source of Emperor Qianwu's lifelong sorrow.

It has to be said that Emperor Qianwu now has the same feelings for Zhou Mingyi as the Empress Dowager.

Although the two children were not yet born, they bound them tightly together, and Emperor Qianwu could no longer remain uninvolved in their relationship.

She could no longer be regarded as an ordinary beautiful concubine.

She is the biological mother of his two children.

Emperor Qianwu pulled the stunningly beautiful woman with slightly red eyes into his arms and gently stroked her hair.

Her long, black hair exuded a faint fragrance of jasmine.

He took a light sniff.

"I miss you too."

I think about it every single day.

Zhou Mingyi's cheeks flushed, but she gently punched his chest with her small fist. "What nonsense is Your Majesty spouting?"

"You are His Majesty, how come you are always so unseemly?"

Emperor Qianwu: ?

What did I say? I merely said "I think about it every day"?

Emperor Qianwu's eyes darkened, and he could no longer hide the smile on his face.

"I'm referring to a proper day."

Zhou Mingyi's cheeks flushed crimson, as if her eyes and brows were tinged with the finest rouge. "What are you talking about, Your Majesty, about being proper or improper?"

Emperor Qianwu: ...

The more they try to explain, the worse it gets.

However, the beauty was like a flawed jade, and Emperor Qianwu could no longer restrain himself, so he picked her up in his arms.

Zhou Mingyi let out a soft cry before Emperor Qianwu pressed her down onto the newly arranged small couch.

This couch was specially made by her palace servants.

Its size is strictly controlled, enough for only one person to sleep comfortably.

Zhou Mingyi was petite, but Emperor Qianwu was very robust.

He pressed down on the couch, and the small couch was really too heavy to bear.

The act of visiting a concubine, which should have been a pleasant occasion, felt like a theft... bringing a unique and novel experience to Emperor Qianwu.

So much so that he, who was already exceptionally gifted and had been celibate for a long time, wanted it again and again...

The small couch was therefore a complete mess.

Afterwards, Emperor Qianwu, with his tall and imposing figure, embraced the petite woman in his arms, nestled on the small couch, and after eating and drinking his fill, he still marveled at the sight.

"My beloved concubine's little couch is truly a marvel!"

Zhou Mingyi feigned anger and said in a coquettish voice, "Your Majesty, you still dare to say that!"

"I only thought that this banana grove was secluded and quiet. It used to be called Chongzhi Hall, a place for worshipping Buddha. I thought it would be nice to invite Your Majesty to come and take a look, so that we, as parents, could set up a memorial here for our two children..."

"Who knew Your Majesty..."

The beauty was coy and shy, but what she said made Emperor Qianwu feel quite embarrassed.

But... what's done is done, so Emperor Qianwu awkwardly touched his nose.

"Didn't you say you missed me...?"

Zhou Mingyi lightly punched him again. "Does Your Majesty have anything else to say?"

"To Your Majesty, I may be just an ordinary concubine, one of your consorts, but to me, you are my husband, the father of my children..."

Emperor Qianwu's eyes deepened, and he held the beautiful woman in his arms even tighter.

He awkwardly changed the subject.

"This banana grove is indeed secluded, but too secluded, and it feels somewhat eerie, my beloved..."

Zhou Mingyi snuggled closer to him.

Emperor Qianwu was a martial artist with vigorous blood and energy, and his body felt warm but not warm at all.

Furthermore, she had specially ordered a very small couch to be made, so the two of them were very close.

It was like heavenly thunder striking earthly fire...

Just as Emperor Qianwu was about to "take action" again...

A faint commotion could be heard outside the hall, seemingly drifting from the Taiye Pond.

Emperor Qianwu listened intently, his brows twitching slightly.

Zhou Mingyi raised her head, her expression still somewhat dazed, her eyes seemingly filled with tender emotions, yet she feigned ignorance: "What's going on outside?"

Emperor Qianwu shook his head: "I don't know."

His eyes were fixed on a certain spot, and he reached in, saying, "I haven't tried hard enough. How can my beloved concubine have the mind to think about anything else if I don't make her work harder?"

After saying that, he leaned down and captured her lips.

The kiss was light, then gradually grew heavier, carrying an intense possessiveness, and a rare touch of tenderness.

Zhou Mingyi closed her eyes, reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck in response.

The candlelight inside the hall flickered gently, casting the two people's shadows on the wall, intertwined and indistinguishable...

Zhou Mingyi opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"Ah Chang,"

He called her by her nickname, his voice low and hoarse, "Call me 'I' again."

Zhou Mingyi blinked: "What's your name?"

"Call me by my name."

Zhou Mingyi was taken aback.

name?

Qianwu was a reign title.

Few dare to call him by his real name, and even fewer remember it.

She opened her mouth, then hesitated, "This...is against the rules..."

"No rules tonight."

He looked at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes, "Just you and me."

Zhou Mingyi looked at him and smiled gently.

"Honglang".

She leaned close to his ear and whispered her name.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianwu suddenly tensed up.

He gritted his teeth, "Demon."

He rolled over and pinned her beneath him. "You asked for this!"

……

The next morning.

When Zhou Mingyi woke up, Emperor Qianwu had already left.

Shiliu and Lianwu came in to help her wash up. The palace had already been tidied up, but the bed was still a bit messy.

The palace maids dared not look around, but they couldn't help but marvel at it.

Consort Zhen is indeed capable.

Xiaoyue had just finished sitting down when she was able to hook up with His Majesty and pester him to have her all night long.

Someone like her wouldn't be afraid of losing favor even if she lost two princes.

Therefore, they served her with even greater care and caution.

While getting ready, Lianwu lowered her voice.

"Your Majesty, something terrible happened last night."

Her face clearly showed a hint of excitement.

Zhou Mingyi glanced at her in the mirror: "Oh?"

Lianwu lowered her voice even further: "His Highness the Crown Prince went to the West Garden last night, but I don't know who he was seeing. He was caught by the Crown Princess."

"The Crown Princess caused a scene on the spot, alarming the guards and making the whole palace aware of it."

Zhou Mingyi's hand paused slightly.

"Who are you going to see?" she asked.

Lianwu pursed her lips: "It's said to be... Green Willow."

"That's the concubine His Majesty bestowed upon the Crown Prince."

"The Crown Princess recognized her and burst into tears on the spot, saying she wanted to go to the Empress Dowager to seek justice."

"His Highness the Crown Prince tried to stop them, and the two argued in the West Garden until midnight."

"I heard that the Crown Princess kept asking, 'What's so good about her that you would sneak off to meet her in the middle of the night?' His Highness the Crown Prince couldn't explain it clearly, and in the end, the Empress Dowager sent someone to persuade him to go back."

Zhou Mingyi lowered her eyes and remained silent.

In the mirror, that face remained as alluring as ever, without a trace of expression.

But the corners of her lips curved slightly.

"Okay," she said, "Go ahead and comb your hair."

Lianwu didn't dare to ask any more questions and focused on combing her hair.

Shi Liu kept her head down the whole time, not daring to look up.

She was afraid that if she looked up, she would expose the truth.

This was the first time the Empress had entrusted her with such an important task.

If she doesn't do well, it proves she's not cut out for it and isn't suited for life in the palace.

Therefore, she had to keep it a secret, not even telling the wax apple.

However, being as clever as wax apples, it probably guessed it to some extent.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have presented this news to Zhou Mingyi like a precious treasure.

But the Imperial Concubine was a woman of deep thought, and she couldn't fathom her for the time being.

However, for these bystanders, this was naturally a great source of amusement.

Moreover, Lianwu knew that Qingliu was the Empress's person.

This is interesting.

The Empress's people have won over the Crown Prince and stolen his heart.

Aoyagi is really capable.

Outside the window, it was bright daylight.

……

Let's go back to the previous night.

After leaving Weiyang Palace, the Empress Dowager did not return to Cining Palace, but instead headed towards Qianqing Palace.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, candlelight shone brightly.

Emperor Qianwu was resting with his eyes closed on his couch when he heard the announcement. He opened his eyes and sat up straight.

"Why has Mother come at this time?"

The Empress Dowager sat down opposite him, looked at him, and remained silent for a long time.

Emperor Qianwu felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze and said, "Mother, please speak freely."

The Empress Dowager sighed.

"Your Majesty, what are your thoughts on that child, Chaoyang, today?"

Emperor Qianwu's gaze darkened slightly.

"Chaoyang is a man of his own mind."

The Empress Dowager nodded: "It's good to have ideas. But are her ideas the same as yours?"

Emperor Qianwu remained silent.

The Empress Dowager looked at him, her eyes filled with heartache.

"Your Majesty, I know you are suffering."

"The matter of offspring... that's fate, not your fault alone."

"But I can guess what you're thinking."

Emperor Qianwu raised his head and looked at her.

The Empress Dowager continued, "You want Chaoyang to have a child, raise him in the palace, and in the future... I won't say anything more."

"But would Chaoyang be willing?"

Emperor Qianwu's lips moved, but he did not utter a word.

The Empress Dowager stood up, walked to him, and looked down at him.

"Your Majesty, I'll only say one thing to you: Chaoyang is your daughter, but she's grown up now. If you push her, she'll bite you."

"If you don't pressure her, she might not necessarily disobey you. This child has high aspirations; you have to give her time."

Emperor Qianwu remained silent.

He considered himself a wise ruler, but he repeatedly made mistakes regarding his offspring due to selfishness.

He shouldn't be considered a good emperor.

But for Chaoyang, he considered himself to be fairly competent.

Even Chaoyang couldn't understand his thoughts, which made Emperor Qianwu feel somewhat disheartened.

After the Empress Dowager left, Emperor Qianwu sat alone at his desk when Fuquan brought him something, saying it was sent by Consort Zhen of Weiyang Palace.

We agree to meet at Chongzhi Hall in Jiaoyuan at 11 PM tonight to discuss something.

Emperor Qianwu was filled with doubt.

He even thought carefully about what kind of place Chongzhi Hall was...

The Forbidden City was so vast that even Emperor Qianwu, its master, couldn't remember the names and uses of all the palaces.

The palaces were renamed throughout history due to their different uses.

Emperor Qianwu was so busy with state affairs that he couldn't possibly remember these things.

"Banana plantation?"

Fuquan immediately replied, "The depths of the West Garden are a secluded place."

Emperor Qianwu lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before agreeing.

Chang conceived two children for him, but although she was unable to give birth to either of them, he owed her a debt of gratitude for the rest of his life.

It's still unclear.

It was just an invitation for him to meet at the banana plantation.

"Have someone tell Consort Zhen that I will arrive there on time."

Fuquan lowered his head and said, "This servant understands."