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

"Your Majesty, look at me, do I still look bright and beautiful?"

Zhou Mingyi's voice came from behind the screen, three points clearer than usual, with a hint of deliberate provocation, "Then take a look at this."

Before the words were even finished, the figure had already moved.

As she took her first step, her fiery red attire, like a blazing flame, suddenly cleaved through the soft, dim light filling the room.

The riding outfit she specially made was not the wide robes and sleeves typical of palace attire, but a real riding and archery outfit.

Its design is simple and neat.

The upper body was a perfectly fitted crimson brocade short-sleeved tunic with overlapping collars, which were very neat and tidy, but the fabric clung to the body and outlined a breathtakingly undulating silhouette.

The hem and cuffs are tightly bound with black woven leather belts, which makes the wrists appear even more slender.

The most captivating part is the waist section.

Around his waist was a wide leather belt.

The wide belt was tightly bound around her lower waist, and the buckle was made of pure gold in the shape of a fierce-looking yazi (a mythical beast), exuding royal majesty. It made her already slender waist appear almost too small to be grasped in one hand.

Below the waistline, a striking new element emerges: a knee-length pleated skirt, equally fiery red but composed of several stiff, gold-woven brocade panels.

Their movements were like swirling flames, rustling and making a sound.

She wasn't wearing ordinary silk trousers under her skirt, but rather a pair of black leather leggings that fit her legs perfectly, bound tightly with thin straps that extended down to below her knees.

She wore a pair of small black leather boots with slightly upturned toes, adorned with tiny gold bells.

With each step she took, a crisp yet steady "ding" sound was heard.

The sound of the hammer striking the polished gold brick floor is like a blow to the heart.

She stood there, her black hair tied up in a high bun like a man's, secured firmly with a red gold hairpin, without a single jewel.

She revealed a face as white as jade, completely unmasked.

Her eyebrows were drawn more boldly and spiritedly than usual, and her eyes were brighter than ever, staring straight at the emperor.

A bright, undisguised smile, almost arrogant, played at the corners of her lips.

Emperor Qianwu's fingers, which had been tapping on the table, had stopped at some point.

His gaze was drawn to her as if by the hottest magnet, lingering from her tightly bound chest, which rose and fell slightly with her breath, to her slender waist, which was cinched in a stunning curve by a gold belt.

Then his gaze swept over the long, straight legs wrapped in black leather.

The figure wrapped in fiery red was no longer that of a gentle and submissive concubine in the palace, but rather like a radiant sword suddenly drawn from its sheath, full of vigorous vitality and almost provocative aggression.

His Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.

The air seemed to be ignited by that dazzling red, becoming thick and scorching.

He felt a long-lost, almost boiling heat rising from his dantian.

That wasn't frivolous lust, but a more primal and intense burning desire for possession and conquest ignited.

He wanted to test the gold belt himself to see if it was too tight, and to hold the tightly bound waist to feel its suppleness.

I wanted to... shatter that bright arrogance on her face and watch her melt into the flames she had ignited.

"Alright." After a long while, Emperor Qianwu finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse without even realizing it, with a dark fire flickering deep in his eyes.

"Consort Zhen... has never disappointed me."

He slowly straightened up, his gaze fixed on her, pinning her firmly to the fiery red backdrop, like a beast scrutinizing its most dazzling prey that had entered its territory.

"This outfit suits you better than any palace dress."

Under his gaze, Zhou Mingyi straightened her back even more, and her smile became even more radiant.

She knew exactly what the "fiery" look in those eyes meant.

Emperor Qianwu's undisguised desire for her is her most powerful asset at present.

"pity……"

The bright smile on Zhou Mingyi's face gradually turned dejected.

"I will change out of this outfit now, and wait until the Empress Dowager's anger subsides, or perhaps I can wear it for His Majesty again next time."

Emperor Qianwu strode forward, his gaze particularly captivating as he stared at the tiny figure before him. With a swift movement, he scooped the beauty into his arms.

"My beloved concubine can't wear this for me now, hmm?"

The warm breath brushed against Zhou Mingyi's neck, instantly tinging her fair skin with a rosy hue.

Even though he was used to it, Emperor Qianwu still couldn't help but be moved by her.

The spring night is warm under the tent, and the red candle keeps me company...

The next day, the Empress Dowager personally issued an imperial edict, ordering Mingyi to stay in the palace and devoutly copy the Diamond Sutra to pray for the Emperor and the Princess, and forbidding her from going hunting in the hunting grounds.

After receiving the imperial decree, Zhou Mingyi saw off the eunuch who had delivered the decree from Cining Palace, and her expression darkened.

"Your Majesty, what should we do?"

Shi Liu was filled with worry.

The wax apple also subconsciously looked at her mistress.

Zhou Mingyi handed the imperial edict to Lianwu, paused for a moment, and said, "It's alright. Since the Empress Dowager has ordered me to copy the Diamond Sutra to pray for His Majesty and the Princess, then I will do as she says."

It's impossible to be honest.

She had been preparing for this hunting trip for a long time, and even had two sets of riding clothes specially made.

Of course, the red one had already been torn up by Emperor Qianwu.

Zhou Mingyi felt that Emperor Qianwu was increasingly fond of tearing her clothes.

But it's not a big problem, there's still a blue one...

Three days later, at the third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), inside the Forbidden City.

The Five Phoenix Bells on the Meridian Gate Tower resounded, their sound echoing throughout the nine cities.

As the grand music began, the imperial procession and ceremonial guards emerged one after another from the Meridian Gate, their banners obscuring the sun and their spears and halberds like a forest.

Leading the way, the Great Zhou general wore golden armor and held up a dragon banner;

Next, the five types of chariots—jade chariot, gold chariot, elephant chariot, leather chariot, and wooden chariot—were displayed in their entirety to demonstrate the ritual system.

The central element of the imperial procession today is a specially made elm wood carriage adorned with yellow satin and lacquered with gold dragon patterns.

The carriage was spacious, with heavy bright yellow silk curtains hanging on all four sides, and was drawn by eight fine horses of the same color, moving steadily in the center of the imperial road.

Following behind was a procession of eunuchs carrying incense burners, gold basins, whisks, and other imperial items, their steps perfectly synchronized.

The relatives of the emperor, high-ranking officials, and generals of the Five Military Commands all rode in armor or military uniforms, followed by civil officials in order of rank.

Guided by the sounds of drums, horns, flutes, and pipes, the entire procession marched through Chengtian Gate and Daming Gate, exited through Zhengyang Gate, and headed towards the Nanyuan Royal Hunting Ground.

Emperor Qianwu did not wear military attire or ride a horse. Instead, he wore a crimson gauze robe with a black cloak embroidered with gold cloud and dragon patterns, and sat upright in the main seat of the spacious carriage.

On the small table were a warm tea set and several scrolls of maps and military treatises.

Besides the emperor, there was only a young eunuch holding a spittoon inside the carriage.

This little eunuch was exceptionally slender, with his head bowed very low, revealing porcelain-white skin on the back of his neck.

Emperor Qianwu put down his military treatise, his gaze falling on the young eunuch, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

"How dare you!"

Zhou Mingyi trembled with fright and deliberately lowered her voice, saying, "What did Your Majesty say? This concubine... no, this servant doesn't understand!"

Emperor Qianwu stood up, his large hand gripping the "little eunuch's" slender waist, and gently pulled him into his arms.

A faint fragrance of plum blossoms instantly entered Emperor Qianwu's nostrils.

He took two deep sniffs.

Feeling playful, he asked, "Which palace's eunuch are you?"

"Why have I never seen you before?"

Zhou Mingyi thought to herself, "That dog of an emperor! He saw through my disguise a long time ago, yet he still pretends!"

They even put on an act!

This shows that her influence on Emperor Qianwu gradually deepened in a subtle way.

Since he's going to act, she'll just go along with it.

Zhou Mingyi rested her hands on Emperor Qianwu's chest, tilted her head slightly, revealing her fair and jade-like neck, her pink and slightly moist lips slightly parted, and her long and thick eyelashes trembling nervously.

"Your Majesty is so busy with state affairs, how could you possibly remember someone as lowly as me?"

Emperor Qianwu's eyes were deep and unfathomable; his Consort Zhen was truly a remarkable woman.

He originally thought she would stay obediently in the palace, or beg him to come up with a solution.

She was versatile and had a lively personality, which Emperor Qianwu truly adored.

The former is rather conventional and therefore rather uninteresting.

The latter, however, put him in a somewhat difficult position.

After all, it was an imperial edict personally issued by the Empress Dowager.

Emperor Qianwu never expected that his Ah Chang would be so bold as to disguise herself as a eunuch and secretly accompany the carriage.

Despite seeing such a handsome young eunuch with rosy lips and white teeth, Emperor Qianwu could not bear to be harsh with him.

"Now that you are serving before me, serve me well. Do not wander off."

Emperor Qianwu flicked her nose.

Zhou Mingyi was overjoyed.

"Yes! This servant obeys!"

With Emperor Qianwu's tacit approval, Zhou Mingyi was able to stay openly in the carriage.

She quietly lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

The motorcade was magnificent, solemn, and extremely imposing.

The weather was perfect, with a gentle breeze bringing coolness and the fragrance of wildflowers, making it a truly delightful experience.

Although it had only been a few months since I entered the palace, it felt like several years had passed.

Seeing Zhou Mingyi's curious expression and her bright eyes darting around with a lively and charming air, Emperor Qianwu couldn't help but slightly curl the corners of his lips.

"So bold! Could it be that you've been cooped up in the palace all day?"

Zhou Mingyi lowered the carriage curtain. "I was just curious. Your Majesty's carriage is so majestic and awe-inspiring."

Emperor Qianwu nodded and beckoned to her. Zhou Mingyi obediently sat down beside Emperor Qianwu, and the scent of ambergris became even stronger.

"It will take more than an hour to get to the hunting grounds, let's rest for a while first."

Zhou Mingyi nodded. The carriage wasn't small, but she didn't stay too far from Emperor Qianwu. Instead, she leaned against him and rested her head on his body as the carriage swayed gently.

Before long, he actually fell asleep.

Emperor Qianwu was stunned, yet he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He had absolutely no desire to pursue the matter of her transgression.

It was as if he wouldn't find anything she did strange when he was with her; her dependence on him was her deepest affection and trust for him.

This feeling actually made Emperor Qianwu, who was about to enter his forties, feel a sweet warmth in his heart...

At this time, in the palace.

Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager is getting old and sleeps less.

I woke up early this morning. "Zhulan, what time is it?"

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, it is almost 1:15 AM."

The Empress Dowager nodded. "Have the Emperor and the others set off?"

Aunt Zhulan glanced at the morning light. "His Majesty and the others set off at 3:45 AM, but the procession is long, and those at the back probably haven't even left the Forbidden City yet."

The Empress Dowager nodded.

Suddenly, something occurred to me: "Is there any movement in Consort Zhen's palace?"

Aunt Zhulan said, "Your Majesty, Consort Zhen is staying in the palace to handle palace affairs. However, with Your Majesty in charge, Consort Zhen is probably not up yet."

The Empress Dowager gave a light snort, "She certainly knows how to enjoy life."

Bamboo Orchid: ...

With the central palace vacant and the Empress Dowager finding it too noisy, she didn't want the concubines to come to Cining Palace to pay their respects every day, so the concubines in the palace naturally had a leisurely life.

In fact, since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there has been no mandatory rule that concubines in the harem must greet the Empress every day.

However, some strict empresses had this rule.

For example, the late emperor's empress.

The empress was very strict about etiquette, requiring her concubines to come to her palace before dawn every day to pay their respects and receive her teachings.

Because of this, the Empress Dowager suffered greatly in her youth.

Now that she has become the Empress Dowager, and His Majesty has no Empress, this rule no longer applies.

In fact, Zhu Lan felt that Consort Zhen had not done anything wrong, but Princess Chaoyang disliked her, so the Empress Dowager naturally took her anger out on her.

In this way, Consort Zhen was the one who suffered.

Princess Chaoyang and Consort Chen hated her for bewitching the Emperor.

But Consort Zhen was originally one of His Majesty's concubines, and their Emperor was by no means the kind of incompetent ruler who indulged in women.

Consort Zhen's ability to win His Majesty's favor and make him frequently visit her is a testament to her skill.

In other words, Consort Chen was useless and could not win His Majesty's heart.

As a result, the mother and daughter instead caused trouble for Consort Zhen...

But Zhu Lan was, after all, the Empress Dowager's person. Even if she felt that Consort Zhen was innocent, she would not disregard the Empress Dowager's wishes and speak up for her.

The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and then said, "Never mind. Chaoyang doesn't want her to participate in the hunt. I have already issued an imperial decree. As long as she stays obediently in the palace, I will not hold it against her."

"As for Consort Chen, I created an opportunity for her, but what use is she if she herself is incompetent?"

Zhu Lan was silent for a moment before saying, "And what about the princess..."