Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Xiao Yiheng pulled Liu Wenying into his arms with a forceful pull.

With his other hand he gripped her waist, turned her around and pressed her down onto the large imperial desk.

"Xiao Yiheng!" she exclaimed.

But it was no use; he had already lowered his head and kissed her.

Her breath carried the sweet aroma of summer fruit drinks, making one even more craving and indulging in them.

Liu Wenying was breathless from his kiss and pushed him away with her hands against his chest.

Having finally found an opening, she turned her head away, her breathing unsteady.

"No, Xiao Yiheng, do you want to be a tyrant? There are still state affairs to be settled..."

She deliberately exaggerated the situation.

To the outside world, Xiao Yiheng was a diligent and wise ruler, decisive and efficient, and a man of his word.

Only in front of her can he always be so clingy and indulgent.

"The most troublesome matter in the court has been resolved. Now I want to get along well with the meritorious officials who made contributions to the reform of the grain transport system."

As he spoke, his hand had already slipped inside her waist.

Liu Wenying grabbed his hand, "No, this is the front hall..."

"So what if it's the front hall? It's my palace, my women, where can't they be?"

Liu Wenying had nowhere to escape.

……

Today will finally be different from usual. In the past, I could only stay in the front hall for a short while before Xiao Yiheng took me to the bedroom.

I've stayed for a full hour today.

However, the situation escalated from the imperial desk piled high with memorials to the bookshelves, the windowsill, and even the sleeping quarters.

The emperor, ruling over a vast land, manages countless affairs daily. His physique and energy far surpass those of ordinary people, frighteningly abundant.

It wasn't until dusk that Liu Wenying finally had a chance to catch her breath.

Fortunately, Xiao Yiheng had been working tirelessly on government affairs, working from dawn till dusk, and had not had a proper rest for several days, so his energy was already mostly depleted.

If it were during her prime, she probably wouldn't have been able to leave the Zichen Palace tonight.

After the tenderness faded, he held her and fell into a deep sleep.

When she first entered the palace, the young eunuch who guided her begged her to persuade His Majesty to rest more, which, in retrospect, can be considered as doing so indirectly.

Liu Wenying lay on her side, using the faint candlelight filtering in from outside the tent to carefully trace his face.

This was the first time she could look at him so quietly.

His tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and the solemnity he had shown when he first entered the hall vanished.

He was born with exceptional bone structure, a straight nose and thin lips, and his features were sharp and defined.

When she doesn't smile, she exudes imperial majesty; when she smiles, she is gentle and captivating.

With such beauty and bearing, unparalleled nobility and peerless elegance, she was born to possess a vast empire.

She gently stroked the corner of his eye with her fingertips. During the most dangerous period, he was blind for several months, but fortunately he survived.

Not only have his eyes been healed, but he has also worked his way up to where he is today, sitting in the 95th position.

What a pity it would be if he could never see it in his entire life.

Liu Wenying watched intently until it was completely dark.

She should leave; if she delays any longer, the palace gates will be closed.

As soon as Liu Wenying moved, her waist was tightened again.

As Xiao Yiheng slept soundly, he realized that his arms were empty, so he naturally tightened his grip and refused to let go.

Helpless, Liu Wenying had no choice but to break free little by little.

It took her quite some time before she could sit up without being disturbed and began to search for her scattered clothes.

But the sudden emptiness in his arms still startled Xiao Yiheng awake.

"Where are we going?"

The faint sunlight filtered through the bed curtains, illuminating his sleepy eyes and the lingering redness in them.

Liu Wenying turned around. "I accidentally woke you up. Why don't you go back to sleep?"

Xiao Yiheng's eyes gradually cleared. He propped himself up, and the brocade quilt slipped down, revealing his open chest.

"Are you leaving again?" he asked, his mood inexplicably low.

Liu Wenying nodded hesitantly.

She was afraid that he would keep her there again, like before, using various excuses to keep her in the palace for the whole night.

This time, however, Xiao Yiheng looked at her quietly for a while, then lowered his eyes.

"Go ahead, I'll have a palace maid escort you."

Liu Wenying was stunned, not expecting him to let her go so easily.

She got up and stepped barefoot onto the cold gold bricks, found her clothes scattered on the floor, and put them on one by one.

The dress is elaborate, with layers upon layers of ties.

After she was dressed, she walked to the screen and couldn't help but look back.

The dragon-patterned bed curtains were half-drawn. Xiao Yiheng leaned against the pillows, his imperial crown removed, his black hair cascading over his shoulders.

The solemnity and majesty of the imperial court have been replaced by a sense of loneliness and desolation.

Especially noticeable was the faint redness under her eyes, indicating deep weariness.

How could a short rest of only one or two hours possibly replenish the mental and physical energy he had been depleted by working late into the night for days and nights?

Liu Wenying turned around and walked back to the bedside.

Seeing her return, Xiao Yiheng was surprised and bewildered.

"Why are you back?"

Liu Wenying grasped his hand, their fingertips touching.

"It's getting late, and the palace gates are locked. I'm afraid I can't get back. Your Majesty, could you please let me stay for the night?"

Before she finished speaking, Liu Wenying was pulled onto the bed and held tightly in her arms.

"I couldn't ask for more."

Liu Wenying stayed, but the two slept in the same bed that night and didn't make a fuss anymore.

……

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, and the scorching heat steamed over the imperial city.

Emperor Xiao Yiheng issued an imperial decree to hold a summer banquet to enjoy the lotus blossoms and escape the summer heat by the Taiye Pond. He invited civil and military officials and their families to the palace.

He governs the court by combining kindness and severity. This banquet, where he shows consideration for his officials and shares the summer scenery, is also a means of stabilizing the court and winning over the hearts of the people.

Liu Wenying also received an invitation from the palace.

"I'm not going. Those kinds of occasions are nothing but flattery from officials, which is utterly boring."

Granny Wang hesitated, about to offer some advice, when a palace servant happened to arrive outside the estate.

The palace servant was an attendant of Xiao Yiheng. He bowed respectfully to Liu Wenying and handed her a lacquered box.

"His Majesty said that the manor lord must attend the banquet, and that if the manor lord finds it too hot, the banquet will be held by Taiye Pond, where there is a cool breeze and the fragrance of lotus flowers, which is more comfortable than the manor."

The eunuch spoke in a soft, flattering voice.

Liu Wenying was pondering what reason to use to refuse.

The eunuch opened the lacquer box, inside which was a set of clothes.

The moon-white silk fabric is woven with the unique silver sand thread pattern of the Western Regions. The collar and cuffs are trimmed with blue brocade, and paired with a matching shawl, exuding both exotic luxury and dignified elegance.

"His Majesty personally selected it, along with a complete set of matching azure jade headdresses, saying that this color looks best on the Master of the Manor."

Liu Wenying looked at the dress and her heart softened in the end.

"Please thank His Majesty for me. I will go."

The eunuch left happily, and Granny Wang helped take out the dress, examining it closely in the sunlight, and couldn't help but admire it.

"This material probably comes from the Western Regions. The technique used is quite different from what we use in our manor. Your Majesty is truly thoughtful."

He knew how to please her, and Liu Wenying couldn't refuse his kindness.

On the afternoon of the third day, everything was arranged around Taiye Pond.

A long table was placed next to the white marble railing, on which seasonal fruits, chilled drinks, and various exquisite snacks were displayed.

The lotus flowers in the pond are in full bloom, their pink and white blossoms standing gracefully among the green leaves, and a gentle breeze carries their fragrance.

Liu Wenying arrived early; there weren't many people by the pond yet.

She found a pavilion by the water and sat down. The view from there was excellent, offering a view of the pond without being directly exposed to the sun.

The pavilion is open on all four sides, with bamboo curtains hanging down. The wind blows through the curtains, bringing the fragrance of lotus and moisture, making it much cooler than outside.

She leaned against the railing, watching the koi swim in the pond, and occasionally a dragonfly would skim the surface, creating ripples.

Before long, officials and their families began to arrive one after another.

Most of them were young noblewomen, dressed in bright summer clothes and with fashionable hairstyles, gathered in groups of three or five, laughing and chatting.

They also took a liking to this pavilion, and seeing Liu Wenying sitting alone, they went straight in.

…………