The bright moon hangs high, beckoning him down from his pedestal.

Liu Rusi returned to her room, her heart filled with turmoil. She was actually engaged to the current emperor?

The thought of the tall man on the dragon throne and the possibility of being taken into his harem made her heart burn with desire.

In the evening, an inconspicuous eunuch quietly delivered a message, saying that His Majesty would go to the Jade Hot Spring to relax after reviewing the memorials.

Liu Rusi's heart stirred.

Night, hot springs, a beautiful woman taking the initiative—no man could resist such flirtatious and ambiguous advances.

She carefully dressed herself, changed into a light pink gauze dress, and headed to the Jade Hot Spring under the cover of night.

Outside the Jade Hot Spring, Wu Tian was standing guard with his hands at his sides. When he saw Liu Rusi approaching, he frowned slightly.

"Miss Liu." Wu Tian stepped forward, blocking her way, his face bearing his usual polite smile. "His Majesty is taking a bath and would not like to be disturbed. Please leave."

Liu Rusi curtsied and said in a soft voice, "Steward Wu, I have an important matter to report to His Majesty. It concerns the past of my Liu family ancestors. May I ask you to inform them?"

Wu Tian thought with disdain, "At this hour, talking about the old Liu family affairs is nothing but an excuse to curry favor with the powerful."

He remained outwardly calm, still blocking her way: "Miss, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, but His Majesty has ordered that no one is to disturb you."

Seeing that Wu Tian was unresponsive to her pleas, Liu Rusi grew anxious.

Hearing the faint sound of water coming from the direction of the hot spring, she bit her lip, raised her voice slightly, and called out sweetly into the water:

"Your Majesty! I am Liu Rusi. I just learned from His Highness Prince Xiaoyao about the old agreement between the Liu family and the royal family. I am very excited and have a few words I would like to say to Your Majesty."

The water in the hot spring splashed, paused for a moment, and then a man's deep, husky voice came through, carrying annoyance at being disturbed: "What is it?"

Liu Rusi was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "This humble woman wishes to inform Your Majesty in person."

There was a moment of silence inside, then the slightly rapid hot spring water began to gurgle again.

After a while, Shen Wangxi's voice rang out again, deeper than before: "Take a few steps forward and talk over there by the artificial hill."

Liu Rusi was secretly delighted and glanced at Wu Tian triumphantly.

Helpless, Wu Tian had no choice but to lead Liu Rusi to the artificial hill next to the hot spring pool.

The artificial hill blocked most of the view from the pond, so all that could be heard was the increasingly clear sound of the surging water, but no one could be seen.

Liu Rusi stopped and tried her best to make her voice sound pitiful. "Your Majesty, I just learned about my background from Prince Xiaoyao."

"It turns out that this commoner was not alone and helpless; the Liu family and the royal family have a generations-old marriage alliance..."

The sound of the hot spring water never stopped as she spoke; instead, it grew increasingly rapid, causing the surface of the water to churn violently.

Liu Rusi stood beside the artificial hill, listening to the continuous gurgling inside. She felt it was the sound of hot spring water flowing rapidly, one burst after another. It was a rare and wonderful place.

She continued, "When my father was alive, although our family had fallen on hard times, he always remembered our ancestral teachings and warned women to be chaste and not to disgrace the family tradition."

He once said, "I am betrothed to someone, and no matter how hard it is, I must remain pure."

Inside the hot spring, Shen Wangxi's voice suddenly broke the silence, deep and heavy: "Promised to someone? Promised to whom?"

Liu Rusi's heart skipped a beat, thinking that His Majesty cared about this matter, and she quickly declared, "Of course, it is promised to the Shen royal family!"

"Your Majesty, all these years in Jiangnan, though I have lived in a corrupt place, I have always kept my chastity. I have endured countless hardships and dodged the covetousness of many powerful people. Whenever I think of my family's teachings and this marriage agreement, I feel that I have hope."

A splash echoed from the hot spring, creating even larger ripples. Shen Wangxi's voice came after a while, tinged with suppressed emotion: "Yes, it hasn't been easy for you."

Upon receiving the response, Liu Rusi was overjoyed and spoke even more earnestly: "Your Majesty, after learning about my origins, I feel that all the suffering was worthwhile."

"This body, this heart, originally belonged to Your Majesty..."

The implication in her words was almost blatant.

Inside the pool, Shen Wangxi did not respond immediately, and the sound of the water continued to be intense.

Liu Rusi held her breath and waited, her palms sweating.

Just when she thought her hopes were dashed, she heard His Majesty command, in a suppressed and halting voice, "...Continue speaking."

Liu Rusi was overjoyed, thinking that His Majesty had taken a liking to her.

She quickly continued softly, her words filled with admiration: "Your Majesty is naturally heroic and is the ideal woman for all women in the world."

"Whenever I think of this, my heart is filled with emotion. If I could win Your Majesty's favor and stay by your side, I would die without regret."

Liu Rusi gazed at a cluster of small white flowers peeking out from the cracks in the rockery. The petals trembled in the misty air, glistening with night dew, making them appear delicate and tender.

She mustered her courage and pleaded softly, "Your Majesty, the wind and dew are heavy tonight, even the flowers feel lonely and cold."

"Your Majesty, may I enter and personally serve Your Majesty during your bath? To fulfill... to uphold the spirit of the Old Treaty?"

Outside the pool, Liu Rusi finally poured out her heart and waited expectantly for good news.

Inside the pool, Shen Wangxi finished bathing and suddenly stood up, calming the commotion and leaving only ripples in the water.

After a long silence, he spoke languidly to the outsider: "I understand your intentions. You may leave."

Liu Rusi was stunned. It was over already?

He was neither summoned nor favored?

"Your Majesty..." She wanted to try again.

"Step down." Shen Wangxi's tone left no room for argument.

Liu Rusi's enthusiasm was doused with cold water, and she could only bow dejectedly: "Yes, this humble woman takes her leave."

She turned away, looking distraught, and was led away from the hot spring by Wu Tian.