However, Li Yunyan could never sleep peacefully.

In no time, she had already bound her hands and feet together.

Chu Xingmo's breath hitched as he looked at the woman who had snuggled into his arms, feeling somewhat at a loss!

Is this how a woman sleeps?

He was frozen in place, his mind in turmoil, wondering whether he should pull her off.

Then I heard her complaining that she was cold.

Li Yunyan squeezed closer to the heat source, pressing her small face tightly against his chest and rubbing against him.

"Mom, I'm cold."

Her voice was soft and delicate, and Chu Xingmo was afraid that if he slowed down even a little, she would cry.

His hands moved faster than his brain; he reached out and pulled the brocade quilt from the inside of the bed to cover her.

He also covered himself up.

He's also afraid of the cold!

Outside, the wind and rain raged, but with a soft bundle in his arms, Chu Xingmo felt a sense of fulfillment he had never experienced before.

He yawned, feeling sleepy.

The rain gradually stopped, and it became quiet outside the window. The two people nestled together on the bed were fast asleep.

*

"His Majesty!"

"His Majesty!"

"It's time for the morning court session!"

Liu Yuan, standing outside the door, mustered his courage and whispered a call.

Liu Yuan's heart was in turmoil, filled with both joy and sorrow.

The good news is that His Majesty slept with the daughter of Prime Minister Li last night!

The bad news is, they just slept; they didn't do anything else!

He didn't know whether he should tell the Empress Dowager the news, fearing that she, like him, would be overjoyed but then deeply troubled.

Since that incident, His Majesty has resisted the approach of any woman and is very resistant to related matters. Naturally, he has not been taught about matters between men and women.

He even felt that His Majesty might know less about matters between men and women than he, a eunuch, did!

But who would dare to teach His Majesty this? He certainly wouldn't!

Even if you gave him ten times the courage, he still wouldn't dare!

Chu Xingmo woke up as soon as he was called.

He opened his eyes and felt a small hand inside his clothes.

That little hand was actually placed on his stomach!

He looked up at Li Yunyan, who was fast asleep with a rosy face, snuggling unguarded in his arms.

Chu Xingmo took a deep breath and sat up.

The warm embrace suddenly disappeared, and Li Yunyan grumbled, turned over, and fell asleep again.

Looking at her sleeping face, Chu Xingmo sighed helplessly, bent down and tucked the blanket back in for her, so that she wouldn't complain about being cold again!

He lowered all the bed curtains before calling Liu Yuan in.

Liu Yuan quietly helped him get dressed and wash up, and the two of them left the room without making much noise.

Not long after he left, Li Yunyan woke up. Since entering the palace, she had been waking up very early every day, and had developed a biological clock.

She lifted the bed curtains and found herself in an unfamiliar environment. She walked to the window and looked out, realizing that she should be on the fourth floor of Feihong Pavilion.

It turns out the fourth floor was his bedroom!

Li Yunyan doesn't have time to visit right now; today is the day of the talent show, and she has to hurry back to prepare!

Pushing open the door, I found Liu Yi waiting in front of it.

Liu Yi was the eunuch who guided Li Yunyan when she first came to Feihong Pavilion.

He held a brand-new dress in his hands and bowed, saying, "Miss, Aunt Jiang asked me to bring this over! I'll help you with your washing up!"

Li Yunyan took the clothes and said to Liu Yi, "Thank you, Eunuch Liu Yi. I can do it myself. Please wait a moment!"

"yes."

Li Yunyan changed her clothes in no time and followed Liu Yi downstairs.

When they returned to Chuxiu Palace, the young ladies-in-waiting were already standing in the courtyard.

They were wearing the same clothes as her. When they saw Li Yunyan coming over, they only glanced at her without any surprise in their eyes, as if they did not know that she had not returned home all night.

Aunt Jiang looked at Li Yunyan with visible satisfaction. She smiled and nodded at Li Yunyan, then let her stand in her place.

Meng Qingyu secretly rolled her eyes at them.

One of them openly showed favoritism, while the other openly shirked her responsibilities!

Even on such an important day as today, Li Yunyan is so late!

Aunt Jiang didn't say a word of reproach; in fact, she greeted her with a smile!

Hmph! I wonder how much bribe he secretly took from Prime Minister Li!

Is there no rule at all?!

However, the thought that after today, Li Yunyan's reputation would be ruined, while she could return to the Meng family smoothly and marry Brother Zian soon!

Excitement returned to Meng Qingyu's face.

After giving her a lecture, Aunt Jiang emphasized, "Today is the most important day for you. You must take today's test seriously and not make the slightest mistake!"

Everyone bowed and said, "Yes, Aunt!"

Meng Qingyu turned her head to look at Li Yunyan. Brother Zian confidently declared that once Li Yunyan knew His Majesty's secret, she would definitely listen to him!

She had read the letter too. He said His Majesty was not interested in women, and almost said that His Majesty had homosexual tendencies! Presumably, Li Yunyan understood and definitely did not want to stay in the palace!

Then she'll wait and see how Li Yunyan will make a fool of herself in the main hall today.

As Meng Qingyu sized up Li Yunyan, Li Yunyan was also glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.

Logically speaking, Meng Qingyu likes Wen Zi'an, so she should not want to stay in the palace. However, seeing that there was no conflict on her face, I wonder what kind of method she has to leave the palace without making a fool of herself.

The ceremony will not begin until the afternoon, because His Majesty has to attend the morning court session and then go to the Imperial Study to handle state affairs, so he will not have time to meet with them until the afternoon.

This shows just how much His Majesty dislikes this talent show; he's not even willing to spare a single day for it!

After lunch, the young ladies, led by Aunt Jiang, set off for the Hall of Diligent Governance.

Upon arriving at the Hall of Diligent Governance, they found that His Majesty and the Empress Dowager had not yet arrived; they had come earlier. The group then waited outside the hall.

At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), His Majesty and the Empress Dowager arrived, and everyone knelt to greet them.

Liu Yuan: "Summon! The young ladies-in-waiting are to enter the palace!"

Aunt Jiang led a group of young ladies into the main hall. This time, their audience was more formal than a month ago; they were dressed more luxuriously and behaved more appropriately.

The twenty young women knelt down in unison, saying, "We pay our respects to Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!"

"Rise."

Chu Xingmo's deep and magnetic voice reached her ears, and Li Yunyan raised her head in surprise.

Then he met Chu Xingmo's ambiguous smile.

He kept his eyes fixed on her, wanting to see the expression on her face when she discovered she was the emperor.

Li Yunyan had practiced for this moment no less than a hundred times.

At first, she was incredulous, her clear almond-shaped eyes widening in disbelief. Then she blinked blankly, lost in memories and doubts, before slowly beginning to accept it and having a sudden realization.

Finally, she gently bit her lip and gave him a seemingly casual glare!