Chapter 74 Night Visit to Changchun Palace

"Your Majesty, is the dragon unwell?"

Rong An's voice came from outside the tent.

"Nothing."

As Lu Haozhi spoke, he lifted the curtain and got out of bed.

Rong An was guarding by the bed and was startled by Lu Haozhi's sudden action. Seeing the emperor walking towards the table, he hurriedly followed him.

"Your Majesty, do you have any instructions?"

Lu Haozhi shook his head, walked to the table, picked up the red golden chicken-crowing pot, poured a cup of cold tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Oh, Your Majesty, this cold tea is bad for your stomach. Please put it down immediately. I will go to the tea room to get some hot water!"

Seeing this, Rong An hurriedly tried to persuade them and immediately walked out.

"No need, cold tea will quench your thirst. You can leave now."

Lu Haozhi waved his hand and walked back to the window.

Rong An didn't understand what was going on, but he could tell that the emperor was in a bad mood. Thinking about how many things had happened during the day, he didn't dare to stand there any longer and bowed and retreated.

As the cold tea went into my stomach, my sleepiness disappeared more and more.

Lu Haozhi opened the window, and the warm night breeze blew gently on his face, like a woman's soft hand.

In the darkness, countless palaces and pavilions are dimly visible, and the stars in the sky are twinkling, reminding people that the night is still long.

He looked into the distance, gazing towards the direction of Changchun Palace.

On such a quiet and gentle spring night, I wonder what Meng Yan is doing?

As soon as this thought came to his mind, Lu Haozhi curled the corners of his lips. It was already this late, so of course she had gone to bed.

only……

Yan'er, can you really sleep when I'm not by your side?

Only in my arms can you sleep peacefully. Isn't this what you said to me in the past?

Were all those sweet words you said to deceive me?

Thinking of the strange dream just now, Lu Haozhi's chest began to ache again, and his thick black eyebrows were involuntarily deeply twisted.

It's just a dream, how can it be so real as to hurt me so deeply?

Lu Haozhi felt a sharp pain on his forehead and couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Maybe it’s because he has been childless for many years.

From the time when the Crown Prince's private residence was established until the present time, five years after he ascended the throne, the Emperor of the Great Zhou had a desolate family, with neither sons nor princesses.

The ministers in the court had always been dissatisfied with his favoritism towards Concubine Meng, and in recent years, their complaints were even more rampant. Memorials accusing the concubine of being childless and immoral, and urging the emperor to put the country first, flew into the Yangxin Palace like snowflakes, and piled up like a mountain on the imperial desk.

Although he suppressed them all, as an emperor, he always had to balance the forces of all parties, and the number of constraints was unimaginable to ordinary people. He could not just suppress them blindly.

However, it was wishful thinking for these court officials to think that they could control him as the emperor.

The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on the young emperor's face. His originally handsome and refined eyebrows and eyes revealed a hint of coldness.

It was past midnight when a sedan chair came out of the Yangxin Palace and walked silently along the long street.

Rong An followed the sedan chair, his heart filled with complaints and nagging. The Emperor was really a troublemaker. Why not just summon the Imperial Concubine to sleep with him before retiring? He was already happy now, cuddling the Imperial Concubine and sleeping soundly. They, the servants, finally had a leisurely night's work. Now, they had to go to Changchun Palace in the dead of night. The Imperial Concubine would probably be asleep by then, and he would wake her up. Everyone was in a state of turmoil.

When the imperial carriage arrived at the gate of Changchun Palace, Rong An stepped forward and knocked gently on the door.

The palace servant guarding the gate came to open the door with sleepy eyes. He was already impatient, and when he saw the visitor, his eyes immediately widened like bells and he was about to raise his voice to report.

"Emperor..."

Rong An's big fat palm flew up immediately and covered the eunuch's mouth tightly.

"Shut up and don't make any noise!"

While pushing open the door, he led the imperial carriage in.

The eunuch was stunned. What kind of a play was this? The emperor broke into Changchun Palace in the middle of the night. This had never happened before.

The sedan chair went straight to the front of the steps of the rear hall and stopped. Lu Haozhi got off and walked up the steps.

Yunxiang, the doorman, bowed hastily, "Your Majesty, your servant greets you. Your Majesty, the Empress has retired. I will go and fetch her."

Lu Haozhi said calmly, "No need, I'll go in and take a look."

After saying this, he went straight into the hall.

Yunxiang was a little surprised, but after seeing Rong'an winking at her, she just stood aside in silence.

I don’t know whether this feeling tonight is a blessing or a curse.

But what can she do as she is just a palace maid?

When Lu Haozhi entered the room, a sweet fragrance like his daughter's body fragrance penetrated his nostrils and permeated his lungs.

This was the Qingmengzui that Meng Yan often used to fall asleep at night. She had personally mixed it and it was the most soothing and sleep-inducing drink. She would always smell the same when she went to the Yangxin Palace to serve him at night.

It was just a scent of incense, but Lu Haozhi suddenly felt his blood boiling and his stomach feeling hot. All the lingering memories between the two of them in the past came back to him.

Two brass ladies' lamps were lit in the outer hall, but there were no candles in the inner room. This was Meng Yan's usual habit when going to bed.

Lu Haozhi walked slowly into the inner room, walked to the bedside, and gently lifted the curtain.

I saw two sleeping beauties, one big and one small, lying between the brocade quilt.

Meng Yan was holding Doukou and sleeping soundly, her black hair cascading on the pillow like a waterfall. One of her arms was lying across Doukou, with her snow-white arm exposed. Against the backdrop of the bright red satin quilt, her skin was as white as snow, warm, fragrant and soft.

Lu Haozhi's Adam's apple moved slightly and he swallowed involuntarily.

Of course he knew how sweet and attractive the soft body beneath the silk quilt was.

Meng Yan was sleeping quietly, with a sweet smile on her delicate, porcelain-white face, as if the dream made her very satisfied.

Lu Haozhi reached out and wanted to touch her cheek.

At this moment, Doukou, who was sleeping beside him, seemed to have noticed something. She suddenly woke up and looked at him with her bright eyes.

Lu Haozhi withdrew his hand immediately as if struck by lightning.

He took his hand back, but felt something was wrong.

Meng Yan is his concubine, so what if he touches her?

The way the little kid was staring at him was as if he was doing something bad!

Lu Haozhi felt a little embarrassed. Although he had no intention of doing anything serious in front of a child, this kid had ruined his plans twice in a row!

Doukou suddenly climbed up, put her chubby little arms around Meng Yan's neck, used her little body to block Meng Yan, and looked at Lu Haozhi with vigilance on her little face.

Although she couldn't speak, her expression seemed to say, you are here to bully my mother again, I don't want you, go away!

Being stared at like this by a child, and his most beloved niece at that, Lu Haozhi felt extremely embarrassed.

I really don't want to leave.

But if he doesn't leave, what else can he do?

After hesitating for a while, Lu Haozhi suddenly raised a finger and touched his lips, signaling Doukou to be quiet. He then lowered his head and gently kissed Meng Yan on the forehead.

Doukou didn't understand and just looked at him with her big watery eyes.

Lu Haozhi straightened up, took out a sachet from his waist, tucked it under Meng Yan's pillow, and then turned around and walked out.

As he stepped out of the door, Lu Haozhi suddenly laughed at himself. As the king of a country, he broke into the bedroom of his favorite concubine at night and left in such a cowardly manner?

What is he doing?