Chapter 60 Come and lock her up

Today, Xie Jingxuan was surrounded by a strange sense of unease.

Just after the morning court session ended, His Majesty suddenly left in a hurry, breaking a jade ornament on the imperial desk. Although Xie Jingxuan was kneeling below with the other officials, his eyelids kept twitching. He had a feeling that His Majesty's loss of composure must be related to Miao Niang.

Has Miao Niang fainted again due to memory problems?

Or is it...?

A sudden thought of another possibility sent a chill down Xie Jingxuan's spine, and his eyelids began to twitch even more violently.

In the Taiji Hall, Emperor Qianyuan had already left in a hurry, and the Grand Eunuch Xu Sheng followed behind him, leaving only the palace servants to clean up the jade ornament that had been completely shattered into pieces on the ground.

As a subject, Xie Jingxuan, no matter how worried and anxious he was, had no right or ability to enter the inner palace and inquire about anything concerning Miao Niang.

This unease persisted even after he returned home.

Miao Niang suddenly left the palace and returned to the Xie family mansion.

At that moment, although he had not yet seen Wen Miao in person, Xie Jingxuan felt a sense of melancholy as if the dust had settled.

As expected, Miao Niang regained her memories and remained as gentle and peaceful as ever, but it seemed as if an extraordinary soul had awakened within her seemingly soft body.

Xie Jingxuan glimpsed in Wen Miao a unique resilience, composure, and boundless rationality.

What made him most grateful was that Miao Niang was still willing to acknowledge him as her maternal grandfather.

After his open conversation with Wen Miao, Xie Jingxuan thought that everything had come to an end. However, after watching Wen Miao leave with Meng Jun, he felt as if he had forgotten or overlooked something.

What exactly is it?

As a result, Xie Jingxuan's eyelids started twitching again, making it impossible for him to concentrate on his reading. He also felt extremely anxious while playing chess with himself. So he sat alone in the front hall, drinking tea and reflecting on everything that had happened that day.

Then, he thought of Emperor Qianyuan, who was in a hurry to leave after court.

Snap!

Xie Jingxuan accidentally broke his favorite tea set. The servants beside him came to clean it up, but he stood there blankly, turning his head to look at the sky outside.

So dark that not a single star could be seen.

Almost simultaneously, the Xie family's gate was knocked heavily, and the emperor's personal guards silently surrounded the Xie residence, like a pack of wolves, almost suffocating Xie Jingxuan.

His heart was racing.

The door was pushed open, and Zhang Ji, the commander of the Imperial Guards, stepped aside expressionlessly. Behind him stood Emperor Qianyuan, dressed in a black cloak, facing the wind with snowflakes still clinging to his shoulders.

Xie Jingxuan stared blankly ahead before belatedly realizing that snowflakes were falling again in the capital.

...just like the day he first entered the palace.

A cold wind swirled the falling snow and pelted his face. Xie Jingxuan quickly snapped back to reality, looked at the emperor approaching from afar, and bowed down, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"..."

Emperor Qianyuan silently gazed at the group of people kneeling in the cold winter courtyard.

His hands, hanging by his sides, were clenched tightly. Xu Sheng, who was very close to the emperor, could even hear the cracking sound of his knuckles beneath the black sleeves.

The silence felt like an eternity, and everyone knew what Emperor Qian Yuan was enduring.

Then, he said in a hoarse voice, "Get up. No one is allowed to leave without my permission."

As soon as he finished speaking, the dark cloak, billowing with snow, traced a sharp arc in the air.

Xie Jingxuan spoke up: "Your Majesty..."

"Shh-"

Xu Sheng quickly stretched out his arm to stop Xie Gong and whispered, "You just wait here. This is a matter between His Majesty and the Empress. Neither of us should interfere!"

"Ke...Ke Miao Niang, she..."

Xie Jingxuan looked at Emperor Qianyuan's gloomy face, which was so dark it seemed to drip water, and his heart sank.

“I dare not speak for other servants, but His Majesty…” Xu Sheng paused, turning his head to look in the direction of Qinyuan, “His Majesty will not harm the Empress.”

Just as Xu Sheng said, the Xie residence was surrounded by the Imperial Guards at night. Emperor Qian Yuan was surrounded by a cold wind as he walked all the way to Qin Garden.

From a distance, he spotted Wen Miao standing in the courtyard.

She wore a light-colored dress, her hair was simply tied up in a bun, and her temples were slightly messy, clinging to her bright and fair cheeks in the cool evening breeze.

……very beautiful.

Her gaze was as captivating as when he first met her in his dream, gentle yet unattainable.

A cold wind blew, and the figure standing in the courtyard seemed to feel a little cold. At the same time, the moon peeked out from the clouds, its silvery light flashing like a ray of light from a fairyland, and it happened to shine on Wen Miao's temples.

At that moment, Emperor Qianyuan's heart nearly stopped.

It was as if a goddess was about to don her feathered robes and leave him.

The string of "reason" in Emperor Qianyuan's brain snapped completely. He hid the secret medicine from the palace, which would not cause any harm to the human body, in his sleeve, strode forward, and raised his hand to cover Wen Miao's eyes, which were about to turn around and look at him.

The emperor who ruled over the entire Chu kingdom was now somewhat afraid—

He was afraid to see disgust and aversion in those usually gentle and peaceful starry eyes.

So he let his reason escape, and broke the chains, releasing the beast that had been imprisoning his heart.

Beneath his palm were Wen Miao's trembling eyelashes, and his nostrils were filled with the fragrance emanating from her clothes. Emperor Qian Yuan lowered his dark and indistinct eyes, and while holding his breath, he crushed the secret medicine hidden in his sleeve.

A rich, deep, warm fragrance wafted by, and the unsuspecting Empress inhaled it. It was a very gentle medicinal scent, not pungent, and naturally hard to guard against.

"Who is it...?"

The secret medicine didn't even give the empress a chance to finish speaking.

A weight suddenly fell on his arm, and Emperor Qian Yuan tightened his arms, holding the plump and soft body in his arms as if he possessed her everything.

"Vast and boundless..."

He gently rubbed his chin against Wen Miao's hair, then slowly lowered his head, his nose falling on her ear and temple, inhaling the warm fragrance of his wife like an addict.

"Please don't leave me, okay?"

Never, ever leave me.

As he murmured softly, the emperor, his eyes shrouded in gloom, lowered his head, kissed the unconscious Wen Miao, and gently rubbed her forehead. Then he bent down slightly, draped his cloak over Wen Miao, picked her up, and turned to leave Qin Garden.

He wanted to bring his wife, who was about to leave him, back home.

That night, the entire Xie residence seemed to be frozen in a static state.

When Emperor Qianyuan emerged from Qinyuan Garden, all that could be seen was him cradling a soft, graceful figure in his arms like a precious jewel, like a fierce beast guarding its prey. The figure was covered by a dark cloak, with only a wisp of hair visible, shimmering softly in the moonlight.

Xie Mengjun, who was already fast asleep, was unaware of what had happened. Xie Jingxuan, who was waiting in the front hall, tried to stop him, but was once again blocked by Xu Sheng.

The Imperial Guards, who had arrived with great fanfare, quickly dispersed along with the emperor, and apart from the Xie family themselves, no one knew what had actually happened that night.

...

Wen Miao slept soundly for a long time. This was a rare good sleep for her since the beginning of winter due to her memory problems. She had no dreams all night and felt as if all the bones in her body were soft. She even had a moment of confusion when she opened her eyes, not knowing what day it was.

She blinked lazily, regaining her senses. Once her vision adjusted to the light, she saw the familiar bed curtains.

—The noble bright yellow color is the dragon bed in the Taiji Palace.

Wen Miao remained silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered everything that had happened last night.

She propped herself up on her arms and sat up from the bed. The clothes she wore last night had long been changed into loose and comfortable nightgowns. The room was warm with the floor heating on, and even though the collar that had been tousled while she was sleeping was hanging loosely on her shoulders, she didn't feel cold at all.

Wen Miao looked around and then checked her limbs again—

Her left hand was almost covered with hickeys, which spread from the fingertips to the base of the fingers, and even her wrist, hidden under her sleeve, was not spared. It was not just a morbid possessiveness, but an astonishing and intense lust.

However, apart from the hickeys on her hands, Wen Miao didn't see any chains or anything like that on her hands or feet. Seeing this, she gently pulled out a faint smile.

...Fortunately, I'm not too sick.

Wen Miao naturally got up and took a few steps. Warm water, damp towels, and matching clothes were all prepared in advance inside the screen. There was even tea and food at the perfect temperature on the round table on the other side.

It is obvious that someone has a very good grasp of Wen Miao’s sleep schedule, and even without showing up, they can arrange everything properly.

"It really is..."

Wen Miao murmured something, but didn't finish her sentence.

As usual, she got up, washed, and combed her hair. Since she was staying in the palace and did not need to go out to see people, she was too lazy to tie her hair up. She simply let her long, black, and shiny hair fall down her back after combing it.

After finishing her makeup, Wen Miao looked at the bronze mirror again, and then opened the large cabinet made of golden nanmu wood, which was usually used to store imperial robes.

The Emperor Qianyuan's clothes were cramped and huddled in a corner, while the remaining three-quarters of the space was generously occupied by the Empress's clothes.

What about the Yun brocade fairy skirt, the Wu silk flower skirt, the peony patterned short jacket, the vermilion floral cape...

These were all clothes she had never seen before; they must have been new clothes that Emperor Qian Yuan had secretly bought for her without her knowledge.

Wen Miao looked at each item one by one, and finally chose a light-colored, narrow-sleeved dress to change into.

...It must be said that Emperor Qianyuan's aesthetic sense was still at the level of bright red and green, and luxurious and elaborate. He didn't care much about whether it looked good or not, but rather he liked to see whether the object was expensive or rare.

However, compared to when we first decorated her to look like a Christmas tree, it's much better now, which is an improvement.

Thinking of this, Wen Miao smiled faintly, but her gaze fell on the bronze mirror.

The person in the mirror resembles her, yet also doesn't resemble her—

It's like the person I used to be, living in a small town in Jiangnan with my grandparents, carefree and natural, growing up nurtured by love, and thus naturally knowing how to love others.

Unlike when she lived in a large villa in the capital after the age of fifteen, where her parents used her as a tool for comparison and controlled all her behavior, making her seem to lose herself more and more as she grew older.

...that's a good thing.

Wen Miao smiled and then closed the cabinet door.

After finishing all this, she sat down alone at the table, served herself a bowl of medicinal porridge to warm her body, and drank it slowly and deliberately, without any sign of panic.

After eating breakfast until she was about 70% full, Wen Miao got up. Just as she was about to go straight outside the palace, she suddenly remembered something that Emperor Qian Yuan would always remind her of at this time—

Wear more clothes.

"Be careful not to catch a cold."

"Otherwise, you'll have lower abdominal pain next time."

Wen Miao shook her head helplessly, casually draped a dragon-patterned cloak over the rosewood dragon-head coat rack, and walked to the palace gate in her wooden clogs, which she had warmed up beforehand.

The door could be pushed open, but there was a group of people guarding it outside; probably everyone who served in the Taiji Palace was here.

As the door was pushed open from the inside, everyone outside the hall knelt down instantly, shouting in unison, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."

Wen Miao's brow twitched slightly, but she didn't blame anyone. She simply asked calmly, "Get up, everyone. Where is His Majesty?"

One of the quick-witted eunuchs immediately replied, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is still attending the morning court session and has not yet returned."

Wen Miao had guessed as much, and she asked again, "Where are Shi Cui and Wan Bi?"

The young eunuch replied, "Both sisters are in the Phoenix Palace."

Wen Miao: "How are Snowball and the kitten?"

The young eunuch was taken aback, clearly not expecting the Empress to ask this at this moment, and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Wen Miao's expression softened. "Send someone to inquire about it for me."

"Yes, yes, Your Majesty."

The young eunuch immediately ordered someone to run to Fengyi Palace. When he turned around and saw Wen Miao's outstanding face, he subconsciously lowered his head to hide his gaze. Before Wen Miao could ask, he said softly, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has instructed you to stay here for the time being and not to leave."

"Okay, I understand."

Wen Miao realized that she had misjudged Emperor Qian Yuan's behavior slightly—she thought he would take the initiative to explain himself, but instead he locked her up in the Taiji Palace.

Clearly, Emperor Qianyuan's true nature was far less mature and composed than he appeared in front of Wen Miao...

The fox that was disguised eventually showed its tail.

Wen Miao's voice remained calm as she addressed the eunuch, "If Xueqiu and the kitten are alright, you don't need to tell me later. Just call me when His Majesty arrives."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"etc……"

Wen Miao suddenly remembered something else, "Could you please find someone to go to Fengyi Palace and bring me the bamboo basket for my needlework? Shi Cui and Wan Bi know which one it is."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all, it's my duty as a servant!"

When the young eunuch saw the Empress speaking to him so gently and politely, his heart pounded and his ears inexplicably burned. He suddenly understood why all those guys were scrambling to get into the Phoenix Palace to serve the Empress.

—When have these people of lowly status and physical disabilities ever been treated like this by nobles! Who wouldn't like it?

The young eunuch readily agreed, promising to deliver it to Her Majesty the Empress.

Wen Miao's expression was gentle. After giving these two instructions, she turned around and walked back into the hall, seemingly without any anger or displeasure at Emperor Qian Yuan's actions.

The eunuchs outside Taiji Palace were quick; soon the small bamboo basket containing the needles and thread was brought over. Although Wen Miao had said there was no need to report further, the eunuch still added a few words, whispering:

"Sister Shicui said that Snowball is doing well, and the kitten has regained its energy today and has started running and playing in Fengyi Palace."

"Sister Wanbi also said that she will ask the people from the animal park to come and take a look later. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."

Wen Miao had no worries about Shi Cui and Wan Bi.

Since Emperor Qian Yuan had not yet finished his morning court session, Wen Miao did not want to waste time sitting idly in the Taiji Palace, so she took out all the needles and threads from the small bamboo basket. Hidden at the bottom of the basket was a small sachet that she had half-embroidered last time, which she intended to give to the emperor as a New Year's gift.

Wen Miao held the small sachet and looked at it, then continued threading the needle and embroidering the patterns on it to pass the time.

In the era she lived in, many young people did not know needlework, but Wen Miao was raised by her grandparents from a young age. Her grandmother was a proper lady from a prominent family decades ago, born into a scholarly family and receiving a combined Chinese and Western education. She had a classical temperament, which is why Wen Miao learned the extremely bold and precipitous Slender Gold style calligraphy and decent embroidery skills.

Originally, Wen Miao only planned to embroider white ponies and puppies on the sachet, but now that a new member has joined the Phoenix Palace, although he doesn't have a name yet, she has already decided to embroider them on the sachet as well.

If you squeeze it out, you can always embroider it.

As she continued with her work, Wen Miao's mind gradually calmed down. She multitasked, recalling the appearance of the kitten while pondering her relationship with Emperor Qian Yuan.

When a person is focused, time flies by. By the time Wen Miao looked up, it was already past the time for the morning court session to end, but Emperor Qian Yuan, whom she was waiting for, did not come in.

Are there any other official duties today?

No, that's not right. Given Emperor Qian Yuan's personality, how could he possibly be in the mood to handle official business now? It wouldn't be like him if he wasn't guarding the gate of Taiji Palace.

After a moment's thought, Wen Miao put the sachet back into the small bamboo basket and carefully covered it with other needles and thread. Then she stood up, took light steps, and because she was on a carpet, she was as light as a feline, and stood silently at the entrance of Taiji Palace.

The wooden doors and windows were covered with a layer of peach blossom paper, which appeared as a soft, warm white under natural sunlight. It had good light transmission, was more durable than ordinary paper, and was enough to see everything outside the door.

As Wen Miao expected, through the warm-toned peach blossom paper, she saw a tall, blurry figure standing outside the door—

The crown tassels were probably still on, and they swayed gently as the person turned and uneasily to the side, striking each other. They had only stood there for a short while when the other person took a few more steps away, and this back and forth was repeated several times.

It's like a vicious dog that's done something bad but is too afraid to go home.

A sense of helplessness flashed through Wen Miao's heart. She quietly sat back down on the edge of the couch, facing the light, propping her chin up, wanting to see when the emperor would finally come in.

—It was clearly Emperor Qian Yuan who wanted to imprison her, but now he doesn't dare to come and see her. How is that... so funny?

...

Taiji Palace, just outside the gate separated by a wall—

Emperor Qianyuan was unaware that the Empress inside already knew he had arrived.

Normally, his five senses shouldn't have made such a mistake, but Emperor Qian Yuan had been restless since yesterday. The night before, he went mad and chased after Xie's residence. When he came to his senses, he saw Wen Miao sleeping soundly on the dragon bed, and he was holding a thin chain in his hand.

At that moment, he truly wanted to bind Wen Miao within the Taiji Palace, so that she could only stay by his side forever.

But just as the lock was about to be fastened, Emperor Qian Yuan suddenly became afraid that the thing would be cold and uncomfortable to the other person.

He thought that the Empress's skin was so soft that even a light touch would leave a mark, so how could she use such random things?

So Emperor Qian Yuan threw the chains to the ground, but as he looked at Wen Miao's sleeping face, the beast in his heart was still baring its fangs and claws fiercely.

Fear, dread, unease, anxiety.

A mix of emotions welled up inside him. As Emperor Qian Yuan, his hand trembling, wrapped the inner ring of the chain with a layer of soft satin and prepared to slip it onto Wen Miao's wrist, he was suddenly struck—

Under the influence of the palace's secret medicine, the Empress, who was already fast asleep, seemed impatient with being disturbed and subconsciously reached out to slap away the annoying fellow.

The slap landed squarely on Emperor Qianyuan's cheek.

The force was very light, carrying a soft fragrance, yet it suddenly brought Emperor Qian Yuan back to his senses, inexplicably calming the restless emotions in his heart.

He lowered the chains again and kissed Wen Miao's hand gently—from fingertips to the base of her fingers, and then to her snow-white wrist, as if he could never get enough of kissing her.

Those delicate, dense kisses landed on the Empress's soft skin, and soon, through layers of accumulation, they formed a continuous red mark, demonstrating Emperor Qian Yuan's terrifyingly possessive desire.

...but that's still far from enough.

Emperor Qianyuan wanted more, more, and more.

He only calmed down after being slapped unconsciously by the Empress again, panting heavily. He pressed his head tightly against Wen Miao's neck, suppressing the raging fire burning within him that was almost uncontrollable.

That night, Emperor Qian Yuan knelt by the bedside the whole time. He would close his eyes for a moment and then suddenly wake up. He would only breathe a sigh of relief when he opened his eyes and saw that Wen Miao was still lying peacefully on the bed.

Until dawn, Emperor Qian Yuan, who had barely slept all night, meticulously prepared everything in the Taiji Palace in advance. After enduring the agonizing morning court session, he headed to the Taiji Palace almost immediately after the session ended.

But when he stood at the entrance of Taiji Palace, he became afraid.

From the end of the morning court session until now, a full incense stick's time has passed. Emperor Qianyuan dismissed his servants and sent them to a distance, standing alone in front of the hall, his brows furrowed and his eyes filled with malice, pacing back and forth.

No one knew what he was thinking. Even Xu Sheng and Zhang Ji kept their distance, fearing that they would be implicated by His Majesty.

At this moment, only the Empress's side is safe!

Before the Taiji Palace, as His Majesty once again walked past the few cold, winter-soaked blue bricks in front of the gate, hands behind his back, for the twenty-ninth time, he suddenly heard a gentle, calm, and slightly indistinct voice coming from inside the gate—

What are you doing at the door?

Emperor Qian Yuan paused, his pupils contracting. After a moment of expressionless contemplation, he composed himself and casually pushed open the door.

Inside the palace, the empress, with her languid eyes and mature charm, leaned against the chaise longue. She seemed to have been waiting for a long time, her face slightly tired, and she was wearing a cloak that belonged to Emperor Qian Yuan.

The soft fabric of the sleeves slipped down, revealing half of her snow-white arms. Her legs were slightly bent, and because she was indoors, she wasn't wearing stockings. A section of her fair, slightly pink toes peeked out from under her skirt, and she was slightly curled up because of the cold wind that had slipped in when the door opened.

Emperor Qianyuan quickly regained his senses.

He closed the door behind him and stood there like a statue, his eyes deep and unreadable.

Ordinary people would likely be intimidated by the emperor's majesty, kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy, or they would approach him gently and timidly, taking the initiative to say some soft words to ask for forgiveness.

But Wenmiao is different.

She had pretty much figured out the habits of the man beside her, and just glanced at Emperor Qian Yuan with her usual gentle and mild expression. She then saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed with some difficulty.

...Like a puppy seeing a bone, it couldn't bear to look away.

Wen Miao raised her hand, the soft hem of her sleeve falling to her elbow. Then she bent her fingertips and gently hooked them twice, revealing a smile that Emperor Qian Yuan could never refuse in his life.

She said—

"come over."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Miaomiao, whose memories are gradually returning, is beginning her journey of dog training.

His Majesty loves Miaomiao very much, but beyond their feelings, there are many problems between them (such as His Majesty's excessive inferiority complex, his insecurity, and the fact that he has placed many people around Miaomiao, etc.). But it's okay! The emotionally stable Empress will help His Majesty grow up (—) [Sunglasses]

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