At this moment, Di Jingcheng was completely at the mercy of the little girl. His eyes were filled with her beauty and charm, and he was completely captivated by the little girl beneath him. He did whatever she said without any resistance, completely at her mercy.

"I know that an imperial edict from the emperor is the most effective."

"And what about your ministers? Won't they hate me and want to get rid of me?"

"And another thing, your concubines must hate me to death!"

...Azi mumbled for a long time, and Di Jingcheng's gaze followed her the whole time. Looking at her lively and cheerful expression and the unique demeanor of a little girl, he felt dizzy. How could his little darling be so cute?

Seeing that he was staring at her intently without replying, Azi reached out and pinched his handsome face: "What are you thinking about?"

Di Jingcheng chuckled softly, taking her mischievous little hand and gently stroking it:

"Whatever you say, my darling, is right. I'm completely yours now, why would I care about these trivial things? Don't worry, those old men won't dare say anything. As for those women, my darling, you don't need to let them bother you. You just need to always trust me."

Azi nodded: "Alright, then you'll listen to whatever I say from now on! I heard from my mother that the emperor is a capricious person, and you could easily lose your life if you're not careful around him. He also has a group of talkative and cunning ministers around him who are always trying to instigate him."

She muttered to herself, while her other small hand played with the strands of hair that had fallen down as he leaned forward.

"Your mother still tells you these things?"

“Yes, my mother is Han Chinese. All the knowledge I have about Central Plains culture comes from her teaching me, along with Brother Yimeng. We learned together. So we know both Mandarin and Chinese characters!” Azi said, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Oh? Azi's mother is Han Chinese. I thought there were no outsiders in your village." Di Jingcheng naturally knew that Azi's mother was from the Central Plains and was called Nalan Mingzhu.

He hadn't thought about it carefully in his previous life, but now that it's suddenly brought up, this surname must be something special.

“My mother was being chased and killed back then, but my father saved her. She was the first outsider to come to the village. You are the second, along with your guard. You all came together,” Azi replied naturally.

Di Jingcheng nodded, seemingly deep in thought, but his expression remained gentle.

Azi then added, "By the way, what about the guard who was with you earlier? I don't think I've seen him!"

Di Jingcheng smiled helplessly: "Azi, you can't just come and go from the palace. He's a guard with a sword. He saved the emperor and I originally wanted to keep him in the inner palace as a commander, but he had no interest in that and went to the frontier."

"I never expected you to be so understanding. You're truly a good emperor! Excellent!"

Di Jingcheng was flattered by his beloved's praise and felt a surge of pride. His face was full of affection as he asked, "Does Azi have any questions for me now?"

Upon hearing this, Azi seriously began to think about it. The man patiently waited for her, enjoying watching her adorable little face. After a while, she smiled and shook her head: "No!"

Di Jingcheng smiled gently, leaned down and kissed the red lips he had long coveted. Azi sweetly responded to him, and soon, ambiguous sounds filled the air. The bedchamber was filled with intense passion.

Zheng He and Qinghe, who were outside, watched the snowflakes fluttering in the air, tightened their thick, warm coats, and looked back at the room with its warm candlelight. They figured everything should be alright now.

The snow outside was falling heavier and heavier. In the dim light, Zheng He saw a young eunuch run over and kneel down in front of him, saying that Prince Yuan had returned...

Zheng He did not send him to reply, knowing that the current emperor probably didn't want to see anyone and was probably inside appeasing his ancestors.

The temperature inside the bedroom was very high, perhaps because Xu had lit the underfloor heating, or perhaps because the bed in the bedroom was too warm.

Through rows of bright yellow curtains, the canopy on the magnificent dragon bed was lowered, and by candlelight, one could vaguely see people inside. However, their faces were not visible; only two figures embracing were visible, and it was unclear what they were doing.

From inside, the soft sobs of a delicate woman and the seductive coaxing of a man could be heard from time to time. It seemed that the man had angered the woman, causing her to sob again in unbearable pain...

Di Jingcheng looked at the soft, delicate girl beneath him, his heart melting. Her eyes were red as she accused him, her sweaty hair clinging to her flushed cheeks and mottled neck. Her words, spoken through broken, weak lips, were: "You...you...!"

"Sweetie, be good~"

But the man showered her with affection, and her pleas for mercy were shattered, leaving her no choice but to succumb to his charms.

——

On the other side, Emperor Jingyuan waited for a long time in the side hall, but Emperor Jingcheng did not appear. Cheng Yi came to the bedchamber to invite people, and saw Zheng He'er and Qinghe with palace servants guarding the door.

"Lord Chengyi!" Upon seeing the newcomer, the group of people immediately knelt down and paid their respects.

Cheng nodded slightly and looked at Zheng He'er: "Prince Yuan is already waiting in the side hall. Does Your Majesty wish to see him now?"

Zheng He Er shook his head slightly: "I'm afraid Prince Yuan has made a wasted trip today. I'm afraid His Majesty will be..." As he spoke, he looked at the tightly closed gate.

Cheng Yi was slightly puzzled, but Zheng He Er stepped forward and whispered a few words in his ear. Then he understood. No wonder so many people were kneeling in the front yard.

"Then I'll trouble Eunuch Zheng to arrange for me to stay in the palace. I have important matters to attend to, so I'll leave the palace first." After saying this, Cheng Yi turned and left.

Zheng He Er watched Cheng Yi walk away and sighed deeply: "What a mess this is! I've been left with all this trouble!"

Zheng He Er pointed to the eunuch Zheng San had summoned: "You go, take a few people and serve Prince Yuan well, don't neglect him."

The young eunuch immediately accepted the order: "Rest assured, Eunuch Zheng, this servant will certainly serve Your Highness well."

As Qinghe watched the palace servants leave, she whispered, "Those kneeling in front, perhaps the prince's concerns are justified."

Zheng He was well aware of this, but he dared not act rashly, since those women had offended the emperor's heart and soul.

Just as the two were agonizing over this, the emperor's deep, languid voice came from inside: "Hot water."

Upon hearing the emperor's order, the two put aside their thoughts and immediately got to work, one preparing hot water and the other preparing dinner.

The palace gates opened, and the palace maids bowed their heads and stepped forward to tidy the curtains, but no one dared to touch the dragon bed. After tidying up, they retreated to the outer room and quietly awaited instructions.

Hot water was carried in by palace servants and placed behind a screen in the side hall. Wisps of steam rose slowly, blending with the warmth of the room.