The emperor stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.

"Thank you for your hard work, Ziyi."

After seeing Zhao Ziyi off, Eunuch Zhang stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, you can rest assured about the Empress Dowager and the Empress. I have already instructed the servants to pay close attention. They will not dare to neglect us while we are away."

The emperor nodded and gave him an approving look.

"Your Majesty, shall we have dinner at the Hall of Mental Cultivation or at the Weiyang Palace?"

The emperor smiled and said, "I'm going to see the empress; I have some things to say to her."

Zhang Gonggong understood and immediately led the way for him.

Since the women in the inner palace did not interfere in state affairs, Jian Yang was unaware of the emperor's upcoming tour and assumed he was just there to freeload again.

They usually eat separately and occasionally exchange a few words.

But today, Jian Yang felt that the emperor's gaze was constantly fixed on her face.

It made her feel really uneasy.

"Your Majesty, is there a grain of rice on my face?"

As she spoke, she touched the corner of her mouth with her hand, but there was nothing there.

The emperor was amused by her actions. "Your Majesty, you misunderstand. I've only come to tell you that I will be making a southern tour tomorrow, and my return date is uncertain. I'll have to trouble you to take good care of the harem from now on."

Oh, so the boss is going on a business trip.

She thought there was a piece of food stuck in her teeth, and she was too embarrassed to ask.

Jian Yang nodded and confidently picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork.

"After I leave, the Empress must be extra careful and never trust anyone too easily."

Jian Yang nodded again, and then took a bite of the Eight Treasure Duck.

Seeing that she only knew how to eat and did not care about his safety at all, the emperor suddenly became a little annoyed.

"Does the Empress have nothing to say to me?"

Jian Yang, who was suddenly called upon to answer a question, paused for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No."

As soon as he finished speaking, the emperor's face turned ugly at a visible speed.

What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly giving me attitude?

Men can change their minds faster than turning the pages of a book.

Jian Yang's heart skipped a beat, but then she suddenly had a breakthrough.

She put down her chopsticks and said with a serious expression, "No, that's impossible. What I want to say is that Your Majesty must be careful on this trip. I will also pray for Your Majesty and the people in the palace, hoping that Your Majesty will return safely soon."

The emperor could tell that she wasn't really paying attention, so he didn't force her. He just smiled wryly and said, "Eat quickly, or it will get cold."

Jian Yang immediately picked up her chopsticks with a grin and continued eating.

That night, the emperor stayed overnight at Weiyang Palace, citing the late hour.

Jian Yang had no objections.

Anyway, the two of them had slept together several times. Once you get used to it, you get used to it after a few times. Besides, they were both dressed, so there was no inappropriate content for children.

But as it turns out, being too numb is indeed not good.

Because Zhou Jing'an had been explaining various things to her all night, she went to bed at least half an hour later than usual.

When you stay up late, your brain starts to shut down.

Upon learning that Lianxia had prepared hot water for her bath, Jian Yang yawned and walked behind the screen. She quickly took off her clothes and began to enjoy a relaxing bath.

Her series of actions stunned both her personal maids and the emperor.

The room fell silent.

The only sound was the splashing of Jian Yang's fingers as she stirred the water.

Zhou Jingzhi gestured to the two maids behind him, who were relieved and quickly and quietly left the bedchamber, remembering to close the door behind them before leaving.

The candlelight flickered, the purple gauze curtains in the palace moved without wind, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flower petals.

The woman's graceful figure was reflected on the screen, indistinct and alluring.

Zhou Jingzhi watched this unfold, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

He seemed to be moving toward her uncontrollably, yet he deliberately made his steps lighter.

Beyond the screen, he saw glistening, tiny water droplets slide down Jian Yang's shoulder, leaving no trace, yet stirring ripples in his heart.

"Lianxia, ​​bring me a bath towel."

As usual, Jian Yang became a freeloader, holding up his arm and waiting for Lian Xia to bring him a bath towel.

She was so tired that she felt like she was going to die of exhaustion any second.

The bath towel was delivered to her as usual.

Jian Yang stood up from the water with her eyes half-closed, then unfolded the bath towel to wrap her body, and then her whole body stiffened.

Something's not right.

Something's really wrong!

In the past, when Lianxia handed her a bath towel, she would always ramble on with praise in her ear, or help her get out of the bath, or help her wring her hair.

In short, he's noisy and hardworking.

But tonight she was unusually quiet.

A bad thought popped into her head, and Jian Yang stiffly turned her head, only to see the dog emperor standing to the side watching her.

His gaze was intense, making her feel hot all over, and she wished she could plunge into the water.

Damn, you peeping tom!

Jian Yang quickly turned around, unable to help but curse inwardly.

But she didn't dare to actually curse, so she could only bite her lip in frustration and say angrily, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. May I have someone come and help you wash up?"

After waiting for a while without a response, Jian Yang began to feel uneasy.

No way, really?

He's an impotent man!

The atmosphere grew increasingly eerie.

Just as Jane was about to explode, the emperor finally said "Hmm" in a calm and unhurried manner.

Jian Yang breathed a sigh of relief and immediately called someone in, breaking the atmosphere.

After they had both settled down and were lying in bed, Jian Yang was surprised to find that she couldn't fall asleep.

The emperor's murderous gaze lingered in her mind, and whenever she thought of it, she felt so ashamed and angry that she wanted to disappear into the ground.

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