The Empress said calmly, "Your Majesty is too kind. I am absolutely loyal to Your Majesty, how could I dare to harbor any resentment?"

As she spoke, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, because she felt as if what had just been left inside her was about to leak out. Even with her deep composure, she felt somewhat embarrassed to say such things to Zhao Hao under these circumstances.

Zhao Hao snorted, clearly displeased with her attitude, but noticing her furrowed brow for a moment, he still asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should I summon the imperial physician?"

"No need, Your Majesty, I feel perfectly fine right now. On the contrary, I feel better than ever before." The Empress felt a tremor in her soul as she recalled the scene just now.

When she first heard that Zhao Hao had arrived, she was terrified. But after things calmed down, she began to savor the moment that had just happened. It was an unprecedented experience, and she might never be happier in her life.

Zuan's expression inside the cabinet was also somewhat strange. It seemed that this woman was saying this on purpose for me to hear. Sigh, people in the capital really know how to play games.

Zhao Hao took the Empress's words as sarcasm and did not suspect anything: "I will be going to Zishan to perform the Fengshan ceremony soon, you should come with me."

"I have heard about the Fengshan ceremony. I would like to congratulate Your Majesty on accomplishing such a great achievement. There is no one like you before or after me," the Empress said humbly, but her tone always seemed to lack sincerity and enthusiasm. "However, I am now a cripple and too lazy to move. I will not get involved in the Zishan matter. I hope Your Majesty will understand."

Zhao Hao scrutinized her carefully, seemingly trying to discern her true thoughts.

The Empress had already adjusted her mindset and looked at him calmly. If there was anyone in the world who was not afraid of Zhao Hao, it would probably be her.

After a long silence, Zhao Hao sighed and said, "Very well, you should take good care of yourself in the capital and also keep an eye on the situation there."

The Empress lowered her eyes: "I can barely protect myself now, let alone have the strength to take care of the situation in the capital."

Zhao Hao's face darkened. The other party's words were always barbed, which was really infuriating.

After a while, he said, "Your Majesty, please help me divine the fortune of this trip. For some reason, I have been feeling uneasy lately."

Zuan, who was in the wardrobe, suddenly realized why the emperor had been unusually good-tempered from the very beginning; he had come to ask for something.

It's said that even someone as powerful as Zhao Hao had to consult the Empress about divination and astrology. It seems that the Empress's expertise in this area is far greater than I imagined.

[A stable novel app that has been running for many years, comparable to the source-switching app used by older versions of ZhuiChong, huanyuanapp.]

The Empress replied, "Of course, it's a very auspicious day!"

Zuan listened with a strange expression; this was completely contrary to what she had just told him.

Zhao Hao was indeed somewhat dissatisfied: "You didn't even calculate it, yet you said it was auspicious?" The Empress calmly replied: "Your Majesty is invincible. In the past, only the Demon Emperor was a worthy opponent. Now that the Demon Emperor is dead, who in the world is worth mentioning? Even if there are some schemes and tricks, they are no match for Your Majesty's absolute strength."

"Hahaha, well said," Zhao Hao was immediately delighted, not only because the other party's words had scratched his itch, but also because the empress's words revealed a piece of information—there were some conspiracies and tricks involved in this trip.

This proves that the Empress did indeed perform the calculations, and was not just making things up.

If the other party's divination is similar to my own assessment of this trip, then there's nothing to worry about.

"Your Majesty, please rest well. I will not disturb you any longer." Having achieved his goal, Zhao Hao naturally had no regrets.

"Your Majesty, I respectfully see you off!" The Empress knelt on one knee and bowed.

Looking at her submissive posture and her face as beautiful as peach blossoms, Zhao Hao felt that the Empress was exceptionally beautiful today. He thought to himself that he hadn't favored her for so many years, wasn't that a waste of her beauty?

He swallowed hard and reached out his hand to her.

The Empress noticed his movements, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She was a woman, and a woman of extreme maturity, so how could she not read the meaning in his eyes?

She never expected that Zhao Hao, who was usually extremely ruthless, would fall in love with her today.

For a moment, she felt flustered and didn't know what to do next.

Resist? Given the opponent's cultivation level, if they really insisted, how could she possibly resist?

Should we not resist? Then everything will be exposed soon, and we and Zuan will suffer a fate worse than death.

Thinking of this, her heart tightened immediately, and her body began to tremble involuntarily again.

Fortunately, Zhao Hao lowered his hand again, and his intoxicated eyes regained their determination. He knew his lifespan was running out and he couldn't waste a single bit of his essence.

He nodded to the Queen, then left without looking back.

After he left, the empress collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

Zuan came out of the cabinet and helped her up.

The Empress reached out and put her arms around his neck: "I was so scared just now, I almost lost my soul."

Zu An smiled bitterly and said, "And what about me?"

This is what he has always been worried about. To be honest, the reason he got involved with the Empress was mainly because Zhao Hao had treated him too badly in the West Dog Hill Secret Realm. He still harbored some resentment and it was a kind of revenge.

But after calming down, I realized that the risk was too great; I had just walked through the gates of hell.

However, upon learning that even Zhao Hao had to consult her, Zu An gradually realized that she was not the kind of resentful woman in the deep palace that he had initially imagined, and that she had many secrets waiting for him to discover.

Just as he was about to ask about the Fengshan ceremony at Zishan, the Empress seemed to guess his thoughts and reached out to press her hand to his lips: "Don't speak."

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!