Chapter 64: Could this be considered a form of feigned indifference? ...

The emperor, who should have been busy with state affairs in the palace, appeared here out of nowhere and did not receive her greeting. Yuan Chaolu spent some time with him and figured out that this man was really as hard as a rock. She was afraid that someone had offended the emperor again.

"Why is Your Majesty here? Have you finished dealing with the affairs of the palace?"

Yuan Chaolu sat down opposite him, gestured for Zhong Changjun to close the door, and pushed a pot of tea in front of him. "This is tea made from flowers and herbs that I picked in the mountains. How about Your Majesty graciously try some?"

Xiao Zhuo glanced at the teacup, unmoved, and simply stared at her quietly for a long while before saying, "The Empress has been at Chanxu Temple for three full days."

"I found the mountains and forests of Chanxu Temple lush and verdant, truly a sacred place for quiet cultivation, so I stayed a few more days."

Xiao Zhuo laughed and said, "That's why I don't go home and don't think about the palace."

Yuan Chaolu was stunned, and leaned forward slightly. "Today is the middle of the month. The Empress Dowager reminded me that at the beginning and middle of the month, Your Majesty should meditate. It is a time to purify your mind and reduce desires. How can I accompany you again and disturb Your Majesty's mind? Not only today, but also in the future. Your Majesty has truly misunderstood me."

The surroundings were quiet.

The evening glow enveloped her face, and although her splendor had diminished slightly compared to when she was in the palace, her complexion appeared even more radiant. Her eyes and brows reflected the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window, exuding a clear and lively aura.

Xiao Zhuo said, "Apart from the first day when the Empress came to Chanxu Temple, she has never sent anyone back to the palace to inquire after my well-being."

Yuan Chaolu had been avoiding him but had no choice but to confront him. In the past two days, she had been dealing with the matter of the Princess of Yiyang County and had indeed neglected the Emperor.

She rose from behind the desk and came to him.

Although she had one intimate encounter with this man, it was merely a routine matter on her wedding night, leaving her awkward and inexperienced in bed, completely dominated by him.

She used him, using him as a stepping stone, to have the most intimate things in the world with him, and even though their bodies were tossed about in the waves of passion in bed, she felt ashamed when she woke up.

She found it difficult to adapt to staying in Changqiu Palace for a while, and regarded the separation after the wedding as a way to tame him by playing hard to get. Thinking this way, it was only right that she should leave the palace to cultivate and avoid the situation for a day or two.

Yuan Chaolu slightly raised his fingertips, gesturing for him to shake hands.

Xiao Zhuo's gaze slowly moved up along her slender white wrist and landed on her face. He said, "Chanxu Temple is a place of quiet cultivation. Your Majesty, please be mindful of your conduct."

Yuan Chaolu said, "Then why did Your Majesty come to see me? Could it be that you truly came to worship Buddha with a devout heart?"

Unexpectedly, Xiao Zhuo then said, "I have come to see the Empress because of an important matter. This afternoon I met with the three brothers of the Lu family, read their policy proposals, and granted them official positions accordingly. Although they are your adoptive father's family, they cannot be without any influence in the court."

These words, like a feather, gently brushed against Yuan Chaolu's heart.

As the sun set, she saw that the evening sunlight was too bright, forcing him to squint slightly. He felt uncomfortable in the light, but he still looked at her against the light.

Then, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, then sat on his lap.

Such an intimate gesture caught him off guard, and his body stiffened slightly.

Yuan Chao leaned against his chest, raised her head, and said softly, "My parents died early, and the Yuan family is in ruins with no one left in the family. Your Majesty is willing to promote my maternal family in order to provide me with a strong backing, so that I will not be left without someone to speak up for me in the court in the future. I know all of this."

She whispered almost to his chin, her breath brushing against his cheek. Xiao Zhuo instinctively pulled away a little, but she noticed. She pursed her lips, looked at him, and gently hooked her other hand around his sleeve.

It tugged once, then again.

He could smell the fragrance of the hibiscus flower adorning her hair, and the warm scent of incense wafted from her robes, and Xiao Zhuo finally relaxed.

"By the way, what rank of official position did His Majesty grant? My elder brother is extremely learned and will naturally be competent for the post."

Xiao Zhuo lowered his eyes, and she snuggled closer to him. As their clothes rubbed against each other, her gentle body heat wafted through the layers of silk.

"The sun is about to set. Is His Majesty returning to the palace? Or..." The last part of the sentence faded into a whisper, almost drowned out by the chirping of crickets outside the window.

"Are you staying tonight?"

As the supreme ruler, he was used to seeing his ministers bowing and scraping, carefully choosing their words. He had never seen such a snobbish person before. He had previously remained calm at Chanxu Temple for several days without sending anyone back to the palace to inquire about the matter. However, upon hearing about the emperor's bestowal of honors upon his elder brother, he changed his attitude and took the initiative to invite her over.

Xiao Zhuo withdrew his arms from hers and avoided her neck from getting too close.

Seeing the emperor's unusual expression, she raised her fingertips in the air and asked, "Your Majesty?"

She thought that her husband, who was always worshipped and whose mind was full of intricate and complex thoughts, with countless people kneeling at his feet every day, anxiously trying to guess his intentions, was used to manipulating people's hearts. Even now that he had a wife, she still had to guess his thoughts.

She rose, straddled him, and met his dark, unreadable eyes. She gripped his shoulders with both hands and pushed him slowly down onto the mat. "Then Your Majesty will stay."

Just as my heart was pounding, there was a knock on the door.

Yuan Chaolu heard a report coming from outside the door, glanced at Xiao Zhuo, and got off him. "Your Majesty, please wait here for a moment."

"What brings you to see the Princess of Yiyang?" He heard the report clearly, and while still keeping his hands half-supported by his sides, he lazily looked at her.

Yuan Chaolu said, "The county princess is also in Chanxu Temple. I would like to summon her for a meeting. Your Majesty, please wait for me here. I will be right back."

She lifted her skirt and walked halfway, then turned back and instructed, "Your Majesty, please do not make a sound. Wait here."

Unaware that the king's expression had suddenly turned cold, the queen quickly walked out.

**

Qingheng was already waiting outside and handed Yuan Chaolu a letter: "After the county princess left, I went inside and got this letter."

Yuan Chaolu tucked the letter into her sleeve and walked forward.

Princess Yiyang was led to the edge of the courtyard, looking down at the lush green forests below the cliff. When the footsteps behind her drew near, she turned around and bowed to the person who came.

"I was unaware that Her Majesty the Empress was visiting Chanxu Temple. I have been impolite in doing so. I have come here to pay my respects to Her Majesty. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and enjoy good health."

Princess Yiyang had a calm demeanor, a serene gaze, and a faint smile on her lips. Her pale, glassy eyes reflected the mountain mist, making it impossible for Yuan Chaolu to reconcile with the image of her described by outsiders.

Yuan Chaolu skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point: "I've heard that Princess Yiyang wishes to enter the palace?"

Lu Fu nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I admire you and have wished to be by your side since I was young. If I could have the opportunity to enter the palace, I would be eternally grateful to Your Majesty."

She raised her head, her eyes gleaming: "Your Majesty?"

Yuan Chaolu smiled and said, "Before today, I also thought that the county princess admired His Majesty, but it seems that this is not the case."

Lu Fu was taken aback: "Your Majesty, I am currently residing in Chanxu Temple for meditation, but I have never forgotten to pray for Your Majesty's well-being. I have a heart full of utmost sincerity towards Your Majesty."

Yuan Chaolu chuckled lightly: "The county princess's words are watertight, but the county princess was so calm when she saw me. If she had admired a man for many years, could she really face his wife without any emotion?"

Lu Fu was suddenly escorted forward by two guards and forced to kneel heavily on the ground. He frowned and raised his head, enduring the pain. He saw the woman in the smoky-colored silk dress lean down and gently pinch his chin with a soft, slender hand.

That face suddenly drew closer, the pearls hanging from the gold hairpin at her temples dangling before Lu Fu's eyes: "If the county princess doesn't tell the truth, I will have no choice but to deal with your lover."

"Your Majesty!" Princess Yiyang's eyes suddenly sharpened.

Yuan Chaolu said, "That's the kind of look a princess should have when she's with her lover. I've already sent people to capture your lover. If you sacrifice him, you can enter the palace. That would be perfect."

Lu Fu felt the warm hand tracing along her cheek, gently wiping away the dust.

The Empress spoke softly, in a voice only the two of them could hear: "You didn't enter the palace for His Majesty's sake, did you?"

When Lu Fu met that harmless face, his body trembled slightly.

The voice was clearly gentle, yet it was like a sharp, thin blade, peeling away the layers of her heart.

"The county princess comes from the Kumoxi tribe of the Xianbei people in the north. When she was five years old, there was a turmoil in the tribe and her parents were killed. The county princess went through many hardships and barely escaped death to seek refuge with the Lu family. But now, the enemy who killed her father and mother has secured the position of tribe leader and is on good terms with Daqi."

Her breath was sweet and fragrant, and it touched Lu Fu's face. "You are anxious and want to enter the palace as a concubine to use the sword of Da Qi to avenge yourself?"

Lu Fu's face turned pale. According to her inquiries, this empress had caught the emperor's eye because of her outstanding beauty and charm, but upon seeing her today...

“Princess, your lover has been captured by my men and has confessed everything.” Yuan Chaolu raised her hand, ordering the guards to leave.

Lu Fu abruptly pulled his arm back, like a caged beast breaking free of its shackles. He staggered to the ground, panting heavily. He lifted his face, his hair sticking to his sweaty forehead, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Yuan Chaolu handed her a clean silk handkerchief: "There's no one else here, so you might as well speak the truth."

“Firstly, the northern border is still stable, and His Majesty is currently only targeting the west, not the northern tribes. Secondly, the county princess was careless and was caught by me meeting her lover. How could she possibly hide her arrival in the palace from His Majesty and try to influence his mind?”

An unopened letter was handed to Lu Fu, and her eyes trembled.

Yuan Chaolu said, "I haven't opened this letter, and I haven't caught your lover either."

Lu Fu's pupils contracted sharply, and his muscles tensed slightly: "Your Majesty, are you deceiving me?"

“How can this be called a lie?” Yuan Chaolu stood up with a smile, her skirt brushing against her. “It’s just a guess based on the county princess’s past experiences. After seeing the county princess’s reaction, we know that we were right.”

The words were like a bucket of ice falling on him, and Lu Fu's heart sank. "Your Majesty went through all this trouble just to punish me, didn't you?"

The person above spoke up: "Although the Kumoxi tribe is stable and His Majesty will not send troops without reason, if he sends people to cause internal strife and change the tribe's leader to strengthen control, it will not be harmful to Daqi. On the contrary, it will allow them to reap the benefits."

Lu Fu was genuinely surprised that she would suddenly change the subject and suggest such a solution.

“The county magistrate used to be an enemy of the entire Kumoxi tribe. Putting such great pressure on herself is really making things difficult for herself.”

The voice was as gentle as spring water: "I've heard that your younger sister is still in the north?"

Lu Fu nodded. "Yes."

“I also have an older sister. She traveled thousands of miles despite her illness to find me, regardless of the long journey.”

Her gaze softened, as if she saw something else through Lu Fu. "So I will try to find a way to bring your sister here for you first."

Lu Fu's eyes widened in shock: "Your Majesty?"

"I have just become Empress and do not want anyone to threaten my position. Originally, if the County Princess were to fall for His Majesty, this matter would have been quite troublesome. Now that I know the County Princess's thoughts, I have more respect for her."

Yuan Chaolu reached out her hand, intending to help her up.

Lu Fu gazed at the fingertips but ultimately did not place them on the surface. Yuan Chaolu then slowly withdrew her hand and tucked it into her sleeve.

"You should be able to think things through by tomorrow's wedding of Lu Runlan. Come before me and give me your answer."

Lu Fu stared at the woman before him. He could certainly use the late emperor's edict to insist on entering the palace... but what were his chances of winning against someone like her?

The figure draped in a dazzling silk dress gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving Lu Fu alone in the same spot, gazing down at the letter left on the ground.

Yuan Chaolu returned to her meditation room and saw the emperor sitting by the window, a position from which he could see the two people talking in the courtyard in the distance.

His gaze returned to her, and he said, "The Empress received the late Emperor's edict from the Empress Dowager before coming to see Yiyang?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I have already taken care of this matter. Will Your Majesty remain at Chanxu Temple tonight?" Yuan Chaolu stepped forward, wanting to continue the interrupted matter, but the atmosphere had lost its previous ambiguity.

The Emperor said, “The Empress is intelligent and kind, so I am naturally at ease. Since she is living comfortably at Chanxu Temple, I will not disturb her.”

The figure brushed past Yuan Chaolu, who froze on the spot, her eyes wide as she turned back.

Zhong Changjun, who was standing by the door, gave a look, signaling Yuan Chaolu to follow.

Zhong Changjun was intelligent and perceptive, and he naturally saw that the Empress had only been married for a few days and had moved to Chanxu Temple. It was not just that she was not used to living in Changqiu Palace, but also that she was not used to being with the Emperor.

He stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty came to Chanxu Temple today to see the Empress. How can the Empress leave Your Majesty to meet outsiders?"

Yuan Chaolu stood by the window until the warm glow of dawn covered her body, then she gritted her teeth and whispered—

"Prepare the carriage and return to the palace."

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A note from the author:

Red envelopes will be dropped in this chapter!

I'll be updating two chapters tomorrow. Then I need some time to put pressure on myself. I'll set a timer for updates in the future, so please bear with me if I'm late sometimes. I'll also be giving out red envelopes from time to time to try and update more often.