Chapter 91 Accusation

He asked again, "Will you still lie?"

"I really won't..."

"Do you still dare?"

Yuan Chaolu was repeatedly pressed for answers, and could only reply, "I dare not." She reached for the ribbon wrapped around her wrist with her lips, trying to untie the knot, but Xiao Zhuo noticed. This naturally led to retaliation—

The woman's red lips parted slightly, but were covered by the fabric, and her eyes were completely covered by a ribbon. His fingertips moved through the ribbon, and his soft, laughing voice sounded in her ear, warning her not to struggle.

If it were any other fabric, it would be fine, but what was blocking her lips was her torn undergarment... Her husband was truly wicked.

The sandalwood table in front of Yuan Chaolu was cold, his vision was blurred, and he couldn't utter a sound. All his senses were focused on one point.

She shook her head, the earrings dangling and slapping against her cheeks, a way of telling him that she would never do it again.

In Changqiu Palace stood a large bronze mirror, its surface as clear and bright as water, reflecting everything within the palace with perfect clarity. In the mirror, the alluring Empress lay reclining on a rosewood table, her magnificent red embroidered gold dress still partially removed, her body pressed deeply against the cold, hard edge of the table, a scene of vibrant allure. Behind her stood a man in white, his face like jade, elegant and noble, still possessing an ethereal beauty even now. Only the beads of sweat on his forehead and the slight movement of his Adam's apple hinted at something amiss.

And this is the area that the mirror can reflect; the areas that it can't reflect are even more chaotic...

Xiao Zhuo looked at himself in the mirror, his gaze gradually falling on the woman in the mirror. Seeing that her face was covered with rouge, he suddenly paused, his palm gently smoothing out the wrinkled hem of her skirt along her waistline.

Yuan Chaolu's tense shoulders and neck relaxed slightly, as if she could finally relax.

But in that instant, Xiao Zhuo suddenly exerted force with his arm that was bracing against the table...

**

When Yuan Chaolu was freed from his bonds and broke free of all restraints, she turned around and bit his lips. Her hot breath, carrying fragrance, brushed against his lips, and she kissed him fiercely and with great dissatisfaction, her hair tangling between his lips.

Her breathing was erratic, and tears welled in her eyes: "Third Brother..."

Xiao Zhuo suddenly placed his palm on her lower abdomen and pressed it hard. Yuan Chaolu's lower abdomen contracted, her eyes trembled, and she bit her lip as she looked at him.

He said, "The Empress calls me Third Brother, so it seems she knows she has to back down now."

Yuan Chaolu leaned on Xiao Zhuo's shoulder, her black hair cascading down her back, accusing him with her eyes, before finally sobbing and nestling in his arms.

**

It rained all night, and by the next day, the light was still dim, and no lights were lit in Changqiu Palace.

When Xiao Zhuo woke up, the tent was pitch black and all was silent, except for the sound of rain falling slowly reaching his ears.

He shifted slightly, noticing something, and saw Yuan Chaolu lying face down on him, her head resting gently on his chest, her long hair spreading out like silk behind her.

A chill drifted in from outside the tent curtains. She seemed to notice it, frowned slightly, and wrapped her slender arms around his shoulders, snuggling closer to him as if drawing warmth from his body. "It's still early. Are you leaving?"

"No." Xiao Zhuo let her hug him and stopped moving.

After a while, the person in my arms gradually calmed down.

Outside the curtains, the sound of continuous rain filled the air. The curtains around them naturally isolated everything, as if they would not be disturbed by the outside world. Xiao Zhuo listened to her light breathing, closed his eyes, and gradually sank into consciousness.

Until, the person in her arms called out, "Your Majesty."

Xiao Zhuo slowly opened his eyes and saw her raising her head in his arms, her eyes clear: "I thought Your Majesty wouldn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky, but I didn't expect you to wake up at this hour."

She swayed her hips and leaned closer, her chin resting against Xiao Zhuo's neck, her long black hair brushing against his chin, causing Xiao Zhuo to tilt his head slightly to make it easier for her to get closer, and he naturally wrapped one arm around her.

Her eyes were filled with grievance: "Your Majesty is fine for waking up so early, but my cousin was punished so late last night and hasn't recovered yet. Even though my cousin was in the wrong first, she shouldn't be punished like this."

She took Xiao Zhuo's hands and completely covered the places where he had left his handprints yesterday. "It hurts so much, Your Majesty. You really don't know how to care for a woman. The handprints haven't faded yet."

Although she said he shouldn't be reprimanded like this, her tone lacked any of her former respect. The way she addressed His Majesty was exactly the same as when she called him "Third Brother" in bed. She raised her cheek and brought her lips to his Adam's apple, making a seductive gesture.

Xiao Zhuo lowered his eyes to meet her burning gaze. He saw her slowly raise her body, her long hair falling from her neck to cover the outline of her spring mountain. Her eyes were still slightly red at the corners, making her incomparably beautiful.

Even in the dim light, she still shone with a jade-like luster, like warm, smooth mutton-fat jade, and asked, "Is Your Majesty satisfied? If not, then Your Majesty should teach my cousin a lesson."

Yuan Chaolu saw the man's gaze lift from in front of her and slowly fall on her cheek. Then, he picked up a strand of hair with his fingertips and slowly and deliberately twirled it, gently pulling her cheek closer little by little.

"Although I have been teaching her, my cousin has never truly listened to me." He stroked her cheek with his palm.

In the darkness, their breaths were extremely close, lingering between them.

Yuan Chaolu felt her body being controlled by an indescribable sensation, and her whole body felt like it was going to go limp in his arms. Although she had been restrained last night, the feeling of her whole body relaxing and melting like a pool of water at the end still lingered in her body.

"How could that be?" She gently rubbed her waist against his lower abdomen. "I have kept in mind all the lessons Your Majesty taught me at Chanxu Temple, including literacy and etiquette. I will remember them well this time as well."

His fingertips gently caressed her cheek, and he lightly kissed her lips, murmuring, "What if you don't listen?" He then pulled her hand to his firm, muscular abdomen, and then…

The tent was dimly lit, with some areas completely devoid of light, which fostered an atmosphere of ambiguity.

This wasn't the first time this had happened. When their affair was exposed, she had handled state affairs for him in the same way, right there in the hunting grounds. She looked at him and felt his breath suddenly rise, and the temperature inside the tent gradually become scorching.

He supported her body with one arm, making Yuan Chaolu sit facing him in his lap. His cheek gradually pressed against her collarbone, and his eyes stared at her fiercely. "If you do it again, I will punish you. How about it?"

Just being stared at like that sent a shiver down Yuan Chaolu's spine. With one hand still pinned down by him, she managed to free her other hand to wrap around his shoulder and said, "Okay."

"Call me Third Brother again."

"Third, Third Brother."

"Call again."

The woman's voice was half-scolding and half-coquettish, trembling with shyness and annoyance, yet it added to the feeling of stirring one's heart, "Good Third Brother."

Xiao Zhuo bit her collarbone.

It wasn't the first time Yuan Chaolu and he had been husband and wife, but last night was the first time she had instinctively wanted to be close to him without any taboos, abandoning everything.

She heard the torrential rain pouring down outside the window, relentlessly pelting the earth. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck, pressing his face against hers...

**

On the night Jingming Temple caught fire, flames filled the air and smoke billowed into the sky, a sight witnessed by the people of Luoyang.

It wasn't until the final torrential rain fell that this pagoda, into which countless people had poured their hearts and souls, was not completely destroyed by fire.

The day after the fire, the Ministry of Revenue began to assess the damage to the pagoda and carry out repairs: Jingming Temple's exterior was severely damaged, but most of the Buddhist scriptures and treasures inside were spared. Even so, it would take a long time to repair.

Lu Changli, the Minister of Revenue, died in the fire, leaving behind many mysteries.

On the night of the incident, the emperor appointed the Grand Secretary to investigate the case.

In the Xuande Hall, the Grand Chancellor presented the case file today, saying, "Over the past five days, I have conducted a detailed investigation into the people who entered and exited the pagoda on the night of the Empress Dowager's birthday. I have compiled the cause and effect of this case in detail and have written it all down on the case file for Your Majesty's review."

The dossier contained detailed records of the confessions from the Empress Dowager's subordinates—

"The Empress Dowager was particularly grieved by the death of Miss Lu and took her anger out on Lu Changli. The fire was ordered by the Empress Dowager."

At the same time, a book of accusations written by Lu Runlan herself was also presented.

Just before the Empress Dowager's birthday, she received this letter from Miss Lu. After that, she immediately sent people to take over the pagoda. Lu Changli immediately relinquished power. Soon after, the Empress Dowager secretly ordered the archers to lie in wait, intending to get rid of Lu Changli.

After the Grand Secretary finished speaking, the Emperor remained silent for a long time.

Xiao Zhuo fiddled with the memorial tablets, making a crisp sound. "Why was Imperial Physician Qingheng there that night?"

The Grand Secretary said, "Qingheng claimed that she was summoned by the Lu family to examine the pulse and witnessed the drowning of Miss Lu. However, Lu Changli shifted the blame onto her. When the Empress Dowager found out, she ordered her to be taken to the pagoda along with Miss Lu, intending to have her buried with her."

The Grand Secretary paused, then said, "The Empress sensed something was amiss and came to her rescue, which is how she narrowly escaped death."

Xiao Zhuo, however, said, "That's not right."

The Grand Secretary pondered for a moment: "Should I continue the investigation with Imperial Physician Qingheng? I will first imprison him and interrogate him in detail."

The emperor said nothing more, but simply threw down the memorial he had casually picked up and said, "You don't need to investigate this matter any further."

The Grand Chancellor was taken aback: "Your Majesty?"

"The case was closed with the charge that Lu Changli's negligence in supervising the pagoda led to the fire."

The Grand Secretary was a veteran of three reigns, having served the emperor since the Chu Dynasty. He vaguely sensed that this matter involved many people, and if the investigation continued from Qingheng, the next person to be investigated would be the Empress.

Now that the emperor has made the final decision on the case, he naturally doesn't ask any further questions.

After everyone left, Xiao Zhuo sat alone behind the desk, his eyes meeting the sunlight streaming in through the window. He casually raised his gaze and saw the pond under the flowering trees in the courtyard, which the Empress had ordered to be dug. The pond shimmered with light, and several koi fish swam back and forth.

The emperor rested his hand on his forehead, gazed at the scene quietly for a while, and then asked, "Where is the empress?"

Zhong Changjun hurriedly said, "At this time of year, Her Majesty the Empress is usually in Penglai Palace attending to the Empress Dowager. I will go to welcome Her Majesty back to Xuande Palace shortly."

Since the Empress narrowly escaped being engulfed by the fire that night, the Emperor and Empress's relationship has rapidly warmed up. In the past few days, the Empress has moved most of Changqiu Palace to Xuande Hall, spending the day with His Majesty and sleeping together every night.

Xiao Zhuo lowered his eyes and stared at the two characters "Qingheng" on the case file. After a moment, he raised his hand, put the case file away, and sealed it in a wooden box.

**

The sky was bright and clear, but inside Penglai Palace it was dark and gloomy. The curtains were drawn, and every time a palace servant moved and lifted the curtains, a strong smell of medicine would waft out.

At this moment, a woman with splendid hairpins and a radiant silk skirt sat on the throne in the palace. The Empress looked at the palace maid in front of her and said softly, "I have given you a few days to consider. I believe you have thought it through."

The middle-aged woman was slender with long, narrow eyes and eyebrows. She was Aunt Yao, who had served the Empress Dowager since before the Empress Dowager got married.

"Your Majesty..." The voice was soft and trembling, completely unlike its usual majestic tone.

"I ask you, when the previous dynasty moved the capital, how exactly was my mother distracted and murdered by thieves on the road? Will you tell me yourself, or will I find a way to get you to talk?"

The Empress smiled alluringly, but her gaze was sharp as a knife.