Chapter 39: Eating Watermelon

Yun Zhao almost tiptoed back to the inner hall, his back pressed against the cold carved partition door. He patted his chest with lingering fear, fearing that the remaining fire from Cao Suzhu's farce would burn him.

She took a deep breath, tried to put on the most respectful attitude, and moved to the edge of the dragon bed with small steps. She lowered her head and brows and said, "Your Majesty, please give your orders."

Under the candlelight, Xiao Jin half leaned against the headboard, the collar of his black nightgown slightly open, revealing a well-defined collarbone, his black hair loose, lacking some of his usual sharpness, but adding a sense of lazy danger.

Without even raising his eyelids, his voice was a little hoarse, but it accurately pierced through her disguise: "Were you laughing at my joke just now?"

[Of course! It's a palace farce where a toad wants to eat a swan's flesh. Who wouldn't love to watch a free show?]

The villain in Yun Zhao nodded frantically, but her face remained tense and her voice was calm, "I dare not. Your Majesty is a man of extraordinary valor and grace. It is only natural for women to admire him. It is understandable that some... harbor unrealistic thoughts."

Xiao Jin seemed pleased by her "compliment," or perhaps simply bored and looking for a bit of entertainment. He suddenly tilted his head, his deep eyes gleaming with amusement in the candlelight, and a playful smile curved the corners of his lips. "Oh? In that case, I think you're quite clever and charming. Why don't you give it a try? It will all work out, and your troublesome engagement with the King of Qin will naturally vanish. Simple, effective, how's that?"

[Bah! Wishful thinking! I am the legitimate daughter of a Duke's mansion. I would rather have my hair chopped off and become a nun than be a concubine! Especially to a moody, dog-like emperor like you!]

Yun Zhao's heart was filled with alarm bells, and he was complaining internally, but his expression remained calm. He kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, like an old monk in meditation. "Your Majesty, please don't make fun of me. The night is getting late, and the wind sounds like it might rain. Your Majesty's health is at risk. Why don't you go to bed early?"

Xiao Jin also seemed to find it boring. He snorted lightly, kicked off the dragon boots on his feet, and threw them aside casually.

Yun Zhao caught a glimpse of the two troublesome boots out of the corner of his eye, rolled his eyes inwardly, and walked over resignedly. He bent down, picked them up, and placed them neatly on the footrest in front of the couch. His movements were meticulous, as if he was performing some sacred ritual.

Just as he put his boots in place, a black robe with body temperature and a faint scent of ambergris was thrown over his head and face.

Yun Zhao was caught off guard and was almost knocked off balance by the "hidden weapon". He hurriedly hugged it.

She gritted her teeth secretly, made a note of Xiao Jin in her heart, and then resisted the urge to crumple the robe and throw it away. With a stern face, she walked to the hanger, carefully unfolded it, smoothed it, and hung it up. Every movement revealed a silent accusation.

Xiao Jin had already laid down with the quilt casually draped around his waist, leaving most of his body exposed.

Yun Zhao had no choice but to step forward again, carefully pulling up the quilt and gently covering his chest. Her fingertips accidentally touched the cool fabric of his pajamas. Looking at his profile, his eyes tightly closed and his brow slightly furrowed, Yun Zhao's heart moved inexplicably. In a trance, she seemed to see her younger brother, curled up in bed with a high fever that winter night last year, needing her to watch over him all night.

"Guard outside the palace." Xiao Jin closed his eyes and said in an unquestionable command, "Serve and wash up tomorrow morning."

"Yes, I will obey your order." Yun Zhao responded softly, holding her breath and concentrating, then she retreated quietly.

She did not close the partition door of the inner hall, leaving a gap so that she could be ready to be dispatched at any time, and also so that... in case the master inside went crazy again, she could run faster.

When he retreated to the door of the outer hall, a gust of cold wind carrying moisture came in through the crack of the door, making Yun Zhao shiver.

She rubbed her arms and began to extinguish the extra candles in the hall one by one, leaving only a few eternally burning lamps in the corners, shrouding the huge Zichen Hall in a dim and hazy halo.

She carefully checked whether all the windows were closed tightly. After confirming that they were all in place, she walked to the door of the hall, leaned against the door frame, and looked out at the dark night outside, which was brewing a storm.

When the eunuchs on night watch saw her emerge, they were like seeing their leader. They came up to her and whispered flatteringly, "Aunt Yun is the most considerate and attentive! In His Majesty's presence, only Aunt Yun can be so thorough."

"Yes, yes, servants are clumsy and always afraid of displeasing His Majesty."

Yun Zhao leaned against the cold door frame, looking a bit tired and lazy, and asked casually, "Tell me, what are the rules for His Majesty's bedtime in the past?"

A young eunuch immediately replied, "Aunt, you don't know that when His Majesty goes to bed, no one is allowed to approach the inner hall! Even Eunuch Zhang can only wait in the outer hall."

Another person also added in a low voice: "Yes, yes, yes! Especially when it rains and thunders, His Majesty often stays awake all night! He stays alone in the palace..."

Yun Zhao nodded thoughtfully, then unintentionally posed a more sensitive question: "Then... does Your Majesty often visit the harem?"

Several young eunuchs glanced at each other, their voices lowered, a touch of excitement as they shared a secret: "They did go, but not often. There aren't many concubines in the palace... to begin with. Everyone is whispering that His Majesty... seems to be waiting for someone to enter the palace."

Yun Zhao's heart inexplicably skipped a beat, but his tone remained calm: "Oh? So... have you waited?"

"I haven't heard of it..." a young eunuch just started to speak.

Another one who seemed a bit more clever immediately interrupted him, saying mysteriously, "Who said there wasn't one? Isn't Concubine Su the one? I heard..." He leaned closer, his voice barely audible, "I heard that Your Majesty was imprisoned in the cold palace back then, in a miserable plight. It was all thanks to Miss Su, who was only five years old at the time, who often sneaked in to visit him and wrote letters of comfort and encouragement. Without that, how could Your Majesty have survived those hard times and finally ascended the throne..."

After hearing this, Yun Zhao curled his lips slightly, not believing a single word.

Just based on Xiao Jin's businesslike, even veiled, attitude towards Su Mingli? And Su Mingli's desire to cling to the King of Qin? This story is too far-fetched.

She smiled and waved her hand, "Alright, stop standing around. It looks like it's really going to rain, so I guess we can skip the morning court tomorrow. You guys should find a place to take a nap and get some rest. I'll be guarding the outer hall."

The young eunuchs were as if they had been pardoned. They thanked Yun Zhao with tears of gratitude and each went to a corner to take a nap.

Yun Zhao was the only one left in the vast outer hall. She knelt down on the cushions near the door, fatigue washing over her like a tide. She simply lay on her knees, intending to take a short nap.

After an unknown amount of time, a pale flash of lightning tore through the pitch-black night, followed closely by an earth-shaking explosion of thunder! "Boom!" The loud noise seemed to shake the temple.

Yun Zhao was awakened by the shock, and before he could fully come to his senses, he vaguely heard suppressed, intermittent mumbling coming from the inner hall.

"Mother... don't go... don't abandon Jin..."

"Mother... Jin was wrong... Jin will never cause trouble again..."