Chapter Thirty-One: Just for Fun

Kyoto. Imperial Palace.

The discovery of the bronze tripod had been urgently reported to the court by Ye Yuqing. In front of the rosewood desk in the imperial study, the Empress pointed her slender finger at the two characters "Liu Zhang" in the memorial, her brows slightly furrowed.

What a fine military governor of Henan! Absolutely excellent!

Immediately, the Empress unfolded the newly presented secret report from Mu Lian and compared it point by point. According to the report, the discovery of the bronze cauldron was likely orchestrated by someone in the capital. To be able to pull off such a grand event in the seemingly impenetrable city of Luoyang without anyone noticing was no ordinary feat. Mu Lian speculated that only a handful of people, both inside and outside the court, could pull off such a feat without Liu Zhang's notice.

Could it be him? The Empress stroked her slender fingers, rose, and looked out the window of the Imperial Study.

Outside the window, a vibrant sea of ​​flowers stretched out. Layers upon layers of crimson petals, crowded together, bloomed passionately towards the window. A breeze stirred, and the delicate buds swayed gently, as if singing a moving song.

"Your Majesty, please rest a while..." A man's warm, magnetic voice sounded from behind, carrying a tray with a freshly cooked bowl of lily and lotus seed soup.

The Empress's expression shifted slightly as she slowly turned around. The man's features were gentle, and his demeanor was exceptional, just as it had been in the past.

Attended by a man and seated at the table, the Empress looked at him, her bright eyes like water: "Ninth Prince, did you personally prepare this?"

“Indeed…” The man gently stirred the pure honey on the lily and lotus seed soup with a spoon, and said softly, “Your Majesty has a unique taste. I was afraid that others would not please Your Majesty, so from selection to preparation, I personally did everything myself. Your Majesty, please rest assured…”

The Empress took the spoon, tasted it, and couldn't help but praise, "Indeed, only Jiulang truly understands my heart. This small bowl of lily and lotus seed soup must have taken a lot of thought, right?"

really.

The Empress was a discerning eater, with a refined taste for food. Even this small bowl of lily and lotus seed soup required several steps. First, the water used to cook the soup came from Longjing Mountain spring, its clear and sweet water often used by the nobles of the capital for brewing tea, yet it was being used by men to cook soup—this was the first challenge. Second, the soup originally required white fungus, but the Empress disliked it. Therefore, special attention had to be paid to the heat when cooking the soup, and before it was fully cooked, the remaining pieces of white fungus had to be picked out one by one, leaving only the broth to continue cooking—this was the second challenge. Third, lily and lotus seeds have a bitter taste, which the Empress also disliked, so much effort had to be put into flavoring it with honey—this was the third challenge.

The man didn't say much, only nodded. The Empress smiled, savoring the bowl of lily and lotus seed soup, understanding perfectly well what was going on.

After the meal, the Empress took the man's hand, looked at him closely, and after a long while, she raised her deep, dark eyes and said softly, "Thank you, Jiulang, you've worked hard!"

Zhang Jiulang's expression shifted slightly. He felt that there was a deeper meaning behind the Empress's words today.

A glance at the scrolls on the desk in the imperial study revealed Zhang Jiulang's immediate understanding. It seemed the Empress already knew.

"Your Majesty, Jiulang just..." For some reason, Zhang Jiulang suddenly felt his palms sweating and his heart beating a little faster. He had done so much just to secretly help the woman in front of him; he had no ulterior motives whatsoever, and heaven and earth could bear witness.

But what if she doesn't believe it?

Zhang Jiulang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Although in his eyes, the woman before him was merely his woman, he had completely forgotten that she was also an empress, the ruler of the world. It's said that "a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea," let alone that of an unparalleled empress. If she didn't believe him, how could he prove himself?

The Empress's slender fingers stopped Zhang Jiulang from finishing his sentence. She pulled the man down to sit, then nestled herself against him, saying, "Jiulang, don't worry, Axi understands..."

This time, the empress still did not use "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "the emperor"), but instead used her maiden name.

Zhang Jiulang held the Empress's shoulder tightly, and suddenly felt his heart settle down in his stomach, without any fear.

“Your Majesty…” Zhang Jiulang’s voice trembled slightly.

"Call me Axi..." the Empress said, raising her eyes in a reproachful tone.

Then, her slender white fingers twirled a lock of Zhang Jiulang's black hair as she spoke slowly, "The affairs of Luocheng are far more difficult to handle than this bowl of lily and lotus seed soup, aren't they?"

Zhang Jiulang tightened his grip on the Empress's waist and said softly, "It's alright. Although I've entered the palace, I still have some men under my command. In addition, with the rewards Ah Xi has given me over the years, there are still brave men willing to work for me..."

"That's good then." The Empress didn't ask any more questions, but simply nestled even closer into the man's arms.

That night. Zichen Palace.

The boudoir was warm, and a spring night was spent together. Tonight, the Empress was very proactive, her jade hands constantly igniting passion, which made Zhang Jiulang unable to restrain himself. He took her three times, until the Empress was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.

Once again, Zhang Jiulang ordered water and carefully washed the Empress's body, changed her into her nightgown, and tucked her in. Lying on his side on the bed, Zhang Jiulang propped his chin on his hand and quietly gazed at the Empress's sleeping face. She was utterly exhausted tonight, and slept soundly. Her slightly disheveled sleeping face held a vulnerable, innocent quality, like that of a baby.

Gazing at the woman's peaceful sleeping face, Zhang Jiulang's thoughts seemed to drift back to his previous life.

In his previous life, a bronze cauldron also appeared. But that was something he orchestrated to curry favor with the new emperor. The military governor of Henan in his previous life was originally one of his men, so it was very easy for him to design auspicious omens, and he did indeed use this to get promoted later.

But what good was it? He had merely become a pawn of the new emperor. In the end, the new emperor brought peace and prosperity to the country, while he, having achieved great merit, overshadowed the emperor. The new emperor sent people to find a pretext for "purging the court of corrupt officials," fabricated charges against him, falsely accused him of treason, and had his entire family executed.

All my hard work and striving throughout my life has ultimately come to nothing.

Therefore, in this life, Zhang Jiulang will not enter the court or pursue an official career; he only wants to love one person well.

So this time, the appearance of the "bronze tripod" in Luoyang, Henan, was merely a means for him to please his beloved woman. Since the woman he loved was the emperor, he would gather the power of the world to help her, just for fun.

In his previous life, he severed all ties of love and sought only fame and fortune; so in this life, he only desires to grow old together in love and devotion.

In her sleep, the Empress groped for Zhang Jiulang's hand and murmured, "Jiulang, I believe in you, I have always believed in you..."

Zhang Jiulang was stunned for a moment, then tightly grasped the Empress's slender hand. A single, clear tear slid down the corner of his narrow eye.

The next day.

The usually diligent empress unexpectedly overslept.

The court officials waited in vain for the Empress, each lost in their own thoughts. It seemed this noble young master in the palace was indeed capable; they had no choice but to admire him. In the court, the officials' expressions were inscrutable, except for the Prince of Ruyang, who angrily flicked his sleeve.

It is said that "beauty can ruin a country," and it is indeed true. Prince Ruyang thought of the portrait of a beautiful woman in his study's secret chamber and couldn't help but sigh deeply.