Chapter 75 From then on, the king no longer held court early

In Kunning Palace.

Jiang Zhen had just woken up and sat up lazily. Hearing the noise, Jiang Zhen's aunt gently lifted the gauze curtain and asked in a low voice, "Is the queen awake?"

Jiang Zhen nodded, and as she got out of bed, she frowned and said calmly, "Aunt, I've told you so many times that it's cold at night, and Guizhi and the others can keep watch. Why are you——"

"Your Majesty means well, and I understand it in my heart, but I'm used to it and can't stand it." Aunt Jiang smiled as she hung the gauze curtain.

As they were talking, two senior palace maids, Gui Zhi and Gui Xun, came in from the outer room carrying golden bronze basins. When they saw Jiang Zhen standing up, they immediately stepped forward and helped her wash and change clothes.

After more than half an hour, the cleaning was finally completed. Breakfast was already prepared in the side hall. Jiang Zhen walked over slowly with the Buddhist beads in one hand. Just after sitting down for a few breaths, Gui Xun hurried in and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, just now Eunuch Su came to inform you to welcome the emperor. He said that the emperor would come to have breakfast after leaving the court."

Eunuch Su is the adopted son of the emperor's personal eunuch Zhang Dezi, and his name is Su Hai. So, this matter must be true.

"Why so sudden?" Jiang Zhen put down the bowl of porridge she had just picked up, wiped the corners of her mouth with a silk handkerchief, and asked with a frown, "Didn't they say that the emperor was busy with government affairs and would not set foot in the harem for half a month?"

"I don't know, but..." Gui Xun shook her head, took two steps forward and lowered her voice, "But when Eunuch Su left, he reminded me that 'the emperor is in a bad mood'."

Aunt Jiang on the side frowned immediately. Her family had been loyal servants of the Jiang family for generations. She was also responsible for the correspondence between Jiang Zhen and the Jiang family. Jiang Zhen would discuss everything with her, so she had long known about Jiang Zhen's suspicion of the emperor.

She waved her hand to dismiss the attendants, leaned forward and guessed: "Your Majesty, there must be something fishy about this matter. I guess it must be that the dog emperor wants to ask for something."

Jiang Zhen also nodded in agreement, then turned her head to look at her and warned, "Aunt, this is an important place for the royal family, and there are ears behind the walls. Don't speak carelessly. The Jiang family depends on me, and I must not make a wrong step. Don't say that word again in the future."

Aunt Jiang knew that the queen did this for her own good. She was anxious just now, fearing that her queen still had feelings for the emperor. After all, the emperor had been very kind to the queen in the past year since she entered the palace. No matter how smart the queen was, she was only a 15-year-old girl who still had many expectations for love.

Seeing that the queen's face was solemn without any shyness, she couldn't help but secretly admire her in her heart, but her face was solemn and she lowered her eyes and said solemnly: "I will remember the queen's teachings."

Jiang Zhen nodded, stood up and flicked her sleeves, took a step forward and paused, glanced at the untouched food on the table, her eyes gleamed, and she smiled, "Aunt, have someone take the food away first and send it back later, and add a serving of the crystal shrimp dumplings and lotus seed soup that the emperor likes."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Aunt Jiang laughed. It was not worth wasting a whole table of food for a heartless and ungrateful emperor. So what if he ate the leftovers? Besides, her master hadn't eaten them yet.

After re-adjusting her makeup, Jiang Zhen led the entire Kunning Palace to welcome the emperor at the palace gate. After a cup of tea, Xie Fei, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, sat on the imperial carriage and arrived at the palace gate accompanied by a group of eunuchs.

"I respectfully welcome the Emperor. May the Emperor be well and healthy." Jiang Zhen bowed and the palace maids and eunuchs behind her knelt on the ground.

Xie Fei lifted his robe, stepped out of the sedan chair, walked to Jiang Zhen with his hands behind his back, and looked at her carefully with his beautiful peach blossom eyes.

This was the first time he met Jiang Zhen, but the sense of familiarity was not unfamiliar at all. Although the woman in front of him lowered her head, her manners were very dignified and appropriate, and her temperament was even more graceful and elegant. Every move she made was pleasing to the eye, worthy of being the queen of a country.

Xie Fei curved his lips and leaned forward to take a closer look. Perhaps she did not expect him to do this. Jiang Zhen was startled and her slightly squatting body became unstable. She took a step back lightly and was about to fall down in shock. Xie Fei stretched out his long arm, pulled her hand, and hugged her tightly in his arms.

Jiang Zhen subconsciously grabbed the clothes on Xie Fei's side and leaned on his chest. Her anxious heart finally settled down a little. The pair of phoenix eyes on her pale face kept blinking, and the pearl hairpins on her temples jingled.

Xie Fei looked at the frightened person in his arms, raised his eyebrows slightly, and couldn't help laughing: "I have never seen the queen be so rude, it's very cute."

The warm breath blew on her head, and Jiang Zhen suddenly came back to her senses. Her face flushed, and she quickly let go of her hand and took two steps back, squatting down and apologizing, "I am disrespectful, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"It's okay. I'm very happy." He leaned over to help Jiang Zhen up, rubbed her soft little hand twice, and then led her into the hall.

After the two sat down face to face, Aunt Jiang and the palace maids set the table neatly. Guizhi and Guixun brought small copper basins for the two to wash their hands. Jiang Zhen washed her hands while complaining in her heart, wondering what had gone wrong with the emperor again. He had held her hand so tightly just now. The more she wanted to pull back, the tighter he held it. It seemed like he had a big purpose here today, so she must be careful in dealing with it.

Thinking of this, she became more cautious.

The meal was already served. Xie Fei took a quick look and said with a smile, "As expected, the Queen is still very much in my heart. These crystal shrimp dumplings look appetizing."

"As long as the emperor likes it." Jiang Zhen smiled gently, but the smile did not reach her eyes. She turned her head and ordered, "Guizhi, serve the emperor some food."

"Yes, your majesty." Guizhi took two steps forward and bowed, then picked up the chopsticks from the table and was about to pick up the shrimp dumplings.

"No need." Xie Fei waved his hand, his peach blossom eyes slightly raised, looking at Jiang Zhen with a smile, and said slowly, "How can the Queen let others prepare my meals? Why don't you come and serve me the food?"

Jiang Zhen was stunned, thinking to herself, could it be that the emperor is here to pick a fight today? Could it be that she has inadvertently offended his sweetheart?

Thinking of this, she walked up with a smile, took the chopsticks from Guizhi, picked up a piece of crystal shrimp dumpling and was about to hand it to the plate in front of him, but unexpectedly, Xie Fei leaned forward slightly, opened his thin lips and put the shrimp dumpling into his mouth, grinding the chopsticks with his teeth, and looked at her cunningly with a pair of smiling eyes, as if teasing her.

Jiang Zhen's eyes sank, she pursed her lips and pulled out the chopsticks, saying lightly: "Your Majesty seems to be really hungry, please eat more."

As she spoke, she quickly put food into the bowl in front of him until it was full. She then picked up the small bowl and started to serve the lotus seed soup.

Xie Fei supported his chin with one hand, squinting at her every move, and said lazily: "Yes, who said that the queen is so beautiful that it makes me hungry."

Jiang Zhen paused, lowered her eyes with a look of sarcasm, then scooped up a full cup of lotus seed soup. When she looked up again, her face was back to normal. She smiled calmly and said, "I didn't know I was so beautiful. In this case, Your Majesty, please finish eating."

I can’t hold you back!

"Of course." Xie Fei's eyes moved slightly, and he raised his eyebrows to look at Jiang Zhen who was smiling lightly, and laughed loudly, "If the Queen feeds me with her own hands, she will definitely not leave a single drop."

The corners of Jiang Zhen's mouth twitched slightly. Xie Fei stared at her and said slowly, word by word, "Why, the Queen doesn't want to?"

The look seemed to see through her. Jiang Zhen's heart tightened, and she immediately smiled and picked up the bowl: "How could it be? I feel honored to serve the emperor."

Xie Fei opened his mouth and ate the food that Jiang Zhen fed him with a spoon and chopsticks. She was obviously unwilling to serve him, but she still fed him with a smile. Seeing her contradictory look, silly, but particularly cute, his dark eyes could not help but show a little joy, and the doting expression on his face was beyond words.

Soon the dishes were all gone. Xie Fei rinsed his mouth with the mouthwash brought by the maid, stood up and pulled Jiang Zhen to her seat, pressed her shoulders and asked her to sit down. While she was in a daze, he lifted her wrist and scooped a spoonful of shredded chicken porridge, handed it to her mouth, and smiled faintly, "It's impolite not to return the favor. Since the Queen served me for dinner, now I will serve the Queen."

Jiang Zhen frowned, bit her lip and forced a smile, "Your Majesty, I am terrified. This is against the rules."

As she was about to stand up and apologize, Xie Fei glanced at her with his cold eyes and said indifferently: "In Da Qi, my words are the rules."

Jiang Zhen looked at the spoon being handed forward again, smiled helplessly, opened her red lips slightly, and began to eat bit by bit.

This was the most nervous meal Jiang Zhen had ever had. She didn't know why the emperor was suddenly so enthusiastic towards her. The look in his eyes and his expression were as if he was treating a precious treasure. After the meal, he even gently wiped away the stains from the corners of her mouth with his fingertips.

In fact, she was not used to it at all. Even when they were in love, they had never been so intimate. As the saying goes, if someone is too attentive without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief. She was getting more and more nervous now. The emperor must have something big in mind. Could something have happened in the previous dynasty?

While she was daydreaming, Xie Fei had already washed his hands. Seeing Jiang Zhen's thoughtful face, his peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth curved up in a happy arc. He took a step forward, took her hand and squeezed it: "It's getting late, I'll leave first, and come to see you in the evening."

Jiang Zhen's hands trembled as she came back to her senses. She was surprised that he didn't mention anything else. After hearing the second half of the sentence, she thought that he might want to wait until the evening to talk about it. She was thinking about it, but her face didn't show any of it. She just smiled and said, "Yes, I respectfully send off Your Majesty."

As soon as he left the palace, Jiang Zhen immediately turned back to the palace, dismissed the attendants, and left only Aunt Jiang, and immediately asked her to send someone to the previous dynasty to inquire about the news.

Not long after Aunt Jiang left, the concubines in the harem came one after another to pay their respects to Kunning Palace. It was the first time in more than ten days that the emperor came to the harem and came to the queen's place. The news spread throughout the palace during breakfast.

While Guizhi was helping the queen wash and dress, she said unhappily, "Your Majesty, I don't know how many traps you will be framed for today's breakfast. Concubine Gao must hate you very much, but the one who benefited was obviously that little bitch in Xilan Palace."

"Okay, it's not just one or two days, it's just a habit. One day she will know, it's just a matter of time." Jiang Zhen said lightly, her mind had already followed Aunt Jiang. After a moment of silence, she murmured in a low voice, "When the enemy comes, we will fight back, when the water comes, we will block it with earth. No matter what your purpose is, I will remain unmoved."

The author has something to say:

Don’t stay up late, my dear. Go to bed early and get up early to keep healthy and enjoy everything you eat!

I don't have enough time today, so I'll make up for the 3,000 words I took yesterday's leave tomorrow. I'll have 6,000+ tomorrow~~~

ps: small theater

Jiang Zhen: Your Majesty, what is your purpose in going to Kunning Palace?

Xie Fei: Hand over your comments quickly, or I will get angry!