Yuwen Zheng stared at Ah Li, while Qiu Gu and the other palace maids all lowered their heads, as if they hadn't seen or known anything.

Yuwen Zheng put down the milk, forcefully pulled Ah Li into his arms, and lowered his head to kiss her.

The taste of the milk had indeed improved a lot, filling the air between their lips and tongues.

Ah Li felt that was enough, so she gently bit Yuwen Zheng's thin lips and whispered, "Your Majesty, the memorials haven't been read yet."

At that moment, their breaths mingled, carrying a faint sweetness.

Yuwen Zheng coughed lightly, slowly released Ah Li, and said, "Then you should behave yourself."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will behave myself."

Ah Li's gaze fell on the milk again. Yuwen Zheng took it and drank it all in one gulp, then said, "Have some porridge, we won't drink this for now."

"good."

With a smile on her lips, Ah Li scratched Yuwen Zheng's hand with her fingernail as she took the bowl.

Yuwen Zheng looked up at Ali, who then turned away quickly, still holding the bowl.

Yuwen Zheng looked down at the memorials on the table. Was he wrong to bring these here? Could he really handle these memorials with peace of mind?

After Ah Li finished her meal, she led everyone outside for a walk.

When Yuwen Zheng saw that Ah Li was no longer in front of him, he felt a little uneasy. Had she just left like that?

Outside the window, Ah Li, holding a handkerchief, chuckled as she saw Yuwen Zheng looking down attentively, saying, "This is the first time I've seen Your Majesty reviewing memorials. It's truly a delight to behold."

Yuwen Zheng immediately turned to look at Ali, and then he suddenly felt that the previously boring and dull memorials were not so tedious and boring after all.

Ah Li waved the handkerchief in her hand and said, "Your Majesty, you are looking at the memorials. Can I just look at you like this?"

"what ever."

Yuwen Zheng opened the memorial and began to read it again.

Just as she had said, Ah Li had someone bring over a round stool and sat by the window watching Yuwen Zheng review the memorials.

Yuwen Zheng's mind calmed down, and the memorials that used to give him a headache didn't seem so unbearable to look at today.

When Yuwen Zheng finished reviewing the memorials and looked at Ali, Ali was eating grapes, her eyes still fixed on him.

Yuwen Zheng walked over and asked, "Are you bored?"

Ah Li picked up a grape, raised her hand, and said to Yuwen Zheng, "Your Majesty, this grape is very sweet."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, please try it."

Ah Li fed Yuwen Zheng the peeled grapes, and Yuwen Zheng even put Ah Li's fingers in his mouth.

At this moment, one was inside and the other was outside, and the warmth between them made people reluctant to disturb them.

After Yuwen Zheng finished eating the grapes, Ah Li withdrew her hand and said, "It's time to eat."

"Um."

Seeing Qiu Gu leading people to set out the meal, Yuwen Zheng asked, "Are you preparing the soup and pastries that you used to send over?"

"Since His Majesty is here, we should naturally prepare something even better."

Ahri whispered.

Yuwen Zheng curled his lips into a smile, "Then this time I'll take a good look at what you've prepared."

Ah Li said she didn't know either; it was all arranged by Qiu Gu.

Qiu Gu was meticulous in her work. She consulted with the chief eunuch and knew what foods Yuwen Zheng could not eat and what foods he could eat more of.

Ahri isn't picky about food. She loves the dishes cooked in the palace. They look beautiful and delicate, the portions aren't large, and there's a wide variety of options, all emphasizing color, aroma, and taste.

During the meal, Yuwen Zheng saw that Ah Li was eating happily, so he also ate a few more bites.

After they finished eating, Yuwen Zheng asked Ah Li to play chess with him.

Ahri looked at the chessboard in front of her. Did the original owner's sister know how to play chess?

Seeing Ah Li's hesitant expression, Yuwen Zheng couldn't help but ask curiously, "The eldest daughter of the Tong family doesn't know how to play chess?"

Ah Li whispered, "No, the daughters of wealthy families in the capital are all skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but I... have never learned any of these."

The original owner and her sisters' mother was said to be the legitimate mother of the Tong family.

However, their father favored his concubine over his wife, not only sending their sick mother to the manor, but also elevating the concubine to the status of a secondary wife.

The two daughters were also sent to the estate and have been left to fend for themselves ever since.

If it weren't for Yuwen Zheng's selection of concubines back then, the original owner and her companions might have lived their whole lives in the manor.

The original owner's older sister was unwilling to accept this and always wanted to avenge their mother.

It was only after she entered the palace and became a concubine that she was able to persuade her father to compromise and place their mother's memorial tablet in the Tong family ancestral hall.

Previously, after their mother died of illness, her memorial tablet was kept in the manor, and their father never came to see her off on her final journey.

How can anyone not hate this!

However, Tong Jiajia was ultimately not the emperor's favorite concubine, nor could she become a seductive concubine, and she certainly could not reach out to the court.

Therefore, Tong Jiajia also considered having a prince so that her child could cause trouble for the Tong family.

In the end, it was just a pipe dream.

Yuwen Zheng put the chess piece back. Seeing that Ah Li had suddenly fallen silent, he said, "But I have heard that Grand Tutor Tong dotes on his two children and has even hired famous teachers from the capital to teach them."

Ah Li looked at Yuwen Zheng and corrected him, "They are a pair of children who are only twelve years old."

Grand Tutor Tong kept his favoritism towards his concubine and neglect of his wife a closely guarded secret. After all, under the emperor's nose, such an outrageous act, even for a Grand Tutor, would be difficult to handle if someone impeached him.

Therefore, few outsiders know that Grand Tutor Tong also has two twin daughters.

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