Nangong Zeyue arrived at Zichen Palace surrounded by a group of palace maids.
The palace was luxurious in every way. As soon as Nangong Zeyue entered the inner hall, a palace maid came to greet her.
"Would Your Highness like to take a bath or soak in the hot spring? I have prepared clean robes and am waiting for Your Highness's return."
"Soaking in hot springs can relieve fatigue."
Nangong Zeyue never expected that the palace arranged for her would have a hot spring.
Along the way, they traveled during the day and spent their nights either reading or dealing with assassins. Although martial artists were not as resilient as civil officials, the constant travel also left them feeling exhausted.
Nangong Zeyue took a few steps and then stopped. "Where did all the people who came back with me go?"
A palace maid quickly replied, "They've been arranged in the courtyard of the side hall, not far from here. Is Your Highness looking for them? I'll have someone summon them."
Judging from the tone of the maid's voice, Nangong Zeyue knew that she was probably the head maid here.
He waved his hand, "No need, I was just asking."
After Nangong Zeyue finished speaking, he continued walking forward, and the palace maid led him towards the hot spring.
The hot spring and the sleeping quarters are right next to each other.
The palace maids saw that he was a man of few words and kind face, and that he was good-tempered. He was also handsome and dashing. The palace maids all smiled and were secretly delighted.
In the palace, the maids who served the princes closely had the opportunity to become the princes' concubines.
Once they catch the prince's eye, they are like sparrows flying up to become phoenixes.
The hot spring is crystal clear, with a light mist floating on top. It is surrounded by white marble, and a staircase about three feet long extends into the pool.
On one side of the hot spring pool is a screen embroidered with green bamboo. On the recliner next to the screen are neatly folded bath towels and a set of snow-white nightgowns. On the floor are a pair of cloud-patterned brocade shoes.
"Your Highness, let me help you undress."
As Nangong Zeyue was looking around at the furnishings of the hot spring house, two palace maids walked over from either side.
Nangong Zeyue was startled and quickly put her hand on her belt. "I don't need you to serve me a bath. All of you, get out of here."
Seeing his nervous appearance, the palace maids inside couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle as they retreated.
"Look at him, our Crown Prince is so handsome."
"Of course, she looks just like the Empress, so of course she's beautiful."
"His Highness is still shy; he must have never been with a woman before."
"Sisters, serve your master well. If the Empress takes a liking to you and you become His Highness's maid, then you will have no regrets even if you die."
Several palace maids became infatuated with him, their faces beaming with delight.
The head maid walked in and overheard everything. She said in a deep voice, "Instead of attending to the master's bath, you're here gossiping. Do you want to become servants?"
The palace maids quickly explained, "His Highness doesn't allow us to go in and serve him."
"You can't talk about the master behind his back. Everyone, remember this well, and if it happens again, we won't let it go easily!"
The head maid was handpicked from the Empress's palace and was extremely loyal to her. If it weren't for the fact that the Crown Prince had just returned to the palace, she would have definitely punished him.
Inside Jingping Palace, Mo Ziyan was playing with a piece of white jade in his hand, listening to the guards report the information they had gathered.
A sinister glint appeared in his eyes. "Hmph! Does Father mean he has already acknowledged his identity?"
"No, His Majesty said that the family recognition ceremony will be held in the main hall tomorrow, but..." The guard hesitated.
Mo Ziyan was extremely agitated and asked sharply, "But what?"
"I took a special look, and the person does indeed resemble Her Majesty the Empress."
"In my presence, you shall not address me as Your Highness. Only my mother is worthy to be called Your Highness. Do you understand?"
"Your subordinate has remembered."
The person being reprimanded was a guard sent by Nanzhao, named Urgu.
He had once enjoyed the favor of Consort Lan for a period of time, but since Han Nu arrived, Consort Lan has never summoned him again.
She was already in a bad mood, and after being scolded by the Third Prince, she had nowhere to vent her anger.
Urgu was tall, brave, and resourceful. He was a warrior in the Nanzhao army and was once known as the Wolf of the Grasslands.
He originally thought he would make a difference in Liangguo after being sent there, but he ended up being a useless person.
He couldn't forget the princess after serving her. At the prime of his life, he felt uneasy seeing Han Nu being summoned by the princess for questioning under various pretexts.
He couldn't get over it for a long time. He was quite good-looking, so why did the princess seem to have forgotten about him?
The people of Nanzhao were known for their fierce and unruly nature, with no strict separation between men and women; as long as two people were in love, they would be together.
The day the princess extended her delicate finger to him, he assumed that the incomparably noble princess had fallen in love with him.
The princess was beautiful and charming, and she was once the burning flame in the hearts of many men of Nanzhao.
As night fell, the Third Prince summoned his concubines into the inner palace, and all the guards withdrew.
Urgu returned to his lodgings, and on a whim, he took a jar of wine that he had treasured for a long time and headed towards the room where Han Nu lived.
Han Nu smelled the long-lost aroma of wine; it was the taste of his hometown.
"Urgu, how come you still have the Drunken Sleeping Incense from Nanzhao?"
Han Nu brought a jar with him when he came to Liang with the princess, and he had already finished drinking it.
Drunken Fragrance is a precious specialty of Nanzhao, made from more than ten kinds of flower petals, and its production is extremely limited.
This wine is fragrant and leaves a pleasant aftertaste for several days, making it a favorite among women of the Nanzhao Kingdom.
The Drunken Fragrance has no strong spicy taste; it is a mellow and smooth flavor that is very popular among young men and women.
Urgu opened the beeswax seal on the wine jar and slowly poured the wine into the wine jug.
There were no wine glasses in the room, so he took a water glass from the table, poured two half-cups, and handed one to Han Nu.
With a melancholy expression, he said, "This was left for my beloved girl. Now that she has found someone new, what use is it to me? I might as well share it with you, brother."
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