Upon hearing this, Qin Han chuckled inwardly, but dared not show it on his face. He could only respectfully reply, "Yes, Your Majesty, this old servant obeys."
Seeing this, Shen Hanshan knew that Zhao Zhi was deliberately teasing him, but he had no choice but to smile bitterly and beg for mercy: "Your Majesty, why are you doing this? You almost scared my heart out." As he spoke, he pretended to cover his chest, looking extremely comical.
Upon seeing this, Qin Han quickly lowered his head and quietly withdrew from the imperial study.
Upon reaching the corridor, his heart pounded so hard he felt like it would jump out of his chest. He thought to himself, "For Lord Shen to joke with His Majesty like this, their relationship must be quite extraordinary. His Majesty must not be swayed by male beauty!"
Qin Han pondered this matter and knew he had to inform the Emperor Emeritus as soon as possible. It would be more appropriate for the Emperor Emeritus to personally offer advice on this matter.
In the imperial study, Zhao Zhi, seeing Shen Hanshan's reaction, finally couldn't help but chuckle and said reproachfully, "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. I know you're loyal to me, but you need to change your jealous nature, otherwise how can you be the man behind me in the future?"
Seeing her smile, Shen Hanshan breathed a sigh of relief. He took the opportunity to hold her hand and said softly, "Zhizhi, I was wrong. I will never be jealous so easily again. But, in my heart, there is only you. There is no room for anyone else."
Hearing this, Zhao Zhi felt a warm glow in her heart. She nestled gently in his arms and smiled, "I know what you mean. Let's go back to Da Xuan together and have a good New Year."
Cui Shenghe's bedroom.
The underground heating system inside burned exceptionally brightly, completely dispelling the winter chill. A faint scent of ambergris filled the air, seemingly capable of cleansing the mind of all distractions.
Cui Shenghe, dressed in a simple yet elegant robe, stood by the window, his posture upright, like a proud pine tree.
His face was so pale it was almost bloodless, like the finest porcelain, exuding an unreal beauty.
His brows furrowed slightly as he held an exquisite bone-carved quill pen in his hand. The tip of the pen was lightly dipped into the pale ink in the inkstone, and he was completely absorbed in depicting a snowy scene on the rice paper.
Qin Han stood to the side with his head down, his eyes occasionally glancing at the Xuan paper that Cui Shenghe was creating on.
Snowflakes fluttered down in the picture, piling up one by one and gradually covering the entire scene. In this pure white world, a splash of vibrant palace attire gradually stood out.
Qin Han's eyes widened in surprise. He realized that the woman in the painting was none other than the esteemed Empress. He immediately understood that Cui Shenghe had depicted the scene of the Empress admiring plum blossoms in broad daylight.
Cui Shenghe perfectly captured and presented Her Majesty the Empress's figure strolling by the plum blossom tree that day on the rice paper with delicate and expressive brushstrokes.
Qin Han bowed slightly, gazing at the young retired emperor before him, his heart filled with endless sighs. If this man hadn't been poisoned, he would be in his prime, undoubtedly a wise and benevolent ruler.
"Is this true?" After a long while, Cui Shenghe put down his paintbrush and asked softly.
Qin Han quickly regained his composure and respectfully replied, "Indeed, Your Majesty. Recently, that Lord Shen from Da Xuan has been frequently entering and leaving the Imperial Study. Today, this Lord Shen made no attempt to conceal his relationship with Your Majesty from this old servant, and was... too intimate with you in the Imperial Study."
At this point, he glanced nervously at Cui Shenghe, then quickly lowered his head, hesitatingly saying, "Your Majesty is young, this old servant is truly afraid that Your Majesty will be tempted by male beauty..."
"Are you afraid that His Majesty will be seduced by male beauty?" Cui Shenghe asked bluntly.
Qin Han didn't dare to look up and responded with a barely audible "Mm".
"No, they are husband and wife."
Cui Shenghe's voice was calm, as if stating an indisputable fact. Qin Han was startled upon hearing this, and looked up, his eyes filled with astonishment.
"Your Majesty, this... how is this possible? Your Majesty has more than one Imperial Noble Consort, and the two of them are deeply in love..." Qin Han stammered.
Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he knelt down with a thud and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, this old servant will definitely keep this matter a secret!"
Cui Shenghe waved his hand gently, signaling Qin Han to stand up, his tone tinged with helplessness: "You don't need to be so nervous. Although this matter is a secret, it's not something that can't be told. Hanshan is just Shenzhi's courtesy name. He and Zhizhi are already married in Daxuan. They are deeply in love, but they have never been able to make it public due to their status."
Now that Zhizhi has ascended the throne, Shen Hanshan has voluntarily stepped down to assist her in achieving her great cause. As for the Imperial Noble Consort, Eunuch Qin, including myself, you have served three generations of emperors. You should know that many things are merely superficial.
Qin Han stood up, but his heart was still unsettled.
Seeing this, Cui Shenghe smiled slightly and continued, "Don't worry, although Zhizhi is young, she is meticulous and decisive. She will not let personal feelings interfere with national affairs."
But Shen Hanshan is, after all, a member of the Great Xuan, so we still need to be somewhat wary of him. This is also why Zhizhi has never revealed his identity.
Qin Han nodded, his respect for Zhao Zhi and Shen Hanshan growing even stronger. He understood that what he had seen and heard was merely the tip of the iceberg, and that the future of Yun Dynasty might be even brighter than he had imagined.
Cui Shenghe handed the snow scene painting to Qin Han to dry, indicating that he would send it to Chunchao Palace later. "After this parting, it may be several months before we meet again."
He gazed at the swirling snow outside and murmured to himself.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
