Chapter 381
It was nighttime, and lanterns were lit along the roads of the palace. Fireflies occasionally flew among the flowers and plants in the courtyard, and the faint fragrance of osmanthus blossoms drifted in from time to time, making the entire palace appear exceptionally elegant.
Zhu Lan walked beside Shen Qingnian. She withdrew her gaze from the surroundings and said softly, "Your Majesty, these are all jasmine trees along the way. After you left, His Majesty would occasionally come to stay at the palace. I heard that many jasmine trees were planted in this palace."
There are also many jasmine trees near the hot spring, where the weather is warm year-round, and the jasmine flowers bloom almost all year.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingnian's heart stirred. Xia Zi had once told her that men would occasionally come to the palace to recuperate when they fell ill, and it must have been the jasmine trees planted at that time.
The hot spring was located inside the main hall of the palace. The trees on both sides of the main hall grew better the closer they were to the main hall, and Shen Qingnian soon caught a whiff of the faint fragrance of jasmine.
"Wow, the jasmine tree next to the main hall is really in bloom! Look how many flowers there are!" Xiaoju exclaimed in surprise.
Although it was night, lanterns hung along both sides of the road, and it was clear that the jasmine trees planted outside the main hall were still in bloom, unaffected by the autumn weather.
“Yes, the closer we get to the main hall, the higher the temperature is here,” Shen Qingnian murmured, looking at the clusters of small white flowers.
Zhu Lan smiled and said, "His Majesty's deep affection for the Imperial Concubine is truly tragic."
For the past three years, she had been in the inner palace, and she had heard about the things His Majesty did.
As they talked, they arrived outside the main hall.
Shen Qingnian went directly to the main hall, while Xiaoju and Zhulan went to arrange other matters.
The main hall is very large and spacious, and brightly lit. It is separated by long screens and gauze curtains, and is fully equipped with tables, beds, and chaise lounges. It can be used as a sleeping quarters or for receiving guests.
On the table next to it was a large bouquet of jasmine. Upon closer inspection, there were still some water droplets on the green leaves, indicating that it had just been placed there. The whole hall was filled with the fragrance of jasmine, which was refreshing and pleasant.
As soon as Shen Qingnian entered the hall, the palace servant standing guard at the corner bowed to her and reported, "Your Majesty, His Majesty is by the hot spring in the inner room of the hall, and the Commander is also there."
She nodded to indicate that she understood, and then quickly went to the inner room.
The main hall's interior was somewhat warm. In the center stood a large pool, filled with swirling white mist. Flowing white gauze hung from the corners around the pool, and tables, chairs, and long couches were placed nearby. There was also a bunch of jasmine flowers on the table. The entire interior looked several times more spacious than the main hall outside.
At this moment, Song Xuan was sitting on the long couch wearing an outer robe. He had taken off his boots and looked somewhat recovered. Jin Yi was standing beside him, and the two were talking in hushed tones.
Upon seeing her enter, Jin immediately bowed and greeted her: "Your Highness, Imperial Concubine."
Song Xuan looked at her and then instructed Jin Yi beside him: "Go and rest first. You can stay in the palace tonight and leave early tomorrow morning."
Jin Yi responded softly, then left after clasping his hands in a fist salute.
Shen Qingnian came to Song Xuan and sat down next to him.
She asked, "How is Your Majesty feeling? Are you feeling better?"
She could tell the man was very uncomfortable in the carriage.
"I'm much better now. I've already instructed someone to put the medicine packet into the hot spring, and we can go in the water right away," Song Xuan said, holding Shen Qingnian's hand with a gentle look in his eyes.
Shen Qingnian frowned upon hearing this: "You already took a bath before coming to the palace. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to take another one now?"
She was worried that the other person's body couldn't handle it.
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