Chapter 72
"It was my mistake that offended your esteemed manners!"
Lu Chengfeng swallowed the metallic taste in his mouth, word by word!
Yun Ji smiled innocently, her delicate face full of interest. "Let's be tortured here. I want to see how sincere you are, you lowly slave."
He still remembers how Lu Chengfeng almost broke his fingers in the Yongxiang Palace!
"Smack—"
Lu Chengfeng raised his head again, and five bright red finger marks from his own hand were clearly visible on his cheek.
Yun Ji laughed even more gleefully, his eyes revealing an even deeper malice and cruelty.
"Continue." Yun Ji's lips parted slightly.
The news reached Fengyi Palace the following day.
Ling Wu ignored her. She opened the letter about the Quanrong, glanced at it, and then asked without looking up, "How has Changning Palace been these past few days?"
Jing Chun lowered his head and did not answer.
A figure silently appeared from the shadows and knelt in the dark. "Your Majesty, He Guili has shown no signs of abnormality recently."
Ling Wu lightly raised her hand, and the figure in the shadows vanished silently!
After a short while, Lingwu pondered for a moment before picking up the letter.
She sat at the table, her gaze fixed on the candlelight.
He Guili...
Her fingers traced across the table, as if she remembered something. She paused, and her delicate eyebrows relaxed.
"Jingchun, prepare the carriage."
"Here you go!"
Changning Palace.
A young servant stepped forward excitedly, "Master, His Majesty's imperial carriage is coming this way!"
Upon hearing this, Zi Sangqi straightened his clothes, his expression filled with joy.
His Majesty has arrived?
Why did you suddenly come?
No, what he should be doing now is welcoming His Majesty, not thinking about these trivial things!
After thinking it over, he quickly walked to the mirror and looked at the cosmetics on the table with a rather unfamiliar expression...
When Lingwu alighted from the phoenix carriage, she saw Zisang Qi dressed in a dark black robe. With his head bowed, she could only see his deep-set eyes and bright blue eyes, making him incredibly handsome.
"Rise...then." The word "rise" was abruptly split into two distant characters when he saw Zi Sangqi's bright red lips.
"Your Majesty, do I look good today? Or should I put on some makeup? This is the first time I've ever used lip rouge..."
Zi Sangqi spoke extremely fast, chattering incessantly like a chirping bird.
After speaking, he fixed his eyes on Ling Wu, waiting for her reply.
Ling Wu forced herself to look away from his bright red lips, then coughed lightly, "Let's go into the palace first."
“Yes! Your Majesty, I almost forgot. I just instructed the kitchen to make almond milk, which has just been served and is awaiting Your Majesty’s tasting.” Zi Sangqi said as he took a step forward.
Upon entering the hall, a bowl of white almond milk was already placed on the table.
Zi Sangqi didn't forget to speak frankly: "Your Majesty, I've calculated it perfectly, timing the journey from Fengyi Palace to Changning Palace to be exactly the right time!"
Lingwu did not pick up the jade spoon, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes because of these words.
"I have heard that you have been much more intelligent than your older sisters since childhood."
"Your Majesty is aware of this as well? Originally, the Empress Dowager intended to pass the throne to Aqi, but Aqi came to serve Your Majesty, otherwise..."
He showed no restraint whatsoever, as if he were saying whatever came to mind, which frightened the servants serving him so much that they turned pale and were about to kneel down.
Fortunately, Lingwu interrupted him, saying, "Otherwise, you would be sitting on the throne of the Quanrong King in a few days."
"In a while...?" Zi Sangqi was slightly taken aback. "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?"
Lingwu did not answer, but placed the letter on the table. "Open it and take a look."
Zisang abandoned the order and opened it.
Almond cream is smooth and tender, sweet but not cloying, elegant but not astringent, and contains the unique and mellow aroma of almonds.
After Zisang put down the letter, Lingwu finished her small cup of almond milk.
"Your Majesty, my father..."
Before Zi Sangqi could finish speaking, he bent down and knelt down.
When he looked up again, the woman sitting on the stool seemed like a deity sitting on a cloud.
A breeze blew in from outside the window, carrying the scent of green bamboo, which mingled with the cool fragrance emanating from the woman before him, instantly transporting him back to the night of his first time serving her.
Lingwu lowered her gaze gently.
She reached out, her long, slender, and fair fingers resting on Zi Sangqi's chin, a faint, cool fragrance wafting into Zi Sangqi's nose with her movement.
The doting look in Wenrou's eyes was gone, replaced by an indifference he had never seen before, as if she knew everything about the world.
The fingers on his chin were delicate and cool. Even though the movement forced him to look up uncontrollably, he felt no disgust. Instead, it evoked an indescribable feeling...
Zi Sang closed her eyes briefly, then opened them, the deep blue in her pupils becoming even more pronounced, faintly revealing an eerie darkness.
All changes happen in the blink of an eye!
"Not pretending anymore? Prince of Quanrong." Lingwu stroked his chin, her voice extremely calm.
The words "Crown Prince" still made Zisangqi's ears burn involuntarily.
“Your Majesty, I prefer you to call me Aqi.” Zisangqi slightly curled his lips, his smile no longer so innocent, his red lips were bright, and even had a touch of wickedness.
Lingwu withdrew her hand, and Zisangqi felt a little disappointed, but did not get up. "When did Your Majesty find out? Was it about the mad horse? I thought it was well hidden, but I didn't expect Your Majesty to still guess it."
The reason it's described as a "guess" is because the horse wasn't poisoned; rather, it was he, who grew up on horseback, who did the dirty work.
He just hadn’t expected His Majesty to be so powerful that even the mindless horse was terrified of her. How could he not be captivated by her strength that day and the tenderness she showed only to him?
Unfortunately, it was still exposed.
But Lingwu simply gazed at him quietly, her eyes calm and undisturbed.
“I knew everything from your dance at the banquet.”
For many years, the Quanrong king did not establish a crown princess, allowing his bloodline to kill each other.
Everyone thought it was to raise the most powerful crown prince, but they didn't expect that the crown prince the Quanrong king was actually a prince.
Sending his heir, whom he had nurtured for many years, merely as a marriage alliance would only be possible if the Quanrong king had become senile.
As for the mad horse incident, it was only at her behest that the people at the horse farm dared to pin the blame on Lu Chengfeng.
Zi Sangqi's voice was slightly hoarse, but the light in her eyes grew even brighter.
She truly is the Empress of the Qi Dynasty!
Lingwu gazed at him quietly, her eyes calm and undisturbed. "Do you know why I haven't killed you?" she asked.
Zi Sangqi lowered his head and chuckled softly, "Because your servant still needs to stay by your side and serve as your bargaining chip, doesn't that right?"
"Yes and no."
Zi Sangqi was taken aback, then instinctively asked, "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"
This question caused him to lose control of the conversation, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, followed by a surge of joy.
"I wonder if the Third Prince of Quanrong wants to secure that coveted position without any mishaps?" As she said this, Ling Wu suddenly leaned closer.
The surroundings were silent, and her breath sprayed all over his face.
That aloofness and indifference transformed into a captivating allure in that instant.
His heart skipped a beat as he saw his own reflection in her eyes from a very close distance.
"Your Majesty, I have been granted your request, but it has not been granted," he replied in a low, hoarse voice.
Ling Wu smiled faintly, reached out and covered his forehead, then gently pushed it away. When she stood up again, only her back was visible.
"Whether you succeed or fail, your father, I will take good care of you."
"I grant you a three-month period. If you succeed, you will be the King of Quanrong and also the Noble Princess."
"If we fail, the Qi Dynasty will trample every inch of your Quanrong land, and punish Guili..."
"Died suddenly in the palace."
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