But it was too late to put it away now. Consort Han thought that since the emperor had favored her for so many years, he probably wouldn't hold it against her.
Thinking about it this way, I felt an indescribable sense of pride.
She tidied herself up briefly, then got up and went to the door to bow.
"Your Majesty, I am thinking of you."
"Indeed." The emperor continued walking, his voice revealing neither joy nor sorrow.
"I am speaking from the heart, but Your Majesty does not believe me," Consort Han said coquettishly as before.
Although she was in her early forties, she looked only in her thirties, and her coquettishness did not seem affected or pretentious. The emperor had always been quite taken with her charm.
However, the emperor today seems to be ignoring it.
As he walked into the hall, he saw lychees laid out on a table in front of the soft couch, and two durians roasting on a stove nearby.
The lychees were large, glistening with moisture, and faintly exuded the fragrance of osmanthus.
The emperor glanced again at the unpeeled lychees in the box, and he felt that they were even bigger than the ones that had been presented to him before.
A whole durian was placed to the side, its peel golden yellow, and it seemed to be larger as well.
These were originally meant to be placed on his table, but Consort Han forcibly bought them all.
The emperor looked at the food without saying a word, his eyes showing no emotion, only an aura of oppressive power emanating from his entire body.
Consort Han had been by his side for many years and understood his temperament. She knew that he was dissatisfied with someone but was suppressing his anger, which meant that his heart was probably in turmoil.
An extremely ominous premonition surged up, and Consort Han put on a flattering smile: "Your Majesty, these were bought by the palace servants from the Qiao family's store. They are all of good size and quality. I was just about to send some to Your Majesty."
The emperor slowly turned around and looked at her.
"I dote on the Imperial Concubine, and I would like to experience the special treatment I give her. I wonder how she finds the taste?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Han's forehead quickly broke out in a cold sweat.
She quickly knelt down and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I didn't mean it. It was just that the servant happened to see some good quality and thought of buying some for me to enjoy. I didn't think much of it. Of course, I wouldn't dare to overstep the rules. I only had a little bit. The rest is all Your Majesty's. I will never dare to do it again."
"Was it really just a coincidence?" The emperor thought of what Qiao Lian'er had said, that it was the fourth time he had gone there, and his face grew even colder.
Lying to him, telling blatant lies.
Consort Han was unsure how much information the Emperor knew, so she could only bite the bullet and say, "It was just a coincidence. The people in my palace have always been very disciplined. They made a mistake this time. I will discipline them strictly so that such a thing will never happen again."
As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed the emperor's robe, gently shaking it: "Your Majesty, please forgive me this time. In this life, how can one not make mistakes? I have served you for many years, and I was negligent for a moment. Please don't blame me."
The emperor remained unmoved: "The lychees that I like to eat were bought by the Imperial Concubine for ten taels of silver a box. It didn't cost much money, so it was worth it."
Upon hearing this, Granny Zhou's face showed a hint of panic, and she lowered her head guiltily.
Consort Han glared at her fiercely, then continued to plead with the Emperor: "It was just a stroke of good luck. What I presented to Your Majesty is priceless; how can it be measured in silver?"
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