The wines used at the palace banquets were all of the finest quality. By the latter half of the banquet, the ministers were still quite restrained, while some envoys from smaller countries had become somewhat drunk, though they tried their best to remain sober to prevent any mishaps at the banquet.
Halfway through the banquet, most of the guests had already started chatting with Yun Shu and the female envoys next to her, having enjoyed themselves to the fullest. Yun Qing shook her head, feeling a little dizzy from the smell of alcohol.
Of course, no one dared to offer a toast to the emperor, but Yun Qing was much more agreeable. During the toasting, she mixed in one or two cups of strong liquor, and now the effects of the alcohol were slowly taking hold. Her alcohol tolerance was neither high nor low, and her head was already a little dizzy.
Having received his instructions, Shunfeng approached Yunqing and whispered, "Lord Li, His Majesty said you can go to the back hall to rest."
It's windy and snowy outside right now, there's nowhere to go for some fresh air, and there are too many people around. His Majesty is worried, but Shunfeng can understand.
Yun Qing didn't try to be stubborn: "Okay, I'll go right now."
As she rose, a maidservant stepped forward to support her, helping her until she was properly seated on a soft couch in the back hall before leaving.
The underground heating was burning brightly, making the hall warm. Xie Rang would occasionally take a nap here. The air was filled with a faint scent of incense. Perhaps it was because of the long time that Yun Qing felt a growing heat in her body. Finally, she couldn't resist and went over to open the window.
It wasn't until the cold wind brushed her face that Yun Qing sobered up a little. The alcohol made her thinking sluggish. She stared at the potted plants by the window and counted the leaves for a long time before she suddenly realized what she was doing.
"Really..." Yun Qing murmured, "Drinking leads to trouble."
Knowing that alcohol could numb the mind, Yun Qing had always been extremely careful, avoiding alcohol except at palace banquets. Unexpectedly, she ended up falling into a trap with new wines of varying alcohol content.
After a while, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her, which stopped as they approached her.
There are guards here, so we shouldn't think too much about who could get in.
"..."
Before Yun Qing could speak, she heard Xie Rang's voice.
"Why is Grand Tutor standing here? It's chilly. You've been drinking; you'll have a headache tomorrow."
Xie Rang's voice contained concern, but more so, it seemed to carry some unknown emotion. He reached out and closed the window in front of Yun Qing.
Yun Qing chose not to answer the question. Instead, she asked, "...His Majesty just left the envoys in the front hall?"
Yun Qing's voice was somewhat slurred, unusually unlike her usual clear tone. It wasn't until she turned around that Xie Rang realized she was probably truly drunk.
Not only was her face flushed, but the corners of her eyes were also red. Her usually calm and gentle eyes were now unfocused and confused. Only during occasional breaths could she seem to force herself to be a little more awake.
Xie Rang's breathing paused slightly.
Soft and approachable.
This was Xie Rang's first thought.
Yun Qing was used to receiving responses when communicating with Xie Rang, so after waiting for a long time without getting an answer from him, she frowned in confusion: "Your Majesty?"
"Hmm." Faced with the Grand Tutor who was so different from usual, Xie Rang's heart softened, and he replied gently, "Grand Tutor, I'm here."
He chuckled softly, "It's just a short time, it's alright."
The Great Xi Dynasty is now very powerful. To put it bluntly, they don't even need the emperor to personally receive them. The important officials in the court are all there, which is enough.
In contrast, Xie Rang was more concerned about his Grand Tutor.
"Well...that's right."
Yun Qing thought about it for a long time and felt that his statement made sense. She blinked, took two steps back and sat on the small couch by the window, her head throbbing.
Xie Rang noticed the slight change in her expression, took two steps forward, and said considerately, "Shall I rub it for the Grand Tutor?"
Perhaps it was because the scene was too quiet, but in a daze, Yun Qing felt as if she had returned to the past. By the time she realized it, her actions had already outpaced her thinking, and she nodded.
Perhaps because he had just come in from outside, Xie Rang's fingertips were still a little cool, but when they touched the skin, they felt strangely comfortable.
His Majesty the Emperor was very considerate; the massage he gave her was just the right amount of pressure, and in no time, her headache symptoms gradually subsided.
Yun Qing recalled some past events and smiled: "When you were young, you would get headaches after drinking alcohol, and I was the one who rubbed them for you back then."
[It's hard to believe how much they've grown!]
Time waits for no one. After many twists and turns, Yun Qing has been here for quite some time, long enough to have completely gotten used to life here.
She once thought that all the distant figures in history were right beside her, but as history changed and shifted, she eventually became a part of history herself.
Yun Qing smiled, completely unaware of Xie Rang's deep gaze and the heavy emotions he was conveying towards her, the aggressiveness of an emperor that was now fully revealed.
Those involved are unaware of this yet.
Xie Rang smiled enigmatically, then suddenly stopped. His fingers slid down, finally landing slowly on Yun Qing's neck. He leaned closer, his voice low and gentle: "But Grand Tutor, I am no longer the child I once was."
As a young child, he distrusts everyone around him. Being able to hear Yun Qing's heartfelt words gives him confidence, so he wants to get closer and closer to this warmth.
But Xie Rang understood that as an emperor, if he was destined to drift further and further away from those around him, then he had to fight for what he wanted and hold onto it firmly in his palm.
He loved Yunqing dearly, so he hoped that in the end Yunqing would stay willingly.
"I know."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
