Last night, I heard from that little eunuch that His Majesty had favored a woman in the palace. Lady Ronghua suspected that the Jinling Mausoleum had been found and wanted to come and see it while people were paying respects to their ancestors.
As soon as she entered the room, her eyes flickered when she saw the familiar figure.
It really is Jinling.
She followed her gaze downwards and saw the gold chain wrapped around the fair ankle, and was slightly taken aback.
What is this?
Chu Changning couldn't hear the sound of someone getting up. Her legs were numb from kneeling. After a night of tossing and turning, her body was too weak to support her, and her whole body ached.
She slightly raised her eyes and met Madam Ronghua's complicated expression.
The two locked eyes.
Madam Ronghua immediately came to her senses, smiled, and went over to help her up herself.
"Changning, it really is you! When His Majesty ascended the throne, rumors circulated that you had fallen off a cliff and disappeared without a trace. Your family all thought you—"
"Oh, Your Majesty is really something. Now that you've been found, why didn't you come with you to the New Year's Eve vigil and the family banquet last night? It just makes people speculate."
Chu Changning was pulled to sit on a round stool by her. The gold chains on her feet made a slight jingling sound, but Madam Ronghua seemed not to notice and chatted with her with a smile.
"Your grandmother will be enjoying her retirement at the Grand Palace from now on. The rest of the family is usually not in the palace; it's just you and His Majesty. Jingyu is your child---"
"Jingyu?" Chu Changning was taken aback. "Empress Dowager—Mother, are you referring to Ayu?"
Lady Ronghua immediately realized that His Majesty had changed the name on the family genealogy after returning to the palace.
She smiled and nodded, "Yan Jingyu."
Chu Changning lowered his eyelids; it had been so long, yet he had never spoken to her about it.
"Changning---"
The gentle voice brought her back to her senses.
Chu Changning paused, then came to his senses.
Lady Ronghua carefully observed her expression and chuckled, "Now that you're back, His Majesty should begin preparing for the Empress's investiture ceremony to prevent some people from causing trouble. What do you say?"
Chu Changning didn't know if Madam Ronghua's words were loaded with sarcasm, since they were all from aristocratic families and naturally thought about the interests of their families.
After hearing this, she gave a few perfunctory replies.
Lady Ronghua was not Yan Beimo's biological mother, but after she married Yan Shike, he favored his concubines and neglected his wife, causing her to be childless for the rest of her life. All the children raised in her household were illegitimate sons.
Yan Beimo was her only legitimate son, so naturally she couldn't afford to have any grudges against him.
Last night, she had intended to place members of aristocratic families into the harem, both to solidify their positions and to ensure the continuation of the imperial line. However, His Majesty sent away a corpse, so she abandoned that idea.
Thinking of this, Lady Ronghua couldn't help but take a closer look at this Princess Jinling from the Southern Dynasty.
Chu Changning lowered his eyelids and quietly sipped his tea.
The hall was not cold. She was wearing only a light green dress, her black hair was casually tied up with a hairpin, and a necklace made of rare large pearls adorned her fair neck.
The pearls were rare treasures presented as tribute by the northern barbarian tribes. Large pearls were even rarer and were reserved for empresses. Yet, she wore them so casually around her neck.
Chu Changning naturally noticed her strange expression and subconsciously glanced at the necklace around her neck.
She took this casually from her dressing case to cover the red marks on her neck.
"Mother...Empress Dowager?"
Hearing her suspicious voice, Madam Ronghua snapped out of her reverie and spoke with a smile.
I caught a glimpse of her bare arm when she raised it; her fair skin was covered with fine blushes, marks left from passionate moments.
A quick glance upwards revealed her sleepy eyelids; it was during that time that she had come here. Instantly, she understood perfectly and stood up on her own.
"You don't look well, why don't you take a rest?"
Chu Changning also stood up to see him off.
Lady Ronghua paused at the door, thinking of the opinions of the noble families towards His Majesty, and couldn't help but turn back and say something.
"Young man, be more restrained."
"---"
After everyone had gone far away, Chu Changning propped himself up and sat back on the soft couch. He was exhausted after being tormented by that mad dog all night.
Seeing that she had lay down to rest, Shuangyue respectfully closed the door and left.
Incense burned in the room, masking the lingering scent of that passionate night.
Chu Changning lay on the small couch, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
I slept soundly for days.
When she woke up again, it was already dark, and the entire hall was empty.
She rubbed herself against the covers, still half-asleep, and as soon as she moved, she found her waist being tightly embraced from behind, with a strong, powerful chest pressed against her back.
"woke up?"
Chu Changning was slightly taken aback. He turned around and met that familiar face.
Her face went numb instantly, she twisted her waist, and pushed him.
Yan Beimo raised an eyebrow, and his hand, which was holding her waist, suddenly moved upward, grasping her snow-white softness.
"Why are you hiding?"
She shuddered, furious, and deliberately lashed his leg hard with the gold chain on her ankle.
Yan Beimo seemed oblivious to the pain, glancing at the slender legs draped over him, and said calmly.
"He has quite a temper."
Ignoring his sarcasm, Chu Changning removed his hand, wrapped her clothes tightly around herself, and got off the bed.
Yan Beimo leaned against the bedside, glancing sideways at her back.
She wore only a thin, light white gauze dress, her two slender, white legs barely visible on the ground. The dress was tightly wrapped around her, highlighting her curvaceous figure. Her long black hair cascaded down to her waist, making her truly graceful and charming.
A jade pearl hangs from the ceiling inside the hall, illuminating the entire room.
Chu Changning walked to the table to drink tea, and felt the unbridled gaze on his back, so he turned around.
"Where is Ayu?"
Yan Beimo's voice was deep and resonant. "She's asleep."
"I want to sleep with him."
Yan Beimo frowned. "He's a man."
"---"
Chu Changning retorted sarcastically, "He is my son, and he's not even a year old yet."
Yan Beimo ignored him, leaning against the bed in a lazy posture, and upon closer inspection, his eyes and brows exuded a sense of satiation.
Seeing his expression made her angry, and she couldn't help but think of the terrible ordeal she had suffered last night.
"You won't even let me see Ayu during the New Year?"
Yan Beimo glanced at him sideways, "You, as his mother, still have feelings for him?"
What are you saying?
Hearing his sarcastic tone, Chu Changning straightened her clothes and spoke.
"What will it take for me to see him?"
He stared at her, his expression indifferent.
"That depends on you."
"---"
Chu Changning understood his meaning, and her hand holding the teacup tightened, her fingertips trembling and turning white.
She wasn't one to argue with people, so she simply ignored him and turned to walk to the small couch.
Yan Beimo looked at her lying on the small couch and fell asleep, his dark eyes becoming deep and unfathomable.
He walked over without saying a word.
Before Chu Changning could react, the light and shadow in front of him suddenly went dark.
He grabbed her hands, leaned down and pressed himself against her, sealing her lips with his.
Low, broken moans escaped her lips as she twisted and struggled in anger.
Yan Beimo was panting heavily when he casually tore her clothes off and lifted her up onto his shoulders.
Faced with an absolute disparity in strength, any resistance is futile.
Chu Changning scratched and bit him in anger, but this body was already perfectly suited to him, and her struggles were in vain.
Joyful sounds soon filled the hall.
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